THE INDOOR GENERATION No. 4 January 2023 NATIONAL COLLEGE "MIHAI EMINESCU" Find out what our various creative students have prepared for the most wonderful time of the year. ISSN 4567-3421

CONTENT 1. PROSE A jolly interaction..................5 Cold chaos of thought............6 Last note.................................8 Slow steps..............................10 Temporal anomaly omega.....12 The epitome of purity............14 Christmas abroad..................15 Have an ECO-friendly Christmas...............................17 A most pleasant hunt............21 Winter....................................24 2. POETRY A nihilistic Christmas poem...27 The daily moment of Winter poem...........................29 Thank you, reindeer................30 instability................................28 3. SCIENCE What is DNA........................32 The art of reduction and Nuclear fission usage Oxidation..............................34 and catastrophes...................36 4. INTERVIEW HackMinescu.....................39 The Power of moving forward...............................43 5. CASE STUDY Christmas for kids in placement centers...............46 The abuse of Russian . skaters.................................48 6. TRADITIONS Christmas cuisine...................50 Romanian Christmas traditions................................51 Christmas traditions...............52 7. REVIEW Films: How the Grinch stole the The Double ........................56 The Curious Case of Christmas............................54 Benjamin Button................58 Books: These violent delights........59 Road to the North Pole.....62 My year of rest and relaxation...........................64 Reviewing romance books.................................66 8. EVENTS The National Symposium"Education for a clean environment edition XVIII.................................69 9. HOBBIES Photographer's Manifesto..75 Jolly Holly Hobbies...........79 10. Own artwork Hall of Creations..................83

The Indoor Generation 3 Special Thanks We would like to dedicate this first page to the people that made this issue of The Indoor Generation possible. Without further ado, we would like to thank: The Editorial Staff which consists of: Teachers: •Simona Belide - Headmistress CNME •Luminița Popescu - Deputy Headmistress CNME •Celesta Popa - Main Coordinator of the magazine; English teacher CNME •Nicoleta Popescu - English Teacher CNME •Carmen Vîrlan - English Teacher CNME •Lucia Popescu - English Teacher CNME •Ramona Cristea - English Teacher CNME Students: Editorial: Graphics: Andrei Daria Ioana - 9A Buciuman Teodora Ioana - 9E Coman Natalia-Elena - 9A Covaci Maria Andreea - 9C Cruceanu Tudor - 10 A Diaconu Ștefania-Jasmine - 9C Doșanu Laura - 11A Dumitrescu Ioana Mădălina - 10A Hristache Rebecca-Maria - 9C Moroșanu Ana-Maria - 11A Nazarevscky Diana Florentina - 10E Rădulescu Ioan Mihail - 9H Stroie Ana Carmen - 9B Stanciu Iulia - 9H Trăsnitu Daniel-Adrian - 12C Blesneac Mara Andreea - 9E Dragomir Cristiana - 9A Flăcău Maria Cristina - 10H Garaiman Ionuț Teodor - 10D Ionescu-Maniero Simona - 12E Luca Bianca Ștefania - 9B Nicolae Iuliana Maria - 9F Pană Daria Maria - 9C Potop Alexandra Maria - 9A Șerban Maya Elena - 9C Chief of editorial: Codreanu Elena - 11D Chiefs of graphics: Crișcov Alessia Ioana - 9H Dancă Sara-Ioana - 9C . .

PROSE Last note Slow steps Temporal anomaly omega The epitome of purity Christmas abroad Have an ECO-friendly Christmas A most pleasant hunt Winter A jollly interaction Cold chaos of thought

The indoor Generation Prose 5 She stared at the mirror until her mind started distorting the reflection. “I want to live in the junction between space and time”, she said. There were many men in history to debate its existence. They looked at it as a single thing, “space-time “. The three dimensions of space combined with the one dimension of time into a single fourdimensional manifold. With every single fiber of my being, I wish for them to be wrong. I wish there is something just right outside of reality’s grasp. A place that welcomes me with its cold embrace, where nothing and no one can ever feel my tired presence. Where I can be alone with my thoughts for however long I might want, whether that be a day or eternity. A place similar to the feeling that you get when you wake up on a winter day, when it's snowing and dark outside and you can isolate yourself from everybody else. Maybe I'm just projecting my own stuff onto you. I’m sorry. I can't help it. The season makes it like this. Part of me dies each year as the world slowly freezes and the days mold together into becoming one soulless entity. What about you, dear reader? Has anybody checked in on you lately? How is this nauseating period treating you? Happy Holidays. Written by: Stroie Ana Coordinated by: Popa Celesta Designed by: Potop Alexandra A jolly interaction

COLD CHAOS OF THOUGHT - NULL - As the seasons pass, the Earth goes farther away from the Sun. A consequence of this annual cosmic movement is the slow fall in temperatures across the globe. As it gets colder, the burdened sky which is colored with the same monotone, grey tone of lead, starts precipitating a well- defined shape, a substance omnipresent in all organic life, however it is but a solid chunk of soulless ice when the world stagnates. Where did we go wrong in evolution as to lose such an essential feeling, that of happiness, the warmth of another’s touch, the need to feel another piece of pulsating hunk of meat made out of arteries, veins, nerves and all other types of cells we are made out of. The question has a simple answer; we are no longer human. The stagnation of existence is an annual phenomenon. As the light turns to dark and the insects start freezing from the quickly degrading state of heat, we get lost in thought, we get lost in the maelstrom of our minds. We get absorbed by the season’s atemporality and time turns out to be just another illusionary act of our minds desperately trying to keep us sane. Why don’t you profit from all of this and do something that will benefit you? Why do you get stuck in your mind? Why do you dwell so much on the past? Go out and fly, the sky is a grand sea of mercury waiting for your upwards demise. The Indoor Generation Prose 6

