Category Archives: Entertainment

Popular Hmong dishes

By: Seng Yang & Christine Yang

Background information about Hmong dishes:

A lot of Hmong dishes originate from different South and East Asian countries since Hmong people originate from southern China. That’s why some Hmong dishes are actually Chinese but have a twist. But later on some Hmong people migrated mostly to Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, which is why many Hmong dishes are from those countries too but again, not every dish are the same as the “originals”. 

Qaub Taub Ntoos (papaya salad):

Background information: Papaya salad is a dish that originated from Laos, which influenced recipes in Cambodia, Thailand Vietnam, and West Asia.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of shredded green papaya
  • 2 tbsp of roasted peanuts (optional)
  • 2 cloves of peeled garlic
  • 1-2 fresh birds eye chili (or more depending on tolerance)
  • 1 tbsp of dried shrimp (optional)
  • 7 cherry tomatoes
  • ½  juice of lime
  • 1½ tbs of fish sauce
  • 1-2 tbsp Thai snake beans (or green beans) cut into 1 inch sticks

Directions:

  1. Peel the papaya, shred it with a shredder (or a mandolin slicer) to thin strips and soak it in cold water
  2. Cut the green beans into one-inch pieces
  3. Take the chilies and peeled garlic and give them a gentle bash with mortar and pestle (bits and pieces) and add crushed peanuts and mix well (optional)
  4. Add shredded papaya and continue bashing (not too hard)
  5. Add tomatoes, beans, lime juice and fish sauce while lightly bashing

Fawm Kib (pho nooldes stir fried):

Background information: The dish is a very popular Lao dish known as Khua Mee or also known as Lao stir fry noodles.

Ingredients:

Noodles

  • 28 oz (1 lb 12 oz) dried pho/rice noodles soaked in hot water

Sauce

  • 2 tbsp oil (vegetable or garlic oil)
  • ½ cup chopped shallots
  • ½ cup crushed palm sugar (4oz)
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ cup Kwong Hung Seng sweet soy sauce (5.5oz)
  • ¼ cup oyster sauce (2.5oz)
  • 2 tbsp Golden Mountain seasoning sauce (1.2oz)
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce (1.5oz)
  • 2 tbsp dark soy (1 oz)
  • 1.2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp chicken bouillon
  • ½ to ⅔ cups garlic oil

Eggs

  • 12 large eggs
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • Garlic oil to fry

Garlic Oil

  • 1 cup oil
  • ¼ cup minced garlic (1.25 oz)

Mix in and Garnish

  • 3 cups chopped cilantro (stem included)
  • 2 cups green onions (slice thin, julienne)
  • Sliced omelet
  • Bean sprouts
  • Fried garlic (optional) 

Directions:

Noodles

1) In a bowl, add in 28oz dried noodles. Soak in cold water overnight. Once soaked, drain well and then pour in hot boiling water over the noodles. Stir and cook for about 30 secs to 45 sec until the noodles are cooked to your liking. It should be cooked but also chewy and slightly firm. Do not overcook the noodles or leave the noodles in the hot boiling water for too long or else they will break apart while mixing. Depending on which size noodles you use, cooking may take longer.

2) Once cooked, drain the noodles and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well for at least 15-20 before adding in the sauce.

Sauce

1)  In a pan, add in 2 tbsp of oil and chopped shallots. Cook and sweat the shallots for a good 1 minute or so. Then add in the crushed palm sugar and 1/4c water.  Cover for 1 minute or so under medium heat to allow the steam to melt and break apart the palm sugar.  Then add in all the other sauces and seasoning. Stir well for a good 30 seconds or so to incorporate it in with the shallots and palm sugar. Then take it off the heat and let it cool before adding it into the noodles if you desire.  Feel free to taste the sauce before adding it into the noodles. You may want it to be sweeter, saltier, etc.

2) Make the garlic oil as well if you desire. 1 cup oil in w/ 1/4 cup minced garlic. Medium cook until the garlic are golden crispy. Drain the oil and separate the fried garlic to be used later.

MIXING

1)  Pour the drained noodles into a big mixing bowl along with all the sauce. Add in the 1/2 cup of garlic oil and mix everything well. You will notice it may be a little wet in the bottom of the noodles. That’s okay. Let it sit for a good 15-20 minutes to allow the noodles to soak up all the sauce. Taste and adjust at this step if needed. Make sure to mix it every 5 minutes or so while it’s sitting to ensure the noodles are fully coated with the sauce.

Toppings

1) Add 12 eggs into a bowl along with the black pepper and fish sauce. Mix well. Then cook it on a non stick pan brushed with garlic oil. Cook like an omelet so we can cut it into strips. If you have a big pan you may do 2 rounds of cooking the eggs. I did four rounds so I can get a medium thin thickness.

