EDITION ONE
OCTOBER 26, 2020
Photo by Shweta Shah
Photo by Liane Ma
WELCOME
NC Triangle Students Magazine
Welcome to the first ever edition of the NC Triangle Students Magazine! This is a student-led magazine, consisting of students from 5 schools of various grade levels in the Triangle Area.
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GRAPHIC DESIGN: Liane & Alice
ARTS EDITOR: Kalyani
SOCIAL MEDIA: Sundari & Prachi
ORGANIZATION: Abigail
RECRUITMENT: Shweta
WRITERS: Layan, Audrija, Abby, Benjamin, Ailene, Milla, Nikitha, Raghav & Angela
Photo by Shweta Shah
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Disclaimer: all opinions are those of the authors.
Nikki S.
VIRTUAL LEARNING:
AN EDUCATORS EXPERIENCE
Raghav Y.
Abby L.
Liane M.
Ailene T.
MORE THAN POLITICS:
DEHUMANIZATION OF PALESTINIANS
Layan Q.
STEW
Benjamin L.
EXPLORE THE MAGAZINE!
THINGS YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:
Student Organization of the Week: Future In Medicine NC
"We are the N.C. Chapter for FutureinMedicine. Our purpose is to provide students interested in medicine with volunteering and scholarship activities. We also strive to inform our audience about the different fields and professions in the medical field through posts and workshops."
A gallery of student art
Includes music composition, visual arts, photography, and more!
Artworks submitted from students across the Triangle, from multiple schools and grades.
Stay updated and consider submitting to the second edition!
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Art by Carolyn Brewer
Music by Ethan Huang
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Nikki Sivakumar, Apex
We’re about three weeks from the long-awaited US Presidential Election, and there has been a surplus of information to unpack. There are two main candidates, each representing either the Democratic or the Republican party. The contender for the Democrats is former Vice-President Joe Biden, while the candidate running for the Republicans is current US President Donald Trump. The race to the finish line has been a bumpy ride, but the outcome of this year's election will have an immense impact on the USA.
The first Presidential Debate of this election was a catastrophe, and barely any people even consider it a proper debate. The President interrupted and argued with not only his rival but the moderator as well. From the beginning to the end of the 90-minute showdown, President Trump showed aggression and talked over Mr. Biden on multiple occasions. Biden was even at the point where he needed to ask the President to "shut up". This debate was filled to the brim with multiple side-tracks, interruptions, and more.
Each candidate has chosen a person to stand as their running mate. For Donald Trump, current Vice President Mike Pence is running with him for office. Senator Kamala Harris is running along Joe Biden's side for the election. The two potential candidates for Vice President also had a debate, and it had a better outcome than the Presidential Debate. Although Pence showed the same interrupting behavior as his boss, it was a significantly less amount of times, as Harris repeatedly responded, "Mr. Vice-President, I’m speaking. I’m speaking." Both speakers also did not answer all of the questions. Neither answered when asked if one of their bosses would fall ill since both are on the older side (Trump being 74 and Joe at age 77). The outcome of this debate further solidified that this election is one that will change the course of the country's history drastically.
The US is at a crossroads right now. Many people are suffering economically, emotionally, physically, etc. With the rise of peaceful protests, COVID-19 cases, and acts of racial discrimination, it is up to the American people to choose a path that leads to a better, more united country. If you can, vote. Vote for all of the people who are counting on you to make things better. Every vote counts, and with your decisions, we can create a better society for this generation and every generation to come.
​Carolyn Brewer
Kalyani Chandrashekaran
Photo by Aravind Pasupathi
Virtual Learning:
An Educators Experience: “Major concerns rushed through my senses”
Raghav Yelamanchili, Green Level
I sat down with Mrs. Usha Krish, a well-known educator and extracurricular learning instructor throughout our community. Her tutoring service “Best Brainy Bunch”, like many other businesses and services, has been impacted tremendously by this current pandemic. We discuss the various effects on her business and give an in-depth look at educating during these strange times.
RY: “What was your initial reaction when you realized you had to go virtual, what were some initial concerns/feelings?”
UK: “Major concerns rushed through my senses - Will students be able to grasp what is told? Will they participate in class with undivided attention? As a teacher, will I be doing my due diligence to help each student? Will virtual for school students be the beginning of academic downslope? I was surprised and amazed how each student stepped up and with little guidance eased into online homework, learning, and upkeep of their skills.”
