The Oracle: A Lifestyle Issue Winter 2023

Volume 120, Issue2, Winter 2023

THE ORACLE

A LIFESTYLE ISSUE

DM NORTH’S MEDIA

WALKING IN A NORTH WONDERLAND:

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Lifestyle

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Self-care tips to find your calm

Words: Asiah Ashby | Photos: calm.com | Design: Asiah Ashby

There are many different forms of selfcare. Self-care can span from just taking care of yourself, your skin to other forms.

Your skin, your body and hair are all a part of you, and taking care of them is self-care. You can practice “self-care” if you are feeling down and want to cheer yourself up. You could do something as simple as a face mask and fuzzy socks while dancing in your pajamas.

One way self-care is needed in a teenager’s life is sleep; teens need 8-10 hours of sleep for growth. Teenagers’ brains and bodies are still growing, and the lack of sleep does not help teens grow and learn.

The definition of self-care is defined as a “multidimensional multifaced process of a purposeful engagement in strategies that promote healthy functioning and enhance well-being.” Self-care can also be for your mental health.

If you are battling with mental health, you can do a lot to get yourself back to your old happy self. Sometimes you can be battling depression because of an offtrack sleep schedule. You could also try the gym and put all your mental effort as

your focus while in the gym.

However, this does not mean going to the gym occasionally, if you want to see improvement you need to be very consistent, you could even go twice a week, but make it into your schedule. If you suffer from anxiety or consistently feeling anxious sometimes self-care is stepping outside and breathing.

Self-care also includes taking care of your body and brain, as a teen you are supposed to get 8-10 hours of sleep and most teens do not. Most teens stay up late till about 1-2 a.m. texting friends, sending Snaps, watching TikTok or tv.

Some people may not see the problem in this as they “can function” not realizing what it is doing to them because they do not notice it.

Lack of sleep can affect the ability to learn properly or not being able to focus.

Being sleepy can slow down your thought process, scientists did a study where being sleep deprived makes you less aware, you cannot think as fast as you could on an energized brain. Meaning your brain becomes more unclear of what is going on, your brain isn’t fully capable to work

as fast as it can when you’re tired.

Think about it when you are tired you may not notice but you may be forgetful and lose your train of thought, cannot think of a word you want to say because you don’t get enough sleep.

Here is an example, it’s 2:30 a.m. you’re up texting on your phone and checking the time and thinking you should go to bed, but your friend keeps responding and time keeps going on, it’s now 2:48 a.m. you turn your phone off turn over *ding* your friend texts you, you keep chatting with them until you’re not tired anymore and it’s 5 a.m. You stay up until about 6:34 a.m. and finally fall asleep. Your alarm is going off.

You turn it off and go back to sleep it’s 9:50 a.m. not only are you still tired, but you’re late. When you get there, you put your head down and fall asleep. Now therefore you need sleep because you’re not taking care of yourself no more you may think because you’re lacking sleep.

It’s not damaging to the body however you may think it’s not affecting yourself, but this is no longer self-care because your brain and body need sleep.

Best face and skin washes: CeraVa foaming facial cleanser 12oz. $12.08 (for oily skin) A good cleanser that doesn’t dry your face out

Lifestyle

Olay gentle foaming cleanser 6.7oz $5.49(good for all skin types) It’s oil free and soap free and doesn’t strip your face

CeraVa hydrating cleanser 12oz. $12.47(for dry skin) a good cleanser cleans thoroughly without affecting the barrier function of the skin

AFFORDABLE VALENTINES DAY GIFT IDEAS

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Words: Lizbeth Gonzalez Jaramillo | Design: Lizbeth Gonzalez Jaramillo

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alentine’s day can certainly be a fun holiday to celebrate with your loved one, but it can also be a pressuring time. As high school students many of us have part time jobs so we don’t make the most money.

Therefore, spending big sums of money on one day isn’t realistic for many. Here are some affordable valentine’s day gift ideas that won’t strain your pockets while still being cute and appreciative for your partner:

•LOTIONS AND PERFUMES. Bath and body works has affordable gender-neutral body care for all.

