There are less than 100 math museums in the entire world, and only a handful in America. We, however, have one of them right here in Seattle, called the Seattle Universal Math Museum (SUMM).

What is SUMM? SUMM is located all around Seattle and although it is not currently in a physical location, they host all sorts of events in the area, such as family events, hands-on exhibits, and conversations, all about math.

The creators are extremely passionate about math and want to share that with the community.

The LGBTQIA+ Task Force and Q Center invite you to participate in Transgender Awareness Week (Nov. 13-19) and Transgender Day of Remembrance (Nov. 20).

During this time, we honor and uplift the trans community and reaffirm Highline’s commitment to a learning environment rooted in social justice, mutual respect, understanding, civility, and non-violence.

With the election closed, analysis begins on voter turnout, demographics, and how we got to where we are. As the results of the election settle, and the reality of Donald Trump being elected to return to the presidency, some recent campaign events can be looked on with a clearer light. 

Perhaps most recently, Tony Hinchcliffe’s joke about Puerto Rico being an “island of garbage,” became the centerpiece of a national argument about what damage a joke can do, or not do in this case, on the political stage.

Bob Ferguson is Washington state’s newly elected governor, leading his competitor, Dave Reichert by almost 400,000 votes.

The Seattle-born former Washington Attorney General has been in the public eye for some time, but may not be as ubiquitous as his contemporaries–at least for now. So who is Ferguson?

Almost everyone has kept a goldfish in an aquarium once in their life, right? But have you ever thought about how disastrous they are to our environment if they were to be released into the wild? 

Goldfish seem to be inexpensive and low maintenance which make them among a  favorite in home aquarium pets. In pet stores they can be seen as tiny little swimmers but in the wild they can grow as big as 10 lbs and 18 in.

Strike action at 14 ports on the US east and Gulf coast has ended, after a temporary new wage agreement was reached. The union representing the U.S. dockworkers agreed to suspend the strike while further negotiations continue.

After the initial short-lived strike concluded, a temporary agreement on wages was put in place. This agreement will last until Jan. 15, when the parties will need to return to the bargaining table on other issues under the threat of another strike.

The finish line for this election season is less than a week away.

Along with the hotly contested Presidential campaigns pushing all they can in the final days, Washington has its own hot-button ticket issues that will racket through its own economy, depending on how the votes go. 

Over the weekend there was a 45-car pileup accident that happened on southbound I-5 in Kent, Wash. This forced the closure of all five lanes on southbound I-5 to allow for first responders and tow trucks to get to the scene.

The accident occurred on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024 around 1:20 p.m. and expanded a little over five miles in total.

Diaspora refers to a large group of people who share a cultural and regional origin but are living away from their traditional homeland. This dispersion can be due to various reasons such as economic opportunities, political instability, or conflicts.

Diasporas play a significant role in fostering cultural exchange, economic development, and maintaining connections between their homeland and host countries.

Las Vegas, also known as Sin City, is popular for being the biggest place in America to host adult entertainment and gambling, but this year, it was also the host of the biggest trading card game and its convention Magic: The Gathering!

Created by game designer and mathematician Richard Garfield, Magic: The Gathering (or MTG for short) has become one of the most popular card games ever since its initial release in 1993 and has enjoyed immense popularity since then.

Early voting is open! Mail-in ballots have been sent out, and registration is still open for anyone needing to request a new ballot.

As the Presidential race has everyone’s attention, the Thunderword wished to remind everyone that local decisions are also on the ballot this November.

Many people are questioning whether the Netflix series “Monsters: A Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” is accurate or not. Recent claims made by Erik Menendez about the Netflix series involving the murder of their parents he and his brother were convicted of committing says that the show is full of “Blatant lies” about him and his brother.

Liam Payne, 31, a former member of the hit British boy band One Direction, which gained a massive international fanbase, was found dead on Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.

Police reported that they found Payne’s body after emergency services were alerted by hotel staff from the pop star’s accommodation in the Palermo area of the city.

Due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine in Gaza, many people have chosen to boycott corporations that invest money in Israel. 

The current Gaza conflict surged on Oct. 7 when Hamas-led forces from Palestine gained access to Israel and caused a tragic loss of 1,200 lives, taking around 250 people hostage. Since then Israel has taken the lives of more than 40,000 innocent civilians. This conflict has raised a multitude of boycotts against companies due to their stance on the situation. 

As October finally begins the greater Seattle area has many options for those looking to get thrilled as the spooky season is upon us and everyone is wanting to get into the spirit.

To enjoy the turning of the seasons, some like to sit inside, watch movies and be all around cozy, some enjoy walks and outings in the crisp autumn air, while others enjoy horror (albeit, a lot of us enjoy a mix of them). But for those who are willing to step out of their comfort zone here is a short list of Seattle locals’ favorite “happy haunts”.