2) Wash and cut the cilantro and green onions to your liking

3) Wash the beansprouts

Finishing

1) Once the noodles are well soaked in with the sauce, add in the chopped cilantro, green onions, fried garlic from earlier, and sliced eggs. You can also add bean sprouts at this point too. However, if you want to save some noodles in the fridge for tomorrow, don’t mix in the beansprouts with the noodles overnight due to the amount of moisture they contain. Just garnish the bean sprouts when you want to eat a plate of noodles.

2) Serve with fried garlic, shallots, and other herbs/proteins you desire. Serve cold, room temp, or warm.

http://foodgeneralist.blogspot.com/2009/08/khua-mee-fried-noodles.html

Fawm Kauv (steamed rice rolls):

Background information: Steamed rice rolls is a Cantonese dish originating from Guangdong Province in southern China. Steamed rice rolls are also one of the popular Vietnamese dishes, bánh cuốn. Even though fawm kauv/Hmong steamed rice rolls are the “same” as those countries or more, the ingredients are different to some of them.

Ingredients:

Rice Roll Crepe

  • 1 pack rice flour (16oz)
  • 1 pack tapioca flour (16oz)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 14 cups water

Pork Filling

  • 2 lbs pork
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp chicken bouillon
  • 1 cup cilantro
  • ½ cups green onion

Dipping Sauce

  • 4-6 Thai pepper
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ msg
  • Roasted peanuts (optional and as much you like)
  • Water (as much you like)

Directions:

Dipping Sauce

1) Put 4-6 Thai pepper into the mortar with ½ tsp salt, ¼ msg, and roasted peanuts (optional and as much you like)

2) Crush them with a pestle

3) Add water (as much you like)

4) Stir

Meat Filling

1) In a frying pan, add in the ground pork. Saute until the meat is cooked. Then add in the seasonings and herbs. Taste and adjust. Set aside.   

Rice Roll Crepe

1) In a big mixing bowl, add in the rice flour, tapioca starch, and salt. Mix well. Then add in the water. Mix well to get starches from the bottom well incorporated with the water. Set aside

Cooking, Rolling and Filling

1) Have a bowl of oil and a brush ready. Brush a flat tray with oil so you have that ready for the cooked crepe as well as your non-stick cooking pan. Heat the pan on medium heat. Add about 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and swirl it around until the bottom of the pan is well coated with the batter. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 30 seconds. Uncover and quickly flip it over the oiled flat tray. Fill with the meat filling and roll the ends and then bottom all the way up (just like a burrito). REPEAT THE PROCESS until all the batter is used up.

2) MAKE SURE to stir the rice roll crepe batter once in a while because the starches will settle down to the bottom.

Kan Yuab (egg rolls):

Background information: Lika most Hmong dishes they’re mostly inspired by different countries/cultures from Asia. Egg rolls originate in China (date back to ancient China). 

Ingredients:

  • 1 (10 ½ ounce) bag rice thread noodles
  • 24 egg roll wrap
  • 1 (10-12 ounce) package coleslaw mix (or 1 sm cabbage and 2 carrots shredded)
  • 1 bunch green onion
  • 1 ½ lb ground pork
  • 1 egg (+ xtra 1 for sealing egg rolls)
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1) Soak noodles in very hot water for 10 minutes.

    2) Drain.

    3) Rinse with cold water.

    4) Cut into 3-inch lengths; set aside.

    5) Chop green and yellow onions and cilantro (also, cabbage and carrots if not going with the packaged coleslaw).

    6) Mix all ingredients together.

    7) Heat oil (med high heat).

    8) Peel rice skin wraps apart, put about 1/2 cup mix on egg roll wrap.

    9) Roll it up.

    10) Seal with egg.

    11) Cook for about 10 minutes.

      https://www.food.com/recipe/hmong-egg-rolls-37355

      Qhaub Piaj (thick chicken noodle soup):

      Background information: Qhaub piaj (thick chicken noodle soup) is a Hmong and Laotian dish, it’s also called khao piak sen in Laotian.

      Ingredients:

      Noodles

      • 1 cup rice flour
      • 2 cups tapioca starch
      • 1 ¼ cups of boiling water

      Broth

      • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
      • 48 oz chicken stock
      • 1 stalk lemongrass
      • Salt (choice of amount)
      • Pepper (choice of amount)
      • Fish sauce (choice of amount)
      • 1-2 cups of water if needed

      Directions:

      1) Put rice flour in a stand mixer

      2) Add 1 cup of boiling water and mix

      3) Add a little bit of water at a time

      4) Add a little bit tapioca starch until the dough puts together

      5) Divide the dough into thirds

      6) Roll ⅓ of the dough until it is ⅛ inch thick using tapioca starch on the surface so it doesn’t stick

      7) Cut it into ¼ thick (or depending on how thick you like)

      8) Dust the noodles in tapioca starch to prevent sticking to each other

      9) Add noodles in boiling water

      10) Stir so they don’t stick to each other

      11) Noodles are done when they float

      12) The broth will be thick

      https://chawjcreations.com/qhaub-piaj-thick-chicken-noodle-soup/

      Explaining all of the fan-made character designs for ‘Life Series’ and ‘Hermitcraft’

      By: Julia Yang

      The ‘Life Series’, as previously stated in a past article, is a Minecraft server where the members have a certain amount of lives and must be the last one standing in order to win.

