Issue 3 november 2017

Issue 3

The Insider

November 2017

No One Fights Alone Liam Edwards Insider Staff Eastside Catholic has definitely seen a lot of growth over the past few years, from the academics of the school, to the clubs and sports that truly make EC unique. One of the most prominent organizations that has taken flight within the EC community is NOFA. NOFA stands for No One Fights Alone and it was created five years ago, when the volleyball coach at the time had been diagnosed with a serious case of lung cancer, and it looked like it was going to be a tough fight. All the girls on the volleyball team banded together and created NOFA to raise money for their coach.

different colors. The different colors on the shirt represent different types of cancer.

Some people wore pink to represent breast cancer and others wore purple to support lung cancer, along with many others. After NOFA night happened Eastside Catholic DECA offered to help the NOFA program grow, and become a school wide thing.

DECA adapted NOFA and used the program to compete in competitive DECA events, making it to internationals two years in a row. This year at EC we have already had our NOFA night for volleyball, and it was the biggest NOFA night we have ever had here at EC! The NOFA team also had

They came up with the idea of having a NOFA night. NOFA night is an evening where everyone in the school comes in NOFA T-shirts and visors and support our Volleyball team, and at the same time, support and raise awareness for different types of cancer. During the time of our NOFA night this year, you probably saw people wearing shirts in all

the NOFA assembly on Nov. 2 where teams from different grades competed in a intramural volleyball tournament! Congrats to the Seniors for winning it this year. Thanks to our very own NOFA team, Scott Lees, Jackie Johannsen, and Gabbie Iem, NOFA has expanded their horizons, and raised awareness all across the school, and plan to expand the program to other areas of the Sammamish Plateau. If you have any questions about NOFA and their involvement in student life please contact either Scott Lees, Jackie Johannsen, or Gabbie Iem. PHOTOS CREDIT | EC ATHLETICS |

What EC is Doing Over Thanksgiving Break Lauren Michels Indsider Staff

waiting until the Sunday night before returning to school to do the homework assigned over break.

Thanksgiving break starts Saturday, November 18 this year and school will resume Monday the 27th, but what will students be doing during their days off? Some students said they will be staying at home, while others would be traveling throughout the country.

Some places students will be going to are California, Oregon, Texas and other places in Washington. They are either going because it is a family tradition, or they are going to be with relatives. A junior, Elise Soldenwagner said, ?My family always goes to this one place in the Olympic Peninsula called Lake Quinault Lodge and we have their Thanksgiving buffet and then the next day we go hiking and walk in the mountains and then we leave. We have gone for the past 14 years!? Another junior Maddie Storie said, ?My family always stays home and my Grandma who lives in Tacoma comes over and we just get to spend quality time with each other?. A sophomore Abby Willison said she will be going to Maui to celebrate with her mom, dad and younger brother because it is a family tradition.

Meet Mrs. Swann Pg. 2

Other students are staying at home with their immediate family and having other family members fly to them. Others are staying home and waiting for their siblings to return home from college to spend time with and celebrate.

Kids staying home and traveling showed interest in going to the movie theater to watch a new movie or two. Some possible movies that kids talk about seeing are, Wonder, Justice League, and Revolt.Other kids will be playing sports, like practicing for the upcoming winter sports seasons such as boys and girls basketball. Almost all students said they were most excited to not be having to go to school and having lots of time to hang out with friends, all while not worrying about homework. Most students said they would be

EC Mascot Change?

Pg. 5

One favorite tradition for over Thanksgiving break is obviously Thanksgiving dinner. A junior, Hailey Terry said that she likes everything but some of her favorites are turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes with gravy. Some students say they help their parents or grandparents cook dinner while others watch. Watching Thanksgiving football is a regular thing in most Eastside family households.

Most teacher said they would be staying home and relaxing over the break. Mr. Henderson said that he would be staying home to spend his week off with family and friends.

Teachers said they would be grading papers, tests and homework half the time and trying to get away from school the other half.

As Thanksgiving break gets closer and closer, students are excited to get away from the stress of school and to be able to relax, and eat lots of food! Happy Thanksgiving!

Trouble in Japan?

