Octagon December 2013

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PAGE 5:

E9

THEOctagon PAG

Seniors discover the joys and challenges of footgolf.

What’s the perfect holiday treat for you?

SCDSOCTAGON.COM

VOL. XXXVII, NO. 3

December 10, 2013

Head of high school steps down to teach freshmen

By Garrett Kaighn

Editor-in-Chief

over retiring teacher Daniel

chair;

Sophomore Aidan Galati, senior Savannah Symister and sophomore Akilan Murugesan play radio stars Cleo Riviera, Audrey Ross and Carter Lane in the high-school play “It Was a Dark and Stormy Night,” which premieres on Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. (Photo by Cissy Shi)

Stage set for winter play ‘It Was a Dark and Stormy Night’ takes audience from screams to laughs

a pa

By Avi Bhullar

Reporter

back into the c om

an

“ Freshmen Austin Talamantes and Isabelle Leavy rehearse their roles as Mr. Fielding and Sheila Sylvester. (Photo by Cissy Shi)

See Play

ory to a tunity to continue at Coun

Mock Trial practices for invitational

By Zoe Bowlus

Page Editor

once in the

See Nellis,

See Mock Trial,

Sophomore Emma Brown and freshmen Jaelyn Trapp and John Hansen stand before the judge at the scrimmage on Dec. 2. (Photo by Cissy Shi)

2 Feature

The Octagon

December 10, 2013

Sophomore fine with just rice and pasta

...while others try piranha, jellyfish, alligator, and chocolate-covered crickets

By Aishwarya Nadgauda

Page Editor

S

Believe it or not:

Exotic Eats

pen?

Sophomore

“On the sophomore class trip I decided to go out of my comfort zone, so I ate

ones

were

time. I didn’t like it.”

—Zoe Bowlus, sophomore

From fake arms to classmates: senior learns to draw blood

By Ryan Ho

Online Editor-in-Chief

See

I

The Octagon

News 3

December 10, 2013

Mock Trial: Coach pleased with new members’ work Brown said she is nervous and hopes to get more familiar with the role of opener.

Sophomore Jenny Kerbs, who is covering pretrial for the defense, said she’s also nervous.

sold the Adderall to the student and that the stu dent died because of it.

Freshman Jaelyn Trapp

“They made strong arguments, commanded the room and displayed a

For example, certain statements cannot be

Boyers said that the team needs to understand what they can and can’t argue.

very effective.”

Freshman Daniel Hernried Dr. Ricki Sanchez

on Dec. 2 against Venture Academy.

–Jeanine Boyers, Mock Trial coach

for selling the Adderall.

The Prosecution

tion such as witness statements.

“Usually the most pertinent information will have

about it because they’ve been doing it for a longer

cause he sold Adderall to a student, who subse quently died.

parts, it can be hard to see the big picture. At invitationals, she said, they can

and an invitational scheduled close together is a

Freshman Fred Xu Clerk

because during the real competition they have only a day or two between trials.

Freshman Shriya Nadgauda Alex Weaver

scrimmage, Boyers said it went very well.

action.

she said.

She also said the team relied less on their notes than did Venture Academy.

Brown and Kerbs were portraying attorneys for

Junior George Cvetich Closing Attorney

county for the past 10 years.

Boyers was also happy with the performanc

Junior Grant Miner Pretrial and Principal McAlister

believable witnesses and seemed comfortable during cross examina tions.

Sophomore Manson Tung, junior Chien Ho, sophomore Akilan Murugesan, junior George Cvetich and sophomore Emma Brown prepare for the Mock Trial scrimmage. (Photo by Cissy Shi)

the team that he thought the theme did not match their theory. uently, they will Sophomore Jenny Kerbs presents the pretrial argument at the scrimupcoming invitational. mage. (Photo by Cissy Shi)

Nellis: Head of HS to return to the classroom

Sophomore Manson Tung Opening Attorney

The Defense Sophomore Jenny Kerbs Pretrial

experience with teaching here 10 years ago, selected to interview the applicants and share their thoughts afterwards, and teachers will meet with applicants as well.

sure we give everyone their due Repsher said that the inter

policy.

more of a mentor than a boss.”

said.

Dias noted that when she was pregnant

–Patricia Dias, math teacher

not yet sure what she’ll do instead. and done some research on what other independent schools are doing in the

not be ready at that point.

At the earliest, the decision will be made by the end of January, Repsh er said. forward to returning to teaching, but she will still miss parts of her

ellis said her favorite branch of history is U.S. history

is reserved for 11th grade. istration, the school must now search for a new head of high school.

threw a baby shower for her

Junior Aishwarya Nadgauda Closing Attorney

and invited the whole faculty. “

supportive atmosphere.

with the students and teach high school but is happy for her to be able to return to teaching.

meaning “you can visit places

Sophomore Emma Brown Opening Attorney

Sophomore Akilan Murugesan Bailiff

Sophomore Emma Belliveau Avery Perkins

me to touch every part of well teaching a freshman class.

that anymore.

