Volume 47 Issue 3 - Dec 9, 2011

Pumping dance music geniuses LMFAO page 3

‘Tis the season for a new basketball season page 7

Beards: the best thing since flavored water Backpage

a student newspaper

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Sheldon High School 2455 willakenzie Rd., Eugene, Or 97401 vol. 47 Issue 3 Dec. 9, 2011

20th annual Mr. Irish pageant to help save babies More pumped than ever to raise money and get their hips swingin’ at the pageant Chasity Barnes editor-in-chief

competition. Drew Haugen’s coordinator, senior Sally Stender, said, “I think Dylan Campbell and Kate Trahan are our biggest competition because of their talents. I also think Ben Taube and Jenny Forrest are because of their combined intensity and organization skills.” Senior contestant Christian Nilsen said this about his biggest competition, “I think Dylan Johnson and Peter Anderson are my biggest competitors because they are roughly the same height as I am.” That is very interesting reasoning on who the biggest competition is.

This competition can be very intense, Stender jokingly said, “To make sure Drew wins the pageant I intend to make him practice his talent for a minimum of six hours per day, ask him daily interview questions which he only has thirty seconds to answer, and collect at least two hundred dollars per week. If he fails to complete any of these tasks, members of his family will start disappearing….” But everyone is in this to raise money for CMN and to help save babies.

Even in the early stages of this pageant everyone is strongly involved and very determined in this stupendous c a u s e .

The actual pageant won’t be until March 3, but if you feel the need or want to donate you can find any of the boys who are carrying jars with them every day and donate to any of them.

It is the time of cheer and happiness, and it is also the time to save babies. Sheldon High School has already started their annual Mr. Irish Pageant. This is the 20th annual Mr. Irish Pageant. It is a fun way to bond and make new friends while fund raising money for Children’s Miracle Network.

This program is sometimes known as Kids Helping Kids ,and was started in 1992 by CJ Martin, a Sheldon student.

Several senior girls go through interviews, answering questions, and filling out paper work and only ten get chosen to be the Mr. Irish coordinators. Not only are the coordinators who get paired up with one senior boy, but they have other responsibilities. Some of these include being a head coordinator, treasurer, poster and program design, coordinator-to-parent communicator, and so many others. Then all girls of the senior class vote for five senior boys they would like to see doing Mr. Irish. The top ten boys with the most votes are made into the Mr. Irish contestants. The ten boys are: Ben Taube, Christian Nilsen, Curren Mendez, Drew Haugen, Dylan Campbell, Dylan Johnson, Nikolas Ruiz Anderson, Peter Anderson, Sean Bellotti, and Zach Trahan.

It is very early in the Mr. Irish process and there hasn’t been very much that everyone has partaken in. One of activities that have already happened is the letter writing.

It is where everyone gets together to write and send out letters to family and friends asking for donations. “Letter writing has been one of my favorite things so far because it was a fun time and we all worked together really well,” said senior Katie Brelsford, Peter Anderson’s coordinator. Mr. Irish contestants (clockwise from upper L): Peter Anderson, Curren Mendez, Dylan JohnThere are plenty of activities to come in the near future. son, Christian Nilsen, Nick Ruiz Anderson, Sean Bellotti, Drew Haugen, Zach Trahan, Dylan While helping raise money for CMN, this is also a Campbell, and Ben Taube Erika Phillipo photo

Drew Haugen: in the running for a Rudy Award Senior Drew Haugen is one of the 50 finalists vying for a Rudy Award Hope Zima features editor Senior Drew Haugen is famous around school for his involvement in many activities and his general likeability.

A member of Sheldon’s football team, Drew Haugen has been talking about eventually attending Notre Dame to play football for years, and he is getting closer to his dream. Something that might help him is the Rudy Awards, for which he is one of 50 finalists. The Rudy Awards is a program that awards “inspirational young athletes who embody the values of character, courage, contribution and commitment through the sport of football” (highschoolrudyawards.com). It is a program

modeled after football legend Daniel ‘Rudy’ Ruettiger. The twelve finalists of the Rudy Awards receive $25,000 in academic scholarships and the nation’s most inspirational player gets an additional $7,500 scholarship.

Anyone who knows Drew Haugen can attest to his phenomenal character. His cousin senior Spencer Haugen said, “He is one of the most down-to-heart kids you will ever meet, and he is a very unique individual.” The Rudy Awards look for just those kind of characteristics. The judges will decide which of the final 50 display those traits and select the final twelve from that.

Junior Hayden Haugen agreed with his brother and added, “The Rudy Awards go to someone who is an outstanding athlete and inspiring to their teammates. That fits Drew perfectly.” Hayden Haugen elaborated later, “No one else deserves this award more than Drew does.”

Drew Haugen is famous for being kind and upbeat, and

an angry Drew Haugen is almost unimaginable. Neither Spencer nor Hayden Haugen have ever seen Drew mad; they don’t think it is possible. His kindness extends beyond his friend circle and the football field. Math teacher Mr. Cedarlund said, “Drew is always exceptionally polite, as well as thoughtful.”

Mr. Cedarlund taught Drew as a freshman and has him again as a senior, and said that Drew Haugen has always been thoughtful and hard working, but that he has seen improvement in his activeness in class. “As a freshman [Drew] was quieter, but now he answers questions in class.

Usually, what he has to say is right on.”

Overall, through classes, friends, family, and football, Drew Haugen is an exceptionally talented, caring, hardworking, and unique individual. He embodies all of the qualities necessary to win a Rudy Award, and everyone who knows him is sure that he will.

Sheldon’s Got Talent: an opportunity to show true talent What talents have been kept secret?

Carley Kramer staff writer The show we’ve all been waiting for is just around the corner: Sheldon’s Got Talent. The show, which showcases talent possessed by students here at Sheldon, was a hit last year with students and staff. With a variety of singing, dancing, and whatever other talents eager students can come up with, the show gives every student a chance to show off their unique abilities. The production is a small break between the major shows put on by Sheldon Theater, The Laramie Project and Sweeny Todd, and will take place on Friday, January 29. Entry forms became available in the office on November 22, and need to be turned in to Nancy Anderson before Winter Break, which

starts on the 17th, so you can go grab yours today and be a part of this exciting production.

Not all of the students are jumping at the opportunity to perform their talents on stage, though. “I don’t have the time,” said freshman Hunter Kubiak. “I don’t have a talent.” But the show will go on, because more than one student is excited for the event and opportunities it provides.

