Colt Chronicle Winter 2022 Issue

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School News

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

By Riley Darlington, A&E Editor

“A beautiful sight. We're happy tonight…”

For the first time, the Trust Club is bringing its own Winter Wonderland to Kinnelon School District. The Trust Club has chosen to host an event in the winter in response to their huge success in October, "Fright Fest." Students can look forward to a movie with popcorn, enjoyable crafts, and high school students dressed in their favorite winter outfits at this event in February

The Trust Club is a group of KHS students who work with the elementary school, middle schools and community to raise funds in order to organize entertaining activities for students and their families. With these funds, the Trust Club has been able to put on events such as the Fright Fest, Winter Wonderland, and Family Fun Night

Advisor Heather Becker says, “The Trust Club is about bringing the community together by having our high school students mentor and do activities with our elementary schools, community, and students. I am looking forward to seeing how excited the little kids get [while] interacting with our high schoolers.”

The Trust Club concentrates on organizing events for younger children, in order to create a safe and fun community for them Families are even more enthusiastic about the Winter Wonderland event after seeing how popular the Fright Fest was

Advisor Vincent Passariello says, “This event is going to target resource students, as well as their families. We want to make this event more intimate compared to the Fright Fest, such as [using] only one of the cafeterias, rather than both Some ideas we have for this winter event are playing a winter movie with popcorn being made, tables with some crafts kids can do, as well as having the high school students dress up and take pictures with the kids.” Passariello enjoys seeing the children's and high school students’ joy. He continues to receive great feedback about the events the Trust Club held, and he hopes to see more positivity as they hold their Winter Wonderland One of the most rewarding parts of organizing these events is hearing how much fun the kids have

The Trust Club plans to host a winter event for resource students.

Trust Club members making plans for upcoming Winter Wonderland at their annual meeting on Wednesday, Nov 3

Photo by Riley Darlington

Continued from previous page

The Trust Club is very excited to concentrate this event solely on students with special needs as they can develop strong bonds with the students. Junior Jake Piccola says, “I am very excited for our Winter Wonderland event because I love the smiles on the kids’ faces Building friendships and relationships with these students is a lot of fun for me

At these events, we always have a blast with the kids.” A lot of high school students involved in the Trust Club are outgoing, so it is very easy and exciting for them to bond with new students they don't know

The Trust Club is eagerly anticipating the finalization of some very interesting projects for their Winter Wonderland They also plan to collect donations again with the aim of holding a spring event.

School News

Carving Into the National Art Honor Society

How KHS’ National Art Honor Society started their year and their future steps as a program

By Riley Macmanus, Staff Writer

The Kinnelon High School National Art Honor Society has officially been established for the 20222023 year and their first assignment in celebration of the Halloween season was a pumpkin carving contest hosted by Crystal Springs Resort.

It is the resort’s sixth annual Jack-O-Lantern walk where they sponsor local high school art students in a creative and fun competition

Local high schools make elaborate displays with the inclusion of their carved pumpkins to compete for the best team collaboration Students also have a chance to enter individual pumpkins judged for Most Creative, Best Craftsmanship, and People's Choice.

This is the first year that the NAHS at Kinnelon has entered into this competition and the members were so excited to be able to participate. Junior Anthony Cappa said, “I really loved our first assignment because carving pumpkins is really fitting for Halloween and it was super fun to do ”

The students within the NAHS collectively decided on Disney Halloween as their theme for the pumpkins, perfect for the fall season Some designs thatr were included in the display were a Devil Pluto (by senior Sullivan DenBleyker), Zero from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (by junior Julia Driscoll), and a vampire Minnie Mouse (by junior Anthony Cappa)

All of the pumpkins that were made were displayed surrounding a Disney castle cutout made by junior Jenna Dermksian

Members within the society had an amazing time working on this assignment “Without a doubt, the pumpkin carving contest should be a yearly tradition for the NAHS

The pumpkin display during the day and night.

Photos by Jenna Dermksian

You can ask anyone: Everyone loved it and carving the pumpkins was really fun and it was very on theme for the fall season” Cappa said Some members even brought up the fact that they think it should be expanded to all students Junior Madison Bsales said, “I think it is a fun idea, but it should definitely be open to more people outside of the NAHS.”

Elizabeth Vaughn Cason is the school’s ceramics teacher and this is her first year being the advisor for the NAHS, although she has been involved with the National Art Educators Association (NAEA) for the majority of her career

Vaughn Cason also has bigger plans in the near future for NAHS, “We will be working on a global art initiative called The Empty Bowls project next This is a grassroots movement by artists and crafts people in cities and towns around the world to raise money for food related charities to care for and feed the hungry in their communities. Empty Bowls supports food-related charitable organizations around the world, and has raised millions of dollars to help end hunger ”

This assignment will allow the members to showcase their ceramics skills as well as contribute to a worthy cause The NAHS has so much in store for the rest of the school year Vaughn Cason shared some goals she had for her members: “My humble goals are to recognize students for their academic and artistic achievements, and reward them for their accomplishments and service.”

