Cover art by Leon Schumm
Monthly Color- Orange
Isabella Etzkorn
Sometimes, whether the color orange or the fruit came first is asked, and it turns into a debate about what people think is true. If you ever truly wanted to know the answer, it was, in fact, the fruit! This makes it the only color on the spectrum that got its name taken from the object.
The history of this color goes way back once being a sign of fertility and abundance in the West while in the East it was seen in many religions, representing knowledge, learning, and divinity. In 1970, the color gained popularity as it was becoming trendy to wear and decorate. Today, it is seen most commonly during the Fall season, as the leaves begin to change colors and people decorate their houses.
The psychological impact orange has is that is associated with warmth, energy, and excitement. Along with these though it is also thought to stimulate appetite, which is why a bunch of popular food brands use the color! Artists are also drawn to it, due to its bold and inspiring qualities being considered to foster creativity and expression. It is also highly visible from far away, which is why it is often used in safety gear, life jackets, and road signs.
The color orange is quite a versatile color with a range of meanings!
The Magnus Archives
Leon Schumm
Horror media, whether games, movies, or books, comes in many forms. One that is often overlooked is podcasts. Most people think of just people talking about random things when they think of podcasts, but there are plenty of people who make interesting fiction stories this way. One that does this well is The Magnus Archives.
The Magnus Archives is a story following a character named Jonathan Sims. He was recently given the job of Head Archivist at the Magnus Institute in London after previously working in the institute's research department. The previous Head Archivist, Gertrude Robinson, went missing before the plot began. The archives also have three assistants, Timothy Stoker, Martin Blackwood, and Sasha James.
The format of the episodes consists of Jon reading statements in an attempt to record copies of them digitally. Each episode has it’s own plot which tend to be mini horror stories. The statements are records people gave the institute regarding supernatural events. Afterwards, Jon gives his comments on the episode which contributes to an overarching plot.
Overall, It’s something I would recommend to people who are interested in the horror genre. It may not be the most scary all the time, but it’s a fascinating concept and might make good background noise for some. Most significant characters even have the fun detail of their names connecting to horror authors, with the main character being named directly after the podcast's author. There’s also a lot of diversity in the characters that show up throughout, including the main character being part of the LGBTQ community. If you are giving it a try, feel free to reach out to me (schuma26@apps.limashawnee.com) if you’d like to talk about its contents, I love talking about it or answering questions.
The Fright of your Life- Halloweekends!
Ash Decker
On the night of September 12th 2024 Cedar Point’s infamous and chilling Halloweekends began… During the day you're safe and can enjoy the many rides, types of food, and games the park has to offer. The decorations are absolutely stunning, this year there are interactive displays with lanterns that double as a game. Tap the button on your lantern when you put it near someone else’s and turn their lantern red. But once night falls the actors come out to start their scare. They can get you while you wait in line for your favorite rides, while you're just walking minding your own business, or just jump out at you when they blend into the crowd late at night. The haunted houses are no joke either, the walls open to reveal the actors who give you a good scare. Their faces painted with terrifying makeup, sure to keep you still quaking in your boots by the time you leave. You can go into the many haunted houses… If You Dare… Even once you walk out of the haunted house you're still not completely safe, make sure to look behind you for any actor that might have followed you out to give you one last good scare. They are sure to make your night both scary and fun, but more importantly they make sure to keep you on your toes.
A Bloody Tale
Grace Nance
With Halloween being over 2,000 years old there are bound to be some legends and myths surrounding it. Some are more well-known than others but they all have their part in making this season more scary. With so many different stories it can be hard to keep them all straight. Sometimes a reminder of the classic stories is just what we need.
In the 1800s there lived a young girl whose town had an illness washed over them and caused people to drop dead after a short time. Doctors who struggled to find a pulse would often use a mirror to see if their breaths caused condensation. However, this caused many people to be wrongly pronounced dead. The young girl was bedridden from the sickness and eventually presumed dead and put in a coffin with her best white dress. Later, when she awoke underground she began clawing and scratching at her wooden prison until her fingers started to bleed. She bled so much that her once-white dress was stained mostly red. Her fingers, once human, were now like the claws of a monster as she went mad with hatred and fury. She yelled and screamed, rage building in her at those who had put her there. Finally, her parents heard her but by the time she was dug up it was too late. She had suffocated. Her parents barely recognized her appearance when they opened the coffin. They put a mirror under her nose to see if her breath would show. Condensation was shown on the mirror even though her body had died. Her spirit, hungry for vengeance, attached to the mirror. She went from one prison to the next causing her rage to only grow. Now whenever one calls “Bloody Mary” three times into the mirror she claws at the unknowing victim not caring who it is only that they feel a fraction of what she felt.