Between the dark hours of 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. EST, Florida residents braced themselves for another catastrophe. Entire towns were abandoned, debris left behind, and homes vacated. Those watching from the screens urge friends and family to get out, get safe, and stay alive.

Hurricane Milton made landfall on central Florida’s west-coast as a Category 3 hurricane in the evening hours of Wednesday. The once tropical storm took less than 36 hours to strengthen into a Cat 5, but slowed and downgraded to a Cat 3 upon approaching the state.

The Vice Presidential debate between Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator JD Vance, was one of the most polite political stages seen the past few election cycles.

The 90-minute face off between the two men duking it out to be second-in-command was a spectacle in that it was a night of civil oratory discussion – edging on even exchanging polite pleasantries.  

As the fall starts to settle in, the wind blows colder, and the leaves start to fall and brown, people gather around Puyallup, Wash. in a yearly tradition that is beloved by locals, the Washington State Fair.

This year, the fair ran for four weeks, from Aug. 30 through Sept. 22. Throughout its long history, the fair continues to celebrate a community of people gathering for fun games, rides, entertainment, and amazing food from all different types of places brought from local vendors.

The recent unsealing of bribery and campaign finance charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams has narrowed the public eye into the past few years of his behavior and business dealings.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams of the Southern District of New York unsealed the indictment on Thursday, Sept. 26, sparking public outcry for his resignation.

Have you ever wanted to buy a Rolex, thinking all you have to do is walk into a Rolex Authorized Dealer and tell them which watch you want and automatically think that you’ll be walking out the store with a shiny new watch? The simple answer is that’s definitely not going to be the case. 

Rolex does a process where if you want a specific watch they’ll tell you they only have the exhibition models and they currently don’t have any watches available at the moment. Then they would take your name and information and put you on a waiting list, after which they will run a background check on you.

As the fall quarter kicks off at Highline, there is a realization that the political world we live in now, in September, is vastly different than the political scene we left in June.

The last issue of The Thunderword reported on the historic conviction of former President Donald Trump. This was shortly before the disastrous debate with current President Joe Biden, who at the time, was the presumed democratic nominee for this year’s election.

Welcome back Highline scholars! You have likely come across the myriad of world-changing news that has been unfolding over the past few months, and things can slip by if we don’t give them their due diligence, so let us recount some of the biggest pop culture events that have happened since our last issue of the Thunderword.

After a near 12-hour deliberation over the course of two days, jurors made U.S. history last week by finding former President Donald J. Trump guilty on all 34 felony charges of falsifying business records. The verdict has been the center of stark debate across the nation, highlighting the divide between voters of the Republican and Democratic parties.

Immediately after leaving the Manhattan courtroom, Trump decried a “rigged trial”, and made multiple comments on the dangers inflicting the United States, should he be convicted. These comments echoed his intentions to exercise revenge-laden control of the country if he wins a second term as president.

The Live Nation-Ticketmaster conglomerate is now under the scrutiny of the Department of Justice for maintaining an illegal monopoly. Whether it’s a concert at Lumen Field, a Mariners game at T-Mobile Stadium, or an event on Capitol Hill, the big live event giant handing out your tickets has now been thrust into its own spotlight after years of skirting the dark side of the stage.

The entertainment industry is a curtained machine of artist management, venue operations, concert promotion, and ticket sales. After a 2010 merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, the one company now owns and controls every single one of these aspects. The lawsuit, set forth by the DOJ against Live Nation, says they “control around 60% of concert promotion at major concert venues across the country.”

Over 100 firefighters and EMS staff working at Boeing facilities in Washington are locked out in an attempt by Boeing to force a contract agreement for low wages and longer progression periods.

At midnight on May 4, Boeing deactivated all security and parking passes of its on-site EMS and firefighters at its six Washington facilities around Seattle.

The lockout began at 12:01 a.m., as the current contract between Boeing and the International Association of Firefighters union expired at midnight, and a new contract had not been agreed upon. The lockout comes after months of failed contract negotiations on wages between the company and the union representing the workers.

Each year, the Karen Community Church of Greater Seattle hosts “Run for Hope for Burma”, a fundraising race to raise money for humanitarian aid in South Eastern Asian country Burma, which is currently known as Myanmar.

This year, the 5K race was held at Chambers Creek Regional Park in Pierce County on Saturday, May 25. Although it was cold and windy, the racers weren’t deterred as they empathized with refugees and internally displaced people who’ve faced worse conditions while in civil war, as a lot of the racers were previously refugees themselves.

