2020-21 Talon Issue #4

2020-2021 Issue 4

Table of Contents Pages 1-2: Student Life Pages 3-4: Student Profile Pages 5-18: Christmas Fun Page 19: Gamer's Flight

The Curious Savage

by Luke Wilkins

The Immanuel Drama Class staged "The Curious Savage" during the first weekend of December. The play follows the events of Mrs. Savage (played by senior Elana York) and her stay at a mental hospital, while her greedy children attempt to gain access to her considerable fortune. Mrs. Savage makes new friends and teaches some valuable lessons. The production from Mr. Robbins and the performing Arts Department included lots of laughs, and maybe even a few tears.

Brains Come in Any Sheep or Size

by Shawn B. Rodgers

school’s Anatomy class, Nicole Maldonado described the unique experiment from the eyes of a person who doesn’t necessarily love the sight of a sheep’s brain. “It was fun, but I can’t look at chicken the same anymore,” as Maldonado jokingly referenced how the brain looked like a piece of chicken.

“Overall, it was a good visual representation that helped me understand the brain and how it functions.”

The brain of a sheep was dissected by Ms. Martinez’s Anatomy and Physiology class on Wed., Nov. 20, 2020.

This hands-on experiment allowed the students to explore the nervous system and the brain structure that is inside of the brain of a sheep. Senior and member of the

Immanuel Physics is on a Roll

by Riley Chastain

The Physics class has been doing experiments to better understand a given topic and to lighten up the class. Recent experiments involved calculating the coefficient of kinetic friction by pushing classmates down the hallway on a piano dolly. A highlight was when Mr. Goertzen got involved, allowing his son Jake to test the impact he would have.

Students also spun and tossed a tennis ball on a string to increase the understanding of circular motion and how the acceleration always goes toward the center of the circle. The Physics class will have more experiments like this as the pursuit of knowledge of the physical world continues.

DO YU KNOW YUBO?

by Shawn B. Rodgers

At Immanuel, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to go to school in person, but for senior Yubo Feng, who has attended Immanuel for the last two and a half years, online schooling has been the only option.

Sadly, the long lasting pandemic has prevented him from attending school in person, and he has been attending Immanuel from his home in China all semester.

When this first started, Feng did not expect to endure all the troubles that not only came with attending school online, but doing so in an entirely different country.

"This special experience is more complicated and difficult than I expected,"

as Feng also includes, “The most difficult one is the problem of time zone difference.” The time difference between the United States and China is outstanding, with China being 16 hours ahead.

Feng explained how in some cases, he has received his assignments on the same day they are due.

“When I was sleeping, you guys were in class, and after I woke up, you all went to sleep.”

This isn’t the only challenge he has faced, as there are many restrictions that make it difficult for him to have the online education he has at Immanuel.

“The network in China is almost blocked, and it is illegal to use VPN often.” The internet censorship that Feng has to deal with in China tries to limit his education with the website content it blocks and the consistent monitoring by authorities. This also has blocked him from communicating with his friends, who he dearly misses.

Feng not only misses the people of Immanuel, but coming to school, in-person, each and every day. Despite all of the struggles he has had to face, he has continued to push himself and strive to reach all of his goals that he has set before himself. “I am looking forward to life after graduation. I applied to UC universities a few days ago. I want to go back to the United States to continue my education, which is very interesting for me.” Feng went on to state that he would preferably like to attend UC Davis or UCLA, but would just consider himself blessed to be able to come back to school in America.

Art by Yubo Feng

Art by Yubo Feng

Yubo is not only a gifted student, but a gifted artist as well, as you can see from the magnificent paintings below. The detail displayed in the pieces show how Feng looks to produce works of perfection, which he definitely does. Art is a unique talent to have and Feng has taken advantage of this gift and continues to amaze others with each masterpieces he produces.

Yubo Feng is a person who has had to endure many challenges throughout the year of 2020, but remains positive and sets an example of how we should try to have the best outlook on life that we possibly can. And in the words of Feng, “May God bless you; May God bless the United States of America.

Looking forward to seeing you guys again. Take care!”

