Summer Edition 2014 A Literary Magazine by the Students of Erie Day School. A Stroke of the Pen

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1 Summer Edition 2014 A Literary Magazine by the Students of Erie Day School A Stroke of the Pen

2 Summer 2014 In This Issue Page 3 The FIFA World Cup Why do the People of Brazil Speak Portuguese? Brazil s Food Page 5 Famous Brazilian People Customs in Brazil Interesting Places in Brazil Page 6 Comic Strip Page 7 United States Relations with Brazil The History of the FIFA World Cup Cover illustration: Sonya Kisak A Stroke of the Pen List of Contributors: Jamie Rowley Daanish Bhatti Noah Ali Hayley Schultz Mya Tetuan- Lewis Jonah Britton Lydia Langford-Tyler Alex Burnside Marcus Diniaco 2 On the cover: The staff of A Stroke of the Pen would like to thank Grade 8 artist Sonya Kisak for her contributions to our literary magazine this year. She designed our three covers. We appreciate her help very much.

3 The 2014 FIFA World Cup By: Jamie Rowley, 7th Grade The 2014 Fifa World Cup will be held in various locations in Brazil; stadiums in towns and cities have been built solely for this event. The World Cup is a futbol (soccer) tournament with various international teams participating. The teams are divided into eight groups: Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D, Group E, Group F, Group G, and Group H. There are group matches followed by the elimination round. The World Cup runs from June 12 to July13, There are four teams that I think have the squad to win the World Cup. They are Brazil, Argentina, Germany, and Spain. These are all great teams and have worked very hard to be competing in the World Cup. It should be a great event to watch! Why do the People of Brazil Speak Portuguese? By: Alex Burnside, 7th Grade Brazil is the only country in South America that speaks Portuguese. Most of the other countries in South America speak Spanish, so why does Brazil speak Portuguese? The answer to this question originates with the Spanish and Portuguese explorers in the late 1400s. Both Spanish and Portuguese explores were discovering many new lands at this time including the Americas. When Spain and Portugal discovered South America, they divided the land in two parts. The western part went to Spain and the eastern part went to Portugal. Throughout time these territories were scenes of much fighting, but when borders were finally settled Brazil remained true to its Portuguese roots and adopted Portuguese as its official language. Brazil s Food By: Daanish Bhatti, 8th Grade In Brazil there are many types of foods. Appetizers range from meat to seafood and lots of bread. One appetizer served in Brazil is Acaraje which are Black-Eyed Pea Fritters from Bahia, Brazil. An Acaraje is a street food in Brazil and is light in texture but bold in flavor. The unique fillings such as shrimp or meat make it very distinctive. This fried food is a favorite among the Brazilian people. Another popular appetizer in Brazil is a pastel which is a filled pastry. This appetizer is delicious and has possibilities for fillings that are endless. You can put things like mozzarella cheese, meat, seafood, and vegetables. The last main appetizer in Brazil is the Brazilian Cheese Ball. This food is very popular among locals and is basically bread with a cheese filling. In Brazil the main entrees are traditionally served with rice and some kind of fish with it, however, the ones I will be sharing will not be those traditional dishes. One of the most famous Brazilian main courses is Feijoada. This is a black bean stew with smoked meats. Another great food is Vatapa which is a delicious shrimp dish with a rich peanut cashew sauce. A great seafood dish is Cururu de camaro, this is a shrimp and okra gumbo. One dish that I found which was very unique was shrimp in a pumpkin. This dish is basically a shrimp stew that is stored in a pumpkin. However since the shrimp was in the pumpkin and sits there, the juices from the pumpkin make it taste even better. One dessert from Brazil that I love is Dulce de Leche, a wonderful cake that is made from dour different milks. It tastes very creamy and will fill you up very quickly. Another pumpkin dish in Brazil is pumpkin flan, a Brazilian classic that has the strong taste of pumpkin. There are many desserts in Brazil but these were the two that stood out in my mind. All the food is great in Brazil and people who will be going to the World Cup will probably celebrate with wonderful food each night. 3

