Villa Times

Thursday, November 12, 2020, Volume 13, Issue 2

The Election, A Relief for Many Seattleites Jimmy Porter | 8th Grade | News

It is a fact that here in Seattle we live in a dark blue, liberal bubble. Seattle, along with other large west coast cities, lean left. Therefore, the majority of Seattleites are relieved that Joe Biden has won the presidency. Some West Coast citizens may even call him a savior. There is no doubt that Joe Biden will be a kinder president than Donald Trump and no matter your political affiliation or beliefs, you can see that.

If you have not already heard, Joe Biden has become the 46th president of the United States. His mark to beat was 270 votes and he well-surpassed it. President-Elect Biden is projected to win around 290 electoral votes, with the prospect of winning 306. For those who do not know, the system to elect the next president in the U.S. is called the electoral college. The Electoral College aims to give representation to all states, especially low population states. Each state has a certain number of electoral votes (Washington has 12). When the popular vote* is counted in a state, the electoral votes go to the winner. In turn, low population states, which usually lean Republican, have more weight on them.

Speaking of Republican, the red candidate and incumbent president, Donald Trump, has not yet conceded^. This means that Trump has not accepted defeat. Currently, there is a lot of controversy around President Trump’s heavy scrutiny of the election. In recent days, he has filed several lawsuits against states for voter fraud and other issues. So far, none of these suits have been accepted, for the lack of legal basis they carry. At this point, Donald Trump’s probability of even advancing a lawsuit is very low.

(Continues) In contrast, the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, has just started his preparation for the Whitehouse. On the date this article is written, Joe Biden is just enjoying his win, but he has an important job at hand, naming his cabinet members. A cabinet member is an advisor that the President hires to take point on one key issue. For example, the Secretary of State is arguably the most important cabinet member. Their job is to attend to foreign affairs. Preventing wars, cutting deals, and strengthening ties are just a few of the Secretary’s job.

To restate, no matter your political beliefs, Joe Biden will be better for the social welfare of the country. There is so much more to talk about, so I encourage you to read more articles online, in the newspaper, or on TV. We shall see what happens in Biden’s first 100 days. Will the country thrive or will it die? Many Seattleites would say thrive.

Thanks for Reading!

VS.

*From Page 1 Popular Vote Definition: The popular vote is the common idea of a vote. The popular vote counts who is more popular. An example of a popular vote would be when you vote for what to play during P.E. Which ever game prompts more people to raise their hand wins and that is the game you play. Imagine this on a state wide scale with two presidential candidates.

^From Page 1 Concede Definition: In the context of the presidency the term “concede” means to congratulate the winning candidate. It is a formal way to say something informal. A concession would contain something like, “Great job so & so. That was a great race and this is a hard job, good luck.”

Amy Coney Barrett: SCOTUS Nomination (Editorial) By: Allie S. | 8th Grade

Amy Coney Barrett was recently confirmed by the Senate into the Supreme Court, the Senate is mostly republican at this time, after being nominated by President Trump. Supreme court members are there for life or until they decide to retire. That is why when a judge is nominated, it is a big deal. The nominee is questioned by the Senate to make sure that they are virtually unbiased towards a particular political party.

I am kind of peeved that she was confirmed to the Supreme Court because senate majority leader Mitch McConnell was instrumental in getting her in. But when Obama was president and it was not a year before the next election, McConnell refused to vote, saying that the election was too close. But Trump was even closer to the election and he was really pushing for her to be selected.

(Continued on next slide) The process where a judge is confirmed into the Supreme Court is interesting. First and foremost, the president will consult some senators privately before publicly announcing his or her nominee. Secondly, the Senate Judiciary Committee will take it under consideration. The committee will hold a hearing for the nominee. It usually takes about a month for them to collect all of the necessary records about the person from sources like the FBI. This is to get the nominee ready for more hearings. During the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, witnesses, both supporting and opposing, state their views. Senators question the nominee about their qualifications, judgment, and philosophy. The committee sends their recommendation (whether it be confirmed, rejected or none at all). Then the full Senate debates the nomination, at least 51 out of 100 senators must agree for the debate to end. This rule was put into place in 2017, which replaced the old one where 3/5 or 60 senators must agree. This also changed the rules so that filibustering (a practice where an opposing senator will talk through the session and not allow the vote to happen until another session is called) is not allowed anymore. After the debate, the Senate will vote one final time and decide if the nominee is to be confirmed into the Supreme Court, which is decided by a simple majority in the present senators. If the vote is a tie, the vice president will be the deciding vote.