Sugar Skull carved by Jenna Dermksian

Photo by Jenna Dermksian

Devil Pluto carved by Sullivan DenBleyker

Photo by Jenna Dermksian

'Don’t Worry Darling': Movie Review

Besides Harry Styles, the movie featured some other notable stars. Florence Pugh, the main character, was heavily praised for her performance. Some of her popular roles are in "Black Widow," "Little Women," and "Midsommar " Many critics argued that putting her next to Harry Styles was a mistake, since she is a more talented actress

Other notable actors include Chris Pine and Olivia Wilde, who have both been in their fair share of movies and starring roles.

Harry Styles’ acting was criticized by critics who said that although it could be passable, it wasn’t anything to write home about Of course, he might not have received these criticisms if not for his singing career A lot of the attention was coming from the fact that he was already incredibly famous Casting him was definitely a strategic move, since having such a famous actor created a lot of hype for the movie.

REVIEWS

The reviews for this movie range from one star to five Some people thought that the plot was captivating and that the plot twists involved were interesting They said that the acting was good, and thoroughly enjoyed it People on the other side of the spectrum had a lot more to say.

By Sofia Villegas, Staff Writer "Don't Worry

Darling" poster

Although they all agreed that Florence Pugh was a great actress, a lot of them mentioned that the other actors weren’t nearly as good, and that one good actor wasn’t enough to save the movie.

The psychological horror film got a lot of attention for its cast, but there’s more to it than the British songwriter lead

Continued from previous page

Others said that the plot line was predictable and boring. Some said that it was too hard to understand, while others said the opposite.

SIGNIFICANCE

What significance does this movie pose today? In our modern day world, questioning reality has been a common and recurring the

This movie made the entir more palpable It make question what is real and not in their world.

Another big idea brought the movie is the roles tha and women play in our socie

In the movie, the husb portrayed as the breadwinn works from 9 to 5, and th stays at home to cook and There have been controversies surrounding ideas of feminism brought the movie

Some say that the movie is criticizing those who don’t mind old-fashioned gender roles. They say that there is a negative stigma around having kids and creating a family, compared to the independence that the main character tries to acquire

Overall, the movie is worth a watch, whether to criticize or to enjoy, and tickets can be found in the QR code

Florence Pugh and Harry Styles in "Don't Worry Darling"

Photo courtesy of IMDb

Buy tickets to "Don't Worry Darling" on Fandango

A&E

Let's Just BeReal..

By Amelie Swiatek, Staff Writer

You're lying in bed doing nothing. Suddenly, your phone lights up. “2 min left to capture a BeReal and see what your friends are up to!” You quickly grab your phone and launch the app You can't be late to posting, so you quickly snap a photo and send it.

BeReal is an app where you can post what you ' re doing at that exact moment in the day

The way it works is simple; it's in the name: be real. At a random point in the day, everyone around the world who have the app gets a notification that it is time to “be real.”

The BeReal Logo

From the second you get the notification, you are given two minutes to capture yourself in the exact moment If you post late, it shows up for other users

BeReal is unique as it is unlike apps such as Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok There are no filters, and nothing you can do to change your face or body It is all-natural in the camera and it does not smooth over your face as most apps do after taking a picture. A great part of BeReal is that you can see what everyone thinks. Everyone has an option to “react” to someone else's BeReal

This option, of course, only works if you ' ve already posted your BeReal for the day since the app doesn't allow you to see anyone ' s pictures until you have posted yours To react to someone ' s post, you cannot just give a “heart” or “thumbs up” You must take a selfie of your reaction inside a circle template on the app Different emojis go along with the templates you can choose from, like a thumbs up or surprised emoji.

For a lot of people, BeReal is a great way to socialize and glimpse into your friends' daily lives. Others may even call it a way of socializing verbally

“It gives me a quick look into people’s real and daily lives that I might not have even known if I didn’t use the app,” sophomore Hope Sirinides says.

BeReal’s sole purpose is to do just that. That's why most people download the app in the first place, apart from it currently trending on TikTok. Of course, Instagram and Snapchat are apps where you can get a look at what your friends may be doing, but BeReal lets you see the exact moment and location

As there are positives, there are always negatives Even though the app is very liked because of its purpose, many complain during the times it goes off.

“

..it’s really random and often it’s not when I’m doing anything fun,” sophomore Sophia Angermund says

Photo courtesy of BeReal

A new social media app aims to make posts more genuine

The timing of BeReal notifications are very random It could go off as late as 12:30 a m or as early as 8:30 a m

Lots of users will usually ignore the notification if they aren't doing something interesting, and post at a later time when they are “If I’m just sitting at home doing homework or something, I usually just don’t do my BeReal In that case, I would just save it for school the next day,” Angermund says.

