For a young artist, finding a way to showcase one’s work can be one of the most challenging obstacles in self-expression.

Last week, high school writer Makayla Nerpel was featured for her national poetry award. Nerpel ‘s work most recently appeared in a new publication called Noise.

Created by sophomore Joshua Magpantay, the very first issue of Noise was released on Nov. 21, and a new issue will be published each quarter. Noise includes a variety of creative works, including poetry, prose, short stories, visual art, opinions and playlists.

“I started the zine as a side project to get the opportunity to design something cool in print,” Magpantay said. “The thing is, along the way I found I couldn’t fill a book with all content from me.”

The focus of Noise then shifted from solely Magpantay’s expression to a way to showcase the work of many creative minds.

“I’ve seen too many artists with great work who don’t show anyone, solely because they don’t have the means to,” Magpantay said.

For writers like Nerpel, this means is vital to expression.

"The internet can help, but it can only get you so far," Nerpel said. "Noise ... allows people to get their work out to others in a tangible form so they can literally spread it to whoever they come into contact with."

Noise is a completely independent publication, started and run by Magpantay and comprised solely of content by independent young writers.

“This is all real stuff,” Magpantay said. “This is all raw, fresh from the people who created it.”

From submission to publication, nothing is changed in featured work.

"It's a beautiful way for students to get their creative work seen without having to deal with censorship or restricions," Nerpel said.

Creative work is welcomed from anyone on Noise’s submission page.

“That was one of the main goals of this ... keeping a place for people to place their work and share it with the world,” Magpantay said.

Overall, Noise can best be summed up by its mission statement:

“... We are all more than just noise. We are tones ... that resonate in harmony with the visuals we create, with the words we use to strike pages, with the opinions and thoughts we sound out.”

With the holidays quickly approaching – and with them, the holiday foods – many are preparing to break out the sweatpants and celery sticks for afterward. It’s nearly impossible to resist the desserts on the table at this time of year, but not every treat you enjoy has to come with a heaping side of guilt.

Over the weekend I decided to try my hand at making pumpkin soup. Going into this endeavor, I was very nervous that it would turn out less than satisfactory in trying to balance the sweet and the savory.

Thanks to Julia’s Album, I was able to create a soup that was far more than satisfactory in taste, as well as healthy so I can stay in my jeans this holiday season.

Julia’s recipe for pumpkin coconut soup with caramelized pecans is vegan and gluten-free, and it is a perfect balance between sweet and spicy. The Thai flavors and pumpkin balance each other out evenly, and the pecans add a flavorful crunch to keep it interesting.

No single flavor in the soup dominates the rest, but they all work together to create a soup that is perfectly spiced, sweet and savory all at once.

Another pro is that this recipe was extremely easy and quick to make.

The only downside to Julia’s soup, in my opinion, is that it is not meal material. Its splendor lasted for less than half a cup before I had my fill of pumpkin. (This could be just me, seeing as my father inhaled about two bowls.) Nevertheless, the experience was tasty while it lasted.

Julia’s pumpkin soup is ideal for small servings at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, and will not leave guests lying on the floor groaning. It is versatile as well; it could be served as an appetizer or even substitute for fattening desserts.

For a delicious, light treat this season, I recommend giving this recipe a shot. You’ll thank me in January when your skinny jeans still zip.

Where North Watters Road meets Highway 121 lays Coconut Cup Frozen Yogurt, an island-inspired frozen yogurt shop unlike most.

Beyond the doors of the red brick building, the walls alternate between strips of bamboo and tiles of varying shades of blue. The counter is skirted in long, brown grass as if it could start dancing the hula any minute. Tiki men are drawn on chalkboards in bright green, pink and turquoise. Machines lining the wall dispense frozen yogurt into coconut halves.

“I wanted to create an atmosphere that was completely different from every other frozen yogurt shop,” owner Paul Russom said.

Coconut Cup incorporates a Hawaiian theme from its menu to its décor and everything in between.

“When you’re here it’s more of an adventure instead of just going to eat yogurt,” Russom said.

The shop opened its doors on July 4, 2014. In addition to frozen yogurt and over 50 toppings, Coconut Cup serves a few exclusively Hawaiian treats.

Russom said that Coconut Cup is the only frozen yogurt shop that serves Hawaiian style shave ice.

The shave ice comes in large plastic cups in flavors such as blue coconut and pina colada, and is served on top of ice cream.

Dole whip, a soft serve, non-dairy ice cream makes a rare appearance in Coconut Cup’s machines.

“[Dole whip] is served only at Disneyland and Disneyworld resorts, or you can get it at the Dole plantation, and we have it here,” Russom said.

Consequently, Dole whip is one of the most popular frozen treats at the shop.

“I always tell people, ‘I saved you a trip!’” Russom said.

