The Hilltopper | 2020–2021 Volume 1

The Hilltopper a combined gray & maroon edition

Volume 20, Issue 1

December 2020

The Top Ten Holiday Songs— Chosen by You anya mahajan It’s a worldwide-accepted fact that holiday songs are the highlights of the winter season, no matter what you celebrate. Songs, especially now, never fail to bring people together and put everyone in cheerful spirits.

Without further ado, from Michael Buble to Mariah Carey, here are the top 10 holiday songs, chosen by you and your fellow classmates.

10. Last Christmas by Wham!

9. Run Run Rudolph

by Luke Bryan 8. It’s Beginning to Look Alot like Christmas by Michael Buble 7. Let it Snow by Dean Martin 6. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams 5. Candy Cane Lane by Sia 4. Winter Wonderland

by Perry Como 3. Frosty the Snowman

by Walter Rollins 2. Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helmes 1. All I Want for Christmas is You

by Mariah Carey

How the Coronavirus Affected Sports at Hopkins barrington parker Sports at Hopkins this fall such as football, soccer, cross country, volleyball, and field hockey have all changed in some sorts due to Covid-19. In this article, I will mainly be focusing on Junior School sports. Most people were concerned about kids using the sports equipment together without proper sanitation. Cross country had no worries because they were able to run while keeping a 6 feet distance. Soccer players were able to

use the balls, but not make contact with each other. Field Hockey didn’t change much because they have their own individual sticks that they can use to hit the ball. While they still had to keep a safe distance between each other, the field hockey members had fun this year. On the other hand, volleyball and football had more challenges. In football, at the start of the year we did a lot of running, but then our coaches persuaded the athletic directors to let us use the balls, while using proper sanitation. In volleyball, the girls were only allowed to pass the between two people, but at least that's more than nothing. Though we still had to keep our masks on at all times during athletics, this fall seaCONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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SPORTS

son wasn’t too bad. I’m very excited for the winter sports season to start.

While basketball is a high contact sport, it can also be fun when you are playing by yourself. I definitely wonder how swimming is going to go in the winter, because everybody is in the same water spreading their germs. I don’t know what the status for covid-19 will be when spring comes around, but I hope athletics at Hopkins will go back to normal by then.

Covid vs. Sports rocco demaio Covid has had a huge impact on major sports. This past season with all sports has been very odd--but cool--with all of the covid restrictions. It has been very hard for players, coaches and staff to make the games possible for all the fans. As a sports fan it has been very hard to have so few new highlights or games to watch.

Ever since the covid lockdown in March we have missed tons of games and seasons. The first event in March that was about to happen was March Madness which is a college basketball tournament.

It is so much fun to do a bracket and predict which team is going to win. This year, March Madness was canceled because of covid because at the time people didn’t know much about the disease and they got wor-

ried and shut everything down. Now it is late October, and since there are improvements in testing and better understanding of things like mask wearing, some sports can go forward. The NFL has done a semi normal season but coaches, staff, and fans have to wear masks. A lot of teams have had to close facilities and cancel games because they have had a lot of positive cases among players and staff. An example of this is that 13 staff or players tested positive on the Tennessee Titans and they had to cancel their game against the Steelers.

The CFB or College Football has taken measures by league. Each league has taken different approaches to the season. The SEC has gone full steam ahead with the season where the Pac12 and Big Ten took different approaches. The Pac 12 and Big Ten have just begun their season. Regardless of when they started, college football across all

the leagues has had a ton of cancellations where testing has revealed positive cases. The colleges have to be more cautious because they are dealing with liability that the professional teams don’t have as much of since their players are adults. I think the playoffs are going to get really complicated because it's going to be hard for them to make up the games.

While it has been satisfying to some extent as a fan, it has been far from a normal season for both the NFL and college teams. I hope that we can get back to normal life and sports very soon. How great would it be to wake up early and catch up on tons of highlights? To have Sundays full of NFL games, and my own personal favorite, watching Lamar Jackson passing to Mark Andrews on the Baltimore Ravens!

Go Ravens!!!

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Global Warming: A Hot Topic liliana dumas In 500 years, Antarctica could be completely melted because of a phenomenon called Global Warming. Global Warming is the gradual increase in Earth's temperature. Scientists believe that Global Warming began in the 1830s, but no activism took place until the 1990s, nearly 160 years later. Global Warming is caused when carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses are trapped in the atmosphere, known as the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases can naturally occur and are essential for life because they stop Earth from being frozen, but too many and Earth’s temperature skyrockets.

