December 2012 PULSE

Reeds Spring High School

December 2012

Boy’s Coach Barry Yocom Seeing past the challenges of transition?

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! t h g i N t n e l i S Oh,

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December 2012

In This Issue Features

10 1212 Recap

14 Video Games

16 Coach Yocom and

our Wolves Side Stories

What Makes The Holidays?

Page 6 page 22

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24 Silver Dollar City

20 Tasty Recipes

13 Winter Fashion

21 End of the World

26 Games

22 New Years

23 Other Holidays

18 Holiday Jingles

12 Christmas Memories

8 Christmas Destinations

25 Final Thought

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What Makes Christmas?

With the holidays around the corner, people start to feel that Christmas is finally here. So many things remind you of Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate. The slight breezes of the cold air or the snow fall; maybe having family members that only come around for the holiday has you excited. People have different ways of getting this holiday cheer.

People from Branson might truly feel it when the big Christmas tree in Silver Dollar City is up and fully decorated.

There are many symbols that come out only during this season of giving.

It’s those special items that make Christmas what it is. Seeing the candy canes stacked up on the shelves in Wal-Mart makes me think that the season for giving is upon us, as well as seeing the holiday inspired colored foods, with that classic green and red combo.

You start to see that delicious apple cider during the holidays. When your family is together, warm apple cider puts the holidays into your head. For my family though, once eggnog hits the shelves, it is a mainstay in our fridge until the very last day that it’s sold. I do not know why, but it’s one of those things that we do every year. You also start to see the fruitcakes in Wal-Mart. Another big food item that makes Christmas what it is are gingerbread cookies. Many families have their own traditions to bake gingerbread cookies with the whole family. Also, making gingerbread houses is a popular activity that really brings the Christmas spirit.

Many families get the Christmas spirit from Christmas trees. Going out to see the tall, lit up Christmas tree in the middle of town is very popular with big cities. Hearing the “ho, ho, ho” from Santa Claus sitting in his chair in a store, seeing all the kids lined up to get a picture with Santa. However, the homemade Christmas tree that you decorate with your family really starts the Christmas cheer. Going out to a Christmas tree shop with the family to pick out the biggest tree that you could fit in your house and the greenest one to make it nice and festive. Bringing it home and setting it up where you can always see it and show it off. When the family puts the Christmas tree lights on it, and the shiny

garland around the tree to give it that sparkle. Also, when your parents take out the ornaments that remind you of your childhood days. While putting on the decorations, your parents ask you if you remember making that decoration and you can remember it like it was yesterday. No matter how grown up you think you are, those moments make you feel like a kid again.

A lot of people truly get that special Christmas warmth during Christmas day and Christmas Eve. The anticipation for your presents on Christmas Eve can drive you insane. Leaving Santa Claus milk and cookies on Christmas Eve, hoping that he gives you what you want for Christmas, is what a lot of people in America do. Most of the time when you wake up breakfast is the first thing on your mind, but during this special holiday and day, breakfast is the last thing on your mind. As a young kid waking up super early in the morning to see what Santa Claus brought you for Christmas.

Running into your parents’ room and waking them up just so you could open your Christmas presents. Getting your first look at the Christmas tree with all the presents underneath, just waiting to tear through the wrapping paper. Looking at your full stocking hanging or just laying down, full of little treats. Remembering all the other times you ran down the stairs looking at your same stocking that you have had forever. While unwrapping your presents you look to see what your parents or siblings received from Santa Claus for Christmas. Then you spend the rest of the day just playing with the presents you got. Telling your friends what you got for Christmas and finding out what they got. These two days are what everybody looks forward to for about the whole year or at least until after your birthday. The Christmas cheer is at a season high during Christmas Eve and Christmas day.

All the Christmas television specials that appear, during the holiday season, that you want to watch. A Charlie Brown Christmas always comes on during the season and your family sits down and watches it together. The old Doctor Seuss’s How the Grinch stole Christmas comes on a lot for like a month and a

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Joey Longstreet

half. The new Doctor Seuss’s How the Grinch stole Christmas comes on also.

The Nightmare before Christmas also shows up a lot on the television. One of the greatest Christmas movies, Elf, gets played quite often during the holiday season. Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is one of the old time favorites of many.

All three of the Santa Clause movies are shown starring Tim Allen. The Polar Express brings Christmas cheer to almost every family that watches the movie.

Hearing the popular Frosty the Snowman song just brings a smile to anybody’s face, or watching the Frosty the Snowman movie. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a great Christmas time movie. All your favorite modern shows come up with a Christmas story themed episode to celebrate the holidays. There are a countless number of television shows or movies that you could watch to get into the Christmas spirit.

Once you start to see all the pretty Christmas lights up around town, you start to hear the wonderful Christmas music from years past. Most peoples favorites are “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Santa Baby,” “Jingle Bells,” “Let it Snow,” “Deck the Halls,” “Twelve Days of Christmas” and believe it or not there are still plenty more to listen to. You cannot forget the all the beautiful remakes of the songs for the more popular brand of music. Like when Mariah Carey sung “Santa Baby” and pretty much about everybody loved it. Plenty of these songs come from the Christmas movies like “You are a mean one, Mr. Grinch,” “Grandma got run over by a Reindeer” and most of the first songs I mentioned are involved with movies. “It is Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas,” “White Christmas” and “Winter Wonderland” are very popular songs that I almost forgot to mention. While going through town and hearing these classic Christmas songs, it just puts you in a Christmas mood.

The decorations for the holidays are very pretty and festive. The main characters of Christmas are put up all over the place. You always see the most popular of Christmas character, Santa Claus, in just about every front yard or store decorations. The little plastic rein-

s r e t t e L g n i t i r W

To Santa deer taking off with Santa’s sleigh behind them is a prominent figure for Christmas decorations. Frosty the Snowman, snowflakes, candy canes and holiday bells are all over the place in Wal-Mart and other stores. Do not forget about the decorations that you put inside your house. The Christmas wreaths that you see on just about everybody’s front door mean a lot to Christmas spirit. The most popular Christmas decoration, without a doubt, is everybody’s favorite the Christmas tree. Even families that do not have any children put up a Christmas tree and decorate it. Wrapping the garland around the tree, along with the colorful Christmas lights that light up the whole room.

Then you put the beautiful star atop the Christmas tree that shines so bright and brings Christmas cheer and spirit to the whole family.

Once you take a step outside your front door and you feel the bone chilling cold of winter. Seeing your breath whenever you breathe just walking to your car. The snow falling from the skies during the winter or at least some winters. Looking out your window and seeing the beautiful snow topping everything in your front and back lawns. All the kids hoping that it snows so school would be cancelled for the day. While driving through town on the slick and icy roads, you see children having snowball fights, sledding, or making snow angels.

Hearing the bells of the Salvation Army charity and having them ask for some donations. Hopefully you contribute to the cause once in a while when passing through the doors of Wal-Mart. Helping

the other charities during Christmas time just warms your heart, you really will not understand the feeling that you get until you give back to the less unfortunate.

Popular Christmas charities that you could donate to and help a kid are: Toys for Tots, My Two Front Teeth, Operation Christmas Child, Angel Tree, Make a Wish Foundation, Samaritan’s Purse, and the Wounded Warrior Project.

