Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections The Fifth Ocean By Cody Sung Volume 3 Issue 4 May 18, 2023 Image Provided by Gary Bembridge via Wikipedia There have always been four named oceans on Earth – the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic – until now. Recently there have been five oceans recognized and confirmed, with the Southern Ocean added to the list. At the bottom of the globe, it surrounds Antarctica, and its currents are unique enough for National Geographic to consider it a separate ocean. The Southern Ocean is at the bottom of the Earth, below the 60-degree southern latitude line. Scientists have considered it to be a separate ocean for decades, with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names considering its categorization as a separate ocean since 1999. This is due to the Antarctic Circumpolar Current containing the cold waters around Antarctica around the 60-degree line, forming an ecologically distinct area, with thousands of species living there and nowhere else. Despite the scientific evidence to prove the Southern Ocean was distinct from the others, attempts to make it official in organizations such as the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) were marred in controversy. In 1937, the IHO did recognize the Southern Ocean as distinct, however, they retracted this in 1953, stating that “the majority of opinions received since… 1937 are to the effect that there exists no real justification” for labeling the Southern Ocean. The draft fourth edition does include the Southern Ocean as a separate entity; however, it has never been published due to various naming disputes. Since National Geographic generally follows the IHO with marine names, it has not recognized the Southern Ocean either. However, they have broken from the IHO in labeling the Southern Ocean as an ocean. The Southern Ocean is unique and recognized by scientists, however, it has had a long history of not being recognized on the world map. That has now changed for the benefit of the scientific world. Sources: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/theres-a-new-ocean-now-can-you-name-all-five-southern-ocean https://iho.int/uploads/user/pubs/standards/s-23/S-23_Ed3_1953_EN.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20140201213815/http://eastsea.khoa.go.kr/eng/open_content/iho/magazine.asp BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections Who Needs Romance When You Can Have Platonic Solids? By Lucy Wu Volume 2 Issue 4 February 10, 2022 Image provided by the Sacred Geometry Shop Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching; you can taste the sickly sweetness of candy hearts and smell the over fragranced red roses (not to mention the skyrocketing hallway PDA is pretty ick ). But let’s face the music: you’re not seeing someone at the moment, and your friends already made plans (read: you’ll be alone this Valentine’s Day). I get it: love is hard. But because I completely sympathize with your dilemma, I’ll be playing matchmaker to help you find some company. Thus, I’d like to introduce you to some of my favorite mathematical figures, the platonic solids. Of my many talents, I can also read minds, so I know precisely what you’re thinking: how will these random shapes save me from eating ice cream while binge-watching Love Island alone this Valentine’s Day? Be patient. I assure you that you too will be transfixed by the magical attributes of platonic solids in just a moment. History First of all, background is important (don’t worry, I wouldn’t set you up with someone I didn’t trust wholeheartedly). Fortunately for us, the platonic solids have a pretty, dare I say, solid track record (I promise the puns get better as the article progresses). They’ve been constructed throughout history, such as for games in ancient Italy, or by ancient Roman and Egyptian civilizations. Moreover, they’ve captured the attention (and hearts) of infamous mathematicians, including their Pythagoras, their namesake Plato, and even Kepler. Plato also correlated each solid with a natural element (more on this later), while Kepler used them to explain the enigma of planetary movement (read the Mysterium Cosmographicum if you’re interested). And the best part is, the meaning is built right into their names. In our English vernacular, platonic means a friendly and inseparable bond, never to be distanced by fading feelings or waning passion. Thus, if you choose platonic solids, you’ll never be alone, because just like a good friend, they will always be there for you. While there are multiple platonic solids, I would advise you to take your pick before they’re taken by someone else, since there are just five unique figures. The Basics So what makes a platonic solid a platonic solid anyway? Glad you asked. Dimension: Must be a 3 dimensional figure (So it must possess length, width, and height, which are all important attributes. Like I’d image it wouldn’t be as fun to hang out with a 2D figure, since their personalities are flat because they literally lack dimension.) Faces: