The Viewpoint December 2022

On November 29, 2022, two representatives from each Stafford County High School attended the Grounds Bistro for a “Warm Ones” interview with Dr. Thomas Taylor, the superintendent of SCPS.

With the theme of the conversation revolving around his profession and the future of Stafford County’s school system, this was no ordinary interview session. Getting inspiration from the popular YouTube Channel “Hot Ones”, each question was preceded by eating a chicken wing. As the questions became more in-depth, the heat level of the wings progressively increased.

Before the wing eating and interviewing began, Dr. Taylor had some words of advice. He said, “Pro-tip: make sure you don’t touch your face” after eating the hot wings. A few students were concerned about how hot the wings might get; however, they all were able to muscle through the five rounds of wings.

Dr. Taylor even mentioned that he regretted wearing a suit as he knew the spiciness of the wings might affect him. Upon starting round three and then after dabbing his forehead with a

napkin, he admitted, “The jacket is coming off.”

Some major takeaways came from the interview with Dr. Taylor. He initially was interested in Stafford because he grew up in the D.C. area, knows it is a growing community, and has ties to Brooke Point as his college roommate graduated from there.

His background in education includes teaching social studies, coaching, supervising student government and student publications.

His goals include, but are not limited to, “bringing the community together” and meet as many people involved in Stafford schools to hear their voices and ideas, as well as increasing the variety of programs to prepare students for the workforce.

He wants students to know that “student voice is important to be heard across the board.” That is why he advocates for students to join the Student Advisory Committee and attend School Board meetings as often as they can. In addition, he would like to plan more student engagement activities like the “Warm Ones” challenge.

Aware of the overcrowding issue facing Stafford County, Dr. Taylor plans on adding learning cottages to schools and utilizing teachers’ rooms to their full potential while a sixth high school is being built. He stated that Stafford is currently at 31,000 students but is estimated to grow to 36,000 in a few years.

Several of his answers went back to the same three tenets to ensure schools run successfully: “teachers get paid, buses run on time, and resources are available.”

All in all, Dr. Taylor is aware that “compensation and resources are needed” and is working on providing just that for Stafford County to be successful.

What’s Happening at The View

Dates Subject to Change

By Aya Karouane

Student Resource Advisory Committee Successions (December)

The Student Resource Advisory Committee will be holding a few Successions in December. They will cover topics such as Extracurricular Programs and Organization Tips. “The Student Resource Advisory Committee connects students to scholarships, opportunities, and summer enrichment programs. We always have lots of fun helping people and Ms. Hamill is an invaluable resource,” said John Hatzis, Chairman of SRAC.

Contact Mrs. Kali Hamill for more information.

Orchestra Concert (December 14)

Mountain View’s Orchestra held their winter concert on December 14 in the Auditorium. “This concert featured Concert Orchestra, Symphonic Orchestra, Chamber Sinfonia, and Guitar Ensemble, with works by Beethoven,Vaughn Williams, and Grieg, along with some holiday selections,” said Tom McDonald, Orchestra Director.

Improv Show (December 16)

Mountain View’s Sorry In Advance improv team held their winter show on December 16, at 5:00 p.m. in the Auditorium. They acted out different scenarios on the spot which got the crowd laughing. Zachary Roland, longtime improv member said, “I was excited to get up there and work with the crowd.” Contact Mr. Eric Hokanson or Mr. Joshua King for more information on future shows.

T

I O E Y V D S R

Toy drives are a good way to give back by Alaina Corbin

Things To give

TOYS TOYS MORE TOYS

Toy Drives really come into the light as the holiday season comes around, but it’s an all year thing that stands for a great deal. There are many different toy drives around the world that each help certain people in different types of circumstances. Each and every toy drive has one similar goal and that is to make a difference in a child’s day.

Toy drives aren’t just about toys though. You can donate toys, money, or even your time. Last year, toy drives in the US made over 300 million dollars in donated toys alone, according to PaddockPost.com. Any money raised goes to toys, and toys alone. Learn and Serve teacher Lauren Terrill stated, “Knowing that you’re going to be putting a smile on a kid’s face and knowing that that may be the only gift they will be receiving that Christmas.”

Toys For Tots is a toy drive that was started by the Marine Corps in 1991. According to ToysForTots.org, Toys For Tots’ goal every year is to provide signs of hope to economically disadvantaged children during the Christmas holidays.

Toys For Tots offers various amounts of donation options that vary from toy donations to cash donations to virtual donations. Toys For Tots accepts new, unwrapped, or homemade toys, books, and more. Things that aren’t accepted include used toys, toys that resemble weapons, or toys that involve food or chemicals.

Toys For Tots has multiple drop off locations around our county. Every fire station in the area accepts toys through December 12 every year. Another location includes 411 Chatham Heights Rd., Fredericksburg, VA 22405.

Operation Christmas Child is a toy drive that goes on internationally. This toy drive is run by Samaritan’s Purse, which is a group of “good samaritans” that focus on doing good in the world. It’s a Christian group who uses the words of Jesus to aid them through their journey. This group runs Operation Christmas Child every year and has been for 29 years. SamaritansPurse.org stated, the mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world. Sophomore, Emma Thompson stated, “Toy drives like Operation Christmas Child help promote happiness and imagination among the children of the world.”

