The Hilight: Christmas Edition 2023

the hilight. vol LXXXIX 510 13th St. Cullman, AL 35055

THE CHRISTMAS EDITION The Newspaper of Cullman High School

issue 03 December 8, 2023

Table of Contents contents

staff list

History of Gingerbread 3 Mariah Carey Takeover 4 Christmas Interview 5 Christmas Truce 6 Chicago Band Trip 7 Christmas Catwalking 8 Winter Sports 9 Popular Toys over the Years 10 Hilight Staff Picks 11 More Food, More Wheels 12 The No’s of Christmas 13 Holiday Debates 14 The Death of the Third Place 15 Humanitarian Situation in Gaza 16 ADS 17-19 Top 10 Stocking Stuffers 20

Co-Editors Elley Atchison Drew Williamson Staff Writers Anna Beth Burleson Claire Dossey Jonah Jarrett John Mark Johnson Reilly Johnson Sophia Lambert Blyss Murphree Mack Rudder Aubrey Shaddrix Advisor Jennifer Calahan Contact Phone 256-734-2923

Calendar:

Dec. 12-15: Exams!

Jan. 3: 2nd Semester Begins Jan. 27: Key Club Dance Feb. 9-13: Cheer Nationals Feb. 10: ACT

Address 510 13th Street NE Cullman, AL 35055 Member of Alabama Scholastic Press Association

Dress-Up Days:

Dec. 11: Tacky Christmas Sweater Dec. 12: Christmas Vacation (Hawaiian Shirt) Dec. 13: Feeling Frosty (Wear White) Dec. 14: Christmas Sock Day Dec. 15: Winter Wonderland (Wear Blue) Seniors, Only 80 School Days Until Graduation!

Newspaper printed

by Alabama Web Press

FEATURES 3 Gingerbread Is My Roman Empire The history of gingerbread Sophia Lambert, Staff Writer Have you ever wondered why gingerbread is so iconic during Christmastime, or the reason we make gingerbread houses and gingerbread people. Well, it started all the way back in Greece in the year 2400 BC, which is when the first-known gingerbread recipe was created.

The Romans used man-shaped cookies in their winter solstice celebration where they would eat the cookie men to represent human sacrifices to appease their gods. As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, the solstice was replaced

by Christmas, and the religious leaders changed the festivities to match the new holiday. It is not certain if the cookies contained ginger as it was mainly used for medicinal purposes, but after the Roman Empire fell, all ginger disappeared from Europe.

Later, the Chinese developed their own recipe in the 10th century. In the 13th century, Marco Polo brought ginger from China to the West. The spice started to spread across Europe and went from rare and expensive to common and cheap, leading to Europeans creating their own gingerbread recipe by the late middle ages. Gingerbread was never actually a bread. It comes from the old French word “gingembras,” which means gingered food. The word then morphed into gyngebreed in Middle English, and then transformed into gingerbread.

The cookies were used for many things such as nourishment, education, and decoration.

Monks used gingerbread to feed the hungry and teach religious lessons. They made the cookies out of breadcrumbs, honey, and ginger, then they would then press it into molds that were carved into saints or biblical scenes and bake them. Children also learned their alphabet from a gingerbread slab with letters engraved in them, and once the child learned the letter, they were allowed to eat it. They used gingerbread because it was cheaper

than the wooden paddle they would normally use.

details that went into making houses were called “gingerbread work.” Witches were thought to have made gingerbread men and ate them which supposedly caused the death of their victims.

Gingerbread cookies were a Even though the persecution of major hit at medieval parties in witches mainly ended in the 18th England, France, Holland and century, the stories carried on Germany. Queen Elizabeth I is through word of mouth, which credited with the idea of decorat- is what led to the story of “Haning the cookies after she decorat- sel and Gretel.” Gingerbread ed them to look like dignitaries houses were created in Germany visiting her court. Gingerbread during the 16th century. Since was growing so much in popular- the houses were always so elabity that they started calling their orately decorated with foil and festivals “Gingerbread Festivals,” gold leaf, they became a holiday where they served gingerbread decoration staple, especially after cookies. They called the cookies the houses popularity started “fairings,” and they were made growing dramatically with the into different shapes depending Brothers Grimm story “Hansel on the season. For example, for and Gretel.” Gingerbread arrived spring festivals, they would make in the new world along with the gingerbread cookies in the shape English colonists. The cookies of flowers, and for fall festivals, were even used to sway Virginia they would make the cookies voters to vote for a certain candibird shaped. The cookies bedate. The first American cookcame so popular that they were book by Angela Simmons had decorated with gold leaf and three different recipes for ginserved at every elegant party. gerbread in it. Soft gingerbread The common people enjoyed was the more popular version in a less lavish version of gingerthe U.S. George Washington’s bread that they would buy from mom even served her own homefairs and exchange as tokens of made gingerbread to Marquis their love. Some people even de Lafayette and ever since then thought that certain shapes were the Washington’s famous gincharmed. Those hoping to find gerbread recipe was known as love or ward off the devil ate Gingerbread Lafayette and has heart shaped gingerbread, rabbit been passed down for generashaped gingerbread was thought tions. Lastly, everyone has been to increase fertility, and some wondering: do Bearcats like women ate man-shaped gingergingerbread? bread called “husbands,” which Brandon Rodriguez- yes was supposed to attract a living Felix Robin Lader- No husband.

FK Kruger- Yes Lane McLeod- No Abby Southeard- No Betzy Silva- No Mrs. Miller- likes decorating it and her husband likes eating it Ivaleigh Peppers- Yes Superstitions also started to Leo Parrish- Yes be passed around that the cookies were demonic powers, which caused gingerbread to be declared illegal following the death of Queen Elizabeth. Many sayings also started because of the popularity such as “to take the glit off of gingerbread,” and many

Gingerbread Recipe Adapted from Cooking with Memories by Laura Brody Loved by kids and adults alike: this old-fashioned gingerbread is the perfect treat to keep on hand during the holidays.

Servings: Makes 1 9-inch square cake (about 16 servings) Cook Time: 35 Minutes Total Time: 50 Minutes INGREDIENTS 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with back edge of knife 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar 2/3 cup mild-flavored molasses, such as Grandma’s Original (not Robust or Blackstrap) 2/3 cup boiling water 1 large egg INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-in square pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour, such as Baker’s Joy. (Alternatively, grease the pan with butter and lightly coat with flour.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, and boiling water.

When the mixture is lukewarm, whisk in the egg.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined and there are no more lumps. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the edges look dark and the middle feels firm to the touch. Set the pan on a rack to cool slightly, then cut into squares and serve.

This cake is best served warm out of the oven or reheated.

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FEATURES

Mariah Carey Takeover It’s Time...