Christmas is the greatest holiday ever in my opinion. Christmas is one of those days when you really do not have any trouble with anybody. You wake up and until you go to sleep, it is

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impossible to be upset. The big thing about Christmas to a lot of families is the religious part of the holiday. You see the reenactment of Jesus’s birth and many other things involving the religious side of Christmas. The biggest thing of Christmas is the being around your family for that whole day, enjoying the holidays sitting around your house with your close family members remembering the old days. Also, receiving and giving presents gives Christmas that popular choice among the kids. Christmas is the season of giving, so do your part and donate to charity.

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s n o i t a n i t s e D s

If it’s around the holiday season in Branson, then you’re100% likely to run into traffic.

Ah, tourists! We have a love/hate relationship with them. They overrun the town, but they keep it alive. Without them, Branson wouldn’t be what it is today. Branson use to be in papers for their decoration. It’s a family friendly town!

I was at Starbucks a while ago and I’ve never had to wait so long. The employees were obviously stressed out, but tourists help business. They’re benefitting this town more than we realize! However, there are plenty of other places you can go for the holidays!

Some cities shine brighter during the holidays; some glitter with thousands of lights!

Here are the top 10 Christmas destinations this year:

10. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Also known as Christmas City, USA.

9. Santa Cruz, California

They may not have snow, but that doesn’t mean California is missing holiday cheer. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Santa arrives by train to the Santa Cruz boardwalk. Visitors can hop on the old locomotive and ride along the beach, through Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, across a 1909 steel truss bridge, and through a tunnel while Santa and Mrs. Claus make their way from car to car.

8. Washington D.C.

The Pathway of Peace, leading up to the National Christmas Tree, is illuminated from dusk until 11 p.m. One tall blue spruce and 56 smaller trees - representing the holiday spirit of the 50 states, five territories, and District of Columbia - are planted in the grassy area south of the White House. There is also a National Menorah on the White House grounds during the eight-day Chanukah celebration. While in town, stop by ICE! at the Gaylord National, featuring ten colorful scenes sculpted from two-million pounds of ice.

7. San Antonio, Texas

Along the San Antonio River Walk, approximately 122,000 lights form a twinkling canopy over a riverside path. Over 150,000 people gather here annually for a one-hour televised parade.

6. Wheeling, West Virginia

Oglebay’s Winter Festival of Lights is a six-mile drive with one of the largest Christmas light displays in the country!

Even Snoopy and the gang make an appearance! Other holiday activities include the “Fantasy in Lights” Christmas parade, and a Christmas party at the Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum.

5. Las Vegas, Nevada

The Bellagio Fountains dance to Christmas music and Fremont Street is decked out in red and green. At the Winter Lights Festival at Springs Preserve, an eight-acre garden is lit with a half-million sparkling lights.

4. Asheville, North Carolina

You’ll want to have your Christmas at Biltmore, America’s largest home.

George Vanderbilt first introduced his new home to family and friends on Christmas Eve, 1895 - a celebration that is continued during “Candlelight Christmas Evenings” at Biltmore today. The estate is decorated with dozens of Christmas trees, miles of garland, countless strands of white lights, and thousands of ornaments. Step back in time in a ballroom where dancers dressed in vintage attire glide through the room.

3. Orlando, Florida

With daily parades and spectacular light shows, celebrating the season at Disney World is one surefire way to feel jolly.

Stumble into Disney’s Street of America and watch a spectacular light show, dramatically choreographed to holiday music. There is also Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, nightly fireworks, a snowfall on Main Street, plus all the attractions that make Disney special all year round. For both young and old people, joining in the holiday spirit at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is an unforgettable experience

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2. New Orleans, Louisiana

Christmas in New Orleans is a monthlong festival celebrating Papa Noel.

Every corner of the city comes alive with glowing lights, festively decked out streetcars, and candlelit caroling. Take a tour of decorated antebellum homes, listen to the sounds of riverboat caroling cruises, catch a special Christmas theater performance, shop along the French Quarter, or sit back and enjoy the view on a carriage ride. There is also a traditional lighting of a 12-foot menorah at Chanukah at Riverwalk, as well as several New Year celebrations throughout the city.

1. New York, New York

The City That Never Sleeps can’t be topped during the holiday season. It seems as if every street and window in Manhattan is decorated in dazzling displays. The mere thought of Christmastime in New York brings up images such as the high kicks of the Rockettes at the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, window shopping at Macy’s or Saks Fifth Avenue, and taking a spin around the Rockefeller Center ice rink. For some more off-the-beaten path things to do during the holidays, check out the Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History or give cross country skiing a shot in Central Park. Even with the cold wind blowing, there are endless ways to get into the holiday spirit in New York. Going to NY is definitely on my Christmas list!

Well, there you have it, the top 10 Christmas destinations. Choose wisely! Maybe you’ll be perfectly content staying here in Branson, MO.

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2012 R

From movies to politics, science and gadgets, a lot has happened this year. Big changes are coming and expectations are high for today and years to come.

One of the most celebrated events this year was the Olympics, held in London, England. The Opening Ceremony took place on July 27th and was inspired by the play “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare, with performances by legends such as Paul McCartney. It ended on August 12th with the Closing Ceremony, with performances from a variety of artists. The USA dominated in the total medal count, followed by China and then Great Britain. Michael Phelps won four gold medals and two silver, making him one of the top athletes of 2012, and of all time for that matter. The Fantastic Five gymnastics team made history as they took gold and Gabby Douglas became the gold medalist for the all-around gymnast. Usain Bolt, yet again, blew all the competition away in the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m races. He continues to hold the world record for all three races from when he established them in the 2008 Olympics. His team and he broke

the 4x100 world record for a second time in the 2012 Olympics.

The Super Bowl XLVI was played on February 5th. The New York Giants beat the England Patriots for their second Super Bowl victor within the last five years. It was viewed by 111.3 million people, making it the most watched event of television history. Madonna headlined the half-time show with the help of Nicki Minaj, MIA, Cee Lo Green, and LMFAO.

So many movies have been successful this year! The Hunger Games, based off the book by Suzanne Collins, was extremely anticipated. Fans can’t wait for the second movie, Catching Fire starring Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson to come out.

The release of The Avengers was also pretty huge. The Avengers is an action packed adventure of all the super heroes that we already love starring Robert Downey Jr., Christ Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner. Following the successful super hero movie was The Amazing Spider-Man starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, and The Dark Knight

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Rises starring Christian Bale.

Unfortunately, not all that has happened in 2012 has been exciting.

Whitney Houston died at the age of 48 on February 11th. She was found in her hotel room the night before the Grammys, but experts are not sure what caused her death. Neil Armstrong, commander of Apollo 11 and the first man on the moon died on August 27th at the age of 82. There was the largest power outage in world history at the end of July.

The power outage left 620 million people in India without power. There’s also the end of the world prediction on the twenty first of December. There was even a movie made, 2012 directed by Roland Emmerich, to show what could happen.

Fortunately, NASA and other credible scientific sources have proven that the world most definitely will not end. It is just another meaningless prediction.

