Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections "Ghost" Artist Statement By Alena Moreira Volume 1 Issue 7 April 22, 2021 Original artwork by Alena Moreira The longer we are apart, the more we fade from memory. Until we are only left with the feeling of what used to be. I have memories, stored lovingly in the golden And silver And wooden chests of my mind, Memories I long to hold onto, But memories that slowly crumble away under the unrelenting ticking of time. Like a worn photograph, there are tears and rips, holes and thinning spots, faded and blurred objects. Like Luke Merz’s Memory/Loss #9 there are beautiful details and emptiness, filled only with a feeling of loss. And now, time has been cruel to us. We’ve been apart for too long, our only connection a pixelated face, sometimes with features indistinguishable. Are you more than a face? I can’t remember. You fade away with each passing day, until one day, I fear, you will be invisible, the only proof of your existence the space you leave behind. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections Should schools remain open after Winter Break? By Shinedip Kundlas Volume 1 Issue 3 December 16, 2020 No Image available at this time As coronavirus cases began to rise in NY, the challenge to keep schools open is getting more difficult and more complicated. Long Island school officials and Nassau County leaders said that they will do everything they can to keep schools open, even as many of the county’s infection rates surpass the 3% seven-day threshold which had closed schools in NYC. Many students, teachers, and parents have different opinions on whether or not school buildings should remain open after winter break. Experts suggest schools that have been open for in-person instruction can stay open even in the face of substantial community spread because they have offered strong safety measures, and there has been a political desire for it. I think that schools should close last, especially the elementary schools. When the fall semester came to an end, final assessments and projects had piled up making it hard for some students to even digest the amount of work they had due. And many secondary students have failed their classes this past quarter. School districts from coast to coast have reported the number of students failing classes has soared by as many as two or three times - with English Language Learners, disadvantaged students, and students with special needs facing the most distress. Many educators have noticed some factors that play into problems with remote instruction; internet access may be inadequate or unreliable, making it very difficult for students to complete and upload assignments. Some remote students skip assignments - or class meetings entirely. Teachers who do not get to see their students in person have a small number of ways to pick up on who is falling behind, especially with many not maintaining communication with their teachers. A rising number of health professionals have urged opening more elementary schools because younger children appear less susceptible to transmitting the virus than experts had worried about and because younger students have a hard time learning online and independently. It should be noted how students sit behind their laptops for 8 hours a day sometimes even more, when it is time for online school. Then students have assignments due the night of, which students will spend so much time after class on. Finishing assignments, homework, projects, labs, and missed classwork, students rarely get to go outside or even spend time with family, not to mention the fact that many students need to spend extra hours studying the material covered that day. Whereas hybrid students do spend time on laptops at school, in my opinion, in-person learning makes it much easier to learn and keep on top of assignments. There are fewer distractions, less need for the internet, and students feel free to ask questions. While school leaders and officials make the decisions, it is so important to keep students’ and teachers’ health in mind. As COVID-19 cases continue to surge, we should take proper precautions to keep our students and teachers safe, but also productive. Closing schools when it is needed, staying home when being notified of close contact with a person who has COVID-19, and wearing masks are all things we can do while still maintaining in-person school. American officials have failed so many times in this pandemic, and the students aren’t at fault. As we try and fix this mess, let’s try to put their needs first. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Tales Through Time: The Native Americans: Years Ahead of the Europeans Rehmat Kaur Volume 4 Issue 3 March 13, 2024 Image Provided by Huffington Post It was an incredible awakening to learn that women's oppression was not universal; Indigenous women possessed property rights. If these Euro-American women from across Western society weren't aware of the glaring contrast between their circumstances, Native women were. Native women farmed with strong bodies, had autonomy over their lives, and maintained equal opportunity with men, which contradicted the ideas of female servitude and inferiority. Some women suffragists communicated their knowledge of Native women's higher rights with other progressives and people at large, as they inspired them. When Lucretia Mott and her husband visited the Seneca tribe in 1848, they witnessed how political authority was distributed equitably among all members of their society. Mott recounted her experience in New York, highlighting the significant role of Native women in their communities; as