eagleeye
we are celebrating. Vol. 15 Issue 3 12.14.15
The holiday season is a time for different cultures at Mountain Vista to celebrate family and religion.
Mountain Vista High School | 10585 Mountain Vista Ridge, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
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mvm staff.
editors.
Conner Davis Reagan Fitzke Amy Huang Regan Lavallee Zach McClenathan Kit Miller Tara O’Gorman
Kelsey Pharis Katie Pickrell Gannon Rushall Austin Sack Maleah Siegfried Lexi Weingardt
Gabe Barnard Tyler Felske Aly Hofmann Christian Holton Savanah Howard Haley Kolseth Lauren Lippert Jordan MacArthur
Hayley Mustin Mikayla Olave Charlie Penvari Staci Prevato Tamara Sorg Erica Venable Kenzie Winslow
staff.
policy.
Eagle Eye, a legally recognized public forum for student expression, is published six times a year by the student journalism class at Mountain Vista High School. Expression made by students in the exercise of freedom of speech or freedom of press is not an expression of Douglas County school board policy. The views expressed in Eagle Eye do not necessarily represent the views of the entire staff, adviser, MVHS administration or the Douglas County School District administration. Board policy regarding student publications (JICEA and JI/JIA) are available in the publications room (U328) or the principal’s office.
letters to the editors.
Eagle Eye welcomes and encourages letters to the editors. This is a chance to express your viewpoint on important issues. Letters should be limited to 250 words. Letters will be edited for space and legal considerations, but not for inaccuracies, grammar or spelling. Letters must contain information pertinent to the students of MVHS. The staff retains the right to not publish any letter not meeting these requirements. Unsigned letters will not be published. Please submit typed letters in person to Room U328 or via mail or e-mail.
contents 22 briefing.
are 06 we celebrating The music department celebrates the holiday season. by Austin Sack
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open forum content.
Some material courtesy of Creative Commons licensing. ©2015 Mountain Vista Media All rights reserved.
Sea World, Christmas spirit, and the best gift of the holiday season.
syrian 10 the refugee crisis Two opposing views on what our moral responsibility is regarding Syrian refugees. by Katie Pickrell and Christian Holton
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editorial
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culture.
20
feature.
jordanian Christmas
Two sisters celebrate Christmas differently than most. by Haley Kolseth & Jordan MacArthur
hanukkah
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The Hirshorn family celebrates Hanukkah.
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greek orthodoxy
by Tyler Felske
A peek into the holiday traditions of a more classical religion. by Mikayla Olave & Erica Venable
What’s your music style this season? Where are the best light shows? Read and find out.
The best places to hit the slopes. by Austin Sack
festive creations
Want to make some amazing holiday candy? Need a gift idea? Look no further than page 24.
by Katie Pickrell & Kelsey Pharis
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favorite things
holiday in HR
22 ski season 24
here’s a few of our
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by Katie Pickrell, Amy Huang, Tyler Felske & Kenzie Winslow
As we celebrate this holiday season, remember to respect everybody’s customs. by Conner Davis
distribution.
Single copies are free. Where available, additional copies of this paper are available for purchase for 50 cents each. Contact Eagle Eye for more information. Taking more than one copy of this paper is prohibited (C.R.S. 18-4-419). Violators, subject to prosecution and penalty, will be prosecuted.
opinion
by Aly Hoffman, Charlie Penvari, Katie Pickrell & Christian Holton
contact.
Eagle Eye | Mountain Vista High School 10585 Mountain Vista Ridge Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 Phone: 303.387.1500 Adviser: Mark Newton— mark.newton@dcsdk12.org Editors— EagleEyeEditors@dcsdk12.org
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best holiday movies
New and old alike, holiday movies are one of a kind.
by Staci Prevato & Tamara Sorg
28 pro sports
The Broncos Brock Osweiller makes an unbeatable starter and Von Miller remains unstoppable.
by Gabe Barnard & Reagan Fitzke
29 Ep!c! Photos
The best photos of the best moments of the winter sports season so far.
30 vista athletics The men’s cross country team ranks 12th in nationals and the top three dedicated athletes of the month are showcased.
commentary. Lexi Weingardt and Regan Lavallee
S
easonal beverages and Christmas lights on houses, snowflakes that stay on our noses and eyelashes. This change of the season means it is time for the holidays. As holiday decorations are hung, seasonal music and movies consume the television. The snow falls at just the right pace and encloses you in a personal flurry. The newly frozen terrain creates an ice rink for skates to carve across. Snow sprinkles the ground and makes the perfect time to grab your mittens and build a snowman. The sweet aroma of fresh cookies out of the oven pairs with a cold glass of milk for a snack. Peppermint swirls wrap around the candy canes used to decorate gingerbread houses to admire and eat later. Bows secure gifts while the wrapping paper decorates them. Crafting gifts and wrapping presents to give to others spreads holiday cheer, which you can only do this time of year. Surrounded by family or friends, what are some of your favorite things? Is it sipping hot chocolate while sitting next to the fireplace with a good book? What about sledding or throwing snowballs after the first big snowstorm? Between shopping for gifts and studying for finals, this holiday season might be overwhelming. This issue we wanted to mix it up a little bit. With the holiday season upon us, we are celebrating. Take your mind off of whatever it may be on for little bit and enjoy some quick reads about some various crafts, recipes and entertainment for the holiday season. These are a few of our favorite things!
