November 2020 Issue

Be Challenged

Publisher’s Letter From Your Fearless Leader “Change does not change tradition. It strengthens it. Change is a challenge and an opportunity, not a threat.” Prince Philip of England What a wild ride we have taken on the rollercoaster of life in the last few months. In August, we were getting “Back To” life. September was our “Change” issue, which rolled into October with our “Creativity” issue. We decided to get creative with our branding and we revamped our focus to #bebetterbebella, to start where we are and to find our voices. We are telling our truth. We are honoring the process by accepting where we are at and identifying what

Journalism in the Classroom | Traditions

Traditions By Kyleigh Huse and Samantha Tran What traditions does your family have? My family has many traditions but Christmas has the most for sure. My personal favorite tradition is when we get to eat Christmas dinner with the whole family and open Christmas presents. I would imagine this being a common holiday tradition, as I share this with many people. Personally this tradition is my favorite too. My plans wouldn’t change for Christmas would not change. Where I come from my grandma usually prepares Christmas dinner we all go to her house, drink hot chocolate, and open Christmas presents. Another tradition we have is baking cakes, cookies, pumpkin roll,

What are Telomeres?

Have you ever wondered why some 60-year-olds look and feel like 40-year-olds and why some 40-year-olds look and feel like 60-year-olds? Thousands of studies have been done on aging, and many are beginning to point to an inescapable conclusion: our lifestyle choices, what we eat, and what we don’t eat may actually affect our aging process. The aging process begins at birth. Lifestyle choices made throughout childhood affect our aging process either positively or negatively. What exactly are telomeres and what role do they play in aging? Telomeres are tiny pieces of DNA that are critical to our ability to stay young as we get older. Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, University

Lux Libations | Traditional Sours

Jack Rose — not quite a household name when it comes to cocktails, but maybe it should be. At first glance, there isn’t anything special about a cocktail like this. Simple measurements, three ingredients, two of which are quite common (you’ll recognize them if you read last month’s article), but then you taste it. It’s lush, delicious, clean, and complex, and it’s PINK! What more could you possibly want? A traditional “sour” like the Jack Rose utilizes a tried and true cocktail template. The basic 2:3/4:3/4 ratio is darn-near perfection. Don’t believe me? Ever hear of a gimlet? Whiskey sour? daiquiri? (Yeah, that’s right, a daiquiri!) They all use the

Whose Market Is It?

Selling real estate during COVID-19 is difficult enough, but the increase in finicky buyers falling prey to buyer’s remorse has made this a most challenging year. A lot of buyers don’t understand the full process of purchasing a home in 2020. They think that they have power because they think it’s a buyers’ market. But it’s not a buyers’ market. It’s really a sellers’ market. Interest rates as low as 2.5 –2.9% give sellers confidence that a buyer will soon be knocking. Currently houses sometimes go under contract before potential buyers can even schedule a showing. To add to the challenge, mortgage companies this year are requiring additional documentation to

Photo of the Month | Joseph Sanders

Photo of the Month: Joseph Sanders My journey in portrait photography came in stages that were out of order from what one would typically think. Most of the time, someone will start with taking photos of family and friends, slowly learn the mechanics of the camera, and eventually master the editing techniques needed to produce professional looking headshots. For me, it was quite the opposite. Starting my freshman year at Williston-Elko High School, I began to explore the world of Adobe Photoshop in my computer graphics class. I liked it so much that I took that same class twice over my four years there just for fun. Once I moved

Traditions in the Time of Covid

Every family has traditions that mark special occasions, and how families handle them builds connections. We humans are amazing creatures of habit. We love the predictable and seek routine even though we frequently complain about being in a rut. We go on vacation only to long for home to sleep in our own beds, see our friends and family, and re-engage in our lives. Every nation, tribe, culture, and subculture establishes rituals and traditions that are unique and help define its individual, family, and group identity. Every family has traditions that mark special occasions, and how families handle them builds connections. One of the many casualties of the COVID restrictions

Golf is a Family Tradition | Our Favorite Golf Course is the Palmetto

The first time I saw my boyfriend wearing loud plaid pants with a white belt and a clashing shirt, my thoughts were something akin to, “What a dork.” He is now my husband and his golf attire has evolved to become more sedate. We have been married 40 years. I decided 35 years ago that I would not become a “golf widow” who wonders where her husband is after five (or more) hours. My mother and sisters-in-law knew how to play, so I decided I had better learn or else be left babysitting all of the children on weekends. At the time, we lived across the street from a golf

Turkey on Zoom?

No, this does not mean chasing a fast turkey, Uncle Billie-Bob… I don’t think it is worth my time to address all the cons for having to practice social distancing for your holiday traditions. For functional families, it may be very difficult to be distanced from loved ones. However, for those of us who have the courage to admit that our families are dysfunctional, our gatherings may be the best ever. First of all, within both words there is a little secret 3-letter word embedded — FUN. So why not create a new kind of fun or family tradition? Let’s examine the wisdom and actual quotes from the Centers for