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Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections First Snow By Navrosedip Kundlas Volume 2 Issue 4 February 10, 2022 Original photography by Navrosedip Kundlas Snow falls gently Blanketing the grass lightly Wind whispers in my ear Adding on to the cheer Every footprint leaves a mark Until it vanishes in the dark Little paws make a trail The snow captures every detail Fur covered in snow My little puppy looks like a marshmallow One deep breath is all it takes So I can smell the snowflakes Falling through the air Snow covers every ounce of my hair It melts on my tongue The evening is young My puppy stands still His heart beating with thrill Closing my eyes I know it’s time for our goodbyes Scooping up my puppy He smiles, completely happy And when his brown eyes fill with sunshine I know there is nothing more divine As the sun sets I’m in covered in blankets Hot cocoa warms my hands As my puppy stands I pick him up Then take a sip from my cup BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections History of New Year's Leah Ally Volume 5 Issue 3 January 14, 2025 Image Provided by Max Ching With the arrival of the new year of 2025 and the passing of 2024, it is a milestone worth celebrating. Whether it’s by watching the ball drop at Times Square, lighting fireworks, or making New Year’s resolutions, there are countless traditions that billions of people around the world look forward to. After all, a new year is often considered a clean slate and fresh start for many. However, why is January 1st considered the “new year” and how was it decided? While many may not think about it, there is a rich history behind New Year’s, its origins, and previous celebrations. To really understand the origins of New Year’s we must go thousands of years back to Mesopotamia. Roughly around 2000 BCE was their first New Year’s celebration, which also marked the beginning of a harvest. However, this holiday acknowledged as “Akitu” took place during the Vernal or spring equinox, where there are 12 hours of daytime and 12 hours of nighttime. While Mesopotamia is credited with the earliest celebration of New Year’s, ancient Rome is believed to have played an even more important role. This is because a change in the calendar was made. The original Roman calendar only contained 10 months with March 1st considered New Year’s Day. However, this calendar was based on the lunar cycle and had become misaligned with the seasons. Therefore, a more accurate system that aligned with the solar year had to be created. Julius Caesar would go on two more months, January and February to have a 12-month calendar known as the Julian calendar. The length of the months was also adjusted during this time to better reflect the Earth’s orbit around the sun, ensuring a more consistent and predictable year. January held a lot of importance as well because it was known to honor a Roman God known as Janus, who represented the past and the future. As a result, January 1st was determined to be New Year’s Day. Nonetheless, even more reforms would be made to the calendar to form what is known as the Gregorian Calendar. This was created by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. It was based off of the 46 B.C Julian Calendar, only with minor changes made with days. This is when December 31st was officially coined as “New Year’s Eve”. To this day, the Gregorian Calendar is what is globally followed and accepted, with exceptions of Afghanistan, Iran, Ethiopia, and Nepal. The Gregorian Calendar holds significant importance as it is what determines the dates of holidays, days of the week, and months. Now that the origins of New ear’s have been established and could be better understood, it is significant to discuss some popular traditions that people did to celebrate during ancient times. It is crucial to keep in mind that New Year’s was originally often celebrated in a way that incorporated religion, and mythology yet may have similarities to current traditions. For instance, in Mesopotamia festivals and parades were very common, however these celebrations were very focused on the gods and honoring them. This symbolized the gods rising above all to enter the new year. Another interesting ritual is that the current king at the time would have to kneel to a statue of the god Marduk and confirm that he was leading the city and its civilians correctly. While this appears to be humbling for the king, it represents a sense of loyalty to his people and a reminder of his purpose as not only a ruler, but a leader. In terms of denoting religious significance to their celebrations, Rome proved to be very similar. As previously mentioned, January was significant because it served as representation of Janus the god of the future and transition. Therefore, it was common for Romans to make offerings to Janus. Additionally, they prided themselves on generosity and contributing to their society. As a result, people often gave treats and gifts to the people around them and would even work for part of the day. It is clear both Mesopotamia and Rome considered New Year’s Day to be special particularly in terms of spirituality, but they also had their own individualistic perspectives about it. People have always believed the new year to be a chance to restart or be a new beginning for themselves. This belief encourages many people to seek improvement and look forward to their future with hope. In modern times it is referred to as New Year’s resolutions, but the same ideology has been around for ages. New Year’s has a rich history in a variety of contexts that connect to how we celebrate today. From creations of new calendars to rituals, New Year’s has been through a constantly evolving process. It is no doubt that ancient times differ from our modern society, but