Stallion Star Gazette
December 2016
The Presidential Debates
by Darsh
The winner of the first debate was Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. 62% said Clinton won while 27% said Trump won. After that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump faced off in St. Louis. Again the winner was Hillary Clinton and Trump was losing by a bigger margin.I really think Clinton won the third debate because looking at the first two she just opened a door to being the first women president ever!!!!
I though it would take a miracle for Donald Trump to win now. But on November 8 a miracle happened. Donald Trump WON!!!!!!!
The Presidential Election
by Arush
The 2 people who were running for president were Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
Why are they running for president ?
They probably ran for president because they wanted to change America, in their own way.Here are some of Donald Trump’s ideas: making a wall between America and Mexico,or to make other countries to take people back when ordered.Here are some of Hillary Clinton’s ideas: making sure taxes are payed fairly, racial justice, and affordable health care.
Recipes
by Brianna
My Family Recipe
Injera with Chicken Stew
Injera is a flatbread used in Eritrean cuisine that is thinner than a pancake or tortilla bread and has a semi-sour and spongy taste. Injera is very fluffy and soft. The sour taste comes from the fermentation which takes 2 to 3 days. In Eritrean cuisines, vegetable, lentil, or meat dishes are served on top of the Injera and the food is eaten with your hands using the Injera to scoop up the food. My original family Injera recipe uses all teff flour but since my grandmother migrated to the U.S. she started to mix teff with wheat flour, because teff is not readily accessible in the U.S.
INGREDIENTS for Injera
Prep time: 3 days Cook time: 15 minutes Serves: 2 people
1-3/4 cups water, at room temperature
1-3/4 cups teff flour
1/4 tsp fresh ground garlic salt
DIRECTIONS for Injera
In a mixing bowl, mix the flours and garlic salt. Add water, stirring until combined. Cover loosely and let stand for 3 days. Stir the mixture until combined.
Heat a large, lightly-oiled heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 cup of the mixture to the skillet, forming a thin layer of batter over the pan.
Cook until bubbles form on the entire surface of the flatbread (only cook on one side), and using a metal spatula, remove the Injera and transfer to a plate.
INGREDIENTS for Kulwa (chicken stew)
Prep time: 1 hour Cook time: 60 minutes Serves: 2 people
1 cup spiced traditional butter
3 tbsp. berbere (spice mix of traditional Chile powder)
2lb skinless and boneless chicken breast cut in cubes
1 red onion fully diced
16 ozs tomato sauce
1 tsp minced fresh garlic
DIRECTIONS for Kulwa (chicken stew)
Sautee red onions with traditional butter until light brown,
Add berbere and cook for 15 mins (add small amount of water while cooking)
Add tomato sauce and cook for 15 mins (add small amount of water while cooking).
Add chicken and cook for 20 mins.
Add fresh garlic and cook for 10 mins.
Holidays Around the World
Diwali, by Aashrith
Diwali is celebrated in India. It is also known as Holiday of Lights. During Diwali everyone's house is lighted with candles. People make sweets and other delicious food, and sometimes share the food with friends. During Diwali, some people also have parties.
How Australians Celebrate Their Christmas, by Arush
Did you know that Australians celebrate their Christmas in summertime?
They do,they also have their own beliefs about Christmas! Like Santa’s sleigh is pulled by nine white kangaroos.They also do some things like us, such as giving and making presents for family, teachers and friends.
Many Australian churches reflect traditions from northern hemisphere Christmas celebrations."Carols by Candlelight" is very popular among Australians.They play it in the Sidney Myer Music Bowl and The Domain.Source: http://www.moving2plan.com.au/how-do-australians-celebrate-christmas
Winter Holiday in Eritrea, East Africa: Interview with my mom, Adiam Ghirmai, by Brianna
My family is from Eritrea, East Africa and the winter holiday we celebrate is Christmas. My mom grew up in the capital city , Asmara. Prior to Christmas, the Christmas tree is decorated and people go shopping for clothes, gifts and decorations to bring sparkle and light to their homes.
