Hillside Hotwire Nov/Dec 2014

No ve m VO ber/ L. D e 16 ce ISS mbe UE r 2 3 014

FOOTHILL HIGH SCHOOL

FHS takes NYC

Pages 15-19

Band gets the trip of a lifetime

The best and worst of 2014 pages 4-5

pages 15-19 Students participate in annual blood drive page 6

Debate: real or fake Christmas trees?

Terror gets small:

page 23

The newest app scares you into using your phone pages 27

Freshman competes in Motorsports Formula Racing page 11

A Game of Tiaras pages 8-9

Fall Sports Playoff Recaps page 30-32

Photo by Zach Hayes

Rachel Leone

800 College Drive Henderson, NV 89002 702-799-3500 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Jesse Lima and Rachel Leone SPORTS EDITOR: Jesse Lima WEB MASTER: Jack Wagner LAYOUT EDITOR: Billy Clouse PHOTOGRAPHERS: Zach Hayes, Dylan Wylie, Dre Vasquez GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Ian Berry STAFF WRITERS: Alexis Bobby, Kayla King, Jack Wagner, Ariana Victoria, Riley Bidwell, Kaden Jesperson, Marissa Panchal, Kaylee Stradling, Skylar Scott Cub Reporters: Mary Zavala-Ostrowski, Jack Meltzer, Megan Berry, Atalaya Strom, Richard Reid

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and is easily one of the most rewarding activities I’ve ever had the blessing to be a part of. The way that the activity pushed me to my breaking point but then offered me a choice to either persevere or give up has built my character and made me a stronger person.

Everyone gets annoyed with band kids because it’s the only thing we talk about.

However, band is more than an activity. It’s the feeling we have when we come off the field after our last BOA competition crying because the best run of our lives was worth the blood, sweat and yes, tears (of frustration and sometimes of joy). It’s more than just something that takes up 90% of our time that makes us tired and

hungry all the time—it’s a family, it’s genuine love and it fuels our passion for what we love to do.

That’s why we dedicated six pages to the band in this issue. Marching in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has made this year a life-changing experience for everyone. It has been the opportunity of a lifetime and highlighting the memories and experiences of New York City is very important.

Whether you watched the parade on TV from your grandmother’s couch while smelling the turkey cooking or the scent of pumpkin pie, or caught the camera filming you while you marched in the parade that is viewed by millions of people, the memories of this year will stick with you forever.

As 2014 comes to a close, we will remember the good and the bad of this year. From the generosity of our students in the local toy drives to the excitement that Christmas brings, this issue will revive the memories of 2014 and let us move onto another year.

Have an awesome winter break. We’ll see you in 2015.

ADVISER: Bill Tobler PRINCIPAL: Joe Caruso

The opinions expressed in the Hillside Hotwire are the author’s and do not represent the opinions of the administration, faculty, staff or students of Foothill High School.

The staff reserves the right to reject any advertisement deemed inappropriate. Letters to the editor may be edited for content, clarity and brevity.

Cover: The band marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

Photo By Christian Clothier/ Macy’s Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved by Macy’s.

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9711 S. Eastern Avenue #H10 Las Vegas, NV 89183

702.314.0520 eastern@nothingbundtcakes.com

Best things of 2014

By Marissa Panchal • Staff Writer

Blank Space

By Taylor Swift - This song just gets everyone pumped. The story she tells in this song is great, because I feel like she is addressing how she has dated a lot of people, but it doesn’t stop her. She is going to continue to be herself and do what she does, and if someone comes along, she will have a “blank space” waiting for their name. In the song Swift includes the lines “Darlin,’ I’m a

nightmare dressed like a daydream!” and “I can make the bad guys good for the weekend,” which are the two best lines in the song because you can see that she is owning that she is a little crazy, which is totally cool!

Layout by Billy Clouse

All About That Bass

By Meghan Trainor This song has a positive message, encouraging girls and women to be happy with themselves and their image, which is not the only message Trainor is trying to give. Looking past that though, the song makes

you want to get up and dance, and as Trainor would probably say, “Yeah, my mama she told me don’t worry about your dance moves.” You just can’t help but laugh and have fun when this song is on, which is such an important aspect to a song and “All About That Bass” definitely accomplishes this and gets an A+ in my book for that.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 This movie had everyone in the theater on the edge of their seats.

“Mockingjay Part 1” did not include any crazy, intense action scenes or people fighting to the death, but it was just as suspenseful. The most suspenseful part was when District 13 was

raiding the Victor’s Tower to save Peeta and the other victors. The theatre was dead quiet. The whole scene had that feeling of, “something terrible is going to happen!” Overall, the “Hunger Games” trilogy continues to impress.

How to Get Away With Murder First, I just want to clarify that this show doesn’t actually teach people how to get away with murder. This show plays with all of your emotions and includes so many different twists and turns that it sometimes drives you crazy, but in the best way, of course.

It’s all about this group of law students who work for a hot-shot, very complicated lawyer, Annaliese Keating, whose toxic marriage, dark secrets, and insane work life is at the center

of the show. The series revolves around the insane murder of one of the main characters, but viewers know only a little bit of the story, which is driving everyone mad, and a million conspiracy theories have been made about how it all went down. We will never know though until that one final, teethclenching, season finale that everyone has been waiting for, and once we find out, it will change everything.

The Voice The two new coaches, Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams have been better than the rest. Pharrell, with his insane knowledge of music and his producing skills makes his team a real threat, which is going to be hard to beat. Then Gwen, with her sweet comments and wanting to make everyone smile, but trying to criticize at the same time just makes you love her even more! Adam Levine and Blake Shelton still make

fun of each other, but their bromance is still alive. As the number of contestants dwindles, it will be interesting to see who will be named “The Voice Champion.”

Fancy #Selfie

by The Chainsmokers Speaking of not having talent, this song falls under the “top-hits -I-have-no-clue-howpeople-listen-to-this stuff” category. First of all, don’t even get me started on the hashtag.

This just shows you that hashtags are completely idiotic when they’re unnecessary. Also, they aren’t even singing or rapping. They’re speaking. I thought the whole point of music was to make it musical. If I wanted to listen to girls talking about their stupid boy problems, drinking,

or even taking selfies and posting them on social media for hundreds of likes, I would go to the girl’s bathroom at school.

I don’t need to hear it in my Spotify playlist. Other than putting no conscious effort into the lyrics and musicality of the song, The Chainsmokers don’t even produce music with musical instruments.

They use a computer for everything, showing laziness and lack of talent. Listening to this song makes me lose about 1000 IQ points.

But first, let me take a #Selfie.

Wiggle

by Jason Derulo ft.

Snoop Dogg - I know this song is a hit, and it’s fun to dance to, or whatever excuse people may come up with to give it credit for being a “good” song.

However, the whole point of the entire song is to give girls an excuse for twerking. Otherwise, it’s just describing a guy in a bar who wants a girl

for her body. As much as I don’t want to sound like one of those outright feminist people, it’s important to point out how degrading a song like this is. All it shows is that some artists are too shallow and not talented enough to actually write about their feelings for someone, so they write about a girl’s body instead.

by Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX - This top 10 “song of the summer” is a synthetic-sounding piece of stupidity. It’s basically about how rich she is and how much she loves blowing her money on material things, and is even too rich to even shop at reasonably-priced department stores. “Swagger on super, I can’t shop at no department. Better get my money on time, if they not money, decline…” It’s also ridiculously obvious that she does not have any basic geography skills. In her chorus: she says “I’m in the fast lane from LA to Tokyo.” Sorry to break it to you sweetie, but you

can’t travel from California to Japan in a car.

There are so many things that rhyme with “know.”

But she had to pick the stupidest line she possibly could to follow it. The dubstep was somewhat similar to every single other stupid pop song that comes out nowadays. Maybe she should take the money that she earns and spend it on producing better music.

The Haunted House 2

Stalker I honestly thought this show was going to be really good when I saw the preview, but I realized it’s like any other crime/horror show that has ever been on the air. There’s nothing different about,

it, and there’s nothing really special either.

The idea is overused.