As you can see, the SCOTUS nomination is a long process, but it makes sure that the nominee is considered fairly and confirmed not solely based on bias.

Works Cited: “Supreme Court Nominations Research Guide: Nomination & Confirmation Process.” Guides, guides.ll.georgetown.edu/c.php?g=365722&p=2471070. Science and TechnologyHow Humans will Colonize Space (Projection) By: Allie S. | 8th Grade

Earth is dying at an increasing rate. The effects of climate change are proving disastrous and will make Earth not a viable option in only a few hundred years. You might be thinking, a few thousand years? That’s plenty of time! Well it’s not. We're talking about the survival of humans here. If climate change is solved, overpopulation will begin. Space must be colonized. We’ll start with Mars, the closest planet to meet the standards in order to harbor life. In only a few years, SpaceX already plans on launching the first manned mission to Mars. From there, scientists can begin the process of giving Mars a thick atmosphere and terraforming it. This will make Mars have more mass, planets with more mass have larger and thick atmospheres. Next we will reintroduce water into the ancient rivers and lakes all over Mars. Another option is the Moon. The problem there is it doesn’t have enough mass to hold on to an atmosphere against solar winds. Scientists might decide to take element 76, Osmium, the densest substance on Earth. By replacing as much of the Moon’s core as possible with Osmium, the moon will gain mass and have a thicker atmosphere, one to sustain life. Asteroids are not big enough to create an atmosphere with Osmium. Humans might be able to hollow out the inside and have several colonies within the asteroids in the asteroid belt, therefore protected on the inside from space.

(Continued on next slide) No matter how many colonies that humans can make, when the sun explodes in 10 billion years, we will have to find another star to settle around. One with moons, planets, or asteroids that we can convert into colonies. Space is dying as well. One by one the stars are extinguishing. Humans will have to one again move and settle around a white dwarf, the remains of a star that has collapsed in on itself. But even they will extinguish and space will be plunged into eternal night. Humans of the future may be able to find a way to live without light. This is only a projection of the future settlements of humans.

Source: Youtube.com (How Humans Will Survive to One Billion Years) Beyond Earth: Questions Asked, Questions Answered Jimmy Porter | 8th grade

Introduction

Welcome back to my science column! Because last week’s name was a little bland, I’m back with a new and improved one. For all who read my column last week and the Villa Times in general, I salute you. We write this paper for the readers and our goal is to maximize engagement. I hope we have done that!

Now to the topic of the day: Cell Service, The Moon, and NASA.

Is Cell Service headed to the Moon?

A question never asked before. A question to past generations that seemed like a joke. Nonetheless, here we are. To many, this might not come as a huge surprise. After all, the internet is one of, if not the fastest growing industry on the planet. Is it really true?

The answer to the question is yes. NASA and telecommunications company Nokia are teaming up to build a 4G LTE network on the Moon. Nokia signed a 14.1 million dollar contract, binding Nokia and NASA to this project legally. This contract comes as one of 15 annual NASA grants. The materials needed may land on the Moon as soon as 2022 and the network will give connection to any devices within range of the base. From a logistical standpoint, it isn’t very hard to connect Nokia’s technology to Earth networks, therefore making the project very legitimate and not too far out of the picture. According to Nokia, the assembly of the base will not require any human interaction. The process can be completely robotic. Just one more reason why a cell signal on the Moon is a likely opportunity.

What does that mean for Moon assets?

The prospect of a cell single on the Moon is quite exciting for Moon technologies. Any rovers, robots, and other devices will be able to communicate with one another with more ease, making data collection faster. Furthermore, for any humans heading to the Moon, for example, NASA’s Artemis program scheduled for 2024, will be able to send and receive texts, tweets, and much more from space.

How does it affect the Earth?

Earth’s citizens will not be heavily affected by this plan, but people and businesses associated with space will be. For example, NASA will be able to communicate between their Moon assets. Furthermore, families will be able to communicate with their loved ones on the Moon. There are many awesome opportunities around a lunar network.

Thanks for reading!

Source: Popular Science https://www.popsci.com/story/scien ce/internet-on-the-moon/ Top Two Smartphones Coming Out Soon By Tim H. (6th)

Samsung, Apple, Microsoft, LG and more -- Smartphones are a part of our daily lives. Here are two Smartphones coming out soon.

#1: The iPhone 13

You may be saying to yourself: Dude! The iPhone 12 has barely been out! How could there be an iPhone 13? Well, it’s true. The iPhone 13 is confirmed to be out sometime late in 2021. Some new features include a screen wrapping around the sides and 4 camera lenses!

#2: LG see through phone.

