December 2021 by The Affair Magazine

CURRENT AFFAIRS IN A WAY YOU'LL LOVE

Sahithi Lingampalli founder art co-director

vice executive layout co-director

Kavya Gurunath

Ashmita Annamalai

vice executive science co-director

Geethikaa Tarra

art & media, opinion codirector

Evelyn Chen

art co-director

Vrinda Gandhi

vice executive public relations co-director

Parker McElroy

politics & world events director

Juee Deshmukh

science co-director

Taruni Manam

vice executive lifestyle co-director

Samita Pandit

lifestyle co-director

Grace Yoon

politics & world events codirector

Cindy Zhang

opinion co-director

Harvi Karatha

editing co-director

Uday Lingampalli

COVER ART BY EVELYN CHEN

editing co-director

Aathmika Radhachandran public relations co-director

meet the staff

WRITERS: Ameya Aneja Ashmita Annamalai Kavya Gurunath Juee Deshmukh Mia Grace Parker McElroy Rachel Adam Sierra Tan Taruni Manam Thejo Tattala Nitya Baratam Sahithi Lingampalli

ARTISTS: Evelyn Chen Juee Deshmukh Sahithi Lingampalli Thejo Tattala

EDITORS: Cindy Zhang Geethikaa Tarra Helen Bian Jashan Mehta Jeet Parikh Juee Deshmukh Kavya Gurunath Manushri Bapat Mia Grace Myint Myat Theingi Nitya Baratam Parker McElroy Samita Pandit Taruni Manam Uday Lingampalli

LAYOUT DESIGNERS:

Helen Bian Inchara J Sahithi Lingampalli Sierra Tan Vrinda Gandhi

contents

ART AND MEDIA

Rerecording Music

POLITICS AND WORLD EVENTS

Holidays Around the World

Romani Genocide: The Untold Story of WWI

SCIENCE

Increasing Alertness while Studying

Yay, Gloomy Days?

The Science of Gift Giving

Do At Home Lab: Baking Soda Volcano

LIFESTYLE

31 33 35 37 39 41 43

Developing Your Emotional Intelligence DIY Christmas Decorations Gingerbread House Recipe OPINION When does the "official" holiday season start? MOTM SPONSORS

art

MEDIA With Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) topping the charts, music rerecording has been cast in a new light. But why do artists feel the need to rerecord their past works?

rerecording music 5

RERECORDING music Essentially, a master recording is the official original recording of a piece of music -- stored in a data storage device such as tapes, discs, or digital formats like MP3 recordings. This would then be used to produce all later copies of the music. Well, why are these masters -- as they are called -- important?

Unless you've been living under a rock, you are probably aware of Taylor Swift's recent release of Red (Taylor's Version), a re-recorded version of her 2012 album, Red. This new release topped charts and broke countless records, despite being a re-recording of an album that came out almost 10 years ago. Well, why is Taylor re-recording her albums, and what impact does rerecording have on the music industry?

In the music business, an artist owning their masters gives them the legal rights to, well, do what they want with their music. Licensing music to media like TV shows or films, letting other artists sample -- this all falls under the control of whoever owns the masters. And as it goes, the person with the masters collects the royalties from the music as well. Music labels, then, view masters as assets -- investments that they would employ various means to protect.

First, we should dive into what masters are, and what record label contracts encapsulate.

In Taylor's case, her masters were acquired (without her consent) by Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings LLC, with their acquisition of her former label, Big Machine Label Group. Hence, in order to regain her masters and earn royalties from her music again, she announced in 2019 that she would be re-recording her first 6 albums. However, artists re-record music for many other reasons too. An example would be the cult classic song Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus. Its masters were stored in a format that is now defunct, and frontman Brendan Brown no longer possessed a copy of said masters. After trying to save what was left of the original copy, Brown got frustrated and ended up deciding to re-record the album in its entirety. Since 2016, Brown and his bandmates have been working on this impressive project - a full rerecord of Wheatus with its original songs as well as B-sides and bonus tracks.

Re-recording albums is a painstaking feat, but it is one that some artists choose to -- have to -- go through, to protect their creative rights and get their credit where it's due.

written by

SIERRA TAN edited by

MYINT MYAT THEINGI layout by

HELEN BIAN art by

THEJO TATTALA

und o r a s y a d holi he world t

politics romani ge untold st nocide: the ory of ww ii 9

We have a ll heard of Hanukkah Kwanzaa, , Christma but there s, and are a myria holidays c d of other elebrated in v a world dur rious part ing the tra s of the ditional “H oliday Sea son.”

deals with le ic t r a is Th RNING !! A W ry is rarely T o t N s E ir T e N h t O h !! C ust. Thoug a c lo o H any other i n m a e k m li o , R le e p h t o during e Roma pe d h t e , r d e t e s h s g u u la disc ined and s a t e oma are d R e r e e h t w , o s h societie is about w le ic t r a is h r II. T ed WWII. iv v r u World Wa s y e h and how t

ra’s St. dBaarlb-aBurbara Day/Ei

dec 6.

A Middle-Eastern Christian holiday celebrating the martyr Barbara, daughter of a strict, powerful Pagan father. When she converted to Christianity, her father was enraged and she was forced to flee. As Barbara traveled, she changed into various costumes to disguise her true identity. According to legend, she ran through freshly-planted wheat fields that instantly grew to cover her tracks. During this holiday, children dress up in costumes and trick-or treat. In order to receive candy, children must dance or sing “Heshle Burbara” and play the tambourine and derbake (a hand drum). People also plant wheat seeds in a bed of cotton wool.

Celebrates St. Nicholas, the patron saint of Russia, Greece, and of sailors and children. According to Norse folktales, he was generous and distributed sweets and presents to wellbehaved children. In northern Europe, children write letters to St. Nicholas and leave out vegetables for his horse. In exchange, they receive presents under their pillow or inside shoes, stockings, or plates. Common gifts include chocolate coins, oranges, nuts, cookies, and candy canes.

holidays around the world

St. Nichol as Day

dec 8. A Buddhist holiday commemorating the enlightenment of the Buddha, which occurred after meditating under a Bodhi (fig) tree. In celebration of this holiday, Buddhists meditate, snack on tea and cookies, decorate Bodhi trees with lights, display statues of the Buddha, and enjoy rice and milk, the first meal the Buddha ate after his enlightenment.

