C Magazine Issue 2 by The Campanile

TheCampanileA&EMagazine

This is My Hometown 12

Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto High School, CA 94303

OCTOBER 2013

CONTENTS 17

COVER STORY

THIS IS MY HOMETOWN

Read about the amazing Palo Alto High School students who are featured in The New York Times Lens Blog, “My Hometown” CULTURE

BARBIE GETS A MAKEOVER

It has been 54 years since the original Barbie came out. It’s about time for an “average” makeover.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE EDITORS’ LETTER 04 AoM: MARY CHAMPAGNE 08 From fashion to art, read more about Champagne’s journey!

Cover Image by Nikki Freyermuth

SPIRIT WEEK SHOPPING 10 Spirit Week!? No worries, we have some tips.

FALL TV PREMIERES 15 Looking for a new show? We’ve got it!

TRICK OR TREATS AND SPOOKY SWEETS 17 Something fun everyone can do for the holiday season.

PALY SHOE GAME 11 It is time for the senior boys of Paly to get their shoe game on.

MOOD PLAYLISTS 16 What mood are you in? Check out some C Mag playlists.

THE VEGAN OVEN 18 Animal friendly and delicious? Veganize it!

The C Magazine

FROM THE EDITORS Dear Readers, It is time for the second edition of The C Magazine! Our exciting cover story details Paly students, some of whom are in AP photography, and are featured in The New York Times Lens blog, which hosted a photography project titled “My Hometown.” We were given the opportunity to interview a couple of students who participated in “My Hometown,” including Paly Junior Lina Awadallah who, along with 145 other teens around America, was selected out of thousands as an “Editors’ Pick.” In this edition of The C Magazine readers can learn how vegan baking is not only a more healthy and animal friendly choice, but also an easy and delicious alternative. Readers can also jump into the Halloween and Spirit Week season by checking out the “Trick or Treats and Spooky Sweets” and “ The 8 Best Places to Kick off your Spirit Week Shopping,” stories. Are you unsure about what it means to have shoe game? Readers can find out more about popular shoe brands from Paly’s own senior boys. Readers also get the chance to dive into the creative mind of Paly junior, Mary Champagne. We would like to thank our staff and advisor Esther Wojcicki for making this edition of The C Magazine possible. We would also like to thank two guest writers from The Campanile for this edition of The C Magazine, Hannah Nguyen and Grace Kim. We are very excited to bring you the second edition of The C Magazine and we hope you are as well. Enjoy! -Caroline Moley, Sophia Moss and Samantha Newell Editors-in-Chief

STAFF LIST EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Caroline Moley Sophia Moss Samantha Newell

CREATIVE DIRECTORS Riya Varma Nikki Freyermuth

TEXT EDITOR Pauline Na

PHOTO EDITOR Bella Graves

AD MANAGERS

Carmelle Bareket-Shavit Kallee Bareket-Shavit

STAFF WRITERS Maggie Zheng Emma Low Olivia Vort Talia Brown

ADVISOR

Esther Wojcicki

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Barbie Gets a Makeover

Text by Grace Kim inety-seven percent of women in the United States having admitted to have hated their body at sometime in their life according to a study conducted by Glamour. This shockingly devastating fact has brought the issue of body-image into light. The original 1959 Barbie was appallingly disproportional, and promoted unrealistic expectations of a woman’s figure. Now, 54 years later, Barbie is getting a makeover

to make her look more “average.” Nickolay Lamm, an independent artist from Pittsburgh, PA. has designed what people are calling “Average Barbie.” Created by use of digital modeling and a 3D printer, this Barbie has the measurements of an average, healthy 19-year-old woman. In an interview with The Huffington Post, Lamm rationalizes that we as a society need to criticize all aspects of the media that contributes to the negative influence they have on womens’ body-image. “If we criticize skinny models, we should at least be open to the possibility that Barbie may negatively influence young girls as well,” Lamm said via e-mail. “Furthermore, a realistically proportioned Barbie actually looks pretty good.”