“Teaching a class remind-

doe & Associates, a hiring agency for independent I think that’s helpful in schools. a decision-making proApplicants can come cess.” from all around the na –Sue Nellis, head of high school tion, and current employ ees may apply as well.

Repsher said he has about 15 candidates so far, but no current faculty baby and was a members have formally applied as of yet. students, teachers and faculty will have input,

great

collegiality

Junior Chien Ho Dale Piper

in

that’s been a really won

ed said she will miss

Repsher agrees.

dents and their success, and she is very good

Freshman John Hansen Rae Concha

“She’s someone you can go to with any style.

she never elevates her voice or gets sassy with

Freshman Arvind Krishnan

4 Sports

The Octagon

December 10, 2013

Teammates Maddy Mahla, Anny Schmidt, Isabella Tochterman, Saachi Sikaria and Julia Owaidat set up their formation defense during practice. (Photo by Cissy Shi)

Early win against Freedom Christian surprises girls

By Ryan Ho

Online Editor-in-Chief

Owaidat, who are guards, the other mem

Girls’ Basketball The girls’ basketball team was looking at a slow start when the season began. It had lost ’13, who led the team in scoring, rebounding and blocks.

karia said.

the crowd and even themselves with a victory, team looks to her to carry the team.

said. “I get tired.”

Junior Skovran Cunningham sinks a free throw against Freedom Christian. Cunningham, one of the most experienced players, led in rebounds. (Photo by Cissy Shi) changed their defensive formation.

“The odd thing that I saw was the num Junior Isabella Tochterman agreed and said

whole team.

she said.

The team traveled to the annual Redding The team is missing senior Patrick Ta

terman said she wishes the team could stay more consistent and said they could use more

Boys’ Basketball

few minutes after the game started.

middle school.

After his ankle injury during soccer season, Talamantes decided to rest for the lacrosse

graduated, the team was left in the hands of

formed really well.

what we need to work on, and where we stand against other teams,” she said. rebounding and ball control, but needs im Granted, it was a game in which both the

Girls’ Schedule

Boys’ Schedule

Freedom Christian

12/10

Freedom Christian

12/10

Delta

12/16

New Life Christian*

12/12

Woodland Christian

12/18

Woodland Christian

12/18

Sacramento Adventist

1/7

Sacramento Adventist

1/14

Lutheran*

1/10

Faith Christian

1/17

Faith Christian

1/17

Buckingham Charter*

1/24

Buckingham Charter*

1/24

Valley Christian*

1/28

Valley Christian*

1/28

Sacramento Adventist*

1/30

Sacramento Adventist*

1/30

Valley Christian

2/3

Valley Christian

2/3

Wilton Christian

2/7

Lutheran

2/5

Faith Christian*

2/11

Faith Christian*

2/11

Buckingham Charter

2/18

Buckingham Charter

2/18

* indicates home game

kom left at halftime, they were still trying to

1/7

Wilton Christian*

* indicates home game

taller.

make a comeback during the second half

would have been tough and guarded the bas

“At the end of last season, we already knew that we wouldn’t be able to rely on Morgan

“As a team, everyone was diving for loose

ers,” he said.

The Octagon

Sports 5

December 10, 2013

It’s like golf but without the disappointment Seniors get a kick out of footgolf at new Haggin Oaks course

By Eric Hilton Page Editor

I

was on my third shot after two poor chip shot to save par. So I carefully lined up my shot, concentrated on the

convention in October. There, a representa tive from the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex recently built into the front nine of the Ar cade Creek golf course and interested me enough to go out and play it for myself.

As an avid golfer, I was initially skeptical about footgolf. What kind of crowd would it from regular golf?

introduction into California. He gave me a quick rundown on how the game was played along with a few demonstrations on how to properly putt and sent me on my way.

Footgolf combines soccer and golf. The

Senior Patrick Talamantes winds up for his second shot for the green as senior Eric Hilton waits his turn. (Photo by Cissy Shi)

tive is the same: get the ball in the hole in as few strokes/kicks as possible. The game is played with a soccer ball, and the holes are three feet in diameter and a little over a foot deep. around the green, the putting area of the hole. In golf, players ting. But in footgolf, other techniques come into play.

The ball must be played in a single movement, meaning you

slipping but approached my next kick carefully and was re

footgolf greens have what is called “break” in them. There are ball moves. So the ball is not necessarily guaranteed to go in even if you aim it at the dead center of the hole.

Putting is also challenging because the ball moves much

even touching it to get it rolling. bottom of your foot in one motion. This keeps you from hit ting in the wrong direction and controls your distance. regular golf hole. Greens are often nestled within some trees between regular holes.

