A Better World

The world would be a better place if people learned to get along with each other and celebrate each other’s differences. If people learned to understand one another’s views and opinions respectfully. The world will be a better place when people are treated equally no matter their race, gender, sexuality, or anything that makes one different from another person. A better world is a world where women do not have to be afraid of walking down a street alone in a city or be able to go jogging alone without the fear of kidnapping, sexual assault, harassment, or rape. A better world is one where people can live their lives happily without the worry of where their next meal is coming from, or where they are going to sleep the following night. A world with clean, fresh water available to everyone because people are aware of harming the environment and have reduced waste and pollution. A world where one can reach for their dreams and achieve them with all the assets they need available to them. A better world with more accessible education and possibilities to expand knowledge. The world would be a better place if everyone remembered that all people come from the same roots and that we should all be treated equally and respected for our own opinions and ideas for If only this, if only that. Everyone wishes for a perfect world, everyone hopes for the world to change drastically in a small amount of time, but changes don’t happen that quickly on such a large scale. Change takes time, and some people don’t want change since they don’t see the need for it and the problems in this world.

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New School Chromebooks

The students of Freedom High School recently received new Lenovo 500e Chromebooks. The Chromebooks are included with an advanced touch screen display system and a stylus pen for writing and interacting with the touchscreen. The flexible screen is able to bend all the way back and is equipped with a front-facing and back-facing (when folded) camera. The Chromebooks have been a nice addition to the learning experience for the students at Freedom High School, and thanks to the ability to take the Chromebooks home, those families who do not have access to the internet or a computer now have access to do their schoolwork and use it as a personal laptop during the school year. The Chromebooks are handy and are easily portable in the cases given out to the students which included a custom BASD logo design and a charger for the Chromebook. The additions to the school have been beneficial to students and teachers in many ways, but also have downsides. Some downsides are the need to charge the computers since some students are not as responsible as others and may forget to do so. Another is that the Chromebooks are not insured (excluding the recommended insurance purchased separately) so if anything were to happen to a students Chromebook, such as breaking, cracking, or losing in general. Although somewhat bulky to carry around the Chromebook in the given protective bag, if the Chromebook is taken out though, it is a lot lighter which helps with portability. The Chromebooks deserve a 4 out of 5 stars and are helpful and beneficial to the school students.

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Fake News!

Pat Robertson claims that global warming won’t affect America because God is protecting Trump.

Pat Robertson, a televangelist and so-called “King of Stupid Statements”, has dissed the topic of climate change on multiple different occasions. He has called global warming idiocy and believes climate sciences are a religion or belief that are not evidence-based studies. Pat Robertson hosts a television show, The 700 Club, where he had shared a dream he had had about America’s future. The dream included God, who appeared to him to say that if America elected Trump, he (God) would protect them from the consequences and effects of global warming and climate change that would rain down on the rest of the world. Robertson, an avid Trump supporter, has said on multiple occasions that those who are not loyal to Trump, are not loyal to God. His statements on global warming are his most notable and have been disproven countless times. The idea of global warming in itself is not an idea, but a harsh reality with statistics showing that the world’s temperature has increased by at least 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit (0.90 degrees Celsius) from the 1950 -1980 average temperature. Robertson’s claims about Trump and global warming have been just some of the ridiculous statements he has made. He continues to advocate for his beliefs about Trump and global warming on television and continues to ridicule those who attempt to show him evidence and facts to do with the matter of global and climate sciences that disprove his idea. Pat Robertson refuses to believe or listen to activists and scientists that provide him with real proof of the phenomenon and continues to advocate for keeping Trump in power to protect America.

My Mom’s Solyanka Soup Recipe

Solyanka is a Russian soup that usually contains a variety of different meats and spices that give it a little bit of necessary spice.

My Mom’s Solyanka Soup Recipe

Ingredients (For 5 Portions):

-250g boiled beef
-100g smoked ham
-100g sausage or sardines
-120g boiled beef kidneys
-3 onions
-2 pickles
-100g tomato puree
-60g butter
-50g capers
-100g olives
-2L broth
-100g sour cream, spices, salt
-5 lemon rings
-Handful of parsley
-Bay leaves

Prepare a meat stock/broth out of the boiled beef broth and remove the beef from the broth.First, peel the pickle skin and remove the seeds from the center of the pickles(optional step). Then, slice the pickles into small triangles or rhombuses and add them into the simmering broth obtained from the boiled meat. Dice olives into small slices or chunks similar to the size of the pickles. It is important to try to keep the ingredients approximately the same size when slicing. Next, cut the onions into long strips or short chunks (diced) and pass the onions through the butter in a separate pan along with the tomato puree. Slice the removed boiled beef into thin slices or chunks (similar to the onion sizes) and repeat with the smoked ham, sausages or sardines, and beef kidneys.
Into the broth, add the onions mixed with tomato puree, the diced pickles, the capers (along with the brine they came in), the meat products (beef, sausages, sardines, ham, etc.), crushed black pepper flakes, a few bay leaves, salt, and then boil for 5 to 10 minutes.
When serving, add an optional lemon ring into the soup bowl along with sour cream and chopped parsley added as well.

