Category Archives: News

Events

Holidays in December you might not know about

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Christmas. Hanukkah. New Year’s Eve. Are these the only three holidays in December? Many might forget that there is more to the month than menorahs and mistletoe. To shed some light on forgotten festivities, we curated a list of lesser known holidays this December.

Kwanzaa began being celebrated in the late 1960s. After the Watts riots, Kwanzaa was formed as a celebration of harvest: similar to Thanksgiving. In fact, the title “Kwanzaa” comes from the term “first fruit.” The holiday includes: meals, dancing, singing and storytelling. It spans seven nights.

Boxing Day is celebrated on December 26. It originated in the UK, and is the day where church collection boxes are opened. The money is given to the poor, and workers are given the day off to spend with their family.

World AIDS day takes place on December 1. It is used to spread awareness on aids and mourn the loss of those who have died from it.

Saint Nicholas Day is on December 6. It could be considered a Christmas holiday, and it is considered a day to focus on giving rather than receiving. The holiday tells the story of a Catholic saint and his morals.

The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is a yearly event on December 2, organized by the United Nations General Assembly. The day was first celebrated in 1986. The Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others was approved by the United Nations General Assembly on December 2, 1949. Also, by resolution 57/195 on December 18, 2002, the Assembly proclaimed 2004 the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992. It has been observed with varying degrees of success around the planet. The observance of the day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. It was originally called “International Day of Disabled Persons” until 2007. Each year the day focuses on a different issue.

Each year, on December 8, brownie lovers across the nation enjoy one of their favorite baked goods on National Brownie Day. Brownies were created in the United States at the end of the 19th century. A cross between a cookie and cake, they soon became very popular across the country. Though it is unclear of who created this holliday, would you miss an opportunity to eat you’re favorite treat?

International Migrants Day is observed on December 18, in accordance with Resolution 55/93 of the United Nations General Assembly which was adopted on December 4, 2000. On December 18, 1990, the General Assembly had adopted a resolution on the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (resolution 45/158). This day is observed in many countries, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations through the dissemination of information on human rights and fundamental political freedoms of migrants, and through sharing of experiences and the design of actions to ensure the protection of migrants.

Bacon Day is observed annually on December 30th. Everything’s better with bacon. Someone said that once. Within our research, we have found very little to dispute this assertion. In the United States and Canada, bacon is made from the pork belly. Elsewhere in the world, the side and back cuts of pork are used. The meat is cured in either a salt brine or in a salt pack. It is then either dried, boiled or smoked. Bacon is a very popular food in the USA. You can find many items also flavored or scented with bacon including popcorn, soap, candles, air fresheners, and much more. Tthe proper way to celebrate it is by surrounding yourself with bacon!

Did you know some of these? What was your sore out of 9? Share with your friends and find out if you got the best score!

Local

Ice rink is coming to the Mall of America this holiday season

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On December 8, 2018, an ice rink will open at the Mall of America, and it will be free to the public. It is a custom built ice rink, and it is a 12,000-square-foot oval rink. This ice skate rink will be called “Skate the Stars” and it will be located near the Bloomington shopping mecca’s north entrance. The rink is being presented by UCare, and will be around for those planning on making holiday returns.

In a press release, Jill Renslow, SVP of business Development at Mall of America said, “An ice rink has been an experience we have always wanted to bring to life for our guests who visit Mall of America during this cherished time of year, we want our guests to experience the unexpected when they visit each year, that is why adding this ice rink is such an exciting addition to our holiday line-up,’’ she added, ‘‘We look forward to seeing visitors from all over the world enjoy Skate the Star at Mall of America.”

If you plan on going you can bring your own skates, or you can rent skates for $5, with proceeds benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities. Before skating, all skaters must complete waivers. Minors under the age of 18 must have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian.

The skate rink will be there until January 27, 2019, and from December 8-23, it will be open from 3 p.m to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday. It will open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and Sunday it will open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Starting Christmas eve, the hours will change onwards.

