ROLESCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERAsm “Sem” Goni

CHIEF EDITOR/ PROOFREADERSophie Xu

DATA ANALYSTBenjamin Kushmakov

GRAPHIC DESIGNERSMaegan CarreraAsm “Sem” GoniAndrew LeeKelly Lem

JOURNALISTSTahia BristiHunter HuangYashaswi ManneruKathy WangSophie XuTracy Li

RESEARCHERSLi Yu ChenKira Lai

PHOTOGRAPHERSEthan DaiHarvir Rothi

EXTERNAL CONTRIBUTORS(DECEMBER 2019 ONLY)Olivia HanGeetha Palchuri

anyonecan

contribute.even

anonymously.http://bit.ly/qhssnewsarticle

give us anonymous

feedback.http://bit.ly/qhssnewssuggest

TABLE OF CONTENTSFront Cover

Roles

Table of Contents

December Events Event sources byQHSS Students

Design byAsm “Sem” Goni

QHSS Make-A-WishNovember Can Drive

Content byOlivia HanGeetha Palchuri

Design byAsm “Sem” Goni

QHSS Chess ClubFirst Tournament

Content byMr. Mondestin

Design byAsm “Sem” Goni

QHSS Budget Summary

Content byBenjamin Kushmakov

Design byBenjamin Kushmakov

QHSS School Quality Snapshot

Content byAnonymous

Design byAndrew Lee

Quote Content bySophie Xu

Design bySophie Xu

Global Events Content byKathy Wang

Design byAndrew Lee

Climate Change: Greenland

Content byYashaswi Manneru

Design by Asm “Sem” Goni

Fashion in Frozen 2 Content byTracy Li

Design byAsm “Sem” Goni

Quote Content by Winston Churchill

Design byKelly Lem

2010-2019:Decade Rewind

Content byMaegan Carrera

Design byMaegan Carrera

TABLE OF CONTENTS2010-2019:Tech Innovations

Content byAnonymous

Design byAsm “Sem” Goni

Quote Content byZig Ziglar

Design byKelly Lem

Christmas Facts Content byTahia Bristi

Design byTahia Bristi

Pop History of Christmas

Content byHunter Huang

Design byMaegan Carrera

Quote Content byJohn Barrymore

Design byKelly Lem

Next Steps

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

All images or information found on the web belong to their respective owners. All instances of use of any external resources within the student newsletter are intended for educational

purposes only, and any sort of plagiarism or copyright infringement are purely unintentional.

DECEMBER EVENTS★ ARISTA Minty Cards Distribution★ October PSAT Scores Released★ December SAT Scores Released★ Early Application Decision Results★ Winter Concert★ Breakfast with the Principal★ Gender Sexual Alliance (GSA)

○ “Movie Night”★ Black Student Union (BSU)

○ “Sock Drive”★ Winter Treats (SGO)★ QHSS Alchemist

○ “Board Game Night”★ Muslim Student Association (MSA)

○ “Humanitarian Aid for Yemen”★ Amnesty International

○ “Write for Rights”★ Debate Team

○ Policy debate earned third place in competitions, competing against other specialized high schools.

★ QHSS Chess○ Members earned first place in both individual and

team standings in CIS Queens Chess Day.

* Events are not ordered chronologically

This year’s can drive event was hosted by the Make A Wish Club. The event was very successful, with over three hundred can donations with the help of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors who participated. There were people who had donated a box of canned corn, canned fruit, canned vegetables, soup, beans, peanuts, and Chef Boyardee’s beef ravioli. Thanks to Ms. Dillworth, Make a Wish Club’s advisor, canned foods were stored in her room until November 27, 2019. Club volunteers helped to sort the cans into boxes during 9th period. There were more cans donated than expected. These cans were donated to those in need just in time for a Thanksgiving feast.

NOVEMBER CAN DRIVE

QHSS Make-A-Wish Club 2019

QHSS Chess FIRST TOURNAMENT PREPARATION

TOURNAMENT PREPARATION

QHSS Chess FIRST TOURNAMENT RESULTS

On December 14th, students from the QHSS Chess Club competed in CIS Queens Chess Day at PS 150Q.

JH-HS NRB13 TEAMS

67 PLAYERS4 ROUNDS

ROUND 1

ROUND 2

ROUND 3

ROUND 4

TOTALPOINTS

Asm “Sem” Goni 4.0

Kevin Zhuo 3.0

Jeffery Yang 2.5

Solomon Henry 2.0

WIN

DRAW

LOSS

INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS

PLACE NAME

#1 Asm “Sem” Goni

#7 Kevin Zhuo

#22 Jeffery Yang

#35 Solomon Henry

TEAMSTANDINGS

PLACE CODE NAME POINTS

#1 687Q QHSS 11.5

#2 180K Homewood 11.0

#3 324M 324M 10.5

#4 BPHS BPHS 9.5

Information available at https://chessintheschools.org/tournament/2019-12-14cis-queens-chess-day/

QHSS Chess FIRST TOURNAMENT PICTURES

TOURNAMENT SITEHundreds of chess boards across the PS150Q

cafeteria.

