Is Santa for real? | 2
Cinnamon, spice, nice | 6
Sweating it out | 7
Santa — or spirit of Santa — is alive and well in our hearts
Good smelling classrooms promote learning and good vibes
Stinky stuff and how Vikings come out smelling like roses
Vanguard College Preparatory School, 2517 Mt. Carmel Dr., Waco, Texas 76710
n o i t i d E y Holida pic Takeovt toeyrou! Student Tows that means mos st: By reque
The ne
December 2021, Volume 49, Issue 3
The Vanguard Review A VCPS Publication
Mightier than the marker
Confirmed: Shelley Johnson’s Apple Pencil is here to stay Isaac Saadi ‘22 editor-in-chief
S
tudents are all too familiar with the agonizing scream of “poo-poo” or “oh poo” coming from one of department head Shelley Johnson’s math classes when her Apple Pencil dies, followed by the desperate attempts to bring it back to life by the sudden plug into her iPad. Recently, Johnson’s students have been hearing about a possible switch to the dry erase markers, which has left her students in disbelief. “I don’t want Mrs. Johnson to switch to dry erase markers because that would be too much writing for her and the Apple Pencil is part of the Algebra experience,” sophomore Elaina McCulloch said. Johnson quickly reassured students that the shift in math students’ learning experience will not occur. “I will never switch back to dry erase markers,” she said. The convenience, neatness and positive impact on students are at the forefront of the decision to keep the Apple Pencil.
“I can write neatly and in a more precise, organized manner,” Johnson said. “The main reason I love using it is because I don’t have to turn my back to my students during a lesson. I can see their faces and expressions. This allows me to see if a student is struggling with understanding a concept or not. I can also record my lesson which is not as easily done using a white board.” Algebra II student Danae Simmons, sophomore, agreed with the positive impacts of the Apple Pencil. “It definitely enhances my learning and helps me learn better,” she said. “Dry erase markers are not as fun. Also, they are harder to erase, while the Apple Pencil is easy to erase and faster.” But Johnson sometimes faces struggles with the learning tool. “The only downsides would be having to charge it and keep up with it on my sometimes-notso-tidy desk,” she said. Still, there will be instances where dry-erase
Testing the waters Delaney Trepinski ‘23 assistant editor
V
In response to survey: Stories about “students’ cats”
Continued on page 8
When it comes to hydration, Vikings have preferred water filing stations, based on taste, fluidity and location ikings are all about staying hydrated. They can be seen between classes — and also during class — toting around their brightly colored reusable water bottles which are often decorated in their own personal styles. To keep them filled, students have a choice of four water filling stations located around campus. Many students have even picked a favorite fountain because some are more efficient at dispensing water, some are cleaner than others, some water tastes better than others, some are newer and some are more conveniently located. Bostick is the preferred water fountain for more than 56 percent of students, according to a Nov. 2021 Vanguard Review poll. The Bostick fountains include: one refilling station, and two standard fountains. Although it is crowded during lunch and break, many students go from building to building simply to get this fountain’s water. “I think the one in Bostick is the best because it is the closest to everything and it is cold,” said freshman Katie Leigh Livesay. Sophomore, Maggie Winarick agreed. “I like the Bostick water fountain the best,” she said. “The water is always nice and cool.” Winarick gives many reasons why Bostick is her preference. “Each water fountain has a different taste and to me Bostick’s is the best,” she said. “Also, it is the one that I pass by the most often during the
really
Vikings like cats
school day.” Although Bostick seems to take the lead, not all students agree. Eighth grader William Lindsey offers a different opinion with his bold statement about his preferred water station, the sink in science teacher Jacob Lefebvre’s classroom. “[I think] Coach Lefebvre’s room [is the best],” he said, “because I get to talk to Mr. Lefebvre while using it.” More than 25 percent of students agree with him, according to the poll. Although not considered a fountain, Lefebvre’s sink is a hot spot for many students, even though there is also a water bottle refilling station and fountain right down the hall by the bathrooms in Mayborn. Junior Jake Willeford agreed. “The best water fountain is definitely Coach Lefebvre’s sink,” he said. “Honestly. [I] use that one the most.” Although when it comes to the fastest fountain, Willeford said, Jaworski wins. “The one in Jaworski [is the fastest],” he said. “Nobody uses it so you don’t have to wait in a line.” Sophomore AJ Cooper agreed. “The one in Jaworski is cold and it is fast,” Cooper said. On the other hand, some students feel strongly about what they consider to be the bad water fountains around the school. Continued on page 8
Clockwise from top left: Pippy, Marshall Wray’s cat, chills out in his little bed. Catching the view from a haystack, Story and Wrenfield, Naomi West’s cats, are always on the prowl. Dressed in formal black and white, Sammy Davis and Frank Sinatra, cuddle with their owner Michael Bennett. Stephanie Benger’s cat Meow Meow is “the best creature,” she said. Benger’s cat Rocky rests on a bench and then becomes a super-long cat. Looking majestic, Courtney Wiethorn’s cat Crystal fluffs her tail out. Photos from students
Brooke Jolliff ‘22 reporter
C
ats: People either love them or hate them. Cats are cuddly, fuzzy, funny, mischievous, and silly. They hide and sneak around the house and also make their presence known. There is never a dull moment around a cat. They are always running around, knocking things over, and leaving dead things on our doorsteps. And Vikings are plenty enthusiastic about their furry friends. More than 44 percent of students said they have a cat, according to the VR Nov. student poll. In response to a survey about what students want to read about in the newspaper, here are a few stories about Vikings and their cats. Sophomore Michael Bennett has four pet cats. Their names are Fathead, Sasha, Sammy Davis, and Frank Sinatra. The family rescued Fathead as a grown cat, and Sammy and Frankie were rescued as well. Bennett has had Sasha since she was a kitten. “Fathead has a very big head,” Bennett said. “That’s why we named him fathead. While he and Sasha were fighting, he lowered his head and rammed her with it.” Bennett said Fathead is also pretty fat, while the rest of his cats are slim. “Although Fathead still isn’t as fat as a lot of the cats I’ve seen,” he said. Crystal, Amir and Oreo are senior Courtney Wiethorn’s three kitty friends. Crystal is a majestic, fluffy white cat with bright green eyes. “We got Oreo from a friend and Amir was born on our farm on Valentine’s Day a few years ago,” she said. “Crystal was a gift from my grandma.”
Wiethorn said she does not have too many funny cat stories, but they sometimes bring us dead snakes and rats and leave them at the doorstep. Stephanie Benger, junior, also has four cats: Bread, Rocky, Lady and the cat she considers her personal child, Meow Meow. “All of my cats were strays besides Lady who was in the shelter,” she said. “Also Rocky followed me home because I had a lollipop.” Benger’s cats provide hours of entertainment. “When my cats were doing catnip, Meow Meow bit Lady’s butt to get her to move,” she said. “I would consider Lady to be obese.” Marshall Wray, sophomore, only has two cats. He has an older female named Zippy and a younger male named Pippy, both of which are “decently bulky,” Wray said. “They also have pronounced primordial pouches so that makes them look even larger,” he said. Both of Wray’s cats are strays. “Zippy was found in a construction site,” he said. “I honestly can’t remember where Pippy is from.” Pippy, Wray said, is capable of leaping tall shelves in a single bound. “We have a shelf in our living room that’s 7 or 8 feet tall,” he said. “One day, we found Pippy on top of the shelf. We still don’t know how he did it.” Senior Naomi West has two cats, Stormy and Wrenfield. West said she had always wanted a cat and then received one through faith.
Continued on page 8