MOT Times- December 2018 Issue

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Table of Contents Letter from the editor........................................4 A Message From We All...................................6-9 College Acceptances........................................10 Concert Reviews..........................................12-15 Prom and Graduation Expo...............................16 Teacher and Student Spotlights................20-27 Theatre Auditions.............................................28 National Honor Society Inductions....................................................30-33 UNICEF Gift Wrapping......................................34 MOT’s Newest Club...........................................35 Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide.......................36 Things to Do Over Winter Break................38-40 Contributors.....................................................43

Letter From the Editor Carley Williamson

Dear MOT Charter High School Students and Faculty,

Welcome back to another year at MOT, and henceforth another year for the MOT TIMES. We are excited to bring you our student-driven journalism once again. Last year was a great first year for our newsmagazine; in total, over 4,600 people read our publications. We appreciate your interest in our work and promise to continue to bring the same quality in the years to come. As always, controversy and discussion are important parts of journalism. Let it be known what you think of our ideas and how we execute them.

We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with MOT’s We All club will continue this year!

In this publication, We All has gathered some of their work exclusive to MOT Times as well as a writing prompt. As readers, you can respond to this prompt and have the chance to be featured in the February edition of the Newspaper! If interested, see the link in the description for more information. Be sure to check out We All’s very first publication on Schoology.

In this issue, teachers and students are spotlighted based upon their personality and/or achievements. For December, spotlights were chosen based upon their efforts to “Change the MOT Community”. If you would like to nominate someone to be spotlighted in the future, please send me an email at carleywilliamson@motcharter.com.

We are always looking for more journalists for MOT TIMES, if you are interested please do not hesitate to talk to Mr. Herbert or myself. We would love to have you.

And, without further delay, welcome to the first edition of MOT TIMES for the 2018 - 19 school year.

Carley Williamson Editor in Chief

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DECEMBER

We All Showcase The students at We All have decided to join forces with Newspaper with a new addition- short stories, written by students! We are sending out this form with your prompt. A few select students will be featured in the next edition of the school newspaper.

Please keep your stories age and school appropriate! We recommend writing your story on a separate document, then sending either the link to view, or pasting it in the actual submission itself.

Thanks!

- We All

December Prompt: You live an average life with a boring job, boring friends, and boring hobbies. Then, after coming home from another uneventful day at work, you are suddenly detained by the police without knowing what you are being arrested for. Believing you have committed no crime, you fight back, trying to free yourself from the hands of the law.

See the Google Form link in the description to submit your prompt.

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DECEMBER

cold tiles and creaky campers Grace Bentley

It’s cold. I feel the tiles beneath my feet like sharp ice cubes.

They creak.

I’ve learned to trace every individual step with my toes in just the right way that I feel the cracks.

But tonight and tonight only, I place the sole of my foot down.

I remember another time when I felt cold tiles creaking; the floor of your family’s camper in Raystown.

This little rickety box, that once every few months, pretended to be a home.

Your mom always sprayed that weird tropical Febreeze stuff.

But that night I smelled you; your cologne and natural hint of woodiness, outdoors, I felt the cold of the tiles leave me as I clambered into your bunk, Not so long as to cuddle but a short minute holding you.

You reached back for something- I hope it was me- only to fall short when you couldn’t reach.

You grasped your pillow instead.

I wish I had stayed there longer. You looked so happy; the troubles of life and the world didn’t exist.

It was just you and I and the mountains.

Instead I reached up to stroke your forehead and whispered, hey, sweetheart, I need you to walk me outside.

You obliged, but only by force. We both felt those cold tiles again, slipping socks and sneakers on to combat the harsh outdoors.

Because it was winter, the only water source we had was a five minute walk away.

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You acted upset but deep down I knew you would have rather gone than left me alone.

We returned to the camper and our respected bunks, feeling those cold tiles one last time.