Operation Christmas Child sends shoe boxes around the world as an outreach program. Packing a shoebox can be done in just a few steps. First, you’re going to need a box of some type, and it can be decorative if you want. You then have to pack the shoe box with toys, school supplies, or even stuffed animals. You can also add a personal note and photo if you would like but it’s not necessary. After you have the box packed, you’ll add the age range label and head to a dropoff location in your area. From there, the boxes will be sent to one of the processing locations to be checked over and sent out to the children of the world.

Operation Christmas Child is a big toy drive among churches; therefore, many local drop off locations are at churches. Some of these churches are The Mount Church, 1112 Garrisonville Rd, Stafford, VA 22556, or Calvary Chapel Fredericksburg, 3625 Latimers Knoll Ct, Fredericksburg, VA 22408.

“The primary function of toys are for children to engage their sense and learn. Toy drives help this process in a very engaging way.” -Senior Kendall Freeman

Ifvolunteeringisn’tforyou,donating toacommunityfridgeinyourareacan beabetterfit.Bygivingbackevenifyouaren’t comfortablewithvolunteeringthefoodyou donatewillnotbegoingtowaste.Duringthisseasonmanyfamiliesstruggleto findtheirnextmeals,andwithyourdonations totheselocalbusinessandnon-profitorganizations,youareabletohelpthesefamilieseven justalittlebit.Givingbackanynon-perishables canhelpothersenjoyhotmeals.

During this holiday season many receive extra clothing, and you may even run out of space. To help solve this dilemma, you can donate older/unworn clothes to help find them a new home to receive the love of being worn. You can donate to your local thrift stores, Goodwills’, and other places looking to gain some more clothes this winter season.

Did you know that according to FreedingAmerica.org, over 51% of all programs rely entirely on volunteers?

Forbes’ Website said, “Making donations does not always have to come in the form of care packages containing personal items and canned goods.” Giving back can be volunteering your time to help others in need and spending time with people in your surroundings.

let’s do our part

‘Tis the season of giving and receiving gifts, so here are some ways you can give back this

volunteering“Ispendalotoftime atsoup mykitchensandtoydriveswith duringsiblingstohelppasstime mybreak.”-FreshmanEmmaWhirlow

“Spendingtime withmyfamily means a lot to me,sobeing abletohelp others

enjoytheirtimewith their loved ones is the least I can do,” Senior LaurynWalker.

Worldwide winter holiday traditions

Traditions from this winter season are celebrated world wide, as well as some insight from fellow students on how they celebrate by Laura Beth McCabe

December Holiday Traditions around the world

In the United States, we have many Christmas traditions including trimming the Christmas tree, baking holiday cookies, and opening Christmas presents. Some traditions remain the same around the world, such as singing Christmas carols, decorating a Christmas tree, and making advent calendars. However, others have their own unique celebrations.

For example, Iceland celebrates 13 days of Christmas. Each night before Christmas children place their shoes by the window and are visited by Yule Lads. They will receive candy if they’re good, or have shoes full of rotten potatoes if they’re bad.

To celebrate Christmas in the Philippines, the city of San Fernando holds a Lantern Festival known as Ligligan Parul. The Lanterns symbolize the Star of Bethlehem and consist of thousands of spinning lights.

Moreover, in Finland on Christmas morning, families eat porridge. As the Country Living website states, ¨These porridges are made of rice and milk topped with cinnamon, milk, or butter. An almond will be placed inside one of the puddings and whoever finds the almond wins.¨

Whereas in Norway the Christmas season is called julebord, and families celebrate Christmas on Dec. 23 partaking in various activities such as decorating the tree, making a gingerbread house, and eating hot rice pudding.

Furthermore, in Poland on Christmas Eve many families share an unleavened religious wafer known as oplatek. Each family member breaks off a piece as they wish each other Merry Christmas, and dinner may not begin until the first star appears. As mentioned on the Country Living website, ¨Traditionally an extra seat is left at the table should someone show up uninvited.¨

In December many other holidays are celebrated. Hanukkah is one such holiday. As mentioned on the Edvocate website, ¨Hanukkah is also known as Feast of Dedication, Festival of Lights, Feast of the Maccabees, or Jewish festival.¨ This year it is celebrated from December 18 to December 26. Families practicing the Jewish faith have menorahs in their houses and each night a blessing is said before lighting the next candle. According to History.com’s website, “Potato pancakes and jam-filled donuts are particularly popular in many Jewish households. Other Hanukkah customs include playing with four-sided spinning tops called dreidels and exchanging gifts over the eight days.”

Another holiday celebrated is St. Nicholas Day is celebrated starting on December 5. As stated on the Edvocate website, ¨ Numerous countries in Europe celebrate St. Nicholas Day by distributing candies, chocolate letters, small gifts, and riddles. Kids put out their shoes with carrots and hay, hoping that St. Nicholas will exchange them for small gifts and treats.¨

Moreover, the winter solstice is celebrated from December 20 -23. To celebrate the winter solstice, people light bonfires and candles.

Additionally, Kwanzaa is a holiday celebrated beginning on December 26 and ending on January 1. Millions celebrate this festival by wearing traditional African clothing, decorating their houses with fruits and vegetables, and lighting a kinara. According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, “It is a holiday that celebrates history, values, family, community and culture.”

