1
2
iPhone 6
3
Play Station 4
Jordans
4
5
Call of Duty Advanced Warfare
Vineyard Vines clothing
Top Christmas Gifts for 2014 With Christmas quickly approaching, have you thought about what you would like as gifts? Or better yet, what are you going to give to other people? While you may have the perfect gift idea for your best friend, parent, or significant other, finding the right gift isn’t always as easy as 1-2-3. Every personality and personal interest can vary based on ever-changing trends, so it’s important to know what your desired
person would want. If you’re stuck on deciding what to buy, here is a list to help get ideas to put a smile on their face!
“I am giving my parents a lasagna dish that I made it ceramics, because it’s free and I don’t have any money,” Lindsay Laney said.
And if someone is asking you about what you would like, such as your parents, send this list their way if something here catches your eye!
Erin Laney is asking for sour patch kids. “They’re my favorite!”
“I’m giving people gift cards, because they are simple and allows them to buy what they like. Clothes are at the top of my list,” Rachel Suarez said.
“I’m asking for a Books-AMillion gift card, and I’m buying the Grand Theft Auto V video game for my dad,” Jade Provence said.
“For Christmas, I’m asking for world peace. I plan to spread kindness and goodwill to others!” Daniel Tady said.
A flannel blanket scark is on Morgan Markovich’s list, and she’s giving her mom a
Hopefully some of these ideas of students’ gift ideas help you this holiday season!
If you’re still undecided about what to purchase or ask for, look below for examples of gifts that other students are asking for or gifting to someone else.
Merry Christmas!
new purse with a matching wallet, and her dad will get his favorite cologne.
1
Ugg Boots
5
Macbook
4
Vera Bradley
5 2
3
Northface
Pink/ Victoria’s Secret clothing
Student’s Family Christmas Traditions by Ashley Hicklin
Kelsey Coleman: -- “We scratch off lottery tickets/scratcher tickets.” Jill Espinoza -- “We open one present early on Christmas Eve.” Emma Hall -- “We do White Elephant.” Calder Hollond -- “We do an advent calendar.”
Jasper Dare -- “We have a big family dinner at my grandmas with like ham and stuff.” Kendra Otterman -- “We bake cookies with my grandma and we put the same ornaments up in the same exact place on the tree as last year.”
Abby Lee -- “My mom and I bake cookies the week before Christmas and and then go to my grandmothers house for Christmas.”
Olivia Sibert -- “All the girls in the family meet up and bake goods. Like puppy chow and cookies and checks mix and hay stacks.”
Jamilee Malinowski -- “We pass around a wired cracker thing and everyone breaks a piece off and eats it.”
Alyssa Foster -- “We’d wake up at 2 a.m. when we were little to open presents. And we go shopping every year the day after Christmas.”
EXPRESS STAFF Editor-in-Chief: Alyssa Foster Managing Editor: Mitchell Mikinski Bobcat Network: Casey Jones, Zach Fisher, Damien Laffoon, Colin Barclay Reporters: Kelsey Coleman, Ashley Hicklin, Calder Hollond, Ashley NovoGradac, Liz Morris, Erin McGowan, Clay Beebe, Adam Crouse, Emma Hall, Jill Espinoza Adviser: Kristen Loney
@blhsnews
www.blhsnews.com
New Year, New You By Jill Espinoza
The long awaited Winter Break is finally here and finals are coming to end. Winter Break is always what students are waiting for all semester long. This year Winter Break is from December 20th-January 5th. Students and their families all around the world celebrate different Holidays: Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah. After celebrating these Holidays the new year begins approaching. “New year, new you.” is what my mom as always told me. A lot of people normally set a New Years Resolution, some are serious and some are the exact opposite and not so serious. I went around the school and asked people their New Years Resolutions. Here are some of the responses. Alec Walker and Damien Laffoon: To get better at Madden Mobile. Caleb VanBeber: Saving the world through the power of dance. Mr. Oberndorfer: That every student will hear of Jesus Christ and that revivals would break loose in all of Basehor-Linwood. Annie Cygan: To get more followers on Twitter…@Annie_ Cygan. Any attractive people slide into my DM’s. Mitchell Mikinski: I would like to get a 32 on the ACT. Liz Morris: Since I’m graduating early I want to become a full time clerk at QuikTrip so I can get awesome scholarships and lots of money. Aubrey Gunn: To be a better human being. Matt Knight: To get in shape and gain some weight.