New albums are constantly coming out and new artists are always on the rise. A few of the albums that were released this year are The Fray (Scars and Stories), Fun. (Some Nights), One Direction (Up All Night and Take Me

Home), Nicki Minaj (Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded), Jason Mraz (Love is a Four Letter Word), Usher (Looking 4 Myself), Justin Bieber (Believe), Maroon 5 (Overexposed), Matchbox Twenty (North), Taylor Swift (Red), and Rihanna (Unapologetic). Many new styles, and quite interesting ones at that, have made the top charts this year. Songs like Ho Hey by the Lumineers and Gangnam Style

by PSY have been really popular, even though they’re not what we normally hear on the radio.

Technology improvements never stop! Apple came out with the iPhone 5 and the iPad mini this year.

The iPhone 5 has a bigger screen, is lighter, has a faster wireless network, and better graphics that are twice as fast. The iPad mini is much lighter and thinner than the original iPad. With a 7.9 inch screen, it has the same functions as the original iPad, same great camera and fast wireless internet. Features like voice command and touch screens are taking over the devices we use. Although voice command has been around for a few years, it is more accurate today than

it ever has been.

Voice command has moved to TV, computers, and even cars. Touch screens on tablets, phones, and computers have made a huge boom this year. Pretty much anyone you talk to will have something touch screen. In the future there are hopes of the touch screen eliminating the mouse and flexible screens so that you can zoom in and out just by bending the screen.

Obviously, we all know that the election was this year. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan lost the presidential election to the current President Barack Obama and his vice president Joe Biden. President Obama won the election to start off his second term with 332 electoral votes, whereas Romney had 206 electoral votes.

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s e i r o m e M s a m t s i r h C When I was younger, we used to go all out for Christmas, but since I’m the youngest in my house, Santa is more of a memory. My brother and I wrote letters to Santa, left carrots on the porch, put homemade cookies and milk out; basically anything to accommodate Santa.

Some parents go above and beyond trying to convince their kids that Santa is real. Every day after Christmas, my brother and I would get up early, run around the house and outside looking for proof that Santa Claus came. The cookies and milk were always gone and the carrots had been eaten. Everyone’s Christmas stories vary. I asked a couple of people what their Christmases were like when they were younger, and I got some pretty unique stories out of it!

One person I talked to said that they’re never really home for Christmas because they use Christmas as their vacation time. His family’s traditions are different than most. While they are on vacation they go to the pet store and pick out a pet, then they let the pet out into the wild. They’ve let mice, birds, turtles, and more go over the many Christmases. I asked around at work to see if anyone had any interesting stories for me; one guy said that his mom used to talk on the phone to his grandpa pretending like

she was talking to Santa. One time, he decided to test it, so he said “No mom, you’re not talking to Santa Claus! You’re just making that up!” Sure enough, his mom asked him if he wanted to talk to Santa. Feeling extra gutsy, he took that challenge, but when he got on the phone he heard his grandpa’s voice and was convinced that it was Santa.

Another person I asked said that their family takes a bag full of glitter and oats to put out for the reindeer so that way they can eat the oats and the glitter attracts them to the porch. Surprisingly enough, when I asked you guys what’s the weirdest Christmas gifts you’ve gotten, I pretty much got the same response all around. Those ugly Christmas sweaters from grandma; I know we’ve all gotten those, am I right? Or even socks and underwear. As we get older, though, the more we appreciate the clothes we get for Christmas. Maybe not the ugly Christmas sweaters, but who can blame us? You get this big baggy, itchy sweater with bells and Rudolph on the front and then paste a smile on your face, telling your grandma how much you love it so you don’t hurt her feelings. For the next few months every time you hear that your grandma is coming over, you put on that sweater and pretend that you wear it

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Callie Thomas all the time. No shame, I know we’ve all done it.

I personally like to be home for Christmas. It seems more like Christmas, unless you’re going to another family member’s house. A few years ago my family and I went on a cruise for Christmas, and as much fun as it was, it’s not the same as being home for Christmas.

We exchanged gifts a few days before, and we were actually in a hotel on Christmas because the cruise left the next day.

It didn’t feel the same; it didn’t feel like Christmas at all. There’s nothing better than a white Christmas at home sweet home. Eventually, it will be our turn to make our own stories and traditions, maybe you’ll be one of those people who go all out for your kids, and maybe you just want to stick to leaving milk and cookies out for Santa. Either way, you can’t really go wrong. Santa Claus adds to the Christmas spirit, he’s part of our childhood and I don’t think that will ever change. Just the same as the Easter Bunny and the Toothfairy. They’re all a big part of our childhood. Kids depend on their imaginations for a big part of their life, and when you tell them about Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the Toothfairy, they believe what you tell them because it’s something they can count on. Do you remember when you were little ever having Christmas at a random place or at a different time than Christmas, yet Santa Claus always seems to know where you are and what time you’ll be there.

That makes kids unique. If we were as pure and innocent as kids, the world would probably be a lot better place, but for now we can count on them to be like that. So maybe when you’re older, break from tradition, go all out for your kids as much as possible.

Who knows, you’ll have as much fun, maybe even more doing that for them, seeing the excitement on their faces Christmas morning.

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Final Tips Like the Pinterest quote says, “Life is short, buy the shoes.”

Turtle necks can be cute if you wear them right.

Online shopping is such a good idea this time of year.

So many stores offer free shipping and you can get clothes that are from stores a few hours away rather than something everyone else has from a store at the Landing or Tanger.

Three things I’ve learned from looking at Pinterest: boots, socks, and tights. All together. Just try it.

If you haven’t already discovered the color ‘Tiffany Blue,’ look into it. Gorgeous.

This is the time of year that plaid comes back and it’s really ok to wear it.

Pinterest is a great way to pretend you’re creative, but it’s also a great way to get new inspired outfits. It helps to recycle clothes from past trends to new trends. So just quit resisting the urge to pin.

Winter

‘Tis the season to be jolly, dress in cute (okay ugly) sweaters, and watch Christmas movies. This really is the season that you can get away with wearing ugly sweaters. Careful though, not all those sweaters are comfy…some really itch.

For some reason during the winter, people get away from wearing fashionable clothes unless they absolutely have to. If you wake up in a cold house you’re going to be more likely to want to put on sweats, a shirt, and a scarf and call it a day. Others strive to follow the saying “Dress for success.”

Outerwear Let’s take a trip down memory lane and remember all the years of outerwear and scarves. A lot of those trends haven’t really changed. If you were smart and always asked for plain colored coats, rather than some print that was in, chances are you just saved yourself about a hundred dollars. Puffer coats have always been a favorite for many; personally I can’t pull it off. I feel like a marshmallow. If you’re one of the majorities that can pull it off and not feel like you should be roasted over a hot fire, then opt for the fur around the hood. It may sound like a ‘now’ trend, but let us be honest, it’s been around forever. Just because you wear faux fur doesn’t mean

you’re an animal hater. Fur coats are so warm and look so luxurious, and if you get the actual fur, they last for so many years and sometimes even generations if you take care of them. Or if you’re a little more stubble, just go for a fur collar.

Long pea coats look absolutely adorable, especially if you have a dress, leggings, and booties with it. A favorite brand of many is North Face.

Colors If it looks like a tree in the fall, you have to let it go. Don’t keep wearing fall clothes, try to transition it into winter clothes. Can you still wear almost all the pieces you wore last season? Of course, just don’t make it a super earthy tone.