New Years traditions around the world

On New Year’s Eve in the United States families gather together and watch the ball drop. Some choose to gather at New York Times Square to watch in person while others are cozy in their house watching it off the television.

In Brazil, New Year’s falls in the season of summer, and many head to the beach wearing all white as a symbol of purity. As the Glamour website says, ¨Immediately after midnight, you’re supposed to jump seven waves while making seven wishes”.

Apart from this, Norway and Denmark celebrate the New Year with Kransekake. Kransekake is a cake made of 18 layers held together with royal icing.

Conversely, in Mexico families gather on New Years Eve and make tamales and give them to relatives. As the Glamour website says, ¨Tamales are corn dough stuffed with meat, cheese, and veggies all wrapped in husks.¨ The following day the gifted tamales are served with a traditional Mexican soup called Menudo.

In Japan, people start the New Year by eating soba noodles, as it symbolizes a break from the new year. As mentioned on the Glamour website, ¨ This Japanese tradition of eating soba noodles dates back to the Kamakura period and is tied to a Buddhist temple giving out the noodles to the poor.

Student traditions

Natalie Kingston, a senior, states that her family enjoys entering in a local gingerbread house contest. Her sister, cousins and her participate with the help of her mom and aunt’s baking skills. They participate in this tradition because they enjoy the creativity of the project, and it forces them to collaborate and spend time with each other. Her mom’s twin sister originally began the tradition. Furthermore, they listen to Christmas music and usually end up listening to The First Noel a dozen times because it’s her youngest cousin’s favorite. Moreover, Kingston expressed that in many ways this tradition has changed because some years only a few of her cousins can make it to assemble and decorate.

Zeta Berry, a senior, states that the weekend before Christmas her family gathers for a family Christmas dinner. During this gathering her family has lasagna, gives presents to each other, and makes a gingerbread house. Berry expressed that she usually helps her little cousins make the gingerbread house or decorate cookies.

Janie Whatley, a senior, states that her family always picks out and decorates their Christmas tree anytime after Thanksgiving. Her grandma gets each one of her family members a specific ornament every year for Christmas so they decorate the tree using their personalized ornaments. Her family has been doing this ever since her parents got married and her grandma started giving them ornaments. Whatley expressed that this tradition has changed as her siblings have got older and moved out. She now goes and helps each of my siblings get a tree for their own houses/ apartments. Furthermore, her family’s Catholic identity has influenced this tradition because they celebrate Christmas and therefore need a Christmas tree to prepare and celebrate this holiday.

The Problem With New Year’s Resolutions

Nearly everyone has made a resolution at the beginning of a new year--but how many of those resolutions have made it past January? In a survey by YouGov, the results weren’t very promising: Only 35 percent of adults who make resolutions follow through with all of them.

The main root of this tactic’s ineffectiveness lies in the word itself. “Resolution,” by definition by the Oxford Dictionary, is “a firm decision to do or not to do something.” Many of us--whether our goal is earning better grades, eating healthier, staying off of social media, or something completely different--do just this. We make a “firm decision” to do something in the next year, and we hold ourselves accountable for any failures we make to follow through with them.

Unfortunately, changing our daily habits or the way we live is a process, and it doesn’t work when all we do is decide that we’re going to start acting differently. It’s difficult to change habits and lifestyles that we’ve been following for years. Any change we want to make requires a plan, a sense of realism, and more complexity than one resolution, or decision, typically has.

you’ll think about and use to shape your thoughts and actions throughout the year. A few words that people have chosen are “grace,” “balance,” and “organize,” or in my case for the upcoming year, “intentional.” While these ways of changing yourself for the better in the new year aren’t for everyone, they can help you achieve goals you’ve had but never met, satisfaction upon your success, and a new way of life that you might adapt for years to come.

What New Year’s Means to Us

For some, New Year’s is about starting a fresh year and embracing the new beginning, while others might rather continue their life as it was in the previous year. Either way, New Year’s marks a year of your life ending and a new one starting, and it is an excellent time to reflect on the past year while having hopes for the future.

Freshman Grace Fredette put her ideas on the matter quite simply but in a way most can relate with, saying it’s, “A new start or chapter in my life; a chance for new opportunities.” Similarly, Cadie Crutchfield, freshman, said it’s, “Sort of a fresh slate, an opportunity to make new choices and meet new people.”

Freshman Barrett Kindig, took another, different approach to the

slow and deliberate

The all-too-common resolutions to kick off the new year often last about as long as a sparkler, so consider how to more effectively begin a fresh year by Stella Carroll

More Effective Strategies

The best way to tackle a goal for the new year is to slowly begin developing new habits. You won’t change overnight--at least not sustainably. If you want to limit the time you spend on you phone, decrease the time you can spend on it each day by a relatively small amount, maybe from 10 to 30 minutes.

If you want to eat healthier, work on transforming your diet by a little each day, slowly replacing unhealthy foods with whole ones.

Another equally important tactic is changing your mindset, or the way you think. This can be practiced by being more conscious of your thoughts, recognizing when they’re negative, and working to replace them with positive ones. Soon, this healthier, less pessimistic mindset will become natural, and it will transform multiple aspects of your life. Some have chosen to set a mindset for the year by selecting a “word of the year,” a word that

question, “What does New Year’s mean to you?” but expressed a similar fondness for the holiday. “New Year’s to me is obviously the start of the new year. But it’s also a time for getting together with family and friends, maybe some that you haven’t seen in a while, and staying up until midnight to watch the ball drop. It’s also about making ‘resolutions’ that probably won’t make it a day.” Interestingly, Barrett expressed a fondness for these resolutions, accepting that they won’t last long, but taking that simply as a part of the holiday.

