WISCO PILOT
Articles by and for students
Vol 31 no 2 december 2024
Jesus is Born! Luke 2:4--20
This Christmas, while we shop for gifts, bake cookies, and sometimes feel overwhelmed with things to do, let’s remember to seek and praise the Savior like the shepherds did, announce the good news of the Savior like the angels did, and peacefully treasure the Savior as Mary did
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger ”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told
P 5: Christmas Photos
P 6: Christmas Cookies
P 7: New Year’s Eve Fun/Scramble
P 8: New Year’s Eve Word Search
Photo by: Elaine Wang
Ms. Leverence
Favorite sports: Cross Country
Favorite food: Poke Hobbies: Thrifting and Running
Teacher Interviews
by Youran Chen
Interviewer: What brought you to Wisco?
Ms L: I have a lot of family members who have taught at Wisco, and it's cool to be a part of that legacy And Wisco is just a special school!
Interviewer: What is your favorite thing about Wisco?
Ms.L: My favorite part is being part of a Christian family. We are united in one faith. When you have a hard time, either as a student or a teacher, there's always someone you can lean on. There is always someone helping you at Wisco.
Interviewer: Have you had any difficulties at Wisco?
Ms L: The most challenging part of b i teacher at Wisco is staying on top of correcting everyone's essays
Interviewer: If you weren’t a composition teacher, what subject would you teach?
Ms L: Science has always been fascinating to me. I love learning about it. I don't think I would be able to teach it well, but I would enjoy learning about it as a student.
Interviewer: Do you have any advice for a student who is not good at composition or writing essays?
Ms.L: Trying is the most important thing because you cannot be an amazing writer if you don't try Don't be afraid of making mistakes!
Favorite Bible Verse:
John 15:5- “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Interviewer: What brought you to Wisco?
Mr L: I’m at Wisco because it was an excellent opportunity to spend my gap year from the Seminary in the public ministry and gain experience
Interviewer: What is your favorite part of Wisco?
Mr L: I like the dorm and library I also really enjoyed International Education Week!
Interviewer: What made you want to learn Latin?
Mr.L: I wanted to learn Latin because it is an essential old language. It has influenced modern languages, such as Spanish, Italian, French, and English. Therefore, it has a vital role in history.
Interviewer: Which language do you want to learn next?
Mr.L: I want to learn Eastern Asian languages, such as Japanese and Chinese.
Favorite Bible Verse:
Jeremiah 29:11- “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
Favorite sport: Basketball, Volleyball, and Pickleball
Favorite food: Lobster
Hobbies: Hunting and Fishing
Mr. Landwehr
TOO MANY CHRISTMAS LIGHTS?
Editorial by Ryan Parker
As neighborhoods light up with red, white, and green, it’s clear that the joyous excitement of the holiday season has descended upon the United States again. As part of the holiday season’s annual reawakening, flashing lights have begun to emerge as lights hang from fences, acting as precursors for the coming festivities.
Almost every household in this country celebrates Christmas by displaying lights and decorating their lawns; however, the cost of this tradition is often overlooked Although perhaps this is partly due to the fact that discussing accumulating expenses during the holiday season seems distinctly Scroogelike, it also appears that most people would simply rather not know the amount of money they’re spending on a rather frivolous exercise in Christmas cheer.
Lights now seem synonymous with the Christmas holiday. However, lights were first used out of necessity, not extravagance. Households across Eastern Europe began placing and lighting simple candles around their Christmas tree in order to enhance the ornaments adorning it. This habit eventually made its way to the United States, where it was revolutionized with the advent of electricity and, as such, electric lights
In 1882, the first Christmas tree to be lit with electric lights was put on public display in New York. By 1895, this technological advancement was popular enough to be adopted by then-president Grover Cleveland, who used electric lights on the White House Christmas tree for the first time in American history.
This tradition only expanded during the 20th century. The greater availability of electric lights allowed Americans to inexpensively decorate the exterior of their home As Christmas lights have become more elaborate, though, their cost has only grown In fact, the contemporary American household spends an average of $384 on Christmas lights! Some houses, not content with the amount of lights this significant amount of money is capable of affording, splurge even more, spending thousands upon thousands of dollars to pay for necessary materials and their electricity bill.
As we celebrate this year, I encourage you to consider: will you go for an extravagant light display, or are you tempted to embrace the beauty of simpler decorations like I would?
When is too early to decorate for Christmas?
by Hope Larabee
It has been argued about for decades: how early is too early to decorate for Christmas? Oftentimes, Christmas trees are seen in homes before Thanksgiving even comes to pass Is there a reason behind all of it?
Research shows that there is a physiological factor to it Decorating and getting festive evokes feelings such as joy, anticipation, and nostalgia Seeing bright and cheery lights also releases endorphins into the brain, making all who see the holiday decorations joyful. By putting out the wreaths and ornaments early, people get to feel all these positive emotions earlier on.
The student body says that the best time to decorate for Christmas is by the first week of December and is
closely followed by decorating Thanksgiving week Sydney Biebert, a senior, says “I like to decorate early because Christmas makes me really happy, and I need that for as long as possible " Christmas truly is the season for joy and should be because it is the celebration of our Lord’s birth and something to be celebrated all year long Mason Goodger, a freshman, supports Sydney’s remarks, “it gets me in the Christmas mood and makes me feel happy.”
