A doorman for the Science Academy?!?!

BREAKING NEWS by Desmond Devine

Our school is relatively new, and it is well known that starting a site of education is an endeavor that requires land, motivated people, and above all else, cold hard cash. Now our school has been lucky enough to be able to receive the support needed to launch a new campus, and we have an amazing faculty, but we still need a ton of money to pay the teachers, purchase supplies including textbooks, and ensure student well being. In addition, since we just survived a pandemic, it is extremely important that we save money and use it for the best causes.

Well, apparently there are more important things than the best causes. It has been brought to the attention of the Journalism Club that our school could be hiring a doorman. A doorman! Something only billionaires and the most upper-crust of hotels have. Can’t our students open doors by themselves? Go check out the link below at home if you’ve forgotten how to open a door:

https://www.instructables.com/How-To-Open-A-Door-1/

Come on, guys! We’re the SCIENCE ACADEMY. The gifted and talented individuals who will go on to achieve greatness! If we are inhibited by a simple unlocked door, then why bother coming to such a prestigious school in the first place? This is the problem with this possible purchase. We don’t need it. That money could be used to help clubs, buy more lab equipment for science classes, or purchase tissues that don’t feel like cardboard. Anything would be better!  But apparently, the two guardian angels of our school, SciFi and ASB, think hiring a doorman will benefit our school, when in reality it is a waste of money that tells us impressionable children that it’s okay to rely on others to get basic responsibilities done.

Everyone, speak out now to ensure our school’s financial security! Scroll down to learn more on how to help stop this egregious waste:

APRIL FOOLS’!

By the way, I know this money stuff sounds complicated and frustrating. But you know what isn’t complicated? Taking 15 minutes to save 15% or more on car insurance by switching to Geico!

p.s. Here’s some history on the origin of April Fools’ Day:

Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. In the Julian Calendar, as in the Hindu calendar, the new year began with the spring equinox around April 1.

People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes and were called “April fools.” These pranks included having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as “poisson d’avril” (April fish), said to symbolize a young, easily caught fish and a gullible person.

Saint Patrick’s Day

by Jordin Lim

       Saint Patrick’s Day, well known for clever leprechaun-catching and for pinching those not wearing green, has an interesting history and fascinating traditions.  Saint Patrick’s Day traditionally takes place on March 17th,  but how did this day come to be?

The Origins of Saint Patrick’s Day

      Saint Patrick is one of Christianity’s most widely known figures. Born in Roman Britain and alive during the fifth century, Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and its national apostle. 

       After being kidnapped by a group of Irish raiders who had been attacking his family’s estate, he was brought to Ireland at age 16, where he spent six years in captivity. During this time in captivity, Patrick worked as a shepherd, away from people. His feelings of loneliness and fear caused him to turn to religion as a sort of consolation, eventually becoming a devout Christian. According to his writings, Patrick escaped after he had heard the voice of God telling him to leave Ireland. Upon his return to Britain, Patrick is said to have experienced another revelation, one of an angel telling him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Upon his return to Ireland, he is said to have brought Christianity to its people.

      The mythology of Saint Patrick’s life is deeply ingrained in Irish culture. Perhaps the best known legend of Saint Patrick is his explanation of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) with the usage of the three leaves of the shamrock, a native Irish clover. Another well known legend regarding Saint Patrick was that of him driving snakes out of Ireland by chasing them into the sea, until they began attacking him during a 40-day fast he undertook while atop a hill. Saint Patrick also used bonfires to celebrate Easter, since the Irish were used to celebrating their gods with fires. The Celtic cross was created when Patrick superimposed a sun onto the Christian cross, so that reverence of the new symbol seemed more natural to the Irish people. 

      Although Saint Patrick is known for being the patron saint of Ireland, he was never canonized, or made a saint, by the Catholic Church, simply due to the era he lived in: during the first millennium, no formal canonization process was present in the Catholic Church. However, as he helped spread Christianity throughout Ireland, Patrick was proclaimed to be a saint due to popular acclaim rather than an official proceeding.

