WNS Fly-By Times - November 2025 by Westside Neighborhood School

FLY-BYTIMES 2025-26

Emma Lucy

Lucy Wyman

By: Esme Warpehoski

By: Leo Rodin

BIRTHDAY FREEBIES

Crumbl cookies

Free cookie of your choice

Must be used within 40 days

Sephora

Free mini sample

Must be claimed within your birthday month.

Kendra Scott

50% off a product of your choice

Coupons must be used within a month

Pura Vida

15 dollars off a gift.

Must be used within 30 days.

Starbucks

Free drink or pastry

Must be used on your birthday

Baskin Robins

Free scoop of ice cream

Must be used within a month.

Cheesecake Factory

Free cheesecake slice with any purchase Must be used within 28 days

Ulta

Free mini sample

Must be used within a month

Nothing Bundt Cakes

Free mini bundt cake

Must be used within 14 days

EMMA LUCY

FALL CROSSWORD

ARE SCIENTISTS BRINGING BACK EXTINCT ANIMALS?

Scientists are trying to bring back extinct animals such as the dodo, wooly mammoth, and the dire wolf (the scientists announced they have successfully brought back their first dire wolf pups)) and many more.

Scientists are bringing back extinct animals because they can restore ecosystems, combat climate change. And they’re bringing them back too because we kind of killed and ate all of their last living ancestors, so in return, we are bringing them back.

How scientists bring back extinct animals is that they extract the DNA from old fossils and remains. Next the DNA is sequenced to assemble its genetic blueprint. Where DNA is fragmented, scientists use genetic engineering to fill in the missing parts by genes from the extinct species' closest living relatives After that, they combined the DNA from both of them and then inserted it into the living relatives' egg cells. Finally, the modified egg develops into an embryo and is implanted into the extinct animal's relatives and when the time is ready, the relative gives birth and the extinct becomes de-extinct

Even though cloning can be cool, it can be dangerous to the animal being cloned. It has a high risk of death and miscarriage. But sometimes cloning an animal helps the food chain and ecosystem, or they can kill everything and destroy us. But for now we ' re safe because it's the “helps the ecosystem”one.

LUCA OTTLEY

ARE MOSQUITOS TAKING OVER?

The Mosquito, the terrifying & blood-sucking insect that haunts us all These ferocious beasts have been spreading throughout the planet at high speeds due to our warming climate. Because of this, places like Iceland that haven’t had mosquitos up until now, have discovered the very first mosquitos to inhabit their country Mosquitoes tend to inhabit humid bogs and areas with still water, like a lake or pond, which is why the warmer habitats with still water become, the more mosquitoes are able to inhabit the area. Mosquitoes can spread diseases like the West Nile virus, Zika, dengue, & chikungunya. Currently, these disease spreading mosquitoes only live in humid tropical areas unlike the US, but the spread of mosquitoes is definitely something to watch out for This is just a simple reason as to why we should fight to end Climate Change.

RANKING FASHION TRENDS

AYA SCHERR

In recent years, particularly since I started middle school, I’ve noticed that there are fashion “guidelines” and trends that most students tend to follow. Some of these trends are better than others, so I decided to not only describe them, but rank them as well.

10 Sagging

Sagging is a trend that I personally do not understand the appeal of, it can be used well in some rare occasions, but most of the time you just look like you forgot to finish pulling up your jeans

9 Color match

Sometimes, color matches can be done well, but usually incorporating different textures is necessary to make it look good. However, I often see people wearing matching sweatpants and sweatshirts, usually with the same texture.

8. Athletic wear

This is understandable in some circumstances. When you ’ re actually working out, there’s a purpose to wearing athletic clothes. Despite this, I see many people wearing athletic wear just as a fashion trend without any purpose. Not that there’s a problem, I just personally don’t see the appeal.

7. Cropped shirts

This trend is seen mostly with girls, however it’s less of a trend considering how long it’s been popular. It can be done well in certain situations, but for me, the trend is overused and sometimes not appropriate depending on the setting.

6 Minimalism

Minimalism is a common style with both genders at the moment I have no problems with it, however it feels a bit boring when not done well

5 Oversized

Honestly I like this trend, it’s comfortable and easy to move around in The only issue is it’s often overused, which wears it out.

4. Animal print

I personally enjoy animal print, I don’t own many clothing items with it myself however. It can be hard to find a good animal print, and not something that looks fake or sloppy.