Images are posted on the Mall of America Facebook page, and it shows the rink as a circular track with a station in the middle.

For more information visit these sites:

Events, World

2018 G20 Summit

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By: Daniela Fernandez

This year, the G20 Summit was held on November 30 – December 1 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The G20 summit has been going on since 1999. The summit is where the world’s countries, that lead in the economy, meet every year. Heads of state, or governments, attend the summits to discuss ways to help the world’s economy stabilize. They also talk about financial markets, trade, and development. There are 19 countries, and the EU, that participate in the G20 summit according to G20 Argentina 2018. These countries are Argentina, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Brazil, South Korea, Turkey, South Africa, Germany, China, India, Indonesia, France, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Italy, and Australia.

This year, they discussed technology, and how they could guarantee that everyone has access to technology. Also, how technology helps to resolve problems in the world, and to make sure that technology won’t create a backlash in the world.

They also talked about finances, and ways that they can guarantee that money is shared with everyone. This included ways to ensure that the IMF and the WB have enough resources to help countries, and prevent economic loss.

They also discussed agriculture, and the loss of sustainable land because of global warming, and unfair access to land.

Another topic they discussed was international trade, access to markets, globalization, and fair trade.

The final topic they discussed was anti corruption, and helping developing countries fight governmental and industrial corruption, according to G20 Argentina 2018.

This year, at the G20 summit, the US, Canada, and Mexico signed the updated NAFTA agreement. This agreement is about including more products in the free trade market, and guaranteeing that the US won’t force tariffs. This agreement has Canada open its milk market to the United States.

The new agreement says that starting in 2020, to have no tariffs, cars and trucks have to be made with 75% of its parts from the United States, Mexico, and Canada. It is currently at 62.5% parts made from the US, Mexico, and Canada. The new agreement won’t take action until 2020 according to the Washington Post.

National

Laura Loomer and Twitter

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Laura Loomer is a far-right political activist who just got herself spun into yet another controversy.

Her activism has sparked controversy, especially this time when she chained herself to the doors of the Twitter HQ.

She did this after Twitter banned her for calling Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota state representive, “anti-jewish” and part of an oppressive religion.

Loomer had handcuffed herself just a week after her ban while wearing a yellow Jude patch. A police officer used bolt cutters to un-handcuff her, and she was not arrested.

This isn’t the first time she got herself in a controversy. In her senior year at Barry University, she taped a conversation between her and college officials. She was given criminal charges and was suspended from the university for violating the student code of conduct. She has dressed in burqas twice for her activism, and even interrupted two book signings. She went to the trial of Noor Salman with press credentials, which were revoked after she started to harass Salman’s family.

Let’s just hope she doesn’t get herself caught up in anything else.

Editorials/Student Voice, News

The risks of vaping

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According to theTruth.com, despite all the anti smoking campaigns used 20 years ago, in 1998, 23% of teens still smoked cigarettes. Skip ahead to 2005, and teen usage of E-cig vaping devices has increased to 16%.

Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances that is easily accessible. Nicotine mimics an acetylcholine receptor in the brain, but also reduces the number of receptors that the brain produces. The long-term brain changes caused by continued nicotine use can result in addiction.

E-cigs were originally intended for people who wanted to quit smoking cigarettes but weren’t ready to quit nicotine cold turkey. Vaping has been proven to be harmful to people in the same ways as smoking cigarettes. They might not contain the chemicals found in tobacco, but they still contain cancer causing chemicals that affect your respiratory and circulatory systems.

These 5 shocking facts about vaping might make you think twice about picking up one of these hand held smoking devices.

Nicotine from vaping can damage blood vessels. 

Vaping for even 30 minutes a day with an e-cig containing nicotine, was proven to increase stiffness in the arteries while also increasing blood pressure.

