YOUTH 5 The Voice of volume 93 e u s s I September/October 2014 A Publication for Slovene National Benefit Society Youth Members Get ready for autumn COLORS, BY THE EAR Indian corn: the most colorful vegetable of them all EVER WONDERED? Read up on some cool trivia for the fall season MILLING AROUND Slovenia’s Mura River was once the home of a unique industry “October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen. ”~ H al Borland September/October page 1 what’s inside? 3 The Inner VOICE... 4-5 Indian Corn: A Colorful Ear 6-7 Ever Wondered? autumn The leaves are turning to their bright orange, red and yellow hues, and soon they’ll be falling all around us. It’s time for autumn! Dig out your jackets and sweaters so you’ll be prepared for the cooler weather in the weeks to come. Just in time for autumn, some cool trivia to answer your questions of who, what, where, when, why and how. 8 All About Slovenia 9 Coloring Contest f alling for You’ve seen it used as an autumn decoration, but there’s more to Indian corn than its brilliant colors. Even though there’s only one still working today, the f loating mills along the Mura River were once common. 10-11 Voice Graffiti Our young artists share their skills. 12 The Art of Telling Ghost Stories With Halloween just around the corner, now is the time to brush up on your scary story-telling skills. 13-14 Voice Games 15 Voice Answer Page the DEADLINE for submissions to the November/December issue is October 10. We welcome your photos, stories, drawings and ideas. If you would like to submit any of these for publication, please send them to The Voice of Youth, 247 West Allegheny Road, Imperial, PA 15126. Make sure your name, age and Lodge or Circle number are included. Material may also be e-mailed to prosveta@ snpj.com or submitted from the Publications area of our website, www.snpj.org. The Voice of YOUTH Volume 93 • Issue 5 staff the VOY Jay Sedmak Publications Editor t h A n ni v e rsa ry 110 Kimberly Gonzalez Associate Editor Vida Kosir Slovenian Editor page 2 The Voice of Youth T.M. Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. THE VOICE OF YOUTH (ISSN 0042-8256) (USPS 663-180) is published bi-monthly by the Slovene National Benefit Society (SNPJ), 247 West Allegheny Road, Imperial, PA 15126-9774, for its youth members. Annual domestic and foreign subscription rate is $8 per year. Entered as second class matter Jan. 20, 1945, under postal act of Aug. 24, 1912. Magazine began as MLADINSKI LIST in 1922. Postmaster: send address changes to The Voice of Youth, 247 West Allegheny Road, Imperial, PA 15126-9774. Periodical postage paid at Imperial, Pa., and additional mailing office. The Inne Voic e Here comes a really cool season r I f you’re one of those people who just can’t have quite enough summer weather (like me!), then you’ll be happy to hear that we still have a few weeks of summer remaining on the calendar in 2014. The only bad part about those final few weeks of summer is the fact that you’ve already started back to school (or will start very soon), which really puts a kink in your schedule of free-time activities. Aside from school, there are plenty of ways to occupy your time as the seasons change from late summer to early fall. Those hot, sticky afternoons will soon give way to cooler, breezy days, which means you’ll still be able to enjoy some outdoor activities. But instead of heading off to the pool, you’ll probably find a visit to the park, a trip to the zoo or a day at a local fall festival a more comfortable way to spend your day. Fall is definitely on its way now, and just like the leaves on the autumn trees, your schedule will be changing as well. We still have a least a little summer ahead, so before we welcome the arrival of autumn The Voice of Youth staff will say our final farewells to summer by congratulating our July/August coloring contest winner, 13-year-old Mara Iagnemma, a member of Lodge 6 in Sygan, Pa. We were hoping to see a few more entries over the summer, but the ones we did receive were really terrific! Let’s see what you can come up with for this issue’s coloring contest. Since summer is on its way out and autumn will soon be arriving, we hope you all had a great summer and wish you success in the new school year. We’ll see you again in November, and by then we’ll all be preparing to celebrate – and enjoy – the holidays with family and friends. Editor September/October page 3 the colors of autumn, all on one ear Indian Corn There’s no doubt about it, autumn is a colorful season. Once the tree leaves make their annual transformation from the bright and dark greens of summer, like an artist’s palette, autumn seems to come to life as nature presents its various hues of yellow, orange, red and brown. Since autumn is also harvest time, you’ll see plenty of ripe fruits and vegetables in the produce section and at farmers’ markets – and one of the most colorful of all the vegetables you’ll f ind this time of year is Indian corn. In the event that you’re not familiar with this vegetable, Indian corn is typically used as a seasonal decoration. The corn’s mix of bright yellow, gold, white, red, orange, purple, black and blue kernels – sometimes all on the same ear – tend to remind