“Average is beautiful” Nickolay Lamm

Designer of the “Average Barbie”

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According to a study done by rehabs.com, pre-makeover Barbie has feet and ankles so disproportionately small that she would need to walk on all fours to carry her weight if she was real. Barbie would also be incapable of lifting her head, as her neck is twice the average length and six inches thinner than average. And to top off this unrealistic expectation for women, Barbie’s waist is not only smaller than her head, but so small that she would only have room for half a liver and a few inches of intestine. According to the study done by rehabs. com, one in 2,478,756,621 women naturally have a waist size of Barbie’s, while one in four anorexic women share this size. Many might argue that the proportions of Barbie are not influential on the children who play with her, that children won’t notice. However, this is undeniable false.

In a psychological experiment conducted by the University of Sussex, girls between five- and eight-years-old were shown either a Barbie or an average American size 16 doll. Upon being surveyed, it was found that the children who were shown the Barbie had a stronger desire to be thin and had notably less self-esteem than those who were shown the size 16 doll. Although the problem of body-image goes beyond than a simple child’s toy, “Average Barbie” is a step in the right direc

tion. Currently, Mattel, the toy company that produces Barbie, is not sponsoring Lamm’s “Average Barbie.” However, ex-Disney star Demi Lovato along with creator Lamm and others are pushing for their production. Lovato, who is known to have struggled with multiple eating-disorders and self-harm, has funded similar projects in the past, including one aimed at suicide prevention among college students called “Love is Louder than the Pressure to be Perfect.” After seeing the circulating picture of Lamm’s Barbie, Lovato tweeted that Lamm’s “Average Barbie” was “awesome.” In an interview with TIME, Lamm commented on the influence Barbie and similar dolls have on developing, young girls. “If Barbie looks good as an average woman and [if] there’s a small chance of Barbie influencing young girls, why can’t we come out with an average sized doll?” Lamm said. “Average is beautiful.”

rehabs.com

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Artist of the Month:

Mary Champagne Text by Pauline Na Art by Mary Champagne

Mary Champagne’s favorite piece of art work (as mentioned below), which includes six portraits of different characters from the hit BBC television show, Doctor Who.

he sloppily dipped her fingers into thick, creamy paint and proceeded to drag them across a clean sheet of white paper, resulting in a colorful chaos of fingerprints. Everyone has finger-painted at some point in their life, but for Palo Alto High School Junior, Mary Champagne, fingerpainting is what first sparked her interest in art. Champagne’s love for finger-painting rapidly transformed into a passion for drawing with pen, chalk, pastels, ink and watercolor as she gained more experience during her middle school and high school career. Champagne’s current favorite form of artwork is portraiture, but she has recently been at-

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tempting to branch out with the hope that it will help her become a more well-rounded artist. Champagne draws inspiration for her work from a variety of different sources, including literature, television shows and movies. She uses characters from these sources in order to create interpretive works of art. “I love literary analysis and I like to make my work have meaning,” Champagne said. Although art is Champagne’s favorite way to express herself, she finds writing poetry and analyzing literature a close second. She incorporates the two together to create pieces of art that require deep analysis in order to uncover a deeper

“If you build something up in your mind, it’s a lot harder to be able to recognize the faults and makes you less willing to correct meaning. Champagne loves that just as literature can be interpreted in an array of ways, artwork can be approached in multiple ways. “I love that the construction of the piece does not begin and end with the artist; it begins with emotion and ends in public response,” Champagne said. Champagne’s art exemplifies this idea in that every piece evokes emotion and creates a little bit of mys- tery for the viewer to decipher in their own unique way. “I try not to build up any one piece in my mind as ‘the greatest’ because I feel like that prevents you from being able to successfully utilize constructive criti- cism,” Champagne said. “If you build something up in your mind, it's a lot harder to be able to recognize the faults and makes you less willing to correct them.” This being said, if she had to choose, Champ a g n e ’s favorite is a colored pencil piece she did that was inspired by the hit television series, Doctor Who. The piece, (displayed on the left), includes six portraits. Unlike most people who wish to pursue a serious future in art, Champagne does not want to go to art school. Champagne has friends who attend art school and from what they tell her, it lacks the educational rigor she wishes for in order to challenge herself in areas other than art. “I still want to be challenged, and I also want to explore my other passions. I really don't know what I want to be yet,” Champagne said. In general, Champagne’s artistic journey has been transformative to say the least. “Art became important to me when I realized that it wasn't simply about the picture being pretty,” C h a m pagne said. “For a while, I was very interested in f a s h i o n design and when I realized that I didn't really care that much about actually making the design as op- p o s e d to drawing it, I knew that my interest was based u p o n illustration. After that, I focused on building my art skills pretty exclusively.” Champagne’s love for art is one that will never falter because even though it is not something she wishes to pursue professionally, it will always be a gateway of escape for her innermost thoughts.