“I’m really excited. Performing has always been a really good way to express myself,” said Spencer Steinbach, a freshman who’s hoping to perform two different acts in the show, playing an instrument in both. “I think it will be a success if people bring a lot of variety to the show. I think it’ll be a very enjoyable show.”

“I think it’s going to be awesome because I heard it was last year. I didn’t get to go, but we do have a lot of really awesome stuff.” Said sophomore Zoe Hollub. “I’m going to sing and play guitar to ‘The Cave’ by Mumford

& Sons.”

Those who aren’t performing are bound to know someone who is. “I’m sure I do that I don’t know of,” said freshman Noah Roberts, who doesn’t plan to be in the show. “Everybody’s friends with me, so probably,” Roberts later stated.

If you, like many other students in Sheldon, are eager to show off your talent, then there aren’t many reasons not to fill out your entry form today and show the school what you can do. If you’re one of many students who don’t want to be a part of the show for any reason or don’t have a special talent like some, then you can come support your friends and peers when they perform on Friday, January 29, here at Sheldon. From singing and dancing to instrument acts and skits, you’re sure to be entertained by talents you didn’t even know you could find here at Sheldon.

2 December 9, 2011

News

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Penn State University rocked by sex scandal Former football coach Jerry Sandusky has been accused of molesting many young boys Kelsea Radley staff writer Controversy has rocked the football world. Former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandunsky is being charged with sexually abusing eight boys. On November 9, 2011, head coach Joe Paterno was fired from his job of 45 years. He later issued a statement saying, “I wish I had done more.” Sandunsky coached the team for 30 years before he retired, but remained a volunteer coach and still had full access to campus and football facilities. In 1998, a mother became concerned about her son when she learned he had been in a shower with Sandunsky and there was a possibility of inappropriate sexual conduct. She reported it to the police. Sandunsky admitted to it and apologized, promising it would never

happen again, and charges were dropped and the case was closed. This was the start of a multiyear investigation.

Many people believe Sandunsky is guilty. Freshman Rachel Brungardt said, “I don’t think he’s innocent because so many people have accused him of molesting them.” There are about nine known victims in this case.

Sometime between 2006-2007, a wrestling coach at a high school where one of the victims was attending allegedly found Sandunsky and the child laying side by side, face to face, in a weight room. Sandunsky told the coach that they had been working on wrestling moves. The coach did not report it, and didn’t speak about it until the latest allegations arose. Brungardt continued, “[The wrestling coach] should have reported it because if [Sandunsky] seemed suspicious he should have done something about it.”

Sandunsky befriended a boy in 2005-2006 from the Second Mile foundation, whose accusations would bring the case to court. Sandunsky was with the boy a lot, going to sport games, showering him with gifts, having “sleepovers,” and in that time period performed sexual acts on him multiple times. When the young male stopped all contact with Sandunsky, his mother got in touch with the high school, saying her son had been sexually assaulted. The principal

reacted by keeping Sandunsky off campus and reported the incident to the police. There were multiple calls from Sandunsky on the boy’s phone. Freshman Megan Ford said Sandunsky should not have been allowed to have sleepovers with children because “it’s not appropriate for anyone who is a coach/volunteer/mentor and a young child.”

In November 2008, Sandunsky told Second Mile he was under investigation and removed from all activities involving children. Sophmore Rachel Unger said, “When he had first been investigated [for the shower incident] he should have been suspended from all activities including children. Even after he was cleared the foundation should have been cautious about letting him around children.”

In September of last year, Sandunsky stepped down from Second Mile. On November 4, 2011, the grand jury report was released, and Sandunsky was arrested on multiple charges including “corruption of minors” and “aggravated indecent assault,” according to CNN. Unger said, “It serves him right for what he’s done.”

Sandunsky still says he is “innocent and not a pedophile,” according to CNN. It’s very possible that Sandunsky will be going to jail. The next step will be determend by the next court date, which has not been released to the public.

Gangs in Eugene are becoming more of a problem around town More gang activity is evident around the city of Eugene C.J. Vangsnes staff writer Most people don’t like it at all, but others want to join them and help them spread out to other towns and cities, but what everyone does not know is that gangs in Eugene are slowly becoming a big problem. More gangs are popping up all over town. For now the two largest gangs in the U.S are the Bloods and the Cripps; however, the gangs here are still small compared to the gangs in other

places like L.A. Even with the relatively small amount of gang members, there is a lot of tagging and other gang related activities occurring. It seems that the gangs love to tag the L.T.D. bus stops. Kids as young as twelve are being brought into gangs, and thirteen percent of young boys and six percent of young girls are in gangs.

L.T.D. bus driver Marcie Pope said, “I feel that the Eugene gangs are becoming a nuisance for the bus drivers by tagging the stop signs so no one can read what bus stops there.”

Pope later said, “My grandson knows a lot about gangs: their signs, their territories, and other things. The gangs like to hang out at Eugene Station or other public L.T.D. sites.”

Freshmen Olivia Shen said, “I don’t think that gangs are all that bad, they

just want to hang out with each other.” Shen later said, “Yes they sometimes do bad things, but they (at least here) have gone mostly unnoticed for three or more years and only become known because of the spike of people joining.”

Freshmen Kaila Armstrong said, “Gangs are horrible for the everyday person.” Armstrong later said, “All they do is hurt and cause damage to other people or buildings and can cause major mayhem.” Armstrong then said, “If I was the chief of Eugene police then there would be a lot less gang activity and drastically smaller gangs.” Even with all the activity with gangs coming into Eugene, the amount of gang activity is still low. But gang activity is still on the rise here and in other towns and cities like Portland in Oregon.

Greg Cantwell photo

Eugene gang members try to claim streets and neighborhoods by tagging property.

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A message from the Talisman The Talisman is run by students for students. The views expressed in the Talisman are not necessarily those of the Talisman staff, those of Sheldon High School, or those of the Sheldon community. If you have any letters to the editor, please e-mail the Talisman at shstalisman@gmail.com, or drop a letter in our box located in the office. We kindly reserve the right to edit all stories we print.

U.S. armed forces are heading home from Iraq The ten-year war finally abandoned Blake Schaufler staff writer Almost all U.S. troops will soon all be out of Iraq.