All of us might have different ways of welcoming and thinking of the new year, but all of us can find a way to enjoy it--and maybe even set a goal for the new year.

Public Domain Pictures

10 easy ways to help the environment

9. Minimize water usage

Over usage of water is a common issue but can be combated easily. For example, not letting the water run while you brush your teeth can save water. This applies to any source of running water you may use. Limiting water use when it’s unnecessary makes a difference. 10. Green

school supplies

In 2019, Wuhan, China discovered a new virus, Coronavirus, (2019-nCoV). Some people still have misconceived notions about this illness.

It all started with SARS-Cov-2, and it is believed that it began in an animal such as a bat and slowly evolved into a virus that “...can be spread from person to person” explained the Hopkins Medicine website. It is said that symptoms can begin to show within 2-14 days after receiving the virus. The symptoms can be as simple as what feels like the common cold and fever, or be as extreme as kidney failure, breathing difficulties, or even death. Yadira Medina, junior, said that “In the best possible case, Covid care could be free in the USA without large raises in taxes.” Some long-lasting problems Covid can cause include nervous system problems and damage to the lung and heart.

Recently, there has been a clear decrease in cases as the days go by. “A primary series of COVID-19 vaccine plus booster was significantly more effective than a primary series alone in preventing hospitalization for COVID-19…,” as stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. As the Christmas break comes closer, which means many people will be traveling, the threat of another spike in cases rises. Last year in 2021, towards the end of December, the U.S. was averaging almost 20 thousand cases a day, with early January reaching almost 60 thousand cases at the height of it. Elizabeth Harvey, junior, stated that you should “stay home,” as it would be a good idea in general to keep away from people if you have nothing else to do. Sadye Carpenter, junior, said that she did not think another outbreak may happen in the future “because Covid is already starting to become under control.”

So, what are some things you can do to help protect yourself against Covid? As the Red Cross website says, you should wear masks indoors to reduce the spread of germs, as well as try and social distance when the opportunity is given. Another good idea, in general, is to try and avoid crowds, as masks are being worn less in people’s daily lives, and it is much easier to receive Covid when surrounded by people. A simple step to keep your well-being up is to monitor your health daily, any signs of sickness could help identify Covid or really any other sickness before it becomes dangerous.

Moving on outside of America, China has been developing its own techniques for fighting against Covid. One of the more common occurrences that has been going on has been mass testing of those who have come in contact with someone infected with Covid. Other things that have been tried out include closing off neighbors with somebody possibly infected or, those in contact were “sent to designated quarantine facilities for at least 14 days of medical observation and were tested for the virus,” said the British Medical Journal website. As testing in general

What’s up Covid?

In England, the free Covid testing they have been offering is starting to take a toll on taxpayers, the UK Government website stated, “ Tracing and isolation budget cost over £15.7 billion in 2021 to 2022”, which converts to roughly about $16.5 billion. When people in England are affected by Covid, they are advised to stay home and quarantine for five days unless symptoms worsen.

Finishing with Venezuela, its first recorded case was on March 13, 2020, with cases rising and falling through the years. “... Venezuela has the worst testing capacity in Latin America, able to perform only about 264 tests a week—with extensive delays in receiving results,” said the Center for Strategic & International Studies website. Venezuela has been having to rely upon neighboring countries for supplies as most hospitals are missing over 50% of their required supply of things such as masks, hand sanitizer, and soap. Venezuela already had it hard as over 50% of their doctors have moved on to other countries and about one third of the death toll is medical professionals, due to their lack of sanitation resources.

by Molly Calhoun

In conclusion, Covid is still around and poses a threat to people all around the world. Even though rapid progression has been made in accordance with defeating the virus for the sake of our well-being, many countries are being favored and it has caused others to fall into a state of desperation for basic needs.

As

Hibernation Station

By Mary Jane Seitz

According to the Australian Academy of Science, “when hibernating, an animal’s metabolism, heartbeat, and breathing slows significantly (some animals even stop breathing for over an hour) and its body temperature drops—in some cases below the freezing point of water.” Hibernation is a series of periods of sleep that can last for many days. Hibernation is different from daily sleep because it consists of lower body temperature and slower metabolism and usually occurs based on the season. Also, hibernating animals live off body fat or stored food. By doing this, it conserves their energy.

FAT TAILED DWARF LEMUR

According to the Duke Lemur Center, the fat-tailed dwarf lemur is the only known primate that hibernates. “During hibernation, a fat-tailed dwarf lemur’s heart rate drops from about 180 beats per minute to as low as eight beats per minute, as stated by Duke’s Lemur Center’s website.” Before hibernation they store fat in their tails by eating as much food as they can during the wet season. They collect in the wet season because during the dry season food becomes more scarce. The website also states, “During their period of gorging, dwarf lemurs’ tails can reach up to 40% of the lemurs’ total body weight. They then enter a state of hibernation, living off of the fat stored in their tails.”

