VES Meteor - Holiday Edition

Volume II | Holiday Issue | 1

the meteorstudent-led newspaper

volume 2 | holiday 2015

Virginia Episcopal School | The Meteor | 2

HALLIE FEINMAN ’18EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Words and literature have always been like a home to me. I was the kid who honestly believed she was a cat from reading

Warriors, and a witch from Harry Potter. When other kids were playing kickball and pushing tire swings, I could be found sorting books during my recess time.

When you spend that much time with stories, you begin making some of your own. At the ripe old age of seven I had completed my first (of many) literary masterpieces—Silly Snake, and Other Great Poems. I drafted, wrote, edited, illustrated and self- published the book, a real feat for a seven year old, and my agent (also me) presented it to my teacher. I then charged myself accordingly.

Coincidentally, there was the annual Reading Rainbow Kid’s Writing Contest, and if there was one thing I wanted more than anything else in the world, it was for LeVar Burton to read my story on his real, live show. It was, and is, still a dream of mine.

A dream that is, sadly, for naught.

Boasting such hits as “Sign Language,” “Orca,” “What!!?!,” and the title piece “Silly Snake,” I was convinced my book was a shoo -in. Not to belittle my efforts—my masterpiece had just been entered into a nationwide writing contest, after all—it was awarded the equivalent of the participation ribbon. Oh, the time I wasted— if only I’d focused on my tire swing pushing!

It was a truly humbling moment for me, one that would have made lesser first graders give up. But in my moment of darkness, I found strength. If we gave up at the first sign of defeat, we wouldn’t have anything, including LeVar Burton’s Reading Rainbow. If LeVar can go through rough patches, then dang it, so could I.

The first issue of the Meteor is a little like Silly Snake. There was nothing wrong with it, but now, with more experience, we can do better. Issue 1 made us reevaluate our approach to the newspaper and helped us see what worked and what didn’t. It was the pilot episode a TV network puts out to see what makes people excited and how they can improve. It’s the toe- dip into the water before plunging in.

In my opinion, this issue of the Meteor would be Reading Rainbow worthy with 15 articles with contributions made by students from three of the four classes here at VES (If any Freshmen would like to take a break from Freshman ing, just let me know!), covering topics that you, the students, requested. More sports, more student life, emailed to you. It’s your student newspaper, after all; we’re just the ones who write it.

Happy Holidays, VES! You’ve earned it.

Hallie Feinman ’18

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFHallie Feinman ’18

AUTHORS Logan Anderson ’18, Zach Baugher ’17, Hallie Feinman ’18, Charlie Knight ’17, Chris Pyo ’17, Paul Skorcz ’18, Emmy Smiley ’17, Caroline Taylor ’17

PHOTOGRAPHERS Caroline Dabney ’17, Lindeman Edgar ’16, Elizabeth Edmunds ’18, William Liang ’17, Abby Martin ’17

EXTRA HELP Jason Ruiz, Darko Sedlar, Alison Tuck, Esther Underwood, Catherine Varner


On Thursday November 12th eight students accompanied Mrs.

Burruss to the University of Virginia for the Virginia Model United Nations Conference. Many different sessions addressed issues facing the world today, such as the Conference on Bioethics, the Human Settlements Program, and the Cabinet of Tajikistan, as well as some role-play sessions replicating crises of the past, like

the 1956 Egyptian Government, the Irish War of Independence, and the Second Continental Congress.

Each student represented a specific member of the real-life meeting: the leader of the Taliban, the Communist Party leader of Tajikistan, or the Minister of Domestic Trade in Cuba. After weeks of preparation and research, the students come together to debate, pass

resolutions and go through a voting process to improve the situation and benefit the interests of the person or country they’re representing. In crisis committees, the delegates are consistently faced with a series of emergency situations, often involving kidnappings and assassinations, and must deal with them quickly and efficiently.

The purpose of Model UN is to replicate the process of the real UN in order to “foster global citizenship and address current world issues related to regional conflicts, peacekeeping, human rights, women and children, economic and social development, and the environment” as well as “foster skills in diplomacy and compromise.*

The eight VES students who participated in the conference attended hours of debate and worked to address many crises as well as offer solutions to various global issues. The school’s first MUN conference was a great success. Mrs. Burruss will continue to look for more opportunities for our students to learn about and address current world issues in the future.