What started in 2001 as an invasion based on unreliable

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Editor-in-Chief Frontpage Editor News Editor Entertainment Editor Features Editor Opinions Editor Sports Editor Backpage Editor Ads Manager Photo Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Staff Writers Elise Bücklein Morgan Challburg Daniel Hafdahl Tiwanna Hamilton Sam Hannah Paige Heatons Jasmine Jordan Ryan Land Mitch Lewis Kelsea Radley Staff Advisor

Chasity Barnes Aaron Mueller Ben Ely Hope Zima Cya Silva Drew Haugen Shyanne Church Carley Kramer Chasity Barnes Alex Nelson Hope Zima Blake Shaufler Erika Shaufler Sam Seno Andrew Smith Evan Smith C.J. Vangsnes Elise Whisler Trisdon Zepeda Greg Cantwell

intelligence to search for weapons of mass destruction has finally ended in withdrawal.

This war has been going on for ten years now. The Obama administration is now about to pull the last troops out of Iraq. The war in Afghanistan has been going on since 2001 also. Troops are still in Afghanistan and will remain there until December 2012.

The Iraqi government is starting to get some control against the Taliban and other terrorist groups. Campus Supervisor Darin Henry said, “I’m happy that our troops are finally coming home; I’m surprised that it has taken this long to pull out.”

Freshman Carolina Alvarez said, “I’m really happy that my uncle is coming back, but he might be sent to Afghanistan soon.”

Families all over the country are happy about this news. President Obama went to Fort Knox to greet troops as they arrived home. President Obama has done this 134 times since he has been elected President.

Sophomore Tretell Walker-Holmes said, “It’s great that the troops are coming home.”

Fort Knox is where all scheduled flights returning home will land. Hundreds of troops are already returning. But there are going to be over 400 families waiting for their soldiers.

This shows that we are one step closer to peace. This is what our government is trying to establish all over the world. Congrats to all the veterans who are coming home!

Entertainment

the Talisman

December 9, 2011

3

“Party Rock” is still in the house tonight LMFAO is still “party rocking” the top of the charts Ben Ely entertainment editor When most people hear someone say, “Every Day I’m Shufflin’” or “I’m Sexy and I Know It,” they most likely think of the popular hip hop group, LMFAO. They describe their type of music as “party rock,” singing about partying, beer, and “sexiness.”They started in 2006, and rose to fame in 2008 and 2009. Their style of music and upbeat lyrics make listening to their music a trip to another world.

Two guys, Stefan Kendal Gordy and Skyler Gordy, grew up in Los Angeles and started a rap group called Sexy Guys.

Stefan is Skyler’s uncle. When the group started, they decided to make stage names: Skyler changed his to SkyBlu, and Stefan to DJ Redfoo. After some convincing from their grandmother, they changed the name of the group to LMFAO. LMFAO’s party and dance music is a favorite around Sheldon. Freshman Kyle Hasselman is one of those fans who listens to their music. He heard them for the first time about two months ago, and instantly became a fan. “I like them because they’re interesting and funny,” Hasselman said. He later added, “My favorite person is DJ Redfoo. He has the moves!” LMFAO signed to a record company called Interscope in November 2008.

LMFAO has a style different from most artists in the music industry. Their music is “party rock” style. It is just the way its name describes it: party music. Sophomore Megan Gullickson said, “I like LMFAO because it puts me in a good mood; it makes you want to dance.” She

Hope Zima photo

LMFAO has a wide variety of shirts and merchandise available for sale like this logo t-shirt. later added, “I would describe them as energetic, fun, and creative. I like Redfoo because of his afro.”

In December of 2008, LMFAO came out with their first single, “I’m in Miami, Trick” (clean version). A little more than a year later, they came out with one of their best selling albums, Sorry for Party Rocking.

The first single taken from the album was “Party Rock Anthem” featuring the British singer Lauren Bennet and producer GoonRock. It’s the song that they are most known for. It launched them to international fame. Freshman Nathan Kim said, “My favorite song by LMFAO is ‘Party Rock Anthem.’ It’s epic!”

By 2010, LMFAO was the most famous party/ electric group in the industry. They have won multiple music awards, and have been nominated

Jack and Jill movie review Adam Sandler plays two lead roles in the new movie Jack and Jill Jasmine Jordan staff writer Jack & Jill came into theaters November 11, 2011. Adam Sandler is playing Jack as well as Jill. It’s about a family guy named Jack Sadelstein who lives in Los Angeles and dreads to spend his Thanksgiving visit with his twin sister Jill Sadelstein. Jack is upset that his sister is in town because she is needy and pesky, and seems to embarrass him every where they go together, so he doesn’t like her being around. Jack is thinking that Jill thinks that this is a great trip and sees nothing wrong in her being there. The movie explains what is going on in their relationship with each other and what happens to her during her vacation.

Jack and Jill go through many adventures like basketball games, Thanksgiving dinner, and more. Freshman Karlie Ranck said, “My favorite part is when Jack and Jill are at the

boat decks doing double dutch.” Jack wanted to keep Jill busy by setting her up on blind dates. Jack needs Al Pacino himself to star in one of his commercials, but Al Pacino takes a shine to Jill, so Jack may be forced to extend his sister’s visit longer. Jack’s wife and kids would be happy to have her stay longer also.

Jack & Jill made $10.0 million at the box office, which had the movie at #6. 23 out of 100 critics say no, but many fans disagreed and said it’s a must see. Freshman Kyle Hasselman said “Yes, I would see the movie; it looks really funny and it has Adam Sandler in it.” Jack & Jill is rated PG. Other members of the cast you might recognize are Katie Holmes, Al Pacino, and Elodie Toungne.

After many adventures of the Sadelsteins including the annual Thanksgiving Dinner, Jack may realize that Jill isn’t as bad as he thought.

Freshman Daylyn Gould said, “The ending is predictable, but overall, even knowing what’s going to happen, it’s a good movie.” And I agree.

Overall, most reviews are good, so it’s a must-see.

Justin Bieber paternity scandal Justin Bieber is accused of being a father, but is it true or not?

Erika Schaufler staff writer Celebrities are sometimes accused of situations like the one that Justin Bieber was brought upon this last month.

This case has made a huge uproar in gossip magazines, online and in news updates. The case started when a young woman accused Bieber of being the father of her thirteen-month-old baby boy. Mother Mariah Yeater, otherwise know as the “baby momma,” said they were together thirty seconds after his concert in October of last year. The baby was born on July 6th of summer 2011.

His newest album is Under the Mistletoe, and it is all Christmas songs. It came out on November 1, 2011.

Freshman Rochel Wyncoop said, “I think that it is a rumor, and the mom is just trying to take advantage of his money.”

A lot of his fans probably agree with Wyncoop’s opinion, but unfortunately, when a person is a celebrity, that person is a target, and people will make up things to get their money. There are definitely pros and cons to being famous.

