Covered, December 2019 - January 2020

Co v er ed w e'v e Go t yo u

v Isit pag es 16 - 17 f o r so me 2d Side-sc r o l l er f un

December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

Visit pag es 10 - 13 f o r an "IN-dept h " l o o k int o addic t io ns

08 & - Childhood Movies 09

10 -

11 -

12 -

13 -

Sports

Rev i ew s

16 Bugs, Bullets, and Bananas: & 17 The Underdogs of Gaming

18 - Jingogae Korean Restaurant

19 - Food Review: Numas Mahal

Entertai nment

20 - Memes of the Year

2

19

05

By K h al i d T.

16

Tabl e of Contents New s

20

07 - Teacher Hidden Talents

08

Opi ni ons

An addict ion is a brain disease where you start using somet hing or doing somet hing regularly unt il you need it more and more. When you need high doses of it , t hat is when you are addicted. You can get addicted to social media, drugs, etc. Read pages 10-13to learn more about addict ions and t heir ef f ects.

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05 - No Shave November

E p di t m rese or i th an n al a e ne t t Th uth edi r. A he Pol i r e or to n n cy i s efl e s an r y c ew : th a p ct t taff d n exp ol u s i n "Co a e u h e o re m v St re stud bl i c e vi di t t ne sses n, e a fa ered u co de so en fo ew ori ce t di i r " th m n l e ts r o al ss h to a s b e m ts, l y o um f th d ari e ri a nd tri ob e edi t uni t sta res f IS wr e e oes l y t opi n l , o un ves he i o r b v sc ed o y ff, p G i t nt b eri en i t r o ar fa on Ju ten i re no e n l ett i as to Al eha fy t i ti e ed f 30 e we cul t si bl e bai l an sta t n nti r of er t ed i n l l f he s, d 0 l c y, S d ff ec e t o em ad l ette of au or ue wo om and for cho pro . "Co essa staf he ai l vi s rs sch the l i be t rds e to m i ol , du ve ri l f. ed er mu oo nti l o or su em ts an ced red y to Jo st l ci t con sp l es bm be co d t b " ne n N be org y o ce ac s. i t rs nt he y tz e si an f a rn e Le l e of en y l .j. tz gn i z n s. t t t 05 l er ed at y l Co l i m ters ters the . @i 's a i on ett ve i ta m to n e r sg sch d s rs ed ti ay .ed o e or s o u.s ol i th g ent wi l n, a. ma er rou on l i l b pl a ps ox ced . or

04 - MCC Photo Story

19

Contents

03 - Week Without Walls

06 - Visual and Performing Arts

- Tutorial Time at ISG Jubail

I n-Depth

*ADDICTIONS*

14 - Soccer Season Overview

15 - Boys' Basketball Preview

December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

News

Ex cl usi v e Sneak -Peek : WWW Wi l l Bl ow Your M i nd

By Jon Netzler

MS I nt er na t i ona l

DUBA I & A L A I N Chaperones Chris Ritchie Lorelei Loveridge

Fe b .

Zq Lee // Unsplash

Peter Fogden // Unsplash

St udent - Led Loc a l

Fe b . 2-6

BA DM I N TON

VOLLEYBA LL

Asma Sheltami, Vhaibav Urs, Anika Aharwal, Syahmi Alwi, Samhita Periyanayaham Coach: Kern Cruddas Yearbook

TEA M SPORTS Umer Yahya, Zain Raza Naqvi, Ahmad Bin Tamrin Coach: Sanjeev Jangra

Sophia Correa, Adriana Caraballo, Sundus Zaky, Mikayla Language Coach: Holly Cruddas

Yearbook

Sumana Amir, Nivedha Nataraj, Pedro Siblesz, Valeria Olivera, Luis Sanchez, Sarah Soni John, Ammark Iskandar, John Almudin Coaches: Mardia Hamad, Farah Hammoud