* “NMUN Conferences – Expanding Our Reach Globally,” National Model United Nations. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.

GLOBAL GATHERING Today students, tomorrow world leaders BY CAROLINE TAYLOR ’17

Top row left to right: William Liang ’17, Joe Matthews ’19, Richard Lin ’16. Bottom row: Martha Terrell Burruss, Bella Li ’17, Vicky Li ’18, Caroline Taylor ’17, Ivy Drew ’18, Jason Cheung ’18.

Top row left to right: William Liang ‘17, Joe Matthews ‘19, Richard Lin ‘16. Bottom row: Martha Terrell Burruss, Bella Li ‘17, Vicky Li ‘18, Caroline Taylor ‘17, Ivy Drew ‘18, Jason Cheung ‘18.


DEACON BASKETBALL The pressure of tier three basketballBY LOGAN ANDERSON ’18

Deacon Basketball, like any Deacon sport, is as rough as it gets. It’s a cutthroat business. Deacon is, and always, will be the hardest

league to play in. Do you know why that is?

There is a constant pressure to look good, even though you are on the lowest of the low when it

comes to basketball. You have to try to look the least bit professional in front of the five people watching the game, and you are always feeling this little voice in your head telling you: “You must hit that shot, or you’re a failure.” The stress can make a weak man crumble, but you have to push through it. It’s not for the weak of heart.

For those who aren’t “in the know,” Boy’s Deacon Soccer had an undefeated season this year, something neither JV or Varsity Soccer can boast. Deacon, at VES, is the cream-of-the-crop, and Deacon Basketball should, in theory, be the same way.

Some of the kids felt pretty good coming off of an undefeated streak with Deacon Soccer. Others, like me, are veteran Deacon players, hoping for a chance to rejoin the ranks of our favorite basketball team.

Coach Baker will be taking over the head coaching position for the 2015-2016 season, becoming the fair and just ruler—quite different from last year’s coach, Coach Homen, and his dictator-like style of leadership.

Even though Deacon Boys is our lowest tier basketball team, I have the highest hopes for this season.


SKORCZ ON SCORES Football wrap-upBY PAUL SKORCZ ’18

DEACON BASKETBALL The pressure of tier three basketballBY LOGAN ANDERSON ’18

Led by Coach Chip Jones, the Bishops’ football team finished 3-6 in a tough season plagued by frequent injuries. By the end

of the season, the size of the team was barely over 20 people, leading to freshmen—including Hayes Marr, Jackson Mutch, and George Wooten —being in the starting lineup. Despite tough opponents throughout the season, the Bishops were able to defeat Covenant, Hargrave and Fredericksburg Christian.

Seniors Paddy Cotter, Darrien Johnson, George Battle, Will West and Alex Rice each had to lead

the team throughout the season by teaching their fellow teammates the rules of the game and setting good examples both on and off of the field. Starting off the season with a close loss to North Cross, the Bishops worked hard and beat Covenant 35-14.

Marr stated, “Football this year was a great experience. I had a lot of fun playing and being out there with all the seniors. I learned a lot.”

“I enjoyed the season this year. Everyone on the team, all the coaches, I’m going to miss them,” added West, who had been playing VES football since his sophomore year.

Starting quarterback Paddy Cotter was forced to finish his season early due to a hand injury sustained during a victory against Hargrave Military Academy. This injury meant that Jackson Mutch was to be the Bishops’ starting quarterback for the remainder of the season. Mutch worked hard in both practices and games, securing the quarterback position for the 2016-2017 season.

Despite numerous setbacks and tough opposition, the Bishops never gave up and played hard throughout the entire season. VES will miss all of the seniors who were great role models, but we are excited to see what our new talent holds.


SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWSWING DANCE Creepy Costumes and a Ghoulish GatheringBY CHARLIE KNIGHT ’17

Every year, VES hosts a Halloween Dance the weekend of Halloween. Numerous emails are sent out reminding students who plan

to attend to RSVP, make sure to wear a costume or classroom dress...you know, the usual. Towers of food and reservoirs of drinks promised to those who plan to attend. Posters are found tacked onto doors and hung in the hallways of the school, building up the hype for the weekend night. Come Halloween, trick-or-treating, s’mores on Box Plaza, and evening activities start. Students and faculty children waltz from faculty house to familiar abode gathering up candy and trying to make their way through the darkened gloom. Then comes the Halloween Dance.

