Fly-By Times - October 2025 by Westside Neighborhood School

FLY-BY TIMES 2025-26

Josh Crump

Luke Bunting

Kellen Oliver

By: Dhillon Rothman

Luca Ottley

By: Aya Scherr & Lucy Wyman

By: Lucy Wyman

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

Dungeons and Dragons is a roleplaying game where your objective is to complete quests or adventures You play by choosing a class like fighter or wizard and then build off from there, and well you make the character you play by yourself you work as a team to complete your objective. The game is run by a person called the dungeon master, who controls the monsters that you fight as well as the dungeons you adventure in. The game is like any other fantasy video game but without the screens or controllers. The three main rolebooks are The Players Handbook, The Dungeon’s Masters Guide, and The Monster Manual all of which are in the MLC where you can find how to make a character from scratch Another source is D&D Beyond, a website where you can find all the things you would need to either play or run a D&D campaign There is also a Dungeons and Dragons elective in our school which is student-led where you can try D&D for yourself. Currently the D&D elective is trying to summon Tiamat, the goddess of evil dragons, by combining a magic item to bring her to the world we are in. Overall D&D is a really fun game where you use creativity and improvisation skills.

Joshua Crump

HOLIDAY TRIVIA CROSSWORD

NEW ADVISORY+ SCHEDULE

This year, I was surprised to see how many big changes had been made to WNS, like P.E. as a letter day class, advisory plus as a mandatory Monday elective, sitting with buddies at community gatherings, & new rules on eating in class Most of those changes don’t really bother me, except for advisory plus taking up an elective period. Four days of chosen electives versus five days has really made a difference in my week, and now Mondays feel so different. Yes, technically, P.E. could be considered a mandatory elective as well, but at least we got to choose what type of P E we did and which days we did it on. One nice thing about this change is that advisory plus, which last year felt boring and excessively long, is now only 50 minutes long and feels more interesting Now, whether or not I don’t like how the schedule looks different, All that really changed is having a longer and betterstructured P.E. class and a shorter advisory plus, which, even if I lose an elective day because of it, could make the middle school week run more smoothly

LEO RODIN

REVENANT GHOSTS

Revenants are seen in various cultures and histories including Norse and Celtic mythology, Romania, Medieval England, Caribbean folklore, and Greece. In Romania, they call them “strigois”, and in Caribbean folklore, they are called “soucouyant ” Revenant ghosts were known for being competent of murder and spreading diseases These ghosts come from the dead, and they return to the real world. The term “revenant” means “ one who returns.” People say that these ghosts are angry and looking for revenge. They’re exceptionally fast when a person is in their view, but otherwise they’re a little faster than the average speed of a human. They’re seen in video games, tv shows, and other media The revenant ghosts possess extreme strength, and they can lift heavy things that humans would never be able to lift A revenant has the smell of a rotting body. Some revenants have green glowing eyes or red fiery eyes, while others are tall and don’t look human. Just bone like a skeleton. Some can appear attractive, but they’re predators. It's only to lure you right to them. Rotten teeth and knife-like fingernails. How do YOU feel about ghosts?

NAOMI HUGHES

My opinion on

K-POP DEMON HUNTERS

AYA SCHERR

K-Pop Demon Hunters, was released August 23rd, 2025 and quickly became the biggest movie of the summer. The movie revolves around a girl group called HUNTR/X, which includes the characters Rumi, Mira, and Zoey.

The first time I watched K-Pop Demon Hunters, it didn’t really leave a lasting impression on me. After a few weeks, I was taking a trip and needed something to watch on the plane, so I watched it again. The second time, I paid more attention I began to appreciate the animation and music more. I started to understand what was actually going on in the plot.

If I had to rate K-Pop Demon Hunters out of five stars, I would give it 4/5 stars. I love the songs, character design, art style, animation, voice acting, and choreography. I do think the plot of the movie is only so-so. When I was watching it, I found it predictable, however for a movie meant to appeal to all ages, I think they did a great job.