Day i h d o B

dec 12. Celebrates the appearance of the Virgin Mary to a peasant named Juan Diego in Mexico City in 1531. On this day, people erect altars in their homes consisting of a painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe surrounded by candles and flowers. Many also travel to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe for mass. Outside of the Basilica, fireworks are lit, mariachi bands play music, and many dance.

Our GuadalLuapdey of Day

written by rachel adam

edited by cindy zhang

layout by inchara j.

art by thejo tattala 12

dec 12-24. On the 13 days leading up to Christmas, Icelandic children place a shoe in their bedroom window. According to folklore, mischievous mountain-dwellers come to town, and depending on the behavior of the child the previous night, place candy or a rotting potato in the shoe.

Lads e d i t e l u Y

dec 13. Honors Lucia, a martyr who was killed by the Romans because she was Christian. This holiday is celebrated in Sweden. Processions are held in honor of St. Lucia’s Day, and each town elects its own “St.Lucia '' to be featured in the procession. The elected “St. Lucia” is accompanied by young children who wear white clothing and sing traditional songs. The eldest daughter in the family serves coffee, lussekatter (saffron bread) and ginger biscuits to her family.

St.Lucia’s Day

dec 16-24.

as Las Posad

Commemorates the journey that Joseph and Mary took to find a safe place for Mary to give birth to Jesus. In Mexican towns, a child dressed as an angel leads a parade of children who are dressed in silver and gold robes and carry lit candles and pictures of Mary and Joseph on a donkey. Trailing them, the adults go door-to-door, symbolically asking for shelter for Jesus and Mary. After mass, children break open starshaped piñatas filled with candy.

dec 21. An Iranian holiday celebrating the winter solstice, which symbolizes the victory of light/good over dark/evil. Families gather to eat pomegranate seeds, watermelon, ajil (sunflower seeds and dried nuts) and tell stories. Elder family members read Hafez poems that predict the future, followed by the singing of traditional music.

Yalda

dec 21-23.

Festival i a h z g n o D

Celebrated in China and Taiwan, the Dongzhi Festival celebrates the winter solstice. Although customs vary by region, everyone visits their ancestors’ tombs to cleanse them and leave offerings of food and drink. In cold Northern China, people eat jiaozi, steaming hot dumplings filled with meat and medicinal herbs like ginger and garlic, to stay warm and ward off illness. In Southern China, tangyuan, rice balls filled with bean paste or meat and sweet herbs, are thought to symbolize familial unity and prosperity. In Taiwan, ninelayer cakes shaped like animals are offered to ancestors.

dec 21-25. A five-day long Hindu festival honoring Lord Ganesha, patron of the Arts and Culture. Families make a shrine in their living room centered around a statue or picture of Lord Ganesha, which is typically decorated with pine boughs, banana leaves, tinsel, colorful lights, and ornaments. Children decorate every day and prepare a tray of incense, sweets, and fruits for Him. It is a time for mending relationships, as well as celebrating the joy that comes from the arts. Children are also given gifts each day (preferably homemade), but can’t open them until the fifth day of Pancha Ganapati. Families share sweets and homemade greeting cards featuring Hindu artwork and verses from the Vedas.

Pancha Gan apati

happy holidays from the affair magazine!

CONTENT WARNING: this article deals with the r

romani genocide: the untold story of WWI

TW: This article is brutal. I don’t go into gory details, but there are many mentions of death, although specific methods of death are not described. Please tread carefully. Better known by the vilifying term “gypsies,” the Romani people are an ethnic group originating from northern India.By the 1400s they had migrated to Europe and began to form permanent settlements, a milestone for this historically nomadic group. Like many other minority groups located in Germany circa 1935, Romani people faced exorbitant amounts of discrimination and violence, which culminated into the forced detainment of roughly 2500 Romani people into Nazi concentration camps in 1940 (Holocaust Encyclopedia, 2021).

Over time, the German government started confining the Romani in separate camps, dubbed “gypsy camps”. The conditions in these camps were much the same as the previous ones. These camps existed until the deportation of every Romani person was ordered by the government. Approximately 23000 Romani were deported during this sweep to Auschwitz, where they faced the same conditions as previous locations, as well as pseudoscientific experiments that have now been classified as torture. It is estimated that 21000 of the 23000 Romani who were sent to Auschwitz died (Holocaust Encyclopedia, 2021). In other parts of Europe, the Romani were treated with the same disregard. Around 30000 Romani were shot in the Baltic States alone and between 1 and 12 thousand were killed in Serbia, though records were not kept. Before the war, scholars think that there were around a million Romani people. The estimated number of those killed is around half a million. After the war, though the concentration camps and ghettos were eliminated, Romani people still faced similar discrimination.

The German that “all mea before 1943 measures ag criminal acts driven by ra Encyclopedia the remainin were not al wasn’t until German go reparations t offered m (Holocaust E

The Roma important showcases damaging th from all wal of history eli of a group th Europe for truly awful e person who e

by parker mcelroy, edited by cindy zhang and nitya baratam, art by evelyn chen, la

romani holocaust.

n government proclaimed asures taken against Roma 3 were legitimate official gainst persons committing s, not the result of policy acial prejudice” (Holocaust a, 2021), which meant that g displaced Romani people lowed to return home. It almost 1980 when the overnment started paying to the Romani people and monetary compensation ncyclopedia, 2021).

ni genocide of WWII is an historical event that just how broad and he Holocaust was to people ks of life. This one decade minated half the population hat had previously existed in over 500 years. This one event affected every single existed at the time.

