By: Maya Breininger

It’s finally that time of year, where we layer up on sweaters and pumpkin spice rules the flavor industry; Halloween Season!

As exciting as autumn is for many people, a reoccurring challenge that many usually face is that when each season comes around, it’s difficult to choose how to best celebrate the jolly time. If you struggle with planning fun fall ideas, or would overall appreciate a detailed guide of things to do during October, read on my friend!

Here is a complete guide of exciting festivities and activities to take part in during Autumn!

Number 1: Decorate your House Exterior

We start with a classic fall tradition many partake in, but could not be overlooked on this Halloween List. Decorating your house! Considering it’s ‘tis the season to be scary, many shops and stores will have decorations available for you to purchase! Red leaf wreaths, skeletons, graveyards and candles! There are many creative ways to go about this activity. It’s fun, easy and a nice activity to carry out with friends and family.

Number 2: Create Halloween Themed Treats

Ghosts, Witches, Bats – Oh my! What screams autumn more than a chocolate covered pretzel, decorated as your favorite monster? You haven’t experienced true Halloween fun until you’ve topped cupcakes with orange, green, and purple frosting, or grounded Oreo’s to look like the dirt on your graveyard cake! Making snacks – whether it be for a party, or for you own tasty interests – is always a fun way to spend the 31st of October.

Number 3: DIY Interior Decor

Before you throw away that milk bottle – go ahead and spray paint it white and draw a ghost face on it! And that toilet paper roll, paint it white and place a fake candle head inside, boom – Hogwarts level candles at your fingertips! There are plenty of interior decor designs that can be made with ordinary things in your house!

Number 4: Visit an Apple Orchard/ Pumpkin Patch

What better way to celebrate the spooky season, than to visit the hub of growing gourds? scarecrows, hay barrel rides, apple cider and corn fields! The perfect geographic location for all of your autumn needs. Pick out a gourd, apple, or pastry to bring home, and munch down on your fresh treats!

Number 5: Carve Pumpkins

Well now that you’ve taken your pumpkin home, skinned its guts, and baked its insides, why not carve a face in it as well? The face of Jack o’ Lantern is an old, spooky story that would be an interesting tale to tell over your fireplace. Go ahead and place these funky pumpky guys on your front porch!

Number 6: Have a Halloween party

Now that you have your house decorated, your treats made, your DIY decorations crafted, and your pumpkins carved, it’s time to show them off to friends and family! Having company join you around a spooky fire and sharing and enjoying your scary treats together sounds like the perfect way to celebrate your Halloween night, no?

Number 7: Costumes

If that face doesn’t scare you, what will?
Dressing up in your favorite costume would definitely put a smile on your face – or of the face of anyone who beholds you!

Number 8: Visit a Haunted House

Boo! We’re you scared? No? Oh, man.
Well, if that didn’t set shivers down your spine, try visiting a haunted house! An enclosure full of mummy’s, witches, ghosts, and skeletons. Nothing like a room of horror to get your blood pumping!

Number 9: Put on a Puppet Show

Here’s something fun and simple that will always excite the kids;
A puppet show!
Gathering crowds of kids from all over, preforming for them on the scariest night of the year! Go ahead and get some paper, fold it, and color it into your favorite monsters!

Number 10: Visit Stores with Free Halloween Samples

Who can say no to free food? Head down to your local grocery store, and peek around on Halloween! Search for the tiny tray of candy and treats ready for you to eat with your family; it’s almost like store trick or treating! Be careful to avoid opening things in boxes – those usually need to be purchased!

Now that you’ve taken a dive into this list and seen what true fun can be had on Halloween, what activity will you be trying out? Maybe a trip to the pumpkin patch with your friends, or visit a haunted house with your family! Either way, you now have many ideas on how to spend your October Holiday!

By: Jocelyn Knorr

Fountain pens—here defined as pens holding a reservoir that can apply ink to paper via a combination of gravity and capillary action—are thought to have been invented for the caliph Al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah of Arab Egypt. Reportedly, he requested a pen that would not leak or stain, and was presented with a rudimentary fountain pen made of pure gold.

They continued to be used, but only on a small scale, by modernists or the technologically inclined. Until the 1850s, that is, when popularity skyrocketed. Technological advancements enabled the fountain pen to gain dominance, and it continued to be dominant until the sixties.

Today, they’re seen mostly as status symbols, or fancy collectible antiques, made to look at but not touch. But, they’re still being manufactured today, and sales are actually rising!

