Table of Contents
News Around Shawnee
Sports
Editorials
Fashion & Beauty
Reviews
Games and Puzzles
Credits
News Around Shawnee
Notable Black Authors
Frederick Douglas
As a former slave, Douglas wrote the book “Learning to Read and Write” to emphasize the power of education to attain freedom. He also sheds light on the harsh reality endured by slaves which help fueled the abolitionist movement.
Zora Neale Hurston
A prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance, Hurston explored themes of race, gender, and identity in one of her most famous literary works Their Eyes Were Watching God. This book is praised for its portrayal of a resilient female protagonist who defies societal expectations to find her own voice and agency.
Langston Hughes
Another figure who was part of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes was known to be the inventor of jazz poetry. His book Not Without Laughter which portrayed African-American life in Kansas was known to be one of the most famous books by black authors.
Maya Angelou
As a civil rights movement activist, Maya Angelou made history with her nonfiction book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. The book which addresses the issues of rape, trauma, racism, and literacy later had a film adaptation with the same name.
Mia Molina
Is Valentine’s Day worth the hype?
274 Shawnee students answered our question, Is Valentine’s Day worth the hype? Shawnee students are neutral about the holiday, with loving the holiday being the 2nd highest opinion. These results are interesting because having a neutral opinion is rarely the consensus in my experience, but it tells a lot about us. For instance, to me, this tells that Shawnee students may be less likely to go all out for a significant other.
Carrie Briggs
Historical Holidays: Valentine's Day
Valentine’s Day is known for gifting flowers, chocolate, and letters to someone you love. Do we really know the history behind this holiday? Even though Valentine’s Day is depicted as a day for lovers, its origins have a dark history behind it. In Ancient Rome, the Romans celebrated a pagan holiday during February 13-15 called Lupercalia. Lupercalia was a celebration that promoted health and fertility in the city which also included ritual sacrifices.
It was not until the 14th century that Valentine’s Day was known as a day for romance. Several Christian martyrs were named Valentine, but scholars still don’t know which one is named after the holiday. Some say that St. Valentine is named after the holiday. Emperor Claudius II found out that St. Valentine was arranging marriages for his soldiers and threw St. Valentine in jail. The most famous legend states that St. Valentine befriended his jailer’s daughter and gave her a letter signing it with “from your Valentine.
Why Cupid?
Cupid, in Roman Mythology, was the god of love and holds significance on Valentine's Day due to his association with promoting romantic feelings and relationships. Valentine's Day got its romantic side from ancient Roman celebrations like Lupercalia, where Cupid, the love god, played a big role. Cupid and his arrows, representing love and romance, were later mixed with the Catholic celebration of Valentine’s Day.
Mia Molina
Sports
Sports Corner with Pauly
Answers from last edition's Stump Pauly
What was the women's volleyball score from 1980 vs Elida?
6-0 3 games
Who shot the first penalty in the shootout in the soccer state championship?
Matteo Fusillo
What was the score of the 1972 women's volleyball game vs Celina?
That year we did not have a women's volleyball team
What was the record of the girl's varsity basketball team in 1926?
2-12-1
What star girls basketball player at SHS during the 1930s is now a member of the Ohio High School Basketball Hall of Fame?
Congrats! You've successfully stumped Pauly!
Who played 2nd doubles on the 2017 Shawnee Boys Tennis Roster?
Congrats! You've successfully stumped Pauly!
Think you've got what it takes to stump Pauly? Ask your questions down below on the Google Form.
Editorials
Poppi vs. Ollipop
Prebiotic sodas are taking over the world. I started seeing sodas like this online, and then at stores like Meijer or Kroger. I am a big Poppi fan, so I think I have the right credentials to write this article about which prebiotic soda is better, Poppi or Olipop. The concern people have with a lot of these prebiotic sodas is that they will taste like sparkling water and I think if you find the right brand you will be okay. I've tasted so many probiotic sodas, I can't even count, but out of all of them, Poppi has the strongest flavors while still not adding any artificial flavoring. It's a woman-owned business based in Austin, Texas and I think that its only flaw is the lack of flavor variety. I will say Olipop has a stronger sparkling water taste but their variety of flavors is astonishing. I'm unsure which one is better for your gut health but through the research I've done, they both have around the same calories and total sugar. You'll really just have to try it for yourself but let Poppi be the first one you try.
Samantha Smith
Sight Reading
Sight reading is the art of looking at music and playing it for the first time. It was made nearly a thousand years ago by Guido d'Arezzo. The concept is easy to grasp look at the music and play the instrument that the music is written for. It is a straightforward concept but can be very difficult to do cause the first time you play a song there will be mistakes, but you will get better and do better the more you play it.
Mason Mcpheron
Fashion & Beauty
Lip Balm Craze
Lip Balms are taking over the beauty industry. Every brand is coming out with its own line of lip products. I'm not talking about lipsticks and stains, I'm talking about balms and glosses. It started with the Lanegie Lip Mask, then Summer Fridays' Lip Balms. Since then, every brand has come out with its own collection. Tower 28 has since then released a line of lip treatments called LipSofties. Tarte has their Maracuja lip oil click pen. Even Brands like Kylie's Skin have released a lip butter.
What's Worth It?
Of all of these balms on the market, which ones are actually worth your money? Elf released a lip oil that is a dupe for the Dior lip oil. The Elf oil is $8 while the Dior oil is around $45. When it comes to these two, from what I can tell, the formula is exactly the same, so save your money and go for Elf. As for Haley Bieber's lip peptide treatment, it goes on smooth and thick with a strong scent and is intended to prevent future wrinkles. I do like this product. It lasts throughout the day and is on the more affordable side selling for $16. I couldn't talk about lip balms and not include Laneige's lip mask. I believe they started all the lip product trends and everyone since has just been trying to top them. These lip masks are good and nobody can deny that, but once again Elf has released a dupe for $4. Depending on which store, Laneige is selling for around 20 bucks. Also, Lineage does test on animals, so I think for a lip mask Elf is the way to go. I would love to talk about Summer Fridays' lip balm, because I've only heard great things about it. However, I've yet to receive mine in the mail. This lip balm craze has me in a chokehold and I know it will get you soon.
Samantha Smith
Big Chrome Fun
Clean girl is out, we will not see as many almond-shaped light pink/nude nails. As I mentioned in the December Chief issue, we're going to be seeing more long square-shaped French tips, but now we are adding some color. As bold, chunky, and metallic jewelry is becoming more popular, our nails are starting to match. Chrome powder picked up around the ‘Hailey Bieber glazed donut’ nails, with those nails you did a nude base and some white Chrome powder on top. Now we are still sticking with chrome powder but we are doing bright bold colors This is an easy trend to try to follow: just paint your nail any base color and find a chrome powder kit on Amazon. Apply the powder with a small makeup sponge and put a top coat on top. It gives this professional look that you would think could only be achieved at the salon. It's messy and it's fun which I think follows a lot of the fashion trends of 2024.
Samantha Smith
Reviews
USHER's Sunday Comeback
This Superbowl, though highly anticipated, was not as exciting as one would've hoped. Being the peak of the football season, it attracts many fans, and this year many more with the addition of Taylor Swift, who many were paying more attention to rather than the season overall. This year, the ads on TV weren't too exciting, though some were good, they just didn't match the energy and creativity of some of the past Superbowl commercials. That being said, the game was rather interesting, with some parts that kept you paying attention due to the close scores. The half-time show was nothing too crazy, though many were excited to see Usher perform. Overall, the Superbowl this year was nothing crazy, but still brought together football fans together for one great Sunday.