Autumn Issue

China's Development

Written by: Han Li

Art by: Sean Li

This year, I attended a summer camp while I was in China. At camp, besides learning about Chinese culture, the biggest thing I took away from camp was the immense speed of Chinese innovation. In big cities like Shanghai or Beijing, that innovation can be seen anywhere. However, there is still a lot of progress happening in smaller cities. In camp, we went to two small cities, Jiaxing and Pinghu. In both of these cities, there is a lot of growth and innovation.

Staying Sane During the Summer

Written by: Jia Qi

While most students in the United States prefer the hot and mostly stress-free summer break over going to school, the realities of this two-month break are not as pleasant as everyone puts it out to be. This problem is especially evident as one plans nothing for the next two months of their lives. When someone stays sluggish for long periods, they may feel ill both physically and mentally. However, time management and homely activities act as simple solutions for this difficulty.

The Origin of the Double Ninth Festival

Written by: Catherine Feng

Art by: Sean Li

A long time ago, a monster lived in the Ru River. Whenever it appeared on land, people living along the river would contract a fatal disease and die. Everyone suffered endlessly. One day, the disease took the lives of the Heng Jing's parents. He, himself, narrowly escaped from death.

Differences Between Mooncakes From Different Regions in China

Written by: Kevin Zhao

Translated by: Evelyn Chan

The Mid-Autumn Festival has always been an important day, because it’s like Mid-New Year to the Chinese people. On that day, we eat mooncakes, which are an irreplaceable part of our culture. Mooncakes are a symbol of the Mid-Autumn Festival. There are countless different kinds of mooncakes, such as old-fashioned mooncakes, bean-cake mooncakes, lotus seed mooncakes, and so on. Southern and Northern China’s mooncakes are also unique. Here are a couple ways that they’re different.

US Open Tennis Tournament

Written by: Leo Fan

Translated by: Ann Zhao

On September 3, I went to New York to watch the US Open with my parents. The first game was a women's singles and the second was a men's singles, and they were all quarterfinals. The women's singles tennis players were Serena Williams and Wang Hao, and the men's singles were Dimitrov and Federer.

Movie Review: "Nezha"

Written by: Kevin Zhao

Art by: Angela Qian

This summer, an animated movie came out in China. Its name is “Nezha.” This movie quickly became popular. In September, American theaters first showed it. My parents took me and my sisters to watch this movie.

This movie was about a kid named Nezha who was supposed to be a good spirit, but was actually a demon. Everyone called him a monster and didn't want to be his friend. Only his parents and teacher cared about him. Nezha resisted his fate and instead of destroying his hometown, he saved it. In the end, with his only friend’s help, he overcame his curse.

Science Olympiad

Written by: David Ji

Every year, a hundred and twenty middle and high school teams from across the nation meet to participate in one of the most prestigious science competitions, the National Science Olympiad Competition. The competition covers a wide variety of topics, going to an extent that students would not normally learn in school. Want to be an epidemiologist? They’ve got an event for you. An ornithologist? No problem. How about an electrical engineer? They’ve got that too!

The Color of Fall

Written by: Kevin Zhao

Many changes happen in Fall. However, the most interesting and colorful one is when leaves turn yellow, orange and red. Do you know why leaves change color ?

LMS vs. VES

Written by: Brendan Li

Art by: Ann Zhao

I'm in fifth grade right now. I just started going to LMS this fall, and I want to talk about the similarities and differences between LMS and VES. I think VES lunch tastes really bad. Their pizza is cold and hard and they also serve rice that is dry. For half of the year, the french fries didn’t taste like anything. But the teachers are really nice. They always greet me in the hallways, and the library is really good. I think LMS is better, LMS has more classes, like STEAM. There are also a lot of new privileges. The food at LMS is better, and the pizza isn't hard. However, maybe because we're now in middle school, there is a lot more homework, and I think it is a lot harder than before.

My School

Written by: Katie Zhao

Translated by: Jia Qi

Art by: Ann Zhao

Today, I will introduce you to my school. I go to Village Elementary School in Skillman, NJ. The school is beautiful and very quiet. My school isn’t very big as it only has one floor that is for third and fourth graders. In addition to homerooms, the school has a gymnasium, library, art room, and a cafeteria. Outside, there is a playground with slides, soccer fields, and a giant tree. The slides are fun but it feels strange going down it. My teacher is Mrs. HartDorn. She has a praise bottle. If we behave, she puts a compliment in the bottle. When we get twenty-four of them, we can do a fun activity. It’s been less than a month since school started and we’ve already received twenty-four praises. Every day, we take reading notes, learn math, writing, spelling, and so on. I have two good friends named Averie and Aleena who play games with me in the playground. I love my school!

Noodles

Written by: Jia Qi

There is a common stereotype that links ‘Chinese’ or ‘Asian,’ to ‘Noodles.’ Long strands of dough boiled in water with vegetables and meats with classic Chinese soy sauce. Noodles taste good, are simple to make, and play a big role in Chinese culture.