However, it would be okay if they didn’t make the victims look like idiots. The girl who is stalked in the first episode could have easily run away, but didn’t. If I’m going to watch an overused idea, can it please be good at least?

I don’t know what I’m more ashamed of: the fact that I actually sat down and wasted twenty minutes of my precious time to watch part of this movie, or that there are people stupid enough to make a movie this terrible.

Everything about it was completely terrible.

For a “comedy/horror” film, it was neither

funny nor scary. What was horrifying is how terrible it was. It lacks a plot, and what they call humor is not funny at all.

The “scary” parts were unbelievably cheesy and fake, and the main character screaming like his boxers were too tight didn’t make it scarier— just more annoying.

Worst things of 2014

By Rachel Leone • Editor-in-Chief

Falcons donate blood to help out the local community

By Marissa Panchal • Staff Writer

Senior Tyler Stump sits in the auxiliary gym while he gets his blood drawn. Photo By Thomas Mace

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he auxiliary gym was filled with the noise of granola bar wrappers and packages of water bottles as students chewed up some breakfast before getting their blood drawn. Medical Techs in maroon and gray scrubs calmed students’ nerves while placing stress balls in their palms. There was a feeling of pride in the room as students walked in, knowing that they were giving back to their community and saving lives.

“I think it is an important thing to save lives,” said senior Gabby Prasse, “especially during the holidays because this is a time where a lot of accidents happen.”

On November 25, 136 students signed up to get their blood drawn, and out of those 136, 80 donated blood, which means that around 240 lives will be saved from Foothill’s donations.

“This will definitely help them restock their supply,” said director Jeannine McCoy. “Right now, since it is right before Thanksgiving, a lot of people are on the

road, and that is when we will have a lot of accidents, and [patients] are sent to UMC. It is the only trauma center, and they are going to go through a lot of blood. I think this is a way for students to get civically engaged, and it’s a way to give back to the community.”

When the students donate their blood, they are not aware of who it is going to or how it is going to help someone.

Through donating blood though, many lives have been impacted, including McCoy’s.

“When you donate blood, that one donation can save up to three people’s lives,” said McCoy. “You never know who it’s going to be, and the story I always use is my husband’s. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2013, and he used to donate blood all the time, and the doctors told him, ‘It looks like you are

Principal Joe Caruso gets his blood drawn during the blood drive.

Photo By Kaden Jesperson

going to need a blood transfusion,’ and when he was in the hospital room, he said, ‘I never thought it was going to be me.’ He will never get to thank that person who helped save his life, but it’s an amazing gift to give to someone.”

Congratulations Class of 2015!

Don't count the days, make the days count.

Star Ben Guido holds his princess in his arms. (Left) Brandon Poe talks on stage with a piece of bread in his left hand and phone in his right. (Right)

A Game of Tiaras

Photos by Dre Vasquez and Thomas Mace

Latest comedy tops student polls as recent favorite

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ackstage is crowded with props and people scrambling about, trying to make sure everything is ready. It’s opening night, and actors and the tech crew prepare for their first full performance. Actors are everywhere, doing voice warm ups, putting the finishing touches on their costumes and finishing their makeup.

Some actors goofed around as they waited for their call time.

“Game of Tiaras” was a parody that had the audience cracking up. One of the features that made the play funny was the humorous tragedy. Between ridiculous monologues, a hobo king, and royal ninjas, this play had it all.

Instead of using fake blood, the “Game of Tiaras” utilized a blood packet guy that would throw red pieces of cloth to symbolize when someone was dying. “Once I learned the lines and the cues, it was pretty easy,” said Justin Padilla. “It was honestly one of the best roles to play. It was fun, and I really enjoyed it, even when I messed up one night. I came out too early when Cinderella stabbed herself, which sort of gave things away.”

By Camryn Hulshoff • Peregrine Writer

The play was a parody of the TV show “Game of Thrones,” incorporating a few of the same themes, like death, domination and war. But, a few plot twists were thrown in, catching the audience off guard and creating a lighter mood than the TV show.

“The Disney princesses made the play seem a lot lighter,” said Benjamin Guido, “and the blood packet guy made everything awesome.”

“My favorite part was the slow motion part,” said Collin Celic. “The girl gets her head chopped off, everyone starts dying and the blood packets start flying!”

Celic added that his other favorite part was Ben Guido speaking with his French accent.

“When I went up to Guido, he and I just talked to each other in a French accent for five or ten minutes. It was pretty fun.”

There were two different casts that

switched off performing every night. “I was in the blue cast,” said Lindsay DeVries.

“It was fun to play this absolute psycho she-devil. It was a complete contrast with my real personality.”

A member of the cast was switched from blue cast to red cast Friday, November 21. “Something came up, and it was strange to switch from blue to red,” said DeVries. “It was weird to perform as Cinderella with a cast that I’m not used to, but I still had fun. Not only did we perform well that night, but we had a great connection with the audience.”

Belle under attack.

Photo By Zach Hayes

Behind the scenes

By Richard Reid • Cub Reporter

Sweat drips down Ryan Carlton’s face as he gets ready to cut his board. He has been working for weeks on this stage and only has a couple more vital cuts to make, this one being the biggest.

He and others were building the set for Game of Tiaras. They used all types of tools. “My favorite part of Theater Tech is the prop work with the power tools,” said Christian Solas. Class members used everything from a paint brush to a saw during sixth period or after school.

In this class, working with others is a vital part of the job. Students have to be very careful and keep a clean work site.

“It is really difficult to work with everyone else and keep track of everything because everyone has different ideas on the art work for the props,” said Ryan Carlton.

To work this out, they ask the boss, Mr. Gaskill to solve the problem.

Ryan Carlton and Sean Morgan work in the theatre class to finish up production behind the scenes.

Photo By Bill Tobler

“The best part is to see the final production on opening night and seeing the audience’s reaction to it,” said Avery Gilson. The set comprises couches and backgrounds to props and thrones. The tech students feel the set is one of the best. “There are a lot of little things going on, but all those add up to a lot of things

Arilya Haggard (left) and Erin Parcel paint the Tiara’s set steps. Photo By Bill Tobler

to build,” said Solas.

Even after the sets are finished, they never get a day off. “It is hard sometimes because we rarely get breaks,” said Seth Dickinson. During the play, they still don’t get to slack off. They support the play in the back ground or help by changing scenes during the play.

More portables on the way With no scheduled new construction, FHS looks for relief

By Jack Wagner • Web Master

The bell that ends class rings, and Tyler Stump arises from his desk in English class, and steps into the 200 hallway where he is greeted with a flood of students who pack the hallway from wall to wall, all of whom are attempting to reach their next class. “I can’t get to my classes on time half of the time,” said Stump. “It’s so busy that I feel like I’m packed into a New York Subway, especially whenever I try to go into the 700s.”

Overcrowded hallways and classrooms have been an issue since 2006, but in the 2014-2015 school year, they have dramatically increased. Not including the portable classrooms, the school’s program capacity is 2,209 students, according to the Clark County School District Attendance Zone Advisory Commission, or AZAC. On count day, a total of 2,885 students were counted, according to principal Joe Caruso. However, this number includes the students in the portables. “I’ve already requested additional portables,” Principal Caruso said. “They have granted me two additional portables,

and then when the count projections come out in spring, that’s when I will review the projections and make the request for additional portables.”

According to CCSD Regulations, a school is considered “overutilized” once the school’s current enrollment reaches 125% of its design capacity, and it has over eight portables. Foothill’s design capacity currently stands at 2,200 students, according to Mr. Jordan Phee. Foothill is, at the time of writing this story, at 131% of its design capacity, and once the two extra portables are installed, the school will have 10 portables total, clearly making Foothill an “overutilized” school.

Currently, AZAC is only planning to make changes to Shadow Ridge High School and Arbor View High School, and the only action that is being made to fix the overpopulation issue is the addition of more portables.

Student Jordyn Meade, however disagrees that Principal Caruso should add more portables. “I think we should decrease our zone variances and make people go to

other schools,” said Meade. “I hate portables so much.”

On the other hand, some students disagree that the school is overpopulated.