So whether you support Hallow-thanks-mas and decorate early, or start hanging up the lights in the middle of December, it is undoubtedly the most wonderful time of the year.
Giving Good Gifts to People You Love
by Manuela Franco
"Oh, this reminds me of one of my friends; I have to get it for them!" If these words come from your mouth regularly, then one of your love languages is gift-giving! To give a good gift, you must find a present that expresses your love for a person through thoughtfulness and intentionality. It's a way of expressing appreciation, and that's why so many people stress about what gift to give, especially during this holiday season. Gifts are often reduced to mere objects: expensive shoes, makeup, and clothes. However, a gift can be so much more. This year, I urge you to consider the value of experience gifts. Unlike material ones, these gifts create lasting memories and deepen relationships
Let's say you've been thinking about what to give your parents this Christmas for a while now You've already thought about getting them new outfits, selfcare products, or a family portrait, but these are all things you've already given them so how can you ensure this gift will top all the others? Well, lucky you, I'm here to provide you with a brand new suggestion. Try to think about something you and your parents used to do together all the time when you were younger. We all know our parents miss those days; they always tell us how much they miss the time when we were little! So, this year you should give them the experience of doing something your family used to enjoy a lot. Maybe it was watching a play, cooking a meal for Christmas dinner, going on a hike, going on a little trip somewhere or going camping As we grow older, spending time with family and enjoying something together often gradually reduces I believe that companionship is what they need more than gifts Doing things together that you did as a child can be a great way to bring joy
Use this chance to create bonding and bring back pleasing memories from the past!
Now, if you are worried about what to give your boyfriend/girlfriend, here are some ideas. You want this gift to be unique and meaningful, so this year why not recreate your first date? Maybe you went to the movies for the first date or went for dinner in a fancy restaurant; you can do it again! This would remind your partner of the memory of the first time you got to know each other, just the two of you. However, if you don't want to recreate old memories, you can create a new memories Go to a fun interactive museum, ice skating, or see Christmas lights somewhere beautiful You could plan a special trip, go stargazing, or even just make some Christmas cookies! The experience of being together is more valuable than a gift It makes a great present whether it's two people creating new memories or reliving the first date Remember, the value of ce tag, but in the thought and effo hether it's a simple or extravagan e, or a shared moment, what tru you've chosen something that wi loved ones and create lasting mem
pages 5 and 6)
Drawings by Giulia Flenik (on
The Sweet Side of Christmas--Cookie Recipes
by Gabe Krill
For Christmas, many people's favorite activity is making cookies
However, there isn't just one type of cookie, there are many. Here are my top five different types of cookies to make.
1. Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies
Even though these are a pretty common type of cookie that can be eaten anytime, they are very good during Christmas and very easy to make Here is a link for how to make these wonderful cookieshttps://joyfoodsunshine.com/the-most-amazingchocolate-chip-cookies/
2. Sugar Cookies with Frosting
These cookies are super fun to make because you can decorate them however you want. You can make a candy cane cookie, a Christmas tree cookie, or even just a plain cookie with tons of sprinkles. Here is a link for how to make sugar cookieshttps://sugarspunrun com/easy-sugar-cookie-recipe/
3. Gingerbread Cookies
These cookies are an oldie but a goodie When you think of Christmas, you can’t forget about the famous gingerbread cookies! These cookies are easy to make, and you can decorate them with whatever you want You could also shape them into squares and have a gingerbread house making contest. Here is a link for how to make these gingerbread cookies--https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/best-gingerbreadcookies/
4. Peanut Butter Blossoms
These cookies are an awesome treat over the holidays, and they have just the right amount of chocolate and peanut butter, which makes them taste delicious All you need are some Hershey's kisses and peanut butter to make this wonderful treat Here is the link for these great peanut butter blossom cookieshttps://preppykitchen.com/peanut-butter-blossoms/
5. Fruitcake Cookies
These cookies often come with different types of dried fruit inside, and they are a great way for you to test how to make the best fruitcake cookie. Try adding pecans to make these cookies extra special. Here is the link for these cookies- https://southernbite.com/old-fashionedfruitcake-cookies/
Of course there are many different types of Christmas cookies that I have left out, but these are some of my favorites You could also make fudge, spritz cookies, or chocolate dipped pretzel rods Schedule a baking night with family or friends and have fun!
New Year’s Eve--A Time for Faith, Fun, Family, and Friends
Fireworks drawings by Nadia Alejandro
10 New Year’s Eve Ideas
1. Reflect on the previous year’s blessings
Attend a New Year’s Eve worship service.
2 Ask for God’s strength to draw closer to him in the coming year.
3. Thank family and friends for all they have done for you 4. Eat fun snacks and junk food 5 Play board games. 6. Wear silly hats and blow noise makers.
7. Play charades. 8. Watch a movie. 9. Watch the ball drop in Times Square on TV 10.
Answers on page 4
“Therefore,ifanyoneisin Christ,heisanewcreation;the oldhasgone,thenewhascome.”
Drawings by Nadia Alejandro