In other stories of Bloody Mary, it is said she is an apparition that may be benevolent or malevolent, depending on historical variations of the legend. In the past, the ritual to summon her was for young women. They had to walk up a flight of stairs backward holding a candle and a hand mirror, in a dark house while alone. When they choose to look into the mirror, they can catch a glimpse of their future husband. There was also a chance that they would see a skull or the face of the Grim Reaper. This would indicate they were going to die before they would have the chance to marry. Other versions of the story include the mirror dripping blood, the participant's hair turning white, the participant disappearing without a trace after they call on her, or Mary being the devil’s wife.
Some people believe she was based on Mary I of England, Elizabeth Bathory, or Mary Worth. Mary I of England killed many Protestants for heresy. Her nickname was "Bloody Mary." Elizabeth Bathory was known as the "Queen of Blood," who was supposedly convicted of murdering hundreds of young girls so she could bathe in their blood. Mary Worth was a “witch” who was burned at the stake in the Salem witch trials.
“Bloody Mary” is a tale that explores the darker aspects of human experience, blending horror with historical figures and their legacies. Whether or not you believe in mirrors imprisoning girls or predicting the future this tale will not be easily forgotten. The next time you catch your reflection in a mirror, there might just be a different set of eyes staring back.
Maya Angelou
Chloe Angel
Maya Angelou was a famous fine artist, intellectual, and activist. Angelou was born on April 4th of 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, her childhood was tough as her parents got divorced when she was young and went to live wih her grandmother in Arkansas. Angelou went back to her mother´s care at the age of seven, this did not go well as she was abused by her mom´s significant other. A big part in Maya Angelou´s life was obviously literature, the person who introduced her to it was her school teacher, Bertha Flowers. Flowers also helped Angelou talk again as she refused to speak. As a young adult Angelou did not go to college and in fact had many strange jobs and became a writer afterwards. Angelou´s life was an eventful one and she has inspired many in her lifetime as well as after. Maya Angelou died on May 28th, 2014 at the age of 86. It is presumed she died of old age or heart problems.
Recipe of the Month
Ezra Perrine
Chocolate Mousse, in general, falls in the category of either rich or light. Mousse contains butter which gives it stability and a richer flavor. On the other hand, light chocolate mousse is bound with gelatin and lightened with whipped cream. They are both prepared Saboyen or pâte à bombe base. (Pâte à bombe using yolks and sugar. Saboyen is a fancy presentation of a meal). It can be used to fill a cake but we will just be making the Mousse. Light chocolate mousse is more delicate but also less rich. However, in this recipe, I will be making the Rich Chocolate Mousse!
For this you will need;
¾ cups chocolate chips
3 tbps butter
1.5 oz of softened butter // ⅕ cups
3 egg yolks
¼ liquid (orange worked best, however you can substitute this with coffee)
½ heavy whipping cream
1 cup sugar
To melt the chocolate, place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, then set over a pot of simmering water. Stir chocolate until ¾ is melted. If any more chocolate isn’t melted, return to heat and wait till melted. Set to the side.
Next, whisk the butter into the melted chocolate, divide into 6’s or 8’s to make it easier to whisk. Whisk until butter is absorbed then set to side.
To prepare the Sabayon, slowly whisk in sugar into egg yolks to prevent it from burning. Now, here comes the hard part. Place the mixture into a microwave safe bowl, place over a pot of simmering water and constantly stir to prevent the egg from cooking into the sugar. You want to get a thick consistency without the egg cooking. Preferably, whip by machine till cool.
To mix, whisk the heavy whipping cream till it begins to hold a shape, then fold the chocolate/butter mixture into the Sabayon. Folding it like flipping it over one another. Do not stir as this will not give the Mousse a proper flavor! Once the heavy whipping cream begins to hold its shape, fold into the chocolate/butter/sabayon mixture.
