The Howler - October 24

The

HOWLER 2024 OCT 31

THEHOWLER@ALLENDALECOLUMBIA.ORG

HALLOWEEN TRADITIONS ELLE DILORETO

Halloween is coming up. That means carving pumpkins, eating candy, watching scary movies, reading scary stories, dressing up, and so much more. Let’s dive into the depths of these traditions. What I mean by this is, how these traditions originated, where these traditions are most popular, how these traditions have changed over time, and what we do now to this day to celebrate and commemorate these traditions.

PC: David Menidrey

CARVING PUMPKINS Carving Pumpkins is such a fun thing to do. The faces you can make on your pumpkin.

Lighting up your pumpkin. Putting the pumpkin on your front porch for everyone to see. But how did this tradition begin? Who even thought of it at that? Let’s take a look.

How did carving pumpkins originate?

Their origin actually comes from an Irish myth about Stingy Jack (a ghost) who tricked the Devil to gain money. When Jack died, he wasn’t allowed into Heaven or Hell, so Jack was sent to roam the earth for eternity. In Ireland, people began to carve faces out of turnips to frighten away Jack’s wandering soul. When Irish immigrants moved to the U.S., they began carving jack-o’-lanterns from pumpkins since it was native to their region. Wait. How does this connect with Halloween? Well, the answer is,

since Halloween is based on the Celtic festival Samhain, a celebration in ancient Britain and Ireland that marks the end of summer and the beginning of the new year on November 1, it’s believed that the souls of those who died that year traveled to the otherworld, and the other souls would return to visit their homes. In the 8th century CE, the Roman Catholic Church moved All Saints’ Day (celebrating the church’s saints), to November 1. This meant that Halloween fell on October 31. The story of Stingy Jack was soon incorporated into Halloween, and people started carving pumpkins.

Where is carving pumpkins most popular?

There are three places where people carve pumpkins: Ireland, Scotland, England, and this soon led to the USA carving pumpkins as well.

How carving pumpkins changed over time?

Carving pumpkins in America has changed by becoming more advanced over time. Some designs are still simple faces like how it originally started, but now, people are beginning to carve more unique faces on pumpkins, or not even a face if they don’t want to, but we now have a wide range of designs we can do on our pumpkins now.

What we do now.

To this day, we carve pumpkins with our friends and families, making silly faces, really building a bonding experience with our loved ones. We tend to put lights in our pumpkins once we have finished carving them, and then put them out on our porches for everyone to see.

Bringing a little spirit to our holidays.

TRICK-OR-TREATING Trick or treat. Smell my feet. Give me something good to eat. Sound familiar?

Trick-or-treating is a huge thing we do on Halloween to this day, but how did we get the Halloween Traditions continued on page 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

HALLOWEEN PAGE 1-3 SPORTS: INSIDE THE DEN PAGE 4-5 ENTERTAINMENT: HOWLARIOUS PAGE 6-12 CURRENT EVENTS PAGE 13-14 INTERVIEW PAGE 15 ADVICE PAGE 16

FaLL PLAYLIST JACK DIEHL

“Ski” by YSL feat. Travis Scott and Gunna This is a great upbeat and uplifting song. It can cheer you up if you’re in a bad mood and it’s enjoyable to listen to.

“Unforgettable” by Drake feat. Jeezy.

This is an old Drake banger. A true classic. It’s a chill song for chill days when you just want to kick back and listen to some Drake. You can never go wrong with an old Drake song.

“MIDDLE CHILD” by PnB Rock feat.

XXXTENTACION This is a classic and the song reminds me of Playlist continued on page 2

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THE HOWLER

Halloween Traditions continued from page 1

idea to go around knocking on strangers’ doors asking for candy? Well, let’s take a look.

How did trick-or-treating originate?

Trick-or-treating has been a tradition for more than a century now in the United States and other places. Halloween originated from the Celtic Festival of Samhain on October 31. The Celts believed that the dead returned to earth on the night of Samhain. During Samhain, villagers wore costumes made of animal skins to scare off phantom visitors and food was left out to placate unwelcome spirits. Then people started dressing as demons, and other scary creatures, performing antics in trade for food and drinks.

This was back in the Middle Ages and was the foundation of trick or treating. By the ninth century, Christianity had spread to Celtic lands, where trick or treating started to grow. Poor people would visit the houses of the wealthy to get food and pastries in exchange to pray for the homeowners’ dead relatives on All Souls day on November 2, a day to honor the dead. This was known as souling, and was later taken up by children who went from door to door asking for food, gifts, and drinks. In Scotland and Ireland, young people took part in guising, a tradition where they go from door to door performing for the homeowners of that house and get a treat out of it. Modern-day trick-or-treating relates to Guy Fawkes Night (Bonfire Night) which commemorates the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot where in 1605, British children wore masks, carrying effigies, begging for pennies.

On November 5, 1606, Fawes was executed.