Solomon, Jeffery, Sem, Kevin

1st placeINDIVIDUAL

1st placeTEAM

@qhsschess

Visit room 228 on Fridays to play Chess! Visitors welcomed!

QHSS Budget Summary

https://www.nycenet.edu/offices/d_chanc_oper/budget/dbor/galaxy/galaxybudgetsummaryto/

Q687

QHSS Budget Summary

https://www.nycenet.edu/offices/d_chanc_oper/budget/dbor/galaxy/galaxybudgetsummaryto/

Q687

Every year, the Department of Education produces several reports to help families understand the quality of their school. These reports are drawn from multiple sources, including school visits; feedback from students, teachers, and parents; and most impactful, the NYC School Survey.

From the information provided by these sources, the DOE develops each school’s “School Quality Snapshot”, based on the performance of the school’s students and learning environment in general.

The School Quality Snapshot revolves around the “Framework for Great Schools”, which consists of: Student Achievement, Rigorous Instruction, Collaborative Teachers, Supportive Environment, Effective School Leadership, Strong Family-Community Ties, and Trust.

Here is a short summary of the 2018-2019 Quality Snapshot. Each category is rated out of 4. The sample size for the data was the following:

Teachers: 89% (24 surveys submitted)Parents: 23% (108 surveys submitted)Students: 95% (452 surveys submitted)

For your viewing pleasure, the full report is available on our school’s page of the NYC DOE website at https://www.schools.nyc.gov/schools/Q687 and the survey itself is available at https://tools.nycenet.edu/snapshot/2019/28Q687/HS/#SF .

There are other data and reports available online as well, including but not limited to: Budget Summary, Quality Review Reports, Galaxy Allocation, School Performance Dashboard, NYC DOE School Report Card, Fair Student Funding Overview, etc.

Student Achievement - 4/4The Student Achievement rating looks at students' progress towards graduation, graduation rates, college and career readiness, and postsecondary enrollment.

Our school currently has a 100% 4 Year Graduation Rate, in addition to 100% successfully completing approved college or career preparatory courses and exams, compared to other schools in Queens who have an 80% and 60% rate respectively. Compared to Queens’ 63%, our school boasts a 92% of students who graduated college ready and enrolled in college within six months.

Where did the students go after graduating?37% CUNY (City University of New York) - 4 year1% CUNY (City University of New York) - 2 year22% New York State Public18% New York State Private14% Out of State

Rigorous Instruction- 3/4The Rigorous Instruction rating looks at how well curriculum and instruction are designed to engage students, foster critical thinking skills, and align to the Common Core.

Quality Review:How interesting and challenging is the curriculum? 3/4How effective is the teaching and learning? 3/4How well does the school assess what the students are learning? 3/4

School Survey: 80% responded positively to questions about Rigorous Instruction59% of students say that they learn a lot from feedback on their work80% of students know what their teacher wants them to learn in class75% of teachers say that students build on each other’s ideas during class discussion

Collaborative Teachers- 2/4The Collaborative Teachers rating looks at how well teachers participate in opportunities to develop, grow, and contribute to the continuous improvement of the school community.

Quality Review:How well do teachers work with each other? 3/4How well are teachers developed and evaluated? 3/4

School Survey:69% responded positively to questions about Collaborative Teachers92% of teachers say that they design instructional programs together 63% of teachers say that they had opportunities to work productively with colleagues on professional development 100% of teachers say that teachers feel responsible that all students learn

Supportive Environment- 4/4The Supportive Environment rating looks at how well the school establishes a culture in which students feel safe, challenged to grow, and supported to meet high expectations.

Quality Review:How clearly are high expectations communicated to students and staff? 4/4How safe and inclusive is the school? 4/4

School Survey:77% responded positively to questions about Supportive Environment92% of students feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms, locker rooms, and cafeteria57% of students say that their teachers support them when they are upset84% of students say that adults inform them about the college application process

Effective School Leadership- 2/4The Effective School Leadership rating looks at how well school leadership inspires the school community with a clear instructional vision and effectively distributes leadership to realize this vision.

Quality Review:How well are resources aligned to instructional goals? 4/4How well does the school meet its goals? 3/4How well does the school make decisions? 3/4

School Survey:59% responded positively to questions about Effective School Leadership38% of teachers say that the principal communicates a clear vision for this school71% of teachers say that curriculum, instruction, and learning materials are well coordinated across different agreed levels88% of families feels that the principal works to create a sense of community in the school

Strong Family-Community Ties- 3/4The Strong Family-Community Ties rating looks at how well the school forms effective partnerships with families and outside organizations to improve the school.

