Glacial

DECEMBER 2014

UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT HOLIDAY TRADITIONS and the religions they correspond to

TURNING GIFTS FROM GOOD TO GREAT It only takes three easy steps

MAKE YOUR NAILS STAND OUT with two fun tutorials that are inspired by the winter season

14 YEAR OLD MAKES OVER $100 IN AN HOUR from busking on the side of a busy street

CONTRIBUTORS PAGE

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Use cardboard and an old T-shirt to make a simple but beautiful home decoration.

BUSK OR BUST

A 15 year-old boy plays his violin on the streets in order to earn money for a violin camp.

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Photos by Mia Crockett, Austin Barron, and Julia Wasson and photo on title by Andreas Tille

TRASH TO TREASURE

NAIL DETAIL

Learn two easy ways to make your nails stand out this season.

SHIFT INTO THRIFT Thrift shopping is becoming more popular among teens but it has its pros and cons.

WRAP IT UP

Wrapping a gift in an interesting way can make it more special. Master ways to turn your gift from good to great with this tutorial.

RELIGION COLLISION

Read about the different traditions celebrated during the winter season.

DECEMBER 2014 | GLACIAL 3

Mia Crockett appreciates the cooler weather and the smell that winter offers.

Staying in her house with her family and making hot chocolate is something that she loves to do. Her passion for thrift shopping has grown and she has found the pleasures of searching in racks for hours on end. She finds it as a great option for a teenager, such as herself, to get interested in clothes that have their own specialty and uniqueness for the winter.

She also loves to wrap gifts to give to people and she thinks wrapping them in a compelling way adds an element so that the receiver of her gift will be pleased.

Jessica Um relishes the color that winter presents to her. She loves to spend time outside, wearing boots and a scarf and gazing at the white and hazel colors that surround her. The winter colors surrounding inspire her to paint her nails the same way. She enjoys attempting other nail designs, and she even creates her own. Along with painting her own nails, she enjoys painting others’ as well. Jessica loves to listen to music and play her violin. She appreciates the people who spend time outside during the winter in the cold to pass on holiday music for people walking by.

Photos by David Sky, Psy Guy, and Juko

Julia Wasson enjoys spending time with her friends and family during winter.

She loves to play board games and watch movies, especially the Christmas episodes of Doctor Who. Julia is athletic and likes to go ice skating. She finds the different holiday celebrations that people follow interesting. Since she stays inside during the winter, she likes to do DIYs to pass time. As a teenager, she does not have a steady source of income. She is a huge neat freak when it comes to decorating her room. She likes to clear clutter in her room and enjoys sprucing up her room with decorations.

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inter is the time of year when everyone wants to stay indoors and keep warm. Even though in Texas, where our winters would probably feel like spring or summer to someone that was born in the North, we are still drawn indoors to where it is warm. While we are cozy in our homes, we tend to be close to family, but with nothing to do. In this magazine, we will be providing our readers with some fashion tips, ways to revamp your wardrobe, and activities they can do solo or with their family members. These will include cute DIYs that you can do using materials that you already have in your house. There will be articles informing you on activities that people can do over the winter holiday with your family and friends.

Julia Wasson

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Photographs and story by: Julia Wasson During the winter holiday, families like to decorate the interior of their homes. In this DIY, we are going to be making decorative words out of items that can be found inside your home, like cardboard and an old X-large T-shirt that is the color of your choice. You can either get a T-shirt from a parent or you can buy one at your local thrift store.

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To do this DIY, you are going to need lots of cardboard, an old T-shirt or two, a pencil or Sharpie, scissors or a box cutter, and a hot glue gun. Next you need to decide what word you want to spell out with your letter templates. In this case, we are going to do ‘Love’. Once you have this decided, you are going to use your ruler and pencil or Sharpie to trace out your letters to use as templates later in this DIY.

Now that you have drawn out all of your cardboard templates, you are going to cut them out either using your scissors or a box cutter, depending on the thickness of your cardboard. Whether or not there are words or a design of some sort on your cardboard is not going to impact your final product because later on, you are going to cover the cardboard templates in the T-shirt material of your color and design choice.

Now, place your letter onto your T-shirt that is the color and design of your choice. Once you have placed it on the T-shirt, you need to cut out a square big enough to cover the entirety of the letter. Now do this step for the rest of the letters. If you run out of T-shirt material, you can either use another shirt and alternate letter colors, or you can go to a thrift store and buy two T-shirts of the same color.