RY: ”Did you face any difficulties educating virtually? How did you overcome them?”
UK: “Constant reminders and calling out on each student was new as this is ruled out in a classroom setting this was limited. Internet issues, the camera on/off, audio issues still consistently exist and it is difficult to gauge the student progress for sure.”
RY; How did your teaching methods of more hands-on learning change when we went virtual? What were some effective methods you used to help your students transition/learn?”
UK: “This has not been a concern. in fact, it is better for the parents to see the assigned work and be a part of the child's academic learning. Some for sure are taking advantage of the plentiful resources to help the child learn and complete all the assignments on time. Uploading, downloading, using google docs, canvas was a new experience for younger kids and they enjoyed the gadget as their new friend”
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The Takeaway
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These new and challenging times for students and teachers, both groups are learning, trying to navigate this “new normal”. It’s important to remember educators are trying their hardest to make sure their students’ education does not lag behind. From their initial anxiety to technical issues and everything in between. It’s crucial for us to know what our hardworking teachers are going through. They have innovated new ways to engage their students, to work with them, persevering and pushing through. Thank you so much to Mrs. Usha Krish for agreeing to do this interview, and from now on let us be thankful for our educators, giving their all to make sure their students succeed.
A
CORONAVIRUS
SUCCESS
Abby Lu, Green Level
Since the COVID-19 pandemic was officially declared by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020, we have been trapped at home, watching the news. It's certainly very frustrating to see groups of people on the news, partying or gathering without masks, and increasing the number of cases, when you are a citizen who is diligently social distancing and wearing masks.
While there have been many debates about the United States's administration and leadership throughout the pandemic as coronavirus deaths surge past 210,000, there have also been examples of success in the world.
Taiwan is an island country just 81 miles from China, but since the pandemic began, has recorded only around 500 confirmed cases and only 7 deaths out of its population of approximately 23 million. As the global number of cases passes 30 million, residents of Taiwan are much more relaxed - there has only been one suspected case linked to local transmission in Taipei since mid-April.
The secrets of success are really very simple. To put it plainly, Taiwan was fast to react. Taiwan was hit very hard in 2003 during the SARS outbreak, and they learned a lot from their experience, thus helping with their effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Taiwan started screening passengers and added early travel restrictions, and the military was also brought in to help increase mask and PPE production, all before China publicly spoke about the virus's seriousness.
These fast actions were critical in potentially saving thousands of lives in Taiwan. Taiwan's Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, also stated that daily briefings were being given to the population to remain transparent with the citizens. This built the people's trust in the government, and in turn helped to ensure that people were following safety requirements such as wearing masks and respecting quarantines.
The Director of the Center for Policy, Outcomes and Prevention at Stanford University, Jason Wang, said that places like Taiwan tend to act more conservatively - "they said we're going to wear a mask anyway and they got it right."
The quick response and overall transparency of the Taiwanese government aided with their success in fighting the coronavirus. Hopefully, countries around the world will learn from this island's triumph, and if a pandemic should happen again in the future, we won't be stuck at home for months on end, helplessly annoyed at the people partying away on the beach.
SAVE THE ENTIRE WORLD
NC Triangle Students Magazine has partnered with STEW in order to bring you the latest news from another student-led organization. Each edition will feature a news post from them. For more information, click below!
Originally posted July 19
Image Credits: 04/17/ezcater-feed-the-front-line-initiative
If you are the rightful owner of this image please contact us for credit.
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ALL OVER THE WORLD, nurses and Doctors are risking their lives for the wellbeing of others. They work tirelessly on the front lines taking care of those affected, without even worrying about themselves. They wear Personal Protective Gear (PPE) for 18 to 20 hours a day which, when taken off, shows bright red marks. We can call these the marks of brave warriors, sacrificing what they have for our future. Many of them have not seen their family members in over a month to reduce the risk of their own family contracting and spreading the disease. We must all recognize these unsung heroes. Please stay inside and quarantine yourself, so more cases don’t emerge and remember- we are all in this together- we will come out stronger and more knowledgeable in the end. Please consider donating PPE to your local hospitals, donating blood, and also just simply staying home.
Thank You!
Hannah Midha
Layan Qaimari
MORE THAN POLITICS
DEHUMANIZATION OF PALESTINIANS
Layan Qaimari, Apex
“Why can't Palestinians and Israelis have peace?”