“I don’t feel like there’s too many people,” said student Anthony Friday. “I can easily squeeze through any door, so I don’t really feel crowded ever.”

“They just have to do something,” said Stump. “Even if it’s just making the passing periods longer. We have to fix this issue.”

Photo by Dre Vasquez

All Photos courtesy of Roger Seymour Photography

Freshman tears up the track racing in Motorsports Formula Racing

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ason Reichert steps into his Huddy MotorSports Formula F1600 150 mph race car and gets strapped in and ready for the race. He flips two switches to start the ignition and checks his helmet’s audio to hear the pit. Once the OK is given, he thunders off for a qualifying lap, hoping to capture the pole position.

The 14-year-old FHS freshman is one of the youngest drivers to ever get a Formula Professional Racing Driver’s License in the country.

“I started racing when I was 9 with a Junior 1 Kart that had a Comer 80cc motor,” Reichert said. “I started on a pavement track with a road course.” His top speed was 60 mph, and within three years, he had won two of his five championships at the Las Vegas Karting Championships at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

At age 12, he moved up to a Tag Jr. Kart with a Rotax motor, pushing 100 mph on the racetrack. The Tag Jr. was longer, wider and faster than his previous go-kart. Because of his speed, Reichert was moved up a division and found himself racing against adults, making him one of the youngest racers in the Series. “One of the drivers we were racing against was 70, and he still goes fast!”

Reichert said. The new racing series with old-

By Mary Zavala-Ostrowski • Cub Reporter

er competitors didn’t stifle his spirit, but he was a little concerned that there were no seat belts in go karts. Unlike his Formula race car, go karts do not have seat belts because drivers can get trapped in their karts and crushed, explained Reichert. “It’s actually safer for drivers to fly out of their karts during a crash,” he said.

Earlier this year in January, he advanced to a S5 Shifter Go Kart with a 125 cc engine, having six gears and a top speed of 120 mph. He then raced with FHS student Cruz Fiore, another FHS freshman. In early 2014, Reichert signed a two-year contract with the Huddy MotorSports Formula F1600 Racing Team. He will be one of the youngest drivers to ever compete in the F1600 Series. Jason now races both his Formula F1600 race car and his S5 Shifter Go Kart and has completed a combined 32 race weekends during this past year.

Part of what allows him to race against these older drivers is trust.”Trust is a big thing,” said Reichert. “No one wants to crash their cars. I raced in

a Vintage Auto Race against one of Mario Andretti’s Lotus Formula1 classic race cars.

You can’t replace that if you crash it, so everyone’s pretty careful.”

According to Reichert, the races can get pretty hectic, with racers spinning out around the track and battling for position.

He said that all of the racers he’s competed against respect safety over winning, and he doesn’t feel like any of the drivers have intentionally tried any type of dirty driving, but still,accidents happen easily when everyone’s going over 150 mph in Formula race car. But this hasn’t hurt Reichert’s confidence, and he looks forward to his two-year contract with Huddy MotorSports, eventually moving toward the Formula 1 series, with the big cash and high tech cars along with fantastic drivers. “While I would love to race in the F1 Series, I would welcome racing an IndyCar, Nascar or any other Series that I could.”

Reichert said.

Story by Rachel Leone Editor-in-Chief

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Photos by Dylan Wylie Photographer

Layout by Billy Clouse Layout Editor

A DCI Journey Jackie Reveyrand shares her experience in a World Class Competitive group

ackie Reveyrand breathed the Indiana air into her lungs as she walked onto the field at Lucas Oil Stadium for the final time of the summer. Her feet met the soft drumbeat as her jazz shoes squeaked against the AstroTurf while she made her way to the opening set.

“Performing on that field is every guard girl’s dream,” she said. “When I saw it, it was so surreal to me.”

During the summer, Reveyrand participated in Drum Corps International (DCI), a competitive program of independent marching groups of the best performers in percussion, horn line and color guard. As part of Pacific Crest, a corps based in Diamond Bar, California, Reveyrand competed during a tour of the country’s stadiums, including Stanford’s stadium, the Bronco’s Stadium at Mile High, the Alamodome in Texas, the Atlanta Falcon’s stadium in Georgia, and the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

“Starting in December 2013, I traveled to So Cal one weekend a month and eventually every weekend by April. I basically moved into another performer’s house in Diamond Bar until school got out.

After a week of twelve-hour rehearsals, we began to tour. I wasn’t back until August 10,” said Reveyrand. “I was Pacific Crest’s

youngest color guard member.”

“Our thirteen-minute show was about puppets and their journeys to become ‘real boys’” said Reveyrand, describing the nature of Pacific Crest’s show. “Our costumes were meant to be like wooden puppets, and we had miserable hoods that we wore for the entire show. We were all so excited to finally be able to take them off!”

The show featured the theme of bondage verses freedom. “At the beginning of the show, we all had these strings,” said Reveyrand. “The first movement was all about us being controlled. In the second movement, we were falling over and starting to move for ourselves a bit. In the third movement, a tango, we became more daring and started to realize that we didn’t have to be controlled. During the ballad, the fourth movement, we saw ourselves in the mirror, moving for ourselves, and we really saw that we didn’t need our strings.

During the closer, we removed our strings and hoods, and it was basically like a party.

All of us were celebrating and moving freely without our strings. Thus, we had No Strings Attached.”

Originally, the strings that entrapped the performers caused a few problems.

“The Velcro always came undone from the performers’ ankles, so the elastic would

snap back to the sideline before it was supposed to and mess up the effect. It was something I had never worked with before, but it was easily my favorite part of the show.”

“Our catch phrase for the closer was, ‘No String Cheese Attached’ because they wanted us to be extremely cheesy and excited the whole time,” said Reveyrand. “I just felt extremely happy the whole time!

Our show was generally about happiness and joy with the feeling of discovery.”

The Audition: “We learned dance and flag work. They judged your technique and how fast you were able to pick up on things and your performance quality with how well you portrayed ideas to the audience.”

Her audition had a few bumps. “Auditions were over a Saturday and Sunday in December. Ironically, I thought I had broken my finger Saturday night, so I spent all that night icing it because I was so afraid that it would affect my chances. I hadn’t told any of the instructors, and I still somehow got contracted right away. It was very surprising!”

Her passion for performing grew, but Reveyrand still experienced some difficulties. “At the beginning of the season I couldn’t catch on to things very fast, but

Jackie Reveyrand

I learned super quickly that, to survive in the group, I would have to learn. I began working extra hard and putting in more hours to practice, and eventually, it paid off.

I was extremely homesick the entire time because I had never been away from home for even close to that long before. Also, I was from out of state too, so a lot of people in the group already knew each other, and I hardly knew anyone, but after spending every waking minute with these people, they become like family. We all slept, ate, showered, performed, and just all hung out together. It was crazy how close a group of people can get so fast.”

Along with her memories of the show, she also has memories of the rehearsals and spending time with her new family.

“In Louisiana, the field we were rehearsing on in the afternoon had alligators running across it. That was interesting! And in Texas, it rained so hard that, instead of making us rehearse, they woke us up, fed us, and let us go back to sleep for a few hours. It was an official ‘nap block.’”

Her favorite memory of the whole experience also includes rain. ”That night, we performed in the pouring rain, and during the second movement, a rainbow was behind us. I have a picture, it was so awesome. That’s probably my favorite memory because it was just so unbelievable.”

Moral support during her hardest time made Reveyrand feel like she was home.

“My second family was always there for me whenever I was feeling super homesick. Because I was the baby of the

bunch, I missed my family a lot, but having my team there to support me and tell me that it was all worth it really made a world of difference. If I hadn’t had that support group, I probably wouldn’t have made it through tour or even be remotely interested in marching next year.

Reveyrand’s color guard coaches, Heather and Jeremy Sanborn inspired her most to audition for DCI. “Before they came to Foothill, DCI was always a thing that I watched in a movie theater one day during the summer, but when they came, they always talked about their great experiences, and I was just so anxious to be a part of it.”

The experience taught Reveyrand a lot about herself. “It taught me that one common passion can bring people from all around the world together. We had a girl from Japan who marched with us! Also, I learned how to be more independent than I ever had been before. Most importantly, I learned that it doesn’t matter what your age is, or where you’re from, or who you are; you are never too young to chase your dreams because they be more in your reach than you think.”