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Next you are going to use each cardboard template to make a fabric template. Make sure that your fabric templates are about an inch larger than your cardboard templates all the way around so that there is enough to cover the entire letter and more. It does not matter if your fabric template edges are not exactly straight or are frayed a little because you are going to glue the edges that hang over onto the back.

Now you are going to need your glue gun. Place the cardboard template so that it is in line and centered on the fabric template. You are then going to glue the edges that hang over onto the back side of your cardboard template. Make sure that the T-shirt material is tight and snug around the cardboard template so that there are not any air bubbles. When you finish gluing down the fabric, do the same with the other letters.

This is your final product. You can place the letters in any position that you want to, making your word vertical or horizontal. You can also glue each letter to the other so that you have one string of letters instead of placing them individually. When you put them onto your wall, use double sided tape, or make loops with regular tape, or you can use thumb tacks or nails.

For more fun projects, check out the Craft Envy website, along with the Good Home DIY website.

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Photos by Austin Barron

Chet and Kaya Fagerstrom busk, or street perform, in Austin on South Congress.

Normally, they play for an hour, making $20 each hour. As their dad supervises from a corner, the two play to entertain people passing by during the winter.

Photo by Austin Barron

Story by Jessica Um

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rriving downtown, he watched people in thick jackets and fuzzy boots walk through the streets of Austin, Texas. After disputing with his sister about where to perform, he squatted down to take his violin out carefully. He rose up, and prepared to perform with his instrument. The audience expected notes from 14 yearold Chet Fagerstrom, however, he did not give the audience notes. Chet gave them music.

Chet Fagerstrom has played the violin for many years, and learned how to play the viola as well. He performed numerous recitals, solos in orchestras, participated in the All Region Orchestra, the Austin Youth Orchestra, Classical Music For the World, just to name a few. He took part in multiple chamber groups, such as a trio and a quartet, and attended many orchestral camps during the summer.

Over the years, he decided to start

“...I DON’T PLAY VIOLIN FOR ME. I PLAY FOR OTHER PEOPLE. WHOEVER WANTS TO LISTEN.”

He also began busking due to motivations from his dad. His dad always tells him, “In order to succeed in music, you must figure out how to get paid to practice.”

This became his philosophy in music and the reason he became interested in street performing.

9 years ago, Chet saw an old, violin and bow that his dad’s friend gifted to him previously. Stored underneath his bed, he pulled out the violin and began to play it. His dad found him trying to figure out this new instrument and asked if he wanted to start studying music. Thus began his career as a violinist. When he first started to play, he did not practice frequently. He had just begun playing violin and did not have advanced music to practice. He was not used to the routine. Practicing now became a daily habit. “I started playing when I started kindergarten, so violin playing is just part of my daily life. I can’t imagine not playing everyday, ” Chet said.

Along with Chet, his sister, Kaya, busks with him as well. 12 year old Kaya had different reasons to why she began to busk. Each year, for Christmas, she and her brother would make cards as presents. Soon, she desired something new such as clothes, and to get it, she decided to go busking and make money.

Chet Fagerstrom, 9, and Kaya Fagerstrom, 6, play at their first wedding.

When Kaya was younger, she would come home from school, and a man, who always stayed at the same place, busked. It intrigued her how someone could make money from playing an instrument, but she never thought she would soon do the same. At one point, this man brought his daughter and she began to busk along with him. This little girl was singing into a miniature plastic microphone. Kaya watched as an audience member gave a dollar to the

Busking, also known as street performing, is performing in front of people for donations. These donations include forms of money. Other countries have food, drinks or gifts that are given to the performers. Making money is only one of the reasons why Chet began busking. First and foremost, he wanted to play music that people could hear during the holidays. By doing this, he would also make money. Two years ago, as he was walking around downtown, Chet met a man playing an accordion.

This man taught him that busking surpasses sitting at a cash register.

Kaya Fagerstrom glances at Chet, waiting for her cue to begin playing.

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First Photo by Kathy Hills Second Photo by Austin Barron

busking, or street performing during the holidays in downtown Austin. He plays duets with his sister, Kaya. This has become a tradition for him.