us of the fall foliage. Although it is very colorful, Indian corn isn’t only an autumn decoration; it has been cultivated for centuries and can be eaten just like the sweet corn we enjoy during the summer. But there are some differences between Indian corn and the corn we’re most familiar with; in particular, the texture and f lavor of the kernels. did you know? Corn doesn’t grow wild anywhere on the planet. Scientists believe that some 10,000 years ago humans developed corn from teosinte, a wild grass native to Mexico and Central America that is very similar to the corn plant. page 4 The Voice of Youth Three types of corn are grown commercially today. Sweet corn (or “table corn”), the type of corn we typically eat, has a high soft starch and sugar content that gives the kernels their pleasant taste. Sweet corn is harvested while it’s still maturing, so it must be eaten – or canned, or frozen – immediately after being picked. Dent corn, which is also known as “f ield corn,” is used as feed for livestock and as a grain in the production of processed foods such as cornmeal, tortilla chips and taco shells. Dent corn, which also contains large amounts of soft starch in its kernels, receives its name from the slight indentation of its kernels on mature ears. The third type of corn is f lint corn, which has a much harder shell surrounding its kernels. Unlike sweet corn and dent corn, the kernels on an ear of f lint corn contain much less soft starch, What’s the sweetest corn of all? Indian corn may be the world’s most colorful vegetable, but in terms of being sweet, it just doesn’t compare to candy corn. And when it comes to candy corn, sometimes you just can’t help yourself to a handful, especially when Halloween rolls around each October 31. These sweet, colorful candies were created in the 1880s by George Renninger of the Wunderle Candy Company. The shape and color of each piece were combined to imitate an actual kernel of corn. The yellow-orange-white combination is the most popular, followed closely by the brown-orangewhite candy, called “Indian corn,” which is usually available around Thanksgiving. Although this Halloween treat is mostly enjoyed during the fall season, candy corn can be purchased all year ’round. In fact, the National Confectioners Association estimates that around 20 million pounds of candy corn are purchased every year! and therefore water, which makes them harder, less likely to freeze, and more easily stored over long periods of time. Flint corn – so named because its kernels are “as hard as f lint” – is one of the oldest varieties of corn and was cultivated by the Native Americans centuries before the arrival of the Western Europeans. In fact, f lint corn was one of the f irst crops the Native Americans taught the European colonists to grow. If you haven’t guessed yet, the colorful Indian corn we decorate our homes with each fall is one variety of f lint corn. According to folklore, we here in America call this multi-colored vegetable “Indian corn” in reference to the Native Americans who grew, harvested and ate this type of corn. In reality, though, f lint corn has been grown for thousands of years around the world, particularly in areas of China, India and South America. Did you ever notice that not all Indian corn is multicolored, or that some ears have a dominant color, like red, yellow or blue? Expert botonists believe that when it was f irst cultivated, all f lint corn was a solid color. But after years of cultivation in close rows and large f ields, cross-pollenation between plants producing a variety of colored ears allowed the f lint corn to develop ears composed of many different colored kernels, giving the corn a calico look – and as a result, you may even hear Indian corn sometimes referred to as “calico corn.” Even though they grow on the same ear, each kernel of corn has its own genetic composition, which is why so many colors can form on just one ear of Indian corn. Now that we know what Indian corn is and why it’s so colorful, the next question is “what do you do with it?” Keeping in mind that Indian corn kernels are extremely hard and contain very little soft starch, which also means little sugar, there isn’t much f lavor to Indian corn. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be eaten. Flint corn is used in a number of foods, including hominy (soaked whole kernels), grits (ground kernels), and polenta (cornmeal dough). Have you ever eaten a red or blue tortilla chip or tortilla shell? If you have, then you’ve probably eaten one of the most popular food products made from f lint corn. And what about popcorn? Popcorn has a hard shell, right? Like Indian corn, the corn typically used to make popcorn is another variety of f lint corn. Popcorn kernels are yellow or white, and their hard outer shell is translucent. Indian corn also makes good popcorn – but if you’re going to eat it, just be sure to use Indian corn purchased at a farm. Since just about all of the Indian corn you can buy in a grocery store is intended for use as a decoration, its kernels are coated with a varnish in order to enhance and preserve its brilliant colors, and consuming the varnish can make you terribly ill. While you’re visiting a