On the original Guy Fawkes Day, celebrated immediately after the execution of Fawkes, bon fires were lit to burn effigies or other symbolic “bones” of the catholic people. By the 19th century, kids bearing effigies of Fawkes were on streets on November 5, asking for “a penny for the guy.” Some Americans still celebrate Guy Fawkes Day, and immigrants helped popularize what we now call Halloween. In the 20th century, guising was brought back and then by 1920, pranks had become the Halloween activity of choice for kids. Pranks became too hectic, so candy was replaced in place of the pranks. Now, Americans spend $3.1 billion on candy for Halloween, Halloween becoming the second-largest commercial holiday.

Where is Trick-or-treating most popular?

Trick-or-treating is most popular in the United

States, United Kingdom, and Canada.

How Trick-or-treating has changed over time?

All in all, the idea of trick or treating has taken on a much more innocent role than it has before. “Trick-or-treat.” isn’t as literal as it used to be. Few children today have intentions to pull a prank if they aren’t offered candy.

What we do now.

Today, trick-or-treating is much different compared to how it used to be. Trick-or-treating is now a time where kids get together to show off costumes to others, get candy, and sort through, eating, devouring all their candy they have gotten. What a great way to bond with people in our community.

WEARING COSTUMES Lastly, wearing costumes is one of the most important traditions when it comes to Halloween, but why do we wear costumes on Halloween? Let’s find out.

How did wearing costumes originate?

The origin of Halloween began over 2,000 years ago with the Celts celebrating a holiday known as Samhain, which marks the beginning of winter. This time of year was believed to be

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Playlist continued from page 1

listening to it right before COVID. It’s a generational song that always reminds me of the music video. RIP to both of them.

“Linger” by The Cranberries I think everyone has to listen to this song at least once in their lifetime. This song changed my life and it’s now a song I can casually put on, sit back, and relax too. It’s a very nice, calm song.

“Lifestyle” by Rich Gang feat. Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan This song is a real throwback from 2014. This is the type of song you can listen to in a bunch of different moods and it always hits the same.

“Counting Stars” by OneRepublic This is a great song. It’s the type of song you would listen to in the car during the summer.

“All Time Low” by Jon Bellion This is another great song that reminds me of my middle school days. They used to play this song at Altitude and it always hit differently.

“Cold” by Maroon 5 feat. Future This song is mostly a summer song and I feel like everyone should know all the words to this song. It’s great and brings a tear to my eye listening to it.

PC: Karsten Winegeart

when the veil between the dead and the living was thinnest and people would wear disguises to ward off spirits.

Where is wearing costumes on Halloween most popular?

Wearing costumes is most popular in Scotland, Ireland, Mann, and Wales.

How has wearing costumes on Halloween changed over time?

Halloween costumes from the first half of the 20th century were terrifying. Halloween costumes were meant to ward off evil spirits or reconcile with death. People often opted for more morbid, serious costumes than the pop culture-inspired ones of today.

What we do now Halloween Traditions continued to page 3

“Black Beatles” by Rae Sremmurd feat. Gucci Mane This is another great song. Listening to it reminds me of a lot of old trends such as the Mannequin Challenge.

“Psycho” by Post Malone feat. Ty Dolla $ign To finish off the list, I picked this song. It’s a great chill song that gives me October vibes. •

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Halloween Traditions continued from page 2

Today, costumes are meant for fun on Halloween. Getting to dress up in a costume and go to someones’ house to show it off and then get candy is just a great joy now for Halloween.

POLL RESULTS I made a poll to see the different traditions everyone in the Upper School will be doing on the night of Halloween, so here are my results. •

ESTABLISHMENT OF Allendale Columbia BRIANNA D’LALLO

In the fall of 1890, the Columbia School for girls was initiated. The school was commenced by two brilliant women, who were interested in education. And these two people are none other than, Miss Caroline Miliman, and Miss Alida Lattimore. Columbia’s school campus wasn’t like your typical school district, the building was a small private house.

The school only taught elementary grades.

There were approximately 13 students that attended. But, over the years it expanded to kindergarten through 12th grade. Eventually, it became an all women preparatory school. It was notorious for its high academics. During this time period, Allendale and Columbia didn’t have any contact with each other. But it was seen as the sister school of Allendale, like how we see Mercy and McQuaid.

In the fall of 1926, the Allendale School for boys started. The school was mainly instituted by a group of businessmen in the area, but others that were interested took part too. It was located on what we now know as Allendale Columbia. It started as a 24-acre site, but it’s now a 33-acre campus.

The Allendale School strongly supported the country day philosophy. The philosophy is about helping children develop an appreciation of diversity in the school community and in the outside community. During the school day, there was a time schedule for mornings, early afternoons, and late afternoons. For the mornings, the students would spend their time studying academics, like how we do today. In the early afternoons, they would play sports or other athletic activities. In the later afternoons, they would complete their homework in a

supervised environment, what we know as a community block.

Throughout the years of its existence, it became a college preparatory school. Just like how the Columbia school is the sister school of Allendale, Allendale was considered the brother school of Columbia.

