Trojan Times
January Edition 2023
Events in the Region
NWI Comic Con
NWI Comic-Con is a smaller mid-size comic book convention that is more about comics, creators and fans than actors and celebrities. Meet the creators behind the books. Chat with various Artists, Writers, Publishers and more. Purchase new and vintage comic books and toys. Meet some phenomenal Cosplayers and have a great time.
Admission is only $10.00 for adults. Parking is 100% free and an additional parking lot is available in the event that the first one fills up.
This event is very crowded, early arrival is highly suggested. Note- the early access tickets are available soon! also tickets are at the door.
Date/Time
Date(s) - 02/11/2023
11:00 am - 7:00 pm
Location
Lake County Fair Grounds
Create an Acrylic Painting!
Saturday, February 04
10:00am - 1:00pm
Dyer-Schererville,1001 W. Lincoln Hwy.,,IN,46375
Daddy Daughter Moonlight Masquerade Ball
Calling all Dads and their Daughters! The time has come to experience the MAGIC, marvel in the MYSTERY, and GLOW under the Moonlight...The Daddy Daughter Moonlight Masquerade Ball has ARRIVED!
Schererville Parks invites all masqueraders to join us for night full of Dinner, Dessert, Dancing, Games, Contests, Crafts and more at our 1st ever MOONLIGHT MASQUERADE BALL!
The Mystery under the Moonlight begins at 6pm & here's what to expect...
- Dinner & Drinks --> Freshly Baked Chicken Tenders, Buttery Sweet Corn, Whipped Buttery Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Crisp Side Salad w/ choice of Dressing and a HUGE Ice Cream Bar
- Dancing with LIVE DJ!
- Dance Games with PRIZES
- Unlimited Fun Photo Booth Sessions
- Professional Photo (INCLUDED with Pair of Tickets)
- Moonlight Masquerade Keepsake (Daughter ticket)
- Themed Craft
- Dance Souvenirs (Available to purchase)
Any food allergies or special food accommodations must be communicated to Parks Department no later than 2 weeks before dance.
NEW~>> Early Bird Specials available now thru Dec 31st!
Early Bird Special: $20 R/ +20% NR
- Fee is per person.
- All ages require a registered ticket.
- All child registrations must be accompanied by an adult registration.
- Limited Early Bird special registration available!
- No Date Transfers
- No Refunds unless event is cancelled entirely.
Non Early Bird Registration Fee: $25 R / +20% NR
- Begins January 1st
Mother Son Moonlight Masquerade Ball
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3
6PM–9PM
Dance #2
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4
6PM–9PM
Calling all Mothers & Sons!
The time has come to experience the MAGIC, marvel in the MYSTERY, and GLOW under the Moonlight...The Mother Son Moonlight Masquerade Ball has ARRIVED!
Schererville Parks invites all masqueraders to join us for night full of Dinner, Dessert, Dancing, Games, Contests, Crafts and more at our 1st ever MOONLIGHT MASQUERADE BALL!
The Mystery under the Moonlight begins at 6pm & here's what to expect...
- Dinner & Drinks --> Freshly Baked Chicken Tenders, Buttery Sweet Corn, Whipped Buttery Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Crisp Side Salad w/ choice of Dressing and a HUGE Ice Cream Bar
- Dancing with LIVE DJ!
- Dance Games with PRIZES
- Unlimited Fun Photo Booth Sessions
- Professional Photo (INCLUDED with Pair of Tickets)
- Moonlight Masquerade Keepsake (Son ticket)
- Themed Craft
- Dance Souvenirs (Available to purchase)
Any food allergies or special food accommodations must be communicated to Parks Department no later than 2 weeks before dance.
NEW~>> Early Bird Specials available now thru Dec 31st!
Early Bird Special: $20 R/ +20% NR
- Fee is per person.
- All ages require a registered ticket.
- All child registrations must be accompanied by an adult registration.
- Limited Early Bird special registration available!
- No Date Transfers
- No Refunds unless event is cancelled entirely.
Non Early Bird Registration Fee: $28 R / +20% NR
- Begins January 1st
February Sports Schedule
2022 at a Glance
Argentina Wins the World Cup
Queen Elizabeth Dies at Age 96
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
Elmo Rises to Fame Once Again
Floods in Pakistan
The flooding was the world's deadliest flood since the 2020 South Asian floods and described as the worst in the country's history. On 25 August, Pakistan declared a state of emergency because of the flooding.