Pg. 6

Black Friday Deals Pg. 7

Issue 3

Student Life

Page 2

From the Wr iter 's Room: Sending Our L ove to the Beaver Family

M eet Your New I nter im Pr incipal: M r s. Swann Sophia Vandewark Insider Copy Editor In an email sent to the Eastside Catholic community on October 17, Mrs. Barbara Swann was introduced as the Interim Principal for Eastside Catholic's high school. Mrs. Swann said that there were many aspects involved in her decision to take the job here at Eastside Catholic. Many things drew Mrs. Swann to EC including the catholic faith, the 6-12 model, and the focus on relationship building. The timing also worked perfectly for Mrs. Swann, with her youngest son heading off to college, Mrs. Swann knew she was ready to come back to a school, ?The timing was part of it. The more Mr. Lord and Mrs. Skinner told me about the needs of the school the more I felt called to be here.? Previously Mrs. Swann has worked at Kennedy Catholic where she first served as the program director of the International Exchange Program and later as the Dean of Women.

Mrs. Swann believes that EC is a place where there is a place for every student, from AP to Options. As Mrs. Swann was finishing off her first month here

believe in what you do, it's not a job, it's just truly part of who you are.?

Mrs. Swann spoke a lot about how EC has already become a family to her but she also shared her hopes to expand communication between students and staff, and to really encourage listening on all parts. Mrs. Swann wants to ?help however she is needed? and if making sure that she can have open communication with the whole community is what is helpful then she will make sure to do that.

PHOTO CREDIT | MITCH FLIPPO |

" And when you love what you do and believe in what you do, it's not a j ob, it's j ust tr uly par t of who you are.? at EC she said that she really felt as though she was meant to be here, ?God open the door, He knocked and said ?Barbara open this door?and so I did. And when you love what you do and

Mrs. Swann is a truly lovely individual whose heart for her work is apparent in everything she says and does. The energy and enthusiasm that Mrs. Swann brought to the conversation about her new positions. An example of the creativity and joy that Mrs. Swann brings with her is that she loves to travel, is bilingual, and lived in Vienna, Austria for two years before teaching in Egypt!

Eastside Catholic is beyond lucky to have Mrs. Swann as a part of its community. The Insider Staff would like to formally welcome her to the EC family. Roll Cru!

Issue 3

Student Life

Page 3

Our Town: A Delight to Behold Joe Burroughs Insider Staff Eastside Catholic?s fall play this year was a delight to behold. Congratulations on the success of the production to Mr. Lewis and the cast ofOur Town. I was happily surprised by the level of skill demonstrated by the cast.

Coming into the play, having written the preview for it, I was expecting it to be overwhelmingly pantomimed, to the point that the audience would be so caught up in trying to figure out the implied scenery and props that they would not have time to focus on the story.

The narrator of the play, Avery Wisner, opened the play by describing to the audience, the layout of Grover?s Corners, the town in which the play takes place. Listening to the imagery in her words and the eloquent deliverance of her lines made it easy for even the least creative person to envision the town.

Although the cast was small, about eleven people, the entire company filled the stage and every scene in such a way that they really made it seem like there were more than just eleven people in the town of Grover?s Corners. With the progression of the three acts I felt more and more entranced in the story that the characters were advancing. As someone who is known by his friends as the guy who falls asleep all the time, I can say there was not a single moment when I felt tired. Watching the characters perform flawlessly without the use of any props was captivating.

The two main characters Emily played by sophomore Grace Marshall and George played by junior John Dias really stole the show. Their relationship was so relatable and for this reason I felt bound by the outcome of the story. Their love for each other seemed to give purpose to what was a repetitive, if not purposeless existence in Grover?s Corners. If you did not get a chance to see EC?s fall play this year then you missed out on a great show, but there is always next year to look forward to.

The next character to enter the stage, Mrs. Gibs, played by Senior Grace Skalecki engaged the ?set? so smoothly, that it seemed she was really doing the dishes and utensils, hidden from the eye of the audience. The transition from house to house was seamless and the opening of gates and doors was executed so well that for the remainder of these scenes I pictured these objects in the spots where they were created by the actors.