Allendale and Columbia have had multiple mergers, but they have also split up multiple times. The first merge in 1936 was short and it was due to the Great Depression. The Great Depression led the schools to inherit a financial strain. They stayed together until the end of the Great Depression in 1939. After their separation in 1939, they stayed separated for the next 30 years.

In 1974, they began to share some of their properties and a yearbook. That was the start of a brand new era. •

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INSIDE THE DEN

INTERVIEW With COACH DECKMAN TAYLER PERKINS AND JACK BOGUE

What would you tell someone to encourage them to join the indoor track team?

There are many compelling reasons to join HAC’s indoor track team, so it depends a bit on the person. One of the things I love about this sport is its ability to meet every athlete where they are. Whether you’re brand new to the sport and trying to find which event or discipline might be right for you, or you’re a seasoned veteran with specific goals in mind, there’s something for everyone. The studentathletes in our program have worked hard over the years to build a team culture based on mutual dedication, motivation, positive energy, and support. There’s a place for everyone among our like-minded community of teammates.

What are you looking forward to for the indoor track team?

The indoor track team is coming off of last year’s very successful winter season where both the boys and girls teams were Sectional champions. So, of course, our team is

Answers

accustomed to having high expectations for themselves. I’m looking forward to seeing how athletes can build upon both their individual and team accomplishments from last year.

Every year, the team’s membership is unique in its own way and it’s always fun to see how things come together like pieces of a puzzle. I suspect our team may grow in size a bit this year too, which affords an array of various new opportunities. We’re still a relatively young program, so the growth of the team and the potential for personal development is wonderfully exciting for everyone involved.

How can people prepare for the upcoming season?

There’s a lot that interested athletes can do to prepare for the indoor track season. Sometimes there’s a misconception that participation in track and field entails a lot of running, but that’s not always the case. With 16 events to choose from, we have indoor track athletes who contribute in everything from distance running to throwing, from sprinting to jumping, and

more. Not all of it involves a large volume of running as training. A little bit of pre-season conditioning (especially in the areas of general strength and stamina) goes a long way though, regardless of your event discipline. There are also a number of local pre-season clinics specifically aimed at preparing high school track athletes for the season ahead. HAC athletes are always welcome to reach out to me for suggestions or even specific pre-season conditioning plans.

What advice would you give for someone looking to achieve new prs?

A few years ago, our track team adopted the mantra, “Keep showing up.” That’s really what it boils down to in our sport. If you’re training consistently and putting in the hard work, then the personal records will inevitably follow. Sometimes it’s not always a perfectly linear progression. There will be setbacks and bumps in the road, but the improvement will surely come, and it’s a wonderfully motivating phenomenon. Track and field is unique in the way that the sport directly and measurably rewards consistent effort and dedication. And that improvement is accessible for everyone on the team. •

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INSIDE THE DEN

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DIG PINK & SENIOR NIGHTS KATE MAY

On Friday, October 11, the boys’ varsity soccer game and the “Dig for Pink” girls’ varsity volleyball event took place. At 4:30 p.m., the boys’ soccer team played against Bloomfield and celebrated their six seniors: Jack Deihl, Ezra Shin, Eric Roof, Gabe Levin, Oliver Riveros, and Chris Clarke. Coach Hunt gave a speech and presented flowers to honor their last year playing high school soccer. The game ended in a 3-0 HAC win, with two goals scored by senior Gabe Levin and one by junior Emilio Martinez.

The stands were packed with HAC fans and alumni, creating an electric atmosphere.

Later that evening, at 6:30 p.m., fans headed over to the Gannet gym to watch the girls’ varsity volleyball team compete against Penn Yan. They had an impressive night, winning all three of their sets. Achanti Thongjang stood out with powerful hits over the net. In support of breast cancer awareness, they held a raffle featuring prizes like Squishmallows, gift cards, Lush baskets, HAC merchandise, and more.

Overall, it was a memorable night with both teams securing wins and fans filling the stands with enthusiastic cheers. •

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HOWLARIOUs JEREMIAH STRADER

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HOWLARIOUs

ROWAN BISSONETTE

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HOWLARIOUs FASHION NAILS

SIENA ARDIZZONE AND AUDRIANNA WILLIAMS

Nails became a thing in the 1920s, but the trend really took off in 2020 when people everywhere were stuck at home.