Never stop, always continue. Do not shelter yourself, face it all and overrule it. You can do it. Become the heat within the cold. Be the Santa Claus of the world and make Christmas just a random phenomenon as the true gifts come from the heart, not from the material state of the world. Look outside, it’s snowing! Do you feel the existential disgust that is falling on your window? All the negativity that is numbing our minds? Are you happy? Are you feeling alright? Are you cold yet, or are you hoping for the laws of nature to give you a pass this time too? Hopefully Santa Claus makes us the wonderful gift of realization and we become a guide for the others. Transform yourself from the gaseous form that is easily diffusible to a liquid, learn to be tempered and loving, learn to be human, then turn solid and never let anything else bring down all the effort that you’ve put into everything. Enjoy this Christmas for it may be your last, or it may just be the beginning. Why wish for so many gifts from a hypothetical religious figure when you can be that figure who offers people what they want, rather said the figure who shows people the light in the darkness that rules us now. Baby steps, then go straight to leaps from cliffs as there is no time left. The clock is ticking, the countdown to point null has started long ago and we are getting closer to it by the moment. Transform the null to positive infinity, be the impersonal entity that is beyond nature itself and forever disobeys the order, be the chaos within the chaos, be the abnormality which creates organized systems of existence. Respect the natural disorder all while carefully building towards the sky beyond the sea of mercury. We lost important attributes that defined us once, kindness, happiness, motivation and so on. As we stay closed up in our rooms, at night, in the heat, what about those mounds of flesh that have no destiny, no future, yet they are still emanating heat, trying to heat up the world? Why do we ponder so much on the lack of happiness when one only needs to search desperately for it in this world so he can find it? That’s a mistake as a matter of fact, one shouldn’t search for it for it will come along the way. We have no purpose. We have no destiny. We are just a plethora of temporary system of low entropy that will eventually disintegrate and respect the universal norm, that of high entropy, that of eternal chaos. We may change nature as we please now, but eventually it’s all meaningless, it all just resets over and over for eternity. WRITTEN BY: COORDONATED BY: DESIGNED BY: TRĂSNITU DANIEL ADRIAN POPESCU NICOLETA FLĂCĂU MARIA The Indoor Generation Prose 7

LAST NOTE Hello, dear reader. You do not know who I am nor do I know who you are. All you need to know is that I wrote this for you and it’s only for you. Don’t let others influence your thoughts and opinions that you get from reading this as it’s your pain only, or your happiness only, up to you to figure this piece of writing out. Winter – such a cursed season, truly a horrifying period of the year. It is all so cold, so dead… so monotone. Everything just dies off as soon as December starts and the stagnation of all existence is announced by the worsening of meteorological conditions. The skies become just freezing giants of cement that oversee the degradation of life. Even in the early stages of this season death can be easily sensed from far away. Psychologically, instability becomes a custom and a darkening in cognitive processes just turn on the mind’s suicidal wishes. Do you not, dear reader, feel the same? Do you not feel the overwhelming disgust? Can you feel the freezing bullets that fall from the highly urbanized, muddy sky? Don’t you just want to take that sweet, sweet white blade from the kitchen and shove it in your stomach? Don’t you just want to sever the fragile connection to this earthly realm? The Indoor Generation “Sensus Videndi” by Angelina Goncharova Prose 8

Reader, this is just a perspective from personal experience of this season. My suffering deeply affects my perception. I can never atone for my sins. Winter – such a wonderful season, truly a beautiful period of the year! The heat of the fireplace is emanating as the wood slowly burns inside. Such a warm feeling, it’s simply superb. It’s the holiday season! There are so many important holidays that we celebrate annually! Take for example Christmas, it is among the most awaited. It’s a tradition to give gifts to the important people in our lives, such as family and our closest friends, the friends that have deeply hurt you. It’s that time of the year to be happy and enjoy ourselves by taking a break from everyday stress from work and such. You ought to be thankful for the overwhelming suffering she has brought upon you wonderful things that have happened this year as the New Year comes closer and closer. Get ready for it! Can you feel it? Can you hear the never-ending screams that come from deep within your bleeding mind? I’m ok, reader Do not worry about me My health is of little concern. I hope you are happy. Have a happy life, dear reader. This is the last you’ll ever be hearing from me. In the end, this is my final note. Do not search for me. Do not tell anyone else about this. Do not even bother ever thinking about this letter again. WRITTEN BY: COORDONATED BY: DESIGNED BY: TRĂSNITU DANIEL ADRIAN POPESCU NICOLETA FLĂCĂU MARIA by Lexi Jude The Indoor Generation Prose 9

The Indoor Generation Prose 10

The Indoor Generation Prose 11 Popescu Nicoleta

Your search for infinity, for eternity and divinity has led you to this catastrophic mistake. It is irreversible. You are stuck. No, no, no, that’s impossible! I am perfect. I am a genius. I haven’t gotten this far just by sitting around. I’ve been working my ass off continuously, day and night, as to create the perfect time crystal, the perfect laser, the perfect Bose-Einstein condensate. Time reversal is possible, it happened just now… but all I did was stop it all entirely… This winter will never end. I somehow managed to locally stop the process of time. I don’t have the slightest clue how. It all should’ve happened at microscopic scale… but somehow it occurred at a macroscopic level. Did the condensate somehow expand? No, no, it doesn’t make sense. The temperatures have to be really low… and it can barely be made with rubidium atoms… no, no, no, no, NO. Something is not right. Why did it fail? WHY? It was all perfect. The calculations have been done accordingly. Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle showed that the error was minimal, basically negligible. All the numbers were set precisely. I don’t understand. I swear that I’m going to have a mental crisis. How did this happen? Just what went wrong? You are missing the point. All your numbers and calculations may be right, but there is still room for human error. Impossible. I think I’m going insane. What is this voice that I keep hearing mumbling deep inside my mind? God, my head is throbbing. TEMPORAL ANOMALY OMEGA The Indoor Generation Prose 12