TOP THREE

3. Streetwear

Coming in third we have streetwear! Streetwear isn’t necessarily always the best, but my favorite style under the streetwear umbrella is acubi, a south-korean streetwear style.

2. Lace

Lace is one of my favorites and go-to styles in my own wardrobe. I personally believe that lace is beautiful and I enjoy wearing it. I do however acknowledge that it isn’t for everyone.

1. Y2K/2000s

JEWISH APPLE CAKE

TALIA BRYLAWSKI

I’ve always been fond of Apple cake Why? I'm not sure Maybe it’s the yummy insides or the perfect crispy crust Apple cake is a staple of autumn foods It can be eaten any time of day, for a sweet breakfast or a yummy dessert. My family typically eats this during Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and it tastes so refreshing. Though I think it's best eaten as a snack. Best served with a drink of your choice (I like milk!) though Mrs Rothberg says that she likes it with Creme fraiche This food is also a popular choice during Hanukkah, as it uses oil instead of butter (on Hanukkah you eat foods with lots oil to celebrate the oil that lasted 8 days).

Now on to the recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

3 apples

2 cups and 5 tablespoons of sugar

5 teaspoons of cinnamon

3 cups of flour

3 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of vegetable oil

4 eggs

¼ cup orange juice

1 tablespoon of vanilla

OPTIONAL: confectioners sugar

Steps to bake:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Peel, take out the core, and cut your 3 apples.

3. Combine apples, 5 tbsp of your sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

4. Sift flour, remaining sugar, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.

5. Mix in your oil, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla into the large bowl with a spoon.

6. Spoon ½ of the batter into a pan, add in the apple mixture, and then add the rest of your batter.

6. Spoon ½ of the batter into a pan, add in the apple mixture, and then add the rest of your batter

7. Bake for 1 hour

8. OPTIONAL: Sprinkle with confectioners sugar

CAN YOU OVERDOSE ON COUGHDROPS?

Starting this article off, yes, you can overdose on a cough drop. I know that saying this in the first sentence of the article might undermine the purpose of writing about this topic, but trust me.

Before we begin, please note that cough drops are not just candy; they contain active ingredients like menthol or pectin to soothe sore throats and suppress coughs Although they are often flavored and sweetened like candy. While some hard candies can provide a similar delicious taste, medicated cough drops contain ingredients designed to have a more therapeutic effect than plain candy.

Most standard cough drops contain menthol, and excessive consumption can lead to the following symptoms:

Gastrointestinal: Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea

Neurological: Headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, agitation, and clumsy movements. In severe cases, this can lead to seizures and coma.

Cardiovascular: Rapid heart rate and palpitations

Respiratory: Shallow or difficult breathing

Dextromethorphan (DXM) overdose

Cough drops with the active ingredient DXM can cause more serious and even lifethreatening symptoms at high doses. Overdose symptoms often include:

Hallucinations: Visual and auditory distortions, as DXM can produce dissociative effects similar to ketamine

Serotonin Syndrome: A potentially life-threatening condition caused by too much serotonin in the brain, which can lead to agitation, confusion, rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, and seizures.

Behavioral: Extreme restlessness, anxiety, or paranoia

Motor control: Unsteady walking, muscle twitching, or lack of coordination

Respiratory: Slow, shallow, or difficult breathing

Cardiovascular: Rapid or irregular heartbeat, low or high blood pressure

Consciousness: Extreme drowsiness, loss of consciousness, or coma

Anyway, don’t have more than 12 cough drops a day, one every 2 hours (if you don’t get sleep). However, if you do, remember that no more than 6-8 is recommended in a day.

DO ALIENS EXIST?

First of all, let’s go over some of the stats. Around 86% of astrobiologists think aliens exist. And with over 200,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars in the observable universe, the chances are extremely high. There is about 1 planet for every star in the universe, yet it is unknown how many of these are actually habitable. We do know some nearby stars that have potentially habitable planets, such as TRAPPIST-1e, and there could be life on planets like these.

What Do Aliens Look Like?

The common depiction of aliens as little green humanoids is almost definitely not what aliens look like Some theories say that they might look like an octopus or a singlecelled organism, but we don’t have any proof, and they might look like nothing we have ever seen

Are There Aliens in the Solar System?

