Volume 4 Issue 4 April 20225

GVA Star Volume 4 Issue 4 / April 2025

BLOSSOMING BUZZ

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Zoo Exploration / Weather Minis / Interest Pique / Food Review/ The Great Migration

contents

01

Scavenger Hunt

13

KC Zoo

03

Weather Minis

16

The Great Migration

05

Wind Sock

22

Recipes For Spring

10

Omaha Zoo

25

Interest Pique

29

Food Review!

editor's note Spring!! What a wonderful time. I’ve noticed a bunch of animals appearing in my yard recently. Tons of birds, bunnies, even some escapee cows from my neighbor’s farm.

And Kitty is finally able to enjoy the great outdoors! Honestly, she isn’t the biggest fan. But if you’re out there with her, she does better.

Something you will definitely be a big fan of though is this gorgeous weather and joining the Journalism Team! Whether you are interested in becoming a full-fledged member or just a contributing designer and/or writer, we will always look forward to new voices and perspectives!

JOURNEY C. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Scavenger Hunt: Beginner these fishies love to swim together

its magical isn't it?

hold on to your hats!

A delicious snack for the bees it seems

This little guy is peeping at you somewhere

The future is special

Everybody Dance Now! Put on your happy feet.

Such a cute and loving dog to have

Scavenger Hunt: Extreme The wandering watermelon is amongst the more complicated Bottled Ship can be located in the ocean images to locate

These fun loving puppies love bigger dogs

This isn't the farm

Squidward's house smells wonderful

It really is a birds eye view from here

Don´t let the mask fool you, he is quite friendly

Don´t get winded looking for this little guy

WEATHER MINIS Concept By: Enzo P.

This is a piece where students share their weather stories and experiences. These can be thunderstorms, soft rain, tornadoes, crazy winds, floods,

CREDITS GO HERE

GVA STAR

April 14th 2012 tornado outbreak Elijah L

Photo From Google

Eighty six tornadoes were reported in this outbreak which mainly affected Kansas, Nebraska and northern Oklahoma. The strongest tornado was an EF-4 that struck Central Kansas.

The tornado which caused the most damage was an EF-3 that struck the southeast side of Wichita after dark.

Great Plains Storm Journey C.

Photo From Canva

It was a time two or three years ago, midsummer, and there was a terrible rain/thunderstorm raging in Northeast Kansas. It looked like a tropical storm somewhere in Florida, but it was just limbs snapping from trees and leaves whipping violently in the air in my yard. A typical strong Great Plains storm. My dad told me to bring the bottled water in from the car, and I unfortunately forgot until the thick of the storm. Not wanting to disappoint him with such a minor task/chore, I ran outside in the storm and to the car. The wind was so bad and the rain so piercing and cold that I hunkered in the car for 2 minutes before running back to the house. The car rocked back and forth like it was being jostled by some invisible giant! Fortunately, no one was hurt, pets included.

Kansas Storm Launii. G

About two years ago there was a very big storm that came out of nowhere on a clear sunny sky. It was so bad we had to go to the basement and we lost pieces of our roof my dad was in the shower and the rest of the family was downstairs, They had to cancel school the next day! photo from canva

Windy Sock

ALERT: THIS CONTAINS SHARP OBJECTS! GET A PARENT BEFORE HAVING FUN; IT IS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY.

Ever wonder how to make a wind sock?

Well now you can come with me and I will teach you how to make a wind sock.

By Enzo

Time for Some Socky Fun Bag Assembly First, you find a hollow long plastic bag.

Then you cut it in half with scissors and ensure your bag has an opening and an exit.

You can add paper strips and decorate it.

Rock Paper Scissors Cut! Sharp Object Use

First, you cut some paper into long strips Then you tape or staple it onto the bag Optional: you can color it. Next page

Time To Color

Creativity Time First, you get some markers Then you start drawing anything you want.

The End

Have fun with your new wind sock. “ ‘Til next time (Keep smiling through Just like you always do 'Til the blue skies chase those dark clouds far away)”

-From the Song We'll Meet Again by Vera Lynn

The Omaha Zoo! These are some photos from the great Omaha Zoo. I visited the highly regarded zoo last April, and I want to encourage others to visit and support this amazing conservation and education effort!

Photographs by Journey C.

Stunning Jellyfish (Left)

Crab (Top Right)

I got quite a few photos of some various beautiful jellies, including the ones for the title page. But these look almost royal, don’t they? You may not think of jellyfish as “majestic,” but they sometimes come to my mind when hearing the word.