PHOTO CREDIT | EC MARKETING AND DRAMA|

I T Depar tment: K eeping EC High Tech ?Because we wanted the teachers to know that every student had the same tools to do work in class. If there were issues with a computer, we wanted to be able to help with those issues to get students up and running in class as soon as possible. Also, equity was considered ? it wouldn?t be fair if wealthier students had better tools in class than students who couldn?t afford the fanciest computers.?

Emma VanSickle Insider Staff In the fall of 2014 a group, including the principals, the CFO, the former Director of IT, someone from admissions, teachers from both the middle and high school, and Ms. Vikstrom started meeting to discuss technology at EC. At that time, EC was using the COW computers. The computers were terribly slow, took forever to login, and were in such high demand that teachers couldn?t always get them when they needed . EC investigated what other schools were doing, and many were moving to a 1:1 system. This year the EC Journalism class decided that it would be a good idea to interview IT and former librarian, Mrs. Vikstrom, and ask questions about the laptop program. Mrs. Vikstrom recently left EC for another opportunity, we at The Insider wish her all the best and miss her dearly.

The Insider staff was curious about what kind of programs cost money that were installed onto our laptops? Ms. Vikstrom said: ?I don?t know all the details of this. But I do know that the process for adding programs to the laptops is this: we ask the teachers at the end over every school year if there are programs that their students will need to use and we get those programs if it makes sense. Several programs specific to math and science are installed. In addition, we install the Office Suite of programs on the computers ? which I think we get a very steep educational discount on.?

We asked why do we have so many programs on our laptops? She replied saying, ?Some are specific to math, science, etc. There are also programs needed to connect with the school networks and do everything necessary for the computer to work seamlessly at school.? Another question was if LanSchool cost money to be installed onto our computers? She responded saying, ?Yes. I think so. I don?t think this cost is

EC IT DEPARTMENT PHOTO CREDIT | MITCH FLIPPO|

added to the cost of the computers though, I think this is something the school pays for because it is a tool for teachers. As we talked about moving to a program where all the students had a laptop, some teachers were concerned about how they would be able to ensure that students stayed on task in class.

We looked around and asked about what other schools were using LanSchool, which we already had installed in our computer lab. After some testing, we determined that LanSchool worked best for our purposes.Why did the school decide to require all students to purchase the computers??Because we wanted to ensure that students had access to technology resources at school and at home. We also wanted to ensure that in a classroom, teachers could count on all the students having the same tools. The school could not possibly afford to purchase a computer for each student. We looked at what other independent schools were doing and many independent schools use this model too ? including Forest Ridge and Eastside Prep.?

What is the cost breakdown for our laptops? She said:?I know the reason these computers are more expensive than ones you would buy off the shelf is that we have a 3-year accidental breakage warranty.? Why couldn?t we have just used our own personal computers?

Also interviewed was Mr. Labelle on his views the laptops and if they are necessary in the school. We asked what is your initial thought of the computers when they were first introduced? He said: ?I was wary at first. I thought that we were unnecessarily jumping on the bandwagon just to say that we are a 1:1 school. I thought people thought that it would be a magic fix that would drastically change our school.?We then asked if he still thinks the same way about them? He replied saying, ?No, not at all. I like the assurance of knowing that everyone has a laptop and access to Word, OneNote, and other online programs we use.

In terms of these particular computers, I like that students can use a stylus and write, or choose to type. They also seem to be a pretty reasonable size to carry around.?Do you like using OneNote in class? Does it help you with teaching??Yes, I love it, and it helps tremendously with teaching. I like having one central location to keep and distribute documents, and I love that it?s accessible, for teachers and students, both at school, and at home.

It used to be a ton of work making all the copies I needed, and making sure I did it before class, to say nothing of the stack of paper I would take home for grading. Now I can just upload a document at the beginning of class with the click of a few buttons.

If I forgot something, it now takes me less than a minute to upload it. And there are no more excuses for students; they all have access to the documents on OneNote at any time.?

We at The Insider would also like to thank the IT department for all their hard work!

Opinion

Issue 3

Page 4

Amer ica Needs to Embr ace The Dreamer s Owen Bernstein Insider Guest Writer

?For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me?(English Standard Version, Matt. 25:35).?