When is the most appropriate time to decorate for Christmas?

by Sienna Mehling

When is the right time to decorate for Christmas? There may be no exact answer to this hot topic, but there are very strong opinions on campus of when it is the best time to decorate for Christmas. I asked several Immanuel students from each grade as well as a few teachers when the best time to decorate for Christmas was and this is what they had to say...

Elana York (senior): “My family decorates for Christmas right after Thanksgiving, but if I would have to choose, I would choose to do it in the middle of November because I don’t like Halloween or Thanksgiving and Christmas isn’t just a day - it is an entire month. I feel like I always get distracted by finals and I don’t get to enjoy it as much, so I would rather start enjoying it earlier.”

Shawn Rogers (senior): “My family waits until the first of December because the holiday cheer starts that day. We take two days to decorate.

One day we do the outside and the next day we do the inside.”

Lucas Rodriguez (senior): “if you decorate before Thanksgiving there is something wrong with you! I feel that you should decorate after, because Thanksgiving and Christmas are two different things and so the decorations are different if you have both Thanksgiving and decorations up. It's bad because you can’t mash up two holidays together so really it’s Friday the day after Thanksgiving so that is the best time to decorate for Christmas.”

Faith Beckenhauer (senior): “The most appropriate time to decorate for Christmas is after Thanksgiving, because I think that when you decorate and listen to Christmas music it takes away the excitement of Thanksgiving. You are no longer looking forward to Thanksgiving but you skip right over and go straight to Christmas mode. For Christmas music the more you listen to it the more it gets overplayed by the time Christmas rolls around you’re sick of the same songs playing over and over and over again.”

Pesley Galpin (junior): “I think you can decorate for Christmas from November until whenever you’d like. Whatever makes you happiest. The most acceptable and realistic time is after Thanksgiving. My sisters and I decorate mid November but my whole family gets our tree the day after Thanksgiving.”

Hannah Thomas (junior): “The most appropriate time to decorate for Christmas is whenever you feel like it. Decorate in July. Decorate in January. Decorate in November.

Decorate the day of. There isn’t an appropriate time to or not to. We’re celebrating the birth of our savior which should be a celebration YEAR ROUND. There’s no rule book telling us when or when not to decorate and celebrate so it’s up to you to decide, despite what others might think. Plus, it brings lots of joy to decorate especially for Christmas so GO GET THAT SEROTONIN BABY!”

Emma Garrison (sophomore): “I would say decorate after Halloween because Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year and especially this year we could all use a little Christmas joy in our lives. Also, if it’s cold enough to wear multiple layers then it’s basically winter and Christmas time.”

Sara Larger (freshman): “Right after Thanksgiving because Christmas should have it’s own holiday.”

Leah Thomas (freshman): “The day after Halloween. Be thankful for Christmas during Thanksgiving.”

Ryan Hoenig (freshman): “Anytime after Thanksgiving because if you decorate before you are practically skipping a holiday.”

Tad Tibbett (freshman): “After Thanksgiving because if not you are skipping Thanksgiving and going straight to Christmas.”

Mr. Ayers: “My Family decorates for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving because Mrs. Ayers believes that Thanksgiving and Christmas should have their own holidays.”

Mrs. Solorio: “Well this year I’m ahead! So I normally decorate right after Thanksgiving because I have a week off to prepare and get everything ready for Christmas.

Gift Giving Guide for Girls and Guys

by Alex Hughes

Figuring out what to get people for Christmas can be the worst part of the holiday season.

It's so easy to fall down the rabbit hole of self doubt when gift giving; you wonder if they will love it, or if they will think that you are a terrible friend who doesn’t know a thing about them. It doesn’t have to be a never ending spiral of anxiety, however. Here is a list of ten reliable and easy gift options that will make sure you keep your friends and don’t waste countless hours stressing.

1. Music: Everyone likes music, but giving someone just an iTunes gift card can seem impersonal. Instead, you can get your friends merch from their favorite artists. Buy them a phone case with the artist's name on it or a hoodie with their latest album on the front. Make them a card with their favorite lyrics on it.

2. Self-Care: With the stress of school, everyone needs some time to wind down. Putting a selfcare basket together is an easy gift to give, and whoever you give it to will be sure to enjoy it. You can throw in some of Shyanna Ward’s fragrant bath bombs, Sephora’s $5 face masks, classic Burt’s Bees Chapsticks or nail polish from Target. Customize it to what your friend likes.