Population Reaches 8 Billion
Houston Astros Win The World Series
The Colorado Avalanche Win The Stanley Cup
The Avalanche claimed its third Stanley Cup Final in franchise history after dethroning the two-time defending champions in the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.
The championship victory was decided with a stingy Game 6 held in Tampa Bay and resulted in a 2-1 final score.
June 26, 2022 will be a day that members of the Colorado Avalanche, Avs Faithful and the local community never forget.
Noah Thompson Wins American Idol
On Sunday, 20-year-old Noah Thompson, an unassuming construction worker from the small town of Louisa, Kentucky, won Season 20 of the long-running vocal competition.
As he sang for the "American Idol" crown in the finale along with fellow contestants HunterGirl and Leah Marlene, Thompson showed up for the first time on stage (and only the second time in his life) wearing a suit as he performed "Stay" by Rihanna.
Corn Kid Shares His Love For Corn (With Butter Of Course)
In August, a TikTok video of a 7-year-old named Tariq whisked me back to 2013 when being online was actually fun.
Through a toothy jack-o'-lantern grin, he waxed poetic about the delights of corn with such unadulterated joy and sincerity that virality seemed almost inevitable. The video spread widely and soon Tariq became known as "Corn Kid" across the internet and beyond.
Taylor Swift Breaks Records
Hurricane Ian
All Female Crew to Ref Mens FIFA World Cup Match
The New Years Identity
Comics by Adam Tenbarge
Mental Health Awareness
SUICIDE HOTLINE: TEXT OR CALL 988
CRISIS HOTLINE: TEXT HOME TO 741741
NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LINE: 1-800-273-TALK
(8255)
*THIS TEXT MENTIONS SUICIDE AND SELF HARM*
Mental Health is our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. Your mental health
in simpler terms is how you feel on average. Your mental health is what makes you feel bad and
good or anything internally. When you feel happy, your body is sending out dopamine which
makes you feel good. When you are sad your body sends monoamine oxidase, which breaks
down your serotonin. Your mental health can affect your overall being but it all starts in the
brain. You can learn ways to control your mental health and learn deeper into what is happening
in the brain when your mental health is hard at work.
What do you do when your emotions are out of control? Some people say taking
medication helps, others say ignore it but neither are fully correct. The best way to help your
mental health is, according to https://uhs.umich.edu/tenthings, value yourself, take care of your
body (exercise and eat right), surround yourself with people who value you and themselves, and
just talk about it. It may not seem like the most helpful way at the moment, but talking to
someone or writing down your thoughts can really help!
How can I tell if myself or someone is struggling with their mental health? Well, that is
slightly difficult to break down fully. It depends on what you are looking for. If you think they may
be depressed, you have to look for signs of depression like, trouble concentrating, remembering
details, and making decisions, Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and helplessness, Pessimism
and hopelessness, Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or sleeping too much,Crankiness or
irritability, and restlessness. You may be experiencing even one or more of these symptoms.
The best thing you can do if you ever feel this way is reach out. Here at Chesterton Middle
School, we have a 7th grade and 8th grade counselor who you can talk to. One thing to know is,
you are not alone. Never think you are.
Things you need to know. The first thing is, it WILL be ok. It will be difficult to watch
someone fight their own battles or fighting your own but there are ways you can reach out. No
one should have to go through what you may be going through, but it will help you along the
road. The one thing you always should have in the back of your mind is that if you are ever
feeling suicidal or are self harming, you need to reach out. No matter how scary it is, if your life
is in jeopardy, talk. There is a suicide hotline that you can talk to. You can stay anonymous or
not and it stays between the person you are talking to and you. You don’t have to remember any
of this information if you don’t like to accept this. You should NEVER end your own life. It’s
annoying to hear but it's the truth. What you are going through is temporary, ending your life is
permanent.
New Years Traditions in Other Countries!
