The Mast Tribune
October 2019 Edition
Overview
- Halloween Party Recipes
- Trump's Impeachment Trial
- MaST to the Past: Little Shop of Horrors
- College Essay Advice
- Halloween Attractions
- Halloween Traditions Around the World
10 Recipes You Need for Your Halloween Party - by Kaylynn Siedlecki
1. Red Velvet Vampire Cupcakes
What looks like a gory encounter with the Count himself is just raspberry jam brightened with a drop of red food coloring. And if you dare sink your own teeth into them, you'll find that more raspberry jam and chocolate await in the center.
Recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/red-velvet-vampire-cupcakes-3813501
2. Pumpkin Cheese Ball
This adorable take on a pumpkin-shaped cheese ball gets its bright orange coloring from ground-up cheese puffs and its stem from a bell pepper.
Recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/pumpkin-cheese-ball-3885543
3. Crispy Phyllo Wrapped Hot Dog Mummies
No need to be too meticulous when wrapping these spooky versions of pigs in blankets; the raggedy look suits the mummy theme to a "tee."
4. Spider Bites
All you need are three ingredients to make Sandra's easy spider bites. The chocolate-covered pretzels are just creepy enough for young kids to enjoy. Recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/spider-bites-recipe-1926570
5. Jack-O'-Lantern Onion Dip
This easy, cheesy onion dip is the perfect crowd-pleasing snack for any Halloween bash. Recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jack-o-lantern-onion-dip-5463525
6. Chocolate Crescent Witch Hats
Your guest will love these chocolaty witch hat-shaped crescent snacks. Plus, they are easy to make with only 3 ingredients!
Recipe: https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/chocolate-crescent-witch-hats/efab0b73-f549-405d-8e5c-f05f76669bb6
7. Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats
These Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats are the perfect Halloween snacks for a party! This Halloween snack is a great way to bring some fun and festivity to any event. Recipe: https://www.savoryexperiments.com/peanut-butter-rice-krispie-treat-pumpkins/
8. Candy Corn Chicken Quesadilla
Chicken Quesadillas are transformed with the right cheese on the outside to create Candy Corn Chicken Quesadillas, a healthy Halloween recipe!
Recipe: https://boulderlocavore.com/candy-corn-chicken-quesadillas/
9. BOO-nana Popsicles
Kids will love this cool and scary snack!
Recipe: https://www.wellplated.com/halloween-banana-popsicles/
10. Frankenstein Oreo’s
A dessert your guests will love...especially the kids!
Trump's Impeachment Trial - by Adam Leghzaouni
September 24th, 2019. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi boldly announces the impeachment inquiry. After years of Democrats waiting for an opportunity to impeach President Trump, they have finally found their moment. Nancy Pelosi told the country that the new findings of Mr.Trump's relationship with Ukraine and his administration's stonewalling of Congress with regard to Ukraine has left the House with only one decision: to take on extreme action. The whistleblower complaint, which is where all of this ultimately derives from, includes the allegations that Mr.Trump and his administration stonewalled $391 million in aid to Ukraine for strategic leverage over the president of Ukraine. This was in order to open an investigation on democratic candidate Joe Biden and his son. Mr.Trump has released a phone transcript of the call and acknowledges that he mentions Joe Biden, but rejects any unlawful business conducted by him. With the inquiry, the Democrats have the power to obtain documents and investigate throughout the administration.
October 3rd, 2019. Within all the documents, there is a transcript of a phone call between Mr. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 18th. In the call, Mr.Trump had agreed to remain silent about the Chinese protests during the trade war. In the same call, Mr. Trump mentions corruption with Joe Biden again, and another democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren. Now, the push of the impeachment of President Trump is becoming more and more inevitable. If the process were to go to the Senate for removal of office, that is a whole different story. The majority of the Senate has come out and claimed that the impeachment inquiry is just a political movement. It does not seem like a Republican majority will be swayed to help two-thirds of the votes go in favor of removal.
MaST to the Past: Little Shop of Horrors - by Stephen Schmidt
College Essay Advice - By Sophia Shaloka
This is a stressful time for us, seniors. While still attempting to discover ourselves, we are being told to pick a major and our school/home for at least the next four years. The most challenging part of our journey into college may be figuring out the perfect essay to write that encompasses the person behind the resume. The essay section of an application is the perfect opportunity to make yourself stand out among the other applicants and tell your story beyond your academic accomplishments. What excites you? What has impacted your life? This isn’t a point in the application to brag about all of your successes that the board has already read over in the informational section. This is where you can make yourself individualistic.
We often think of college as an institution rather than a group of people with unique backgrounds and stories. The people reading our applications are no different. They have all went through the ups and downs that life puts us through. They are not computers. Your college application is being reviewed by real people who want to be introduced to the real you. Rather than showing what you know or what you did, you should show how eager you are to learn and branch out. Or maybe you’d rather talk about how those trials and tribulations in life have made you who you are today. Regardless of what you write, make it shamelessly reflect who you are.