      By the time of his death, said to have been on March 17, 461, Saint Patrick had established monasteries, missionaries, and churches. Therefore, his religious service is commemorated on March 17th every year. In general, Saint Patrick’s Day is the global celebration of Irish culture, particularly remembering Saint Patrick. This day is celebrated in most countries with people of Irish descent.

Saint Patrick’s Day Traditions

      There are several traditions that are associated with Saint Patrick’s Day. There are also some that are carried out to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day.

      The Shamrock: The shamrock, also called the “seamory” by the Celts, is well known for being associated with Saint Patrick’s Day. It was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland due to the fact that it represented the rebirth of spring. The shamrock eventually became the symbol of emerging Irish nationalism during the 17th century. As the English began conquering Irish land, many Irish people began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride and heritage.

      Music: Music, in general, has been associated with Saint Patrick’s Day and Irish culture. The Celts had an oral culture, in which their religion, legends, and history were passed down by stories and songs. After being conquered by the English, the Irish turned to music to allow them to remember important events and to hold onto their history and heritage. However, music was then outlawed by the English. Today, traditional Irish bands use the same instruments that have been used for centuries, such as the fiddle, bagpipe, and the tin whistle. 

        The Snake: As previously mentioned, Saint Patrick was fabled to have driven snakes out of Ireland, only to be attacked by them during a 40-day fast he carried out on a hill. However, the island nation was never home to any snakes. The “banishing of snakes” was a metaphor for the removal of pagan ideology and the success of Christianity. 

        Food: During the celebrations of Saint Patrick’s Day, traditional Irish foods such as corned beef and cabbage are plentiful. 

      Leprechauns: The most renowned icon of Saint Patrick’s Day is most likely the leprechaun, figures of folklore who were believed to have come from the Celtic beliefs in fairies. In Celtic folklore, leprechauns were said to be cranky souls who were responsible for mending the shoes of other fairies. They were well known for trickery, often used to protect their much-fabled treasure. Many people dress up as leprechauns on St Patrick’s Day.

8th Grade Science Fair Winners

by Julia Shin

     Congratulations to all of the Science Fair winners and good luck to all of the winners for County!

8th Grade

1st Place – Tanishga Thankaraj Vijay & Harshini Manikandan

Project Title: Determining Factors that Affect a Fan’s Performance 

     This fusion of an experiment and an engineering project was focused on determining which type of blade shape will generate the most voltage. Tanishga and Harshini created five common fan blades from cardboard and attached a bottle cap and a rod of a DC motor to the blades to complete the fan. Then, all of the five fans were positioned facing a house fan (maintaining equal distance and speed for each fan) as a multimeter measured the electricity generated. They discovered, the purple fan, as shown above, was the best design. As Tanishga and Harshini have an interest in the field of wind energy, they wanted to understand better how fans work, like the ones used in everyday life. From this project, they learned how the most important factors affecting a fan’s performance are the number of fan blades, the surface area, and the angle. Furthermore, they learned about the various fans and each of their unique purposes. Thus, they learned about the balance between having the least number of blades, however, not letting that comprise the loudness of the sound created by the fan or the fan’s effectiveness. 

2nd Place – Jasper Mejia 

Project Title: Solar Mini Fridge V2

     This engineering project was inspired by Jasper’s mom, who’s a Type 1 diabetic. Being a diabetic, she requires insulin to survive. Thus, for emergency purposes, when electricity may be unavailable, this solar-powered mini-fridge stores and cools insulin for insulin to be useable (for the fridge to be successful, it much reach a temperature between 34.0˚F – 40.0˚F). Also, since the fridge is solar-powered, it eliminates using multiple batteries just once. As Jasper shared, he believes this project could help people around the globe who have pre-existing conditions. From this project, he learned about various techniques of heat transfer and how to use different insulators to counter each of those methods. For example, he used wood, foam, and aluminum since they are all materials used to stop the heat. Additionally, he learned about how to have a polished final project, many prototypes have to be created and constantly revised. 

