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By Kevin Biggiani
As you walk or drive through the Oyster Bay- East Norwich neighborhoods, readily visible are bright-orange pumpkins decorating home after home. You’re likely to see pumpkins in other ways, too. Pumpkin festivals, pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin-flavored coffee, pumpkin-flavored ice cream, and pumpkin soup to name a few pumpkin-themed activities and items. It’s clear that the pumpkin rules supreme in the United States during the fall season. How did the pumpkin evolve to become such a popular symbol of the fall? The history of the pumpkin is an interesting one. According to The History Kitchen, the pumpkin is believed to have originated in Central America over 7,500 years ago. The original pumpkins were small and very hard with a bitter flavor. The hard shell of the pumpkin was used by the natives of Central America for storage during cold winters when food was scarce. Once the pumpkin migrated to North America, it was grown as food. The pumpkin and its seeds have tremendous nutritional value. Cooked pumpkin can be flavored with butter and spices.
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By Matthew Wong
On October 13th, Apple hosted its annual event to announce the release of the new iPhones and additional accessories. The iPhone is Apple’s best selling item, and this year, the tech company released four new phones: the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Max. Numerous upgrades were made to the newest models, including improved cameras, a new angular design, and, most importantly, 5G connectivity. As a result of these upgrades, market analysts predict that the release of the new iPhone 12s will greatly boost Apple’s sales. Each iPhone 12 has different capabilities and features; therefore, each one has a different price. The cheapest phone of the four, the iPhone 12 mini, starts at $699 and has a 5.4-inch display. The iPhone 12 is priced at $799 with a 6.1-inch display. These two phones come in white, black, green, red, and blue. The more expensive models, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Max, start at $999 and $1,099 and possess a 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display, respectively. The color options for these two are silver, graphite, gold, and Pacific blue. By Ava Aschettino
The virus that has stolen the lives of over 350,000 and counting has impacted the world in ways no one could have imagined just a few months ago. As countries around the world remain under lockdown and citizens are social distancing, restaurants, stores, and jobs across the globe have boarded up their windows. While this pandemic has plagued the likes of many, not all are suffering; in fact, many environmentalists are happy. Currently, the atmosphere is experiencing carbon dioxide reductions six times greater than those recorded after the 2009 financial crisis, and according to the New York Times, “a far bigger drop than at any point during the Great Depression or at the end of World War II, when much of Europe lay in ruins.” This unprecedented rate is due to the limitations put in place by governments across the map, advising or forcing more than 4 billion people to stay home. In contrast to 2019, there has been an 8 percent decrease in carbon dioxide emissions, with a predicted drop of 2.6 billion tons according to a report from the International Energy Agency. From that same report, by mid-April, energy use in many countries was 17 percent to 25 percent lower than the year prior. By Parker Kang
At 2019’s E3, a business-oriented gaming expo, Microsoft announced the future release of its new flight simulator, MFS2020. This announcement came as a surprise to most, even those deeply involved in the niche flight simulation industry. Why? Their most recent flight simulator was released thirteen years ago. Since 2006, the company has had little involvement in the flight simulator market. As Microsoft’s position as the leading flight simulation company gradually diminished, competitors quickly sprung up in its place. The most prominent of these became Laminar Research, known for its ‘X-Plane’ series. Their newest release, X-Plane 11, is the most advanced flight simulator currently available. Laminar’s monopolization of the industry seemed complete just a year ago. With the sudden announcement of Microsoft’s return, however, discussion quickly shifted to how Laminar was going to compete. By Kevin Biggiani
The economic disruption caused by the coronavirus has caught everyone by surprise. Millions of Americans have been instructed to stay at home on mandatory lockdown. Businesses are also closed, as social distancing and reducing chances of exposure is the best way to fight the virus. Unfortunately, as businesses are closed, employees are not needed. Since March 2020, more than 36 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits. People on lockdown still shop online, but unemployed people have less money to spend. In April, the fall in consumer prices nationally was the steepest monthly fall since the 2008 financial crisis. This raises the possibility of deflation occurring here in the United States. So, what is deflation? By Ava Aschettino
If the world were not social distancing right now, what would people be doing? Most would likely be going to work or school, heading to movie theaters or restaurants, or hanging out with friends and family. It seems that many have found themselves trapped in an inescapable state of boredom, or descending down a Netflix rabbit hole. Well, here are some activities that anyone can get involved in, virtually of course By Stefanie Sadocha
Post Malone left fans speechless at Nassau Coliseum after his Runaway Tour exceeded all expectations on February 19th. Performing a full set list of his top hits to a crowd of all ages, it is safe to say Post Malone did not disappoint. Joined by Swae Lee, Tyla Yaweh, and even a special appearance by Lil Tecca, the artist put on an unforgettable performance. By Kevin Biggiani
In 1995, the first evidence was discovered that other stars have planets, just as our sun does, according to The Planetary Society, founded by well-renowned astrophysicist, Dr. Carl Sagan. Planets that orbit stars outside of our solar system are called exoplanets. Today over 4,100 exoplanets have been discovered and catalogued in the NASA Exoplanet Archives maintained by the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute. By Alina Kelly
As 2019 comes to an end, it’s worth reflecting on the memorable moments of the past ten years. Let's look at nine noteworthy events that took the world by storm this past decade. By Matthew Wong
Protruding out of nearly everyone’s ears, Apple’s Airpods have taken the world by storm. Now the tech company has released the next generation of the highly successful Airpods, the Airpods Pro. The feature that sets the Airpods Pro apart from its competition is not its sound quality nor its ability to remove external noise, but its user friendliness, which is first-rate compared to other wireless earbuds. In addition to making the case pocketable, Apple created the Airpod Pro to seamlessly connect to your phone. Apple has taken the old Airpods, which required improvement, and created an improved successor. |
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