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The 8 Best STORES to Kick-off Your

Spirit Week Shopping Text and photos by Talia Brown

Ahh, it’s just around the corner! Spirit week: the one week in a school year that Paly students actually look forward to. Five days dedicated to representing your class, bonding, chanting, cheering and competing! But, prior to this week of rambunctious fun, there is a great deal of stress related to costume shopping—what do you get? where do you look? and how much do you want to spend? So, to lighten Paly student’s Spirit Week Stress load, The C magazine has put together a list of the some of best places to find your five outfits for Spirit Week 2013!

A Friend’s Closet (free!)

Avoid emptying your pockets on a one-time wear item, by with your friends in grades above you to see if they still have any of their old costumes from past

Goodwill($)

4085 El Camino Way, Palo Alto, CA You might have to dig a little, but there is always a hidden treasure!

Savers($)

1545 Parkmoor Avenue, San Jose, CA Though it’s a bit of a drive, it is well-worth it being that it’s basically a much larger version of Goodwill. However, to prevent a wasted trip, I would suggest calling ahead to make sure they have items like those on your list.

Empire Vintage Clothing ($ - $$)

443 Waverley St., Palo Alto, CA Even though it is located in our very own downtown, many Palo Altans don’t know about this fabulous little thrift store, located adjacent the property currently occupied by Paris Baguette. Definitely check this place out, their stock is simply always on

Diddams ($-$$)

1952 W El Camino Real, Mountain View, CA We all know and love Diddams as our go-to party and costume store – at least when our parents were buying them for us, but don’t let the prices scare you, we have struck gold many a time in their sale and

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Buffalo Exchange ($ - $$)

1555 Haight St, San Francisco, CA If you happen to be making a trip up to the city any time soon, be sure to stop in here, they have everything from cowboy boots to groovy leather jackets. A fun stop no matter the purpose.

Fun House Theatrical ($ - $$)

620 National Avenue, Mountain view Prices are very versatile here, but so is the retail, carrying many items that fit the Spirit Week themes; you will definitely find something useful!

House Of Humor ($$ - $$$)

747 El Camino Real, Redwood City, CA It’s your average Halloween store, and it doesn’t disappoint! Due to its prices, but it’s a great fall back! We suggest that you make it the last destination on your trip because of the prices, but it’s a great last resort!

Shoe Game Text and photo by Bella Graves

The season for “shoe game” is here; school is in full swing and NFL Football has Paly boys’ heads spinning. Obviously, this is the time to look your best and make a good impression. So, some of Paly’s shoe game experts are here to help out our male student population, so our boys have something to turn to other than moccasins. “I have like 11 pairs of shoes. Shoes set you apart from other people, because a shirt is just a shirt, but people notice a sweet pair of shoes. My favorite shoes are the Air Jordan 5’s. Those are what got me into shoes,” said senior Jack Cleasby. And he is not alone on that. Nike Air Jordan 5’s have always been in high demand. They have recently made a come back with the reincarnated J’s “Bel-Air” edition that was released to Jordan brand retailers last October. Paired with the premium grey nubuck upper alongside a graphic printed liner, these AJ5’s will sell fast. According to Senior Danny Erlich, to qualify as a good “shoe game” shoe, it should be either Nike or Jordan. But, keeping one’s shoe game in check can be expensive. “Most of the best sneakers usually range from anywhere around two to three hundred dollars,” said Erlich.

“Pretty much anything that is not Nike or Jordan isn’t very cool,” Erlich said. “Most sneakerheads collect the retro Jordan editions and the Nike foamposites, which are called foams.” Erlich’s opinion that Jordan’s and foams are the preferable shoe choice was confirmed by senior Keesean Johnson. “My favorite shoes are foampostites and the Jordan 4s and 11s,” said Johnson. Foams and Nike Air Force 1’s have been turning heads on basketball courts and on the streets for years. So when the upper of the Air Foamposite Ones and the front line cushioning in the Nike Air Force Ones were combined into the Nike Weatherman Foams, it revolutionized the basketball shoe game. But, what is the number one rule of shoe game? Keeping your sneakers clean. That means no beaters, no scuffs, and no dirt. Cleasby leaves us with parting words of wisdom for everyone trying to up their game, “Shoes are like a car: they get you from one place to another. Keep your shoes clean like you would keep your car clean.”

