The Kennedy Chronicle Issue 2- May 2023

THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE JOHN F. KENNEDY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS

BY ARDEN BARCZI, JULIANA BROEKMAN, LILLIAN BRUHN,

DAPHNE MATSAKIS

AND

Imagine a world where you couldn’t read your favorite book. You couldn’t read it at school, couldn’t get it at the library, and the local bookstores weren’t selling it. That’s what happens when books are banned.

The definition of book censorship (or banning) is the act of some authority taking measures to suppress ideas and information within a book. This is happening all around the country because they are deemed explicit for talking about the real world.

These bans have caused outrage around the country, and it is our job to protect our rights as humans and

to be free to read what we want. Having a choice of books is especially important because one of the first laws the USA made clearly states, “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech….”

Texas has banned the most books with 801 bans, but all the other states follow closely behind and are all above 200 bans. Some of the people that are doing the banning first are angry parents or guardians, but organizations are also participating. Some of those organizations are Moms for Liberty, No Left Turn, and MassResistence.

books that have been banned in the U.S. and why:

Front Desk by Kelly Yang: Banned for portraying police officers as racists and teaching children about critical race theory.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White Banned for including talking animals and death Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne Banned for having talking animals. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson Banned because of how it talks about religion, death, and fantasy.

Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling Banned for including wizardry and magic. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak Banned because it was “traumatizing” to readers because the main character is unable to control his emotions and was sent to bed without dinner as a punishment.

The Dictionary: Banned for having inappropriate words.

No Time To Dine

OPINION BY NATALIE ZIELINKSI

Humans have evolved to be in a constant state of action. Having the ability to run, play, and learn keeps people healthy and in a state of enjoyment. While school definitely keeps the learning aspect of living, it doesn’t always take into account the importance of being active. 7th and 8th grade only have 15 minutes of recess to relieve the pressures of school work, the lunch only lasting the same amount. Obviously this seems insane for children and

teenagers to only have a total of 30 minutes for a break in the stress of the school day. When walking through the halls, there are signs advertising at least one hour of physical activity a day, and yet most days we do not reach this goal. Of course, there is the measly 40 minutes of P.E, which can be quite enjoyable, but it is only present once a week, for a very brief period. In reality, our lunch and recess time are far too short.

After discussions with many

middle school peers, I have noticed that the mental health of the student body in the upper grades has been struggling. The article ‘Nurtured by Nature,’ by Kirstan Weir, a text explaining the cognitive benefits of being outdoors says, “Exposure to nature has been linked to a host of benefits, including improved attention, lower stress, better mood, reduced risk of psychiatric disorders and even upticks in empathy and cooperation.” Aren’t these attributes the very ideal for students? I believe they are. And could there be a correlation between

INSIDE ISSUE 2

z Kennedy Chronicle Ban the Book Ban

PAGE 2: Find out where students are going for ice cream this summer and what books to read.

PAGE 4: It’s tough growing up but our Budget Therapists can help you along the way. Plus how well do you know the Kennedy staff? Take our quiz to find out.

PAGE 5: Go back thousands of years with a primer on Greek Mythology and the dive into current events with an overview of the Willow Project.

PAGE 6: A reflection on Kennedy’s new fundraiser.

PAGE 7: Explore Greek cuisine as four of our reporters take us on a tour of Greek Corner.

PAGE 8: Gaze into the crystal ball of our resident mystic, Kaisteroni Pepperoni, then test your wits with our puzzles.

[A student] timed from when they sat down to eat until when they were instructed to line up. They recorded 9 minutes and 32 seconds.

school club for

graders facilitated by Caroline Hanly, 4th grade ELA teacher, and Kristen Cox, parent volunteer.

DON’T Worry, The kennedy has NOT banned any books!

Ice Cream Poll

BY RUFUS JORDAN-WEINER

I thank all of the Kennedy students for voting for your favorite ice cream place on the google form Miss Hanly sent out on Mar 23!!!

Five of my friends and I—uh, wait, I mean—a panel of five professional judges and I checked out the top four places from the poll and rated them based on temperature, texture, and power of flavor. To rate them, we bought one flavor each from each place and gave our feedback. Those four places are, J.P. Licks, Tipping Cow, Gracies, and Forge Ice Cream!

At Forge we agreed the ice cream was a little bit warmer than perfect, we also thought the Ice cream could have been more flavorful. We thought the Ice cream spooned pretty cleanly. Our overall rating was 4.6 stars out of 5 stars.

