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 Artwork Who Am I Back to Sections Anonymous - Who Am I? - 8 By Anonymous November 19, 2021 Volume 2 Issue 2

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Post 2024 Election Leah Ally Volume 5 Issue 3 January 14, 2025 Image Provided by Elaine Ching With the 2024 Election recently coming to an end, it has been determined that Donald Trump will be the 47th president of the United States. Similar to many past elections, it is no secret that the results have left much of the country divided, especially with those who were in support of Kamala Harris’ campaign. Nonetheless, Trump is prepared to be sworn in and take office for his second term on January 20th, 2025, with J.D. Vance as his vice president. With many expectations and plans for his presidency, United States citizens eagerly anticipate what is next. However, what exactly can the United States expect in the next four years from his presidency? Prior to Trump’s victory, it was expected for much of the United States to make their voice heard by voting. This proved to be mostly accurate as 64% of eligible voters cast their ballots between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on or prior to November 5th. As usual, the candidate who receives most of the electoral votes, which is at least 270 out of 538, wins the presidency. In this case, Trump received the majority of the popular vote and electoral votes. According to The New York Times , he had a total of 312 electoral votes with 77,095,526 individual votes, which is around 50% of the eligible voting population. In comparison, Kamala Harris received 226 electoral votes with 74,659,711 individual votes, which is approximately 48.3% of the eligible voting population. So, what led to these results? According to U.S. News , there were seven swing states that proved incredibly crucial to the election results, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Swing states refer to states that do not vote consistent with either party. In this election, every single swing state voted in favor of Donald Trump. This totaled up to 93 electoral votes, which Kamala Harris would fall short of. In terms of demographics, Trump proved to be more popular among the older group of voters, while younger voters were a 50-50 split. Kamala Harris was prominently supported by young women and minority groups; however, Trump’s favor among young men is what would eventually lead to his victory. Nonetheless, the United States has split opinions on his upcoming presidency. Expectedly, according to Pew Research Center, “Nearly three-quarters of Democrats (73%) say they are “fearful” about the state of the country, while 54% say they feel “angry.” On the other hand, “most Republicans (76%) say they feel hopeful about the state of the country, while nearly half (46%) say they are proud.” While these stats are expected after a competitive campaign, it raises questions on how Trump will unify the country and whether he will be successful in doing so. Now that the details and demographics concerning the 2024 Election have been established, what is Trump’s next step for the country? First, he must be inaugurated on January 20th to officially be sworn in. The Biden Administration has promised that there will be a smooth transition of power to ensure as much efficiency as possible for Trump. But as soon as he gets into office, Trump has plans waiting to be fulfilled. His most popular discussion has been surrounding immigration. It is no secret that he wants to limit people from foreign countries entering the United States, especially illegally. This relates to his focus on ideological screening. Ideological screening refers to the process of evaluating an individual's beliefs and values to determine their suitability for entry into the United States. He hopes ideological screening will help prevent criminal activity by filtering out individuals with anti-American sentiments and stop them from entering the country. Another hot topic of debate has been abortion, which is why many women were in support of Kamala Harris who promised to protect Roe v. Wade . However, Trump’s stance on abortion is not as obvious as Harris’s. Unlike his previous statements about banning abortion, he has now expressed that he believes that the status of Roe v. Wade should be specific to each state, meaning that there is no need for a national law to be made. Instead, he believes it to be a decision that should be made strictly federally. The economy is arguably the most important aspect of a country so how does Trump plan to address it? Well, he has put forth numerous tax and tariff policies that have gained the support of many recently. While he has been criticized for his previous policies only benefiting