Through the Eyes of a Killer

Not that one. Not her either. He’s with too many people. 

This is harder than last time. It was quick and easy before, it being towards the middle of the night, but now it’s almost nine in the evening. It’s earlier. Lighter. More people still bustle the streets, trying to get home or to work for a night shift. But not me. I observe from the sidewalk, watching the bodies move in harmony to the sound of the universe, trying to find the weaker link that is disrupting the movement. Making it… unbalanced. 

I watch a group of college kids walk out of the club across the street. I read the name a few times, letting the neon coloured light engrave into my mind, so when I close my eyes, I can still see the outline of the letters. I quickly refocus on the plan in mind. 

I watch more faces fly past me, all with a set destination. I stand around a while longer, silently reading people’s body language. The men in front of the club are showing off tattoos to some girls they probably just met. The one girl wraps her arms around herself; a sign of self-comfort. She doesn’t act like the rest of the group. Her dress doesn’t match the body-slimming attire of the other girls. It’s not balanced. She’s the one.

I head towards her, playing through my soon-to-be actions in my mind when a harsh voice reached my ears from the alleyway by the side of the club. Some drunk guy was singing a mopey verse about a lover he once had.

Atrocious.

It was all off. The key was wrong, the pitch, the melody, the words even. He couldn’t even be bothered to hold in his burp till the end of the verse. My mind immediately emptied of the closed-off girl and my full attention turned on the drunkard. He waddled along the alleyway, bottle in hand, swinging it vigorously to his twisted version of the melody. 

I matched my pace to his lugging steps as to not disturb his peace of mind. Widening my steps, but still keeping the same rhythm, I closed the distance between us. He turned his head slightly towards me, revealing a  clouded-over eye, and a crooked smile plastered across the part of his face I could make out in the light. It was disturbing, showing off his yellowed excuse for teeth, which looked more like fangs the way they were chipped here and there.  

Unbalanced. 

I hesitated for a second in utter disgust, a switchblade held tightly in my hand. It would be better without him disturbing the sound of the universe that echoed throughout the night, only to be interrupted by his lousy vocal ability. 

I raise the knife a little higher after returning to my senses. The plan was about to be set into action. I slid my arm around the side of his neck, reaching for the exposed Adam’s apple in the front. He somewhat jumped. Although he’d seen me already, the shock of the thought of dying never fails to sober someone up in the blink of an eye.

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Photo Composition

*All photos by Katya Tiffany

Top 10 Russian Foods

1. Selyodka Pod Shuboy (Селёдка под шубой)
Also known in English as dressed herring, this Russian salad is pretty much a must at any Russian meal. The pickled herring is layered under potatoes, beets, onions, eggs, and other ingredients and provides a mouth-watering bite. The salad, hanks to the colouring from the beets is also known for its appearance. The pink salad is served on a plate and sometimes topped with some form of herb, usually parsley.

2. Pelmeni (Пельмени)
Pelmeni are the Russian version of meat dumplings which are shaped by using two small circular pieces of dough pressed together around a piece of meat. There are different types of pelmeni to suit different tastes, the most common being; beef, veal, and chicken although he most famous type is called Siberian which is a mix of the three different types of meat. Pelmeni is served either in broth or without, but almost always with sour cream.

3. Blini (Блины)
Blini are a form of pancakes that are very popular in Russia for any form of meal. Contradictory to the American thicker pancake, blini are more like their French counterpart, the crépe. They are on the thinner side and it is important to note that they are not sweet. This is helpful when adding topping into the pancake. Many like folding different ingredients into the blin (singular of blini). To list a few; sour cream, ground beef, caviar, jams, or to keep it simple, add nothing.

4. Shashlik (Шашлык)
Pretty much the Russian version of shish kebabs. These mouth-watering pieces of meat are cooked on an open grill fire and are skewered along with chunks of vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms.