Chet plays, he can get thirsty. When he busks alone, he can’t have a water break. Since he solos, he needs to keep playing, however, when he is with Kaya, one person can keep playing, while the other takes a break to drink water. Kaya, has gotten used to busking by herself, unlike the first time she went busking.

“I was actually excited, and I guess a little nervous because usually Chet’s masking my sound and if I make a mistake it doesn’t matter,” Kaya said, as she remembered the first time she went busking.

Since the two began busking, many memories were made. Their most memorable one happened during ACL

girl. “Wait a minute. She just got a dollar in her own jar. Why don’t we do that?”

Kaya said after watching a girl younger than her busk.

Although the two usually busk together, sometimes, they go alone. Neither of them have different thoughts when playing alone than when playing together, but they do think some downsides present themselves. When

Finding a perfect location to busk comes with many difficulties. June Caravel, from The DIY Musician website reported, “...you could set up at the corner of your street… only to be arrested by policemen 5 minutes later because a shop owner complained that you’re too loud.” Chet found the perfect busking locations. He first needed to make sure that a block buffer separates them from other buskers. “If you’re going to perform the same 4 songs over and over again, the shop in front

“I REPEAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND I KNOW THAT ANXIETY IS JUST A WASTE OF EMOTION.” in 2013, when an opportunity arose and they decided to busk at night. The two decided to play a Waltz together, and people began to dance to it. Two people danced and a crowd gathered around. “Those two people reminded me that I don’t play violin for me. I play for other people. Whoever wants to listen,”

of which you perform is not going to be too pleased,” Caravel informs. Chet thinks differently. Since not many people listen to the busker for more than half a song, he believes it’s okay if he plays the same song twice. Instead of annoying the shop because someone is repeatedly playing the same song, they are usually

Photos by Austin Barron

An audience member watches the two before putting in a dollar in Chet’s case as the two nod, showing a sign of gratitude.

Chet said. Soon, another man who had finished busking was walking around and, when he saw the crowd, got down and began to play with the two.

Chet Fagerstrom begins to tune as people walk by, anticipating a performance.

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The two buskers play and move to the songs: Fandango, Tango, Ashokan’s Farewell, Dry and Dusty, Big Sciota, and Bonaparte’s Retreat.

Kathy Hills, Chet’s mom, has supported Chet over the past 9 years. She realized that Chet would become an amazing musician as early as the age of 7 or 8.

“He went through materials so quickly and he sounded in tune, which was pretty unusual for a young age,” Hills said. His mom watched him sometimes during his private lessons, and noticed that multiple times, the teacher would mention that he rushed as he played. While Chet practices at home, she constantly tells him to slow down. She does keep note that Chet is still young, and knows many kids want

“...VIOLIN PLAYING IS JUST PART OF MY DAILY LIFE. 12 GLACIAL | DECEMBER 2014

to play fast to get through with the piece and their practice, but she did realize that unlike many kids, Chet does not seem to be nervous about solos and recitals.

Many people suffer from nervousness.

When people get nervous, their hands tend to shake, their minds rush, and their hearts beat faster. However, this is not the case for Chet. “I don’t get nervous because I understand that it’s all for fun and the people just want to hear music,” Chet said. Kaya does not get nervous when busking, but she does sometimes get nervous during auditions.

Kaya shares how she gets over her fears, “I repeat over and over again and I know that anxiety is just a waste of emotion” Kaya said.

On average, the two make $20-$40, but during ACL and SXSW, they can make up to $120. They keep their money in a bag which contains chip clips, tissues, and rocks to hold down their money.

With their bag and their cases, they walk home. Soon, they will be back to busk again.

Over the past two years, the two have gone through many difficulties in busking and have both developed different advice for people who want to try busking in

“YOU HAVE TO PLAY MORE THAN THE NOTES IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE MUSIC.” the future. Kaya’s advice for people is to “Find a place that is near places that have a lot of people; like Amy’s Ice Cream has a huge line. ...find a place that has people, but is not too noisy,” Chet’s advice for people is “Bring chip clips. Clothes pins are too weak. Texas weather stinks, for almost everything, so it could be pouring, or there could be a tornado or it could be sunny. So bring those so that your money doesn’t fly out,” Chet said.

Chet has gained knowledge of many musical concepts throughout his nine years of experience. One important idea remains of which he always reminds himself of, “You have to play more than the notes in order for it to be music.”