By Claire Dossey and Reilly Johnson, Staff Writers Mariah Carey. A huge name when it comes to Christmas. Nearly everyone knows who she is because of her song “All I Want For Christmas.” But how did she get here?

At seventeen years old, Carey released her debut single, 'Vision of Love. It quickly climbed to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Three other songs from this album went on to achieve this feat as well. Then, at twenty-four years old she released the album Merry Christmas. This was her fourth studio album and first holiday album. It contained her iconic christmas love song.

With help from her co-producer, Walter Afanaseiff, the song was composed and recorded in fifteen minutes.

It received a lot of attention from all over the world. Most feedback was positive; however, some negative comments arose in response. One of the more optimistic reviews was

by The New Yorker who claimed it as “one of the few worthy modern additions to the holiday canon.”

Although it did reach number 1 in 2019, this was after quite a few conflicts. In 1995, they would not accept it as it was not released commercially as a single in any physical format. This rule, however, was removed in 1998 allowing it to appear for one week in January 2000 only reaching spot 83. It was then not able to obtain a new peak as it was considered a recurrent single and ineligible for re-entry.

From 2005-2008, every December it topped the Billboard Hot 100 Recurrents chart. A few years later, the recurrent rule was changed to allow the

The last day to purchase your 2023-2024 yearbook is December 14th.

top 50 into the Hot 100. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” re-entered at number 29 and moved up to 21 in 2012.

Then, in December 2017, it began its fast rise to number 1. That year, the song climbed all the way to number 9 which would be Carey’s 28th song to reach top 10. The next Christmas, it rose even higher to the number 3 spot.

The second holiday song to

ever make it into the top 5. Finally, in 2019, it hit number 1. It had 45.6 million streams and 27,000 digital sales. It stayed on the chart for 35 weeks before it reached the top. By doing this, Carey became the first artist to do many things.

She is the first in history to top the chart in four separate decades: 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. She is the first to top two separate Hot 100 charts on December 25, and the first female to have three songs which have topped the chart for ten or more weeks. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has reclaimed its spot at number 1 every holiday season

since 2019. This led to it becoming the first holiday ringtone to be certified double-platinum and then Diamond-certified after 10 million sales. The only other female artist to achieve this is Taylor Swift. The digital track had 3,588,000

sales as of 2019 and was announced the bestselling digital single by a woman before 2000 as well as the best selling holiday digital single.

By December 3, 2021, the hit song became certified diamond by the RIAA for selling 10 million units. This became the first holiday single to complete this task. As of 2023 her now net worth is $340 million with $60 million total earrings from just the song “All I want for Christmas Is You” and $3 million from the song each holiday season.

Now Mariah is going on tour called “Merry Christmas to All!” spanning from now until December 17th.

She has 16 dates in the US, Canada, and will conclude this tour in New York City. A TV special for this preformance will premiere on December 20th and stream on CBS and Paramount+.

Scan to listen to this album!

The price to buy is $85.

FEATURES 5 Christmas Interviews

Bearcats answer questions about Christmas Sophia Lambert, Staff Writer Caden Hornsby-

Open presents or stockings first- Presents Fake or real tree- Fake Themed tree or misc. tree- Enough themed trees to where you don’t need a misc. tree Sugar cookies or gingerbread- Sugar cookies Decorate before or after Thanksgiving- Way before When do you start listening to Christmas music- Late October Hot cocoa mix or homemade cocoa- Homemade Favorite Christmas song- “O Holy Night” by Mariah Carey, with “All I Want For Christmas is You” by Vince Vance and The Valiants (not Mariah Carey) as a close second

Deytan Ristine-

John Lunsford-

Open presents or stockings first- Presents Fake or real tree- Fake Themed tree or misc. tree- Misc. tree Sugar cookies or gingerbread- Gingerbread Decorate before or after Thanksgiving- After When do you start listening to Christmas music- Never Hot cocoa mix or homemade cocoa- Mix Favorite Christmas song- “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey

Open presents or stockings first- stockings Fake or real tree- real Themed tree or misc. tree- themed Sugar cookies or gingerbread- sugar Decorate before or after Thanksgiving- before When do you start listening to Christmas music- two weeks before Hot cocoa mix or homemade cocoa- mix Favorite Christmas Song- “Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano

Continued on Page 6

Be Good for Goodness Sake

Christmas villains from various cultures John Mark Johnson, Staff Writer Christmas is a time that focuses mainly on joy and all things good.

This time of good cheer is fronted by a figure who embodies this mentality in Santa Claus, who encourages children by rewarding their good behavior with gifts and bad behavior with coal.

While Santa is a staple of the holiday, throughout the world there are many figures that serve as the antithesis to jolly old Saint Nick.

Most notably of these figures is the infamous Krampus of Germany and Austria. Krampus is often depicted as a devil or wild beast and assists Santa in his task of judging the behavior of children, punishing the badly behaved with birch rods.

Krampus also has a holiday to itself with Krampus Night celebrated on December 5, in Europe and even in Krampus some American cities. Krampus has also gained worldwide popularity via appearances in movies, television, and video games. In the same vein and

from the same region as Krampus are figures such as Frau Perchta, a witch who replaces the organs of the sinful with garbage, as well as Belsnickel, a man clad in tattered cloths and furs who comes to children sometime before Christmas in order to judge their behavior. Belsnickel brandishes a switch to punish badly behaved children and brings candy to reward good children.

In Iceland, you can find Jólakötturin the Yule Cat who encourages hard work in children. The Yule Cat is tied to an Icelandic tradition where those that finish their work on time receive new clothes on Christmas, while those who are lazy do not. It is said that Jólakötturin can differentiate Jólakötturin the Yule Cat between who is and is not lazy because of their clothes, taking lazy children as a sacrifice.

Iceland also brings us the Jólasvein-

ar or yule lads who are a band of 13 trolls each with their own name and personality who cause trouble around christmastime while also bringing gifts to good children. The yule lads as well as the Yule cat, answer to Grýla, an ogress who kidnaps, cooks, and eats naughty children.

In French folklore, you can find another anti-claus in Hans Trapp, a Belsnickel rich and greedy man who worshipped Satan and was excommunicated from the Catholic Church. Trapp was exiled into the forest where he preyed upon children while disguised as a scarecrow. One day, Trapp was about to eat a young boy he captured when he was suddenly struck by lightning and killed as a punishment from God. Still, Trapp pays visits to young children before Christmas in order to scare them into good behavior.

Frau Perchta

These examples are just the tip of the Christmas villain iceberg, with various other cultures having their own myths of Christmas.