If you’re familiar with rectangular prisms, you might know they have sides made of squares and rectangles. Or pyramids have a square base and triangular sides. But platonic solids are special in that their faces are ALL composed of congruent, regular polygons. Meaning, the sides must all be squares, or triangles, or even pentagons for instance. (You might say this makes them boring, but I promise that you’d prefer their constancy and predictability over the chaos that is fractals.) These aren’t requirements, but I’d recommend you take notes before you get lost. Prefixes: Each has a special name composed of the prefix and suffix. The Greek suffix - hedron denotes that it has a specific number of faces. Meanwhile, the prefix changes for each solid to signify the number of faces. For example, tetra- means four in Greek. Edges: The lines composing the sides of the figure, or where each side meets the other side Vertices: The points where lines join up for multiple sides of the figure (they look like spikes) Now that you understand their history and terminology, let me introduce you to each of our lovely platonic solids. Tetrahedron (Credits: Bijan Davvaz) Vertices: 4 Edges: 6 Faces: 4 Element: Fire – Since it has the smallest volume in relation to its surface area, it actually becomes the most “flexible” of the solids. It’s ready at a moment’s notice and will certainly fight for you. Planet: Jupiter Hexahedron (a.k.a Cube) (Credits: Bijan Davvaz) Vertices: 8 Edges: 12 Faces: 6 Element: Earth – This is the most stable of all the solids because of its solid base and naturally will keep you grounded. Planet: Saturn Octahedron (Credits: Bijan Davvaz) Vertices: 6 Edges: 12 Faces: 8 Element: Air – Interestingly, you can spin an Octahedron on its axis, making it a moveable object. This is a match made in heaven if your head is in the clouds and you enjoy daydreaming. Planet: Mercury Dodecahedron (Credits: Bijan Davvaz) Vertices: 20 Edges: 30 Faces: 12 Element: Universe – The Greeks are great mathematicians but even better astrologers: 12 faces correspond to each of the 12 zodiac signs. If you’re high maintenance, choose Dodecahedron because you can quite literally have the entire world at the palm of your hand. Planet: Mars Icosahedron (Credits: Bijan Davvaz) Vertices: 12 Edges: 30 Faces: 20 Element: Water – This is the opposite of firey Tetrahedron since it has the largest volume in relation to its surface area, making it the least “flexible.” But fear not, as its many sides will protect you through thick and thin. Planet: Venus But wait... there’s more! Dual Polyhedron Now, you may have noticed that some of the solids have the same number of vertices as the number of faces of another solid, and vice versa (if you didn’t, look back and see if you can find the corresponding pairs). Another fantastic trait of the platonic solids is their duality, that is, their corresponding half, or partner in crime. (This doesn’t mean they’re two-faced, by the way. It simply demonstrates they have the flexibility to change and collaborate which each other, or another facet of their personality if you will.) To construct their hidden counterparts, imagine drawing a point at the center of each face. Then, connect these points with internal line segments, making new sides. Shave off the rest of the shape that doesn’t fall within these sides. If you did it correctly, you should end up with another one of the platonic solids (or Tetrahedron again, if you started with Tetrahedron)! If you’re having trouble visualizing, here’s a diagram. Hexahedron and Octahedron are each other’s duals, while Dodecahedron and Icosahedron match each other as well. Tetrahedron is the most self-aware of them all, since its geometric dual is itself. 1: Platonic Solids 2: Corresponding Duals 3: Superimposed on each other (Credits: Wolfram MathWorld) What’s more is that you can even go back and forth. It’s like taking the reciprocal of a fraction, you just flip. To go back to the original fraction, just flip again. In a similar fashion, by taking the dual of a Hexahedron, you create an Octahedron, and taking a dual of that brings you back home to a Hexahedron once more. Higher Dimensions Let’s also touch upon the fact that these lovely platonic solids manifest their true selves in higher dimensions. For instance, our trusty cube becomes a hypercube (or tesseract, if you’re into that) once you approach it in the 4th dimension. In addition to our height, length, and width, we add the last variable of blurring the constraints of time. For you, this means that just as a cube has a square on each face, the hypercube has a cube on each face instead. (The technicalities can be explained in a future article, but you have to admit this is pretty cool.) I’d advise staring straight at the middle to see the effect (Credits: Joel Grayson) Needless to say, it’s clear why this Valentine’s Day, you should forget your sorrows (and definitely skip the ice cream and Love Island ). My job as Cupid (or Eros if we’re trying to be Greek) is done for now. Instead, I urge you to indulge