I am stuck. Help. Someone help me get out. I'm insane I’m insane I’m insane I’m insane I’m insane I’m insane I’m insane I’m insane HUMAN, you cannot escape this. You are eternally stuck for your futile tries at finding us. We stay hidden in nothingness and yet you dared to seek so far that you found that nothingness. You will suffer here, stuck in your own thoughts, in your own laboratory for eons. I need to find a solution… quickly. No, I have so much time that I will never need to worry about it. I have an infinite amount of time. There is no need to hurry… I’m safe here. What about food and water? No, wait, my bodily functions should also be slowed down to a crawl or just stopped entirely. It seems though as my locomotory and psychic abilities have not stopped though… quite a weird phenomenon. I’ll keep sear-- OK, I am not daydreaming. What are you? What do you seek? I am you, and you are I. We are one and the same. But it doesn’t make sense. I feel a sense of disgust, I want to scream and panic, but I cannot. My emotions are blocked and I am simply blank. What did you do to me? I did nothing, you simply accessed your unconscious. You are stuck. You found what you were searching for, you found divinity. I am stuck forever. The snow will never vanish. The cold will never dissipate. This winter is eternal. The white before my eyes is the overwhelming representation of infinity. My screams cannot be heard and my cries are hopeless. Will I ever be able to die? Can I end it? I doubt it, my blood has stopped too, my heart isn’t beating anymore, yet I still live. I can still think and move. I found divinity? What do you mean? What does this mean? You are your own god, and by laboriously searching for it, you found yourself. There is no real answer as you are the answer to all of your existential questions. WRITTEN BY: COORDONATED BY: DESIGNED BY: TRĂSNITU DANIEL ADRIAN POPESCU NICOLETA FLĂCĂU MARIA The Indoor Generation Prose 13

THE EPITOME OF PURITY S N O W F L A K E S A R E I N C R E D I B L Y F A S C I N A T I N G B E I N G S . When a snowflake falls in your hand, what's the first thought that comes to mind? First, there was a cold water droplet. It froze, became an ice crystal, and as it navigated trough troposphere, water vapor froze onto the primary crystal, forming the six arms of the snowflake. It's adventurous life seems very short, as it only takes a snowflake to touch the ground about one hour, but think about it: the cold droplet was once evaporated water from the ocean, which makes snowflakes extremely old, concentrated with so much life! Every snowflake goes trough the same process to materialise, and yet each one is completely unique because they all follow different paths from the sky to the ground. Exactly how all people are born in the same way before a multitude of external factors troughout life give them different characteristics. When a snowflake falls in your hand, there won't ever be another one like it. What intrigues me the most about them is that they're destroyed at the slightest touch, as if they can't allow themselves to be corrupted. Ukichiro Nakaya, a japanese physicist, used to observe natural snow and create photographic plates of snow crystals in order to classify them. He thought about making artifical snow from ice crystals grown in the laboratory, but without proper conditions it couldn't be done. Two years later, he created The Low Temperature Science Laboratory and continued his experiments. They all failed, until Nakaya found a snow crystal on the tip of a hair of a rabbitfur coat in the lab. In 1936 he produced a snow crystal on the tip of a single hair of rabbit fur, the first artificial snowflake in the world. In 1954 he published the illustrated book " Snow Crystals: Natural and Artificial" with his own photographs, which is now very hard to find. Snowflakes seem almost sacred, the epitome of purity. Written by: Morosanu Ana Coordinated by: Popa Celesta Designed by: Garaiman Ionut Teodor The Indoor Generation Prose 14

CHRISTMAS ABROAD – BEST COUNTRIES TO VISIT DURING CHRISTMAS Christmas is not just a celebration but an experience that brings the world under a beautifully adorned tree. Some celebrate at home while some love to explore various destinations of the world. I would like to inspire your future Christmas plans with some amazing places that are 100% worth visiting. 1 - Lapland, Finland There are few destinations as festive and magical as Rovaniemi, which, as the capital of Lapland, is also the official hometown of Santa Claus. But Rovaniemi isn’t all about Santa. Once you’re done exploring Santa Claus Village and getting reindeer rides about town, be sure to sweat out your worries with a festive sauna – a Finnish Christmas tradition. 3 - Edinburgh, Scotland It’s not just gingerbread-scented markets and riotous Hogmanay parties that make festive Edinburgh so appealing. Even under grey skies, you’ve got warm, world-class museums and restaurants and the icy North Sea winds.Take a spin on the panoramic big wheel above Princes Street, bar crawl under the fairy lights of George Street and pop into the Scottish National Gallery to contemplate winter scenes. After dark, head to the Royal Botanic Garden to sip spiced cider and marvel at its Christmas illuminations. 2 - Iceland Iceland is the perfect holiday destination for travellers in search of Christmas spirit. Here, the festive season pulsates with lively Christmas markets, where wooden booths brimming with food, drink and gifts glitter as imposing Christmas trees stand guard. Expect a true winter wonderland. And, if things start to feel a bit chilly, there’s no better time to take a warm dip in the Blue Lagoon’s geothermal waters than when temperatures hit sub-zero. Take a self-drive into the mountains and catch the northern lights glimmering in the dark sky and don’t forget other seasonal sojourns such as trekking near the Snaefellsjokull glacier. The Indoor Generation Prose 15

4 - Salzburg, Austria Dressed to the nines in baroque finery and surrounded by snowcapped peaks, Salzburg is the traditional, chocolatebox city of Mozart and The Sound of Music, and will give you comfort. Walk around the Old Town streets, dive into vaulted beer cellars and shop for lederhosen.Make your first wander an atmospheric browse along the narrow Getreidegasse, Salzburg’s glitzy shopping alley, where five-storey Renaissance houses provide a bulwark against winter weather. 5 - Singapore Singapore brings the Christmas experience. Festivities start in mid-November when almost four kilometres of Christmas lights are switched on in the Orchard Road shopping area. Shortly after, restaurants debut their festive menus and Christmas Wonderland opens at Gardens by the Bay. The season’s main attraction is the extravagant countdown and fireworks party at Marina Bay. Written by: Designed by: Buciuman Teodora Dragomir Cristiana To sum up, these are only a few of the most festive places that you can visit and make your Christmas experience unforgettable. If you love traveling as much as I do I definetly recommend you to look up an amazing holiday. Don`t forget to take pictures! The Indoor Generation Prose 16