At Gracies the ice cream was also close to being a perfect temperature, but the ice cream power was a little bland, and the texture was a little hard to spoon. Our overall score was 4.3 stars.

Sadly, we could not go to Tipping Cow as it is closed on Wednesdays, so I can not put our review here.

Finally, at J.P. licks we all agreed that the temperature was perfect, the taste was not overwhelming, but it had enough flavor to taste great, and the texture was almost perfect. This place was the highest scoring with a whopping 4.9 stars!!

(If you do not think this is true, that’s fine, this is just our opinion.) c

Beautiful Books

BY LAUREN LACHOWICZ

Who doesn’t love curling up with a good book, cup of hot chocolate, and warm blanket?!

Look at our book list to find a book that satisfies your needs!

*Note: we didn’t include manga, anime, comics, and graphic novels as they are styles not genres. Thank You!

BOOK IDEAS

PRE-K TO K: Room On The Broom by Julia Donaldson. This is a story about a witch who has bad luck, but makes friends along her journey. (fantasy)

The Pigeon books by Mo Willems (series). These follow a pigeon who wants to do different things but is not allowed to. (fantasy)

GRADES 1-2: Princess in Black by Shannon and Dean Hale (series). This follows a princess who is also a superhero in secret. (fantasy)

Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne (series). A story about a brother and sister who

travel through time. Will things go smoothly or horribly wrong? (historical fiction)

GRADES 3-4: Bad Guys by Aaron Blapey (series). A group of friends who are “bad” but will they turn good? (fantasy)

Wings of Fire by Tui Sutherland (series). A story about dragons who are trying to save not only their world but other worlds. (fantasy)

GRADES 5-6: Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley (series). Two sisters move in with their grandmother in a fairy tale town after their parents die. But this town hides more mysteries than they think. (fantasy)

Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling (series). This is about a young boy who goes to a school for wizards and witches. Little does he know he will have to save the world from the dark wizard. (fantasy)

GRADES 7-8: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (series). The main message of this story is that social constructs ignore people’s personality. (fantasy, mystery)

When Life Gives You Mangos by Kereen Getten. A girl who spends time with her friend, and as they grow apart can her friendship be saved? (psychological fiction) c

Ms. Cuddy says that modern fiction is the overwhelming favorite this year, especially books that involve potty humor like Captain Underpants!

There are multiple reasons why books are being prohibited. Some of these reasons include inappropriate language, violence/mention of violence, talking animals, LGBTQIA+ support, titles about race and racism, and many, many more.

An example of book censorship is that several stories by Roald Dahl have been restricted. They have taken words like dumb, ugly, or fat, and have changed them to be more “child appropriate.” Authority figures have been “baby-proofing” titles that children should be allowed to read.

Banned books also help kids and adults to connect to the world around them, and deal with issues that characters they read about are going through. Those who ban these think that children who read these are “exposed” to things that really happen, which means that if they lose that experience, they could never find out. This can be concerning because it can affect how they react to situations that require information that they weren’t given.

It is up to our generation to protect our right to books, because our own school library could lose a lot of

stories students love. Even though students technically can’t “unban” books, we can still raise awareness for banned books. Although Massachusetts has not banned many titles, our administrators are quickly following in the footsteps of Texas, Florida, and other states that have banned books.

Some things that YOU can do are stay informed, go to protests, and tell others about what is happening. Education and getting information is key to learning about the world. Most importantly of all, engage in book love. You could start a book club, go to bookstores, or visit your local library. If this situation teaches us anything, it’s that books are precious and should be adored and cherished.

Books are being banned or censored around the U.S. for having real, true, and important topics. It’s tearing away ideas that matter in our education. Books are not only entertaining, but are the building blocks of life.

We need to make sure that they are out in the world for all to read, without worrying about losing their place on the shelf. c

having only 15 minutes outside and the constant mental health drops? I believe there is.

Looking back on the younger grades, who have two or even three recesses throughout the day, students seem much more filled with pep than the older students. They spend much more of their time outside, and the common argument as to why this is occurring is that they are younger. They have “more energy” and need to run around the playground to get it out. But how does one even measure the energy of the older kids to the younger kids? Could it be that the older kids are less excited to go to school than the lower grades?