Causes of global warming There are many causes of Global Warming, most of which come from humans and a few that are caused by the Earth. The major cause of Global Warming is fossil fuels: oil, coal, and natural gasses, things that people use every day for various things such as electricity, heat, driving, and manufacturing. In the U.S. 81% of total energy comes from fossil fuels. Another major contributor to Global Warming is deforestation. Plants absorb carbon dioxide because it helps them grow. When they are burned or cut down, all the carbon dioxide that was residing inside of the trees gets released into the atmosphere, creating more of a greenhouse effect. One cause of global warming that we can’t change

Graph Credit: Wikipedia Commons Caption: Since the year 2000, global temperatures have been rising at an astounding rate.

is volcanic eruptions. When a volcano erupts, lots of volcanic gases are thrown into the atmosphere. Some of these gasses, such as volcanic carbon dioxide, contribute greatly to global warming; while others, mainly sulfur dioxide, help to cool the Earth.

Effects of Global Warming The Earth is warming, but what does that mean, for not only humans but the entire planet as well?

Many species are going extinct because they can no longer survive in the new climate of their home.

Polar bears, koalas, leatherback sea turtles, monarch butterflies, and even coral are going to die because of global warming, and this is just a fraction of the list. Humans will also have less space to live. By the year 3000, the California beaches will be underwater and tens of thousands

of houses will not only be flooded but completely under sea level.

Even though the sea level is rising, the Earth is still drying out due to evaporation. This is causing many plants and animals to die. Many of the plants dying are vegetables and fruits, creating a food shortage for humans and animals. Not only is global warming going to cause humans and animals to die in the future- it is causing them to die now.

The extreme temperatures that are a result of global warming are causing an increase in forest fires all over the world. Forest fires killed 3,700 people in the U.S.A in 2019 alone.

Since the California forest fires have started in 2020, over 50,000 people have been displaced. Humans aren’t the only ones being killed and losing their homes from forest fires.

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GLOBAL WARMING

Many animals are losing their forest homes and dying from forest fires.

What We Can Do The Earth is warming, but what can I do? One of the leading causes of global warming, burning fossil

fuels, can be eliminated by using renewable energy sources. Some examples of how you can do this is by using solar panels, using the wind for electricity and small scale hydro-power. Instead of using your car to travel short distances, you can bike or walk. Recycling can

stop new products from having to be produced in factories, and can also help stop Global Warming. The most important thing that anyone can do is to tell others about Global Warming and its effect on our earth.

We can’t stop Global Warming alone, but we can stop it together.

Vaquita (Phocoena sinus) The Vaquita is a species of dolphin found only in the northern gulf of California. There are no more than 10 individuals left making it the most rare known marine species in the world. It can grow up to 5 feet long and weigh up to 120 pounds.

This porpoise wasn't discovered until 1958 and since then the population has been rapidly decreasing due to fishery bycatch where more than 1 in 5 Vaquita are entangled in nets and drowned. If fishery bycatch doesn't stop soon in California, the species is going to be extinct by 2028.

3 Critically Endangered Species Running Out of Time Amelia Hudonogov-Foster Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) The Amur leopard is one of the most endangered species in the world. With a population of 84, it is critically endangered. It was largely poached for its beautiful spotted fur and sold for high prices in villages around their habitat, such as Barabash, where they also hunt the leopard's main prey, Roe deer and Sika deer for food and money. The rare species has adapted to life in the temperate forests of eastern Russia.

They live for 10–15 years in the wild and like other leopards, can run up to 37 miles per hour. They weigh 70–105 pounds and have also been reported to be able to leap 10–20 feet. The Amur leopard is a solitary animal though recently males have been spotted staying with females after mating and sometimes even helping bring up their young.

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ENDANGERED

Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) The Cross River Gorilla is a Primate and a critically endangered subspecies of the weastern gorilla.

There are only 200–300 individuals left. Cross River gorillas are scattered in about 11 groups across the lowland and rainforests of Cameroon and Nigeria. They are 4–5 ½ feet when standing upright and weigh up to 440 pounds. The hunting and killing of gorillas is illegal in Cameroon and Nigeria, and enforcement of wildlife laws are in place. Still there is some illegal hunting and any decline in the population has a huge impact on the species. Even with many government efforts, the population is still decreasing.