3rd Place – William Kim

Project Title: Detecting Ink Levels With Image Processing 

     The purpose of this engineering project was to create an efficient and easy-to-use indicator that notifies the user how much ink is left inside a pen. Before using the pen, the ink level is determined and shown to the user so the ink container does not have to be removed (yet, this prototype mostly requires taking out the ink container to use it). William chose this project because he believed being able to view how much ink is left in a pen is very practical for daily life and it would help numerous people. From this project, he shared he learned that image processing can be very useful and that other future technological developments can solve other various common problems.

Honorable Mention – Iden Stein & Jamieson Wong 

Project Title: The Odds of Cheating in Blackjack 

     The purpose of this experiment was to stimulate methods to count blackjack cards and discover how much money people collected from their bets. As Iden shared, he believed, “creating a blackjack simulation that card counts tens of millions of hands in minutes is absolutely awesome.” From this project, Iden and Jamieson learned that in simulations, there aren’t big differences in different card counting methods yet in real life, there are big differences.

Lunar New Year

by Desmond Devine

Origin

     Lunar New Year is celebrated by many cultures, including the Chinese New Year, and it begins with the first new moon of the year and ends with the full moon that occurs about fifteen days after the new moon. Every Lunar New Year is represented with one of twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac, each representing different personality traits. The signs repeat in a twelve year cycle. Each animal is also given the properties of one of five elements: earth, fire, metal, water, and wood. Each cycle of signs is given its own element, and the cycle of elements repeats itself every five sign cycles. This year is the year of the Water Tiger. The Water Tiger represents courage, strength, and the forces of good.

Chinese New Year

     It is believed that Chinese New Year has been celebrated since the 14th century B.C., during the time of the Shang Dynasty. Around 100 B.C. was when the tradition of doing rituals on Chinese New Year began. The rituals served to honor the gods in hopes of a good harvest. The Chinese government led under Communist leader Mao Zedong ceased celebration of Chinese New Year in 1949. Towards the end of the 20th century, the government became more open to Chinese New Year celebrations and gave people a week off during a period known as the Spring Festival.  Today people celebrate by being with their families, giving money to others in red envelopes, and eating traditional foods such as fish, dumplings, moon cakes, and rice ball soup. At the end of the celebration, the Lantern Festival occurs in which people light colorful lanterns to decorate their homes as well as participating in games, parades, and dances. Firework displays also celebrate the end of the Spring Festival. The lighting and letting go of the lanterns symbolizes letting go of people’s past transgressions.

Vietnamese New Year

     Vietnam’s Lunar New Year is known as Tet Nguyen Dan and usually shortened to just “Tet”.  It spans 5-7 days, beginning on the same day as Chinese New Year, and also marks the beginning of Spring. During this time, Vietnamese people give reverence to their ancestors and hold family reunions.  People are mindful, believing that what they do during Tet will affect the rest of the year. Before Tet, families clean and decorate their homes, family shrines, and the graves of deceased family members. People light incense and leave offerings of fruit and flowers on the shrines along with pictures of ancestors, similar to the traditions of Día de los Muertos in Mexico. Traditional foods are enjoyed, such as banh chung, a ball of rice filled with meat or bean paste and wrapped in banana leaves, and xoi, Vietnamese sticky rice.

A picture of a dragon dance

Korean New Year

     In Korea, Lunar New Year is known as Seollal and is celebrated similarly to Chinese New Year. When Japan annexed Korea from 1910 to 1945, Lunar New Year was officially stopped.  Celebrations made a comeback in 1989,  and the day of celebration shifted to occur based on the lunar calendar. Families participate in a ritual in which reverence is given to ancestors and the elderly. In both North and South Korea, traditional dishes include sliced rice cake soup, which marks a person’s Lunar Calendar Birthday upon consumption. Games are played, such as Yut Nori, a relay race where players move depending on how they throw colored sticks, which function similarly to dice. 