COOKI N G Brandless // Unsplash

Tea c her - Led Loc a l W ELLN ESS

RI GH T TO FLY

Sarah Brooks, Kerry Norton, Lisa Gierke

David Treska Sid Paul Matteo Di lorio // Unsplash

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Joints Creative // Unsplash

Fe b . 2-6

UKULELE Lucky SON G Bob Derek Cour W RI TI N G

Neonbrand // Unsplash

Kimberly Inge

FOOD Preetha Nataraj PREPA RATI ON

FI SH I N G

H ORSEBA CK RI DI N G

Skylar Van Steenis Craig Brooks Tracy Cotton Jon Netzler Yearbook

December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

Caroline Atwood // Unsplash

Rouba Soufy Tomas Nicolรกs

3

Photo Stor y

One day at a ti me M CC Staf f

u y d K m g ch a a a re

By: Valeria Olivera "They are responsible for cleaning the facilities, set up rooms for school events, resolve technical issues on school equipment, transport students and staff safely, support the inspection of vehicles that access ISG, and many other things."

S

H m o sn fi th b H a Y o o ta m th th

G

"Most of the MCCstaff arrive at school at 5:30 am and the last one leaves at 5:00 pm."

"In general, they have a 45 days vacation every two years with some exceptions."

T ex p ca fi p n w u to th u g m m

F

They keep their regular work schedule and do preventative and corrective maintenance over the school facilities.

Thank you to Mr. Nunes for the interview

4

Photo Credit to Valeria Olivera

December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

W F fi th y ex d sh p o b h

f

g . g er

y

ce

News

No Sh av e Nov ember

By Sebastian Pena 1.-) Why did you like to participate in No Shave November?

Mr. Van Steenis: Because I don't have to shave, and it's a good cause.

Señor Nicolás: I like being involved in the community, and I like to participating in charity.

Mr. Nielsen: Because it helps other people out, and raising money is good.

Mr. Van Steenis 2.-) How can this campaign contribute to best health f or money?

Mr. Van Steenis: Beards are awesome.

Señor Nicolás: By raising awareness to be healthy and take good care of yourself.

Mr. Nielsen: We are raising awareness for living a healthy life.

3.-) How much money did you raise?

Mr. Van Steenis: None, 0.

Señor Nicolás: I think around 2,000 SAR. Mr. Nielsen: I didn't raise anything, but I believe 2,000 SAR.

Señor Nicolás

as

re

e se

e

s n

4.-) What do you think can improve f or this year No Shave November?

Mr. Van Steenis: I think we could do better with fundraising and making connections with people impacted by cancer.

Señor Nicolás: More faculty involvement, more student involvement and raise a lot of money.

Mr. Nielsen: I think starting earlier and advertising more could raise more money.

Mr. Nielsen

n

"

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ce

December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

5

Opinion

Perf ormi ng and V i sual A rts: B

Th rough th e Eyes of Hi gh Sch ool ers By: K h al i d T. Photo Credits: ISG Jubail Instagram

"I take drama as my arts class. I enjoy it because it is a very enriching experience. It is exciting and unique. It is very useful, but for some students more than others.

It's easier for our students to branch out through the school's program. but I don't necessarily plan on using it in my future."

"I enjoy my art class because I get to do creative things. It's useful because it challenges you to create something innovative. The arts in general help students express themselves in different ways. Although it is fun, I don't see myself using it during my future because it isn't really my passion.

- Omkar Shetty

- Haris Hassan

Photo Credits: Yearbook Photo Credits: Yearbook The beginner band is performing their music at the Winter Concert.

At ISG Jubail, three arts programs are thinking and helps them seeeverything offered at the school. There arethe in a new perspective. In the arts, performing arts such as band and students can obtain problem solving drama, and there are the visual arts. skills, and it can help them engage Although not a great amount of more in class. For those wishing to students want to pursue a career pursue art in their future, the school utilizing the arts, the arts help students program is very sufficient and they can in many different ways. Experience in look to expand their expertise after the arts boosts students' critical high school.

Omkar Shetty, 10th Grade Haris Hassan, 10th Grade

Tutori al Ti me at I SG Jubai l : Usef ul or Usel ess to Students?

Here at ISG Jubail, tutorial time has been a part of the MSHSschedule for years. It is a time where students can conference with teachers, ask questions about an upcoming assessment, follow up after an absence, etc.

But what do students think of tutorial?

Is it useful, or useless?Adriana C. and Hana H. gave their opinion on tutorial time and how they use it.

Photo Credits: Jackson B.