People tend to wear darker colors in the winter so try to add some kind of pop of color; red is the most popular for this season. White always makes me think of snow, another great color for the winter.

Fifty Shades of Grey is not just a book.

Grey… on grey… on grey… with a hint of white is really cute. Don’t listen to what other girls say, black and brown really can go together if you do it right. Example, black leather with a crème colored shirt under. Be careful about how much animal print you keep buying. Yes it’s in right now, but how much longer will it be?

Dressing for the Occasion

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Fashion

This time of year brings snow, food, presents, and holiday parties.

Dressing for the occasion is always difficult during the winter months, due to snow and seeing relatives you really don’t know. Some questions may come to your mind such as, “Am I overdressed? Do I look fat? Why did I wear UGGS?” Well, first of all, unless it’s family that you see all the time and you’re not planning on doing much, you should never wear UGGs to a family gathering.

Yes, they’re comfy and warm but wearing some nicer shoes for five hours won’t kill you. Going out to dinner with your boyfriends family is a totally different thing though. For some reason their whole family is just looking for a reason for you to mess up, even if you really think his mom loves you, you still need to make sure to be on your A game. This means dressing in a sweater dress, tights, and boots. Wearing this will show them that you’re not trying too hard but at the same time you respect them enough to try to impress them or dress to their standards.

Sparkly dress for a New Year’s party is a yes. A million times yes. New Years is that day of hope that 2013 will be a year full of success and happiness. What better way to start the year than in a cute sparkly dress?

s w e i v e R e m a G o e Vid

James McFerron

It is getting close to Christmas and that can mean only one thing: the year’s biggest and best video games are coming out. This time I was able to get my hands on three incredible games.

The games are Assassins Creed 3, Halo 4, Just Dance 4 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Will these games fulfill everyone’s desires of the perfect game or fall short and be a disappointing entry in each of these incredible franchises? Here are my reviews of these games.

Assassins Creed 3 Rating: 8 out of 10 I have never really been a huge fan of the Assassins Creed games. For some reason they just never clicked with me, but when I played Assassins Creed 3 I was happy to find out that, through improved fighting mechanics and an interesting plot, Assassins Creed 3 was a great and enjoyable experience. Assassins Creed picks up with Desmond Miles’s story, as you are on a quest to save the Assassins and eventually the world. He now steps into the shoes of his ancestor named Connor Kenway. Connor is a Native American who, after the death of his mother, is out to avenge her and soon learns about the Assassins. During this game you play alongside a bunch of historical characters from Samuel Adams to the first President, George Washington. This is by far the most entertaining thing in the game. There will be missions where you are with Paul Revere riding through the middle of the night letting the

locals in town know that the red coats are coming. It’s moments like those that make you keep playing Assassins Creed 3. The combat though has always been an issue in Assassins Creed games, but with smoother controls, the fighting mechanics are much more fluid and fun. These are great qualities but the thing that sets this game back the most is the story. Yeah sure, the plot is cool, but there are times in the game where it feels like it’s creeping along. This happened to me at least 3 times; I thought I could possibly fall asleep because it was so boring. However, just before it gets tot boring, the game throws in an awesome mission, like the Boston tea party or getting to navigate a ship during a storm. With this being said, Assassins Creed is a bunch of fun, when it actually wants to be fun.

Overall, Assassins Creed 3 is a fun, enjoyable experience and probably the best game in the series.

Halo 4 Rating: 6.5 out of 8

After Bungie (the company that made the Halo games) announced that they would no longer be making them after Halo Reach, Halo fans were left hanging. However, after Bungie left, Microsoft soon signed over the Halo rights to 343 studios, a company that had never made a major video game. With the fate of Halo in 343 studios hands, they both improve and disappoint in the next installment of the Halo series. Halo 4 picks up where you find Master Chief, who has been in criosleep for the last 4 years. Your objective in the game is to save Cortana, Your artificial intelligence (AI,) who will soon expire and no longer work if Master Chief doesn’t save her. Other than that,

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you don’t really know why you are going from place to place shooting a bunch of bad guys trying to save Cortana. At one point you will be fighting the covenant and the next thing you know you are flying this giant ship for no reason what so ever. The story is unnecessary and I’m not sure why 343 studios tried to make a Halo game with a story like that.

With that being said, the new weapons and enemies in Halo 4 are awesome.

They have redone all the sound effects for the guns and the new weapons are challenging and entertaining. Then there is the multiplayer in Halo 4. Multiplayer is basically the same as it always has been; big maps, big vehicles and a lot of frustrating deaths. If you are not the best at Halo, you will die a lot in the Multiplayer. There’s also a forge mode where you can create your own map. This can occupy you for a while but it eventually gets old. That’s all Halo 4 really has to offer. Halo 4 is one of those games that you want to love but it just hurts more

and more each time you play it. With a little more time and preparation Halo 4 would have been amazing. I

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Call of Duty is one of, if not the, bestselling video game franchise of all time. They churn out a new Call of Duty each year and millions of people buy them. After a while, hardcore fans wanted new modes, a change of scenery, just something fresh. So when word got out that Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 was to be the next game, fans were angry with Treyarch, the company who makes Call of Duty because they thought they would receive an updated version of the old Black Ops. I am here to tell you that Treyarch has created a game that is different from previous Call of Duties and is awesome from start to finish. The weakest link in the Call of Duty games has always been the story. In this game, however, the campaign is fun and filled with many choices you must make to survive. You play as many different characters traveling to exotic locations to try and stop one of the greatest terrorists known to mankind. The best thing about the campaign though is the choices you have to make during the game. These choices can lead you down several different story arcs and each time you play the campaign it is likely that the ending will not be the same. This makes every choice critical because it can separate you from a hero or something you were out to destroy in the first place. The campaign is a fun and intense ride and I definitely recommend you check it out.

The next thing that Call of Duty has to offer is the zombie’s mode. Zombies first started out as a fun little extra in Call

of Duty: World at War, but it took off and became one of the most popular game modes. In this game, there are several different modes to choose from during zombies. The first mode is survival, which is the classic form of Nazi zombies we have all come to know and love. The next mode is called tranzit. Tranzit is a mode that requires you to travel on a bus and go from location to location trying to find parts to turn on the power switch to upgrade your weapons. Of course, while you are doing this you have to fend off endless amounts of zombie hordes. This is probably the best zombie’s mode out of all three.

The next mode is called griefing. This mode puts two teams of four players against each other and the objective is to get the zombies to attack the other team. I found this mode entertaining and fun but I’m not sure how it is going to hold up against the new transit and classic zombie modes.

Then, there’s the life and soul to every Call of Duty game: the multiplayer. The multiplayer has not changed since Call of Duty 4 came out but some cool add ons to the create a class system makes it feel refreshed and brand new. There are also new things called wild cards, where you can add an extra weapon to your gun class or a grenade or two. My only complaint about the multiplayer is that the maps feel too similar to the previous Black Ops. If you look close, the new map Meltdown feels extremely similar to the previous map Launch on Call of Duty: Black Ops. There is also the combat training mode that helps you improve your multiplayer skills so if you are in a slump online you can always spend a few rounds on combat training improving your game. Overall, Call of Duty: Black

Ops 2 is an amazing experience that has brought an aging franchise back to life.