There are some people out there that have different opinion. Parent Rick Walter said, “I believe that it is

many times. They’re funny, strange, have a good reputation, and one thing’s for sure: LMFAO knows how to “party rock.”

Vampire Diaries great new season

Vampire Diaries is back with a new season, and more excitement Morgan Challburg staff writer

On September 10, 2009, Vampire Diaries premiered on CW. It has been a huge hit; a lot of teens watch this show. The main characters are Eleana, Stefan, and Damon. Stefan and Damon are vampire brothers.

In the first season, Eleana and Stefan meet. Katharine is Stefan’s ex who died in a church that burned down a long time ago. Katherine and Stefan met when he was in his teens. Stefan wasn’t always a vampire. Katherine was a vampire, Stefan and Damon didn’t know, and when she slept with them she turned them into vampires. Stefan moved back to Mystic Falls with his uncle. Damon followed him there so he could torture Stefan. Stefan wanted to meet Eleana; she looked just like Katherine. Freshman Naomi Camacho said, “This show is funny; I enjoy watching this show because it has a good story line. I like how Katherine and Eleana look alike but don’t act alike.”

Eleana doesn’t know that Stefan is a vampire yet. When Eleana finds out that he is a vampire, she freaks out. She doesn’t want to be with him anymore because she doesn’t know if he is going to kill her or not. Freshman Rachel Hill said, “I love Stefan… he is smoking hot. The show gives a good contrast to real life. It’s a fairytale version of life. Everything in the show you can relate to in some way (realistically) and that’s why I like this show.” I agree with Rachel, this show is just a fairytale version of life.

In the last episode that I saw, Stefan’s friend that he hasn’t seen in a while comes over on his birthday. Freshman Kianna Almeida said, “I have seen this show a couple times. Stefan and Damon are my favorite actors, because when they fight they always say the funniest things to each other. They both fall for Eleana. I think it’s funny.”

Eleana finds out that she is adopted. Stefan has known her for a long time. He tells her the story about when her parents were in a car crash and how he was the one who helped her out. The Vampire Diaries has a lot of fans. Many teenagers enjoy watching this show. Not a lot of parents are fond of the show. Who knows why?

true. I don’t think that someone would make that up because it can be tested and they can find out the truth very quickly.”A majority of people agree with this statement, but based on information so far not many people believe that it’s true. During her interview with The Insider, she could not answer one question with out starting to cry and had to leave the interview multiple times.

Would security really let this situation happen and would they let Bieber out of their sight right after his big concert? Don’t think so. Freshman Josh Noonan said, “I personally do not like Bieber, but I honestly think she is lying and it is stupid.” Magazines all over America were We Have the Latest Fashions in Eyewear covered with drama about this case. Checking out at the grocery store everyone would be *Gucci *Versace *Juicy Couure *Christian Dior *Dolce & forced to see it all over trying to hook the Gabbana *Giorgio Armani *BCBG *Vera Wang *Candies person into buying and reading about it.

Prada *DKNY *Coach *Nine West *Ray Ban *Kate Spade That was exactly what the paparazzi want to happen. Bieber was interviewed a lot about We Bill Most Insurances including Regence Blue Cross Blue this and most of the time what he said was, “It Shield, Pacific Source, VSP, Eyemed, Providence, North West will not affect me and my career because it is Benefits, ODS, OEA Choice, and many more. not true and it makes me sick to think someone is trying to ruin me in this horrible way.” Dr. Steve Jung, Optometrist After about a month of this rumor 207 Coburg Road, Suite 105 spreading around, Yeater decided to drop Eugene, OR 97401 the case and not have the paternity test Ph:541-388-4844 M-Fri 9-6 Sat 9-3 done. Bieber thinks differently; he wants to Located next to TJ Maxx and Quiznos do the test to prove that it is not his child.

Eugene Eyewear

F E A T U R E S Kim Kardashian splits from Sheldon Pride program in effect Kris Humpfries after 72 days The short-lived marriage was predicted by many, but 72 days seems exceptionally short, even to doubters.

Paige Heaton staff writer “I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Kris Humphries.” Who knew 72 days later this sentence wouldn’t be true anymore? Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries tied the knot on August 20, and just barely two and a half months later, “untied” the knot, after Kim unexpectedly filed for divorce on October 31. NBA star Humphries said the whole thing was a total shock. “I love my wife and am devastated to learn she filed for divorce. I’m committed to this marriage and everything this covenant represents. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it work,” he told People magazine. Many people have different opinions about the whole thing. Junior Adam Frichette said, “I think Kim Kardashian is hot and she deserves way better than him.”

Over 10 million dollars was spent on the wedding, and about 17 million dollars was made from it.

The wedding was held at a private estate in Montecito, California. More than 440 guests attended including both Kim and Kris’ whole families. “I watched the wedding and I thought it looked amazing. I would never want to spend as much money on my wedding as she did, but if I was as rich as her I would because it was really cool and looked really well planned out,” said junior Kyle King.

Kim Kardashian, being the fashonista that she is, got her wedding dress from the famous designer, Vera Wang. But that dress was only used for the wedding ceremony. She also had Vera design her two more after that. One for after the ceremony, and the other specifically for dancing at the reception. The prices of all three of the dresses aren’t being disclosed, but a source from US Magazine estimates that they each were priced around 100,000-200,000 dollars. Senior Christian Nilsen said, “I think it’s ridiculous someone would spend that much money on not only one dress, but three of them. If my future wife ever does that, I’ll be sure not to marry her.”

The divorce finalization date has yet to be released. But maybe if Kim Kardashian made her marriages last longer than the engagement itself, there wouldn’t have to be one.

KVRM radio is a fun elective alternative for Sheldon students Not many people know about the radio station that originates from Sheldon, but it exists and is an exciting option for an elective.

Daniel Hafdahl staff writer Sheldon High School has many classes and activities that other schools do not have. One of these classes includes a radio station. In one of the buildings outside, besides the former TV classroom, is where the radio station is. It broadcasts multiple genres, events that are occurring around town, and has a different announcer daily. On air the students announce the songs that are playing next, different radio shows, and upcoming events in Eugene. The days when you are not on the radio, you basically have an independent study time where you can either do your homework, listen to your music, or even play games with classmates. Many students like this class because it is fun and lets you get some work done. Senior Garret Morris said, “Yeah I had this class before, and I thought it was cool.”