      The ‘Hermitcraft SMP’ is a server where around 27 friends/YouTubers/stream-ers come together and play Minecraft. That’s basically it.

      The fan artists enjoy taking aspects of the events in those series’ and seasons and input them into what they think the Minecraft skins should look like, or just have fun with it. Today I’m explaining each fan design for those who don’t know what they are or why they’re there.

      First, what’s up with Jimmy and yellow feathers/wings? Most people who are fans know this already, but the yellow wings and feathers are a callout to the canary bird. The reason why fans draw Jimmy with canary wings is because they’ve all collectively decided that he has something called the “canary curse”. This curse is rooted from the fact that in every season of the ‘Life Series’ he’s the first to die. I know, “well what’s the connection to the canary?” It’s a canary because in the past, canaries were used by coal miners to tell if danger or hazard was near because there would be potential gas leaks that would kill the canary first before the miner. Jimmy is the canary of the server as he dies first, which always signifies in the server that things are going to go downhill very fast.

      Grian is often drawn with rainbow parrot wings; the reason for this is actually very simple. One time Grian was being annoying in the ‘Hermitcraft SMP’ and was called a “pesky bird”. That’s about it for this one.

      Another thing you may see on Grian is purple eyes and wings. This one ties back to lore and a complicated story, but to put it short, Grian is a “watcher”, hence the eyes, and the purple wings I believe just tie back to the parrot wings. Both however, people like to draw as biblically accurate angels, because why not?

      BigB will sometimes be seen drawn with dog ears and tail, or very recently, as the creaking creature in the new Minecraft update. The dog ears and tail is because he was Ren’s soulmate in ‘Double Life’; Ren’s full YouTube name is RenDog, and his skin has dog ears and a tail. BigB changed his skin to match Ren (giving him ears and a tail), which fans found adorable and ran with it.

      BigB is drawn as the creaking creature in Minecraft recently because in the new ‘Wild Life’ season, he lives in the Pale Garden (where the creaking resides), and fans thought it would be so cool to draw him as the terrifying creature.

      Doc will be drawn with goat horns and sometimes legs, basically all the time. This is because he calls himself the G.O.A.T. Usually when people call themselves the G.O.A.T. it stands for “Greatest Of All Time”, but in Doc’s case, it stands for “Grind. Optimize. Automate. Thrive”. You see, Doc loves making automated machines, grinding for materials, and doing some of the most absurd activities like bringing the Ender Dragon to the over world just to have it as a pet.

      Mumbo is sometimes drawn as a moth, this one is because of ‘Hermitcraft’ season 8. In season 8, the moon started to grow at an alarming rate, and to “calm down” the moon, Mumbo decided that he was going to never sleep. Fans then thought of Mumbo as a moth because, well, moths love their moon.

      Tango is sometimes drawn with fire for hair and a tail, and this one doesn’t really have a solid reason. Tango’s skin has slicked back blonde hair that fans just interpreted as fire since it was cool, and the tail is because Tango’s skin has red eyes and used to be drawn with horns too. They used to make him into a demon/devil type creature because of his red eyes, but then Tango said at some point “just because I have red eyes doesn’t mean I’m a demon”, so fans took away the horns and made him have a tail, making him his own species of creature.

      Impulse is drawn with horns and a tail, just like how Tango was, but for a very different reason. Skizz, Impulse’s friend of 20 years, nicknamed him “Impy”. Of course Impy is short for Impulse, but fans immediately thought of the type of demon “Imp” and made him an Imp. You can thank Skizz for this one.

      Scar is drawn with scars on his face. I think this one is self explanatory, but I’ll explain anyway— Scar is drawn with scars on his face because of his name, and because it’s easier to differentiate between him and another player (Scar’s skin looks like a normal person otherwise).

      I’ll admit, this may not be all of them, but it’s definitely the most recurring ones. Just keep in mind that if you ever see one of the members drawn with a characteristic that isn’t on their Minecraft skin, there’s always a reason for it.

      Upcoming play: ‘And Then There Were None’

      By: Persephone Pond

      Highland Park Theater Arts presents ‘And Then There Were None’ by Agatha Christie. Here’s a quick, spoiler-free review of the plot of this show, and all the information you’ll need to know.

      ‘And Then There Were None’ was originally written by Agatha Christie and was first published in 1939. Over the years, there have been many spin offs of movies, shows, and play adaptations. There are many adaptations of this novel, including different endings, some happy, some sad. Fun fact: the student cast of this show got to choose which ending they wanted to put on.