Overall, it was an excellent movie, but there were a few aspects that could have been better

YOUR ZODIAC YOUR FALL DRINK

~Aries

Salted Carmel Mocha

-You enjoy a balanced lifestyle, preferring not to wake up early or stay out too late To unlock your full potential, it is important to achieve harmony in your life And if you ’ re looking to treat yourself this week, why not start with your coffee order? The Salted Caramel Mocha, a fall favorite at Starbucks, is the perfect indulgence ~Taurus

Pumpkin Spice Latte

-Taurus are reliable and responsible, much like a hot Pumpkin Spice Latte. This drink is a classic and no one loves to indulge more than a Taurus sign. We can all count on the PSL to arrive at our local Starbucks every year, just like we can count on our favorite Taurus friend for just about anything. If you want to savor each sweet sip of a hot PSL, do so with a Taurus by your side. They’re the type to appreciate the most of the season. ~Gemini

Carmel Apple Spice

- Geminis probably have a very lengthy fall bucket list. You never know what you ’ re going to get with this sign. An Iced Apple Crisp has a range of bitterness. Just be sure to mix it so the apple syrup doesn’t collect on the bottom! ~Cancer

Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai

-Your morning routine is sacred to you, and you enjoy spending a few peaceful hours by yourself before starting the day Cancer has one of the biggest sweet tooths of the zodiac, so your coffee order should embody the warmth and comfort of the fall season

~Leo

Cinnamon Dolce Latte

-Leo is the passionate and optimistic dreamer of the zodiacs. Every morning is a fresh opportunity to go out and make a difference in the world. And while people might assume you ’ re an early riser, you love a cat nap more than anyone. You need sufficient rest to fuel your adventurous side, so grab a cinnamon dollce latte for an extra boost.

~Virgo

Hot Apple Crisp

-Virgos live for back-to-school vibes. Late August to late September is their season, after all. A perfectly balanced Hot Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato is exactly what they’re looking for on a chilly fall morning. A detail-oriented Virgo must have this drink in hand.

SAMIRAH GREENE

~Libra

Iced Apple Cream Chai

-Libra is all about beauty, balance, and harmony. An Iced Apple Cream Chai is exactly that: a perfect blend of sweet apple, spicy chai, and creamy oat milk. Libra also loves bringing people together, and this sign would like to know that this drink was added to the menu after it became a popular customer customization.

~Scorpio

London Fog Latte

-Scorpios approach life with an unwavering passion and focus You have the dedication to work tirelessly through the night and the wisdom to take a calm and leisurely approach to your mornings You savor every moment of your morning routine, and when you feel like treating yourself to Starbucks, the London Fog Tea Latte fits your vibe perfectly This classic tea latte provides an energy boost without the caffeine jitters that often come with drinking coffee It’s made with Earl Grey tea, your choice of milk, vanilla extract, and honey for sweetness The result is a smooth and velvety sip every time

~Sagittarius

Salted Pecan Cold Brew

-Sagittarius love an adventure, and a Salted Pecan Cream Cold Brew sounds like a creative iced drink they’ll love. This fall Starbucks drink is rumored to drop in October. Cold foam drinks are perfect for those who prefer their coffee to taste like coffee, but like to try fun flavors that won’t overpower their cold brew. No doubt curious Sagittarius will love to put this new flavor to the test

~Capricorn

Pumpkin Spice Cream Chai

-Cancers are sweet and nurturing, making them a perfect fit for an Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai. Chai is warm, cozy, and comforting, aka major fall Cancer vibes

~Aquarius

Iced Carmel Apple Cream Latte

-Super creative Aquarius loves to break the mold A Caramel Apple Cream Latte that isn’t hot but iced seems a bit unexpected a vibe Aquarius loves The drink itself is a classic latte with apple, cinnamon, and brown sugar flavors This sounds like it would be a delicious hot drink (with salted caramel whipped cream, yum!), but Aquarius prefers the unconventional Cold caramel apple it is!

~Pisces

Iced Pecan Crunch Latte

-Starbucks’ Iced Pecan Crunch Latte is set to launch later this fall, and it sounds like pecan pie in drink form. It’s dreamy sweet and creative very much like a Pisces! The sweet and nutty profile of this iced latte seems like it will

BANANA BREAD RECIPE

TALIA BRYLAWSKI

Whenever I go to my Grandparents’ house, I'm always so excited. Not only to see my grandparents, but also because every time, like clockwork, my grandma has fresh banana bread ready for me and my sister to eat This sweet treat takes only one bowl and is super simple to make. My grandma kindly shared the recipe she was given by her friend Margie, and wrote a recipe statement for y'all! “I got this recipe from Margie Goldman, a fellow Silverleaf member and a very special friend. I have many recipes for banana bread, but this one is terrific because everything just gets dumped into one bowl and stirred with a wooden spoon to combine. Margie's original recipe calls for mixing the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately by hand and then stirring them together using a hand mixer… but I find it works great as you can see in the instructions below! You can decide! Since she gave it to me, I have made it several times It always gets rave reviews!” Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