ayout by sahithi lingampalli

introducing

SCIENCE

increasing alertness while eine is of us, caff F o r m an y rs, r all-nighte the go-to fo a there was but what if le ? This artic better way y how to sta focuses on dy ight and stu n ll a e k a aw b ecau se effectively rk , h o m ew o ly te a n u rt unfo ep . doesn't sle

studying the science of

gift giving

Gift-giving is a co rnerstone of the holiday season, bu t it is often stress-inducing. Th is scientific breakdown of gift -giving will hopefully ease your tensions about partaking in this w onderful tradition.

a d o s g n i k a b

volcano

u can see In this article, yo gredients how different in tchen can be found in your ki plosive -turned into an ex anic reaction! and safe -- volc

yay gloomy days? Ever wondere d why we feel safe and comforted on rainy day s, when it is more reason able for us to feel sad a nd gloomy? Keep readin g to find out :)

increasing

alertness School can be hard. Often, it involves six-hour days with about an hour of homework afterward, not counting helping your peers with their assignments or any other things that you need to get done. If you have four classes, then you may spend ten hours a day just on school. Sometimes there truly aren't enough hours in the day, so we need to take advantage of the ones that we have, which may mean pulling an all-nighter. Right off the bat, you should try to avoid all-nighters as much as possible. Budget your time as best as you can, and try your hardest to get a healthy amount of sleep. Studies show that regularly pulling all-nighters can not only negatively affect your performance but also negatively affect your heart and other parts of your body (Sleep.org, 2021). This article doesn’t only apply to all-nighters, this advice can be used for long bouts of studying, or just increasing your productivity throughout the day.

while

studying The first tip is pretty generic: drink caffeine. This does not mean gorge yourself on energy drinks like they're going out of style; this just means that drinking caffeine sometimes can help you be more alert. Studies show that drinking too much caffeine makes it hard to concentrate though, so be careful how much you consume, and tailor it to your needs (Healthline, 2018).

written by Parker M

edited by

th Kavya Gurunaalli Uday Lingamp Tip number two: self care! If you get lost in a haze of calculus and history assignments, it can be hard to remember to take care of yourself. It's important to remember to eat and hydrate, because your body, like a car, can't run on fumes. You need fuel (London Metropolitan University, n.d.). On a similar note, exercise is a great natural stimulant and can help you stay awake longer. Even doing some easy stretches or dancing to your favourite song will help keep your blood flowing and your brain working (Healthline, 2018). Tip number three is to surround yourself with lights! It has been proven that using your devices increases the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep and decreases your overall quality of sleep (Sleep Foundation, 2020), so what better way to stay awake than using devices? Bright lights also affect your brain's perception of time (Healthline, 2018). It's not two in the morning if your curtains are closed and there's a lamp in your face!

Tip four sounds like a bit of an oxymoron, but relax! Many breathing exercises can reset your brain and help you become more alert (Huberman Lab, 2020), hence why they are often used to tackle panic attacks (Huffington Post, 2020). Taking short naps throughout your late-night study binge can also give you little bursts of energy that you need to carry on the rest of the way. Be careful with that one though, as you will need the self-control to wake up at your alarm and not continue sleeping (Healthline, 2018). These tips are not all that you can do to study better. I implore you to do your own research and get to know yourself better. Maybe obscene amounts of caffeine are the only way to keep you up for longer than twelve hours, but you will never know for sure, until you try other methods that encourage your body to keep going. Even so, I hope these tips will help in some way to maintain your GPA.

layout by

Helen Bian

art by

Juee Deshmukh

LAYOUT BY SIERRA TAN ART BY SAHITHI LINGAMPALLI 23

Rain pours out of the gray clouds, trickling down your window. You make yourself a cup of hot chocolate and get under your blanket. You turn on the TV and binge your favorite show, all cozy. You feel safe and happy. Ever wonder why? Rain has been shown to positively impact many people, especially those with anxiety and depression. Thunderstorms produce a sound similar to white noise, a noise containing many frequencies with equal intensities. The brain craves sensory input. The sound of rain causes the brain to receive a tonic signal from white noise, which then appeals to the brain’s desires. This calms the brain and body. In contrast, bright lights and sunny days keep us active. Rain is also an example of pink noise. Pink noise is a sound that has enough variables in frequency to engage the subconscious

GLO DA

mind, but not enough to distract or disturb it (Dixon 2018). It is usually found in nature, such as waves or the wind, and can positively impact one’s sleep and memory.

Although rain is often associated with a negative and dull setting, it has been proven that gloomy days can actually improve an individual’s mood. The repetitive sound of falling rain allows us to relax our overstimulated brains, and block out sudden and loud noises. It reduces stress and relaxes our body, which in turn causes our minds to crave comfort. This can be in the form of blankets and hot drinks. Listening to music, watching TV, reading a book, or even sleeping on gloomy days reflects our mind and body relaxing, and doing simple and enjoyable things, while maintaining a calm atmosphere.

OOMY YS? Most of the time, rain will soothe you and cheer you up. However, you may be having a hard day, or simply feel dull. Here are a few simple ways to cheer you up on a gloomy day or just general activities to do while it rains!

The next time it rains, try one of these activities or do what you and your body want; It is time for yourself. In a world of stress, rain will help YOU feel calm and happy.

WRITTEN BY ASHMITA ANNAMALAI & AMEYA ANEJA

EDITED BY JUEE DESHMUKH, UDAY LINGAMPALLI & JEET PARIKH

Simply sip your tea on the porch, rather than at the kitchen table. Pay attention to the sights, sounds, and fragrances of nature; you'll notice that gloomy days are much more than just gray skies. Brightly coloured apparel can help you combat the gloomy weather and improve your spirits. You'll feel better dressed in bright colours, whether it's a beloved scarf, red lipstick, bold statement jewellery, or shoes in a distinctive colour. Fresh flowers not only brighten up a place, but they also lift your mood. Ranunculus, peonies, tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are all in season, and a single flower in a bud vase or an empty jar will suffice. Slipping into a calming bubble bath filled with your own moisturizing soap combination is one of the finest rainy day pastimes. Make a batch of chocolate chip cookies. There’s nothing like a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies on a rainy day.

a vy Ka by en itt a G wr Mi &

Th eS cie nc e

ing Giv tGif of

th na ru Gu

It’s the most stressful shopping time of the year. Every year, people are overly passionate about holiday shopping. Deals and sales are in every store, as families race to put gifts under their Christmas trees or in the arms of friends or family. The spirit of giftgiving is an essential part of the holiday season. However, there is a lot that goes into gift-giving: what gift to choose, how much to spend or how much someone will appreciate the gift. Hopefully, in this article, we can break down the science of gift-giving to make your experience more enjoyable.

