Brooks Business

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. Roosevelt said this in his first inaugural speech in 1933, while speaking to a nation plagued with uncertainty and an economic crisis. This quote, which has stayed true for nearly a century means that fear will make things worse. Instead of cowering and hiding from the problem, Roosevelt tells us to face it. In today’s world that could mean making masks for essential workers, donating money for more ventilators, or educating yourself about Covid-19.

In the Brooks Business final edition, we have a coronavirus-related crossword, Tv recommendations, and great recipes to make. We also have articles about North Korea, Quarantine Protests, and other current topics. Thank you for reading. Have a great Summer.

As many of you probably know, COVID-19, better known as the “Coronavirus,” is a highly infectious respiratory disease that spreads very easily. If a person is infected, they can infect several people that are even breathing the same air as them. Most people lose their sense of smell for about two weeks, have a high fever, and a painful cough. Most of these people are able to make a quick recovery. However, people with lowered immune systems, or who are a little bit further into their years, are not always as lucky. As of May 7th, there have been more than 267,000 deaths worldwide with more than 3.85 million confirmed cases. As a result the economy has nearly ground to a screeching halt, thousands upon thousands have been laid off or furloughed, and all of the financial rebuilding from the 2008 recession have been swept away almost overnight. To prevent the spread of the virus, schools and offices worldwide have been closed, unfortunately into the summer.

For OPRF High School seniors, regrettably, this means no prom, no senior pranks, and no graduation ceremony. As for 8th graders, which make up most of the staff here at Brooks Business, there is no dance, no graduation ceremony, and no Great America trip. Although it is a little sad we are all working together to save the world...from our couches.

“When are we going back to school?”

Quite honestly, no one is sure. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has announced his five-phase plan to re-open our state. Phase 1 happened during the rapid spread of the virus, when hospitals were being overwhelmed with patients. Everyone was instructed to remain inside, with strict social distancing guidelines. Only essential businesses are allowed to remain open during this phase. We are now in Phase 2, when the number of new cases per day begins to slightly decrease. Unless there is a resurgence in cases, we can proceed to Phase 3 on May 29th, in which the number of cases is stable or declining. Offices can reopen, less essential businesses, and, yes, barbershops and salons will be reopened. You can finally get that haircut. When every region in Illinois finally has declining cases, the state will proceed to Phase 4 where gatherings of up to 50 are allowed and schools and sit down restaurants can reopen. However, even when gathering everyone must continue to wear their face-masks. Older teachers (50+ years of age) and teachers with certain health issues will have to continue remote learning to avoid being infected carriers. Phase 5 will include a full restoration and reopening of Illinois, only when we have a certain treatment or vaccine available. As the early stages of clinical testing have barely begun, it may be another 18 months before there is a vaccine. Hopefully, we can be back in class by 2021.

“Okay, But What About 8th Grade Graduation?”

There’s going to be a video for graduation. There are still going to be some graduation speeches from a few students, and our principals will be able to well-wish the 8th graders (in a recording). However, for health and safety reasons there will be no rehearsal nor Saturday ceremony at OPRF. We know, it really stinks. None of us are really happy about it. However, in these trying times we should count our blessings, and be thankful for what we have.

In a lighter tone, the majority of the Brooks Business Staff being 8th graders know that they will most likely not get the week off at the end of the school year. Let’s just hope that the 8th grade teachers go easy on the workload for the last week of school.

“Oh...What Am I Supposed To Do With All Of This Time Then?”

An excellent question. Most extracurriculars and summer camps are doing online Zoom or Google Hangout in place of their usual activities. When the r-Learning ends we may find ourselves with an excess of free time. Eventually, we might get sick of our phones, our game consoles, and endlessly binging Netflix or Disney+. A great idea would be to learn a new instrument you may have had lying around, take up an interest in baking, or even learn a new language you have always wanted to learn online. Being middle schoolers we may not see this much free time again in our lives. We might as well choose to make something quite interesting out of it. However, how you choose to spend your time is completely up to you. If curling up and catching up on your shows will bring you joy, by all means!

We are aware that these times are quite confusing, frightening, and frustrating. Everyone in the world is affected by this in one way or another. However, when we come out of this we will be stronger than ever knowing that we are equipped to fight true hardship as a species. We will have a story to tell our grandchildren from “back in our day.” In the meantime, it is important that we surround ourselves with people that we care about. If you need someone to talk with, our social worker at GBMS, Ms. Boudreau would be happy to talk to you. Email: hboudreau@op97.org. Remember that you are not alone, and we will all get through this together.