Autism Awareness mia callot What is Autism or ASD? Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder is a wide array of challenges kids, teens, and adults face day to day, whether it be with social skills, communication, repetitive behavior, and/or concentration problems. Autism is a spectrum which means that there are different forms of Autism and not all who suffer from Autism are the same. Some kids may not be able to withstand bright lights, some may not be able to speak, and some may not be able to focus. According to the Centers for Disease Control,

Autism affects an estimated 1 in 54 children in the United States today.

This means that of all children in the US, about 1.5 million kids have Autism. Autism is not contagious

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AUTISM

at ages between 1–5. This is because parents generally bring them into a pediatrician because they are not speaking or they are showing unusual behavior for a toddler. From personal experiences, Autism can create challenges and really affect a person's academic progress, or their ability to create friendships and relationships.

My brother (who has Autism) tells me every once in a while about how he gets weird looks from people and how people don’t want to hang out with him. One time in particular, my brother came home from school with a pink note from the principal. He said that he got in trouble for swearing in class. This didn’t seem like him so I asked why he did it in the first place. He told me that his “friends” said that they were cool words and that he should say them to the teacher. When he was sent to the principal’s office, my brother didn’t know how to tell her that his friends told him to say that.

I was infuriated but also filled with sadness. My brother was getting taken advantage of because he didn’t know what was right or wrong. He just wanted his friends' respect. That was a changing point for me and the anger that built up inside of me led me to start writing about Autism awareness and how we shouldn’t take advantage of or discriminate against others just because they are different. Any person with an Autistic family member can say that they feel terrible when that family member gets discriminated against

for having a mental disorder that they can’t control. That is why I am writing this article. I want to help stop the hate towards disabled kids and my first step is to share my experiences with Autism. My brother is the sweetest boy out there and I love him more than life itself. He cares for me, steps up for me, and even sees me as a loving big sister rather than the annoying big sister.

He doesn’t deserve the hate he faces and neither do all other Autistic kids in this world. They face hard challenges everyday and still overcome them with smiles; they are human too, so why should they receive horrendous comments about how they are different? Disabled kids are just as human as us, the only thing that sets us apart from them is a closed

mindset. With an open mindset and a little kindness, we can make a difference. A little information can make a big difference.

If you would like to learn more about Autism and Autism awareness, search up my name Mia Callot or if you’d like check out my book Let’s Celebrate Autistic Kids by Mia Callot.

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The Search for Alien Life; A Paradox HENRY WEINSTEIN The universe is big, like really big.

From what we have observed, the universe is 93 billion lightyears in diameter (each light year is 10 billion kilometers.) But is there other life out there? Well, probably. This is known as the Fermi Paradox.

When looking for Alien life, you have to find some specific things.

A planet will need to be part of the habitable zone, a distance from it’s homestar that makes it the right temperature to support liquid water, something instrumental to supporting life. Aliens might be able to breathe in different types of gas, so oxygen might not be important.

But let’s talk about what the Fermi Paradox is. It is the idea that the universe is so vast and spaced out that with our technology, it would take millenia to reach other places.

The fastest known speed is light speed, 670,616,629 miles per hour to be certain. Even at this speed it will take 4 years in order to reach the nearest star in Proxima Centauri. In other words it is very hard to observe possible life because, well, we can’t reach it.

But, we do know that there definitely is some sort of life out there.

When the universe is so big, there has to be at least somewhere in the habitable zone with liquid water in some galaxy. So if there are really aliens out there, where are they?

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There are a couple answers to this. There might even be life in our Solar System, with the Perseverance Rover landing on Mars in a month or two, we could discover potential sources of previous water and maybe micro organisms that live underground. We could also try Cassini 2, where we send a rover to Saturn’s moon Titan to put an R.C.V in whatever liquid lies underneath its ice and potentially discover life. But how about out of our solar system?

Proxima Centauri B, a planet within the habitable zone of the previously mentioned Proxima Centauri. It is likely rocky and could be a potential source of Alien life. And we have an idea of reaching it. In order to take pictures of the planet, we have Breakthrough Starshot, where small spacecrafts made out of a big solar sail are beamed by a laser on Earth propelling it at 20% the speed of light (137,123,325 mph) reaching the planet in a minimum of 20 years.

For humans to get there it is a different story. Using the concept of a generation ship, we might be able to get some human colonists there.

We just need a spacecraft capable of reaching there in a few generations, and that is Ghost. Part of project Icarus, Ghost uses fusion power, which hasn’t been fully developed.