Hans Trapp

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FEATURES

Christmas Interview

The Christmas Truce

Sophia Lambert, Staff Writer

Claire Dossey, Staff Writer

Bearcat answers, continued from page 5 A Christmas miracle FK Kruger Open presents or stockings first- Stockings Fake or real tree- Fake Themed tree or misc. tree- Misc tree Sugar cookies or gingerbread - Gingerbread Decorate before or after thanksgiving- Before thanksgiving When do you start listening to Christmas music- Never Hot cocoa mix or homemade cocoa- Mix Favorite Christmas Song- “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” by Jim Carrey Zarybeth Flores Contreras Open presents or stockings first- Stockings first Fake or real tree- Real tree Themed tree or misc. tree- Themed tree Sugar cookies or gingerbread - sugar cookies!

Decorate before or after thanksgiving- before When do you start listening to Christmas music- whenever Mariah Carey posts her defreezing or around late November Hot cocoa mix or homemade cocoa- homemade cocoa Favorite Christmas Song- “Jingle Bell Rock”

During World War 1, on Christmas Eve of 1914, all of the fighting stopped, and everything went calm for the first time in months. This incredible moment became known as the “Christmas Truce”. At about 10 P.M. that night, there were accounts from soldiers who heard singing from the Germans. It turned out the “racket” that the Germans were making was the soldiers singing Christmas carols. After that, some of the British soldiers began singing along with them.

The Germans told them to come closer and join them. They ended up meeting in the middle and entering “No Man’s Land” that separated the enemy armies.

They got together, shook hands, and exchanged kind words. They sang together, gave each other tobacco, and wine, had their own little holiday party and showed peace omidst the chaos.

One ex-soldier accounted that “there

was not an atom of hate on either side.” The French, German, Belgium, British, and part of the Western and Eastern front ceased all fire and came together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It was a great relief that most war around them was put to a pause.

Six months before when the war started, soldiers were promised they would be home in time to spend Christmas and other holidays at home with their families; however, that was not the case. Instead, they had to spend it on the battlefield, and expected to be at war, but the Germans had other ideas and decided to stop all fighting to celebrate, which gave the others a sense of normality and peace.

This story shows that no matter the differences and disputes going on in the world, others can still come together to celebrate a common faith within one another.

Political Pandas

Why China’s pandas are important in America Mack Rudder, Staff Writer While China taking back the pandas that they are currently loaning to America may seem inconsequential, it actually may cause significant and serious damage to China and America’s current diplomatic relationship.

China has been using pandas as a tool for diplomacy, specifically regarding America since the early 1970’s, when the first two pandas arrived in America. These pandas were sent as gifts to celebrate the newly established diplomatic relations between China and the US after President Richard Nixon became the first U.S president to ever visit mainland China. He took

President Richard Nixon shaking hands with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai

a historical trip there to try and re-

lieve the long felt tension and hostility and America regarding the three panbetween the two countries. These two das ending. This contract had already pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, been extended several times, allowing arrived at their new home in the US on for the pandas to stay longer. More April 16, 1972, after President Nixon of America’s pandas are scheduled to and First Lady Patricia Nixon selected be sent back to China this upcoming the Smithsonian’s National Zoo to be year as the remaining three reside at their new residence. Since the gifting the Atlanta Zoo, and the zoo says there of Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, several has been no discussion with China on other panextending das have their conbeen sent tract which to America is set to end and many at the end other of 2024. countries Many in hopes of people are fostering saying the friendly removal diplomatic of China’s relations. pandas The use from Ameri of “panda ca repdiplomacy” resents the in America currently Giant pandas Mei Xiang (left) and Tian Tian (right) has come rocky diploto an abrupt end this year, though. On matic relationship between China and Wednesday November 8th, 2023, the America. According to Mao Ning, a three pandas that were residing at the spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Smithsonian National Zoo departed Foreign Affairs: “The two sides have on their long flight back to China. This formed good cooperative relations, was due to the contract between China achieved fruitful results and played a

positive role in protecting endangered species,’’ when asked about the panda program in the

Giant pandas Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing

U.S, but no definite answer has been given on whether the pandas will make a return. Despite this, Bob Smith, director of animal care at the national zoo said, “We’re hopeful for the future,” when being asked about the future of Chinese pandas in American zoos.

CAMPUS NEWS 7 Chicago Band Trip

The Bearcat Bandmarches through the Windy City Jonah Jarrett, Staff Writer

Every year, the Cullman High School Band goes on a trip to exotic locations around the country to play in parades and enjoy a fun vacation with their peers. Last year, they traveled to Orlando to visit Universal Studios. This year, the band traveled even further across the nation to visit Chicago, the “Windy City.” Although the weather was cold, the places they visited were even cooler.

The band’s itinerary began with a visit to the Museum of Science and Industry (as seen below).

The museum has over 400,000 square feet of exhibits and is one of the largest science museums in the world. Next, the band marched in the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, where an estimated million lights brighten Michigan Avenue, also known as the “Magnificent Mile.”

The next day, the band visited the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower before watching a performance by the Blue Man Group. The band then ended their night by shopping at the Navy Pier and riding the Spirit of Chicago for a cruise on the Chicago River.

On the third and final day of their trip, the band visited the Shedd Aquarium, which was the largest aquarium in the world until the Georgia Aquarium opened in 2005, and the Field Museum, which features Egyptian mummies and the largest and most complete T. Rex skeleton ever discovered. All things considered, the 13 hour bus ride was surely worthwhile.

Cats at Christmas

How various CHS clubs help for the holidays John Mark Johnson, Staff Writer These are some of the many ways that clubs around CHS help the community during the holiday season. . FBLA as well as the digital marketing class create Thanksgiving and Christmas cards to give to residents of a nursing home with every resident receiving a card . Key club donates blankets to nursing homes and Cullman Caring for Kids. In addition to their Blanket Drive, Key Club also makes cards to give to nursing homes, hospitals and various othewr places in need of some extra Christmas love . National Honor Society participates in their annual Thankful Neighbor Project. The Organization purchases a small gift for all of the neighbors surrounding Cullman High School. These gifts are delivered with a hand-written note that expresses gratitude on behalf of the school for their patience with the many activities at Cullman

High School, as this often involves extra traffic, noise, and other inconveniences.

. Spanish Club will be taking up a colllection of clothing items to donate to Curt’s Closet

. FCCLA and Mrs.Rains’ Family and Consumer Sciences classes are collecting blankets for NARCOG. These will be distributed to disabled clients in Cullman and Decatur. Many of these people do not have any central heating and take a space heater with them from room to room. . First Priority will be sponsoring a family . Interact club will be completing a Christmas Angel Project . National Art Honor Society will be making and selling ornaments during lunch in December as well as holding another ‘Count the Candy’ fundraiser, the profit of both fundraisers will be donated to Victim Services

How CHS Celebrates

How CHS clubs and programs celebrate the holidays Mack Rudder, Staff Writer It is now Decemeber and the holiday season is upon us. Thank you to Mr. Sparks for making sure the campus is festive for the holiday season. Here is how some CHS clubs and programs are giving back and celebrating this holiday season.

