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Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Familial Ties Navrosedip Kundlas Volume 4 Issue 4 May 29, 2024 Image Provided by Annie Diep in life's intricate web, family is our core, uniting us with understanding and more they provide support through thick and thin, guiding us as we journey within amid life's twists and turns, they stand firm, offering comfort, a constant, warm their diverse perspectives enrich our days, shaping who we are in countless ways family, our rock in life's stormy sea, an anchor of love, steadfast and free in their embrace, we find our place, a haven of belonging, a cherished grace BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections M'oreal By Nora Chery Volume 1 Issue 5 February 12, 2021 Image provided by Wikipedia The year is now 2053, and now memories along with consciousness can be saved and transferred They can be transferred to new and improved bodies Memories and conscious Downloaded into chips that’ll be placed in bodies. Ones that are artificial, but well-crafted People can now be clever than they were before People can be better looking than they were before People can be faster and lighter than they were before. Nobody will have to be stuck with bodies they despise, With looks they despise; with skills they despise. Anyone can be who they wish to become. Of course, this costs money. For those with enough money to modify To give the company, L'Oreal. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Martin Luther King Jr. Day Leah Ally Volume 5 Issue 4 April 8, 2025 Every year on the third Monday of January we celebrate a special holiday, commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. This federal holiday allows for MLK’s life and contributions to be recognized and honored by the country. While he is considered a well-known name, not many understand the significance of his work, particularly in the Civil Rights Movement and in the fight against racial discrimination. His inspiring leadership has shaped our society for the better as signs of his impact have remained present in our communities, schools, and workplaces. To fully understand the impact of Martin Luther King Jr.’s work, it is important to learn about the Civil Rights Movement. It was a movement prominent during the 1950s and 60s that fought back against the commonplace mistreatment of African Americans in the United States. African Americans were often systematically excluded from society had to endure segregation that negatively impacted the quality of the education they received, job opportunities, and access to public services. This was especially prevalent in the South, where laws known as Jim Crow laws explicitly permitted the segregation of public services and private businesses. Beyond systematic oppression, Black Americans also faced physical violence and other hate crimes such as harassment and arson. The Civil Rights Movement was born from a desire to bring these issues to the forefront and end the legal protection of these inequalities. This movement was marked by significant events and efforts to challenge and overturn systemic racism and inequality. One of the earliest milestones was the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision in 1954, which declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. This was followed by the Montgomery Bus Boycott from 1955 to 1956, sparked by Rosa Parks’s refusal to give up her seat to a white person, which symbolized resistance and led to the desegregation of many bus systems. The movement gained further momentum with the formation of organizations like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). These organizations used protests, sit-ins, and freedom rides in order to bring awareness and make a statement about the unequal treatment they faced. These milestones, among many others achieved during this time, are proof of the significant power that this movement had and the sweeping changes that it brought. Martin Luther King Jr was a prominent figure in the movement, proving himself to be a pivotal figure as his leadership and vision for a better world were instrumental in the struggle for racial equality and justice. His importance lay not only in his ability to inspire but also his commitment to nonviolent protests and civil disobedience to achieve social change. In 1957, he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, quicky expressing his worthiness of the position. He achieved this through hundreds of speeches around the country as he traveled extensively to make his voice heard. At the same time, he would go on to publish a variety of articles and books documenting the injustice faced by African Americans. Perhaps his most iconic action was during the March on Washington in 1963, where he would deliver his iconic address known as the “I Have a Dream” speech to the 250,000 people participating in the march and the thousands more who watched or listened to it as it was broadcasted. In it, he envisioned a future where people would be judged by the content of their character instead of their appearance, especially the color of their skin. This speech changed the Civil Rights Movement as it drew millions of people to fully understand the impacts of racial discrimination and inequality. Eventually, his hard work in improving the lives