In the 1920s, women all over had similar nail styles and colors, while now nails are a form of self expression. Even around AC, there are so many different nail styles and colors. Depending on the design chosen, nails can vary in price, but tend to be pretty expensive even for a simple set of gels. Gel nails are flexible, cured under a nail lamp and tend to be on the cheaper side. On the other hand, acrylic nails include false tips, usually last longer, and therefore tend to be more expensive. But, the easiest options are regular nail polish that can be done at home without a professional, nail stickers and pressons from a drug store. Regular nail polish is very short term, and can get chipped off easily, but it is much cheaper than going to a nail technician. To make them last longer though, people can put on a top coat, which is a transparent layer to help protect the nails. Or, if you’re not good with painting, you can simply buy press on nails. These can be found in drug stores, Targets or online. Press ons look much cleaner than normal polish, and are much easier to apply, you just have to press them on. They come in many different styles, colors and designs giving the same effect of personalization as getting your nails done. If you’re really looking for the easiest option with a simple design, then you should try nail stickers. These usually come in simpler colors giving a very clean look. But, you never know, maybe one of your friends can do your nails for you. More and more people who are not professionals have become proficient in nail art. Teens have even begun making their own small businesses by doing their friend’s nails. The options for nails are endless, and make choosing what type of nail you want easy. All of these nail styles can be seen around AC. •

MARINA ELLMAKER

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THE FALL ELLE BROOKS

“Arianna?” He walks up to where I sit at a brown wooden circular table, reading The Great Gatsby. “You reading that crappy book again?” he asks.

“The Great Gatsby isn’t crap. It’s actually very admirable for the author to have so many themes that shape our society today in one book.” I reply smartly.

“Sure, there’s an important message, but the message doesn’t mean anything when the author can’t even develop his characters at that,” he replies.

“So what if the main characters aren’t developed? The whole point of a book is to send a meaningful message to the readers. To make an impact on them.”

“The writing style is awful,” he states with no emotion.

“Say that again when you can actually write something good.” I smile, dropping my pencil in the air at the good comeback.

“Alright. Alright. You got me with that one, Arianna. Now come on, we have history,” he says, beginning to walk away as I quickly pack up my things, rushing over to his side.

When I catch up to him, I say, “Last one to history class is a rotten egg!” I shout, dashing down the school halls without a care in the world, then, touching the door frame of the class. “Haha! Looks like you’re the rotten egg, Ja-” and that’s when everything changed. No Jack running behind me panting. No goodbye.

No warning. *** I thrash in my bed, falling down onto the ground. *** “Ms. Miller.” I sit in the office across from the rector. “Your brother has been murdered in the boys’ bathroom on the second floor. Some pretty serious head trauma is all we know.”

That’s all I got.

That’s it.

Just the notice Jack had been found dead in the boys’ bathroom. The who, and why,

anonymous.

Jack was gone. Jack was gone. Jack was g*** “Jack!” I scream, sitting up from where I am

around, crying as I break with these words.

“Ari,” she says gently, using my nickname.

“It’s not too late to see a therapist-” “Stop it! Just stop it!” I scream at her, turning around, putting my head in my hands. “Just leave me alone,” I sob.

“Sure,” she says, turning around, walking out of the door, slamming it behind her as I watch her leave.

No one understands the pain. No one.

No one can even begin to understand what I’m going through.

The falling. Anyone’s normal definition of falling would be moving, sinking lower and lower without stopping. My definition of falling was a darkness so powerful surrounding you that you can’t get out of it. Like your heart is torn in two and you can’t figure out how to sew it back together. Like you’re in a deep, deep hole, and you can’t climb up it. The only thing you can do is, fall. ***

on the hard wooden floor, my heart racing. The lights quickly flip on, illuminating the dark room.

“Arianna!” Sophia rushes over to my side.

“Are you okay?!” she asks frantically, crouching next to me on the floor, even though she’s used to this now.

“Yeah. Yeah. I’m fine,” I say, calming down, lifting myself up with the bed, smoothing out the blue covers.

Sophia stands up. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asks.

“No,” I say harshly without looking at her.

“Okay, well, this has been happening a lot recently. You remember what happened, having nightmares about it, then falling-” “I’m not falling!” I shout, cutting her off.

“That’s the exact definition of falling, Arianna!

Wake up!” she shouts back.

“Oh! I’m wide awake! Trust me! I’ve been wide awake!” I pick the pillow up from off of the bed, throwing it at her.

She jumps from the hit. “When is this going to end?!”

“When Jack comes back!” I shout, turning

I pick the cup up, pushing the lid on tightly, taking a slow sip of the coffee as it burns my lip. I bring the cup down quickly, a little coffee spilling on my white shirt as I turn around.

“Haha!” he laughs. “Someone didn’t sleep well last night!” Tyler says as I frown at him.

“You think?” I snap as we walk out of the coffee shop together.

“Another nightmare?” he asks sweetly.

I stop, nodding slowly. A tear rolling down my cheek.

“Hey,” he says, coming close to me, taking the coffee out of my hand, setting it down on the sidewalk, bringing me in for a hug. “I promise you Arianna. It will get better. The pain will go away eventually.”

“You promise?” I look up at him as I come out of his arms.

“Promise.” He smiles.

I smile back, picking up the coffee.

“Come on,” he says. “Let’s go to class.” *** We walk through the doors of Brown,

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heading to Journalism. *** “Alright!” the professor says, getting the class to settle down. “Let’s discuss the newspaper. We have a major problem! Hardly anyone has been reading our newspaper!” she says, frowning a little.

“Yeah! That’s because no one has any decency to run the Newspaper properly! Maybe putting topics into the newspaper that students actually want to hear about and not Taylor Swifts’ new outfit!” Tyler shouts from next to me, getting laughs from a few other students in the class.