Notes to many musicians mean nothing, but adding in emotion and passion brings the music to life.

Photo by Austin Barron

annoyed that there is someone playing in front of their store at all, so he prefers an empty or closed-down shop. Along with these locations, he also recommends street corners because once a stop light flashes, people are forced to stand there and watch him play. The awkwardness can lead to people giving him money.

Photo by happpykiddo

6010 N I H 35 Austin, TX (512) 420-9359

By Jessica Um The Candy Cane and the Blue Winter Sparkle are two nail designs that girls of any age can try during this holiday. These simple, inexpensive nail designs will surely grab others’ attentions. Nail polish can be purchased at Walmart a grocery store near you. Follow the steps below to acquire these perfect holiday nails.

For more holiday nails, go to the Top Inspired website.

Things You’ll Need: • • • •

White nail polish Light blue nail polish Glittered nail polish Clear top coat

Nail Polish Brands: Essie, Sally Hansen (Hard As Nails), Sally Hansen (Insta-Dri)

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First, coat your nails in white. This part does not have to be perfect, for it will be the used as our “base coat”.

The white will make the blue on top appear lighter in color and look more solid. One tip that may help you is to tape the edges of your nails.

This way, even if the nail polish gets one your skin, the tape will be there to cover it.

Finally, after drying your nails, coat your nails with a clear top coat. This will make the nail polish last longer and will reduce chipping. This also evens out the nail polish, which will be necessary because your nails won’t be even due to the glitter. This part does not need several coats. If you do apply several coats, your nails may just feel heavy.

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Photos by Austin Barron

Apply a light blue on your nails Add several coats of this color to make your nails look more solid. Now dab the glitter nail polish so that it covers the tip of your nails. Do this gently, otherwise the glitter might not come off of the brush of the nail polish. Put the glitter approximately halfway across your nails a little farther for that diminishing effect.

Things You’ll Need: • • • • •

Red nail polish White nail polish Tape Scissors Clear top Coat

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Again, coat your nails in white. Unlike the first nail design, this part has to be more accurate. Make sure not to get it on the skin, and you can wrap tape around the edges of your nails to make sure this does not happen. Apply multiple layers with the white nail polish so that your nail is not transparent through the white. The white color should be solid.

Apply red nail polish on top of the tape and your nails, covering your entire nail.

Let dry and carefully, take the tape off to reveal the candy cane look. Coat your nails with a clear top coat. This will make your nails appear more glossy and will reduce chipping. This step will be necessary due to the different amounts of layers that you may have made with the two nail colors.

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Photos by Austin Barron

Make sure that the white is completely dry before moving on to the next step.

If your nail is not completely dry, it will mess up the nail design later. Now rip thin pieces of tape and tape them across your nail. The tape does not have to be perfectly separated. Slightly slant the tap at an angle. Not perfectly separating them will make your nails seem more realistic.

The pink blouses make up only a part of the color sorted clothing selection within Goodwill.

Goodwill experiences a compound annual growth rate of approximately 10%, said Lauren Lawson, media relations manager at Goodwill.

Story and Photos by Mia Crockett

TEENAGERS FIND INTEREST IN THRIFT SHOPPING

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acks line up throughout the area, consuming the space. Clothes stuffed within them, sorted by size. People intersperse throughout the store, in search of the perfect piece. Others dig through rows of accessories that would compliment the mound of clothes that they barely control within their arms.

A majority of the apparel would make most cringe but hidden in-between the masses of old fads, lays a garment that screams to become within your possession. Inexpensive and unique, this is thrift shopping.

Thrift shopping has grown as an industry in recent years. Younger shoppers have attributed to this growth.

Britt Beemer, founder and chairman of America’s Research Groups, has studied this trend and reports on how teens tend to pass on trips to the mall in favor of thrift stores. As a whole, the industry has experienced a growth in the amount of stores of about 7% in the last two years, describes Adele Meyer, Executive Director of the Association of Resale Professionals. Thrift shopping has become more accessible as more shops appear. Accessibility is the key when it comes to shopping because convenience drives humans’ actions in everyday life.

Several different types of stores are apart of thrift shopping. Under this umbrella term lies resale and non profit stores. When the store buys their merchandise, such as clothing, furniture or appliances, from other people, one considers it a resale shop. A non profit store’s inventory, however, is stocked with items donated by others. Goodwill, a major chain store, serves as an example for a non profit thrift shop.