WOOD FROGS

According to the National Park and Preserve Alaska, wood frogs hibernate a little differently than other frogs. While other frogs go into the water, wood frogs hide under the leaves and snow to provide them some insulation from the freezing temperatures. ”At the beginning of winter the wood frog’s liver produces large amounts of glucose that flushes into every cell in its body. This syrupy sugar solution prevents the cells from freezing and binds the water molecules inside the cells to prevent dehydration, as said on the National Park and Preserve’s website. Then, their body can let the ice form around the cells and organs. The glucose syrup makes it so the ice cannot form inside the cells which prevents damage to the frog as it freezes.

Alexandria Collins says, “I loved learning about hibernation when I was in middle school.”

Most people associate bears with hibernation, but there are many more animals that hibernate

Science teacher Shane Yeskey says, “Hibernation is often a misunderstood process in the animal kingdom.”

Freshman student Caroline Wallace says, “I think hibernation is an interesting cycle of events.”

Freshman student

Wild in White

A quick peek at the world of wildlife that thrives in colder climates by Miya

Otter

Natalia Alvarez, freshmen, likes Huskies and says they are good at escaping.

Easley

According to National Geographic and the U.S. Department of the Interior, otters are small carnivorous mammals, no more than 2-6 feet long and 10-75 lbs heavy, and part of the weasel family. There are 13 species of otters and they live all across the world, on every continent except Australia and Antarctica, and almost 90 percent of the world’s sea otters live in coastal Alaska. Their nostrils and ears are capable of closing to prevent water from going in, and due to the lack of fatty layer that most sea creatures have, otters instead have thick fur that keeps them warm, which is the densest fur of any animal in the world. Most otters live in fresh bodies of water, such as lakes and rivers, however sea otters and marine otters are found in the Pacific Ocean. While otters typically give birth ashore, sea otters once again prove to be the exception to this group as they give birth in the water. Baby otters, which are called kittens or pups, stay with their mothers

wrapped in kelp so as not to float away, and often stick together for up to a year or more even after learning to swim. Unlike river otters, sea otters don’t have webbed front feet and instead use their paws dexterously to smash open mollusks with rocks to get food, both eating up to 25 percent of their body weight in food daily. When it’s time to sleep, sea otters use kelp similarly to pups and entangle themselves with each other to stay together while they float in the water. This grouping of otters is called a raft. Otters are playful creatures, particularly river otters, whose capability to run and slide on land allows them to slide and splash into rivers and streams.

Harp Seals, the pups of which are known as the cutest of other seal pups, are carnivorous mammals, about 5.25-6.25 feet and weighing in at roughly 400 lbs. Harp seals are also called saddleback seals for their saddle-like markings on the back and sides of their bodies. They spend most of their time in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans,

olar bears, about 7-8 feet and weighing 900-1600 lbs, are carnivorous mammals that roam the Arctic sheets of ice and swim in its coastal waters. Despite being land mammals polar bears are fantastic swimmers, some of which have been seen swimming miles away from land. To survive in the cold environment of the Arctic, polar bears swimming in cool waters and feeding on fish and crustaceans. They can stay submerged for up to 15 minutes at a time, which alongside their powerful swimming and ability to sense vibrations through their whiskers, lends seals to be great hunters in the water.

Phave been adapted with a thick layer of fur, which covers a layer of fat that keeps them warm. Polar bears have a white fur coat; however, despite their exterior coloring, polar bears have black skin, which they use to better absorb the sun’s warmth in the light. They have no natural enemies and hunt seals around ice sheets when they come up to breathe.

Penguin

From Sonia Carroll, freshmen, a funny random fact about penguins: Penguins poop every 20 minutes.

Penguins are carnivorous flightless seabirds, about 16-45 inches tall and weighing up to 90 lbs. Penguins live exclusively below the equator, most of which live in Antarctica due to their adapted bodies with a thick layer of blubber and tightly packed and oily feathers which are ideal for the colder climates. Penguins have 13 species,

Arctic Fox

Ifunanya Omabu, freshmen, says her favorite winter animal is the Arctic Fox because their fur changes color with the seasons.

Arctic foxes are an omnivorous mammal, anywhere from 18 to 40 inches long and weighing 6.5-17 lbs. Arctic foxes are highly adapted animals, being capable of surviving in temperatures that go as low as –58°F, making burrows out of snow during blizzards, and having a white coat that changes to a gray-brown color to better camouflage in both most of which have the same general appearance; standing on two feet with black coloring and white bellies. Despite their inability to fly, penguins are excellent swimmers and spend most of their time in the ocean hunting for krill, squid, and crabs. They can swim at 15 mph and leap out of the water for propulsion to go even faster.

seasonal environments. These foxes typically hunt rodents, birds, and fishes, but when winter makes food scarce arctic foxes follow the habitat’s main predator, the polar bear, and eat the leftover from its kills. Similar to a car, an arctic fox’s thick tail helps maintain its balance as well as allowing it an extra coat of warmth for especially cold climates.

Seal Polar Bear

Holler for the Holidays

Holiday music helps many people get in the holiday spirit but when is the right time to start playing holiday music by Avery Uhle

Gene Welch, Band Director, “For me personally it’s after thanksgiving. I want each holiday to have its own moment. As a professional musician it’s tough because we have to prepare that stuff early in October. There are certain instruments such as sleigh bells, certain harmonic progressions, and more of an emotional connection in holiday music.”