Just Dance 4 Rating: 4 out of 10

The last game I reviewed was the new popular Kinect/Wii dance game, Just Dance 4. These games have gotten extremely popular on the Wii over the past 4 years. With the new Kinect motion sensor coming out for Xbox, Just Dance can now be played through Kinect. The biggest plus to this game is the song selection. You cover songs all the way from the 80s up to today’s hits. These songs are awesome but the way the game tracks your movement is unknown.

I once just started making random movements instead of following the dance track and scored a perfect score. This hurts Just Dance so much that there is really no point in doing the dance moves.

There is a calorie mode that has you dance a certain amount of songs and then tells you how many calories you have burned after you dance them, but that doesn’t redeem it. I’m really disappointed with what they have done with Just Dance 4 because with an awesome set list, the motion tracking completely lets down the game.

Video games are always one of the biggest items on a person’s Christmas list and hopefully these reviews help you decide which one to pick up and which ones to stay clear of. If you don’t have the money right now to buy these games, you can always head down to Party Time Video to check out these new and awesome games.

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Reinventing the game

Makenzie Mattix

We are kicking off a new year of basketball, full of changes! With a new coach bringing in new techniques and ideas, this dedicated team is sure to impress. The team of guys, ranging from sophomores to seniors, has already been through tough practices with the old school style coaching and their busy season is just getting started. Don’t forget to come out and support everyone on the team!

Barry Yocom is one of the newest additions to the Wolf Pack this year. He is the school’s new basketball coach, American government

played with guys who would go on to play in division one schools. In addition to all that basketball, he played on the football team at Central Methodist.

Coach Yocom is considered to be one of the tougher coaches the team has had. His old school coaching techniques and intense practices are whipping the guys into shape and preparing them for the competitive year to come. He even

drilled on these three main goals over and over again. In addition to the goals he expects the team to look to, he makes sure that the team knows what will not be tolerated. The Intolerables are: a lack of hustle, poor attitude at any time, poor body language, poor shot selection, excuses, uncontested shots, failure to rebound, and the lack of communication.

As Reeds Spring students, we represent our school and avoiding all of the Intolerables will ensure an impressive image for our school.

During the games Coach Yocom encourages the team to play in the present time and to stay mentally tough. He pushes the team to focus on everything they do in the game. If anyone on the team dwells on what happened even seconds before then it could hinder their skills at the present time. They should always be prepared for the next play. He has the team focus on what they can control, which is their attitude and effort (especially since a poor attitude is considered an Intolerable). Finally, Coach Yocom has the team focus on the process.

Their success is not going to happen overnight and Coach Yocom and his team know that full well.

As one of his favorite quotes says, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” If they want to come out on top they have to build themselves up brick by brick and put in all of the hard work that will be required.

After learning all of the goals and applying them, Coach Yocom says that the Reeds Spring basketball team will be set apart from the rest of the competition. If every guy invests their gave each player a play book and time and talents into their game, then teacher, lifetime fitness teacher, and has them study up on their plays so they they will start to see the results that they physical education teacher. That’s quite can prepare themselves for the games to aspire to achieve. “You get out what you the variety there, and he meets the excome. Coach Yocom has also laid out a put in. The best player won’t necessarily pectations in every area. Especially with series of organized goals and specific ex- be the best on or off the court. The guys coaching basketball, his goals are sure to pectations for his team. He has a vision have to take ownership of what they do shape the team into a winning machine! set out for his team which consists of and hopefully it will add up in the end.”

As a Reeds Spring alumnus, Coach three things: man to man defense, team Coach Yocom holds the guys on the Yocom played basketball all through high rebounding on offense and defense, team accountable in everything they do school until he graduated in 2004. Not and half-court offense that takes high because he expects them to be discionly did he play on the school team, he percentage of shots. Throughout their plined, dedicated, and responsible on also participated in traveling teams and everyday grueling practices the team is and off the court. He wants to see them

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compete and play with passion in addition to being responsible in everything they do.

Chase Caudill plays post on both the junior varsity and varsity teams and is feeling good about where the team is at so far. He says that since the year is just starting and they have a new coach everyone is still getting used to each other and all the changes. He says that Coach Yocom is a lot stricter and is really particular with everything. The coach always makes sure that all the plays and practices are done right. He keeps them in shape and conditions them so they will be ready for the games. Caudill thinks that once the team gets into the swing of things and start coming together that the year will be a really good one. They are getting past the first game jitters and are on their way to becoming a team. They had a tournament at Kickapoo recently and, after a rocky start, started doing things right and working together in the Saturday game. Coach Yocom does

agree with Chase, the team does still have a ways to go before they reach their potential. It takes a while to build a team; especially a successful one and they will have to start coming together.

Easton Flaugh plays forward on the varsity team when he isn’t being the star quarterback on the football team. He says that he is excited about this year for basketball and that things are looking up for the team. Easton thinks the year will go really well for Reeds Spring since they are working a lot harder than they ever have before. The practices are a lot tougher this year and everything is more strict and disciplined. He also mentioned that the offense is a lot different and the new plays are looking promising. In fact,

according to Easton, there has already been improvement from the first time they came together. By the time they played their Saturday game at the Kickapoo tournament the team was working together more.

As the team enters their busy seasons they are going to need the support of their biggest fans! In January there is a game on 8th against Springfield Catholic, an away game on the 11th against Spokane, a home game on the 29th against Fair Grove. In February on the 1st there is a game against Forsyth and Buffalo, a home game against LoganRogersville on the 5th, on the 8th a home game against Forsyth, on the 12th an away game against Hollister, a home game against Marshfield on the 15th, a home game against Boliver on the 19th, and an away game against Cassville on the 22nd. Come out and support your Wolves Basketball Team!

Coach Yocom ...when he 17

WAS A teenAGER

Holiday Jingles We all know that the radio stations start playing Christmas music on Thanksgiving Day. It’s a tradition that many people look forward to because it gets them in the holiday spirit.

Christmas music is one of the things that gets the festivities started and brings on that holiday cheer. There are so many classics, as well as some new songs that everyone has come to love. According to the American Top 40, there are one hundred best Christma songs of all time that must be listened to this Christmas season.

Happy Xmas (The War is Over)- Christmas (Baby Please Come The American Top 40 has also created a list of the best Christmas albums ever John Lennon Home)- U2 One of the songs recorded solely by this Beatle was this Christmas classic. It embodies the holiday spirit and is a plea for world peace, getting people into the festivities while reminding us what Christmas is about.

This classic was first recorded by Darlene made. Some of the top three songs include: Love in 1963 for the Phil Spector album A Christmas Gift to You from Phil Spector.

U2 arranged this version of the son for a Various Artists - ‘A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector’ Special Olympics benefit in 1987.

Jingle Bell Rock- Billy Idol

The Christmas Song- Nat King Another song that has been recorded by many artists, this version was done by Cole It’s a must-listen to because it’s not just a Christmas song, but also a song for the winter season. It’s a feel good song that makes warms you even in the winter cold.

Have Yourself a Merry Little ChristmasJudy Garland Fun fact: This song was first introduced to the world in the classic movie, Meet Me in St. Louis. However, the producers thought that the original lyrics were too depressing, and rewrote them into the song we know and love today.

