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Vox Discipulorum
Holiday 2023 Edition
President: Myles Coven
Vice President: Samuel Lee
Secretary: Jessy Liu
Advisor: Mr. Qiu
Message from the Editor-in-Chief:
Hello everyone,
We welcome you to read the Holiday 2023 Edition of Vox Discipulorum and we thank you for a fantastic year! We have many plans for 2024, so be on the lookout. Thank you and enjoy!
Sincerely,
Myles Coven
Quote of the Edition:
“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”
-Benjamin Franklin
日本のクリスマス。
By: Matthew Lau
日本のクリスマスはとても面白いです。毎年、日本でたくさんの日本人はクリスマスを祝います。日本人はクリスマスにKFCやクリスマスケーキを食べます。1970年ぐらいに、KFCはチキンのてめにアドを作りました。日本人はテレビでKFCを見たから、KFCを食べ始めました。アメリカでクリスマスに家族と会います。でも、日本でたお正月に日本人は家族と会うから、くさんのカップルが出かけます。そして、クリスマスに日本人はクリスマスの電気を見たり、クリスマスのマーケットに行ったり、します。
Japanese Christmas is very interesting. In Japan, a lot of Japanese people celebrate Christmas. On Christmas, they eat things such as KFC and Christmas cakes. Around 1970, KFC made ads for their chicken. Japanese people started eating KFC because they saw it on T.V. In America you celebrate Christmas with your family. But in Japan, because they celebrate with their family on New Years Day, on Christmas lots of couples go out. Also on Christmas Japanese people do things such as looking at Christmas lights and going to Christmas markets.
Chanukah Song
By: Simon Maxwell
In honor of Chanukah, which recently passed, here is a Yiddish Chanukah song by Chana Mlotek! “Drey Zikh, Dredele” is set to the tune of a popular Yiddish operetta: “Bar Kochba.”
Although this song is a (relatively) contemporary piece, its melody and style echoes centuries of traditional Yiddish holiday songs.
(A dreidel is a spinning top typically played during the Jewish holiday of Chanukah)
Spin Dreidel/Drey Zikh, Dredele/דריי זיך, דריידעלע
By: Chana Mlotek
דריי זיך און דריי זיך און דריי זיך שוין, דריידעלע
פֿריי זיך, דו יינגעלע,
פֿריי זיך, דו מיידעלע.
טאַנץ אין אַ רינגעלע,
טאַנץ אין אַ רעדעלע –
עס איז שוין חנוכּה דאָ!
איינס-צוויי-דרייַ, איינס-צוויי-דרייַ,
טאַנץ אין אַ רעדעלע.
איינס-צוויי-דרייַ, איינס-צוויי-דרייַ,
יינגעלע, מיידעלע.
איינס-צוויי-דרייַ, איינס-צוויי-דרייַ,
דריי זיך שוין, דריידעלע.
עס איז שוין חנוכּה דאָ!
Drey zikh aun drey zikh aun drey zikh shoyn,
dreydele!
Frey zikh, du eyngele, frey zikh, du meydele.
Tants in a ringele, tants in a redele -
es iz shoyn khnukh do!
Eyns-tsvey-dray, eyns-tsvey-dray, tants in a redele.
Eyns-tsvey-dray, eyns-tsvey-dray, eyngele, meydele.
Eyns-tsvey-dray, eyns-tsvey-dray, drey zikh shoyn, dreydele!
Es iz shoyn khnukh do!
Spin yourself, spin yourself
Spin like a little dreidel
Be happy little boy
Be happy little girl
Dance in a little circle, dance in a little circle
It is Chanukah time now!
One, two, three
One, two, three
Dance in a little circle!
One, two, three
One, two, three
Little boy, little girl
One, two, three
One, two, three
Spin like a dreidel!
It is Chanukah time now!
La Navidad en México
By: Isaac Halperin
La mayoría del mundo hispanohablante celebra la Navidad durante diciembre. No obstante, la Navidad se celebra de muchas maneras diferentes. Una celebración muy interesante es la de México. Porque es la estación de la Navidad, voy a explicarles esta tradición.