I sit here now, soles pressed to a different set of tiles, tracing the little cracks.

Only this time you’re gone.

The chill remains.

Carter Smith

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My First Love Praise Ighodaro

I fell in love unexpectedly My love found me at a low place.

I was alone, unloved and no one to love.

I was Ishmael, cast out of Abraham’s house.

I was abandoned, no life, no purpose.

In the shadows he found me.

In my darkness I found a friend.

He wasn’t my adonis, but he was my Anubis.

All the warnings I had learned, Of danger zones and do-not-enter.

My infatuation began with curiosity, I chased a glimmer of hope Curiosity turned passion Passion to obsession My love has turned into devotion Devotion to submission My lover enlightened my heart, my mind.

Showed me things I never knew before He took me from a low place and gave me a solution He indwells in my mind My constant meditation He tamed my wild heart An subdued my mind He showed me my ego was my issue If i were to be happy it would need to die He showed me How to find justice

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He showed me beauty in dripping red lines He taught me how to love How Tongue Kiss razor blades How to Flirt with the guillotine He gave me hope.

He gave me an end, and exit.

He gave me directions, a final conquest And find my eternal glimmering light With no more pain No more darkness No more life.

(Below) Photo Edit by Gabrial Matthews.

DECEMBER

Cassidy Cornish

Bianca Opio

College Acceptances Shyria Bagdi

Congrats to the Mustang seniors that have been accepted into college so far: Arcadia University - Jada Congo Baylor University - David Bichara Delaware Tech - Hunter Willoughby, Melanie Ramirez, Peter Serwick, James Hughes, Monica Murray Goldey-Beacom College - Sierra Adams Rider University - Jacob Lee Rutgers University - Sadie Lobdell Salisbury University - TJ Cox, Hannah DelGrande Stockton University - Jacob Lee University of Iowa - Kiran Manisubbu University of New Haven - Carley Williamson West Chester University - Carley Williamson West Virginia University - Carley Williamson, Andrew Osborn, Madison Dean Widener University - Shaylyn Westmoreland Wilkes University - Jake Lee York College of PA - Carley Williamson

When asked about how she felt after being accepted to multiple colleges, Senior Carley Williamson explained, “Because I wanted to do engineering in college, I was scared coming in. It felt really good because I’ve been working hard and it’s paid off.” Carley believes that her involvement in extracurricular activities, strong transcript, and personality-filled essays helped her gain acceptance. Her advice to underclassmen on college admissions is to take both the ACT and SAT, start writing college essays in the summer, and to write a supplemental essay.

Good luck to the Senior class in future college acceptances!

The class of 2019 gains more college acceptances every day.

Be sure to check out the College Wall in front of the Digital Arts Lab to see all of the colleges our seniors have been accepted to!

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DECEMBER

Taylor Swift performing “I Did Something Bad” on Friday, July 13th.

Photo credit: Drew Hallowell

Taylor Swift’s reputation Stadium Tour Lights Up Lincoln Financial Field Carley Williamson

On July 13th and 14th, Taylor Swift held a fast-paced concert experience at Lincoln Financial Field. Swift found time to play twenty-three songs in her two-hour show, after combining many into mashups that were highly requested by fans following her 1989 World Tour. The mashups included a fun combination of “Style”, “Love Story”, and “You Belong With Me”, a serious mix of “Bad Blood” and her 2006 hit “Should’ve Said No”, an emotional pianoversion of “Long Live”, an ode to her fans, and reputation’s “New Year’s Day”, and finally, an exciting final song of “We Are Never Getting Back Together” and “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things”.

Overall, Swift played all but one song from her 2017 album “reputation” and ten songs from her previous albums. Aside from her songs, Taylor engaged in friendly banter with the crowd. She discussed her hiatus, love for her fans, and the fact she was playing a hometown show. Her connection with (and love for!) each and every one of the almost 60,000 people who attended each of her show was very obvious.