Quality Review: How well does the school partner with families? 4/4

School Survey:85% responded positively to questions about Strong Family-Community Ties94% of families say that school staff regularly communicate with them about how they can help their child learn79% of families say that they have communicated with their child’s teacher about their child’s performance 83% of teachers say that teachers at this school work closely with families to meet students’ needs

Trust- 3/4The Trust rating looks at whether relationships between school leaders, teachers, students, and families are based on trust and respect.

School Survey:76% responded positively to question about Trust22% of teachers say that they trust the principal92% of teachers say that they trust each other95% of families say that school stage work hard to build trusting relationships with families like them91% of students say that their teachers treat them with respect

OUR BEST STATISTIC FROM THE SURVEYStudent Achievement has all 100% other than the 92% of students that

enrolled in a college program within six months.Rigorous Instruction has 80% of students who know what their teacher

wants them to learn in class, as well as 80% of positive responses.Collaborative Teachers has 100% in which the teachers say that they feel

responsible that all students learn.Supportive Environment has 92% of students feeling safe in the hallways,

bathrooms, locker rooms, and cafeteria with an additional 84% of high school students saying that adults inform them about the college application process.

Effective School Leadership has 88% of families feeling that the principal works to create a sense of community in the school, and 71% of teachers saying that curriculum, instruction, and learning materials are well coordinated across different grade levels.

Strong Family-Community Ties has 94% of families saying that school staff regularly communicate with them about how families can help their children learn, with 85% responding positively to questions about Strong Family-Community Ties.

Trust has 95% of families saying that school staff work hard to build trusting relationships and 92% of teachers saying that they trust each other.

THINGS WE CAN IMPROVE UPONStudent Achievement has 92% of students that enrolled in a

college program within six months.Rigorous Instruction has 59% of students saying that they learn a

lot from feedback on their work, and 75% of teachers saying that students build on each other’s ideas during class discussion

Collaborative Teachers has 63% of teachers say that they had the opportunity to work productively with colleagues at their school on professional development, and 69% of positive responses.

Supportive Environment has 57% of students say that their teachers support them when they are upset, and 77% of positive responses.

Effective School Leadership has 38% of teachers saying that the principal communicates a clear vision for this school, and 59% of positive responses.

Strong Family-Community Ties has 79% of families saying that they have communicated with their child’s teacher about their child’s performance and 83% of teachers saying that teachers work closely with families to meet students’ needs.

Trust has 22% of teachers saying that they trust the principal and 76% of positive responses.

The collective efforts of the teachers, parents, and administration are all in support of developing an effective and safe environment for the students to learn and fulfill their full potential as they proceed from high school to college and eventually their careers. Information and reports are necessary and crucial in order for us to maintain and improve the school not only for the students, but also for the teachers who work endlessly to guide and mentor them.

It is essential that we work towards an ideal environment that we wish not only for ourselves, but for the future students, families, and school staff that will come to QHSS. Hopefully, these statistics bring to light what we should continue doing, as well as what we should do differently.

-Dr. Albert Schweitzer: Alsatian physician, humanitarian, philosopher, theologian, writer,

and (presumably) cat-lover

“There are two means of refuge from the

miseries of life: music and cats.”

GLOBAL EVENTS

EUROPE’S AIR POLLUTION CRISISFor the past few decades, Europe has faced hazardous air quality due to three main particles: particulate matter (PM), ground ozone, and nitrogen dioxide. While the European Environment Agency (EEA) reports that air pollutants have decreased in presence due to preventative measures toward gas emissions, Europe’s overall air quality is still at a level in which health is harmfully affected. Seen most notably in European cities where around 90% of residents are exposed to pollutants in concentrations higher than the safe amount, PM (sum of all liquid and air particles such as dust, pollen, smoke, soot, and water vapor) 2.5 (which means finer particles that can reduce visibility) is the main cause of shortened life span among residents of Europe and is emitted from domestic heaters, such as stoves, and industrial transportation. .

PARIS STRIKE 2019

According to the EEA, “In 2016, the latest year for which an accurate count can be made, there were about 412,000 premature deaths in Europe from PM 2.5 alone.” PM 2.5 is estimated to shorten the average lifespan of the civilians of the European Union by more than eight months. The United Kingdom government’s lack of resolution regarding the air pollution crisis costs UK residents their health. Currently, there are thousands of premature deaths in the UK annually, 36 out of 43 UK regions fail the air quality standards, and pollutants do not seem to be receding. However,, the UK government recently promised to be more vigilant in controlling air quality to ensure the safety of its citizens.