in the limitless possibilities of a platonic solid that will constantly transcend both space and time for you; just not in a romantic way, only platonically of course. Sources https://www.sacredgeometryshop.com/sacred-geometry/the-secrets-of-the-platonic-solids/ https://mathworld.wolfram.com/DualPolyhedron.html https://brilliant.org/wiki/tesseract/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonic_solid BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections New Year Traditions Around The World Machai Augustine Volume 5 Issue 3 January 14, 2025 Image Provided by Max Ching Each year, January comes around and surprises us with another new year for new hopes, dreams, and wishes. We all enjoy having some sort of tradition to celebrate. Nearly every culture has different customs and traditions that determine how our new year will go. So, let’s learn about how various cultures and regions celebrate the new year. Ireland is known for celebrating with drinks on New Year’s, but they have other traditions. For example, one popular tradition is banging bread on the walls and doors in your house. If bread isn’t available, you can also use pots, pans, or spoons. This superstition-based practice is done to ward off any evil spirits in the area that could haunt and ruin the celebrations and bring good luck and protection for you and your family in the coming year. Another Irish tradition is putting berries and ivy under their pillows, which is supposed to bring you good luck when it comes to romance. Unlike citizens in most other nations, South Africans celebrate the new year on both the first and second of January. This is because historically, slaves in Cape Town were given a day off on January 2nd. Because of this, they use this day to not only celebrate the new year but also remember the mistreatment of their people in the past. Despite this solemn aspect of the holiday, South African traditions are overall like American ones, involving lots of partying and going out into nature to celebrate. One of Greece’s quirky traditions is hanging onions on the doors of houses. In some cultures, onions symbolize rebirth due to their fertility and how they seem to grow even when neglected. This tradition is meant to help household members thrive and become a new person in the new year. There is also a traditional dish that the Greeks have for the new year: vasilopita , a special sweet bread. Vasilopita honors Saint Basil the Great, a saint beloved by Greeks because of his passion to help those in need. The reason why this sweet bread is so special is because of a coin planted within the bread, meant to symbolize the wealth and treasures that Saint Basil gave away. Now that you know a little bit more about new year traditions around the world, what will you try to implement into your New Year celebration? Sources: New Year's Eve Irish Traditions - Twinkl Greek New Year Traditions Celebrating New Years Day in Africa | Africa Imports New Year's Day 2025 in South Africa How to do Christmas & New Year the Greek way - Greek from Greece BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Turkey and Syria’s Earthquakes By Sahar Ali Volume 3 Issue 4 May 18, 2023 Image provided by Al Jazeera TURKEY & SYRIA – On February 6th, 2023, a tragedy occurred that changed the lives of millions. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeast Turkey and the border of Syria, causing more than 48,000 deaths. Days later on February 20th, 2023, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes the Hatay province in southern Turkey. As people slept, the earthquakes caused apartment buildings to collapse, resulting in many to be stuck underneath rubble for hours or even days. Rescuers were sent in to help and seek out those trapped underneath collapsed buildings. The earthquakes caused more than 45,000 deaths and millions of people were left displaced or homeless in Turkey. The damage caused in Turkey is estimated to cost around $34 billion. Across 11 provinces in Turkey, at least 230,000 buildings were either damaged or destroyed. In northwest Syria, about 10,600 buildings were partially or completely destroyed. The mental toll these earthquakes have caused on Turks and Syrians are unimaginable. Hundreds of people lost their loved ones in less than a few minutes, people lost their homes and their prized possessions, and their dreams have been crushed. All of this happened in a period of just a few hours. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Halloween Poem By Cody Sung Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by History Halloween! Oh, Halloween! It’s the holiday Of the month! You sometimes get Chills in your bones But there’s candy, too! That’s right – there's candy So don’t hide away! If you come out and knock Then you might Get some sweet candy Hooray! Halloween! Oh Halloween! It’s night With a few frights! The decorations are cool But they are A bit scary, too Ho-hey! But hey At least there’s candy So don’t get freaked out And all you must do is Just go and relax And Eat Your Candy!! Hooray! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Gas Prices Continue to Increase By Raj Singh Volume 2 Issue 6 April 14, 2022 Image provided by USA Today I’m sure that if you have been watching the news, listening to your parents, or paying for gas itself, you know how expensive gas is. As of April 7th, in Nassau County, New York, gas prices per gallon were $4.268, which is a lot compared to last year’s average of $2.901. You might wonder, “Why is gas so expensive?” It’s a lot more complicated than you think, with a multitude of reasons. Firstly, COVID-19 has caused plenty of damage to the world economy, and one of the reasons is inflation. Let’s say in 2019, 5 barrels of oil cost $15 (this is a hypothetical); with shipping slowing during Covid has the number of barrels decreased, which wouldn’t be so bad as the barrels would be worth $6, right? Nope, inflation has caused the price of the, let’s say, only 2 barrels to go to $20, inflation has caused prices to rise at the same time stock of oil has decreased, causing the price of oil per gallon to rise a couple of dollars. (A link below will show the actual prices of barrels of oil.) Covid restrictions have become increasingly damaging as workers aren’t allowed to work, and production decreases are stopped entirely. In China, they have a “Zero Covid Policy,” which shuts down entire cities and areas in order to keep Covid cases at 0; this has caused lots of cities to be shut down and also oil refineries, which of course, ramps up the price of oil to nations that import Chinese oil like Australia, and even though here in the US we don’t use Chinese oil that high price impacts here too since the global economy is connected increasing our prices more. Now for the biggest and most prominent cause for the increase in price, the War in Ukraine. Foreign companies and investors have been running out of the country; they have left Russia due to its “Humanitarian Violations.” It is because they felt that other companies and investments would leave Russia, so they did it themselves, causing a chain reaction. Anyways, this lack of investment and foreign companies has caused the Russian economy to shrink and start collapsing. In turn, this has caused Russian oil and gas to collapse too, causing prices in Europe to rise and, in turn, the rest of the world. This is the leading cause of the current spike in price. Here is a reason that only has a mild effect currently and has a more significant impact in the future, America, and Canada have been producing more oil than ever before; in fact, in America, imports from the Middle East have been declining, and what oil we still import mostly comes from Canada, oil produced here has to come from shale and sand adding an extra process. At the same time, in the Middle East, they take it straight out of the ground, refine and sell it. This has caused North American oil to be a bit more expensive, the effect is small, and it’s an overall positive since soon America will be an overall oil exporter rather than an importer, and we probably won’t join any more wars in the Middle East since they don’t hold our oil interests anymore. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections The Wonders of Poop By Cody Sung Volume 1 Issue 8 June 8, 2021 Image provided by the Canadian Digestive Health Association Poop is a brown substance with many wonders. Well, it smells, and human poop can contain diseases such as cholera (no wonder we flush it), and poop is disgusting, but poop has power, from being a way to track down certain animals to helping a colon infected with C.diff . Poop is not just a thing you flush, it’s an important biological substance that has been rejected by civilization. Dogs can smell a lot of things, and that nose can be put to good use to track down animals - using poop. For example, dogs can be trained to smell elephant poop with DNA. Whenever law enforcement finds elephant ivory tusks laying around, they can use the DNA from that and the surrounding poop to find poachers. Dogs can also do this for other endangered species, such as the pangolin. Poop can also help the environment. For example, cow poop in a pond with the correct nitrogen can allow algae to grow, because algae needs the correct nitrogen to make chlorophyll to photosynthesize. Another helpful thing poop does is it can make or break a nutrient cycle. For example, when phytoplankton die, their bodies and nutrients go down to the seafloor. Right whales eat the nutrients down there and bring them back up, and when they poop, all the nutrients are released and they allow for new phytoplankton to grow, and this can help other life in the ocean. Poop even has a major benefit for human health as a medicine to treat C.diff . When you take an antibiotic, bad bacteria in you are killed, but so are good bacteria. This hurts your microbiome, bacteria that’s inside you and doesn’t harm you. This causes you to be susceptible to C.diff , which is a bacterium that causes inflammation in your colon, accompanied by frequent diarrhea, fever, nausea, and more. It can be deadly. But