A bowl of rice cake soup

Mongolian New Year

     Lunar New Year is known as Tsagaan Sar in Mongolia and shares many characteristics with Chinese New Year. For example, it uses the same zodiac as China to name new years. It was created in 1206 under the rule of Chinggis Khan. On Bituun, the evening of the day before Lunar New Year begins, families gather at the home of the oldest member to have a feast and play games. On the first day, before the sun rises, people make milk tea and visit their elders. Traditional meals eaten during Tsagaan Sar include buuz, dumplings filled with minced beef or lamb, and ul boov, long biscuits stacked on plates. Since Tsagaan Sar feasts are large, families have to start cooking them days in advance.

A traditional Tsagaan Sar greeting, in which a person greets an old relative by placing their hands below the other’s arms and saying “Amar baina uu”, meaning, “How are you?”

Tibetan New Year

     In Tibet, New Year is known as Losar and takes place on December 29th on the Tibetan lunar calendar. Celebrations last two weeks. It was created after the marriage of Princess Wencheng of Han and the King of Tibet, Songtsan Gampo in 641 AD, which united the two nations. In the streets people sing and perform dances and act out battles. The two days before the new year are called “Gutor”. On the first day, families clean their homes. On the second day, people perform religious ceremonies and give to charity. On the first day of New Year, families come together for a reunion dinner and give each other presents. On the second day, families visit their friends and relatives. On the third day, families visit monasteries and hang prayer flags on the tops of houses and along mountains. A traditional food eaten during Losar is guthuk, a soup with dumplings. The ingredients the chef puts in a person’s dumplings is a playful commentary on their personality.

Sources

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lunar-New-Year
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/chinese-new-year
https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-other/billions-celebrate-lantern-festival-across-china.htm
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lantern-Festival
https://asiasociety.org/korea/seollal-korean-lunar-new-year
https://www.asiahighlights.com/vietnam/new-year
https://www.itourvn.com/blog/a-look-into-vietnamese-lion-and-dragon-dance

Mongolian Lunar New Year – Tsagaan Sar

http://nayazaya.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-tsagaan-sar.html

Black History Month

by Milan Riley

     Black History Month is a national occasion celebrated during the month of February. This is a time to appreciate authors, inventors, political figures, scientists, and cultural leaders of African descent for their important contributions. The observance first began in the United States on January 2, 1970 and has been annually observed ever since. In addition, it is celebrated in Canada and the United Kingdom.

The Origin of Black History Month

      The roots of Black History Month began with African American History Week. Historian Carter G. Woodson organized the first African American History Week in the second week of February to commemorate the achievements of Black Americans. He choose the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, who both contributed so much to the emancipation of African Americans. The event inspired schools and communities nationwide to organize local celebrations, establish history clubs, and host performances and lectures. Though the event transformed into Black History Month in 1970, it wasn’t official until 1976, when President Gerald Ford first recognized the observance. 

Carter G. Woodson

Celebrated Individuals in Black History

Notable African American Figures

Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

     Martin Luther King Jr. was an activist and peaceful protester for African American rights during the 1950’s and 60’s. As a Baptist minister, Martin Luther King Jr. also led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He was born on January 15, 1929 and was assassinated on April 4, 1968 after delivering his last speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” the preceding day. King’s most famous speech was made on August 28, 1963, called “I Have a Dream.” Martin Luther King, Jr. greatly contributed to the end of segregation through his support of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Martin Luther King. Jr delivering “I Have a Dream”

Rosa Parks

     Rosa Parks was an American civil rights activist best known for her role in the Montgomery bus boycott. She initiated the movement by refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Alabama bus in 1955, thereby helping to end segregation in public transportation. Rosa was born on February 4, 1913, and died on October 24, 2005. She received many awards such as the Congressional Gold Medal, Spingarn Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

Rosa Parks on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama

Shirley Chisholm

     Born in 1924, Shirley Chisholm ran for New York State Assembly in 1964 and became the first African American congresswoman when she was elected in 1968. Shirley continued to serve from 1969 to 1983 before becoming the first African American of a major political party to run for the Democratic party’s presidential nomination. Her well-known campaign slogan was “Unbought and Unbossed.” Of her legacy, Chisholm said, “I want to be remembered as a woman … who dared to be a catalyst of change.”