Teenage thrift shopper Astrid TorresJohnson has experienced a change in her view of thrift shopping over her lifetime.

At a younger age, she despised the 18 GLACIAL | DECEMBER 2014

Buffalo Exchange is a resale store that Astrid Torres-Johnson and Zoe Czarnecki frequently shop at. It buys clothing from people and in return they may recieve cash or store credit.

occasional trips to Savers. She perceived the store to have a negative connotation because of its doctor’s office like smell and white walls. Yet, she still perused the racks and shelves that occupied the area. Soon, Torres-Johnson came across something that began to change to the way she viewed thrifting. A Barbie toy was held in her hands as her eyes lit with a sense of amazement. Torres-Johnson located her mother and implored her to purchase the doll.

fascinated by a booth filled with vintage items. Czarnecki bought a bold orange vest that had the number 61 stitched within it.

Her mother complies but not without saying, “See, you can find good things at a thrift store,” Torres-Johnson said when remembering the memory. This message altered her perspective and drives her to continue thrift shopping to this day.

“You know when you go thrift store shopping and you find a super cute skirt, nobody else can really copy you,” thrift shopper Kalyani Allums said.

Uniqueness finds a way to become the deciding factor when it comes to thrift shopping. The uncommon clothing makes thrift shopping appealing, said Torres-Johnson.

Thrift shopper Zoe Czarnecki learned about resale shopping while shopping at a flea market. Her family accompanied her when she search through the vendor’s stands looking for something that called out to her. She found herself

It remains one of her favorite things to wear, explains Czarnecki. “That was the day I was like, “I like wearing vintage things,”’ said Czarnecki. A pamphlet about interesting activities to do led her to visiting Buffalo Exchange, which is now one of her favorite stores to visit.

Czarnecki believes thrift shopping has changed the way she shops. “...Instead of finding something I like and being like, “Man, this is cool,” I find something and

think,”Could I get this somewhere else?

Is this something I want to purchase because this is the coolest thing ever and I won’t see this again?”’ Said Czarnecki.

Thrift shopping allows Czarnecki to find the particular and different items she seeks.

Retail stores, similar to thrift stores in that they both sell a wide range of products to their customers but they differ in the fact that retail merchandise has no previous owner. Retail stores usually have many different sizes for the same clothing pieces as well as many of that same size. With this large stock of each clothing piece, people will have the same outfit on occasion.

“There all had Target all had

were three people and they the same skirt and it was from and it was super cute but they it and it just didn’t make them

seem very individual,” Allums said while remembering the time when that occurred.

Torres-Johnson enjoys the exclusive clothes that thrift shops have to offer, she is also frustrated by it.

Although thrift stores sort things by size, usually one of each item is present. “[In retail shopping] ...if something

“If you see something, there is only one of it in stock so you either buy it now or you probably won’t ever see it again,”

“IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, THERE IS ONLY ONE OF IT IN STOCK SO YOU EITHER BUY IT NOW OR YOU PROBABLY WON’T EVER SEE IT AGAIN,” SAID TORRES-JOHNSON isn’t your size you will probably be able to find one that is in your size, but it is all the same stuff… With resale there is more unique stuff and it is cheaper but like if it is not in your size it will probably will never be in your size,” Torres-Johnson said. Even though

said Torres-Johnson. She had searched through the racks of clothes in Buffalo Exchange when she came across some hiking boots for $25. After realising she did not have enough money to purchase the shoes, she took a picture of them and left, reminding herself to return to the

Astrid Torres-Johnson sifts through the endless racks that make up Goodwill during her most recent trip to the non-profit thrift store.

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store soon. When she did return a week later, the shoes had been bought.

said. Czarnecki is fond of wear-and-tear but Allums tries her best to avoid it.

Czarnecki finds herself shopping at Target a fair amount and has noticed a trend. “[Target] goes through these stages where nothing they have works for me,” Czarnecki said, “With thrift shopping, that doesn’t happen. It is impossible not to find something.”

“You want to check for holes or stains or if it is just too worn,” Allums said.

“Buy good stuff that is of good quality.”