Q1: How do you spend your tutorial time?

Hana H. (Grade 10): I usually hangout with my friends and I sometimes go ask a teacher for help if I have a question. I also sometimes play basketball.

Adriana C. (Grade 11): I spend time with my friends, but sometimes I go to the art room to work on art, but, I usually just sit outside with my friends.

Students playing basketball during tutorial

Q2: What do you think about tutorial?

Hana H. (Grade 10): I think its almost like a lunch where teachers are specifically avaliable for help.

Adriana C. (Grade 11): I feel like it could be helpful, but I know a lot of people just hangout as if it's lunchtime.

Photo Credits: Jackson B.

6

Students having a snack during tutorial

Q3: How often do you use tutorial to follow up with teachers?

Hana H. (Grade 10): Like once every three weeks, I usually ask teachers the

Photo Credits: Jackson B. Students discussing class work questions I have in class.

Adriana C. (Grade 11): When I'm concerned or when I have questions about assessments or assignments, but I wouldn't say often.

December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

Enter tainment

Teach ers' Tal ents by: A rron Benson We see and interact with our teachers every single day in classes and the hallway. Other than in the classroom, no one in our school really gets to know the people who help us better ourselves everyday in our education and our life.We have to remember that teachers are humans too. We should appreciate them more and ask them questions about themselves. They also have probably played sports in school, participated in extra-curricular activities, and had their own interests when they were our age. So I've decided to find some teachers' talents so that we can get to know them better. Let this article inspire you to show a random act of kindness to your teacher starting next week!

M rs. A h med can mak e h enna desi gns!

M s. Logsdon can w al k on tw o h ands and f i l et a f i sh !

M r. Luppe can mak e h i s ow n custom f urni ture!

M r. A h med h as sol d h i s ow n musi c al b um!

M s. Gi erk e i s an ex peri enced h orse ri der!

e m

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M r . Ah m ed's albu m cover

o d be December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020 ys a w l a s

7

Opinion

Ci nemati c M asterpi ece OR Nostal gi c Casual ty

By Jacques M. and Valeria O.

To me High School Musical was the movie I would fall asleep and wake up to watching. My mother memorized all of the songs and remembered certain scenes from the movie because of the amount of times I watched it at home. This movie also brought me through times and kept busy.

To me, Cars was an iconic childhood movie which inspired a lot of kids about not giving up special experiences just because of your convenience. Basically, this movie taught kids to take life slow, to enjoy the moment. Every moment is special in it's own way, no matter the difficulty or simplicity of the moment, just enjoy it whilst it lasts.

For this article I asked a bunch of people about their opinion on Cars and whether they prefer Cars over High School Musical, and this is what they said:

8

Synopsis:

play multiple times. Through the movie, Gabriella and Troy both struggle with meeting their own responsibilities, the Decathlon and Basketball respectively, and rehearsals for the play.

My thoughts:

Troy Bolton (played by Zach Efron), team captain for basketball team for East High School and son of the coach, falls in love with nerdy Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) in a new years party at a ski lodge . Thinking they would never see each other again, they exchange phone numbers. When they both get back to school Troy are surprised to learn that Gabriella moved and is now going to his high school.

After a day or two of drama class, their teacher announces that the school will be putting on a musical and both discover a bit of an interest for it. Since going to rehearsals and acting and singing in the musical would mean that they got to spend more time together, they both decide to sign up for the lead roles. That?s when Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) steps in and tries to both take Troy from Gabriella and kick them both off of the

Is this movie near and dear to my heart?

Definitely. Is it the best movie of all time?Not by a long shot. 3 stars is the rating I?m giving this movie. To be completely honest, if the songs were so good I would probably give it less stars.

High School Musical is exactly what it was meant to be, a Disney Original.

Those types of movies are always fun to watch and might even be really good at first in most people?s minds, but they ?die off?really quickly and end up just representing their time with ?relatable? main characters. Although, I?m kind of bothered on how they made Sharpay to be this all out jealous drama kid when she had a more interesting personality and more growth then both of the main characters combined. But still, I?m really glad I grew up with movies that took time and effort to make and a lot of people enjoyed, instead of mass produced, content farms on YouTube.