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1
EP!C
photos
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1. Senior Taylor Trimble performs during the play “Once On This Island.” Trimble was casted as the lead role for the first play of her senior year. “When I was a freshman, I looked up to Hannah White who was the lead at the time,” Trimble said. “I thought to myself, ‘I want to be in that spot someday.’ To think I was able to meet that goal was very humbling.” Trimble’s involvement with theater since her freshman year has also made her a leader that others look up to, just as she used to look up to White. Photo credits: Kelsey Pharis. 2. Junior Grace Foster sings “Candy Cane Lane” during the winter choir concert. “It was much different than what we’ve done in past years, but it turned out really well,” Foster said. “There were a lot of different choirs singing and singing together. As a whole, we sounded really good.” Photo credits: Katie Pickrell 3. Seniors Matt Yockey and Ben Holland celebrate during the men’s basketball game against Liberty High School. “The best part of watching the games is having the ability to cheer on and support the team and school,” Holland said. The MV Unit and the entire student section brings pressure on the opposing team during some of Vista’s big games. Photo credits: Katie Pickrell 4. Senior Landon Mills plays his piano solo towards the end of the winter choir concert. “It’s an art,” Mills said of playing the piano. “So few can do it really well so it’s that much more important to me to work and be great at it.” Mills auditioned to the music school at the University of California, Berkeley with the song he performed at the concert. Photo credits: Katie Pickrell 5. Seniors Lauren and Caitlin Robinson make quilts for Denver Inner City Parish during a National Honor Society meeting. “It was really fun being able to come together as a huge group and all working towards one goal,” Lauren said. All of the quilts made went to the homeless people and those in need throughout the Denver area. Photo credits: Amy Huang 6. Seniors Raegan Stump and Pranathi Durgempudi work on their extracredit project for AP Chemistry. “It’s going to be a commercial for the class they can show to next year’s juniors,” Durgempudi said. Only one partnership can get the extra credit. Though the two were both proud of their work, they acknowledged “it’s a tough crowd” to win the extra credit they were after. Photo credits: Katie Pickrell
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we are
vista: The Music
Department commentary. Austin Sack & Kit Miller
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here are many clubs, organizations and departments that celebrate the holiday season in their own unique ways. Mountain Vista’s choir, band and orchestra programs celebrate the holiday season by putting together winter concerts to fit the holiday theme. “We have festive concerts. We also have small groups that play outreach, which means they go play at a nursing home or in front of a grocery store,” Darren DeLaup, the band and orchestra teacher, said. With such a diverse community it can be hard to include all holidays celebrated, but DeLaup has a simple solution. “I try to make something significant of whatever is happening in the community at the time, with what is most popular, so I try to involve everything. We have a Christmas piece, we have a solstice piece, we have a Hanukkah piece, so it really depends,” DeLaup said. The choir performs multiple concerts open to the public to celebrate the holidays. The winter choir concert was recently held at the school to show the community what the class had been working hard on. Not only does the
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choir have concerts, but they also spread the holiday cheer through other ways. “We do more of a small group set up, like caroling, where these smaller groups within the band and orchestra department get to play,” DeLaup said. The Music Department also spreads the season of giving by allowing as many people to participate as possible. “[My favorite part is] the combined performances when we can have the most people on stage at once,” DeLaup said. Being able to spread the holiday spirit to a community is something that should be treasured.]For this Music Department, spreading their talents with the community is how it celebrates the holidays. Listening to special songs during the holiday season is a tradition practiced by most, but few celebrate these songs quite as personally as the Music Department. “It’s fun playing festive music,” junior Will O’Brien said. “Our winter concert is a good way to end the semester and get ready for the holiday.”
ee ’t s on t... n o a I d room or th y f n t a lis the All Ch I wan r com istm t for pas as is sio n.
Material wishlist
illustration. Kit Miller
illustration. Katie Pickrell
edi
tor ial
cartoon Two MVM editors present their views of current news with visuals.
If you have a cartoon idea you’d like to submit for the next Eagle Eye, contact us at: EagleEyeEditors@gmail.com or in U328.
illustration. Kit Miller
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a consumer
Christmas opinion. Charlie Penvari
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ou don’t even have to be in sync with the media or popular culture to know that Christmas is a time of commercialism and represents what Americans really worship: Money. You cannot even turn on the radio in December without hearing ads about Christmas sales — don’t even think about the television. Black Friday sales, December sales, Lexus’ “A December to Remember” sale, really makes you think, what is this season all about? You hear Sarah Palin and some other right-wing politicians talk about the war on Christmas, and how we need to put the Christ back in Christmas, ignoring the Pagan origins of Christmas. Isn’t there enough Christ in Christmas already? Seventy percent of Americans are Christians, and, according to a Gallup poll, 62
Sea World
hen someone says SeaWorld, what do you think of? Do you think of all the happy nice trainers or the dolphins and whales that jump out of the water to entertain hundreds and hundreds of people? How would you feel if everything SeaWorld showed us, or told us was a lie? For the past 37 years SeaWorld has been taking Orcas and other sea animals from their families and out of their natural habitat. After these animals have been taken out of their natural habitats and homes, they are then proceeded to be starved and beaten with hooks by the trainers to have the animals learn tricks. According to the website “SeaWorld of Hurt,” when these animals are not learning tricks, they are kept in tanks that feel like a very small bathtub to them. Tilikum is the largest Orca in captivity. He is over 12,500 pounds in weight and over 22 feet in length. He has been in captivity for over 30 years. Tilikum has become aggressive and mean from living in these conditions which has caused him to end three human lives. Tilikum isn’t the only Orca trying to show how these living conditions are affecting their mental stability. There are more than 600 pages of reports of incidents with trainers about dangerous whale behavior and more than 100 reports about how whales have lunged, pulled, swam aggressively with trainers and more. With this continuing to happen, these animals will become more aggressive with humans and more dangerous and innocent animals will keep getting hurt and keep getting mistreated.
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the best gift
of the season
opinion
opinion. Aly Hofmann
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percent of Americans attend a church service in on Christmas Eve or Day. Sure, religion plays a part for the holiday celebrations of many, but if you want to fix Christmas, fix all of the money and materialism. Around $830 billion is spent by Americans on Christmas gifts each year, and 61 percent of stores start their Christmas sales two months early in October. Not to mention that 127 million Americans shop online on Cyber Monday and 133 million Americans shop on Black Friday. Maybe it’s not that we have a “war” on Christmas, but rather that consumerism and commercialization are what’s “ruining” the holiday season.
excerpt. Haley Kolseth
T
he holiday season calls for a time of giving. Between tacky sweaters, homemade snacks and little trinkets, gifts are present everywhere around us. Some gifts, on the other hand, seem as if they’re a bit shorter in supply. The ones I’m talking about are the ones that have the potential to actually make an impact — the potential to actually save lives. Through necessary blood and bone marrow transfusions for sick and hospitalized patients, Bonfils Blood Center grants opportunities to individuals who want to give the gift that’s worth giving to do so. Anyone ages 16 and up can donate blood and anyone over the age of 18 can donate blood and register to the bone marrow database. Bonfils also accepts monetary donations to support the organization as it fights to save lives. For more information on the Bonfils Blood Center’s cause or how to get involved, visit VistaNow.org to find an in-depth piece that will tell you how. And remember that during this season of giving, there are gifts to give that last a lifetime.
see more at
vistanow.org
12/11/2015
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WORD BANK: candy caroling celebrate cookies egg nog frosty garland hot cocoa lights peppermint reindeer religion santa tinsel wreath Created by Puzzlemaker at DiscoveryEducation.com CELEBRATE
EGGNOG
FROSTY
HOTCOCOA
LIGHTS
PEPPERMINT
REINDEER
RELIGION
SANTA
TINSEL
WREATH
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Religion has lost its meaning because it’s more about the gifts. People have lost sight of spending time with family, which is what Christmas is all about.