Well, obviously this is not an accurate form of measurement, because we are not given a large enough time outside, therefore making us less energized and excited. And even if some people don’t play active games when outside and just stand around and talk, they are also improving their mental state by socializing. Humans rely on social connections, and being able to freely talk with friends can improve our mental health greatly.

But there is always the issue of when this break of freedom should take place. Grades 3-8 have an x-block, which in my experience, is often used to finish work from other classes. My suggestion is to find some way that this block can be used for time outside. The teachers could take the students outside. Either that, or we could give each of the teachers a well deserved break, and find someone

else, like the people who help with lunch, to watch them. Another option is to dip into the x-block time for a longer lunch period.

Consuming food is incredibly important, and the suggested amount of time lunch should take is 30 minutes, according to Kingcounty.gov. However, the time we are given for lunch at our school is not even 15 minutes. In fact, some elementary grade level students timed how long they had to eat. One student got school lunch, so they timed from when they sat down to eat until when they were instructed to line up. They recorded 9 minutes and 32 seconds. Another student had a similar experience. They spent 3 or 4 minutes in line, and had only 11 minutes to eat. Not only can the line for the school lunch take a few minutes, if the teacher dismisses the class a little late, then those are minutes wasted as well. Being timed while eating can be dangerous for the students’ health and manners. It is considered rude and even unsafe to race to finish your food, but the small amount of time we have to eat is teaching kids to try and finish their food as fast as possible.

Having such a short lunch and such a short recess also cuts down on time to enjoy the company of friends. Oftentimes when students talk during class, the teachers say that they can talk during lunch and recess, but realistically no. We really can’t. We don’t have enough time to be outside, eat our food, or socialize. So…isn’t it about time we change that? c

Dear Budget Therapists

BY FIONA COX AND LIVIA KILPATRICK

The advice of the Kennedy Chronicle Advice Column is made by students, for students. While we will try our best to help you, we are not expert sources for more serious topics, but we do have one of our school counselors, Ms. Sherry’s opinion. Our advice is intended to support you and help guide your decisions, but you are not obligated to take it.

DEAR BUDGET THERAPISTS, I just started at this school this year. I feel like everybody is my best friend and I still don’t have any friends. What should I do?

Sitting Solo

Dear Sitting Solo,

It can be very hard finding your ‘clique’ or the group of people you want to hang out with. It may feel lonely or sad when you don’t have your clique, but you would be surprised how many people feel like you! Try to talk to lots of people (even people you may not at first

think to hang out with!) and look for common interests along the way. If you’re still looking, try signing up for a sport or after school club, there you can find lots of people from many different places. You can also have your parents invite someone over or you could ask your teacher to do a lunch group with one of the counselors and someone you would like to know more about.

Ms. Sherry’s input: “I think it can be hard when there’s a big group of people to get to know to get to know a few people well and I think part of it would be asking maybe an adult for support or getting to know each other better.”

DEAR BUDGET THERAPISTS, All my friends all play soccer and it looks fun but I’ve never played before and they’ve been playing for 2 years. I want to play too but I’m scared I won’t be any good.

Sideline Sadness

Who Said It?

BY BEKA FAETH

Enter the number of the fact next to the staff member you think said it and check your answers on page 3.

1. This staff member has eaten grilled tarantulas and hates roller coasters.

2. This teacher is not jumping out of any planes anytime soon! They are afraid of heights and you can find them reading a good book over the summer.

3. Looking for a gourmet meal? This teacher was on Top Chef when they were only 8 years old!

4. You won’t see this teacher near ANY spiders, but they used to have a pet turtle named Stan.

5. This staff member enjoys kayaking, hiking, and swimming. They like to sing when at home or in the car, even though they completely make up all the lyrics…

6. Gooooooal! This staff played soccer for four years in college.

7. This staff member’s favorite Disney movie is Cinderella, because even when odds were against her, she still worked hard and never gave up.

8. And the votes are in! This staff member was elected class president in elementary school.

9. This staff member loves making meals for others. It’s one of their favorite things to do!

10. Though they stand in a classroom every day, this staff member is an introvert and was very shy in elementary school.

Dear Sideline Sadness, Well I guess the question here is what matters more to you that you’re good at soccer you know that you’re having fun with your friends who also enjoy the sport. I think the most important thing is that you feel like you are wanting to be part of a team. To have fun trying something new then hopefully whether or not you’re good will matter less because you will be enjoying it. But I think part of it is like just trying it if it’s fun if you like spending time with people and it feels like it’s worth it then keep going but maybe you don’t like it and you’re not good at it and you decide that it’s something else there’s something else you want to do but I think it’s worth it.