"When I first watched Cars, I thought it was the best movie because it was really interesting and it made me laugh quite a lot, and honestly, if I could re-live that moment again, I 100%would."

"My favorite part in the movie was when Lightning McQueen and Mater went to the tractors (Cows) and scared them., and then the big thing came after them. I laughed a lot during that."

Quote from Ben Van D.

Quote from Ben Van D.

"It wasn't bad... honestly, the movie was thrilling to me when I first watched it, I don't know why. The animation of the movie was a lot better than the animations of the other movies, and they're vocals of course. Oh yes! And Owen Wilson the legend himself."

"My favorite part was when McQueen had to repair the road all night because it was kinda funny because he was road raging a lot"

Quote from Umar M.

"My favorite part of Cars was when Doc Hudson raced against McQueen on the dirt track and it just looks so fast and majestic. As a kid I thought it was really cool and I wanted to have the Hudson Hornet car."

"i think that it is a beautiful film with magnificent story-line and outstanding graphics for the time it was released"

Quote from Umar M.

Quote from Luis Enrique S. Quote from Raed K. "Its ok... I guess... I mean it's kinda bad right now because of the new graphics and everything, but in terms of character, it pretty good."

Quote from Kyle V.

From all the feedback I got of Cars, I realized that Cars wasn't just a movie, it was a new experience, and new thought, and new moment in everyone's lives, and this moment was special because it changed the way people look at the world.

December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

Opinion

High Sch ool M u sical vs Car s

High School Musical

Cars

US Revenue:

$1.7 Billion

US Revenue:

$1.39 Billion

December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

9

In- Depth

A ddicted to E scapingR eality B

10

y: J ohn A ., N iivedhaN ., & C laudiaK .

December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

In- Depth

Addictions What?

According to psychiatry.org, an addiction is a complex condition.

It is a brain disease that is manifested by compulsive substances. People with addictions tend to focus on using certain substances. For example, nicotine and alcohol are common substances people tend to get addicted to. These addictions tend to mess with people's behavior, body, and cognitive abilities. Over time people with addictions build up a tolerance which results in them needing a higher dose of the substance they abuse.

H ow?

Substances create a joyful feeling by triggering dopamine in certain regions of the brain responsible for the feeling of reward. Once this occurs the circuits in the brain have the urge to consume more and more of these substances. If someone resists these urges, they will feel an unpleasant feeling of withdrawal. medicalnewstoday.com

Why? There are many reasons people have addictions. Some common reasons people create addictions are: - to relieve stress - peer pressure - feeling of elation - to do better (performance)

H ow to R ecognize an Addiction If you look at it from a medical stand point, brain imaging can show changes in the area of the brain the controls your judgment, behavior, learning, decision making, and memory. These changes in the brain make it hard for people to stop their addiction because the brain has grown accustomed to the feeling and enjoys the dopamine high. The feeling of intoxication is different for every addiction.

December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

One way you can recognize an addiction are the symptoms of withdrawal. For example, if you stop using a certain substance and you start to feel a need for it or you feel weak without it, you may be feeling symptoms of withdrawal. Also, if you start to notice that you are always using something to calm your nerves or if you have cravings for something without thinking about it, then you may have an addiction.

11

In- Depth

What are different types of Addictions?

Drug Addictions are also called as ?substance use disorder?is a disease that affects a person?s brain and/or behavior. When you get addicted to drugs, you may continue to use drugs despite the harm it causes.

Some drugs, such as painkillers, may cause addiction more quickly than others. It's difficult to go without the drug and attempts to stop drug use may cause intense cravings.

Social media addiction or social media overuse, is a form of psychological or behavioral dependence on social media platforms, similar to gaming disorder.

Dr ug Addict ions Food addiction is when the need to eat becomes compulsive. This behavior may be a response to an emotion (such as stress, sadness, or anger). The human body needs food to function, but a food addiction is when someone becomes dependent on certain types of foods.

Nicotine dependence is an addiction to tobacco products caused by nicotine. Nicotine dependence means you can't stop using the substance, even though it's causing you harm.

Nicotine produces physical and mood-altering effects in your brain that are temporarily pleasing.

Nicotine is usually found in various forms of cigarettes and vapes.