a solution involves poop. If poop from a healthy person with a healthy microbiome is shot up the colon, the new, stronger microbiome can help get rid of C.diff , with this procedure being effective over 90% of the time. It’s called a fecal transplant, and it’s been used since the fourth century in China. Patients would be given fecal slurry, and it would be very effective. Poop capsules are made for this purpose. There’s even poop banks where a person can donate poop for money. Poop is something seen as gross (which is fair), but poop can be good for the environment in an ecosystem, and humanity. Poop is something to not take for granted, as it is an important part of our world, and it can do some very interesting things. The next time you see poop, think about the wonders of it. Sources used: Who Gives a Poop?: Surprising Science from One End to the Other - Heather L. Montgomery - Google Books SciCafe: The Power of Poop | AMNH OpenBiome What is C. diff? | CDC BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections Proud By Eva Grace Martinez Volume 1 Issue 8 June 8, 2021 No Image available at this time It’s October 3rd, 2015; you are sitting in your room taking an “Am I Gay?” quiz from Buzzfeed . You are crying. Your lips tremble, and your voice has been lost to sobs. It’s something close to three in the morning. You are not crying because of the results; you are crying because there are none. Like some magic 8-ball from Lucifer himself, the test has told you that it is up to you to determine your identity. You are someone who lives in a world of memorizing answers and rote learning. Your parents taught you how to think critically about art, music, religion, and politics, and all the other big words adults like to use. Still, they never taught you how to think critically about this part of you. You suspect they never had to. You’re too scared to Google anything. You don’t want your mom to see your search history. So you let the questions fester. They burn into your soul with a fervor you never knew was possible. You would like to say that the burning hurts you. That the pain shapes memories and decisions, or it informs some greater understanding of the universe around you. It doesn’t. Instead, it sinks down into the shade of who you are becoming. If your eyes linger too long on the pretty woman on the magazine cover, who would blame you? You try to convince yourself that it’s just because you don’t know her name. This will not be the last time you fail to convince yourself. You know that there are words for people like you. You watch the Obgerfell V. Hodges’s decision live on TV. Your mother smiles and says, “good for them,” and that is that. You do not tell her that you feel like crying; she does not ask why you are smiling so strangely. You wonder what it must feel like to dance in the sea of colors you see on the streets of DC. Your dad smiles and then changes the channel; he wants to catch up on the Mets game. The images of rainbows large enough to swallow the capitol building are tattooed onto your synapses. Later, you see the first gay couple to be married in New York on “Say Yes to the Dress”. You sit quietly, waiting for a comment from your grandma. The comment never comes. Once, you will creep up to your parent’s bedroom door. It is 6:30 on a Saturday evening, and you will open your mouth to speak. The air around you will still for a moment; this is the first time in your life silence slips its greedy hands over your lips. It will not be the last. It will take you two years to find a space where thoughts like yours seem normal. You know better than to discuss it with your friends at the time, so you turn to the internet. Suddenly there is an explosion of life. There are words to refer to every type of person you could ever meet, and someone is always making more. The words scare you. There are too many, and they all hold so much weight. You are lost in a sea of language, of prefixes and suffixes that make your head spin. The riptide pulls you out to sea, and you are assaulted by a barrage of letters, all jumbled to become one infinite black ocean. You know nothing of who you are and where you will go. Here, you cannot breathe water or air. Sink or swim, you will not survive. Until you do. You survive because the water is only as lonely as you make it out to be. If you sink, you will find mermaids with tails that glitter like oil slicks. If you swim, you see ships with stories of every place you could ever know. Survival is ingrained in you, so you continue to survive. When you are done visiting mermaids, and the sailors have run out of stories. They may ask you a question or two. They simply wonder how it is precisely that you define you. You still don’t have an answer to that question. You expect the worst; you have visions of teeth and talons. You expect to be sent off the plank. Instead, you are granted kindness. They don’t know who they are either. They tell you that this ocean is for all of us who don’t know. You are shocked that the “us” includes you; it doesn’t feel wrong, so you stay. You