The Vista - Issue 3 of 2018-19

The Vista Â

NOTRE DAME ACADEMY*3535 W. SYLVANIA AVE.*TOLEDO, OH 43623*VOL 68 ISSUE 3*Dec. 18, 2018

In This Issue:

The Gift of Giving to NDA (p. 2)

Crosstalk: Christmas Movies (p. 3)

Ed: Protect Environment (p. 4)

What is Kwanzaa? (p.5)

Shop Safely Online (p. 6)

Merry Christmas

The Vista

Page 1 News

Climate Change

Report: Dangers to Environment Will Hurt All Aniah Bell-Langster In the season that is notorious for being quite cold, the government released a new report issued by 13 federal agencies assessing climate change for the United States and warning of possible consequences to the country’s economy from global warming.

The 1,656-page report is mandated by Congress and made public by the White House. It is the second report of the National Climate Assessment.

The report states that climate changes could have an ever-growing impact on the economy, health and environment for everyone.

According to a New York Times article on the report, climate change could slash up to a tenth of gross domestic product by 2100 due to changes in supply and demand and could cost the United States economy $118 billion from sea level rise and $32 billion from infrastructure damage by the end of the century.

It adds that rising temperatures, extreme heat, drought, and wildfires are also expected in the future.

A major report released Sept. 27, 2013, by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated that scientists are more certain than ever of the link between human activities and global warming.

The U.S. Geological Survey found the extracting and burning of fossil fuels from federal lands made up nearly a quarter of all carbon dioxide emissions in the United States between 2005 and 2014 and warmed the earth’s temperature.

According to Mr. Bob Silberg in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, at a certain level, an increase of even a half degree Celsius could create irreversible changes in the world such as, a decrease in wheat harvest and the disappearance of coral reefs.

There are those who do not believe the Earth’s climate change is caused by humans but rather a continuing cycle of warming and cooling and say humanproduced CO2 is simply re-absorbed by oceans and forests without causing dam-

age.

The debate about climate change is sure to continue, but the students of NDA should always feel encouraged to get involved.

“I have volunteered at the zoo where I went on conservation trips and learned about the problems endangering the planet and animals, and it made me want to start small by terracycling, using reusable plastic baggies and reusable bottles,” senior Katie Jackson said.

No matter what science says, things like recycling and conserving energy have been proven to improve the state of the world.

“The best thing that NDA students could do to slow climate change is to simply eat less meat,” science teacher Mr. Steve Coppens. “There is a lot of energy from fossil fuels that goes into growing food to feed animals and reducing meat consumption can go a long way. Continuing to do our part is essential to create an earth in which the future generations can thrive.”

Border Wall Divides More Than Countries Ada Ogbonna In today’s battle over what's right and wrong, political beliefs and morals are put to the test as numerous ordeals occur at the nation’s borders. With an influx of immigrants seeking refuge, it's hard to decipher who to let in, when to let them in and how many to let in.

America’s immigration policy is in a time of crisis. With stricter laws and more regulations, it is more apparent than ever how many immigrants have arrived illegally.

While this may be due to war, gangs, drugs, poverty and other ordeals in their homelands, many U.S. citizens are worried that those who have arrived illegally and the many others who seek to enter will lead to overcrowding, crime, fewer jobs and strained resources in the United States.

This fear results in tighter border controls and stricter laws against those seeking to enter and in turn may lead to acts of violence and aggression.

A peaceful march by 7,000 Central

American migrants waiting at the southwestern United States border veered out of control on November 25, as hundreds of people tried to evade a Mexican police blockade and run toward a giant border crossing that leads into San Diego.

This onslaught was met with the United States Customs and Border Protection agency shut down of the border crossing in both directions and tear gas to push back migrants from the border fence.

"I am worried about the effect that the tear gas had on the families at the border, especially the children," social studies teacher Mr. Casey Feldstein said.

This isn’t the first time America has faced a barrage of people trying to enter from Mexico.