There might actually be aliens here in the solar system, multiple planets and moons orbiting the sun. For example, Europa and Enceladus, Jupiter and Saturn’s moons, probably have deep oceans underneath their crust. We have evidence they exist because we have footage of giant water geysers shooting up through the crust Enceladus. There may also be hydrothermal vents in their oceans that give off heat. The hydrothermal vents here in Earth’s oceans are a home for many deep-sea creatures due to the heat they give off, and there are theories that Earth life might have originated in these vents.

In summary, aliens probably do exist due to multiple pieces of evidence, but they probably don’t look anything like what we think they do

BY: LUKE BUNTING

REASONABLE LIFE HACKS

REX REID

Reasonable life hacks are something we all need, right?

1. Almost finished your jar of nutella? Well just plop some ice cream into it so it can have a good taste mixed with your ice cream

2. I know that everyone should know this but to the people that don't just take some milk, chocolate syrup or melt chocolate, mix it and BOOM �� there you have it, chocolate milk��

3 The key to combatting smelly shoes is tea bags! After playing your favourite sport or walking all day, the best way to fix your smelly shoes is to take two tea bags and put them in your shoes before you put your shoes away or in your locker. Your bag, locker, or shoe cabinet will never reek again!

4 A surprisingly good hack for you and your family is for everyone to get different colored socks because you ' re constantly messing up socks and always taking your dad or moms socks. For example: me: blue sister: pink dad: white mom: black

5. Set your alarm 10 minutes early.- Say you wake up at 6:00am, set it to 5:50am, so you can wake up early and chill for a bit, rather than waking up at 6:00am and rushing out the door.

6. Bring a bottle of baby powder to the beach to make removing the sand easier.

7 When you don't eat all of your ice cream put it a freezer for later so you can maybe have a little treat later (it will drive your sibling insane)

8 If you have a lot of homework just go to Lunch Bunch It is very chill, and it's a good place to get work done.

9. If you really like a shirt or a sweater, buy 2 so if you lose one, you have another.

HOW DID STEAL A BRAINROT BECOME SO POPULAR?

This game is easy to play. The core gameplay loop is simple. You collect money to buy brainrots, then those brainrots help to generate more money so you can rebirth. Social media has also contributed to why it’s so popular. Content creators on platforms like YouTube have made videos about the game. That makes people intrigued to playIt’s also very popular because mostly children play the game, so all of the colorful colors and the catchy title “Steal a Brainrot” is advertising The game doesn’t cost anything, which allows it to attract a large audience without a financial barrier. While a lack of major updates could lead to boredom in the community, the game creator still manages to make the updates fun even if the quantity isn’t there. The game is mostly meant to be played with friends. They can help you take your brainrots when you need to rebirth, and you can steal other brainrots from people with them. Grow a Garden reached 22 3 million CCU (concurrent users) while Steal a Brainrot became the second Roblox game to surpass 25 million CCU.

NAOMI HUGHES

WHAT IS A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN?

Well, in light of recent events, a bunch of people are asking: “What’s a government shutdown?” Well, the official definition for one is “A government shutdown occurs when the legislative branch does not pass key bills which fund or authorize the operations of the executive branch, resulting in the cessation of some or all operations of a government” (Wikipedia). Now, that may explain everything to someone, but for a simple guy like me, I’m still kinda confused. So, to explain for people like me: A government shutdown is when the deadline for a new budget to pay the government is not decided upon This then leaves millions of people without pay. And it’s not just people in DC. People who work at LAX are without pay now. This includes the flight traffic controllers and TSA agents. Lots of families are currently without food because subsidized food, food given to the families by government officials, is not being given due to the shutdown Now that the cuts have happened, there isn’t any. According to the Government Shutdown Clock, we have 5,100 people in the state of California alone who are unemployed. Congress is working a way to fix it currently, so hopefully this is over soon!

Scary Story

Bob was an average kid, he had an average school grade, average friends, and an average family. The only thing that was not ordinary about him was the way he dressed up for Halloween. Every year before Halloween he would ask everybody what he should be for Halloween and then he would make it scary. For instance, one year someone told him to dress up as Sponge-Bob Square Pants so he did, but he added a chainsaw and hockey mask to his costume. Everyone would say “why would you do that Bob,” but he would only laugh. One Halloween he decided he would pick his own costume. But he could not figure out a costume to pick so he decided to wear his Sponge-Bob Square Pants costume again. The next day when he was out trick or treating he heard a rustling in the bushes near his house. Then he saw a flash of bright yellow. He decided to just keep walking. When he got to the next house he heard a strange sound near him, and when he turned around he saw another Sponge-Bob Square Pants. The Sponge-Bob Square Pants said “ you have dishonored the Sponge-Bob Square Pants kind, you will get no candy!” Then everything went black! When he woke up it was morning in his bedroom he got up and went to where his candy was usually stored, when he got to the covered it was as empty as it had been the night before Halloween. Bob never found out who that other Sponge-Bob Square Pants was.