En México la Navidad no solo se celebra por un día. Se celebra del 12 de diciembre al 6 de enero. Las celebraciones empiezan con el Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe, en que peregrinos mexicanos viajan a la Basílica de Guadalupe para visitar a la Virgen María. Después, son las Posadas, en que la gente recrea la búsqueda de refugio de María y José. El 24 y 25 de diciembre, se celebran la nochebuena y la navidad. Hay varias tradiciones interesantes, incluyendo escenas de Navidad, baile, fuegos artificiales, y velas. Árboles de navidad y Santa Claus se pueden ver en México, pero la mayoría de las tradiciones vienen de la cultura española y indigena. Finalmente, es el Día de Los Tres Reyes Magos, celebrando la visita de los tres reyes magos a Jesús.
The majority of the Spanish-speaking world celebrates Christmas during December. However, Christmas is celebrated in many different ways. A very interesting celebration is that of Mexico. Because it is the Christmas season, I am going to explain this tradition to you.
In Mexico, Christmas is not only celebrated for one day. It is celebrated from December 12 to January 6. Celebrations begin with the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, when Mexican pilgrims travel to the Basilica of Guadalupe to visit the Virgin Mary. Next, there are the Posadas, where people recreate Mary and Joseph's search for refuge. On December 24 and 25, Christmas Eve and Christmas are celebrated. There are several interesting traditions, including Christmas scenes, dancing, fireworks, and candlelight. Christmas trees and Santa Claus can be seen in Mexico, but most traditions come from Spanish and indigenous culture. Finally, it is Three Kings Day, celebrating the visit of the three wise men to Jesus.
Festa Romanum: Saturnalium
By: Justin Huang
In moderno die, diem natalis Iesu ad terminum Decembris celebramus. Circum tempore simili in Imperio Romano, festum Saturnalium celebratus est. Haec celebratio hebdomadaria favorabilissima in calendario Romano erat et deo cultionis Saturno dedicavit et praeteiendum brumae celebravit.
In celebratione Saturnalii, multae leges cohibitionesque neglecti sunt. Bravere in celebrationibus permissus est et saepe servi maiorem libertatem dati sunt. Certe, status servorum dominorumque verterentur, et servi mandata dominis eorum dare potuerant. Vestitus informalis, velut vestes cenatoriae (syntheses), etiam in publico tempore hoc acceptabiles erant.
In ultimis diebus Saturnalii, munera inter amicos saepe tradebantur, praesertim cerei et sigilla. Praeterea, brevia carmina dictiosa (epigrammata) inter amicos etiam commutentur.
Hodie, traditio donandi et accendendi cereorum in Die Natalis Domini etiam observatur. Quamquam transitus a festo pagano Saturnalii ad Diem Natalis Domini directus non erat, tamen Saturnalium certe adhuc adficit hoc festum modernum.
In the modern day, we celebrate Christmas towards the end of December. Around a similar time in the Roman Empire, the holiday of Saturnalia was celebrated. This week-long celebration was most popular in the Roman calendar, was dedicated to the god Saturn of agriculture and celebrated the passing of the winter solstice.
In the celebration of Saturnalia, many laws and limitations were disregarded. Gambling was allowed in the celebrations and slaves were often given more freedom. In fact, the roles of slaves and owners would be reversed, and slaves were able to give commands to their masters. Informal clothing, such as dinner dresses (syntheses), would also be acceptable in public at this time.
On the final days of Saturnalia, gifts would often be exchanged between friends, especially of wax candles (cerei) and statuettes (sigilla). In addition, short satirical poems (epigrammata) could be exchanged between friends.
Today, the tradition of gifting and the lighting of candles is still observed on Christmas. While the transition from the pagan holiday of Saturnalia to Christmas was not straightforward, Saturnalia certainly influences the modern holiday to this day.
Around The Sun
By: Kenneth Quang
Ở thành phố, trời mưa.
hôm qua trời ấm áp. nhưng bây giờ là tháng mười hai.
tất được treo, bánh quy được bày ra, và trẻ em thức dậy khi mặt trời mọc.
Nhưng, nó không có cảm giác giống như trước đây.
Ở miền Trung Tây, tuyết tiếp tục rơi; bão tuyết, thậm chí, nổi lên trên núi. Mười năm trước, chúng ta sẽ không nghĩ gì đâu.