Rep. Shirley Chisholm

John Baxter Taylor, Jr.

     Born on November 3, 1882, John Taylor was a record-setting athlete in track and field before he died on December 2, 1908. As a quarter-miler for his college, John set a world record of 49.1 seconds for the 440-yards in 1903. In 1907, John set a new record of 48.6 seconds in the same event and became the indoor champion for 600 yards. A year later, John Taylor became the first African American to win an Olympic Gold Medal after participating in the 1908 Summer Olympics Men’s medley relay. 

John Baxter Taylor, Jr. 

Hattie McDaniel

     Hattie McDaniel started her entertainment career as a band vocalist in the 1910s and later debuted as an actress in The Golden West (1932). She was born on June 10, 1893 and died on October 26, 1952. Hattie was best known for her role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind (1939). Her performance earned the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress that same year, making her the first African American to win an Oscar. 

Hattie McDaniel receiving an Oscar

Guion Bluford

     Guion Stewart Bluford Jr. is an American aerospace engineer, retired U.S Air Officer and fighter pilot, as well as a former NASA astronaut. Guion was born on November 22, 1942, and is currently 79 years old. He flew 144 combat missions during the Vietnam war and was one of the 10,000 applicants selected by NASA’s competition to become space shuttle astronauts. On August 30, 1983, he became a crew member of the STS-8 mission and the first African American to go to space. Afterwards, Guion completed missions STS-61A, STS-39,  and his last journey, STS-53, on December 2, 1992. Guion was awarded the Air Medal and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. 

Guion Bluford in space

The Scripps National Spelling Bee

UPDATE: Congratulations to our winners!     

1st place: Daniel T., 6th grade

2nd place: Jillian C., 7th grade

3rd place: Jordan R., 6th grade

by Milan Riley

It’s that time of year again: Spelling Bee Season! Spelling bees were designed to help students improve their spelling skills and broaden their vocabulary. Every year, the Scripps National Spelling Bee is held, giving students from across America an opportunity to participate in an exciting event with a long and storied history.

The History of Scripps National Spelling Bee

     In 1908, the National Education Association (NEA) held what is recognized as the first national spelling bee in America. Maria Bolden, a 14-year-old girl from Cleveland, was named the champion. Seventeen years later, the first annual Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C on June 17, 1925. The event was sponsored by The Courier-Journal, a newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky. The Courier-Journal was the result of a merge between nine newspapers, and it started the event to promote literacy in America. Nine finalists competed in this occasion, with 11-year-old Frank Neuhaser of Kentucky placing first by spelling the word “gladiolus” correctly. Frank received $500 in gold coins for this feat. Now, more than 90 years later, the Scripps Spelling Bee has become a beloved tradition, televised around the world. 

The nine finalists of the first Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The Current National Spelling Bee

     After The Courier-Journal, the E.W Scripps Company became the non-profit sponsor for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. This year, in 2022, there will be 562 contestants and the bee will be televised to nearly 120 million households. Each year’s winner of the National Scripps Spelling Bee receives a $50,000 cash prize, commemorative medal, and the Scripps Cup. In addition, Merriam-Webster, a publishing company best known for their well-regarded dictionary, awards the champions $2,500. 

     Merriam-Webster Unabridged is the official dictionary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The Bee and Merriam-Webster have worked together for over 50 years to bring challenging words to the event. 

