agen » Asweet-talk about the pineapple Have an idea for a story? Mlifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca Morgan Hannah Life & Style Editor I important to stay curious, ask questions, and always learn something new; so, let’s take a closer look at acommon household item—something fresh, sweet, and fruity. It’s time for “Fascinating Fruit Facts!” And this week we're looking at the pineapple, otherwise known by its scientific name Ananas comosus! Ahyes, the succulent golden tropical pineapple we all know and love. Due to its historical rareness, it is a symbol of hospitality. What might be unknown about the pineapple is that it actually is a group of fruits. Technically speaking, pineapple is a collection of fruiting flowers that are connected to a central stem, making the pineapple a “multiple fruit.” Another way cool fact about pineapples is their ability to regenerate! You can cut the top off a pineapple and grow a whole new plant. Only one pineapple will grow from a pineapple plant at a time, and very slowly; growing tops takes nearly 3 years for full maturation. A faster growing method e Milk moustaches all around! ¢ Before there was Zoom ..and more involves the slip, a tiny plantlet that grows on some varieties of pineapples at the base of the fruit. The iconic golden fruit contains an enzyme called bromeliad. This enzyme mixture can break down proteins, so pineapples are often used as a meat tenderizer. This is also the reason why everything tingles and burns when eating pineapple; the bromeliad enzyme is trying to break down the proteins of your mouth. How neat! Pineapple is also known to ripen faster upside down. A lesser known “fact” is that you can attract swinger couples by placing an upside-down pineapple in your grocery cart while walking around the supermarket. SpongeBob SquarePants, beloved star from Bikini Bottom lives in a giant pineapple—they truly do make great houses. And even Jack-o-Lanterns! Pineapples have also are chalk-full of Vitamin C, thiamine, and manganese content, which promotes happy hormones in the brain and helps with sexual health—especially in men. Maybe that’s why SpongeBob is so irresistible. This has been Fascinating Fruit Facts—tune in next time to find out which fruit we'll be chatting about next! e A sweet-talk about the pineapple life & style // no. 9 Illustration by Athena Little CY (944 Why my math anxiety has been awakened » Hello darkness, my old friend EG Manilag Staff Writer he quarantined semester has officially commenced! Most students at this very moment are just chilling in their homes or now arranging their schedules—but not me. I am deeply worried about taking my first ever math related course in college. Even though I am not that bad at math, I still get nervous because it tenses me up— eating up my entire day and causing me to be full of worries and fears. One of my greatest fears in taking math is the possibility of failing. No one wants to fail, especially if they give their all. Math and statistics are known to be cumulative in nature. This means that these classes require fundamental knowledge before getting to the next course. For example, knowing basic mathematical operations and their order (PEMDAS also known as BEDMAS) is especially important and required to proceed to upper level mathematics. You simply won't be able to solve functions if you don't know their step-by-step process. Another thing that makes math and stats hard are their symbols—they can come in many different forms but have only one meaning. This can really make you feel like a foreigner in unknown place. Now, keeping this in mind, it is especially hard for students who have been molded by the social sciences to get back on track. Not practicing calculations for a while can definitely rust your math skills. As a result, these students are burdened to go back and study the every single prerequisite since they are all necessary. Nevertheless, they'll spend more time on their numbers course than their non-math courses if they’re out of practice. The other thing that is not so great about this situation is the common trend that occurs where one cannot greatly focus on other courses. As for me, Iama criminology student. I really love studying criminology courses. In fact, | am taking two this semester. But having a third course related to math means | can’t enjoy studying the other two as much, seeing how I must study hard at math to get a fighting chance at succeeding. Re-entering the field of math, for me and many others, is simply hard. But hey, the beginning is always the hardest. If we keep a good pace and follow our profs’ instructions while also studying regularly, I am sure we'll end up just fine. For all of you having this same anxiety as myself, perhaps a takeaway story from the Life and Style Editor, Morgan Hannah, will help you conquer your math or stat anxiety. She had the same worry as a writer and someone distant from mathematics. On the time, she states “] ended up doing quite well, though. I owe my success to asking tons of questions, working through my lab multiple times, and paying close Illustration by Athena Little attention during lectures. Additionally, when we had projects, such as our stats journal, I went all out and did a creative scrapbook styled journal—I highly recommend using one’s talents and skills to their advantage. Like, if you're a great writer and have to write out math questions, write really interesting ones.”