So, let’s have a look at the pros and cons of fountain pens.

Pro: Ergonomics

Because fountain pens are designed to collaborate with gravity, inkflow is autonomous, while with gel pens pressure must be applied. This can lead to hand cramps and, in extreme cases, arthritis later in life.

Con: Cost

Unfortunately, fountain pens can be a bit of an investment with a good pen sometimes costing upwards of $30. Ink of higher quality, like Sailor or Noodler’s, can sometimes reach up to $24 for 50ml.

Pro: Smooth writing

Fountain pens are widely purported to offer one of the smoothest writing experiences, especially with a higher-quality gold nib. I, for one, find this to be the case, even drafting this article with a comparatively cheap, steel-nibbed, fountain pen.

Con: Ease of use

Fountain pens can be difficult to get used to, especially for beginners. While converters—especially squeeze converters, notoriously finicky for even experienced users—open up your choices of ink, they can definitely take some getting used to. Cartridges, meanwhile, are incredibly convenient, but limit your options for ink; especially if they’re proprietary.

Pro: Environmental benefits

Fountain pens do not come in a disposable variety, but can rather be filled and refilled for decades on end. This greatly reduces the amount of waste one produces. Disposable pens are one of the biggest contributors to ocean plastic, with just the United States throwing away 1.6 billion pens annually.

Con: Availability

The average store is simply not stocking its shelves with LAMY Safaris or bottles of Iroshizuku ink. I had to go to a specialty store to pick up what is now my go-to bottle, but as an upside, that bottle is liable to last me for the rest of the school year.

I’m not expecting everyone who reads this to go out and buy a shiny new $100 pen, (my journalistic powers aren’t that strong—yet) but here are my recommendations for anyone who’d like to dip their toes in the water.

1. Buy a Pilot Metropolitan. Retailing for $18.99 on Amazon, these pens are incredibly good quality, especially for the price, and come in plenty of fun colors.
2. Get a good black ink. My recommendation is Noodler’s X-Feather, ($15 for 100 ml on Amazon, designed to behave well on notebook paper) but you’re free to experiment. Goulet Pens (www.gouletpens.com) even offers little sets of mystery ink colors.

At the end of the day, fountain pens can be pricey, but with that investment comes quality. Hopefully, I’ve helped a few of you shift your opinion—and enabled one or two of you to take the plunge.

By: Mila Hart

While taking time off during the nice and warm summer months, it would be a good idea to find somewhere to volunteer. For students that are a part of the National Honor Society, it might be nice to get all of your volunteer hours over the summer, so you don’t have to worry about it during the school year.

While having some down time during the summer doing some volunteer work would be a really great thing to do with your time, volunteering is a very fulfilling activity to experience. By being a volunteer you can find a sense of pride and identity while also building your self esteem and life satisfaction. It’s a fun way to feel a natural sense of accomplishment and to give back to, and help, your community.

A great organization to volunteer for is the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. This organization values the energy and enthusiasm that teens can bring to the table. Habitat for Humanity focuses on eliminating poverty from the Twin Cities, and bringing awareness to the need for decent, affordable shelter for all people. Habitat for Humanity offers many volunteer opportunities for the youth of the Twin Cities that range from helping build and rehabilitate affordable homes, sorting donations, gardening, and educating and advocating.

Another great organization to work with is Books For Africa. Books For Africa collects, sorts, and ships books, computers, tablets, and library enhancement materials to every country in Africa. They have had direct feedback from 212 recipients, in 35 different countries, that say that Books For Africa books have been very useful and have had a positive impact on learning in their communities. There is a large disparity in education between schools with a library and those without. While volunteering for Books For Africa you will be sorting and packing books according to category and age level.

There are so many more volunteer opportunities for teens in the Twin Cities this summer so I also suggest doing some research yourself.

To learn more about volunteering for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity visit: https://www.tchabitat.org.

To learn more about volunteering for Books For Africa visit: https://www.booksforafrica.org/about-bfa/how-we-know-it-works.html.

By: Abdihakim Mohamoud

The majority of teenagers don’t have investing on their minds when it comes to spending their money. However, investing at an early age can have numerous tremendous benefits. These benefits include saving more, improving risk taking ability, and more recovery time.

Investing at an early age leads teens to develop a habit of saving more, leading to more money gained in the future. With this in mind, teenagers save more by cutting unnecessary expenses and save money towards their investments.