she stated, "Historically, Haudenosaunee women have controlled their nation’s economies, handled property concerns, and participated in all decision-making processes." As women in the United States celebrate the fact that the Constitution ultimately acknowledged the right of women to cast a vote 100 years ago, Native American women had a say in politics on this territory since the formation of the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Confederacy over 1000 years ago. Non-native women, like our suffrage foremothers, benefited greatly from Native women's decades of experience. Gender influences obligations, but it doesn't restrict women within numerous Native societies. Early Native peoples differed, but their families and communal institutions brought them together through shared dependency and respect. In some cultures, women became warriors, like Dahteste and Lozen. In the Midwest, women frequently assisted in the hunting and harvesting of buffalo. They were also talented artisans who made blankets, baskets, jewelry, and ceramics. Marriage and sexual freedoms in Native tribes differed greatly, with some nations practicing polygamy and others observing monogamy and formal rituals. Women's dominance in relationships and throughout the nation was obvious in divorce, with women holding all home possessions. Members of the Haudenosaunee clan are descended from women and trace their ancestry back to their female predecessors. Iroquois people are born into a clan and remain there for their whole lives. Intermarriage within a clan is not permitted; therefore, when the young woman married, her husband came to reside in her longhouse, where they would establish their new home. The clan served as the primary socioeconomic element of Haudenosaunee society, led by women who oversaw their longhouse, farming, and food distribution, as well as selecting males to serve as representatives of their clan on the tribal council. Following European arrival, illnesses and territorial struggles killed 90–95% of the Indigenous population. Historians argue about how European expansion and migration affected Native women. Some suggest that following the initial contact, women's power fell as societies altered and evolved to become more like the dominant culture. Many tribes still valued the matrilineal inheritance of clan identity, as shown by women's major leadership roles. It may be concluded that Native Americans had significantly more rights and freedom than European women at the time, which motivated many people to work on improving society. Sources : How Native American Women Inspired the Women’s Rights Movement (U.S. National Park Service) ( nps.gov ) https://www.remedialherstory.com/1-early-north-american-women.html#/ https://teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/23931 https://www.lwv.org/blog/how-native-american-women-inspired-womens-suffrage-movement#:~:text=Leaders%20of%20the%20women's%20suffragist,women%20played%20in%20Haudenosaunee%20communities . https://www.grunge.com/331229/the-real-life-stories-of-native-american-warrior-women/ BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Seasonal By Elaine Ching Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by Time and Date Fall. Pumpkin Spice. Autumn. Fall. Changing of the Seasons. People closing up. Layers and layers on top of everything. Bundling up from weather and oppurtunities. Dark dead depressing mornings and nights that used to be warm and bright. Remembrance and speculation all together. Pumpkin Spice. Warm coffee in the right light. Halloween costume ideas splattered anywhere and everywhere. Memorializing the future in the present and specializing the past. The right background for “the” life. Fitting a theme into what should just be natural. Autumn. Trees cry orange and red tears on the road. Cold, crisp wind whips through everyone’s hair. Sunlight becomes shorter and shorter but is as beautiful as ever. Rain pitter patters on long dark school nights. The same new nostalgic feeling of possibilities already lived. Autumn. Pumpkin Spice. Fall. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Don't act, just be. By Alain Deen Volume 1 Issue 5 February 12, 2021 Image provided by Alpha Inclusion Emotion. It is something we simply cannot hide from. Whether you like it or not, emotion amasses a large part of everyday life. Take this experience for example. You probably are reading this, thinking: “Yeah I knew that already”, OR: “Really? Tell me more!” Two contrasting emotions at its finest. Arguably the most important human asset, emotion not only connects us with others, but also ourselves. If you know me, you will know I love to act. With that said, there happens to be a lot of life coaching that comes with the craft. The best piece of advice I have ever heard stems from my coach and mentor: “Don’t act, just be”. On the surface, this quote sounds straightforward. For instance, someone might simply interpret it as sounding more natural while spurring out lines instead of minutes of mindless dialogue. However, it goes much deeper than that. Although what I stated earlier is true, there is a lot more to it then just “sounding more natural”. Instead, there is no such thing as “sounding more natural”. It is growing a deep connection with yourself as a human being and becoming comfortable in your own skin. As unrelated to acting as it sounds, it is completely necessary in character build up and story development. You cannot pretend to be someone else until you are capable of playing yourself. If you tend to mask your true and purest form of personality…you are acting. Besides the title, acting doesn’t actually