DEAR BUDGET THERAPISTS, One of my friends is always copying me! It’s driving me crazy!!! I got a really cool pair of sneakers and the next week they had the same one. I told them about a book I was reading and now it’s their FAVORITE EVER. I like this friend and that we like the same things but I feel like they’re trying to take over everything I like.

Not a Twin

Dear Not a Twin,

We understand that it can be hard when it feels like you can’t have any space from your “friend” or have something that only you have, especially if it’s new.

Friends are the best and you can have a great time hanging out with them but it’s hard when you feel like you can’t just have your own cool thing. Even if it can be hard, try to talk to them and if you want to talk alone or with an adult you can always go to one of the counselors with your friend. If it doesn’t work then maybe suggest that you can have similar things but they are not the exact same. c

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US?

WRITE TO US: On a piece of paper write it down and put it in Miss Hanly’s mailbox in the main office. Or email to thekennedychronicle@gmail.com.

Remember this is a space we created for you to find the answer to your uncertainty, and your questions are completely and absolutely anonymous. No one has to know your name, age or anything about you.

11. This staff member had a hard time focusing in school and didn’t have the best experience. That’s why they became a teacher; they wanted to make sure everyone feels welcome and enjoys learning at school.

12. Watch out on the dance floor, this staff member can really boogie! You should see them break dance!

13. Forget all those regular sports! This staff member plays Innertube Water Polo.

14. See if you can catch the brogue when this staff member speaks. They lived in Ireland when they were young, and now have dual citizenship.

15. Better think twice before going on the ice! This staff member used to be a competitive figure skater.

TEACHERS

MISS HANLY

MRS. HEDGES

MS. JAREO

MS. LEGASKI

MR. MARSHALL

MS. MERRILL

MS. MURPHY

MS. SANTANA

MS. SCRIMA

MR. SIMMONS

MR. TURNER

MR. UZENSKI

MS. WARD (6TH)

MS. WARD (MUSIC)

MS. WILSON

Greek Myths Unveiled

BY MACKENZIE HAGERTY

You might be wondering what’s so special about Greek mythology? Well, Greek Mythology has a large variety of different stories and perspectives, which can be different depending on the source. But to understand these stories, you need to know the basics, such as the main family tree!

The main family tree has the most well-known gods, such as Zeus, the King of the gods, and the god of lightning. It also has the Olympians, or the other eleven main gods or goddesses that lived on Mount Olympus. Their names were Hera, queen of the gods, Ares, god of war, Hephaestus, god of fire, Aphrodite, goddess of love, Hermes, god of speed, Demeter, goddess of harvest, Poseidon, god of sea, Athena, goddess of wisdom, Apollo, god of light, Artemis, goddess of hunt, and finally, Dionysus, god of wine.

Mount Olympus was the home of the gods. However, one god refused to live there, and chose to live in the Underworld. His name was Hades, god of the dead and King of the Underworld. He lived with his wife Persephone, Queen of the Underworld and daughter of Demeter.

Kronos was the father to most gods and king of the Titans. He was married to Rhea, mother of most gods and queen of the Titans. Unfortunately, he had been told a prophecy, his own child would be the end of him! As you can imagine, Kronos wasn’t thrilled to find this out, so every child they had Kronos would eat.

All except one, Zeus. Rhea protected Zeus from his cruel father. She did this by tricking Kronos with a rock version of him. She sent Zeus far away, where he was raised in a cave all his childhood. Once he became an adult, he went out to destroy Kronos.

He intended to give his father a plant that would weaken him, and of course, he took the plant, but he then started to throw up Zeus’s siblings! They were all now young adults. They waged war on Kronos. The siblings defeated and sentenced Kronos to live in Tartarus as a prisoner forever, Tartarus is the deepest region of the earth and was a dark pit used as a prison.

Now that you know the basics, let me finally answer the question. Why is Greek mythology actually worth hearing about?

It’s worth hearing about because you can learn new morals and see how others see the world. Sure, some of it is unjust, but so is the world around us…In addition, the stories can transport you back in time because you might forget these stories are thousands of years old!

