By Veronica Vicente |Staff Writer| The Los Angeles zoo and Botanical Gardens commenced their annual zoo lights festival on Nov.18, which featured thousands of lights and animal installations to spread holiday spirit. The event brought together more than 170,000 visitors and was awarded the Best Choice Travel award by USA today. Among walking inside, there are several lit paths that take you to different exhibitions of the zoo. “The Lair”, which represents for living amphibians, invertebrates and reptiles was the only exhibition open to the public. It contained a giant green snake covered with bright lights on top of the rooftop,greeting the guests as they walked … [Read more...] about Thousands gather for Festival of Lights
Thanksgiving
Meal prep ideas with leftover turkey
By Jasmine Perez |Staff Writer| Idea # 1 Turkey and Avocado Salad. -Pick out your favorite greens from your local grocery store. The easiest thing would be to buy a mixed bag of Taylor Farms greens, which are usually organic. - Add in some sliced tomatoes - Thinly slice half of a red onion - Add 1 cup of Parmesan - Combine ingredients in a Tupperware container - In a separate Tupperware mix extra virgin oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. This will be your dressing. - Add an avocado to your lunch bag. Once it is time to eat your meal, pour on your dressing and cut up the avocado there so you can it eat it fresh and enjoy your healthy … [Read more...] about Meal prep ideas with leftover turkey
Enjoy your thanksgiving guilt-free
By Jasmine Perez |Staff Writer| Overindulging in food is one of the toughest struggles when trying to remain healthy during the holidays. According to healthyeating.sfgate.com, "overeating, particularly high-fat, high-calorie foods, can increase your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes." Although you can be tempted to continue eating because the food is in sight, stop eating once you are full. A helpful tip to not overindulge is to make sure you eat designated meals before your dinner. Not eating all day so you can save room for your awaited dinner is not a good mindset to have. Have a decent breakfast and light lunch before dinner. If your families thanksgiving … [Read more...] about Enjoy your thanksgiving guilt-free
Refugees deserve asylum
By Carlos Solis |Staff Writer| Twelve million Syrians have fled their homes because of the civil war in their country, according to worldvision.org. Foreign powers, like countries such as U.S., and Russia—as well as organizations in the Middle East—have created a mess. The situation in Syria has now turned into one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history. Since 2012, the U.S. has accepted 2,174 Syrian refugees - roughly a 0.0007 % of the US population, according to The Guardian. "Obama calls on U.S. to resettle 'at least 10,000' Syrian refugees in 2016 fiscal year," continued The Guardian. This number will only represent 0.0007% of the U.S. population. This shows … [Read more...] about Refugees deserve asylum
Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner with Andrew Jackson
By Sandy Rodriguez | Staff Writer | Let's face it, we can't all make it home for Thanksgiving and we can't all afford to cook an expensive dinner. Some of us have homework and others have work, but that doesn't mean we can't have a home-cooked holiday dinner away from home or that we have to spend $30 on a turkey alone. I made it my mission to prepare a savory Thanksgiving dinner without spending Thanksgiving money. I made my way to Stater Brothers with only $20 in my pocket and went straight to the meat aisle. I found a ready-to-heat, honey cured boneless ham for about $11. I bought a can of pineapple for $1.50, so I could add it to the top of the ham, but that is … [Read more...] about Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner with Andrew Jackson
Black Friday invades Thanksgiving
By Sarah Johnson |Staff Writer| Camping outdoors in long lines at malls, racing through stores to get a deal, and fighting over the last Princess Elsa doll on the shelf; all things that come to mind when someone says “Black Friday.” This is ironic, because the day prior--Thanksgiving--brings completely different thoughts to mind. Turkey dinner on the table, mom’s homemade stuffing, the aroma of pumpkin pie baking in the oven, and your family and friends all there to give thanks for everything they have been given in life. Thanksgiving is supposed to be all about appreciating the things we already have in life. Yet some shoppers become ruthless and violent hours later just to get … [Read more...] about Black Friday invades Thanksgiving
Look great this holiday season
By Shelby Gonzales |Staff Writer| As the holiday season approaches and we are preparing for Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas parties, family gatherings, work parties and New Year’s festivities, we want to make sure we look our best for each occasion. Whether casual or formal, there are perfect outfits for all occasions. In the winter season, coats, sweaters, leggings, and boots are all a must to keep warm out there however, it is important to dress appropriate for each event you plan on attending. While still requiring to dress up for family get-togethers, it is important to stay comfortable to last the night. I think pairing some skinny jeans along with a nice sweater and … [Read more...] about Look great this holiday season
Thanksgiving dish on a budget
By Courtney Mata |Staff Writer| The holidays are quickly approaching and we all know what that means! Food! Family and friendly gatherings are nothing new to the holiday scene, but for students on a holiday budget, preparing a holiday treat can seem a bit pricey. One of my favorite and least expensive holiday meals to make is green bean casserole. Green bean casserole requires only a bag of jack and cheddar shredded cheese, two cans of green beans, two cans of mushroom soup and a bag of crispy onions. There are many ways to add to the casserole like adding bacon bits, but I like to keep it simple and I always get compliments on this dish. So let’s get started! First … [Read more...] about Thanksgiving dish on a budget
Volunteering is not seasonal help out year around
By Maria Perry |Staff Writer| We tend to spend so much time emphasizing what we want to get during the holidays that we forget about giving and volunteering. I think that volunteering has become viewed as a seasonal activity because we tend to think more about giving to others during the holiday season than throughout the rest of the year. “I think it is the time of year when people think about what they are grateful for,” said student Kathleen Ashbaker. “And they want to help people that are less fortunate than themselves who perhaps don’t have as much.” One of the main problems that makes volunteering hard during other times of the year is that people have to devote more … [Read more...] about Volunteering is not seasonal help out year around