involve acting. It’s being able to approach various situations with a sense of open-mindedness. And yes, you’re probably concerned about reciting every single line correctly, down to the punctuation. But in reality, the best conversations stem from pure emotion. Therefore, it isn’t necessary to recite every line correctly. What matters is the emotion you communicate to the audience. Audiences are looking for stories told through a multitude of lenses, which then connect to them on a personal level. As humans, we approach every conversation with a desire. This could range from the desire to get rid of boredom, to even the desire to hurt someone. Having said that, a conversation never starts and ends in the same note. Someone might walk away feeling happy, disgruntled, uncomfortable, and so much more. This concept encapsulates the importance of your intentions while acting. Ask yourself this question: “What do I want from the other person”. While being aware of this, there is no room for melodrama. “Human connections are deeply nurtured in the field of a shared story.” -Jean Houstan BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Advice Back to Sections North Star Advice Aamna Raja Volume 5 Issue 4 April 8, 2025 “ Hi, Aamna! I wanted to ask your advice on some feelings I’ve been having. Recently, I started having feelings for one of my close friends. I really like everything about them! I have been friends with them for a while now, and I don’t want to ruin the relationship we have now by telling them how I feel. I’m worried that things may become awkward between us if I say something, and I’m scared to lose the friendship we have, but at the same time, I feel like I need to just tell them how I feel. What should I do?” -Lego Fortnite I hope you’re having an amazing day, Lego! First of all, I totally get where you’re coming from; your feelings are valid. The fear of losing a friendship that you value over a confession is common and very justified. But remember, feelings can’t and won’t just disappear because you ignore them. In some situations, ignoring your feelings can even make your inner turmoil worse, and the stress can start to spread to other parts of your life. That doesn’t mean you have to rush into a dramatic confession, but to reduce your stress, you should address them. Consider testing the waters first—see how they respond to compliments and deeper, more personal conversations. Sometimes, you’ll get a sense of whether the feeling is mutual without having to spell it out. If you’re still unsure, think about how your current dynamic works. Are you both good at handling emotional honesty? If you are, that’s a sign you shouldn’t fear an open conversation about your emotions, and a confession won’t hurt your bond. If you choose to tell them, keep it simple and low-pressure. Something like, “Hey, I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I really value our friendship. I’ve started to like you as more than a friend, but I don’t want this to change anything between us if you don’t feel the same” can communicate your feelings while also letting them know that there’s no pressure to change your current dynamic. And if they don’t feel the same? It might be awkward for a bit, but true friendships bounce back. Just give it time. If they do feel the same—well, then you’ve opened the door to something even better! You’ve got this, Lego. No matter what happens, being honest with yourself is always the right move. Wishing you luck, Aamna BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature, Science & Technology Back to Sections NASA Got Its First Asteroid Sample Cody Sung Volume 4 Issue 1 November 6, 2023 Image provided by NASA/Keegan Barber On September 8, 2016, NASA launched a spacecraft to an asteroid to collect a sample of rocks and dust from its surface. Seven years later, on September 24, 2023, the craft landed on Earth, carrying the first NASA samples from an asteroid in its history. The spacecraft’s name is OSIRIS-REx, standing for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer. This name sounds complex, and it is, but it simply means that the craft’s goal was to fly to an asteroid, scan it, take a sample from it, and return to Earth. The asteroid used for the mission was called 101955 Bennu, considered a near-Earth asteroid. Bennu is only around one-third of a mile wide at its equator but is a time capsule from the Solar System’s early days – it gained its present composition only a little bit after the formation of the Solar System. NASA suspects that it may have organic molecules in its carbon-rich environment like those that helped start life on Earth. To find out more about Bennu, NASA began developing the mission with help from scientists at the University of Arizona and built the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. NASA equipped it with a camera suite, laser technology, light and heat scanners, an X-ray imaging device, and a sampling device. These pieces of equipment, along with the rest of the craft, weighed around 4,650 pounds. On September 8, 2016, the Atlas V rocket carrying the craft launched from Cape Canaveral and about 55 minutes after launch separated from the rocket and deployed its solar arrays to power it in space. Around a day after the launch, OSIRIS-REx crossed the Moon’s orbital path at roughly 240,200 miles away from Earth. Three days later, it began to orbit the Sun. About a week later, on September 19, 2016, the mission team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center began to activate the craft’s scientific instruments. To position it for a gravity assist from Earth, the craft fired its main