Back to Artwork Chalk Pastel Peppers Back to Sections Chalk Pastel Peppers- Aafia Aswad Aafia Aswad November 6, 2023 Chalk Pastel Volume 4 Issue 1

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections Cool Creatures: Episode 3 - The Anglerfish By Matteo Somma Volume 2 Issue 3 January 14, 2022 Original artwork by Kimberly Shrestha Down in the deepest depths of the ocean lies a creature out of a storybook called an Anglerfish. These creatures live 2,000 meters below the surface of the ocean in complete darkness and rely solely on adaptations to survive. A few cool adaptations are the Anglerfish's ability to lure in other fish and its tooth position, both of which help it survive in some of the harshest climates on Earth. The Anglerfish's teeth help it survive and stay fed. They are large, razor-sharp structures that help them snag their prey, and they are pointed inward to make sure prey does not escape. Both adaptations help it to stay fed after it catches its food. The second (and coolest) anglerfish adaptation is its large glowing orb above its head. This bioluminescent orb attracts all types of prey such as small fish, snails, and crustaceans. Think about it as a bait on a hook: the orb acts as the bait, and when animals come close enough, the anglerfish strikes to kill and devour its prey. Then, its teeth come into play and snag the fish before it can escape the anglerfish. This is a keen example of “survival of the fittest,” or Darwinian theory. Anglerfish must be both physically tough and mentally strong to catch their next meal and survive. A FEW FUN FACTS: - Anglerfish are endangered and even recognized and protected by Greenpeace, a worldwide organization that protects endangered species. Due to the recent mass consumption of these vitamin-rich fish coupled with ocean pollution, their population is decreasing rapidly. - Though Anglerfish often drift in the currents of the deep ocean, they can swim extremely fast if in danger. If they do decide to swim, they can reach speeds of .24 body lengths per second. - Male Anglerfish are smaller than females and do not have a glowing orb. Rather, they fuse with females losing their organs as a way of reproduction. Thanks for tuning in to Cool Creatures: Episode 3. I hope you find the mysterious Anglerfish just as cool and crazy as I do. Hopefully, you learned something new, and next time you go swimming in the ocean, take a second and remind yourself about what is deep, deep down, lurking in the waters below... BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Back to Sections Camille Malcom By Camille Malcom Volume 3 Issue 1

Back to Artwork Line Back to Sections Lillian Dolan - What is Line - 4 By Lillian Dolan November 1, 2020 Photography Volume 1 Issue 1 This picture is of a dish. I used a lightbox and it was taken around 1pm.

Back to Artwork Line Back to Sections Isabella Somma - What is Line By Isabella Somma November 1, 2020 Graphite Volume 1 Issue 1

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Story Behind the Shot 02 By Olivia Neuner Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 Original photos by Olivia Neuner Welcome back to the 2nd installment of “Story Behind the Shot”! My name is Olivia and I have a confession to make; I was that crazy puppy girl in first grade. Ok… now that we have that out of the way, allow me to introduce you to my beagle, Daisy! Last year, after my acting coach made an Instagram for her dog, Winston, I decided it would be a fun idea to make Daisy one too. Over the year we have had the account, Daisy and I have made furry friends from around the world, including some dogs from England, Germany, and Japan. It has been a great way to “travel” during the pandemic. (Top) Brought to you by my self-timer, this is my favorite picture and is currently my profile picture for my Instagram. I took this picture right after filming a lip-sync video for my musical theatre class. I had been in quarantine for a few months, and this was the first time I put on a nice outfit and makeup, making me feel confident and happy with my video. Daisy laid down next to me, and I felt it was only appropriate to get a picture on the best sunny day of the month. (Bottom Left) This picture is from Daisy’s 11th Birthday at Hempstead Lake Park. My family and I throw our dog a party every year, and even during a pandemic we wanted to continue the tradition. We had a great day filled with walks and treats, and even a dog cake. (Bottom Right) This picture features Daisy with her favorite drink from Starbucks; the puppichino. The drink is simple; but to us it’s more than just a free cup of whipped cream. During the first month of quarantine, my family and I feeling desperate for an outing hopped in the car and drove to our local Starbucks drive-thru. The line was over 30 minutes long, but nonetheless we were happy for any reason to get out of the house. We enjoyed it so much that we decided to go back once a week for the next few months; the time together in the car was a great way to catch up and clear our minds, and Daisy was always very excited to go for a ride. This picture was from the second time she ever had the treat, and her hesitant yet interested look is something I find translates well even if you don’t know her. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Autumn Sees Leola Garcia Volume 6 Issue 2 December 22, 2025 Autumn watches all the children play on a windy fall day. Leaves are falling from tree to tree because of the gentle breeze. Autumn hears the children scream, not from fear, but from glee. Children forced to wear sweaters from Autumn has brought cool weather. The children are happy to play all day because Autumn is here to stay. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Chalk Pastel Peppers Back to Sections Chalk Pastel Peppers- Maida Redzepovic Maida Redzepovic November 6, 2023 Chalk Pastel Volume 4 Issue 1