Axisbank.com, states that studies show that younger investors have more of a risk taking ability than older investors as older investors are generally more conservative and like being stable in their investments. The probability of earning a higher return increases at an early age because young people tend to take higher risks.

A third benefit of investing early at a younger age is more recovery time. If you begin investing at an older age, you’re more likely to have less time to recover your losses. However, by investing earlier you have more time to recover in case you incur a loss.

Studies prove that early age investing increases the probability of reaching financial stability at a younger age. Investing early supports your retirement plan; it’s always a better idea to save for retirement in your early 20s rather than in your middle aged years.

Teens, or young adults, should seek proper assistance when investing. People such as stock brokers, investment advisors, or even your parents, are good sources to help you start investing.

For more information, please visit:

• https://www.axisbank.com/progress-with-us/invest/top-reasons-to-start-investing-at-an-ea rly-age

By: Abi and Thalia

Since school is coming to end, homework will no longer keep you occupied. There are many new hobbies to try this summer!

The first hobby to try is reading. Reading for pleasure can be very refreshing. According to Markham Public Library, some benefits to reading include exercise for the brain, concentration and focus ability, and general knowledge. While reading a book, we have to remember the details of the book and it is a workout for the brain that helps improve our memory. Books are filled with many interesting facts and by reading a variety of topics and genres, we gain more knowledge. The materials for this simple hobby are easy, you’ll just need a book. 

The second hobby to try this summer is scrapbooking. Scrapbooking is a way to preserve any memories. This is done by arraigning it in a certain way with different materials such as pictures, artwork, and construction paper. According to DigiDesign Resort the benefits to scrapbooking include relaxation, a sense of accomplishment, and it helps you communicate your feelings. Scrapbooking has been proven to reduce anxiety and lower stress levels. This activity can also be done with friends and family. A simple scrapbook accomplishment can help boost your self-esteem. Scrapbooking can help you remember all of your goals and accomplishments throughout the years. With scrapbooking, it helps you communicate feelings through pictures and drawings. 

The third hobby is making jewelry. Making handmade jewelry can hold an emotional significance to the one who creates it or the one who receives it. According to Marla Trudine, the benefits of hand making your own jewelry is that it will never be like any other jewelry you see at stores. Another benefit is that you won’t use machines, it adds more care, hardship, and attention to detail to each piece that you create.

The fourth hobby is journaling. Journaling is writing down your feelings, thoughts, goals, etc. Journaling is different for everybody. There are many benefits to journaling, which include reducing stress and anxiety, keeping track of your personal growth and goals, writing down memories so you’ll never forget them, and it can also strengthen your memory. Journaling can be entertaining, especially to those who like writing. It can be relaxing to others. The materials can range depending on the different styles of journaling, some prefer just a notebook and pen while others like to use colored pens/markers, stickers, colorful tape, etc. All journals are unique and there is no one specific way of journaling. 

The fifth hobby is painting. Painting is the act of adding paint or pigment to a solid surface such as a canvas, paper, wall, table, etc. There are benefits to painting such as reducing stress and anxiety by painting out your emotions, helps with muscle control, you can make a profit off of paintings, and you can create decorations for your walls. Many people find painting entertaining because it allows a person to release creativity onto a solid surface. The materials needed for painting are any solid surface such as paper, canvas, a wall, etc. Any solid surface that you are willing to paint on. You will also need paint; there’s all kinds of various paints such as oil paint, watercolor, acrylic, and gouache. Lastly, you’ll need paintbrushes and your creativity. 

The last hobby is gardening. Gardening is tending or cultivating a garden. The benefits of gardening are reduced stress, spending time outside which can boost health by boosting your Vitamin D, and can improve hand strength. Gardening can be entertaining to those who like taking care of things, especially plants. It can give someone motivation to get out of the house and go tend to their gardens. It can also be fun for someone to pick which plants or flowers they want to add to their garden, even vegetables. Some basic materials you need for gardening are soil, gardening tools (shovel, trowel, gloves, garden rake, etc.), and pick what you want to grow, which could include green plants, flowers (tulips, roses, lilies, etc.), or even vegetables. 

By: Abdirahman Ege

Although bear attacks are rare, a man should always be on the lookout for one. You never know when something like this will come in handy.

Whether you’re dealing with a grizzly or a black bear, the way you respond to an attack differs.

Knowing what kind of bear you’re dealing with is the first step in surviving a bear encounter.

What to do If a Grizzly Bear attacks you

1. Always keep bear spray on hand. Experts advise hikers in bear country to carry bear pepper spray. This stuff is usually enough to put a stop to a bear.

