The Charger | Winter 2019

The Charger WINTER 2019

TABLE OF contents

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Halliday'sHoliday Recipe

Catching up with aCharger Abroad two holidayrecipespassed down through . generations throughout theschool, studentscelebratethe . holidaysdifferently, mostlyrevolvingaround . thetradition of food

TheDiffering Holiday Traditionsof Duchesne

Sophie'sYear Abroad in Germany

9 10 11 Why You'reNot Tik Tok FamousYet / Featured Poems Why I'm "Dying" at City Hall 'TwasTheWeek BeforeChristmas

learn theins-and-outsof TikTokand check . out an ice-themed poem

learn whyEmilyis"dying"and what you can . do to help out thecause a fun, upper-school storyabout theweek . beforeChristmas

5-MinuteChristmasCraft Senior Spotlight Quiz trythisfun DIYdecor to bringa little homemadetouch to theholidays take a lookat these dominatingdebatersof theclassof 2020! which cold thingareyou?find out here!

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DESIGNER-IN-CHIEF

Ramsey Ruffeno Halliday Mafrige

SPECIAL THANKS TO: AnalysBarinaga

Halliday's Holiday Recipe... part two

by Halliday Mafrige

In thespirit of theholidaysand family time, I thought it would beappropriateto shareacouple recipesthat my two grandmotherswrote My family usesboth recipesalot astheholidaysroll around, so I thought it would befitting to sharethem with thecommunity

"CreamCheeseCookies"

- 1 cup of butter, softened

- 1 3oz packageof cream cheese

- ½cup sugar

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla

- 2 cupsof flour

*acookiepressisneeded for this recipe*

- Preheat oven to 375 degreesF

- 2 cupsflour

- 2 cupssugar

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 1 ½cupsmilk

- 1 cup of butter

- 2 cansof cherries

- Cream butter and cream cheesetogether in alarge mixing bowl

- Begin adding sugar in gradually until combined

- Mix in vanilla

- Gradually blend theflour into themixture

- Add food coloring, if desired

- Do not chill thisdough even though it isvery soft!

- Placethedough in thecookiepressand placethe cookiedough onto thecookiesheet

- Bakefor 8-10 minutes

"CherryCobbler"

by Joni Baird by LindaMafrige

- Preheat oven to 350 degreesF

- Mix theflour, sugar, baking powder and milk together in alargebowl until well combined.

- Melt thebutter and slowly incorporateit into the mixture.

- Pour most of thecrust mixtureinto asquarepan

- Put thecherrieson top of themixtureand sprinklethe remaining bit of crust onto thetop.

- Bakefor 30-40 minutesor until thetop isbrown.

Different Holiday Traditions at Duchesne

by Halliday Mafrige

When it comes to the holidays, everyone has different experiences, routines, and traditions Whether it is faith-based, or a pointless antic passed down for generations, traditions are something special that each family holds dear I thought it would be interesting to look into different holiday traditions around our Duchesne community and see how they differ.

Since my family is so large, we need to make a lot of food. Seriously. We are going on over 70 people who all love to eat To accommodate this large request for food, many women in our family come to my house to cook traditional Lebanese food to reflect our heritage We make pounds of kibbe, grape leaves, hashweh, and kousha mahshi every year the day before Christmas Eve, which builds anticipation for the wonderful, hearty meal to come This food is served on Christmas Eve, where our family (and food) splits up into two main groups, knowing that if the whole family got together that night, nobody would go homein timefor Santa to come deliver presents! On Christmas Day, though, the whole family comes together and spends all of Christmas Day together (well, after we all sleep in and open presents) Since there are so many of us, Christmas Day is the only day of the year where our whole family is in one place, and even though it might behectic, I would not tradeit for theworld.

Sarah Elisa Diaz-Perdomo (10) celebrates Christmas with her family through Venezuelan food. She and her family makehomemadetamalesand empanadasand go to the Nutcracker Ballet each Christmas Her family also has a tradition of no meals on Christmas Day

While thismay seem confusing, Diaz-Perdomo assures me that it is not Her family eats solely sweets on Christmas Day. Things like cookies, cakes, and candy are regular snacks on December 25 for her and her family Onething that stuck out to mewhiletalking to her was her mother?s homemade hot chocolate ?It is madefrom scratch,?Diaz-Perdomo remarks. ?Sheuses milk chocolate that we?ve bought throughout the year and melts it in a giant pot ? The hot chocolate is enjoyed by soaking bread in the warm, chocolaty mixture, ?the closest thing to a meal we have on Christmas.?

