Back to Artwork The Memory Project Back to Sections Kimberly Shresta - Memory Project - 2 By Kimberly Shresta March 18, 2021 Volume 1 Issue 6

Back to Articles News Back to Sections The Context Behind the Russo-Ukrainian War By Rachel Ezeadichie Volume 2 Issue 5 March 28, 2022 Image provided by CNBC If you have watched the news recently, you have seen something about the war between Russia and Ukraine. Whether it be informational, opinionated, or just fearmongering, you have seen something about this war. Exposed to it or not, it is important to understand what is going on around the world so that you may form your own opinions about it. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), an intergovernmental military alliance, began spreading farther into Europe and closer to Russia’s borders. In 2008, plans had been made to add Ukraine into NATO. Putin sees NATO’s expansion as menacing and views Ukraine joining NATO as a major threat to his country because of the military alliance’s proximity. Throughout the expansion of the Russian military by Putin over the course of the last few years, his complaints about NATO have become more public and apparent. Putin also insists that Ukraine is still a part of Russia, culturally and historically, so it is not its own country and should not join NATO. Russia is determined to capture Ukraine and make the state part of Russia again. Russia even listed its demands to NATO and the United States to ensure its security. The demands include that Ukraine can never join NATO, NATO must withdraw its forces in Eastern European countries, and that a cease-fire be implemented in Ukraine. These requests were denied. Russia has troops in Ukraine and has sent multiple bombs over the last few weeks. Ukrainians have not lost hope and are continuing to fight for their home. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Who Am I Back to Sections All Eyes on You By Emily Dahl November 19, 2021 Mixed Media Volume 2 Issue 2 This piece was inspired by the feeling of everyone watching you, but not for the reasons you’d normally want to be seen. There’s a big difference between people watching you perform in a talent show and watching you after you’ve done something embarrassing, and my goal with this artwork was to capture the latter.

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sarah Velez Volume 4 Issue 1 November 6, 2023 Image provided by UAB News October represents Breast Cancer Awareness month, which tragically affects about 240,000 women in the United States along with 2,100 men annually. Of those 240,000 women, 42,000 pass away and 500 men pass away each year. It is important to take a month to spread awareness of this cancer and dedicate it to those who have passed. Breast cancer is a disease in which the cells in a breast grow out of control. The type of breast cancer you get is dependent on which cells in the breast turn into cancer. In most cases, breast cancer begins in what is called the “ducts” or “lobules.” The breast is split into three main parts: lobules, ducts, and connective tissue. As the cancer grows, it spreads through blood and lymph vessels. When breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it is said to have “metastasized.” Now, there are two common types of breast cancer. Invasive ductal carcinoma is when the cancer cells start forming inside the ducts and then grow outside the ducts into other parts of the tissue. These invasive cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body. The next most common breast cancer is called Invasive Lobular Carcinoma. This is similar to Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, but it originates within the lobules instead of the ducts. This dangerous cancer can also spread to other parts of the body. Some of the less common types are Paget’s disease, medullary, mucinous, and inflammatory breast cancer. There are many ways to prevent breast cancer, but in some cases, there is nothing you can do to control it. Maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active, and avoiding excessive alcohol consumption can be effective in preventing breast cancer. If you are someone who takes hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptives, it is best to talk to your doctor and see what may be safer for you. As healthy as you may be, breast cancer is occasionally inherited through family genes or changes in your BRCA1 and BRCA2 can also be inherited. With all of this in mind, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer. Are there ways to notice breast cancer before it becomes a deadly issue? Screening is a way to check women for breast cancer before symptoms and signs are noticeable. A mammogram is an x-ray taken of the breast. Mammograms provide the benefit of noticing breast cancer early on, making it easier to treat. It is important to regularly get mammograms, to benefit both your health and be able to catch such a deadly cancer early on. It is significant to note though, mammograms do not help cure breast cancer, they only help recognize it to ensure the cancer gets taken care of early on. Thanks to the advancement in technology and the medical field, there are many ways to treat breast cancer. Depending on how far the cancer has spread the type of treatment you will receive can be determined. Surgery is one of the most common options. The doctor will simply cut out the cancer if it has not spread too far. Chemotherapy is a medicine that is used to shrink or kill the cancer cells. The medicine can either be given in shots or pills, although in some cases it may even be both. Hormonal therapy blocks cancer cells from receiving the hormones they need to grow. There are many other medical procedures that help treat breast cancer. It is extremely important to discuss what medical procedure may be best for you. There are many ways to support people struggling with breast cancer. You can donate to breast cancer foundations and even start fundraisers to donate the money. Wearing pink can also help bring awareness to this tragic disease. It is important to spread awareness to help those who need it and partake in actions that can lead people to live and brighter and healthier life. Sources: https://www.cdc.gov https://www.mayoclinic.org BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections First Song Recommendations of the Issue By Logan Balsan Volume 1 Issue 7 April 22, 2021 Image provided by MacNews Hello, Entertainment section! I’m Logan Balsan, with a new idea for a running article in this section: song recommendations. I am a member of both North’s Band and