2. Do not try to run away, the bear will automatically think you are his prey and chase after you. You will not be able to outrun a bear.

A Black bear is different on how it acts. This is what you should do if a Black Bear tries to attack you.

1. Don’t climb a tree, Black Bears are great at climbing trees, so you should avoid trees at all costs.

2. Fight back, when a Black Bear tries to attack you, aim for his face and nose.

if you ever encounter a bear, make sure to know what type of bear it is and use the appropriate tactics to save yourself!

By: Christina Cyrus

Therapy animals can be helpful in many different ways, like helping reduce stress, and they can lower your anxiety. Also, having a therapy animal can also provide an escape or a happy distraction.

A therapy animal can help give people a certain type of comfort. A lot of people get a therapy animal to help cope with their depression and stress levels, also others might get a therapy animal to help them get over a loss or help them grieve the right way.

Animal-assisted therapy can help reduce pain, anxiety, depression, and fatigue in people with a range of health problems. Some examples of where you might see this is, children that have dental problems, people recovering and receiving cancer treatments, people with dementia, and a lot more other ways.

Having interaction with a friendly pet can help you physically, mentally, and emotionally. It can help reduce high blood pressure and can overall help improve your cardiovascular health.

As well as that, having somebody there for you gives you a comforting effect, which can help improve your overall psychological state of mind.

Although there are people who have service animals, which are most of the time dogs, service dogs are trained to help their owners with specific health problems; for example: fainting, seizures, randomly passing out, being unstable, etc.

Having a service animal does come with a con; some places don’t allow animals. In order to have them in a place that doesn’t allow animals you have to get a doctor’s note basically saying you are allowed to have one due to the need that you have. Also, some places might make you pay a fee.

Another thing about having an emotional support dog is that you have to have a vest for them saying “emotional support” in order to bring them into places.

The overall view of having a therapy animal (emotional support animal) can be very good for an individual, and I completely recommend getting one if you suffer from any of these problems.

For more information, please visit:

• https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjVvIa1lLL3AhVnJTQIHepcA1MQFnoECAIQA w&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uclahealth.org%2Fpac%2Fanimal-assisted-therapy&usg=AOvVaw0rpgYl5ccidF-uefTiRGl7
• https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjVvIa1lLL3AhVnJTQIHepcA1MQFnoECAMQ Aw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mayoclinic.org%2Fhealthy-lifestyle%2Fconsumer-health%2Fin-depth%2Fpet-therapy%2Fart-20046 342&usg=AOvVaw0VWwHppBf9uUcIe5PZF0DM
• https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjVvIa1lLL3AhVnJTQIHepcA1MQFnoECCkQA w&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthline.com%2Fhealth%2Fpet-therapy&usg=AOvVaw2gxHxakgrbwn6flTH-WpTJ
• https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjUs_fLjLX3AhUoFjQIHX45BfQQFnoECBMQA w&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.akc.org%2Fexpert-advice%2Ftraining%2Fservice-working-therapy-emotional-support-dogs%2F&usg =AOvVaw1neYxYUQ4puOO9o-RLAPmD
• https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjf2PTJjbX3AhWDbs0KHcIvC_wQFnoECCYQ AQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hercampus.com%2Fschool%2Fsaint-marys%2Fpros-and-cons-owning-emotional-support-animal% 2F&usg=AOvVaw1BsVH0IOXQMs3951tskoRo

By: Carla Tizcareno

After the pandemic started, and everyone was stuck at home, technology became a key tool in staying connected. We all know how that went. With everyone online, the mental health community was seeing a lot of setbacks.

Therapy wasn’t an easy thing to access because we were not allowed to go in public spaces. Because of the pandemic, health care providers were basically forced to see their patients online.

Currently, all mental health services are offering in-person and online options. There are many organizations that are purely online and targeted towards people who cannot afford therapy or don’t have insurance. In some cases, the therapist you see can adjust their hourly fee to meet the range that you can afford.

There are multiple websites that help you find a therapist that is available for you that meets your needs. Here a a couple of those sites:

• https://www.findtreatment.gov/results/
• https://www.mnpsych.org/find-a-psychologist#/

There are also online therapy apps that help you connect with a therapist with a video call or through text. Wysa, Joyable, and Talkspace are some of those apps. Most of these options are under $100 a week. Apps like TickTalkTo are free or extremely cheap.

There are also many popular apps that help teach meditation, relaxation, good self-care, and coping mechanisms to help with many different mental health issues. Some of those apps are called: Calm, Headspace, and Expectful.

