A well-timed red shell to help you secure first place. Passing your opponent as they slip on a banana peel. Watching the highlight reel of your amazing victory. These are just a few reasons why Mario Kart is, by far, the best Nintendo game to play in co-op mode. On my ninth birthday, my parents surprised me with a much-coveted Nintendo Switch. The only problem was, I didn't have a game! I remember going to my friend's house and playing a curious game called Mario Kart with our whole group and having a blast. I didn't want the fun to end so I begged my parents to take me to GameStop and retrieve this magical game. But they were all out of stock! I went home feeling disappointed, saddened for the next month. Luckily, Christmas was right around the corner and my cousins stepped up and delighted me by gifting me my soon-to-be obsession. The next few months were full of fun memories that will last a lifetime. I challenged my friends to races on every track. We laughed as we knocked each other off the track at Rainbow Road. We created nicknames for our on-screen opponents and screamed at the screen when we passed them or vice versa. More importantly, we bonded as friends and crafted lifelong memories that we still laugh about today. Mario Kart is not just a simple racing game. It’s an immersive world that draws you and your friends in to a thrilling competition. The literal twists and turns of the racetrack enthrall each player and the camaraderie enhances each eventful and unpredictable moment. When we play Mario Kart, it’s not just something to pass the time – it’s a great way to bring friends closer together. And that’s why Mario Kart is, hands down, the best Nintendo game to play in co-op mode.

Chaos all around. A man on the run holding a baby. A virus that wiped out half the population. Great, another “end-of-the-world” show that my parents are watching, I said to myself as I glanced at the TV making my way upstairs. But my feet were slow to walk; I couldn’t get away. My attention was captured, and I needed to know if the little baby was going to be alright! I rejoiced as they made their way to a cabin in Yellowstone, cheered them on throughout their quest, was blown away by the baby’s origins, and ached watching Pubba die. Like the characters in the show, I had to see this thing through and so I ended up binging Sweet Tooth that weekend. The suspense was just beginning to grow, as Sweeth Tooth was now left alone after Pubba died. He died of the same disease that killed half the planet. Despite promising his father that he wouldn’t leave the premises, the boy finds himself breaking the rules. Sadly, those left alive were on the hunt for the hybrids, as they called children like Gus. You see, Gus was half human and half deer, the reason many believed the virus came to pass, was because of those like him. So what would happen to Gus as he ventured out into this cruel new world? Would he survive? Set in this fantastical world, Sweet Tooth explores many different themes. What is a family? Gus came into the world in an unorthodox manner and did not have a traditional family, but his new family created bonds as they faced each adventure. And of course, as a mutant, Gus faces many forms of prejudice and bigotry. Hatred for his kind is the driving force behind many of his adversaries and you begin to see parallels with our own world. Another theme, being set in the post-apocalyptic version of Earth, is how they survive. What does it take to go on day by day while being hunted, having to disguise yourself, and avoiding the deadly virus that may or may not still be menacing humanity? I agree with IMDB, “This show has everything you want in a good fantasy series...it's full of drama, action, comedy, suspense, twists, etc.” So, if you happen to have a free weekend, I will encourage you to binge-watch this amazing show. You will not be disappointed; in fact, you will be left wanting more and will spend the rest of the week thinking about it and waiting for the next season to come!

Buna Ziua! When my sister and I were both very young, we spent a summer with my grandparents in Romania. To this day I still can smell the prajitura baking in my Buni’s oven and plotting on how to make sure that I got the first taste before my sister! Those memories will always comfort me whenever the busyness of life gets in the way. Now that I have embarked on my high school career, I am focusing on my lifetime goal of entering the educational field. I want to make a difference in the lives of young children and inspire them to be the best that they can be. In many ways, a child’s teacher is the most important guiding influence in their lives besides their parents. I have often had the poor fortune of being assigned teachers that seemed to have no desire to actually inspire their students – in fact, they did the opposite! Many students would stop paying attention in class, doodling, or daydreaming about video games or their celebrity crush. How many students fall through the cracks because they stopped caring about learning? I want to ensure that they stay on the right path. Talking to my cousins in their small village in Romania, their academic lives are so different from ours. They often don’t have the tools or facilities to get a quality education. Working with a lot less than we are blessed with here in the States, they still strive to give them all they can so they can be productive citizens when they grow up. This is the kind of work ethic and guidance that motivates me to use all the resources that are available to their fullest for the next generation of students. My grandmother (Buni) never had the chance to get much of an education. Because her family was poor, she had to end her schooling after 8th grade, working in the fields to make sure her family could survive. She always stressed how important a good education was and how if she was to do it over, she would do anything in her power to get a higher education. When she heard that I wanted to be a teacher, I knew she was proud! My mother came to the United States as an adult and was the first one in her family to graduate college and get a master’s degree with two small children while working a full-time job. Seeing the impact that education has in her life and how she was able to better our lives, inspired me to become an educator myself, and travel abroad and help children in other countries. Someday, I hope to return to my grandparents’ farm in the village as an accomplished educator. I will visit with my young cousins and teach them all that I have learned. Hopefully, I will be able to inspire many, help them with the way they view things, and even improve their education system. It will mean so much to my mother to give back to the land she used to call home.

Surely many people will just choose their favorite characters, but if I can choose any three to face a supernatural threat, why not choose the most powerful? Yes, I'm choosing the strongest of the kids' enemies, Vecna, the Mind Flayer, and the Demogorgon. Let's face it - taking down a godlike monstrosity will take more than just some jokes and teenage antics. That's why my squad will have what it takes to face this new danger. But how do you get these evil entities with their own self-interested agendas to unite? I am confident that once they set their eyes upon this new, even bigger menace, they will all understand that working together is the only way to prevent annihilation. If they want to continue on with their plans of worlds devastation (yes, worlds!) then they have no choice but to put their differences aside. And besides, who doesn't want a good redemption story? Steve was no one's favorite after the first few episodes, but now we all love Steve! Who says the same won't be true for good ol' Mind Flayer? A few hours hanging out with Dustin and Mind Flayer will be one of the gang, pumping quarters into the arcade games trying to get the high score on Frogger. So don't let the other entries fool you into thinking that Max's ingenuity, or Mike's brains, or any other human characteristics will take down the new Lovecraftian leviathan - only a supernatural monster All-Star team can do the job!