engine on December 28, 2016. This assist came on September 22, 2017, when OSIRIS-REx passed Earth at roughly 10,710 miles above its surface, took high-resolution pictures of the planet and the Moon, and used the energy from Earth’s gravity to tilt its orbit to match Bennu’s. Nearly a year later, in August 2018, the spacecraft sent a grainy image of Bennu 1.4 million miles away from the asteroid. In early November, it took more detailed images of the asteroid’s shape and certain surface features. Its official arrival would not come until a month later, on December 3, 2018, when OSIRIS-REx completed its journey and arrived at Bennu. From there it mapped the asteroid in detail while NASA’s mission team searched for a safe sample site on the extremely rocky and hazardous surface. After a year of deliberation, the team selected a site named “Nightingale,” a young crater with freshly exposed rocks and dust. The team reckoned it would provide a pristine sample of the asteroid, and OSIRIS-REx collected the sample on October 20, 2020, with an extremely brief touchdown called a “Touch-And-Go" maneuver. Two days later, images confirmed it had collected more than enough material and on October 28, the mission team commanded the spacecraft to close the sample capsule. With the sampling complete, on April 7, 2021, the craft completed its last flyover over Bennu and took fresh images of the sampling site. After flying for two and a half years and orbiting the Sun twice, OSIRIS-REx returned to Earth on September 24, 2023, releasing the capsule with the sample from the rest of the craft. It landed at the Department of Defense’s Utah Test and Training Range where scientists retrieved it. The spacecraft, however, did not land and went to explore another asteroid, Apophis, with the new name OSIRIS-APEX, standing for OSIRIS-Apophis Explorer. The sample is currently in a clean room at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. In the meantime, NASA has reported that the initial analysis revealed carbon and water in the sample and there was so much extra material that it slowed down the sample collection process. The analysis will continue for the next two years; after that, NASA will keep at least 70% of the sample at the Johnson Space Center for future research, the fruitful reward of a highly successful mission by NASA to study the cosmos. Sources https://science.nasa.gov/mission/osiris-rex/ https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-bennu-asteroid-sample-contains-carbon-water/ https://science.nasa.gov/mission/osiris-rex/in-depth/ https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/101955-bennu/ https://blogs.nasa.gov/osiris-rex/ BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections “Once On This Island” is coming soon! By Rachel Ezeadichie Volume 2 Issue 1 October 8, 2021 Image provided by Once On This Island Musicals are a wonderful way to bring people together. Whether you act in them or watch them, they are entertaining, fun, and a great way to show your talent. From Broadway premieres to high school productions, it takes hard work and dedication to pull the show together. Speaking of high school productions, North High School has a Drama Club of its own, performing our rendition of “Once On This Island.” “Once On This Island” takes place in the French Antilles, specifically Haiti. Two kinds of people live on this island: peasants, who live off the mercy of the gods and grand hommes , wealthy French people who reside on the other side of the island with fancy cars, houses, and lives. “Once on This Island” stars Ti Moune, an orphan adopted by Mama Euralie and Tonton Julien. As Ti Moune grows older, she longs for a grand homme to marry her. The girl’s prayer makes two of the gods, Papa Ge and Ezrulie, make a bet. Ezrulie, Goddess of love, takes on that love is stronger than death; Papa Ge, the demon of death, takes the opposite view. This lays the pathway to the rest of the musical. This musical’s central theme is classism. Ti Moune cannot marry a grand homme because she is a peasant, but she is determined to try. I thought I was not going to like this musical, but I was mistaken. It has fantastic songs, and after just the first listen, you will fall in love. Of many of the productions I’ve watched, all the diverse ways these characters were portrayed had me mesmerized. I could feel how each character felt just through the way they sang or presented themselves. Though this show may be one act, I feel like with North’s talented cast, the experience and creativity of our directors, and the behind-the-scenes work of our stage crew, this show will be a fantastic success. Listen for the annoucements and check the North High School Teams page for information about dates, times, and tickets! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections Implications of Capitol Hill Attack By Simar Thind Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 No Image available at this time On January 6, 2021, Donald Trump held a rally in Washington D.C. to call on politicians to reverse the results of the election. By making claims to his supporters that action must take place to “Save the Steal” and vocally denying the outcome of the election, Trump contributed to the violent rhetoric that allowed for the attack on Capitol Hill to take place. This was planned. Extremists planned the January 6 insurrection, and the evidence is apparent on many conservative websites (Timberg). Many wonder about the lack of security preparations leading up to that day. Protesters holding Blue Lives Matter flags while fighting the police to trespass into the Capitol building truly captures the irony