During the Mexican Revolution in the 1910s, U.S. armed forces monitored the border to keep violent revolutionary conflicts from spilling over the border.

However, once Mexicans began to escape the conflict by immigrating to the U.S. in large numbers, militias formed along the border to keep them out.

This is also not the first-time violence was used as a means to deter the actions of the immigrants; pepper spray was and still is used to combat the large crowds.

Andrés Medina, 22, told his story to The New York Times on how he was not ready to give up either, even after he had been tear gassed. “We’ve got to try one more time,” said Mr. Medina, who said he had left Honduras to escape gang recruitment. “We don’t even have weapons,” he said. “We just wanted to cross.”

This is the case for many people trying to cross into the United States, arriving with barely any possessions except the shoes on their feet and a backpack. They seek refuge in a country that will provide them safety and diverse opportunities.

“We tend to neglect as an entire country that we are a country built by immigrants,” senior Olivia Duet said.

The Vista

Page 2 News Fundraising to Help Students at NDA

The Gift of Giving to Notre Dame Academy Aniah Bell-Langster Just in time for the holiday season, the spirit of giving is present in the hearts of many at NDA. Many girls are reminded at this time of year how important it is to give back to the Notre Dame community as others have done for them.

Giving Tuesday is a movement to create an international day of charitable giving at the beginning of the Christmas and holiday season that is celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

“I realize that I’m blessed in many ways financially, so that is why I am so happy to give what I don’t need to those who are not necessarily in the same position as me,” senior Kylie Foetisch said.

Instead of rushing out to

spend money on flat screen televisions and early Christmas gifts, many people opt to give financial support to the organizations that mean something to them.

NDA’s Giving Tuesday donation started in 2015, and 2018 was the fourth annual fundraiser.

The fact that all grade levels chipped in to donate over $500 on Giving Tuesday is evidence of that Christmas cheer. Students also were able to secure a matching gift donation to double the gifts made.

All of the money collected on Giving Tuesday will eventually be used for scholarships, athletics, retreats, the fall musical, mission trips, Makerspace, clubs and even to

care for NDA’s emotional support dog, Mina.

“Giving is important because NDA depends a lot on alumnae support, so things like Giving Tuesday prepare them to give back to a school that gave to them,” Advancement Database and Gift Coordinator Ms. Julie Meyer said.

All giving means something to someone in need.

“I gave because I feel like we go to such a nice school, and other people should have the same opportunity,” freshman Morgan Briener said.

Many other girls expressed the want to give a good education to other girls their age as their main motivation.

“I am a part of Student Council, but even if I were not, I’d still love giving back to my NDA sisters. It’s even more fun when you know it’s going to the activities we all enjoy every day,” senior Ollivia Duet said.

Sometimes girls are not able to give, but they all support the cause of a good school year.

The winners of the Giving Tuesday Student Challenge were the seventh graders and freshman class.

The freshman class donated the most money in this year’s fundraiser.

“I think it's because we're really competitive and motivated to do good things for community,” freshman Alyssa Debruyne said.

New Faces Fill the Seats of Congress Chloe Kozal In a world where it’s sometimes hard to find the good, the midterm elections brought a lot of firsts. These “firsts” are accomplishments where the candidate becomes the first to be something in government, such as being the first congresswoman from a state.

These elections brought new changes to the senate, Congress, and local and statewide elections.

According to the New York Times, 272/964 candidates that ran are women, 216 are black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, or multiracial, and out of those 964 candidates, 26 identify as LGBTQ. One major first was that a record number of women won senate seats. Along with the number of women who won seats, many women on both

political parties made records.

“Representation is the first step of a chain reaction. Each time a young woman sees another woman in a field, whether it be stem, athletics, or others, she is inspired.

They feel as if a career is more attainable as other women are achieving it. This is what I call progress,” junior Kathryn Riddle said.

