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THE HOWLER February 2022 ST
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Welcome back to the Howler! Check out what is inside of the first newspaper of 2022! THIS NEWSPAPER WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE PUBLICATIONS CREW: Newspaper Layout Editors: Marley Ford, Aubrey Williams Writers: Rachael Johnston, Marley Ford, Aubrey Williams, Claire Cooper, Lily Suman, Tristyn Jones, Evie Tindell, Avery Clement, Will Shieber
WINTER SPORTS Written by: Rachael Johnston & Layout by: Aubrey Willams Gliding on the ice, skating is very popular during wintertime. Ice skating is a great way to learn how to skate. Behind the scenes, skating isn’t just pretty dresses and sparkles. There is way more to it. Skaters wake up early in the morning to go skating before school, and some are so dedicated to the sport that they are homeschooled. All over the world, there are kids who grow up with the skating rink as their second home. What you watch on TV is way different than what happens at the rink. Every practice, you try new things. It's ok to fall because even the best of the best do. There are multiple categories in figure skating: Singles (men and women), Pairs, and Ice dance. In February 2022 the Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing, China. In the singles category, there will be 6 competitors. Mariah Bell, Karen Chen, Alysa Liu, Jason Brown, Vincent Zhou, and Nathan Chen. For the pairs event, there are 2 teams: Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc, and, Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier. The last event is ice dance the competitors are: Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker, Madison Hubbell, and Zachary Donohue.
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Bucket List By: Marley Ford
From the moment the first snowflakes fell, students couldn't help but feel excited for the adventures that they were going to have during the cold, winter season. However, not everyone can travel all over the globe and live it up every day. Even if you don't have a plan for winter activities, there is still a lot you can do to make memories that will last forever.
Build a snowman
Go skiing
Go on a winter photo scavenger hunt
Go sledding
Have a snowball fight
Go stargazing
Hold a bonfire and invite friends over
Take a winter hike
Have a snow sculpture competition
Read a book by a warm fire
Go ice fishing
Do a movie marathon
Go ice skating
Hold a board game tournament
Shovel snow for someone in need
Drink a warm mug of hot coco
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WINTER RECIPES Written by: Claire Cooper & Layout by: Marley Ford
To start we have one of my personal favorites, Pumpkin Bread! This pumpkin bread is my favorite sweet treat for the fall and winter seasons. This recipe takes a total of 1 hour and 20 minutes to make and makes 2 loaves.
INGREDIENTS Unsalted butter, for the pans - you can get good loaf pans at price chopper 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan (see Cook's Note) 3 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 4 large eggs, lightly beaten One 15-ounce can of pure pumpkin puree 2 teaspoons fine salt 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 2/3 cup water
CHILI:
PUMPKIN BREAD: Step one in making this yummy treat is preheating your oven to 350 degrees and sprinkle flour in two 9-5 inch loaf pans Second, you need to whisk together the sugar and oil in a large bowl until well combined, whisk in the eggs and pumpkin till well combined Thirdly combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. Add half the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine. Add half the water and stir to combine. Repeat with the remaining flour and water. Lastly, divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans. Bake until a cake tester (toothpick) comes out clean and the loaves are golden brown, about 1 hour. Take the loaves out of the pans and let them cool on wire cooling racks for about 10-15 minutes before serving.
Chili is perfect for when you want to have a cozy dinner with your family. It does take some more time to cook but the prep is quick and easy and the end result is worth the time.
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Brown the ground bison with one package of chili seasoning in a skillet over medium to high heat Dice the onion Add all of the beans, Rotel, onions, and browned meat to a slow cooker, top with another packet of chili seasoning Set slow cooker on low for approximately 5 hours during these 5 hours you can do whatever you want so it really does not take up that much time. After 5 hours, it is ready to serve.
(Recipe from Food Network)
INGREDIENTS 3 cans of black beans 3 cans of kidney beans 3 cans of chili beans 2 cans of Rotel 1 onion 1 - 1 ½ pound of ground bison 2 packs of chili seasoning
(Recipe from Claire's parents)
HOMEMADE HOT CHOCOLATE:
INGREDIENTS
Everyone loves hot chocolate, it's perfect for having after playing in the snow, or after coming home from the cold school. It’s fun to make with friends and to have when you are up late watching Christmas classics. It's important to have the perfect go-to hot chocolate recipes for any of the occasions listed, so here's one to help you out!