3 bananas

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED (choose one):

¼ cup blueberries

¼ cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350º

Spray a pan with cooking spray (recommended by my grandma: 9x5 loaf pan but use whatever you have)

Mash your 3 bananas

In one medium to large bowl, add everything. Yes, everything. The mashed bananas, the flour, the sugar, the baking soda, the salt, the eggs, the vegetable oil, and the vanilla extract.

Stir ingredients well to combine.

Pour into the prepared well sprayed pan

Bake for 40-45 minutes. It will turn brown. Put a toothpick in and take it out. If the toothpick comes out clean, it's done!

Cool in pan for 10-15 minutes and ENJOY!!!

WHY ARE LABUBUS SO POPULAR?

NINA GHEE

“Why are Labubus so popular?” is a question a lot of people have. Personally, they aren’t for me because if I’m being honest, I think they look a little demonic I know many people that have spent $27.99 on these little creatures, and you might have as well, but I am not one of those people Labubus scare me, if I’m being honest I can understand buying one for a gift or because you think they are cute, but I don’t understand having a full blown collection. Some people have a whole collection of these things and have no problem spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on these interesting keychains Based on Pop Mart’s financial reports from the first half of 2025, the Labubu led “Monsters” series accounted for 34.7% of the company ’ s total revenue. Currently on my favorite website (Amazon <3), you can literally buy accessories for these accessories Clothes, hats, shoes, stanleys, name it and you can probably find a smaller version for your Labubu Personally, in my opinion I believe that if you buy one that is enough. Maybe buying one accessory is fine but some people deck these things out more than I decorate my Christmas tree I can truthfully say that I have seen tiny Chanel and Lululemon clothes for your Labubu I would rather buy a Lafufu than a Labubu because at least if I bought a Lafufu I would be getting my money ' s worth (depending on if it is overpriced) Personally, I’m not judging if you have one or have accessories for one. What I am saying is that these overpriced creature keychains aren't for me

THE BENEFITSAND DISADTVANTAGES

OFA THIRD PARTY

The United States, a country consisting of many different political parties, but two major parties are at the top of the vote. Now, what if we added a third party with the same popularity as these other two parties? A third major party would provide benefits for the country like more political party options, a possible reduction in prices, and higher stocks This could be done by increasing production or output to reduce the average cost of producing a unit. The more things cost less, the more money people have, and the more money people have, the more stocks that can be bought, and the more stocks bought, the more stocks go up. But a third major party doesn’t always just bring benefits, it also brings disadvantages. There could be a possible sense of no power or control, a kind of hopelessness, and there could be difficulty with communication between and from parties, and costs that are kept secret from the public. Of course, a third party has already been attempted, but without success. Now, Mr. Elon Musk has attempted to create a third major party. He is recognized as the richest person on the planet, and thus has gained much popularity over the years. Do you think he will be successful? Or will his plan be a bust?

BY: HITCH GOERDEL

2025 REVIEW

2025 has been a very crazy year so far. While it would be easy to list all the headlines that we have all seen from the past 9 months, let’s focus on those less covered stories. The ones that make you scratch your head and wonder how much chaos can the earth sustain.

Radioactive Wasps were found next to an abandoned nuclear weapon facility, and the best part, the nest was empty, meaning they are still roaming around the state of South Carolina.

I don't know the date of this event but I still want to share it. A man with Alzheimer's forgot he has Alzheimer's, and he remembers everything Like whaaaaaaat, this is one of the craziest diseases ever and this guy named John Doe just said no, Uno Reverse

The first thing on this list that's not happening in 2025, but actually 2026, the blood moon, that will be visible to 85% of the world, not us, of course, but it's still really cool and I thought I should share this

“Yes, a California resident from South Lake Tahoe recently tested positive for the plague in August 2025, likely after contracting it from an infected flea bite while camping” in case you just quick read over it, the bubonic plague, the virus that killed thousand back in the day, was found in California.

The animatronics, if you have been on Youtube recently you probably have heard about Citra, making nosey, a 10 foot tall animatronic, apparently it will be bullet proof, fire proof, and waterproof it will run at 32 miles an hour, and will I guess have echolocation. Luckily we have people building Iron Man suits to fight off Nosey and the terminators, yeah, people have also been making terminators.

CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT

ESME WARPEHOSKI

No-Face is a supporting character in the enchantingly wonderful Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away He can impersonate other characters, and he also has a huge hidden mouth Throughout the movie, he breaks out of his shell and grows from quiet/resigned to compatible and caring His actual name is Kaonashi, which translates literally to “Faceless” Even without a face or a changing expression, he still plays a huge role in helping the main character Chihiro in a quest to rescue her parents He enters the movie as a lonely spirit, and begins to follow Chihiro around after finding her friendly. When Chihiro needs to work at a bathhouse in order to help save her parents, No-Face steals for her the token she needs to get in. Chihiro lets him into the bathhouse with her, and he resolves to help her and tries to win her affection by conjuring gold for her, even though she refuses to take it each time. While in the bathhouse, No-Face watches the workers there and learns that gold is important to them. He conjures gold coins for them, but when the workers approach him, he reveals his gaping mouth and swallows them whole. Because he impersonates other characters, his disposition changes to that of the greedy workers, and he keeps swallowing more workers and spirits. Then, he approaches Chihiro and offers her a gold coin. When she refuses it, he regurgitates everyone he’s swallowed (they were fine by the way) and transforms back to his usual gentle self, ashamed. Chihiro sees that he’s sorry and accepts him as her companion again He mainly keeps her company on her journey and settles into the witch Yubaba’s home in the end Overall, he is one of my favorite characters, and definitely worth watching for The film in general is also amazing, awesome, and wow, so you should definitely add it to your watchlist

TEACHERSPOTLIGHT

MR.UMEKUBO

Turning the corner into the WNS building, I am welcomed by the creative interior, featuring technology such as 3-D printers, which are stacked on decorative shelves In the corner, a friendly face greeted me: Mr. Umekubo. Some people might have had this extraordinary teacher for creative classes, such as DCM, SPLASH, and SWIM. He brings a spark of ideas into the classroom and is a teacher who will help his students flourish and reach their full potential. This is why he was an obvious choice for the first featured teacher in the Fly-by-Times

Mr. Umekubo had a notable early life, one that might be similar to that of students today. He was born in Chicago, the youngest of his siblings. At the age of four, he moved to Torrance, where he was raised. Unlike any student today, his parents had experienced concentration camps They met each other after this horrifying experience. He feels that his family was all encouraging, creating a supportive and loving environment. To receive his bachelor's degree, Mr. Umekubo went to UCLA. He then went to CSDH for his master's degree. Mr. Umekubo went to work as a substitute teacher for Innox. After a year, he was invited to work as a full-time teacher.

Mr Umekubo is more than just a teacher He owns a non-profit that supports heroes in education. His non-profit is called LumenSparQ. He is also a consultant for schools, which he started after 9/11. He is also an entrepreneur. Outside of his three jobs, he owns an apparel decoration embroidery shop. If someone wants to explore his flourishing business, you can find it under the name of “Goodvibesdesign”. He is clearly showing his four passions and jobs, a motivated man When asked the simple and complex question of what your motivation is, he answered, “Getting to solve problems and create.” Having morals and core values is one of the more valuable traits for our beloved DCM teacher. He formed all his brands around the idea that all humans should have rights, and everyone is an equal human

Teaching is obviously something that Mr. Umekubo loves, considering he brings the joy and passion that only someone who truly wants to be there can have. He feels that our beloved school, WNS, brings a creative, accepting, and challenging aspect to his and everyone ’ s life. Just as he benefits from WNS, the school also benefits from him He brings skills and connections that are unique to him, and he has a view of more than just being a teacher. He has the view of a consultant and entrepreneur that not many teachers possess. I’m going to end this article with a quote from Mr. Umekubo, who has so many different examples and is unlimitless. “Don’t be afraid to try something new ”

Http://lumensparq.org

HOLLOW NIGHT: SILKSONG

DHILLON ROTHMAN

The long awaited sequel to Hollow Knight, (A popular platformer game from 2017) is here! It’s been quite the journey to get to this place. In fact, it’s been a journey of over six years.