Beginning with minority firsts, two women, democrats Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland were the first Native American women that were elected to Congress. Democrats Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar were the first Muslim women elected to Congress.

The first two Hispanic congresswomen from Texas are Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia.

The next few women are the first women in their new government position in their respective states. Ayanna Presley and Johanna Hayes became the first black women from their states (Massachusetts, Connecticut) in Congress. In her acceptance speech, Ms. Presley said, “The significance of history is not lost on me.”

Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest woman ever elected in Congress. Kyrsten Sinema became the first democrat to win a senate seat in Arizona since 1988, and also the first openly bisexual person in the Senate.

Republican Marsha Blackburn became the first female senator from Tennessee.

Republican Kristi Noem and

Janet Mills became the first female governor of their respective states (South Dakota, Maine).

Many see these firsts as an important step.

“Witnessing an election with historic numbers of women running and winning inspires two thoughts in me: [first] ‘It’s 2018, and we are JUST NOW having our first Native American congressperson, female congressperson from a state!?’ and [second] ‘Look at these intelligent, driven women who feel called to serve,’ which inspires me! I look around NDA and wonder who will we see running for office and serving their communities in future elections? I believe this path could be in many of NDA students’ futures!” social studies teacher Mrs. Natalie Morgan said.

The Vista

Page 3 OP-ED

George Bailey vs. Buddy the Elf Keep It Classic

Crosstalk

Keep It Fresh Reagan Bertke

Kendall rejent Christmas has always been about tradition. A time to come together with family and have a nice meal while enjoying good company. While the newest trends change with every year, some things just have to stay the same.

The traditional Christmas movies focus on developing that heartwarming and inspirational stories while newer movies emphasize the computer “magic” and modern influences.

These technical advances just make the movies seem superficial and don't bring the same sense of family and community as the traditional Christmas movies do.

The original is also always better just based on the principle that it was first. There was a vision and an original idea that came into play, and when you see the modern versions, you have to keep in mind they've just taken the traditional and given it an update.

I saw the new Grinch movie recently, and while it was cute and I'm sure very popular with families, it didn't live up to the original cartoon in my eyes. The traditional almost completely used the original Dr. Seuss written story and has that rhyme to it, while the new film version has its own plot and script. It just doesn't feel authentic with a whole different set of actors, especially some younger actors, voicing the characters.

Watching these movies every year keeps us connected to our family and reminds us of memories from past holidays. They give us comfort in knowing that every year we can look forward to curling up on the couch with a blanket and some hot chocolate and watch our favorite movies.

The holiday season is the perfect time to sit back, relax, and enjoy movies. During Christmas break, I look forward to snuggling up with hot chocolate, my puppy and my family to watch some of our favorite Christmas movies. Although traditional Christmas movies are great, some of my favorites are modern movies.

Modern-day Christmas movies provide a sense of humor you can’t find in traditional movies. The movie Elf effectively gets me in the Christmas mood while making me laugh from start to finish.

Modern movies can also provide a new and original twist on an old traditional movie. According to The New York Times, the new release of The Grinch brought in $66 million in ticket sales. Everyone knows the traditional story behind Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch, but a modern remake effectively sparks new excitement.

Modern movies also connect with younger generations more effectively. Whereas traditional movies are slower paced, modern movies captivate audiences with enhanced graphics and whimsical events.

As time passes, today’s new movie releases will eventually become “traditional.” Although a movie doesn’t lose its value over time, the new top films will always catch my eye by providing an original and unseen storyline.

At this time of year especially, I enjoy any movie that gets me in the Christmas spirit, but I prefer the updated sense of humor, special effects and graphics that modern movies provide.

The Vista Staff

Editor’s Corner

Volume 69 Issue 3

The Vista is a publication of Notre Dame Academy by the students of Journalism II and III. The office is located in room 113 of the school.

Unsigned editorials represent a majority vote of the newspaper staff.

Merry Christmas! From myself and everyone on the Vista staff, we wish you a happy holiday!