Billy Idol in 2006 for his Christmas Album.

It was first released in 1957 and became an instant hit that is still loved by many.

Little Drummer Boy- David Bowie and Bing Crosby

This Christmas classic was composed

by Katherine K. Davis in 1941. It became popular for the arrangement by the Harry Simeone Chorale. It was even the basis for an animated TV special in 1968. But this popular version by David Bowie and Bing Crosby was made for the Bing Crosby Christmas Special in 1977.

(1963)

This album includes some of Phil Spector’s favorites including: The Crystals, Ronettes, Darlene Love, Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans. Unfortunately for the album, it had the same release day as the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and was a failure upon initial release peaking at #13 on the album chart. Over time, it has been recognized as perhaps the top Christmas album of all time.

Various Artists - ‘A Very Special Christmas’ (1987)

This was the first in a series of Christmas albums put together to benefit Special Olympics and raised over $55 million.

O Holy Night- Celine Dion Keith Haring contributed the cover art to This classic has by done by many artists this first collection. The album features a each with their own interpretation of the song. The Celine Dion version has been Rudolph The Red Nosed Rein- significant number of the top pop artists of the 1980’s including: the Eurhythmics, voted most popular by listeners. Originally deer- NSYNC composed in 1847, it has become one of This carol tells the story of Santa’s 9th Whitney Houston, Sting, and Run-D.M.C. the most recorded carols of all times. reindeer. Created by Robert L. May in 1939, the story was made into a song Vince Guaraldi Trio - ‘A Santa Claus is Coming to and popularized by Gene Autry in 1949. Charlie Brown Christmas’ Town- Bon Jovi and Bruce NSYNC also created their upbeat version (1965) in the late 90’s and it has become the Lee Mendelson, producer of the A CharSpringsteen most popular among our generation.

This song was first written in 1934 to be lie Brown Christmas TV special heard a performed on the Eddie Cantor show. recording of “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” It was instantly regarded as a favorite White Christmas- Bing Crosby by Vince Guaraldi’s Trio while riding in Christmas song and has since become White Christmas was first made into a hit a taxicab in San Francisco. He got toa classic. This version brings Bon Jovi in 1942 when it premiered in the movie gether with Guaraldi and proposed that and Springsteen together for a live per- Holiday Inn. It actually went on to win an Vince Guaraldi create the score for the formance in Asbury Park for a special re- Academy Award for Best Song from a Mo- upcoming Peanuts special. The results union show. tion Picture. This Bing Crosby version has were such a success that Guaraldi ended sold over 50 million copies, making it one up composing scores for 16 Peanuts TV of the most popular Christmas songs ever specials. made.

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Tasty Recipes!

It’s winter time; do you know what that means? Tons of food to go around! Just imagine; the family dinner complete with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy… Mmm, isn’t your mouth already watering?! This year, beat the norm by trying a few unusual recipes that are healthy and easy but will still get your taste buds more excited than a six year old on Christmas Snowy Ice Cream Vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry - the same generic flavors offered all year long. It is winter and we all know that every student and faculty member is keeping their fingers crossed for snow days!

Snow means no school, chilling in your pajamas all day, and hopefully plenty of snow covering the ground outside!

What do you do with the snow on your days off? Make snow men? Have an intense snowball fight? Maybe you build a snow fort and surround it with snow angels. Now, you can have your fun and eat it too! Make some good ol’ snowy ice cream the next times the snow gods are looking down on the Reeds Spring School District and we are out on a snow day! This so called flavor is only available one season out of the whole year, so don’t pass up your chance to savor the snowy flavor.

Ingredients: Clean snow Bowl (mixing bowl will work great) Sugar Vanilla extract Milk or cream Directions: When the snow begins to fall, place the mixing bowl outside to catch the clean white flakes for your ice cream. If you don’t necessarily want to leave your bowl out, you can go out and retrieve the snow after it has fallen. *Make sure the snow is WHITE. No yellow, brown, or other discolorations. This will add a few flavors you’ll not want in your dessert!* Nestle the bowl into the snow, if it’s not already there, to keep the bowl chilled while you make your ice cream. Add a pinch or two of sugar and a couple of drops of vanilla extract with some very cold milk or cream. Stir together and… voilà! You’ve got yourself some good, homemade snow ice cream.

Jane flavors, add a kick to your frozen desserts! By adding a hint of cinnamon, cocoa powder, or chocolate chips you have the capability to go from ordinary to a flavor-filled delight.

Begging for S’more!

Don’t get me wrong, nothing is better than roasting marshmallows for s’mores on a summer night, but who said that s’mores are only for Summer? Campfire cooked s’mores are for Summer BUT microwaved s’mores with more than your typical piece of chocolate, marshmallow, and graham crackers are for Winter!

Ingredients: Cinnamon graham crackers Large marshmallows (traditional size) Hershey’s Chocolate (depending on the S’more) Additional add-ins or substitutions Directions: Put a half graham on a plate and layer your chocolate and marshmallow, and microwave for 15-25 seconds. Add your desired “toppings” to your s’more.

Place top graham half on s’more, squish together, and enjoy!

Add-ins & Substitutions: Add-ins are items that you would top of your s’more with while still using the Hershey’s chocolate.

-Bananas, peanut butter (on top cracker), strawberries, bacon bits (this is a huge hit!), flavored marshmallows (instead of original), peppermint pieces.

Substitutions are ways to exchange the traditional ingredients for some new ones to get the same results with a different flavor.

-Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, flavored Hershey Kisses, Cookies ‘n’ Cream Hershey bar, Crunch bar, butterscotch flavored chocolate chips.

Spice it up!

If you are daring and not into those plain

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Cake Cookies Everybody makes chocolate chip cookies or gingerbread cookies for the holiday season, so break away from the norm this year! Make a batch or two of chocolate cake cookies for your friends, family, and neighbors. These cookies only have four ingredients and are super easy to make. It’s like eating a cupcake but WAY better. Enjoy having fun, getting just a little messy, and making some of the best cookies you will ever eat.

Ingredients: 1 box of chocolate cake mix 2/3 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs Granulated sugar OR powdered sugar Directions: Preheat the oven to 350°F.Mix the cake mix, 2/3 cup vegetable oil, and two eggs in a mixing bowl. *Mixing with a rubber spatula will create the best results.* This mixture will create a moist, doughy ball.

Have a bowl of sugar or powdered sugar waiting on the side, whichever you prefer.

Grab a little piece of the cookie dough ball, about the size of a golf ball, and roll it into a ball. Roll the ball in the sugar or powdered sugar. Make sure the coating is thick. Put the coated cookie dough ball on to a cookie tray. After you have covered the tray (make sure there is enough space, the cookies won’t spread out too much) you can put the cookies in the oven to bake. Set the timer for 8-10 minutes. The cookies may not look done, but you don’t want to over cook them.

When they are cooled and ready to eat, they’ll have set more but will be very moist and chewy.

Try This!

If you want to add a little more crunch to your cookie, try adding in chocolate chips, peppermint bark, or nuts. Don’t add too much because then the batter won’t even out, but feel free to make a double batch, allowing for more room to add your extra ingredients!

It’s the end of the world as we know it...

Joey Longstreet By now, everybody knows about the end of the world on December 21st, 2012.