it is interesting to learn about what has led to our current perspectives and traditions to ring in the new year. So as we celebrate the beginning of 2025, remember that the past continues to shape our future. Sources: Happy New Year 2025: Happy New Year 2025: Why the world celebrates New Year’s day on January 1st and what are some of its traditions? - The Economic Times The New Year’s Holiday, Explained: From Mesopotamia to Temecula, How We Celebrate the New Year The History of New Year’s Eve | How NYE Celebrations Started 5 Ancient New Year’s Celebrations | HISTORY BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections Junior High Cross Country By Andrew LaVoie Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by Circle Schools The North Junior High Cross-Country team is an outstanding team to join. Cross-Country is an excellent sport, and the North team is very good. First, Cross-Country is a perfect sport because unlike football or soccer, you do not need equipment except for your body and clothing. There are also some health benefits to cross-country track. According to  www.schpemerald.org , “The faster you run, the harder your heart works and the stronger it gets. Running bolsters your cartilage by increasing oxygen flow and flushing out toxins and strengthening the ligaments around your joints. Not only that, but it is also one of the best forms of exercise to lose extra pounds or maintain a steady weight.” Those are just some benefits of the sport of Cross-Country as a whole, but the North team is very incredible too. Coached by Anne Schroder, the Junior High Cross- Country team is fun and a great experience to push your body to its limits. We had two girls finish first and second, and two boys finish second and third. However, as a nonbiased reporter, I warn the sport of cross country can be very challenging, but I know to never give up. Sign-ups for the team are closed for the year, but next season we would love to have you on the team. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Nayib Bukele - Democratic Leader or Autocrat? By Everton Prospere Volume 1 Issue 8 June 8, 2021 Image provided by the government of El Salvador (Official Portrait of the President Nayib Bukele) On June 1st, 2019, Nayib Bukele, 39, was sworn into office as the 46th President of El Salvador. As a president serving in a country where his government has faced much corruption, Bukele provided a beacon of light for the citizens. However, two years into his governance, the president has repeatedly faced scrutiny from politicians worldwide due to unconventional and questionable executive decisions. Although Bukele has sworn to fight corruption, has he as well become warped in this political cycle? El Salvador’s history of corruption dates back several decades. Several militaristic regimes ruled the state from 1931-1979, causing much strife and civil unrest due to seven coups during this time frame. However, the most relevant political unrest occurred with the last coup, in 1979. According to Britannica , the removal of Carlos Humberto Romero, a general and the president of El Salvador at the time of the coup, was the spark of the brutal twelve-year civil war. This conflict claimed the lives of over 75,000 civilians, as per the Center for Justice and Accountability, and ultimately the war led to a stalemate. The two sides, the newly formed Salvadoran government (which went through several power changes during the war itself) and the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN - left-wing in political ideology), agreed to the Chapultepec Peace Accords in 1992. These peace accords resulted in several governmental changes, and dissolved FMLN into a political party. The rise of the Alianza Republicana Nacionalista political party (ARENA - right in political ideology) also should be taken into account, as this party held much influence throughout this period. Into the 21st century, FMLN and ARENA were the two prominent political parties that handed the baton of power between each other as they contested political positions in the Salvadoran government. Both of these political parties promoted presidents that have engaged in corruption and crimes. As per InSight Crimes , in 2016, Mauricio Funes (the 44th president, of FMLN), Antonio Saca (the 43rd president, of ARENA), and Francisco Flores Pérez (the 42nd president, of ARENA) all face monetary criminal charges; essentially, they have all robbed the Salvadoran people of millions in public funds. While Pérez passed away due to a cerebral hemorrhage, Saca is already serving a prison sentence, while Funes has fled to Nicaragua where he was seeking, then was granted, political asylum. These three administrations (which totaled 15 years) show the staunch corruption in the Salvadoran government. However, Bukele has sought to change this cycle. As a millionaire himself (due to his private business), Bukele has no direct incentive for stealing public money. Originally serving under FMLN, Bukele won the mayoral election of the capital city, San Salvador. Under this administration, Bukele was expelled from FMLN, causing him to be politically homeless. Despite this, Bukele grasped this opportunity and formed his own political party, Nuevas Ideas (NI) in 2017. Although the president was unable to run under NI for the 2019 presidential elections, he did compete under NI’s ally, the Gran Alianza por la Unidad Nacional (GANA). Under GANA, Bukele successfully won the 2019 presidential election, ousting the control FMLN and ARENA had since the end of the civil war in 1992. This great shift in power showed the will of the Salvadoran people to receive change; however, the change presented by President Bukele has been questionable. Immediately in his first week of office, Bukele fired government officials associated with the former