wealthy, high-class individuals he has since reformed these ideas by including reducing taxes on tips and overtime pay. This ultimately benefits those in the low to middle working class as they can fully enjoy the benefits of the extra money, they receive that is not included in their salary without paying taxes on them. Additionally, Trump has proposed eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits, which would benefit retirees and disabled individuals. Nonetheless, Trump is still ensuring that wealthy business-owning Americans benefit from his tax policies. According to AP NEWS, Trump will reduce the “corporate income tax rate to 15% from the current 21%.” This demonstrates Trump’s efforts to hopefully help all Americans regardless of background or economic status. At the same time, Trump has also expressed his thoughts on foreign trade. His plan includes increasing tariffs on imported goods, which would aim to protect American industries and jobs. Regardless of his seemingly straightforward plans, they are all considered to be controversial because of the possible drawbacks and risks for the economy. For instance, how will other countries react to his tariff policy, and will this increase costs for American consumers? Nonetheless the country awaits to see how his plans work out and whether they will reap benefits for all. With the election officially over it is unclear what is next for Kamala Harris and her political career, nonetheless her time as vice president and throughout her campaign has left a lasting impression on America. As Biden’s term comes to an end and Trump begins his, the transition will prove to be a crucial step for the next 4 years. With that, America awaits their new president, some with hesitancy, and some with a feeling of confidence. Sources: » 2024 General Election Turnout UF Election Lab High voter turnout in the 2024 election benefited Republicans | AP News 7 Swing States That Could Decide the 2024 Presidential Election | America 2024 | U.S. News How 5 Key Demographic Groups Helped Trump Win the 2024 Election | National News | U.S. News Biden and Trump promise smooth transition in White House meeting Presidential Election Results Map: Trump Wins - The New York Times A look at what Donald Trump has proposed for his second term | AP News BACK TO TOP

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

Back to Artwork Portfolio Back to Sections Portfolio - Luiginna Frederique By Luiginna Frederique June 13, 2022 Colored Pencil Volume 2 Issue 7

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections It’s Okay to Have Friends Jasmine Roberts Volume 4 Issue 4 May 29, 2024 Image Provided by Annie Diep Mental health problems are among the greatest concerns for Gen Z. Maintaining one's mental health is imperative to the mobility of the self; it is the self-care be fore facial soaps and painted lips. Excessive self-diagnosing and negative outlooks on life among Gen Z contribute significantly to mental health concerns. The negative moments of a person’s life are often labeled as “trauma”, even when said “trauma” does not correlate to the scientific studies of how trauma operates. Has mental illness now become trivialized from the point of view of those who are genuinely impacted by it? Is it now “normal” to suffer? Does being happy mean that there is no substance within you, that you aren’t “deep”? Realistically, the world can be bitter and disappointing, and enforcing ideas of loneliness or solitude on social media apps and each other can compound the problem. It’s vital that Gen Z young people engage with each other and find healthy ways to cope with the ever-changing world and learn to perceive the world with more optimism. If subliminal messages say much, it is known that drilling negative ideas into the core of the mind will have detrimental impacts. It's okay to touch grass and breathe fresh air, and it’s okay to be that happy person who smiles at a squirrel eating a nut. It’s okay to live in your own little world as time moves on and the flowers in your tiny garden grow. However, please stay informed about wars and famines, and question the system, but don’t forget to do it with a smile and as open a mind as possible. Entering adulthood has its challenges, so let’s not take for granted the time of gold we have now before that gold becomes iron and rusts away. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections The 10 Sikh Superman & John Smyth Rehmat Kaur Volume 5 Issue 4 April 8, 2025 Image Provided by Rehmat Kaur Picture provided by Rehmat Kaur – shows a kara which is one of the five external articles a baptized Sikh wears. A kara is an iron bracelet which is worn on the right hand. It symbolizes that God has no beginning or ending and acts as a reminder that a Sikh should do not that the anything that God would disapprove of. Background It was May 16th, 1915, in the trenches of northern France during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle. The British army's first battalion of Highland Light infantry ran across no man's land and seized a section of the German trench. The Highlanders were isolated in a 200-yard stretch of enemy trench, separated from reinforcements by 250 yards of no man's land. The next day, another party of troops was dispatched from Commander Officer Lieutenant John Smyth's trench, and the same thing happened to them. The Germans were steadfast in their refusal to allow the British troops to send assistance. The Senior British Commander gave the order to continue the mission and dispatch more soldiers. With the orders, Smyth requested volunteers from his 4th company, 115 men, to accompany him on the exceedingly perilous mission. But every single man rushed forward and offered to accompany him. Smyth picked ten recruits and proceeded to plan their mission. The Ordeal At 3:00 p.m., Smyth and his ten Sikh men head to the frontline trench with two crates containing 48 grenades apiece. They plunged over the parapet and into a destroyed exploratory trench, gaining yards into no man's land. They were subjected to a persistent storm of German artillery fire, and a fire cascade dropped on them. However, it produced coverage as bodies and smoke were strewn across the ground. They leaped from cover to cover, attempting to reach the stream that runs through the middle of the no-man's land. However, two Sikh troops died in the mud after a shell struck them. Symth instructed the guys to continue marching through the dust caused by shell falls. He made it to the next cover, but the ground fell faster than predicted, exposing two more Sikh men to the enemy's fire. Seven soldiers remained as they lunged toward the stream and fell into the waist-deep water. Four more troops fell when gunfire struck them. Only Smyth and Sikh soldier Lal Singh remained, making progress toward their goal. They arrived at the frontline with only one box, but it was sufficient to hold the trench until dark when further supplies were sent. Smyth was eventually able to return to his trench after nightfall. When Smyth returned, he noticed his orderly, Ishar Singh, waiting for him on the parapet. Ishar Singh had sat there since the mission began, even though Smyth's death had been reported a long time ago. He was confident that his commanding officer would return. Ishar saluted and said the Sikh greeting or Warcry, “ Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Shri Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh ” which means the Khalsa (Sikhs) are of Vaheguru (God), so the victory of Khalsa as the Army of the Timeless Being – is Vaheguru’s victory. Legacy Armed with only a few tools and unwavering drive, their gallantry would be remembered throughout military history. All ten Sikh warriors were given the Indian Distinguished Service Medal. When discussing the events John Smyth stated, “What kept me going was the courage of my men. I gave them leadership and they gave me support.” The narrative of the ten Sikh Supermen is a timeless tale of bravery, sacrifice, and perseverance. It exemplifies humanity's tenacious spirit, telling us that even in the worst of circumstances, hope and bravery can prevail. Names of the 10 Sikh Supermen: Service Number 131, Lance Naik, Mangal Singh, 15th Ludhiana Sikhs Service Number 702, Sepoy Lal Singh, 15th Ludhiana Sikhs Service Number 638, Sepoy Sucha Singh, 15th Ludhiana Sikhs Service Number 962, Sepoy, Sapuran Singh, 15th Ludhiana Sikhs Service Number 1255, Sepoy, Sarain Singh, 15th Ludhiana Sikhs Service Number 1036, Sepoy, Fateh Singh, 15th Ludhiana Sikhs Service Number 1001, Sepoy, Ujagar Singh, 15th Ludhiana Sikhs Service Number 1249, Sepoy, Sundar Singh, 15th Ludhiana Sikhs Service Number 1339, Sepoy, Ganda Singh, 15th Ludhiana Sikhs Service Number 1360, Sepoy, Harnam Singh, 15th Ludhiana Sikhs Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvb_S8it4C8 https://www.sikhnet.com/news/%E2%80%9C10-sikh-supermen%E2%80%9D-die-battle-festubert-1915 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI-5ZMrxeIE https://www.schooltube.com/the-10-sikh-supermen-a-story-of-unwavering-courage/ BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections The Art of Table Tennis Manal Layachi Volume 4 Issue 3 March 13, 2024 Image Provided by Mamba Blades What is Table Tennis? Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a fun and recreational sport that can be played at any age. In order to play this game, you need paddles, a rectangular table with a net, table tennis balls, and someone to play with. Table tennis can be played as singles or doubles. I prefer playing singles because I feel as though the court is not big enough to play with a partner. Did you know that table tennis has been an Olympic sport since 1988? I did not know that either and was surprised. Table tennis is like mini tennis and that is what I like about it. If you know how to play tennis, you will know how to play table tennis. The History of Table Tennis Table tennis first appeared in the late 19th century in England. It was inspired by lawn tennis and the first players were mainly members of the middle-class of Victorian society. The first game was played with materials such as champagne corks, cigar boxes, and books. Table tennis was a good distraction for the wealthy classes. David Foster introduced the first game of tennis in 1890. Seven years later, the first national championships took place in Hungary. Furthermore, James Gibb introduced a lightweight ball known as the “celluloid ball” in 1901. E.C. Gould introduced rubber bats or paddles that improved the playing of table tennis in 1902. During the same year, table tennis tournaments began, such as the first World Championship. In addition, table tennis organizations were founded; for example, the Table Tennis Association in 1921, and the International Federation in 1926. Some champions in table tennis include Austro-Briton Richard Bergmann, Aloizy Ehrilich, and Angelica Rozeanu. That is how the sport of table tennis came to be. Interesting history, right? The Rules of Table Tennis Games are played to 11 points and must be won by two points. A match is won based on whoever wins the most games: the best three out of five games. Every two points, the person who serves the ball alternates with their opponent. If there is a tie which is a score of 10-10 also known as deuce, the serves are alternated every point. When serving a ping pong ball, hold it in your palm behind the end of your side of the table. You must toss it at least six inches in the air for it to count; however, the ball must hit your side of the table first before going to the other side. If you miss the serve, your opponent gets the point. The serve can land anywhere when you are playing singles; however, the ball cannot bounce more than once on your side. A serve that touches the net on the way over is a “let.” If the ball is served and hits the net on the way over, that is known as a “let” and the serve must be repeated. When playing doubles, partners must alternate hitting the ball. Volleys are not allowed. You can touch the ball with your paddle hand. Touching the table with your non-paddle hand is illegal. An “edge ball” bouncing off the horizontal tabletop surface is valid and counts as a point. The vertical sides of the table are not part of the playing surface. The Honor system applies to disagreements if no referee is present during the match. Table Tennis is a Lifetime Sport: Anyone can play table tennis, no matter the age. It is considered a lifetime sport because it can be played anywhere and even when people get older. According to Danine Fruge, racket sports such as tennis and badminton have “proven to be one of the top categories of sport for increasing lifespan.” However, not everyone has access to tennis courts and others may have injuries. Table tennis is perfect for those who have injuries as it requires “no training or particular level of fitness to start playing.” Table tennis boosts longevity as it works out your brain, improves your agility, and gets your heart rate going. Overall, table tennis is an awesome sport to be a part of and I love playing this fun game with my cousins and friends! North’s Table Tennis Club: Fellow North students, have you ever heard of North’s Table Tennis Club? I joined the club this year and I am having a lot of fun. Mr. Fischer, our club advisor, has been running this club for 50 years! I decided to join the club as I wanted to have fun and stay active. I now know a lot more about table tennis than I did when I first joined. This sport has taught me to be patient and have confidence in myself. It also helps me clear my mind and distracts me from the stress of school and junior year. I also enjoy playing as I get to spend time with my cousin and make new friends. If you are interested in joining, we meet every Tuesday at 3:30 in the cafeteria unless the time has changed. Sources: The history of table tennis - Cornilleau Official Rules of Table Tennis — PongFit Why Table Tennis Is Great for Longevity and Health | Well+Good (wella BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Portfolio Back to Sections Portfolio - Argelina Jeune - 1 By Argelina Jeune June 13, 2022 Mixed Media Volume 2 Issue 7

Back to Artwork Art Guild Back to Sections Corkscrew Contour Line By Elizabeth Andre November 24, 2020 Graphite Volume 1 Issue 2