learn to tie knots, and you learn to navigate using the stars. You know how to grow your own tail now, and the murky waters, once terrifying, now feel like home. With joy, you tell a sailor this. You see the sadness in his eyes when he tells you, “that means it’s time to leave.” You don’t want to leave. You have just found warmth in a murky black ocean. You had just learned to sail this ship, and now you are forced to chart a new course. You wave goodbye to the friends you made. You don’t know if you’ll ever see them again. One of them shouts your name, but just as you turn to face them, a wave crashes in your vision. There is no time to be sentimental now; you must keep yourself afloat. You take your map and plan your route. It is only when your boat touches land that you realize where you are. You are home. You are home with new scars and new memories, but this is still home. You ask your dad if the Mets won last night and your mom if she wants to go book shopping. For a second, everything is normal. You did not just walk off a boat from a magical sea. Your hair has not grown, and you have not changed. As the seconds pass, though, any sense of normalcy shatters. Your mother squints and asks about the strange flag on your ship. Your dad tells you not to move. Your parents have always been good with words, and the confession they drag from you is sharp and messy like broken shells washed too far onto the shore. Yet, they collect these broken shells and press them together in their palms. They tell you that you are loved, no matter who you happen to be in love with. Just like that, the cracks in the shell begin to fade. They are not fixed, they are still brittle, but they begin to heal. Oh, what healing will do. No longer will you drown in waves of words too niche for how you feel, nor will you struggle to explain why your gaze lingers on the pride displays at Target. You will still be awkward and messy, and you will cry too much over silly things, but that’s growing up. You are happy now with who you have become. You would like to think that 10-year-old you would be satisfied too. She deserves to be happy. She deserves to love herself in the way you do now. You are so far away from where this story began and yet still so far away from its ending. You no longer strain against the weight of your own fear. You are strong. You are one drop of water in a sea of color, but here, you are home. You have survived through four long years of inner turmoil for this day. It has been exactly four years and four days since the Obgerfell V Hodges decision. In that second, you realize how light you feel, no longer bogged down by the heavy questions in your soul. You have grown up, and you are no longer worried about precise definitions. You are loved by your family and friends, and you might just love someone too. Nobody cares who exactly that is. Your friend is next to you; you giggle as he smacks a rainbow heart sticker onto your forehead. It is June 30th, 2019; you are somewhere in downtown Manhattan, and you are laughing. You are waving a rainbow flag that your parents bought for you amongst a crowd of others. You hear music start playing, and then you are dancing. You don’t have to wonder anymore how those people in DC felt four years ago. You know it now too. You stand with your shoulders back, laughing and dancing. You smile at the sea of color surrounding you, and your mom catches a photo of you dancing, flag in hand. You are strong here. You are safe here. You are a part of an “us” larger than yourself. You are crying again, but this time you are happy. You are proud. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections The Benefits of Running Manal Layachi Volume 5 Issue 2 November 25, 2024 Image Provided by Mother of Manal Layachi I have been on North’s Cross Country and Track and Field team since seventh grade and enjoy running every day. Whenever I feel stressed or just need to clear my mind, I go for a run, and I feel amazing and energetic like I just drank forty cups of coffee. Running not only improves your mental and physical health, but it provides individuals with important life lessons. I have learned over the years that it is important to be on time, persevere when facing obstacles, remain “hungry” for opportunities in which I can reach full potential, have a winner’s mindset, build self-confidence, and most importantly have fun. Firstly, running improves an individual’s physical and mental health. For example, running improves cardio health and lowers the risk of having cardiovascular diseases. Even if it is for just fifteen minutes a day, a little can go a long way. It also lowers an individual’s resting heart rate, thus leading to them having a more efficient heartbeat. Furthermore, running can improve sleep, knee health and back health. Running helps lower stress and clears the mind, which leads to better sleep and relaxation. It can even lead to a lower arthritis rate and improved back health as runners must have good running form, which includes keeping your back straight and relaxed. Lastly, running