Place milk, cocoa powder, and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium/medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until warm (but not boiling). Add chocolate chips and whisk constantly until the chocolate chips melt and distribute evenly into the milk. Whisk in vanilla extract, serve immediately. (Recipe from Celebrating Sweets)
4 cups milk (preferably whole or 2%) ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ¼ cup granulated sugar ½ cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
ENJOY THESE DELICIOUS WINTER RECIPES!
THOUGHTS ON: Pumpkin bread: I love making this recipe, it is quick and easy and has never failed to come out perfectly. I like serving slices with cream cheese frosting smeared on but other toppings that would work include butter, cream cheese, honey, and maple syrup. Lastly, whenever you want to warm up a slice for a snack I would recommend heating it up for 7 minutes so it's warm, soft, and delicious.
Chili:
Disclaimer: Food pictures are NOT from Claire
When serving this dish I recommend adding cheese and diced jalapenos on top. I would also add a side of saltine crackers for dipping.
Hot Chocolate: This recipe is quick, easy, and delicious, perfect for when you want to warm up on a cold winter day.
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SNOW, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO! Written by: Tristyn Jones & Layout by: Marley Ford
Kansas City Plaza:
There are tons of lights, music, and even carriage rides. In addition, shopping, eating, and spending quality time with your loved ones!
Brookside Parks:
Looking to go down a slippery slope? Brookside Park is the place for you. There is a huge hill to sled down when it snows. There are tons of great reviews for the park. Some say, “One of the best sledding hills around!” and “Great park for sledding!"
Don't let the cold weather outside keep you from having fun… There are snow many places that you could go! Above are some places to go with friends and family!
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MOVIE REVIEWS Written by: Lily Suman & Layout by: Marley Ford Too cold to go outside? Here are some winter movie recommendations for those cold winter days!
LITTLE WOMEN With Spider-Man's identity now revealed, our friendly neighborhood web-slinger is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life as Peter Parker from the high stakes of being a superhero. When Peter asks for help from Doctor Strange, the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man. This movie has many positive reviews. This is a review from an MTMS 8th grader Emma Brooks. She says, “It was good, although there were a few scenes where I cried but overall it was a good movie.”
NO WAY HOME Do you like Romance or dramas? The movie “Little Women” is a coming-of-age movie that takes place in the years after the Civil War. Jo March, the main character, lives in New York with her three sisters and mother, while pursuing her passion for writing. This folklore inspired film stars some of the greatest actors and actresses including Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Timothée Chalamet, and Emma Watson. The film showcases various hardships women faced in the 1860’s time period. There are many reviews from the movie, one says “The fresh-est, well-casted, award-winning, and thoughtfully directed adaptation of the novel about sisterhood is the sincere and up-lifting movie everyone should add to their movie list.”
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WHAT'S WINTER LIKE AT MT? Written by: Evie Tindell & Layout by: Marley Ford The winter months at MT are normally filled with Starbucks drinks and friends bundled in hoodies to evade the cold. But what do the students do outside of school, and what about the teachers? Well, some people enjoy going out, Eighth grader Riggs Lamborn states, “My favorite part about winter is going snowboarding.” While others prefer staying in “My favorite part of winter," states Avery Curry (6th), "is being able to sit inside and drink hot chocolate as well as spending time with my family during Christmas.” Even the teachers enjoy the winter months — though maybe in different ways than the students, “My favorite part of winter is going for a walk after the first snowfall, ” Dr. Preston states. Anyway, here are some fun moments from our recent frozen weeks.
7th grader Riley Riggs (right) and her friend Faith Pittenger (left) went sledding at Stump Park during a snow day. “We stayed there sledding for 2 hours,” Riley says.
7th graders Gavin Gall, Ryder Farley, and Harrison Hoit get hyped up during the overtime coin toss for the Chiefs v.s. Bengals AFC Championship game. ”I love watching the Chiefs but it’s impossible to pick a favorite player,” Gall says.
7th grader Braydon Jones and his younger sister Brooklyn Jones play outside in their newly built igloo.