On September 5, 2017 President Trump signed an executive order that would rescind Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) beginning March 5, 2018 unless congress enacts legislation. DACA was created through executive order by President Obama.It allowed young people who were brought to this country by their parents before age 16 to work, study, and avoid deportation even though they arrived without proper documentation.As of this writing, Congress has not acted but Democratic Senator Dick Durbin and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham are working towards creating a bipartisan bill that would protect the ?dreamers? supported by the program. The end of the DACA program could mean that up to 800,000 young people would have to leave their homes, jobs, and families.

President Trump has defended his decision by saying that the issue should be decided by Congress rather than by an

executive order.In his statement announcing the end of DACA, Attorney General Jeff Sessions stated that ?such an open-ended circumvention of immigration laws was an unconstitutional exercise of authority by the Executive Branch.? Critics of the controversial action argue that President Trump is appealing to his anti-immigrant base with rhetoric similar to his ban on immigration from Muslim countries and his Mexican border wall policies.

Whatever the reasons for President Trump?s actions, Congress must act now to protect the Dreamers and their future. Doing so will benefit our country and is the morally correct choice.

Researchers at Cato Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington D.C., suggest that repealing DACA could cost ?over $60 billion to the federal government along with $280 billion reduction in economic growth.? This massive economic loss is compounded by the fact that deportation costs ?$10,000 per removal? and the total cost for deporting DACA recipients would be ?$7.5 billion.? DACA recipients are productive citizens that contribute to society through their labor and innovation. These recipients are less prone to crime than the average unauthorized immigrant and start businesses at higher rates than native born Americans. We should not punish hard-working and intelligent people for their immigration as children, especially at the exorbitant price the American public would pay.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) also made a statement condemning the president?s attempt to remove DACA. The bishops urge the American public to understand that the youth of DACA are American in every sense. They have grown up and lived by the uniquely American values of freedom, equality, and opportunity.They are woven into every fold of our nation, serving their families, communities and country. Almost 900 Dreamers currently serve in our armed forces. Many Adult DACA recipients now have children who were born in the United States and are American citizens.

To deport these Americans, in every sense, is immoral and unjust. ?You shall also love the stranger?

(Deuteronomy 10:19).We are called to love and welcome the stranger. By rejecting immigrants through the repeal of DACA we have done the opposite. We have spited the stranger, saying you are not one of us and you are not welcome here. It is kind, just, and humane to afford those that have sought refuge in America the same opportunities to which all other Americans are entitled.

By rejecting DACA we reject fundamental American ideals. The Statue of Liberty reads"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." This applies to all immigrants that come to America either by choice or by necessity. Who are we to reject those that seek us out, that yearn to be American.

The Unpopular Belief Anna Leist Insider Editor-in-Chief

clouded by opinions skewing left or right, and my goal is to provide Insider readers with information free of these influences.

With every issue that arises in the world, viewpoints will differ, and opinions will clash.These clashes can help to draw certain groups of people together, but can also pull people apart.Through these stances and opinions, journalists are expected to write unbiased news, which ends up being a harder job then one may believe.

There is no such thing as perfect writing.No matter how unbiased any writer

This idea has been extremely prevalent in my career as a writer for the EC Insider.In all my articles, a central goal of the information presented is for it to be unbiased and acknowledge every viewpoint.

country and even in our school.What the author called an unbiased source in reality provides a biased viewpoint that clouds writer?s judgement, and causes them to believe the sources they are using are more biased or unbiased than they truly are.

Online news sources aren?t the only " There is no such thing as thing that make unbiased writing per fect wr iting.No matter difficult.Pressure from fellow students and teachers make it hard for me to form my own how unbiased any wr iter tr ies opinions.My own friends and parents make it for me to decide what my individual to be, under lying and quiet harder viewpoint truly is. opinions will always show Being a female conservative writer can prove to be difficult when writing articles for through." this paper.Usually, my beliefs contradict the

Writing unbiased articles can prove to be very difficult given the strong influences of our community, peers, schools, and parents.Historically, society has tended to diminish the importance of opinions of children and teens.But our voices matter, and they should be heard in any situation, recognizing every viewpoint yet remaining unbiased.

tries to be, underlying and quiet opinions will always show through.When I try to choose my sources for information, I am constantly blocked and confused by information being clouded by opinions.These opinions tend to taint the information and cause it to differ between different places.This makes it difficult to determine the line between what is true and what is false.