HAVE AN ECOFRIENDLY CHRISTMAS! The Indoor Generation Prose 17

Indeed, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year as Andy Williams said, but it's also one of the moments when we pollute in multiple ways without realizing it. We can change this aspect by trying to be more ecofriendly, which will bring us and our planet only advantages. Firstly, come up with better ideas for gift wrapping. Every year we use huge amounts of normal wrapping paper and don`t take into consideration other alternatives to make our gifts look prettier. You can try to reuse gift bags and boxes kept from last Christmas. Didn't save any? Make it happen this year. Moreover, you can try to wrap your gifts with brown paper or even fabric. It will make it look less conventional. If you're buying wrapping paper, be conscious of choosing something free of foil or glitter as these varieties cannot be recycled. Have you ever wondered that Christmas can be harmful to our planet? The Indoor Generation Prose 18

Secondly, choose decorations that are durable and reusable. Decorations made from recycled wood, fabric, and glass make great alternatives to plastic or PVC options that are nonrecyclable. While choosing them, try to opt for classic designs that will be loved for years, not trend pieces that will lose their value by next year. Thirdly, make your Christmas lights LEDs. An easy change that everyone can make this Christmas is ensuring your Christmas lights are LEDs. It will make no difference to your experience of Christmas, but a huge difference to the amount of energy used during the festive season. The Indoor Generation Prose 19

Lastly, consider reusing everything. Throughout Christmas, look at everything and think about whether or not it can be reused before you bin it. You can get creative and reuse the items that you kept in smart and fun ways To conclude, Christmas is not about gifts, excess food, decorations, and sparkly clothes. It is about the time spent with your close ones and how you make it count. You can have an unforgettable Christmas by making it eco-friendly. Furthermore you can influence your family or friends to do so and find more ways to have an eco Christmas together. Written by: Buciuman Teodora Designed by: Blesneac Mara The Indoor Generation Prose 20

“Well then, let’s get to it already! shouted a man of around 30 years of age, with a big, dark beard. All five of us are already here, so what are we waiting for ?” There were indeed five of them, all men of similar stature, on the taller side. They varied in age, from 20 to the oldest one looking about 43. They were all just as eager to start as their friend here, so they immediately left the cabin with their rifles, dogs and one sleigh. What were they about to do, you ask ? They were going hunting, of course. It had already become tradition for this group of friends to celebrate their winter holidays in a more unique way, that going hunting for wild boars in the famous Teutoburg forest. These woods are most commonly known for the Battle of Teutoburg forest, where the Roman legions were at one point in time ambushed and defeated by an alliance of Germanic peoples. The sleigh was dragging quietly onto the icy road of snow. The trees were heavily loaded with the white powder, as some of it fell from the bending branches. A glimpse of the sun could be seen between the thick clouds of winter as their boots made the deep layer of snow crunch beneath them. It had only been ten minutes when two of their dogs returned in a hurry. The hunters quickly began pursuit in order to find their prey with help from their trusted companions. We don’t know what this bunch did for a living, but it truly seemed like they were no amateurs.They were advancing quitely but fast on the blue-white trails as the icy branches were trying to hold them back, maybe in an attempt to defend the wild boars, the fierce sons of the forest. The wood was no match, however, for the sharp machetes carried by the men dressed in a mix of white, brown and dark green. A MOST PLEASANT HUNT The Indoor Generation Prose 21

The sleigh was trailing behind them as well, being dragged around by another couple of dogs. The frame was light but sturdy enough to carry whatever it had to. Not only prey would it need to bear, but also all kinds of supplies and a mobile cooking kit as well. They at last arrived at the scene and, to their surprise, the sight was a little different than they had imagined. Upon a sturdy, frozen lake, two huge boars had gone to war with each other. The battle was most fierce and instantly reminded the hunters of the ambush fought in this forest centuries ago. They all looked at one another to agree on the procedure. The same impressed looks made quick work of any doubt. Without exchanging even one word, they settled to let the battle go on to the very end. After a few more minutes of crossing their fangs and tossing each other onto the hard surface of the frozen lake, one of the boars decisively thrust it’s fangs into the other after throwing its adversary onto the ground, ending the battle swiftly. As they had agreed, the group of five men let the boar walk away and prepared to tie the other one to their sleigh and quickly start hunting for others. However, just as they were about done with the loading, Jan, one of the hunters, sensed something was different. During winter, the forest was always quitet. This time, however, it felt even quieter than silence itself. There were no birds flying off of branches. It seemed as even the voice of nature came to a stop. “Does anyone else feel like something’s off ?” “What do you mean to sa-” Before even being able to finish his sentence, they all heard a strange sound coming from the direction of a bush as a sinister, light blue mist had enveloped the woods. It wasn’t very thick, but the chained coincidences had alerted the hunters. As all of them removed the safeties of their weapons, a grey silhouette emerged from the previous bush and, if I were to say, with great speed! The Indoor Generation Prose 22