Editor in Chief: kendall rejent Adviser: Mrs. Julie Sells Second Year Reporter: Ada Ogbonna First Year Reporters: Aniah Bell-langster Reagan Bertke Chloe kozal

Thank you for checking out this issue of The Vista, holiday edition, with some seasonal and fun articles to enjoy as you head into break and near Christmas time!

Students, don’t stress too much over your exams; you’ve got this! Just look forward to your long and relaxing break with your family and friends.

-Kendall

The Vista

Page 4 OP-ED

A Christmas Wish: Care for the Enviro It is always important to not only care for yourself and others, but also to care for the environment. At NDA, we can make small changes in our everyday lives to help prevent global warming.

One way we can help with driving is to either carpool, or during the wintertime start up the car and immediately start driving. Yes, Ohio winters are terrible and no one wants to get into a freezing car, but saving the earth is more important and it will warm up in a few minutes anyway.

On the way to school, some NDA girls get Starbucks. If you bring your own reusable coffee cup, you get your coffee from Starbucks 10 cents off, and 50 cents off after 2 pm. Then you can get your morning fuel and savings to start your day off right.

Another great way to recycle is to bring a reusable water bottle to school, and like most NDA girls, make it cute with stickers! Other ideas include bringing in reusable items for your lunch, such as metal silverware, reusable containers or Tupperware and fabric napkins. If you don’t want to buy a fork, bringing in your own silverware from home can help save two thingsthe environment and your money.

It’s important because plastics are dangerous to the environment and to animals. A recent trend of boycotting

straws began this year with National Skip the Straw Day. According to National Geographic, there are 8 million tons of plastic in the ocean. If we don’t reduce our plastic use and keep on polluting the ocean, the plastic will outweigh the fish by the year 2050, which is less than 35 years away from now.

While straws are not the most abundant plastic in the ocean, they do harm turtles and fish. Taking small steps by not using straws can help the turtles, but reducing all plastic use will help all animals, not just the turtles.

One example of this is that Starbucks has recently made a new lid that does not require a straw for their drinks. The lid is a heavier plastic, making it slightly worse for the environment. However, the plastic lid is a widely accepted recyclable plastic, but it must be recycled by the consumer to help the oceans.

If you do all or at least one of these things, you are already helping. It may seem that these small tips won’t help in the long scheme of things, but as our school slogan goes, one girl can change the world! Let’s make it cleaner for the good of all.

Christmas Around the World Instead of Santa Claus bringing gifts to Spanish children, the Three Kings (Reyes Magos) named Melchior, Gaspar and Baltazar who bring gifts on January 6 instead of on December 25.

Wigilia is a traditional Polish Christmas Eve supper, and often has oplatek, or a Christmas wafer that represents a wish for peace.

Similar to Spain and Poland, Ethiopia also celebrates Christmas on January 7 and has a feast after a day of fasting. Gift giving is uncommon and most communities play games instead.

A traditional Italian sweet bread with chocolate called panetone is shared between families in Brazil.

In the Phillipines, parols are a Filipino ornamental star lanterns made from paper and bamboo. They can be found in many buildings to celebrate Christmas.

My NDA Christmas List Reagan Bertke

Here at NDA, we are so blessed.

Within the halls of NDA exists a special sisterhood, a generous faculty and staff, a newly renovated Resource Center, and an education that is both challenging and rewarding.

Upon each holiday season, there are even more gifts for the students at NDA to be thankful for.

However, there are still a couple items on NDA’s Christmas List.

This Christmas, NDA is asking Santa for…  PLC Wednesdays every morning  A longer Student Flex Time  An unlimited amount of study halls with Sister Gail  Lanyards in every color of the rainbow  Visitation pep rallies once a month  Free NDA cookies  More funny Student Council videos  More male teacher dances at pep rallies  More Founder’s Day ice cream sandwiches  A cookbook with all Mr. Strauss’s recipes  Our 16th consecutive AllSports Award.  Lastly, we would like to ask that the pool on 4th floor be transformed from merely a legend to a reality.