of Black Americans would pay off as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 would be created. These laws were significant victories as equal employment, less voting restrictions, and unsegregated public facilities for African Americans were established. All in all, with Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 20th, it is a time for reflection and commemoration. After all, his work in resolving racial issues has allowed us to enjoy the same rights and access to the same luxuries which will continually improve lives for the future. Sources: Civil Rights Movement: Timeline, Key Events & Leaders | HISTORY Civil Rights Timeline - Truman Library Institute Martin Luther King Jr. – Biography - NobelPrize.org BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections The Console Wars Elijah Dyal Volume 5 Issue 2 November 25, 2024 Image Provided by Max Ching The Console Wars Ever since the release of the PlayStation on December 3, 1994, and the N64 on June 23, 1996, Sony and Nintendo have been dominating the market and entertaining us with their interactive gaming machines. As the PlayStation and Nintendo continued to get more popular, Microsoft decided it was about time they entered the gaming industry. As Microsoft was building the Xbox, PlayStation came out with their PS2 on March 4, 2000. Microsoft realized that they were behind by 2 generations, so they sped up the process and released the Xbox on November 15, 2001. These 3 consoles competed with the Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, and the Nintendo GameCube. As Microsoft started to capture people’s attention with their Xbox, PlayStation had sold about 270 units (PS1 and PS2s.) Microsoft started to become even more popular and had finally started designing their 7th generation console; the Xbox 360. Sony released the PlayStation Portable (PSP) on March 24, 2005. The Xbox 360 was released on November 22, 2005. Sony’s biggest rival finally got ahead of them, but little did Microsoft know, PlayStation was coming out with something revolutionary. November 11, 2006 marked the release date of one of the best consoles of its time. The PlayStation 3 boasted many 3D capabilities, HDMI compatibility, and had one of the biggest leaps in performance from its predecessor. It even had its own home screen, unlike all of the previous generation consoles manufactured by Sony. Along with this beast came the DualShock Sixaxis controller. It wasn’t the biggest upgrade from the DualShock 2, but it still had new features. Later, Sony released PlayStation Plus, a subscription that allowed the users of the PS3 and later to do it all. Every PS3 model was compatible with the PSP. Sony even released the PS3 Slim on Sep 1, 2009, which was a smaller and better console than the original. The Nintendo Wii was released on November 19, 2006. This console featured many new and different games and controllers, including their famous Wii Motion Plus. This was a controller that allowed users to play games such as Major League Baseball 2K10. Sony couldn’t stand Nintendo having a controller that they didn’t, which resulted in them releasing the PlayStation Move on September 15, 2010. Meanwhile, Microsoft consoles were suffering from general hardware failures which caused the Red Ring of Death on many of their Xbox 360 consoles. The Red Ring of Death meant that there was some sort of hardware issue inside the console. They even tried releasing the Xbox Kinect on November 4, 2010, but the number of Red Rings of Death were increasing and were skyrocketing to almost all of their consoles. The end of this generation was marked by Sony’s release of the PlayStation 3 Super Slim on September 25, 2012. This wasn’t their best console, but was a cheaper and smaller alternative to the PS3 and PS3 Slim. On November 15, 2013, Sony released the PS4, and on November 22, 2013, Microsoft released the Xbox One. At this point, PlayStation and Xbox were like fish and land. PlayStation accommodated more exclusive and more aesthetically pleasing games, while Xbox started supporting a wider variety of games. As soon as one company did something good, others created something to compete with it. PlayStation sold more than double the amount of Xbox Ones. Then Microsoft released the Xbox One S, in 2016, which supported 4K resolution, and Cross Generation Play, but the PS4 still outsold it. On March 3, 2017, Nintendo announced the release of the Switch. The Switch was a big hit, with over 125 million units sold. It even featured removable Joy-Cons. The Nintendo Switch Lite didn’t have removable Joy-Cons and was a smaller alternative. The Nintendo Switch Oled featured a sleek design, while still maintaining the iconic Nintendo Switch design. Nowadays, there are rumors of a Switch Pro or Switch 2. On November 10, 2016, Sony released the PlayStation 4 Pro. This was an advanced version of the PS4, that supported 4K and other modern features. Microsoft had to catch up, and they did, with the release of the Xbox One X on November 7, 2017. This was the direct competitor to the PS4 Pro, as they kept going back and forth. On November 10, 2020, Microsoft released the present-day Xbox Series S and X. These consoles boasted features that were never used in consoles before, such as external SSD expansion. They feature high resolution outputs through HDMI-CEC. They even offer extraordinary