In previous years, the Halloween Dance commenced in Barksdale, but this year we danced to death in Van Every Gym. Zombies, people in galaxy leggings, and what looked like a witch mixed with a bonfire started showing up at the gym at around 9:00 p.m.. Mind you, the weather was quite chilly and wearing my Spider-Man costume was a major downfall (although well worth it). Soon, the party was in full swing, with everyone swaying to the music to some extent.

Almost everyone was in some sort of costume, even though the amount of effort and thought put into the dress varied. Everyone danced to the music, whether it be professionally choreographed or made up on the spot. Students seemed to get a real kick out of the party and, seeing as though this was my third Halloween dance, I can safely say that this was the best one yet. Hey, at least the DJ was taking song requests! And, once the party started picking up after 10, it was cool seeing everyone letting loose a little.

For those who didn’t attend the dance….you missed out. I’m pretty sure Mr. Button was a bear, and the Knebels had a great group costume. People seemed to really enjoy themselves. Both concessions and music saw a major improvement over the last two years and, even though it was in the gym, it was still pretty great. I commend VES for working hard to make it a fun night—I think it was a great success.


In honor of the upcoming holiday season, I thought it would be a neat idea to

ask a couple VES students a few questions about holiday traditions in their household. Today we’ll hear from Rebecca Hodges ’18, Ms. Margaret Lyle Jones and Brett McKinnon ’16.

They were kind enough to answer a few questions about what the holidays look like in their household and their favorite things about this festive season. Here are some of their responses.

Q. What does your typical Christmas/holiday season look like?

Rebecca Hodges ’18 - We always make sure to get the biggest Christmas tree we can find and we always put all of the presents under our tree. On Christmas Eve we always open one present (which at this point we know is going to be a crazy fluffy new set of pajamas!). On Christmas morning, we always wear our new pajamas and try to get past the barricade my parents made to get into the living room to open the presents. Thinking about the whole barricade thing now, it definitely seems kinda silly, but it’s a family tradition just like the pajamas.

Ms. Jones - Typically it involves a lot of travel—whether it’s on a plane or in the car loaded down with presents—because my family’s kind of all over the place. Also, it typically starts at Thanksgiving because of all the crazy travel we have to do for the holidays.

Brett McKinnon ’16 - It’s snowy and always really cold. Me, my mom, and my grandparents all wake up and come to my house and open presents together. We always have Rice Krispie treats and hot chocolate that morning and we always set up a model train around the Christmas tree. We always have a real Christmas tree. That night, we always go over to my Aunt Tawney’s house and we open the rest our presents there. Hockey fights always happen on Christmas—it’s a Canadian thing.

Q. What’s your favorite Christmas tradition/activity?

RH - I would probably have to say making all of the food—my favorites being the Christmas casseroles (a sausage one and a cheesy one) and the sweet potato biscuits. Oh my gosh, they are the best melt-in-your-mouth biscuits you’ll ever taste! My grandma makes them. This, out of all of the Christmas food, is my favorite!

MLJ - When we were little, after Christmas dinner I made my older brother do these skits and perform them for my grandparents with me and I’m sure he hated them, but I made him do them anyway.

BMK - Cutting down the Christmas tree, because I get to do it!

Q. What’s your favorite story/memory you have from past Christmases or holiday celebrations?

RH - So, I had this away basketball game a couple weeks before Christmas and my dad brought me a bag of snacks. However, he forgot that he had his big hunting knife in it, and being a public school, I wasn’t allowed to have it on campus, so I had to hide it in my bag until I got home. Later, I decided to hide it from my dad and wrap it up as a Christmas present for him as a joke. So long story short, he never put his hunting knife in a bag of food for me ever again!

MLJ - Years ago, my mom and I spent New Year’s Eve in Spain, and on the strike of midnight on New Year’s, the tradition is that you have to eat 12 grapes for each strike of the clock. That was pretty neat! We also saw Man of La Mancha, the musical on that trip, so that was pretty cool.