5. Food: No matter who you are shopping for, it is guaranteed that they love food. You can buy them a bag of Goldfish and call it quits, or you can give them something like mug cakes or DIY Bubble Tea Kits. Starbucks sells Via Instant packs in store of their legendary Peppermint Mocha Latte if your friend is into coffee.

3. Clothes: Finding clothes can seem like a slippery slope, but there are ways to ensure that the recipient of your gift will love it.

Find out their favorite sports team and get them their merchandise.

If it's a girl, get them a jewelry box or earrings that match outfits they already have.

4. Movies: While it seems like almost every movie or TV show can be found on Netflix, there are still some movies and shows that can’t be found on streaming services. For starters, The Office is disappearing from Netflix next year. You could get your friend a dvd set of all nine seasons, or you could give your friend gifts associated with their favorite movies. If they like Captain America, get them a sweatshirt or sticker with his shield on it. If they like Star Wars, get them a Darth Vader mug or Baby Yoda socks.

6. Room Decorations: Every teenager has a room. Giving decorations to your friends is a way to ensure that they will be used and not just thrown in some drawer as soon as they grow disinterested. Get your friends string lights to hang up over their bed. If your friend likes reading or has a favorite show, go online to Redbubble or Etsy and find some decorations that have quotes or pictures of the characters they love.

7. Personal Gift: If you really want your friend to know that something came from the heart, a personal gift is the best way to go. Instead of just slipping a photo inside a frame, however, buy your friend a cork board for their wall. Target sells a 23” x 17” cork board for $7.19. Print some photos of your and your friend and wrap it all together for a gift that they will remember years down the road.

8. School Supplies: If you feel like you don’t know what your friend likes outside of school well enough to get them a gift, then get them something school related! Buy a nice artsy notebook or Penco Prime Timber 2.0 Mechanical Pencils which are $14. Find a keychain that will go with their backpack or a lanyard for their keys.

9. Something Funny: 2020 has been terrible, but it's Christmas time, so life is starting to look up.

Get your friend a roll of toilet paper and a bottle of hand sanitizer. Throw together a pandemic basket filled with masks and gloves. Or you can create a gift based on an inside joke you have with your friend!

10. Gift Cards: Absolutely none of these ideas jumps out at you, there is always the gift card option. It might seem impersonal, but there are ways to make your gift seem like it came from the heart. If you get them a Starbucks gift card, throw in a mug with an inspirational quote. If you get them a Tilly’s gift card, throw in a sticker you know they will love.

Secret of the Star

by Jorja Caviness

Have you ever wondered what the star on top of the Christmas tree represents? I’ve realized I never understood the meaning behind it and when I thought about it I realized Christmas is Jesus’ birthday so the meaning behind the star would more than likely be represented during this time.

The star represents the Star of Bethlehem which three wise men, we believe how many people there were involved, followed the star for approximately 40 days to get to baby Jesus. The star was a marker for the wise men to go to and drop off their gifts to him, they put in the time to drop them off their gifts to the true King of the Jews. “After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.” (Matthew 2:9) The star also represents the fulfilled promise that God made to us and the shining hope for humanity. He would send his only son down to earth and he will take our sins completely so long as we give our life to him. The Star of Bethlehem is the light of our future.

Should Christmas Trees be Real or Fake?

by Mia Barbosa

At this time of the year, everyone is putting up their Christmas trees. There are so many options: fake, real, 12 feet tall, 3 feet tall, skinny, fat, full, sparse. The possibilities are endless. There are many reasons why the family chooses one over the other, but a really spicy argument is if a fake tree is better or if a real tree is better. There are pros and cons to both.

With real trees, many people are allergic so they don’t have a choice but to get a fake tree and they also tend to make a mess, but when you do get a real tree you get the smell of Christmas and the excitement of going to pick one out with your family. When it comes to fake trees many people like them because they are “halfway” decorated, are super easy to put up, and usually have no maintenance issues such as needing to be watered, but then you don’t get to burn them when they are all dried up, which is a very fun thing to do. Real trees are easy to

recycle, whereas fake trees aren’t so great for the environment and can sit in a landfill for years.