The primary ingredient in vape liquid turns into formaldehyde, a known cause of cancer, when it’s heated.

When you vape, or inhale this vapor, you are willingly exposing yourself to cancer causing chemicals.

E-cigarette companies target youth in their advertising

The companies will purposefully target youth by including themes like rebellion, independence, and sex in their advertisements. Another way they target youth is by making the vape liquid in sweet or fruity flavors.

Every month, in the U.S., more than 100 children, less than 6 years old are poisoned from ingesting vaping liquid

The colorful packaging and sweet flavors of these liquids make young children want to eat it.

E-cigs and vapes have gone unregulated by federal authorities since the ’60s. 

For more than 50 years, e-cig and vape companies didn’t have to register their products, disclose ingredients, or get approval from the FDA before selling them. They weren’t officially regulated until August 2016.

For more information, please visit: https://www.thetruth.com

Books/Art, Events

NaNoWriMo

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by: Vivian S

In July 1999, 21 people in the San Francisco Bay Area challenged one another to write 50,000 words in one month. Surprisingly, they found it fun and decided to continue on doing it. It has grown since then, with 394,507 people participating in 2017, in 646 regions.

National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo, is a challenge that anyone can take on to write 50,000 words of a novel in the month of November. They have a website where you can sign up and make an account, and it tracks your progress and tells you how many words you should write each day to complete that goal. With the website, you can receive pep talks from other authors, get support, meet other writers online, find out about events in your area, and all around challenge yourself. NaNoWriMo awards badges that you can earn over the month for your achievements.

Some novels written over the course of NaNoWriMo have been published and become successful. Examples include Marissa Meyer’s Cinder and Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl.

NaNoWriMo is run by a non-profit organization that hosts other events as well. They have a Young Writers Program and a Camp NaNoWriMo. They used to do a script writing event, but they don’t do it any longer.

In the Young Writers Program, you can participate alone or in a classroom. You can set word count goals and work toward them. Educators can create online classrooms where they can keep track of student progress.

In April and July, Camp NaNoWriMo is hosted, and it is where you set your own word count goals and work toward them.

Even after November, you are still urged to continue to work on your NaNoWriMo novel. In January and February, they host “Now What?” months where you can work on revising and publishing your novel.

NaNoWriMo is an event that anyone can take on to put words on paper (or computer) and challenge themselves.

For more information, go to https://nanowrimo.org

National

12 people killed in California bar

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On November 8th, 2018, another mass shooting occurred at a local college bar in California. There was a total of 12 people that were shot and killed that day.

The gunman responsible for this tragedy was a 28-year-old former Marine, Ian David Long, who went by David Long. He was divorced, with no known children, or owned property. According to investigators, he used to hang around the area of the shooting often. He had a few previous run ins with the law where there was a disturbance at his home. Apparently, he was acting irrational according to police.

David Long reportedly ended his shooting spree by killing himself inside the bar.

The shooting took place at Borderline Bar & Grill, a popular bar in Thousand Oaks, California. The bar is a popular place for local college students. Police say they were surprised that this shooting took place in this city, because it is considered to be one of the safest cities in the United States.

David Long’s friends did not describe him as someone who would commit this horrific crime. One of his high school friends said, “The Ian I knew would not do this.” Another one said, “I don’t know what the hell happened.” All four friends that were interviewed clearly showed that they were surprised it was David.

National

2018 Midterm Election Results

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By: Daniela Fernandez

This year, on November 6th, Midterm elections were held. This year,s election was very crucial to both the Republican and Democratic parties as their fate in who would hold the Senate and House of Representatives in D.C. was at stake.

Now with this year’s election over, the democrats have the majority in the House of Representatives. In this election, the democrats gained 27 seats according to Time Magazine, which gave them the majority of 14 seats

The Senate has 100 seats. This year 35 of the 100 seats were up for election. In the Senate, the Republicans kept control of it. They gained 4 seats, but lost 2 which the democrats took according to CNN. Republicans flipped North Dakota, with Cramer winning, Indiana who had Braun win, and Missouri who saw Hawley win. Also, Florida, after recounts, had Scott win. Democrats flipped Nevada with Rosen winning, and Arizona, who had Sinema winning.