While some people think the class is fun, others do not. Junior Tyler Bean said, “I’ve never had it but it doesn’t seem like fun.” Some students like the extra time to do work and talk to other classmates but dislike the class criteria. Bean later added, “I wouldn’t want to talk on the radio.” It can be hard, and your first couple times you could be embarrassed, but the more you do it, the better you get and the more enjoyable it is. It’s a hard class to get into, so if you try to acquire it, asking early is the best way. A lot of students have wanted to take this class for a while, and think it would be awesome. Freshman Shawna Burke said, “It seems really fun and I’d love to talk on the radio. I haven’t had the class before, but I hope I get it sometime I’m in high school.”

The building in the back of the school is the actual radio room for the KRVM station. They rely on an independent funding coming from the generous donations of residents around the area who are fans of it, and they have no intention in shutting it down anytime soon. So, if you’re looking for a new experience talking on the radio, sign up for Radio Broadcasting.

This program is much more than just free t-shirts and sweatshirts Cya Silva opinions editor

Both team sports are naturally competitive, but the dance and cheer teams here at Sheldon have taken that competition to another level, or so some members tend to think.

Elise Whisler staff writer

Lately, a very interesting program has been making a comeback. The Sheldon Pride Program isn’t generally something the students tend to know a lot about, but it’s starting to make its appearances everywhere. For example, on Fridays, some students wear designated pride t-shirts or sweatshirts, and during assemblies these things are given out at random. Either way, that just about limits all that people know. What lies behind the scenes of the Sheldon Pride Program is so much more, though.

The Sheldon Pride Program, though not known very well, is a very active program at Sheldon and has been an enormous success according to vice principal Mr. Johnson. The point and goal of the program is, as stated by Johnson, “…to enhance the sense of community on the Sheldon campus. To have an all-inclusive school-wide program that demonstrates equality and acceptance in belonging, school pride, and maintaining the tradition of the Fighting Irish….[its purpose is] to reinforce the community value of each student and staff member via recognition and rewards when selected randomly from student and staff drawings each week and at ASB assemblies. This will have a positive effect on the overall climate of the school. The program has been well received and exceeded my expectations.”

Every Friday, one student and one teacher are chosen at random to receive a t-shirt with the original 1963 mascot on it, with modifications of course, and during the assemblies, ASB students throw them out to the crowd. Sweatshirts are also awarded to students drawn, again by the luck of chance, at random from each grade, along with a faculty member. Also, if a student has been seen doing something honorable, such as turning in a found wallet or going the extra mile to improve life at Sheldon, they’re given a sweatshirt. Anyone who is a student or staff member at Sheldon is already part of these drawings, no matter who they are. And those who are given, or earn, their attire, are requested to wear such attire on Fridays and to ASB assemblies to help show school spirit.

Bonds between twins - more than just myth?

Everyone knows that twins are special, but is the rumored bond between them, sometimes twins are rumored to be telepathic for each other, more than made up?

The mindset of “who is better than who” has brought on a silent disagreement, or silent war, between the Sheldon Dance Team and the Sheldon Cheer Team. Although no obvious actions have taken place, the silent war could potentially develop into something bigger. There are members from each team who have noticed a rivalry.

Freshman and cheer team member Megan Ford agrees that there is a disagreement between the cheer and the dance team: “I notice it mostly when both teams try to win the favor of the crowd, and be superior to the other team.” Ford stated, “It is also noticeable when both teams try and earn the most fundraising money.” Ford further stated, “The disagreement has never turned out to go beyond silence.

However, it very well could. It is probably because of how similar the two teams are,” Ford guesses.

Freshman and dance team member Rachel Brungardt said, “Although the two teams are at a disagreement, they are not fighting against each other individually. Rather, the competition is between the two teams as a whole. The dance team frequently makes fun of the cheer team, probably because they believe cheer team is a knockoff of dance team. Last year, however, peace was brought between the two teams. They worked together for a few months, and put together a few routines that mixed cheerleading and dancing together. During this time, both teams ceased to make fun of the other, and worked together. I think that the same technique could work again.”

Freshman Payton Kubiak said, “Although I have not seen the ‘silent war’ in action, I have heard many rumors of the competition rising between the teams, which is probably because of the similarities of cheer and dance team. Also, their competitive natures to determine who is better than who also plays a part in the competition.” Kubiak continued, “I’ve noticed it mostly during the fundraisers when both teams compete to earn the most money. The competition doesn’t affect me in any way, but I could see how it would affect the members of both teams.”

Mitch Lewis staff writer Everyone knows what twins are, but not everyone understands what it is truly like to be one. Being a twin is a unique bond, whether they get along or not. To a lot of people, twins are mysteries in the making. Twins usually run in families, but sometimes can even be a sudden surprise. What’s even more surprising is that some twins claim to feel each other’s pain!

Junior Dylan Lewis said, “Twins saying they can feel each other’s pain is a little over the top, but feeling things like embarrassment happen all the time.” Junior Nathan Klump said, “I believe that twins share a bond that makes them care about each other so much, that feeling sad or embarrassed is common.” Studies show that there are about 4.5 million twins in the general population, or only 2%, and approximately 100 million on the planet. Junior Isacc Klump said, “It’s pretty amazing to know that you’re in a category that only two percent of the rest of the nation is.

An even more shocking statistic is that about 1 in 200,000 children are born as conjoined twins. About 500 of these babies are believed to survive within the first year of their lives, but there are less than twelve living in the United States.

The overall survival rate for conjoined twins is between 5 and 25%. Twins become conjoined when for some reason the egg they share never ends up splitting in two identical parts, causing the twins to share one egg and become conjoined.

One of the most interesting topics about twins is telepathy. Although there is no scientific proof that telepathy exist between twins, there is some support. The Houghton story is one of the more interesting public stories about twin telepathy. In 2009 Gemma Houghton got the strong urge that her twin sister Leanne, who was taking a bath, was in trouble. Leanne suffered seizures at random times, and happened to have one in the bath. Gemma pulled her sister out of the tub and started performing CPR, which saved her sisters life. Gemma said she suddenly had a random feeling that she needed to check on her sister. Although this is not proof that telepathy exist, it definitely leaves a lot of people questioning how and why twins share a special bond.

Hope Zima illustration

Sonic the Hedgehog isn’t doing so well The gaming mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog, is losing his touch. Lately, consumers haven’t been pleased with the Sonic games, and the whole Sonic franchise is in peril Trisdon Zepeda staff writer

Ski/snowboard season causes a flurry of excitement

Skiers and snowboarders are all looking forward to a season of snow and sliding down mountainsides, although their individual preferences differ greatly.

Sam Hannah staff writer

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The holidays are coming and the snow is falling on the mountains. This makes many people look forward to the upcoming ski/snowboard season. People have been looking forward to the day when they can load up their snow equipment and head off to the mountains.