local farm or market in search of bundles of cornstalks and that just-perfect pumpkin to adorn your yard this fall, pick out a few ears of Indian corn to add even more color to your autumn display. With such a wide range of patterns and colors available, you’re sure to assemble an “a-maize-ing” combination. September/October page 5 ? d e r onde W Ever WHO made the first chocolate chip cookie? Would you believe something so delicious was created by accident? It’s true! In 1930, Ruth Wakefield, owner of the Toll House Inn, was preparing dessert for her guests one evening when she realized she was out of baker’s chocolate for her cookies. As a substitute, she chopped a block of chocolate and mixed the chunks into the dough, assuming the chocolate would melt in the oven and dissolve into the dough. To her surprise, the chocolate chunks remained. Her guests were totally impressed with her improvised recipe, which she called “chocolate crunch cookies,” and the rest is sweet, sweet history. The fruit from Johnny Appleseed’s trees wasn’t edible, but it was perfect for making apple cider. WHERE The world's biggest chocolate chip cookie, created in 2003 by Immaculate Baking Company in North Carolina, weighed 40,000 pounds and had a diameter of 101 feet. WHAT are crocodile tears? “Crocodile tears” is a term used when someone uses tears to falsely portray sadness. The phrase was likely inspired by actual crocodile tears. It is a fact that crocodiles shed tears while they eat, and it was once believed it was because they felt sympathy for their prey. We now know that this isn’t likely the case, but why crocodiles weep while they eat is still a bit of a mystery. Some experts believe tears fall because of the hisses and huffs crocodiles make while eating, which forces air through their sinuses, producing tears. Others attribute the weeping to a buildup of tears in the eye, which are forced out when the crocodile chomps down on its dinner. Although the exact reason has yet to be agreed upon, it’s fairly certain crocodiles aren’t weeping because they’re sad – hence the term “crocodile tears.” did the story of Johnny Appleseed originate? Although one of America’s most famous tall tales, the story of Johnny Appleseed is, in fact, not a “tale” at all. John Chapman made a successful lifelong business out of planting apple orchards throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. An eccentric-looking fellow dressed in burlap clothing with a tin pot for a hat, he walked, barefoot, across unsettled land and planted apple seeds. By the time travelers arrived and settled the land, the seeds he planted had grown into trees and were ready to produce fruit. His kind persona and unusual apperance earned him many friends and the nickname “Johnny Appleseed.” page 6 The Voice of Youth Thanks to a special gland on their tongue that removes salt, crocodiles are more likely to be found in salt water, while alligators prefer fresh water. WHEN was the Hoover Dam constructed? On the border of Arizona and Nevada sits the Hoover Dam, a concrete arched dam on Lake Mead. The project was approved by Congress in 1928, and the Hoover Dam was built over the course of several years, from 1931 to 1936. As is the case with most dams, the Hoover Dam’s main purpose is to control flooding, but it also provides a water supply for irrigation and creates hyrdoelectric power. Although more than 100 lives were lost during the dangerous construction, the project provided thousands of jobs for those struggling during the Great Depression. On Sept. 30, 1935, the Hoover Dam was dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Today it is a major tourist attraction with nearly one million visitors stopping by each year for a tour. WHY Hoover Dam houses 17 generators, each capable of supplying electricity to 100,000 households. are hydrants different colors? Fire hydrants are sometimes called “fireplugs” because, before aboveground hydrants were available, early fire fighting measures involved drilling a hole into a water line below ground then plugging the hole when it was no longer needed. HOW Color is a great way add a pop of creativity and personality to almost anything – from the walls in your home to the shoes on your feet. But sometimes there’s more to a color than meets the eye. For example, we know that on a stoplight red means stop, yellow means caution (slow down) and green means go. A similiar method is used when it comes to fire hydrants. Fire hydrants are supplied by various water sources from various distances, and these differences affect a hydrant’s water pressure (which is measured in gallons per minute, GPM). A hydrant’s GPM rate is important information for firefighters to be aware of when it comes time to use a hydrant. Although some communities use their own color-coding system, the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) recommends a set standard of color-coding. Yellow hydrants indicate a public water supply and their caps indicate their GPM rate: red is less than 500 GPM, orange is 500-999 GPM, green is 1,000-1,499 GPM, and blue is 1,500 GPM or greater. did grandfather clocks get their name? “My grandfather’s clock was too large for the shelf, So it stood ninety years