A lot of countries have different traditions
Here are some countries who have the most coolest and unique traditions
Spain:eating grapes,”The Spanish start off their new year by eating 12 grapes, which symbolize each strike of the clock. The tradition of las doce uvas de la suerte started in the late 19th century and is believed to ward off evil while boosting your chances of a prosperous and lucky new year. However, this will work only if you manage to eat all of the grapes in a matter of seconds since they need to be gone by the time the clock finishes striking midnight.”-Michelle Ore
India:Building a sculpture of an old man and burning it down.“Back in Bombay we’d make an effigy of an ‘old man’ that symbolized the old year and burn it at midnight,” says Stephanie Fernandes, an associate creative director at BBDO San Francisco. The burning symbolizes the passing of grievances from the old year and makes space for a new year to be born. “Everyone would gather around singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and then it would turn into a little party. Bombay is very cosmopolitan and was home to people of various faiths, therefore we’d have a ton of different festivals, but this was one that united
across ages and faiths.”-Michelle Oré
Haiti:“Back in Bombay we’d make an effigy of an ‘old man’ that symbolized the old year and burn it at midnight,” says Stephanie Fernandes, an associate creative director at BBDO San Francisco. The burning symbolizes the passing of grievances from the old year and makes space for a new year to be born. “Everyone would gather around singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and then it would turn into a little party. Bombay is very cosmopolitan and was home to people of various faiths, therefore we’d have a ton of different festivals, but this was one that united across ages and faiths.”Michelle Oré
Denmark: “Throwing old plates.Chucking plates at your friends usually signals a conversation gone very wrong. In Denmark, however, New Year’s Eve traditions like this bring your loved ones the best luck. Tradition has it that the more broken kitchenware you accumulate on your door step, the better off you’ll be.”-Michelle Oré
Canada: “Going ice fishing,Freezing temps don’t keep Canadians from starting the new year with a winter favorite sport—ice fishing. According to Global News, families will rent heated huts and cooking equipment so that they can enjoy their feast with loved ones on the spot. "-Michelle Oré
Written by: Caryss Vandiver
Art Corner
Short Stories
Roadside Service
The clock struck twelve when I finally built up the courage to get in my car and go. I had spent all day planning, or rather, fantasizing about taking this trip. Always in the back of my mind sat the idea, one that I had never had the audacity to fulfill. After fixating on this dream all day, I finally left for it when the day finally passed: I was going to drive cross country.
I collected everything I would need: minimal clothes, my credit card, a few water bottles, and every other basic necessities in a backpack the size of me. It did not take long to gather everything, for I owned very little. Once my room was basically stripped down to just furniture, I knew I was ready to take off. I locked up my house and got into my dinky, rundown car that I was skeptical of meeting every state. That was the goal, however, so it absolutely had to.
The sky was black, but cloudless when I left, and almost no one was on the road. The drive would not be too painful, barring the need for gas and the inevitable animal encounter. It was summer, so unless it rained, nothing would be so overwhelming that I could not make it. “Making it” meant making it to Maine from Southern California. I would take the quickest routes between states and stop for one novelty in each. According to my ballpark estimate, it would take two and a half months. Not too bad, considering it was summer and it was not like I had a job or anything. This was one way to achieve fulfillment.
The drive out of California was nothing. It took nothing more than an hour to make it to the border of Arizona. Since I had already been here, I did not waste any time on seeing any sights. I had already seen Nevada as well, so I glanced at a map and took the quickest path to New Mexico, somewhere I had never seen. I planned to visit the White Sands National Park. Unless I wanted to go into the closet town, there was not much to do there as a loner. It would be pretty though, and that was a sight in itself. Besides, it did not need to be the most exciting stop. After all, it was to be my first one.
By the time I made it halfway through Arizona, it was twelve in the afternoon and I was exhausted. I had already stopped for gas several times and almost crushed a javelina. Needless to say, I was ready to crash. I was nearly to Phoenix, but I could not afford anything over there and it was always my intention to sleep in my car. I pulled over, and in broad daylight, set myself up in the backseat. I piled pillows and blankets (that I likely wouldn’t use, due to the heat) in a little cloud shape, and ate a bag of chips before drifting off to sleep.
I was jolted awake by a hissing sound outside my car. A snake flashed in the forefront of my brain, but I suppressed my panic and remained calm. Once I fully collected myself, I slowly opened the door and poked just my head out. My tire was draining dramatically of air, the cause of the sound. Two unnaturally large punctures leaked all of my hopes. I did not have the money for a tire. I would have to turn around. Only, I could not do that without a car.