Democrats now hold 47 seats in the Senate, and republicans hold 52 seats. Republicans have had control of the Senate since 2015, when they held 54 seats, and democrats held 44 seats according to the United States Senate website.

In the House of Representatives, democrats hold 232 seats out of 435, and republicans hold 200 seats. This year, all 435 of the House of Representatives seats were up for election. Democrats now have a majority of 14 seats because in order to have majority they need 218 seats. They needed to flip 24 seats in order to gain majority. Democrats previously had 195 seats, and republicans had 236, and there were 4 seats that were empty according to the U.S. House of Representatives Press Gallery.

Republicans lost 36 districts, and democrats flipped 37 districts. With this, now they hold the majority, which they haven’t held since before President Obama’s second year in office which they lost to the republicans. They held 257, and republicans held 178 according to the United States House of Representatives Archives.

Events

A brief history of Thanksgiving day

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Thanksgiving day is celebrated by millions of Americans around the United States. This year, it will be celebrated on Thursday, November 22. On September 6, 1620, the Mayflower departed from Plymouth, England, with 102 passengers known as the Pilgrims. They explored the shores of Cape Cod, far from their destination at the Hudson River. A month later, the Mayflower ship crossed Massachusetts Bay, and there they began working on establishing a village at Plymouth.

In the year of 1623, there was a terrible drought, and the Pilgrims prayed for rain to come. They celebrated a day of Thanksgiving after the rain came, but it was more of a prayer than a day of parties.

Between 1789 to 1863, American presidents tried to proclaim that November 26 should be celebrated as a national day of Thanksgiving, but it failed to become a tradition. Every president after George Washington tried tried to make Thanksgiving an annual tradition.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln, declared that Thanksgiving should be celebrated on the last Thursday of November for a ‘‘day of Thanksgiving and Praise’.’ Lincoln ordered government departments to close on Thanksgiving, and it has been celebrated by the nation ever since.

When Franklin D. Roosevelt was president, he moved Thanksgiving one week earlier, because sometimes the last Thursday of November was the fourth, and sometimes the fifth. Thanksgiving has been the fourth Thursday in November ever since this change.

For more information visit these cites:

https://www.history.com/news/abraham-lincoln-and-the-mother-of-thanksgiving

History of Thanksgiving: A Timeline

https://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/thanksgiving/timeline/1621.html#

Local

Minnesota elections

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Tuesday’s midterm elections were a very surprising election in Minnesota, and many firsts were been made as many women took the lead.

Amy Klobuchar defeated Republican Jim Newberger by 625,614 votes and continues to add to her senate service of over 10 years. Tina Smith won against Karin Housley, and is Minnesota’s second senator, and won by 274,603 votes. The governor of Minnesota is now Tim Walz who defeated Republican Jeff Johnson by 295,261 votes.

Ilhan Omar beat Jennifer Zielinski by 193,258 votes, with most her votes coming from Hennepin County. She was the nation’s first Somali-American member of Congress and will be one of two Muslim women congresswoman. She was once a refugee and is headed to Washington D.C. She won Minnesota’s fifth congressional district.

Peggy Flanagan was the first Native American elected lieutenant governor, and was serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2015.

Annie Craig became the first openly LGBTQ member of Congress from Minnesota, when she won the 2nd Congressional district by defeating Republican Jason Lewis.

In Hennepin county David Hutchinson will be the first openly gay sheriff in the Midwest.

Maria Regan Gonzalez will be the first Latina mayor in Richfield, and Kim Norton will be Rochester’s first woman mayor, also Jonathan Judd will be Moorhead’s first African American mayor.