BellaSavarino (11) and her family get together during Christmas to celebrate their Italian heritage through food The day before Christmas Eve, the Savarino family cooksaround twenty-fivedishesof lasagna The lasagna is homemade from scratch and frozen throughout theyear to havedeliciousItalian food right at their fingertips. Their family also attends ChristmasEve Massat St ThomasHigh School After the mass, their family is joined by their family?s florist for dinner. This tradition has been going on for a few years, after Savarino?s aunt noticed the man working in his flower shop alone on Christmas Eve and invited him over for dinner A smaller tradition in Savarino?s more immediate family is her grandmother buying the three Savarino children pajamas to sleep in Christmas Eve night. ?Sometimes they match,? Savarino says, ?but it ismorethesentiment of knowing shecares?

Even though everyone has a different tradition, it is fascinating to see how many people enjoy foods based on their heritageor culture

Catching Up With a Charger Abroad

by AnalysBarinaga

Sophie Maus, class of 2021, has been taking a year off from Duchesne to study abroad in Koln, Germany The experience helped her to strengthen her German language skills and experience daily lifeabroad.

Sophie already has a foundation in German (in addition to 4 other languages) but living a year in Germany has given her much more experience, than, say, just knowing how to order a coffee Shehastalked about politics, taken a physics and chemistry class, and analyzed texts all in German. English is limited to talking to friends from outside Germany or when in English classat school.

She lives in a residency with college students, most of whom are international and study in Germany because university is free (*cough, cough*, US?). For school, Sophie is attending a German public school, where she says the classes are very long, but there is less homework ?German education is heavily influenced by post WWII education reforms? she says, furthering that ?students are encouraged, and often made, to question the teacher, the text they?re reading, or another student?swork or opinion ?Shelikes to hang out with her friends from theresidency, oneof whom went to a Sacred Heart school in Mexico. On Friday and Saturday, Sophie likes to go out and enjoy herself, such as by going shopping at Neumarkt with friends or walking along the Rhine However, Sophie notes that ?Sunday is a ?Ruhentag? , or day of quiet and

Sophie'sYear Abroad in Germany

rest ? On Sundays, the streets are empty, stores are closed and ?the only sound you will hear will be your footsteps,?shesays

In addition to being totally immersed in the German language, Sophie has also learned a lot about German culture. She says that ?although Germans might seem a little zurückgehlten (held back), or cold, when you break that wall between you and another German you?ll encounter a super loyal friend for life? According to her, the food isn? t that great, unless you like potatoes. (Although the bread and pastries are good) Unfortunately, the weather is also dreary For fashion, Germans tend to opt for comfort instead of glamour According to Sophie, ?makeup and just dressing elegantly, isn't really a thing here. It's not Italy or France.? Sophie says that she was surprised to find that Germany was heavily influenced by Turkish culture because of immigration. From music to trends, a lot of culture there has Arab roots

Christmas is very important in Koln. To celebrate, many Christmas market set up, people make traditional Christmas baked goods, and families celebrate with an advent wreath. On December 6- St. Nicholas?s day- children get chocolates in their slippers. Residents of Koln are especially proud that their city is considered the city of the three kings, because of relicsin thecity Other holidaysin Germany include Carnival on November 11 and another Carnival

throughout the week before Lent, which includes dressing up, parades, and, of course, beer Surprisingly, Oktoberfest isn? t a thing Koln In fact, only an area called Bavana in Southern Germany celebratesit

Even though it may sound fun to take a year off and go study abroad, it?s not all rainbows and sparkles; it can be hard to adjust to life in a new country, especially if you?re there alone. Thankfully, Sophie says that adjusting was not as difficult a she thought because of supportive people she found, her comfort with the language, and the city she was in ?Koln is a very international city There are a lot of foreigners here and there?s absolutely no tolerance for racism,? Sophie notes Living by yourself leads to a lot of personal growth Being away from family is a big change, not just because Sophie misses them, but also because of having to do certain things by herself, like keeping track of her own expenses, time, and traveling by herself

Sophie has taken advantage of living in Europe by going on several trips. Recently, she went to Russia and visited a friend there About the experience Sophie says: ?When I first got here [to Germany], I was afraid to takethetram to school. But a month ago (in October) I flew to Russia by myself. After that experience, I?vebecomefearless?