I stepped out and examined it better. It was hard in the dark, three a.m. moonlight, but I saw it well enough for the blood to drain out of my face. I had experienced disappointment, but I was usually prepared for it. This time, it came as a shock, and I nearly wept. I did not have time to, though, for a sharp pain shot up my leg. There was nothing like it, like my leg had been lit on fire in just one sport, which my nerves spread across my calf. Front and back, there were four spots in all. I turned around and saw a snake slip away into the shrubs. My first thought was that I was not allowed to be parked here, over the shrublands in the middle of a National Park, I assumed, and off a highway. If anyone drove by, I was sure I would just come across as a dissident who got what was coming to them. No one would stop, because it was the middle of the night and it was almost a hundred degrees even at three a.m.
I never cared much for animals or learning about them, let alone the beasts of the community like snakes. Even living so close to all of this desert insanity, I could not identify what kind it was. I assumed it was a rattlesnake and assumed that meant deadly. My leg bled, but it was too hot to be out in the open any longer. I grappled for assistance back into the car, where my phone was and where, maybe, a comfortable death was, but my leg screamed at every movement. I was stuck.
I sat up with my back against my open car and closed my eyes. So much was left unfinished, but I believed in fate. This was happening for a reason and who was I to do anything about it? I breathed deeply, avoiding the thought of how much pain I was experiencing. It was easier, more pleasant, to just breathe.
In and out.
In and out.
In and out.
It calmed me, and even though I barely felt the adrenaline, I felt it release. Even though it hurt more, it did not bother me as much. I opened my eyes and looked up. You could see every star, more than I had ever seen in my entire life. I would never get to complete, or even start, my fulfilling endeavor, but the stars were pretty. I would see something pretty at least. Then there was the ugly. It sat on my leg, which I did not dare to look down at. The sand burned the backside of my led, which made its way into the puncture holes. I lifted my leg with my hands and dared to touch it. I brushed the sand off, feeling that and only that under my fingertips. There were no wounds, no blood that came off onto my hands, nothing. I looked down at my leg, and only sand lightly dusted my skin. The pain slowly fell out as well, as if I had imagined the whole thing. But, I still sat outside my open car in the middle of the desert and hobbled when I went to check the tire. That was still punctured, and at this point completely drained. I was still stranded, but I had the power to get out of that state.
I picked up my phone and tried to search for a number, one of a tire service or some sort of help, but I had no cell service. As I started to dial the last number I knew of a service in California, hopefully to be transferred to one out here, I was suddenly blinded by a light. It glowed from afar, like a star in the middle of the road, but as it came closer, I saw it was just a car. A convertible, and as it pulled over next to me, a woman popped her head out.
“Hey!” She called out. “What’re you doing? You need a ride?”
“My tire popped,” I answered, standing up. “I just need a new tire.”
“Well, you’re not gonna be able to get one if you can’t get there. I insist, get in.”
“Stranger danger.” I put my hands up. “Nothing personal, you know.”
“Nah, I get it. Good luck.”
The woman in the convertible drove off, her lights soon disappearing. I continued dialing the number, but it would not go through. No service, no outgoing calls, and as sketchy as it was, I almost wished I had taken the ride from the woman in the convertible.
Needless to say, I was absolutely out of luck in the most severe way. There was nothing else I could do except wait it out. When daylight came, someone was bound to drive by and not just offer for me to get in their car. I climbed back into the backseat and shut the door, locking it multiple times to be safe. It took much longer for me to fall asleep. The heat kept me awake and the previous occurrences kept me alert. By the time I fell asleep, I awoke to a banging at my window. It was still night, but my phone had died, so I had no way to tell the time. I was completely out of luck this time.
Unlucky, as well as caught red-handed. I was trespassing in the part of the desert that was a National Park. I had to pull over on the reserved land, only fifty yards away from a big sign that displayed those words at that.
I hesitated before pulling my head up to look at who was banging on my car window. It was a thick, insistent knock that made me jump every time those knuckles hit the glass. I swore it would shatter upon me.
In the dark, I could make out the silhouette of a man, another silhouette behind him. They shined flashlights in my face, blinding me rather than introducing themselves. They must not have had to, I thought. They must have been the police.
I opened the door and they dropped the light. Before me stood a man and a woman, too far for me to see. I still only saw a brief outline of her, but I could see him close enough to read his lips.
“What are you doing out here?” He asked. “This is state land, you can’t be here! You’re gonna get in big trouble if any cops come around.”
“I’m sorry, who are you?” I asked, still disoriented from just waking up.
“I’m Marty. This is my wife, Helen. We were just passing through and saw you stranded.”
“And I said ‘stranger danger,’ but Marty’s on this new thing about being a good person.” The woman, Helen, stepped into my view. Although darker haired and older-looking, I recognized her immediately.