DOGOnews

A smog covering the Eiffel Tower

Air pollution has a huge impact on European citizens

― QHSS NEWSPAPER KATHY, YUEQIAN DECEMBER 2019 ―

The Paris Strike of 2019 was initiated by the French government’s plan to overhaul the retirement system for citizens by cutting pensions, which would require French citizens to work more for pay. The proposal was

GLOBAL EVENTS― QHSS NEWSPAPER KATHY, YUEQIAN DECEMBER 2019 ―

announced by President Emmanuel Macron, who is facing outrage from his people. The strike has disrupted many metro (transportation) systems in France, but the protest strategies don’t end there. The Eiffel Tower has been closed, and workers are walking off their jobs in order to cause as much civil disobedience as possible to convince Macron to not cut off retirement pay. Tourists are advised not to visit while the strike is taking place, as public transport is slowed and many sites are barred off. However, some tourists show support for the protestors, while others complain about being caught in the crossfire. The strike is still ongoing since civilians hope to send a warning to Macron over the pension reforms.

The Hong Kong protests, which began on Friday, March 15, were initiated from the “Anti-ELAB” bill — a bill that may place Hong Kong’s legal system under mainland China’s. Protestors are worried that this bill would

A demonstrator holds the Chilean flag during a protest

Protestors protesting pension reforms

HONG KONG PROTESTS

place a limit on individual liberties and Hong Kong’s autonomy. After many protests, the protestors listed the five following demands: withdrawal of the bill, an investigation into alleged police brutality, the release of protestors, universal ability to vote for the Legislative Council election, and the change from the characterization of the protests as “riots.” The demonstrations have come face-to-face with the police, as seen from when protestors gathered around the Legislative Council Complex, around which police deployed tear gas and rubber bullets.

Thousands of protestors pressing for democratic changes

Protesters preparing to clash with the police

Greenland Loses 12.5 Billion Tons of Ice in One Day!

Article by Yashaswi Manneru

On August 1, Greenland experienced its largest loss of ice with a record estimate of 12.5 BILLION tons of ice pouring into the ocean all in a mere 24 hours. Around 60% of the ice sheet was submerged with at least 1 mL of melting, causing sea levels to rise about half a mL. To help visualize, this statistic would mean that the amount of ice lost would be enough to cover the entirety of Florida in almost 5 inches of water! Or it would be equivalent to 4.4 million filled Olympic swimming pools! This event was recorded as the second biggest loss of ice as previously, Greenland experienced a similar episode in 2012 with 10 billion tons of ice melting. Due to rising global temperatures, the occurrence of a heatwave has increased by a factor of 10 throughout the last century. Thus, it was July’s heatwave that sparked this colossal meltdown, where temperatures rose 15-30 degrees above average. Greenland also experienced a very dry winter with minimal snow in a few regions. Not only that, persistent wildfires have caused a rise in temperature in the Arctic region, amplifying the cause of this grave occurrence. This has caused the sparkling and pristine white ice sheet to become covered with smoke and soot, darkening the sheet and melting it even faster.

In response to the elevating global temperatures, the Arctic sea ice has been recorded as one of the five lowest sea levels and is this number is likely to sharply decline even further. Furthermore, the Arctic has become vulnerable to an uncontrolled cycle of climate change due to changing atmospheric pressures which is why the region is experiencing temperatures that are rising twice as fast as the rate of global temperature change. By 2100, Greenland’s ice loss could result in 13 inches of rising sea levels. Therefore, it is significant for all of us to step back and evaluate the rapid climate changes that are becoming the norm in our world currently. It’s definitely frightening to look at how this event has served as a grave reminder of our changing planet for the worse.

HISTORICAL ACCURACY OF Fashion in Frozen 2

The Frozen 2 movie was released in late November and featured several new outfits worn by the main characters. The outfits are beautifully and intricately designed, but how accurate are they? Let’s take a look at a few of the outfits from the movie.

Beginning with Elsa’s nightgown, it appears to be a floor-length dress with a wide V-neckline and full-length sleeves. The dress’s color is a definite inaccuracy. Because the movie is set in the 1840s, it would not be possible to achieve this color as the only dye available was derived from natural ingredients, which produce dyes that become muted or dulled while being created. Another inexactitude is that skintight, long sleeves were not worn during the 1840s. As for what is properly made use of, a small trim presents itself on the neckline of this dress. This trim is accurate since, during the aforementioned time period, it became popular to use lace as trim on nightgowns, much to the dismay of older generations who saw it as near scandalous. The neckline itself also draws on fashion from its historical setting as off-the-shoulder sleeves were very popular.

Moving on to Elsa’s travel dress — while the color of its fabric is much more achievable, it realistically would not be worn for traveling. White garments at the time were expensive and since they were easily dirtied, they were only meant to be worn once. As Queen, she likely could have afforded a white dress; however, not only were the garments only meant to be worn once, but also they were often reserved for important ceremonies, such as coronations or, beginning in the 1840s, weddings. Aside from color, the length of the outfit is erroneous. It was unacceptable to even show one’s ankles, so her dress is much too short for accuracy. Nonetheless, it is because of this shortness that we are able to–

Elsa’s Nightgown Design

observe stockings. These are accurate, as stockings were always worn at this time. Intricate designs can also be seen on the stockings, which are correctly utilized because stockings, along with many other clothing articles in Norway, were often embroidered with floral detailing. While the design may not be floral, it does connect back to Elsa’s character. As for her coat, it matches a style that can be seen for garments meant for horseback riding, as it is snug at the waist and sleeves while featuring an accompanying skirt.