The LG see through phone is a prototype phone. It flips from a smartphone to a tablet.There doesn't seem to be any practical reason why you'd want a transparent smartphone. The only possible reason would be that it looks attractive – which may be enough for some users. However, fans generally aren't convinced.

Source: Apple News, CNN, LG website Life and Arts Katie’s Cooking Column

Gluten-free & vegan recipes!

Happy November! For this Villa Times issue, I decided to make a gluten-free, vegan, and minimal sugar carrot cake recipe! It’s really good and I hope that if you try it you like it!

*This recipe is nut-free

INGREDIENTS: CAKE:

- 1 ¼ cups of gluten-free flour (Pamela’s Artisan Flour Blend is recommended, but I used a different kind and it turned out great!) - 1 tsp baking soda - 1 tsp baking powder - Dash of salt - 1 ½ tsp cinnamon - ¼ tsp nutmeg - 1 cup maple syrup (this recipe is pretty easy to adjust based on which ingredients you are adding more or less of, so I used a little less syrup)

Continues on Next Pg - ½ cup unsweetened applesauce - 1 tbsp lemon juice - 1 ½ cups finely grated carrots - 1 cup of any add-ons you would like (ex: shredded coconut, raisins, nuts -- I used shredded coconut)

FROSTING (OPTIONAL):

- 1 ½ cups cashews presoaked in water for a few hours (or 15 minutes in boiled water) - ⅓ cup water or non-dairy milk, warm or at room temperature - ¼ cup maple syrup at room temperature - 3 - 4 tbsp softened coconut oil - 2 tbsp lemon juice at room temperature - 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and butter (or use coconut oil) an 8x12 pan (or anything of a similar size) 2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl 3. Add in the maple syrup, unsweetened applesauce, and lemon juice, and use a stand mixer or handheld mixer to combine 4. Add in grated carrots a mix those in as well 5. Fold in (optional) add-on items

Continues on Next Pg

6. Pour batter into prepared pan, level out the top with a spatula, and put in the oven! 7. Bake cake in the oven for about 23 minutes, then transfer cake to a wire rack 8. (OPTIONAL) When the cake is cooled, spread the frosting on top, and voila! 9. Enjoy!!!

If you would like to see the original recipe, you can click here to open it!

Marshmallow Popcorn Nathan Ehrlichman | 4B

Hi everyone! I am hoping to get you cooking this year, and I will share with you the wonderful treats that I make. If you have a delicious recipe to share, send it to [email protected], and I will try to put it into the paper. Thanks! I hope you enjoy my recipe!

Ingredients:

6 cups popped popcorn; you can make it in the microwave, on the stove, or in the popcorn popper. I add 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels, and 2 T oil. It makes 7 cups of popcorn.

8 marshmallows, or 1 cup of mini marshmallows.

4 Tb melted butter.

A sprinkle of salt.

Instructions:

Put the popped popcorn in a bowl. Melt 4 Tb butter in a large pot or a microwave-safe bowl. Then, add the marshmallows. Stir until marshmallows are melted, about 1-2 minutes. Next, add in the popcorn. Mix and add a sprinkle of salt, then enjoy your tasty treat!

Source: Family Recipe! Nature Dogs-Australian Kelpie

By Julia M. (5B)