12

Social Media Addict ions

Food Addict ions Nicot ine Addict ions Wor k Addict ions

Work addiction, often called workaholism, is the inability to stop the behavior. It forms a compulsive need to achieve status and success, or to escape any emotional stress. Work addiction is often driven by job success.

Caf f eine Addict ions Caffeine addiction is the excessive use of caffeine over a period of time, which has negative effects on your health or other areas of your life.

As caffeine is a widely accepted and used as a drug, many people don't believe caffeine can be addictive.

December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

In- Depth

Note from the I SG Jubail Staff "Coming at it from a support view, if you see someone who is struggling and there is something there is going on making sure you are open and asking how they are doing and telling that you are concerned and if you personally think that you are addicted, reaching out and asking for help because it is important to do that.

Definitely, recommend that you be open to talk to someone about it. It can be really serious and can create difficult habits and hang ups in your life." - Mrs. Brooks

"Work to find a healthy balance between your habits and behavior and ensure that you are not doing something that might impact your self and other people." - Mr. Wingers

H ow to R ecover from an Addiction While recovering from an addiction, it?s important to be self-aware.

If you?re unsure if you have an addiction, you?ll want to monitor your body and mental health. Addictions usually affect your mind and body in one way or another, and it usually isn?t for the better good. So whatever you may have, it?s important to follow a healthy routine, and that can vary from each individual.

Addiction Recovery Helpline

Addiction Live Chat Helpline

Addiction Recovery Guide

December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

13

Spor ts

Soccer Season Ov erv i ew : From Hi gh Sch ool A th l etes By: K h al i d T. Soccer season for the U16 and U19 teams has recently just ended. They worked hard and trained hard with their coach, Mr.Roche. Their season went on for about 2 months and they ended it with a great effort in SAIKAC, where they made ISG Jubail proud. The U19 boys came in 3rd place in plate and the U16 boys came in 4th place overall. Here is some insight on what went down during the season and what could be improved from some high school athletes Arron Benson, Jackson Bateman, and Omar Tanbedawy.

14

1r ade 1 't do G , y i dn daw Tanbe U19 t eam d and had r a m O our yi ng "I hough enjoyed pl a We t l 0 A " 1 ade The , we l ess. an, Gr deri ng t he o wel l i me regard one bet t er. m s m e t a i s t d t ea nB on my a good el y coul d've ng for our Jackso e di d wel l c al ways, i n i t w is i nk defi ni port ant t h amwork, p t hi nk i t i on. U16 ompet i t i ve ral l - "I t h e 0 m e e 1 i t t e e c t e mos i nt ai ni ng i t ude t o ke he comp , t he most l ent and ov al l y , Gr ad expect ed. W n o t s a t t n t n a e a m Be i ng we was n and t hroughou opi ni o comes t o t i ke we di d r t ry o i t Ar r on bet t er t han t he begi nn he a r s t e s l i t n coop g oursel ve f our when t y. so I feel am's chemi rs we di d ough st art i gh t owards t he o n e i e s y t a n r l u e r u pushi ment . One KACwas rp i nt u ko o n i f had a pul l ed t hro ent . I t hi nk I h o a t I ll ll t ourn sses t hi s SA ssessi on so e good. l l y good. A t he bal l we a but we t he t ournam ngs were e b o n a d g i f weak and bal l p ri l l s woul d ays was re ow t o move We al so ha end o port ant t h d mot i vat i n g g d lw h . n im passi n g on t hose year. It 's a knew i nt o space ent on our most ni cat i on a t t er. Keepi n as t n 't et al u e w worki eful for nex IKACt o and g di vi dual t year, I don e comm her. t o do b g t oget her i nk s A n t i b x f e o t h in very u g goi ng t o S t eam's been t l ot o I mean, n ch t o do t each o l and st i ck ext year, I t r r n . u o N exci t i se what ou t t i ng i n effo t eams e t here's m st work on our co mport ant . e and have h a ju n k i r c showc g on and pu feel l i . We coul d Thi s seaso i f real l y l d t al k mo i on wi t h ea n i . t s k n s r r u t wo hone g our erro r U16, eve we sho ommuni ca ason went one o n " f i . it d c e y for bet t er he whol e s he end ever as a l i m t pret t y goo rophy." t T t w n . a e t t r w wi n nd i nd a ot he wel l a eal l y wel l a di dn't y e t t w e r r p ce." orat ed col l ab un experi en f December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020 real l y

Spor ts

: Boys' Bask etb al l Prev i ew :

s Pack Li ne D, Pri nceton O

ive se it e The

t n, I it use n.

de

By Jon Netzler

I f y ou scor e, y ou may w in .