      The plot of this famous murder mystery revolves around 10 strangers who each individually receive mysterious invitations to a solitary mansion on an island off the coast of Devon, Britain. As each individual guest is accused of a grizzly crime, and people begin to mysteriously die one by one, the remaining members of the group must discover who among them on this island is the killer and how to stop them.

      Highland Park’s production stars a talented cast of students cast by theater director Nancy Micheal. The show is completely student run apart from directing, with students manning the lights, sound, set, props, ect.

      Opening night is Thursday, November 14th at 7pm in the Highland Park Auditorium. Additional performances are Friday, November 15th at 7pm, and Saturday, November 16th at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets are sold at the door, cash or card, and are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Concessions and merchandise are available for purchase and all proceeds go to funding future productions.

      To learn more about future shows, you can follow @hptheatrearts on Instagram.

      TOP 8 CAKE FLAVORS

      By: Grace Lopez

      1. VANILLA
      This cake flavor has to be one of the most popular flavors in the whole world. This cake is a simple normal vanilla cake. It would go really well with any type of party or event and it’s probably number one to get.

      https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/vanilla-cake/

      2. CHOCOLATE
      This cake flavor is a really chocolate creamy cake. It’s a really good flavor to choose for any type of cake. I really enjoy this cake. And this one would also be a favorite to get.

      https://addapinch.com/the-best-chocolate-cake-recipe-ever/

      Photo by Geovane Souza on Pexels.com

      3. STRAWBERRY
      This cake is one of my favorite types of cake to choose from just because it’s so fresh and it tastes really good and it’s better when it’s made with real strawberries. I would also recommend this flavor.

      https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/strawberry-cake-recipe/

      4. CONFETTI
      This cake is my favorite cake of all time. I love how it’s just a normal vanilla cake with some colorful sprinkles inside and for me it’s just a good taste, and if someone would ask me what would be my favorite I would choose confetti.

      https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/funfetti-layer-cake/

      5. RED VELVET
      This cake is really good, I love how it’s so fresh when it’s just made and I love how they are better made into cake pops then actual cake, so I would recommend it to people that love cake pops.

      https://preppykitchen.com/best-red-velvet-cake/

      6. LEMON
      For me I don’t really like this type of cake but a lot of people really love this type of cake. It has a nice lemonly sour and sweet flavor. And for people that love sour and sweet I would recommend this flavor.

      https://cakebycourtney.com/the-best-lemon-cake-recipe/

      7. CARROT
      This type of cake flavor is also one of my favorite types of cake especially with buttercream frosting. The frosting gives it such a good flavor to the cake and by itself. This is also in my top 3.

      https://sugarspunrun.com/best-carrot-cake-recipe/

      8. PISTACHIO

      This cake flavor is personally not one of my favorites but like I said a lot of people really like this flavor. It’s such a fresh and pistachio type of flavor so if you really like pistachios I would recommend this flavor for you.

      https://cakesbymk.com/recipe/moist-pistachio-cake-recipe/

      ‘NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND’: REVIEW

      By: Charlotte Bistodeau

      ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’ was released in 1984 and was Hayao Miyazaki’s first ever film he did. It’s also the first ever film I watched by Miyazaki followed up by ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ and the like.

      ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’ is a post-apocalyptic fantasy based in a world covered in plants that make up the Toxic Jungle. Nausicaä is a princess who loves her people of the Valley of the Wind and would do anything to protect them. But she also loves the insects of the Toxic Jungle and knows that harming them would only hurt her people.

      ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’ has got to be my favorite movie and I must have watched it over twenty times. From the writing to the screenplay, I love it all. The story is about a girl, Nausicaä, who is taken as captive and ends up in the middle of a feud between two other empires, Tolmekia and Pejite. In the end, she ends up getting back to the Valley of the Wind and stopping the Ohmu, an insect from the Toxic Jungle, stampeding across the land destroying everything in their path. I love Nausicaä’s character and what she believes. She is strong and caring and she would do anything to protect her people, even if it meant dying.

      I also think that my favorite sound track from any of Miyazaki’s films has to be from this movie. All the songs convey different feelings that you can really feel.

      I also have to talk about the voice acting. I have watched it in the original Japanese and the English version and I have to say, surprisingly, the English version is better. Nausicaä’s voice in the Japanese version is extremely small and baby like, which doesn’t suit her at all, while in the English version she sounds like an 18-year-old girl, which she is. The audio quality is also way better and also the subtitles on the Japanese version are really bad. For example, there is little emotion and some of the sentences don’t make any sense whatsoever. It’s one of the only films where I like the English dub better.