“Mr. Walker. Since you seem to know a lot about how to run the newspaper, and what it needs to be, successful,” the professor says, putting quotes around the word successful, “then why don’t you share with the class what the newspaper needs?” she says, crossing her arms.

“Happily.” He smiles, standing up. “The newspaper has been lacking local news within our school. For instance, Jack Miller’s murder,” Tyler says, looking at me, my eyes going wide.

The nerve of him. The fact that he just did that in front of the class. Everybody looks at me at that exact moment, and I slouch down in my chair from embarrassment. “No one has even thought to address that. The murderer is still out there, and if no one does anything about it, then any of us could be the next!” He raises his voice, then takes his seat.

The class starts clapping at the end of Tylers’ speech.

“So, Mr. Walker. What are you saying?” the professor interferes.

“I’m saying it’s time to address our schools’ problems. Its’ weaknesses.” Tyler says this last bit coldly, lighting a fire within me.

I quickly stand up, Tyler looking at me bewildered.

“Tyler’s right!” I shout. “It’s time we put an end to hiding away from the fear! Someone has to do something about it!” I say confidently, smiling as everyone looks at me weirdly. I take a deep breath in, closing my eyes. How did Tyler do it? I slowly open my eyes, then saying the last thing I expected to come out of my mouth. “Tyler and I will cover the murder of Jack Miller.”

“What?” Tyler says from next to me as students’ jaws drop. “We will?” Tyler asks

THE HOWLER cluelessly.

“Alright, Ms. Miller.” The professor acknowledges me. I gulp, shocked by what I just proclaimed I’d do. “You and Mr. Walker have 48 hours to produce an article on the murder of Jack Miller. If, you however fail to write me a good article, then you’ll be writing all about Taylor Swifts’ Eras tour for the rest of the semester.

Deal?” She glares at me.

“Uh, hold on, hold on-” Tyler stands up.

“Deal,” I reply back, cutting him off, then, taking a seat and cracking my knuckles.

Tyler looks from me back to the teacher in shock. *** “Are you insane?!” Tyler shouts after me as I walk out of the classroom.

“You were the one who practically suggested it, Tyler,” I state, continuing to walk as he runs up to my side.

“Yeah. So? I was just trying to fire up Professor Kelly!” he shouts.

“Tyler!” I shout, turning to him as we both stop walking, standing in the middle of the hall.

“I want to do this. I want the killer of my brother to pay for what he did.” I talk with my hands, scanning Tyler’s face as fear wells up in his eyes.

I take a step closer to Tyler, now, almost chest to chest, looking him up and down. I take a deep breath. “I want the killer of my brother dead.” I say, shivers running down my spine. *** Tyler sits on my bed, looking up at the blank white wall. I stand in between him and the wall, holding a notebook and pen.

“How are we even going to go about this?”

Tyler asks.

“With determination. Determination is our number one step. So, Tyler, do you believe we can solve this murder?” I say, tilting my head to the side, my high ponytail swinging a little.

Tyler pauses, then, “Yes. I do.”

“Good. Number two. No one is our friend.

No one. Everyone we interview. They’re not our friends. Got it?” I ask.

“Got it. No friends.” Tyler pouts.

I smile. “You think you’re so funny?”

“You know me too well.” He smiles.

“Number three!” I snap back into action as

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Tyler jumps, afraid of the yell. “Clues,” I say. Tyler looks at me curiously. “Clues!” I shout, tapping the wall with my pen.

“Got it! Clues!” Tyler throws his hands up defensively.

“So. Here’s what we know. Jack Miller was murdered a month ago on February 12th,” I say, taping a picture of my brother up on the blank wall. “He was murdered on our way to History class. I had dashed to class, but he must’ve gone to the bathroom on the second floor on our way to history.”

“Why the bathroom, though? Wasn’t he racing you?” Tyler interrupts.

“That’s it! Come here!” I say, tugging Tyler by the arm, running with him down to where it had all happened.

“Arianna. It’s late. I’m tired. Let’s just do this tomorrow.”

“Tyler. We only have 42 hours left for this.

Every free second we have will be used for this. Got it? Wait. This actually brings us to step number four. There’s no free time!” I shout, louder than before.

“Woah! Woah! Okay! Got it! No free time!”

Tyler gets defensive. “So, what do you want me to do?”

“Stand sideways to the door, I’m going to push you into the bathroom,” I say, turning him sideways.

“Okay. Wait, wha-” he starts. When I push him, he falls to the side, hitting the bathroom door with his head. It pushes the door open a bit, then closes on his side. He swears from the fall, then, “Arianna!”

“Tyler!” I rush over to him, opening the door as he winces. “Are you okay?!” I grab his hand, lifting him up.

“That’s going to bruise,” he says, his voice shaky.

“I don’t think someone pushed him in.

Someone would’ve seen the person who pushed Jack in. There would’ve been no murder if it was that public.”

