Author: ASOP Admin

Cemetery, mine. (PART I)

BY MAYA CRANDALL

COMMUNICATIONS EDITOR

Charlotte Flannery stuck out her tongue and tasted the damp, musty night air of Boulder Creek Memorial Park, the cemetery where her grandmother was buried. 

Buried, yes…But not dead. Not in Charlotte’s eyes. 

Her fingers brushed against the cool gravestone, the words CARMEN FLANNERY, BELOVED carved deep into the marbled rock. 

“Hello,” Charlotte whispered. 

Nothing but the wind answered, a sighing breath against her sweat-slicked neck. She was early, so Charlotte was not expecting an answer. Instead, she slid down the gravestone and onto the mossy  ground and pulled out a sketchbook from her worn faux-leather bag—the one with the strap hanging on only by a thread. 

Hanging, hanging, hanging until it would snap, snap, snap. Like wood crackling in a fire, or twigs crunching under a boot. 

Charlotte grabbed her charcoals as well and flipped through the pages. Her eyes caught on black blurs and glimpses of long-forgotten faces she’d drawn too long ago to remember. She flipped and flipped until—she was at the last two blank pages. Her grip tightened around the charcoals. No, how could that be? She couldn’t have filled eighteen pages so quickly. Sure, she fell into a scribbled frenzy as soon as the charcoal hit the page, but—

The charcoals went smashing into an adjacent grave before she realized what, exactly, she had done. In fact, it wasn’t until she saw her extended arm in front of her like a phantom limb that she knew she had chucked them. 

She laughed at the explosion of black dust on the gravestone of TAYLOR BASSETT. 

What a pity, she thought. What a dreadful, dreadful, shame. 

She crawled towards it, not at all worried about the stains of moss and dirt now adorning her baggy white jeans. “To honor you,” she said, kissing Taylor Bassett’s gravestone before rubbing her fingers in the shattered charcoal remnants.

And with said charcoal dust Charlotte Flannery drew a masterpiece. She hummed a tune under her breath, rocking back and forth on her knees in excitement as she crafted something truly dark and deadly on the second to last page in her sketchbook. A replica of the angel statue above Taylor Bassett’s grave, but its wings were shredded and bleeding, it’s mouth curved into a wicked grin instead of a reverent, holy smile. As she drew in the last details of his smile, she could have sworn it moved—just a twitch of one wing. Then the other, back and forth, back and forth until it was taking flight. Charlotte watched as it struggled to fly off the page with broken wings before it swarmed around the angel statue and tapped its shoulder. The statue screamed before shattering into pieces. Charlotte laughed with wicked delight as her dark, broken creation took its place.

She was so entranced that she didn’t notice the eyes. 

The eyes, the eyes, the eyes. Watching, waiting. Waiting, watching.

Someone was behind her. 

And it was not her grandmother. 

—

He knew he came to the wrong place at the wrong time when he saw the girl performing what looked like some sort of…ritual. 

Oh, no, no, no. There was a reason no one went to cemeteries at midnight during October. Or ever. 

Still, Mason Tuscan couldn’t help himself from creeping the slightest bit closer as the girl scribbled in a sketchbook, her dark brow furrowed and sweat-slicked in concentration. She was humming a song he’d heard before—on the radio, perhaps—but she slowed it down a bit. Made it minor instead of major. She transformed it from upbeat to depressing; exciting to…eerie. 

Yes, he should have definitely left by then. His stomach flipped as a manic laugh burst from her lips. But—she was just a kid. His age by the looks of it; no more than seventeen or eighteen. And he could have sworn he had seen her around school before. Her name was…Charlie? Charlotte? He couldn’t recall, but he remembered she was the TA in his Algebra One class last year—remembered the lilt of her handwriting as she wrote D, F, or, if he was lucky, the occasional C on his tests in purple pen. 