In Asmara, Christmas day celebration starts the day before Christmas. A big feast is prepared and at night all families dress up in their beautiful traditional dresses and go to Christmas mass at an Orthodox Church. Christmas in Eritrea is all about family getting together and enjoying the variety of food prepared the day before. After lunch, families sit around, enjoy warm cups of coffee and talk about family affairs. Coffee is savored along with popcorn, Panettone, cookies and other sweets for kids. It is a time when families laugh and enjoy these memorable moments together.
Friends and families call each other throughout the day from around the world to wish each other Merry Christmas. An interesting fact about Christmas day in Eritrea is people from different religions celebrate it equally by sending well wishes to each other.
Christmas day in Eritrea occurs on a different day than in the U.S, because Eritreans follow the Geez calendar. Eritrean Christmas is on January 7th. Eritrean youngsters living abroad celebrate Christmas on December 25th with exchanging of gifts, cards, and celebration with family and friends, however, the elderly take December 25th as a normal day. My family celebrates Christmas on December 25th and January 7th.
In Eritrea there is only one winter holiday, because New Year’s Day does not follow Christmas like in the U.S. Eritrean New Year is celebrated on September 11th due to the Geez calendar.
Christmas in Jamaica, by Darsh
Christmas is an important holiday in Jamaica. Jamaicans work hard cleaning and redecorating homes at this time. Tree trunks and stones making up walkways and walls are often painted white in a practice that is referred to as white washing, which gives everything a bright, clean appearance and looks like a “white Christmas.” Stores and businesses are decorated for the season as well.
Christmas Eve night features the biggest shopping event of the year—Grand Market Night, when stores are open all night and vendors sell their wares in the street until morning. Children are allowed to stay up all night, shopping and enjoying themselves.
The typical Christmas dinner includes rice and peas, chicken, baked ham, roast beef, curried goat, and salad. A drink made from ginger and the sorrel plant is a favorite during this time. Dessert consists of ice cream and Christmas cake, a dark brown cake made of dried fruits and rum or wine.
Sports Around the Globe
by Nishka
Some people think that sports are only football, soccer, ping-pong, golf and mini golf. But there are so many sports all over the world--some you may not know. Sometimes the unique and strange sports we had led to the ones we have today, that we never knew!
Ice dancing or figure skating, as it is commonly known, is an ice sport. It is common in all seven continents. It involves skating while incorporating dance into the routine. Figure skating has its roots from dance. There are multiple events in figure skating. Synchronized skating is when multiple people skate in formations such as intersecting, wheel, and circle.The routine must consist of these formations. It also must consist of steps such as three-turns and double three-turns or points will be deducted.
3D archery is another type of archery. It is also common on all continents.You have to guess the distance between you and the target. Your objective is to shoot the arrow to hit the target. Each target is marked with a set of rings. The score of each ring is variable. The central ring is worth 11-12 points.
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game that is popular in India, England, Australia and other countries ruled at one time by the British Empire. Cricket is played in a rectangular pitch. The batsman hits the ball. The bowler has to run and get the ball and has to throw it at the wicket. The batsman has to block the ball from hitting the wicket. If he or she does not succeed, the other team gets a point. If the bowler does succeed then he or she gets one point.
Cycling is a popular sport in Europe. During practice and training cyclists wear a virtual reality headset. The headset shows them every twist and turn of the cycling course. By race time they memorize the entire course. The cyclists have to cycle a certain distance. The cyclist that passes that distance wins.That event is called a criterium.
Martial arts is the art of self defense.It originates from Asia. Some say it is an art. Some don’t. I think it is an art because it uses different styles and various forms. The three most popular forms are karate, taekwondo and kung fu. Karate comes from Japan, taekwondo comes from Korea and kung fu comes from China. Judo Karate is the same as regular karate except you are maneuvering around your opponent instead of striking blows on your opponent.
Footvolley came from Argentina. Its rules are based on those of beach volleyball and ball-touch rules of Association football. Points are awarded when the ball hits an opponent’s court. Points are also awarded when an opponent commits a fault (failing to hit a ball over the net).