As for Anna’s traveling outfit, a few mistakes in fashion are repeated: the outfit’s color and length. Its design also sees the recurrence of embroidery on the bodice of her dress. In the prequel of the cinematic duology, the embroidery was a reference to the bunad, a traditional Norwegian dress, though in the sequel the design team seems

ARTICLE BY: TRACY LI

to have taken a more modern approach. Outerwear in the 1840s was often a jacket or shawl, whereas Anna wears a cape. Nevertheless, Disney seemed to have accurately placed a high-collared shirt, commonly seen on riding habits.

A few general fallacies seen in all three outfits are their hairstyles and silhouette. During this time, women were seen with a bell-shaped silhouette on their dresses, wearing layers of petticoats under their main dress. It is unlikely in these outfits that they are wearing any. As for hair, although women did braid their hair at the time, it was often a braided crown, with spaniel curls at the sides. Women did not leave their hair down either; it was often styled close to the head. (Anna did wear her hair like this during the film, predominantly in the beginning where she sings “Some Things Never Change”.)

It can be speculated that these inaccuracies were used to cater to the film’s intended audience. In today’s society, historical garments are often changed because people no longer associate these clothes with mainstream beauty. For a young audience, historically-accurate garments can be off-putting and hard to grasp. For Disney, incorporating elements from the historical dress is a more logical option than-

Elsa’s Traveling Dress

sticking to historical accuracy, considering how the film is set in a land only modeled after 1840s Norway.

Anna’s Traveling Outfit

Success is not final, failure is not Fatal: is is the Courage to

continue that Counts.

“

”Winston Churchill

2010 - 2019Decade

rewind

As 2019 draws to a close and 2020 makes its grand entrance as a new year, we take a step closer towards the beginning of an entirely new

decade. Throughout the 2010s, we have lived through various fads and trends in fashion, games, music, and more from the revival of mom jeans and chokers from the 1900s to the internet’s obsession with the song “The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?)” in 2013. Can you remember them

all?

MAEGAN CARRERA

In the fashion category, we saw the revival of 90’s fashion with the comeback of ripped jeans, mom jeans, crop tops, and chokers. Today, these articles of clothing are advertised in popular stores such as Hollister, American Eagle, and Forever 21.

In 2015, the image of a bodycon dress with a fringe was popularized and succeeded in polarizing the internet into two sides: those who saw the dress’s colors as black and blue, and those who saw them as white and gold. This topic even made its way into YouTube Rewind 2015 in the talent battle scenes, in which the two teams competing wore clothes with colors alluding to the hypothesized colors of the dress.

Despite the bitter debate between the two sides, it is confirmed that the dress is, in fact, black and blue.

Tattoo Choker Necklaces from the 90s

FASHIONDECEMBER 2019

CONTROVERSIAL STYLE

Britney Spears wearing a crop top in the 90s

Along with the comeback of these clothing pieces, our color receptors were put to the test with an image of a seemingly normal dress — a black and blue dress.

The Original Black and Blue Dress

The argued colors of the dress

Moving onto the music of the decade, the pop genre reigned as the most popular genre of music in 2010. As of 2019, this genre has been knocked out of its position by the hip-hop genre. Throughout the decade, however, songs of other genres have been able to reach large audiences with their unique styles. These songs include “Gangnam Style” by PSY and “What Does the Fox Say?” by Ylvis. “Gangnam Style”, in particular, managed to become the most viewed video on YouTube with over 2 billion views before its view count was surpassed by Charlie Puth’s “See you Again” in 2017.

Although its fame was short-lived, “Gangnam Style” was able to accomplish much by opening up the K-pop genre to over 3.4 billion people around the world during a time where the target audience for Korean music was Asia. This pop sensation revolutionized Korea’s music industry as it demonstrated that artists do not have to be conventionally attractive or write English music to become popular.

However, the changes that this song brought did not only occur in Korea. Despite its many achievements, “Gangnam Style” never reached the No.1 spot in Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart. This was primarily due to the formula’s exclusion of Youtube plays. In 2013, Billboard began utilizing a policy, which is inferred to be influenced by “Gangnam Style”, which integrated this important factor into the way in which popular music is ranked. This policy would allow viral hits belonging to various genres to make their way into the spotlight through memorable and attention-grabbing videos.

Standing as a successful and internationally recognized song, “Gangnam Style” was a truly transformative work of art.