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A group of 8th graders went sledding on a cold Wednesday for an hour at Prairie Ridge Elementary School. (left to rightback row- Beckym Marlow, Drew Yockey, Jake Brown - Front rowBella McPeake, Ava Lucht, Preslie Wampler, Mallory Lux, Lila Cobb, Ella Jones
Instead of waiting outside for their parents, 8th graders Olivia Nzioki and Neema Njenga wait just inside the school's doors to stay warm at the end of the school day.
We Love Elton john Computers teacher Mrs. Crews (left) and 8th grade Explorers teacher Mrs. Parker (right) both went to the Elton John concert with their husbands and just so happened to be sitting only a few seats away from each other. Talk about a one-in-a-million coincidence.
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POPULAR WINTER ACTIVITIES Written by: Avery Clement & Layout by: Aubrey Williams Looking for a new activity to try this winter?! There are so many interesting and fun activities to do during the winter, but here are just a few to inspire your outings this winter season! Sledding - Sledding is a super fun activity to do with friends and family! All you need is some warm winter clothes, a sled and a snowy hill and you are set for hours of fun. There are many great areas for sledding in our area and even a big hill right by our school! Volunteering - Food insecurity is a growing issue and with the cold, and having warm, healthy food to eat can be a struggle for many families. You can really help the community by volunteering at a local food pantry or soup kitchen this winter season. Even if only for a few hours the difference you would be making would be huge! Ice-Skating - Going Ice skating is a great way to try something new and get in some physical activity during the winter! Ice skating is super enjoyable and great for friend or family bonding. Even if skating is not a strength of yours it can still be a super fun and memorable activity! Movie Marathon - If you're not a big fan of the cold or snow outside this may be a great activity for you! Invite over some friends, get some snacks and a blanket and just click play! Need some great movie recommendations? Head over to page 6!
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Snow activities - Not only is the snow fun for sledding on and making snow angels in, it can also be a great building material! Making snowmen, snow igloos and even snow forts can be a super cool activity to do with friends, and the best part is you can enjoy the building process and the creation after! Winter Drinks - Looking for something sweet to warm you up? Hot chocolate is the perfect drink for a cold winter day! Plus it only takes a few minutes to make. Go to page 3 for a quick and tasty recipe!
Disclaimer: Photos from google not by Avery.
Sledding
Volunteering
Ice-Skating
Watching movies
Snow Activities
Winter Drinks
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VIDEO GAMES
Written by: Will Schieber & Layout by: Aubrey Williams Grand Theft Auto V Remastered: There are going to be a lot of games coming out this year, from first-person shooter, to adventure, to RPG (Roleplaying game) we have some big releases. One big release coming out this March is Grand Theft Auto V Remastered, coming out on Xbox, PS5, and Xbox Series X. We will see a standalone version of GTA online release, which should help deal with the amount of storage being taken up by GTA V currently. As well as that, PS4 players will get 1 million in-game dollars every month until this separate edition releases, and PS5 players will get a code that can be used to get the game free for up to three months after release (June 2022).
The Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Coming out in April is The Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga for Switch, Xbox One and up, and PS4/PS5. At its core, it is a remake of those iconic Lego Star Wars games we all know and love with the ability to play them in any order you would want to. As well as that if you buy the deluxe edition you’ll get some box art, an exclusive Luke Skywalker Minifigure, and a character bundle including characters from Solo, Rogue One, The Mandolorian, and The Bad Batch.
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Minecraft’s Wild Update Minecraft’s next update, The Wild Update, is supposed to release this June. It is most likely going to be released for PC alone at first, and then on bedrock a month or so later. This update will add a few new biomes, such as the deep dark and the mangrove swamp. These new biomes will add new mobs such as frogs, tadpoles, fireflies, and the warden. New blocks will be added like the mangrove trees and sculk. The allay will also be added in this update due to it winning the mob vote last year.
WWE 2K22 If you’re a wrestling fan then I have some great news for you, WWE 2K22 is being released on March 11 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and S. This game will feature names such as The Rock, Sasha Banks, Brock Lesnar, and many more. A new graphics engine, more realistic models, and more unique environments were also promised.
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GOODBYE WINTER... HELLO SPRING!
Layout by: Aubrey Williams & Marley Ford