Good luck everyone and I hope that you remember that numbers and titles do not define you, but rather your character.
Halloween Attractions - By Bridget McLaughlin
I feel like a lot of us go to the same places every year for Halloween activities. We go to Terror Behind the Walls, Valley of Fear, and Shady Brook. This year, why not try out some less popular events? Here are a few places that seem like they’d be worth a shot to me!
Linvilla Orchards
I’ve personally been to Linvilla Orchards countless times. My family and I used to go every year when my brothers and I were really young. It was a blast as a little kid, but even now when I go, I still have fun! It’s a great place to go with your family when you have some free time. You can buy pumpkins to carve, Halloween and fall decorations, and pies that are unlike any other pie I’ve ever tasted (if you go, I would recommend the Five Fruit). You also can’t leave without a dozen apple cider doughnuts and a couple of gallons of apple cider. Linvilla Orchards is a perfect place to go to get you into that autumn spirit. I always feel a great sense of nostalgia going there. I hope that if you go, you’ll make plenty of memories that you can one day look back on and smile.
Ghost Tour of Philly
Okay, this is for those of you (not me!) who like creepy, scary stuff. This tour runs nightly all throughout October and it walks you through Independence Park, Old City, and Society Hill. This tour has been named one of the top “must-see” attractions in the U.S.! Being as Philadelphia is one of the most historic cities in the country, it only adds to the spooky atmosphere. For more details about the event, you can check out the website below!
Halloween at the Shore
If you’re anything like me, you want to be down the shore all year round. Luckily, there’s no shortage of Halloween themed events in Ocean City, NJ. October 12th is the Fall Block Party and Firework Spectacular which is perfect for those of us wishing it was still summer! On October 24th, you can watch, or (if you’re brave) participate in the 72nd Annual Halloween Parade is on October 24th on Asbury Avenue from 6th-11th Street. On November 1st and 2nd, the OCTC Junior Company is presenting Little Shop of Horrors with performances being held in the Ocean City Music Pier. If you’re looking to enjoy the fall season as well as the perfect atmosphere of the shore, Ocean City is the place to be!
https://imageserv11.team-logic.com/mediaLibrary/242/2019_Calendar_Of_Events__9_13_19.pdf
Outdoor Movie Screening: Hocus Pocus
Near Drexel’s campus, there’s a rooftop park called Cira Green that occasionally screens movies. On October 23rd, they will be showing Hocus Pocus to get everyone in the spooky spirit. I’ve never personally been to the park, but from the photos, it looks beautiful. There’s an incredible view of the Philadelphia skyline which you can enjoy along with the burger and fries that you can purchase there. I’m going to try to attend this event because, in my opinion, there’s not much better than dinner, a movie, and a view!
HalloQueen: Jukebox the Ghost Concert--October 30th
Jukebox the Ghost is a somewhat well-known band who is coming to Union Transfer, a concert venue in Philly, on October 30th. Their concert is called HalloQueen because number 1, it’s the day before Halloween, and number 2, they are performing covers of Queen songs! Nothing beats Halloween and nothing beats Queen, so the fact that they slapped the two together is genius. Tickets start at $25 before fees which is a pretty good deal if you ask me. To listen to their Queen Covers or just listen to their music, check out the links below!
Queen Covers:
Jukebox the Ghost Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0L8jXe7QeS9oYUoXbANmX4
Tickets: https://www.bandsintown.com/e/101388656-jukebox-the-ghost-at-union-transfer?came_from=244
Halloween Traditions Around the World - By Angelica Meliksetyan
Halloween is one of the world’s oldest and most popular holidays. Most of us are familiar with kids dressing up in fun or spooky costumes and trick or treating on Halloween night, but other countries have their own twists on the tradition.
China
China celebrates Halloween through a lantern festival known as Teng Chieh or the Feast of the First Full Moon. It is revolved around family remembering family members and friends who have passed away. The tradition includes placing water and food in front of pictures of the deceased while bonfires and Chinese lanterns are lit in order to form a pathway for spirits to return home on this particular night. Chinese children are encouraged to avoid swimming and staying out late to evade evil spirits.
Ireland
Halloween first originated in Ireland thousands of years ago. Many children play a traditional Halloween game called “snap-apple” in which an apple is hung on a string and players attempt to bite the hanging apple. It is also common to eat a special Halloween cake called Barnbrack which includes “treasures” baked inside like rings and coins.
Mexico, Latin America, And Spain
The Day of the Dead is a three-day festival that begins on October 31 and ends on November 2 to honor the dead and the continuity of life. Altars are built and graves are decorated with flowers, candy, photographs, and samples of the deceased’s favorite foods. On the last day of the festival, families gather around the grave and enjoy a picnic full of spicy meat dishes, sweets, and batter bread while also sharing stories of the deceased. In the villages, parades are held where people dress up as skeletons and dance in the streets. Home feasts are also held where families eat loaves of bread that are filled with sugar skeletons.
Source: https://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/halloweenglobal.php