MAEGAN CARRERA

MUSICDECEMBER 2019

GLOBAL SENSATION

“Gangnam Style”’s album cover

MAEGAN CARRERA

AWARENESSDECEMBER 2019

Pete Frates, the man who began the ALS ice bucket challenge

In this decade, music was not the only thing that revolutionized several aspects of our lives. During the 2010s, a diverse array of challenges were developed and enjoyed by people of all ages worldwide. Some of the most well-known challenges include bottle flipping, the Mannequin Challenge, the Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge, and the Charlie Charlie Challenge. These dares were mainly used as sources of entertainment and were able to grant many people temporary popularity.

EYE-OPENING DARES

The setup for the Charlie Charlie challenge

One of these challenges is the ALS ice bucket challenge. ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rare illness with no known cure that deteriorates an individual’s ability to physically function.

In the summer of 2014, Pete Frates, who had been diagnosed with ALS, and Pat Quinn started the ALS ice bucket challenge. Since then, the movement has grown to be a worldwide event in which those who participate are drenched in ice cold water in an effort to spread awareness of the disease and donate to the ALS association for research and treatment. Unfortunately, Frates passed away in December of this year, but his legacy lives on with the accomplishments of the ALS Association. With the help of his challenge, the ALS Association was able to fund over 200 research projects, increase awareness of this disease, treat over 15,000 patients per year through community-based services, and more.

Pete Frates, the man who began the ALS ice bucket challenge

MAEGAN CARRERA

GAMINGDECEMBER 2019

The 2010s has also experienced its fair share of addictive and blood-pumping games. Just this October, Activision released its first mobile app for the shooter video game franchise Call of Duty sixteen years after the game’s original release in 2003. Some other well known mobile games that the public has played during the decade are Temple Run, Subway Surfers, and Clash of Clans. These games have managed to gain and maintain their popularity since their creation in the early 2010s. However, one of the most successful mobile apps that was able to rise to the top charts before its sudden removal from the App Store was Flappy Bird.

A DARK PAST

Flappy Bird’s graphics

Flappy Bird is a side-scroller mobile game that was released in May of 2013. In this game, the player controls a bird and taps on the screen to control its height. The game’s primary objective is to successfully fly through as many green pipes as one can without hitting them. Despite these seemingly easy controls, the game itself was incredibly difficult and many players were unable to reach past points in the single digits. This challenge greatly contributed to the exponential increase in popularity that Flappy Bird was able to garner.

By December, Flappy Bird had managed to reach No.80 on the App Store’s “Free Games” chart, and in January, it rose to the No.1 spot.

Unfortunately, Flappy Bird lived a short life as a successful mobile game. Although its triumph brought its developer, Dong Nguyen, much happiness, it also raked in many death threats, insults, and claims of his game being a Nintendo ripoff. As a result, Nguyen removed his iconic game from the App Store in an effort to stop the constant barrage of negativity he received from it.

2010-2019

INNOVATIONS

2010

Siri was launched by Apple.

2011

The Curiosity Rover launched from Cape

Canaveral, landing on Mars the following

August.

2012

2013

Atlas (fully functioning AI robot that has the ability to learn tricks in

real time)

2014

Hemopurifier (created as the world was coming to grips with the Ebola

epidemic)

Google's Machine Learning Project

(demonstrated a growing pursuit of AI technology in the

tech industry)

2015

Reusable Rockets (Blue Origin's Shepherd and

Space X's Falcon 9 both made successful launches after the

first launch)

2016

The Oculus Rift is a high functioning

virtual reality goggle that has idea for gaming, medical

education, and driver training.

2017

Tesla Model 3 represents a widespread

availability for fully electric cars. By 2018 it was the best

selling car in the US..

2018

Metal 3D printing invented by HP that has the

ability to increase efficiency in manufacturing and

customization.

QUANTUM SUPREMACY

2019

Researchers from Google have claimed to achieve quantum supremacy.

Unlike classical computers which uses bits, quantum computer uses “qubits” to perform calculations exponentially faster than any classical computer. This enables quantum computers to solve many optimization problems which would otherwise take trillions of years!

What you Get by achieving your goals is not as important

as what you Become by achieving your goals.

“

”Zig Ziglar

1. Two weeks before Christmas is one of the most popular times for couples to break up.

According�to�data�analyzed�from�Facebook�statuses�and�posts,�couples�are�likely�to�end�their�relationship�two�weeks�before�Christmas.�It�is�the�second�most�favored�time�for�couples�to�break�up�than�at�any�other�time�with�the�first�being�Spring�Break.�

Santa Claus did not always dress up in red clothes. Santa�Claus�was�believed�to�dress�in�different�colors�(other�than�red)�like�purple,�green,�or�blue.�In�the�past,�not�every�Santa�Claus�wore�the�traditional�red�suit.�This�ensemble�originated�from�Coca�Cola,�which�depicted�Santa�claus�wearing�the�company’s�color�-�red!�

2.