Pellets are shot into a fusion chamber where they get bombarded with lasers, compacting them and then one final beam will shoot out of the back thruster. If we can do this multiple times at once, we could reach a speed of 2.3% light speed, reaching Proxima B in 168 years. Though that

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seems like a long time, we would have a generation ship for that. It’s mainly a self-sustaining pod that can produce for itself, making food, generating or recovering water, and likely spinning rooms to apply gravity. So in conclusion, alien life is out there, it’s just, we haven’t found it yet.

Paradox Resolved?

HENRY WEINSTEIN In addition to the Fermi Paradox, there is the Great Filter. A filter is known as an event that could cause extinction to the planet or could make life there nearly impossible.

We’ve survived filters like a continental meteor, a Super Volcano and possibly even Nuclear War! Climate change is a filter that we have not conquered yet, but hope to in the future. But what if there is another filter, one that can’t be conquered?

This is the Great Filter, a theory that is unconquerable. Earth is relatively young, only 4 billion years old. It has about 1 billion years left before the sun swallows it whole. Hopefully in that time we would have made it somewhere else or we have already been taken out. Aliens could be a lot older than us and have already been hit by a great filter; it might be on it’s way as well. The only somewhat accurate theory is the Vacuum Decay theory, where the Higgs Field (what gives particle mass) is actually CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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PARADOX

meta-stable and could be damaged, making what is known as the big rip, eradicating everything it touches.

This is only a theory and could not even happen, and even if it did, it’s only expanding at light speed, very slow on a universal scale and might never reach us.

So how can we beat these paradoxes? Well there are some answers. There might be life in our Solar System, and with the Perseverance Rover on its way to Mars ready to discover possible evidence of water, we may have bacteria on the red planet. We could also look at Titan, Saturn’s largest moon that contains water ice, and under could be liquid water, a key for survival.

There is also Breakthrough Starshot, where a bunch of small space crafts are beamed to Proxima B at 20% the speed of light by a laser on Earth,

reaching the planet in a minimum of 20 years. In order to populate the planet, we would have to use the concept of a Generation Ship, a self-sustaining spacecraft that can last multiple generations. It would take advantage of aquaponics for food and would likely have spinning rooms to apply gravity. It would also have to be energy efficient, allowing it to last multiple centuries. Ghost, which you might have just read about, is what people might think could be the answer using the most efficient energy in the world, fusion power. It is the same concept as our sun, splitting two nuclei, and fusing then together to make it have a larger mass. The only problem is we haven’t made one yet. Ghost uses a different concept of this. Small fuel pellets are shot into a fusion chamber. It is then shot by lasers

compressing the pellet, then a final laser beams it out of the spacecraft producing thrust. If we make a habitable spacecraft to put on Ghost, we would have a generation ship, but it proposes two problems. Again, we haven’t been able to do this successfully and it’s massive, 20 times the size of the international space station, meaning it would be extremely difficult to assemble it. This sort of solves our Fermi Paradox but what about a great filter, like a deadly gamma ray burst? If something this dangerous were to happen we would know about it in advance, but how would we avoid it? An answer might be a Stellar Engine, a craft that would be able to move our sun, taking all the planets with it because they are locked to it by gravity.

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We also have a way of classifying aliens, the Kardashev Scale, which measures how advanced an Alien civilization is. A type one civilization can use all the resources possible given to them on their home planet.

A type 2 civilization can take advantage of everything in their system, likely having colonized other planets in their system and taking advantage of their home star. A type 3 civilization is capable of taking advantage of multiple systems and their stars. Currently we are at type 0.87, hopefully reaching type 1 in a few decades.

However, there is only one plausible solution we could do now with our existing technology: the Shkadov thruster, a massive ellipse as thin as a red blood cell. It works like this; if you were to hold a flashlight in front of you, we would be slowly moving, since the sun is a lot brighter with a lot more photons being emitted, the process would be faster. The Shkadov thruster is actually a massive mirror, reflecting the light moving the sun. It wouldn’t get pulled in by gravity because the Sun’s radiation would constantly push it upwards. But now there is a better solution, the Caplan thruster and the Dyson Sphere. The Dyson sphere is a proposed swarm of mirrors that collect electromagnetic forces and solar flares and convert

that into energy. It would beam it to the Caplan thruster which would collect Helium and Hydrogen, putting them in a fusion chamber

and then beaming particles moving the sun. The Dyson sphere would be able to fuel our interstellar travel and maybe find Aliens.