As a reporter, I get my information about EC from primary sources, such as interviews or on the EC website.I learn about world news through online news websites, such as Fox News or CNN.My main question in choosing the information I put into my articles is how credible the source is.Certain news casters provide information that is

Patent attorney Vanessa Otero recognized these biases and posted a chart on Facebook that broke down the biases of specific news casters.As a journalist who tries her hardest to remain unbiased, I found this diagram to be extremely ironic, considering it is used in multiple English classes around the

popular opinions at our school.Despite this, it is important to remember that all beliefs are important and deserve to be recognized.

It is possible to form your own opinions through these outside pressures. Just be sure to keep a clear mind and stand by your opinions despite how unpopular it may be.Consider the sources you are getting your information from and stand by your beliefs.

Issue 3

Opinion

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Cr ush: Our K night in Foam Ar mor Serena Gilani Insider Guest Writer Our school mascot is like the cover page of a book ? it represents what our school is all about to those who may not be familiar with Eastside Catholic. So, it seems logical that our mascot should encompass the values that our school community prides itself in. When I think of EC, the values that first come to mind are family, acceptance, and love. Our school is one of faith, where we view our community as a family and we are taught to treat each other with compassion.

teaches it, that the Crusades are not a period that embody any of these values. However, we still choose to associate our school with the Crusades. And so, we indirectly exclude the Muslim and Jewish students at our school, students like me, by glorifying the side of the Christians in their war against Muslims and their massacres of Jews.

It is time we reconsider our mascot. If we are truly a school of acceptance and love toward one another, let us represent our school PHOTO CREDIT | MRS. STOUTT | with a clear symbol of these values.

As a Muslim student who has But does our school mascot accurately Just because the mascot has served attended Islamic religious education classes, I depict the attitudes and spirit of our school? many generations at this school is not an have learned about the Crusades from a We have chosen to represent the EC excuse to dismiss my case ? we should not ?do different perspective. However, while these community with a cartoon, white-skinned what we have always done,? but rather we historical teachings might differ slightly by Crusader adorned with a helmet and shield. We should do what is right. And at a school filled religion, I know that the teachings of love and represent our school with a fighter in the with so many accepting and intelligent compassion do not. Both Christianity and Crusades. A Crusader doesn?t represent the students, it is time we acknowledge that what Islam emphasize the importance of values of family, acceptance, and love that we is right is to change how we represent the EC brotherhood and peace and service and love. cherish in our community. It represents community. If our mascot truly represents a And it is clear, regardless which religion something else entirely. The Christian fighter "crusade for knowledge" we must change our depicted by our mascot embraces war and the " I t is time we reconsider our mascot. We must find another cover page for killing of other people to gain ownership over mascot. I f we are tr uly a school of our school ? one that more accurately the Holy Land. By remaining indifferent to the values that we cherish so deeply acceptance and love towar d one embodies this mascot as a representation of our school, in our community. we too are promoting the division amongst another, let us represent our school people of different backgrounds and with a clear symbol of these values." dismissing the harsh realities of violence and hatred that existed during the Crusades.

What to K now About the New Dress Code Riley Wilkins Insider Staff With the start of a new year comes new students, new teachers, and new predigests against the dress code. It is deemed cruel and unfair, but in an interview with Mrs. Johnson, one of the Deans of Students, the reasons behind the dress code are revealed.

The dress code is not designed towards anyone it?s been modified to be gender neutral, and is the same for everyone in the Eastside Catholic community, including the teachers and faculty, teaching us to lead with a good example. Mrs. Johnson says, ?Theres an expectation at this institution that everyone, the students and staff need to follow.?

The dress code was made and is upheld to make sure you are focusing on yourself and what your offering instead of what you look like since as said by Mrs. Johnson, "school isn?t a fashion show." Instead of calling attention to yourself you should be calling attention to your abilities academically. Ms. Johnson adds, ?It?s applying to what out expectations are as a school, and being able to keep you guys focused on who you guys are inside yourself and building and growing those wonderful skills that your gonna use in the world.? Says Mrs. Johnson.