By Tahia Bristi

The first artificial Christmas Tree was created out of green - dyed goose feathers.Due�to�continuous�deforestation,�artificial�trees�made�from�goose�feathers�were�created�in�Germany�and�eventually�brought�to�other�countries,�such�as�the�United�States.�

3.

Christmas trees were originally decorated with fruits. Firstly,�mainly�apples�were�used�to�decorate�Christmas�trees.�Over�time,�candles�became�popular,�Finally,�string�lights�became�trendy�as�decorations.

4.

The song “Jingle Bells” was initially written for Thanksgiving — not Christmas. James�Lord�Pierpoint�wrote�this�song�in�1857,�with�the�purpose�of�it�being�a�composer’s�Sunday�school�class�on�Thanksgiving.�The�song�was�published�under�the�title�“One�Horse�Open�Sleigh”�but�soon�became�popular�and�well-known�as�“Jingle�Bells”.�

5.

The Pop Culture ofChristmas

BY

HU

NTE

R H

UA

NG

Do you know this tune: I don’t want a

lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I

need… sleep? Chances are, you have heard

this song. Or not — I wouldn’t know. The

point is, it’s a noble song about the

recuperation of one’s weary spirit during

Christmas break. Songs, stories, and movies

of this theme all exemplify Christmas pop

culture. Have you ever wondered, with a

burning, insatiable desire to learn about all of

this intricate history? Chances are, you

haven’t. Too bad chances ain’t on your side.

Thus, it all began with a sin. A dark history, if

you will.

Sinterklaas. That was his name. Perhaps you know him as Santa Claus. Brought to America by the Dutch in 1773, he was often depicted with a helper. Not the green sporting elves he has today, but a Moor man called Zwarte Piet. As you might know, the Dutch and the Moors have very different skin tones. Thus, in order to achieve Piet’s complexion, the Dutch used Blackface to decorate their faces. To put this in context, the Dutch West India Company was supplying the slaves for slave plantations in America. Luckily, as time went on, Piet’s image changed from rather dimwitted to intelligent. According to a survey, 92% of Dutch civilians believe he isn’t a figure of a racist past. Maybe. Can we blame the current generation for the previous one’s mistakes? Suffice to say, there’s probably at least one person in our family’s past that would have received coal. We all have been related to terrible people. However, we must make sure that the past stays exactly that — past — and that the future keeps moving forward.

It’s true that nothing lasts forever. Many things topple over time. Every year, in the Fall, leaves fall down in a spiral of sundry colors. Only for the Evergreens can twenty years go by without leaves falling down. This was the —

The Pop Culture of

tree we chose for Christmas. The earliest recount of a Christmas tree dates back to 1510, when Germans decorated the tree with artificial roses. In 1777, the Christmas tree was introduced to the United States by German immigrants. In the late 1800’s, Americans started decorating it with glass ornaments. Later, we started adding chains, toys, and other trinkets. But when does the star come in? Apparently, allegedly, and probably inaccurately, Martin Luther saw a star on a tree, and decided to put a star on a tree. Today, these decorated trees are seen in posters, movies, story covers, and the music videos of Christmas songs.

Of course, Christmas trees aren’t the only part of Christmas. Where do the elves come in? Well … apparently Santa’s an elf. Yep. This dates back to “The Night Before Christmas.” by Clement Clarke Moore. Why he didn’t name the poem Christmas Eve is up to debate, but alas, ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; only Santa, that jolly old elf, trespassed into our homes to give us stuff, but that’s the luck of it all: it’s quite tough. I think that’s what Moore wrote… I don’t really read poems. Moore describes how we generally view Santa: he flies in a sleigh filled with toys across the sky, slides down the chimney to invade our homes, and brings along eight reindeers: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen…

Of course, Christmas trees aren’t the only part of Christmas. Where do the elves come in? Well … apparently Santa’s an elf. Yep. This dates back to “The Night Before Christmas.” by Clement Clarke Moore. Why he didn’t name the poem Christmas Eve is up to debate, but alas, “Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; only Santa, that jolly old elf, trespassed into our homes to give us stuff, but that’s the luck of it all: it’s quite tough.” I think that’s what —

Moore wrote… I don’t really read poems. Moore describes how we generally view Santa: he flies in a sleigh filled with toys across the sky, slides down the chimney to invade our homes, and brings along eight reindeers: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen…

What about Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer? Well, Rudolph was a cost-saving stunt. Originally, Robert Lewis May, author of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, had created him for Montgomery Ward, a well-established retail company. All in all, designing his own coloring book would be more cost-efficient than relying on other publishers. Rudolph first appeared in 1939, as the ninth and youngest reindeer, often ridiculed by the other reindeers for looking funny. Later, his shiny red nose proved to be beneficial for navigating winter, and he became the only reindeer we now know the name of. Then, Johnny Marks wrote Rudolph’s eponymous song that we all know today. Marks is also responsible for writing “Rocking Around The Christmas Tree,” “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Silver and Gold,” and “Run Rudolph Run.” Only the first two are still culturally-established today. One more mildly interesting news — Run Rudolph Run was also used in the Soundtrack of Home Alone. So that was a tough nut to crack. What’s next? Chronologically, we have to go back.