Because I play both sports from which footgolf receives its game threw at me.

Footgolf has found a unique balance of being simple enough want to come back and try to improve.

Through trial and error over the next few holes, I found that if I focused more on my approach to the hole, as opposed to how hard I kicked the ball, I could score better. fewer variables to consider when taking your

However, my play was also impacted by cir cumstances beyond my control.

Because the Haggin Oaks Footgolf Course is built into the existing Arcade Creek Golf to the side on the worst possible ground.

So I had to play out of a divot or uneven

Eric Hilton and Patrick Talamantes enjoy playing footgolf at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex, one of three footgolf courses in Sacramento. (Photo by Cissy Shi) Because the game is easy to pick up, it attracts players from all ends of the spectrum, ranging from toddlers hardly able to run to elderly men using a cane to make it from hole to hole.

appealing and create a relaxing environment.

Not great, but considering it took me over eight years of golf the direction the fairway goes solely from the location of the tee box. I often felt like Chris topher Columbus as I studied the scorecard

consider the price of six lost golf balls and a feeling of failure, and think again.

Sports Boosters’ Athletes of the Month Junior played outstandingly as soccer team, especially

more Aidan Galati multiple aces and took

6

Centerpoint

The,Octagon

December,10,,2013

15

SCALING THEPEAK

Food$allergies$in$ children,$ages$ 5117$from$1997$ to$2011*

school. A lot of people like to throw the shells, and I ask them not to. But they don’t understand how severely allergic I am.”

Freshman Daniel Hernried also feels separated from his peers by his allergies, al For Hernried, the allergic trigger was milk instead of nuts. When he was only a year

Sweets Dairy

When junior Lauren Larrabee was a baby, she had a constant rash on her face. Her parents assumed it was eczema until Larrabee was 2 years old and ate a walnut her grandfather gave her.

Immediately her throat closed up, and she couldn’t breathe. Her parents rushed her to the hospital, where they found out that the cause of her symptoms was anaphylactic shock brought on by the walnut.

“I remember waking up and seeing a bunch of people in white coats and my mom beside me,” Larrabee said.

After some tests, Larrabee’s parents also learned that her rash wasn’t eczema, but rather a reaction to the pea

Nuts

Poultry veggies

all nuts and seeds.

Years later, Larrabee still has to be cautious about what she eats. Not only will eating nuts or seeds send her into anaphylactic shock, but even skin contact with the their oils can cause a reaction.

“My throat will close up; I’ll get hives,” Larrabee said. “It can happen even if someone eats a nut and touches me.”

This last part is why Larrabee of ten feels nervous and separated around people eating nuts, espe

Fruit

“There’s a scale based on how allergic I am, how fa tal the nut is,” Larrabee said. “There’s a point where the scale stops because it’s so high. the scale.

“I get ner vous when people eat pista chios at

The number of Americans who have food allergies

Million

Struggling with food allergies and the social issues that come with them

By Emma Williams

7

His parents took him to the hospital, where he was tested for various food allergies, and learned that he was allergic to dairy, tree nuts and peanuts.

But Hernried’s list of food restrictions was not yet complete. During Spring Break

50

The percentage that food allergies have increased over 15 years.

slices of pizza. I don’t drink milk or have plain cheese ever because I’m so used to not having any.”

Like Hernried, Jackson felt ostracized as a child.

“I felt separated with pizza or ice cream at a little kid’s birthday party,” she said. “I could only have a tiny bit; otherwise I would be in pain.”

Now, however, she doesn’t have such problems. “The only problems I face now with

allergy.

In Athens, they went to a restaurant, where Hernried ordered the lamb souvlaki.

Once he started eating, Hernried’s esophagus began to close, though he didn’t know it at the time. All he knew was that he couldn’t swallow.

“I tried drinking, but I would just spit it back into the cup,” Hernried said. “I think I made nine bathroom stops to spit out what I couldn’t swallow.”

When Hernried returned to the hotel, his symptoms didn’t stop.

“After three hours of just spitting into a bucket, we got a cab and went to the hos pital.”

had a peanut allergy as well, but grew out of that dietary restriction. “Lots of Asian

the source of the problem.

Hernried left the hospital with only one instruction: don’t eat lamb.

I will still break out.

“I hate the feeling of the reaction, so I’ll ask people if there’s cashews in the food before I eat anything.”

On the other hand, sophomore Elie Kuppermann doesn’t feel as though her hazel nut allergy separates her from others at all.

“Hazelnuts don’t really appear in many foods,” said Kuppermann, who learned of

When Hernried came home, he made another trip to the hospital, where he had a second biopsy of his esophagus, blood tests and an allergy test.