Senior Nicole Ringsdorf said, “I love skiing. I’ve been doing it since I was two years old and when I was eight I started racing competitively.” Ringsdorf prefers to use Atomic skis and loves going to Mt. Bachelor.

Senior Dawson Housley has been snowboarding for over ten years. “I love getting up early in the morning and getting on a bus to go up to the mountains with my friends and spending the day up there.” Housley’s grandparents own a cabin in Sunriver and he usually stays overnight up there. Junior Hayden Haugen loves to ski. “I’ve been skiing since I was about five years old and absolutely love it.”

Mt. Bachelor opened on Thanksgiving day for the public to come and enjoy their time on the mountain. Bachelor’s busy season comes over winter break when all the schools let their kids out. Many students at Sheldon plan on going up to the mountain for their break and either snowboarding or skiing and some plan to just go up to be in the snow.

Wherever people go during their winter break they will for sure be in for a good time up at Bachelor.

Silent war between dance and cheer creates competitive rivlary

Chasity Barnes photos

Juniors Dylan (L) and Mitch Lewis and seniors Ami (L) and Ali Wick are two sets of identical twins.

He’s a gaming icon. Just about everyone has heard of him or knows who he is. But lately his games have been less than adequate to meet gamers’ expectations. I’m talking about Sonic the Hedgehog. Ever since Sonic 3, Sonic games have been torn apart by reviewers for their underwhelming game play, horrible voice acting, terrible stories, unresponsive controls, etc. The list goes on and on. Sonic games lately seem to fail in every aspect, but Sonic games could make a come back if the franchise was handed over to another development team. Sonic Team has taken a completely wrong approach to rebooting the franchise. They try to add new features to the game that don’t really go well with the series, like giving sonic a sword in the black night, which adds frustrating combat to an already poorly controlled game. Another grave mistake was giving Sonic a voice. They ended up characterizing him as annoyingly cartoonish and cocky, mixed in with terrible voice acting. Giving Sonic a voice might have been fine if there was at least some decent writing, but Sonic Team seems to be very incapable of doing that.

Sophomore Daniel Kemp said, “They need to go back to being about family entertainment, like they used to.” But that’s not the case with Sonic. Sonic peaked its popularly around the time of the original releases of the old-school styled games that were based around speed runs on creative 2D level plains, with no story elements or dialogue. Another main issue with the modern sonic games is trying to transition sonic into a 3D environment. Sonic simply moves too fast for game play from the 3D camera angles. Sonic Team could fix this issue by giving an illusion of 3D, having a game play style of fast pace plate forming from a 2D angle but with 3D environments. This would bring back the old-school game play and still have the modern game presentation.

Another main issue is just the lack of effort put into making the games. Decent games take, on average, five to seven years of development time before they can be released. Sonic Team on the other hand cranks out two to three games ever year. Sophomore Jarred Rogers said, “There is little to no effort put into the new games.

They are mass produced to make money.” As of early last year, SEGA took Sonic Team off of development of Sonic Generations to allow SEGA’s development teams to work on it. The finished product resulted in the best Sonic game to be released in the last decade. Sonic Generations took Sonic back to its roots of simplified controls and fast fluid plat forming. SEGA even added a story that wasn’t completely ridiculous or unbearably boring. The game’s story has sonic traveling through time, revisiting all his past games, with Sonic having a reflection on what has happen to his image. There’s hope for this franchise yet, and if SEGA gets rid of Sonic Team completely, the Sonic franchise might just make a full recovery on the gaming market.

F E A T U R E S

6

Opinions

December 9, 2011

the Talisman

Same-sex marriage controversy sound off Two Talisman editors take a stand for their individual points of view on the ever-controversial subject of gay marriage rights

pro

anti

Alex Nelson copy editor

Aaron Mueller news editor

Chasity Barnes photo

It’s been debated upon, is legal in six states, and has been repealed in others: same-sex marriage is a very active controversy to this day. While there are many arguments for same-sex marriage, there aren’t many arguments against it. If you ask someone who’s against it why they’re against it, more than likely you’ll get an answer involving religion. While this argument is valid for some people, it doesn’t mean anything to others. This is why I’m telling you that everyone deserves the right to marry no matter what their sexual orientation happens to be.

Marriage is essentially the union of two people who love each other. Who says that love between two men or two women is any different than love between a man and a woman? Love is love. Freshman Rose Thomas said, “I believe that everybody has the right to marry whoever they love.” Also, freshman Sophia Warner said, “Being gay does not make their love any less pure.”

Some people would say that being gay is a choice. Speaking firsthand, being gay is not a choice. Warner also said, “No, being gay is not a choice. Why would someone choose to be harassed?” Gay bullying is most definitely a problem, and has resulted in people being afraid to be who they truly are. People should not be afraid to be who they are, especially if it keeps them from showing their love for another person.

While some students don’t have opinions on this issue, many do. Sophomore Jami Biehl said, “I think it’s bull [expletive] that [expletive] Kim Kardashian can [expletive] marry a [expletive] star athlete for two [expletive] months, but two guys can’t get [expletive] married for a lifetime.” It would be awesome if everybody thought this way; unfortunately, not everybody does.

Sexism was fixed! Racism was conquered! Why is it so difficult for people to allow same-sex marriage? If the only people it affects are the two people getting married, why is it anybody else’s business to say who has the right to show their love for another person through a lifetime union? It just doesn’t make sense.

Things are changing. They’re changing slowly, but things are definitely getting done, which is awesome. Although same-sex marriage is not legal in many states now, it may be in ten years. Share your opinion. Let your thoughts be heard.

Because change can happen.

Chasity Barnes photo

--DISCLAIMER: I understand that my views may not reflect the views of my many of peers, but here are some thoughts and facts on the dangers and risks of same sex relationships. This is, by no means, an attack or persecution, but rather some information that should be considered.— Whether or not gays and lesbians should be given the right to marry has been a heated subject for many years. 44 states in the United States do not allow it, as well as the federal government. The widely-believed idea that the only reason that people are against same-sex marriage is due to religion is a myth. There are many arguments for people against same-sex marriage, such as the physical harm of gay sex, the effect that a same-sex family would have on a child being raised in that family, and also the fact that marriage defined by law is the unification of one man and one woman.

Children are ideally raised in a family consisting of both a female and male role model. If a gay couple were to adopt a child, that child would be raised without a female role model in his/her life. Also, if a lesbian couple adopted a child, that child would be raised without a male role model in his/her life. For a child to become a well-rounded person in society, he/she needs both a male and female living with him or her as parents.