Southerner This year the Southerner staff is throwing a Christmas party during their 4th period class where they will eat lots of food that everyone brings in and will exchange gifts with one another in a game of Secret Santa. Southerner members say this experience brings the staff closer together as they celebrate the holidays as a kind of chosen family.

Girls Varsity Soccer Every year the girls varsity soccer team has a big Christmas party that someone on the team hosts at their

house. Everyone brings their favorite dip to this party and they play games, eat, and talk. Varsity player Elley Attichson describes it as being, “always super fun and pretty low key!”

Drew Williamson, Hilight Co-editor, says this tradition is, “very special to us as it helps us connect with those around us and helps us get in the true Christmas spirit through helping others.”

Combined symphonic/concert band

Hilight The Hilight staff each year along with having a Christmas party, sponsors an angel family and everyone pitches in to buy this child gifts that can range from clothes to certain toys.

The CHS Band makes the switch from their marching band into a combined symphonic/concert band for the holiday season. They spend the end of October and November preparing for their Christmas concert while also simultaneously preparing for their annual band trip where they perform in a parade and while also continuing to perform during halftime at CHS’s football games. This year the Cullman Bearcat Band’s Christmas concert was on December 7th and featured the combined symphonic/concert band and the CHS jazz band.

8

CAMPUS NEWS

Christmas Catwalking

Our favorite CHS elves answer questions Mack Rudder, Staff Writer

Questions:

1) Turkey or Ham? 2) What is the maximum height you can be and still be considered one of Santa’s elves?

3) What do you do with a Christmas gift you don’t like?

4) How early is too early to start celebrating Christmas?

5) Finish the sentence “Christmas isn’t Christmas without…”

6) Favorite Christmas classic movie?

Jameson Inscho (junior) 7) What is your favorite 1) Ham Christmas decorations 2) 4’10 8) Can you name any of the 3) Accept it and put on my best thank gifts from the 12 Days of you face and lie about using it when Christmas they ask

Melissa Sears (junior)

1) Ham 2) 5’0 3) Regift 4) It depends but probably anytime before thanksgiving 5) Elves on the shelves 6) Claus 4) Anytime before thanksgiving 7) Lights 65 Christmas lashings?

6) The Office Christmas episodes, which 8) Something gold tree? 12 is not technically a movie but it is in my doves maybe? 2 turtle doves I know! heart.

7) Mistletoe 8) He named 4/12

Kylie Calvert (Sophomore) Nicholas Cox (senior)

1) Turkey 2) 5’2 3) You keep it and lie 4) Anytime before midway through october 5) family 6) One Piece (not a Christmas movie?)

7) A Christmas tree 8) A partridge in a pear tree

1) Ham 2) 5’2 3) Regift it to my little sister 4) Anytime before the month of december 5) Presents 6) The original Santa Claus movie 7) A christmas tree 8) A partridge in a pear tree

Jay Lee (junior)

1) Ham 2) 5’6 on a good day 3) Burn them 4) Right after halloween or anytime still in October 5) Santa 6) Star wars, I know it isn't a Christmas movie but I rewatch them every year during Christmas season 7) My santa ornaments 8) A partridge in a pear tree

Maia Pate (senior)

1) Turkey 2) 3 or 4 feet tall, but like legally I think it is 4’6 3) I just shove it under my bed and forget about it 4) Anything before November 1st is too early 5) Candy canes 6) Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas 7) A Christmas tree 8) All of them!

SPORTS 9 Winter Sports at CHS

Swim Team

Aubrey Shaddrix, Staff Writer

Reilly Johnson, Staff Writer

Competitions continue As the winter season rolls around here at CHS, new sports seasons begin and continue. Our cheer team continues despite the end of our football season, now cheering for our basketball team and competing at their competitions. Both of our varsity men’s and women’s swim teams will continue competing this November. Our basketball teams have kicked off their season and will continue competing through the winter season on weeknights. Our dance team will accompany our basketball team while also managing their various competitions. Our indoor track team is just now kicking off their season, expected to begin mid-December and to follow through to the new year.

Indoor track tryouts are also being commenced for team selection. A new season brings promising performances from the various sports offered here at CHS, and we look forward to seeing the excellence our school brings.

Women’s Basketball Brief

An update on the current swim season The swim team has made many accomplishments since their first meet on Thursday, September 14. The girls won 1st place in the 400 yard freestyle relay and the 200 yard medley relay on October 9 at the Bearcat Invitational.

Individually, most of the team has already beat their own records and some have won multiple races. This includes Ella Cupp who passed her PR for the 500 yard freestyle and brought home 1st place in the 200 yard freestyle and Chase Duncan who won 1st in the 100 yard backstroke. Ellie Gleaton has also received Student Athlete of the month

by Alfa Insurance. The team has competed at the Cullman Wellness and Aquatic Center, Dublin Park, Boaz, and Scottsboro.

If they continue on their current path of success, they could reach the

An update on the women’s basketball team Elley Atchison, Co-Editor

This training season for women’s basketball has been no small feat. They have worked in the gym and put in the grit required to train properly for this season. Senior Annalee Allen says the team has “trained extensively in order to go out and work on the court” Along with Allen, another senior Kylie Stracener claims that “the girls this season have really connected through training.

[She is] excited to see where they go from here.” Finally, Taylor Au, another senior, reveals that “[they] expect to keep a positive attitude throughout the season no matter what the record reflects. [They] have put in the work, and now it’s time to play.” According to these girls, it is evident that they will have a lively season.

All in all, everyone needs to go out and support these girls on the court.

Good luck, women’s basketball!

North Sectional Meet to compete with other qualifying North Alabama teams. Soon after, the AHSAA State Meet will be held at Auburn University for all qualifying teams in Alabama.

The team is instructed by Coach Corey Goble. He has been the coach for several years and has done his job very well. The varsity team over the years have won a considerable amount of races and personal awards thanks to him. They have also gotten sponsorships from quite a few businesses in Cullman. Including Van’s Sporting Goods, Chick-Fil-A, Mitch Smith Cheverolet, and more. The have shown great thanks to said sponsors in the frequent posts on Twitter and Instagram where you can also find the most recent updates.