The Scripps Cup

Rules of the Spelling Bee

     Participants in the spelling bee cannot be older than 15 as of August 31 in the year before the competition. In addition, they cannot be past the 8th grade as of February 1 in the year of the spelling bee. In addition, previous winners are not allowed to compete again. Finally, to qualify for the Scripps National Spelling Bee (SNSB), the contestants’ schools must be officially enrolled in the SNSB program. 

     Contestants can ask for alternate pronunciations, parts of speech, definitions or for the word to be used in a sentence. If a student spells their word correctly, they move onto the next round. If a student spells their word incorrectly, they’re eliminated. However, if all contestants spell their word incorrectly in a round, the round is redone with every contestant of that round. 

     A contestant’s answer is formatted specifically, first they repeat the word, spell the word, and say the word again to indicate they’re finished. Students can start over in the middle of spelling, although they cannot change the letters, or their order, that they already said. In addition, capitalization and punctuation is not needed when spelling a word. 

A tense moment during the Scripps National Spelling Bee

The Science Academy 2022 Spelling Bee Finalists

     This year, the Science Academy is pleased to congratulate the following students for winning their class bees:

6th grade

Kaden S.

Jordan R.

Daniel T.

7th grade

Jordin L.

Jillian C.

Medha P.

8th grade

Ryan L.

Payton S.

Jebin L.

     The School-Wide Spelling Bee will take place on Wednesday, February 2, 2022 in the auditorium from per. 2 to per. 4. Parents and guardians are invited to attend. The one winner of the School Bee will advance to the Regional Spelling Bee on Sunday, March 13, 2022. The one overall winner of the Regional Bee will progress to the National Spelling Bee, which will take place the week of Memorial Day 2022 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Good luck, everyone!

Edit: The winner of The Science Academy STEM Magnet’s middle school spelling bee was 6th grader Daniel Tang. Congratulations and good luck at the regionals on March 12th!

Special New Year’s Eve Traditions Around the World

by Julia Shin

     As Edith Lovejoy Pierce, a 20th century poet, once said, “We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” Many people look forward to the new year and are excited for New Year’s Eve, a famous celebration, on December 31st. Many people attend New Year’s Eve parties where people eat, drink, and spend time with friends and family. In hopes of a good new year with good health, happiness, and prosperity, many countries have unique and fun New Year’s Eve traditions. Some unique traditions around the world include smashing plates and throwing white flowers into the ocean. 

1. Denmark: Smashing Plates 

      If you visit Denmark on New Year’s Eve, you may be surprised to see smashed china at people’s front doors yet Danes find pride in broken dishes at their front door. In fact, the bigger pile of dishes in front of your house indicates more luck you will have in the upcoming year! A popular Danish tradition is to throw china at your friends’ and neighbors’ front doors. Many unused plates are saved for this unusual occasion. Smashing china, particularly plates, leaves behind any hostility or ill feelings before the new year.

2. Brazil: Throwing white flowers into the ocean & wearing colorful underwear. 

      White represents peace and, for this reason, white is incorporated into New Year’s Eve traditions in Brazil. For example, white is worn on New Year’s Eve and white flowers and candles are thrown into the ocean. Throwing flowers and candles are offerings given to Yemoja, the African Goddess of the Ocean (who is honored in both Brazil and Africa). These offerings are given in hope of a good new year. Although people in Brazil may wear white, they are still colorful! On New Year’s Eve, people’s underwear should be new and colorful. Different colors of underwear have different meanings. For example, yellow represents wealth, white means peace, pink indicates love, and red represents passion. 

3. Spain: Eating grapes in hopes of a good new year. 

     When the bell strikes midnight, Spaniards will eat exactly 12 grapes, one grape at each of the 12 bell strikes after midnight. Losing count of how many grapes are eaten or bell strikes means bad luck. This tradition began in the 1800s when vine growers created this tradition to sell more grapes near the end of the year. However, this tradition became more popular and was later cemented as a yearly tradition. Therefore, supermarkets and street vendors sell little plastic bags of 12 grapes to sell to locals. Spaniards hope this tradition will bring a year of good fortune and success. 