reliability, unlike the Xbox 360. Meanwhile, Sony took advantage of the Xbox release date to see the capabilities and used the extra 2 days to modify their next generation console to compete with the Xboxes. On November 12, 2020, Sony Interactive Entertainment released the Sony PlayStation 5. It has a more than unique design. This console has many new features, and also features expandable SSD storage. As Sony promised, they also released the PS5 Slim on November 10, 2023. This is just a slimmer version of the PS5 with minor performance improvements. This year, many new variants of the Xbox Series X and S have been released, as Xbox catches up with PlayStation. As you can see, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are the biggest rivals in the gaming console industry. Who knows what the future holds for these companies? Sources: https://www.ign.com/articles/all-playstation-console-release-dates-in-order , https://www.ign.com/articles/all-xbox-console-release-dates-in-order , https://www.ign.com/articles/all-nintendo-console-release-dates-in-order , https://sonyinteractive.com/en/press-releases/2010/playstationmove-motion-controller-to-hit-worldwide-market-starting-this-septemberfor-japan/ , and https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/timeline-a-look-back-at-kinects-history/ BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Portfolio Back to Sections Beauty Hidden in Men's Hair By Elizabeth Andre June 13, 2022 Collage Volume 2 Issue 7 I wanted to show the beauty and struggles of being a black man and having hair. I displayed different hairstyles one can be open to. At the end of the day, no matter what hair texture, color, or style you have, you and your hair are beautiful.

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Home for the Holidays By Sumaiya Ramsaroop Volume 1 Issue 3 December 16, 2020 Original image provided by Getty Images As the holidays roll in and we inch closer to our upcoming break, the reality of our situation has grown more apparent and yet, more unbelievable. Somehow the days we’ve spent yearning for a sense of “normalcy” have accumulated to nearly nine months; time feels nonexistent, and I think we can all agree – this year has been hard, to say the least. The holidays are seen as a period of reflection––a time to look back on the year and wrap yourself in moments with those you love. However, the pandemic has built some very elaborate barriers to blockade us from continuing these traditions. Maybe you can’t see your cousins on Christmas Eve or exchange gifts with your friends over a piping hot pizza. Maybe you can no longer ring in the New Year with both of your parents or light the menorah or kinara with your grandparents. Or maybe this holiday season feels no different from the rest because you’re simply used to staying in. Either way, we’re literally home for the holidays, and after the year we’ve had, we all deserve a little celebration. Whatever you’re celebrating, whether it be the holidays, a two-week break from work/school, here are some ways you can embrace the spirit of togetherness, wherever you may be. Virtual gingerbread house contest Virtual paint night Virtual holiday movie marathon (Software: Zoom, Gaze, Netflix Party Chrome extension) Secret Santa virtual card exchange Virtual ugly sweater contest Virtual bake off If the holidays are too much for you, here are some self-care activities you can do by yourself, to celebrate you and all your resiliency. Tap into your artistic abilities and create! Start journaling Watch your favorite holiday movies Bake your favorite holiday treats Read a book...for fun! Listen to your favorite music Use these two weeks to catch up on some much-needed rest, to spend time with your loved ones, and to let go of your stress! Grab a blanket, make some hot cocoa, and turn on one of those 12-hour loops of a burning fireplace crackling because we’re...home for the holidays. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Art & Culture Back to Sections First Day of School Traditions Around the World By Carolina Grace Figueroa Volume 2 Issue 1 October 8, 2021 Image provided by Little Passports Schools around the globe have different start dates, calendars, and traditions. The first day of a new term at school is an exciting time filled with prospects of gaining more knowledge, making new friends, and building community. I enjoy learning about different cultures and found some fascinating traditions to mark the start of the school year in other countries. Children from other countries celebrate back to school in fun, different, and exciting ways. First-day back-to-school traditions from around the world include: In Japan, parents traditionally send their kids a lunch of rice, seaweed sauce, and quail eggs on the first day of school. This symbolizes good luck for the new school year. Children also receive a stiff, hard-sided backpack (called randoseru ) as a present on their first day of elementary school to carry all their school supplies. The randoseru helps form a kind of cultural unity and bond that brings the kids together. In Indonesia, the focus of the first day of school is to help children get acquainted and make new friends rather than getting right into academic lessons. Schools use this first day to organize kids into social peer groups for fun activities and as an orientation