Time had slowed down around twenty times inside Johan’s head. He was as young as 22 and was wearing a full white overall, with nothing covering his coal black hair. His dark blue eyes seemed to have exceeded our every human limits in those moments that were to pass the sentence of death or let life go on according to his performance. The wolf’s fur seemed now more white than grey, with its light yellow eyes glowing in the blueish mist, appearing as two yellow moons at horizon’s end. The wild animal’s opponent judged that it was too late to try and align the tip of his rifle with the beast, considering the speed it reached after launching from its legs. Instead, he struck the wolf’s head with the heavy, wooden butt of his rifle causing it to fall abruptly on the frozen ground. His fellow hunters instinctively let him deliver the finishing blow, which he, although admiring his foe’s strength, never hesitated to administer. Before it could get back on its paws, its head was pierced by a .220 fired from Johan’s barrel. This had all happened in less than ten seconds. The solemn moment of silence was broken through by one of his friend’s words: “Has anyone ever seen a wolf trophy before? You better take this to your home!” Everyone nodded in agreement. “There’s no one who could see it at my home. Besides, we’ve always been in and out of the forest together. This is going on our cabin’s wall!” The strange mist was forced into retreat by the men’s unwavering spirit and wholehearted cheers. The sleigh, now loaded with one boar and a wolf was once again slippering on the snowy surface. The hunt was to continue until noon, afterall, and these men were rarely the types of hunters to lay down and wait, unless it was strictly necessary. Once again, into the thick shield of branches they went, just as their ancestors had pierced the Roman shield wall many times. And if they were to die to sword, bullet or even fang, then there would be no regret or frown when blood paints the ground red. That is, of course, highly unlikely to happen on a hunting trip. However, hunting wasn’t the only occasion when this group bore arms... WRITTEN BY COORDONATED BY DESIGNED BY CRUCEANU TUDOR CRISTEA RAMONA LUCA BIANCA The Indoor Generation Prose 23

WINTER The Indoor Generation Prose 24

Happy Holidays. Winter is that one season that can completely change your point of view on life for 3 months, then you’re back to your old self. It’s sort of like your winter persona. Like you can see what you do to the earth, but not who you are. When I see the first snowflake falling or a cold breeze, it suddenly hits me: it’s that time when everything and everyone becomes jolly and festive, but for me it only gets more complicated.It’s all blurry and unsure, as if you’re driving through fog, knowing you have a destination to reach, but never knowing when you’ll get there. “No need to worry” you tell yourself “it’ll be over”you l i lie to yourself. Written by: Stanciu Iulia Coordinated by: Popa Celesta Designed by: Potop Alexandra The Indoor Generation Prose 25

POETRY A nihilistic Christmas poem The daily moment of instability Winter poem Thank you, reindeer

See a shrink. Become numb, Merry Christmas life is better than it is. Or buy your mum one, Buy yourself a nice gift Show your thoughtfulness. As the winter engulfs us all, mask for the season’s ugliness But hey, it's Christmas, after all. Make yourself something to drink Colors turn grey and everyone hides December marks the death of nature It’s the best way to enjoy this holiday season. The pretty lights and lively threes become a charming Trick your mind with sparkly ornaments into thinking A nihilistic Christmas poem Written by: Stroie Ana Coordinated by: Popa Celesta Designed by: Nicolae Iuliana The Indoor Generation Poetry 27

Photo by: Ana Morosan Written by: Dosanu Laura Coordinated by: Popa Celesta Designed by: Serban Maya The Indoor Generation Poetry 28

Written by: Dosanu Laura Coordinated by: Popa Celesta Designed by: Serban Maya The Indoor Generation Poetry 29

Written by: Nazarevscky Diana Coordinated by: Vârlan Carmen Designed by: Potop Alexandra Once upon a time In a land far away There lived Santa Getting ready for Christmas Holiday He was getting the gifts wrapped With his little helpers there To deliver everywhere For the kids to take in care But we can't forget about Who delivers all around Pulling the sleigh all day For the kids to say "hooray!” The reindeer are quite important They help Santa every year Just to make sure there appear Presents for us to adore Thank you, reindeer, for the work. Thank you, reindeer The Indoor Generation Poetry 30

The Indoor Generation Science Section 31 Physics Chemistry Biology

What is DNA DNA, also known as deoxyribonucleic acid, is a nucleic acid alongside RNA which is found within eucaryotes and procaryotes, adenoviruses finding their way into the list too. In eucaryotes it can be found within the nucleus of the cell. The DNA is the fundamental code which determines all hereditary characteristics of an organism, alongside the necessary information for the synthesis of proteins from essential amino acids. From a chemical standpoint, DNA is a biopolymer formed from two polynucleotide chains which have the nucleotide as a monomer. A nucleotide is made out of phosphoric acid (HPO42-), a pentose (deoxyribose) and a nitrogenous base (purines: adenine and guanine and pyrimidines: cytosine and thymine). The two chains form a double helix visualized as some stairs in spiral. The steps of the stairs are hydrogen bonds between nitrogenous bases (A-T, C-G). The spiralized aspect is given by the hydrophobic character of the nitrogenous bases, found towards the inside, and the hydrophilic character of the phosphoric acid and pentose, found towards the exterior. A nucleotide is formed from two chemical reactions: a condensation and an esterification. Via condensation between the pentose and the nitrogenous base a nucleoside is obtained through the βglycosylic bond. Via esterification of the phosphoric acid at the hydroxylic end of the pentose in position 5 a mononucleotide is formed. The polynucleotide chain is formed through a polycondensation reaction, the nucleotides combining via the phosphodiester bonds in positions 3’ and 5’ of the pentose. Even something as complex as DNA can be easily extracted from any organic matter with everyday items.The easiest extraction can be made from strawberries. For a successful DNA extraction we need: 10 strawberries, 180 mL of water, 200 mL of isopropyl alcohol of 99% concentration cooled down to -18°C, 20 mL of colorless, odorless detergent, 10.8g of unionized sodium chloride, coffee filters, a sieve and recipients, preferably beakers. and how to extract it with everyday items The Indoor Generation Science 32

ions move the proteins via electrostatic repulsion. After a few more minutes of mixing, the product is filtered through the sieve to remove the solid material, then through the coffee filters. After the filtration steps, the isopropyl alcohol is added. It is mixed well and then we wait a few minutes for the DNA to float to the surface. The precipitate is transferred to a coffee filter, it is cleaned with cold isopropyl alcohol to remove leftover impurities, then it’s placed on a piece of aluminum. It takes a day for the alcohol to evaporate. Thus, we are left with a solid chunk of DNA and histones that will oxidize, hence gaining a darker color. It has a grainy appearance and it has a salty taste to it. Written by : Trăsnitu Daniel Adrian The Indoor Generation Science 33