This time the tests were more successful. The doctors told him that he had eosino

“It’s not a big thing,” she said. “Cashews aren’t in everything.”

Nonetheless, she points out that sometimes cashews cause her to be left out of sharing food with friends.

him a list of things he couldn’t eat.

Included in that list were lamb, beef, pork and zucchini, along with the already known peanuts, tree nuts and dairy.

“I really just wanted to break into tears at that point,” said Hernried, who still has a biopsy of his esophagus every spring.

For Hernried, though, one of the worst aspects of his allergies is that they detach him from his peers.

“I see people eating these things that I can’t eat, but that I want to eat,” Hernried said. “I feel like I’m sitting in a corner all alone while other people have a party.”

For example, when history teacher Daniel Neukom talks about how delicious

sandwich in second grade.

“I’ve never had the experience of eating cheese pizza,” Hernried said. “I never know what he’s talking about.”

Hernried also remembers that when he was little, he could never fully be a part of a friend’s birthday party because he couldn’t eat the cake or ice cream.

“It’s been hard on me,” Hernried said. “But I’ve learned to live with it.”

But Hernried said he occasionally cheats and eats things he likes, even though he shouldn’t.

“I still slip in hamburgers or bacon sometimes,” he said. “I can eat a small bit, but not a lot. If I keep eating these things I’m allergic to, my esophagus will scar and start bleeding.”

Senior Sydney Jackson, who is lactose intolerant, has a similar approach to eating foods she isn’t supposed to.

“I had more severe reactions as a baby because I didn’t know any better,” said Jack son, whose parents learned of her condition when she was a year old and would get stomach cramps from formula milk. “The worst I remember was curling in a ball for an hour and a half with stomach pain.

most embarrassing reaction took place on a class trip to Six Flags last summer.

At the park, Hernried split a churro with a friend, not knowing that it contained milk.

Despite this caution, Larrabee has experienced her fair share of allergic reactions, the most recent of which was at the school’s Passport Lunch last year.

After eating a pesto pasta made with walnuts, her throat started closing up and and was taken to the emergency room.

“It was really embarrassing. I was on the bus laying down when everyone walked in Even so, Hernried doesn’t take as many precautions as Larrabee. That is, he doesn’t carry an EpiPen at all times.

2 out

of 20

making sure I’m not eating bad things.”

Hernried says he tries not to be nervous, although he’s always worried that the doc

ice cream.

Bread

2 out

Looking at the numbers

9th

of 28

Freshmen

How many students have food allergies?

Pasta Grains

Grade

11th

4 out

Grade

of 22

12th

10th

Grade

Grade

Crackers 4 out

of 24

*Study$by$Centers$for$Disease$Con1 trol$and$Prevention

6

Centerpoint

The,Octagon

December,10,,2013

15

SCALING THEPEAK

Food$allergies$in$ children,$ages$ 5117$from$1997$ to$2011*

school. A lot of people like to throw the shells, and I ask them not to. But they don’t understand how severely allergic I am.”

Freshman Daniel Hernried also feels separated from his peers by his allergies, al For Hernried, the allergic trigger was milk instead of nuts. When he was only a year

Sweets Dairy

When junior Lauren Larrabee was a baby, she had a constant rash on her face. Her parents assumed it was eczema until Larrabee was 2 years old and ate a walnut her grandfather gave her.

Immediately her throat closed up, and she couldn’t breathe. Her parents rushed her to the hospital, where they found out that the cause of her symptoms was anaphylactic shock brought on by the walnut.

“I remember waking up and seeing a bunch of people in white coats and my mom beside me,” Larrabee said.

After some tests, Larrabee’s parents also learned that her rash wasn’t eczema, but rather a reaction to the pea

Nuts

Poultry veggies

all nuts and seeds.

Years later, Larrabee still has to be cautious about what she eats. Not only will eating nuts or seeds send her into anaphylactic shock, but even skin contact with the their oils can cause a reaction.

“My throat will close up; I’ll get hives,” Larrabee said. “It can happen even if someone eats a nut and touches me.”

This last part is why Larrabee of ten feels nervous and separated around people eating nuts, espe

Fruit

“There’s a scale based on how allergic I am, how fa tal the nut is,” Larrabee said. “There’s a point where the scale stops because it’s so high. the scale.

“I get ner vous when people eat pista chios at

The number of Americans who have food allergies

Million

Struggling with food allergies and the social issues that come with them

By Emma Williams

7

His parents took him to the hospital, where he was tested for various food allergies, and learned that he was allergic to dairy, tree nuts and peanuts.

But Hernried’s list of food restrictions was not yet complete. During Spring Break

50

The percentage that food allergies have increased over 15 years.

slices of pizza. I don’t drink milk or have plain cheese ever because I’m so used to not having any.”