BMK - Okay, so it’s going to be a hockey story. Sorry, I’m Canadian, what do you expect? My grandmother won a Sidney Crosby (he’s from my hometown) jersey signed from the Olympics in a raffle, and she wanted to give the jersey to one of my three cousins but couldn’t decide which one. She wanted her gift giving to be even, so she gave it to me because the three of them are brothers. Yeah, so my cousins hated me for it! But it was a pretty great Christmas present.

GET TO KNOW VES Holiday EditionBY EMMA SMILEY ’17


A VISIT TO THE BLACK BOXOne Acts—The World’s a StageBY: ZACHARY BAUGHER ‘17

It’s a day like any other: you’re driving around with your posse, having a heated debate over whether Earth should implode or explode, cursing your

luck for being the designated driver when you could be filling a vade page every 30 seconds. That is, you could, until you find yourself inspired to do a good deed for the benign man sticking his thumb out on the side of the road.

“Hey, there’s a hitchhiker! Let’s pick him up!” Your squad’s call to action is unanimous. You pull over, unlock the doors, and let the stranger into your suspiciously empty passenger seat. His first words are damning.

“You don’t look like my dealer…”

You stare, paralyzed, knowing that you will end up on the next season of Cops at best, dead and buried at worst.

Then you breathe a sigh of relief. After all, you’re just acting; the person you’re giving the glare to is not a black-market consumer but a trusted friend. Safe from harm, you kick the pretend addict out of your motor vehicle with impunity. Eager for a new experience, you pick the next traveler up a few blocks down. Welcome to the Winter One-Acts.

In their second year as a winter activity at VES, the Winter One-Acts offer a friendly environment to work on acting skills through improv scenarios, such as the hitchhiker encounter above, and through reading and blocking short scripts by authors such as Shel Silverstein.

The VES thespians come from a variety of backgrounds. Some, such as Charlie Knight ’17, choose the plays because they “acted like a kid and loved it,” taking a “‘you know what? I’m trying it again’” mentality. Others, like Meredith Antley ’17, “look forward to acting every day” because “acting is something I want to do with my life.” Even with such differences in experience, the actors can develop their skills and bond over common ground.

The actors are already beginning to notice group cohesiveness in their work. In fact, this aspect is commonly a favorite. Tyler Litchford ’18, for instance, enjoys “getting to know my characters and the actors involved,” and cites “being able to trust my partners to keep a scene going” as a favorite part of the experience. Hallie Feinman ’18, is particularly enthused by the rapid coming-together that’s happening; she’s already noticed “people in our company start playing off each other’s energy,” predicting that “we’ll be running like a well-oiled machine” come showtime.


WILLY SHAKES’ DREAM TEAMLord, what fools these mortals be! BY HALLIE FEINMAN ’18

On the morning of November 11, all VES students loaded onto chartered buses to travel an hour-and-a-half away to the

American Shakespeare Center located in Staunton, Virginia.

For several weeks before the excursion, students of all grades studied Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As a special project, the English 10 and Video Production classes worked together to abridge the script into short films for the school to watch on the night before the trip during the annual “Shakespeare Dinner” hosted by the English department. The student body was divided into teams (Barksdale FTW) to compete in various Shakespeare-themed activities throughout the evening before viewing and voting on the best film.

During the world-class performance at ASC, many students were introduced to the idea of a “triple-threat” actor (people who can act, sing and dance, often at the same time).

When asked why it’s important to learn about Shakespeare, Benjamin Khoury ‘18 explains, “I think that reading Shakespeare reminds us of how things came to be. You see customs from the past and see how they are now. You make the connection on how it evolved to be that way.” He adds, “Besides, Shakespeare wrote really interesting, entertaining stories.” And entertaining it was! At the end of the play, the actors earned multiple standing ovations from the audience, the highest form of praise an actor can receive.

With so much hype created for the Bard, one might ask, “Was all the excitement worth it?” Judging by the laughs and claps coming from the audience, I’d say so. We laughed. We cried (with laughter). We conquered a Shakespeare play. And, in the words of Robin Goodfellow in the last scene of the play, “This weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream” (V. i. 444-5).