If you have been diagnosed with a specific mental illness that you want to target, there are many different support groups that are specifically made for people with depression, anxiety, OCD, and many more.

As always, there are mental health hotlines:

• If it is an emergency, always dial 911
• The national suicide prevention hotline can be accessed by dialing (877) 472-3457
• The crisis text line is also available by texting HOME to 741741

It’s important to keep your personal wellness and health in check. In our day and age we have more options for that. The mental health community will continue to grow for years and years to come.

By: Olivia Miller

Not everyone loves to exercise. It may even be some people’s least favorite thing to do. But exercise is a very important part of staying healthy and fit.

When most people think of exercise their minds go to the gym, lifting weights, running on the treadmill, etc., but there are actually endless forms of exercise, and ways to stay fit that people may tend to forget about; ways that are more exciting and fun, and will make you forget you are even exercising all together! So, I am going to tell you about some of the best, most fun forms of exercise.

The first, and my personal favorite, is dancing. Now you can practice this in a variety of different ways. Attending a dance class at your local gym or rec. center is a very easy way to do this. You have fun, and you’re around other people as well so it feels like a group activity. If you’re not comfortable with dancing around other people, you can have your own personal dance party in your living room. Something you can do for this is get ‘Just Dance’, it’s super fun and you’re playing a video game while getting exercise all at the same time.

Other fun forms of exercise can be found in common sports. Basketball, tennis, soccer, etc. These are super easy to take part in and they add in that competitive element if you’re playing against other people. These require little supplies, and If you don’t have the gear or supplies to play, it is super easy to rent out what you need at your local second hand clothing and item stores.

Another form of exercise, and probably the most easy, is just getting outside. Going on walks or hikes when it’s nice outside is super easy, and a great way to get your cardio in. Even in the winter time going ice skating, or skiing can be options as well. There is always a great form of exercise to go with every season

The key factor in most of these forms of exercise is turning it into an activity you can do with multiple people. Making a day out of it, and inviting friends or family to go along with you can make the experience much more enjoyable for you.

By: Caelyn Hippen

As many of you know, stretching is a very important element when it comes to physical activity and working out. But maybe you don’t know all of the benefits of it. Stretching has more of an impact on your body than many of us know. Here are some examples of stretching benefits.

First off, there are many types of stretching, such as:

• Dynamic Stretching – active movements and are done to prepare your muscles for movement and exercise.
• Ballistic – bouncing movement; less popular and has been proven to be bad for your muscles.
• Passive stretching – done after your workout and with equipment.
• Static stretching – this stretch is when you hold a certain pose for up to 30 seconds. This stretch is usually performed after a workout.

Here are some benefits before a workout:

• Increased blood flow
• Reduced fatigue
• Increased flexibility and range of motion
• Improved performance in workout

Benefits of stretching after a workout:

• Reduces muscle pain and risk of injury
• Gradual relaxation
• Immediate muscle repair – goes back to lowering your risk of injury, stretching after you workout, especially static stretching, can help you by avoiding muscle cramping and tightness.

Overall benefits stretching has on your body:

• Improves posture – helps your posture as you are stretching new muscles, and strengthening new muscles.
• Helps to heal and reduce back pain – like I said before, stretching increases your range of motion. This comes into play again with stretching your back. Stretching helps release tension in muscles around your back and spine. These tense muscles can cause further pain and can build up as time goes on.
• Calming – did you know that stretching applies to all muscles, including arm muscles, leg muscles, and brain muscles? Meditation and mindfulness is also a type of stretching, like yoga. Mindfulness and meditation exercises are just as important as stretching before a workout.

Tips to a successful stretch:

• To be successful when stretching, it is so important not to overdo it or go past your point of comfort. Stretching should be a relaxing, positive experience. And while after a workout, you do want to stretch your muscles to avoid injury, stretching too far can hurt your muscles just as much as if you didn’t stretch at all.
• Another important thing about stretching to keep in mind is to not go into your stretches cold. It is important to do a warmup activity, such as 50 jumping jacks, before you stretch. This is important because it will help your muscles stretch even farther.
• One more thing, remember that stretching isn’t a one time thing. You need to remember that stretching isn’t something you are good at, it’s just supposed to be fun and calming. Say you have a goal to get your splits, this isn’t necessarily a goal you can set a time limit on. You can tell yourself to stretch everyday, but you can’t push yourself too far or you will get injured and hurt your muscles.