Rachel Williams, 12
“
http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/code/BuildWordSearch.asp
“
“ “
CAROLING
GARLAND
I like candy. [It’s] good and it reminds me of Christmas. I don’t get much (candy) on Christmas, though.
Rhys Housman, 12
I like the way garland looks when you wrap it around stuff. I decorate and I put it around our banister and our little village and our Christmas tree.
Tony Swope, 12
“ “
Frosty evokes, not a sight, because it’s really all five senses, but a sensory image of winter and what it is.
“ “
CANDY
COOKIES
Ryder Strouss, 12 Santa reminds me of Christmas and I absolutely love Christmas.
Mia Bonifazi, 11
1/1
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preventing another
Paris
N
opinion. Christian Holton
ov. 13, 2015 was a day that shook the world. ISIL militants wreaked havoc on the city of Paris in a series of coordinated attacks that left 129 dead and even more injured. It is now documented that at least one of the terrorists who was involved with the nefarious attacks entered Europe posing as a Syrian refugee. Currently the United States is struggling with whether or not to allow 10,000 Syrian refugees into the U.S I want to make it clear that I personally believe that the majority of Syrian refugees are decent people who, if they came to the United States, would have no problem assimilating and pose no threat to Americans. The only reason I don’t support letting in Syrian refugees is because of the American government’s inability to properly vet the refugees. If there was a foolproof way to differentiate between those who are actually fleeing Syria seeking sanctuary in America and those who wish to harm Americans then I would be 100 percent supportive of opening our doors to refugees. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality. The current vetting process that the American government would use to determine what refugees should be allowed in America is inept. The vetting process requires refugees to go through screenings and interviews, but there is one huge flaw in the process: Syria is a war-torn country that has very few criminal and terrorist databases. This lack of information means
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that properly vetting each of the 10,000 refugees is impossible because of the lack of records kept by Syria. Currently a majority (53 percent according to Bloomberg) of Americans are against letting Syrian refugees into America and the reason why is simple: Americans don’t feel safe letting in refugees who the government can’t properly vet. FBI director James Comey voiced the federal government’s inability to properly vet the refugees during a U.S. House committee homeland security session. Comey said the only way the federal government would have any idea who a certain refugee is would be for that particular refugee to have, “made a ripple in the pond in Syria in a way that would get their identity or their interest reflected in our database.” Rep. Mike McCaul (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, recently revealed that the U.S. government has information confirming people with terrorist connections in Syria have attempted to enter America posing as Syrian refugees. Many people who support letting Syrian refugees into the United States cite the fact that only a small percentage of the 10,000 refugees are military age men. To me that statistic seems irrelevant when one considers how few people are needed to carry out an attack. It only took six men to carry out the attacks in Paris and 19 to bring the entirety of America to its knees on Sept. 11, 2001. It is also important to know that while military-age men would be the primary threat, they wouldn’t
necessarily be the only threat. On Nov. 18, just five days after the gruesome attacks in Paris, French police raided an apartment in Paris in hopes of finding people connected with the attacks. Once police entered the apartment, a woman detonated an explosive vest. Earlier this month Tashfeen Malik, a female who had pledged allegiance to ISIS, along with Syed Rizwan Farook, her husband, opened fire on innocent civilians in San Bernardino, Calif. The attack left 14 Americans dead and 21 injured. The new potential threat of women jihadists just makes the Syrian refugee situation even more dangerous. While I don’t support letting Syrian refugees into America, I do believe that it is America’s duty to assist the refugees who are actually trying to escape Syria. A much simpler plan would be to help the refugees settle in other Middle Eastern countries. This would not only be simpler but cheaper. It is 12 times as expensive to resettle an immigrant in America as it is in the Middle East according to the National Review. Helping refugees flee to countries that border Syria would also be a smoother transition for the refugees. A Syrian refugee would certainly have an easier time assimilating in a country like Jordan or Turkey than in the United States simply because these countries are more similar to Syria than the U.S. Until the American government can devise and implement a competent vetting process, letting in Syrian Refugees is reckless and poses a significant threat to every single American citizen.
land of the
free
S
opinion. Katie Pickrell
ince the official beginning of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, more than four million individuals have fled their home country while over twice that many have been displaced. The White House has struggled in its aim to bring in a relatively low number of just 10,000 refugees in the next fiscal year. But even that as a success is not enough. Ten thousand of millions is an almost nonexistent number — the United States should be doing much more than is proposed. As a nation, we must ensure the safety of the innocent civilians fleeing for fear of their own lives. Aside from ensuring them a safe journey, we must take actions to facilitate a peaceful political solution in Syria with the help of the international community. The current regime in Syria under the rule of Bashar al-Assad is responsible for over 200,000 civilian deaths since 2011, according the the Syrian Human Rights Watch. We must implement negotiations to guarantee human life is being respected
and that international humanitarian law is upheld. It seems that in September when the photo of a three-year-old boy washed ashore during his journey to freedom originally surfaced, many shared the same humanitarian mindset that is presented here. Now, in light of recent terror attacks, it’s painful to realize that an immense amount of Islamophobia and nativism has sparked unnecessary fear among the American people who now wish to keep Syrian refugees out of the U.S. Nearly all Americans would agree that endangering innocent people (as in subjecting them to war crimes such as torture and unlawful death) isn’t right. Yet according to Bloomberg, 53 percent of all Americans believe in completely closing our borders to Syrian refugees. Eleven percent stated they would only accept Christian refugees. Many political leaders have even suggested for Muslims to carry special identification. To insinuate there should be any difference in acceptance across religions is a blatant form of religious persecution.
The statement carries the implication of restricting the rights to a viable lifestyle based upon a religious belief — it is hateful and there is no excuse for it. There has been a lot of misconception about the face of the current civil war in Syria. While there are literally hundreds of thousands of individuals within thousands of small factions fighting against the Assad regime, many of them are moderates — an aspect of their agenda that we continually ignore. Even worse, there are more individuals standing by as the government picks apart and endangers their lives. Granting these people access into our country (regardless of their religious affiliation) wouldn’t grant permission for terrorists to run rampant. Such a decision would rather restrict the ability of many terrorists. More simply put, allowing Syrian refugees to come into our borders would protect innocent people, not endanger them. The United States is based on a strong set of morals with freedom topping the list. We cannot claim to be supporters of peace and liberty if we refuse to grant basic human rights to those who are in need.
According to the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief, each country has a fair share they can attribute to the crisis. It’s worthy of noting that Germany is currently contributing 112 percent of their fair share in refugee aid. The United States accounts for only 8 percent of its own fair share in refugee aid.We are not doing enough. For more information and to help, please visit Oxfam.org.