The sequel to Hollow Knight was announced in February 2019 and was quite the talk of the gaming community. Then on release day, it didn't come out. Team Cherry (the creators) apologized, and promised to keep updates on the production. The creators did share updates, but they didn't bear much news because all they basically said was, “Yeah, Silksong is not this year ”

For years, the gaming community was in the dark Many channels popped up such as the over 200K subscriber monstrosity that is Daily Silksong News All of these people were gathering over a game that might not even exist

Cut to a few months ago, 5K people signed on to the Nintendo Treehouse with hope of an update As people waited, they slowly started dropping out until only 3K fans remained All of the big games had been announced Then, from the ashes of despair, a sizzle reel Among the other games A 15 SECOND CLIP FOR SILKSONG WITH A 2025 CAPTION People everywhere were overjoyed! Except one thing The release date only said 2025, not a day or even a month People went back to sulking, but with a bit of hope

On August 21st, the release trailer came out, bearing the news that the game would be coming out on September 4, 2025 In just under 3 days, Silksong became the most wishlisted game on Steam, one of the biggest gaming platforms And when the big day came, fans crashed Steam, Nintendo, Xbox, and basically every gaming platform that you can think of

It’s real And you can probably expect a review of the game soon

FOOTBALL SEASON IS STARTING

With the 2025 NFL season underway, let’s highlight some of the top performances.

In week 1, the Ravens and Bills had a great game with the Bills winning 41-40 on a last second game winning field goal by Matt Prater The Vikings were victorious, beating the Bears 27-24. JJ McCarthy won his first NFL game but will sadly be out for a little while with a foot injury Another conference matchup occurred when the Packers beat the Lions 27-13 with Micah Parsons getting his first sack as a Packer.. A few more interesting matchups were the Steelers beating the Jets 34-32 and the defending champs, the Eagles, winning their first game 24-20 against Cowboys. In that game, both Javonte Williams and Jalen Hurts had two rushing touchdowns each.

Week 2 had some great games as well The Lions put up 52 points and ended up destroying the Bears Even with Joe Burrow getting injured, the Bengals won. Puka Nacua had an amazing 45-yard rushing touchdown during the Rams’ win, and Malik Nabers had two touchdowns, despite the Giants losing to the Cowboys.

Along with the NFL season, WNS Flag Football began as well. Nice job to the C-team for winning their first game against Brentwood And to the Bteam, you’ll get them next time.

BY: KELLEN OLIVER

IS ROBLOX DONE FOR?

Is every child's favorite game cooked? Roblox has faced many lawsuits from Louisiana to children's parents The reason that Roblox is getting sued is because of child safety laws These lawsuits say that children can use Robux, the game’s currency, to gamble on different websites Roblox gets money from these illegal websites by charging a 30% fee when the gambling sites convert Robux back into cash And wanna know something, Roblox is banned in Algeria, China, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, Nepal, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Also, Oklahoma, Missouri, Indiana, North Carolina, Florida, and New Jersey have sued Roblox. But here’s the good part, Roblox has upgraded their security by having advanced AI-powered content moderation and human moderators to remove inappropriate stuff, a new Trusted Connections feature, and improved age verification face scans for more open communication, and restricting users under 17 from certain socializing-focused "private spaces" within games, wow. That's some security improvement. But the answer you all are probably wondering is that Roblox is not cooked! At least for now

Also, if you want your favorite games to be seen: -Come talk to me when available- I’m in 6th grade and and talk to me at recess or email

LUCA OTTLEY

BY:

MAX RODIN AND REX REID

INHERITANCE GAMES BOOK REVIEW

BY LUCY WYMAN

The Inheritance Games is the first book of a series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. The book features main character Avery who is growing up in New Castle, Connecticut, until one day she gets a visit from a mysterious grey-eyed individual named Grayson Hawthorne. Grayson tells her that she has to go to the Hawthorne Mansion for the will reading of $48 2 billion net worth Tobias Hawthorne. Astonishingly, she receives his entire fortune. All $48.2 billion. The conditions of the will are that Avery must live on the Hawthorne estate, or Hawthorne House, for one year

Over the course of the book, Avery alongside the four Hawthorne brothers, Nash, Grayson, Jameson, and Xander (Xan), spend Avery’s first few weeks at the House trying to figure out why Tobias Hawthorne, or the old man, as the Hawthorne brothers knew him, left Avery his entire fortune, a man she’s never met. This book is full of twists and turns, suspense, and more This is probably one of my favorite books, and I hope you enjoy it, too! 4.7/5

Stars

Fly-By Times - October 2025