It just goes to show you that there is more to sports than basketball,soccer,football, Ping-pong or golf. That there are many strange but fun sports in the globe.Some of these sports even led to our modern day sports. It is amazing how sports originated and led to our sports we have today.
Here's a list of countries and their popular and unique sports:
China
Popular: Badminton and table tennis
Unique: Martial Arts
India
Popular: Cricket
Unique: Field Hockey
Brazil and Argentina
Popular: Volleyball,mixed martial
Unique: Futevôle (footvolley)
US And Canada
Softball,baseball and ice hockey
Africa
Popular: Rugby
Unique : Judo
Europe
Popular: Cycling,Motorsport
Australia
Popular: Cricket
Source: List of sports - Wikipedia
What to Do Over Winter Break!
by Samhitha
- Kids like decorating trees for presents.
- They like drinking hot cocoa
- Kids like going to fun trips.(Disney land)
- Some kids like to oversleep so that is a thing you can do.
- Catching up on school work is a thing you can do in winter break.
We all should do things that we like, so we don’t get bored and we can enjoy our break. Some kids are happy doing outdoor activities like ice skating. Other kids like to stay inside. They can watch a movie while drinking hot cocoa. Adults can hang out with their besties or visit their mom and dad. Families can enjoy time together and go on a trip that the whole family agrees on.
There are some special events you can go to in Round Rock and many other places. If it snows near your house have snow ball fights or build a snowman. You get to choose what you want to do.
I hope you have a wonderful winter break!!!!
Source: CultureGrams
Nature Report on Flowers
by Brianna
Have you ever wondered what each rose means? I have! Roses have a colorful history and they have been symbols of love, beauty, war, and politics. Most species are native to Asia, with smaller numbers native to Europe, North America, and northwestern Africa. During the fifteenth century, the rose was used as a symbol for the factions fighting to control England. The white rose symbolized York, and the red rose symbolized Lancaster, as a result, the conflict became known as the "War of the Roses."
Most roses have thorns and few varieties are thornless. Thorns usually can't be broken off easily. Scientists speculate that roses might have thorns to protect them from being eaten by animals attracted by their wonderful smell.
The most popular roses are red, yellow, lavender, pink, white and orange. The different rose colors and the number of roses you give also has different meanings.
The meaning behind the rose colors:
Red: is for love and romance
Yellow: is for friendship, joy, and get well.
Lavender: is for enchantment, majesty, and love at first sight.
Pink: is for love, gratitude, and appreciation.
White: is for purity, innocence, sympathy, and spirituality.
Orange: is for desire, enthusiasm and passion.
The meaning behind the number of roses:
A single rose of any color depicts utmost devotion.
Two roses entwined together communicate "Marry me".
Six roses signify a need to be loved or cherished.
Eleven roses assure the recipient they are truly and deeply loved.
Thirteen roses indicate a secret admirer.
Source: https://extension.illinois.edu/roses/history.cfm; http://www.proflowers.com/blog/rose-colors-and-meanings; http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/does-every-rose-have-a-thorn;
Movie Reviews
"Trolls" by Aashrith and Nishka
I really enjoyed this movie.It shows each and every character's colors. It just shows that you should not be afraid to let your true colors shine.This movie has been well attended in theaters and has high ratings. Poppy, the leader of the trolls and her polar opposite must take on an adventure that takes them far beyond the world they know. Most people like or love the movie “TROLLS.” In the stores,Troll-themed paint sets and toys are being sold-advertisements for them have been on television.This movie shows that happiness is not a thing you can't have; you just need someone to help you find it.
"Ice Age Collision Course" by Aashrith and Nishka
This movie is really enjoyable. It shows the emotions and personality of each character without making it too serious. Manny, Diego,Sid and Buck try to fend off a meteorite. Even when the characters are in a serious mood or situation, they still manage to put lots of humor into it. I was laughing the entire time, even in the serious situations! If no movie like this had not come before “Ice Age Collision Course” I would be completely taken in by its light moments and humor. This movie is rated PG and has high star ratings.