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what’s your favorite
vista_now holiday wear? sweaters boots scarves socks
vistanow.org
Courage By: Kit Miller
Don’t go down without a fight. I won’t back down in fright. I’ll stand strong and show my might.
Living life is such a delight, Climbing to the highest height. I won’t back down in fright.
I’ll do what is right, That courage will remain within sight. Don’t go down without a fight.
I’ll stand strong and show my might.
I’ll fly like a kite, Even when the future is not bright. I won’t back down in fright.
“D.I.A.” by: Kit Miller
I’ll be an eagle in flight, Soaring for that glorious light. I’ll stand strong and show my might. I’ll be a dog with a fearsome bite, I’ll protect my friends; keep them alright. Don’t go down without a fight.
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To submit your own work to the literary magazine: jeffrey.hoefs@dcsdk12.org.
Junior Abi Fisch and her brother celebrate Hanukkah by reading from the Torah. “My favorite part about Hanukkah is lighting the menorah and having the miracle of light,” Fisch said.
Mountain Vista Media staff poses in front of a Christmas tree in Walt Disney World. The team was in Florida for the national high school journalism convention.
we are
celebrating editorial. Conner Davis
A
s snow blankets Highlands Ranch, holidays of all types begin. From Christmas to Kwanzaa and everything in between, different families practice traditions based on religion or purely out of holiday spirit. Regardless of the motivation, November to January is a time of many celebrations. Despite the wide range of religions and traditions, we are celebrating together. The holidays should be a time for various religions to respect one another regardless of the international tensions that are circulating in the world as of late. Fears of terror should be set aside for the holidays as different customs and festivities begin. How we spend the holidays differs and we may not understand the ones we don’t participate in, but just because we don’t understand these holidays doesn’t mean they are any less important. The best gift you can give for any holiday is allowing everyone to practice their beliefs in peace. The recent terror events in the world have cast a bad light on the Muslim community. Some people cannot see past the fact that followers of Islam committed events out of extremism, not out of commandments from the Qur’an. If you look past your immediate reactions, it’s easy to figure out that Islam isn’t a religion of hate; it involves fasting, charity and the different prophets that are believed to have walked the Earth. The attacks in Paris and San Bernardino were committed by terrorists, extremists. Their religion does not matter, as their views are inflated and blown way out of proportion from what the Qu’ran teaches. The respect that we should be giving to all of the celebrations
doesn’t have to be intrusive to your own holiday. At the very least, you can ignore the other festivities and focus on your own. Respecting others won’t affect your holiday season at all, so go right ahead and celebrate as normal, but just keep in mind that others will be participating in their own traditions and they deserve the respect that you would want for yourself. So, at least for the rest of the year, let’s put aside stereotypes and opinions that aren’t backed up with facts. Let’s allow everyone to do as they please and not feel as if they are hated due to the actions of people associated with their religions and beliefs. As families gather and traditions begin again, remember that everyone is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs. It’s time to celebrate, time to be with family and friends and time to accept other people as they are. It is a time to allow people to believe what they please. We are not only celebrating different holidays, we are celebrating different beliefs.
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Senior Giselle Sawaged and sophomore Jaimy Sawaged pose together while on vacation to Greece this past summer. “My sister can be annoying sometimes, but I love her and she’s fun to spend the holidays with,” Jaimy Sawaged said.
Maamoul Traditional
Jordan Cookies Ingredients Dough
2 C all-purpose flour 1 t baking powder 1 T confectioners’ sugar, plus about 1/2 to 2 C more for dusting 1/2 C unsalted butter (1 stick), plus 2 Tbs 2 T neutral flavored oil 1/4 C milk
Directions Dough
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put the flour, baking powder, confectioners’ sugar and salt in the bowl of food processor and pulse 3-4 times to mix. Add butter, oil and milk, pulsing until the dough comes together. Make sure not to overwork the dough; it will be slightly wet. Remove dough from the processor and roll into 20 equallysized balls. In the palm of your hand, press and pat each ball of dough into a 2 3/4-inch thick patty. Place a rounded teaspoon of filling in the center of each cookie and draw the edges up and around the filling. Pinch the dough together to make a sealed ball,
Filling
1/2 lb pitted soft dates 2 T water 1/4 C finely chopped crystallized ginger 1/2 t finely grated orange zest
and then carefully roll the cookie between your palms to make a smooth round ball. Press gently to flatten the cookie slightly, then place them seamed-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Gently prick the cookies with a fork or a wooden skewer in a decorative pattern making sure not to pierce the dough to the filling. Bake the cookies until firm and slightly puffed and the tops are pale, but the bottoms are just beginning to turn slightly golden, about 25-30 minutes. Dust generously with confectioners’ sugar, cool and dust again.
Filling
Puree the filling ingredients in a food processor until evenly combined, about 1-2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Read more at: http://tinyurl.com/pq3nyk3
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It’s ex
sto ph
a Sawaged family
Christmas
Giselle and Jaimy visit family while on vacation to Jordan this past summer. “Family time is really important to all of us,” Jaimy said.
It’s all about family for the Sawageds — and Christmas is no exception. story. Haley Kolseth & Jordan MacArthur photos courtesy of Jaimy and Giselle Sawaged
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or sisters Jaimy and Giselle Sawaged and their cousin Mary Sawaged, Christmas has always been an extravagant ordeal. Since their dad was born in Jordan, the Sawageds celebrate a traditional Jordan Christmas with their dad’s side of the family. The day includes a great deal of time with relatives, sweets, fancy dresses and partying all night. Unlike the regular Americanized Christmas morning, the girls don’t wake up and immediately go downstairs to open presents, they instead get dressed up to go to visit with family. ”There’s so many people around you all the time. It’s crazy, but you learn to love it,” Giselle, senior, said. With all the craziness going on around them, it seems like it would be pretty easy to feel overwhelmed, but that’s not the case. Any given year, the Sawaged family finds themselves seeing over 100 different intermediate family members. “We’re very family orientated, so we’re comfortable in that aspect. I like being able to be with them all,” Giselle said. With such a big family it becomes hard to visit everyone regularly, but there’s no better time to get everybody together than the holidays. On December 25, Giselle and Jaimy visit around 20 different houses, six of those belonging to family members. The family always starts with the house in which the grandmother is staying in, per tradition. “Sometimes it’s hard to visit everyone so it’s good to see them
on Christmas. I like being together and having a good time,” Mary, freshman, said. The schedule for the day is packed with family, food and partying, leaving little free time for the girls. Although it keeps them busy, they all enjoy their way of celebrating. “Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. I get to see all of the people I normally wouldn’t get to see. There’s nothing to hate about it,” Giselle said. After a long day of visiting, it’s then time for dinner at Saint Elias Orthodox Church in Arvada, which hosts over 500 members. Once dinner ends, there’s a party which generally lasts past midnight. “We don’t get home until around 1:30 a.m., and then we have a church service the next day,” Jaimy, sophomore, said. “It’s a tradition, I’ve been celebrating Christmas this way my whole life.” More than 160 countries around the world celebrate Christmas, each family with their own unique traditions. The Sawageds bring their culture every year to their holiday festivities.