“That’s what you’re thinking about?!” he asks, still wincing from his pain, but I ignore him.

“It’s like he was supposed to meet someone there. Like it was planned. Like someone told him.”

“Like in text?” Tyler asks.

“Jack’s phone! Exactly! You’re a genius, Tyler!”

“Woah! Slow down! How are we supposed to

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get the phone when it’s been taken away by the police?”

“Was Jack’s burner phone taken away though?” I say, smiling as Tyler looks frightened. *** “I don’t like this,” Tyler says nervously as we walk through the foggy woods, a flashlight in my hand.

“Oh, stop it. It’s fine,” I say as we come up to a tiny cottage, no light to illuminate it. “Let’s go,” I say, coming up to the door, lifting the mat on the front porch, finding a hidden key, unlocking the door quietly. “Come on,” I whisper.

Tyler slowly steps into the house as I tiptoe to Jack’s room, flipping on a switch, seeing a cluttered mess of all boxes. “Arianna!” Tyler says.

“Shhh.” I hush him. “Start over there.” I point to a corner as I head over to the middle of the room, ripping open boxes. Clothes, textbooks, souvenirs, comics, a MacBook, when I stumble upon a locked box. “Tyler! Over here!” I say.

“Coming!” he says, tripping over a box on his way.

I quickly take out a bobby pin from my ponytail, picking the lock of the box as Tyler breathes heavy breaths in shock from what I found. I finally get the box open, gasping at what I see.

I take out the green burner phone, opening it, typing in 123456. “Jack wasn’t too smart.” I say as Tyler looks at me in shock. When I open it, I see texts from an anonymous writer.

“What does it say?” Tyler asks.

I go into the texts, reading, “You have five days to get me the money back.”

“Money?” Tyler asks.

“I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know what this means!” I yell.

“Hey. Don’t give up. Read the next one.” Tyler says, patting me on the back.

I look down to the next one, reading. “I promised her. This is your last chance. Promised who?” I question. “Last chance? Like to get the money to this maniac?” I look at Tyler, my brow furrowed. “But why? None of it’s adding up.”

“What’s that?” Tyler asks.

In the corner sits a hard drive. I quickly rush over to the MacBook, opening it, typing in 123456789, the computer lighting up. “Jack really wasn’t that smart,” I whisper over my shoulder to Tyler as I plug the hard drive into the

THE HOWLER computer. A blurry video loads. The faces of five unrecognizable people, but clearly one being Jack.

When we finish watching the video, I close the computer in shock. “Jack was trying to get money for us, but when he lost the bet.

Whatever that idiot’s name was, killed him!” I scream, crying as Tyler holds me in his arms. My grandparents rushing into the room. *** I get deja vu from seeing Tyler sit on my bed in front of me again as I stand between him and the wall. I hang up a picture of the text messages from the burner phone. “Okay. So here’s what we know. Jack was murdered because of a bet he wasn’t able to fulfill.” A tear runs down my cheek. “There are four potential suspects. I need to do some editing to uncover their identities.

Once I do it, we’ve got our suspects, and easy, we’ve got the killer.”

“I can do that, Arianna. I’ve got only morning classes, then the rest of the afternoon is free. I’ll head to the library later. You start writing that article,” Tyler says.

“Thanks.” I nod.

“Of course.” He nods back. *** “So?” I ask, sitting across from Tyler in the library at the brown wooden circular table.

“You might want to see the video again.” His voice shakes.

When I finish rewatching the video, I say, “Josh Moore, Ethan Thompson, and David Walker, but what about the fourth?”

“I couldn’t uncover him. It’s almost impossible.”

“Him?” I ask.

“You can tell from the voice. Plus, your brother was murdered in the boys’ bathroom, not the girls’.”

“You’re right. Sorry, wait. I have class with Josh Moore next. I’ll talk to him.”

“Alright.” *** I sit across from Josh Moore outside in the

PAGE NUMBER 11

courtyard at the table.

“This is an interview on the murder of my brother, Jack Miller.” I hit the record button on my phone. “State your name.” I glare at him.

“Josh Moore,” he says calmly.

“You were in a gambling group with my brother, Ethan Thompson, David Walker, and someone else who is unknown to this case.”

And that’s when I see it. When I understand it.

The shock in Josh’s eyes when I say the last part.

It’s that look that confirms my suspicions. The unknown person is the murderer of my brother.

“Would you be able to disclose the name of that unknown person?” I ask, my hands folded together as I lean forward.

“Rule of thumb. You never disclose that kind of information, Arianna, but if you head to this location, I think you may find who you’re looking for.” He pulls out a piece of paper and pen, jotting down, 250 Middle Crest Drive, and that’s when I understand.

“Tyler’s house.” I gasp, quickly getting up.

“Thank you, Josh!” *** So many thoughts circle through my head as I drive to the place where I basically grew up.

I gradually speed up a little.

The person I thought was my best friend, had killed my brother for money. Why though? Why did Tyler need the money? Why had my brother gotten tangled up in this mess? Why? As all the whys spin around in my head, I speed up some more, now going up to sixty in a forty-mile-per-hour speed limit area, passing through a red light, and that’s when it happens.