On the other hand, some people think that BeReal is just not worth their time “I feel like it's just one of those apps that I don’t need ” Sophomore Shreyasi Sharma says

Either way, no matter how you may feel, BeReal is all around today: Tiktok, Snapchat, and even at school! It is the new Snapchat and Instagram, but healthier, since its purpose is to reduce beauty expectations throughout social media

Amelie Swiatek’s BeReal at the KHS Homecoming Dance on Oct. 22.

Photo by Amelie Swiatek┃

Fun Memories to Make When Stuck at Home During the Winter

What to do when the snow begins to fall

By Peyton Triano, Staff Writer

With the leaves falling, the sun setting early, and the weather getting colder, winter has officially begun. It gets boring being stuck inside, but what if it doesn’t have to be? Here are some fun activities to do in the winter.

A classic activity that should be on everyone’s todo list is making homemade hot chocolate Although Swiss Miss is good, nothing beats homemade hot chocolate Whether you make it with friends, or just yourself, it is super fun and tasty

Every year people go to the store and buy a gingerbread house, but what if this year you make your own? You could make a gingerbread mansion, or a whole village with friends Not only is this a lot more fun, it’s also even more delicious

The TikTok sensation of charcuterie boards has gone viral over the past few months A fun activity to follow this trend is having a charcuterie board night with friends or family. The boards could be sweet, savory, festive, drinks, or anything you can think of. At the end of the night everyone can vote on their favorite board, and suddenly a random winter night has turned into a great memory with friends or family

Whether it’s fall, winter, spring, or summer, a DIY scent bowl is always a good idea

All you need to do is add festive scents to boiling water. Cranberries, oranges, and cinnamon are recommended, but you can personalize your scent bowl! You could even look up more combos; but whichever ones you do, will leave your house smelling amazing A creative activity is making a scavenger hunt Gather several people to separate into teams Then pick out of a hat for one team to make clues, while the rest follow the clues. The scavenger hunt could lead to a gift, food, prank, or anything your group can think of A tradition that many look forward to all year is snow activities including skiing, snowboarding, snow biking, snow tubing, etc. With several mountains in the range of Kinnelon, you can make any snowy night into a ski night with friends

Scan for songs to listen to while doing these activities!

On a warmer night, open up your trunk and decorate with blankets, pillows, snacks, and a screen to watch a movie on You can even add lights to make your trunk into a more cozy space

A fun way to capture memories is to collect fun photos and make a photo album, but there’s a fun way to make this more festive You can make a photo snow globe with friends. Inside the globe can put a fun photo that makes you think back to a fun memory of your choice

The final fun activity to entertain you during the winter season is to make a new type of cookie with your friends

Everyone has heard of a chocolate chip cookie, but what if you make a snicker cookie? A maple cookie? Or even a graham cracker cookie? The choices are endless! You and your friends can make up a ton of new tasty combinations!

Who knew that the winter season could be so fun? With these activities there's a guarantee of new memories, and fun activities

Hot Cocoa Bar winter activity

Photo by Peyton Triano┃

A&E

Review of Taylor Swift’s New Album: "Midnights"

By Julia Haines, Staff Writer

Upon her new album release on Oct. 21, Swift has gained a lot of praise for her new album. On Spotify, the album broke the record for the most streamed album in a single day with an outstanding 185 million streams

KEY TO SUCCESS

A factor that plays a big role in Swift’s success, is the relatability of her songs The ability to form connections to her music is what makes a lot of people so immersed by her songs Swift’s songs contain very raw emotions that address many prevalent issues to society From her new album, the song "Anti-Hero" addresses the issues of self-image and comparing yourself to others something many can relate to. Rather than just writing catchy lyrics, Swift finds a way to tie a hidden meaning behind each of her songs that help the listener feel more understood through the topics that she addresses.

Another leading component to Swift’s success is through incorporating a range of different emotions throughout all her songs Her song “Karma'' is very upbeat and falls more along the lines of pop, while the song “Your On Your Own Kid” is a very personal story of Swift’s journey through fame and losing loved ones The contrast between these two songs is very effective at emphasizing the highs and the lows by acknowledging the vast difference in emotion

HOW HAS THIS ALBUM COMPARED TO HER OTHER ALBUMS?

Swift's previous album “Folklore” and “Lover'' can be categorized under the genres of alternative/indie and pop. Although “Midnights'' is also labeled under these same g h t k it diff t f revious albums

Photo courtesy of Spotify

Cover of Taylor Swift's newest Album "Midnights "

Swift’s album consists of thirteen songs each crafted during sleepless nights. This creative frame makes the album more intriguing and unique to listeners Unlike her other albums, Swift included a video for her album on Spotify that details the five issues that kept her up at night By openly admitting the negative issues that Swift had dealt with allows others to respect her more for discussing these very personal issues that many might be too embarrassed to confess.

What makes Taylor Swift’s new album so successful and unique from her previous albums?