Her performance showcased her vocal abilities, as well as her creativity. Each song and dance showed more direction and intention than her past tours. She is more committed to putting on a good show, and having fun herself than ever before. Throughout the night, fireworks, confetti, light-up bracelets, and even huge flames were used during songs and breaks. The stage was over 100 feet tall and more than 175 feet in length. These features made the show exciting and enjoyable for fans of all ages.

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An acoustic mini-set was especially loved by fans halfway through the show when Ms. Swift made her way to one of two B-Stages through a floating gondola of lights.

After dancing her heart out to “Shake it Off” with show-openers Camila Cabello and Charli XCX, Swift settled down for a heartfelt playing of “Dancing With Our Hands Tied” on Night One and “So it Goes…” on Night Two with her acoustic guitar. On the same stage, Taylor played her infamous “Surprise Song” part of the show. This gained a lot of anticipation from fans, as Swift would choose one of the songs from her discography (over 100 songs!) to play for one show. For Night One, Taylor chose her emotional song “Never Grow Up”, honoring her visit to her childhood home earlier that day. A fan in her Night Two pre-show Meet and Greet (a free event for fans hand picked by Taylor on social media) showed her a tattoo containing lyrics from her 2012 song “Treacherous”, which inspired her to play the beloved song for her guests on Saturday, July 14th.

Over two nights, Taylor Swift sold 107,378 tickets and earned a hefty $11,951,047. But most importantly, you could tell that all of the attendees, whether they were fans, regular concert-goers, or even Taylor, had the time of their life. We know we will be patiently waiting for Taylor to come back to Philadelphia!

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Josh Dun and Tyler Joseph performing on the Bandito Tour.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Twenty One Pilots’ Bandito Tour Rocks Out Their First Tme Playing the Wells Fargo Center Bella Pastore

On October 28th, fans camped out for days to see the Banditos, otherwise known as Twenty One Pilots, perform live for the first time at the Wells Fargo Center. The fans who camped out were not disappointed and got to rock out to all their favorite songs with others who loved the band just as much as they did!

A total of twenty-two songs were performed including the hits “Heathens” and “Stressed Out”. Along with their own songs being played, two covers were performed of “Iris” originally by the Goo Goo Dolls and “Hey Jude” originally

by The Beatles. Some fans not only got to see their favorite band perform but also got to hold them up above the crowd during the song “Trees”.

Both Tyler And Josh of Twenty One Pilots were able to crack some jokes with the audience and with each other during the performance, which made the crowd not feel like strangers. It was obvious that the guys were really appreciative of everyone who came out and would always check to make sure everyone was having the time of their lives. They were very interactive with their fans from magically appearing at one of the balcony sections to walking over the crowd with a giant glass bridge. Fans were not forgotten when the tour was being planned.

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The making of the tour can be watched through their Youtube Channel where they upload how much work truly goes into making an arena tour like this one happen. The stage set up included a burning car, a glass bridge above the crowd, a B stage, and of course multiple drum sets! Each song brought a new energy with the way the lights and sounds worked together. You could tell that both the band and the crowd were having the time of their life.

From drumming and backflips of Josh Dun, to the singing, rapping, and ukulele playing of Tyler Joseph it made perfect sense that the concert was sold out with every seat filled! It was a concert that everyone who attended will remember! If you didn’t get to see Tyler and Josh while they were in Philly, fear not! They will be performing at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on June 8th, 2019!

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Prom and Graduation Expo Celia Cumiskey

Where is it?

MOT Charter High School 1275 Cedar Lane Road

When?

February 4th, 2019 from 5-9pm

How much?

Only five dollars online and seven at the door!

What is it?

MOT Charter High School will be hosting the first annual Prom and Graduation Expo! This is the place to book all your prom and graduation needs.