On the morning of April 29, students from University of Washington Seattle campus pitched tents on the Quad, establishing the Popular University for Gaza Liberated Zone. Situated in between the Raitt and Miller buildings, the encampment tripled in size within the first 24 hours. The most contentious demand is for the school to cut ties with Boeing, a long-time partner.

The encampment includes organizations from the UW Progressive Student Union as well as the UW United Front For Palestine Liberation and the UW Student Muslim Association.

While the Arctic regions are renowned for their unparalleled views of the Northern Lights, this celestial phenomenon made a rare, breathtaking appearance in the skies above the Pacific Northwest this past weekend. From the shores of Puget Sound to the peaks of the Cascade Range, the dancing lights graced our region with their ethereal presence during a period of particularly intense solar activity.

This past weekend, stargazers across the United States were treated to an extraordinary display of the aurora borealis, thanks to an “extreme” geomagnetic storm classified as a G5 – the highest level. According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, this was the first G5 storm to hit our planet since 2003, resulting in power grid irregularities and communication disruptions.

Over the past several months, 2,600 students have been arrested at protests across the country as encampments crop up on quads and in squares. The main call for these protests have been to end US involvement in the war, bringing it to their school administrators demanding divestment from Israel-supporting companies.

For context, on October 7, 2023, Hamas, a Palestinian militant force who has had control over the Palestinian population for the past 18 years, launched an attack into southern Israel, resulting in the death of 1,400 and the capture of about 250 people, including women and children.

On a beautiful, sunny weekend the Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way, the Pacific Bonsai Museum hosted its fourth BonsaiFEST! to celebrate World Bonsai Day. During the May 11-12 event there were many exhibitions, hundreds of bonsai’s displayed, art activities, food trucks, and more.

This photo story, highlights some of the bonsais to learn more about the culture, history, and art of these miniature trees.

The touring circus Paranormal Cirque II began its western Washington leg at the Puyallup fairgrounds on Friday, May 10. Featuring an eclectic cast of tightrope walkers, sword swallowers, jugglers and burlesque dancers, this circus appeals to an older audience with a taste for the macabre.

Taking place under an ominous black tent and headed by the neon red sign displaying the name, Paranormal Cirque II feels as though the carnival from Ray Bradbury’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes” has come to life.

With Panera Bread dropping its Charged Lemonade in response to multiple wrongful death lawsuits, it may be time for a stroll down memory lane back to 2013, when an enraptured gym culture felt the side-effects of another nearly unregulated stimulant, Jack3d.

Jack3d (pronounced ‘jacked’) is a caffeinated pre-workout supplement that was banned in the U.S. in 2013 because of the illegal substance, dimethylamylamine (DMAA), though its updated formula sits on store shelves to this day.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and what better gift is there than one you hand crafted yourself? For sons, daughters, offspring, children, step-children, or chosen-children on a tight budget or anyone who simply wants to create something personal, take a look at three of the easiest, personalized crafts you can make for your beloved mother. 

“There are so many fancy and sophisticated things that we can buy and gift for Mother’s Day. One might even equate that the more expensive the gift, the more it shows our love for our moms,” says Panther Lake Community Church’s youth leader, Ehler Win.

“However, for students who are on a tight budget, handmade gifts are just as valuable, if not more than the expensive store-bought gifts,” continued Win. “Handmade gifts allow us to spend time and creativity crafting the gift.”

Free comic book day has been an active promotion since 2002, encouraging people to visit their local libraries and independent bookstores, where sample issues of popular comics are distributed for free.

As the event takes place on the first Saturday in May, this year the promotion happened to coincide with national “Star Wars” day (May the fourth), it’s a Barbenheimer level event for nerds across the country.

The play “Almost, Maine” starts with a prologue containing the line, “The farthest away you can be from someone is if you’re sitting right next to them.”

The show is fast-paced yet simple, humorous and heartfelt all at once. It is made up of eleven scenes – eight vignettes as well as a prologue, interlogue, and epilogue – with each of them taking place at the exact same time, in the same town, on the same evening.

Tucked away in Federal Way, in a pavilion near the transit center, is a barbershop you might miss if you don’t already know it’s there. But inside this shop resides some of the best in the business. From the owner Hussien Azeez all the way through to those who apprentice under him, if you’re looking for a sharp looking cut and a clean job look no further than Castle Barbershop.

The shop opened in 2016 and has had its own dedicated following in addition to the numerous awards for Best Fade the shop has won.

In moments we feel wonder, admiration or an almost foreign feeling of pure connectedness when we take a second to stop and look, we are experiencing “awe”. It’s the feeling we get in the presence of something greater than ourselves as it challenges us to reconstruct our understanding of the world.