The Monogenre and

effects

By Owen

Music, especially pop, has and will always b engulfed in cliche The I-V-vi-IV chord progression vocal fry, and even something as simple as a son about a song is steeped in the history of music Bu more and more as time goes on from the 2010s to now, there is a certain simplification of popula music that shows constraints to get on the Top 2 of the Billboard 100. But why now in the age o streaming does music become so amalgamated and what has created what is referred to as th “mono genre”?

Defining the mono genre is difficult, but to pu it as simply as possible, it is the current dominan genre of music that tries to combine multiple style of music at once An easy example would be Li Nas X’s “Old Town Road”, which combine countryesque instrumentals with rap’s lyrica stylings. Others would include pop’s takeover o EDM’s drop or most popular country song including a popular rapper or pop singer (a la Florida Georgia line’s “Cruise”) Recently those influences have become more subtle, mixing the styles instead of holding them up separately in one song like R&B’s resurgence inside of what would typically be more loud and abrasive pop hits.

The reasoning behind this shift to “one genre to rule them all” has two arguments: more accessible access to all forms of music or access to free producing technology; at the same time, recent generations have had far more influence from different genres and it would make sense to take bits and pieces from each to create your voice

its

on Pop

Why do your parents always say everything new “sounds the same”

Lorde was one of the earliest signs of the Monogenre’s growth

Continued from previous page

As Chris Deville in his article “Deconstructing: HAIM, Lorde, And The Monogenre” says,

“Years of overflowing hard drives, the limitless feeding frenzy of online streaming, and the death of the guilty pleasure could only result in a generation of music that crossbreeds disparate styles.”

There is also a less artistic and more economical answer for the shift: to try and grab as many demographics as possible, to have a grab bag of cliches that people can attach themselves to in any song Both are true, the rise of indie music and the possibilities of unsigned artists show that there are musicians who used their musical resources to their fullest. But it's also true that labels have used the increase in listener base of all genres to their advantage and that the perversion of the mono genre has to lead to uninteresting music The mono genre is a blessing and a curse for the current music industry as it promotes diversity and crushes it under the widest net possible for pop.

The mono genre is a fact, it's here to stay and will be affecting the upper echelons of music for a while, but it is hard to say that is purely a bad thing It is always good to combine and separate and experiment with music and the mono genre is just an evolution of the experimentation that thousands of artists have used to find their sound.

Scan above to listen to a top 10 playlist of monogenre song examples

The band HAIM is another example of the monogenre

Photo by Elizabeth Weinberg

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A&E

Best Movies to Binge on This Holiday Season

It’s that time of the year to cuddle up and binge on those joy-f

By Sophia Angerm

Once every year that time comes where every comes together and spends time together It’s a time to rejoice and reflect on making it through another year Now, what better way to spend it than watching holiday movies with loved ones? Or just by oneself! Here are some of the most loved holiday movies of all time…

"Home Alone" (1990)

1Looking for a good laugh? "Home Alone" is about an 8-year-old boy named Kevin who is left behind accidentally while his family goes on a holiday vacation However, while Kevin is left behind some robbers try to break into his house It’s time to watch the movie to see how this young boy is going to be able to fight off these bad guys! Best of yet, "Home Alone" comes with some sequels as well!

"The Grinch" (2018)

"The Grinch" is a story that never fails to warm one ' s heart Throughout the movie, viewers watch and see how a grouchy and green old grinch who hates Christmas has a change of heart and becomes one of the most Christmas-spirit-filled souls there is! Watch the movie to find out how this change occurred!

"A Christmas Story" (1983)

Another classic comedy-filled Christmas movie A Christmas Story is about a young boy named Ralphie who wants his dream Christmas gift - a Red Ryder Air Rifle However, his parents are not too fond of this idea Ralphie is a young boy full of mischief and trouble, and throughout the movie viewers see Ralphie try to get his dream gift - through lots of laughs Will Ralphie end up getting his gift?

to is th

Pole. However, he is not a real elf and wants to find his real dad as he never felt as if he fit in Buddy goes on a mission to find his dad in NYC after growing up at the North Pole it’s two whole different worlds Will Buddy the Elf end up finding his dad and how will his dad react to the appearance of his new son?

5"Last Christmas" (2019)

Inspired by the song by George Michael and Wham!, the film is about a Christmas store worker named Kate who meets a mysterious young named Tom The two begin to fall for each other and start to spend the holiday time together but will it work out? This is the perfect movie to watch with a significant other!