Vendors include dress shops, florists, limo services, caterers, bakeries, salons, and so much more. The expo will include vendors like Louis Marie Bridal Shop, Elayne James, Greene Turtle and so many more amazing vendors with amazing deals. There will also be countless raffle prizes that you can enter to win and one lucky winner will go home with a FREE dress from Louis Marie Bridal or a free tux rental! Included with your admission will be one door prize ticket that will enter you for this prize, that will be the only way to win. Louis Marie Bridal will also be hosting a fashion show to display the 2019 prom trends so come support your friends!

Admission is five dollars online (tinyurl.com/y7tuhgl3) and seven at the door so don’t wait, get your tickets now! Be sure to save the date! February 4th, 2019 from 5-9pm.

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Interested in Joining Newspaper Club?

MOT TIMES is open to all students interested in journalism and sharing information and stories.

Message Mr. Herbert or Carley Williamson if you’d like to join.

(Above) Mr. Elliot, the December Teacher Spotlight

Teacher Spotlight Karli George

Here at MOT Charter High School, there is an amazing system of teachers who strive to ensure the best education for their students. Mr. Kemper Elliott, who teaches Honors and AP World History, is one of these teachers. Mr. Elliott is a graduate of both the University of Delaware and Wilmington University, the latter of which he worked towards his master’s in History. Elliott has always had a genuine liking of history and it greatly contributed to his decision to become a teacher. He says “I liked to talk about history and teach other people about it” and it definitely shows.

A laid-back and understanding instructor, Mr. Elliott is known for his sense of humor during classes and effort to make world history an intriguing concept to learn about. However, Elliott sees teaching as more than fun and games. When asked what the best part of his job was, he replied “Seeing you guys learn, grow, and go off to become successful people.” Whether he’s inside the classroom discussing the purpose of ancient Roman wars or acting as one of the advisors for MOT’s Chapter of the National Honor Society, Mr. Elliott strives to be the best teacher he can be for his students through his lively and helpful demeanor.

He also has one piece of advice for anyone who’s considering a career in education: “You gotta love it.” This is what Elliott teaches his students, to let them know that whatever they do, they must love to do it.

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Sophomore Spotlight

Neessam Moustafa, Gauri Saxena, and Reann Jubran

When thinking of a courageous and intelligent sophomore that has affected the MOT Charter community positively, Grace Bentley instantly comes to mind for many students. Although she faced obstacles early in her sophomore year due to having surgery and going through a difficult recovery, nothing stopped her from moving towards achieving her goals and being active in changing the MOT Charter community. Last year around winter time, she restarted the Rock Band club.

Grace went from hosting that to being active in running the We All club, which was given to her by a senior by the name of Josiah last year.

This club allows students to express whatever they want, whether it be writing, art, or any other category that sparks creativity. So far, it has been running for a few weeks and the club is looking at launching their own magazine.

Members of the club are also participating in competitions that look good on college and scholarship applications, for example, students submit their work to local magazines and the scholastic writing competition.

Grace hopes that she has done well to change the community, and goes on to say, “I really didn’t set out to try to make any major changes when it came to MOT, I did this just for myself. I’m a busy body, so if I’m not doing something, I’m doing nothing and I saw this as a great chance for me to put myself out there as well as give a place for students to come together and feel like they have a place other than their classes to share out work”.

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Grace also started an SPCA donation service for the school, which inspires students at MOT to donate to our local SPCA, so bringing in pet food, pet toys, and other items to help the non-profit animal organization. How it works is for every one hundred items donated, there will be an incentive such as a dress down day, which pushes students to want to help. She gave the idea to student government, and she was inspired because Grace and her family are used to donating to the SPCA. Grace’s advice to people who wish to make a change in their community is to not worry about what people think, and to “think about what you want to do with yourself and how you want to put yourself out there to help people push themselves to make the change they want”. Balancing school and her extracurriculars is not difficult for Grace, even through her injury at the beginning of the year she still managed to maintain good grades and keep the clubs active. She credits her friends, boyfriend, and English teacher Mrs. Jurewicz, for helping her with both school work and managing the clubs. Grace is an inspiration to many and an example of an excellent MOT Charter student.