Get money from family memb er (as par t of th s e ir Christ mas presen ts)
Go erent to diff er’s memb family ses hou
nd pa d u ke se Wa dres t ge
Eat diffe cultu rent and ral swee drin ts ka coffe black e.
at to bi Go las chu g pa ts rch rty u , 1:3 ntil a whic 0 a rou h .m nd .
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Noah and Jonah pose for a photo while in Israel. They both play for the U19 Israeli national lacrosse team, Noah at middie and Jonah at goalie.
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Hanukkah with the
Hirshorns
A not-so-traditional approach to the holiday. story. Tyler Felske
T
is the season for many traditions and holidays. The Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, however, is a bit different. Judaism is one of the oldest observed monotheistic religions. Being around for over 3,000 years, there are quite a few celebrations of events every year. Hanukkah is one of the most widely known and has a large history behind it, but there’s more to it than menorahs, spinning dreidels and eating latke. Hanukkah is the time of remembering the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem during a revolt against the Seleucid Empire. The modernized version of Hanukkah involves an eightday celebration filled with festivities of lights and feast. The origin of the menorah being lit for Hanukkah comes from the “miracle” that happened in the Holy Temple. The menorah within the temple only had enough oil to be lit for one day. However, the menorah stayed lit for eight days, which is why Hanukkah lasts for eight days. Generally celebrated as a religious holiday, some take the time to reflect on ancestry and family instead of the religious aspect. Senior Noah Hirshorn and his family take a relaxed approach to celebrating Hanukkah. “What’s important to know is that, coming from a family that celebrates Hanukkah, we take a very non-secular approach to it. It is more of a way to observe our heritage instead of our religion,”
Noah said. “As long Senior Noah Hirshorn poses wearing his as I can remember homemade Hanukkah sweater. For each day we’ve celebrated of Hanukkah he adds another lit “candle” Hanukkah. My family’s by taping a yellow piece of fabric over generations go back to where the flame would be. as many as I can think of, because my dad’s parents are from Israel.” Even with the non-religious views, they stick to the traditional celebration. “We light the candles and say a prayer in the evening when the sun goes down. Usually it’s the first night that we have a more formal dinner for the observance of Hanukkah. This year the second night is going to be our first formal dinner because my dad and brother were out of town and we couldn’t celebrate as a family,” Noah said. “My mother and I still lit the candles. We’ll eat donuts because it’s a part of the holiday to eat deep fried dough, and because my dad doesn’t like latke.” Although when it comes to their own personalized way of celebrating, they get creative. “This is kinda funny, but we have a playset of a Jewish family eating Hanukkah dinner that plays music that we put out around the dinner table,” Noah said.
8 facts
The Hebrew Children recieve calendar is lunar, “gelt,” the Yiddish not solar. Hebrew letters in term for money, Hanukkah cannot each night. be emulated by English.
Hanukkah is the Jewish festival of lights.
about Hanukkah
The word Hanukkah literally means dedication.
The celebration is eight days, even though the menorah has nine candles.
Fried foods are traditional to eat during Hanukkah.
Hannukah is about gathering and bonding with family.
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Justine Monsell (left) and her friend Stephanie pose for a photo while all dressed up for a traditional Greek festival.
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my big, fat greek
Christmas When it comes to the Monsell family, bigger is better. story. Mikayla Olave & Erica Venable photos courtesy of Justine Monsell
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eligion has a different definition to everyone and plays a variety of roles for all kinds of people. “I think you just have to commit yourself because if you party on one day, and ask for forgiveness the next in the church, it’s not as big a commitment. In my belief, commitment is where you actually live through your faith, I have just always felt like I’ve had a connection with this religion,” sophomore Justine Monsell said about Greek Orthodox, a smaller sect of Christianity. “We do celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 with the rest of the world. That’s when we have family and friends over and it’s also when we exchange gifts. We also celebrate it on Jan. 7 because we follow both the Gregorian calendar and the Julian calendar,” Monsell explained. Monsell and her church have a Christmas party each year and have an ornament exchange. They then invite anybody to join them one night and they have dinner. All the money raised goes to Champa House which is a place where women and single moms with children go to be safe from an abusive spouse or if they were abandoned. “On Christmas Eve we go to church at midnight. I consider it a regular Christmas service. We hear the story of Jesus being born, then we take communion and go through like a normal Sunday,” Monsell said. “Our services can last from anywhere from one to four hours and during most of it we are standing. During the service it is both spoken in Greek and English.” Usually people
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who practice the Greek Orthodox religion fast before major holidays. Monsell and her family fast for 40 days before Christmas or any holiday; to them, fasting means giving up meat. “We just enjoy spending time together and usually have a big feast because Greeks love to cook,” Monsell said. “The most important thing to me during Christmas would be spending time with my friends and family. They’re a big part of my life and very influential,” Monsell said. The holiday season is a great time to give back to the community. There are plenty of opportunities to spend quality time with friends and family. “It’s a time to celebrate and be thankful for everything that you have been given in life,” said Monsell. For Monsell and many other Greek Orthodox familes, Christmas is a key Sophomore Justine Monsell (right) part of their religion. and her sister Anastasia Monsell pose for a photo in front of a Christmas tree at their church.
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Just like most other sects of Christianity, followers of Greek Orthodoxy celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25.
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Because they also follow a lunar Calendar, they observe the holiday again nearly two weeks later. This year, the second Christmas celebration falls on Jan. 7.