Orchestra, and I love playing and listening to several music genres, from classical music to the modern day. I am sure you can add a new song to your workout playlist or to your casual listening playlist from this list. I will be writing in each issue of the North Star until June, so each article will have five songs that I personally recommend. Song #1- I first started listening to this song when a friend recommended it to me. One of the most popular Beach Boys hits, whether you are actually on the beach, or longing for summer to come, this song can fill that void. With the catchy and groovy guitar riff played multiple times throughout the song, you can totally feel the beat and sing along to this song. This is also on the Varsity Boys Volleyball Warmup Playlist. Song #2- This is personally one of the songs I listen to while I drive to and from school. The drum set and the guitar riffs in the beginning set the tone for the rest of the song. First introduced to this song over the summer of 2020, I have grown to enjoy several of E.L.O’s songs, and “Don’t Bring Me Down” my favorite. I sing along whenever it comes on, and it’s even on my workout playlist. Song #3- I started listening to this song almost two weeks ago, and I mainly do so while working out as well as on my car playlist. This song motivates me and helps me raise my mindset whether it be prior to a volleyball game or the end of a workout set. This is also on the Varsity Boys Volleyball Warmup Playlist. Song #4- I first heard this song on Channel 25, aka Classic Rewind, on the radio as my family and I were travelling home from a trip to Pennsylvania in February. I listen to this song more when I’m winding down or ending a long day at school or work. The acoustic guitar is not as intense or heavy as the electric guitars in both “I Get Around” and “Don’t Bring Me Down,” and is therefore more soothing and comforting. Sometimes I listen to this on my way home from school or work when I want to relax and unwind. Song #5- Any fellow fans of country rock? This isn’t Johnny Cash, but it’s one of my favorites that I sing along to often in the car. The profound use (and battle of) of violins bring out the old country style in this song. If you like country rock and haven’t heard of this song, I highly recommend you check this out! Alright, folks. That’s a wrap for my first song recommendation article. See you next issue! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections What is number theory? By Alyssa Garufi and Hannah Lee Volume 2 Issue 3 January 14, 2022 Image provided by Interesting Engineering Anyone who has ever fallen in love can tell you it is the little things about the other person that make them attractive: the way they do their hair, the peculiarities of how they write, the way they sing a certain part of a song out of key every time... Such details come to define us. They trace the outlines of our personalities, and, to the observant eye, they illuminate true beauty. In the eyes of some, there is no finer beauty than that found in mathematics. Some look at numbers and, just as you’d never define your beloved human solely based on their eye color, the math lover sees beyond the mere function of numbers. The likes of 1, 2, and 3, turn into something more sublime than simple carriers of information. The math lover looks for questions, patterns, and proofs as to why simple equations like 1+1 equals 2. This is essentially what number theory is: the study of subtle and radical relationships between and among numbers. Euclid of Alexandria was a key contributor to the foundation of number theory. He developed and proved the concept of infinite primes, which eventually became a key notion in the field of number theory. As most of us know, prime numbers are integers that are greater than one and have only two factors - one and themselves. Euclid hypothesized that there was an infinite number of primes, which he then sought to prove. He did this through a method known as proof by contradiction. Essentially, Euclid assumed that there was a finite number of primes, and disproved that concept, which leads to the conclusion that an infinite number of primes exist. This concept of infinite primes would become one of the most foundational ideas of number theory. While number theory may seem like an abstract concept that is only used by those who work in the math field, it has many practical applications. For instance, many companies use encryption to protect their data, which is a concept that stems from the number theory. Oftentimes, encryption is done using basic primes of a very large number. The basic primes of a number are obtained when the integer is broken down into its prime factors, which you may know by its other name: prime factorization. Each number has a unique set of prime factors, and by using the basic primes of large numbers, companies can ensure that their data is safely protected. Now that you know the basics of number theory, try it out yourself. I will give you a sequence of numbers and you have to try and find a pattern, formula, or some sort of relationship between the numbers in order to figure out what the first term of the sequence is. Remember: think creatively, not everything is so black and white. Example: what is the first term in the sequence? ….11, 24, 75, 304 5 8 9 10 Explanation: Alright, so you decided to take on the example problem and have come searching for the answer. The answer is *drum roll* 10! I hope you got it right. If not, it is okay. Let me explain to you how I went about it. I noticed that the second term, 11, and the third term, 24 could be formed by taking the second term and multiplying it by two and adding two. However, this equation of (n*2+2) does not work for the third number, 24, into the fourth sequence, 75. The equation that does work for these two transitions is, however, (n*3 +3). Taking 24 times 3 and adding 33 to that gets you 75! Therefore, it is visible that there may be a pattern forming in the equations from each preceding number. I finally checked to see if 75 times 4 plus 4 (n*4 +4) gets you to 304, and it did! There you go! You figured out the pattern. Using this pattern, you worked backward to find out that the first term is 10 since 10 times 1 plus 1 (n*1 +1) is 11! Good job, VSN! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Human Trafficking By Elaine Ching Volume 2 Issue 5 March 28, 2022 Original artwork by Elaine Ching When asked about human trafficking, most people just know that it is a bad thing – that it is just “another dark thing that happens in the world.” However, most people do not know the full extent of it. Merriam Webster defines human trafficking as “organized criminal activity in which human beings are treated as possessions to be controlled and exploited (as by being forced into prostitution or involuntary labor).” However, human trafficking is much more than a simple definition. Human traffickers are not picky when it comes to finding victims. Victims of human trafficking range from any age, including children. Any person, regardless of race or gender, can become a victim of human trafficking. A human trafficking victim can be from any country or social class. Anyone can be human trafficked. Human traffickers have many manipulation tactics that can be used in order to find their next victim. Traffickers have more tactics that just “snatching up people,” although that may be one of their strategies. They could use violence as a threat or promise relationships and friendships in order to lure lonely, vulnerable people in. They may also offer money or well-paying employment opportunities to those in need of financial help. In addition, human traffickers have many ways to keep their victims within the trafficking system. While fear is a tactic, the way that traffickers evoke these emotions is important. They could use physical and sexual punishment or manipulate law enforcement into an image of an enemy. Victims will not approach people in public out of the fear that has been instilled within them. You might be thinking, “What happens to these victims?” Well, what victims are forced to do and the effect of human trafficking on their health varies. While sex trafficking, the act of victims being non-consensually and sexually exploited, does exist, there are other forms of human trafficking, one of those being forced labor. Victims can be exploited in almost any way that relates to labor. This can range from restaurants, hotels, agriculture, factories, sweatshops, and illegitimate labor industries. The trafficking can also cause victims negative effects on their mental health. Symptoms can range from post-traumatic stress disorder, guilt, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and using drugs and alcohol to cope. The effects are not easy to undo. The common signs of human trafficking may not always indicate the issue. Sometimes the symptoms may be unrelated, such as signs of mental illness or domestic abuse. However, signs of human trafficking can also differ from the norm, ranging from school absences, a dramatic change of behavior, or no control self-control, such as freedom of speech. If you notice any of these signs or are suspicious of any human trafficking, the national hotline is: 1-(888) 373-7888. If you witness human trafficking, do not confront the victim or the suspected human trafficker, let the professionals handle it. Signs should be reported as you could possibly save a person’s life or prevent significant trauma. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Story Behind the Shot 03 By Eva Grace Martinez Volume 1 Issue 5 February 12, 2021 Original photography by Grace Martinez Hello everyone! Welcome to the third instalment of “Story Behind the Shot”! My name is Grace Martinez, and I’m the NORTH STAR’s photo editor. That means it’s my job to make sure every article we publish has a photo that goes along with it. In all honesty, I wouldn’t blame you if you read those opening sentences and assumed I spend every waking hour on Instagram. It’s an app full of people sharing stunning photography, so why wouldn’t I be? In truth, I had to reset my password to even write this article. Instagram is far from my favorite social media platform, but when given a shot to talk about photos I’m proud of, I knew I couldn’t waste the opportunity. I should also probably address the other interesting thing about my account; there are no photos of my face. This wasn’t some kind of intentional faceless aesthetic. I just spend too much time behind a camera to capture anything of me in front of it. With that being said, let’s dive into some photos. First up is one of my more recent photos, which features a heavily edited view out a suburban window and a sky full of clouds captured mid sunset. This photo was taken after I had spent the day helping to clean up around the house. I remember seeing the sunset and finally being able to relax. It’s cliché, but there’s something about a sky turning to gold that just puts me at ease. Sadly though, those golden rays don’t always capture well on iPhone cameras. So, I began editing, and although I had planned to keep the editing minimal, one mis-click in lightroom later, I was stunned. Something about the intensity of the colors seemed too good to pass up, and on to my Instagram feed it went. Second is a photo of a girl mid aerial, performing directly in front of a bright colored mural. This photo is still one of my favorites even years after I originally took it. This was the first photo that made me realize that people took pictures as more than just a way to keep track of things. There was an art to this, and it was a skill I wanted to learn. Even to this day I still love the contrast between all the colors in the photo. There are a few things that scream amateur to me now, such as the fact that my friend is facing the opposite direction, but I can’t help but love it due to all the happy memories it holds. If you have even spoken to me once, you’ve heard me mention going to a concert. I have no shame in admitting it, I love live music (even if my bank account doesn’t). This last photo was taken in November of 2019, at the last concert I went to before the pandemic. It isn’t the most high-resolution photo I’ve ever taken, but it’s chock full of memories and some pretty cool-colored lighting. The way the blue spotlight can be seen faintly on the side of the image, and then how everything is so blue it almost hurts amazes me every time. Concert photos are often hard to take because of low lighting, and the movement of the crowds/artists. To have this one come out well was amazing, and I still take so much pride in the fact that this is the raw photo, completely unedited. If you’d like to write our next “Story Behind the Shot,” please contact our Media and Entertainment Editor Garrick Neuner or our Chief Editor Mrs. Mansfield! BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Heckscher Back to Sections An Artistic Escape Entry 3 April 14, 2022 Mixed Media Volume 2 Issue 6

Back to Artwork Nostalgic Musings Back to Sections Sophia Song - Nostalgic Musings - 3 By Sophia Song February 10, 2022 Photography Volume 2 Issue 4