The Art of Reduction and Oxidation Reduction and oxidation are two different chemical reactions which, if occurring simultaneously, they can be combined into a single reaction named “Redox”. The simultaneous reactions can be written as half-reactions to have an overview of the entire process. Redox reactions consist of the modification of the oxidation number of an atom. Redox reactions take place in two ways: transfer of electrons or transfer of atoms. Atomic transfers can take place in organic compounds which undergo redox reactions, for example in hydrogenation, or in the rusting of iron. As for electrontransfer redox reactions, two compounds are used. Oxidizing agents, also known as oxidizers or oxidants, originally referred to the action of oxygen on other elements, but generalizing it we can say that anything that gains electrons is an oxidant, thus the process of oxidation consists of something else losing electrons. Oxidants mostly consist of chemical compounds with high oxidation numbers (H2O2, MnO4-, Cr2O72-) or highly electronegative chemicals such as the halogens. Nitric acid is a widely used oxidant with which TNT, rocket fuel and fertilizers can be made. Oxygen is the most important oxidant. The Indoor Generation Science 34

Reducing agents, also known as reductants or reducers, have the ability to give away electrons, thus oxidizing themselves. There are a variety of reducing agents that are used. A reducing equivalent can be an electron, a hydrogen atom or a hydride ion (H-). Some great reductants are electropositive metals such as lithium, sodium, magnesium, iron, zinc and aluminium. Chemical compounds that have hydride ions, such as NaBH4 and LiAlH4, reduce by atom transfer. They are commonly used in the reduction of carbonyl compounds to alcohols. Redox reactions have important applications at an industrial level. Oxidation, for example, is used in the production of cleaning products. Oxidizing ammonia leads to the production of nitric acid, a very important prime material too. Redox reactions are the base of electrochemical cells, or more commonly known as batteries. They are also used to coat objects with thin layers of materials such as silver and gold. Redox reactions are also extremely important to many biological processes. An example of this is cellular respiration which consists of the oxidation of glucose to carbon dioxide and the reduction of oxygen to water. Via redox ATP (adenosine triphosphate), an energysupplying compound in the cell, is also synthetized in the mitochondria through the Krebs cycle. Through oxidation we can also make graphical representations such as writing or drawing on different surfaces. For example, burning wood, blasting a metallic surface with fire or mildly burning a piece of paper until it turns darker in color are forms of oxidation. As such, redox reactions represent a truly important part of our world that we do not observe or even think about. It surrounds us everywhere we are; it happens inside us, outside of ourselves, everywhere! Without it we wouldn’t even exist. All life would simply be impossible. The universe in itself wouldn’t be able to exist at such a complex level. Written by : Trăsnitu Daniel Adrian The Indoor Generation Science 35

Nuclear Fission Usage and Catastrophes Nuclear fission is the reaction via which a heavy atomic nucleus splits into two or more lighter nuclei while releasing a tremendous amount of energy and gamma radiation which is very harmful to any organism. Nuclear reactors function on the principle of nuclear fission. There are several types of nuclear reactors, but the most common is the one which uses the U235 isotope of uranium, the only fissible one. Nuclear reactors harness the power of nuclear fission by heating up water which turns to steam. The steam passes through a turbine which is spinned by the water vapours, thus generating electricity which is distributed to the main power grid. The leftover water is cycled back to the reactor core. The reactor core is the place where the reaction takes place. There are several fuel rods used which contain uranium pellets. A neutron hits the uranium nucleus, thus turning it to a U236 isotope. Due to its high instability, it quickly decays into two lighter elements (Ba141 and Kr92), three fast free neutrons and gamma radiation. The free neutrons will spread in all directions, continuing this process of hitting nuclei, hence leading to a chain reaction. This process can easily go out of control, thus going „critical”. As to avoid such an incident, the fission rate is controlled via control rods. These control rods are typically made out of boron, cadmium or hafnium due to their ability to absorb these neutrons without reemiting them. If the control rods are fully submerged, the reaction doesn’t take place. As the rods are slowly lifted, the number of absorbed neutrons decrease, thus more nuclei are split. Due to the speed of the neutrons it is hard for them to hit the nuclei. As to decrease their speed three moderators are used. Light water (H2O) cools down the reactor, while heavy water (deuterium is used instead of hydrogen, thus D2O) and high-purity graphite are used to slow down the neutrons without absorbing them. Slow neutrons have a higher chance of hitting the nuclei. The Indoor Generation Science 36

The fissible isotope of uranium is rarely found in nature, its heavier isotope, U238, being present. The uranium goes through an enrichment process that removes some of the U238 and increases the proportion of U235 from its usual 0.7% to somewhere between 3- 5%, obtaining highly-enriched uranium. In present times centrifuges are used to enrich uranium, more efficient and less costly than past methods, that of gaseous diffusion. The centrifugal method consists of separating gas molecules of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) which contain U235 from the ones that contain U238. The gas is found within several cylinders which spin at very high speeds, generating strong centripetal forces. Due to the higher tangential velocities (a result of being more massive) of molecules that contain U238 they will move towards the exterior of the cylinder, while the ones that contain U235 will stay around the center. This separation process makes it possible to extract highly enriched uranium from the center of the cylinders. Nuclear fission is a phenomenal source of energy, but the catastrophes which came with it have instilled much fear within us. Unfortunately it has also led to the creation of nuclear weaponry which plagues us in modern times due to their high-capacity of destruction. Should we unresponsibly use them, the end of all life on Earth is nigh. Nuclear fission is a very efficient source of energy due to its high energy output, all while having low carbon emissions. Even with these bonuses, in the case of a failure a catastrophe can take place. The worst nuclear disaster was the one which took place at Chernobyl in 1986 due to unquallified personnel running the reactor and flaws in the reactor’s design. Reactor no. 4 exploded, leading to high contamination of air and soil with radioactive elements. It led to tens of thousands of cancer-related deaths, mostly thyroid cancer and many congenital malformations in children. Besides physical affections, it led to higher violence rates, an increase in mental problems and many more health issues. Another notable incident is the one in Fukushima in which a tsunami caused the meltdown of the reactor cores alongside a hydrogen explosion. Coordinated by: Popescu Nicoleta Designed by: Simona Ionescu Credits to the artists and photographers Written by : Trăsnitu Daniel Adrian The Indoor Generation Science 37