of that day. In the moment, we could not comprehend the full picture of the attack. However, as we slowly see footage that pieces together the events, the brutality reveals itself. Rioters shout threats against Vice President Pence and the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Pipe bombs and guns were found at the scene. Members of Congress were under lockdown and hid for their lives (Reeves). Terrorists trespassed into the building as windows were broken and officers trampled, some holding zip ties to handcuff lawmakers (Timberg). Anti-Semitic symbols and Confederate flags accompanied pro-Trump signs among the crowd. Five people died during the attack; one rioter was shot, one police officer was beaten to death, and three others died after facing medical emergencies (Healy). Horrific; undemocratic; cruel; despicable; barbaric. We do not use the word “love” when describing domestic terrorists, but it seems like President Trump did not get the memo. He attempted to reverse his actions of inciting violence at his rally by tweeting a video telling rioters “We love you and you’re very special…but go home…” (Caldwell). The failure of security and threats on their lives pushed Congress to confirm Biden’s presidential win that next morning, having the opposite effect the rioters intended. Following the confirmation, Trump conceded the election, stating that a new administration would rise to power without explicitly mentioning Biden or Harris. He claims he wants a peaceful transfer of power, but later tweeted that he would not attend the inauguration; his reasons for this are not stated. The incident acts as a harbinger of bad luck for Trump’s political future. Many urged Pence and the cabinet to invoke the 25th amendment, which would declare Trump unfit for the presidency and have Pence take his place until the inauguration on January 20th. The path to removing Trump from power through this method remains unprecedented. House Democrats have pushed an alternative option. Headed by Pelosi, they formally introduced their plan to impeach Trump to hold him accountable for his role in inciting the insurrection, and the number of Republicans supporting the impeachment continued to grow (Wagner). To this date, this second impeachment has passed the House. Much remains uncertain due to the limited amount of time before the transition of power. The exposure of vulnerabilities and potential risks of national security must be discussed. Due to this event, the United States is vulnerable to attacks from foreign entities as well as domestic threats. The attack portrays the U.S. as weak to the outside world. But that is not our biggest worry. Currently, the FBI warns of potential insurrections surrounding the inauguration in all 50 state capitols (MacFarquhar). Hopefully, states heed warnings this time around as tensions continue to escalate. Many governors’ personal safety is at risk. For instance, Gov. Brad Little of Oregon and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan both faced plots for their kidnapping. The insurrection poses many questions for the American public to consider. First, why was there more security for Black Lives Matter protests than this incident, especially when there was evidence of its planning on the internet? Further investigations will take place to evaluate the lack of security and to ensure the safety of state capitols throughout the nation. Second, is America a true democracy? It is a fact that the presidency allows certain corruptions to occur. When a man such as Donald Trump is elected President with no experience in politics and less than a majority of the popular vote, we must evaluate the system. Furthermore, we cannot allow anyone to contribute to violence that threatens national security, especially (and ironically) the President of the United States. We must remember that all government officials are public servants, and when they fail to govern a nation effectively and are a symbol of hatred and violence, the public must urge their removal from office. Many members of Congress state January 6th, 2021 a day that will live in infamy. Now we must consider how this incident will shape the country and whether the nation can grow from it, or if we will become further divided. As students, our responsibility concerns always evaluating all sides of a multi-faceted issue and behaving with empathy. Works Cited Caldwell, Travis. "Trump's 'We Love You' to Capitol Rioters is More of the Same." CNN , www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/politics/trump-history-comments-trnd/index.html. Healy, Jack. "These are the Five People Who Died in the Capitol Riot." NY Times , www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/us/who-died-in-capitol-building-attack.html. MacFarquhar, Neil, and Mike Baker. "State Capitols on High Alert, Fearing More Violence." NY Times , www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/us/politics/state-capitols-protests-trump.html. Reeves, Jay, et al. "Capitol Assault a More Sinister Attack than First Appeared." Associated Press , Jan. 2021, apnews.com/article/us-capitol-attack-14c73ee280c256ab4ec193ac0f49ad54. Timberg, Craig, et al. "Capitol Siege Was Planned Online. Trump Supporters Now Planning the Next One." The Washington Post , www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/09/trump-twitter-protests/. Trump, Donald J. "'Save America' Rally Speech." Rev , 6 Jan. 2021, www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/donald-trump-speech-save-america-rally-transcript-january-6. Speech. Wagner, Meg, et al. "House Pushes to Impeach Trump after Deadly Capitol Riot." CNN , www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-impeachment-news-01-11-21/index.html. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections Thirty-Four Minutes of Kindness Noa Cordova Volume 4 Issue 2 January 16, 2024 Image provided by Noa Cordova (Based on Charlie Mackesy's Illustrations) “What do you want to be when you grow up?” “Kind.” It is truly an admirable response and captures the main theme of  The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse . Its central theme of kindness inspired one of our AP English Language teachers, Mrs. Brodsky, to show us the film “in the spirit of Thanksgiving.” Initially, she planned to connect the film to our AP English Language curriculum but decided that its lessons were more valuable than the lessons of rhetorical devices and grammar instruction we are taught daily during period 4. I have to say, keeping a room full of high schoolers quiet for a solid thirty-four minutes can be a challenge, but it was something that this film was able to do. Most of us had exams and other commitments stressing us out, but for thirty-four minutes, we focused on something worthwhile; we focused on the depth and beauty of the film. Before Mrs. Brodsky, we have Charlie Mackesy to thank for the experience. The story started in a book written and illustrated by British illustrator, Charlie Mackesy. Inspired by the social restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mackesy sought to draw something that would keep us connected as humans regardless of the circumstances at the time. In his interview on CBS Sunday morning, he revealed that when he draws, “it starts as a feeling.” He describes the book as “a story for everyone”, and I’d have to agree; the story’s message, although ironically conveyed by animals, is a story about humanity. Apart from his work on  The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse , he worked with Nelson Mandela on  The Unity Series . When he is not working with his pencil in hand, he is co-running Mama Buci, an organization that supports bee-keeping communities in Zambia. I’d say it’s evident that Mackesy is a pure soul and dedicates his time to worthwhile causes he is passionate about; it is not surprising he told such a moving story with simple illustrations in just thirty-four minutes. A lost boy, a sensitive mole, a lonely fox, and a wise horse teach us a whole lot about kindness, friendship, and emotions as they embark on a journey to bring the boy home. We are first introduced to the boy who is feeling lost, as many of us have at one point. Next, we meet the mole who reminds us of the importance of appreciating the beauty of life and worrying less. He reminds us that often our worries have simple solutions, like cake. Like the mole, we all have our equivalent of cake; we each have something that makes us forget our worries, even if it’s just for a while. Under more ominous circumstances, we meet the fox, who becomes an unexpected friend to the boy and the mole. The fox embodies character growth; he teaches us the importance of second chances and seeing the good in others. The horse is the last to join the trio and provides them all with a great deal of wisdom throughout their journey home. He reminds us about the bravery in asking for help, the love of true friendship, and the validity of our emotions. By the end of the thirty-four minutes, it’s easy to see a little bit of ourselves in each of these four friends. Mrs. Brodsky shared the film with us in the spirit of Thanksgiving, Charlie Mackesy released the film last year on Christmas Eve, and I’m encouraging you to watch the film or even read the book to start the new year; it goes to show that its lessons are timeless. I think that since the new year kicks off the winter season, it makes it a perfect time to watch the film as its snowy atmosphere will make you want to wrap up in some blankets with some tea and of course, cake. As we think about going into the new year, watching this film may change your perspective on some things. As you write your New Year's resolutions maybe you’ll be reminded of the things that really matter like kindness, friendship, and love. As the boy reminds us from the beginning, growing up to be a kind person should be our ultimate goal; it should come before any other career choice because “everything happens on the inside.” This year, we can all apply a lesson or two from the film. Although like the mole we may feel small in such a vast world, we’ll be reminded that we do make a difference. I think the mole would likely appreciate Mahatma Gandhi’s saying that “in a gentle way, you can shake the world.” Maybe we’ll choose to accept some unexpected, new people into our lives as the characters did with the fox. Maybe we’ll learn to be someone people can lean on or a source of comfort, as the horse was for his new friends. Maybe we’ll discover what it means to have a home, like the boy. Hopefully, we’ll surround ourselves with people who are glad we are all here and remind us that we each have a purpose. According to the boy, that purpose is primarily to love, and I’d say it's hard to disagree. I’d say this film has a lesson for everyone, so I encourage you to find yours. The profound connections and touching lessons are heart-warming enough to keep us (and the boy who only has a hoodie even though it's snowing) warm this winter season. It is truly impressive how much you can learn about kindness in just thirty-four minutes. Watch The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse - Movie - Apple TV+ Charlie Mackesy Charlie Mackesy's lessons in kindness ( youtube.com ) Mama Buci - honey in its purest form BACK TO TOP