Even while at the zoo I felt a little creeped out by these guys! Not until much later did I realize exactly why that may be: they’re like giant spiders! Obviously, I’m not the biggest fan of creepy--crawlies.

Sharks (Bottom Right) They had a many types of sharks in this tunnel I went under in the aquarium. But these guys were the only ones that would swim still! Which, among their physical features and tendency to sit at the bottom, leads me to believe they’re some kind of nurse shark.

Penguins and Puffins!

Leucistic Alligator

(Left)

(Right)

This area, to my memory, was a little packed. But why wouldn’t it be? I mean, penguins! Come on. And adorably sweet puffins! This isn’t the best photo ever because of all the water on the glass, but at least you can tell they’re all happy and splashing and having fun!

This was probably one of the coolest areas the zoo has to offer. You’re in a dark, kind of cavernous cave-like area filled with aquatic reptiles, generally alligators and crocodiles, to my memory. And you walk over a bridge, ropelike, and below you is deep water for the alligators and such, filled with the alligators and such. This guy in particular is a leucistic gator that I saw at the Omaha Zoo, different from an albino one. Leucistics have blue eyes instead of red, and sometimes have pigmentation, differing from albinos who always have none.

Leucistic gators are extremely rare.

KC ZOO AND AQUARIUM

by Launii. G. photos by Melissa.G

The KC Zoo and aquarium is enormous and it will take a person a day to finish exploring it on foot, but the beautiful animals and shows they have are really worth it!

In the Aquatic part of the Zoo they have a part where they put a lot of different fish, sharks, and sting rays together and they all just swim around in the tank.

Trumpeter swans are mates for life and are so pretty. They are one of the first animals you see when you enter the Zoo.

This tiny monkey is probably one of my favorite animals at the Zoo, because it shows you all of its quirkiness like sniffing its tail.

Jumping around with this little guy you will always be happy.

The Great Migration

By Elijah L.

Humpback whales: They travel thousands of miles between cold, productive summer feeding habitats and warm, shallow winter mating and calving waters, migrating back to colder waters in the spring with their new calves.

Gray whales: Migrate from their winter breeding areas in Baja California to their summer feeding grounds near the Bering Sea, with March and April being peak months for this migration.

Right whales: These majestic creatures spend the spring months along the northeast coast of the United States, with many sites designated as critical habitat for their protection.

Bowhead whales: Migrate northward in the spring, with females giving birth to their calves during this time.

During spring, many sea creatures, including humpback whales, gray whales, right whales, tuna, sharks, and sea turtles, undertake seasonal migrations, often traveling long distances between breeding and feeding grounds.

Sea turtles: Migrate long distances, with female turtles returning to their birthplaces to lay eggs. There are seven species of sea turtles: the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and olive ridley.

Emperor penguins: Migrate inland to breeding colonies in the early spring, undertaking a remarkable journey on foot and belly-sliding across the ice.

Emperor penguins breed annually during the Antarctic winter, June through August.

Western Meadowlarks are partial migrants, with populations in the northern and central parts of their range migrating to warmer areas for the winter, while those in the western and south-central regions are resident.

Partial Migration: Western Meadowlarks exhibit a range of migratory behaviors, with some populations being resident and others migrating.

Northern and Central Populations Migrate: Meadowlarks breeding in the northern and central parts of their range (Canada and the northern U.S.) migrate to winter in the south, potentially as far as the dry grasslands of northern Mexico.

Small Flocks: Migrating Western Meadowlarks often travel in small, loose flocks.

Western and South-Central Populations are Resident: Populations in the western and south-central regions of their range, including parts of California, are generally resident, meaning they stay in the same area year-round.

Elevational Shifts: Even within the resident populations, some meadowlarks living at higher elevations may move to lower elevations during the winter.

Diurnal Migrants: In the northern and central portions of their range, Western Meadowlarks are diurnal migrants, meaning they migrate during the day.

Popular Bird Migration Fly birdie fly A very popular spring bird migration involves songbirds, like warblers, tanagers, and orioles, returning from their wintering grounds in Central and South America to North America's breeding grounds, arriving primarily in April and May.

Timing Spring migration in North America typically spans from February to mid-April, with the peak migration occurring in mid-April through mid-May, though this varies by location.

Why they migrate

Birds migrate to take advantage of the abundant food and nesting sites available during the warmer months in the Northern Hemisphere.