There you have it! A beautiful Rich Chocolate Mousse. When holding, make sure to butter or sit in a non-stick surface as it can easily grab onto surfaces and is a pain to get off without ripping. Wait around a day for it to make it’s shape then you have your finished product!
This will make around ¾ quarts of mousse. Don’t eat too much at once as it can easily overpower you. Trust me, I’ve learned from experience.
Thank you, Mr. Ebbing, for letting me do this, 10/10, I will be retaking the class next year.
Artist Spotlight- John Quidor
Hannah Wheeler
John Quidor was an early American painter that used many historical and literary subjects into his art.Over his lifetime he painted 35 pieces that were inspired by the authors Washington Irving and James Fenimore Cooper.
John Quidor was born in Tappan, New York on January 6th, 1801. Later in his teen years as John was older he took up a liking to painting. As he was 17 years old John was trained under an apprenticeship by the successful painter John Wesley Jarvis who was a famous portrait painter. And He made a career as painter of tavern signs, parade pennants, fire engines, and even an easel production.
Late 1820’s John Quidor produced romantic paintings that were based on the stories “The legend of sleepy hollow”,”The Pioneers”,and “Rip Van Winkle”. Which all were based later on into paintings of several scenes most famous was “The headless Horseman”. However many viewed Quidor’s paintings as not Illustrative, his paintings were frequently satirized of the social costumes and prejudices of the age of the time, But his style of art was different for the time and conveyed a often-foreboding sense of atmosphere. He is acclaimed to be the most intriguing artist of the 19th century.
John Quidor retired in 1968 from painting and lived in his daughter’s home until his death in 1881. Although in his life he wasn’t given enough success his paintings were put in the Brooklyn Museum and was regarded as one of America’s foremost Literary painters.
2024 MAMA Awards This November
Who do you think will win this year?
Ashely Music
The 2024 MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards) in Hollywood and Osaka has several different categories that you get to vote for this year! Every year a South Korean company, Mnet, hosts a music awards show in Seoul, South Korea, where fans get to go and see their favorite Korean artists perform. MAMA is sort of like the VMAs and the MTV awards except it’s not as big globally. Here are the categories and artists that are competing for titles this year… (I will show who I voted for in each category by highlighting options)
BEST NEW MALE ARTIST
82MAJOR, ALL(H)OURS, AMPERS&ONE, NCT WISH, NOWADAYS, TWS
BEST NEW FEMALE ARTIST
BABYMONSTER, ILLIT, MEOVV, QWER, UNIS, YOUNG POSSE
BEST MALE GROUP
ENHYPEN, NCT DREAM, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ZEROBASEONE
BEST FEMALE GROUP
(G(I-DLE, aespa, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans, TWICE
BEST MALE ARTIST
BAEKHYUN, Jimin, Jung Kook, Lim Young Woong, TAEMIN
BEST FEMALE ARTIST
IU, JENNIE, NAYEON (TWICE), TAEYEON, YUQI ((G)I-DLE)
BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE MALE SOLO
Jimin- Who, Jung Kook- Standing Next to You, KEY- Pleasure Shop, TAEMIN- Guilty, TAEYONG- Tap
BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE FEMALE SOLO
HWASA- NA, JENNIE- You & Me, NAYEON (TWICE)- ABCD, SUNMI- Balloon in Love, YUQI ((G)I-DLE)- FREAK
BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE MALE GROUP
NCT127- Fact Check, RIIZE- Love 119, SEVENTEEN- God of Music, Stray Kids- LALALALA, ENHYPEN- Sweet Venom, TWS- plot twist
BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE FEMALE GROUP
(G)I-DLE- Super Lady, aespa- Supernova, ILLIT- Magnetic, IVE- Baddie, LE SSERAFIM- EASY, NewJeans- How Sweet
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE SOLO
BIBI- Bam Yang Gang, IU- Love wins all, LEE MU JIN- Episode, Lim Young Woong- Warmth, TAEYEON- To. X