I f t hey n ev er scor e, y ou w il l n ev er l ose.

Def en se w in s cha mpion ships.

Those were the words indelibly inscribed above the exit door inside the boys' locker room at Roncalli High School, where I attended high school about 20 years ago.

Those words capture a truth that every coach and every player of every sport would do well to contemplate as they begin each season. Our boys' basketball players ought to contemplate them too.

A few weeks ago I spoke with Coach Craig Brooks about his plans for the boys' basketball team this year. Brooks is in his 12th year coaching boys' basketball (his 5th year at ISG Jubail), and he explained a bit about the team's defensive and offensive strategies. He and Athletic Director Holly Cruddas also gave me a brief preview of some of the tournaments that the boys' basketball teams will attend this year.

CRYSTALBALL What do you predict f or this year's boys' basketball team?

Yearbook

Yousef A., Grade 12 (U19) "I predict Jubail will win its first SAIKAC championship since 2013."

Yearbook

Omkar S., grade 10 (U19/U16) "I believe that this year's basketball team is the most promising team we have had in the last couple years. We have all the components of a successful team ... if we keep working on our offense and are able to run our defense well, our chances at winning it all seem somewhat likely."

M ark Your Cal endars ...

Pri nceton Of f ense Pri nci pl es

? Constant motion ? Back-door cuts

t ea m

t our n a men t

dat es

l ocat ion s

U19

SAIKAC

12-13 March

Jeddah

? Picks on and off the ball ? Unself ish play ? Capable outside shooters

U19

Dammam Private School League

starting 10 Feb., every Monday for 6 Mondays

U16

SAIKAC

5-6 March

U14

SAIKAC

16-17 April

DHS

DHS

DEMS

V ideo: Tony Bennett's

V ideo: How to Run

Pack Line Defense Complete Guide

the Princeton Offense Chin Series

December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

Pete Carril ? Creator of Princeton Offense ? 29 years as head coach of Princeton Tigers ? won 514 games, 11 Ivy League titles, Bison Books reached NCAA Tournament 11 times, won 1975 NIT Championship

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CoachesDatabase.com

Review

Bugs, Bullets and Bananas: The Underdogs of Gaming

By Ammar H. and Pedro S. Introduction Indie game companies can be summarized with the following words: A small group of game developers independently creating a game. Most of the indie games present in Steam and other types of online game markets, can be described as sub-par since a lack of human resources and often, a lack of funding for these games result in a more inferior product compared to their triple A counter parts (Triple A games are games which are made with big companies such as: Activision and Ubisoft). As a result, there is a smaller player base for these type of games and they don't end up receiving the attention they deserve for their quality. We picked 3 indie games we thought paled in terms of publicity

Hollow Knight art

by Team Cherry

compared to their triple A counter parts.

We will explore the games based on their most amazing aspects and will cut out unrelated or sub par sections from the review. The three games we will be bringing to light are: Hollow Knight (an adventure game), Enter The Gungeon (a roguelike) and My Friend Pedro (a 2D platformer).

Enter the Gungeon image by Dodge Roll

First Impressions: What I expect from a roguelike, there are multiple projectiles to dodge. Fun, addictive gameplay make for numerous replayability opportunities. Solid game.

There are hilarious NPC's in the world and little easter eggs that might catch you by surprise or put you off guard.

So far, a complaint I have for this game is a repetitive and uninteresting audio track and the reload mechanic. Other than that, however, this game is nothing short of fun.

Visual +Audio: Enemies are comedic ( for example a buff crow with a minigun) and guns you can unlock in the the game have a unique touch (an example of this is a barrel that shoots out piranhas). The pixel art is beautiful and is reminiscent of when games were styled that way. This is dominantly shown when you are fighting against bosses and a short cutscene plays.