Common Migrants Warblers: Many warbler species, like the Yellow-rumped Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, and Bay-breasted Warbler, are known for their longdistance migrations.

Tanagers: Species like the Scarlet Tanager make long journeys from their wintering grounds in South America.

Orioles: Baltimore Orioles and other oriole species migrate north to breeding grounds in North America.

Thrushes: Species like the Hermit Thrush also make long migrations.

Shorebirds: Shorebirds, like Yellowlegs and American Golden-Plover, are among the earliest migrants.

Other Birds: Red-winged Blackbirds, Killdeer, American Robins, Tree Swallows, and Eastern Phoebes are also among the first to arrive in spring.

Where to watch and Tracking Migration

1. Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge (Maine): Known for its songbird migration, especially in May. 2. Moore's Bridge Park (Georgia): A good spot to see Northern waterthrushes and other migrating birds.

3. Bosque del Apache NWR (New Mexico): In the spring, migrating shorebirds, warblers, vireos, and flycatchers can be seen here.

BirdCast: This organization uses radar to track bird migration and provides daily summaries of nocturnal bird migration.

BirdTrack: The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) uses citizen science data to monitor bird migration patterns.

DO YOU WANT TO JOIN? Ask Your Academic Advisor to Find Out More!

RECIPES FOR SPRING

By Launii.G

SPRING chick cupcakes Getting ready for the spring season? Then these recipes will keep you and your little bakers busy!

What You Will Need 1 1/2 cups (300 g.) granulated sugar 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 3 large eggs 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 2 cups (240 g.) all-purpose flour 3 Tbsp. cornstarch 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. kosher salt 3/4 cup whole milk

Step 1 Preheat oven to 350° and line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with liners. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer (or in the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment) on medium-high speed, beat granulated sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until combined.

Step 2 In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Add half of dry ingredients to butter mixture and beat until just combined. Add milk and beat until incorporated. Add remaining dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.

Step 3 Fill 18 liners three-quarters full with batter. Bake cupcakes until slightly golden on top and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.

Buttercream & Assembly Step 1 In a large bowl, using handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat powdered sugar and butter until smooth. Add cream and vanilla and beat until incorporated.

Step 2 Pour sanding sugar into a shallow dish. Frost tops of cooled cupcakes with buttercream and smooth to a flat top. Dip into sanding sugar to coat top.

Step 3 Place 2 chocolate chips into cupcakes, flat side up, to create eyes.

Step 4 Transfer a little buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe a small white dot onto each chocolate chip.

Step 5 Add about half of remaining buttercream to another piping bag fitted with a small leaf tip. Pipe a zigzag line on each side of cupcakes to create wings. Sprinkle with more sanding sugar.

Step 6 Add orange food coloring to remaining buttercream and stir until desired color is reached. Transfer to another piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe a small upside-down triangle under chocolate chips to create a beak. Pipe short lines to create feet at bottom of cupcake.

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[GVA STAR]

INTEREST PIQUE

By Journey C. This is a segment where we talk and review things, which could be anything, ranging from video games and shows to music and books, and even pop culture.

In this edition, we are going to discuss probably one of my favorite movie of the 2025 year.

The Electric State The Electric State is loosely based on the book The Electric State by Simon Stålenhag. It was released March 14th on Netflix, and I was ready to watch immediately! It stars Millie Bobbie Brown and Chris Pratt as Michelle and Keats, two humans brought together through unlikely odds in an alternate high-tech obsessed 90s.

Robots have had an uprising that had failed, and in the end they chose peace in the Exclusion Zone. They are illegal, and so is harboring them outside of the EX. So when a

Photo by Journey C.

short yellow bot comes stumbling in to Michelle’s foster home, you can imagine how shocked and honestly terrified she was! Was it going to hurt or kill her?

They haven’t really been one to trust in humanity’s eyes since the war. That isn’t the case with this Kid Cosmo bot.

Together, they embark on a crosscountry journey and team up with Keats and HRM to uncover the truth about the robots, the truth about Sentre, and the truth about Michelle’s little brother, Christopher.

The book and movie, though different in their own ways, make you think about the direction we’re heading. The Electric State society is obsessed with their neurocasters, basically VR headsets that link to drones.

Makes you think about us today, right?