INTERVIEW HackMinescu The power of moving forward

The indoor Generation Interview HackMinescu 39 Olteanu Adrian: Well, it was quite a roller coaster. The main idea came from our passion- we are both programming-geeks (to the point where people started calling us nerds). Since we've been programming from middle school, we knew the excitement of learning this intriguing and rewarding field. Though, we've seen the majority of people shy away from it, and we couldn't stop asking ourselves why. Until we've came to the realizationIt is quite a difficult topic to learn if you haven't been exposed to it before, and, on top of all, it can seem really intimidating. So, we've said to ourselves - 'How can we make people learn programming AND have fun at the same time?'. And that's exactly how HackMinescu was born. Teens and adolescents have the opportunity to understand the logic of programming through Scratch, a software which people can use to make games and stories visually, without knowing to code beforehand (and it's also really enjoyable to see your ideas come to life in such a playful environment - even for more advanced programmers). HackMinescu is a new project in our school made this year by two friends and classmates from 12th grade: Adrian Olteanu and Cosmin Matei. They hope that students from our high school will join their team to learn more about programming, but in an appealing way. Elena: How was the project's idea born?

So that's why Scratch plays an important role in our hackathon, as it is the most interactive way to learn this tech skill- we've even tried it ourselves, and we've seen how excited we can get after we've turned our ideas into reality, all by dragging and stacking up some colored blocks on the screen like Legos. Second of all, students have the chance to meet other likeminded people and join a community in which they can learn from each other, create teamprojects and even build deep relationships. We can all be part of a group of individuals where we feel comfortable, but, at the same time, our ideas and skills are always challenged by the burning passion within each one of us. Teodora: How do you think this project will help the students? Teodora: Do you think programming is the future? If yes, why? Matei Cosmin: That's a really good question. First of all, we've thought HackMinescu as a way of sparking the passion for programming in the next generations, without scaring them away with the "boringness" of writing code (which, they will find out later on, is quite an art). Matei Cosmin: Yes, we do think that programming is the future. The ability to write code and create software is becoming increasingly important. The thought that we might live in a fully digitalized world says nothing but the fact that programming and technology are the future of humanity as we know it. As the art of writing code is taught at progressively younger ages, and as society starts picking up programming as a hobby even more, it might someday be our second international way of communicating. The indoor Generation Interview 40

The indoor Generation Interview 41 Diana: Tell us a little bit about yourselves Olteanu Adrian: You've got us on that one. Me and Cosmin are similar in many ways, yet so different in so many others. Besides loving to write software and transforming technology into something we find deeply exciting, we both intuitively like science and, surprisingly, we are keen on debating philosophical ideas- when we are away from the keyboard. But, of course, the differences are what really make us as individuals. I would define myself as someone who loves doing the impossible. In spite of the fact that I have a very technical way of viewing things, I also love art and activities that require a different kind of creativity that you would normally find in programming. I've been filming and editing videos since fourth grade, and by doing it for so long, it has become a part of me. I find it the best way to express my creativity in the most visual way possible- pixels on a screen! (Yet here are the nerdy references again). It involves everything from filming techniques, to editing styles, to after effects and even music production. It simply has it all. Now, referring back to the impossible, I can say I love dreaming. That might sound a bitbizarre- but I love dreaming about ideas bigger than me. Anything that involves public presentations, self development and education are passions of mine that I believe require goals greater than the human mind is used to think about. Taking HackMinescu for example, it was an idea we could never have imagined accomplishing. But, through a bit of hard work and a lot of faith into the unknown future, we can see it right before our eyes now, and we hope that the event could reach students that wouldn't have found out about programming otherwise.

Written by: Codreanu Elena Buciuman Teodora Nazarevscky Diana Coordinated by: Popa Celesta Designed by: Codreanu Elena Matei Cosmin: As Adi said, we both consider ourselves nerds. I am deeply passionate about technology, especially on the hardware side. Since I was little, I've wanted to explore the unknowns of technology, and people found it surprising hearing questions such as "How does the computer work?" or "How does this computer run the programs?" from a child my age. Along the way, I've gotten to know the tech realm better and better through a lot of determination and inspiration from many fascinating people, which has ultimately led me to getting involved in HackMinescu. What defines me, besides being a computer-geek, is also my creative side. Out of all things, cooking is the way I express myself. From arranging basil leafs on a cream soup to making the chocolate frosting for a brownie, I find these little details being the reason why I picked up a spatula in the first place. When I am not cooking, I am capturing the world through my camera lenses. Photography has been a burning passion for me since I received my first camera as a Christmas gift eight years ago, and I wasn't able to drop it since. And when I am not doing any of those, I am probably winding off to some nice music while enjoying the greenery of nature. The indoor Generation Interview 42

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CASE STUDY Christmas for kids in placement centers The abuse of russian skaters