As of mid-March, 2020 the United States, although the guidelines for safety have varied greatly in each state, has been in lockdown due to COVID-19. In the month of May, several states have been lifting some of their restrictions, in an effort to return to normal life and return the economy back to its previous state.

Throughout this time, Americans have become used to the term “Social Distancing”. The term as it relates to Coronavirus refers to keeping a distance from others outside your home. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those guidelines include staying a minimum of 6 feet apart, avoiding large gatherings and crowded spaces. The aim of these guidelines, and others, including the closing of schools and non-essential businesses, is to “flatten the curve” or slow the spread of the virus as to not overwhelm medical workers, facilities and resources. When you are close to someone without proper protection, you put yourself at risk of contracting, or spreading the virus.

Despite the efforts of health officials and governors to keep citizens safe from COVID-19, there is a large number of people who protest against social distancing and other restrictions. A variety of polls conducted show that most Americans believe that staying home and exercising social distancing is the best thing to do at this moment, especially because there is no vaccine for the virus. But many people, including the President, believe that staying home and following these guidelines is not the right thing to do. Although, according to Google news, which is constantly updating its data, roughly 80,000 Americans have died from Coronavirus as of May 10th, it is a wonder why these protesters believe it would be in our best interest to “reopen America”.

The protesters are not what is posing a serious threat to the country though, what is really troubling is that they represent a powerful conservative campaign to go directly against the bans put in place by health officials. The main concern of these protestors is the economy, which has already seen huge negative impacts due to the virus. The stock market fell, businesses are closing and unemployment is up. Clearly, there is reason to fear for the economy, but the real question is whether our governors are willing to risk the lives of their citizens to save the country from entering a recession.

Our country is low on resources to deal with it's current patients, so if the country were to open back up the hospitals might be overwhelmed and not everyone could get the help they need, resulting in death rates from the disease skyrocketing. This is a scary and frustrating time for everyone, but it is in our best interest as a country, to accept restrictions so that millions of lives will be spared.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/social-distancing.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html

While the United States and the rest of the world have to grapple with the unprecedented chaos and uncertainty brought on by the coronavirus, one country has had to deal with even further uncertainty and potential chaos when their leader seemingly vanished for nearly a month.

North Korea’s dictator, Kim Jong-Un, disappeared from the public eye for three weeks. Though he has been known to disappear from time to time, this particular disappearance was strange because of his absence from the North Korean anniversary, Day of the Sun, an annual event that is celebrated on April 15th. Day of the Sun is generally considered the most important holiday in North Korea. It marks the birthday of North Korea’s founder, Kim Il-Sung, of whom Kim Jong-Un is the grandson.

During his three-week absence, rumors circulated over his whereabouts. Some said he was “just fine”, others said he was in critical condition after a botched surgery, or in quarantine after contracting the coronavirus, some even speculated that he was dead. South Korea denied rumors of his death claiming that he was fine. Still, there was much uncertainty over what would happen to the country if Kim was dead or unable to lead. A change in power would cause instability in North Korea during a time when the world also had to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic (although the country has claimed that no one within its borders is ill, there is speculation over how true this is). Many people suggested that Kim Jong-Un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong might take power, while others argued that North Korea would not let a woman lead the country. The rumors and debate were put to an end when Kim Jong-Un finally made an appearance on May 1, 2020 at a ceremony commemorating the opening of a fertilizer factory. He appeared to be in good health.

Still, many people were shaken by the dictator’s three-week absence. If Kim Jong-Un had turned out to be dead, or at least unable to lead, how would the nuclear armed country react? If all went well, the next successor for the position as the dictator of North Korea would come to power without conflict. However, if things went wrong, it could be disastrous not only for North Korea, but for the entire world. The country’s arsenal of nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of terrorist groups. Other countries, such as the United States, China, and South Korea, might race to secure North Korea’s arsenal for themselves, which could lead to conflict between them. All of this would be made more complicated by the ongoing pandemic.

After rumors of death, and a tense three-weeks of uncertainty, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has been proven to be alive, sparing the country from chaos that might be brought on by a change of power in the midst of one of the most unprecedented times in our history.