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE GROUP
(G)I-DLE- Fate, AKMU- Hero, DAVICHI- A very personal story, PLAVE- WAY 4 LUV, Red Velvet- Cosmic
BEST RAP & HIPHOP PERFORMANCE
DEAN- DIE 4 YOU, Lee Youngji- Small Girl (Feat D.O.), Leellamarz- Boys Like Girls (Feat. Gist, Jayci yucca), RM- LOST!, ZICO- SPOT! (Feat JENNIE)
BEST BAND PERFORMANCE
DAY6- Welcome to the Show, HYUKOH, Sunset Rollercoaster- Young Man, LUCY- The knight who can’t die and the silk cradle, N.Flying- Into You, QWER- T.B.H
BEST COLLABORATION
GroovyRoom- Yes or No (Feat. HUH YUNJIN of LE SSERAFIM, Crush), Jay Park- Taxi Blurr (Feat. NATTY of KISS OF LIFE), Lee Young Ji- Small girl (Feat. D.O.), Sung Si Kyung, Naul- Even for a moment, ZICO- SPOT! (Feat. JENNIE)
BEST OST (Original Soundtrack)
Crush- Love You With All My Heart (Queen of Tears OST), ECLIPSE- Sudden Shower (Lovely Runner OST), LEE CHANGSUB- Heavenly fate (A Not So Fairy Tale OST), Roy Kim- Whenever, Wherever (My Demon OST), TAEYEON- Dream (Welcome to Samdal-ri OST)
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
aespa- Armageddon, IU- Love wins all, IVE- HEYA, K.Will- No Sad Song For My Broken Heart (Prod. Yoonsang), SEVENTEEN- MAESTRO
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
aespa- Supernova, ILLIT- Magnetic, LE SSERAFIM- CRAZY, NewJeans- Supernatural, RIIZE- Impossible, TAEMIN- Guilty
October Artist Birthdays
Carrie Briggs
October 4th, 1814, Jean Francois Millet
October 4th, 1861, Frederic Remington
October 8th, 1930, Faith Ringgold
October 10th, 1901, Alberto Giacometti
October 10th, 1684, Antoine Watteau
October 22nd, 1925, Robert Rauschenberg
October 25th, 1881, Pablo Picasso (work pictured)
October 27th, 1923, Roy Lichtenstein
October 31st, 1632, Jan Vermeer
Why Can’t We All Get Along? - Original Song
Noah Sims
Well there’s some things I want to say
About the times we’re living in today
I know we can’t always agree
But some things don’t make sense to me
Everyone is different, that’s what people say
But they shun some people anyway
-
Why can’t we all get along?
Don’t they know that hate is wrong?
Let people be people and just walk away
And be happy for them, come what may
I know it’s not easy to put aside our differences
But believe me when I say, it’s in all of our interests
-
Why there are issues, I don’t really know
If they’re not harming you, just let them go
And move on with the show
I may not be bullied like some others are
But I feel for their troubles, ‘cause I know that it’s hard
Just to be who they are
-
Why can’t we all get along?
Don’t they know that hate is wrong?
Let people be people and just walk away
And be happy for them, come what may
I know it’s not easy to put aside our differences
But believe me when I say, it’s in all of our interests
-
I don’t know who needs to hear this, if it will get very far
But remember I love you, whoever you are
The Television
Aiden Sullivan
You stare into the static of the television, with no way out. But you see something on the television. It is tall and pale but has no face. It gets closer, but when it is almost there, it goes back. This goes on and on forever, hearing never-ending static and going crazy. You stare into the television and it stares back at you…
AVATAR is proud to stand with human artists, writers, and musicians. Use #NoAI, #notoaigeneratedimages, and #humanart when posting about art, writing, or music to help us help creatives everywhere!
2024/2025 AVATAR STAFF
Stacey Kuhlman - AVATAR Advisor
Carolina Briggs - Student Editor
Chloe Angel
Ash Decker
Bella Etzkorn
Brighton Hooker
Angelina Karapondo
Sanaa Khandakani
Jorge Moreno Armendariz
Kenidee Morgan
Ashely Music
Grace Nance
Ezra Perrine
Cindy Scangarella Burga
Leon Schumm
Noah Sims
Link Smitheram
Aiden Sullivan
Alyssa Washam
Hannah Wheeler
Interested in submitting for next month but don't want to join? Email submissions to briggc27@apps.limashawnee.com