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6 Ways to Know If You Are Playing a Real Sport CLAIRE BILLINGS What is a sport? Over eighty J-schoolers wanted to help in discovering the answer to this question, giving us some of the most accurate data we can get. According to good old Merriam-Webster, A sport is “a particular activity, (such as an athletic game) so engaged in.”

This is such a vague definition that people have made up specific “rules” so that one might be able to decide whether or not something is a sport.

For example, some say a sport has to be competitive. Others say that it must involve physical activity. Some say it must be something you have a strategy for.

The Olympic Games are often considered the standard for what is and isn’t a sport. Does that mean that if your sport is not in the Olympics, it is not a sport? According to the J-school community, no. Only 4.8% of surveyed people think that to be a sport, an activity must be in the Olympics. But, if your sport is in the Olympics is probably considered a sport by most people. Let’s take a look at some activities that are not included in the Olympic Games but are often considered sports.

Dance is an athletic activity, and there are competitive and non-competitive variants. Dancers are very passionate about their sport. One person wrote in the comments section of the form, “Dance is ALWAYS CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

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REAL SPORT

a sport AND an art,” which brings me to think that there may have been people who wanted to check multiple boxes for Dance but were not able to. Another person wrote, “Dance is a sport. Dancers put in more hours than other sports.” More than half of respondents think that Dance is an Art, with about 20% of respondents thinking that Dance is an “athletic endeavor” and another 20% considering it a sport. This data drastically changes when you look at Competitive Dance. 48% of respondents think that Competitive Dance is a sport, with only 20% of respondents considering it an Art. This data is telling us that people think that to be a sport, there must be some sort of competition involved, and athletes must be putting in significant amounts of time. What about Figure Skating and Synchronised Figure Skating?

Some might consider it Competitive Dance, just on ice.

When I originally started my form, I thought that skating would be a pretty straightforward “Yes, that’s a sport.” Upon seeing the results, I was immediately surprised.

Only 55% of respondents thought that Figure Skating was a sport.

Figure Skating is in the Olympics, and competitive, and involves time commitment. What was I missing?

I think in this case, the data might be slightly inaccurate. If participants had been allowed to check multiple boxes, the 25% of people who picked CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

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REAL SPORT

players come after me for putting Chess next to Video Games, I want you to know the reason I am putting these two together because of their similarities and not because I think both are not sports. 79% of students consider Video Games to be “Not a sport, art, or athletic endeavor” whereas 61% of surveyed think that for Chess. Chess and Video Games both have elements of sports such as competition, motivation, strategy, and time commitment, but the big deal breaker for these two activities tends to be the lack of physical activity, as most of the workout is for your brain. Nearly twice as many people considered Chess to be a sport (17% for Chess versus 9.5% for Video Games,) and there was a similar proportion for people who considered Chess and Video Games

How the Entertainment Industry Has Been Affected

by Coronavirus Cecilia Anderson The entertainment industry has been largely affected by Covid-19.

We can see this in profit numbers, the amount of entertainment being produced, and how people are reacting to the entertainment being produced.

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arts. I know that there are many passionate Chess players at Hopkins who consider their ‘activity’ a sport, and many people disagree with that.

Sports are very important to the Hopkins community, with part of our motto being “A sound mind in a sound body.” All Hopkins students are required to participate in a Hopkins sport or an approved “independent” sport. Yoga is offered as an informal Hopkins sport, despite 53% of respondents considering it an “athletic endeavor” and only 7% labeling it as a true sport. Martial Arts and Horseback riding are accepted as independent options even though people have very mixed opinions on Martial Arts (which may have been slightly incorrect data because people had to pick one and only one option).

Do we have a conclusion? Not exactly. Different situations and peo-

ple call for different answers. According to the J-school, the 6 most important factors to consider when determining whether or not someone is playing a sport are:

A number of major movies were supposed to have already come out this year such as Marvel’s Black Widow starring Scarlett Johansson, Warner Bros’ Wonder Woman 1984 starring Gal Gadot, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios’ James Bond No Time To Die starring Daniel Craig, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story starring Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler. To date, none of these have been released.

Even films which have come out this year have not hit their intended response. Disney’s Mulan received backlash regarding some of the filming location credits, decreasing

viewership and impacting its success. Thankfully Disney Plus had released Hamilton to stream in early July. The Broadway hit along with The Mandalorian and the anticipated WandaVision (expected later in the fall) boosted Disney’s revenues.