Like Hernried, Jackson felt ostracized as a child.

“I felt separated with pizza or ice cream at a little kid’s birthday party,” she said. “I could only have a tiny bit; otherwise I would be in pain.”

Now, however, she doesn’t have such problems. “The only problems I face now with

allergy.

In Athens, they went to a restaurant, where Hernried ordered the lamb souvlaki.

Once he started eating, Hernried’s esophagus began to close, though he didn’t know it at the time. All he knew was that he couldn’t swallow.

“I tried drinking, but I would just spit it back into the cup,” Hernried said. “I think I made nine bathroom stops to spit out what I couldn’t swallow.”

When Hernried returned to the hotel, his symptoms didn’t stop.

“After three hours of just spitting into a bucket, we got a cab and went to the hos pital.”

had a peanut allergy as well, but grew out of that dietary restriction. “Lots of Asian

the source of the problem.

Hernried left the hospital with only one instruction: don’t eat lamb.

I will still break out.

“I hate the feeling of the reaction, so I’ll ask people if there’s cashews in the food before I eat anything.”

On the other hand, sophomore Elie Kuppermann doesn’t feel as though her hazel nut allergy separates her from others at all.

“Hazelnuts don’t really appear in many foods,” said Kuppermann, who learned of

When Hernried came home, he made another trip to the hospital, where he had a second biopsy of his esophagus, blood tests and an allergy test.

This time the tests were more successful. The doctors told him that he had eosino

“It’s not a big thing,” she said. “Cashews aren’t in everything.”

Nonetheless, she points out that sometimes cashews cause her to be left out of sharing food with friends.

him a list of things he couldn’t eat.

Included in that list were lamb, beef, pork and zucchini, along with the already known peanuts, tree nuts and dairy.

“I really just wanted to break into tears at that point,” said Hernried, who still has a biopsy of his esophagus every spring.

For Hernried, though, one of the worst aspects of his allergies is that they detach him from his peers.

“I see people eating these things that I can’t eat, but that I want to eat,” Hernried said. “I feel like I’m sitting in a corner all alone while other people have a party.”

For example, when history teacher Daniel Neukom talks about how delicious

sandwich in second grade.

“I’ve never had the experience of eating cheese pizza,” Hernried said. “I never know what he’s talking about.”

Hernried also remembers that when he was little, he could never fully be a part of a friend’s birthday party because he couldn’t eat the cake or ice cream.

“It’s been hard on me,” Hernried said. “But I’ve learned to live with it.”

But Hernried said he occasionally cheats and eats things he likes, even though he shouldn’t.

“I still slip in hamburgers or bacon sometimes,” he said. “I can eat a small bit, but not a lot. If I keep eating these things I’m allergic to, my esophagus will scar and start bleeding.”

Senior Sydney Jackson, who is lactose intolerant, has a similar approach to eating foods she isn’t supposed to.

“I had more severe reactions as a baby because I didn’t know any better,” said Jack son, whose parents learned of her condition when she was a year old and would get stomach cramps from formula milk. “The worst I remember was curling in a ball for an hour and a half with stomach pain.

most embarrassing reaction took place on a class trip to Six Flags last summer.

At the park, Hernried split a churro with a friend, not knowing that it contained milk.

Despite this caution, Larrabee has experienced her fair share of allergic reactions, the most recent of which was at the school’s Passport Lunch last year.

After eating a pesto pasta made with walnuts, her throat started closing up and and was taken to the emergency room.

“It was really embarrassing. I was on the bus laying down when everyone walked in Even so, Hernried doesn’t take as many precautions as Larrabee. That is, he doesn’t carry an EpiPen at all times.

2 out

of 20

making sure I’m not eating bad things.”

Hernried says he tries not to be nervous, although he’s always worried that the doc

ice cream.

Bread

2 out

Looking at the numbers

9th

of 28

Freshmen

How many students have food allergies?

Pasta Grains

Grade

11th

4 out

Grade

of 22

12th

10th

Grade

Grade

Crackers 4 out

of 24

*Study$by$Centers$for$Disease$Con1 trol$and$Prevention

8 Editorial

The Octagon

December 10, 2013

By Grant Miner

AP TEST by Jacob Sands

My Angle Trouble on Santa’s lap:

As I get older, it’s harder to write that Christmas list

EDITORIAL: Remodeled library needs new shades—and not just for AP exams In just six months, the newly renovated library will problem with this scenario—the windows. member dates and formulas, the wall of windows directly in front of them may cause issues.

Even the most committed students have moments of weakness and end up losing test time due to distraction.

In fact, the see-through shades in classrooms can diquad despite their overall effectiveness.

An AP exam is possibly one of the worst times for from the freshman lunch tables directly in front of the library, but now students will be facing an often-used

rooms would be better than nothing. At least the shapes of bustling students would be blurred.