Some famous stories, like Medusa’s or Icarus’s, can be seen differently depending on where it’s told. But all of them still end up somewhat the same in the end. In conclusion, Greek mythology is part of Greek culture and teaches good morals to readers. So I hope you continue to do research with books like D’aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths, and many others! c

All About the Willow Project

BY HAZEL MELHUS AND EMMA SCHMAHL

WHAT IS IT?

The Willow Project is a drilling project in previously protected land in Alaska that uses a passive heat exchange (also known as thermosyphons [thir-mo-fi-son]) to freeze the ground to get oil out of the ground.

WHAT WILL IT DO?

This will open up more jobs for people in Alaska. Although it creates jobs, at the end of the project in 2025 it will be adding nearly 2 million gas cars to the planet. The oil produced by Willow Project will also help lower gas prices which are very high.

WHAT DO OTHERS SAY ABOUT THE WILLOW PROJECT?

This project is extremely controversial (meaning some people like it and others don’t). Those who approve of it want the drilling because it gives Alaskans money and jobs, and others oppose it because it will pollute the planet. We surveyed students and staff in the 7-8th grade and 14 people said they approve of it and 84 people don’t like the idea of the Willow Project.

WHO PROPOSED AND APPROVED IT?

Conosco Philips, Alaska’s largest oil producer, proposed the project. Former President Donald Trump was going to accept it but a federal judge in Alaska said no before it could be approved. Currently President Biden has approved it, and it will start anytime.

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

Try to drive less to not use as much oil which is used to make gas for cars. Instead walk or bike more. Also use less waste and reuse materials. At the Kennedy if you want to help the planet then try to pick up any trash on the ground and eat all your food and try as much as you can not to waste anything. c

Everything (and a little more) About Boosterthon

THE KENNEDY SCHOOL EMBRACES A NEW APPROACH TO FUNDRAISING, PROMOTING HEALTH, AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, BUT SHOULD WE DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR?

BY CASH HARDY, SEBASTIAN LOPES-FILHO, AND JACK MATSUZAKI

We deeply appreciate our Kennedy School PTA and all those involved with the Boosterthon. We believe that they work for an honorable cause.

WHAT IS A BOOSTERTHON?

The PTA got the idea of Boosterthon from the West Somerville School, which had put on the Boosterthon numerous times. The Boosterthon is a community event and fundraiser for the whole school. All money raised was for the PTA, who uses it for field trips and other activities. Buses for field trips are expensive, as they start at $500 for close trips ($150 hour additional for farther trips). There are also usually two buses per grade level. For example, the 8th grade trip to Kimball Farm is $750 per bus! Other PTA-funded activities include assemblies, after school events like Kids Night Out, and community events like the Ice Cream Social and Harvest Fest.

GETTING STARTED

Teachers first got information about the Boosterthon on February 8th. They learned about the basic things, like what it was about and what we would be doing. As the weeks grew closer, we started seeing posters around the school about the Boosterthon. Then, the Grand Land Adventure videos emerged out of the blue, which showcased a series of short videos providing information about the Boosterthon.

At least, that’s what they were supposed to do. They didn’t provide much information about the Boosterthon itself. Most of the videos were about a few kids unlocking a puzzle box using documentaries of national parks. One of the 2nd graders said, “most of the videos were funny, but some of the jokes did not land.” Other kids really liked the videos and looked forward to seeing them each day. Overall though, they weren’t informative about the Boosterthon

or what to expect for the Glow Run, which was the Boosterthon’s “grand finale”.

We were shown the videos over ten days, starting on March 10th. During that time, kids could get pledges for the number of laps they’d run during the final Glow Run. You could also earn rewards based on the number of pledges you get.

READY, SET, RUN!

Finally, on March 20th, the Glow Run began, with different classes going on different days. All students could take part, even if they didn’t raise any money. When we walked into the gymnasium that day, we saw all the PTA members waving pom poms. The Glow Run track was set up in the gym, and the lights were completely off! There was a tunnel that you couldn’t touch (or you’d face the wrath of the Random Boosterthon Guy), and a tent that had a funky DJ.

We were greeted by the Boosterthon Man, who was very tall. He told us the rules and directions. Towards the end of the run, the DJ yelled out when there was 5 minutes, 3 minutes, and one minute to go.

The parents and Boosterthon crew offered pom-poms and prizes, and the people from the company were kind and put a lot of work into the run. These people brought all the equipment and set it up for Kennedy too. Overall it was fun, but maybe would have worked better if it had been outside. As Fiona from 6th grade says, “It was very crammed and there wasn’t much room to run.”