Arnez Alvarez, Senior, “December 13 because of the song Twelve Days Of Christmas. I don’t have a favorite holiday song. i just listen to whatever’s being played.”

Jonathan Blue, Senior, “December 1 because of the advent calender. I think we’re ignoring the other holidays when we play holiday songs early.”

Lana Franklin, Senior, “I would say a week or two into December. My favorite holiday song is Please Come Home for Christmas by Eagles; it’s in Home Alone.”

On Spotify in the USA only 2 percent of the songs played were holiday related on November 15, 2018. On November 23 that number raised slightly to 5 percent and on December 1 around 7 percent of the songs played on Spotify were holiday related according to a Lifeway Research article by Aaron Earls. The reason why most radio stations start playing Christmas music so early in the year is because they receive better ratings, according to the Daily Tar Heel. It’s the same reason why stores display holiday products so early.

Merry Music: a closer look

The

by Robert Baldwin

Out of all the holidays celebrated across the world, Christmas has a certain reputation when it comes to music. While there are obviously holidays that have their own self-contained melodies and tunes, none have made quite as big of an impact on the world like Christmas music has. Even while researching this topic, I found some surprising facts down the rabbithole that is holidays and their songs.

For example, according to All Top Everything, did you know that not only is “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin and Bing Crosby the #1 Christmas most played song of all time, but also the most sold single hit ever, selling over 52 million copies worldwide? It’s pretty wild, isn’t it? To put this into perspective, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” sold only 16 million copies.

As we all probably know, Christmas isn’t just celebrated in the United States. And while America might have the most popular music on the occasion, it certainly doesn’t hit the same as some other countries’ music. Take the United Kingdom for example. Their most played Christmas song is Fairytale of New York by The Pogues. You may recognize the song if you have recently watched the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, it being the very first song that plays in the film. According to NME, the song has sold approximately 1.2 million copies in its history since 1987.

Furthermore, while doing research I discovered that the oldest Christmas songs stemmed from the western and central portions of Europe during the 4th century before gradually moving their way down south to Latin-based countries and higher up north into England in the 12th century. It wasn’t until the 13th century that we began to see a more prominent presence in Christmas songs developing in Scandinavia.

What about other holidays? We all know that Christmas has the most music dedicated to it, but there’s plenty of other holidays. Second place to celebration and participation among the holidays in the United States is Thanksgiving. I’ll tell you, even I was impressed with just how little traction songs revolving around the holiday get. While I couldn’t find any quantifiable data on exactly how many copies were sold, the common consensus was that the two most popular Thanksgiving songs are 1942’s “I’ve Got Plenty To Be Thankful For” by Bing Crosby and 1992’s “The Thanksgiving Song” by Adam Sandler, yes, that Adam Sandler.

Even if you don’t recognize them by name, you might recognize them by listening to them. Did I? No. I had never even heard of either of these songs before researching this! Halloween is a tad bit easier to figure out though, with the highest selling song dedicated to the holiday being 1962’s “Monster Mash” by Bobby Pickett at 4 million copies sold. 4 million is not too bad, but when compared to the behemoths of Christmas music, it’s not even a quarter of Mariah Carey’s earworm in popularity.

The age-old debate of “when is too early to listen to Christmas music” has been the topic of discussion for as long as I can remember. What’s the correct answer? We’ll get to that. Most people agree that it is A-OK to listen to festive music during the month of December, and I agree with this notion. However, it is from here that it starts to get a bit tricky in exactly defining what it means to be “too soon.”

After doing extensive research I discovered one simple answer. Even after looking through article after article, some saying that the holiday season starts as early as September and ending as late as Valentine’s Day, I realized that quite frankly it doesn’t matter. You want to listen to Hanukkah music in July, go ahead. How about not listening to anything at all during the entire winter season? Knock yourself out. Heck! I’ve found myself listening to Snowman by Sia in August.

If there is one take away from this it should be that the argument of “when is too soon” shouldn’t exist, and if you want to listen to whatever kind of music you want to, no one can tell you otherwise.

holiday season and its melodies can bring about some interesting conversations

“I think it’s slay.”

{Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You}

-Rye Baker, Senior

“It’s never too early for Christmas music, I listen to Christmas music in the middle of September.”

-Connor Bastian, Senior

Midterm Impact

A brief on the younger generation’s impact on the midterm election and which political party will now control the House of Representatives by Reed Cooper

Voter turnout for the 2022 midterm elections was 46.9 percent, which means only 46.9 percent of registered voters voted. This was just under the record breaking turnout of the 2018 midterm elections, which was 49.4 percent.

Since the 2016 presidential election, voter turnout has skyrocketed, according to FiveThirtyEight’s website. While it’s definitely a success that recent elections are experiencing record turnout, a much higher turnout would be even better. A higher voter turnout means more accurate elections. When only about half of voters vote, the representatives only represent about half of the country.

Generation Z, people born from 1997 to 2012, voted in record numbers this midterm election cycle. While the media tends to label Gen Z as progressive, Gen Z is actually more independent than progressive, according to the Denison Forum website. By 2024, Gen Z and Millennials will become the largest voting block in America. While the expected success for Republicans still happened, it wasn’t as big of a victory as some expected. Many credit this to Generation Z. Voters under the age of 29 helped Democrats win many close races like the Pennsylvania Senate election.