2019 movie "Let It Snow"

Photo by Sophia Angermund

A&E

Mariah Carey & the Christmas Season

By Alanna Gallagher, Staff Writer

Early in the month Mariah Carey, famous singer and 5-time Grammy winner, took to social media where she was seen wearing a Halloween costume and as the date changed from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1 she was seen wearing a Christmas outfit with snow all around her This undoubtedly got people excited for the Christmas season, as well as her music

Carey has been associated with Christma her song “All I Want for Christmas is You” ca in 1994 Since then, Carey has done a multi things to continue her association with Ch For instance, earlier this month she publ children’s book titled "The Christmas Prince Adventures of Little Mariah)" which tells the little Mariah setting out on a journey wh discovers the power of her voice to spre Christmas spirit

“My Uncle has always been a big fan of hers and for my little cousin he pre-ordered the book which recently came in and she loves it!” said senior Sophia Seier. This children’s book was an immediate hit despite it being published only a month ago. Because of her, many fans bought the book for their children and her association with the Christmas season

Additionally, last year, to keep up with her association with the holiday season, Carey sought to make her reign as “The Christmas Queen” official by filing a petition to trademark the title.

She did this in order to have her company, Lotion LLC, use the title for branding on a range of products that they create However, this caused controversy with another artist, Elizabeth Chan, who claimed that she was dubbed the Queen of Christmas Chan then filed a motion against Carey’s request early in the year saying that she was already named the Queen of Christmas

On the week of Nov 14, the Trial Trademark and Appeal Board denied Carey’s request

continue to try to keep her association with the Christmas season each year since she always finds something new like trying to trademark ‘the Queen of Christmas,’” said senior Gianna Oldfield

Carey will always be associated with the holiday season because of her popular song, but she continues to keep up with that title with posts on social media, Christmas books, and trying to trademark ‘the Queen of Christmas.’ Each year, fans are even more excited to see what Carey will do next to continue her affiliation with Christmas.

Artist of the popular 'All I Want for Christmas is You' continues to do more to keep her title of ‘The Queen of Christmas.’

Features

Soccer, Basketball, Archery:

What's Your Favorite Gym Unit?

By Shreyasi Sharma, Staff Writer

You are a senior in high school, and today was the worst day of your week. You had three tests in a row, a pop quiz, and have a tremendous amount of homework due tomorrow. This dreary week drags on as you walk to your gym class. However, while coming out of the locker room and hearing the gym teacher introduce your favorite unit of all time, the pain of all the stress goes away, and your life returns to being joyful.

KHS has, in total, 18 different types of gym units, including archery, badminton, yoga, and dance. The gym teachers love making their classes more fun and interactive for students. A gym class is essential in student's life as it helps improve their attitude towar school and allows them to work on their mental an physical health. Gym classes are the only class wher students can move around after sitting for a extended time.

"Yes, I think [P.E.] can lift a student's moo especially with friends. Having friends in gym class one experience that you will always look back o later in life," said sophomore Tina Xu.

Even though there are many unique units in gym class, every student has one unit that is their all-time favorite. When asked about their favorite gym unit, most students replied with badminton. Badminton helps students be physically and mentally active. According to Decathlon, badminton is an entertaining, athletic sport that is simple to learn and play with few restrictions.

It strengthens your muscles, increases blood flow rate, and has several other advantages. Aside from physical health benefits, practicing badminton also has mental health benefits.

"Honestly, I like badminton because I used to play [it] with my dad in the summers and got pretty good at it. Plus, it gets you moving, uses a lot of hand-eye coordination while being competitive, and allows every person to play," said sophomore Hope Sirinides

Some students want that part of their schedule to be used for something valuable that they would appreciate more.

"I think P.E. should be replaced with a study hall. Students should be able to choose whether or not to have gym on their schedule. This is because I do not really find it necessary and a study hall would be more beneficial. However, if some students really enjoy gym, they will have that option to keep it," said junior Ellie Asquith.

KHS track and field course and soccer team

KHS students discuss their favorite activities in P.E.

It is hard to pick between all the units the school provides, but the weight room is also popular among some students Students are expected to perform 10 exercises utilizing the equipment daily during the weight room unit Many students [enjoy] this unit because they can pick whatever activity they like, allowing them to explore the weight room and have fun

"My favorite unit is the weight room because I feel like we have the most freedom there," said sophomore Sophia Angermund.

The instructor puts a lot of effort into including everyone in the lessons They would provide the students alternatives for the activities they want to play and the people they want to play with since they recognize that not everyone wants to participate or enjoys that unit. Students appreciate gym class more due to the small things the teachers do

“My favorite unit has to be badminton because I like racket sports and to be honest with you, I believe that you don’t have to be a super athlete,” said physical education, health and drivers education teacher Nino Capra.

Depicts five gym units and how they're used in KHS

Graphic by Shreyasi Sharma

Pros and cons of why should school provide Gym classes as mandatory

Features

Madelyn Kowalsky Commits to The University of Texas at Dallas

By Allison Warnica, Staff Writer

Fourteen years ago, Madelyn Kowalsky stepped into her first soccer practice. She was very nervous but excited to play. Her mother got her into soccer and never expected that it would be such a big part of her life. Her family has supported her throughout her soccer career.

Kowalsky is now on two soccer teams and is committed to a Division 3 university in Texas.