Being a part of Pacific Crest created a sense of accomplishment for Reveyrand.

“I just felt so proud of myself that I did it, that I made it through a whole summer away from home, singing with strangers in random high schools in towns that I had never heard of,” she said. “I realized I had now done all of these things, when a year earlier, I had always looked up to the performers in DCI. Now I looked at myself and realized I was one of them.”

pho tos by Zach Hayes

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acob Gonzales’s breath lingered in the early-morning air. The sun was hours from rising, but he was already rehearsing on the Macy’s star with the rest of the band.

Hours later, the band marched on the star again, this time in performance, while snow lightly drifted down to the confetticovered ground.

On November 27, Foothill’s marching band was one of 125 groups but one of only six high school bands to perform in the 2014 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Even though the band’s performance was at 11:51 a.m., the day started much

By Billy Clouse • Layout Editor

earlier than that.

“We woke up at 12:50 a.m.,” Gonzales said. “Everybody started falling asleep during breakfast and on the bus, but as soon as we walked out to start the parade, everybody was alive with adrenaline.”

“I knew we were ready for the parade, but I still couldn’t help but feel nervous about being seen by 50 million people,” said Nikko Lopez, who was part of a soli during the parade. “I was super proud of how well we did. Because the band performed near the end of the parade, they were able to see many other groups

enter the parade.

“We got to see so many amazing balloons and the famous band, KISS,” said Gonzales. “I saw Gene Simmons stick his tongue out. It is even longer in person!”

When it was finally the band’s turn to enter, many performers found the experience surreal.

“It took me a second to take everything in and actually realize what was going on,” said Lopez. “I honestly don’t remember too much during the parade other than it felt like my calves were being torn from my legs because of how cold it was.”

Continued on page 16>

<Macy’s, Continued from page 15

Unlike most years, it snowed on Thanksgiving.

“Not having much snow in Nevada, it was really cool to march with snow coming down and making the scene so much more beautiful,” said Gonzales. “Just the fact that we were in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade seemed to make the cold disappear.”

As the last high school marching band to perform, Foothill played “Nutcracker a la Vegas,” a song composed for the group by Greg Bimm, Director of Bands at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois.

After 90 seconds, the band’s time in the national spotlight ended, but the memories of performing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will last a lifetime.

“When we exited the parade, we were all cheering and in tears,” said Gonzales. “This has by far been the best moment I have ever experienced, and I couldn’t have asked for a better trip than this one!”

Although the parade was the climax of

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the trip, the band participated in many other events while in New York City.

Day 1: On November 23, the band took five flights to New York.

Saxophonist Alec Villareal woke up at 2 a.m. to catch his flight and was the first person at McCarran Airport.

Once the students arrived in New York, they checked into their hotels before exploring the city.

According to Zach Schauer, one of the best parts of Times Square was the food. “[My favorite part] definitely had to be eating pizza when we first had free time!” he said. “We were all hungry because we didn’t want to eat any gross airport food when we knew we were only an hour away from some genuine New York pizza.”

Although the last two flights didn’t get to explore Times Square on the first night due to their late arrival times,

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1. On their first full day in New York, the band visited the Statue of Liberty. Thanksgiving evening, the band went on a dinner cruise that sailed around New York Harbor and the Hudson River. “I got a beautiful view of the skyline on 5 the top deck,” said Eric Nguyen. “The clouds started to 3 clear out after the parade, and it was nice.” 2. During the afternoon of the second day, the group headed to the Na4 tional September 11 Memorial. Ken Gonthier was moved when he visited the site, saying, “It was an experience and feeling I’ll never forget.” 3. Times Square was one of the most popular spots on the trip. Free time was often spent here, and it was the location of two iconic places: Bowlmor and Broadway. “[Bowlmor] was dark and relaxing,” said Matt Barilleaux. “They had couches and large TVs, constantly playing videos with music blasting all night long.” Dorian Palmer said, “[Broadway was]fantastic. I can only imagine how much work was put into such a spectacular production.” 4. At the start of the third day, the ensemble went to the top of Rockefeller Center. 5. On the third day, select members of the band performed in Carnegie Hall. Josh Bottoms said that performing there was momentous. “I have a memory that guarantees I’ll remember each and every one of my incredible friends,” he said.

1. “New York was an amazing experience that I’m glad I got to spend with my close friends,” Lukas Werle said. Photo

by Zach Hayes. 2. Tia King, right, says, “It was one of the most amazing moments of my life. I was in disbelief that everything we had worked so hard on for 18 months led up to those 90 seconds.” Photo by Cliff Allen. 3.

Drum Major Brett Clouse led the band down the streets of New York. “With the snow falling and the crowd cheering with such ferocity, you couldn’t help but smile,” said Clouse.

4. “We were at the 9/11 memorial, and our world tour agent, Patricia, let me hold the umbrella,” said Bailie Rudd.

Photo by Matt Barilleaux 5. Morgan Peacha takes in Times Square.

“Being in the big city that never sleeps just amazed me,“ said Peacha. Photo by Jordan Green.

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the band had many more opportunities to explore New York City.

Day 2: In the morning, the group visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

According to Callie Claridy, the statue was different than she thought it would be.

“It was a lot bigger than I expected and had more meaning than it does in pictures,” she said.

The group headed to Ellis Island after seeing the statue that welcomed newcomers to America.

“It was really interesting because my family went through there a long time ago,” said Claridy. “I found my great, great grandpa’s name in the immigrant search.”

After leaving Ellis Island, the band went to the National September

11 Memorial.

“I expected it to be a special place where you would feel sacred, but it was so much more,” said Ken Gonthier. “Actually knowing that thousands of people died there just added to the effect of how special it felt.”

For Gonthier, the tragedy hit close to home. Although he didn’t know anyone who died in the terrorist attacks, his aunt almost became a victim.

“She missed her flight, which was UA flight 175 that flew from Boston and hit the World Trade Center the second time,” he said. “She could’ve passed away if it wasn’t for simple mistakes like that. She is a major role model in my life, and if she was on time for that flight, I wouldn’t have her and all her support today.”

That evening, the band

headed to Bowlmor, an iconic 90,000 square foot bowling alley.

Day 3: Tuesday opened with a visit to the top of the GE Building at Rockefeller Center, or the Top of the Rock.

After an elevator ride up the seventy floors, the students got a unique view of the city.

“You could see the skyline in its full capacity, which was a real experience,” said Colton May. “It was awe-inspiring to be able to see Central Park, the Chrysler, and the Empire State Building while barely turning your head, and to look down and see some of the buildings and churches that are hundreds of years old was a fantastic juxtaposition to the more modern skyscrapers.”

May said that the view Continued on page 18>

<Macy’s, Continued from page 17

changed how he thought about performing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

“Fifty million is a nearimpossible number to actually visualize, but seeing how much area New York took up, both horizontally and vertically, helped put at least the three million people that would be there live seeing us into perspective,” said May. “It really cemented the reality of what we were doing and how well we all had to perform in order to accomplish that.”

Afterwards, the group was given time to explore the city. Marina Sturek and a group of friends shopped in Rockefeller Center before going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. On Tuesday evening, select members of the band performed in Carnegie Hall.

Among their songs, the Foothill High School Wind Ensemble world premiered “Psalm 92” by Anthony LaBounty.

“It’s beyond momentous,” said Josh Bottoms. “It blows my mind that some people spend their entire lives trying to make something of themselves and leave a legacy, and already, in high school, I’ve been gifted with the support and emphasis in music that facilitated one of my legacies.”

To close the concert, the group played an arrangement of “Pie Jesu” with world-

renowned singer Marie Osmond.

“Marie truly is the kind of person I would like to see more of in the world,” said Bottoms.

“For being as celebrated as she is, she recognizes the significance of art in schools and the magnitude it has on people. She’s incredibly down to earth, which I know is cliché, but it’s nonetheless true.”

During their performance, the band received two standing ovations.