This is the question many people ask me. To answer: this is simply because Palestinian lives have become so devalued in Israel to the point that the killing of an innocent Palestinian man is overlooked and no justice is served. Without justice or equality, there can be no peace. The trigger of Israelis is so easily pushed when faced with Palestinian people.
The system was never designed to protect Palestinians. The IDF was created to protect Israeli citizens, not Palestinians. Since the foundation of Israel, Palestinians are looked upon as the enemy, and as long as that continues, Palestinian lives will be dehumanized and the brutality will continue.
“Enforcing an occupation and denying millions of people their human rights requires a great deal of perpetual state violence. Therefore, existing Israeli law enforcement mechanisms are designed to protect the perpetrators of this violence – not their victims.” stated Amit Gilutz, about Halak’s killing.
Speaking Out
Iyad Halak was killed on May 30, 2020, by the bullets of the Israeli Defense Force. He was a Palestinian with low-functioning autism who had trouble communicating with people and only spoke to his mother and father. He was killed for minor suspicion, like many other Palestinians.
A dead Arab. That is the only message that is brought up within the Israeli Media. Only an apology was given to Iyad Halaq’s mourning family from the “alternate” prime minister, Benny Gantz, while the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, stayed silent about the incident at the weekly meeting of the Israeli cabinet. Not only is the killing a problem, the representation of the murder in the media is an even bigger part of the issue.
Most of the information I got about Iyad Halaq’s killing came from "The Middle East Eye". This article was written to tell the truth about the killing of Iyad Halak, as well as the presentation of it in Israeli media and the dehumanization and injustice of Palestinians. As I was looking at the author of the article, I was surprised to learn that the article was written by Gideon Levy, a child of the Jewish state who is constantly attacked by the state of Israel.
Israel doesn't usually threaten their people by saying they will be “beaten to a pulp” or be strictly monitored as “a security risk” or be shot multiple times by the IDF. So why him? It’s because he spoke out. He spoke out about what he saw in the Occupied Territories, the dehumanization of Palestinians by the Jews, and the brutality faced in Gaza. “I am amazed again and again at how little Israelis know of what’s going on fifteen minutes away from their homes,” Levy says. This abuse and violence not only happens to Palestinians, but Jews of Color and African refugees.
A Semi-Comprehensive Guide to Choosing a New Phone
Benjamin Li, Green Hope
The mobile phone market is one filled with competition, and with the introduction of the new iPhone 12, smartphones are on people’s minds more than ever. When looking from the outside, the hundreds of new phones offered every year can seem intimidating. It’s easy to get lost trying to decide on a new phone when browsing among all the different versions and models, especially if you have a hard time making decisions. This guide’s purpose is to help steer you in the right direction if you’re looking for a new phone.
When it comes to choosing the perfect phone, there are many things to consider. The first and arguably most important thing to consider is budget. After all, knowing what phones in the price range available to you will help you narrow down your choices significantly.
With the release of new “flagship” phones every year, phones have been getting more and more expensive. These flagship phones contain the bleeding edge of new technology: the most storage, fastest chipset, best screen, largest battery, and best cameras smartphone companies have to offer. If you want the best of the best, your budget should be in the realm of $800 or more.
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SCIENCE
Science blurbs by Liane Ma
Art by Hannah Midha
GENSHIN IMPACT
Ailene Tan, Green Level
Genshin Impact is an open-world RPG gacha game that was released on September 28th. It immediately exploded in popularity due to it’s beautiful graphics, fun gameplay, and the various different characters than you can acquire. While the game is free to play on PS4, PC, and mobile, it includes microtransactions, although they are not necessary to get the full game experience.
The game's main storyline revolves around the main character who is looking for their brother or sister (depending on the character you choose). However, Genshin Impact offers various other quests to keep you entertained and occupied, ranging from defeating monsters for commissions to uncovering the secrets of the magical world you’re in.
Each character in Genshin Impact has their own unique fighting techniques and an elemental skill based on the seven elements hydro, cryo, pyro, dendro, geo, anemo, or electro. In order to gain new characters the player has to use the wish feature where a random character is chosen, regardless of whether or not you’ve obtained them before.
Genshin Impact is an incredibly fun, interactive, and engaging game that offers plenty of adventures and quests and lets you explore at your own individual pace. It’s great graphics and character designs are sure to keep one engaged for hours.