Between the frozen yogurt, Dole whip, Dole whip floats, shave ice and gelato, Coconut Cup is certainly unlike the typical frozen yogurt shop.

“We make it better than what somebody else could, because we have no rules here,” Russom said.

          At some point in her life, every little girl aspires to be a professional dancer. For very few, however, does this dream become a reality. For very few does dance evolve into more than a hobby or a fleeting passion.

          Meet Rachel Keller – one of the few.

          Dance has taken Keller far beyond the little ballet bar and tights, all the way to professional teams and colleges, where it has finally landed her here in Allen, TX.

          At the age of two, Keller’s mother enrolled her in ballet and tap lessons at a studio in their hometown of Pasadena, TX. From there, she danced on her high school drill team. It was during her junior year of high school that she realized dance was more than just a hobby.

          “I really started to think, ‘okay maybe this could take me further. Maybe I could do this in college. Maybe I could do this as a career’,” Keller said.

          After high school, Keller attended Kilgore College and was a Rangerette for two years. Now she is in the dance department at Texas Woman’s University, dances as an Ice Girl for the Dallas Stars and is a student teacher for Lisa Smentek, the dance teacher and drill team director at Allen High School.

          Keller’s ultimate goal is to teach her own dance classes and be involved with the high school drill team.

          “I love being able to dance myself, but my true passion is teaching others,” she said.

          Life as a professional dancer has its share of hardships. The physical tolls it takes on her body, long hours of practice, loss of sleep, and balancing dance with other important parts of her life have all been obstacles, Keller said.

          Despite the struggles that can come with dancing as a profession, Keller uses choreography as a medium to express her emotions and experiences, both positive and negative.

          “Whatever is happening in my life at that time kind of shows through my work,” she said, “and I definitely draw a lot of inspiration and emotion from the girls who are actually dancing.”

          Keller also uses her work as a way to showcase the abilities of other dancers she choreographs for.

          “It’s really a collaboration of choreographer and dancer together, and how they’re feeling,” she said.

          Not just anybody can thrive as a professional dancer as Keller does. It takes an arsenal of unique traits.

          “You have to be able to be social. You have to be able to put yourself out there,” Keller said, “you can’t be afraid to fail.”

          However, if a person has the right traits and dedication, life-long experience is not integral.

          “People say you’ve got to be involved with [dance] at a young age, . . .but for people who want to dance and experience choreographing and performing, it’s never too late to try,” Keller said.

          Whether on a recreational level or professional level, dance has the ability to convey messages, express ideas and affect the emotions of spectators.

          “It’s a unique art form. You can do many things with dance and choreographing,” Keller said.

Thomas Eric Duncan, the first man in the U.S. to be diagnosed with Ebola, is in critical condition, said Candace White, Texas Health Presbyterian spokeswoman on Saturday. He had previously been reported in serious condition.

According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Duncan is now in intensive care.

After coming into contact with Duncan, 10 people are at higher risk of contracting the virus, said health care officials. Those individuals are being closely monitored, but none have shown symptoms of Ebola.

In all 50 people are being monitored, 40 of which are considered low-risk, said Dr. Lakey, Commissioner of Texas department of state health services.

Among the high-risk 10 are likely Duncan’s girlfriend, Louise, her son and her two nephews, who had been in Duncan’s apartment before his admission to the hospital.

They were moved to an undisclosed location on Friday, where they will be monitored until Oct. 19. The time between exposure to Ebola and the first signs of symptoms ranges from two to 21 days.

“We have already gotten well over 100 inquiries of possible patients,” said director of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Tom Friedan, “We’ve assessed every one of those ... and just this one patient has tested positive.”

On Sept. 20 Duncan landed in the U.S. from Liberia, began feeling ill and went to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on Sept. 25. He was then sent home with antibiotics.

Duncan returned to the hospital three days later and was immediately isolated. A blood test on Tuesday confirmed Duncan to be the first case of Ebola diagnosed in the U.S.

Louise said that during the initial hospital visit, Duncan told doctors of his fever and abdominal pain as well as his travel history from Liberia, but was still released.

Lakey said health care officials must “learn from experience” to communicate travel history of patients.

Duncan traveled to the U.S. so that he and Louise could get married, alleged Mark Wingfield, a spokesman at the Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, where Louise attends.

Since the Dallas Ebola scare, other possible cases have appeared elsewhere in America, but none have tested positive for the virus so far.

A man who had recently traveled to Nigeria was admitted to Howard University Hospital after showing possible symptoms. However, health officials said Ebola was ruled out of the man’s possible illnesses.

On Thursday, Ashoka Mukpo, an NBC freelance cameraman in Liberia, was diagnosed with Ebola. Mukpo is expected to be flown to the U.S. on Sunday on a private charter plane.

            Ebola has killed over 3,000 people in West Africa. The nations of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone continue to battle the fatal virus.