•CUSTOMIZED JEWERLY. There are many etsy shops that sell custom jewelry especially for couples so matching bracelets of rings would be another great gift.

•SNACK BOXES/BAGS. For this cute idea you’ll just need a bag or box and a few of your partners favorite snacks along with a cute note and you’re all set!

•TEDDY BEARS. Teddy bears are universal valentine’s day gifts that can be pretty cheap anywhere like at Walmart or target. Although the bigger the bear the more expensive it will be.

•A PLAYLIST. This gift is free because at the end of the day what Valentine’s Day is really about is love and taking the time to appreciate each other therefore coming up with a playlist of your favorite songs that remind you of your partner and adding cute notes to each song emphasizing on the meaning of the song makes a playlist extra special.

•HAIR CAR/ SELF CARE ITEAMS. Hair and skin care items can be affordable at places like Walmart and target or even ulta whether you buy your partner something they have been wanting to try out or that they already love using they’ll appreciate the fact that you are showing them how attentive you are of their likes and wants.

•BOX OF NOTES. For this idea you’ll need a cute little box you can grab from any store. Fill it up with handwritten notes about your partner and why you love them or the things they may remind you of.

•DRAWING AND OFFICE SUPPLIES. If your significant other works in an office space or likes office supplies as well as just cute itinerary sets this would be a perfect gift. These gifts are great for a busy partner that needs the help setting things apart and organizing or just for a partner that likes to organize notes and keep everything nice and neat!

•BAKED GOODS. If you like making things yourself or just baking in general, this gift will be extra special for your significant other. Knowing that you took the time to make their favorite treat instead of just buying it from the store makes this gift more meaningful.

Lifestyle

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HOW TO PROPERLY STUDY Photos: Lizbeth Gonzalez Jaremillo| Design:Lizbeth Gonzalez Jaramillo

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ll our futures will look different whether you decide to go into the military, straight into the work force, college, or something completely different. Though our current priority as students should be our grades. No matter if you decide whether you’re going to pursue a higher level or education or not. A high school diploma is needed to work anywhere in this current world after turning 18.

Therefore, getting that diploma should be your priority and not only should you get your diploma, but you should work to graduate with at least a 3.0 GPA and if you’re planning on going to college you should aim for a 3.5 GPA or above. In order to achieve said GPA you should study correctly for each class you need the most work on.

Studying properly is so important especially for DMPS students that plan to go off to college. In the last few years there has been a splurge of DMPS students dropping out of college for various reasons the main one being that they weren’t prepared enough by our schools.

Up until this year teachers weren’t invoking deadlines something that is extremely common in college. If you miss a deadline your work won’t be summitted making many students who didn’t know this fail their courses.

Another thing that our schools haven’t properly taught us to do was studying correctly. Many students who went off to college have dropped out because they just weren’t prepared.

So, what are some of the best ways to study and get the most out of your education? One way is to make and practice flashcards. Flashcards are something incredibly easy to make and they are extremely helpful.

Writing notes down and flipping between the cards for at least 20 minutes a day will help you understand more about the topic than just reading a whole chapter in a textbook with words you may not understand over and over again.

Another great way to study is by paraphrasing your notes you don’t always need to write the lesson on

School

the board or the lesson from your textbook word for word. Instead write down what you know you need to remember and what the general idea of the lesson is.

Teaching others the topics you have been studying is another great way to study. When you take the time to reteach the topic to someone else, you’re helping yourself because you’re reciting over and over again the knowledge that you have been reviewing so the more people you teach the more practice and understanding you’ll get out of the topic.

15 If you’re a visual learner try drawing diagrams or any sort of visuals to help you understand the concept for example, if you need help memorizing vocab words draw an image of what the vocab word is referring to or of the vocab word being used in a refence.

When it comes to studying you should dedicate specific time to study. If you have a busy schedule that can be harder to work with especially if you have a job which is common as a high school student. If you have a study block or release time dedicate that time at least 3 days a week to study on the classes, you need to focus the most on. If you don’t have a job, then spend time after school on your classes at least 30 minutes of studying.