Day 4: Because it was the day before the parade, the band and color guard gathered in the ballroom for a group rehearsal. Hats were handed out, plumes were adjusted, instruments were practiced, and the show on the Macy’s star was rehearsed.

After the practice, the students split up into groups and headed to Broadway. There, they saw one of four shows: Aladdin, Cinderella, Pippin, or Les Misérables.

Dorian Palmer, a fan of Les Misérables, was pleased with the performance.

“It was fantastic,” she said. “The cast performed great!”

When the show finished, Palmer and friends discussed the show and their favorite characters.

“I got a ‘Team Valjean’ pin, and there were some ‘Team Javert’ people with me,” said Palmer. “The battle was on for the rest of the

night.”

That evening, the band gathered at Ellen’s Stardust Diner for a group meal the night before Thanksgiving. At this iconic restaurant, aspiring Broadway musicians serve food and sing throughout the night.

“It was awesome!” said Bri Albertie. “The servers were super nice, and they all could sing.”

Day 5: The day that the band had been awaiting for over 18 months had finally arrived. Within hours, the 300 students would be performing in the 2014 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The performers began waking up around midnight to prepare for their rehearsal on the Macy’s star at 3 AM. Due to cold temperatures [in the low thirties], warm clothing was essential.

“I put two layers of thermals on, a pair of huge socks, a shirt, gloves, and of course our uniform,” said Jacob Gonzales. “We knew that layers would be necessary, however, the snow and rain was a surprise.”

After the rehearsal, the band congregated at the Hard Rock Café, where they ate a buffet of breakfast foods to hold them over until their performance was finished.

“Everybody ate quickly then slept for about an hour,” said Gonzales.

“We tried to squeeze in all the sleep we could.”

However, once the parade started, it went

3 by in a flash.

“After what seemed like a few minutes of marching, we reached the Macys star,” Gonzales said. “I was surprised it went by so quickly.”

Once the band’s time in the limelight was up, they went back to their hotel before attending a dinner cruise.

Eric Nguyen described the view of the New York skyline from the ship as “high definition.”

“I went to the observation deck outside after dinner and talked

to friends in the cold,” said Nguyen. “I also took many pictures.”

The ship offered everything from Thanksgiving dinner to a dance floor with a DJ to a pristine view of some of the most iconic buildings in the country.

“The cruise was fun as well as peaceful,” said Gonzales. “Me and my two friends, Brett Clouse and Cheyenne Tennant, laid on the couch on the top deck and just looked at the beautiful structures and skyline. It was a really nice night!”

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4 Day 6: Before the students had to head back home, they were given time to go Black Friday shopping in the Big Apple.

Although some found the experience to be enjoyable, others were terrified of the thought.

“It’s scary enough when it’s the Walmart down the street let alone in the middle of

New York,” said Dorian Palmer.

Bri Albertie agreed, saying “New Yorkers are vicious, and I’m afraid I’ll be attacked if I try.”

However, many members of the band took advantage of the unique experience.

Markus Gamett purchased shirts, hoodies, and beanies from various shops in

1. Drum Major Sabrina Mahe marches in the front of the band. “It was really awe-inspiring because we saw all these big names go by and all these iconic characters as huge balloons, and you’re just like, ‘Oh my gosh! I’m going to be part of that!’” said Mahe. “It was really surreal.”

Photo by Cliff Allen. 2. At the National September 11 Memorial, white roses are laid next to the names of the victims on what would have been their birthdays. Photo by Marina Sturek. 3. Colton May said that the view from the Top of the Rock was fantastic. “We had several hours to stay on top and explore Rockefeller Plaza, so I stayed for about an hour then explored the Plaza for another two or so,” said May. Photo by Zach Hayes.

4. Kyle Corbin looks through binoculars at the Top of the Rock. “When I first looked out at the city, it was insane to see how beautiful New York City was,“ said Corbin. Photo by Zach Hayes.5.

To Jacob Gonzales, the snow made the parade better. “The snow was falling so gracefully and made the experience so much cooler–pun not intended!” he said. “With straight lines and amazing sound, we successfully marched better than we could have imagined.” Photo by Cliff Allen.

5 Times Square.

“I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, but I got everything I wanted,” said Gamett, who also bought an “I love New York” shirt for his sister and a Christmas ornament for his mother.

“There were a lot of people in New York, but I feel like the people in Vegas are a lot crazier,” Gamett said.

65 Taylor Catlett, who was on the last flight to return, was overwhelmed by the homecoming.

“There were signs everywhere,” she said.

Before we even got down the escalator there was screaming and cheering. It was so cool to see how much our community really supports us and how

proud they are of us.”

After spending six days in New York City, 300 students from Foothill will have memories that will last a lifetime.

“I felt accomplished,” said Gonzales. “I had marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with our great, prideful, loving band. They are my other family and I love them all greatly.”

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Winter Wear Photos by Skylar Scott and Camryn Phillips

Teagan Shelburne Jessica Dillow

Liliana Gasca Jacob Wainscott

s winter approaches, some may feel that fashion takes a season off and that it’s just jeans and hoodies until spring. NOT! Winter fashion has its own set of smart looks. Here’s a few tips on how to keep it fresh this winter.

A few items trending this winter for the ladies are cardigans, boots and harem pants. Cardigans can be paired with jeans, leggings and harem pants, (knit pants that resemble Hammer pants.)

Boots are always a good way to keep your toes warm, and they DON’T have to be Uggs. While the Australian boots do remain popular, mainly due to their comfort, any boots will work this winter.

One stylish trend is longer boots and boots with buckles. And for you country girls, cowboy boots are always in style.

Winter also means fun head gear. Even though beanies aren’t permitted on campus, we assume that your lives (and fashion sense) continues outside the burnt orange doors.

Traditional beanies are ok, but spice that hat up with one of the new, fun beanies, like a Canadian tuque with tassles, an animal shape with ears, or one of the large-knit yarn hats.

Fashion head wear can be that fun accent that sets you apart.

It also can be that one fashion accessory that allows guys an easy conversation starter, and there’s nothing wrong with that! Wink.

Speaking of guys, cardigans are all the rage right now, and if you don’t have one, you need to get one! Cardigans can dress up anything. Add one to a

t-shirt and jeans to step up your casual look. Add some fresh, colored khakis and a collared shirt for date night. Want to go one step further? Add a skinny tie with the top button undone, and you’re ready for a night on the town.

Boots are also great for guys. The classic Doc Martins have upgraded their look with rough leather and new colors, while cheaper brands like Mossimo are offering smart black laceups for under 40 bucks at Target. But dudes, if you are rocking skinny jeans, do NOT tuck your jeans into the boots. In fact, skinny jeans and boots are not a good look.

Instead, pair straight legs or boot legs with your boots.

Another trend for guys this winter are plaid button ups.

Best paired with dark jeans, these warm shirts also look great unbuttoned over the top of a t-shirt, and layers always help a young man look more thoughtful about his wardrobe choices.

Finally, scarves are in for guys, and not just the kind that keep you warm. Fashion scarves are being worn by the likes of young Hollywood stars and rock and rollers. Choose a wide one with a subtle pattern and check out youtube for the many ways to thread it around your neck.

Like fun headgear for the ladies, a scarf on a young man is a lady magnet.

You don’t have to go to a place like the H&M or Dillards if you want to be warm, but still be in style. You can still look cute and cool without spending all your Benjamins by shopping at places like Ross, Marshals, Kohl’s, JC Penny or even TJ Maxx.

A Sweet Christmas Treat

By Kayla King • Staff Writer

E

very family has a different tradition for Black Friday. Some people go out and shop while others stay home and soak in the Christmas spirit.

Junior Jazmine Dukes shares her own unique experience for Black Friday. She and her mom stay at home that day and make Christmas cookies.

“While everyone else is out trying to find the hottest deals, we are at home enjoying our delicious cookies,” said Dukes.

The Dukes used to shop on Black Friday, but that all changed a couple years ago.

“In 2012, we were walking into Kohl’s and almost got trampled by these crazy

people rushing in to get the newest blender,” said Dukes. “We were waiting in line, and that’s all they were talking about. As soon as the doors opened, they sprinted in, almost knocking me and my mom down.”