For those who don?t know the dress code here are some snippets:

follows: - Boys All high school boys will come to school with a dress shirt, tie and slacks. No cargo pants, sweat pants, shorts, or denim pants of any color.

- Girls All high school girls will come dressed in a skirt and top, dress, or dress slacks and top. Dresses/skirts must touch some part of the knee or lower. All tops must have sleeves that cover the shoulder and tops should fully cover undergarments and mid-section. No tight MR. RODENBURG EMAILING MRS. JOHNSON ABOUT AN IMPORTANT DRESS CODE ISSUE PHOTO CREDIT | MITCH FLIPPO | yoga-type pants, shorts, jeans or denim pants of any color, vneck t-shirt tops or Ugg-type boots. These outfits will be worn from the beginning of the school Fr iday dress: day until the end of the school day. Liturgy Students are allowed to dress down on Fridays. days are posted on the yearly calendar found Rules still apply for modesty and neatness, and on the website, and all liturgy days will be students are encouraged to wear blue and announced in the daily bulletin and the weekly orange tops, pants and/or sweatshirts. email.

Sweatpants, athletic shorts and/or sports shorts Mrs. Johnson and Mr. Rodenburg work hard to are allowed. Orange Crush sells a variety of be flexible and work with the students to make spirit wear that can be worn on Fridays. sure everyone?s happy. Both are always Slippers, sleepwear, blankets and yoga-type available for a conversation and are more than pants are not allowed. willing to explain/discus the rules and reasons L itur gy Dress: behind the dress code. Mrs. Johnson says, ?My biggest goal is to work with the students and Several days during the year, we will have the I'm always wanting to hear it because things opportunity for Mass and/or special prayer are always changing.? services or other special events as announced.

On those days, the dress code policy is as

News

Issue 3

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Sights From Around the Wor ld

A BICYCLIST PAYS HIS RESPECTS AFTER THE HALLOWEEN NYC TERRORIST ATTACK PHOTO CREDIT | REUTERS |

PRESIDENT TRUMP ARRIVES IN CHINA ON 11.8.2017 PHOTO CREDIT | GETTY |

THE HOUSTON ASTROS CELEBRATE THEIR WORLD SERIES VICTORY PHOTO CREDIT | GETTY |

POLICE GATHER OUTSIDE THE SIGHT OF A DEADLY SHOOTING IN SUTHERLAND SPRINGS PHOTO CREDIT | ABC|

MANKA DHINGRA CELEBRATES ON ELECTION NIGHT IN WA PHOTO CREDIT | GETTY |

Japanese Population Cr isis Matt Wittress Copy Editor After the Second World War, all people from all nationalities were effected. More specifically, the means of survival, as well as the basic needs of food, commerce, and sustainability. Due to this, most of the world population slowed to a crawl, with hardly any babies born from 1940-1945. After the worldwide crisis ended, most struggling nation?s populations steadily grew to what they are now. Most countries have healthy appropriate population numbers, but two countries there are in the metaphorical danger zone for their population count. The United States, and Japan.

Since the 2010 Japanese census, the population rate has decreased substantially, and there seemed to be no clear reason why. It wasn?t realized until a recent study done by ?Tofugo?, a Japanese news source, found out that part of the reason that Japan?s population is decreasing is due to their male population becoming more socially awkward with females. In a technology-rich environment, filled with different mediums of social media, men are becoming more secluded and antisocial. According to Michael Richley, ?Japan?s population will decline by twenty-million people by the year 2050?. Furthermore,Japan?s birth rate may

The Henna Hotel in Nagasaki, a popular tourist attraction in Japan, is run almost entirely by robots as of 2009. This causes many problems for both men and women in the competitive job market of japan today. The hotel sports 35 robots and only three humans. Not only do people have troubles financially, but also romantically.47.2 percent of married couples reported having no sexual intercourse. Young people, wedded to technology, have forgotten how to communicate with Photo Credit: Canadian Business Journal one another, leading to fewer be falling because there are fewer good connections and ultimately, fewer babies. opportunities for young people, and especially Across Japan, hundreds of schools have closed, men, in the country?s economy. In a country just because there are no kids to fill the where men are still widely expected to be classroom minimum. breadwinners and support families, a lack of In contrast, the American good jobs may be creating a class of men who population has grown substantially since its don?t marry and have children because they last peak in 1992. After falling for a brief know they can?t afford to. period, the American population has grown to 323.1 million by the end of 2016, and is estimated to be even higher by the end of 2017.