Merry Christmas, and thank you, Santa!

The Vista

Page 5 Feature

In Gifting, It Is Truly the Thought That Counts Kendall Rejent Finding the perfect gift for friends and family can be stressful, and waiting until the last minute just adds that extra unneeded pressure to get them something they will love. When the time starts to slip away, try thinking with your creativity rather than your wallet.

DIY makes the gesture of giving gifts more meaningful and shows you put in some thought trying to create something that will make them laugh or warm their hearts. These gifts cost less and make the receiver feel special knowing you put in work and thought into their personalized gift.

“The most iconic gift I've ever received is a personalized vine compilation with a mug filled with vine quotes on the side,” junior Emilyn Lagger said.

Students especially can celebrate jokes and memories with friends through their presents and commemorate their time together by giving things

like framed pictures or written meaningful cards.

“I decided that using a sticker maker to make my friend stickers was a good idea because it is easier to make a gift

Holiday Celebrations Abound Ada Ogbonna As the Christmas time comes around bringing new cheer and excitement it's often easy for people to forget those who honor other holidays celebrated during this wintery time period.

For Jewish people this time period marks the celebration of Hanukkah, the Jewish eight-day, wintertime “Festival of Lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and songs and fried foods. Gift giving is also popular at this time.

At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah lighting. The menorah holds nine flames, one of which is used to kindle the other eight lights. On the first night, they light just one flame. On the second night, they light an additional flame. By the eighth night of Hanukkah, all eight lights are kindled.

This holiday is a celebration of the Jewish people's revolt against their oppressors in 167 BCE and how from their rising they were able to capture the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. They cleansed it and re-dedicated it.

This year the holiday began Sunday, Dec. 2 and lasted through Monday, Dec.

10 and is a very festive time for friends and family who celebrate.

Senior Anna Wasserstrom, who is Jewish, said, “I love spending this quality time with my family.”

Kwanzaa is also celebration held in the United States and in other nations of the African diaspora in the Americas.

It is a holiday that emphasizes the African heritage and embodies the seven core values that were created with the holiday.

Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday but rather a time for AfricanAmericans to reflect on their roots and culture. The celebration honors African heritage in African-American culture and is observed from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a feast and gift-giving.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or a combination of many celebrations at this time of year, it is a special time filled with joy and beauty as family and friends come together to be part of a festive community.

personalized when you have control over the design of the gift,” senior Suneina Badoni said about her and senior Annie DeClark’s combined gift to fellow classmate and senior Laney Poitinger, which was a roll of stickers with pictures of them.

A quick internet search or a look at Pinterest can also give simple ideas that are low stress and creative such as monogramming; adding their initials to jewelry or another object of significance, painting or drawing a piece artwork, or baking one of their favorite desserts, are all cute and easy ideas that give the gift giver a creative outlet and can be personalized to fit the receiver’s personality and likes.

Gifts can come in all shapes and sizes and there is no shortage of possibilities when it comes to what can be done with a little bit of creativity and new technology.

The Seven Core Principles of Kwanzaa: 1. Umoja: Unity To strive for and maintain unity 2. Kujichagulia: Self-Determination To define ourselves 3. Ujima: Collective Work and Responsibility To build and maintain our community and solve problems together 4. Ujamaa: Cooperative Economics To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together 5. Nia: Purpose To make collective vocation the building and developing of community 6. Kuumba: Creativity To do always as much as possible 7. 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 *From InterExchange.com

The Vista

Page 6 Backtalk

Spooky Season Christmas Dance Fun Kendall Rejent This year's junior and senior Christmas dance put on by the senior class was a huge success! The Nightmare Before Christmas theme made for an original and uniquely spooky array of decorations.

The decorations committee made a backdrop of the classic image from the movie with the moon and the dance’s theme title; a perfect photo opportunity!