P
Steven Salazar: To get better at Trivia Crack. Tyler Samyn: To be a better person. Melanie Johnson: To go to as many concerts as I can. Mrs.Loney: To read a couple of great biographies. Morgan Payne: To start working out for sure. Allison Matthews: To stop being so clumsy. Well good luck to you guys on your resolutions and have a fabulous Winter Break!
We’ve all got our favorite parts of Christmas. Sometimes it’s the travel, sometimes the family, perhaps it’s the downtime, or just the fact that finals are finally done and over with. Whatever your favorite part is, it’s fun to share and spend time with others. So if you’re looking for something to do during break, look at these suggestions for some ideas. One of the best parts of Christmas is getting to spend time with family. For example, our math teacher, Mrs. Little, said she is going to stay home until Christmas, so that their family can experience Christmas morning together in the classic way. But after that, they are traveling to Wichita to spend time with family. Unfortunately, not everyone can visit their extended family.
Good Memories, Bad Gifts By Emma Hall
We’ve all had that one person who’s absolutely clueless when it comes to gifts. Everyone receives a terrible gift at least once in their life. Whether it’s a KU sweater or a Taylor Swift CD, you’re most likely going to receive a terrible gift before your school career ends.
After friends, grandparents, and cousins comes siblings. Siblings, much like cousins, are a real pain in the tinsel. Kylie Hooks received a Justin Bieber CD from her older sister. That just goes to show that some siblings really do have torture on their minds.
Adam Crouse received a toy that’s creep-factor is second only to Furbies. “My grandma got me one of those kid toys, a Fijit, last year for Christmas,” Crouse laughed, “She also got one for each of my younger cousins.” A Fijit is a toy designed for kids with ADD. They feature bright colors and huge, creepy eyes, much like a Furby.
Adults aren’t impervious to terrible gifts either. Mrs. Bowser, an English teacher, received a small mirror from her grandma. The mirror, much like a lot of late 90’s furniture, was partially inflatable. It’s a good thing that the inflatable furniture fad died, because who would want to sit on a latex couch during summer?
Annie Cygan received a kid’s toy as well. “I asked my aunt to get me a piano and she got me a toy piano, but my fingers were too big to play it.” Cygan said that her aunt was in tears, because she was laughing so hard, when she opened it. “I think I still have the piano in my room.”
Everyone gets a bad gift at some point in their life. It seems that everyone is in agreement, as far as preparing for a bad gift goes. The best way, everyone agreed, is to prepare for the worst, and practice your surprised face. Annie Cygan said that she locks herself in the bathroom for two hours while blasting The Eye of the Tiger by Survivor, and practices her “OMG” face in the mirror.
We’re all familiar with the famous Hello Kitty show and toys. Hello Kitty’s target audience is little girls, but Zach Kamm is no girl. “The worst gift I was ever given was a pair of Hello Kitty socks. My cousin got them for me as a gag gift.” We can all agree that cousins are a pain in the tinsel. Grandparents can be the absolute worst when it comes to gift giving. Olivia Sibert received a package of underwear from her grandfather. “Packaged underwear, and he didn’t get the right size either. They were way too big.” Friends and grandparents are tied for first when it comes to being terrible gifters, but at least grandparents don’t do it on purpose. Brianna Blew received a stick with string on it from her friends. “I gave it to another friend for her birthday after that.” Regifting is a good way to get rid of something you don’t want, just ask anyone.
Olivia Sibert said that she avoids bad gifts by opening them when no one’s around, and, if they’re bad, she hides them. The question is: how do you open all your gifts and then rewrap them so perfectly that no one suspects a thing? She’s a witch! Briana Blew avoids terrible gifts by hiding behind the Christmas tree, a totally different answer than expected. “Whenever I get a bad gift, I just go behind the tree and no one suspects a thing.” Everyone else gave the same answer. “The best way to avoid a bad gift is to make a very, very, very, very detailed list,” Crouse said. Everyone else was in complete agreement, with answers like “tell them exactly what you want.”
Planning for the Best By Adam Crouse
Thankfully, there are ways to communicate without having to be in the same town. For example, you could Skype or Facetime them. Perhaps you could use Snapchat. Of course, Facebook or other social media is a choice, as well as texting. But to be more sincere then that, why not call them? And if all else fails, send a good old fashioned email. Another plus to Christmas is the ability to travel during break. Through travel, there are many new opportunities. For example, Wyatt Loughry hopes to be able to travel to Wisconsin over break to go hunting with family or friends. What better thing to do with your free time then something you love? When you travel, you can see family and friends, engage in
fun new activities, and experience the pluses of each culture in the US. Though we can all agree that airport security is hassle, and packing bags is annoying, the payoff is more than worth it. Perhaps you don’t have any plans for Christmas. Well that is a bummer, but I might be able to help. There’s plenty of games to play around the house, like board games, sports, or ice breaker styled activities. Find something you’re interested in. Listen to or make music, write or read, play or watch sports, etc. The possibilities are pretty much endless. Don’t limit yourself to laying in bed, staring at the ceiling. The ceiling isn’t that attractive. Go have fun.