Gifts are catalysts for our appreciation of one another -- by giving a gift, we recognize someone's importance in our life. Humans, as a species, are largely social creatures, thriving upon their connection with others. Gift-giving this craving for interrelations and cultivating bonds between people. When on the receiving side, we relish in the thoughtfulness of a genuine gift (or, perhaps, wince at the lack thereof). We find joy in the personalized sentiment and feel recognized, seen and loved. When on the giving side, our pleasantries derive from the gleeful responses we receive, knowing that we made an impact. It feels good to make others feel good, and we are driven by such responses.

How to Choose Gifts Choosing gifts is often the most stressful part of the gift-giving process, perhaps only second to seeing the reaction your gift elicits. There are so many factors that go into picking gifts: cost, longevity, usefulness and aesthetic, just to name a few. Lucky for us, psychologists have conducted studies to let us know which factors to prioritize. Here are some scientificallybacked gift-giving tips.

1. Pay more attention to the usefulness of the item than the cost or beauty. Often, we tend to associate expensive gifts with better gifts. However, that might not be the case. According to a study done by the Association for Psychological Science, people think that costly gifts will elicit a better reaction, and thus buy such gifts for the sake of seeing this reaction. They don’t prioritize the usefulness. In another study, people were asked to gift either a beautiful, but less practical pen or a not beautiful but useful pen. They realized that the relationships where someone was gifted the more useful pen became stronger (Suttie, 2018).

2. If people specify what they want, just get it for them. We associate gifts with needing to have a surprise factor to them, but a 2011 study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, concluded that people like getting gifts that they ask for. Don’t feel the need to get a huge, surprised reaction for your gift. People ask for what they want, and if you get what they want, they will appreciate it more. Additionally, they might think of you every time they use what you get them (Suttie, 2018).

3. Give the gift of an experience. According to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, gifted experiences improve relationships more than gifted material objects. They will impact a person more. So, a date or trip to a new destination might be worth more to a person than a new TV (Suttie, 2018). It is often our instinct to worry about the gifts we are giving, stressed by the need to please. But by being cognisant of your recipient’s wishes, you can find the most meaningful gifts of all. The holiday season should be one of excitement and bliss, not one of stress. Be mindful of the gifts you buy in order to foster love, the ultimate gift that keeps on giving.

edited by Juee Deshmukh, Jeet Parikh, & Helen Bian layout by vrinda gandhi Art by juee deshmukh

do-at-home lab

BAKING SODA VOLCANO The baking soda volcano is a popular science experiment that students can do at home. From the experiment, kids get to learn about the chemistry of acids and bases. Acids are substances that donate protons, particles with a positive charge to form a chemical bond. Bases are substances that accept protons, also forming bonds (Acids and Bases | Boundless Chemistry, n.d.) . The reaction between an acid and a base is called a neutralization reaction.

materials needed 10 ml of dish soap 100 ml of warm water 400 ml of white vinegar Food coloring ½ cup baking soda in a cup mixed with water Empty 2-liter soda bottle Quick note: Do it outside, as it will be a mess! 1. Combine the vinegar, dish soap, water and food coloring (about three drops) into the soda bottle. 2. Then, add the baking soda mixture into the soda bottle. Be quick and step back! The substance inside will erupt out, creating a large mess.

How does this experiment work? The foamy rush of liquid occurs due to the chemical reaction between the two solutions (the vinegar mixture and baking soda mixture) . Vinegar, containing acetic acid, has a low pH, a measure of how acidic a solution is. When mixed with water, it donates a proton, making the solution acidic. Baking soda is a base, and when mixed with water, it accepts the protons (Brookshire, 2020). The vinegar/dish soap mixture and baking soda mixture combined is an example of an acid and a base mixing. When this happens, a chemical reaction results, creating carbon dioxide, a gas. Once carbon dioxide is formed, it becomes “excited” and the gas tries to escape the bottle. The liquid foam is a combination of water, fizz and bubbles from dish soap. As mentioned earlier, the baking soda volcano is a neutralization reaction. The combination of the acid and base neutralize the amount of protons in the solution. The amount of acid mixture (vinegar and water) must be equal to the amount of base mixture (baking soda and water) for a sizable reaction to occur. If there is less vinegar and more baking soda the reaction will be smaller.

written by

Juee Deshmukh

edited by Kavya Gurunath Nitya Baratam Helen Bian

layout by

Helen Bian

art by

Thejo Tattala

With basic materials, this fun experiment can teach kids the foundations of chemistry. It helps them learn about how the chemical composition of substances results in different interactions as well.

lifes

developing your emotional intelligence Emotional intelligence is more than just having a lot of friends or empathizing. It’s the ability to get along with others and understand their emotions. Those with high emotional intelligence are known to be extremely successful in life because of their impact within a team or in the world.

di christ decora

Do you want to ma more festive for the some easy, quick, an to spread some C

style

iy tmas ations

ake your home feel e holidays? Here are nd inexpensive DIYs Christmas cheer!

gingerbread house recipe With Christmas right around the corner, what better way to enjoy the holidays than with a warm gingerbread house inspired by the festive spices?