      Overall, I rate this movie a 10/10 but I might be a little biased. The only real complaint would be that they did skip over some parts in the book, which Miyazaki wrote. But it doesn’t take anything from the movie, probably because Miyazaki was the author of the book and one of the directors of the movie.

      You can find the movie on Max, Amazon Prime, Hulu, YouTube TV, and Google Play Movie. You can also purchase the Blu Ray/DVD set for 15 dollars at Target. In any case, I would recommend the movie to anyone, young or old.

      ‘Scythe’ book review

      By: Kimberly Mascote Rangel

      ‘Scythe’ is a novel set in a future where humanity has conquered death. Disease, war and misery are things of the past and people can live forever. However, to control the population a group of people called Scythes are tasked with gleaning or killing others.

      The story is about two teenagers Citra and Rowan, who are chosen to be Scythes. They must learn the art of killing and understand the weight of their responsibilities. Throughout their journey they do intense training.

      Neal Shusterman creates a fascinating world with complex characters and thought-provoking themes. The book explores the value of life, and the nature of power, and the characters make their struggles feel real.

      The plot is fast paced and full of twists, keeping readers intrigued. The writing is clear and engaging, making it easy to follow the story. Shusterman’s world building is detailed and imaginative, giving a vivid backdrop for the characters’ adventures.

      Overall, ‘Scythe’ is a thrilling and thought provoking read that raises important questions about humanity and mortality. It’s a must read for fans of dystopian fiction and anyone looking for a story that challenges the way we think about life and death. I give this book an 8/10.

      ‘Frozen’ (2010) movie review

      By: Sophia Elmstrom & Lily Sheldon

      *Warning: this review contains spoilers

      This title may sound misleading, but this is not what you think this is. The movie ‘Frozen’ is a psychological horror made in 2010. It was directed by Adam Green, and stars Shawn Ashmore, Kevin Zegers, and Emma Bell. ‘Frozen’ is rated R and is very violent. This movie would not be suitable for young people or if you get grossed out easily.

      Here’s a rundown of the plot. ‘Frozen’ features two young men, Dan and Joe, and a young woman, Parker. Parker and Dan are dating and Joe and Dan are best friends. The three decide to go to a ski resort to enjoy a day on the slopes. On the night of their last day, the friends convince the ski lift operator to let them on the lift for one last run down the mountain. The operator went on break and a new guy came to take his place. The operator told the new guy that there were still 3 skiers who needed to come down. The second operator mistakes 3 mingling skiers for Dan, Parker, and Joe and he shuts down the chairlift, leaving the 3 friends trapped. To make matters worse, the ski resort was closed for the whole weekend.

      The friends start to get worried and realize they will be there for the whole night if not the whole weekend. The 3 call out for help, and they see a snow plow arrive under them, but it fails to notice the stranded group on the lift. The group realizes they are going to have to find a way down the mountain.

      Dan jumps off the lift in an attempt to get help, and breaks his legs once he realizes how far down it really was. With Dan now unable to move, Parker and Joe try to find a way down to help him. A pack of wolves soon arrive and Joe and Parker are unable to help him, so they have to listen helplessly as their friend gets torn apart by the wolves.

      The next morning, Joe tries climbing on the chairlift cable to find a way down. He makes it to the support pole and climbs down. The wolves come back but he fights them off with a ski pole. Joe slides down the mountain on Dan’s snowboard, but the wolves follow.

      Now Parker is alone on the ski lift, and she tries to escape by getting to the support pole. As she stands up on the chair, the bolts disconnect and the lift falls a little, and now is hanging on by a single wire. Parker jumps off and is able to take the fall, but the lift then falls on her ankle. Parker pries the chair off her foot, and crawls down the mountain to find help. She gets to the street and flags down a car to take her to the hospital. Parker is relieved to finally be rescued and to get home safely.

      This movie received a 63% from Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.5/10 from IMDB. We believe this is way too high of a rating and think that this movie was truly very bad. Many people say it reminds them of a movie they have seen before, ‘Fall’. We have seen this movie and agree that it is very similar, almost like they copied the plot of ‘Fall’ which follows two girls who get stuck on a telephone pole. Many other reviewers rate this movie 5 stars out of 5 and say they loved the movie. This movie was too gory for our liking and was just a bad plot line. Although it was very psychological and kept us wondering the entire movie we just do not get why people gave it such high ratings.

      Overall, we rate this movie a 2/10 because the plot was boring and way too violent with many scenes involving very descriptive noises and images. We disagree with all of these ratings and we do not understand why people liked this movie so much. You can watch ‘Frozen’ on Prime Video.

      Energy drink review

      By: Max Cahoon & Norah Hoglund

      Energy drinks are a good way to boost your energy during the day, especially if you don’t like drinking coffee or tea. There is a very large variety of energy drinks that are made in the world, so we are reviewing some of them to decide which one is the best.

