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Reader’s Digest

Arshiya Pant

100 word stories

A few years ago, I had just started tennis. I had no clue how big of a
role it would play in my life. So when my coaches told us that we were going
to meet a professional player, I could really care less. They told us that he
had grown up playing on our courts and that he was going to make it big
soon. I rolled my eyes, took a picture with him, and got a tennis ball signed. I
tucked it away into an old drawer. Little did I know that the next summer, he
would win gold in the Olympics in Rio.

It was July of 2016, and I went to visit Nepal to meet my extended
family. We stayed at my Aunt’s house for a few days and when we went
sight-seeing with them one day, I saw all the stray dogs on the streets and
felt disheartened that no one seemed to care. I suggested an idea, a
non-profit organization to help stray animals in Nepal. I was 10 at the time,
so I didn’t think they would take it seriously, but two years later, SPCA Nepal
has successfully completed four campaigns.

Secondary Polycythemia Increases Your
Stamina
Secondary Polycythemia is a disease that occurs when your body produces an
abnormally abundant amount of red blood cells that are not needed due to the sparse
amount of oxygen flowing through your bloodstream. Often, the lack of oxygen is a
result of an increased exposure to bronchitis or too much time spent at a high
altitude. The unneeded red blood cells cause a thickening in the blood, which leads
to blood clots in the brain which results in strokes and death. If the previous events
do not occur, your face will be physically frozen. Secondary Polycythemia does not
sound advantageous in any way, but strangely enough, it is. Secondary
Polycythemia increases stamina greatly. The abnormal level of oxygen serves as a
form of “doping” and increases athletic ability.

Humorous Stories
“For 98 percent of the students at the school where my wife teaches, English is a second language. But that didn’t stop them
from giving her Christmas cards. Still, their enthusiasm for the occasion sometimes exceeded their grasp of English. Among the many
cards that flooded her desk were: "Happy Birthday, Grandma," "Get Well Soon," and "Congratulations on Passing Your Driving
Test!"”- anonymous source via rd.com

“Walking through the hallways at our middle school, I saw a new substitute teacher standing outside his classroom with his
forehead against a locker. I heard him mutter, "How did you get yourself into this?" Knowing he was assigned to a difficult class, I tried
to offer moral support. "Are you okay?" I asked. "Can I help?" He lifted his head and replied, "I’ll be fine as soon as I get this kid out of
his locker." - anonymous source via rd.com

Medical News

It has recently been found that glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer, may
have recently been conquered. Glioblastoma is a type of brain tumor that arises from a type of
brain cell called astrocytes, which are star shaped,meaning it is even more challenging to remove
the tumor. In addition to that, astrocytes control the amount of blood given to neurons which
means that the tumors have more access to blood, making them advance more rapidly. Astrocyte
cells have high levels of an enzyme known as CDK5. It has been found that with a way to stop
this enzyme, a tumor can be removed from the brain successfully.

Technology
When most people think of drones, they might think of
high-flying machines that capture the beauty of Earth, but recently,
that has changed. Recently, drones have been sent underwater, a truly
magnificent feat due to the complexity of the technology used in
modern-day drones, and how difficult it is to make that technology
suitable for an environment like the depths of the ocean, surrounded
by water and pressure. There have been several tactics used to make
drones suitable for this environment. One of them is using a chord.
Because it is so difficult to communicate through technology
underwater, scientists may attach umbilical cables to a drone for
easier communication. The technology is getting more durable,
however, there are still limits. The deepest an underwater drone has
ever gone without imploding is 35,768 feet, where The Nereus
imploded due to an extreme pressure of 16,000 pounds per square
inch.

Humorous Stories
“For 98 percent of the students at the school where my
wife teaches, English is a second language. But that didn’t stop
them from giving her Christmas cards. Still, their enthusiasm for
the occasion sometimes exceeded their grasp of English. Among
the many cards that flooded her desk were: "Happy Birthday,
Grandma," "Get Well Soon," and "Congratulations on Passing
Your Driving Test!"”- anonymous source via rd.com

“Walking through the hallways at our middle school, I saw
a new substitute teacher standing outside his classroom with his
forehead against a locker. I heard him mutter, "How did you get
yourself into this?" Knowing he was assigned to a difficult class, I
tried to offer moral support. "Are you okay?" I asked. "Can I
help?" He lifted his head and replied, "I’ll be fine as soon as I get
this kid out of his locker." - anonymous source via rd.com

Banana Bread Ingredients Nutrition
● 1⁄2 cup butter
READY IN: ● 1 cup sugar

1hr 5mins ● 2 eggs, beaten

SERVES: ● 3 bananas, finely crushed (for

10 serious and extreme moist and

YIELD: delicious, try 4 bananas)
● 1 1⁄2 cups flour
1 loaf ● 1 teaspoon baking soda
● 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
UNITS: ● 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

US
1. Remove odd pots and pans from oven.
2. Preheat oven to 350º / 180º.
3. Cream together butter and sugar.
4. Add eggs and crushed bananas.
5. Combine well.
6. Sift together flour, soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Add vanilla.
7. Mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
8. Pour into greased and floured loaf pan.
9. Bake at 350º / 180º for 55 minutes.

Photo Stories

This is a picture of my dog, Pixie.
Dogs have always been a big part of
my life, even before I got my own. I
took this picture on Pixie’s first
birthday which was a very big
moment for me because she was the
first dog I ever took care of by myself.
It’s a pretty low quality picture, but a
pretty high quality day.

Writer’s Choice- Quotes of the Day
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it
is the only thing that ever has.”
― Margaret Mead
“This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to
every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate
tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your
hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful
uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the
open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or
church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great
poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face
and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body.”
― Walt Whitman
“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much
money we have made, how many great things we have done.
We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you
clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.”
― Mother Teresa

Writer’s Choice- Cultural Appropriation

Recently, stories and opinions regarding cultural appropriation have been filling each
headline. Prom of 2018, Keziah Daum, a highschool student,was accused of cultural appropriation.
She had found a traditional Chinese dress in a thrift store and said she found both the culture and
the dress beautiful. A Chinese-American student from her school had started backlash on social
media saying, “my culture is NOT your goddamn prom dress”. To be able to form an opinion on
cultural appropriation, you must first gain an accurate understanding of what it is. Cultural
appropriation is defined as, ‘when someone adopts something from a culture that is not his or her
own’. Examples of this could be caucasians wearing a traditional native-american dress or
headdresses or anyone who is not native-american wearing such garments. Recently things have
complicated due to a new definition of cultural appropriation. Now, some say it is when, ‘a particular
power dynamic in which members of a dominant culture take elements from a culture of people who
have been systematically oppressed by that dominant group. There has been backlash to the
backlash, and some are even incorporating legal matters into it, saying that the first amendment
allows you to say or create anything whether some find it offensive or not. Think about it, where do
you stand on cultural appropriation?