The Australian Kelpie, or simply Kelpie, is an Australian Sheep Dog successful at herding with little or no guidance. It is a medium-sized dog and comes in a few different colors. The Kelpie had been proved to be a good dog that can be easily trained and can herd other animals such as sheep, cattle, and goat (though they can still be great pets even if you don’t live on a farm.) The Kelpie comes in three different coat types: short, smooth and rough. The coat can be almost every color from black to light tan or cream. Some Kelpies have a white blaze on the chest, and a few have white points. Kelpies sometime have a double coat (thick coat), which sheds out in spring and summer when it becomes hot in the place they live, depending if its a sunny place or not. An Australian Kelpie’s lifespan is 12-15 years. They can be very energetic sometimes, but they are also intelligent, eager, loyal, alert and friendly to their owners. They were bred from the Scottish Collie and the Farm Collie and they were brought to Australia in the late 1800s. They aren’t the easiest dog to find but still plenty of breeders breed the Australian Kelpie. Once you find good breeder, it’ll be easy to get a good Kelpie. They are easy to train, care for, and they are a lovable family dog. Endangered Species: Sumatran Rhino Eliza 5A Pronounced (soo-ma-trin), the Sumatran Rhino is a critically endangered species of rhino that mostly live in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia. Less than 80 individual rhinos remain in the world, and they are endangered because of 3 main things. 1) Habitat loss: Sumatran Rhino habitats are being lost and reduced by invasive species and road construction. 2) Lack of protection: protection is not great or thought about too much in Sumatran Rhino protected areas, and when the rhinos go out of their protected zones, communities sometimes don’t bother to get the Sumatran Rhinos back into the protected area. 3) Illegal wildlife trade: the demand for rhino horn keeps getting higher by the day, as rhino horn is helpful in medicines, and is often used as a carved decorative ornament. Sumatran Rhinos are the smallest of the living rhinoceroses and the only Asian rhino with two horns. They are covered with long hair that is reddish brown for kids and young adults, and gray-ish for the adults. Adult males can grow to 2-4 meters in length and 1 meter in height. They can also weigh up to 950 kg, that’s about 2094 pounds! Sumatran Rhinos have two horns, the one in the front grows to about 25-80 cm long and the one behind that is shorter, and no more that 10 cm. Sumatran Rhinos prefer to live in low altitudes, and like forests with a lot of plants. The females are thought to be territorial to avoid each other, and the whole species of rhino are a little bit solitary. Sumatran Rhinos give birth one calf at a time, about every 3-4 years. Calves are born from October to May, give or take, because that range is the same as the region’s rainy season. Their life span ranges around 35-40 years like most rhino species. Sumatran Rhinos typically like to eat fruits especially mangos and figs, leaves, twigs, and bark.

Source: wwf.panda.org and worldwildlife.org Villa Views It is unanimous! Preschool and Elementary school students prefer in-person school!

Nathan Ehrlichman | 4B

Preschool - 3rd Grade are back on campus at Villa. Preschool goes every day, but K-3 goes twice a week with half their class. They get to have almost normal classes, have almost normal recess, and have almost normal days. I interviewed some students that are back at school. They answered my questions and told me what it is like to be back on campus.

Claire E. P4

Do you like going to school? I love going to school! I know what I like. I’ll tell you what it is. I love going outside and playing on the playground. I love seeing the animals. My favorite thing is forest school. Only when I get to have lunch. So, here’s what I’m supposed to do with toys. I’m supposed to get something I played with and put it in a red bin so my teachers can clean it with a spray. So it doesn’t get germs! I have my own scissors and glue for just myself. And everyone else has it, for just them.

What is it like to wear a mask all the time? It’s so fun! That we go to different classes but it's across the hall but it's a new class for us like today or something else but it's in a few days.

Baker O. 2nd Grade

What do you like or dislike about school in person? I don’t like that we have to wear our uniforms, but I like that I get to go back to school. I like recess a lot more, too. I like that we get to go back, and we don’t have to be at home.

Do you like your in-person days or your at-home days more? In person, because I get to see my friends and teacher, and because I am getting bored of home. (Continue to next page)

Maggie H. P5

Do you like to be back at school, why? I like playing with my friends and I made a new friend named Adeline. I like being an assistant coach for the fourth grade soccer team.

What do you not like about school? I don’t like leaving my mom, but I like to do art projects at school.

Emery G. 2nd Grade

Do you like your in-person days more or your at-home days more. Why? I like my in-person because I get to see my friends a little more and I get to see my teacher a little better and meet her more.

What is your favorite part of the school day? Reading. I like reading groups the best because we get to take turns reading a book and it’s really nice.

James E. 1st Grade

How do you feel about checking in to school each morning? Is it challenging, or is it sort of easy? It’s fine, sometimes it's slow, and sometimes it’s fast. The temperature checking is OK and we get a sticker that shows our teachers that it is fine. Our parents fill out a form that the school sends to them to tell them if we were sick lately.

What is recess like when you have to social distance? We try to keep six feet, we can play fine, but if we’re socially distanced, we can take our masks off for a little break. We can play on the playground, the field, and the parking lot basketball court. You can play with your little group, and when recess is over, you go back to school. Villa Basketball Pods Jimmy Porter | 8th Grade

Covid-19 has rattled all of our lives. It’s to the point where it depends how much your life has been impacted, not if it’s been rattled or not. School is just one of the many things affected and with school comes sports, CYO sports to be exact. Sports that were scheduled for last spring (baseball and others) were canceled. Cancellations to our sports seasons have carried over to this year, but don’t worry. Villa is working hard to reopen sports and school. Basketball pods have been a product of Villa’s hard work (shout out to them).

What are basketball pods? Firstly, for those of you who don’t know, a pod is a small group of people that you spend time with. Kids in middle school have created pods to do school work together. Pods are a great way to spend time with friends while being safe and limiting Covid spread.