There are believers of this foretold prophecy and there are also nonbelievers.

Some of the believers don’t even know how or why the world is going to end.

Most of them lean on the Mayan calendar as the main reason, but what are the real possibilities of the Earth blowing up or going into a black hole? Will December 21st just be a normal winter day?

Many people wonder what the origin of this doomsday prediction was.

The story goes that Nibiru, a planet that the Sumerians apparently discovered (we’re not sure if it exists,) was going to collide with Earth. It was supposed to hit Earth in May 2003, but that never happened. So, they moved the date to December 2012 and linked it to the Mayan calendar, which ends on December 21st and restarts at another period of time.

That theory doesn’t seem too likely. The scientists of NASA are very positive that the world will not end by Nibiru.

What about the theory that a giant meteor is going to hit Earth and start another ice age? People believe that there is giant meteor heading directly for Earth, just like it did 65 million years ago, and it’ll

wipe all living organisms off the face of the Earth. The Earth is always subject to a meteor or comet hitting it, but big hits are very rare. Today, NASA scientists use a survey called the Space Guard Survey to find any large asteroids that might threaten Earth long before they get close to hitting. They have already determined that there are no large asteroids threating the Earth, or at least the size asteroid that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

Will all the planets align on December 21st, 2012 and have a serious effect on the Earth? The theory about all the planets aligning to cause doomsday is not close to being likely. What might actually happen is the sun, Earth, and the center of our galaxy or the galaxy’s thick dust clouds lining up. While the sun is turning it will get closer than it ever has to a black hole that weighs 4 million times more than the sun’s mass. This black hole is 28,000 light years away, which is quite a distance away from the sun. A light year is a unit of distance, and it is approximately 6 trillion miles per light year. So just imagine how far away the sun is from that black hole. The NASA scientists say that even if the sun, Earth, and the center of our galaxy align there will be no serious effects on the Earth. The scientists have no fear of the world coming to an end by this theory.

The biggest volcano on Earth is the one in Yellowstone National

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Park. Many people believe that it is long overdue for an eruption; but is this volcano ready to erupt in 2012, and what would happen if it did erupt? Would this really cause the end of the world? If this huge volcano in Yellowstone National Park did erupt, the theory is that the smoke and ash from the eruption would block the sun and cause another ice age. This would not just cause a freezing winter but one that would last for 15,000 years. Better start buying warm clothes and prepare for the most frigid weather ever. Will the world’s largest volcano really erupt during 2012? According to researchers that have been studying the Yellowstone volcano’s activity, it has been relatively stable for the past couple of years. So citizens of the United States of America have nothing to fear about a huge volcanic eruption.

There have been a lot of doomsday predictions over the years and they have all been wrong, considering we are still living today. In 1910, the Chicago Yerkes Observatory said that the tail of Halley’s Comet had poisonous gas and when it passed by Earth on May 18, the gas would rain down upon the Earth and kill a stunning amount of people. Now, watching Halley’s Comet pass by Earth every 76 years is a special moment for people and causes absolutely no harm.

One most popular prediction was Y2K. The real belief was that all computers would glitch because when the year 2000 came, the final 2 digits would be 00, and that input would reset all the computers.

Once the hand would strike 12 on January, 2000 all electronics would fail and send the Earth into a downward spiral.

Now all of these current predictions for December 21st 2012, and past predictions, might scare some people. Very educated scientists have put their reputations on the line to guarantee the world will not end. So enjoy Christmas this year and in the year 2013.

Th e Ne w Ye a r New Year’s is probably the oldest and most popular holiday in history, and it is celebrated all over the world. It’s when everyone celebrates the ending of one calendar and the beginning of another.

Traditions of welcoming the New Year have been carried on since ancient times, and there are many different ways you can do so.

Most countries begin by celebrating New Year’s Eve on December 31st. Hotels, restaurants, clubs, and other places throw parties on that evening. Fun events and contests are held that night, too. When the clock strikes at midnight, there are usually firecrackers, and you greet everyone around you with a warm hug.

One of the most popular traditions in the United States is the dropping of the New Year Ball in Times Square, New York City, at 11:59 p.m. Thousands gather to watch the ball make its oneminute descent, arriving exactly at midnight. If you can’t make it to New York City, like most people, you can watch it on television.

It is said that eating Black Eyed Peas on New Year’s is very popular here in the Southeast. It gives you luck, and if you want luck all year, eat exactly 365 of them! Most southerners will tell you that this tradition dates all the way back to the Civil War. The story was that when Union soldiers raided the Confederates food supplies, the only thing they left behind was black eyed peas and salted pork.

The Confederates considered themselves lucky because they were left with those supplies, and survived the winter with them. That’s when peas became symbolic for luck.

Another popular New Year tradition here in the United States is the midnight kiss.

It is believed that if you share a sweet kiss at midnight with your boyfriend or girlfriend it will make the upcoming year

is Almo s t H e re .. .

incredibly beautiful for you. They believe that it washes away the bad memories and fate for you and it brings true love.

What themed this ritual is the movie “In Search of a Midnight Kiss.”

Let’s talk about traditions all over the world! First, we’re going to start off with the Greek traditions. In Greece, New Year’s Day is also known as the Festival of St. Basil, one of the founders of the Greek Orthodox Church. They celebrate by having Vasilopitta, which is an almond cake with a silver or gold coin baked

inside. Whoever gets the piece of cake with the coin inside will have extra good luck in the coming year.

Food, family, and friends make up New Year’s traditions in the Philippine’s, but there is also something interesting about the way they celebrate. It is believed that circles attract money and fortune, so they wear clothing with circular patterns on them. Some other smaller things that they do in the Philippine’s is to jump up and down when the clock strikes midnight, which could cause a growth spurt or to throw coins to increase wealth for the coming year.

Single women in Ireland believe that if you put mistletoe leaves under your pillow on New Year’s Eve, you will soon find your future husband. They say that

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it’s the best night to find the love of your life! It is also said that it brings good luck.

Now that is a way to tell your children how you found your wife or husband!

If you thought the last one was a little strange, you should know about the Danish tradition. The Danish throw breakable dishes at their neighbor’s door! As weird as it sounds, it makes them happy rather than annoying them. The family with the hugest pile of broken dishes on their front door is considered the luckiest because it supposedly means that they have the most loyal friends.

In Mexico, they believe that New Year’s is the best day to talk to the dead to ask for guidance or send them a message. This isn’t just practiced at home, it is practiced everywhere legally. There are hotels that allow you a 15 minute session for this.

This is a tradition on December 31st every year. They also have the “Day of the Dead” on November 2nd, which is quite similar.

One tradition that is celebrated all over the world is the New Year’s Resolution. A New Year’s Resolution is a commitment someone makes to themselves on changing or beginning a certain thing. These are made because people believe that it is a fresh start, and if you want to change something, you make this commitment.

The tricky part is keeping the promise. As the years have gone by, I’ve made some New Year’s Resolutions that I didn’t keep. I bet there are a lot of people out there that have done the same thing. I never really thought about how important a resolution is, but just think. Has anyone ever broken a promise they made towards you? It’s not the best feeling when someone does that. A resolution is a promise to YOURSELF, which might be the most important promise out there. I think people need to realize that.