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections The Life of Pi By Augustine Magapan Volume 2 Issue 5 March 28, 2022 Image provided by MARCA On March 14th we celebrate Pi Day because Pi, a numerical value of 3.14159265358979323 and so on, is represented as 3/14. Although Pi Day revolves around the concept of an irrational number used to find the area and circumference of a circle, we will be celebrating a story that also has the name “Pi”. We will commemorate the story, “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel. I, myself, have not read the book; however, I have watched the movie. With a strong rating and having the name “Pi”, I could not leave this out of the new issue for North Star . In the movie, it initially starts in Canada where a writer interviews a man named Pi about his life story in order to understand religious faith. Firstly, the Canadian writer originally heard of Pi from Pi’s so-called uncle, Mamaji, a family-friend who enjoyed swimming in pools. He asks Pi why he is named “Pi” as in the number 3.14. However, Pi responds saying that ‘Pi’ isn’t his real name; instead, he was named Piscine Molitor Patel, because of the recognition of his uncle who was also a champion swimmer that told many stories and one of them happened to be the Piscine Molitor which is a swimming pool in Paris. Throughout Pi’s childhood, he was raised in Pondicherry, India where his father was a businessman who owned a zoo. As Pi was growing up, people referred to him as “Pissing” Patel due to the phonetic sound of his birth name. As Pi continues to get bullied at school for his nickname, he changes it to Pi, short for Piscine. It is not as recognizable, and he explains to other students in future grades that it represents the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet and the number 3.14. As time progresses even further in Pi’s academic career, he earns the respect of his fellow classmates for knowing an abundance of numbers after 3.14 of Pi which impresses the Canadian author. Although Pi changing from “Pissing” to Pi led the Canadian author into marvel, the author wanted Pi to convince him that God exists; consequently, Pi moved on from his academic and origins of his childhood to his religious understanding. Pi stated that at birth, he was a Hindu. He learned the virtues of Hinduism until he went to Munnar and learned Christianity. One day Ravi, Pi’s brother, dared Pi to go drink the holy water in a Church in Munnar. Pi soon did it and was encountered by a priest. Afterwards the priest gave Pi water since he saw he was thirsty. Pi asked why God would send his own son to atone the sins of the innocent people. The priest replied that it was because he loved us. Pi was astonished and talked to the priest more and more and thanked the Hindu gods that he is learning about new religions and practices. When Pi went back to India, he discovered Muslim and started practicing the traditions by kneeling and putting his head on the floor that was “holy”; furthermore, he learned Arabic to increase his religious morality. After understanding the concept of God by learning multiple religions, Pi then used those practices every day. One day during dinner, Pi prayed for his food while the rest of his family did not. He was made fun of by his brother and his father told him that learning multiple religions would overlap and ultimately cancel out the religious spirit inside of Pi. Pi ignored his father and continued to practice and empower his religious mindset every day. For example, he wanted to feed a tiger named Richard Parker, who was supposed to be named Thirsty since the hunter found the tiger as a cub at first drinking water, but the papers got switched up where the hunter was named Thirsty and the tiger named Richard Parker. As Richard Parker got close to Pi when he was feeding him, Pi got caught by his father; consequently, Pi gets scolded. Pi told his father that animals also have souls and that we should respect them, but his father responded that they are not friends and that they are dangerous. His father then demonstrates that animals are dangerous by placing a goat in front of Richard Parker. Afterwards, the tiger violently kills the goat, scarring Pi. The demonstration Pi’s father made led him to feel bored and unhappy with his life. Until one day, he meets a girl named Anandi. Pi was invited to play music for the practice of dancers in India since the person who usually plays the music was absent. While Pi played the music for the women who were practicing dance, the teacher got upset that they weren’t doing well; therefore, Anandi, one of the dancers, led them. Pi became attracted to her where soon started to follow her everywhere she went. One day, he got caught by her and he asked about why she did a certain position even though it was not in the dance routine. This made Anandi interested in Pi where they both talked about religion for the rest of their time together. Unfortunately, Pi’s family had to sell their zoo since they were moving to Canada for a better life. This affected Pi greatly, since he had to say goodbye to Anandi right after they met. Pi then boards a boat that takes him and his family all the way to Canada along with other passengers and the animals from the zoo. While being on the boat, Pi struggles with the racism inside the boat from the French people; fortunately, some of the passengers were immigrants and dealt with the same issue. As the boat continues on the journey, Pi goes outside quarters on a stormy night seeing that the ship is damaged and about to sink. Struggling to stay on the boat, Pi and a few animals are the only ones that evacuate the ship leaving everyone else dead. A few days afterwards, Pi is stranded with an orangutan, hyena, zebra, and Richard Parker. Throughout their time in the boat, they all die one by one leaving Pi with Richard Parker. Pi then needs to focus on learning how to take care of himself and dealing with Richard Parker on a small boat. The movie continues where Richard Parker and Pi are still stranded on the boat struggling to survive with limited supplies. In order to survive together, they must learn how to communicate with each other and persevere or else they will die in a shameful way. Pi lost everything he has and only has God and the tiger. Will he make it out alive or go down hopelessly? Read or watch the story to find out! BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork The Memory Project Back to Sections Jaba By Luiginna Frederique March 28, 2022 Mixed Media Volume 2 Issue 5