MONTH

Senior Spotlight Cameron James

Welcome to the first SEN19R Spotlight article for 2018 to 2019! The first spotlight goes to Mustang, TAMON HAMLETT!

Tamon Hamlett is someone who you should not forget about for a lot of reasons.

For one, he is our MOT Student President!

He is the manager for MOT’s Leadership and Development Club. He is also part of many other clubs held at the school. This includes BPA, Philosophy Club, and Math Club.

When interviewing him, he was first asked how he’s currently handling his last year at MOT, and he explains that his year is going well so far with this quote: “I am handling my senior year exceedingly well. I had a few rocky moments the first marking period, treading the new frontier of rigorous classes and clubs.

It’s always like that. No matter how bad things seem at first you must find a way. Before you know it, you’ll become a master in no time!

Senior year is shaping up to be a stellar year for not just me, but hopefully the school as well.”

Tamon is a person who loves motivating people into being confident and accomplishing whatever they want to do as their career. He even has some advice for other students with their school work: “Take some time to breathe, sit down, and really plan out your day. Don’t ever feel like the world is ending because you’re behind; on the other hand don’t feel so overloaded that you start neglecting friends or activities. Nevertheless, a structured schedule is the utmost importance. The key to not procrastinating is to be persistent. Take it one assignment at a time, use breaks sparingly, and keep your morale high by imagining all the free time you’ll have when you’re finished!”

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College applying is something that all the seniors are doing to get into colleges of their choice. When asking Hamlett about college applications, he explains that the college he really wants to go to is the United States Naval Academy: “I am searching for colleges in the D.C., PA, or VA area, and then there’s good old Texas. Some of my favorites are Texas A&M, American U, Georgetown U, Virginia Tech, and Howard U. Of course, my top choice would have to be the very first school I applied to back in January 2018-- The United States Naval Academy. I’m drawn to this school simply for the immeasurable leadership experiences, the unbelievable educational opportunities, the unbreakable bond shared among classmates, and most importantly for the honorable chance to proudly serve as a high class officer in the military.”

The biggest accomplishment that Hamlett ever made at MOT was winning the position of being the President for our School.

He was very happy and honored and was thankful to everyone who supported him. Here’s what he had to say: “I stand as the Class President, however student government is composed of some of the most hardworking, creative peers the school has to offer. I am more honored than anything to be apart of a team such as this focused on tackling issues in the school and making a great impact. My aspirations are to live up to the standard of academic excellence and honorable integrity that the school sets and make a difference in the school with the help of the wonderful Student Government. I myself could not make a difference without the combined efforts of this

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team, as my handpicked slogan states: “Few in harmony surpass one in perfection.”

Hamlett is currently taking four AP classes(AP World History(His personal favorite), AP Language, AP Physics and AP Calculus). In addition to those classes, he gives his reason on why it is important to do school work with this explanation: “Having the motivation to not just complete the work but excel must be a key factor in being a successful scholar. The sense of accomplishment when finishing all your work and closing out 20 tabs is rewarding. However I want every student to realize something: as an MOT student, you have done far more, worked far harder than the average student from any other school. Take pride in being able to accomplish something difficult, and most importantly never back down, nor act afraid, nor stress, there are plenty of resources to assist you!”

In conclusion, Hamlett is a responsible, well-behaved and intelligent human-being and he shows a lot of positivity with MOT Charter.

He concludes the interview by stating what his goals are after he graduates MOT: “I know full well that a marine officer is something that I definitely want to do, so I’ll continue developing the tributes of a successful leader. After that, I’m hoping to go into politics for my home state, Maryland. To conclude this interview, here’s a lesson for all about setting goals: Aim high, as high as you can. It will take climbing the tallest of trees to reach that dream, but you must persevere to turn those dreams into reality.