on the floor; It was taller by half than the old man himself, Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.” These are the opening lines to the song “My Grandfather’s Clock,” written in 1876 by Henry Clay Work. Work found his inspiration for the song during his stay at the George Hotel in North Yorkshire, England. He heard an interesting story about how the hotel’s clock, known then as a long case clock, had stopped working after the original owners passed away. Whether it was fact or fiction, the tale inspired Work to write the song that popularized the term “grandfather clock.” The clock that inspired Henry Clay Work’s song “My Grandfather’s Clock” still stands in the George Hotel in England. September/October page 7 all about Slovenia Slovenia’s Mura River: the home of the floating mills One of Slovenia’s most important rivers, the Mura River, flows through the country’s far northeastern region of Pomurska, which borders Austria, Croatia and Hungary. Since this area includes a number of wide plains, the Pomurska region is Slovenia’s main farming area; its rich soil is covered in vineyards and large fields of grain crops, including wheat, rye, corn and buckwheat. The abundance of wheat and corn production in this part of Slovenia led to the growth of several agricultural industries throughout the region; in particular, the development of numerous grain mills that processed the grains into flour. Over a century ago nearly a hundred of these mills, called “floating mills,” were in operation along the banks of the Mura River, each using the flowing river water to provide the energy required in the milling process. Although Slovenians had been milling grains along the Mura River for over 700 years, today only one floating mill is still active: the Babičev mill (Babič’s mill), situated along the Mura River bank near the town of Veržej. While a second floating mill was built along the river near the town of Ižakovci in 1999, the Ižakovci mill was designed to serve as one of the area’s historical attractions. q page 8 The Voice of Youth Let’s learn some Slovenian phrases. In order to learn any language we must first learn to pronounce the letters. At the bottom of this section, the letters and examples of how they are to be pronounced are listed. In the first column is the letter, the second column the pronunciation and the third column an example of the sound in English. After each phrase listed, a phonetic pronunciation is given as a guide for you. aaabove bba ball c tsa cats č cha chart dda dog e a bay f fa five g ga good h ha happy i e east j ya yo-yo k ka cake lla love mma my nna no ooold ppa paper rra red ssa son šsha shoe tta tar u oo flute v wa water z za zoo ž zha treasure Falling for autumn... The cool breeze is rustling through the trees. Hladen veter šumlja skozi drevesa. hla•den vay•tear shoo•mul•ya skow•zee dre•vay•sa My father and I will be raking leaves this weekend. Moj ati in jaz bova ta konec tedna grabila listje. moy a•tee in yaz bow•va ta koe•nets tayd•na gra•bee•la leest•ye I finished my homework early last evening. Jaz sem končal mojo domačo nalogo zgodaj zvečer. yaz sem kone•chal moi•yo doe•ma•choe na•low•go zgoe•dye zvay•chair q The floating mill at Ižakovci. Slovenian Language Babič’s mill in Veržej: the only working floating mill on the Mura River today. My school holds a fall dance every October. Moja šola ima jesenski ples vsak oktober. moi•ya show•la ee•ma ye•sen•skee ples oo•sak ok•toe•ber School is back in session! Our backpacks are filled with notebooks and pencils, and we just picked up our books and crayons. There’s only one problem... we can’t tell our crayons apart! Fill them in with the appropriate color and add some flair to the book covers. With a little creativity you just might win this issue’s coloring contest. Send your entries to The Voice of Youth, 247 West Allegheny Road, Imperial, PA 15126. All entries must be received by October 10. Colo Corn er ring Name___________________________e-mail___________________________Lodge______Age____ September/October page 9 graffiti voice Bailon Jones Borough of SNPJ, Pa., Lodge 776 Age 7 Molly McFarland Cleveland Lodge 5 Age 12 Isabella Mancuso Borough of SNPJ, Pa., Lodge 776 Age 8 Brooklyn Jones Borough of SNPJ, Pa., Lodge 776 Age 11 Isabella Mancuso Borough of SNPJ, Pa., Lodge 776 Age 8 Isabella Mancuso Borough of SNPJ, Pa., Lodge 776 Age 8 page 10 The Voice of Youth voice graffiti Ava Kontak Borough of SNPJ, Pa., Lodge 776 Age 8 Julianna Kontak Borough of SNPJ, Pa., Lodge 776 Age 5 Ava Kontak Borough of SNPJ, Pa., Lodge 776 Age 8 Isabella Mancuso Borough of SNPJ, Pa., Lodge 776 Age 8 Isabella Mancuso Borough of SNPJ, Pa., Lodge 776 Age 8 What’s missing? Your ARTWORK! Send your submissions to The Voice of Youth 247 West Allegheny Road Imperial, PA 15126 September/October page 11 the art of telling h st t ries o o G B S efore we know it, the winter months will be rolling around. For many of us, however, there is a very pleasant season between the heat of summer and the cold of winter that we call autumn (or fall). This season is always filled with festivals and pumpkins, comfy sweaters and fuzzy slippers. With the chill of fall f illing the air and Halloween just around the