10

ENTERTAINMENT

Most Popular Toys from 1923-2023 A centuries worth of toys

Anna Beth Burleson, Staff Writer

1923- Teddy Bear

1933- Kewpie Doll

1943- Slinky

1953- Toy Airplane

1963- Easy Bake Oven

1973- Baby Alive

1983Cabbage Patch Doll

1993- Beanie Babies

2003- Robosapien

2013- Doc McStuffins Deluxe Get Better Check-Up Center

2023- Squishmallows

ENTERTAINMENT 11 HILIGHT STAFF PICKS OF 2023 Drew Williamson, co-editor

MOVIES

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

No Hard Feelings

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Oppenheimer

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Barbie

Priscilla

Ghosted

Cocaine Bear

albums

Five Nights At Freddy’s

Killers of the Flower Moon

1989 (Taylor’s Version) Taylor Swift

the record boygenius

Stepdream quannnic

Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd Lana Del Rey

Lauren Daigle Lauren Daigle

Zach Bryan Zach Bryan

Utopia Travis Scott

Stick Season Noah Kahan

Lahai Sampha

Unreal Unearth Hozier

12

ENTERTAINMENT

More Food, More Wheels

Highlighting more of Cullman’s best food trucks Drew Williamson, Co-Editor Cullman has no shortage of great food trucks, which you should know by now if you read our last edition. In fact, we have found even more since then that deserve their own spotlight.

Looking for some of Cullman’s best seafood? Well, look no further, because Captain Claude’s Kitchen is frequently open on weekdays at the Shell station near the Burger King on Highway 31.

Captain Claude’s opened in 2022, and is operated by a commercial fisherman and his family. He said that the reason he went into the food truck business was because “commercial fishing is a

hard way to make a living,” and the food truck is “much more stable, and allows me to still captain our commercial boat a few times a month and pursue my dreams of commercial fishing.” He has said that his favorite aspects of operating a food truck is “building relationships with customers” and “watching his sons grow up on the truck and being able to work alongside my wife.”

Captain Claude’s has won 3 awards for best food truck in 2023, and once you try their food, it’s easy to see why. The owner recommends the smoked fish dip the most, which is made from fish

Cross into Christmas

A Christmas crossword puzzle Elley Atchison, Co-Editor

from his commercial fishing business.

He also recommends the grouper sandwich with onion rings, which I can personally attest to. Their schedule is listed on their Facebook page, so be sure to check them out!

JJ’s West Coast Tacos is another food truck that is fairly new to the community. They opened in 2023, after the operators moved back to Cullman from Arizona. The name JJ comes from their sons Jonah and Joshua, as well as the time they spent on the West Coast. They have said that their favorite parts of operating a food truck are “being able to travel and meet new people, making connections with other small business owners,” and “having

Answers on page 18!

the opportunity to create recipes and see customers enjoying their food.” On their menu, they would recommend the Cali Burrito or Cali Tacos, which have “become a well-known favorite.”

Be sure to check their Facebook page for their weekly schedule and menu!

You can find both of these food trucks’s schedules, as well as many more, at the Food Trucks of Cullman public Facebook group, linked below.

Across 3. Someone who smells like beef and cheese (Elf) 5. An underrated Christmas movie featuring Diane Keaton (2 words) 7. What one might give a lactose-intolerant Santa 10. The Grinch’s loyal companion 12. A pastry that lives in a house made of a similar structure 13. A drink that is much tastier when made with milk 14. A reindeer whose name is also associated with Valentine’s Day 15. This musical item might get annoying if given to a toddler 16. While a star is placed at the top of the tree, ______ are placed at the bottom Down 1. Someone who celebrates Yom Kipper might also celebrate this holiday 2. What George promises Mary he will do for her (It’s a wonderful life) (3 words) 4. Who the French might call Les Incompétent (Home Alone) 6. An animal that does not stir the night before Christmas 8. Gold, Frankincense, and _____ 9. The word on the package that arrived at Ralphie’s house (A Christmas Story) 11. A decorative item. Also a song by Justin Bieber

ENTERTAINMENT 13 The No’s of Christmas

A list of don’ts for this holiday Elley Atchison, Co-Editor

Christmas is a hectic time of year filled with a myriad of events, parties, and functions. I, your faithful writer, am here to guide you through this holiday season to make it the best for you and your family. I have included five “no’s” below in order to navigate you through this busy time of year. Happy holidays!

1.)People might tell you to never bring up three topics during a Christmas meal: religion, politics, and Alabama football. People telling you these things are simply incorrect. The topics mentioned above are the best things to discuss over the dinner table.

What is more fun than a lively debate on our nation’s current political state over a nice festive dinner? Picking the most controversial topics to discuss will surely spark some creative conversation. I cannot think of a more entertaining evening. Thus, my “no” to you is following people’s advice when they say to avoid controversial topics.

2.)My next “no” is getting your mother any of the following items: a bathrobe, any type of kitchen item, any type of cleaning item, and anything homemade. Unless specifically asked, do your mother the wonderful service of getting her a gift of substance. No mother wants to open a gift that reveals new dish soap. Moms do so much for us, so we need to give them something back this Christmas. It starts with a thoughtful gift.***See the article on “Gift Ideas for Your Mom” below.

3.)My following “no” is having a birthday in December. If your birthday is during this month, you officially have my permission to move it to the summer. Because it is not your fault that you were born at such an unfortunate time, you have a free pass to declare your birthday in June. Everyone is exceedingly busy during the holidays, so asking people to attend one more function is just pushing it. While I do feel quite sorry for you, something must

be done about December birthdays. It starts with a redeclaration. It’s a “no” to a person born in this Christmas month.

4.)The next “no” is not watching “Family Stone” this Christmas. This warm, funny, and emotional movie is a must-watch this Christmas. Not only do Dianne Keaton and Luke Wilson give incredible performances, but this movie encapsulates everything you want in a holiday movie. Please add this to your Christmas watch list this season.

this recommendation. Enforcing a fictitious idea in your child’s head only to later reveal the lie you had been telling them will only create mistrust between the child and the parent. I know some of you are thinking, “Elley, it is not that deep.” While I do understand Santa Claus is just a fun character that comes with Christmas, I also realize that kids might begin to question other things their parents tell them once they figure out Santa isn’t real. This one is on you, parents. Siblings, you can take action on this one, too, though. Do your younger sibling a favor today: tell them Santa isn’t real and lead them to freedom sooner.

5.)The last “no” is to telling your kids that Santa is real. While this one is rather controversial, I stand strong in

Where’s Santa?

Gift Ideas for Your Mom

If you are on the hunt for a jolly man that is not your grandfather this Christmas, I have just the fella for you!

This merry man can be found in the following locations:

Reilly Johnson, Staff Writer

Locations to find Santa around Alabama. What she means when she says she Blyss Murphree, Staff Writer wants “nothing” for Christmas.