Studying can be hard when there’s constant distractions everywhere. Including phones and others. You should have a designated spot to study that is comfortable but not too comfortable that you won’t get anything done. Also figure out the way you enjoy to study.

Personally, I enjoy listening to music while studying music helps me concentrate though I know that’s not the case for everyone. I know music can be distracting for some so if it is a distraction that keeps you from focusing don’t listen to music while studying.

Top apps all students should be using for studying:

How to create a succesful studying plan:

One of the biggest parts of making a study session successful is focusing. Putting all your focus into your material to make sure you actually understand is the most important thing for you to do.

Overall, studying is one of the most important things you will need to do during your entire high school career and finding out what ways you should study is equally as important. Even though we all have different lives and futures ahead of us we should all prioritize our grades and make sure we leave high school on a positive note with a good record behind us.

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NHS

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The library is a perfect place to study the north sides library website provides their times as well as other information:

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Top Grossing Movies of 2021-2022 Words: Brionna Dornbusch | Design: Brionna Dornbusch

This movie was beautifully shot and just might be one of the most visually thrilling film the MCU has released in many years. I loved the horror elemnt of the movie! Sam Raimi was the man for the job and knew exactly what he was doing.

Hats off to him.

Don’t skip this movie! Top Gun Maverick is one of those sequels that surpasses the original by miles. Tom Cruises return is great but its also these fresh new characters that you care about. This movie is like the most suspenseful thing I’ve seen all year.

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Jim Carrey was for sure the person for the role by far. Sonic 2 captured the essence of the character perfectly. The CGI is amazing and the actions sets are good.

This felt like what Batman vs. Superman was supposed to be.

If youre a spiderman fan, this movie was the greatest of all time. I loved the way they showed the differences in Doctor Strange’s and Peter Parkers moral compass. Doctor Strange being the one to try to keep away from dangerous situations and Peter Parkers urge to save everyone.

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Are You An Extrovert, Introvert, Or Ambivert Quiz Brionna Dornbusch | Design: Brionna Dornbusch

Make sure to record your answers on a piece of paper!

1.You Like Clothes That…

A.Stress your individuality B.Are quite like everyone else’s

2.

You like to read books which are mostly based on…

A.Great people and adventurers B.People like yourself

3.You prefer sports such as…

A.Football, Soccer, volleyball, and other team sports B.Cycling, tennis, hiking, etc.

4.When you are on public transport you usually…

A.Start conversation with someone next to you B.Stay on your phone or read a book

5.Keeping a diary would be…

A.Pointless, I like to share things directly to my friends instead of keeping them to myself B.Would help me contemplate my thoughts

6.When someone cancels plans you feel…

A.Bummed out B.It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders

7.

You would hate working with someone who’s…

A.Timid and meek B.Brash and overbearing 9.You tend to find talking to new people...

A.Energizing B.Awkward

If you ended up with more A’s than B’s, you are more likely to be an extrovert

8. When assigned to a group project you feel…

A.Excited to collaborate B. Bummed because you’d rather work independently 10.You feel more yourself when you’re…

A.The center of attention B.In the background

If you ended up with more B’s than A’s, you are more likely to be an introvert.

And if you ended up with equal number of A’s and B’s, you are more likely to be an ambivert

People with extroverted tendencies People with introverted tendencies are often the center of attention and get their energy from being alone thrive with social interaction. Extrorather than being around people. verted people recharge their batteries Introverted people usually avoid or by social interaction. They often rarely participate in social events or openly express themselves without a large group activities. They are genersecond thought. Extroverted people ally quiet people and are more aware tend to be more expressive and of the things happening around stronger in communicating to others. them.

An ambivert is a balance of extrovert and introvert traits. Ambivert people tend to limit their social interaction.

They often take alone time in small doses. A couple nights a week alone is typically plenty for an ambivert.

They are usually comfortable talking and expressing their feelings, but they are happy to listen and comfort.

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