In the end though, we raised a lot of money, and we salute our Kennedy School PTA and all those involved with the Booster company. So what do you think, should we do a Boosterthon again in the future? c

THE FINAL STATS

The Kennedy School raised $20,207, which is above our $20,000 goal. Our students ran 14,000 laps and received donations from all 50 states. We received donations from France, Mexico, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Mrs. Hedges’ 2nd grade class raised the most money, which was followed by Ms. Ward’s 6th grade homeroom and Ms. Merrill’s 3rd grade class.

$10,000 has been allocated to buses, meaning that 2 buses can be given to each grade!

Greek Goodness

BY ISLA MARTIN, IZZY BAE, ELLE BRIONES, AND LUCIE LIPPENS

The restaurant Greek Corner was recommended to us by many people, as it is located near our school (at 2366 Massachusetts Ave in Cambridge, to be exact). The food at this restaurant is very delicious and authentic for a great price. We tried some of their best selling dishes, according to their staff, as well as two of their desserts.

OTHER THINGS TO NOTE

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Has

Family

slightly tangy and tasted of olive oil and a bit of vinegar. Our waitress stated, “The dressing is olive oil, vinegar and garlic. We make it here.”

SAMPLER PLATE: The sampler plate was a combination platter that came with many varieties of foods, including pita, dolma, tomatoes, and unique sauces and dips. The taramasalata, a rich, thick sauce, with a beautiful pink color tone, was more on the sweet side, with hints of savor. The hummus came topped with olives and had a natural, thick texture, and a faint olive flavor infused throughout. In the middle of the plate was tsatziki. It had a creamy texture, with a mellow but delicious tart flavor and fresh vegetables such as cucumbers and herbs. To the side of the platter was a basket of pita. The pita was folded delicately, layers and layers of delicious, perfectly thin bread. There were two small slices of spanakopita, which consists of spinach, onions, feta cheese, and herbs carefully layered in between flaky filo dough.

This was a beautiful combination of flavor and spice, which pulled the whole dish together.

THE SERVICE: As soon as we walked in the door, the cashier at the front desk quickly assisted us, and patiently answered our questions. All other employees that we encountered were friendly and courteous. We were assisted immediately as we were seated. We ordered our food, and as we waited for it to arrive, we admired the restaurant’s beautiful decorative murals of Greece that hung on the walls. After a quick wait of just five minutes, our first course was delivered.

GREEK SALAD: We got the Greek salad. It was topped with parsley olives, feta, red onions, red cabbage, and bell pepper. The feta had a silky texture that crumbles apart in your mouth. The peppers were crisp, and the olives were a bit shriveled making them appear less fresh. The raw lettuce created a perfect mellow base for the busy salad. Topping it all off was the dressing, which was

CHICKEN KEBAB: This simple but delicious dish is an amazing take on a basic grilled chicken. It was very well done, even a little parched. Most of the flavor came from the perfectly charred, grilled outside, giving the chicken its pleasant taste, almost a little too unseasoned for our taste, but great for most kids. To pair with the chicken, we ordered the slightly fiery rice, which matched perfectly, creating an enjoyable bite of Greek culture. Giving off the look of a very spicy rice,we expected it to be overpowering, but it was absolutely delectable.

GRAPE LEAVES PLATE: The stuffed grape leaves dish (sometimes called “dolma”) was one of Greek Corner’s vegetarian platters. This dish consisted of dolma, a small side salad, and french fries or rice. The dolma was buttery, the grape leaves were perfectly wilted, and the filling was slightly salty and tasted earthy. The inside was made from onions, rice, herbs, pine nuts, and spices combined into a thick, tart sauce and wrapped in grape leaves. The small side salad was just a miniature version of the Greek salad, with the same base, but fewer toppings. We partnered french fries to go with this. We were mildly disappointed by the french fries we found that they were slightly soggy and lacked flavor.

CUSTARD: The delectable custard

had a light, flaky outside, like on many traditional pastries. The inside was spongy, and had a thick texture, and tasted of honey and egg. Cinnamon was hinted throughout the pastry, with a thin layer sprinkled on top.

BAKLAVA: This was a flaky, thin top and with chewy honey coated layers in the middle. A perfectly candied combination of pecan and walnut caked onto the sides and into the middle was draped in honey. The honey was fresh with a sweet flavor and a smooth texture.