Allums shops at thrift stores for her daily clothes and she shops at thrift

Allums also faces the same problem that Czarnecki does. “...A lot of times with mainstream stores it is hard to find cute clothes that are not a popular style, especially if you want to dress a certain way or you don’t want to dress a certain way,” Allums said. Clothing is a form of expression that we all partake in, including teenagers.

Czarnecki’s orange vest had hinted at having athletic character. She had pondered about the clothing piece and guessed that it had previously belonged to a member of a sports team, probably acting as a uniform. “... I think that’s interesting to have a little backstory or when there are holes or stains, which sounds nasty but is also kinda charming in a way,” Czarnecki

in that they warn against the dangers of over spending. Money is limited, especially in the case of teenagers, so one must take caution when purchase large amounts of clothing or other objects. That is why Czarnecki, TorresJohnson, and Allums all cling to thrift shopping.

“I AM CONTINUING THE STORY OF THE CLOTHING,” CZARNECKI SAID. stores more than retail stores because of the low prices.

“If [my mother and I] shopped as much as we wanted to at regular stores, we wouldn’t have any money,” said Allums.

Thrift shopping is less expensive than retail shopping, said Torres-Johnson.

This, however, does not mean that one should not keep a budget in mind. “... It is really easy to be like,”WHOA look how cheap this one is,” and,”Look how cheap thing one is,” and then all of your cheap things add up and you spend way more than you expected to,” Czarnecki said. Czarnecki’s warnings hold true with retail shopping as well,

Thrift stores, both resale and non profit, have their inventory stocked by previously owned items. This previous ownerships sometimes deters others from attempting to shop at a thrift shopper. Torres-Johnson will sometimes detect her own discouragement when it comes to purchasing second-hand items.

“You just have to keep in mind that even though the clothes have been previously owned, I own a washing machine,” Torres-Johnson said. She has grown to understand how the state of some clothing can be improved to a point where it is more fashionable and acceptable.

“I am continuing the story of the clothing,” Czarnecki said. When Czarnecki purchases clothing from a thrift store, she sees it as the piece extending its life and history. The backstory it has before is only being added onto and this idea allows her to truly enjoy what she wears.

Torres-Johnson believes she will continue to thrift shop all of her life. “... It’s not like you don’t stop regular shopping. With thrift shopping it is the same, you could do definitely continue it,” said Torres-Johnson. Both Allums and Czarnecki also think that they will continue to shop at thrift stores throughout their lives.

“I think I will never stop enjoying weird clothing,” said Czarnecki. “Weird old stuff is the fun stuff.”

Astrid Torres-Johnson shows off a unque coat she discovered while perusing the selection found within Goodwill.

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Photo by Frédérique Voisin-Demery

Shop for men’s and women’s vintage clothing, costumes, and accessories.

217 W North Loop, Austin, TX 78751

Story and photos by Mia Crockett During the winter holiday season, many give gifts to their friends and family. Wrapping these gifts in an interesting way can turn a simple gift into a thoughtful one. In these two tutorials you will learn how to create a bow from paper and how to add your own design to plain wrapping paper. Most of the materials can be found around your house but if you do not have all of the required items, Hobby Lobby is a craft store that sells them for a relatively cheap price.

NO SEW BOW

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Begin by getting some sheets of colored construction paper, a writing utensil (preferably a pencil), and some scissors.

You should then sketch out the pieces you will need (there will be a total of three).

The first should be ten inches long and three inches wide. The next should be seven inches in length and three inches in width. The last piece should only two inches long and half an inch wide. Refer to the picture on the right to see what the shape the pieces should be.

Cut out your sketched pieces, making sure to try and keep a smooth edge.

Check to make sure you have some tape near you before continuing. Take the ends of the first piece and bring them towards the middle of that piece. Do not create a crease where the middle of the loop is. This will make up the loops of the bow. Now, take your tape and tape the ends to the middle. Use the picture as a reference if you get confused.

Make a loop with the tape in order to attach the second piece (the tails of the bow) to the first piece (the loops of the bow). Then take the third piece and wrap it around the connection point of the first and second piece and tape it together. It is okay if the third piece overlaps itself. Your newly finished bow can now decorate the gifts you wish to give this holiday season.