No matter what tree you get you still get to make them fun and suited to your family by decorating with either sentimental ornaments or more themed-based ornaments and ribbon. Now the real question is what do you like: real or fake trees?

Why Christmas is the Best

by Allison Dias

Christmas is an exciting time of year. Most people around the world say that Christmas is the most popular holiday. It’s more popular because there are enjoyable Christmas lights that light up the whole street, pleasing Christmas decorations, amusing Christmas movies, and of course good food. There’s also some entertaining Christmas traditions that bring families together. And of course we can’t forget about Christmas music that brings people joy.

This is a time of year that people let loose and have fun. “From the elaborate department store holiday windows in New York City to outrageous light displays in small towns all over the country, there's nothing quite like festive decorations to get you in the holiday spirit www.insider.com. People forget about all their problems and just enjoy the festivities.

There are a lot of Christmas traditions that we can’t get away from. You get to decorate the tree with your family, make cute Christmas cookies, build gingerbread houses, and some families have an elf on the shelf. If you don’t know what an elf on the shelf is, it’s an elf that you or a family member moves around the house. The elf reports to Santa if the children have been good or bad. It’s especially pleasing for the little ones.

Christmas movies are also a big part of Christmas.

So many movies have been made just for this holiday season. Of course we have the good ol’ Hallmark movies that pull on the heart strings and are sentimental, but we also have the comical movies like The Grinch and all the Home Alone movies. The top Christmas movie is Elf. “Buddy the Elf’s adventures with his New York family are sure to delight the whole family, and you’ll be quoting some of the movie's best lines well past Christmas Day” says www.today.com.

Elf is a good movie to watch with family and friends.

We can’t forget about Christmas music. “From holiday classics like "White Christmas" to modern jams like Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You," you can rely on your favorite radio station (or your own playlist) for the best, most spirited Christmas music” says www.insider.com. Christmas music is huge for people. People don’t wait until December to start listening to Christmas music; they start in late October or the beginning of November.

Overall Christmas is just a good time to sit around with family and friends to reminisce about old memories and also a good time to bring out the photo albums.

Christmas time is filled with comfort food that makes you feel happy and at peace. Christmas food is one of those things that keeps people calm throughout all of the craziness.

Between Black Friday and Thanksgiving, there is always Christmas cooking and baking to look forward to, and those traditions are closely tied to the people we share them with. What is your favorite Holiday dish or dessert?

Sweet and Scrumptious Treats

by Sarah Nath

“I don’t have a favorite dish but I do have a favorite dessert - they are shortbread cookies.” Junior Riley Chastain says that his family has made these every year since he was very little.

“I have been making sugar cookies since I was like 8 or 9 years old, and now I make them with my kids.” Teacher Mrs. Ayers said that it wouldn't be Christmas without sugar cookies.

“My dad's executive potatoes are kind of legendary in my house.” Junior Alex Hughes stated that she loves to eat them with prime rib.

“Hmm, that's a hard question. Maybe like ham,” said Senior Josh Reimer.

“My favorite holiday dessert is fudge, because my mom would always make it during the holidays,” Teacher Mr. Sorensen said.

“Ummm, white chocolate chip bread pudding!!” Sophomore Naomi Heier said “It is bomb!!”

“Pecan pie is good if you put ice cream on it,” said Freshman Jakob Percival.

“My favorite Christmas dish would have to be Christmas cookies. It’s not that they taste any different; it’s just fun to do it with your family or friends and leave it out for Santa,” stated Senior Faith Beckenhauer.

“We usually have marshmallows with yams. We only make this at Christmas time,” said Freshman Mackenzie Hernandez.

“We have just always done ham,” said Freshman Tad Tibbett.

Memory lane

by Kinslie Haltom

Traditions are passed down from one generation to the next, which is what makes them special around the holidays. Christmas traditions tend to be ones that stick in our hearts and minds forever. Every family has a twist on how they celebrate the holidays because of the different cultures that have been mixed. Not everyone has the same idea of what Christmas looks like for them. One of my favorite traditions is when we hang our stockings on the fireplace. Each stocking was handmade by my grandmother which makes them all the more special. We also every year take pictures with Santa and my mom frames them each year and puts them all around the house. We never skip our pictures with Santa. We have had a photo for the past 18 years. Many people celebrate differently for many reasons, especially when they have different backgrounds. I was able to interview a few students on their family traditions during the holidays.