Government teacher Kayla Sloan said young people voting in elections is very important, saying, “Voting is a civic responsibility that all Americans are encouraged to participate in. By choosing to vote, you are able to develop decision-making skills, feel more involved in the political process, and connect more with governmental policies that impact our day-to-day lives.”

The Democrats managed to remain in control of the Senate and

the Republicans succeeded in taking control of the House of Representatives, giving them the ability to stop any legislation they’re against.

According to The Hill’s news website, President Biden reacted to the midterm election results, saying he “feels good” and is “looking forward to the next couple of years.”

Forty-fifth President Donald Trump reacted to the midterm results on his social media platform, Truth Social, saying, “While in certain ways yesterday’s election was somewhat disappointing, from my personal standpoint it was a very big victory – 219 WINS and 16 Losses in the General – Who has ever done better than that?”

Flickr

Programming teacher Tayna Smoot urged not only young people, but everyone exercise their right to vote. She explained if you want people in the government to represent you, then you need to vote. She warned that not voting is throwing away your voice.

Although voter turnout is improving, there is still over half of the country that doesn’t vote. Elections provide Americans with the ability to use their voice to influence the government. Voting gives registered voters the opportunity to participate in the democratic process. When voters don’t vote, they’re giving up their say in who represents them.

In with the new and out with the old fashion

BY Jaslene Sanchez-Rios

Wildcat opinion

New in winter fashion

This winter, fashion has definitely brought its own twist to fashion history Starting off, trending now are mini skirts. Mini skirts with tights or long socks is something to look into and for a top, you could pair it with knitted sweatshirts or anything with a cool pattern. Another fashion staple that has been frequent is leather. Leather pants, leather coats, leather boots, as long as its leather, it’s in. To continue, faux fur coats have been very popular. The more extra, the better. As Vogue said, ¨Tailoring gone wrong.¨ This is because lately, oversized has been very much seen by everyone. As for shoes and accessories, baguette bags and bags with a curve are the way to go this winter. Any chunky shoes or long boots are great to go with any outfit. Lastly, “vintage” jewelry is great to go with your knitted sweaters. Pearls, charm bracelets, and heart or star jewelry are good examples.

Wildcat opinion

What do you think about trends coming back?

• ‘Its cool to see things coming back. Its all just like a cycle“ Kailand De La Cruz, Junior

• “Some are good, some I wish would go away” Sandra Medrano- Frias, Freshman

• “Good because I can re-wear my mom clothes”- Jessalynn Jackson, Freshman pngwing

Although staying in style is nice, and getting affordable clothes is great, the waste is not right. Many places like SHEIN and ROMWE USA sell very affordable clothes, but they are only trendy for a couple of months and are low quality products. For example, colorful patterns on sweaters were in around the 80s and were out until now. Track suits were also very popular and then were outed until now. Therefore, things that are trendy now will soon be out of fashion too. Not only that, but these days with social media, teens and young children are made very aware of trends and have been told that they no longer have a childhood. All in all, these days our generation taken a mix of every other era and honestly turned it into their own with a couple new ideas. The moral is trends will always come back after a good amount of time; some will be good and some will be looked down by the next generation.

• I think their good, the right people need to influence them. If not, don’t wear them” Chloe insisiengmay, Freshman

• “Its cool” cheyanne Calloway, Junior

• ‘I think its stupid because feel the need to fit it” Aburey Barron, Junior

• “You do you, and I’ll do me” Jay bumbrey, sophomore

It’s been pretty obvious that Gen- Z is in love with the early 2000s and their fashion has without a doubt influenced our trends. “The early-aughts style revival is alive”says Harper’s Bazaar starting off with corsets. Although baggy clothes are in, corsets are just as equally loved. These days a style that was once for a special event could be worn everyday since it has become fast fashion. Are high waisted jeans just not the same? Well mid and low rise jeans are making their way here. These days, they can be seen with baby tees or graphic shirts. Have you seen tracksuits around? Because they are making their way back. Places like Forever 21 have made collaborations with Baby Phat which used to be very popular in the 2000s. To conclude, what is good always comes back.

Vintage fashion

The waste

What do you think about clothes being throWn aWay or mistreated after temporary use?

• “its not fair”- mia castro freshman

• loWkey kind of crazy” - angela adams, freshman

• ‘it should be given to third World country” anthony fields, junior

• “ its a Waste and some people don t even have anything to Wear” - kailand de la cruz, junior

Many stores will rip and throw out their clothing, so that its not recyclable. They were later called out in a TikTok by Anna Sacks and later said that they are “Committed to sustainability” and they have now banned destroying their bags but that doesn’t change all the product that was used to make them. Not only coach, but Nike has been accused of similar things like slashing their shoes so they aren’t Re-salable. Yet, said it was because they didn’t meet standards and weren’t reusable. Its not just them either, Burberry has thrown away perfectly good clothing and perfumes that totaled to be around 28.6 million euros and then banned the practice. What I’m trying to say is, it’s better to always resell your clothes to places like Posh-mark or give it away to Goodwill, Plato’s closet, or to organizations that will send it to people who truly need it. As a community, we should make a change to the waste that has been frequently going on.

Lets talk about this years (and the previous) winter fashion trend and what happens when its out of style

Fashiongrundge

Fashionista PNGitem

Winter Wonderland

Lewis Ginter Gardenfest of Lights

This is the largest drive-through Christmas lights show in Virginia. At the show you tune your radio station to a special channel set up to play Christmas music that flows along with the lights. There’s also a Santa’s workshop where you can meet Santa and shop.