TWILIGHT (Android only)Twilight helps filter out the blue light displayed on your phone, which has been shown to confuse sleep cycles. Blue light regulates our body’s secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone. At night, when we’re “supposed” to be getting ready to sleep, we tend to sit in front of blue light emanating appliances and our sleep suffers for it.

BREATHE2RELAX (Android and iOS)This app is a portable stress management tool that provides detailed information on the effects of stress on the body AND meditation and breathing techniques to effectively manage it. This app can help you with mood stabilization, anger control and anxiety management.

HABITICA (Android and iOS)Treat your life like a game to stay motivated and get organized. Input your habits, daily goals and to-do list and turn your chores into a game. This app can motivate you and hold you accountable so you can accomplish just about anything (and have fun while doing it).

MINDSHIFT (Android and iOS)This app is specially designed for teens and young adults to cope with everyday stressors and anxiety. Think of MindShift as a personal coach to help you relax and learn strategies to deal with everyday challenges like test taking anxiety, social worries, conflict, perfectionism and more.

CALM (iOS only)Learn the basics of mindfulness and meditation in the free introductory guided meditation program, which consists of seven sessions. Choose your favorite nature scene and select the perfect background sounds to help you relax. Calm can help you sleep, relax and focus.

5 DE-STRESSING APPS FOR STUDENTS BY LES MOODY

NAMASTEBY CAROLINE TAYLOR ’17

Namaste. Breathe. Observe the natural inhalation and exhalation of your breathing, without changing anything. If you find

yourself distracted by the activity in your mind, try not to engage in the thoughts. Notice them and then let them go, bringing your attention back to the inhales and exhales. On each inhale, fill the belly up with breath, expanding it like a balloon. On each exhale, expel the air out from the belly through the nose. Draw the navel back toward your spine to make sure that the belly is empty of air.

At the beginning of each yoga class, all 26 girls steady their breathing under the instruction of Ms. Thompson and Mrs. Burruss. Each breath you take can help to energize, relax, and form a greater connection between the mind and body.

All of the girls spend the sports period after school, stretching, balancing on one leg, and laughing as they contort their bodies into seemingly impossible positions. Never chided for the giggles, Ms. Thompson instead reminds them of the importance of smiling and laughing at every given chance.

“As part of our practice, we are going to work to balance and strengthen the connection between mind, body and spirit,” Ms. Thompson says. The girls take turns saying the little good things that happened that day when they’re done with meditation. “There was a ladybug on my paper today,” “We started the day with a hike in APES [AP Environmental Science],” and “I got an A on my essay,” are just a few examples, reminding us that there is always a reason to smile, if only we take the time to look. Yoga works to reinforce our physical, mental and emotional balance, putting our minds at ease for another day.


QUICK TIPS: NEWS YOU CAN USESafely using photos from the internet in classwork or reportsBY PAT PENDING

Source: Popplet.com

These days, embedding images and videos into your personal or schoolwork is a way of life. Luckily, multiple search engines exist to help you find and source quality images. Having an awareness of the current thinking on copyright and intellectual

property is highly advisable for anyone who pulls items from the internet to use in their reports, blog posts and homework. There are three basic things to know: Copyright protected (all rights reserved)Someone else owns the image and you cannot use it without first gaining their permission. Creative Commons = Common Sense (some rights reserved)Respect the rights of those who did the work either by giving them a mention and complying with their wishes as to how their work is used. Ideally, an attribution should contain:· the name of the image/work (a link back to the original work is desirable)· the name of the author/creator· the CC license details with a link to the license details. Free Photos and Public Domain (no restrictions)Photos found in the Public Domain have no restrictions and are free for you to use.Check out this informative blog article “15 Amazing Sites With Breathtaking Free Stock Photos,” by Christopher Gimmer, for a list of the best ones. Google Advanced Image Search and Flickr offer filtering options that you can use to steer you toward appropriate content for your assignment and provide any attribution information you may need to include.