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Christmas round one
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Christmas round two
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what playlist would you
photo by GabboT with Creative Commons licensing
fa-la-la
in love with?
featuring playlists by Amy Huang, Tyler Felske and Kenzie Winslow
1. You win a contest for meetand-greet tickets to any artist. You would meet... a. Taylor Swift b. Blink-182 c. The Fray 2. Your car playlist consists of… a. Songs you can sing along to b. Songs that make you want to keep driving c. Songs that make you want to dance 3. It’s Christmas music time. What’s your go-to song? a. “All I Want For Christmas” by Mariah Carey b. “Carol Of The Bells” by August Burns Red c. “Santa Baby” by Taylor Swift 4. Who performs your favorite version of Little Drummer Boy? a. Justin Bieber b. August Burns Red c. Pentatonix 5. When it’s not Christmas time you tend to listen to… a. The radio b. Whichever band you last photo by SKS2K6 with Creative Commons licensing saw live c. Justin Bieber
6. Your favorite genre of music is… a. Pop b. Punk c. Soft rock 7. Your least favorite genre of music is… a. Death metal b. Country c. Rap 8. Which era had the best music? a. Now b. 80’s c. 2000’s 9. What is your favorite day of Christmas? a. Partridge in a Pear Tree b. Five large pizzas c. Five golden rings 10. What song would you sing if you went caroling? a. “The Christmas Song” b. “Jingle Bell Rock” c. “Winter Wonderland”
photo by BitchBuzz with Creative Commons licensing
If you answered mostly As: You’re a holiday teenybopper…Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift Christmas covers are your jam. No shame. Check out Amy’s playlist “Holiday Teenybopper” on Spotify: http://tinyurl.com/oenvm3g
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If you answered mostly Bs: If you answered mostly Cs: You’re punk rock! You like the upbeat and headbang worthy version of classic holiday songs. Keep being hardcore. Check out Tyler’s playlist “Tyler’s Christmas Music” on Spotify: http://tinyurl.com/omgbfhs
You want it all… from Jason Mraz to Lady Antebellum, you’ll listen to anything that puts you in the Christmas spirit. Gifts are nice, too. Check out Kenzie’s playlist on Spotify: http://tinyurl.com/j5f37z2
the
holiday season in the denver metro area december
sunday
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monday
tuesday wednesday thursday
friday
story. Katie Pickrell
saturday
ights already line the streets of Highlands Ranch and the Denver metro area, and as you travel further into the city the holiday spirit becomes even more and more apparent. Mid-December presents the peak of winter festivities. In Highlands Ranch, throughout Denver and all over Colorado, there are numerous ways to immerse yourself in the jovial mindset.
The Molly Brown House in Downtown Denver is hosting a Holiday High Tea from December 17-20 for $26. Guests will learn about the Victorian Christmas decorations over tea. Holiday ornaments will also be available for purchase. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is presenting The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes until January 31. Tickets are $18 for students. Everyone loves lights, and there couldn’t be many more amazing places to find them. The Denver Zoo will be running their annual Zoo Lights every night until January 3. Admission is $11 for adults and $7 for children under 12. The Trail of Lights at The Denver Botanical Gardens will run until January 2. It’s $11 for adults and $8 for anyone under 15. The tickets include a free hayride to highlight the natural beauty of Chatfield. LoDo Aglow is a great place to catch lights while in Denver. The neighborhood will be completely lit up until January 5. The area is a great place to snag a coffee at Common Grounds or in the Tattered Cover off 16th. A little bit further away from Highlands Ranch, the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden will be hosting The Polar Express Train Ride. Tickets are $35, so they’re a little up there, but considering the production put into the event, the pricetag isn’t unbareable. If you’re looking for some great seasonal collectibles or to
january
sunday
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monday
add a few ournaments to your tree, the Holiday Art Market at the Foothills Art Center in Golden will last until the end of the year. The market comes about annually and never disappoints costumer with over 80 vendors. The Denver Christkindl Market is another great place to shop for some holiday favorites. The market is a favorite for many who love German-style art and food and will run until December 23. The 28th Annual Holiday Exhibition will be showcasing the work of various artists every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday until January 4. Of course, the winter season brings about some of the best winter shows. The Colorado Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker” is a must-see. Tickets sell for $30-$155 and the show lasts until December 27. If you’re more into vocals than visuals, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts will present “A Christmas Carol” at the Stage Theater for $49 until December 27. For a bit of a cheaper price of $25, the DCPA will put on “A Christmas Story, the Musical” at the Buell Theater until December 27. The Bovine Metropolis Theater in Denver is putting on its Christmas improv show “North by North Pole” at 8 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday until December 19. The theater also will present performances Dec. 21-23 at 8 p.m.
tuesday wednesday thursday
friday
saturday
he end of December isn’t the end of the holidays and definitely isn’t the end of winter. Even after New Year’s Day, there plenty to do throughout the city to stay in the wintery mood even if the holidays have come and passed. Whether it’s a small time exhibit or a large Denver event, the calendar doesn’t slow down at all.
New Year’s weekend, Denver will light up the16th Street Mall The Streets at Southglenn is one of many great places to go with fireworks to ring in the new year. ice skating. The rink stays open Wednesdays through Sundays The annual National Western Stock Show and Rodeo will during January. take over the city starting with a parade January 7. The stock Lake Evergreen in Evergreen also offers ice skating — and show runs from January 9-24. rentals — but on a real lake.
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the mountains are calling story. Austin Sack photos courtesy. Noah Rawls & Iliana Winfrey
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iving in Colorado many residents have never gone skiing, but for students junior Noah Rawls and junior Iliana Winfrey, the mountains are a second home. “I feel at home in the snow with skis on,” Rawls said. Many skiers have different reasons for why they ski. “I ski because it’s something I can do with my friends and family,” Winfrey said. Skiing is an activity all ages can experience. There are many skiers who have been skiing since they can remember, but just as many skiers that have only gone once. “I have been skiing at Loveland since I was five,” Winfrey said. “I have been skiing since I was five,” Rawls said. Every skier has there favorite resort, mountain, weather and favorite amout of powder. “My favorite place is either Arapahoe Basin or Winter Park,” Rawls said. Skiing involves the exhiliration of flying down a run, the fun of going up to the mountains and it has one of the most breath-taking sceneries. “My favorite part of skiing is meeting people and how beautiful the mountains are,” Winfrey said. Everyone who has always thought about going skiing should definitely go up and check it out because skiing is one of the best things about Colorado. “People should go skiing for the experience,” Winfrey said. “The mountains are absolutely beautiful and the people you meet skiing are fun.”
“My favorite part of skiing is being with friends. It’s fun to hang out with them and do something outside of Highlands Ranch,” junior Conner Davis said.
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“My favorite part of skiing is the exhilaration of going fast down the mountain, the adrenaline of jumping and always racing my family,” junior Gabriella Gaetano said.