She is one of few KHS athletes who have already committed to a university in her junior year of high school. She is verbally committed to UTD (the University of Texas at Dallas) and is planning to fully commit sometime before January.

The college recruiting process is difficult for most students. Athletes have to get in contact with their sports coaches for the possible chance of committing. For Kowalsky, this process began early.

From the start, many colleges were interested in recruiting Kowalsky. She has been playing soccer since she was three, and has always had a passion for it. In the end, she chose to commit to UTD, but it was a long process to get there.

Many other colleges had offered Kowalsky scholarships like the University of Wisconsin, Vassar College, and Arcadia University. In the end, she chose UTD.

“They have a good Med. program, and their soccer team wins a lot of championships. I also got a fullride scholarship and thought it would be the best option for me.”

So far this season, Kowalsky has had a total of five assists and five points. She said, “Since I’m a Senior this year, I have more of an opportunity to accomplish things.”

Kowalsky’s journey started when she emailed head coaches of soccer programs that stood out to her.

The universities she contacted have earned a plethora of awards, championships, conferences, etc. After receiving responses from said colleges, Kowalsky began i i i ll

season

“I sent them my highlights had multiple recruiting calls and official visits began soon after,” said Kowalsky when describing the process Kowalsky plans on being a part of the medical program at UTD They will provide her with the experience she needs to succeed in her career

Even though Kowalsky's family and friends are thrilled that she got this opportunity, they will still miss her “I am so happy for Maddy and am so excited to see her play for UTD but I will miss her because we ' re going to different colleges,” said Kowalsky's friend Stephanie Warnica

KHS students share their experience of the recruiting process.

Baking Her Way To Helping Her Community

By Kristina Haviland, Editor-in-Chief

Over the past couple of years, Freshman Peyton Triano has contributed to her community by founding a charity called Compassionate Kids, NJ and starting her own baking business Not only ha her baked goods and donations helped those need, but she also has learned many personal lesso through her journey Her business, EatSweet, has grown tremendou over the years. She has baked for weddings, bri showers, birthday parties and various other eve within her community. However, she did not necessarily start a business came to her She says, “Two and a half years ago randomly started baking and got an order and th started getting more and more so I started a n profit charity called Compassionate Kids, NJ ” Her sister, Finley Triano, says, “She loves taking new hobbies and challenging herself which is w she took up baking so well. She started becom serious about it a few years ago.”

All of her proceeds from her business go directly the charity, which then goes to the Father Engl Food Pantry in Paterson, NJ She says, “I give ba and try to have kid-friendly things Some popu things I give are school lunch boxes, bread, pea butter and jelly, chips, and granola bars, and it goes to them.” Her custom food bags have fed o 5,000 families.

Triano has always had a love for helping people in need, and that’s exactly what she does by donating to the food pantry. “I believe that it’s important to

give back to those less fortunate because I am blessed with the fact that I don’t need to worry about putting a meal on the table, and others sadly don’t have that privilege ”

he

ng he he ted Her ng ons of other little kids' faces when she gives them her baked treats.”

Peyton Triano’s journey of growing her business, charity, and giving back to people in need.

Triano has been going to the food pantry for almost three years now and has been able to meet the families who utilize it, giving her a new perspective on life “It has shaped me to who I am today, as I see outside of my bubble that people truly do struggle Some have even taught me personal lessons along the way.”

Though friends and family have helped her grow her business in some ways, Triano has accomplished almost everything on her own

Triano says, “In June, a show called George to the Rescue came and they saw the work I was doing and wanted to advertise that and redid my room for me ”

The show gave her the opportunity to meet with Christina Tosi, founder and CEO of Milk Bar, and bake with her as well as get to know her journey as an entrepreneur.

Triano does not plan on stopping anytime soon, and her friends and family know she will do big things in e future She says, “My goals are to keep them up r as long as I can I hope that as I get older I can ontinue to make my charity bigger ”

Whether the donations are small or big, Triano ontinues to leave an everlasting impact on her ommunity. Jenna Triano says, “She works so hard to ut everything together and it all becomes worth it hen she sees how big of an impact something as mall as a cookie can have on someone’s life ”

Finley Triano has watched her sister grow over the years as well as the effect her help has on others. “I am so incredibly proud of her, she has dedicated so much time to helping others and the fact that she does it voluntarily really inspires me ”

All this time and effort she has put into helping others has not gone unnoticed George to the Rescue is a human interest/home renovation series that showcases the power of community.

Triano packing food donation bags during the pandemic.

hoto by Peyton Triano

Opinion

Lula Da Silva: The New World Leader on the Block

A Tale of Presidents, Propaganda, and Polarity

By Nathan Shurts, Staff Writer

Adviser’s Note: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this opinion article belong solely to the author and do not reflect the view of The Colt Chronicle Staff, Kinnelon High School, or its students and staff members.