Take having the privilege to witness the birth of a child for the very first time, or simply listening to a song you had no idea would be your favorite from there on out. It’s often we come across experiences that should make us feel that warm, yet strangely daring feeling of “awe.”

Located alongside south Dash Point road in Federal Way, there lies hidden floral grounds: Powellswood Garden, a 37-acre preservation of luscious botanicals as well as native plants and wildlife. Powellswood Garden is the perfect spot to enjoy a nice stroll through the gardens or a short hike on their trail to take your significant other for a date, your family for a day trip, or your friends for a chill hang-out day. 

Last week, we got to look into some amazing local solo artists of Washington state. If there was one thing those artists agreed upon (and what this week’s artists agreed upon), it was how music unites people.

This week, we get to learn about the unity of multiple musicians brought together; the creation of a band.

Let’s get to know your local bands!

With access to your favorite celebrities’ inner thoughts and visual diaries or your favorite content creators at your fingertips, it’s easier than ever to cultivate a one-sided relationship with pop culture figures. But are parasocial relationships as toxic as the buzz term makes them seem?

Celebrities have been a constant throughout the fluctuating trends of pop culture but the definition of celebrity is in near constant flux as content creation develops and changes.

Upon entering a restaurant and seeing a dog in a bright red vest on, it’s hard to tell whether the pup is about to start begging for food or alerting their handler to something wrong. With a “Service Dog – Do Not Pet” patch attached, there’s still a level of mistrust these days.

Due to the easy access of service dog attire, it’s commonplace for people to purchase working dog harnesses for household pets in order to bypass “no-pet policy” places. Some might claim their dog is an ESA, maintaining a privilege above business policies.

Hey there you procrastinating pupils! Tax season is pretty much the worst thing ever when you’re juggling classes, activities, and just trying to survive college life. But ignoring tax deadlines will only compound the stress worse than showing up to an 8 a.m. final without any pencils.

“This is my first year ever filing taxes and I’m so lost,” confessed Noah C. “Between trying to decode all those crazy forms and documents, not to mention actually doing the return itself, I’ve just been avoiding it completely. As a first timer, this whole tax thing is straight-up intimidating!”

Music is truly a universal language that anyone can enjoy. Regardless of language barriers or personal differences, musicians from all around the world share a culture of sound and style that creates a beautiful connection between one another.

With endless genres to choose from – like Hiphop, Pop, or Jazz – there is a style of music for everyone. In the Washington community, we get a taste of a wide variety of genres from some awesome local creators.

Let’s get to know your local artists!

One of the most inspiring and rejuvenating seasons has arrived. If you’ve been feeling the weight of winter’s eternal gray clouds and the sting of sharp cold air, dread no longer. Spring season officially began March 19, and with that, a renewed sense of you.

For most of the year, the earth’s axis is either tilted towards or away from the sun, meaning that the warmth, light, and of course, energy the sun provides us with is spread out unequally on the northern and southern halves of the planet. But spring equinox, where the earth’s axis and its orbit finally align, allowing both hemispheres to get an equal amount of sun occurred March 19. 

Windows bursting mid-flight. Wheels falling during take-off. A whistleblower found dead. Since the start of this year, the Seattle-born plane manufacturer Boeing has been embroiled in controversy and accidents back-to-back. Whatever happened with the company to cause such a fall from grace?

The Seattle company was founded in 1916 after William E. Boeing, inspired by an aviation show, built and flew his first plane. Boeing then brought on more staff and engineers to keep the company afloat. Eventually, after an order and connection with the United States Navy, the company struck gold.

As March 14 (3.14) rolls around, mathematicians, educators, and pie enthusiasts worldwide are gearing up for the most irrational and delicious holiday of the year: Pi Day! This annual celebration of the never-ending number has become a cultural phenomenon, with festivities ranging from pi recitation contests to pie-baking competitions.

Speaking of which, do you know why pi isn’t on X? Because 280 characters isn’t enough for it to express itself! We hope you like pi-puns, because you’re about to be served your fair share.

The Light Rail has a lot of goals to meet by the end of 2026 in hopes to benefit the community later on in the future. However, many obstacles stand in the way of meeting that deadline, including that they have to buy more land – often ousting local business that have been in the community for decades.

The Federal Way Light Rail will be making alternative routes to meet the Tacoma Light Rail. One of those routes will go behind local shops on Pacific Highway. Another route even goes through where local shops used to and currently reside. The Light Rail has made offers to buy part of this land from Federal Way Tire City.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has made global sanitation a priority, committing over $370 million since 2011 to develop sustainable waste treatment solutions for the 2.5 billion lacking adequate facilities.

This effort originated with the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge, which provides grants to researchers developing innovative toilet designs that operate off-grid without connections to water, sewers, or electricity.