4. Czech Republic: Cutting Apples 

       An apple is cut on New Year’s Eve which determines everyone’s fate nearby. When cut, if the apple’s core looks like a star, everyone will gain happiness and health. However, if the core looks like a cross, then bad things are expected to come. For example, someone may fall ill at the New Year’s party.

So while many of you are familiar with the tradition of watching the ball drop in Times Square, enjoying the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day, and making resolutions for the new year, perhaps consider incorporating some of these fun traditions into your celebration next year!

Chag Sameach / Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate!

The History Of Thanksgiving

by Milan Riley

     Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated in multiple countries around the world as it marks the end of the autumn season and shows gratitude for the fall harvest. Different countries have traditions and dates that vary for this occasion, but most are very similar. The majority of individuals that participate in Thanksgiving spend this time with their families and have a large feast. Some places that recognize the holiday, or have an event with a related concept, are the United States of America, Canada, Liberia, and Norfolk Island, which all have nearly identical customs for Thanksgiving. In addition, Germany, Grenada, China, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam all have their own unique traditions for their harvest celebration. 

Thanksgiving in America

     In the United States, the traditions that evolved for Thanksgiving Day originated 400 years ago in 1621. It began when the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag, a local tribe of Native Americans, shared a feast to commemorate the colonists’ first successful harvest, which involved three days of rejoicing. It was the Native Americans who showed them how to survive the harsh winter, resulting in an alliance that lasted 50 years. In 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln announced that Thanksgiving Day should be held on the last Thursday of November throughout the nation.  However, this was altered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who signed a bill in 1941, moving the occasion and decreeing that Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year.

     For the holiday, American households often gather with friends and family and enjoy a large meal, usually with turkey as the main dish. Pumpkin pie, stuffing, and mashed potatoes may be present as other traditional dishes. It is also common for individuals to volunteer on this day; food drives and free dinners are frequently hosted by communities. Parades, such as New York City’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, feature large character-shaped balloons, performers, and bands. These capture lots of attention as millions of people come to watch the festivities. In addition, since the middle of the 20th century, the U.S. president usually “pardons” at least one Thanksgiving turkey each year, letting them safely retire to a farm.

New York City’s Thanksgiving Parade 2021, hosted by Macy’s department store

Thanksgiving in Canada

     The first Canadian Thanksgiving occurred around 1578, 43 years earlier than its American counterpart, although the first official Thanksgiving celebration didn’t occur in Canada until the 19th century. At first, similar European holidays were the inspiration for the event. The holiday allowed colonists in Canada to appreciate a successful harvest’s products. Despite being much older than American traditions, the Canadian holiday did adopt some of the U.S. customs later on. 

     Before and during the Revolutionary War, many American colonists who supported the British moved to Canada, thereby bringing their Thanksgiving practices. As a result, the Canadian menu for a Thanksgiving feast often includes a turkey, pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes, and stuffing, much like the Americans. Though there are many similarities, the date for the holiday differentiates from America’s; in Canada, Thanksgiving Day is on the second Monday of October. In addition, not every province celebrates it as a public holiday.

An example of a Canadian household on Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving in Liberia

     Since Liberia was founded by freed American slaves in 1847, many of their traditions are influenced by the United States; this includes Thanksgiving customs. Some activities in Liberia include a church service on Thanksgiving Day followed by an auction of harvest crops. Finally, as in America, families would return home to a feast. 

     However, unlike America, the holiday is held on the first Thursday of November in Liberia. There are also some culinary differences; in Liberia, their menu consists of roast chicken, green bean casserole, and mashed cassavas. This is because it is rarer to find turkeys and pumpkins in Liberia, a West African nation. As with many Liberian celebrations, they also listen to music, dance, and sing on Thanksgiving Day.