" Since the 2010 Japanese census, the population r ate has decreased substantially..."

Issue 3

Entertainment

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Thanksgiving: Fact or Fiction?

Annoying Chr istmas

Ephraim Vea Insider Staff

Garrett Wallace Insider Staff

Every year on the 4th Thursday of November, People gather for feast, In many stores around the world Christmas decorations go up as football, and family. Today?s Thanksgiving celebration is a little different early as October. Stores and malls try to usher in the holiday season to from when it was first started. One of the reasons we have many myths make as much profit as possible. However, many do not like the idea of associated with Thanksgiving is because it is not an invented tradition. stores making Christmas happen before Halloween. On average, according Thanksgiving is based on New England Puritan Thanksgivings, which is to Statista, 73% of shoppers each year are annoyed by the early start of religious in nature. Below is a list of fact/fiction about Turkey Day! decorations and music. People see the hidden agenda behind the early decorations and the shopping season. ?Many people know the stores are Fact: One of America?s Founding Fathers thought the turkey should be trying to make shoppers antsy for the holidays, so they usher in the the national bird of the United States. Benjamin Franklin in a letter to his shopping season earlier.? daughter thought the wild turkey would a better national symbol than the bald eagle.

If so many people hate the shopping season happening early, why do stores still do it? The holiday season is the biggest shopping season of the Fiction: Macy?s was the first American department store to sponsor a year. People on average spend $750 a year per family on gifts and stores in parade in celebration of thanksgiving: The first was a Philadelphia the US alone which make a total 3.19 trillion dollars in sales. This means department store called Gimbel?s. the earlier the shoppers know the holidays are coming the more money and revenue the stores, get and the more products the stores will sell. Many Fiction: Turkeys are slow moving birds that can?t fly. The type of people believe that early Christmas is the most annoying part of the year for turkeys eaten cannot fly and walk slow. Wild turkeys on the other hand shopping, but people will still buy stuff early because of the sales that come are smaller and more agile with the season. Many take advantage of the big sales to save money for the holidays. If people buy stuff for Christmas early, the stores will continue to Fact: Native Americans used cranberries: Yes they did for both food start the decorations early. purposes and medicinal purposes.

Fact: On thanksgiving in 2007 two turkeys earned a trip to Disney world: President George W. Bush granted pardon to two turkeys named May and Flower and flew them down to Disney world. Turkey pardons has been a presidential tradition since 1947 under Harry Truman Fact: Turkey contains an amino acid that makes you sleepy: Turkey does contain the essential amino acid tryptophan which is a natural sedative Fiction: The tradition of playing/watching football on thanksgiving started with the first NFL game on the holiday in 1934

Black Fr iday M ania Keenan Porter Insider Staff The day after Thanksgiving is commonly known as Black Friday. Black Friday is the biggest day for shopping of the year, there are great deals all throughout the United Staets however the early bird gets the worm. Many stores open at midnight and stay open throughout the day. Black Friday can be a very fun day however it can also be a flop if you are unprepared. You need to make sure you have a plan before you go out to stores and join the madness.

The first store we will start with is Target. They have a wide variety of items on sale for black Friday. From dollar movies to 100 dollars off gaming consoles like the Xbox one and the PS4. There are also many great deals on headphones, games, and Fit Bits. Target is a good store to get a wide range of things no matter your price range.

The next store is Best Buy, they are a good choice to shop at if you are going in looking for expensive technology like TV?s or computers. There aren?t many deals out yet however a deal for a 49-inch HDTV for only 200 dollars has just dropped. Also, if this year is anything like last year you can expect some major door busters. Last year they had hundreds off dollars off smartphones, TV?s, and tablets. It is expected that the deals will be equal or greater than they were last year.