According to the U.S. Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), section three, the definition of marriage is: “In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word ‘marriage’ means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word ‘spouse’ refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.”

Basically, same-sex marriage disowns the name “marriage,” which for centuries has meant the unification of both one man and one woman. Many religions also support the fact that marriage is meant for one man and one woman, as well as the federal government.

Conclusively, I believe that same-sex marriage and relationships are wrong, due to the physical harm of gay sex, the fact that if a child is adopted into a same-sex family, it will be severely hindered due to the absence of both a man and a woman in his/her life, and also that marriage by law is the unification of both one man and one woman.

Library too loud for some Twitter versus Facebook There’s been an uproar lately because of the librarians’ complaints on how poorly the library has been used.

Tiwanna Hamilton staff writer Recently there have been some issues regarding the library. I’m guessing you’re wondering what issues I am referring to. Issues such as loud talking, and the general not following of the rules seems to be the case. As long as I’ve attended Sheldon, the librarians have complained about it being too noisy, or that there are too many people at a table, but according to sources the problem has only gotten worse. Who is it that thinks there is a problem, though? From the looks of it, just the library staff, and maybe even some of the teaching staff.

When I asked frequent library visitor, sophomore Levi Rotherham, about the situation; he stated, “I don’t think the problems have gotten too out of hand. There is the occasional group of people being loud, but other than that not too big of an issue.” But I think there are some mixed opinions about this case. Temporary librarian, Seve Johnston said, “I’m only here until Winter Break, but I think that Sheldon as a whole should really decide what they want the library to be, because I know some students consider it a hang out, and others come to work quietly.” So, the question is what the library should be considered as, and how the students should treat it.

Junior Kylie Canaday said, “I think that there should be a certain time for the library to be a fun environment and certain time to be a working environment.” I agree with Canaday, because no matter how many times the librarian says that the library is a “quiet work environment,” students are still going to come to the library and be loud anyways. I’ve always found that the library was a nice place to go if you don’t have class or you want to just chill out, so I think it should be used Chasity Barnes photo for both a fun environment and a work Seniors Hannah Theophil and Zach Trahan. environment.

Sheldon students express their opinions on which social networking site is better Sam Seno staff writer

There is no doubt that Facebook and Twitter are the most popular social networking sites on the web today. Both give you the ability to keep in touch with friends and family as well as finding out what is on your favorite celebrities’ minds. Even though both have the same basic ideas, each site has its own specific qualities and different things to offer. It’s time to break down these two sites and see which site has the most to offer.

Facebook was the first of the two sites to take off and has more people using it than Twitter does (however, Twitter is about to pass Facebook for number of users). A lot of people prefer Facebook over Twitter since it allows you to play games, chat with friends, and do many other things. Junior Troy Grove said, “I like reading about other people’s problems.” Facebook is the more advanced site and allows you to do more than Twitter does. Senior Sam Peterson said, “Facebook is the site where they hang up Christmas lights using squirrels.”

Facebook is obviously a site with unlimited possibilities. Even though it might not be true that you can hang up Christmas lights using squirrels, Facebook is still an amazing way to keep up with your friends and family.

Twitter is not as old as Facebook but is very popular and gaining new members every day. Twitter does not allow you to do as much as Facebook does, but it gives you a more in-depth way to follow your favorite celebrities, sports stars, and political figures. With Twitter you get to hear what is really on the mind of your favorite team’s star player, or what your favorite artist has in mind for his or her next album. Even though what you can do on Twitter is limited, the connection it gives you to celebrities has been enough to make it one of the most popular social networking sites today.

After a day of talking to people about Facebook and Twitter it turned out that a lot of people have a Facebook, but don’t have a twitter. Senior Hunter McNie said, “Facebook allows you to connect with your friends better than Twitter does.” This could be the main reason why Facebook is used more often by more people than Twitter.

Even though these two social networking sites are very different they both have different things to offer which make them the most popular connectivity sites on the web.

Sports

the Talisman

December 9, 2011

7

Boys basketball tips off 2011-12 season The Sheldon Irish are ready for a new year with high hopes of a playoff run A.J. Smith staff writer The Sheldon basketball team has much promise for this upcoming season. After an 18-9 record last year, the team is gearing up for another great season. After losing only seniors to graduation last year, the team has the potential to go even further this year in the playoffs. The program as a whole has advanced over the past few years. The whole program (Freshman, JV, and Varstiy) lost twelve games last year, and they are trying to get that number in the single digits.

Many opinions are flowing about the team this year; some are thinking negatively, while most are thinking positively. Freshman Todd Miller said, “I believe this is going to be a successful season for the team.” The team is using a fairly new offense with one post and four guards,

Oregon wins Pac-12 Championship game Ducks finish the 2011 regular season top of the Pac, look towards Rose Bowl Drew Haugen sports editor Oregon did exactly what many college football fans expected them to do last Friday, dominating an outmatched UCLA team 49-31 to claim the first ever Pac12 Championship. Chip Kelly and the Ducks celebrated their third straight conference title under a shower of confetti and fireworks at Autzen stadium, surrounded by the U of O faithful. The victory also signified an opportunity to play in the Rose Bowl on January 2, against the Big Ten Champion Wisconsin Badgers. As players lifted their trophy high into the Eugene night, it was a moment to reflect on a successful regular season.

The Ducks began the 2011 season fresh off a BCS National Championship appearance and the most successful year in school history. With returning stars like LaMichael James and a highly touted freshman class, the Oregon campus was buzzing with football fever. The excitement culminated with an opening game against SEC powerhouse LSU in Dallas, Texas.

Despite a valiant effort, UO suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Tigers. Kelly and his team bounced back quickly however, returning home to throttle Nevada and Missouri State, outscoring both teams by a combined one hundred points. The following week, James helped the Ducks improve to 1-0 in Pac-12 play with 288 yards rushing and three touchdowns against Arizona in Tucson.

The potential Heisman candidate continued his breakout success into October with 239 yards and a single touchdown in a blowout win over Cal. However, James’s most significant carry during the game came in the fourth quarter when he dislocated right elbow and was carted off the turf. As he disappeared down the stadium tunnel, Oregon fans where left wondering if their hopes of a conference championship and major bowl bid were disappearing with him. Even with their star running back on the sidelines, the Ducks handled the Arizona State in a prime time game at Autzen the next Saturday. Both their lightning quick offense and their punishing defense made big plays on the way to a 4127 drubbing of the Sun Devils. Despite the impressive victory, Oregon had yet another key injury late in the game, this time to junior quarterback Darron Thomas.