1. A voucher for a spa day She deserves a day off!

The Riverchase Galleria: Galleria November 16th -December 24th

Heritage Corner Farm: December 1st-3rd, 8th-10th, 15th-23rd

EarlyWorks Family of Museums: December 12th-23rd

North Alabama Railroad Museum: December 1st, 2nd, 8th, 9th

2. Jewelry Make her feel expensive with a necklace or a pair of earrings!

3. Candle Help your house smell like Christmas!

4. A nice blanket Keep her warm this winter!

5. A new appliance If your mom loves to cook, get her a new mixing bowl or an air fryer!

6. Apple Watch Perfect for any active mom who loves to go on walks or do pilates!

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EDITORIALS

Was the Grinch Justified?

Two staff writers debate the morality of The Grinch’s famous Christmas heist The Grinch is EVIL!!!

I LOVE The Grinch!!!

Jonah Jarrett, Staff Writer The Grinch is morally wrong. Sure, some Whos bullied him, which is never acceptable, but that does NOT mean that The Grinch is allowed to ruin everyone else’s Christmas just because he has had bad experiences.

The Grinch is intolerant of the Who’s beliefs, culture, and traditions and instead of attempting to learn about or at least compromise with the Whos, he decides that the only solution is to destroy what the Whos care about most. The Grinch is the only one bothered by the Whos’ actions, and although he doesn’t deserve to be bothered, ultimately his welfare should not be placed over that of the countless others who are enjoying their time in celebrating what is ultimately an inoffensive and very culturally significant holiday.

The Grinch was not morally righteous when he cold-heartedly stole Christ-

mas from every member of a town with a population of hundreds or thousands because it bothered him personally. That behavior is not normal, and although I do not know enough about his situation or psychology to diagnose him, it would not surprise me if The Grinch were mentally ill. Furthermore, in real life, mentally ill people are not given grace for their actions regardless of whether they were in their right mind when they committed them. When someone is in an abusive relationship, you do not excuse the partner for acting harmfully because they are unwell. When The Grinch steals Christmas, you don’t excuse him for being traumatized. Just because the Whos have done things to The Grinch that are unjustified does not mean that it is okay for The Grinch to take sick revenge on every resident of Whoville.

John Mark Johnson, Staff Writer I, John Mark Johnson, believe that the Grinch is the true victim in this story.

Although I will admit that his heist of all of the Who’s possessions (leaving not even a crumb for a small mouse) is a tad bit overkill, what one fails to realize is that these actions were not unprovoked. The Who’s and their all-out celebrations of Christmas seem just a tad bit obnoxious. There’s nothing wrong with loving Christmas, but when your celebrations make enough noise to where someone on the top of a literal mountain can hear them, then there is definitely an issue. The Grinch himself even states that he has put up with the Who’s tomfoolery for fifty-four years. This means that for fifty-four years, the Grinch has suffered a holiday cacophony every Christmas season.

I don’t know about you, but if I had to put up with a constant noise of Christmas carols and elaborately obnoxious gadgets such as gardookkas and tartookas, I too would be a bit bitter.

Another point I’d like to make is that the Who’s are not as innocent as they seem to be. In Ron Howard’s iteration of the story from 2000, the Who’s have a strong hand in causing the Grinch’s holiday vendetta. In this adaptation, we are shown the childhood of the Grinch, and learn that his par-

ents, likely to be Who’s, willingly put him into adoption solely based on his different appearance. This act undoubtedly sows the seeds for the Grinch’s hatred of Christmas.

Moreover, take the case of the Grinch’s childhood crush, Martha May Whovier.

Whovier loves Christmas, and this seems to rub off on the Grinch, causing him to finally feel the holiday spirit and possibly find a more positive path in life as he makes her a Christmas gift. When the young Grinch tries to give Martha May his gift, however, he is immediately berated and bullied by his classmates for his efforts in addition to his unconventional appearance. We as a society have learned that our words can and will hurt. We have also learned that what we say and do to one another does make an impact for better or, in the Who’s case, for worse.

Admittedly, the Grinch did go overboard in his execution, but the root and motive for his actions serve as a consequence of the Who’s actions past and present. While you may find my comrade’s argument more compelling and dismiss mine as the ramblings of a cynical humbug, I ask that you adopt a more open minded approach and take both sides of this story into consideration when you read or watch.

Hallmark Movie Debate

Two staff writers debate the pro’s and con’s of Hallmark movies.

Hallmark Movies Are a Christmas I HATE Hallmark Movies!!!

Aubrey Shaddrix, Staff Writer Staple!

Blyss Murphree, Staff Writer Hallmark movies are heart-warming wholesome love stories created to fill the world with corny romance every holiday season. These movies may not be as well made or have the best storylines ever, but they are entertaining. Whether you’re watching them to make fun of the actors, or being forced to by your relatives, you must be honest, they are entertaining. A movie’s real purpose

is to entertain viewers, and that is exactly what Hallmark holiday movies do. If you despise Hallmark movies simply because you are forced to watch them year round, I ask you to open your eyes the next time you are seated in front of that screen, and try to see the positive aspects these movies hold. If you would like to see Aubrey and I’s full argument, scan this QR code to watch our video.

There’s no time better than the holidays, but I can confidently say the worst part about them is the god-awful holiday movies produced every year. Everytime I stumble upon some poorly-written hallmark movie, I genuinely start to question my sanity. I feel like I’m being forced into a peppermint striped straight jacket and having Rudolph throw up on me repeatedly for an hour and a half. The scripts themselves are so bad that even the actors have a certain glint in their eyes saying, “help me”. The characters and plot lines are so similar, and they all follow the same equation: determined businessy business woman with no other personality except for the fact she hates Christmas and is a workaholic, and the annoyingly loveable country boy with a big red truck who’s determined to restore her Christmas spirit. Maybe these movies give people hope, especially during the holiday season and its notorious stressfulness, but Hallmark movies are so generically sweet it’s enough to make you sick. There’s no need to mass produce these movies, especially with the lack of plot diversity. Seriously, how many of these movies have they made? And how many of them follow the same story? Hallmark movies are just the kind of movies you see playing on the TV’s

in a hospital waiting room, and I don’t think they have any greater purpose than that.

I think the best way to define any movie produced by that channel is the fast fashion of the film industry; they just pump these movies out annually, trying to get as much profit as possible from their loyal audience.

In conclusion, these movies are so repetitive and obnoxiously sweet, I can’t even process how they are still being made annually.

EDITORIALS15 The Death of Third Place

How America is losing connection Aubrey Shaddrix, Staff Writer America is a concrete country. The expansion of the urban world has caused a detrimental effect to communities: the death of the third place.