      We only tried one flavor of each brand, so we are judging based on the quality of the brand and the flavor we chose. If you are looking for new flavors or new brands of energy drinks to try, then you should read this article and learn about these 5 brands of energy drinks: Bubbl’r, Alani, Celsius, Red Bull, Bloom, and Uptime.

      Bubbl’r: we tried the triple berry breez’r flavor. It’s a pretty mild taste, it tastes like sweet berries with a slight bit of tartness. Something we like about this brand is there isn’t too much caffeine in the drinks, only 69 mg per can. Also, it is all natural caffeine. This drink has no sugar, it is sweetened with erythritol, which has way less calories than sugar. Bubbl’rs are also vegan, soy free, gluten free, and immune boosting. Our rating is 8/10 considering the benefits of it and the middle grade taste.

      Alani: the flavor we tried of the Alani was cosmic stardust. This flavor was very good, it tasted like a sweet candy, but it wasn’t too sweet. It wasn’t tart or acidic. An Alani has 200 mg of caffeine, which is quite a lot. There is no sugar because it is sweetened artificially, which gives it less than 15 calories. Our overall rating was a 8/10, it’s very good flavor wise but just wasn’t our favorite. 

      Celsius:the flavor we tried was Fuji apple pear. It tastes like apple and pear but with a little bit more sweetness. There is also a little bit of tartness. There is 200 mg of caffeine. It has a little bit of the same acid taste as the Red Bull, but it’s not nearly as powerful. It is sweetened with artificial sweeteners. Our rating is a 7/10.

      Red Bull: we tried the original Red Bull flavor and it tastes like a fruity candy with battery acid in it. It is very pungent and strong flavor wise. The Red Bull has 80 mg of caffeine and 26 g of sugar, which makes sense because it’s an extremely high power energy drink. Putting sugar in an energy drink kind of defeats its purpose, though, because most people drink energy drinks to have energy without consuming a lot of calories. Our rating is a 2/10.

      Bloom: the flavor we tried of bloom was raspberry lemonade. It tasted exactly like it was described, like sweet lemonade with a little bit of tartness from the raspberry. Bloom energy drinks are definitely on the healthier side for energy drinks, as they contain lots of vitamins and 180 mg of natural caffeine. There is no sugar, it is sweetened with sucralose which is a good alternative for sugar. We rate this one 8/10.

      UpTime: the flavor we tried was white peach lemonade. It has 142 mg of natural caffeine. Uptime is different from the rest of these energy drinks as it has no sugar and is sweetened with natural sweeteners. Some people won’t understand how good and important that is for an energy drink to still taste really good without any artificial sweeteners or sugars. It tastes like sparkling lemonade with a hint of peach, and it’s actually really good while also being relatively good for you. Our rating is a 9/10 and for good reason. If you wanted to try a new energy drink we would recommend this one the most. This was the first time we’d ever heard of this brand and it is our favorite brand for energy drinks now.

      TOP 10 FAMILY MOVIES TO WATCH

      By: Grace Lopez

      1. BOSS BABY

      This movie is really really funny and hilarious. My family and I really enjoyed this movie. I would really recommend this movie to anyone who would want to watch something funny.

      2. THE INCREDIBLES

      This movie is really funny and shows how everyone in the family has different superpowers. I loved watching this movie when I was younger.

      3. DESPICABLE ME

      This movie is hilarious to watch. I also loved this movie when I was young. This was one of my top movies when someone would ask me what my favorite movie was.

      4. INSIDE OUT

      This movie really teaches you about a lot of different emotions. This movie could get you really sad or could get your giggles out. I really enjoyed watching this movie.

      5. COCO

      This movie is my favorite movie of all time. It’s really sad, funny and really entertaining. I would rewatch this movie thousands of times. I really like this movie a lot and I would recommend it to anyone that is looking for a sad and a really funny movie.

      6. CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

      This movie was really funny to me with all the Oompa Loompas and all the kids. This was a really hilarious movie with the chocolate river and the bubble gum kid, but I won’t spoil the movie.

      7. TOY STORY

      This movie is a really funny movie. I really loved all the parts and all the different movies (in the series). This is a good movie to rewatch and it’s also funnier when you watch it with friends and family.

      8. HOME ALONE

      This movie is really funny when they left the kid alone at home, but I won’t really spoil the movie because for me it really was funny and really interesting.

      9. WISH

      This movie was really interesting but I also really loved this movie when she finds out the magic from her city. But I won’t really spoil this movie because it’s really interesting.

      10. MOANA

      This movie is a really good Disney movie. I really enjoyed watching this when I was younger. It’s also really sad but at the same time it’s a really good movie to watch with anyone.

      ‘The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We’ album by Mitski – Background information

      By: Christine Yang

      Information about the album:

      The album ‘The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We’ was made by the artist Mitski. The album was released on September 15, 2023, which was her comeback and recent album after releasing an album called ‘Laurel Hell’ in 2022. ‘The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We’ has eleven songs in the album. One of the songs in the album was one of the biggest hits after the release, and the song was “My Love Mine All Mine” with 560 million Spotify streams.