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COVER STORY

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THIS IS HOME

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COVER

Clara de Martel

MY TOWN

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Paly students make their debut on the The New York Times Lens Blog with push from photography teacher, Margo Wixsom, having their most prized photographs displayed for all of America to view.

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hether it be with a high definition camera or an iPhone camera, photography is a popular hobby amongst Palo Alto High School students. Recently, Paly students had the opportunity to showcase their passion for photography on a national platform. Last April, Paly photography teacher, Margo Wixsom required all Paly photography students to submit images to The New York Times Lens, a blog sponsored by The New York Times that focuses on visual journalism, including photography and video. On September 19, photographs taken by Paly photography students were published in The New York Times Lens blog. The photographs published on the website are all images taken by teenagers to create a social portrait of 21st century America. The Lens was hosting a photography project titled “My Hometown.” According to The Lens, the project was designed to “help young people communicate how they see their lives and their communities.”

“My Hometown” is a compilation of pictures taken across the country that creates a complete image of America through the eyes of teenagers. According to The Lens, 4,289 photographs were submitted to the project from high school students in 45 states. The images capture magical moments of teen life. Photos poured in from over 3,000 high school applicants who framed their lives from the alleys of inner-city New York to the sunstained fields of rural America. Images on the blog show how common, everyday objects, such as a street sign, can be framed in a breathtaking way. In Junior Sydney Franz’s photograph of her sister with her head nestled in a pile of homework, she desired to illustrate a certain mind set that exists in her hometown. “I wanted to show my perception of Palo Alto, especially the pressure that [our] school system puts on us to succeed,” Franz said. “I think that a lot of kids all across America face the same constant pressure.” Junior Caitlin Duff-Brown wanted to convey the charm

Pa g e by C a r m e l l e B a r e ke t - S h av i t

Tex t by H a n n a h N g u ye n

and natural glamour of Palo Alto in her photograph taken on Stanford campus. “I was trying to portray how beautiful the town we all get the privilege [to live in] really is,” Duff-Brown said. “No matter where you live [you’re] always going to be surrounded by something unexpectedly beautiful.” The project is geared specifically towards teenagers to demonstrate the roles that the youth play in society. Wixsom believes that teenagers have a much more active role in the community and this role affects how they choose to represent their life in America. “I think teens participate much more in society today,” Wixsom said. “They are so much more aware of things.” The project was inspired by another photographic record that visually captures a momentous era in American history. In the 1930s, the Farm Security Administration (FSA) used photography to chronicle American life during and after the Great Depression. According to The Lens, “My

Hometown” was meant to give teenagers an opportunity to document American life today in a similar fashion. Many of the photos sent to The Lens will also be archived in the FSA collection in the Library of Congress, alongside Depression-era prints taken by famous photographers of the time. “It blew my mind that student work would be so valued in our national archive,” Wixsom said. Wixsom encouraged her students to participate in this project. She did this because it is a real-life connection to a unit she taught in photography class about Works Progress Administration (WPA)/(FSA) photographers, and the mission of photographer Roy Styker to visually record American life in the 1930s. From the thousands of images that were submitted, 145 were selected as “Editors’ Picks.” One of these images was the work of Paly Junior Lina Awadallah. She captured a picture of her family outside of the Apple store located in the Stanford Shopping Center.

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Mariya Andreyeva

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Sydney Franz

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Nikki Freyermuth

IN THE MIX

In her Editors’ Pick photograph (one of three images that she submitted), Awadallah attempted to convey the impact of technology and Apple products in the Palo Alto community. Her image shows each of her four family members in increasing height using various Apple products while standing outside of the Apple store. “Because we live in Silicon Valley, I wanted to portray how Apple products [are] present in everyone’s life,” Awadallah said. “Younger people use [Apple Products] for games, and adults use them for communication.” Awadallah recalls feeling surprised after finding out her picture was chosen as an Editors’ Pick. “I was really surprised I was chosen. I saw all of the work

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Lina Awadallah

Mariya Andreyeva

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No matter where you live [you’re] always going to be surrounded by something unexpectedly beautiful.

that other students had submitted and I really wasn’t expecting it.” Awadallah noted the role her work played in the portrayal of America on a larger scale. “I think it shows the diversity within America,” Awadallah said. “There were things from urban life, suburban life and rural life, and I was showing the suburban side [of America] in my picture.” Other students express gratitude for the opportunity to participate in a nationwide project. After submitting his photos, Junior George Lu was able to see how his hometown fits in with America on a larger scale.