5. Solyanka (Солянка)
Solyanka is a traditional Russian soup that contains an assortment of meats and is tart-like to the taste. It contains capers, olives, dill pickles, and onions as well which are all diced into small pieces. This traditional soup is usually served with a lemon ring, parsley, and sour cream and is a popular starting dish to a meal.

6. Kompot (Компот)
Kompot is a popular traditional Russian drink that is made from the juice of boiled vegetables. It can be served cold or hot which usually depends on the season or traditions. It is quite common to find pieces of dried fruit served in the beverage such as dried apricots, raisins, dried apple slices and other types of dried fruits. It is an easy way to preserve food, in this case fruit, throughout the off seasons which is done by most families in Russia.

7. Vareniki (Bареники)
Vareniki are what are known as Pierogi in English but in Russian, Pierogi is a different food entirely. Vareniki are mainly known to contain potato filling in Western countries but in Russia, they are more commonly found with a jam filling such as cherries, blueberries, strawberries and other forms of berry jams. Vareniki are usually boiled but sometimes may be seared afterwards as well depending on the filling and preference.

8. Pirozhki (Пирожки)
Pirozhki in Russia are also known as Pierogi, which in English, is a different food. Pirozhki can be filled with a very wide variety of ingredients ranging from potatoes, cabbage, and meat, to jam, berries, and fruits. It is very common street food in Russia and is very filling. It is common for Russian families to meet up for “Pirozhki Night” in which they make Pirozhki together.

9. Golubtsi (Голубцы)
Golubtsi are a common main dish of a Russian meal. They are cabbage leaves which have been boiled and wrapped around a filling of typically ground beef and onions, although they can also contain other ingredients such as mushrooms. They can range from the size of three fingers to larger than a fist depending on the size of the cabbage leaves and by the preference of the cook.

10. Koreyskaya Markovka (Корейская Mорковка)
Koreyskaya Markovka translates to “Korean Carrots” and although very popular in Russia, this food is not very common in Korea. It is called “Korean Carrots” due to the seasonings and marinade used which gives this salad a kick of spice. The carrots are also very thinly sliced into rectangular, noodle-like forms. This salad is served in its marinade, which is also drinkable but requires an acquired taste.

Colour of the Year

Every year, the larger paint supply companies take their pick on the designated colour “of the year”. They provide a colour shade and a detailed description of what it represents and what it will bring to the new year. For those who choose to follow these colour trends, it may be interesting, but also quite confusing since every paint company chooses a different colour. Those believers of Behr, Home Depot’s brand, may think “Back to Nature”, a green tone may be the colour of the year while followers of Benjamin Moore & Co believe it to be a shade of pink called “First Light”. The trend is interesting in itself, including the shade of colour and detailed descriptions but it is quite unorganised and contradicting when every paint company chooses completely opposing colours and shades. I don’t really find a point to the trend, it seems interesting to see the colour some random person chose to represent the year but in reality, no one is going to paint their walls every year based on the specific colour. I also find it hard to believe that people will take the “inspirational” words and meanings of the colour to heart. Another issue I have with this trend is the qualifications of the person or people choosing the colour to represent the year. For all anyone knows, the company could be picking a paint swatch out of a hat and going with whatever shade they pick. It doesn’t make sense in my mind how a colour represents a year or vice versa. If all of these companies are picking different colours, then it isn’t even a colour of the year anymore, but multiple and of completely different colour tones, shades, and families.

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Journalism Reflection

Throughout my time in journalism, I experienced many easy days but also times of hardships. Some of the challenges I experienced were finding article topic ideas for the monthly articles and the textbook assignment from the beginning of the course. I found myself easily completing assignments such as article analyses and the video projects given throughout the semester. Taking journalism improved my analysis skills of articles and overall article writing abilities. I was exposed to many different types of article topics and genres when writing and reading which helped to diversify my writing skills. Although improved in writing in general, diction wise I think I still need quite a bit of improvement in articles and other writings. Journalism as a class was usually quite entertaining, whether working on an assignment, the daily announcements, a project, or procrastinating and chatting with classmates, there was never really a dull moment. The atmosphere of the class is quite relaxed and welcoming when it comes to the people and I really enjoyed working with them in class and on projects. To finish up, something I would like to see in the future journalism classes would be less bookwork and more partner video projects such as the one done towards the end of the year. I really enjoyed my time in journalism and although I am not personally interested in working in the media or communications field, it is still an entertaining and interesting class that can help better skills which could come in handy in other classes.

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