developing your em Emotional intelligence (EI) is a skill in which one can recognize their emotions and understand how these emotions can affect others. Additionally, emotional intelligence concerns your perception of the people around you. This understanding of emotions creates forming relations much easier. Those with high EI tend to easily get along with others, and they have a higher tendency of knowing how to navigate themselves through their life. In order to increase your emotional intelligence, it is important to understand what constitutes it. The four main components of a person with high EI are self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and social skills. Self-awareness is the ability to be thoughtful, considerate of others’ feelings, and take responsibility for your actions. This has to do with understanding your emotions and how they affect others. People with high self-awareness will not let their feelings take over their actions. They are well aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and they will keep working on bettering themselves. Selfawareness is just one of the most important components of emotional intelligence. The second component is selfregulation. This is the ability to control

impulsive emotions. Generally, those with high self-awareness will also have a great amount of self-regulation. These people often would think before they act. While they are mindful of others, they also know when to say no. They can adapt to many different social situations. Social awareness goes hand in hand with self-awareness but is more concerned with empathizing with others. This is a higher level of self-awareness in which one understands how someone feels, and not just how you would feel if you were in that person’s shoes. Social awareness also has to do with trying to improve a person’s experience if they are feeling down. Social skills are the final component, and this is a combination of the first three components put to work in a social situation. The specific social skills that are key in emotional intelligence are teamwork, conflict management, and the ability to inspire others (Harvard 2019). These people with great social skills will instigate the people on their team to move towards the same goal. These people can make a great influence on a group. Keeping these four components in

motional intelligence mind, how can you improve your EI? Start by paying attention to yourself. This will be hard at first, but try to observe yourself within a social setting and understand the thoughts that come to your mind when interacting with others. Are you impulsive with your thoughts? Are you paying attention to other people’s feelings? Or are you not that present in the conversation? Once you pay attention to yourself in a conversation, you will gain a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses regarding EI. The next step would be to tackle one component of EI at a time to fully educate yourself on emotional intelligence.

If you are having trouble paying attention to yourself, try these 3 steps.

start naming your emotions Ask yourself the emotions you are feeling at the moment. Try naming them, especially in stressful situations. This way, you can take a mental note of which emotions you tend to feel the most as well as how often. You can then work on considering your responses in certain situations.

ask people about yourself Asking for feedback can highly help with improving your EI. The people you are around every day will know the trends in your responses and emotions. Ask these people how you typically respond in certain situations, how empathetic you are, or how you handle problems (Harvard 2019). This is a hard thing to do because it can be scary to ask people about yourself. However, this can be something that you need to hear to better your EI.

read literature with complex characters written by taruni manam samita pandit & myint edited by myat theingi evelyn chen art by layout by sahithi lingampalli

Reading about these complex characters can improve empathy by learning about other people’s perspectives of the situations they are facing. Learning about their thoughts, feelings, and actions can help heighten your emotional intelligence (Harvard 2019).

DECORATIVE CANDLES Materials: Candleholders (glass or plastic, available at the dollar store) Glitter of your choice Glue Brush Masking tape (optional) Process: 1. Tape the top half of the candle holder. Make sure that there is a clear line separating the visible part and the top part 2. Paint a fine layer of glue with a brush over the visible part 3. Carefully spread glitter of your choice, preferably gold, red, or green (if you want to go with the holiday theme) over the glue. Alternatively, dip the side of the candle holder that is spread with glue in a bowl of glitter 4. Peel off the tape at the end. Alternative: 1. Use a circular brush to stamp circles of glue on your candle holder 2. Cover the circles of glue with glitter 3. Let the glue to be dry

SALT DOUGH ORNAMENTS Materials: 4 cups of all-purpose flour 1 cup of table salt 1 1/2 cups of warm water Glitter Paint Paint sealer Optional: Ribbon Process: 1. Mix flour and salt together. 2. Pour water in small intervals while mixing 3. After all the ingredients are mixed, knead the dough. It should be soft, with no lumps 4. Roll out dough to a mediumthickness (about 0.25 cm) 5. Cut out shapes of your choice: andy canes, Gingerbread men, Christmas trees, etc 6. Let ornaments to be dry 7. Paint the ornaments as you wish 8. Optional: add glitter and ribbon for decoration 9. Apply the paint sealer

P T

DIY

Christmas Decorations WRITTEN BY

Thejo Tattala

EDITED BY LAYOUT BY

Vrinda Gandhi

ART BY

Sahithi Lingampalli

Materials: Box (preferably 8” by 8”) To make the card: Ink pad or watercolor cakes Card (preferably thick paper, 6” x 4”) Transparent bauble (preferable plastic) To make the hot chocolate mix: Hot chocolate mix (preferable) OR homemade mix Marshmallows Mini chocolate chips To make the candle: Wax (amount depends on size) Heat proof jug Wick (of any length) Scissors Scent (optional) Food coloring of your choice Candle holder or glass cup Popsicle stick or stirring utensil Processes: To make the thumbprint card: 1. Use a card of your choice 2. Choose a design to paint 3. Press your thumb in the ink or the watercolor cake of your choice 4. Stamp thumb on paper in accordance with positions to make designs of your choice (you can make a butterfly, a string of lights , or a christmas tree) 5. Add a message of your choice. To make the hot chocolate mix: 1. Fill the bauble ¾ with hot chocolate

mix 2. If you do not have hot chocolate mix, mix together 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1.5 tbsp sugar (adjust according to taste)), and 2 tbsp milk powder. 1. Fill with marshmallows and chocolate chips. Leave enough space to close the lid 2. Optional: decorate the outside with person’s name or holiday message To make the candle: 1. Melt your wax in a heatproof jug (can be done in microwave or over the stove) 2. Optional: Add in food coloring of your choice, if needed. It is recommended to make the candle a very light green, red, or white. Stir. 3. Optional: add in a scent of your choice. My personal favorite is mint, but you can make your scent festive, like vanilla or cinnamon. Stir. 4. Fill ¾ of the candle holder with melted wax 5. Before the wax hardens, add in the wick and hold it in place 6. Cut off excess wick 7. Optional: decorate the candle holder, or tie it with ribbon Other additions depend on the person you are gifting it to. If you are not sure what gift to give your friend, be sure to check out our article, “Coming Up With Gift Ideas”.

Samita Pandit & Myint Myat Theingi

SECRET SANTA GIFT BOXES

Finally, add tissue or fillers in the box. Place your items inside and decorate the box with paint, messages, glitter, or ribbon if you want.

written by nitya b art by thejo tattala edited by taruni manam layout by harinii akurathi

With Christmas right around the corner, what better way to enjoy the holidays than with a warm gingerbread house inspired by the festive spices? This recipe for Gingerbread Houses is a treat worth adding to your Christmas baking list!