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“You must be willing to accept change and grow. You must respect everyone, step up to the challenge, set the standard for others to follow, and above all do not stop moving forward. Things may get hard and unfair, but you must never give up. One day you will have accomplished far more than anyone could imagine-- and that’s something to truly look forward to!”

WAY TO GO TAMON!

DECEMBER

(Left and Below) Senior Spotlight Tamon Hamlett

(Left) Sophomore Spotlight Grace Bentley

Theatre Auditions Natalie Schmidt

As the holiday season approaches, another highly-anticipated event materializes into view: the MOT theater auditions! After last year’s spectacular Legally Blonde performance, MOT’s theater program has decided to delve deeper into the comedy genre by undertaking the hilarious Shrek: The Musical. For those who are unfamiliar with the show, Shrek: The Musical illustrates the comedic misadventures of Shrek, a grumpy green ogre who struggles to find his place in a judgemental fairytale world. Aside from the well-crafted jokes and heartwarming storyline, Shrek boasts a plethora of memorable musical numbers that you’ll find yourself humming for weeks. Mark your calendars; this is a show you don’t want to miss.

Right before Thanksgiving break, students interested in auditioning for the show were given a chance to learn the choreography for “Freak Flag”, a high-energy dance number. Among these students was Junior Angela Meloni, who has had extensive experience with MOT’s theater endeavours. Nevertheless, she claims to be affected by nerves. “I’m nervous, but excited for auditions,” she says. “I’m also excited to see how we go about creating everything for this show.” Angela will be auditioning for the comedic (and technically extravagant, considering the operating nose mechanism) role of Pinocchio. Junior Abigail Schechter also expresses her excitement for the production. “I’m super excited and hoping to have a great time regardless of the part I get. I’m ready to let my freak flag fly!” she exclaims, referencing the show. You may have seen Abby performing in Brothers Grimm, Hairspray, Legally Blonde, or, more recently, The Odd Couple.

To all those who will be auditioning: break a leg!

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(Above) Senior Celia Cumiskey signing into the National Honor Society Membership Book.

(Below) Junior Cynthia Wang receiving her certificate from Aisha Mohammad (Historian), Zeynep Tuncer (Vice President), and Francis Alvarez (President).

National Honor Society Inductions Carley Williamson

Congratulations to the newest inductees for MOT’s National Honor Society chapter! On Thursday, November 8th, the largest class of NHS was inducted by the Chapter President Francis Alvarez, Vice President Zeynep Tuncer, Secretary Tia Lidowski, and Historian Aisha Mohammed, as well as chapter advisors Ms. Vail and Mr. Elliot. Juniors and Seniors joined the honor society that night, and the current NHS seniors wore their stolls proudly. The ceremony included several candle lightings, readings about the pillars of National Honor Society, and speeches from Mr. Southworth and Dr. Scali. A reception followed the ceremony where newlyinducted members joined their family members and asked them to present them with their NHS pin. Photos soon followed the event as the honored students celebrated their accomplishments, and the celebration was completed by refreshments provided by current NHS members. Photos to follow.

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(Left) Junior Kayla Grant signing into the National Honor Society book to mark her membership.

(Above) Students during the ceremony.

(Left) Francis Alvarez, NHS President, opening the ceremony and congratulating the new inductees.

(Below) Inductees during the ceremony.

(Above) Junior Sierra Szper signing into the NHS Membership Book.