corner, there’s no better time to sit around a bonf ire – apple cider in hand while marshmallows roast – and exchange ghost stories! Don’t panic if scary tales aren’t your thing; ghost stories don’t have to be scary. Somtimes the best ghost stories catch us off guard with a funny or goofy ending. Regardless of your style, here are some basic tips for telling the best ghost stories – whether frightening or funny. Pick a topic and roll with it • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Will your story feature ghosts or aliens? Did it happen recently or is it from the past? Is it about someone or are you the star? Whatever the topic, stick with it. Consistency will prevent your listeners from getting confused. Attention, please! • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Before you get too deep into your story, it’s a good idea to make sure you have everyone’s attention. You don’t want your listeners to miss any important details, so it’s essential that everyone is paying attention. Keep connected • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Eye contact is a key part in telling a ghost story because it will help your listeners build trust in what you’re saying. Glance around the group while speaking, making sure to connect with everyone. Slow and steady • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Don’t rush! You want your listeners hanging onto every word. Be sure to take your time while telling your story. You can even throw in a few well-placed pauses; they help build the suspense. Speaking of speed and suspense... • • • • • • • • • • • • The deeper you get into your story and the greater the suspense builds, you should speak a little faster. Speeding up the narration adds some intensity and will bring your listeners to the edge of their seats. Go out with a bang – or leave them hang • • • • • • • The conclusion to your story is the most important part. If you’re telling a funny story, here’s where the punch line lands. If you’re story is scary, be sure to leave a little mystery in the conclusion. page 12 The Voice of Youth Voic e Sear ch Wor d Finding that “fall feeling” The unique sights, sounds and smells of fall are just around the corner s m o l e a v e s j f r e e d o h p w b p d a m e r u c y s k o l z k s q a g a s o f r u y f t s i e h w j x z e t y k m t i k j e j y u i r e l o r k s p w r c g r u apple autumn bonfire brown fall festival j h r d u m e f k d l n j l t i i e o i y h g e u r n r r q i b o k a e e d l n p t w b j n e e y m p o d z w s m l e e d e r e t o i w v c d r u a c a e b a t b e s e r q h n q f v x a w u a d f e s t i v a l i w v e f e f p k q d n u u r s w a f d q p e d d c i l o e e h t c q u n e t s w a harvest hayride leaves october orange pumpkin o u b s x c r q o o y a p p l e z i c q s y c m t p x g e t c q e r e e m c o a u d m x s p o y o b i t w m e v m s x n r i f n b w t k t r k c o e h b j e o a c e a g v l d e a i a l a b p a r a d s a m c w h z u j s g r n a d e v f a l l b t t r r v e e i y f e g s i r d e p e n d e n o e j w s w e a t e r u i r e i u w b r o w n h rake red scarecrow september sweater yellow September/October page 13 A POT of trouble! Double, double, toil and trouble... since Halloween is just around the corner now, the witches will be cooking up some frightful brews to celebrate their favorite holiday of the year. Can you find your way through our cauldron before this Halloween stew brings trouble your way? 1 start 2 finish voice of youth CROSSWORD puzzle 3 4 7 9 10 11 12 Something Scary 6 5 13 8 ACROSS 1. Large underground vault used for burials 4. Short for advertisement 5. Charlie Brown’s Halloween costume 7. Opposite of off 9. Laughing sound 10. Not less 11. Another name for Halloween; All Hallows ____ 12. Not you! 13. Opposite of closed See page 15 for the crossword solution page 14 The Voice of Youth DOWN 2. A witch’s favorite mode of transportation? 3. They fly at night 5. Burial site in a cemetery 6. To spy, especially for gifts or presents 8. Not nice 9. Stitching at the end of a piece of clothing answers Page 13 – Finding That “Fall Feeling” Looking for your submission? Page 14 – A Pot of Trouble! Chances are you missed our deadline! Submission deadlines are published in each Voice of Youth issue. If you’re worried about mail delivery, why not send an e-mail to [email protected] or upload a file to the Publications area of our website, www.snpj.org . The deadline for the November/December issue is October 10! Page 14 – Voice Crossword T O M B B R A G H O S R O N H A M O E V M E E T M R P E A O O D E Something Scary Thanksgiving • Christmas • New Year’s Eve Do you have Voice material? Address all Voice of Youth submissions to: The Voice of Youth 247 West Allegheny Road Imperial, PA 15126 N September/October page 15 PERIODICAL MATERIAL We want YOU! to contribute to The Voice of Youth Do you like to write? Draw? Win contests? Then why not submit your material to The Voice of Youth? We would love to hear from you. Send your submissions to The Voice of Youth, 247 West Allegheny Road, Imperial, PA 15126. See page 2 for submission details, and send in your material today! page 16 The Voice of Youth
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