“I thought that the project was interesting because it gave [me] an opportunity to see my hometown [from] a different perspective, ” Lu said. Sophomore Sigourney Bengston also felt it was a great opportunity offered to high school students and experienced a feeling of achievement after seeing her work published on a widely renowned blog. “I was definitely excited about seeing my work online, especially since it’s The New York Times, which is such a big name,” Bengston said. “It’s amazing the kind of opportunities we get in high school just by submitting to an online blog.”

Clockwise from far left: A family stands outside the Apple store; a girl at Foothill watches the sunrise; several people stand in Stanford’s Local Cantor Arts Museums; a girl places her head down while doing homework; a Palo Alto High School student makes a glass vase.

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Junior Ana Sofia AmievaWang expressed a feeling of national pride after seeing her work on The New York Times. “It feels great to be a part of a bigger picture of the nation,” Amieva-Wang said. After months of studying photography composition and framing, the students utilized their knowledge to create images that visually represented the dimensions of the life of a 21st century teenager. Wixsom was impressed by the final work that students created. “My students constantly inspire me,” Wixsom said. “Students were so thoughtful and insightful about the range of imagery that captures what life is like for Americans today in Palo Alto.”

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TV Show Premieres Modern Family

Text by Olivia Vort

Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 9 p.m. America’s favorite comedy series is now on USA and going into its 5th season. The series has won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Get ready for a brand new season full of your favorite humor!

Dancing with the Stars

Monday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. A reality television show where celebrities are paired with professional dancers. They compete in a competition every week where the judges and audience vote for the best pair. Who do you think will be the perfect pair?

Nashville

Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 10 p.m. A musical drama series created by the academy award winner Callie Khouri. Nashville just began its second season and won the critics’ choice television award for most exciting new series. Put your cowboy hats on and check iTunes for new songs from the show.

The Voice

Monday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. An American reality television show that is broadcasted on NBC and coming up on its 5th season with Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton as the judges. These famous musicians select artists solely based on their voices. Get ready for the voice battles to begin!

New Girl

Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 9 pm. A television sitcom that premieres on FOX. The show has been nominated for several awards including four Golden Globe awards and five Primetime Emmy awards. Tune in for this modern take on friendship and romance with the new hit comedy New Girl.

Family Guy

Sunday, Sept. 29, at 9 p.m. An American adult comedy sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane broadcasted on Fox. Family Guy has been nominated for 12 Emmy Awards and 11 Annie Awards and will be starting its 12th season. Don’t miss the show that will make your Sunday night just as good as your Friday night.

Law & Order

Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 9 p.m. An American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf for NBC. Law and Order will be starting its 12th season. Looking for a Halloween marathon show? Law and Order is perfect for the occasion.

Grey’s Anatomy

Thursday, Sept. 26, at 9 p.m. An American medical drama series that airs on ABC and is going into its 10th season. Grey’s Anatomy follows the lives of medical interns, residents and patients at the fictional Grey Sloan Memorial hospital in Seattle.

Pretty Little Liars

Halloween special Oct. 22 Tues. 8/7c A drama series that airs on ABC Family and is approaching its 5th season. Pretty Little Liars is about four best friends whose clique falls apart after the disappearance of their friend Alison DiLaurentis. Following this disappearance, the girls begin receiving text messages from an anonymous person who calls themself “A” who threatens to expose the girls’ deepest and darkest secrets. ENTERTAINMENT 15

Mood Playlists Text and photo by Nikki Freyermuth

4pm/2am

(functioning)

Jessica [feat. Ezra Koenig]- Major Lazer All There Is (feat. Steffaloo)- Chrome Sparks Another Day- Living Legends Rawnald Gregory Erickson the SecondSTRFKR Marijuana- Chrome Sparks Chandelier- Curren$y BTSTU- Jai Paul Feather- Nujabes It All Feels Right- Washed Out Daps- Ground Up Casanova.- Denitia and Sene Welcome Back- Mase