      Songs:

      “Bug Like an Angel”:

      The process of the track, “Bug Like an Angel” has mainly four chords throughout it (chords: d flat major, a flat major, e flat major, b flat major) because the song is about addiction, and Mitski wanted to show it in a musical way that addiction is basically a cycle that you’re just kind of stuck in, it being repetitive over and over which doesn’t end, so the intention behind having the same chords repeating hopefully leads the listener to think what it’s about. Mitski also wanted a little twist/change by having the vocals in the middle of what we think is the chord progression; she wanted that twist to give a feeling of being off balance because the song is about addiction which isn’t a balanced state.

      She started creating the song by having a descriptions so it’s easy to paint a picture in the listener’s head; she wanted the picture of someone drinking something out of a glass and which there’s stuff left. While they are drinking out of it, they realized there’s a bug stuck at the bottom of the glass, and because it’s stuck it looks like there’s an angel in the sky. She chose the angel reference so it can set the tone since later on in the song she says something about God and devils, which is supposed to give the listener the option to take two main meanings (positive or negative, pessimistic or optimistic) away depending on what they want out of the song.

      After the the description Mitski wanted the protagonist to say something about themselves as an introduction, later on in the song there’s a choir part coming out of nowhere to be the first big emotional moment saying the word “family” with a whole choir out of nowhere, to evoke that sort of intensity with a choir as well. Then it goes back to the corporation and then the second verse, which is a spot to bring another character in and have the protagonist, who we know, point them out saying like, “Hey what’s the matter? You’re looking like a sticker stuck on a floor somewhere”. Which basically means like the person doesn’t look like they’re having a good time, like they look sad, despondent, and that phrase basically brings back to Mitski thinking stickers were so important to her when she was a kid, and how sad it’ll be if some kid’s precious sticker was stuck on a floor and couldn’t get it off. Basically, this brings up how the protagonist faces challenges which make them suffer, and that’s where the “God and devil” reference shows up, saying “is the suffering from God or the devil”, in the third verse. And that’s how the song “Bug Like an Angel” was created.      

      “Buffalo Replaced”:

      “Buffalo Replaced” is a track that was supposed to give an idea of how the album, ‘The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We’, is like. The track specifically— Mitski and her producer, Patrick Highland, was really inspired by ‘The Velvet Underground’. While the inspiration was added at the beginning of the song, Patrick also added keyboard sounds at the end too, which added something beautiful at the end, in Mitski’s opinion.

      “Buffalo Replaced” might be about being dependent/leeching onto someone, and having struggles without the person that you rely on. 

      “Heaven”:

      “Heaven” is meant to exemplify the little time someone has with the person they love, and to cherish that time and leave the issues of the world outside the room to enjoy the beautiful love they share, Mitski has stated.

      “Heaven” was an old song, but the beginning of the song sounded different than how it is now, because the older version didn’t have the swing that it does currently. Mitski was fine with that version; it just didn’t feel like it stood out as much alongside the other songs she wrote that have the same rhythm, so it sat for awhile until she and Patrick tried to figure out how to make it sound on a record.

      The first demo version they did actually was right after they recorded “Be The Cowboy” in Philadelphia. That demo version had more of a Patsy Cline swing to it, which is closer to what it is now. The problem was that the track didn’t really have an album that it fit into or in the ‘Laurel Hell’ album so it sat some more, but eventually made the album ‘The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We’.

      Since the track was such a romantic song, they wanted to do it with a whole orchestra and a sweeping Old Hollywood sound. They found an orchestrator, Drew Erickson, who did works with popular artists. Erickson orchestrated for “Heaven”, and then Mitski’s team recorded the orchestration part.

      “I Don’t Like My Mind”:

      The lyrics in ‘” Don’t Like My Mind” are literal and self explanatory, which the listeners can get the grip of what the song is about. The song could be about trying to distract yourself from negative thoughts and using stuff to cope with those things; it can also mean you not wanting to be alone with your thoughts due to negativity.

      The production process for the demo was made right after she and her team recorded “Be The Cowboy”, and was also recorded in Philadelphia. The track in the song ended up being easy to make because it was similar and the end result was similar to the demo they made way back then. So, her team just kept the guitar track from the demo.

      “The Deal”:

      The song started by misinterpreting a Maria Mitchell poem, “How Charming is Divine Philosophy”. The poem is basically about how you discover more about the world and you while going on a midnight walk by yourself. One line in the poem, “There’s a deal to be learned on a midnight walk, when you take it all alone” Mitski misread it as, “There’s a deal to be made on a midnight walk when you take it all along” and before she realized the error she made, she thought it was an interesting thought: like what kind of deal can you make on a midnight walk?