“My favorite part of skiing is being able to go out, hang out with friends and just spending the day in the mountains enjoying the views,” junior Graham Carroll said.
top 3 CO ski resorts
story. Austin Sack
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Winter Park: Averaging over 320 inches of annual snowfall and 300 days of sunshine, including 3,081 acres of awardwinning terrain, terrain parks and most definitely world-famous bumps at Mary Jane, Winter Park is the best resort in Colorado. Winter Park is also the home of the seven territories including Winter Park, Vasquez Ridge, Parsen Bowl, Terrain Park, Mary Jane, Eagle Wind and The Cirque. Winter Park is also a favorite of families, featuring a variety of terrain, the state’s best ski-and-ride school and a warm, welcoming staff.
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Breckenridge: With five peaks spanning 2,908 acres, with a total of 187 runs and four terrain parks, Breckenridge has something for every skill level and ablility. Breckenridge is also well known for the excessive amount of powder the mountain recieves. Breck is a fun resort that truly has something to offer everyone. A-Basin: Known as “The Legend” to many Coloradans, A-Basin has one of the longest seasons with ski and boarding from mid-October to early-June. Arapahoe Basin has 960 acres of skiable terrain, 109 trails, Montezuma Bowl and an annual snowfall of 350 inches. Araphoe Basin also has a unique future custom to just A-Basin, “The Beach.” “The Beach” is the early riser parking lot that backs up to the three lower mountain chairlifts. It’s the perfect spot to kick back between runs with family and friends.
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sugar cookies From the Pharis family kitchen
Ingredients:
How to do it:
Peppermint Bark
Holiday Crackers
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 cup butter, softened 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Ingredients:
1 box of candy canes 1 pound Candiquik
How to do it:
Melt the Candiquik in a bowl in the microwave (do not burn). Put the peppermint candies in a food processer and grind until it turns into a coarse powder. Mix the powder and the Candiquik in a large bowl. Spread the mixture on a large cookie sheet and let sit over night. Break into pieces and enjoy!
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Mix the powdered sugar, butter, egg, vanilla and almond extract in a mixer. Then slowly add in the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or more. Pre-heat the over to 375 degrees. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half about 1/8 inch thick or a lightly floured suface. Use cookie cutters to cut into holiday shapes. Place on cookie sheets with parchment paper and bake until edges are light brown, about seven to eight minutes. Remove from oven, place on a cooling rack and then decorate or leave plain depending on your preference.
Ingredients:
42 club crackers 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup slivered almonds
How to do it:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Spread the crackers evenly over a foil lined sheet pan. Over medium heat melt the butter, when it’s foamy add the sugar and bring the a boil while stirring. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, add the vanilla and pour over the crackers. Sprinkle with almonds, then bake for about 10 minutes.
Candy Hash Ingredients:
4 cups Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries Cereal 2 cups mini marshmellows 2 cups slivered almonds 2 cups dry roasted peanuts 1 pound Candiquik
How to do it:
Melt the Candiquik in a large bowl in the microwave. Mix the Captain Crunch Berries, marhmellows, peanuts and almonds in a large bowl. Mix the Candiquik and the cereal mixture in a bowl. Spread on a large cookie sheet and let sit over night. Break into pieces and enjoy!
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last minute
do it yourself holiday
terrarium kit You will need a Mason jar (any size), small stones (enough to fill the bottom about two inches), a few tablespoons of activated charcoal, potting soil (enough for a few inches over the small stones), small plants or cacti and ribbon to decorate. For full instructions, visit VistaNow.org/ holiday-gifts
scented candles
gifts story. Katie Pickrell
winter snowglobe
You will need one mason jar (any size), enough water to nearly fill to the top, glitter or fake snow, an ornament or another decorative item, Loctite or other waterproof glue and ribbon. For full instructions, visit VistaNow.org/holiday-gifts
You will need four cups of soy flakes, two wicks with a metal base, 20-30 drops of essential oils, two mediumsized mason jars, one doublebroiler, one stirring utensil, two large clothespins and two washcloths. For full instructions, visit VistaNow.org/holiday-gifts
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5
top
holiday movies
of all time
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Editor’s Note: We feel the need to also include the movie “Die Hard” because of its Christmas music and excellence.
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Christmas Vacation (1989) Directed by: Jeremiah S. Chechik Actors: Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo
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ucid grandmother? Check. Crazy Uncle and kids? Check. Trying to stay sane mother and father during the hectic holiday season? Check. Unlike most holiday movies, “Christmas Vacation” does not even come close to glamorizing the false image of a picture-perfect family Christmas. If anything, it take the reality of a crazy Christmas to an extreme. The directors and actors seem to understand that Christmas hardly ever turns out like it was planned, and by exposing the truth of family in the holiday season, it has kept families laughing, and more importantly sane, during the Christmas season. From kidnapping the boss, to burning down the Christmas tree, the laughs never seem to end. This movie diverts from our usual teenage angst into the very complex and varied relationships within a family. This mindset helps to explain not only the spot-on writing when it came to interactions between family members, but also the sweet, touching, nostalgic moments that served to heighten the comedic scenes. If there’s one movie to help keep you from going crazy during winter break, this would be it.
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Home Alone (1990)
This movie is a holiday classic, as it represents what it’s like to live in a large family during the holiday season. While the burgalars and elaborate traps may verge on the unlikely, it still is quick to make viewers laugh and keep all ages entertained.
Polar Express (2004)
In this Christmas classic, a young boy goes on a mystical adventure to the North pole upon the Polar Express. During this magical adventure he learns about friendship, knowledge, courage and the moral of Christmas.
A Christmas Carol (1938)
This classic black-and-white movie shows an old, grumpy man going on a Christmas adventure with the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. Through these experiences, he learns what the true meaning of Christmas is.
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
Keeping families entertained for almost 70 years, this heartwarming tale’s magic has not dimmed. The film has some of the most iconic scenes in movie history, showing what it really means to give during the holiday season.