Overall, Sophie has enjoyed the experience of living abroad. ?"I have learned so much, and I wouldn't tradeit for anything," shesays

Five Minute Christmas Crafts by

To get into theholiday spirit, Christmasdecorationsareanecessity. But if you'reanything likeme, you'll leaveit for thelast minute, scrambling to put something together Well I'vegot just thething for you. All you'll need issomebowtiepasta, aneedlewith string, and your choiceof decoration (e.g. paint, glitter and glue, or spray paint). Trust me, thishomemadedecoration will beafun last-minuteactivity for thefamily that'll surely makefor good décor And no, the instructionsaren't likeamanual for assembling adesk. ThisDIY project issimply 5 steps. So, let'sget to it.

1. Gather up all your materials(here'sthelist if you didn? t catch it earlier)

- Bowtiepasta

- Needlewith string

- Any decorations(e.g. paint, glitter and glue, spray paint)

2 Put somebow tiepastain boiling water for about 10 seconds(jut to soften it alittlebit)

3. Useaneedlewith astring to go though thecenter of each bowtie (useasmany asyou want)

4 Now decorate? paint them, glitter them, or usespray paint!

5. Hang it up for asimple, homemade, and crafty Christmas decoration or string it around your Christmastreefor alittlebit of DIY fun

See! It wasn't that hard 5 easy stepsto decoratethehouseand entertain thefamily all it once. Merry Christmas:)

Senior Spotlight

by Sarah Calvin

Sylvia Avnika Danielle

SylviaDuartehasbeen at Duchesnesincemiddleschool, and participatesin NHS, advanced choir, and debate Duartelooksforward to debatecampsin thesummer, and sheenjoysall thefun travel tripswith thedebateteam. Duarteisacomedian among the senior classand continuesto makethemost out of her senior year.

Super star AvnikaDubey, hasbeen at Duchesneher wholelife. Mrs. Hausmann?smusic classin lower school hasbeen Dubey?sfavoriteclassat Duchesne. Sheparticipatesin NHS, student council asclasspresident, advanced choir, and most importantly, debate. Dubey?spositiveattitudekeepsall who sheseesin ajoyful mood.

DuchesneLifer DanielleLinbeck found debateby accident during her freshman year but ended up falling in lovewith theactivity Shelooksforward to summer debatecamps and debatetravel trips; moreover, sheissaid to bethebest driver according to Ramsey Ruffeno Linbeck livesby themotto ?PMA,?which standsfor positivemental attitude, and shespreadsthischeer among her teammatesand peers

Photo by: Halliday Mafrige

quiz

By: Ramsey Ruffeno

WhatColdThingAreYou?

A?s- Alright STOPCollaborateand LISTEN!You?re the coolest kid around and this holiday season is no exception Though som e days m ay be TOO COLD, you?re like Vanilla Ice, and rap your way through life.

B?s- Winter?sa good timeto stayin and know t hat you?re lit erally t he happiest person alive and all of your friends are so t hankful for you! Like Olaf, you stay positive even in the most stressful times (like midterms) and you make the most out of any situation

C?s- Rawr, XD. Happy Holidays! Did you know that a group of polar bears is called a celebration?Like polar bears you like having a lot of friends and a lot of friends like having you! ?Rawr grr grr rawr rawr grrr grr rawr!!?(that means I love you in polar bear).

D?s- Its no STRANGETHINGthat you?re the nicest person around. Like a slurpee, you?re sweet, fresh, and everyone likes you. Like Dr. Alexei, people com e t o you t o help w it h t heir issues, and you m ake a great im pact in everyone?s lives

Why You're Not Tik Tok Famous Yet

by Ramsey Ruffeno

Tiktok is, simply put, the easiest way to get famous via social media, but it also takes a GREAT DEAL of luck to get your nameout there Nevertheless, peoplestill put hoursof effort into the app just to gain fifteen views and three likes (not an exaggeration).

Thereareafew reasonswhy only aselect few out of themillions of videosproduced actually ?makethecut? First, it all depends on theTiktok algorithm. If your account ispublic and you post a video, right away it appearson someone?sFor You Page(fyp hereafter) If that first person doubletapson thevideo you posted, then thenewly liked video getssent to two other FYP?s and if thosepeople?likeit?, then thevideo getssent further down theline

Thenext reason why peopledon? t get famousisbecauseof the material itself. If thejokeisoverused, then thereisa significantly lower chanceof someoneliking thevideo If the video quality islow (blurry, bad lighting, etc) than peoplewill keep scrolling.