Boneless- Steve Aoki Goin’ Up (feat. Wiz Khalifa)- IamSu Treat Me Right- Keys N Krates Scholarship- Juicy J Actin’ Up - feat. French Montana- Wale Maximal Crazy- Tiësto R.I.P.- Young Jeezy World Star- Riff Raff Shakedown (LOUDPVCK Remix)- Jackal Bird Machine- DJ Snake Dum Dee Dum- Keys N Krates Drop It On The 1- Zion I & the Grouch Express Yourself- Diplo

Sunday Morning

Stressless

Shuggie- Foxygen The Next Time Around- Little Joy Go Outside- Cults Soma- The Strokes Wordless Chorus- My Morning Jacket Mardy Bum- Arctic Monkeys Eleanor Put Your Boots On- Franz Ferdinand Meet the Frownies- Twin Sister Painter Song- Norah Jones Marathon-Tennis Castles Made of Sand- Jimi Hendrix Save Room- John Legend Sunday Morning- The Velvet Underground 16

f(x)ing

ENTERTAINMENT

Make You Wanna- Ta-ku Yellow Bird- Pretty Lights Woods- Bon Iver Rain- Sinitus Tempo Pure- Blackbird Blackbird American Daydream- Electric Guest Tessellate- alt-J When I’m Small- Phantogram The Suburbs- Mr. Little Jeans Recurring Dream- Elaquent Meet the Frownies- Twin Sister Nothing Thought- Sonnymoon Cherry- Ratatat A Song For Mr. Modest- Grieves

FOOD

TRICK OR TREATS AND SPOOKY SWEETS Text and photos by Talia Brown

t’s finally that time of year again—Autumn. Drug stores are stocked with candy, front yards are hurriedly transforming into graveyards and Trader Joe’s is surrounded by boxes of doorstep-seeking pumpkins. Now, I know many feel that once they have hit high school October 31st becomes less about jack-o’-lantern carving and trick-or-treating and more about horror movies and costume parties. But, this year I urge you to stop before you fall into the conventional celebratory affairs of your age group, and instead channel your Halloween spirit into a festive activity that people of all ages can enjoy –baking! So, here are a few easy and delicious treats that can help you and the sweet-seeking folks around you celebrate this fantastic holiday.

2 boxes instant chocolate pudding mix 1 box of Oreos 1 box of plain oval- shaped cookies (Pepperidge - Farm Shortbread or Bordeaux cookies) 1 brown-colored tubed decorating icing 1 pack of approx. 4” tall plastic cups

creative commons

1. Pumpkin Spice Cookies 1 pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter 2 tubes range & green icing 3 cups unbleached flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp ginger 1/8 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated, if possible) 1/8 tsp allspice 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)

2. Graveyard Pudding

1. Follow instant pudding instructions, then divide product amongst the cups 2. Scrape cream from Oreos & put only cookie part in a bowl, smash the cookies to crumbs and sprinkle in cups (over pudding). 3. Using decorating icing write “RIP” On the plain oval-shaped cookies – as many as there are pudding cups; let sit for 5 minutes. 4. Once the icing has hardened all you need to do is stick each cookie into a pudding cup!

3. Strawberry Ghosts

2 sticks butter 1 egg 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350. 2. Whisk flour, baking powder & spices, set aside. 3. Cream sugar & butter. Add egg and extracts. Mix until wellblended. 4. Gradually add flour mixture & beat until smooth 5. Roll dough on floured surface. Cut as many cookies as you please. 6. Place on parchment lined baking sheets & bake for 9-12 minutes. 7. 7. Let cool, decorate & enjoy!

30 Strawberries 1/8 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips 1 8 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped 1 tsp shortening 1. Melt white chocolate & shortening together in the microwave then stir in extract. 2. Dip strawberries in chocolate mixture; place on a waxed paperlined baking sheet and press chocolate chips into the coating immediately for the eyes. Now freeze for 5 minutes. 3. In microwave, melt the remaining chocolate chips; dip a toothpick into melted chocolate and draw a mouth on each ghost.