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holiday
the
T
season story. Gabe Barnard
his season, the Broncos have gone through a wild ride. The team started out the season playing Peyton Manning as its starting quarterback and now, halfway through the season, Brock Osweiler has risen to take his place as he’s stampeded through his first couple games in the process. In the Broncos’ week-six game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Manning successfully surpassed Brett Favre in career passing yards with a total of over 71,840 of them. However, soon after he broke the record, he photo by Jeffrey Beall with Creative was benched as a result of a plantar fascia injury Commons licensing in his left foot. In his first few career starts as the Denver Broncos’ quarterback during Manning’s absence, Osweiler successfully led the Broncos to three victories: one against the Chicago Bears, one against the New England Patriots and the next against the San Diego Chargers. After being the backup quarterback with the Broncos for four years, Osweiler’s win over the Patriots, who were at the time undefeated, is a huge success “It shows everybody we can beat anyone,” Brandon Marshall told ESPN. “If we do what we have to do, play the way we can play, we can beat anybody.” With the team approaching the final weeks of the season, the Broncos may have the chance to make a playoff run or a gallop at the superbowl. However, the quarterback change has stirred up some controvery among fans and it remains to be seen which quarterback will end the season at the reins of the Broncos. Manning began limited practice Wednesday, Dec. 9, but with Osweiler set as the week 14 starter, it’s unclear who’s going to stick on the field as the starting quarterback.
photo by Keith Allison with permission of Creative Commons licensing
top athletes: Von Miller Outside linebacker Von Miller has proven himself consistently both on and off the Broncos field. story. Reagan Fitzke Miller as a rookie during the 2011 season.
photo by Jeffrey Beall with permission of Creative Commons licensing
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roncos outside linebacker Von Miller has been with the team for five seasons and is arguably one of the best defensive players in the league. Miller has continually performed throughout the 2015 season with seven sacks and 24 combined tackles. He also became the thirdfastest player to have 50 sacks throughout his career, reaching the milestone his 58th game. Against the San Diego Chargers, he stripped the ball from running back Melvin
Gordon, forcing a fumble, and then proceeded to recover it. He also sacked quarterback Philip Rivers twice during the game. Though his track record throughout his professional career has been impressive, Miller has done some admirable things off the field as well. He started and is currently sponsoring Von’s Vision, which is a charity that provides corrective glasses for low-income children in Denver. The charity has gotten attention
from high-profile personalities, including Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, better known simply as “Key and Peele.” After Miller was fined for a dance inspired by the comedy duo, Key and Peele donated the amount of money that Miller was fined for to the foundation. Miller has continually proven that he is an effective player for the Broncos. With his impressive career thus far, it is likely he will have a lot more in store for Denver in the future.
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1. Freshman Sara Hess warms up before a meet against Legend High School held at North Ridge Recreation Center. Photo credit: Katie Pickrell 2. Freshman Makenna Hollingshead and juniors Chandler Moberly and Phoebe Aroesty perform at the Continental League competition at Heritage High School. The team placed third in the in the jazz division. Photo credit: Erica Venable 3. Sophomore Connor Staib guards a Liberty High School player. Mountain Vista took down Liberty, 65-56, during the Tip-Off tournament. The Eagles were 2-1 during the whole tourney. Photo credit: Gabe Barnard 4. Senior Chelsea Pearson dribbles the ball game against Loveland High School. The team came up short, 57-54, but managed to win its next two games in the tournament, setting the team on track for a better season. “I’m looking forward to becoming closer with my team and enjoying my last high school season,” Pearson said. Photo credit: Savanah Howard
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EP!C photos 29
Vista XC 12th best in the
story. Hayley Mustin
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nation
eague champions, regional champions, state champions, Nike Cross Regional Champions, 12th in the nation. Vista Nation has proven to be a dynasty. After the team won state for the fourth year in a row, nine boys and nine girls traveled to Tempe, Ariz. to compete in Nike Cross Regionals. Vista was the first 5A Colorado team in history to win the Nike Cross Regionals Southwest meet and qualify for nationals. Months of hard work led up to nationals. Seniors Paxton Smith, Ryan Currie, Alex Fu, juniors Josh Romine and Weston Hart and sohomores Parker Mackay and Shayan Zarrin flew to Portland, Ore. December 3 to race in nationals with 21 other teams from around the country. Eighteen of the teams at the competition were individual state champions. The other four were all runner ups. The team finished the 5,000-meter course with an overall average time of 16:15, allowing them to place 12th. Senior Paxton Smith came in first for Mountain Vista and 71st in the country. “It feels great to accomplish dreams.
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Placing 71st in the nation isn’t nothing to turn your nose at,” Smith said. The cross country team had its strongest season in the history of Mountain Vista and plans to follow the same route next year. “We are 12th in the nation, which takes a lot of hard work,” head coach Johnathan Dalby said. “It was an eye opening experience for them to see what kind of competition is actually there. It was one of those things where it was actually really cool to go but I think there is still a want and a desire for the kids to be able to go back again and keep improving every year down there and hopefully be competitive in the top handful at some point.” Some of the runners who plan to return to the team next year have the same high hopes. “Now that we have seen the competition in nationals and understand it more, we want to go in next year with a chance to win,” Mackay, who placed 97th overall, said. “Since this was only our first year, we were able to learn a lot about the race for next year and that gives us that chance.”
Vista Nation won its
fourth consecutive
5A state title
during the 2015 season
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top vista athletes story. Laruen Lippert and Savanah Howard
name: Trent Schultz grade: Junior sport: Wrestling team: Varsity name: Molly McCabe grade: Senior sport: Basketball Team: Varsity Scoring 48 points in her first three games, senior Molly McCabe has started the girl’s basketball season off strong. “Basketball means everything to me. I’m so happy to be playing the sport I love,” McCabe said. Aside from seasonal games, McCabe practices alone to improve. “I shoot baskets by myself and work hard to keep myself in shape,” McCabe said. Signing to play college basketball at South Dakota School of Mines, McCabe says she wouldn’t be where she is today without her teammates. “I would not have been [playing] if it weren’t for my amazing teammates who push me to be my best everyday,” McCabe said.
Although the wrestling season has just started, junior Trent Schultz is preparing for a recordbreaking season. “Coming into the season ranked [first] in the state for my weight class, it’s just good to see things pay off the way they should,” Schultz said. Inspired by his father, Schultz became interested in wrestling after finding his old medals. “I asked if I could have them and he said that I have to earn those,” Schultz said. “I started because I wanted to earn those [I’ve] stayed in for fifteen years.” Despite his original inspiration, Schultz has developed his own selfsupport system. “My family isn’t as close as they have always have been so it’s been kind of hard,” Schultz said. “I make my own support system through my friends and I became more spiritual in the past few years.”
name: Jake Belknapp grade: Junior sport: Basketball team: Varsity Leading the team in average points scored and rebounds per game, junior Jake Belknapp’s stats are soaring already this season. He was MaxPreps player of the game against Arapahoe and Pine Creek, Belknapp claims that he couldn’t do it without his teammates. “They help me get good looks at the basket,” Belknapp said. As he’s not a senior, Belknapp still has another season ahead of him with dreams of playing basketball in college. “I’ve played [basketball] for a long time,” Belknapp said. “That would be cool to get a scholarship to help pay for college.” According to senior Jason Trichler, having Belknapp has really helped guide the team as a co-captain. “Jake really steps up for the post players to help motivate them to be better and excel at the sport,” Trichler said. From motivating teammates to scoring baskets, Belknapp’s season is off to a phenomenal start.
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