For The House: ½ Cup Butter (Room Temperature) ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar ¼ Cup Light Molasses Or Dark Corn Syrup 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon 1 Tablespoon Ground Ginger 1 ½ Teaspoons Ground Cloves For Royal Icing: 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda 1 Pound (3-3/4 Cups) Powdered 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour Sugar (Sifted If Lumpy) 2 Tablespoons Water 1 To 2 Large Egg Whites, Or Substitute 4 Teaspoons Packaged For Assemblage & Decoration: Egg Whites And ¼ Cup Water 1 Teaspoon Almond Extract, Vanilla Melted White Chocolate Or Royal Or Lemon Juice Icing Gumdrops, Licorice & Peppermint (As Desired)

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking soda together until the mixture is smooth. Blend in the flour and water to make a stiff dough. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes or until firm. 2. Preheat the oven to 375° F. 3. Cut out the following paper patterns for the gingerbread house template: Two rectangles, 3 by 5 inches, to make the front and back of the house. Two rectangles, 3 by 5 1/2 inches for the roof. Two pieces for the ends of the house, 3 inches wide at the base, 3 inches to the roofline, and slanted to a peak 5 1/2 inches from the bottom. Four smaller rectangles, 1 1/2 by 1 inch for the roof and sides of the entryway. And one piece, 2 inches wide at the base, 1 1/2 inches to the roofline, and slanted to a peak 2 1/2 inches from the bottom for the front of the entryway.

4. Roll the gingerbread dough out to the edges on a large, rimless cookie sheet. Place the paper patterns onto the rolled-out dough. With a sharp, straight-edged knife, cut around each of the pieces, but leave pieces in place. 5. Bake at 375° F for about 15 minutes until the dough feels firm. 6. Place the patterns on top of the gingerbread again and trim shapes, cutting edges with a straight-edged sharp knife. Leave the gingerbread to cool on a baking sheet. 7. Place the royal icing into a pastry bag with a writing tip and press out to decorate individual parts of the house, piping on decorations, windows, door, etc., as desired. Let dry until hardened. 8. Glue sides, front and back of house together at corners using royal icing. Place an object against the pieces to prop up until icing is dry (it only takes a few minutes). 9. Glue the two roof pieces to the pitched roofline of the house. Then, similarly, glue the sides and roof of the entryway together with icing. Attach the entryway to the front of the house. 10. Continue decorating the house, gluing on gumdrops, licorice and peppermint, as desired. 11. Enjoy!

opinion

When does the official “holiday season” start? 38

When does the official “holiday season” start? ART BY JUEE DESHMUKH

EDITED BY GEETHI TARRA LAYOUT BY VRINDA GANDHI

WRITTEN BY SAHIT LINGAMPALLI

The second the clock a.m.,October becomes Nove jack-o-lanterns are promptly in most stores. Sometime already gone by that tim Christmas trees are quickly spotlight, along with candy cocoa, and merry, holida playing on repeat. I think stores may start advert Christmas at the start of Nov definitely too early for Christm Here are some things to cons trying to determine when t holiday season starts! 1. Yup, there are shippin Especially this year pandemic, there are shipp all over the world, so it's that stores be able to early so that their custo expect to see their orde before Christmas. Howev should also keep in mi other holidays that occ then! 2. Thanksgiving is impor Remembering to stay g everything you have and to spend time with loved remaining thankful deserv much attention. While may be the month of g also just as important to t near ones for all they have 3. Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, a exist as well! These hol many other cultural holida

strikes 12 mber, and put away s, they’re e — and put in the canes, hot ay jingles that while tising for ember, it’s mas music. sider when he official

ng delays. with the ping delays important advertise omers can rs shipped ver, stores nd all the cur before

rtant too. rateful for being able d ones and ves just as Christmas iving, it is thank your e given. nd Diwali idays, and ays, are

often overshadowed by Christmas. Major holidays like these should also be represented in stores (at the least through a sign or poster), so that people who don't celebrate Christmas may be able to make a connection to these holidays and still enjoy the festive air. 4. Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. That being said, it's a special time of the year. Hearing Christmas music for two months non-stop may take away the sense of wonderment that most hold for the holiday. There's something nice about waiting for that time of the year and enjoying it while it happens. Though the official "holiday" season may start in November with all the festive events occurring (Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc.), the actual Christmas season should wait until December begins. Until then, stores can definitely advertise their products — just don’t start the jingles. WRITTEN BY KAVYA GURUNATH

The holiday season can start after October, but Thanksgiving should be given its due respect. I think that Christmas decorations and songs shouldn’t start until after Thanksgiving. Here is my reasoning: 1. Thanksgiving is a great holiday and is often overshadowed. Although Christmas is great, Thanksgiving deserves its own

special place. Often, people seem to skip over Thanksgiving and go directly to Christmas right after Halloween. I think Thanksgiving is underrated and it deserves to be celebrated as much as Christmas does. It has a wonderful message of being grateful and getting together with your friends and family to have a good time and appreciate each other. If we start Christmas before Thanksgiving, we move too fast into the holiday season. 2.The “Christmas” season’s joy is in its fleeting nature First of all, the joy of Christmas songs and decorations is that we only get to enjoy them for a short period of time a year. If Christmas songs played all year long, there would be nothing special about them. A radio station last year played Christmas songs last year in the middle of July to raise everyone’s spirits in the pandemic. While their reasoning was sweet, it did little to raise my spirits. The joy of the music and the decorations is that it is during this short period of joy during December. By starting the season earlier, the joy is diminished. Therefore, for the above reasoning. The “holiday season” can start after Halloween, but I will be waiting till Thanksgiving to start the “Christmas” season. Thanksgiving is a great holiday and is often overshadowed.

THANK THAN

What is ClickUp?