"The Secret Life of Pets" by Nishka
I enjoyed watching “The Secret Life Of Pets”. It really shows Max’s love for his owner and Duke’s enthusiasm for Max. It also shows how Duke is willing to do anything for him. Max has lived with Katie for years. When Katie brings another pup,Duke, from the dog pound, Max is determined to get rid of him. But then they get caught by Animal Control.They find they have to work together to get back to Katie. It just goes to show you how important friendship is. Find out the things your pets do when you aren’t looking such as “massaging” themselves with an egg beater, or changing the fancy music to rock music on their amplifier,or watching YouTube’s top and funniest videos. This movie incorporates funny bits and shows emotion without making it feel so serious. This movie kept me laughing! It shows Duke and Max’s perspective of life with each other.
Favorite Toy Survey
by Brianna
We all have our favorite toys and it is interesting to find out other kids’ favorite toys. I interviewed two boys and two girls that attend Patsy Sommer Elementary, to find out about their favorite toy. I asked them the following questions below.
What is your favorite toy?
Why is it your favorite toy?
What is the color of your favorite toy?
Do like to share your favorite toy with your friends?
How many times a week do you play with your favorite toy?
Is your favorite toy based on a movie or a book?
Izzy
Izzy is in kindergarten and her favorite toy is all types of Shopkins. The color of the Shopkins is rainbow. Izzy likes to share her Shopkins and she plays with them every day. Izzy loves dolls
Nathan
Nathan is in first grade. Nathan’s favorite toy is Lego and blue and he loves to share his lego with his friends. He has a lot of Legos. It is his favorite toy, because he can build different things and anything he wants with his lego. Nathan’s favorite toy is based on the Lego movie. He plays with his toy every week.
Harris
Harris is in first grade and his favorite toy is also Lego. The color of his favorite toy is blue. He likes lego, because it is fun to play with friends and can build different sets all of the time.
Harris plays with his favorite toy 4 times a week.
Lillie
Lillie is in second grade and her favorite toy is an American Girl doll and dresses her in a rainbow dress. She does not share her favorite toy with anyone. She likes her favorite toy, because she can dress her up all of the time. Lillie plays with her favorite toy every day. Her American Girl is from a movie called Grace and also a book called Paige.
In summary, I found out the favorite toys for the two boys is Lego. One of the girl’s favorite toy is Shopkins and the other is American Girl.
Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals
by Arush
There are hundreds of prehistoric animals from all around the world-- Velociraptor , Tyrannosaurus, Mammoths, Triceratops,Apatosaurus,and a lot of more too.
Velociraptors
Velociraptors are menacing creatures of the deserts in China.They lived in the Cretaceous period.They were at least 3 feet wide.They ate Protoceratops and broke open and ate eggs--they were carnivores. Velociraptor means ‘speedy thief" .
Triceratops
Triceratops are strong herbivores of America.They also lived in the Cretaceous period.They are at least 30 feet long.They eat herbs and other plants in very old America.Triceratops means ‘Three horned face.’
Mammoths
The mammoths are strong herbivores.They lived in the ice age.They are 10 feet tall.They also ate herbs, twigs and a lot more. No one knows why the wooly mammoth/mammoth died out.
Apatosaurus
The apatosaurus was a gigantic dino.They lived on the late Jurassic in North America. This giant weighed 35 TONS! It ate leaves of all trees. Apatosaurus means "deceptive".
Tyrannosaurus
The T.rex was the king of its time.The T.rex lived in the Cretaceous period in U.S.A. It stood 18 feet tall. T.rex ate meat of triceratops and other dinosaurs.Tyrannosaurus means King Tyrant lizard.
Source: pebblego.com database
Video Game Reviews
by Arush
Pokemon Go
Pokemon Go is one of the most famous games in the world in 2016. The game is mostly about catching Pokemon as if you are in a real Pokemon adventure. The game is popular throughout the world. The game includes Pokemon from the Kanto region. Pokemon Go has more than a million downloads and 100 videos.
Overwatch
Overwatch was a big hit this year too. It is about teamwork and strategy. Overwatch is also about conquering bases or defending bases. It is a great team game.
Roblox
Roblox had a big comeback this year; tons of people are playing it again. They made better texture packs and there are more games.