As always, some girls brought dates and others gathered their friend groups to have a girls night.

“This Christmas dance was my personal favorite, and it was a nice way to end the Christmas dance era with a bang. I'm so thankful we had Mrs. Lang and Senora Tansey keep us focused because the girls who were on the decorations committee, including myself, were not very sure how to properly execute our vision, but they were so helpful with helping us carry it out!” Senior Class Vice President Kylie Foetisch said.

“It was cool to see it all come together beautifully, and Mrs. Wood got us an awesome DJ which added to the super

Good and Bad of the Holidays fun time!” Senior Class President Jaden Fink said.

The DJ seemed like a big hit this year playing some throwbacks and the latest hits, while adding in the Christmas classics in between.

“Christmas Dance did not disappoint this year! It was nice to see all the girls, my friends especially, dolled up and having some fun before all the deadlines near and the finals hit!” senior Manar Kashk said.

“The DJ was a good time, and he played some straight bops. Sicko Mode was my favorite,” junior Sydni Waugh said.

“Playing Christmas music really helped me set the mood for the dance!” junior Anna Flores said.

Favorite Christmas Ornaments and Food No One Eats Chloe Kozal “I love Disney so my favorite ornament is any Disney ornament I have on the tree.“ ~ Sophomore Madison Arndt “There is always a fruitcake that my mom always makes but no one seems to eat it.” ~ Freshman Esperanza Duran “My brother and I compete to see who can find this bell ornament in the tree.” ~ Junior Taylor Dulinski

Staying On Guard While Online Reagan Bertke What better way to complete your Christmas shopping than in the comfort of your own bed? Online shopping provides a quick and convenient alternative for those who don’t enjoy the rush of Black Friday or long lines in the last minute rush of Christmas shoppers.

One can avoid waiting in long lines and staying up all night by making purchases online with the simple click of a button.

However, experts warn that shopping online has its risks.

These tips can help online shoppers stay safe and avoid scams.

Before you even begin your shopping, make sure you are not using an outdated computer.

Assistant Director of Technology Mr. Ball advised that you use an updated computer system to shop online as aged computer systems are often times more vulnerable to hackers.

Always make sure you have a secure internet connection, not just public Wi-Fi. When surfing the web, Mr. Ball advises

Roving Reporter

students type in the actual web address for the website they need. Never press ads or links as they may redirect you to website that look legitimate but are actually scams.

When someone submits personal information such as their credit card number into a false site, the information is sent to scammers.

Give away as little personal information as possible. Never give away your social security number. Mr. Ball advises students to keep credit cards and bank credit anonymous- if a browser asks to remember this type of information, always say no.

After making purchases, record what you have bought. Check your credit card statements frequently, and be wary of any fraudulent activity.

By following these simple tips and being extra alert while shopping online, one can safely and easily find the perfect Christmas gifts without getting out of your pajamas!

“People eat mashed potatoes at Christmas dinner, but I think they are underappreciated, and my favorite ornament is a snowman with metal parts. It’s not handmade, but I think it’s the cutest thing.” ~ Senior Laila Jarson “Casserole or green beans.” ~ Junior Jaime Jenkins

“An Irish ornament that is green and has a Celtic cross” ~Mr. Scott Kay, faculty “My favorite ornament we have is a family ornament that portrays every member of our family as a bear.” ~ Sophomore Carissa Kolcun “If I had to choose I would pick an ornament that my mom got me after I got married that has two turtle doves” ~ Mrs. Marcia Miller, faculty “At Christmas there is always salad. I don’t know why they make it if no one eats it!” ~ Junior Alicia Moreno “My favorite Christmas ornament is the braces ornament that I got from the orthodontist. It’s always funny when we put it on the tree.“ ~ Senior Cassidy Scheuer “I would say the vegetables.” ~ Freshman Erin Sturgeon

The Vista

The Vista ###