Clickup is a cloud-based collaboration and project management tool suitable for businesses of all sizes and industries. Features include communication and collaboration tools, task assignments and statuses, alerts and a task toolbar. - Software Advice

Sponsorship Details 125 free member seats on our Unlimited Plan (A value of up to $14,000!) A sponsored partnership set to end 12/12/2021 An assessment at the end of the year to discuss a deeply discounted rate or other sponsorship/partnership opportunities

How we use it! The Affair Magazine uses ClickUp to track volunteer hours, as well as making sure due dates are reinforced with the email reminders ClickUp sends out! Through ClickUp, we can monitor progress, and make sure the assignee doesn't forget about their tasks!

K YOU offered sponsors:

definitely check out

CLICKUP 42

REFERENCES FOR ART & MEDIA The Importance of Girl with Pearl Earring Essential Vermeer. (n.d.). "Dissius" Auction of 1696. Essential Vermeer. Link Machemer, T. (2020, April 29). Researchers Reveal Hidden Details in Vermeer’s ‘Girl With a Pearl Earring’. Smithsonian Magazine. Link Martinique, E. (2020, May 12). More Secrets of Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl Earring Revealed in New Research. Widewalls. Link Mauritshuis. (n.d.). Closer to Vermeer and the Girl. Maritshuis. Link The Facebook Outrage Brown, A. (2021, October 11). Zuckerberg loses $5.9 billion in a day as Facebook faces rare outage, whistleblower testimony. Forbes. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from Link Published by Statista Research Department, & 10, S. (2021, September 10). Most used social media 2021. Statista. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from Link CBS Interactive. (n.d.). Whistleblower: Facebook is misleading the public on progress against hate speech, violence, misinformation. CBS News. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from Link lauren_feiner. (2021, October 5). Facebook whistleblower: The company knows it's harming people and the buck stops with Zuckerberg. CNBC. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from Link sal19. (2021, October 4). Facebook shares drop nearly 5% after major site outage and whistleblower interview. CNBC. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from Link Janardhan, S., & Janardhan, S. (2021, October 5). Update about the October 4th outage. Facebook Engineering. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from Link Levine, A. S., Rafford, C., Arciga, J., Birnbaum, E., & Din, B. (2021, October 5). Whistleblower to Senate: Don't trust Facebook. POLITICO. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from Link Browne, R. (2021, October 14). Another facebook whistleblower is set to testify in UK parliament. CNBC. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from Link Wakefield, J. (2020, September 15). Facebook staffer sends 'blood on my hands' memo. BBC News. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from Link

REFERENCES FOR POLITICS Drought in Madagascar Baker, A. (2021, July 20). Climate, Not Conflict. Madagascar’s Famine is the First in Modern History to be Solely Caused by Global Warming. Time. Link Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). (2021, July 12). MSF steps up response to nutrition crisis in Madagascar. Doctors Without Borders - USA. Link Encyclopedia Britannica Editors. (2019, December 9). Doctors Without Borders | international organization. Encyclopedia Britannica. Link Kalezdi, I. (2021, August 11). Madagascar faces devastating drought. DW.COM. Link Subramian, S. (2021, September 3). How climate change is causing famine in Madagascar. World Economic Forum. Link Taylor, A. (2021, July 1). Madagascar is headed toward a climate change-linked famine it did not create. Washington Post. Link Thakral, S. (2021, July 8). Don’t look the other way: Madagascar in the grip of drought and famine | World Food Programme. World Food Programme. Link Thelwell, K. (2020, August 29). Living on Less Than $1.90 Per Day in Madagascar. The Borgen Project. Link U.S. Embassy Antananarivo. (2021, June 14). U.S. Government Provides Nearly $40 Million in Additional Emergency Assistance for Southern Madagascar. U.S. Embassy in Madagascar & Comoros. Link Yonhap (2021, June 13). S. Korea to offer $200,000 in emergency humanitarian aid to Madagascar. The Korea Herald. Link WFP and FAO (2021). Hunger Hotspots. FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity: March to July 2021 outlook. Rome. Link Famine Early Warning Systems Network (July 2021). Madagascar Price Bulletin. Relief Web International. Link Dolphin Hunting in the Faroe Islands Duignan, B. (n.d.). The Faroe Islands Whale Hunt. Britannica. Retrieved October 16, 2021, from Link Faroese Government. (2017). Sustainable Whaling. Whales and Whaling in the Faroe Islands. Retrieved October 16, 2021, from Link Hassan, J. (2021, September 19). Faroe Islands to review annual dolphin hunt following global outcry. Washington Post. Link Kwai, I. (2021, September 15). 1,400 Dolphins Were Killed in Faroe Islands. Even Hunting Supporters Were Upset. New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2021, from Link Whale and Dolphin Conservation. (n.d.). Small Whale and Dolphin Hunts in the Faroe Islands. Whale and Dolphin Conservation. Retrieved October 16, 2021, from Link Huntington Beach Oil Spill (Jetty), A. K. (2021, October 15). Update 15: Overview of Unified Command's response efforts in Orange and San Diego counties. Southern California Spill Response. Retrieved October 17, 2021, from Link 2021 Orange County Oil Spill response. City of Huntington Beach, CA - 2021 Orange County Oil Spill Response. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2021, from Link Cho, E. (2021, October 16). Pipeline P00547 incident. Oiled Wildlife Care Network / School of Veterinary Medicine. Retrieved October 17, 2021, from Link HB Oil Spill - Update. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2021, from Link Hill, B. (2021, October 5). Update 4: Unified Command continues response to oil spill off Orange County Beaches. Southern California Spill Response. Retrieved October 17, 2021, from Link Levenson, E. (2021, October 10). A timeline of the California oil spill, from the first report to the clean-up. CNN. Retrieved October 17, 2021, from Link