She was so different now. Then, she’d been what everyone would call the “popular smart girl.” The one who always took the lead in group projects or sent the homework answers to the entire class in a group chat, no questions asked. Her hair was always shoulder-length and curled, and she used to dye the ends a striking red color. She was at the top of the unique-fashion food chain (Mason knew all this because his best friend at the time had such a huge crush on her, he was borderline stalkerish). But looking at her now…Her mousy brown hair was unkempt and stringing down her back, and she was drowning in her oversized sweater and baggy jeans. 

Mason still thought she was undeniably pretty but…what had happened?

He leaned closer from behind a gravestone, hoping to see more of what she was drawing when—Her head whipped towards him. Mason fell back as he finally saw her entire face. Charcoal smudged her cheek, her eyes wide as she took him in. The dazed smile stretching across her face instantly vanished. 

“What are you doing here?” the girl breathed, chest heaving. 

“Nothing, I—I—”

“What’s wrong with your face?”

Mason adjusted the boxy frames resting on his nose. “Nothing.”

“You have a black eye.” The girl tilted her head, touching her own eye. 

“N-no I don’t,” he said. “It’s just the shadows.”

You and I both know that Mason was, indeed, lying. And he was doing a trash job of it. 

“I’m Charlotte,” she said, holding out a hand. “You’re Mason, right?”

She remembered him? Mason nodded blankly. “Yep.”

“Neato.”

He grabbed her hand to shake it, but she pulled away instantly and wrapped her arms around herself. 

“Th-that’s a cool drawing,” Mason started, gesturing to the discarded sketchbook beside her. It was—a demonic angel with a fanged smile. Fitting. 

Charlotte shrugged, mindlessly rubbing her charcoal-coated hands on her thighs. “Why do your glasses not have a prescription?”

How did she know this stuff? He almost asked her those exact words, but from the gleamed look in her eyes, he didn’t dare test her. He shrugged. “I like the way they look.”

Again, lies. He thought back to the real reason he wore them.

His uncle. A slap to the face. A little more than a slap to the face. 

His parents had died when he was four. He’d been staying with his father’s brother and sister-in-law ever since, and his life hadn’t been…perfect with them, but it was happy. Until the accident that took his aunt’s life. That was when his uncle lost his job, and he started drinking more than just a couple sips, and…it all went downhill from there. 

“Where’ve you been, boy?” His uncle had slurred when he returned home earlier that night. 

Mason adjusted the strap of his backpack. “Friends house. Working on music stuff.”

“I says that you—“ his uncle hiccuped, patting his stomach—“you needs be home by nine.”

He had not said that. In fact, Mason had only seen him passed out that morning on the couch before heading off to school. 

“Sir, I—“

But he never got a chance to finish. He had been blinded by swinging fists, deafened by roars of anger and his own heart throbbing in his ears. 

Thus why he wore the glasses—to blame the bruising on the shadows caused by the frames. And why he let his wild, dark curls tumble haphazardly across his forehead. Mason shook his head, willing away the memories. “So why are you here, Charlotte?”

She smirked as she patted the gravestone beside her. “I am waiting for someone.”

“In a graveyard?”

“Of course. Where else?”

TO BE CONTINUED…

Character Corner: Species

BY ROWAN RAVERTY

STAFF WRITER

The world is full of some amazing creatures. They all look incredibly different from each other – like the long necked Giraffe or the large Saltwater Crocodile. Well, I’m here to tell you how you can design your own species of animals for your story needs.

Step 1: Look at animals that already exist. References are always good to have. In our world, some animals look alike without being related, like how Koalas look like bears without being related to them. Red Pandas might resemble Giant Pandas, in name and looks, but they aren’t related. Plus, it’s easier to look at an image when it comes to figuring out how to draw something a certain way.

Step 2: Draw what the base of your new animal looks like. Everything needs a base to start with before you begin adding anything crazy. What do you need for a base? Well, the body and head shape. Those are the main things a base needs. You can also add any legs or arms if you want, but that is mostly going to be with the next step.

Step 3: Add any other physical features/traits. This includes any extra limbs, horns, wings, etc. This is also where you would add any differences in males and females, and the looks the babies will have. There’s a lot of examples in nature, too. If you’re having trouble thinking of differences, you can look up ideas.