Hanukka and Kwanzaa When I think of the winter holiday season, the first things that comes to mind is the snow falling, all the lights that are put up, and Christmas. The joy of seeing all the wonderful decorations and the jolly spirit that is all around go hand in hand with Christmas, but what you hardly see anything about is the other holiday celebrations, such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Approximately six million people in the United States celebrate Hanukkah and approximately a quarter of a million people in the United States celebrate Kwanzaa. So, it’s only appropriate to learn a little more about these winter holidays!

Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah, Chanukkah, Chanuka, or Khanukah, is an eight day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt. Hanukkah starts on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

The tradition that Hanukkah is known for is the lighting of the eight candles on the Menorah. On the first night of Hanukkah, the first candle is lit. On the second through eighth day, the candles are lit from left to right, one night at a time.

Along with the lighting of the candles, each night families allow kids to open one present. A few other Jewish traditions are to have feasts and to play Jewish games such as dreidel and eat foods

like potato pancakes, jam-filled doughnuts, Loukoumades and Latkes. This family holiday is little known because of Christmas, but is widely celebrated over the country.

Kwanza is right alongside Hanukkah in the sense that it is a hidden holiday.

Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration held in the United States and Canada honoring African-Canadian and African-American heritage and culture. It is observed from December 26 to January 1 each year. It was created by Maulana Karenga and was first celebrated in 1966–1967.

The holiday has seven principles to go along with it and they are: Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, speak for ourselves, and stand up for ourselves.

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems, and to solve them together.

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.

Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and development of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as

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much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

Imani (Faith): To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

It is tradition that families celebrating Kwanzaa decorate their households with objects of art, colorful African cloth such as kente and kaftans, and fresh fruits that represents African idealism. It is important to include children in Kwanzaa ceremonies and to give respect and gratitude to ancestors. A Kwanzaa ceremony may include drumming, libations, a reading of the African Pledge and the Principles of Blackness, reflection on the Pan-African colors, a discussion of the African principle of the day or a chapter in African history, a candle-lighting ritual, artistic performance and, finally, a feast.

Some foods that the African-Americans like to serve at the feast include grits and roasted vegetables with hazelnut butter, southern fried chicken, mac ‘n cheese with bacon and cheese, low country cookies and individual corn spoon breads. As you can see, these two holidays have both their similarities and differences but are both still behind Christmas as the most popular winter holiday. They may never pass Christmas as the most celebrated or most popular but they will both still have just as much meaning and tradition in the end.

y t i C r a l l o D r e v l i S

ilver Dollar City Christmas season It is the most wonderful time of the year down in the city. Although it is not quite Christmas, Silver Dollar City is already getting into the spirit. With over four million lights and one thousand decorated Christmas trees put up around the city, the joyful spirits are coming out and the workers are changing character. The main attraction in the park during the Christmas season is the forty foot tall Christmas tree. Now, from a far distance the Christmas tree looks like an oversized ordinary tree with oversized ornaments hanging from it, but in fact it is actually a giant tree of light panels. The tree makes up one million lights alone on the square and even does a light show that goes along with holiday music. The tree has three hundred and fifty thousand energy saving lights and the tree has one hundred lights that change every second, or six thousand per minute. The trees on the main square are all covered in lights and in some trees around the park there are light rods hanging from branches that will make a snowfall effect. One of the other big events in the city at Christmas time is the big parade that winds through the city streets several times each night.

The parade includes a Santa Clause on a slay, eight lighted musical floats with one hundred thousand lights, plus eighteen costumed characters. The final main attraction of the holiday season is

the “A Dickins’ Christmas Carol” which is an original musical adaption of the famous classic by Charles Dickins, with elaborate sets and visual effects, flying spirits, vanishing ghosts, revolving scenery and pyrotechnic special effects.

Although there are all these great events going on in the city there are always people who have to work it all, and after taking a second to get their view on the seasons this is what they all said: Pulse: How long have you worked at Silver Dollar City?

Linda: Five Years.

Alishia: Almost a month.

Isiah: Two years.

Maude: Seventeen years.

Pulse: Is the Christmas holiday season at Silver Dollar City your favorite time of year? Why or why not?

Linda: I love this time of year because of all the happy people I get to see come in and out of the city.

Alishia: Yes because it brings everyone and their families together.

Isiah: No because the city gets really busy and hectic.

Maude: Yes because I love the lights in the city and the décor.

Pulse: How does the mood in the city change as Christmas time rolls around?

Linda: It’s magical, the people are in a better mood and the lights make it that much better.

Alishia: It changes a lot; the people are

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very happy and a lot friendlier.

Isaih: Everyone is in a much better mood and always happy.

Maude: There is a lot more action and people are in great moods.

Pulse: Is it a relief when the Christmas season ends?

Linda: Sometimes, it just depends on how the season goes. This year I get two months off so I’m pretty happy.

Alishia: Yes because it is a giant load of stress that is just taken off your shoulders.

Isiah: Yeah, it gives me a break from work for a bit.

Maude: Yep, it gives me time to rest and relax for a bit.

This is only a small portion of people who work at the city and as you can tell from the responses of all the workers the Christmas holiday season can be just as stressful as it can be joyful. Being the fifty second year open and the fifty second Christmas season the city still has the same joy and love for the holiday as they had from the first in 1960. The Herschand family entertainment has ran the park from day one and has no plans of shutting down the park any time soon so the holiday season and the holiday spirits are going to be around for many years to come. Whether it is because of the friendly faces of all the employees, the bright lights, or good old tradition, both tourists and locals flock to Silver

t h g u o h T l a n i F

Another day at school, another third hour math with Mr. Spinks. The routine is hypnotizing. Sit down, get out my work, wait for role to be taken before hearing some humorous jabs at kids dragging their feet, and eventually getting jolted out of my seat by the thunder of Mr. Spink’s voice. Other than that, my days are becoming a cloudy haze that all kind of mushes together. Is it bad that I can sit through an entire hour of a class lecture and walk out at the door really wondering what the teacher just said?

As I wade through the foggy

hallways of RSHS I somehow think that I’m not alone.

My parents are always saying, “ HELLLOOO??? Pay attention!!” My teachers just move to the next person when my response to their questions is a blank stare with a hint of drool in the corner of my mouth.

Is any of this stuff we are supposed to be learning really important anyway? I mean…REALLY???

Among the lectures I’ve heard from my father, the one that is starting to ring true is the one about me being responsible for myself in the end. It may not be that

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a gerund phrase is something that will get me a good job, having the discipline to complete a task and the maturity to accept that what I think is good for me may not, in fact, be the best for me. Yes, my teachers and parents are a tragic bore.

They seem to have absolutely no idea what being a teenager is like, but at some point…they WERE teenagers. As hard as it is to swallow (gulp), maybe listening with little clearer head and a more open mind to my teachers and parents could be a smart thing.

November Answers

A day in the life

Rachelle Crowe

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DOUBLEtake

See if you can find the differences between the two pictures

Silver Dollar City A place for family, friends , fun, laughter and excitement.

Silver Dollar City is the perfect outing for the holidays. With over four million lights and one thousand decorated christmas trees, any family portrait will be wonderful.

Whether you’re looking for excitement or want something to do on the weekend, Silver Dollar City is definately the place to go.

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