can help lower the odds of someone obtaining upper tract respiratory infections and leads to a better mood and energy. After every run, I always feel like a new person and become excited for the day. I also feel more productive when completing homework and am in a better mood. Additionally, running also improves academic performance and learning ability. In other words, exercise increases circulation throughout the body and enhances brain function, thus leading to academic achievement. For example, students that perform aerobic exercises daily may have higher test scores than those who do not exercise. I have seen this in my life as well because as a junior in high school and take multiple AP classes. Running after school helps me deal with stress and the workload of junior year. Coming home from school without running does not help me complete my homework, as I feel unmotivated and my brain overflows with thoughts from the school day. On the other hand, running after school helps me clear my mind, have fun, and prepares me for the schoolwork ahead. The next day, I ace my exams and get the grades that I want. In essence, running is a lifelong sport. Whether you are 13 or 45, running is for everyone. All you have to do is put on your shoes and start running. It is not a sport that requires a lot of equipment. If you decide to start running, start off easy, be sure to hydrate (Trader Joe’s Alkaline water is my favorite), eat foods heavy in protein and fruits and vegetables, and most importantly have fun and run with close friends or relatives. All in all, being on the team has brought me closer to the North community and I have made many friends that I would not have made had I not joined cross country and track. I would like to thank my brother and my coaches for motivating me to join Cross Country and Track and fight through the pain of running. I will miss running for North when I graduate; however, I cannot wait to see what we can accomplish in the 2024-2025 season. References: How Does Running Improve Your Health? ( webmd.com ) The Correlation Between Running And The Classroom ( coachweber.org ) BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Follow my Letterboxd Jasmine Roberts Volume 6 Issue 3 June 8, 2026 Image Provided by Jasmine Roberts I will not begin this without admitting that I am a begging fool. I have prostrated upon my knees; my head rests in folded thighs of shame, my spine and plucked like a bow, and I can admit that even if the merciful position is uncomfortable, I shall not move from it: Join my Letterboxd, I declare! I will use this power of magic, a spell that I crafted from time and despair, desperation and loneliness, rambling and self-expression, to speak of my need for my Letterboxd to be free for all, like Lenin’s best dream, my Letterboxd if liberated and can be followed by the masses, each and for all! I wonder if there will be a foe or a friend that finds themselves inclined to do as I wager. Picking up their heavy phone, which remains pristine and forever touched from years of deft fondling, yet I ponder even more if this person with their sweet and gentle heart may do a girl a favor and join her Letterboxd! There is no moral corruption in begging, for you see Oliver Twist did it at least once a day and I love every night, I am not even asking for a vacationed penny, just a little time out of your day. There are many reasons to follow my Letterboxd, and I could list them down a parchment that would run down Everest but let me bargain here with a silver tooth flashing in my mouth. One, the films I watch are exotic as they are a blessing to artistic passion, if you adore the aged nature of vintage horror, then my Letterboxd may surely be for you, the devils, Vampires, Witches, those Wicked things that do. I enjoy those films which make the fangs of beast drip mortal blood, I adore the brining of the dark, corruption and sin, and prayers to the seedy divine. Experimentalism is my lover and together during morbid and dark nights, we dine! Second, may I say that I review every film I watch! Yes! Yes! Yes, I do! Can you believe hearing my thoughts day and night, or at least Fridays and Saturdays when I have the time? I have thoughts for all things, and my beliefs do not discriminate against them. If you love my words here, why not follow me on Letterboxd, over there? Lastly, simply why not? I steal no souls, and I only give soft and strong words. You might find one film you adore, you might find a strange little friend on the way, and I want to connect with those films which reach out of my narrow periphery. These wishes aren’t just for I, but because I desire to seek all I can find! From you! Yes, you! You are [REDACTED], right? So, I am talking to you, expanding my vista and letting me watch movies that I am ignorant of. So please, go to my Sehkmet or ⛥rdog depending on what shows up so try both, so even if one person reads this or none, hey at least I tried and I did my best, but regardless one of my bests is certainly my Letterboxd! It’s free! Follow it today! BACK TO TOP