UNICEF Gift Wrapping Rain Dehel

Throughout December, a group of MOT students are scheduled to work two shifts at the UNICEF Holiday Gift Wrapping stand at the Christiana Mall. Open each year from mid-December until December 24th, volunteers wrap gifts for customers at set prices based on the size of the item. All proceeds go to children in need across the world through UNICEF (The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund). Originally established by the American Cancer Federation, the stand was eventually handed over to UNICEF. Each year has to cover a large donation to the cause, as well as the purchase of next year’s supplies. Since the beginning of the stand, there have been a few less profitable years and many more with fewer volunteers than desired but the stand has always managed. MOT Students have been volunteering at the stand for the past two years and this year, they will really be picking up the pace. On Saturday, December 15th, a wide variety of MOT volunteers are scheduled to volunteer for several shifts at the stand. From National Honor Society members, to students and staff just looking to help out, this year should have the largest turnout of MOT volunteers yet.

One of the volunteers, junior Grace Hammond, spoke about her previous experiences with the stand. Grace has volunteered for the past two years, and plans on continuing to do so. When asked about her feelings toward volunteering, she said that volunteering at the stand is “a great experience to learn from and to help out”. Grace said that she volunteers because “it is a fun experience” and “it’s for a really good cause”. She recommends anyone and everyone to volunteer because it is open to all. “If you don’t how to wrap, they’ll teach you, and if you still don’t know how to wrap, you can cut paper or run the cash register,” assures Grace. UNICEF hopes to see a good number of volunteers at this year’s shifts, allowing them to continue to run the stand for many years to come.

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DECEMBER

Welcome MOT’S Newest Club: FMPA Harriet Gaye

Club leaders Anna Hernandez, Gabriella Idonije, and Nyah Randolph welcome their new club Future Medical Professionals of America to MOT. Hernandez, Idonije, and Randolph wanted to dedicate a club to learning about the medical field, due to the lack of the medical affiliated programs at MOT. Because of Hernandez’s childhood interest in health sciences and medicines, she recognized Future Medical Professionals of America as a club to “provide insight and better understanding of the medical field as a whole”. FMPA will be an organization open to all MOT students informing them of the opportunities and possibilities.

Hernandez was asked what she thinks FMPA can bring to the table and she believes “the desire for medical affiliated majors, programs, or clubs has been anticipated for a long time”. The 86 members who attended the interest meeting would agree with Anna. “Along with furthering knowledge and building stronger students, we will also be preparing what we can do now as high schoolers to better us in the future as we begin to pursue this pathway. The Future Medical Professionals of America club creates a safe place for students interested in the field of medicine to learn more about pathways and gain experiences.”

Hernandez hopes that future members of FMPA “gain understanding and are open-minded” for the future with help from the volunteering and shadowing opportunities that are to be planned. She is hopeful that these experiences and opportunities will expose them to something that they find beneficial. Hernandez concludes the interview that revealing that, as of right now, she hopes to become a pediatrician. Future Medical Professionals of America is going to start meeting biweekly and later venture to weekly meetings during advisory.

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Holiday Gift Guide Bella Pastore

Oh No! It’s December and I haven’t gotten any of my holiday shopping done yet! What will I do?! Well, have no fear because this is your guide to get the different kinds of people on your list an amazing gift!

The Disney Lover

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Pop Culture Fanatic

Music Lover

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Things to Do Over Winter Break Seun D. Ogundimu

You know the feeling of winter break. The excitement of a long vacation away from the gruesome day to day life at high school. You’ll get very anxious for such a long break away from school and the days leading up to winter break will never seem so long. Even with all of this build up, after first two days, the excitement turns into complete boredom. You will find yourself having nothing exciting to do. In fact, you might even feel relieved to start school again. Was that a stretch? Either way, I have decided to compile a list of the best activities to do during winter break so you will never feel too bored over a well-deserved break!

Activity 1: Go Christmas/Winter Caroling

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, caroling is for everyone. Something about the joy of music on such a happy holiday brings enthusiasm to everyone’s soul. When you do this, you should try and sing whatever your audience would enjoy. For example, you probably shouldn’t sing a Christmas Carol to someone who celebrates Hanukkah. Make sure you adapt yourself to everyone’s liking. There is much appreciation in winter caroling as it is an experience not just for the receiver, but for you too! Making someone’s day with your voice and captivating their attention is nothing short of astonishing.