After an intense, polarized election featuring a runoff and threats of a coup, Lula Da Silva has taken office as Brazil’s new president

The election was fraught with mud-slinging and claims of fraud, chiefly from incumbent president Bolsonaro His opponent Lula had previously been convicted in a corruption scandal during his first time in office a few years ago which Bolsonaro used to spark a major divide over the issue of his innocence

To make matters worse, the incumbent president claimed that he would refuse to accept a loss in the election, using rhetoric that some have compared to that of former US President Donald Trump. After a tense wait to see how Bolsonaro would respond to his defeat, most people have begun to accept Lula as the new president. Many others took to the streets and began to protest.

The extent of the divide in this particular election was so severe, in fact, that a runoff was necessary to get the results as in Round 1, neither candidate obtained 50% of the vote. Visualized in the image on the left, the race was very close, which only worsens the debate concerning the legitimacy of the election.

The current problem facing the country: the election was fair, and yet only a fraction of the nation’s residents feel confident about its legitimacy.

The way this issue arose was no accident. In fact, it was the culmination of a months-long propaganda campaign by Brazil’s former leader: Jair Bolsonaro. Through an elaborate combination of social media posts, interviews, and speeches, Bolsonaro crafted an intricate narrative of fraud and corruption from nothing but wild accusations. The frightening part was that many of his supporters believed it.

Propaganda has been a useful tool for centuries, most notably used in politics Everything from Rosie the Riveter to Uncle Sam has been used to sway public opinion in one direction or another by widely distributing a message and getting people to propagate it (hence the word propaganda)

In the past 20 years, propaganda has moved with us into the digital age and evolved into something far more powerful In the past, this rhetoric tool has been applied liberally, but with purpose

Now that we have entered an age where everything can be anonymously posted and rapidly circulated, propaganda has gained the capability to shape our very perception of reality by replacing more accurate, unbiased sources

From a psychological perspective, propaganda is powerful because it plays to our natural tendency to favor information that supports our preexisting beliefs

Results of the 2022 Brazil general election

This confirmation bias arises mostly from our chosen sources of information As humans, we are inherently trusting of information, especially when we were not present for the events that transpired.

We see this in news reporting, where eyewitness accounts of crimes are taken almost word for word when reported on television despite their inherent flaws and biases. We also see it in political news, where we hear rumors and slander about one politician and almost immediately villainize them without hearing the other side

By taking advantage of our confirmation bias and our trusting nature, Bolsonaro created a smear campaign on both Lula and the very process of the election.

By plastering his message on every TV, newspaper, and event, he propagated it and

allowed people to reinforce their preexisting concerns about the legitimacy of Brazilian elections, which has been tenuous at best ever since they first became a democracy in 1989.

As a result of this tension, there are currently major protests and rallies going on in Brazil, with some of them even calling for a military coup to take back the government for Bolsonaro

This approach would effectively be reinstating a dictatorship in Brazil, undoing the positive changes brought about by their development of constitutional democracy Sadly, the desire to question election results that don’t fit our expectations and interests has become a part of democracy in the past few years Many believe our own country provided that example on Jan 6, and as a result, we ' ve fostered a lack of confidence in the democratic process

These events bring up an interesting debate: if the right to protest is guaranteed by the constitution, what makes this any different? When asked if protesting the result of an election is part of democracy, Ward said, “The ability to protest is a part of any democracy but there comes a point where you either have to accept that the election was fair and equal or you’re undermining democracy ”

The important thing to note when talking about the election in Brazil is that Bolsonaro and his supporters in the government eventually accepted the results of the election, and there currently seems to be a peaceful transition of power despite the widespread protests by his supporters. In fact, the only group that still seems to be questioning the election process as a whole is the Republican Party in America.

Even two years after the election that sparked the debate over mail-in voting, the Republican Party is still actively filing lawsuits in an attempt to prevent mail-in voting from being an option in the midterms as well as in the 2024 election where Trump may end up back on the ballot.

The argument behind this effort to remove mail-in voting is a question of legitimacy since they claim that mail-in ballots are a major source of election fraud. Despite these claims seeming reasonable when you first hear them, there are numerous safeguards in place to protect the mail-in voting system and its legitimacy.

The real reason Republican officials are so interested in eliminating mail-in voting may be the disproportional amount of Democrat votes that are cast through the system. Just take a look at the percentages of mail-in voters casting votes for Biden vs. for Trump. The Biden voters are considerably more likely to vote using the absentee voting system, which seems like a much stronger and more realistic motive for the Republican party officials to abolish it.

Generally speaking, most of the perceived issues with the election process are either isolated instances blown out of proportion, or narratives crafted to appeal to our confirmation bias and exploit the weaknesses in our cognitive defenses. Rather than accusing our election system of fraud, we should take pride in the equality and democracy it represents.

By questioning the 2020 election, we provided a bad example for the rest of the world, but even Brazil (which was recently a dictatorship) was able to accept its election results, so we should be more than capable of doing the same.