2015 STOCKING STUFFER SHOOTERS Santa’s a FPS person BY GAMING GURU ZACH BAUGHER ’17

With Santa Claus coming to town soon, parents everywhere are scrambling to predict their teens’ desires. Will

Johnny like 10 new pairs of identical black Hanes socks? Or would some new tighty-whities, free of stains in the obvious places, be more useful? Surely he’ll love an 800-page analysis of the Antebellum Period! Or not (unless he’s in APUSH). If you or a loved one are in this position right now, scramble no more: this holiday season’s round-up of top-quality shooters is sure to please.

Want to keep Johnny in the basement for good? Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 has you covered. With the look and feel of Black Ops 2, some sweet jazz music added to the fan-favorite Zombies mode, and the same rehashed engine from the late ‘90s, BO3 picks up the Call of Duty package right where Advanced Warfare left off and keeps delivering, Amazon Overnight style. Jake Baugher ’19, likens the experience to “feeling like you’ve accomplished something with your short-lived life”—an impressive accolade indeed.

If life lessons are more your thing, Star Wars Battlefront will make Johnny think twice about getting on the bandwagon. Battlefront continues the trend of mega-hyped disappointments, riding the coattails of The Force Awakens to an impressively mediocre 72 on Metacritic, indicating “mixed or average reviews.” If Johnny didn’t learn his lesson after Titanfall and Destiny, stuff his stocking with Battlefront and hope that the third time will be the charm.

Finally, for those of you who love dogs, Fallout 4 is the game to play, hands down. Since exploring post-apocalyptic Boston wasn’t already exciting enough, players can not only customize their own characters, but players are also given their friendly mutt to guide them around! Perfect for those who claim to have high tastes (or those who wish Skyrim had guns).

With that said, take your pick and put it under the tree, and Johnny might just make you some milk and cookies for your efforts. That is if he’s not too busy yelling at his screen in anger at a quick scope.


THE MARTIAN MOVIE REVIEWBY CHRIS PYO ’17

Based on a book of the same title, The Martian is a story of an astronaut

trapped on Mars. During a manned mission, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and is left behind by his crew. But Watney survives and finds himself alone on a hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his

ingenuity, wit and spirit to find a way to signal to Earth that he is still alive. As a botanist, he manages to cultivate potatoes and corn for sustenance. Watney finds a way to communicate using previous missions’ materials. Once they realize that Watney is still alive, NASA and the mission’s crew work together to bring him home to Earth.

What I liked about this movie was how space was seen in “positive” way. Unlike Ridley Scott’s previous works like Alien or Prometheus, the movie itself seems to focus on humanism and even global harmony. It was interesting to see Hollywood make a film that acknowledges the USA’s failure and ask for China’s help. Scott, well-known for his visualization and excellent mise en scène abilities used both computer graphics and actual footage from NASA to make this film even more spectacular.

Something disappointing to me, personally, was the storyline. It had a lack of tension and seemed a little bit ordinary (even though the fact that our main character was a “botanist,” wasn’t). It was refreshing to see realism in a movie, but the dense material made it hard to attract an audience. The movie’s run time dragged the tempo out longer than it should have. And, if you liked the serious philosophy Scott showed in his previous movie Prometheus, you’ll be disappointed—this film is more focused on “humanism drama” than tight, serious fiction like Prometheus or Dark Knight.

There were three great space movies this year: Gravity, Interstellar, and The Martian. If Gravity focused on the emptiness of space and Interstellar focused on mysteries and dynamics of our solar system, The Martian successfully shifted focus from “space” to “humanity and life.” It was a beautifully done, albeit a bit slow, film that had some breath-taking moments. With a 93% approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes, I’d say The Martian was a great success.

Cast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig

Director: Ridley Scott Writer: Drew Goddard (screenplay), Andy Weir (book)


DORM ROOM GOURMET Study Snacks EditionBY HALLIE FEINMAN ’18

With finals just around the corner, you’re going to want to have the ingredients on hand to make what is probably the world’s most perfect and universally loved study snack: POPCORN.

Homemade popcorn is easy to make and only requires a few ingredients.

Homemade Stovetop Popcorn for a group (serves 4 - 6)

INGREDIENTS• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels

• 2- 3 Tablespoons canola oil, butter or margarine (like Earth Balance). You can even use melted coconut oil. Just don’t use olive oil, because it’s not really meant for high heat cooking.