This short cutscene resembles something from a match intro in classic Streetfighter games. Audio though can be repetitive at times.

Gameplay: This game's genre, roguelikes, involve randomly generated levels each play through, which means a unique gameplay experience every time you die. No playthrough will be the same, and to spice things up, the player can unlock items during their run to use next time.

Hollow Knight image by Team Cherry

First Impressions: My first impression of Hollow Knight was not very pleasant because I was really confused about the goal of the game (there was no main mission). As I traversed through the world, I slowly realized that the world was created to be explored. The aesthetic of the game is really nice because it blends withe the hand drawn art style.

Combat feels satisfying and smooth. One thing I really don't like is the grindy nature of the game and that there is no clear path for you to follow. In some cases, I found myself meandering around a section of the world, double checking every single place on the map until I found an objective.

"I think it isa classic exampleof why game makersaretrueartists."

Enter the Gungeon art by Dodge Roll My Friend Pedro art by DeadToast Entertainment

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-Andres Siblesz (Student at Flinders University) Visuals +Audio:

The visuals for this game are a treat, especially when you take in account that there were only three people making it. The particle effects are crisp and add a nice touch to the already

December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

unique backgrounds and assests. Whether your strolling through Greenpath or dashing through Crystal Peak, Hollow Knight's visuals are never short of a masterpiece. The smooth art style also goes hand in hand with the audio, which changes depending on the environment and can be orchestral and intense, upbeat and exciting or passive. It never gets annoying to listen to, and it fits the game really well.

Story: Hollow Knight's story is rich and mysterious. Knowing it, however, is optional, as the game only explains small snippets of it while letting the player figure the rest out through discoveries they make in the land of Hallownest. The basic story is of a kingdom called Hallownest made up of bugs and ruled by a Godlike creature called the Pale King.

You play as a knight, called back from outside the kingdom by a mysterious force only to find the entire place has been taken over by some kind of mind-controlling infection. Keep in mind this is a very simplified explanation and there is A LOT more to discover.

Gameplay: The gameplay is very simple and involves exploring, and fighting. The exploring is pretty straightforward, with the player carrying a map in their inventory, but the fighting is much more difficult. The player uses a sword-like weapon called a nail, and has some physical abilities as well as magical. the player can only attack up, down, left and right, so it is really easy to learn to fight, but some of the bosses in the game (found by exploring) have very unique attack patterns the player needs to get used to. Overall, the fighting mechanics are easy to learn and hard to master, and the boss fights are incredible.

My Friend Pedro image by DeadToast Entertainment

First Impressions: When I picked up the 2D sidescroller - My Friend Pedro, all I had to do was finish the first tutorial level before I was instantly thrown into the action. The first character you meet is a banana called Pedro who explains the game's story, which is definitely not the main focus as it's very shallow. The game never got annoying to play and provided me with a constant flow of entertainment. The music is not too bad and the mechanics are easy to get the hang of, but the graphics aren't the best

December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

and neither is the audio, which doesn't take much away from the experience in the end. The mechanics are simple yet intuitive, and it feels like playing a glorified flash game. Playing on the switch was a new experience as I had to adjust my hands to a less tactile and more fragile piece of hardware than Playstation controllers, but the game is also on PC.

Review

The Gameplay: The gameplay in My Friend Pedro is where it really shines. It's very simple, with only a handful of guns and features, but it really plays at its strengths. The main feature is to trigger slow motion so you can better aim at the enemies. This almost always gives the player a sense of satisfaction when they secure a kill, and when paired with the games other best mechanic, dodging, it becomes one of the most unique and satisfying games out there.

Screenshot from Hollow Knight (Team Cherry)

Conclusion All these games should receive more attention. Most indie games are outshone by triple AAA releases. When asked about the topic of Indie games, here's what people had to say.

Do you think that indie games are outshone by triple A games?

"Not necessarily becausetheidea of Indie Gamesispromotedfromvery bigcooperation's likefor exampleEpicGames, they doa weekly freebiewhichgivesyou a look at many different typesof Indiegames. Most indie gamesdoget therecognition whereasothers Screenshot from a My Friend Pedro DLC video (Team Cherry) don't, but that dependson the"supply in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjgJMgkRoCg demand". In all honesty I don't really think they do..."