for students to get to know each other. This creates a sense of community environment for them. In India, the first day of school (called praveshanolsavam , or “Admissions Day”) also coincides with the beginning of the rainy, monsoon season. Parents often give their children unique gifts, including a brand-new umbrella, along with other fun goodies. In Germany, on the first day of school, parents often give their children a schultuete (“school cone”), which is a giant paper, plastic, or cone-shaped cardboard package that is decorated and filled to the brim with school supplies, candies, treats and other small gifts. This marks new beginnings and is given to make the children’s new school year a little sweeter! In Italy, children wear a “work smock” or “work coat” (called grembiule ) over their clothes in primary school. In Kindergarten, girls wear pink and red checkers, while boys wear blue and white checkers. After first grade, the smocks are a deep blue color. The children must also wear a specific color of ribbon to indicate what grade they are in. In Kazakhstan, each child brings a single flower to their new teacher on the first day of school. The teacher then gathers all the flowers together to make one large bouquet for the classroom. Parents also give their children a present containing sweets, a pencil, and a candle. Teachers and parents arrange a friend’s ceremony and food-feast so students can get together to make new friends. In Holland, children are transported safely in an eco-friendly cargo bike (called bakfietsen ) on the first day of school. This cargo bike consists of a large box, cart, or basket with wheels attached to the front of an adult bike. What a fun way to be transported to school! In Vietnam, students are dressed and ready to perform for their family, friends, and local officials that have gathered to send them off on the first day of school. After the colorful ceremonies, this nationwide festival holds traditional games and artistic performances for the children to enjoy together. In Russia, the first day of school is known as “Knowledge and Skills Day,” when a traditional ceremony of the “first bell” is held, where one of the younger girls is hoisted up onto the shoulders of an older boy who carries her around the line of students as she rings the first bell to mark the start of school. The children must wear formal attire to school. Children also often bring a fresh flower bouquet for their teacher and receive a balloon in return. In America, children wear a brand new first day of school outfit and pose for a picture, sometimes holding a sign which has the school year or grade they are entering written on it. Taken every year on the first day of school, these photos mark how much the child has grown and progressed from year to year. Parents may also complete the first day of school interview page, like an “All About Me” questionnaire, with their child or leave lunchbox love notes as a surprise! The start of the new school year around the world has, of course, been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic this year. Every school year, the beginning of a new grade gives children an opportunity for a fresh start and to set new goals for themselves, either socially, academically, athletically, or personally. Each first day of school is such a milestone in children’s lives and always a memorable moment. Good luck to every student worldwide on their first day back to school for this new school year! Hopefully, these first days back to school, cultural ceremonies, and traditions will see a more sense of normalcy next year. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections NASA’s Recent Announcement of The Artemis II Crew By Elyas Layachi Volume 3 Issue 4 May 18, 2023 Image provided by nasa.gov (Artemis) On the morning of November 16th, 2022, NASA successfully launched its Artemis I mission to test out the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System. On this mission, the Orion spacecraft was unmanned and spent several days making its voyage to the moon and back to test its many systems, including propulsion and life support systems. Orion made it back to Earth on December 30th, 2022, after a successful mission. Artemis I was the first of four planned Artemis missions to the moon. After Artemis I, NASA began planning the Artemis II mission in which four astronauts will man the Orion spacecraft around the moon for a flyby to further test its capabilities. In Artemis III, NASA will send four astronauts to the moon once again, but this time to land on the lunar surface and establish a permanent presence, and Artemis IV will include the construction of the lunar space station Gateway to facilitate astronaut transportation between the surface of the moon and Earth. On April 3rd, on a YouTube livestream, NASA announced the names of the four astronauts who will be manning the Orion spacecraft on Artemis II: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist 1 Christina Hammock Koch, and Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen. Here are some brief biographies of each crew member: Commander Reid Wiseman (NASA): Wiseman was a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station for Expedition 41, conducting important research in human physiology, medicine, physical science, Earth science, and astrophysics. He was also Chief of the Astronaut office before receiving his position of Commander of Artemis II. Pilot Victor Glover (NASA): Glover served as an astronaut aboard the Crew-1 SpaceX Crew Dragon mission and conducted a long-duration mission above the International Space Station. Furthermore, like Wiseman, Glover was also a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station, but for Expedition 64. Mission Specialist 1 Christina Hammock Koch (NASA): Koch received her position of NASA astronaut in 2013 and was a flight engineer for International Space Station missions Expedition 59, 60, and 61. She also set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with 328 days in space, and she participated in the first all-female spacewalks. Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency): Hansen’s flight experience spans almost his entire life, starting with joining 614 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron. He obtained a pilot license at the age of 17 and graduated from Royal Military College Saint-Jean with a bachelor’s degree in honors space science. He is the first Canadian to traveling to the moon. Artemis II is scheduled to liftoff sometime in late 2024, and, similar to Artemis I, the whole world will be watching and anticipating the success of this mission, which will mark humanity’s return to the moon for the first time in over 50 years. To keep up with Artemis II’s status and the astronauts, be sure to visit www.nasa.gov . Furthermore, you can follow NASA, Artemis, and the Canadian Space Agency on social media (Instagram and Youtube). Sources: NASA: Artemis II Crew Astronaut Jeremy Hansen's biography | Canadian Space Agency ( asc-csa.gc.ca ) BACK TO TOP

Isabel Barrett FEATURE SECTION EDITOR Hi! I’m Isabel Barrett, the editor for the Featured section of North Star. If you enjoy human interest stories, then the Featured section is for you! Besides writing, I also enjoy art, playing video games, and making websites, and I’m part of the Tri-M Honor Society and Drama Club. I look forward to sharing fun and interesting stories with our community this year! The Failures of Smartpass Isabel Barrett Editorial Read More Book Review: IT by Stephen Hawking By Isabel Barrett Feature Read More

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Fun Winter Snow Activities By Carolina Figueroa Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 Image provided by The Know - Denver Post The core of the winter season is upon us, and what better way to have fun than to play in the snow? We recently enjoyed our first snow day off from school and had 4-6 inches of snowfall in our community. Many students were outside enjoying the excitement of winter activities. Even with the Covid-19 pandemic, we were able to find ways to revel in some outdoor fun while still staying safe. Children and adults raced down hills sleigh riding, participated in snowball fights, made snow angels, created snowmen, went ice skating, played ice hockey, caught snowflakes on their tongues and took long, peaceful walks in the snow. After a long day in the fresh air, many people enjoyed creating their own snow cones using freshly fallen white snow with flavored juices and syrups or drinking some hot chocolate. Some fun winter sports and activities that many people often partake in are skiing, snow tubing, snowboarding, snow shoeing, dog sledding or mushing (with Siberian Huskies or Alaskan Malamutes), building igloos (snow huts) and making ice sculptures (ice carvings). Even the thought of riding in a horse-drawn carriage or horseback riding in dusty, newly fallen snow sounds appealing to me! One magical winter attraction that interests me is seeing the frozen “Ice Castles” which are created and built using hundreds of thousands of icicles that are carefully hand-placed by professionally skilled ice artists to create fairy tale castles. These “Ice Castles” include frozen thrones, ice-carved tunnels, slides, fountains, caves, icicle-adorned archways and beautiful LED-lit sculptures. It certainly sounds like a winter wonderland to me! Additional outdoor winter sports and activities that are interesting include ice fishing, riding a snow mobile, cross country skiing and bobsleighing. Snow-kiting, or kite skiing, is an activity in which people “use kite power to glide on snow or ice”. The skier uses a large kite to travel across snow and give them power over large jumps in the air. This sport is quite similar to water-based kiteboarding, but with the footwear used in skiing or snowboarding since the terrain is different. Many kiteboarders nowadays use foil or inflatable kites. Another winter sport that captivates me is “curling”, where players “slide stones, or rocks, on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles”. It is related to shuffleboard and is often called “chess on ice”. One would require precision and accuracy and need four members per team to play this sport. In the winter months, families and friends enjoy getting away at snow-filled mountain villages, staying in rustic log cabins, peaceful resorts, or tranquil ranches. To top it off, if these places are equipped with roaring fireplaces or bonfires, families can enjoy reciting stories as they roast marshmallows or make s’mores, creating many unforgettable memories together. Winter is definitely a great season to have “snow-much-fun”! BACK TO TOP