And some natural light would be let in, making the scene rather comforting—one of the main reasons that the current plan is less than satisfactory.

As of now, the school intends to put up butcher paper if the outside world proves too distracting.

Besides being depressing for students taking the exams, what will visiting families think of our “grunge-chic” decor? progress and dedication to premier, up-to-date facilities? It seems that a school so devoted to moving forward can afford to get some shades.

sixth graders will be as well.

could be used for years. And not just for AP exams, either.

What about sophomore project presentations?

Or TED Tuesdays?

Or leadership lunches?

vent noise from reaching the test-takers (some parents

nighttime miscreants?

taped). But there is a simple solution to the window problem: shades.

Even the see-through shades used in other class-

only will the library be made to match the rest of the high school, but it will become a serious, distraction-free area when it needs to be.

Not only will high-school students and faculty be

The Octagon Editors-in-Chief Garrett Kaighn Connor Martin Kamira Patel Copy Editor Garrett Kaighn Business Manager Garrett Kaighn News Editor Emma Williams Editorial Editor Zoe Bowlus Community Editor Grant Miner Sports Editors Micaela Bennett-Smith Eric Hilton Centerpoint Editor Kamira Patel Opinion Editor Maxwell Shukuya

Feature Editor Aishwarya Nadgauda Online Editors-in-Chief Ryan Ho David Myers Photo Editor Cissy Shi Reporters Avi Bhullar Daniel Hernried Zane Jakobs Elena Lipman Maddy Judd Austin Talamantes Manson Tung Foreign Correspondent Margaret Whitney Cartoonist Jacob Sands Adviser Patricia Fels

The Octagon is published eight times a year by high-school journalism students of Sacramento Country Day School, 2636 Latham Drive, Sacramento, Calif. 95864. Phone: (916) 481-8811, ext. 347. Web address: http://www.scdsoctagon.com.

Orchids

&

Onions

“Your aunt emailed me. Again,” my mother says, exasperated. “She wants to know what you want for Christmas.”

And so begins the yearly grilling, the king of First World dilemmas: What do I want for Christmas?

I distinctly remember this being easier when I was younger. Whether it was Aunt Glenda, Grandma, or even a mall Santa, the ideas seemed to pour out of my head. Gameboy games, Transformers, Bionicles. I know, it’s hard to believe I wasn’t always as stoically silent as I am today.

Christmas is a time when a kid can wish for anything under the sun and, provided they’ve met Santa’s requirements, receive some of them (I only said they could wish for anything).

As children, our main influx of new toys came on two days: Christmas (And for me, also Hanukkah. The dual holiday is one of the benefits of being half-Jewish) and our birthdays. If parents were lucky, they were spaced evenly apart, shortening the barren void filled with “Mommy pleeeeeases”’s and tearful, empty-handed exits from the toy store.

But as I get older and more able to purchase things on my own (or rather, with birthday checks from Grandma), I frequently find myself beating my parents to the punch.

Just two weeks ago I elated my mother by finally giving her something, anything, to put on her shopping list: a $40 expansion for World of Warcraft.

For better or worse, I inherited a double dose of frugality, my mother’s side being Jewish and my father’s side being Scottish. This also, unfortunately, includes the frugal person’s susceptibility to discounts.

Come Black Friday, the $40 expansion was reduced to $10. Not only that, but dozens of games that I could have added to the list were reduced to being in my budget or, as I like to call it, The Danger Zone.

With that kind of discount, how could I afford not to buy them? Especially when, if I waited, I would have to deal with the nagging feeling that I would be left miles behind by friends who already purchased the game.

Oh, Christmas list, we hardly knew ye!

Come Dec. 25, the morning is saved only by the thoughtfulness of my parents and the infallibly accurate suggestions that my mother gives me when relatives are getting so fed up that outside assistance is needed.

The problem with this is that I, usually not more than three days after Christmas, will see something that I want.

Oh, well, it would make a great birthday gift idea.

Then again, three months is such an awfully long time and it isn’t that pricey.

rchids to. . . teacher Brooke Wells and Student Council for organizing the Thanksgiving lunch. It was nice to get together with our advisories.

O

nions to. . . whoever donated expired mac and cheese to the Dyer Kelly canned food drive. The kids need healthy meals free of dead bugs.

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rchids to. . . language teachers Richard Day and Patricia Portillo for bringing Fely Tchaco and her band to perform for World Cultures Day. Fun dancing!

nions to. . . people who print excessive copies or leave them sitting on the printer in Matthews Library. So much wasted paper means fewer trees in the future.

O

O

The Octagon

Opinion9

December 10, 2013

WHICH HOLIDAY SWEETS TICKLE YOUR FANCY? Make It Yourself

Store Bought Eggnog Ice Cream With a creamier-than-usual texture, eggnog ice cream is quite rich—and it’s made weekly. The flavor is easily recognizable, but there are also hints of vanilla.