So now, they just stay at home in a more “calm and quiet” place. She said that they play Christmas music and dance around all over the kitchen and just have a great time.

“We make about eight different kinds of cookies,” said Dukes. “We make everything from sugar cookies to chocolate chip to ginger bread to peanut butter blossoms.”

She said that after the cookies are

finished, they plate them and walk them to the neighbors.

“It is just something nice that we do to spread the Christmas spirit,” said Dukes.

Dukes said that every year the neighbors are surprised and so grateful for them taking time to make the tasty treats.

She said that the peanut butter blossoms and the gingerbread cookies are always the biggest hits.

“Mine and my mom’s favorite has to be the sugar cookies,” said Dukes.

Jazmine said that she plans to do this with her mom until she graduates.

“It’s something we like to do together and it will never change,” said Dukes.

Christmas Traditions

By Skylar Scott • Staff Writer

M

ost people have their own little traditions they do around the Holidays, from dinners with the family to who hangs the star on the tree. “I have been doing our Christmas traditions ever since I was born,” said Nick O’Brien. “All my family gathers around the tree, hangs out and opens presents.”

After that, his family meets at his grandmother’s house. “Christmas is my favorite holiday,” said O’Brien. “It’s fun to see all the present wrapping paper all over the floor.”

Christmas traditions don’t only have to center on your own family. They can also involve helping others. “It started as an idea a few Christmases ago,” said Dayne

Robertson, who goes out and helps the homeless every Christmas. “Now it has just turned into a tradition.”

“I see people who are hungry and need some saving,” said Robertson. “I spend all day at the homeless shelter. I just help anyone in need.” He helps others celebrate the holidays when they can’t afford it on their own. “I do it because it brings joy to the less fortunate,” said Robertson. “I notice the gratefulness in their eyes.”

Instead of going out like Robertson, Bernabe De Leon prepares a family traditional meal every Christmas. “My family cook’s pancit, a Filipino dish,” said De Leon. “Eating noodles for a celebration represents

the good life.” The dish is noodles with carrots, pork and celery and served with lumpia, which is a fried egg roll.

“My mom wants us to be rich or have a good job, so therefore, she cooks noodles,” said De Leon. “My family doesn’t know why it’s good luck, but my mom completely believes in superstition.”

How did Christmas really start?

By Atalaya Strom • Cub reporter

S Charitable Christmas

By Riley Bidwell • Staff Writer

The end-of-the-day bell rings, and Emmalyn Pace rushes through the halls to pass out green flyers to strangers.

“Come to Panera Bread to support NHS, and more importantly, to help kids in need this holiday season,” said Pace.

NHS held a fundraiser at Panera Bread for their upcoming toy drive this holiday season for children in need of a little extra joy.

“The fundraiser was a lot of fun!” said NHS member Pace. “We raised a little bit more money for the drives so children who do not have a lot will have a happy holiday season.”

NHS will donate the funds to the Adopt-a-Family who receives wish lists from needy families, and the families are randomly chosen. With the money raised, NHS officers buy the things families need, which includes food and/ or toys.

NHS will continue to fundraise throughout the rest of the December toy drive. Some of the students will also donate toys that they pick out themselves.

“We have a few hundred dollars with the fundraisers we have done so far,” said Mr. Ray Ortiz, NHS adviser, “and a couple more hundred dollars will definitely help.”

Keep an eye out for future fundraising announcements from NHS if you would like to help.

ome think Christmas started when Jesus was born. While this may be true, there were earlier celebrations of this season. Or maybe it started because of the idea of Santa Claus or presents. How did Christmas really start?

Countries like Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Finland celebrated a holiday called Yule during the Winter Solstice. Men and their sons would cut down evergreen trees and drag them into their houses as symbols of life. These evergreen trees are the same trees we use today as Christmas trees. The men would decorate the trees with apples, which later turned into ornaments and candles. During this time, they would burn Yule logs and feast for days until the log burned out. Later, on December 25, Christian churches adopted this holiday as their own and called it Christmas in celebration of Christ’s birth, even though it is fairly common knowledge that Jesus was not actually born in December.

While the celebration of Christ’s birth was a long-standing tradition, the introduction of Santa Claus is much more recent. In the 1800s, a poem

about a jolly man giving presents to girls and boys became popular. Later, cartoons were drawn of this man; he had a big white beard and rode on a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer. Today, we know him as Santa Claus, Old Saint Nick or Father Christmas.

So now we know how Christmas originated, but how did mistletoe or hanging stockings start?

“I think mistletoe started by someone holding a plant over his/her head and just saying kiss me,” said Jack Meltzer.

Yes, this tradition is based on kidding, but it started with an old Roman holiday called Saturnalia. The practice was believed to declare a truce between enemies or where spouses could kiss and make up.

“Hanging stockings started from hanging socks by the fire to let them dry faster, and someone put a piece of candy in it to surprise the person,” says Daija Prater. While we may not know the true origins of this one, some believe the first mention of Christmas stockings being hung from a chimney was by Thomas Nast, through his pictures, and by a writer named George Webster, in a story about a visit from Santa Claus.

How do you think Christmas started?

Ari Demos

“It started because the birth of Jesus; then everyone started celebrating it and giving out presents.”

Sydney Schaper

“Jesus was born on the 25th of December. When he was born, the three guys brought him a gift. Thus we get presents on Christmas.”

Hurley Smith

“It’s a pagan holiday started by romans to celebrate the Christian religion.” Photo by Kaden Jesperson.

Real or fake Christmas tree?

By Kaylee Stradling • Staff Writer

The weather is dropping, and the cool breeze starts to blow just a bit harder. The students around campus are starting to prepare for the Christmas season and put up a few decorations. The question, “Should I use a real tree or a fake tree?” may cross your mind and leave you wondering which would be the best choice.

To junior Kelcie Barson, this is a no-brainer. “Using a real tree is part of having a real Christmas. It’s one of the main things I look forward to every year,” said Barson. My family and I have been using a real tree ever since I was a little girl, and it wouldn’t be Christmas without it.”

Barson and her family make a trip up to Ely, Nevada yearly to meet with extended family and go up to the mountains to find the perfect Christmas tree. “Every year, we all bundle up in our snow coats and boots and head up to the snowy mountains in Ely to chop down a tree,” said Barson. “That itself is a lot of fun, but we also take our four wheelers up and connect our sleds to them and have a blast. Having a real tree in my house after all of our hard work always brings back all the memories made on the mountain.”

A real tree not only brings memories, fun, and something to look forward to during the Christmas season, but also brings a nice smell through the house and a more authentic feeling.

“I love the smell my tree creates in my house throughout the Christmas season, and it is way more authentic than a fake tree,” said senior Rachel Oehler. “It just gets you into the mind set of Christmas time.”

To solve your Christmas dilemma, go find a real tree so you can have the best type of Christmas.

By Megan Berry • Cub Reporter

As Black Friday shoppers shuffled wearily home with their sweet deals, their thoughts often turned to where those gifts would sit on Christmas day: which means it is time to trim the Christmas tree.

For many, getting a tree no longer means traipsing through knee-deep snow after a four-hour car ride to hack down a living tree. A quick trip to the attic or shed is all that is needed.

“You can reuse fake trees for years,” said Natalie Stoker. While artificial trees cost more at first, they easily pay for themselves after about three seasons.

And that’s not all that’s great about fake trees. They tend to be fireproofed, unlike real trees, which are just matchsticks waiting to ignite as those hot little lights heat up the dry branches.

In addition, real trees shed needles, and have to be watered daily. Fake trees? Once it’s set up, you don’t have to touch it till the day you take it down.

Real trees are always lopsided or have some type of bare spot. “You have to find something to balance the tree,” said Teneighah Tovng.

The one benefit of real trees is that, to most folks, they smell like a pine forest, and that smell often is what makes people think of Christmas.

“I don’t care if my house smells like pine trees,” said Jill Simonson. “I can just buy a scented candle.”

Finally, some families can’t have a real tree because they have a tree allergy. Now, most of the new trees come with lights preinstalled, making set up and take down a breeze, which leaves you more time to enjoy all the other things you love about the holidays.