Traditional foods for a Thanksgiving dinner in Liberia

Thanksgiving in Norfolk Island 

     Across the world, Norfolk Island, located off the coast of Australia, adopted a very similar version of American Thanksgiving. With a population of just 2,000 residents, the island was a British penal colony for 67 years, from 1788 to 1855. During this time, many whalers and traders from the United States visited the area. Isaac Robinson, an American trader, arrived in the late 1800s and introduced the traditional Thanksgiving to a local church. Despite him sadly dying soon afterward, the island kept the holiday. Now, individuals living on Norfolk Island have a feast with pork, chicken, bananas, and pumpkin pie. They celebrate the occasion on the last Wednesday of November.

A food drive on Norfolk Island during Thanksgiving

Congratulations our new ASB Officers!

High School ASB:

President: Melissa Mouchamel (12th)

Vice President: Scott Oberholtzer (12th)

Secretary: Rachel Lee (12th)

Treasurer: Gautam Gupta (12th)

Historian: Emily Corona (12th)

Class Representatives:

12th Grade: Michael Marenge, Ryan Dowling

11th Grade: Zach Read, Mary Sarukhanyan

10th Grade: Zahra Reaves, Natalie Epshstein

9th Grade: Zachary Miller, Katie Shin

8th Grade: Alex Rostomyan, Hailey Choi

7th Grade: Erin Youn, Ethan De Guzman, Xander Kromnick

6th Grade: Irene Lee, Eric Chung

Statement from Melissa Mouchamel, ASB High School President: I am incredibly excited to take on the role of President this year. Last year was a difficult challenge for all students; our completely virtual learning environment was far from ideal. I look forward to taking advantage of the return to in-person learning in order to make all of the events we couldn’t have before come to life. So far, all of our Science Academy officers and representatives have worked to organize clubs more efficiently, host several events such as a Spirit Week and our Middle School and High School dances, and more. These events are only the beginning of our journey. I hope to implement more creative contests, fundraisers, Spirit Days, and ultimately a Talent Show for students to showcase their unique skills. As I continue my third year as a part of ASB, I am prepared to use the knowledge I have gained to represent the voices of the Science Academy’s student body to the best of my ability. At the end of the day, the most important part of my position is making sure that the unique voices of our students are heard. I am grateful for this opportunity and will do everything in my power to not only fulfill this responsibility, but to make this a memorable school year for everyone.

Statement from Scott Oberholtzer, ASB High School Vice President: As Vice President, my largest responsibility is in the field of clubs, working alongside Ms. Kincaid and our Club Manager, Gautam Gupta, to process club applications and approvals, along with holding Club Rush to inform students about all of the new and continuing clubs we have available. We have more events and changes planned for the future to make everything about clubs as simple and streamlined as possible both for club members and organizers.

Being a member of the Associative Student Body, a large part of my job is sufficiently representing the students of Science Academy High School. I know that every decision I make is on behalf of the entire school, and as such, I am working first and foremost on behalf of the students. Everything I have done in my term so far has been with the wants and needs of the students at the forefront, and I will be keeping this as a constant throughout the year. I look forward to continuing assisting the school in whatever way I can and being the best Vice President I can be. 

Statement from Andrew Bao, ASB Middle School President: Hello everyone! I would like to congratulate all of the elected officers, I look forward to serving as the Science Academy Middle School President and to work together as a team to represent this school. Also, thank you to everyone who voted for me – I’ll do my best to make this year as good as possible coming back from COVID. Also keeping my promise, if anyone has any concerns, opinions, or suggestions, please let me know! I’ll be happy to listen and take everything into consideration. After all, getting feedback can help us improve the student body.

Statement from Jasper Mejia, ASB Middle School Vice President: My goal as Vice President for the Middle School is to help re-connect our middle school student body and build our school community by planning fun activities for all middle school students. I also want to be the voice for students, listening to their suggestions and using those suggestions to create a positive school environment. This year will be full of fun memories!