What kind of holiday traditions does your family have?

Jonah Tolpezninkas (senior) - “Instead of opening stockings on Christmas morning we have something in our stocking every day starting the 12th of December”.

Anastasia Stevens (freshman) - “My whole family celebrates on Christmas Eve at my grandma’s house instead of on Christmas day.”

Lily Atmajian (freshman) - “On Christmas morning we open our presents and we have a special breakfast like cinnamon rolls."

Winston Williams (senior) -” We go to my tia’s house on Christmas Eve with all of my cousins and we all open presents together."

Rohila Mamatkulova (freshman) - “Back in Uzbekistan we used to celebrate Christmas on New Years because we weren’t able to celebrate on Christmas day.”

Sienna Mehling (sophomore) - "On Christmas eve my whole famly gets together and we play a game called left right center.

Do you have any cultural traditions that your family celebrates?

Winston Williams (senior) - “Every year we eat either tamales, pozole, Albondigas, and we also have Mexican hot chocolate.”

Jonah Tolpezninkas (senior) - “ My dad makes this Lithuanian cake only for special occasions such as Christmas” Rohila Mamatkulova (freshman) - “We make traditional food called osh which is rice, meat, and vegetables.”

Lily Atmajian (freshman) - “We usually have a Thanksgiving meal and replace some of the dishes with pilaf, cheese boreg, and paclava.”

The holidays are a sweet time that will always be remembered even years later. It is traditions like these that make these memories unforgettable.

Freshmen Rohila Mamatkulova

The Nightmare Before...Christmas?

by Luke Wilkins This time of year, it is essential to watch a classic holiday movie. “Elf”,” the Santa Clause”, “Polar Express” even. But there’s one that stands above the rest when it comes to controversy.

“The Nightmare before Christmas” is about Jack Skellington. Jack always puts on extravagant shows every year for Halloween to scare children, and he is very skilled at it. One fateful day, Jack stumbles upon a door that takes him to Christmas Town, where Santa Claus and his elves work on making toys for the upcoming Christmas. Jack discovers a new love for Christmas, and he tries to make it into his own new holiday. This causes many to question Jack, but he tells them about their ruler named “Sandy Claws” and they soon join in on the Christmas fun. Chaos then ensues.

But here’s the real question: Is this Movie a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? Now, this film definitely has the elements of both. It is Christmas-y enough to be a Christmas movie, and it is scary enough to be a Halloween movie.

When first looking at the main characters, such as a talking skeleton, walking and talking corpses, a Frankenstein-like woman, and Oogie Boogie the Boogeyman, someone might think this is a Halloween movie. These are all Halloween type characters. You can also argue that Jack’s tiredness with the same routine of Halloween every year is what drives the film's plot, thus making it a Halloween-centered movie.

On the other side, you could argue that since the movie also largely focuses on Christmas and what Jack wants to do with it is what makes it a Christmas movie. The plot mainly revolves around the Halloween residents’ preparation for the holiday, and Jack’s new obsession with it. And the addition of Santa definitely adds to the Christmas element.

Throughout the movie, characters’ motives and actions can be seen as motivated by Christmas.

So, what kind of movie is it? Well that’s a good question. That answer is up to interpretation, but you might want to keep an open mind. You can come up with the answer yourself, just don’t tell anyone else what you think so you don’t start any fights.

How to Not Ruin Christmas Is there a more iconic winter setting than a sofa, a blanket, a hot beverage, and a Christmas movie on the television? Not really.

Christmas movies are mainstays in American culture and there are some movies that are legends in the film industry. Films like these include “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, “Elf”, and “It’s a Wonderful Life”. These are just a few of the absolute masterpieces directors have produced to match the Christmas theme, and it’s just a mere sample of the total amount of Christmas movies that have been made. There have been a boatload of Christmas movies that have been made to try to capture the Christmas spirit and bring it to the big screen. However, a good amount of these fail miserably.