My car spins out of control from the hit, crashes into the metal fence along the road, and tips on its side. Blood pours out of my nose as I go unconscious. *** “What’s your name?” someone says to me as my eyes slowly flutter open in a bright, white room, but I feel suffocated, unable to answer.

My eyes close again. “She’s fallen back into a coma!” a doctor shouts to another nurse. The words echo in my brain, “She’s fallen!” She’s fallen.

THE END •

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BOOK REVIEW

WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME ELLE DILORETO

INTRODUCTION Wrong Place Wrong Time is a fantastic, intriguing novel by Gillian McAllister. It keeps readers on the edge of their chair, ready to see what the next page they flip is about.

I’m going to give an honest review on Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister, and hopefully you’ll want to read it by the end of this review!

SUMMARY Wrong Place Wrong Time is about a mother named Jen, who on the night of halloween is waiting up for her son, Todd, who PC: AI is eighteen years old to come back at the time of night where the clocks go back an hour. When he arrives, she’s so excited to see him, but she sees something else. Todd’s armed and headed for a forty year old man just outside of their house. So many thoughts circle through Jen’s head as she dashes downstairs to try to stop her son, but it’s too late. Todd’s a murderer. A man is dead just outside of Jen’s house. With all of this to sleep on, Jen wakes up the next day, or so she thinks she does. The day she wakes up is actually the day before the murder happened. Jen must figure out why the murder happened and how to stop it from happening by going back to days she’s already lived in search for clues.

SOME THINGS I LIKED ABOUT THE STORY Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character in the book was Todd because I got to see him growing up through the book by going backwards. Todd’s such an admirable character because deep down, he has such a good heart. Todd cares about others. He’s sensible, he’s driven, and you can really see that.

To feel like the character is actually real in a book as a reader, just goes to show great development of the book. So with all of this, Todd would be my favorite character for that reason.

Did the characters feel real to you?

The characters definitely felt real to me. The author was so good at developing her characters well and really brought life to them which is everything a truly good author should be doing.

Did the story keep you guessing?

The story definitely kept me guessing. I kept wondering things like: why would Todd murder someone? When will Jen return back to the present? When will it all piece together? Etc. This book really kept me on

the edge of my seat and I loved every bit of it!

What was your favorite part of the book and why?

My favorite part of the book is such a hard question to answer. I had so many favorite parts of this book. One part that really stood out to me was when Jen was talking to someone who studies loop holes and things similar to that. The conversations she and the expert would have together about that and how maybe it’s not about questioning people but really about observing life was really intriguing. So those scenes really stood out to me.

Were certain types of scenes written particularly well?

Some of the scenes that were written well were at the end of every chapter, the author would do a really good job at leaving us off with a cliffhanger (a clue that the main character found). So those scenes the author wrote really well.

SOME THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT THE STORY Did the book make you laugh, cry, etc.?

The book definitely had parts which made me feel so many different emotions, from scared, to laughing, it was like a rollercoaster the whole ride through the book and I loved every moment of it.

Did the book grip you and keep you turning pages?

Yes, yes, and yes! I never wanted to put down the book once I picked it up. I couldn’t get enough of reading it, and nevertheless, I loved reading it! All compliments to the author!

Did you wish the ending hadn’t been a cliffhanger? Did you find it frustrating?

I was a little sad the book left on a cliffhanger, but at the same time, it made me love the book even more and want more of the book.

Did you find it difficult to care about a main character and could you figure out why?

The one character that I didn’t like too much which was Kelly, Jen’s husband. I just found his personality was a little bland, but people may have a completely different say on that, it’s just my opinion!

Was the story too scary for your liking, or did you find it having a theme you didn’t love?

I would say that the story lacked the scary theme, which I really wanted more of, so that’s what disappointed me the most in the book.

CONCLUSION I’d recommend this book to someone who likes mystery and heartfelt books. This book can be for any age ranging from teenagers to even adults.

This book is unique in its own way and I think if you’re looking for a good book to read with mystery and love, then this is the book for you!

RATING I’d give this book a 5 out of 5 stars! I really loved this book, and currently I can say it’s my favorite book that I’ve ever read in my life! •

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Upcoming events Rochester CAITLIN SWARTZ

HOLIDAY CRAFT AND VENDOR FAIR WHEN: 10am-3pm on November 9th, 2024 WHERE: 230 Coldwater Road, Rochester, NY 14624 DETAILS: Come visit the 4th annual Holiday Craft and Vendor Fair to walk around and support your local vendors and artists. This event helps fundraise money for the first fully inclusive playground in Gates, NY. MAKER FAIRE ROCHESTER WHEN: 9am-5pm on November 16th, 2024 WHERE: Gordon Field House and Activities Center, The Quarter Mile Walkway, Rochester, NY 14623 DETAILS: $12 Advance Ticket, $40 for Family Group Pass. Get inspired to create by visiting the Maker Faire to watch artists, engineers, crafters, and more, create and show off their projects and crafts.