For more fun projects like these, check out: fabdiy.com or thehousethatlarsbuilt.com

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REVAMP WITH SOME STAMPS

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You will first need to gather a rubber eraser (either one on the end of a pencil or a regular one), an X-ACTO knife, a pen, and an ink pad. This tutorial uses the example of a star but you are free to use any shape you wish to carve. Take your pen and draw the shape onto the flat side of your eraser. The closer you get the edge of your shape to the edge of the eraser, the easier the next step will be. This step is the same for both the regular and pencil eraser.

The next step requires you to use your X-ACTO knife and carve out the shape you drew. First, follow the lines you sketched with your blade, making sure you are slicing deep into the eraser. The smoother you can make these cuts, the better. Then, cut out the surrounding eraser that you do not wish to appear.

You can do this by carving out the blocks a chunk at a time. If you are confused, refer to the picture on the right.

First, make sure that the gift you wish to decorate is already wrapped. Avoid glossy paper when using this technique because it the decorations could smear.

Press your carved eraser into the ink pad and start stamping. You can create any pattern you desire; whether it is a symmetrical design or one with random clusters. This simple stamp can now add interest to plain wrapping paper.

Here are the finished products from each tutorial combined to form a special and adorable gift. Though these are only simple acts of decoration, they add uniqueness to your gifts and give the impression that you thought a lot about what you gave your friend or family member.

Photo Credit: Ariandra Fokker

Story by Julia Wasson

The Holy Kaaba, located in Mecca, Saudi Arrabia, is the center of Islam’s most sacred mosque, Al-Masjid al-Haram. At least once during a Muslim’s lifetime, they are required to make a pilgrimage there.

THE CONCEPT OF RELIGION EXPRESSED BY TEENAGERS

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hristmas music blares from the speakers, covered by the clamor of busy shoppers buzzing about. It is only one week after Thanksgiving and the majority of people are getting their early shopping in. People are running about, pushing and shoving in order to find the gifts that they want. Christmas decorations line the racks and from the top of the shelves, blow up Santas glare down on the shoppers. Just by walking into any American store, one can automatically tell that Christmas is on the way. While the majority of Americans are preparing for Christmas, most forget about the other holidays that are celebrated, like Hanukkah, and that there are those out there who do not celebrate Christmas.

The U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey, conducted in 2010 by Pew Research: Religion and Public Life Project, reported that the American population was only capable of answering 50% of the questions on the part of the survey that covered other religions than their own. Even though America, out of all the world’s developed nations, has the most diversity when it comes to religion, “The U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey shows that large numbers of Americans are uninformed about the tenets, practices, history and leading figures of major faith traditions – including their own.”

“I think it will be pretty hard to make everyone aware of this situation.

However, at the same, people should know how to communicate with people, and what better way to do that, than knowing who you are talking to and knowing what that person is like.”

Avi Hurewitz, a freshman at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy, celebrates Hanukkah over the winter holiday with family and family friends. Every night, Avi or his brother will light one candle on the menorah; a ninebranched candelabrum that is lit during this eight day long holiday, using the Shamash, the candle lit the first night and stands the tallest. The menorah is lit to commemorate the miracle of light, which is the purpose for which Hanukkah is celebrated. The lighting of the menorah is designed to publicize the fact that Hashem, their God, kingdom of the universe, performed miracles then, and continues to perform wonders presently. The menorah is placed in front of a window every night, typically facing the street. That way, it is visible for anyone and everyone to see. “ We light how many candles [are] needed for the night, sing a few religious songs, and open presents.” Hurewitz said.

Even though Judaism and Christianity have their differences, like how they are

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“ PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE, AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO DO THAT THAN KNOWING WHO YOU ARE TALKING TO AND KNOWING WHAT THAT PERSON IS LIKE.” Shazil Ahmad, a freshman at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy, personally believes that everyone should be conscious of other religions.

celebrated, they still have some common factors: like the giving of gifts and the singing of religious songs.

Dreidel is a game played by Jewish families during Hanukkah. They can be made from wood to clay and can be a variety of colors.

Avi Hurewitz and his family are Conservative Jews, which is very different than being an Orthodox Jew. “We’re more lenient about certain things, like we don’t have to keep it strictly kosher, we’re more lenient about that kind of thing that Orthodox Jews…” Hurewitz said. Orthodox Jews believe that The Torah, the law of God as revealed to Moses and recorded in the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures, word by word, is true, and that they need to maintain observance of halakhah, or the Jewish Law. Conservative Jews also believe in halakhah, but they think that the Law should be flexible, able to change and adapt as time goes by, absorbing aspects of the predominant culture while still remaining true to Judaism’s values.