Other effects of Covid are found in the locations where people choose to get their entertainment.

Some large chain theaters such as Cinemark and AMC have seen the effects of people not coming to live movie theaters. AMC has had a 43% loss in stock and Cinemark has

1. Why are they [the athlete] playing the sport?

2. Is there physical exertion?

3. Is there competition involved?

4. How much time do they put in?

5. Does the activity require strategy?

6. Is it in the Olympic Games?

According to this formula, two people who play the same sport could have different results as to whether or not they are playing a true sport. I know that some of this data (and my interpretation) might cause debates or arguments, but remember to be sensitive to others and challenge the sport and not the person.

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ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

lost almost 75% since January. Live entertainment like Broadway has also seen a huge decline. The federal government is fighting to make sure that these stage actors can eat and afford rent, putting a strain on resources. COVID-19 restrictions are keeping people out of traditional venues. Not as many people are being allowed in the same space at the same time, making it almost impossible to make a profit for showing the show. There is also the issue with live acting of the actors catching

the virus and having to shut down again. People are trying to protect the other people both in the audience and in their families. Most people also don’t want to watch a two and a half hour long action movie with a mask on the whole time. All of these factors result in 2020 has had some of the lowest numbers in history for a lot of different outlets.

The stock prices of the affected industries will most likely go up after there is a vaccine created, but that probably won’t be before 2021.

above: A nearly empty parking lot tells the tale of Covid-19's effect at a local Movie Megaplex

With the live options closed or restricted, people are more likely to start paying for streaming services like Disney Plus, Netflix, and HBO Max rather than go see new movies in the theater. So while some businesses are having their worst year ever, others are thriving.

Sources: https://www.cnbc. com/2020/10/06/amc-cinemarkwont-close-theaters-even-asblockbusters-flee-2020.html.

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Movies to Watch for Winter Break Micah Betts Everyone’s trips are cancelled for winter break and most of us are staying home. What better way to spend your time while at home with your family then having a Christmas Movie Marathon? I sent out a survey to see what your favorite movies are to watch during the holiday season.

Home Alone? Frosty the Snowman?

Or something else? Here are some of the movies you picked.

Aaron Gruen 12th grade said “Harry Potter marathon—just a tradition!”

Julia DiMiceli class of 2025 said “Home Alone because it is Christmas-y and it is so stupidly hilarious.”

Arthur Fusscas class of 2026 said “Christmas Story. First of all, who doesn't watch this every Christmas? Second, this is a classic. Our family gets together on Christmas and watches this every year together because of the following: it is a classic, it never gets old, it's funny, and perfectly represents everything that could go wrong on Christmas.”

My personal favorites are Home Alone and Harry Potter. Home Alone fits the Christmas theme and always has me and my family filled with laughter. My mom and I also have a tradition of watching Harry Potter over winter break. Some traditions

are not even about enjoying the movie. Take The Nightmare Before Christmas; my sister and I always try to finish it but we both hate it so much and we haven't made it all the way through yet.

The whole world is kind of crazy right now so being able to watch movies with your family and keeping tradition alive are important.

Here are some other ideas: Elf, a hilarious movie about Buddy the elf who just wants to find his dad and A Christmas Carol, a movie that is guaranteed to make you feel thankful for the season.

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Photo, Micah Betts

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Festive Crossword Puzzle! anya mahajan

Across 8. Holiday that celebrates African-American cultures?

9. Name of the fourth reindeer in "Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer" 10. Common Christmas treat; red and white striped 12. Used to crack open nuts; name of a Tchaikovsky ballet set 13. Holiday on the day after Christmas?

14. Who stole Christmas?

15. Preparers at Santa's workshop

Jokes liliana dumas

Down 1. "Merry Christmas" in Spanish?

2. A common Christmas gift that not many people like? (food item) 3. A bush with distinctive red berries, used for holiday decor 4. Five ___ Rings; also a Hopkins holiday tradition 5. Santa Claus's gateway to your home 6. Lit during the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah 7. Another name for Santa Claus?

11. Name of the famous snowman in the Walter Rollins song?

14. Slender strips of foil, used for Christmas decor

Q: Why Couldn’t the pony sing a lullaby?

A: She was a little horse!

Q: How do the pickles enjoy a day out?

A: They relish it!

Q: What kind of tree fits inside your hand?

A: A palm tree!

Q: Why can’t Elsa have a balloon?

A: She will let it go!

Q: What did the beach say to the tide when it came in?

A: Long time no Sea!