While a double scoop may be too much to stomach, a small scoop (230 calories) is just perfect. $2.75 —Maxwell Shukuya

Baked Goods?

How much time do you have?

No

None

Yes

A lot

No

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?

Do you need your eggnog in liquid form?

I confess!

Who me?

Couldn’t be!

How do you feel about humanshaped cookies?

I’m not opposed

Fruitcake?

Sugar Cookies

Yes

Um...

Really?

Well...

If you want to try something “homemade” for the holidays but don’t have the time, pie filling is your best bet. The only things left to add are some butter and a few eggs. I’m usually against using any kind of premade filling, but this turned out to be one of the better pies I’ve made. $20 —Grant Miner

Yes

I’ll pass

Is that a joke?

While it’s only a slight variation on plain hot chocolate, the added cinnamon makes quite a difference.

I was surprised to learn that hot chocolate is in fact instant Nestle brand Abuelita powder. It tasted great, but for the same price I could’ve bought the mix. However, with two massive house-made marshmallows, it’s the perfect drink for warming up on a snowy day. $3.75 —Maxwell Shukuya

Through the year, sugar cookies change from rabbits to pumpkins to turkeys to snowflakes. Whether you need them for dessert or for Santa, is your place. They put in enough butter to make the cookies crumbly yet not so flaky that they’ll fall apart. They do use colored sugar, so if you take a position in the glazed vs. sugar coloring debate, you may want to look elsewhere. $1.10 —Maxwell Shukuya

Gingerbread Cookies I had high expectations for gingerbread people. A yearly staple, the cookies are popular among customers. The frosted Santa hat and cute dress were aww-inducing. And I wasn’t disappointed after biting into their beautifully crafted limbs. The cookies were crunchy and had just enough ginger. $3.50 —Maxwell Shukuya

I take dessert seriously

Fruitcake It’s said the world can be divided into two groups of people: those who like fruitcake and those who don’t. Although there are a few welcome changes to the cake—such as the use of plain rather than candied fruit to remove some of the sickly sweetness that is associated with the dessert—the pastry still retains its polarizing attributes: it’s still a little sweet and it’s so thick you could pave roads with it. $16.50 —Grant Miner

Peppermint Ice Cream Russian Tea Cakes Russian Tea Cakes, which resemble snowballs, are perfect holiday treats. They’re good with hot drinks, and they’re sweet. cakes are fairly good. Nuts add a bitter side to the cake, while the powdered sugar and crispy inside keep the pastry sweet. The powdered confections are perfect for dipping in hot chocolate. $2 —Maxwell Shukuya

I tend to stay away from neon-colored foods, but peppermint ice cream is an exception. The garishly pink ice cream is similar to classic mint chip in taste; however, once in a while you’ll find an exciting peppermint candy morsel. Despite its Barbie-like qualities, it’s great paired with a brownie. $2.75 —Maxwell Shukuya

It differentiates itself from fruitcake by its flaky texture, the use of icing or powdered sugar rather than nuts as a topping and the inclusion of marzipan as a main ingredient. variation uses orange peel instead of the standard

Peppermint Bark Check out Connor Martin’s Cooking in the Cave column on www.scdsoctagon.com.

fruitcake fare, with lemon and orange zest for additional flavoring. The bread manages to be flavorful enough without being overpoweringly citrusy. But, I’m a little disappointed that they omitted marzipan, a welcome ingredient in stollen. $14 —Grant Miner

10 Remainder Play: Show’s opening night most ‘energetic’

The Octagon

December 10, 2013

Phlebotomy: Senior takes medical class to prepare for possible career

Senior Leilani Reid-Vera shows how to prepare to take blood on senior Ryan Ho. (Photo by Cissy Shi)

We thank The Cast Junior George Cvetich Sam Slaughter Senior Savannah Symister Audrey Ross Senior Patrick Talamantes Detective Sampson Sophomore Aidan Galati Cleo Riviera Sophomore Akilan Murugesan Carter Lane Senior Eric Hilton Mr. Farrigton Sophomore Emma Belliveau Molly Meade Freshman Elena Lipman Barbara Prescott Freshman Austin Talamantes Mr. Fielding Sophomore Julia Owaidat Ellie Freshman Isabelle Leavy Sheila Sylvester Freshman Christian Van Vleck Pete Wilson Sophomore Elinor Hilton Esther Colepepper Sophomore Gracie Strumpfer Hilary Dunne Freshman Quinton LaComb Snoopy Doorance Senior Grant Quattlebaum Norman Eighth-grader Kate Neubuerger Winnie Gallagher Seventh-grader Vivian McGinnis-Tingle Lydia Pratt Seventh-grader Olivia Popp Lydia Pratt

The Hilton Family

our sponsors . . .