JOSHUA CRUMP

USEFUL SCHOOL SUPPLIES

When you have a lot of assignments to do or a quiz coming up, but don’t know where to start, consider these simple school supplies to help complete your task.

1 Flashcards!!

I think that flashcards are pretty much underrated. They work well especially for vocabulary quizzes and memorizing things, and they’re easy to find at most office supply stores. You can go over them yourself or with a friend, and you can share flashcards with others if they don’t have any. Writing things down as opposed to typing them is more effective at helping you remember, something that flashcards help with Overall, flashcards are a great study tool that work in many different contexts and are very effective for everyday use.

2. A planner

A lot of people say, “I can remember this without writing it down, no problem.” That may work for some people, but others end up forgetting it immediately To avoid this dilemma, try using a planner You can store it in your binder or backpack, and once you get a homework assignment, write it down. Then you don’t have to keep remembering the task for the rest of the day. You can also customize or decorate your planner with stickers, messages, or drawings for a cool & special touch.

3 Sticky notes

Sticky notes work for many different things, from quick jots to lists to bookmarks They are in general a great organization tool, as they can also help you label different projects. You can find them at any office supply store, and they come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, & patterns. They’re also great for doodling on when you ’ re bored :D.

4 Quiet study music

While this isn’t a physical tool, it’s proven to be effective at helping with studying According to Healthline.com, study music can motivate you, increase focus, and help you memorize new information. It isn’t for everyone, but if you do appreciate it, it can be a great tool. However, it is important to remember that wordless music is better to use than lyrical songs, because lyrics can become distracting. It’s also better to err on the side of quiet & relaxing music rather than instrumentals of exciting songs You can unleash your creative juices and make a playlist, or find a pre-made one on your music service

WHY DO LEAVES TURN ORANGE IN THE FALL?

When you picture autumn in your mind, the first thing you think of is probably the colorful leaves; the bright yellows, rich oranges and reds, and everything in between adorning branches like lights on a Christmas tree. While you ’ ve definitely seen this every year, you ’ ve probably never thought about why.

Leaves changing colors is a complex process, as well as an important part of a tree’s life cycle. As the days grow shorter and winter approaches, trees must prepare. First, they start to absorb chlorophyll and other nutrients from their leaves, which the trees know will soon drop during winter. Chlorophyll is the pigment that gives leaves their green color, and plants also use it to trap the light necessary for photosynthesis. As the chlorophyll in the leaves fades, carotenoid pigments, which create yellow or orange colors, start to show Carotenoid pigments are always present in the leaves, but are usually drowned out by the intense green of chlorophyll. This process of sequestering nutrients is a part of a process called leaf senescence, which is the controlled, final stage of leaf development where plants break down cellular components and remobilize nutrients and minerals from the senescing leaf to other parts of the plant, such as seeds or developing organs. During leaf senescence, some trees (including some maple trees, sumac, dogwood, sweetgum, sourwood, cherry trees, persimmons, and many oaks) produce a new pigment called anthocyanin, which produces deep red or purple colors in leaves. While this process of leaf senescence is occurring, the tree produces a layer of cells at the base of the leaf stalk, known as the abscission layer. This layer progressively weakens the connection between the leaf and the branch until they eventually drop.

By winter, a tree has enough nutrients from the leaves to make it to spring, where it will use any remaining energy to grow new leaves. Every year, this cycle repeats like clockwork, producing the colorful autumns many of us are accustomed to (or maybe aren’t, since we live in L.A.).

Editor’s Note

Lucy Aya

Hi all! We’ve done it, issue #2 down! The first elective season nearly over, as well as almost a fourth of the school year! We did publish a little later than planned, so sorry for any Halloweenthemed articles. Hope you enjoy this issue!

We successfully finished the second issue, hooray! The first elective season is coming to a close, and we ’ re around a fourth through the school year. I hope you enjou the issue this time!