To close, next timeyou post aTiktok, know that thereisaone in amillion chanceyou?ll get famous, BUT at least you tried ;)

Photo by: Halliday Mafrige

Theholidaysareblanketed In athick coating of snow

Or at least that'show it'ssupposed to go

But hereyou'll find A Warm, sunny day

If you squint you'd think it was May

Without thecold there how could theholidaysbethe same?

Thepictureseemsto not fit in the frame

So wetakeanew one

Becauseit doesn't matter the temperatureoutside

But thewarmth in our heartsthat wein no way hide

-Gaby Smith

Why I'm "Dying" at City Hall

by Emily Cabello

Merry December 6th! Asmany of you (don?t) know, December 6th isan important day in theUnited Statesand for theUN Not only does thesixth actually mark oneof thedaysthat the UN ClimateChangeConferencewill beheld in Chileand theday that hundredsof strikeswill takeplacein theUnited States, but it also marks theday that?

I?m ?dying?at

City Hall

on thestepsof city hall I don? t know exactly what thisentails, but what I do know isthat from 3-5pm, I will bejoining fellow Houstoniansin a die-in.

Hopefully, thedie-in will attract themedia and other prominent membersof thecommunity to takean interest in our effortsfor climate justice, and with enough traction, wecan use thesemediaoutletsto spread our causeto other young peopleand officialswho can put forth legislation that will help stop thisclimate emergency

In Houston, theSunriseMovement is hosting adie-in strikeat city hall to demand action regarding theclimatecrisis. Whileit isnot aslargeastheSeptember 29th climatestrike, it?s appeal ismoreaction-based than it isbased on numbers Thestrikewill show officialswho work at city hall that young peopleareseriousabout the well-being of theplanet and about how the climatecrisiswill behandled It?spurposeisto draw attention to thestrikeand thecause: more action and legislation against rapid climate change. So, for thesereasons, I, along with other high school and collegestudents, adults, and other membersof thecommunity, will be?dying?at city hall So, what isadie-in?From what I?vebeen told and heard, it is(in Camille?swords) planking

FUN FACT: ?ClimateEmergency?has been named theWord of theYear for 2019 by Oxford Dictionariesbecauseit is?aword or expression shown through usageevidenceto reflect theethos, mood, or preoccupationsof the passing year, and havealasting potential asaterm of cultural significance?Thisword waschosen from ashort-list that included wordslike?climate action?and ?extinction.?Clearly peoplehavebeen talking about theemergency that hasrocked mediaoutletseverywhere!

'Twas The Week Before Christmas

by KatieGiveon

'Twastheweek before Christmas, when all through theschool, Thestudentsweretrying to just keep their cool TheQuizletsweremadeby each student with care, Awaiting theweekswhen they?d not bethere; From textbooksand novels, thestudentsstill read Whilevisionsof sleeping in danced in their heads; And theteachersin classroomscould barely wait;

At last they had reached their well-deserved break!

When on theWhiteHouse Lawn therearosesuch a clatter, Whispersof Congésoon turned to achatter.

Away to thewindowsthey flew likeaflash, Pulled up theblindsand let out largegasps. When what to their wondering eyesdid appear, But aminiaturesleigh and eight tiny reindeer, With awell-known driver beloved by aton,

They wereshocked to see that it wasMrs. Swenson. Faster than ChaCha, through thebluesky they came,

And shewhistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

"Now, English! now, Language! now Math and History!

On, Science! on, Art! on, Tech and Theology!

To thetop of theOak! to thetop of FineArts!?

(And on each reindeer?s plaid harnesswasasmall Sacred Heart)

They all ran outsideto see what?sgoing on, Asshelanded thesled and stepped onto theLawn.

In her hand wasaletter, with ared seal on top,

And when shestarted to speak, all other talking just stopped:

?TheUpper School?ssilent ? it?saChristmasmiracle!

(Causethere?sno other way to explain athing so atypical)

Now, I?m holding aletter from adear friend of mine

Who livesfar abovethe equator line.

Hesaysthat he?sseen the hard work you?veput in And moreimpressed, he?s never been

Hesaysto Ninth Grade, the first year?salmost gone;

Tenth isalmost halfway, just keep holding on;

Eleventh isrough, but you?recloseto thetop; And to Twelfth Grade, you?renear thestop.

So congratsto you all for a job so well done!

You?vecertainly earned the right to somefun.?

With thoseparting words, shegot into thesleigh, And with awave, shedrove up, up, and away.

But they heard her exclaim asshedroveout of sight ?

?Merry Christmasto all, and seey?all in afortnight!?

The

Charger