With that in mind, basketball pods are exactly what they sound like. A small group of kids, 4 to 6, go to Villa to practice basketball. Players must be in 4th grade and up, the ages that have organized CYO teams. Groups are meeting once a week outside under the covered area. Practice contains a lot of solo work, shooting, dribbling, etc. all with your own ball.

If you’re interested in playing basketball with a few friends, talk to your parent/guardian to get them set up. Basketball pods are just one of the many things Villa teachers and faculty are working hard on, making kids across the school’s life easier.

Thank you teachers and faculty! Sports Hawks D Greatly Improving Nathan Ehrlichman 4B

Seattle @ Arizona L 34-37

The Hawks first loss of the season was a disappointing game. On October 25, the Arizona Cardinals beat the Seahawks 37-34 in overtime. The Hawks were up by 10 points with 3 minutes left in the game, but the Cardinals somehow tied the game with a field goal. They also missed the game-winning one! The Seahawks got the ball in OT but Russ got picked off at the 50 yard line to be returned to the Hawk’s 45. So, the Cardinals got the ball and drove down the field, going for another try to put the ball through the uprights. This time, Arizona kicker Zane Gonzalez made the field goal to win it with 17 seconds left. This game was really hard to watch, and the 5-1 Seahawks suddenly didn’t seem that good anymore.

Seattle receiver Tyler Lockett had his best game this season by far, with three touchdown catches, one one-handed catch, and two long gain catches under tight pressure. For those of you who are in fantasy football, he got 48 points! Receiver DK Metcalf had the “Play of the century” Coach Pete Carroll said. The Hawks were on Arizona’s 10 yard line, when Russell Wilson lobbed a pass to RB Chris Carson, but Cardinal’s safety Budda Baker picked off the ball at the 3rd yard line. Once Baker had the ball, he had the end zone 97 yards away in his sights. DK Metcalf, who was on the other side of the field, sprinted down 89 yards, (going a total of 22 MPH) passing Russell and Carson, and chased down Budda Baker, whose team had started celebrating the TD. Metcalf, it turned out, saved 7 points, as the Cardinals were stopped in four downs. That play will go down in NFL history!

San Francisco @ Seattle W 37-27

The Hawks vs the Niners was a total blowout. Seattle won 37-27, in a game that felt like you could predict the ending. Rookie DeeJay Dallas, the fourth string running back, had 2 touchdowns and played most of the game. He did really well, and he scored his first career points and his first start.

Safety Jamal Adams is coming back next week, and so are RBs Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde. Cornerback Shaquille Griffin and Ugo Amadi are questionable for the game against the Bills, and trade acquired DE Carlos Dunlap is playing, too. (Continued)

Seattle @ Buffalo L 34-44

The Seahawks are 6-2, now that they lost to the Bills 34-44, the most points allowed in Pete Carroll’s time with Seattle. Metcalf had the big game this week, and Russ had 4 turnovers! He had 2 sack-fumbles, and threw 2 interceptions.

The Hawk’s D played it’s worst this season, even with star safety Jamal Adams and DE Carlos Dunlap.

I really hope that the defense improves, and we will find out against the L.A. Rams. Somehow, some way: The Masters Jimmy Porter | 8th Grade

Somehow, some way the Masters at Augusta National is about to commence. After months of waiting, golfers from across the globe are gearing up for their visit to the coveted Augusta National Golf Course. The tournament will be played from Thursday, November 12th to Sunday, November 15th. The competition is usually played in April, the weekend after college basketball’s March Madness. As you all know, April was when the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world affecting all of our school lives as well as families and businesses’ livelihood. Nonetheless, the organizers of the tournament have persevered and have brought us what will be an exciting and safe contest between the golfers.

When the Masters begins, there are few things to look for. Firstly, watch for precautions set in place by the tournament organizers. Masks, temperature checks, and Covid tests are likely. The COVID logistics team may have incorporated a system similar to the NBA, where players and staffers have to wear GPS bracelets for precise contact tracing. Secondly, for those watching, keep your eye trained on course conditions and water hazards. Augusta National is notorious for giving players trouble with water hazards. For example, last year Sergio Garcia, a top player from Spain, hit 5 balls into the water! Setting a course low of 13 on hole 15 (as seen in the photo). Furthermore, the creek on hole 13 has seen its fair share of water-balls. Also, course conditions play a big role in the course. On a rainy day, golf balls don’t roll as fast or far, and on dry, sunny days golf balls travel fast and very far.

Sources: masters.com espn.com Comics For the comic below, spread 2 fingers outward on the mouse pad to zoom in/out