NATIVE MADE MARKET WHEN: 11am-5pm on November 30th, 2024 WHERE: 60 Browns Race, Rochester, NY 14614 DETAILS: Support your local, native owned businesses, Indigenous entrepreneurs and artists at the Native Made Market.

QUEER HANDMADE ROCHESTER WHEN: 10am - 4pm on Saturday November 16th WHERE: Allendale Columbia School DETAILS: A queer artists collective based in Rochester, NY. Puts on the annual Queer Handmade Yardsale and A Very Queer Handmade Holiday Sale events.•

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Upcoming events ALLENDALE COLUMBIA SCHOOL

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH 9 - 11 AM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22ND AT 7PM SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23RD AT 7PM

THE HOWLER

Vol. 3 Edition 2 OCT 31

INTERVIEW

GENET “GIGI” GEBRE PETER NIU

Hi, what’s your name?

My name is Genet Gebre, but I have many nicknames. Gigi is what my American friends call me. “Ghen”, is what my Eritrean friends and family call me. My dad specifically calls me, “Ghenu”, and my mother calls me, “Neetay”.

What do you like the most about AC? I like the students the most. I love the liveliness and personality of young adults.

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in Rochester, New York!

My siblings and parents were born in Eritrea.

So I do refer to myself as Eritrean, even though I was born in the States.

The International House is a part of the International Program here at Allendale Columbia. Students had the opportunity to stay in a Homestay or the International House.

Fall 2024 is a special class of international students as they are breaking the ice with the relaunching of the International Home since Covid. Everything is new! There is a new Dean of International Students and houseparent as well as new international students. Together, there’s an opportunity to reimagine and create the ultimate international experience. Outside of our daily routine, there’s much flexibility and room for student input as they learn their own interests pertaining to entertainment and weekend activities. Stay tuned!

What’s your job in AC? I have a dual role here. I am Dean of International Students as well as Houseparent at the international house.

When did you come to AC? This fall. I am technically a “freshman”!

Can you please briefly introduce us to the international house?

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THE HOWLER

Vol. 3 Edition 2 OCT 31

PAGE NUMBER 16

ASK AMORA ADVICE AMORA THONGJANG

3 WAYS TO UNWIND Now that we’re about to end our first quarter, the school year can start to feel challenging. If you’re stressed out, here are three ways to relax.

1. FREEDAY Having a day dedicated to yourself is a great way to restart your brain.

Letting stress build up impacts your body mentally and physically. According to the Mayo Clinic, Stress leads to headaches, fatigue, lack of motivation, restlessness, and many other symptoms. Having a work-free day lets your mind reset mentally. If you’re busy during the week, dedicating a day on the weekend for no work is also an option. Even using vacation days to work.

2. YOGA/EXERCISING Yoga can relieve your body both physically and mentally. Incorporating yoga into your daily routine can help your posture, promote flexibility, and loosen your muscles. Yoga also releases endorphins (Hormones that boost your mood) in your body which positively affects how you handle stress. A study in 2020 by Link Springer showed that people who did 11-minute yoga meditation for 30 days had a significant decline in stress and depression levels. Here are a few beginning yoga stretches.

Mountain

Plank

Easy Seat

Hero

3. JOURNALING Journaling can be like a mirror for your thoughts. Writing down how you feel can help you explore your true emotions and have a deep understanding of your thoughts and feelings. A 2018 study by PubMed shows that journaling can assist in combating stress and depression. If you don’t know where to start, here are a few journaling prompts to try (via Pages of Positivity): Write a letter to your anxiety as if it were a person. Tell it how you feel about it, what frustrates you, and what you want instead.

Write down three things you can do to create a calming space when you feel anxious. These could be places, activities, or people that help you feel better.

Write a letter to your future self, reminding you how strong you are and how you have dealt with anxiety. Give yourself encouragement and support. • SOURCES PubMed - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6305886/ Pages of Positivity - https://pagesofpositivity.com/journal-prompts-forstress-relief/ Link Springer - https://link.springer. com/article/10.1007/s12144-02001042-2 MayoClinic-https://www. mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/ stress-management/in-depth/stresssymptoms/art-20050987

Downward Dog PC:Unsplash

MASTHEAD COPYRIGHT OCTOBER 31, 2024 PUBLISHER ALLENDALE COLUMBIA SCHOOL EMAIL thehowler@allendalecolumbia.org

STAFF Marina Ellmaker, Caitlin Swartz, Mackenzie Opira, Elle DiLoreto, Tayler Perkins, Jack Bogue, Peter Niu, Jeremiah Strader, Kate May, Amora Thongjang, Bri D’Lallo Audriana Williams, Siena Ardizzone, Jack Diehl, Ari Hagelberg, Evan Krenzer, and Ryan D’Arduini

COPYEDITORS Vincent Bissonette, Elle DiLoreto LAYOUT Amy Oliveri DIRECTOR Amy Oliveri