TOTAL PRICE: The meal’s total price came out to $73.02 with tax and a tip of 20%. It was quite cheap for the amount of food we ordered, which at other restaurants could have been around $100. Overall, our meal at Greek Corner was a wonderful experience, and represented Greek culture and origin perfectly. c

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Hilarious Horoscopes

BY KAI YU

Welcome, readers, to this extravaganza of knowledge and wisdom. I am the all-seeing Kaisteroni Pepperoni, and I know your future at least 29% of the time. This is a one-of-a-kind experience, so sit back, contemplate your life choices, and feast your eyes upon what the future holds for you.

ARIES: MAR 21–APR 19

You’re gonna have a funny dream where you’re on stage, in front of hundreds of people, in your Baby Bear Loves Dem’ Hearts underwear. But, on second thought, it’ll seem pretty real for a dream. It’s still a dream…right?

TAURUS: APR 20–MAY 20

A powerful wrestler challenges you to a fight, and you barely manage to defeat him by channelling your inner chicken nugget powers.

GEMINI: MAY 21–JUN 21

After sucking down a delicious soda, you start to feel a bit woozy. Then you realize you may have accidentally confused Sprite for bleach.

CANCER: JUN 22–JUL 22

After you gobble down a Happy Meal, you are quite disappointed to find out that the sadness from the Emu Empire Campaign’s downfall still- hasn’t- gone- away….BOO HOO HOO!!!!

LEO: JUL 23–AUG 22

The CEO of McDonald’s will arrive at your house via helicopter and force you to give them a stylish makeover.

VIRGO: AUG 23–SEP 22

After purchasing a new pair of sneakers, a wave of confidence envelops you. You arrogantly stick up your nose and parade the street. Unfortunately, this will be your downfall…Face first into a pile of fresh manure!

LIBRA: SEP 23–OCT 23

You’re going to look at the skies, beautiful white clouds that resemble jogging donkeys fly across the horizon. But, for some reason, the clouds get progressively darker. You turn around and your barbecue is on fire.

SCORPIO: OCT 24–NOV 21

You’ll recklessly invest all your money into a second-hand toilet paper company (ew) and it’ll flush your money down the drain (badum-pa!). Fortunately, you also lose your sense of smell.

SAGITTARIUS: NOV 22–DEC 21

After you make the mistake of taunting a wizard, you will be cursed, and you can only repeat the hit song “Never Gonna Give You Fries” for all eternity.

CAPRICORN: DEC 22–JAN 19

After falling into the basement of Dairy Queen, you will discover an elaborate network of trade and transportation… of edible shoes.

AQUARIUS: JAN 20–FEB 18

After refusing to eat broccoli at the dinner table, the broccoli comes to life, heartbroken. In their anger, they somehow create a portal to the realm of angry corn people and force you in. You spend the rest of your days there, hiding from the corn people.

PISCES: FEB 19–MAR 20

After three inspirational montages, you will be inspired to become a pop star. Your first song, “I Don’t Need a Parachute to Go Skydiving, Right? …AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” gets to the top of the charts in less than a minute.

ACROSS

5. Flowers with thorns

6. Flowers commonly found in the Netherlands

8. Baby rabbits

9. Here Comes the ______

DOWN

1. Green blade

2. Opposite of cold

3. What you get your mother for Mothers’ Day

4. Blooming season

7. Small Chickens

8. A flower opening up

STUMPED? Puzzle key is on page 3.

HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS WHO MADE PRINTING POSSIBLE

American Flatbread Dragon Pizza

Dos Manos

Hair By Christine

Clyde Media Productions

If

Christopher J. Alphen, Esq.

Laura Pitone

Magpie Kids

Sheridan Enterprises

ISSUE TWO NEWSPAPER STAFF

Arden Barczi

Maggie Breton

Elle Briones

Juliana Broekman

Lillian Bruhn

Fiona Cox

Beka Faeth

Cash Hardy

Elizabeth Johnston-Meisels

Rufus Jordan-Weiner

Livia Kilpatrick

Lauren Lachowicz

Lucie Lippens

Sebastian Lopes-Filho

Isla Martin

Daphne Matsakis

Jack Matsuzaki

Hazel Melhus

Emma Schmahl

Annabelle Schneider

Andy White

Kai Yu

Natalie Zielinski

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