president, Sánchez Cerén. While this was an expected move, as the president was beginning to set up his government, he used the unconventional method of firing officials over Twitter. However, according to The Independent, who cited Luis Assardo, a journalist from Guatemala, this form of communication is a way to surpass the media. Therefore, while there was some criticism, Twitter was and continues to be Bukele’s main mode of communication, and it has proved effective for the president. In regard to a more serious topic, Bukele’s handling of gang members has also proved controversial. The president combines the strategy of an “iron fist” (tough crime policies to halt gang activity) with incentives to keep young Salvadorans away from gangs, as described by War on the Rocks . This media outlet notes that due to these policies, “homicides have halved,” showing their high rates of effectiveness. However, the scrutiny of Bukele’s work comes from the treatment of the gang members in prison. According to Human Rights Watch , the imprisoned gang members were stripped of clothing, packed tightly together, and unable to receive light from the outside. In addition, members from enemy gangs were jailed together, potentially increasing the amount of violence in prisons. All of these incidents, as per Human Rights Watch , were ordered by Bukele himself, who permitted deadly action by security forces, despite this being against Salvadoran and international law. Additional criticism of the 46th president’s administration stems from the handling of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Reuters news agency reports that Bukele mandated several orders to force the populace to comply with pandemic regulations, otherwise they may be arrested and their property confiscated. In direct counter to these regulations, the Supreme Court, at the time, declared these orders unconstitutional. However, the president ignored the court’s rulings and continued to enforce his governance style during the pandemic. Evidently, one might consider this an abuse of power and a flaw in the system of checks and balances for the Salvadoran government. Furthermore, Bukele has taken advantage of his position and power by storming the Salvadoran legislature with troops. CNN describes that the president attempted to pressure the legislators into signing a law that would fund the military and police force, allowing them to supposedly better control gang violence. While Bukele’s plan to curb gang violence did prove effective, invading the parliament with troops to pressure a bill showed an authoritarian governing style. In face of all the political conflicts under Bukele’s administration, he has overall proved to have done the unthinkable. Nayib Bukele formed his own political party less than five years ago and took control of the presidency dominated by FMLN and ARENA, political parties drenched in corruption. He used his position to decrease El Salvador’s homicide rates, caused by extreme gang activity, to an all-time low by the end of 2020 (a little over a year into his presidency), an incredible feat for a state that was once considered to be the “murder capitol of the world”. The president also successfully curtailed the pandemic, with only 72,821 cases (as of May 28th, 2021) in a country with over six million people, as reported by Reuters’ Covid-19 tracker. His popularity also remains extraordinarily high, with a CID Gallup poll reporting that Bukele has an approval rating of 89% for his job as a whole and holds an approval rating of 98% for handling the pandemic. Many Salvadorans support him, including my grandmother. She was born in El Salvador and immigrated to the United States, and she states that “He’s a great president that truly cares about the wellness of his people. Health, education, the economy, and security are the priorities in his government.” Evidently, this trend in popularity continues because the NI political party, which Bukele founded, has recently (approximately a month ago) gained a supermajority in the Salvadoran legislature, taking 56 out of the 84 total seats in the assembly. This new parliament grants Bukele the ability to pass laws and regulations freely. One of the first actions of this legislative assembly was to depose and replace the five magistrates on the Supreme Court and the attorney general that hindered the president’s ability to govern. This move by the assembly, which is permitted by the Salvadoran constitution, was harshly criticized by many media outlets and politicians because it removed the last check and balance on the president. However, the Salvadoran people appear generally unfazed by the removal of the judges, with President Bukele himself stating to critics in a reply to a tweet that “75% of the Salvadoran people voted in these free elections for the change we are seeing.” Despite all the controversy seen in his administration, Bukele continues to challenge the cycle of corruption in the government in his unique way for the Salvadoran people who overwhelmingly support him. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Art Guild Back to Sections My Sister and I By Willene Exinvil November 24, 2020 Charcoal Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Artwork Prism Back to Sections Karina McNamara - Prism By Karina McNamara November 24, 2020 Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Artwork Pop Art Back to Sections Marcus Nicolas - Pop Art By Marcus Nicolas January 14, 2022 Acrylic Volume 2 Issue 3

Back to Artwork Who Am I Back to Sections Gilana Etame - Who Am I? By Gilana Etame November 19, 2021 Volume 2 Issue 2

Back to Artwork Portrait Back to Sections Happy Park By Luiginna Frederique January 20, 2021 Photography Volume 1 Issue 4

Back to Artwork Back to Sections Nora Chery By Nora Chery November 7, 2022 Volume 3 Issue 1