Activity 2: Snowball Fight

Winter is the only time that you’ll ever have snow. Why not make the most it? Having a snowball fight allows you to not only make friends with other people you may not typically talk to, but you will have a wonderful competitive experience It is the perfect way to kick off your winter break with a thrill!

Activity 3: Drink Hot Chocolate and Watch Movies I understand the not all people enjoy the cold. For this reason, people who may want to stay warm but still enjoy the Christmas spirit can watch Netflix in the comfort of their home. The Christmas/winter movies will be very popular at that time. Having a mug of hot chocolate will also help keep you warm and snug during your winter break. This is an amazing way to be “lazy” but still enjoy your winter break.

Activity 4: Shopping Right after Christmas, there will be a lot of online sales. This means that, no matter how much snow falls, you can always shop with the best deals right from your house. This is not only for people who like to stay indoors, but for anyone who wants to find a good deal on high quality goods. Most stores will have a surplus of items after Christmas and they will sell them at a lower cost. This is where people like you benefit in which the items you wish you got for Christmas are

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available to be bought and you can even get them for cheaper than how it normally is sold for. I don’t know about you, but this sounds like a really good deal to me!

Activity 5: Build an Igloo

Most people get bored staying in their bed all day. Following the same old routine will make your break unenjoyable.However, using the snow to your advantage by making an igloo would be thrilling. The time it would take to build and the fun of staying and expanding your little snow fort would keep your mind racing for a long time. You can have other people come and see your snow creation. But most importantly, don’t forget to take pictures.

Activity 6: Build a Gingerbread House

A gingerbread house is not only an amazing sight to see, but it is also very delicious.

Gingerbread is a lot of work to make and depending on how you do it, the result could be very different. Try to be unique with your designs and make something that looks as good as it tastes!

Be creative! Winter break provides with a lot of time for you to have fun and try new things, so make designs that you wouldn’t normally create. You will be surprised by the result.

Activity 8: Build a Snowman

In the winter having a snowman right outside your front door is a necessity. Even if you don’t decorate for the holiday season, without a snowman the real winter spirit is gone. Try to make a large and creative snowman that appeals to the winter theme that will be displayed everywhere.

Even if you do not have snow, you can get crafty and make a snowman out of household materials and put it outside. Just try to make the snowman very appealing to the eye so that people will want to see it and your house will get attraction from neighbors! Most importantly though, have fun!

Activity 9: Donate items to a charity

Many people in the winter are not as fortunate as you, and they don’t have many of the things you have. Donating your possessions respects the spirit of giving. Do not just do this when it is winter. You should give all the time but especially in a time where any kids may expect gifts that their parents are not financially ready to supply. Donating a gift will put a smile on another kids face and I guarantee your face will light up too.

Activity 10: Ice Skating

There is nothing like ice skating in the winter. A lot of times, there is ice all over the place in the winter. This is a free opportunity to ice skate (as long as the area is safe to ice skate like a safe pond or lake). If it is not possible to ice skate in these areas, you can go to the University of Delaware Ice Arena to ice skate. You can also go to the Patriot Ice Center or the Riverfront Rink.

Just put on your gloves and a jacket and you are off! This a perfect time to try ice skating if you never have. It is also a time to test your skills and try new moves and patterns so you can get better every year. Just make sure you stay safe when you practice!

MOT TIMES

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I hope you left this article with some new ideas to do over winter break. Remember, these are just choices. You can do whatever you want for the winter. Just make it significant. Winter break is the perfect time when you give, receive, and do things you never would have thought of.

You won’t have a lot of these breaks. So make this one count!

Bibliography “Fun Things to Do Over Winter Break for Kids Free Printable.” Hands On As We Grow, 20 Dec.

2017, handsonaswegrow.com/fun-things-over-winter-break-kids/.

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