--Sumana Amir Grade 10 "I think that gamesnowadayshavesohighpixel graphicsthat peoplethink isthebest gameof the century, but noonepaysattention totheindiegames whichmaybewill havethedeepest story linesor character developmentsthat youwill knowor experience."

-Luis Enrique Grade 10 What is your f avorite indie game/games and do you think it deserves more limelight?

"My favoriteindiegamewouldbetheones createdby thepublisher/developer studio "Night School Studios". They madetwogames called"Oxenfree"and"Afterparty". I feel likeit shoulddeservemorelimelight but then again it doesstill get therecognition it deserves."

-Sumana Amir Grade 10

Art from the Enter the Gungeon Nintendo Switch cover (Dodge Roll)

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Review

1

Ji ngogae K orean Restaurant Food Rev i ew

Jingogae Korean Restaurant is a restaurant located in Jubail City. The restaurant serves Korean dishes, as well as Chinese, Japanese, and Western dishes. They have an opening and closing time schedule posted on their entrance door, which is convenient since it informs the customers when they are available. There are three floor levels inside the restaurant. The first and third floor is the dining areas, but the second floor is the paying station.

When I entered the restaurant with my father, there were three waiters waiting at the pay station. I noticed the atmosphere was quiet since there weren?t any customers during the

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By: A i syah H.

day, yet. One of them decided to serve us, and lead us to the 1st floor, where there were to dining rooms. Our waiter lead us to the left side of the dining room, where there were two tables.

I decided to order the Tteok-bokki with cheese slices (1) and Chicken Yangnyeom (2).

The tteok-bokki was very chewy and spicy, and the cheese went well with the overall flavor.

The chicken yangnyeom was very sweet and crunchy, and it was a little spicy, which I really liked. The soup (3) was simple, and it tasted bland and a bit spicy, as well as the four small side dishes (4), which were served for free. The watermelon (5)

tasted very juicy, and it was also served for free.

In my opinion, the pros are that the restaurant is big, the waiters are friendly, and the service is great. The only con is that the restaurant is located in a corner, and parking the car may be a little difficult as there are no parking lots and only side parks.

Ratings: Atmosphere: ? ? ? ? ?

Food: ? ? ? ? ?

Cost: ? ? ? ? ?

I have to say my favorite food was the tteok-bokki since it was spicy and chewy, and I really like spicy food.

Service: ? ? ? ? ?

Overall, I would recommend this restaurant to people who like Korean food, as well as other cuisines.

Overall: ? ? ? ? ?

5

countryf lags.com

Picture by Me

3 4

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Picture by Me

December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

Review

Food Rev i ew : Numas M ah al

By Jack son B., K h al i d T., and A rron B. Numas Mahal is an Indian restaurant that provides affordable cuisine with an authentic taste and a good price. Numas Mahal offers dishes varying from poultry, beef, chicken, vegetables, beans, and many more.

With an extensive menu and exceptional service, Numas Mahal's staff and interior are all things that can be marked as strengths. You can even stop for a quick bite by ordering before hand, or pick up an order for take-away. Any way you choose, Numas Mahal will provide an enjoyable dining experience for you and your family to enjoy.

Locati on Numas Mahal is located in the heart of Fanateer, a stone's throw away from the Fanateer mall and about a seven minute walk from the Galleria Mall. There are two entrances, one facing outwards towards Fanateer, and one on the backside, facing Al-Saif Gallery.

Rati ngs Taste Serv i ce Cl eanl i ness Locati on

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Pri ce Staf f The staff is accommodating and kind, checking in frequently to make sure your meal is the best it can be. They also make recommendations if you want to try something new. They even provide their phone number so you can call ahead to arrange an order for either dining in or taking-away.

Taste

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Out of the Mixed Grill, Honey Prawns, and Chicken 65, we agreed that the Honey Prawns were the best dish. The flavor was sweet and tangy with a bit of spice, and it went perfectly with the garlic sauce provided. Also, the Crispy Corn (not pictured) has a good crunch and salty flavor with a bit of added spice.

M i x ed Gri l l (M eats and Pi ck l es) December, 2019 - Januar y, 2020

Honey Praw ns

Ch i ck en 65

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