Now that you have a few examples of how to satisfy your sweet tooth and holiday enthusiasm this Halloween, grab your wallet, head over to the nearest grocery store, and get baking! Enjoy, and have a very happy Halloween! FOOD

The Vegan Ove n

Text and photos by Emma Low

“W

ait... this is vegan?” is what people usually say after biting into a homemade vegan chocolate chip cookie. Fresh out of the oven, the cookies are warm and have the familiar aroma of chocolate gooeyness that everyone knows and loves. As one bites into the delicate treat, crumbs effortlessly fall onto the plate. There are many common misconceptions about baking the vegan way. One such misconception is that without milk, cream, butter and eggs the baked good will not taste as good. In reality, however, cooking without “typical” ingredients allows recipes to be more creative. For example, most pizza dough, bread and bagels are already vegan. By using unusual toppings, one

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can transform basic foods into unique meals. Vegan baking is much like a science experiment, where finding a perfect substitution for an animal product requires a lot of trial and error. Vegan baking allows people to satisfy their sweet tooth while simultaneously being kinder to animals, the planet and their bodies. Several chefs have demonstrated that vegan baking is just as, if not more, delicious than its conventional baking counterpart. Cooking shows on national television provide vegan chefs with the opportunity to impress strict judges. For example, Chloe Coscarelli won the Food Network’s baking show Cupcake Wars, dazzling the judges with her vegan desserts. Miyoko Schinner is another baker and vegan chef who has mastered the

creation of artisan vegan cheese. It has similar consistency and taste to nonvegan cheese, yet is not made from milk. Colleen Patrick-Goudreau has written cookbooks and produced podcasts which talk about animal rights and how veganism can help the environment. Baking, of course, does not only apply to desserts. Making savory pies and pizza can be transformed when using creative toppings such as caramelized onions and unusual vegetables. With enough practice, vegan baking can taste indistinguishable from standard baking. To get started, either make vegan substitutions in a family recipe, or look up some vegan recipes online. One source for such recipes is Chloe

Coscarelli’s website chefchloe. com. Of course, not everyone can master vegan baking on their first attempt. It requires patience and venturing out of one’s comfort zone to find just the right balance of vegan ingredients to create a dish with the same decadent flavors as traditional baking. Without the proper pantry or guidelines to follow, a vegan recipe easily can turn into a disaster. Thus, there are a few essentials one needs in order to be prepared. Earth Balance is a brand of vegan margarine that can be purchased in tubs or sticks just like “normal” butter. This substitute has similar qualities and tastes exactly like butter, making it the perfect replacement for baking. Chocolate chips are a common baking ingredient that contains milk and butter. However, vegan chocolate chips are much easier to find than one would expect. Flip over a food package to find where the ingredients are listed and avoid anything that contains non vegan ingredients. Ghirardelli and Guittard are just two of the many brands that sell semi-sweet chocolate chips without dairy. With an abundance of vegan options, it is hard to come up with an excuse not to experiment with new ingredients! Another animal product used in baking is milk. However, there is a huge variety of nondairy milks to use as a substitute. Some such substitutes are soy milk, almond

milk, rice milk, hemp milk and coconut milk. All of these taste slightly different, so it is a matter of personal preference. One of the biggest differences between vegan and typical baking is the use of eggs. Sometimes it may seem as though eggs are unavoidable in baking, but surprisingly, there are plenty of non-egg substitutes available. Flaxseeds are an alternative to eggs and are rich in fiber, contain good fats and are full of many nutrients. Combined with water, flaxseeds form a gooey substance with similar properties to eggs. Flaxseeds are also much healthier. Another substitute for eggs is silken tofu. This type of tofu is soft and can be blended in a food processor to create a creamy consistency. Ener-G Egg Replacer is an alternative to eggs that is free of gluten, wheat, casein, dairy, yeast, egg, soy and nuts making it a great option for people with allergies. Another option for eliminating eggs in baking is vinegar combined with baking soda. An added bonus when baking vegan is the elimination of foods that may cause salmonella poisoning—so feel free to eat raw cookie dough to your heart’s content. Although no

dessert is considered “healthy”, vegan baking tends to use wholesome ingredients that are more beneficial to the body. Some try vegan baking for fun, while others have allergies which restrict them from eating normal baked goods. Some choose to live a vegan lifestyle in order to live sustainably and compassionately but wish to have options when it comes time for dessert. Even if vegan baking is not necessary for your diet, it is a fun experience that is worth a shot. It is cholesterol and cruelty free—to both animals and your waistline.