• Salt (optional)

DIRECTIONS Set the pot over medium high heat and add the oil (butter or margarine). Allow it to melt completely. Add popcorn, shaking the pan to coat the kernels evenly. Cover the pan with the lid, leaving the lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape during cooking. Shake the mixture frequently and continue cooking and shaking until the popping sounds are a few seconds apart. Remove the pan from the heat and continue shaking gently until popping sounds completely cease. Remove the lid, stir in your mix- ins, and serve.

Try mixing in something healthy, like dried fruit, or something slightly less healthy like your sugarbomb cereal or even M&Ms. Or go crazy and mix in all of the above!

If you’re feeling spicy, try melting 2- 3 tablespoons of butter with 1 -2 teaspoons of sriracha (or Texas Pete, Tabasco) and drizzle over popped popcorn.

The possibilities for popcorn mix ins are endless. Parmesan cheese and black pepper would be a great flavor combo. Or, if your sweet tooth is getting the better of you, sprinkle a spoonful or two of powdered hot cocoa mix into the popcorn for a chocolaty treat!

If you don’t have access to a stovetop or you just want to make an individual sized portion of popcorn, you can make homemade popcorn in your microwave in a plain brown paper lunch sack. All you need is a paper bag (lunch size), some popcorn kernels and maybe some tape to secure the bag shut. No tape? No worries, if you’ve folded the bag tightly enough, you won’t need it. Just don’t use staples, as you never want to use anything metal in a microwave.

Simply put about 1/4 cup popcorn kernels in the paper bag. Fold the bag over a few times to secure it shut. Place the bag in the microwave, resting on its side, for about two minutes. Since microwaves vary in strength, it’s best to stand nearby and listen closely during cooking. When the pops slow to three to five seconds apart, turn the microwave off and allow the popcorn to rest in the microwave for about another minute before you remove it. That’s it! If you find that the taste is a little too bland for your liking, before cooking, you can toss the kernels in a little bit of oil or melted butter before placing in the bag.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, it’s time to up your homemade popcorn game and take it to the next level with peanut butter popcorn or peppermint bark popcorn.


PEPPERMINT CRUNCH POPCORN (serves 4 - 6)

With the holidays around the corner, it’s time to celebrate everybody’s favorite season MINT-er? (Get it? Just me? Ok.) Mr. Claus would be jumping for joy if he found this under the tree.

Start the holidays right with a festive snack to see you through the hours of studying.

INGREDIENTS• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels, popped (unpopped

kernels removed)

• 1 package (16 ounces) white chocolate candy melts

• 1⁄2 teaspoon peppermint extract

• 10- 12 candy canes, unwrapped

• 1 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS Place candy canes in a large zip top bag and crush. Make sure the pieces are quite small. In a very large bowl or a foil roasting pan (the disposable kind), place the popped popcorn, crushed candy canes, and chocolate chips. Melt candy melts according to the package directions. Stir in peppermint extract. Pour the melted minty white chocolate over the popcorn mixture and stir well so that everything is coated.

PEANUT BUTTER POPCORN (serves 4 - 6)

Are you nutty about nuts? Do you, by chance, love the creamy smoothy goodness that is peanut butter, but hate the taste of jelly? Then you’re in luck. This crazy good mix will leave you speechless, and not just from the peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.

INGREDIENTS• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels, popped

(unpopped kernels removed)

• 1 cup dry roasted peanuts

• 1/4 cup honey

• 3 Tablespoons sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

• salt (optional)

DIRECTIONS In a large bowl, add popped popcorn and peanuts. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, waxed paper or foil. In a small saucepan, heat honey and sugar over medium heat, bring to a simmer and simmer for about 2 minutes (or until the sugar is dissolved). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and peanut butter until the mixture is smooth and the peanut butter is melted. Pour over popcorn and stir until all the popcorn is coated. Spread onto prepared sheet pan and let set for 5 -10 minutes before serving.


BISHOP ASTROLOGY

What type of holiday shopper are you? BY HALLIE FEINMAN ’18

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18)

THE HUMANITARIANThis holiday season, consider giving back to those around you! You’re friendly, honest and loyal the perfect volunteer, though you can be intractable and contrary if you see something done poorly. Because it’s easy for you to detach from things, consider donating old clothes or books to a charity so someone else can enjoy the items as much as you did.

Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20)

THE SECRET SANTA You’re secretive and imaginative, making you one of the best pos-sible surprise gift exchangers out there! If you find yourself at a gift exchange, drop some vague hints as to what your present might be, but don’t let yourself be led on by others. Your supreme intuition should lead to the present of your dreams. Best giving!

Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19)

THE IMPULSE BUY Your quick wit and adventurous attitude means that you can find gifts that should be perfect for your friends or loved ones, but your impulsive tendencies mean that you might make a purchase with yourself in mind, instead of a friend. Your intuition, however, is almost always right, and your presents are almost always big hits. If you’re confident enough that you think they’ll love it, they probably will ; just don’t make any foolhardy purchases this holiday season.

Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20)

ONE FOR ME, ONE FOR YOU When you go out shopping, you only ever have the best intentions in mind. Patient, reliable and loving, you won’t stop until you find the perfect gift, one you know they’ll love. As you patiently travel from store to store, you’ll start picking up treats for yourself your self -indulgent and greedy streak coming out. By the end of your trip, you’ll have the best presents imaginable because, after all, you want yours to be the best, but you’ll have a long receipt of items for yourself to go with them.

Gemini (May 21 - Jun 21)

HOLIDAY ENTHUSIAST With your lively attitude, the holidays are your time to shine! While you might not admit it to others, you’ve been listening to the festive stations on the down-low since the middle of November. You’re a naturally tense person, but the twinkle lights and holiday cheer makes you feel so much better. Embrace hot cocoa and tacky sweaters—this is your season.

Cancer (Jun 22 - Jul 22)

THE DO- IT- YOURSELF-ERThe holidays are a personal time for family and friends, and what could be more personal than a homemade gift? Though you can get moody and touchy under the stress of crafting, and sometimes it’s hard to let a gift you’ve worked on go, you always feel great when you see their

faces light up. You put love, thought, and creativity into each gift, making them more personal than anything store bought. Now go forth and scroll your Pinterest board for ideas!

Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22)

ALL OUT CELEBRATORThe holiday season is serious business to you. Your creative, extravagant and excitable attitude leads to your need to create the perfect holiday season ever, but sometimes this enthusiasm can make you pushy and bossy. You want everything to be perfect, but sometimes you don’t realize the stress you’re putting on yourself and your friends and family. This year, try to spend more time focusing on having fun with your loved ones and less time worrying about things being perfect.

Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22)

THE DECORATOREvery year your holiday decorations go above and beyond. You may be meticulous, diligent (and a little bit of a fussy perfectionist), but that just means everything has been done correctly. You might have a bit of a worry streak over how everything will turn out, but it will be right in the end.

Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22)

LIFE OF THE PARTYNo matter what event you’re invited to you, whether it be a Secret Santa exchange or a meal


with the family, the party don’t start ‘til you walk in. You’re charming, easygoing and sociable, making everyone around you feel at ease. Don’t let yourself back out of commitments because “something better comes along” flexibility does not mean you can be indecisive and changeable.

Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21)

MAKE A LIST, CHECK IT TWICEWhen you decide to do something, whether it be hosting a party or wrapping presents, you orchestrate a master plan as to how everything should go. While you may be determined, you’re also compulsive and obsessive, and can be easily discombobulated if things don’t go as planned. It’s good to be organized, but when things don’t go as planned, take a deep breath and let it go.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 22)

THE BUDDYThe holidays are very important to you. It’s a time filled with happy memories and fun. You’re eternally optimistic, and can find the silver lining in everything. While others might be jaded, your laughter and jokes make all around you jolly. You’re the one who’ll restore everyone’s faith in the holidays —just don’t let yourself get into a funk once the season is over.

Capricorn (Dec 23 - Jan 19)

THE SCROOGEWhile the rest of the world is

busy with the hustle and the bustle of the holidays, you don’t understand the hype. They’re a great chance to see loved ones and can be fun, but they’re also very stressful. The holidays may not be your favorite time of year, you have to admit, there is at least fun to be had. Stop being so cautious and live a little—you might even enjoy it.

VES Meteor - Holiday Edition

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