“I’m sorry,” I said slowly. “What exactly do you want?”
“No need to get hostile,” the man said, suddenly firmer. “We wanted to see if you needed anything, is all. What exactly is the problem?”
“My tire is deflated and my phone’s dead. I was just waiting it out ‘till morning to see if anyone would drive by. Just to get lucky, I guess.”
“Well, lucky you are,” He beamed. “We have a tire in our trunk. Do you know how to put it on, or even what you need?”
“No,” I said, dipping my head.
“I’ll help, don’t worry.”
As Marty went back to get the tire, Helen stayed still. I tried not to look in her direction, but as I tried to act natural we made eye contact.
“What?” She said impetuously.
“Nothing,” I shook my head. “Just looking around.”
“Desert’s nice right? Especially at this time of night. You can see every star.”
“I expected it to be cooler. At night, that is.”
“Yeah, night temperatures where we are almost never dip below seventy degrees in the summertime.”
“Huh.”
She was silent for a while, right before looking me dead in the eyes.
“I recognize you,” she said carefully. “You come around here a lot?”
“Nope. No, I’m from New Mexico,” I lied. “Only been around here once.”
“Oh yeah? How long ago?”
“Two years.”
It was her turn to give a contemplative “huh.”
By then, Marty was back, sporting the tire and heaving.
“May I take a look?” He asked, to which I nodded.
“You can come out of the car,” Helen suggested. “We don’t bite.”
“Oh, no. I like it here.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
“Suit yourself. There’s a bit of a breeze out here.”
I reached my hand out to feel it, and she swiped at it fiercely. I pulled it away just in time so she could not grab it, but it was extremely close to going the wrong way.
She eyed me suspiciously, as if it was her right, but I stared back anyway. Without breaking the contact, I asked Marty how the tire was coming.
“Well, it’s weird,” he answered. “The tire’s definitely deflated, but I can’t seem to find the holes. You said a snake bit it?”
“Um, yes. A snake did bite it, but I didn’t tell you that.”
They both laughed. “Yes you did! How else would we know?”
“I don’t know. But I do know that I did not tell you that.”
“And you remember exactly what you said?” Helen posed.
“No. I just remember not telling you a snake bit it.”
Their smiles faded.
“This is all starting to feel real suspicious, Flora. I think you should take a look yourself. If you don’t see anything, I think we’d better leave.”
“How do you know my name?”
Their glances connected fiercely, like they could read each other’s minds but they had to be face to face. I watched them, wary of what was coming. I found a full, metal water bottle by my side and gripped it tightly. They continued to watch each other.
“Why don’t you guys go ahead and go?” I asked, more similar to a demand. “I’ll stick to my plan and wait until morning.”
“There is no morning,” Helen stated, slowly turning to face me. “Unless you drive away, there is no morning.”
“Excuse me?” I almost shouted. “What does that mean? What time is it?”
“It means what she said,” Marty told me. “Do you want the tire or not?”
“No, I don’t. You can go.”
“You know, you’re not the first person we’ve tried to help around here. They all turn us down.”
“We’ve had this tire for years,” Helen sighed.
“I’m sorry, but I am really not comfortable with this. Please, go. I don’t want your tire.”
“Don’t say we didn’t warn you,” he called out as they walked away. “See ya soon!”
As soon as they were out of sight, I shut my car door and hung a blanket over every window. I closed my eyes, tight, and fell almost immediately to sleep.
The next time I woke up, my “curtains” had fallen off my window, and in the moonlight I saw the silhouette of a very small boy. A child, accompanied closely by his mother and father, too far away for me to see.
Poetry Corner
Movies in Theater
Avatar: The Way of Water
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody
A Man Named Otto
Strange World
Ronald Dahl's Matilda the Musical
Lyle, Lyle Crocodile
Disenchanted
Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio
Damar Hamlin
Nine days later, Damar was dismissed from the hospital and was able to be send back home to Buffalo. Fans rallied outside of the hospital and raised 8.6 million dollars for Damar's fundraiser for children. Damar also made t-shirts with the words "Did we win?" in order to fundraise for the hospital he was put in after the game.
Damar tweeted on 1/9/23 "Headed home to Buffalo today with a lot of love on my heart. Watching the world come together around me on Sunday was truly an amazing feeling. The same love you all have shown me is the same love that I plan to put back into the world n more. Bigger than football!"