      The song “The Deal” can mean wanting your life to be like someone else or your expectations of yourself, and being willing to give or do anything for your ideals.

      “When Memories Snow”:

      Mitski got the idea of the music for “When Memories Snow” by playing the piano and experimenting with chords inspired by a show instrument, Japanese Shō (doesn’t follow the Western traditional music rules), which can be heard at the end of the song. The song has two parts inspired by Western movie soundtracks and British invasion rock. The song also pushed Mitski out of her comfort zone because most of her songs are quiet/soft which is an easy range for her.

      “When Memories Snow” could be about putting the past behind you and focusing on making new paths/memories, and how the past will always be there to either drag or lift you up.

      “My Love Mine All Mine”:

      “My Love Mine All Mine” is about how to love is the best thing Mitski ever did, and how beautiful it is. According to a quote from Mitski, this song is better than any song she wrote, material possession she gained, or achievement. Mitski also wishes that after she dies, that the song leaves behind this beautiful love in the world.

      Mitski’s first moment of the creation of the song started when she was carrying groceries and singing “my love, my oh my”, which she used that part and recorded everything, that’s how the song “My Love Mine All Mine” started/was created.

      “The Frost”:

      For the song “The Frost”, the producer, Patrick, and Mitski knew that they both wanted to draw from ‘Americana’ from classic country, folk, and old time music. This made them think they needed a band that was versed in those genres much more, and they were able to successfully find one. They even got Brooke Wagoner on the piano, who also did piano on Mitski’s album ‘Laurel Hell’ from 2022. Mitski and Patrick knew that they wanted the song to be live or have an acoustic feeling to it, so they had to rehearse with the whole band for a day then recorded all the songs they did together the next day.

      The song can mean being left behind or falling out with someone, and that the friendship/relationship being put behind or forgotten, also not being able to move on from that person. 

      “Star”:

      “Star” was also an old song, but it started when Mitski went to her friend’s house, playing her acoustic guitar and just started messing around with the track. In the beginning it sounded different from what the track is now currently, the first demos her and her producer made were trying to do a “carpenter thing”, and the demo kind of had the type of swing they looked for.

      But the demo felt a bit too happy so they tried a different version that was the same chords but sort of more of like “slow core” or “red house painters thing”, which also didn’t work either and they eventually figured out what’s not working is that there were so many chords per phrase.

      They switched to adding a drone just the sustained tonic in the start of the song, and that ended up sounding really good so they built off of that so it started simple with just a sustain, and they decided to keep building off of it, and they took inspiration from Scott Walker at the end of the day.

      Both, Mitski and her producer, wanted to add a little subtle orchestration to keep building on it, so they had their orchestrator, Drew Erickson, compose for strings that’s just very subtle, and they also took some parts of the orchestration to support the song instead of taking the spotlight.

      The song “Star”, describes two people who are no longer in love, but continues to care about each other partly in memory of the love they had.

      “I’m Your Man”:

      The process of making this song included Mitski writing it on an acoustic guitar. When she wrote the first half of the song she thought the song was short after listening to it so she had to figure out a way to lengthen it, but the problem was that she didn’t want to add other parts (ex. chorus, bridge, etc). Even though she didn’t want the song to change she decided to add choral voices, which required her getting a choir that sang “yo ho”, that was inspired by pirates and gave her a more masculine feeling that basically led to the intention behind the song. That process also gave the name of the song, “I’m Your Man”.

      The song is coming from the perspective of a man in Mitski’s head, basically it’s like the voice of a patriarch in your head because “we” all live in and were raised in a patriarchy. The “masculine voices” in your head depends on, not depending on what gender you are, but in a way of interacting with male figures in your life, and all the messaging you’ve received from the culture and the patriarchy around you. And so the song is to give a voice to that “masculine voice” in Mitski’s head to either help her bring into peace with it or free it up a little bit. This also was inspired by the story of the Buddha and how the Buddha was disturbed while being in peace, but how the Buddha was still kind to their “enemy”.

      Mitski wanted to try something similar by just letting the patriarch mind to basically say whatever or doing whatever, which is where the song came from and what the song means too. 

      “I Love Me After You”:

      During the process of “I Love Me After You”, Mitski made a mistake of recording herself of just playing it on an acoustic guitar and singing along. After she listened to the demo over and over, she tried to figure out how the end result track should be, but she struggled of how it should sound.

      After she brought it to Patrick, Mitski just wanted the song to just be acoustic guitar and voice since she was so familiar with it which also made her like the song like that. But she knew deep down that the track had potential and how she was just getting in her way, so eventually Patrick convinced her to do the version that it is today. He wanted the song to be like you’re crawling through something slow motion. In terms of making it, they made it faster and slower to get that feeling to see how it can get to that image.

      “I Love Me After You” can be about finding freedom from moving on from a failed relationship.