Tôi sẽ cho tất cả những gì mình còn lại nếu có thêm một bão tuyết nữa, một ném bóng tuyết nữa, thêm một ngày nghỉ học nữa.
Sôcôla nóng, cây thông Noel, lò sưởi ấm áp, tiếng nhạc lên trong nhà, cả gia đình cùng nhau dưới một mái nhà, phép thuật Giáng sinh của ông già Noel.
Nó sẽ không bao giờ giống như trước đây; chúng ta chỉ có thể tự trách mình.
Tôi muốn tin một lần nữa, chỉ một ngày, một giờ, một phút thôi.
Tôi muốn tất cả quay trở lại.
In the city, it pours.
Yesterday was warm. But it’s December.
Stockings go up, cookies are set out, and children wake up as the sun rises.
It doesn’t feel the same, though.
In the midwest, snow continues to fall; blizzards, even, rising over the mountains. Ten years ago, we would’ve thought nothing of it.
I would give everything I have left if I could get one more snowstorm, one more snowball fight, one more day off from school.
Hot chocolate, Christmas trees, warm fireplaces, music playing in the house, the entire family together under one roof, Santa Claus’ Christmas magic.
It’ll never be the same, and we can only blame ourselves.
I want to believe again, just for a day, an hour, a minute.
I want it all back.
English: The “Best” Language
By: Zachary Abbott
English has been around for a very long time and over this time it’s garnered a number of “features”. Historians believe the earliest forms of English came about in the 5th century as different Ingvaeonic languages mixed together due to Anglo-Saxon migrations to the British Isles. Over the centuries English has taken on words and phrases from other languages, becoming a hodgepodge of words, grammar, and structure. Surprisingly people still speak English and in the modern day we can’t point out many small inconsistencies within this wonderful language.
For one thing, English doesn’t have consistent pronunciation. While it’s next to impossible for every single pronunciation to be consistent, many languages come close. If you’re reading Spanish and you see the words “Votar” (to vote) and “Notar” (to notice) you can assume the “tar” part will be pronounced the same. When we convert these words to their International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) we know this is true, the pronunciations being “bo ‘taɾ” and “no ’tar” respectively. Yet in English this isn’t always the case. We can turn to “Comb” and “Bomb”, using the same logic the Omb part would be the same, yeah? But it’s not! Comb has the IPA transcription is kə́wm, while bomb’s transcription is ˈbɑm. Ignoring the weird symbols that the IPA uses we still see an extreme difference.
But this isn’t the end for pronunciation issues in English. Take the word “Tear” for a second. While reading you’ve chosen a meaning for the word; tear as in teardrop or tear as in ripping paper. With the same spelling we have two different words. Sure in context you can figure out what’s being said but without ample contextualization anything could be happening. In most of these cases the issue is that a word has two pronunciations, one being a verb and the other being a noun. Because of this quirk you can have some interesting sentences, such as: “I tear a tear”, “I desert the desert” and “I produce produce”.
Some words have even more meanings, leading to extremely complex and stupid sentences. One famous example is “Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo”, yes this is grammatically correct. To break this sentence down we have three different forms of Buffalo:
Additive Noun (Acting as an adjective): referring to something from Buffalo, New York.
Verb: To harass, bully or baffle
Noun: Another name for Bison
So to simplify this sentence we have:
“Buffaloanian buffalo that Buffalonian buffalo bully, also bully Buffalonian buffalo.”
To end I’ll leave you with some more examples of how English leaves ambiguity leading to terrible, terrible sentences:
Police police Police police police police Police police.
Can-can can-can can can can can can-can.
Will, will Will will Will Will's will?
Rose rose to put rose roes on her rows of roses.
If it is it, it is it; if it is it is it, it is.
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Many of our writers wrote in languages that they are in the process of learning, so we would like you to keep this in mind while reading. Vox was founded more than four decades ago with the goal of sharing the voice of Bronx Science students (as the name in Latin states), so we encourage students to take risks and practice the languages that they are learning. We would love to hear your feedback, so feel free to reach out to us at voxdiscipulorum@bxscience.edu! Furthermore, if you are interested in participating in Vox, we hold our meetings every Tuesday in room 317 after SGI. Everyone is welcome to join! Once again, thank you for reading!