After the midterm elections, we need to come back together as a country and work to sort out our differences. The last thing we need is another round of infighting and false accusations.

Big Business: Hearts Three Sizes Too Small?

By The Editorial of the Colt Chronicle

Adviser’s Note: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this opinion article belong solely to the author and do not reflect the view of The Colt Chronicle Staff, Kinnelon High School, or its students and staff members.

Bright Christmas lights, icy weather, and the rush to find the perfect present all conspicuously mark the beginning of the holiday season. While the Christmas decorations and cold weather never change, the hunt for gifts has become increasingly youth-oriented. With a major focus on children's programming and social media, companies are attempting to unethically morph children into wideeyed consumers

Kids Youtube is dangerous

YouTube has become a ubiquitous part of childhood entertainment over the past 15 years Many children flock to the website in search of advice and content from their favorite influencers Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat influencers are impacting a growing amount of the purchases of US and UK teens, according to Insider

The sway influencers hold over the purchasing habits of the youth is most evident when the influencers are taking part in paid sponsorship, peddling products to their audience for financial gain. When influencers fail to vet the products they are using, this can lead to children getting swindled through the purchase of misrepresented products.

Impressionable, young children are spending increasing amounts of time on YouTube, and many buy products they were first exposed to on the platform

According to the BBC, “about 40% of children aged 14 and under watch YouTube or YouTube kids at least weekly More than 60% in that age range have bought something they saw in a video ”

According to TVTech, “85% of kids [are] reporting [that] they watched YouTube ” That is a very substantial portion of the youth population

Kids movies and holiday advertising

Part of the allure of the holiday season is its emphasis on family During the holidays, parents like to spend time with their children, whether it be through decorating a tree or watching holiday movies Big business companies tend to capitalize on this, using programs such as Freeform’s “25 Days of Christmas” as platforms for advertising.

Many of the movies televised on such programs communicate the importance of family and expressing gratitude. Thus, when viewers are exposed to the advertisements of big companies during commercial breaks, they are at their most vulnerable Purchasing a gift then presents itself as the best way to demonstrate appreciation for loved ones

Some organizations, such as the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK, regulate content directed toward children For example, alcoholic drinks and electronic cigarettes are included among a list of age-restricted products

But, organizations such as these merely prevent children from being exposed to harmful products, rather than protecting children from the subconscious effects of targeted advertisements.

Peddling fun holiday toys to children during commercial breaks between segments of a familyoriented holiday movie causes children to subscribe to a consumerist philosophy in which gratitude can only be demonstrated through the transaction of gifts

Social media has become an outlet for many businesses, as many now offer a shopping page Children are being manipulated through companies advertising on their social media accounts This can range from small businesses to large companies like Nike or Adidas The goal of getting the word out to the public has become easier through social media Businesses are able to grab the eye of many kids during the holidays

According to Commonsense Education, 64% of the time it is children that are being targeted in social media ads In a random selection of 200 products, 127 of them targeted and manipulated children Companies and organizations make it a priority to target the eyes of kids

Conclusion:

While organizations specializing in regulating the effects of digital media and marketing on children exist, they seem to glance over holiday advertising The whole market of digital advertising on websites like YouTube and other social media sites is relatively new Along with these new platforms, the collection and distribution of user information is rampant. While consumers browse for products, looking at reviews of the trendiest Christmas gifts, they often become a product themselves with the collection of their data

On shopping websites there is an endless cycle of advertisements used to collect user data; this data is then flipped in order to recommend more ads over and over. While apps like YouTube Kids have limited advertising, meaning that they are only shown ads “for kids”, they are still being manipulated when companies are actively trying to sell them things.

As recently as April 2021, a House Subcommittee was investigating YouTube Kids regulation of advertising and content Most of the laws pertaining to regulations on advertising to children only deal with truth, that advertisements must be truthful, and nondeceptive (such as 15 U S C § 45)

However, these do not deal with the ethics of advertising to children in the first place Children are impressionable, the prefrontal context, which plays a key part in cognitive control functions, is not fully developed until 25 Young children cannot understand that advertisements exist to convince them to give their money to a company

Children are inundated with advertisements of other children just like them playing with action figures, legos, and dolls It’s easy to subliminally convince a child that their life would be better with a certain product or that it will make them more liked

These methods of persuasion are not outright deceptive, but deeply unethical Organizations protecting children from advertisements need to go further than combating just deceptive advertising, but advertising to children as a whole

Why are these techniques so blatantly unethical, why are they socially acceptable, and why are they legal? Perhaps because all of the psychological manipulation of children can be labeled as harmless advertising

While we should have more laws and regulations on how much companies can advertise to children and the places they can do so, the issue may be the subject of advertising as a whole? The idea of manipulating masses of people to believe that they need a product is a subject that is already so deeply ingrained in our society that many would not question it in the first place.

Why are we not fed up with corporations attempting to influence the way we think and the things we want? Americans should want more for themselves, and for their children.