Another big store to hit up on black Friday is Walmart. Again, like Best Buy the ads aren?t out quite yet. However, Walmart is always expected to come up big on Black Friday. Last year they had fifty dollars off most of their electronics. You can also get a great deal on a drone or a TV. They are however very similar to target, so if you go to target it is likely unnecessary for you to also go to Walmart.

The final store is Fred Meyer, Black Friday for them starts a Five AM and goes to One PM. They have a very large variety of deals ranging from socks to gaming consoles.

Also, if you want some new furniture you can get hundreds of dollars off new couches. They are a very safe bet for first time shoppers, you can drive out without any real plan and still find some great deals.

If you go out in the early morning hours of Black Friday make sure you have some coffee, have a plan, and stay away from crazy mobs of people. Also remember to have fun.

Be sure to check out: https://bestblackfriday.com/ for all your shopping needs!

Comics and Horoscopes

Issue 3

Page 8

Cartoon courtesy of Adam Beattie

Horoscopes From M ustin Jer lino Every Zodiac sign, has meaning behind it. Everyone has a Zodiac sign based on their birthday. Here are your horoscopes for November-December, 2017.

Aquar ius (Januar y Febr uar y 18):

20

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You are an independent who likes to keep to themselves. You wake up in the morning and decide you really do not want to go to school. You sit in your bed for another thirty minutes thinking about all your responsibilities and all the drama going on at your school, and are contemplating pretending to be sick. You decide to go because you know your parents will make you do chores around the house and show up late to school blasting music in your ear.

Pisces (Febr uar y 19 ? M arch 20) Instead of going to school, you like to stay up late watching Netflix Original series and show up to school during third period and tell the attendance you had a ?doctor?s appointment? as you walk by with your Starbucks in hand. You hate people so you sit in the back of the room of every class sleeping and watching more Netflix.

Ar ies (M arch 21 ? Apr il 19 You are the type of person that jumps out of bed early in the morning so you are not late to leadership class, but you are not that great of a leader. You have some extra time before class so you do extra homework to get ahead so you can get a nice long pump in after school.

Taur us (Apr il 20 ? M ay 20) You will refuse to let someone borrow a pencil for the soul purpose that it is yours.

Gemini (M ay 21 ? June 20) You wake up and like to go to school because there are people to talk to. You will talk with nearly anyone, including the middle schooler in the bathroom stall next to you. You often come off as annoying when you start talking to people early in the morning and are the loudest person in the room.

Cancer (June 21 ? July 22) You are stressed about life...ALL THE TIME! You are some of the few high schoolers that does their homework early and is super organized when it comes to school. Once in a while, you will have nothing to work on and get paranoid that you are forgetting something.

L eo (July 23 ? August 23) You try make the best of everything. You are usually the funny one in class, but sometimes you think you are funnier than you are. You do not like looking at the reality of life so you just say screw it. You are viewed as bossy a lot because you do not like when McDonalds screws up your order and you yell at them.

Vir go (August 24 ? September 22) Virgos are the hardworking, proud students that do not like to be wrong. If there is a Socratic seminar in class, you are up to argue until you cannot anymore.

You see people that are not as smart as you as waste. You prefer to do a whole group project by yourself because you could do a better job.

L ibr a (September October 22)

23

?

Unlike Virgo, you hate Socratic seminars because you just like it when things are peaceful. You like to be social but you cannot stand the loudest person in the room because they are annoying.

Scor pio (October 23 ?

November 21) You like to do your own thing. If you want to wear ripped jeans to school, you will wear ripped jeans to school. You have probably been called out of class a lot, and your usual reaction consists of flipping off the teacher after they turn around.

Sagittar ius (November 22 ?

December 21) You do not mind aiding homework to fellow students in need of the answers. You see school as a team sport and students should all help everyone.

You are also the person that ask for other people?s homework a lot.

Capr icor n (December 22 ?

Januar y 19) You are an ambitious, determined goat. You are the smart kid you want to be friends

with. Usually quiet, but come out of your shell when you are around people you are comfortable with. Often when things go wrong, you intellectually question life decisions.