The Third place is somewhere where individuals of a community can interact and socialize other than their house or work. Common third places were parks, churches, shops, and clubs, but the number of these areas has been slowly declining for decades. With the rise of suburbia and technological advancements, they are coming to an all time low. Third places are pivotal for human interaction and connection, being the very anchor of communities, so what will happen to that connection as they are declining? And why is this happening?

Undoubtedly urbanization has caused the expansion of cities, though that has not caused more social settings, and if anything, this process has removed walkable areas. Before the great expansion of urbanization, many cities thrived on foot traffic, allowing chance encounters with strangers and the promotion of locally-owned businesses. Communities flourished in these areas but our world has quickly become too on-the-go for these spaces.

We now primarily rely on cars for our

transportation. Without walkable communities, people rarely take the time out of their day to find a third place.

In addition, teenagers today have grown up around the internet. Online spaces have quickly replaced third places. Teenagers often communicate with each other through social media, online forums, and video games. They aren’t stopping communication but just finding different ways to do it.

Staying connected is important, but simply staying at home and being on your computer shouldn’t be your only space to connect with others.

Many adults have ridiculed younger generations for their use of technology, but looking at the world today where are they supposed to go? Many urban cities aren’t safe to walk in, third spaces are virtually disappearing, and there is a lack of understanding as to why this is happening.

America has created an environment of hostility for teenagers. It’s now unsafe

Why Minimalist Holidays Suck!

Less is NOT more.

Blyss Murphree, Staff Writer Minimalist holidays have become very popular since Gen Z was born.

If you do not know what a minimalist is, think of an uncooked chicken with absolutely no seasoning in sight. A minimalist is someone who participates in the consumption or composition of minimalist art or way of living.

The word minimalist stems from minimalism. The word minimalism is a characterized of extreme spareness and simplicity. This is basically saying that if anything is described as “minimalist”, then it is overly simple. Now, a minimalist holiday is any holiday that gets celebrated by a minimalist, which is probably most of them. When you think of Christmas or Halloween, you probably imagine an extremely colorful Christmas tree in a dimly lit living room of a middle-aged couple and a spooky monster in an area with a purple and orange glow. When a minimalist thinks of Christmas, they think of a white tree in the corner of their white room, with a beige floor and that’s it. A bare white tree. In my honest, humble opinion, I think that if you’re going to decorate for Christmas at all, you must have some sort of colorful lights somewhere on your property. I am not saying that the white christmas

aesthetic is wrong and boring or that there is anything wrong with white christmas lights. I’m saying if you are going to celebrate a holiday and plan on decorating for it, you either go big or go home. I can completely understand if you don’t want to break the bank to decorate for a holiday, that is completely fine. But please do not embarrass yourself by putting up decorations that are all the same color and borning to look at. At that point, just don’t decorate. There are plenty of $1.25 options of colorful decorations at Dollar Tree for any holiday. You can still celebrate a holiday without decorating, so if it’s either decorating with different shades of brown fabric draped over your mantel for Thanksgiving or not decorating at all, just don’t decorate. It is a much cheaper option and also saves you from the embarrassment of your grandmother coming to your house to see that you have turned into a beige believer. At the end of the day, it is your house. You do whatever makes you happy, my opinion does not dictate the way you decorate your house for Hanukkah.

to do what their parents did at their age. The phone isn’t the problem; it’s what’s been created.

Young people are being actively ignored today. Many don’t have spaces to connect and the few spaces they once could connect are dangerous.

Third spaces aren’t just disappearing from urbanization but being completely transformed from what they once were. Kids and their parents are all scared of the dangers lying in these spaces. Even schools aren’t safe.

Taking away a simple connection to the youth of America has drastic effects on not just their generation but future generations as well. What kind of world will the youths of America build if all they’ve grown up with is violence and isolation? And how is it their fault and not the very community raising them and creating their environment? Simply, many adults don’t want to deal with kids. If anything, spaces are being created to push out teenagers. Malls have been

a great third place for teenagers for decades, but now many adults can’t tolerate childrens activity in these spaces. Recently malls and other establishments have been kicking out teenagers for the disturbance of their spaces.

Many towns began building shopping centers and malls filled with large chain corporations in replace of old local businesses. Yet again the question of, “Where are they supposed to go?” rises.

Having a physical area to communicate with the people of your town is vital for communities, but these areas are dying out. The effect of these spaces disappearing has created a society of polarization and has long lasting effects on not only you but future generations. Humans are social and it’s vital to feel human connection and to have a community.. Without third places, the act of connection is erased.

Goodbye Black Friday?

Is traditional Black Friday shopping going out of style?

Mack Rudder, Staff Writer Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving, and to many is the day that truly sets Christmas shopping into motion. Due to the emergence of online shopping though, Black Friday now has to compete with days like Cyber Monday and Prime Day which are days that also offer deals, but exclusively online. To accommodate for this competition, Black Friday deals are now offered for longer spans of time, are available earlier, and have of course also moved online.

Over 50% of Black Friday shopping purchases are now happening online. Last year’s Black Friday broke the record for an all time high of 9.2 million dollars spent shopping online black friday deals according to Adobe Analytics. This

was an increase of 2.3% from the previous year’s black friday.

Black Friday pre-sales have now also come into play. Companies now start special Black Friday deals called “pre-sales’' on average around the week of the 13th, which is the week before Black Friday. Some companies such as Amazon skipped the “pre-sales” and just released their black friday sales a week early.

Black Friday overall has changed in many logistical aspects, but there has also been a change in the principal idea of Black Friday. There is no longer a need to draw customers into the store for them to purchase something, so deals have expanded online and have spread out into the weeks surrounding Black Friday instead of being a race to snag an item when the clock reaches midnight on the Thursday before.

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EDITORIALS

The Current Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza & Ethnic Cleansing How war affects innocents Anna Beth Burleson, Staff Writer Horrifying. Shocking. Grim. These are just a few words to describe the current situation happening in Gaza.

The fate of the future of Gaza’s innocent civilians lies in the hands of white male polticians, and that is terryifying and unsettling. In ways, the U.S. is funding both sides of the war. For instance, they support Israel’s military operations and have had conversations working with Qatar’s government to help free hostages, even though they have shared a relationship with Hamas’ in the past. Qatar claims to be “Switzerland of the Middle East,” but that doesn’t mean the U.S. government should trust them or that they should be considered an ally. I could lie and say that this isn’t political, but this war is extemely political and politicians are trying to further their agenda. While I absolutely agree that Israel has every right to defend themselves, the people of Gaza do not deserve to suffer. None of these innocent civilians asked to be a part of this narrative, but then again, they never do.