Back to 1816, to E. T. A. Hoffman wrote the Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Marie, the protagonist of the story, is whisked to a land of dolls after her favorite Christmas toy, the Nutcracker, comes to life and defeats the Mouse King. Marie learns the story of how the Nutcracker came to be. Originally a conflict between a human king, his daughter, and a Mouse Queen, the conflict escalates when someone takes the curse of the Nutcracker in order to save the princess. Of course, the princess, seeing that the special someone had become a nutcracker-looking bobblehead, refused to marry him and banished him from the castle. Nowadays, the story is popularized by the ballet The Nutcracker. All in the name of Christmas Spirit.

Speaking of Christmas Spirits, what story doesn’t have more Christmas spirit than A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens? The story starts with a grumpy, greedy old man, who just so happens to be our wonderful protagonist Scrooge. Visited by the spirit of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, we learn more about the protagonist in many ways. The love of his life leaves him after she realizes that his true boo is money, his beloved sister dies, and his employee’s son becomes ill and closer to death. In a vision of the future, Scrooge learns no one would care if he dies. Finally, he changes his ways.

This same tale of redemption is also seen in the Grinch. Let’s go all the way back to explain How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. Published in 1957, the Grinch is a grumpy creature who lives in a cave with his loyal puppo Max. After seeing the people of Whoville prepare for Christmas, he disguises himself as Santa to steal everything. (Somehow, no one saw this coming). Instead of seeing the Whos’, the people of Whoville, he becomes devastated when he instead sees the Whos’ singing in the name of Christmas Spirit. And then he magically has his heart —

grow three times its size, so he returns their stuff. Also, some Jones guy turns him Green.

SCROOGE

Today, green is associated with Christmas. It’s why we hear the song, I’m dreaming of a Green Christmas. Doesn’t that ring a bell? No? How about “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, Robin Laid an egg”? It’s the first secular Christmas Song written by James Pierpont in 1857 and is about the fun of riding in “one hoarse, open sleigh.” 77 years later, in the film March of the Wooden Soldiers, songs such as “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “Winter Wonderland” were composed. Now that’s fun and all, but six years later, in 1940, the song, “I’m dreaming of a Green Christmas” was released. Oh, how wonderful it is to see a Green Christmas because it’s too hot for snow. One year later, in 1941 the Little Drummer Boy was released, and a couple years later, songs like “I’ll be Home for Christmas,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “The Christmas Song,” and “Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Go” were released.

Speaking of “Let it Go,” let’s talk about a delightful snowy snowman. Yep, you guessed it: Frosty the Snowman! First, as a song released in 1950, we come to know him in the 1969 movie as the snowman who comes to life with a top hat. Many songs were released in the 1950’s. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” was released in 1952 — “I Heard of a Santa Baby” a year later. I would talk about the 1955 song by Norad, but… how scandalous! 1959 marks the release of the song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” by Dean Martin. 1963 — we learn that apparently Christmas is the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”

Even TV started catching on. In 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas is aired, along with movie adaptations for songs, such as “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “The Little Drummer Boy,” “Frosty the Snowman,” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” which features “Feliz Navidad,” written by José Feliciano — a bilingual Puerto Rican who also wrote “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” More renowned Christmas movies include Home Alone and Home Alone 2. Somehow, the protagonist’s parents forgot to bring him on the trip. My parents also did the same by forgetting my passport, so I really related to the movie too. More recently, in 2004, the film Polar Express was released, a movie adaptation of a book written in 1985.

Alright, but what about “All I Want for Christmas is... Sleep”? When was that song created? In 1994, when Mariah Carey decided to release a Christmas album. This wouldn’t be the only time pop singers created Christmas songs and albums. Remember Justin Bieber? Me neither. He created the album “Under the Mistletoe.” Sia also released a Christmas Album: Sia’s Christmas. Not to mention, Christina Aguilera, Bette Midler, Glee, Aly and AJ, Jessie J, and NSYNC did too. Ariana Grande also released the songs “Santa Tell Me” and “Thank you Next,” featuring the iconic Mean Girls scene with Santa costumes. All of this is so recent but plays such a role in formulating our expectations of Christmas.

Yet, sometimes we still seem to forget recent history. It might make sense not to know whatever happened a thousand years ago, but history, similar to less than a blink of an eye in human history, can be forgotten so easily. The Christmas we know today was conceived by people of different races, all of their traditions and cultures culminating together. Or more accurately, people of the same race. We’re all people. And that, should be what the holidays are about.

Happiness often sneaks in

through a door you didn’t know

you left Open.

“

”John Barrymore

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MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND A

HAPPY NEW DECADE!

QHSS NEWSLETTER

2020