Mitchell’s Healthy Holidays By Mitchell Mikinski
If there is one holiday tradition that I hold dear it is the tradition that enforces this basic principle: Do nothing. Most of my best holiday memories have come in front of my family’s large HDTV with a controller in my hand and insults flying in every direction. I’ve enjoyed this tradition more and more every year and hopefully it continues, but there is an obstacle that my cousins and I continually must overcome: Ourselves. I’m gonna throw it out there, my cousin Matthew and I enjoy eating. During the holidays, however, we often must confront the hard truth. We can either play an excessive amount of FIFA, or we can go downstairs to get food. This decision inevitably becomes the single biggest problem of not only our break, but probably our teenage lives. I start to think, “I’ll probably have to wait until at least spring break or maybe even summer to spend this much time with my cousins again.” and I feel myself begin to hit the rematch button.
I then suddenly, out of nowhere, begin to hear a warm batch of pizza rolls sing my name with ramen noodles, hot sauce and lunch meat playing soft classical music in the background. My unhealthy snack food quartet persuades me away from playing the rematch that Matthew deserves (It’s not Matt’s fault that he isn’t as good as me). But at BLHS there is no offseason. So, if you’re a wrestler or powerlifter, do not do what I usually do. YOU CAN’T GIVE IN TO THE FOOD. Go play a game with your family and resist the temptation. If you ignore the pizza rolls for a little bit, then they’ll stop singing. And when your cousin gets salty about losing again to you, tell him or her to bring it on. Tell them that aren’t good enough to beat you, and dare them to play you again. Tell them you’re a Bobcat, and if you can defeat hunger, then you can defeat their attempt at beating you. Not only will this foster the competitive skills necessary for a state run, but you will keep your appetite in check and get a chance to pick on family, and who doesn’t love that?
Christmas Favorites As voted by a random selection of BLHS students By Kelsey Coleman and Liz Morris
#1 Eggnog #2 Pumpkin Pie #3 Cheesecake #4 Ham #5 Mashed Potatoes #6 Christmas Cookies
Senior Farewell: Liz Morris I have always read the seniors’ “goodbye” letters in the past. But I personally never thought I would be the one to be saying goodbye. I have been on the newspaper staff since I was a sophomore. I love this year’s staff, last year’s staff, and even my first year’s staff. I missed them dearly when they left, now I am the one leaving.
Lastly I would like to thank Ms. Guerra. This was the first year I was in her JAG class. Ms.Guerra taught me how to live life after high school. She also taught me how to believe in myself and to not let people’s opinions get to me. I also want to thank everyone else who has been part of me and my life. You know who you are.
I first want to start off by saying thank you to a few people that have been there for me throughout my high school years. First Mrs. Loney, because she saw something in me that I didn’t even see in myself. She was always a person I could go to when I needed help in school or even in my everyday life. She has been an inspiration for me and I encourage anyone to take her class.
High school is hard. There is drama, love, hurt, pain, sadness, and loss. Something I have learned from high school is no matter what your going through or what people say, you will get through it! People are going to be like that the rest of your life and sadly you will just have to work through it.
Next I would like to thank Mrs. Vielhauer. My junior year was most difficult for me. I got very ill and was very stressed. I was in the one English III class that Mrs. Vielhauer taught, and she helped me pass. She always told me, “I don’t care about your school work, your health is much more important.” She still helped me with it all. Thirdly I would like to give Mrs. Bowser a shout out. I was in her first English class. Ever since I had her class, she has been a woman I can look up to. She taught me to love English.
And for you underclassmen, you may be having problems or you may think you have no friends, but you’re only in high school once. It goes by much quicker than you think and you will gain friends, lose friends but you should keep this in your mind, “When I leave here and start my life will this really matter?” Probably not. So stay positive because there will be obstacles, there will be doubters, there will be mistakes, but with hard work there is no limits. Liz Morris signing off on December 16, 2014.
How Stressed Is BLHS? by Calder Hollond and Erin McGowan