- Admission Cost: $30 per car

- Open: November 11, 2022- January 1, 2023 open from 5 to10 p.m. everyday

- Location: Doswell, VA

National Christmas Tree

This sight seeing location is a big beautiful garden that illuminates with beautiful lights, the fountain glows up, there are so many trees and flower bushes surrounding the garden to see while you take a walkthrough of this wonderful winter wonderland of lights.

- Admission Cost: $17 for adults, $14 for seniors, $8 for children, under age 3 are free

- Open: November 21, 2022 – January 8, 2023 open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. everyday

- Location: Richmond, VA

Illuminate Light Show

The yearly lighting of the D.C National Tree is a popular event that is known and cherished by many Virginians. The decorations vary each year from another making each year one of a kind. It is such a popular and loved attraction that people come visit from different places across the U.S. There’s even displays and live performances at the tree all throughout the holiday season.

- Admission Cost: Free

- Open: December 2, 2022 - January 1, 2023 open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

- Location: Washington, D.C.

“I like Christmas lights and getting and giving gifts”

- Mariska Schroeder Sophomore

Here are some fun winter activities and sights to visit during the holiday season by Maia Roscigno | Photos by Southern Tripper’s website

“Christmas is fun because the decorations and gifts”

-Emma Slagle Senior

“I like Christmas because of my birthday it’s on Christmas”

- Nik Skuce Senior

Hot sports for the cold season

Students thoughts on which winter sports are the best to play or watch by Lincoln Pendleton

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, many exciting and popular fall sports end their season. All though this seems sad and disappointing, like there is going to be nothing to do or watch this winter, there are actually many sports that go on during the cold weeks of November through February.

Although one might say that these sports aren’t as popular as some of the fall or spring sports, many of them are well known. Snowboarding, skiing, skating, and hockey are a few of the most popular ones. Many places don’t get enough snow or don’t get cold enough to have these sports, which is one of the main reasons they aren’t as popular. However, many people are aware of one of the biggest events that holds various winter sports, the Olympics. According to NPR’s website, the recent winter Olympics have been declining in viewers with the average TV audience being more than 40% less than previous years. This is posing the idea that winter sports are declining in popularity. However, most people are still familiar with these sports and enjoy watching, or even playing, one of these sports during the cold winter months.

Eli Nichols - sophomore “I think that snowboarding is the best winter sport because it is entertaining because of the cool tricks.”

Simon Call - senior “Snowboarding is the best winter sport, because I used to play a lot of SSX (a snowboarding video game) when I was a kid.”

Adelaide Allred - sophomore “I like snowboarding because it is the most like skateboarding”

Brody Avery - sophomore “Slopestyle snowboarding is the best because they do cool flips, and it’s cool to watch them” spin

Madison Simons - junior “Swim is my favorite winter sport! It’s so much fun to be in the water all year round, and our meets are awesome.”

What about the pros?

According to Freeskier’s website, Kevin Rolland, a professional skier said this about skiing:

“I love being on my skis because that’s when I feel the best. I like that there are different aspects to this sport—the aesthetic aspect with the photo shoots and the performance side with the contests. Since I first started doing freestyle skiing, I feel like I can do new things every day. There are no limits and that’s exciting.”

According to Everyday Power’s website, J. J. Watt, a professional football player, said this about hockey: “Hockey, honestly, was my first love. The excitement, the fast pace, the intensity of the game… I still love it to this day.”

Winter Track started out their season on the right foot this year. The next opportunity to support them is at their Varsity District Tournament, on Feb 1. Sophomore, Elsie Afful said, “Track has been so much fun this year and I can’t wait for the upcoming season.”

The Boys Varsity Basketball team is still looking for their first win, but the following seniors are ones to look out for as they play their last high school season: Jaden Thomas - Edwards, Jackson Sigler, Quincy Bellassee, and Vanes Alabre. Some upcoming games are on Jan. 4 and Jan. 6.

The WRESTLING season started out better than ever, with the Wildcats winning they’re December matches.

Freshman Jamal Corbin said, “My favorite thing about being on the team are the bonds I create with my teammates.”

Upcoming matches on Jan. 4 and Jan. 7, as well as their District Tournament on Feb 3.

Wildcats on The Prowl

A brief overview of the Winter Sports season so far by Hailey Grimes

The Swim and Dive Team is starting they’re season strong, led by Seniors Abby Hunley, Janie Whatley, Andrew Fiore, Clark Furlong, and Britton Shover. You can support them at their next meet on Feb 13 at Riverbend. Senior, Abby Hunley said, “It’s nice to have a team I can count on, and trust.”

So far the GYMNASTS have had a winning season. Senior, Yasmine Hasan said, I’ve always been blessed with a great group of girls that have always been supportive and easy to get along with. My number one person these last 4 years has been my AMAZING coach, Coach Brooks.” You can support our gymnasts in their upcoming meet on Jan 7 at Colonial Forge.

The Varisty Girls Basketball team is currently 5-2 with the following seniors at the helm: Tiara Bigelow, Taleah Gaither, Molly Ferland, and Alysia Kelly. Upcoming games are on Jan. 3, Jan. 4, and Jan. 6.