Hurewitz said that he would spin dreidels with his family and family friends whenever they would get together, “You spin dreidels and bet, well not money, but chocolate, or something like that.”

A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top, each side bearing a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and is played with during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

Each player begins with an equal number of gelt, or chocolate coins, usually between ten and fifteen pieces. Before each round, each player places one piece into the pot and then take turns spinning the dreidel. When one player spins the dreidel, they would bet on which DECEMBER 2014 | GLACIAL 24

According to Jewish tradition, when the Jews were in caves learning the Torah, hiding from the Greeks, who had forbidden reading it, the dreidel became a popular game to play. Legend has it that whenever the teacher heard a Greek soldier approaching, they would have the students hide their Torahs and pull out their dreidels and play with them.

Over the winter break, Avi and his family eat latkes. “My mom makes the latkes, and my brother and I usually help,” Hurewitz said. Latkes, or potato pancakes, do not necessarily need to be made from potato.

He says that the latkes are his favorite food to eat during Hanukkah.

Stephanie Kanbe, a freshman at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy, celebrates a different holiday over the winter break: Christmas. Every Christmas, Kanbe would travel to Hawaii to spend time with her grandparents. “ I think [that because] we don’t get to see our family very often, it’s nice to

get the connection, to finally get to see them again after an entire year of being away.” Many people of different religions get together with their family over the

“PEOPLE VALUE TRADITIONS BECAUSE THEY SEE THEM AS A TIME OF TOGETHERNESS...” winter holiday to celebrate. The idea of families being brought together can show younger children how their family celebrate their specific religion, or if they do not celebrate a religion at all. When they get a visual as to how one celebrates their certain religion that they practice is informational for them, giving them the first experience.

“People value traditions because they see them as a time of togetherness for sharing and strengthening relationships,” said Dr. Joyce Armstrong, associate professor of family sciences at Texas Woman’s University. “Individuals in families, in particular children, need to feel that they have a set of common values with one another.”

When Kanbe and her family are together, they like to decorate their home inside and out to give it a wintery feel. “‘ We usually decorate a Christmas tree, we have presents, it’s just like any other normal Christmas celebration.’” Kanbe said that they also change the tablecloth to one of a winter theme and that they

During the Winter holidays in Hawaii, it is a tradition to preform the hula publicly.

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place stockings in there Austin home before they head out to Hawaii. Once they arrive in Hawaii, they put up even more stockings.

“A couple years ago, I think in 2012, we didn’t go [to Hawaii], and that was the first year,” Kanbe said. “ My sister and I were super excited because my dad promised us that we would get to decorate with Christmas lights. We had lights on the roof, we had the lights on our wall, and just everywhere.” This custom dates back to the use of candles to decorate a Christmas tree back in 18th century Germany. By the mid 20th century, it became popular for families to hang up Christmas lights along streets and on the roofs of buildings.

Shazil Ahmad and his family are Muslim, so they do not have a particular holiday that they celebrate over the winter holidays. Instead they have family gatherings and feasts.

“Normally we have Middle Eastern dishes in our home, like rice or bread and stuff like that. So like during the winter holidays, we might make this Thailand dish, or this Vietnam dish, just for something different.” Ahmad said that his mother and aunt usually do the cooking. They still make the same type of dishes, even when they have family coming over, but in larger quantities. On some occasions, his family may even have a barbeque. They may make something along the line of burgers or hotdogs, just to get a different feel.

“It is important for Americans to have a basic understanding of religions and cultures of nations around the world,” Brian Thorn, author of Why Religious Education Matters, said. “We live in a globalized community where borders are increasingly nonexistent and religion is often a powerful force for either violence and division or for social cohesion and good.”

Photo Credit: Ron Ardis

Hebrew letter they think would land face up. Their outcome determines what they either lose or gain from the pile of gelt. The outcomes can vary from Nun, which means the player gains nothing in Yiddish; to Gimmel, which means the player gets everything in the pot; Hey, which means the player gets half of what is in the pot; and Shin, which means they put one of their pieces into the pot.

If someone runs out of pieces of gelt, then they are out of the game, or they may ask for a ‘loan’ from another player so that they can get back into the game.

Photo Credit: Melissa Gable

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