Gaza’s water and sanitation system is already fragile, and when you add the stresses of war, it makes for a deadly duo. Citizens consider themselves lucky if they have two cups of safe drinking water a day. Having access to clean water is a fundamental need in order to survive and the lack thereof causes devastating repercussions. Individuals who are sheltering groups of people in their homes can only flush their toilet

1-2 times a day, and brushing their teeth is considered a luxury. Countless people are waiting in lines for clean water and others are drinking the salty water from the ocean. Due to the ongoing war, over a million people have been displaced from their homes and are now seeking refuge in UN schools, homes of relatives, hospital courtyards and parking lots, tents, cars, and the streets. When living in close proximity, this raises worry for the spread of diseases. Shelters are already reporting respiratory illness and scabies, which are spreading rapidly. The largest issue is the mounting difficulty in providing aid to those affected. The delivery of essential goods, such as water and food, is a logistical nightmare due to border closures. The war has created insurmountable damage to hospitals, roads, shelters, and schools. Deliveries have been slow due to checkpoints on the Egypt-Israel border, and the demand is far greater than the supply. Hospitals are also facing substansial damages and shortages of fuel and medical supplies. The overcrowding is great and hospitals are running out of room, if they haven’t already. According to the UN, 1⁄3 of hospitals have shut down completley. All of these issues are now leaving wounded patients at great risk.

The humanitarian crisis not only has immediate effects but long term ones as well. The war has taken a toll on the economy and infrastructre. Schools, roads, hospitals, and homes have been

completely destoyed, leaving the community of Gaza to clean up the rubble.

An ethnic cleansing is a “rendering of an area ethnically homogeneous by using force or intimidation to remove from a given area persons of another ethnic or religious group.” The attacks from the State of Israel toward the Gaza Strip are bodering genocide. The air and ground war has now claimed the lives of over 11,000 Palestinans, most of them being women and children. The State of Israel has limited food, water, fuel, medicines, and other essential supplies. Israeli-American scholar Omer Bartov expresses that the “disproportionate killing of civilians by Israel, as well as dehumanizing statements by Israeli leaders and suggestions of mass expulsion, are of grave concern.” Bartov, one of the world’s leading experts on the Holocaust, recently joined hundreds of lawyers and scholars in writing a letter detailing concerns on Israel violating international law in Gaza. He also states that there are indications alluding to war crimes in Gaza and that if it continues, it could become an ethnic cleansing, which could become genocide.

People in free nations take for granted the freedoms we have, yet people in others are struggling greatly to gain what we believe to be unalienablel rights. While the fight is not over for womens rights and religious freedoms, I consider myself greatful, and even though our country isn’t perfect, I am

Is the Education System Declining?

How students and teachers are being affected Claire Dossey, Staff Writer Growing up, all kids my age cared about their grades. They always tried their best, and teachers were always willing to give their students a helping hand. However, after COVID, many things in the education system changed, and students grades and test scores are now at a rapid decline.

Not only is this due to the loss of many months worth of learning back in 2020 with the COVID-19 hit but also the decline in valuable teachers. This is most likely due to the fact that teachers have to put up with many different problems when it comes to dealing with K-12 students and are only paid so much.

Teachers also have to put up with the stress of testing. They are required to teach many students who may or may not care about their grades, in hopes that their testing scores will be high enough for them to pass. However it’s not just the teachers that are struggling; more than half of high school students have to get a tutor just to pass a class, and as someone who has had multiple tutors, almost every time, they are teaching methods from 20-30 years

ago. This truly says something about how the quality of learning has also gone down. With all of the hardships and complications that teachers have to put up with, there are less and less quality teachers who care about their students each year. Most teachers now could be incentivized to teach soley on the promise of a jobless summer, while before, teachers just loved teaching.

Many quality teachers are quitting due to not being able to get by day to day.

Another effect of COVID-19 is teachers losing passion for their job.

Students have stopped carring about their work, which makes teachers stop carring about theirs. Students have many outlets: AI, online answers, quizlet, and so many other ways to find answers with out actully doing their work. This has stemmed from the amount of online schooling and zoom classes held in 2020-2021. Students learned to cheat their way out of actully doing their work and became less efficient. Nevertheless, the students aren’t the only ones becoming less and less task oriented. Teachers have also

began showing their students pre-recorded videos in class of them teaching while they go and completely seperate tasks.

The curriculum has also changed in most schools. It has become harder so that children can catch up on the school work they did not learn in the classroom during COVID. In this new curriculum, teachers have been intructed not to tell their students when they are “wrong”. This is so students do not get insecure, but this will still harm them; they will never learn right from wrong. This leaves no room for structrue in the class room and will ruin our future generations for years to come.

thankful for a safe place to live. I urge you to consider your privileges and acknowledge that not all people have a safe place to sleep. I also urge you to be up to date on these atrocities, and educate yourself on the current events worldwide. As a UN offical just recently stated, “If there is hell on Earth, it’s the north of Gaza.” May God be with them all.

Displaced Palestinians return to their homes as they walk near houses destroyed in an Israeli strike during the conflict, amid the temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip

A man stands in front of his home, which was destroyed by an airstrike, in al Rimal, Gaza

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Crossword Answers (pg. 12) ACROSS 3. FAKE SANTA 5. FAMILY STONE 7. ALMOND MILK 8. MYRRH 10. MAX 12. GINGERBREAD MAN 13. HOT COCOA 14. CUPID 15. JINGLE BELLS 16. PRESENTS

DOWN 1. HANUKKAH 2. LASSO THE MOON 4. KEVIN MCCALLISTER 6. MOUSE 8. MYRRH 9. FRAGILE 11. MISTLETOE

418 1st Avenue SE Cullman, AL 35055 (256) 734-7393 www.jwilliamsoncpa.com

Investment Advisory Services provided through Wealth Management LLC, A Registered Investment Advisor

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Key Club Dance January 27th

THE BACK PAGE TOP 10 BEST STOCKING STUFFERS!!!

How to pick the perfect small gifts!

Drew Williamson, Co-Editor

10. Phone accessories!

From cases, chargers, to earbuds, there’s plenty of different phone accessories that make perfect gifts!

9. Funky socks!

Funky socks are a whimsical way to keep your feet warm during the winter!

8. Candles!

Everyone’s favorite scented fire hazard!

7. Chocolate!

A sweet way to spread holiday cheer!

6. Blanket!

You can never get too warm during the wintertime!

5. Gift card!

A gift card is the perfect gift for someone who you have no idea what they want for Christmas!

4. Games!

Whether a card game or a board game, games can be a great way to spend quality time with family over the holidays!

3. Car gadgets!

There is no shortage of useful car accessories, such as steering wheel covers, phone mounts, and even dipping sauce holders!

2. Stuffed animals!

These fluffy companions can be great gifts for people of all ages!

1. Self-care products!

From makeup to shaving cream, self-care products can certainly be useful gifts!