IN REVIEW… This, and I know it’s early in the season, is my

different scene is wearing a KU hoodie. But it’s never

favorite movie in 2025! I read the book and love

directly mentioned, movie or book. I just thought it was a

it very much as well, but fair warning: it is a little more grim than the movie, so I will say if you’re inspired to read the book I recommend it at your own discretion.

Something else I loved about this movie that I didn’t notice until I rewinded it and took a closer look was the setting. I think the story with

nice little thing for Kansans to notice if they’re paying attention.

One of the many ways the book and movie differ is that I don’t think it’s ever directly mentioned that there was a war between robots and piloted drones. There is a definite mention of a war and drones fighting in it in place of humans, but not specifically against robots. There are just a few ways the movie takes creative liberty and great

Michelle starts in Kansas! She has an ankle

inspiration from the book, but I can see why some people

monitor/tracker in the beginning, and though

think the film does the literature small injustice. The book,

it’s pretty difficult to see, I believe it reads

though, is a little vague so I think the movie does fine

“Topeka.” Another hint: A peripheral character

building on what is there. The movie adaptation also leaves

named Ted

the door open for a possible sequel or expansion on the

claims he used to be on the Topeka varsity

universe by the way they ended things. I sincerely hope

wrestling team. Another thing: a character in a

there is more to come! 11/10 from me, run-do-not-walk!

Want to Create?

Journalism Elective provides a great outlet for creativity and exploration!

Ask your Academic Advisor to find out more!

[GVA STAR]

Food Review!

By Journey C.

I admit it— I’m a foodie! I try my best to lead a healthy lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t indulge in some over-the-top goodness from time to time. This new piece can range from anything from a food or beverage product to a restaurant or fast-food joint serving up some heaven. I’ve decided to do a piece on a delicious spot that combines amazing food and a mini arcade AND some mini bowling!

The Pennant So, you’re probably not expecting some delicious burgers from me, right? Well, take a closer look at this burger to the right. The patty is made from black beans! You can ask for a smash patty, an half-pound patty, a black bean patty, and a mac ‘n cheese patty for any of their burgers. I got an Elote Burger with a black bean patty and some garlic parmesan fries.

And might I say it was PERFECTION! Oftentimes people when they get a non-meat patty or meat substitute expect it to imitate the meat it’s replacing.

But the black bean patty didn’t try that. It was perfectly it’s own thing, and it melded well with the Elote Burger I ordered. SO YUMMY! And the fries were wonderful. You can tell everything was homemade and made with love! My dad even said his was so good, it was the best he ever had and renounced the chores I had for the day!

“It was life-changing. It’s worth the trip to Topeka, and any time you’re there you should definitely stop in and give it a try!”

--Dad (P.S., My dad got the Billy Cheese Steak burger with a half-pound patty, and that is the burger on the left. It looks pretty good, right? He also got the Cajun fries along side it.)

It was so good the first time we went, that we went back again later that week!

These are the sides worthy of their own meals! They are absolutely delicious, and guess what? Those little balls are mac ‘n cheese bites! And that dipping sauce is a chipotle ranch, and those combined?

They’re to die for! We asked our waitress the first time quite a bit about the place, and she was a good sport. Nearly everything is house-made, including this app. The mac ‘n cheese bites are simply amazing, but add that chipotle ranch and you will wonder how you went so long in your life without it.

Moving on, we have the milkshake. I’m sure your eyes went there first, and for good reason. They are also known well for their over-the-top shakes, and the one I decided to try one. The one I did decide to try was their PB Chocolate Madness Shake, and as you can tell by looking, it was super decadent and DELICIOUS!! I absolutely love peanut butter, and peanut butter cups are my favorite candy, so it was the perfect, obvious choice. They grinded/blended little Reese’s Pieces and blended them inside the milkshake, and then powdered them on the rim, as you can see. There was a giant peanut butter chocolate ice cream bar, and they drizzled chocolate syrup along the top.

Another I wish to try is the Cookies and Cream, because anything cookies and cream is also a big crutch of mine. But looking at their menu, all the shakes sound like ones I need to try.

GVA Star EDITORIAL BOARD Staff:

Journey C. Launii G. Elijah L. Enzo G.

Sponsors:

Emily Divis Linda Prior Susan O’Brien Cindy Nickelson

ABOUT THE COVER This cover embodies what I hope everyone plans to do with this wondrous, temperate weather when all the greenery comes back. Go outside! Take your pups and kitties, all your pets and friends and family members! Enjoy it before it gets too hot. Remember the freezer we were just locked in and go outside!

Photo by gyro From Getty Images

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