Step 4: Non-visible traits. What does your creature have that we can’t see? An example is that some snakes have venomous bites. What about enhanced senses? It doesn’t have to be anything real animals have either. You could give it a second stomach or say it can freeze whatever it bites.

Step 5: Colors and patterns. This is a very important part of your species. Look at animals in real life. Some of their looks help them blend into their surroundings. Others have bright colors to tell anyone who thinks of eating them that they’re poisonous. Choose the colors that best represent your animal’s traits and habitat.

Now, the final step: Create a bio. You need more than just looks. What is its name? Where do they live? How long do they live for? What is their main source of food? These are some of the main questions that come to mind when thinking about what to put. Anything else you think is important to know should also be written down.

And there you have it, how to make a species. Use this to make some animals of your own for whatever adventures you want. Maybe you want to design an alien planet? Or write a story on a lost civilization? Whatever the reason is, you can use this to help.

Among Us: A Review

BY VENKATA KARAVADI

STAFF WRITER

A month or two ago, the games Rocket league, Fortnite, Minecraft, Etc. were really popular. But a month ago, there was this game called “Among Us”. 

Many popular Youtubers were trying out this game, and they loved it. There are three maps , and it’s a game where there are 7-9 crewmates (depends on host options) ,and there can be 1-3 imposters (host options). Crewmates have to do tasks so they can fix the ship they are in, and the imposter has to kill all crew mates before the crewmates know the person is the imposter. Once a dead body is found, they will have a meeting and they will discuss(by chat or voice call if private) who was near and who they think it was. The most people who have voted for a person are out, but you can also skip if you are unsure of who it is or if many people are going to skip (because the other people will be suspicious of you If you are the only one who voted for somebody). If you are the imposter, you have to silently kill the person, and if you are in or near a room, you go in a vent so people who come near don’t notice you. You can also go from room to room with a vent. Once there are only three people (including you), if you are the imposter, just kill somebody when people are not near you. So, when there are three people and the imposter kills one more person, the game is over and the imposter won. If you want to win as a crewmate, you either have to complete all tasks or vote out the imposter or imposters. I have tried this game, and it’s also a game of strategy,because you can kill somebody (if you are an imposter) at a certain spot.There are three game modes; public, private, or freeplay. Freeplay is where you finish all tasks (and there is no imposter and nobody else except you), and then you win.  It’s a very fun game and I recommend you try it. It’s also free on App Store and Google Play(for phones and tablets) . On laptops or PCs, it costs money. You can buy it on Steam(for PC) if you have it.

Amazon One

BY BELLA TRINKO AND ALAINA INOUYE

STAFF WRITERS

I’m certain we’ve all heard of Amazon, one of the biggest companies in the world. Well, they recently announced a new technology that could be groundbreaking in speed and security of retail transactions. Amazon One is a palm recognition technology that could make transactions such as paying at a store, entering a location that requires a ticket, and entering office buildings effortless and sanitary. Amazon is slowing trying to introduce this technology and get feedback from customers. After it has been included in all of their stores, it will be offered to third parties. 

Palm recognition is something that has been attempted in retail settings ,before but it hasn’t yet worked. Palm recognition was chosen due to privacy concerns and safety concerns. All palms can be distinguished, however you cannot trace someone using their palm, so palms worked well for customer privacy. It also requires someone to intentionally make a gesture to avoid accidental purchases. Amazon has been working to develop this technology since the beginning of 2019. Due to Amazon’s massive presence in the business world, I think it is safe to say palm recognition may, in time, become the new normal for retail and security transactions.