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5 Famous Brazilian People By: Hayley Schultz, 7th Grade There are many famous Brazilians in the arts and athletics. Most of them are known to the U.S. population and are highly respected. Brazil has produced amazing soccer players that are known worldwide. Here are some of the famous Brazilians: Pelé is a famous soccer player who was a member of three Brazilian World Cup champion teams and is considered to be one of the greatest soccer players of all time. He was born on October 23, 1940, in Três Corações, Brazil. He played professionally in Brazil for two decades and won three World Cups before he joined the New York Cosmos. He was named FIFA co -player of the century in He is a global ambassador for soccer and other humanitarian causes. Fernanda Montenegro is regarded as one of Brazil s most talented actresses. She was born on October 16, 1929 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her career has spanned more than fifty years and has included countless stage and television roles. She founded an acting company with her husband in In 1970 she received the Best Actress Award at the Moscow Film Festival for her role in En Familia. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film for her movie Four Days in September. Helio Castroneves is a Brazilian racecar driver who won the Indianapolis 500 three times and finished first in the reality television show Dancing with the Stars. He was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil on May 10, He began go carting at a young age and then began Formula Three auto racing at age nineteen. He eventually joined the Indy Car circuit and went on to win the Indianapolis 500 three times. Customs in Brazil By: Lydia Langford-Tyler, 7th Grade There are many customs in Brazil that may surprise you. For instance, did you know that shoes are a status symbol in Brazil? It is customary for men and ladies to polish their shoes often. Also, Brazilians celebrate a number of different holidays than we do in the United States. They include: Carnival (4 days before Lent) Tirandentes (April 21) Our Lady Aparecida Day (October 12) Republic Day (November 15) Families are traditionally large and include the extended family. Godparents are practically family and often take responsibility for godchildren. When visiting someone in Brazil, it is customary to arrive ten to fifteen minutes late. An invitation to a Brazilian home should be considered a special honor. Finally, if you are a soccer fan, it may not be a surprise to read that the national sport of Brazil is soccer. The Brazilian soccer teams are among the worlds finest. Basketball and volleyball are also popular. Brazilians enjoy swimming, boating, and fishing at the nation's many beaches, as well as camping and other outdoor sports in the mountains. Interesting Places in Brazil By: Mya Tetuan-Lewis, 6th Grade In Brazil there are many different tourist attractions. The top five tourist attraction are Pantanal, Rio Carnival, Amazon River, Iguazu Falls, and the most famous, Christ the Redeemer. The Pantanal is the world s largest wetland, lying mostly in Western Brazil but expanding into Bolivia and Paraguay as well. It is famous for wildlife; also it is one of Brazil s major tourist attractions. The Rio Carnival attracts two million people per day on the streets, and almost half a million foreigners during its four day celebration. The Amazon River is approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles) and is the second largest river in the world, just slightly shorter than the Nile. The Amazon has over 3,000 species of fish and new species are still being discovered. The Iguaza Falls is one of the great natural wonders of the world. It is situated on the border between Brazil and Argentina. Christ the Redeemer is a famous statue of Jesus Christ. It is located at the peak of the Corcovado Mountain. Christ the Redeemer statue stands 39.6 meters. Brazil is a great place to visit on vacations and summers. 5

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7 United States Relations with Brazil By: Jonah Britton, 7th Grade United States relations with Brazil are strong at this time. The United States was the first country to recognize Brazil's independence from Portugal. This strengthened relations and enabled to have trade a good start. Brazil is the U.S.'s eigth largest trading partner. The U.S. is Brazil s second largest trading partner. Main exports from the U.S. to Brazil include electrical machinery, wheat/grains, dairy, and chemicals. Major imports to the U.S. from Brazil include iron and steel, oil, machinery, and aircraft. The U.S. exports about $44.1 billion dollars worth of items yearly to Brazil. The U.S. imports about $27.6 billion dollars from Brazil yearly. The U.S. was the first country recognize Brazil's independence from Portugal. This helped Brazil-U.S. relations get off to a good start and they have been going strong ever since. The History of the FIFA World Cup By: Noah Ali, 7th Grade The FIFA world cup soccer tournament was started because of the success of the soccer tournaments at the Olympics. On May 28, 1928 the FIFA commitee in Amsterdam decided to have the first World Cup. Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden submitted their candidatures. Uruguay was the favorite because they were celebrating the 100 th anniversary of their independence in Moreover, Uruguay s national association was willing to cover all costs. Any profit would be shared between FIFA and Uruguay, and Uruguay would take the deposit. In 1929 the FIFA congress in Barcelona declared that Uruguay world be the host of the first World Cup. The FIFA World Cup opened at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo on July 18, Only four European teams competed which angered Uruguay so much that they became the first and only team not to defend its title. Italy was chosen to host the second World Cup and this time it took qualifying rounds to get to the 16 finalists. Brazil and Argentina went home after only having played one game each. Once again, the host, won Italy beat Czechoslovakia in extra time. The fourth World Cup was supposed to be in but it had to be postponed because of World War II. Brazil was finally chosen to host the World Cup in 1949, but it was postponed to 1950 for planning reasons. 7

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