Meng Wanzhou Released Chen, D. (2021, October 4). What Does Meng Wanzhou’s Release Mean for China-US Relations? The Diplomat. Retrieved October 16, 2021, from Link Duffy, C., & Perez, E. (2021, September 25). Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou reaches agreement with US to resolve fraud charges. CNN. Retrieved October 15, 2021, from Link Kharpal, A. (2020, January 9). The extradition trial of Huawei’s CFO starts this month — here’s what to watch. CNBC. Retrieved October 15, 2021, from Link Nossal, K. R. (2021, January 19). Wrong place, wrong citizenship: The tribulations of the “Two Michaels”. The Intepreter. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from Link Sanger, D. E., Bilefsky, D., & Benner, K. (2021, September 24). U.S. Agrees to Release Huawei Executive in Case That Strained Ties With China. The New York Times. Retrieved October 15, 2021, from Link Warburton, M. (2020, December 3). Timeline: Key events in Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou's extradition case. Reuters. Retrieved October 15, 2021, from Link

REFERENCES FOR TECH Digital Contact Tracing California Department of Public Health. (2021, June 30). What is Contact Tracing. CA.gov. Retrieved October 15, 2021, from Link Shahroz, M., Ahmad, F., Younis, M. S., Ahmad, N., Kamel Boulos, M. N., Vinuesa, R., & Qadir, J. (2021, May 19). COVID-19 digital contact tracing applications and techniques: A review post initial deploymentsMuhammad Shahroz,a Farooq Ahmad,a Muhammad Shahzad Younis,a Nadeem Ahmad,b Maged N. Kamel Boulos,c Ricardo Vinuesa,⁎,d and Junaid Qadire. NCBI. Retrieved October 15, 2021, from Link The Integration of Fashion in Prosthetic Technology: Alleles Design Studio Jagannathan, M. (2018, July 6). This duo wants to do for prosthetics what fashion designers did for eyeglasses. MarketWatch. Retrieved October 19, 2021, from Link Lubitz, R. (2015, September 25). This is what the future of prosthetics looks like - and it's gorgeous. Mic. Retrieved October 19, 2021, from Link Self Driving Cars Gringer, B. (n.d.). History of the Autonomous Car. TitleMax. Link DiploFoundation. (n.d.). The rise of autonomous vehicles. Digital Watch. Link Metz, C. (2021, May 24). The Costly Pursuit of Self-Driving Cars Continues On. And On. And On. The New York Times. Link Baidu. (2020, December 16). Building a self-driving car that people can trust. MIT Technology Review. Retrieved from Link

REFERENCES FOR SCIENCE What is Planet X? (2021, october 19). Link Batygin, K. (2019, 12 19). Link Fesennmaier, K. (2019, 12 19). Link Gorvett, Z. (2021, 2 22). Link Villaver, E. (2021, 9 17). Link Mental Health Medicine Davis, C. P. (2021, April 13). Anxiety Drugs (Anxiolytics): Types and Side Effects. RxList. Link Hasan, S. (2018, March). ADHD Medicines (for Teens) - Nemours KidsHealth. Nemours Teens Health. Link Mind. (2020, September). About Antipsychotics. Link National Institution of Mental Health. (n.d.). NIMH » Mental Health Medications. NIH. Link Science Basics: Genetics Amoeba Sisters. (2019, June 28). DNA Replication (Updated) [Video]. YouTube. Link Farooq, F., MD. (2020, March 27). Comparison of US Federal and Foundation Funding of Research for Sickle Cell Disease and Cystic Fibrosis and. JAMA Network. Link Fishman, S. (2020, May 5). 6 Most Common Hereditary Diseases. Healthgrades. Link Genetics. (n.d.). National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Link Genetics Home Reference. (2021, March 22). What is a gene?: MedlinePlus Genetics. Medline Plus. Link How can gene variants affect health and development? (2021, March 25). Medline Plus. Link Pray, L. A. (2008). Molecular Events of DNA Replication | Learn Science at Scitable. Scitable. Link

REFERENCES FOR LIFESTYLE Día de los Muertos All Souls’ Day | Description, History, & Traditions. (1998). Encyclopedia Britannica. Link Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos). (2019). Day of the Dead. Link History.com Editors. (2021a, October 12). Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos). HISTORY. Link History.com Editors. (2021b, October 14). Halloween 2021. HISTORY. Link Diwali “Diwali—Festival of Lights.” National Geographic, 23 Oct. 2014, Link Lowe, Lindsay. “What Is Diwali? Everything to Know about India’s Festival of Lights.” Parade: Entertainment, Recipes, Health, Life, Holidays, 2 Sept. 2021, Link Anonymous 02/12/2020. “What Is the Diwali Festival, and How Is It Celebrated?” Real Word, 26 Sept. 2020, Link Hanukkah Briggs, A. (2020, December 9). Hanukkah: The history and traditions of the Festival of Lights. National Geographic. Link Britannica. (n.d.). Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. Encyclopedia Britannica. Link History.com Editors. (2020, December 7). Hanukkah. History.com. Link

REFERENCES FOR OPINION Should Colleges use ACT/SAT Scores for Admissions? Au, W. (2013). Hiding behind high-stakes testing: Meritocracy, objectivity and inequality in U.S. education. The International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives. Published. Link Hubler, S. (2021, May 15). Why Is the SAT Falling Out of Favor? The New York Times. Link Lambe‍, S. (2021, March 18). Operation Varsity Blues: A Guide to the College Admissions Scandal. Entertainment Tonight. Link Simpson, C. (2016, May). Effects of Standardized Testing on Students’ Well-Being. Harvard Graduate School of Education. Link USAFacts. (2020, October 19). More than 9 million children lack internet access at home for online learning. Link Viera, M. (2018, October 1). The History of the SAT Is Mired in Racism and Elitism. Yahoo Finance. Link Should Assisted Suicide be Legal? Medical News Today. (n.d.). What are euthanasia and assisted suicide? Retrieved from: Link Government of the Netherlands. (n.d.). Euthanasia, assisted suicide and non-resuscitation on request. Retrieved from: Link Frost, T.D.G., Sinha, D., & Gilbert, B.J. (2014, January 15). Should assisted dying be legalised? BMC. Retrieved from: Link Heide, A. V. D. (n.d.). Assisted suicide and euthanasia. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved from: Link

thank you for reading! if you liked what you read, consider supporting us on Instagram @theaffairmag, or join our team! http://theaffairmag.typeform.com/to/Frldsr