Links:

https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/29/21493094/amazon-one-palm-recognition-hand-payments-amazon-go-store

https://blog.aboutamazon.com/innovation/introducing-amazon-one-a-new-innovation-to-make-everyday-activities-effortless

Animal Pen: Nicobar Pigeon

BY KAIA KARPE

STAFF WRITER

The Nicobar Pigeon is found on Nicobar Island, right through the east of the Malay Archipelago, down to Palau and the Solomons. You may have heard of this bird as the closest living relative to the dodo. Scientists have this idea based on some cladistic analysis of mtDNA cytochrome b and 12S rRNA sequences.  Cladistic analysis is “a system of biological taxonomy based on the quantitative analysis of comparative data and used to reconstruct cladograms summarizing the (assumed) phylogenetic relations and evolutionary history of groups of organisms” says vocabulary.com. With this they can say that the Nicobar Pigeon has a slight possibility of being related to the dodo with the small amount of taxa. The definition of taxa (or taxon) is a way to categorize a group. They live up to eight to twelve years in the wild, and ten to fifteen years in captivity.

Nicobar Pigeons are the only living species in the Caloenas genus. They can measure up to sixteen inches, though typically the females are shorter than the males. These birds’ feathers are from not having any predators to hide from. In 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami inflicted a huge amount of damage on Nicobar Island and caused a slight population decrease.

Nicobar Pigeons’ diet consists of seeds, fruit, and buds. A gizzard stone helps them digest hard foods such as seeds. Birds swallow tiny amounts of gravel that helps the gizzard stone by acting as “teeth”.

Here are more visual examples of the gizzard stone.

An interesting thing about the Nicobar Pigeon is that they fly in columns or a single file line unlike the more common loose flock. Their white tail is similar to a taillight; It helps the group stay together and not get lost in the dark. Younger birds lack the white feathers, so if an adult Nicobar Pigeon sees that, they will know that they are not potential mates, not competition for mating, and they are not old enough to safely guide the flock to one location to the next. They like to build nests in heavy forest areas. Nicobar Pigeons build loose stick nests in a tree, and lay only one egg. Nicobar Pigeons are monogamous which means they only mate with one partner for life.

Sadly, the Nicobar Pigeons are considered near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN. They are hunted for their gizzard stones, which are made into jewelry, and they are trapped in an illegal trade to the local pet market as an exotic pet. Also, their nesting habitat is decreasing due to deforestation for plantations. That is not all of the threats to the Nicobar Pigeon of course. Nicobar Pigeon populations are also decreasing because of the travel of predators to their breeding grounds. Some examples of non-native predators are cats and rats. They are trying to be saved by multiple zoos which are helping Nicobar Pigeons adapt in safer areas. Hopefully people will notice them and try and pitch in to keep these wonderful creatures alive and healthy.

Citations

  • “Nicobar Pigeon.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, September 27, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicobar_pigeon. 
  • “Gizzard.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, September 15, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizzard. 
  • “This Colorful Pigeon with Luminous Feathers Is the Closest Living Relative to the Extinct Dodo Bird.” Positive Outlooks Blog, August 19, 2020. https://mypositiveoutlooks.com/nicobar-pigeon-dodo-relative/. 
  • “The World’s Fastest Dictionary.” Vocabulary.com. Accessed October 15, 2020. https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/cladistic analysis. 
  • “Gizzard and Crop Impaction.” Farm Health Online Animal Health and Welfare Knowledge Hub. Accessed October 15, 2020. https://www.farmhealthonline.com/US/disease-management/poultry-diseases/crop-impaction/. 

The White House and COVID-19

BY SYDNEY WESCHCKE

STAFF WRITER

Within the past month, dozens of members of the Trump Administration, including the President and his wife, have tested positive for COVID. This series of events started on September 26 at the Rose Garden event, which was celebrating the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett. This event has caused a spike in cases due to how many people have been infected from attending. On September 30, Hope Hicks, one of Trump’s close advisors, started showing symptoms while President Trump had his rally in Minnesota. He also held a rally on October 1, as well. He came in contact with many people and started to show symptoms. Later that night, he and First Lady Melania tested positive for COVID, which he publicly announced via Twitter in the early morning of October 2. 