To Bae or Not to Bae? Pros and cons of having a ‘Bae’ during the holidays

By Kaden Jesperson •Staff Writer

Gifts, pictures, pumpkin patches and more! Or less? Having a Bae is the new hit thing to do. However is a Bae really the way to go? Many pros and cons are inherent in having a Bae. A Bae, (which means “before anyone else”) could bring joy to your seasons, with someone by your side, someone with whom you can talk to, someone to trust, and someone to have good times with. When you have this so called bae, many great things are to come. Holiday pictures for all of your social media. You can go to the pumpkin patch, or to all the Thanksgiving, Christmas decoration sites around this bright city of ours.

You can have someone to watch holiday movies with. Baes are also friends, usually one of the best of friends. It’s almost guarantied that a gift will come upon you. However, they feel the same way. You must get a gift for your Bae! Could all this great stuff be not as great as it seems? Maybe being by yourself is better. You don’t have to get Bae a gift, saving you money!

You could also spend more time with family and or friends. If you don’t have a Bae, then you don’t have to worry about someone; you can live your life just worrying about yourself and just yourself. You can go to parties single and ready to mingle.­ The holidays are approaching! If your going to get a Bae, then get one already! If you’re not going to get one, then you’re good! Party on, spend time with your family and friends.

You’re welcome everyone.

Photo by Alexis Bobby

Desert Christmas

By Alexis Bobby • Staff Writer

I

n the Las Vegas valley, everyone has put away the pumpkins and Halloween deco and brought out the Christmas lights and ornaments. Christmas is the one holiday where almost every house has a blow up snowman and lights to show their excitement for the holiday season.

There are many who like to have their decorations up for as long as possible.

“My family always puts up the Christmas tree as soon as Thanksgiving is over; we love the holidays so much, and we love having the decorations up as long as possible to really get into the holiday spirit,” said Kailey Rogers.

It’s always nice to go around town and see the Christmas lights lighting up the streets at night. At places like Town Square, you’ll find the brightest and

prettiest Christmas lights, but there are also houses in the local area that like to outdo everyone else with decorations.

The best house to see Christmas lights is actually close to the Hill. In the front yard is a dancing Santa, palm trees covered in colorful lights and Christmas music plays. it’s almost like a big show.

The house on Highland Street is the most lit-up house on the block, although the neighbors do their part and put up lights too. Homeowner Tony says it takes a lot to try to outdo himself every year.

It takes two weeks to put up all of the decorations, and even then he likes to make little changes before December begins.

“It takes a crew of about 4 to 5 people, and we start around Halloween, and we try to get everything finished and

up by Thanksgiving so when everyone comes over, it’s all finished and everyone compliments us.”

With all of the lights, extension cords and blow ups, the electric and light bills spike up this time of year, said Tony.

“The bill has actually changed over the years because I switched to LED lights; without the LED, its $2,400, but since I switched, it’s only been $700 a month, so the bill has decreased dramatically.”

The traffic around Christmastime isn’t a hassle, said Tony. Despite the number of people who stop by and take pictures of the house, he says it isn’t a bother because it is why he does it; he says he loves when people come by and say they love the house and the extravagance of it all. It makes him want to do it even more the next year.

It’s 7 a.m. Christmas morning. Wrapping and tissue paper fly everywhere.

Sophomore Darian Laszlo watches her little brother and sister scream and jump after opening the gifts Santa has brought.

She thinks to herself how much better Christmas morning was when she still believed in Santa Claus.

“I used to feel so much more excited on Christmas morning,” said Laszlo. “ Just the unknowing of how one person could get you exactly what you had been wanting all year made the day so much better.”

Laszlo said that Christmas isn’t as exciting as it used to be because, for the whole year, she used to look forward to getting gifts that would totally and completely shock her. She said that now she knows exactly where the gifts come from and are basically the same as all the others.

Now she knows that her presents, that she thought came from a sort of magical creature, were simply just her parents.

“Watching my brother and sister get so excited over something makes me miss it,” said Laszlo. “ I guess I miss the

not knowing, the idea that some magical creature could get me the one thing I have been wanting all year.”

Darian said she found out the news when she was in sixth grade. She said she was disappointed at first but then realized that she would still get gifts on that morning, just from a “different” person.

Sophomore Brittany Perry had about the same experience.

“I feel a little depressed, because on Christmas morning I think about all of the old memories and feelings I used to have,” said Perry. “It just isn’t the same.”

Junior, Jordan Corn has a completely different experience every Christmas morning. She still feels the excitement when she wakes up on December 25.

“I will always be a believer of Santa Claus,” said Corn. “How else do you explain all of the wonderful gifts that my parents would never buy for me?”

She said that Santa is her favorite part of Christmas and makes it very special.

“I feel bad for the unbelievers because they are missing out,” said Corn.

Sophomore Caitlyn Stevenson agrees with Corn.

“I choose to still believe because it makes the holiday 10 times better,” said Stevenson.

Darian and Brittany believe that Santa is just a myth, but Jordan and Caitlyn are Santa’s biggest fans. Either way, the four girls were always pleased with the gifts they received every Christmas morning.

“It doesn’t matter who it is from, as long as I get a gift,” said Laszlo. “It is ultimately the season of Art Skylar Scott giving.”

Providing gifts for the holidays

S

itting in the back seat with two garbage bags, one to her left and one to her right, Tessa Clark is on her way to donate gently-used clothes to the Las Vegas donation center. As the car comes to a stop, Tessa grabs the garbage bags and quickly runs to the donation box and stuffs the bags in. She quickly runs back to the car, knowing she made a difference this holiday season.

Generosity throughout the year can make a big difference to others. It could decide if a child has a coat to wear on cold mornings, a meal to eat at dinnertime, or a gift to open on Christmas morning.

Tessa Clark say’s, “It isn’t always around the holidays, but my family and I usually donate gently-used clothes and toys.”

Donating during the Christmas season is always helpful because, with the weather change, people need warmer clothes, and they might not be able to afford them.

“Some people don’t get Christmas

By Jack Meltzer • Staff Writer

presents at all, so if you donate, you help underprivileged kids get presents,” said Clark.

Another way you can be involved in helping people this holiday season is by donating during food drives. “When we go shopping and find good deals on canned items, we usually buy more than we need so we can donate the extra at the food drive at our church,” said Jimmy Maita.

He said that the holiday season can be pretty stressful, and he couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be to have to worry about how to afford meals if you don’t have a job.

Student Josie Meltzer donates to a charity activity at J. Marlan Walker Elementary School. Meltzer says, “You take an ornament off the Christmas tree and get the gift. Then you wrap the present and return it back to school.” Meltzer has been donating gifts this way for eight years. “I enjoy finding an ornament that has something that I would have liked

when I was that age,” said Meltzer. “It makes me happy that I get to get something special for someone who might not be getting anything else.”

Everything helps: a jacket so a kid can stay warm on cold winter mornings or food so a family can share a meal. Even a small donation can have a big impact, such as a Lego kit. You can bring your donations to room 727. Mr. Ortiz collects donations on behalf of NHS because, when he was a kid, he didn’t have very much, so he just wants to give back.

NHS collects gifts to send to those in need during the holidays. Photo By Dre Vasquez

Horror goes mobile with “Five Nights at Freddy’s”

By Brittany White • Cub Reporter

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n eruption of glee overcame Madison Mason as she stared, wide-eyed at the app store, seeing an app she’d been anticipating since its announcement–“Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.”

“At first I thought it was going to come out next year, which was a long way from now. But then the release

date got changed to Christmas, and then it changed to November 11.

I’m glad it came out early, though.”

“Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” is a prequel indie survival horror game which has already obtained a cult-like following over the internet and gaming communities. You play as a security guard named Jeremy Fitzgerald (whereas in the first game you played as Mike Schmidt,) who surveys the animatronics characters at “Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.” As Fitzgerald, you are instructed to work five nights, from 12 a.m. to 6 am, constantly checking cameras and avoiding the animatronics, who try to kill you throughout the night. However, to fend off the characters, you are given a false “Freddy Fazbear” mask, which tricks the characters into thinking you’re one of them. However, the mask fails to work against some of the characters, such as Foxy, The Pirate Fox, Balloon Boy, and the Marionette.