Whenever Christmas is around our minds usually go to sitting at home in cozy pijamas happily opening presents with our parents. But what do kids with no home or parents feel about Christmas? Don't they deserve to feel the joy of opening gifts? Don't they need a loving family too? There are over 3.300 kids that still live in Placement Centers without having the pleasure of enjoying Christmas. These centers are a residential type service in the field of child protection which were created to offer a chance to abandoned children and children in foster care centers to benefit of physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual development. In 2012, seeing how much kids need to experience a real Christmas, Placement Centers had started letting families welcome kids in their homes and giving them the love they are supposed to receive during the winter holidays. These families have to be visited by social workers before taking the kids and after the holidays end, they are taken back in the Placement Centers. CHRISTMAS FOR KIDS IN PLACEMENT CENTERS The Indoor Generation Case Study 46

WRITTEN BY COORDONATED BY DESIGNED BY For the happiness of kids in Placement Centers we hope this year, taking them home for Christmas will be allowed and encouraged because every kid deserves to have an amazing childhood full of joy especially around holidays. Those simple gestures made a lot of kids be able to experience Christmas in a heartwarming home and not a cold centre, but sadly in 2020 it was not permitted anymore due to the coronavirus pandemic. The following year, after the pandemic ended, it was still not permitted as Child Protection did not allow it from unknowing reasons. HRISTACHE REBECCA POPESCU LUCIA LUCA BIANCA The Indoor Generation Case Study 47

All in all, Eteri Tutberidze and other coaches in Russia have gone so far as to abuse and drug their students just so they have better results. This is not only sad but devastating too and we should share this information in order to stop the abuse. The of russian skaters The indoor generation Sport 48 ABUSE If you ever wondered how russians are such good artistic skaters, keeping in mind all the records and titles they have acomplished, you are now about to find out why and you are not going to like it. The Russian skaters are insanely good not only because they are forced to push themself beyond limits but because they are also abused to do so, giving them no choice then to work harder and harder until they are the absolute best. Take for example famous Russian coach and former ice dancer, Eteri Tutberidze, which has been abusing her girls, both verbally and physically, in order for them to perform better.The methods she uses to abuse them are only now coming to light in the media. Some are: not being allowed to drink water during training, delaying puberty by taking specific nutrients and pills, being forced to compete while severely injured and so many more. Every year, a new, younger Eteri girl emerges on the scene while others retire, at the ages of 17, 16, or even 14 due to health problems caused by the abuse. Only a few months ago, Kamila Valieva, trained by Tutberidze, tested positive for trimetazidine, a medication for a heart disease that she does not have. Everyone accused Tutberidze but in the end, she was found innocent, Kamila blamed the positive drug test on a mix-up that occurred with her grandfather's medication, who has heart problems. 00:02:54 Written by: Hristache Rebecca Coordinated by: Popescu Lucia Designed by: Danca Sara

Christmas Cuisine Romanian Christmas Traditions Christmas traditions TRADITIONS

CHRISTMAS CUISINE When Christmas time comes, our toughts always head to the music, carols, tales, lights and the whole atmosphere. But do we ever miss the delightful and vast cuisine? No, we never do. We always try our best to improve it or conserve it, as it serves one of the most important role in the celebration of Christmas. Most of them are indeed, sweets, but if we take a closer look, we can find a few renowned main courses hidden between all of the other dishes, too. Gingerbread is a truly classic Christmas sweet. Its origins are Frankish-Armenian, as the French were thought how to bake it by an Armenian monk (Gregory of Nicopolis) and they date from the end of the first millennium AD. Their composition contains obviously ginger, honey or sugar, nutmeg, molasses or cinnamon. The structure is similar to the one of a cookie or a smaller cake, which makes them easier to bake. Over the times, different styles of preparation were created and as examples are the gingerbread cakes, the Austrian star-shapes gingerbread, gingerbread cookies and the all-time famous gingerbread men, who comes with multiple types of icing. Yum! Christmas Pudding: another beloved dessert served on the Christmas Eve or day. It is of English origins, right from the Medieval times, so the original recipe had developed different branches. Mainly, the pudding has sweets dried fruits in it, togheter with eggs, breadcrumbs, milk or wine. Moreover, the Christmas pudding involves a few traditions, such as hanging in a bag that’s attached to a hook. Another famous tradition the one involving the family. Each family member has to stir the pudding, having the chance to make a wish, aswell. Eggnog is a milk or egg milk punch, which can be classified as a Christmas beverage. It is a ,,pretentious” recipe, as it only needs milk, sugar, egg yolk, cream and occasionally a bit of rum. It is also an English beverage, which was initially considered a ,,brewed strong beer”. Any alcoholic beverages were served in ,,noggins” back in time, so therefore the name of egg-nog. Stuffed turkey or duck, also called stuffing, dressing or filling, is also a very common and known main course, which is adored by North and South Americans and English. It may include different food, breadcrumbs, herbs, vegetables and its cooking technique preserves the moisture of the stuffing. It isn’t exactly known when people first started to make stuffings, but various sources, including a Roman cookbook, point out to that certain period of time. Panettone, which is the equivalent of our ,,cozonac” is an Italian sweet which contains raisins, dried fruits, sugar cocoa and others. It is very similar to our sweet bread (zones of usage: Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria), the only details that differs being the shape. Usually, it is served during Christmas and symbolizes prosperity brought by the birth of the Lord. Honourable mentions: Pavlova cake: an Australian cake based on meringue and whipped cream. After the cake is baked, fruits such as strawberries and kiwis are added onto the top layer. The dessert was named after the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. Mince Pie is another English dessert, which is made of mincemeat, a mix of fruits, spices, meat, fat and even pastry filling. During the Middle Ages, it was a favourite sweet dish of the crusaders, hence the mixture between the tastes. Yule log (fr. ,,Buche de Noel”) is a French cake shaped as a log, as the name suggest, which is based on a sponge structure, including chocolate buttercream and liquers, giving the aspect of a sweet roulade. Optionallly, meringue, mushrooms, fruits (berries) and marzipan could be added, in order to offer a more Christmas like look. Coordinated by: Popa Celesta Written by: Radulescu Ioan Designed by: Garaiman Ionut Teodor The Indoor Generation Traditions 50