Worried about his declining health, President Trump was flown to Walter Reed Hospital the same day. His oxygen level was below 94 percent, and he had a fever. During his three day stay, President Trump was given an experimental polyclonal antibody cocktail, two doses of remdessivir, and the steroid dexamethasone. On October 4, he went for a ride in his armored Chevrolet Suburban to see his supports, before returning to the hospital. The next day, October 5, he was discharged. 

A few days later on October 9, President Trump spoke with radio host Rush Limbaugh and claimed that he was feeling better than he was twenty years ago. Then, he held his first public event since his COVID diagnosis on October 10. He later tweeted, “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life.” 

There have been more people related to the Trump campaign that have tested positive for COVID in the past few weeks, along with the President’s son, Barron Trump. The most recent has been two of Vice President Pence’s top aides as of Sunday, October 25. Vice President Pence tested negative on Saturday and Sunday, and he is still taking place in rallies.

Thanks for reading this article; I hope it was informative. 

Sources:

https://apple.news/A0rVrWVAVTca-KSUK0A1aUw

https://www.npr.org/2020/10/25/927531128/pence-chief-of-staff-tests-positive-for-the-coronavirus

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/10/02/us/politics/trump-contact-tracing-covid.html

DIY Rainbow Loom: Basics/Setup

BY PRISHA RATHORE

STAFF WRITER

If you are in the mood for doing something crafty and creative, Rainbow Loom is just the thing for you! Well, you may be wondering what Rainbow Loom is. Rainbow Loom is a plastic peg board that comes with rubber bands, a hook, and some clips that connect your bracelet. The loom looks a little something like this.

Here is the hook that comes with it too! It will be used to connect bands. Now, if you are in the mood for making your first bracelet, you will definitely need some rubber bands. Don’t worry if you don’t have a loom or hook. This article will present a no hook and loom way of making this same bracelet with your fingers. If you do want the hook and loom, you can buy it on Amazon. The bracelet we are making is called the Single Chain bracelet, which is perfect for beginners! Let’s get started with the hook and loom way! First, lay your loom so the arrows point down like this.

Now we will start laying out the bands like this.

Continue in a zigzag pattern.

Now after you have continued that pattern through the loom, it should look like this.

 It’s time to turn your loom around. We will now start using the hook!

So begin by putting your hook in that first band.

Now go forward into that peg and pick up that band.

Carefully take that band off the peg and put it on the next one.

Now do the same for the next peg. Go inside the bands, push forward to the peg, take the band of the peg, and put it on the next one.

Read the steps above again for help with doing the next pegs. Anyways, soon your loom should look like this, and it is time to take it off the loom.

At the very end of the loom, stick your hook into the two loops and then you can take the bracelet off the loom!

After you take it off, you may use a clip to connect the bracelet like this. (I will be using a s-clip). After you stick a clip through the loops, take the bracelet off the hook and connect the bracelet.

Yay you did it!

Now I am going to teach you how to use your fingers to do it!

Start by putting a band on one finger and then twisting it and putting it on the other finger.

Next, put a band normally on the top.

Now take the bottom band of each side and flip it over like this.

Put another band on and repeat the previous step.

Put another band on and keep on following that pattern until it becomes long enough for your wrist!

Once it is long enough, make sure two bands are on and take the bottom band of each side and flip it over so one band remains. 

Take a clip and put the loops in the clip.

Now connect the clip to the other side. You did it!!!

Was that fun? If it was, keep watch for more articles in the DIY Rainbow Loom series; we will be learning how to make more bracelets in the future. Thank you for reading ASOP!

Candidate Positions: Who Stands Where

BY ALAINA INOUYE AND BELLA TRINKO

STAFF WRITERS

Candidate Platforms 

Mask Mandate Nationwide? 

Trump: No, Trump opposes a national mask mandate. He left it up to the states to decide what to do and support his previous decisions. 

Biden: Biden does support a national mask mandate. He has said he would call for all governors to enact a mask mandate. 

Affordable Care Act? 

Trump: No, he wants to overturn the Affordable Care Act. He says he has a new plan but has not yet told the American people what this plan is. 