“It has a lot more jump-scares than the first game, that’s for sure,” said Mason. “The new Chica is really scary. When Balloon Boy is in the room, you’re [in trouble], since he kills your light source. When

that happens, you can expect Foxy to kill you, since Balloon Boy doesn’t leave the room once he’s in. When you least expect it, bam! Foxy jumps out at you.”

Mason, along with other fanatics of the game, has shown surprise and even disbelief that the game is a prequel to the first “Five Nights at Freddy’s.”

“I’m very surprised that it’s a prequel, because of the fact that, on the check at the end of the game, is says the date is 1987. That’s just crazy.” The date 1987 is significant to the game because in the first game, Phone Guy, who calls every night to warn you about the animatronics, mentions, “The Bite of ’87,” which many fans have speculated to be 1987. “The Bite of ‘87” was an incident where one of the animatronics snapped and bit a child, though the child still survived. “I’m confused on which one caused The Bite of ’87, though. It could have been either Foxy or Mangle, since they both have sharp teeth and opened jaws,” said Mason.

If a fan were asked about recommending the game, many would not hesitate to explain how well the game is made, and how scary it is.

“Everyone should play this game,” said Mason. “If they haven’t played either of the ‘Five Nights,’ I highly recommend that they play them so they know what the hype is all about and to get the gist of the story.”

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Opinion

By Brandon White • Cub Reporter

orporations nowadays are all about advertising Christmas and trying to get the most money from consumers instead of letting them spend time with family and friends. For example, nearly every store was closed on Thanksgiving Day to allow their employees time with their families, but now, many stores force their employees to work on this holiday so they can start Black Friday earlier in order to lure customers into their stores for cheap stuff that they don’t really need.

Junior Bryan Clark said, “I don’t mind Christmas being about commercialism, but I would prefer it to happen after Thanksgiving. It’s way too early to think about Christmas in the middle of November.”

On television, students are exposed to Christmas-related advertisements as early as late October. Sections in supermarkets are dedicated to Christmas-related paraphernalia as well. Some students are easily influenced by advertisements for products such as smart phones, gaming devices and other electronic goods, but others would rather spend time with loved ones. “I don’t want anything for Christmas,” said Tristen Rios. “I just want to be with my friends and family who actually love and care about me.”

Corporations use marketing strategies to appeal to children, who are easily manipulated into having a desire for the latest toys or video games, and they directly beg their parents for them for Christmas. “They shouldn’t try so hard to sell their products!” said Clark. Suppliers like Wal-Mart and Target use clearance and marked-down prices on products to lure in customers to sell more items.

“Companies have persuasive marketing strategies, but they can’t influence me to buy anything,” said Yonathan Estifanios.

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With just four seconds left on the clock during the Falcon’s last regular season game, the team kicked a field goal to win by ten points over Green Valley.

It was a smart decision by Coach Marty Redmond, who went on to win Coach-of-the-Year for the Southeast League. Winning

By Jesse Lima• Editor-in-Chief

by ten points rather than seven points usually doesn’t make a difference unless you are in a playoff race, where three points can make a whole seed difference in the playoffs. That is exactly what happened to the Falcon’s, and it was a big advantage.

With the ten point lead, the

team was bumped up from third seed in the Southeast League to second, which meant they would now host the first round of the playoffs against Las Vegas High School.

In a game that went both ways for most of the time, the Las Vegas Wildcats came out on top

with a 28-23 victory to end the Falcon’s season. Throughout the season, starting quarterback Devon Mueller said that it was a dream come true to start for this playoff team that finished with a 5-5 record, and Mueller is only a junior, so he will be back leading the offense next season.

Photo By Dylan Wylie

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By Jesse Lima Editor-in-Chief

A

ll year the girls cross country team had been pushing to surprise teams. Not many people expected them to outrun both Green Valley and Coronado in the region championship meet, but that was exactly what they did.

Sophomore Karina Haymore led the whole race, running herself to a first place finish during the region championship race. Haymore had won the Southeast League meet the week before and this race was no different. The sophomore finished her 3.1 mile race in 20 minutes and 10 seconds.

“I was unable to participate in any summer or preseason training due to growing pains in my knee, and because of this, I felt that I had a disadvantage racing against others, but I made a decision to do

Photo By Zach Hayes

my very best no matter what and to not let that hold me back,” said Haymore. “I set goals and worked hard on them every day, and because of that, I was able to cut my 5k (3.1 mile) time down by four minutes and win regionals as an individual and with

my team.”

This being the 15th year for coach Natalie Thomas, she not only took her team to the state championship meet but also earned the Coach-of-theYear award for Clark county.

As for next year’s team, with Karina Haymore only being a sophomore, their top runner will return and will look to repeat as region champions next year.

By Jesse Lima • Editor-in-Chief

T

he girls volleyball team (20-11) made it all the way to the region finals where they faced off against the Coronado Cougars early in November and lost three sets to none.

For six of the Lady Falcons, this was their last game as a Falcon, and the emotions hit them during senior night on October 27, where they also faced Coronado. The six seniors were recognized before the game, and tears fell from the girls’ cheeks as many memories ran through their minds as they walked with their parents across the court.

“I’m happy with the strides we made this year in our program,”

Senior Rebecca Hill returns a volley over the net Photo

By Bill Tobler

said head coach Krysta Ortiz.

“Our future is very bright for the upcoming seasons.”

Senior Christina Beaver led the team in assists all season and also was one of the leaders in digs.

“I’m going to miss knowing that I have a team who is also

my family,” Beaver said. “They would always be there for me no matter what.”

On the bright side, the team has only six players graduating, which leaves a lot of young talent for next year, with nine underclassman on the roster this season.

Goalkeeper Marisa Milne punts the ball during their home Pinktober game against rival Basic. Photo by Dylan Wylie

By Jesse Lima • Editor-in-Chief

The girl’s varsity soccer team (11-5-3) advanced all the way to the region semi-finals game and came up short against eventual state runner-up Coronado, losing 3-6.

As for the rest of the season, if you take out the games against the Cougars, the Lady Falcon’s won their last 10 out of 12 games, and the two that they did not win were two ties against Green Valley. Junior Katie Ballou scored two games in the last playoff game against Coronado, bringing her season total to 25.

“It is a great feeling to be leading the team on the field and also being one of the top scorers in the league,” said Ballou. “I am definitely going to miss the seniors leaving because one of my best friend’s won’t be playing with me on the field next year, and next year I hope we can do just as well and even better than this season.” Ballou still has one more season ahead of her, and the team will be returning nine of their ten scoring leaders next season.

Boys go further than any other soccer team in school history

By Jesse Lima • Editor-in-Chief

The Southeast League division champion boys soccer team (19-5) made it all the way to the region championship game and lost 2-3 in overtime against the eventual state finalist Valley Vikings. The team accumulated 99 goals on the season and made it farther than any other soccer team in Foothill history.

The team was led by forwards Jackson Dietrich and Robert Cowan, who combined for 74 goals and 35 assists. Dietrich led the entire city in assists, finishing with 24, Cowan finishing second in the city in goals with 36.

“I’m going to miss having an exhilarating time on the field celebrating all of our goals and Coach Andy will definitely be someone I miss seeing every day,” Dietrich said. “I will mainly miss the coaching staff and of course the team. I didn’t think I would be so into high school season but it was fun.”

Eight-year coach, Andrew Risheg, led the team to the playoffs for the third season out of their last four.

“This season was everything and more we had hoped it would be,” coach Risheg said. “Without a doubt, this team was the best team I have ever coached, and I definitely cannot hesitate to say that this is the best team Foothill has ever fielded.

The starting 11 were a very solid group of players, and that showed throughout the season, and it was unfortunate this group couldn’t make it farther than they did. They were so close to the state tournament.”

With 12 seniors graduating, which includes the top five stat leaders, next year’s team may feel a little different, but according to coach Risheg, the team should still be a heavy-playoff contender.

Jackson Dietrich Photo By Thomas Mace