8. what people are hoarding

11. what 8th graders are missing

14. the iconic streaming service

15. what to wear in a public place

2. the most common pants

4. what this is called

5. the virus name

6. how most people are feeling

7. people we are missing

9. type of food we are eating

10. the amount of feet to stay away

12. rest to catch up on

13. where we are supposed to be

A simple cake that takes about 45 minutes to make. Though this cake does seem simple and boring, it is a good recipe if you want an easy cake to make in a short period of time. I can vouch that both frosting recipes are good. At the start of self-isolation I didn’t have any bittersweet chocolate or sour cream in the house. Due to this, I turned it into more of a classic buttercream by substituting heavy cream for the sour cream and dark chocolate for the bittersweet chocolate. The cake isn’t too dry, or too sweet. It’s a perfect cake for a sweet snack or a dessert. This recipe is courtesy of New York Times Cooking;

Cake Recipe:

Nonstick cooking spray

¾ cups unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ¼ cups of granulated sugar

2 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

A pinch of salt

¾ cups of whole milk

1. Grease a 9-by-13 inch pan with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Using an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar. Start on low speed until just combined. When combined, turn the mixer to medium until the butter and sugar combine into a light and fluffy mixture.

3. Add the eggs into the butter and sugar one at a time, mixing after each addition. Once the eggs have all been added, allow the mixer to ensure that the ingredients have been combined by beating the ingredients for an additional minute on medium speed. Add the vanilla extract, and mix to combine it with the other ingredients.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add a third of this mixture into the butter and sugar mixture, mix on low speed until incorporated. Add half the milk to the butter and mix. Add another third of the flour mixture, mix. Add the rest of the milk, mix, and continue by adding the rest of the flour mixture and mixing.

5. Move the cake batter into the pan that was previously greased. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes until a fork or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Recipe recommended frosting recipe:

¾ cups of butter, room temperature

2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

½ cup cocoa powder

½ cup sour cream

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Sprinkles for the top of the cake (optional)

1. Add the butter into an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat until light and fluffy. Sift the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder into the bowl with the butter. Start the mixer on the lowest setting to ensure that the cocoa powder and sugar do not fly everywhere. When the ingredients are relatively incorporated, turn the mixer up slightly. Mix until the mixture has a uniform color.

2. Add the sour cream and melted chocolate, mix on low until combined. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until combined.

3. Once the cake is completely cool, and the frosting is finished, the frosting can be spread in an even layer across the cake. Add sprinkles if desired.

Other frosting recipe option:

¾ cups of butter, room temperature

2 ½ cups of confectioners’ sugar

½ cup of cocoa powder

⅛ - ¼ cup of heavy cream

2 oz of dark (or bittersweet) chocolate, melted and cooled

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Sprinkles for the top of the cake (optional)

1. Add the butter into an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat until light and fluffy. Sift the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder into the bowl with the butter. Start the mixer on the lowest setting to ensure that the cocoa powder and sugar do not fly everywhere. When the ingredients are relatively incorporated, turn the mixer up slightly. Mix until the mixture has a uniform color.

2. Add the melted chocolate, mix on low until combined. Add a little bit of heavy cream at a time. Continue to do so until the frosting has a smooth and uniform texture that can be easily spread. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until combined.

3. Once the cake is completely cool, and the frosting is finished, the frosting can be spread in an even layer across the cake. Add sprinkles if desired.

This recipe is one of the easiest recipes I have ever made. It is the perfect recipe if you want a batch of sweet cookies that will take only 20 minutes to make. All that these cookies require is a pan, and some parchment paper. No oven is required. There are many variations on this recipe, but this recipe in specific is from Mollie Fitzgerald’s On Campus Cookbook: For the Non-Kitchen Cook! (I would highly recommend making a double batch)

Cookie Recipe:

2 tablespoons butter

1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder

¼ cup milk

1 cup sugar

½ cup peanut butter

1 ½ cups uncooked oatmeal

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1. Line your counter with parchment paper.

2. Place the butter, cocoa, milk, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Let the butter melt and sugar dissolve. Bring the mixture to a boil, and turn off the heat.

3. Add the peanut butter, oatmeal, vanilla, and salt to the hot chocolate mixture. Stir until everything is well combined.

4. Using a spoon, drop the mixture onto the parchment or wax paper. The sizes of the ‘cookies’ can vary. Keep in mind that the mixture will grow harder as it cools, try to work fast.

5. Allow the cookies to set before transferring them to an airtight container for storage.

Email: cmckinney@op97.org
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