Biden: Biden supports the Affordable Care Act. 

Lowering mandatory minimum prison sentences?

Trump: Yes, he supports this. He signed the First Step Act. The First Step Act aimed to lessen long-standing disparities in incarceration by reducing prison sentences.

Biden: Biden agrees with ending mandatory prison sentences. 

Death penalty? 

Trump: Yes, he does support the death penalty. He has made this very clear over his candidacy. 

Biden: Biden does not support the death penalty. 

Support defunding the police?

Trump: No, he does not support defunding the police. He says that most in law enforcement are “doing an incredible job.”

Biden: No, he does not support defunding the police. He wants to spend an additional 300 million(a year) on community policing initiatives and using existing funding on reforms.

Legalization of recreational marijuana?

Trump: He does not support the legalization of recreational marijuana. He believes that it should be left up to the states. 

Biden: Biden supports decriminalizing recreational marijuana. He wishes to have further research done on the effects and would expunge prior convictions. 

Support for ‘Zero tolerance’ policy that led to family separations at the border?

Donald Trump: He does support this policy.

Biden: He does not support this policy.

Supports cross-examination of accusers of sexual assault at colleges and universities?

Donald Trump: Yes, he has activated the rights of the accused. 

Biden: No, he says he strongly disagrees with this.

Supports a federal assault weapons ban?

Trump: No, he does not agree with this ban. 

Biden: He does support this, he supports a ban that would buy the assault weapons back.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2020/trump-policies-vs-biden-policies/

Unusual Pets

BY LYNNE INOUYE AND SYDENY WESCHCKE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF IN TRAINING AND STAFF WRITER

Animal companions are something that many people have. For a good reason too – pets can give you unconditional affection and support, a friend you can always rely on, or simply be something to brighten your day. Normally, such animals are cats or dogs, but the pet industry has expanded over the years, allowing more people to have so-called “exotic pets.”  It’s worth it to note that not all of these animals are domesticated, however, and sometimes it may be an unhealthy environment for them. So, we should always do our research and make sure we’re able to provide them with a good home. That being said, here are some pets that are on the weirder side. 

Our first interesting pet is the African Giant Millipede, as shown above. These arthropods can reach a size between seven and eleven inches and, in some cases, can live up to a decade long. Despite what one might think, millipedes are fairly easy pets to take care of. They need a large enough tank, some moss or soil to burrow under, and a warm temperature, but nothing too specific. Plus, they’re herbivores, so they eat fruits and vegetables. Millipedes get frightened easily and as such don’t like to be handled excessively, and it’s important to make sure you get your African Giant Millipede from a reputable breeder, too. 

Next, we have the Horned Frog, more commonly called the Pacman frog. This is a beginner level pet. They get this nickname because when their mouth opens, they look like Pacman. The frog can grow to a maximum size of eight inches and live for up to seven years. They also do not like being handled due to their sensitive skin, and this is one of the few frogs with teeth. These frogs are insectivores who mostly eat crickets and silkworms. Their habitat is at least a ten-gallon terrarium, with plants and branches for hiding. They are nocturnal creatures. 

Lastly, we have the Ball Python. They’re named this because of the way they curl into a tight ball when they get nervous. They can grow up to five feet long and live a maximum of thirty years. This is an intermediate level pet and one of the easier snakes to take care of. The ball python is also a carnivore and feeds on rodents, but overall it is a docile and curious animal. They are easy to handle and are more active at night. 

We hope that this article was informative, and you have a better understanding of some of the animals we keep as pets and their individual needs. Whenever you’re interested in purchasing a pet, it’s important to make sure you’re able to provide them with a safe and comfortable home. Thanks for reading! 

Sources 

https://www.petsmart.com/learning-center/reptile-care/a-set-up-guide-for-your-new-pacman-frog/A0198.html

https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/live-reptiles/snakes-turtles-and-more/ball-python-15381.html

https://www.thesprucepets.com/african-giant-millipedes-1236755

Picture: http://amazinganimalambassadors.com/african-giant-millipede/

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