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The Tung Family The Williams Family

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The Octagon

December 10, 2013

Gym remodel to begin in January

Community11

Spectators will get plastic chairs instead of bleachers

By Maddy Judd

Reporter

I How the Gym Began

On World Cultures Day, students crowd into the bleachers for the performance. That crowding is why many fans don’t attend games, according to a Sports Boosters survey. (Photo by Cissy Shi)

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12 Feature

The Octagon

December 10, 2013

Gray (Thursday) is the new Black (Friday) By Connor Martin It’s 10:30 on Thanksgiving night. A line about 100 people long trails from the locked door of the Roseville Galleria GameStop.

Most people queuing up stare at the ground. But one man is jamming out on his harmonica, swaying back and forth as he sits.

They’re waiting for midnight when GameStop opens.

People rush by the line. Someone dressed in a turkey suit waddles by. A couple wearing Viking helmets follows soon af ter.

“We’re riding into battle,” they tell me.

The couple isn’t exaggerating much. Black Friday shopping at the Galleria was a battle. something new.

Many retailers have started the holiday shopping frenzy even earlier by instituting a new day of sales: Gray Thursday.

Rather than opening at midnight on Friday, 83 of 239 retail ers at the Galleria opened at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving. The ma jority of the other stores opened at midnight.

And Gray Thursday has caught on.

I have never seen the mall so packed. There was a line of

Inside the mall, determined shoppers swarmed in and out of stores carrying large bags of merchandise with them. twenties. it was crowded and late at night, but there was an odd sense of normalcy. for which Black Friday is infamous. I just saw thousands of people hunting for deals as if Gray Thursday were a deeply ingrained tradition.

“I don’t want to be here, but I have to wait for my mommy.”

Jingle Bell Ruckus By 1 a.m. I became overwhelmed with the noise and energy.

People were shouting at each other throughout the mall. still Thanksgiving.

“Hey man, did you get it? Did you get it?” one man yelled to Considering the protest I inspired when I told my mom that I would leave Thanksgiving at 8:30 to go to the mall, I was his friend in Macy’s.

“Awww yeah, it’s mine,” responded the friend, holding up an on family time. espresso machine.

“Yeah, we had to cut our Thanksgiving a bit short since In Bath and Body Works, a young female employee was shouting at the customers.

H&M. “Okay, everybody,” she yelled. “The line is too long, so we’re “But if there are good deals out and people are having fun going to snake it around this way. Follow the jingle bells!” shopping, then I don’t see a problem.”

Shaking bells, she led the line of about 25 people around A pair of teen boys in the line at GameStop thought this mentality was a bit extreme.

I was already feeling queasy from the Thanksgiving feast I They didn’t get in line until 9:30 p.m. to avoid cutting their had earlier that day. But all of the noise and perfume clogging Thanksgiving celebration short, they said. the Bath and Body Works air put me over the edge, so I sought “The crazy people are the ones who come right when the a quiet space.

I found one in the Macy’s linens section. There I could hear one of the boys said.

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas.” It was inaudible in most other places.

Hypocrisy, Confusion and Guilt A Pressing Matter “I don’t want to call all of these people crazy because I’m here myself,” said a teen girl at Charlotte Russe.

Deciding enough was enough, I started to make my way out “I guess I don’t even know why I come. Skipping Thanksgiv of the mall. But then something caught my eye. ing isn’t worth it. I’m not even buying Christmas presents. I’m Could it be? Yes! just shopping for myself,” she said.

Okay. At least she was being honest.

Actually most people I spoke to admitted they were doing A panini press has been on my Christmas list all year, so I some shopping for themselves. quickly snatched it up.

As the night progressed, the number of large bags I saw in creased. In order to carry all of them, some draped the bags stands were 10 people long.

So after laying down a Jackson, I hurried for the door.

A couple walked by pushing a baby stroller packed with At 2 a.m., the mall was just as crowded as it had been when I bags. The baby had been ousted into the father’s arms. had entered. Parents were carrying sleeping kids in their arms One man took a break from shopping and sat down with six as if they were at the grocery store. bags in front of JC Penney.

On my way out, I passed The Art of Shaving. It was closed.

When I approached him, he looked at each of his bags, and In its window a sign read, “Due to the importance of family, looked up at me guiltily, and then back down at his bags before holidays and traditions, we will not be open until 6 a.m. Friday saying that he didn’t want to talk to me. morning!”

Next to the man sprawled a large group of men who looked Nordstrom had advertised on their website that they would bored out of their minds. As it turned out, all of them were be doing the same. waiting for their wives.

I headed into the cool night air with my faith in humanity Cutting It Short “Why is it so busy?” a passerby screamed.