Here’s a few of the movies you shouldn’t watch if you’d like to not be scarred and have Christmas ruined.

An American Carol: This movie suffers from every sickness in the movie industry. Bias, lack of humor when it attempts to have some (humoritis), among many others.

The main character, Michael Malone, gets visited by President John F. Kennedy who tells him that 3 ghosts will come and instill a patriotic spirit into his soul. The 3 ghosts idea is straight from “A Christmas Carol”, where 3 ghosts visit Scrooge, but this is much worse. Scrooge is an absolutely legendary character who displays the idea of the “Christmas spirit”, but the only spirit in this movie is liquor.

by Riley Chastain

The Nutcracker in 3D: What a better way to start than with the biggest stinker of them all. This movie got a perfect 0 by the acclaimed movie critique company, Rotten Tomatoes, and with excellent reason.

The Nutcracker is a weird Christmas tradition but a fun one nonetheless.

The Nutcracker always brings charm with his everlasting screaming face, tall stature and geometrically sound hat, and he adds another dimension to the Christmas spirit.

This doesn’t. Don’t watch it. It’s a shambolic take on a Christmas oddity.

Christmas with the Kranks: This statement should send the most frigid of shivers down your spine and if it doesn’t, just wait. The plot is based around trying to have a “different” Christmas by going to the Caribbean, but then getting dragged back into having a normal Christmas by their neighbors. It’s weird and sounds terrible, but it is possible to take a bad idea on the surface and translate it into a good movie, but that is not the case here.

The film featured Tim Allen. I wonder why he’s limited to one show now.

Black Christmas: Black is not typically a color associated with Christmas, and for good reason.

This movie is from 2006 and was a remake of the original 1974 version of the movie. And oh my, did they screw it up. It’s a slasher film, suggesting horror and gore but with it being a film, it should have a plot. The plot is weak and it’s blood and nothing else. The movie genre is horror and it truly is an abolition of any common sense.

Christmas is supposed to be a happy time for people across the world, but if you watch these movies, it will be a terrible time. Do not let these movies ruin your joy.

Luckily, these movies aren’t available on the major streaming sites, like Netflix. But they are on Prime Video. Be careful and show restraint. Merry Christmas.

Gamer’s Flight Issue #4: The Best Winter Levels

by Josiah Light

As we near Christmas, many games are being held back till the new year. As I don’t have any new games to do a review on, I am going to go over a few levels that have a chilly theme to them to keep my spirits up. (Note: This is not in order of best to worst, I just remembered them in this order.) #1 Shiverburn Galaxy (Super Mario Galaxy) Super Mario Galaxy has a wide variety of galaxies in it, but one of the highlights is Shiverburn Galaxy in the bedroom. This galaxy combines two polar opposites and puts them together in one flawless galaxy. You’ll go from climbing an icy mountain to jumping over lava pits. At the end is a fast-paced course involving the ice flower and some very hot lava pits. #2 Snowpeak Ruins (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess) The Zelda series is known for being a bit on the short side when it comes to winter-themed dungeons.

Twilight Princess’s Snowpeak Ruins fixes that with an enjoyable dungeon. Before you even get to the dungeon, you slide down to it on a sheet of ice. Once there, you see that it’s a massive mansion for a yeti couple. After that, you work your way through finding ingredients for a soup that heals your hearts to a competitive degree against the health potions. The only complaint I have is the mansion can be a bit hard to navigate, but other than that, this is always an enjoyable level to go through.

#3 Freezeezy Peak (Banjo-Kazooie) Freezeezy Peak is the only winter level here that actually has a Christmas theme to it. In this level, players will help a Christmas light get back on the tree, fly through a star, as well as a race up a snowman scarf. While the level is a bit on the confusing side, it’s the perfect one to play as preparation for Christmas. #4 The Glacial Peak (Super Smash Bros Brawl) Those of you who have played Subspace Emissary might be confused as to why this auto scroller is on the list.

However, the content is the prize. As either the Ice Climbers or Meta Knight, you climb this frozen mountain while evading attacks from enemies. At the top, there’s a boss battle between Meta Knight and Lucario. This level is a fun climb with an amazing boss fight at the end.