It was clear that less-experienced players would have to step up in order for the Ducks to continue their success.

And step up they did. The team didn’t miss a beat as they reeled off four straight wins over Colorado, Washington State, Washington, and the Stanford, slowly implementing James and Thomas back into the offensive game plan as the two players recovered. After defeating Andrew Luck and Stanford on the road to improve to 9-1, it was apparent UO was back in full-force. However, a devastating home loss to USC ended the impressive streak and any National Championship hopes for the team. The Ducks bounced back quickly, dismantling Civil War rival OSU on senior day and claiming the first ever Pac-12 Championship over UCLA a week later.

As the Oregon football team punches their tickets to Pasadena and prepares for their bowl game, both fans and players will have an opportunity to remember an exciting regular season. The Ducks will come ready to “win the day” on January 2, and a Rose Bowl victory would mark a great beginning to 2012.

to maximize the efficiency of the personnel that the team has. The offense is designed to attack the rim and create many opportunities near the rim and on the three-point line.

After a very successful season a year ago, the Irish have high expectations across the board. From the freshman team to the varsity team, the program strives to win.

Freshman player Sam Todahl said, “We have speed that other teams will have a tough time matching up against.”

This speed will give Sheldon an advantage with taller opponents. The teams have been focusing on defense, and utilizing this speed on the defensive end of the court.

The ever-looming issue with any sport is injuries. Sheldon has been lucky the past few years with not having too many injuries. Manager Joe Clem said, “Injuries won’t be an issue this year because we have a deep bench.” He went on to say, “My prediction is that we will finish the season with a victory at the Rose Garden.” A final win at the Rose Garden would bring a state championship to a much-deserving program.

Fans have been coming to more and more of the

games over the seasons. This is most likely attributed to the fact that the team has gotten a better record over the years. The student section has been creative and has themes for each game. The themes differ from game to game and raise the intensity of the experience.

While Sheldon wishes to end the season with a championship, the season is long and treacherous. The team has the maturity and experience to go far into the post-season.

Tebow Time continues in Denver Bronco’s quarterback Tim Tebow leads his team to victory after victory through example and faith Ryan Land staff writer

Some may say he is the best college player of all time.

Others may say that he is the NFL’s worst quarterback. But here’s the cold hard fact: Tim Tebow wins games. Tebow is possibly the most controversial player in the NFL because of how he can impact a game at any time as well as his strong Christian beliefs. In a recent game, Tebow completed only two passes for 69 yards. The amazing thing, however, is that his team, the Denver Broncos, won that game. It may not look pretty all of the time, but Tim Tebow knows how to unite a team and lead them to victory, simple as that.

Long before Tebow was in college breaking records, he was changing lives. Tim Tebow was born to two Christian missionaries and was homeschooled from preschool to high school along with his four other siblings in Jacksonville, Florida. In high school, Tebow took classes at home but played football with a local high school team.

This was a controversial issue for many people because they felt that it was unfair that Tebow could play on a high school team while he wasn’t attending that school.

However, in 1996 the Tim Tebow law was created, which allowed any home schooled students to participate in local sporting events with a team. While playing for his high school team, Tebow worked long hours and hard shifts to become a highly recruited quarterback. He ended up choosing to play at Florida over Alabama, a decision that he admits was one of his hardest to make.

While at Florida, Tebow was a dynamic player, winning the Heisman trophy award along with two national championships. He is believed by many to be the greatest college football player of all time. After his successful stint at Florida, Tebow was drafted in the 1st round in the 2010 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos. He has taken over this year as starting quarterback ever since Kyle Orton (the original starting quarterback) was benched in week 5. Since then, Tebow has a record of 5-1, including three comeback wins late in the 4th quarter. Tebow is exciting to watch because of his ability to change a game at any time. Sheldon teacher Ike Sanderson said, “Tebow is like a master poker player: he makes you think he has a pair of 2’s but then he throws down four of a kind.”

There are many opinions about Tim Tebow, and many of them are right. He does have bad throwing mechanics and he doesn’t have the prototypical strong arm of a professional quarterback. But through his amazing athletic ability, positive attitude, and his will to keep trying no matter what, Tebow becomes a solid threat. Senior analyst Tyler Osborne said, “Tebow is not a very good quarterback, but I think he will succeed in the NFL because he works very hard, knows how to win games,

and he is just a winner in general.” Tim Tebow is not just a winner on the field either.

In the offseason, Tebow takes missionary trips to Africa and the Philippines, where he helps build houses and preaches the Bible to the natives. He is and always has been a strong Christian, and he shows that after every feat he accomplishes, from kneeling and bowing his head (also called Tebowing) to always crediting God in the press conferences. Junior Taylor Alie said, “Tebow is the perfect Christian role model. He is a faithful and fantastic person.”

There is no argument among the people that Tim Tebow is a great person. That fantastic personality and positive attitude translates into success on the football field.

Tim Tebow is the definition of a winner. There may be controversy right now over his performances, but the bottom line is that he is winning football games. He knows how to lead a team to success. He knows what it takes to become a champion. Tebow will become a highly successful quarterback in the future, it’s just a matter of time. After all, Tebow is a winner on the field and a champion off the field.

Drew Haugen illustration

Backpage We hope all of your holidays are joyous! fromTalisman

TTHinThings longer than Kim Karashian’s divorce

Beards In Sheldon Sheldon male students and staff are growing out their facial hair for the season.

Shyanne Church backpage editor ‘Tis the season… to grow your beards! Full beards, mustache, soul patch, chin strap, mutton chop, or the hereand-there patch of hair, a large majority of Sheldon boys and male staff are growing out their facial hair for the season.

And this is perfect season to grow your facial hair with NoShave November and the iconic figure Santa Clause and not to mention the extra warmth a beard could provide, why wouldn’t you want to grow out your beard?

Not only do boys have all their reasons for growing their facial hair, but along with all of a beard’s benefits, they get this increased man appeal. Senior Emilee Fromm said, “Facial hair makes boys look more manly.” Fromm later stated, “It improves them.” If girls were boys and had the opportunity to grow facial hair, would they? “Hell yeah, I would have a beard! I would want a mustache,” said Senior Tashara Ryan.

Ryan agreed, saying, “I would have the best beard in school, it would be perfect all the time.”

On the other hand, do all boys want a beard? They are perfectly capable of growing some sort of beard, but do they prefer to be naked faced? Senior Daniel Chase said, “ Yes, all men want a beard no matter what they say.” What would lead a boy to not want to grow out his facial hair? Could it be that they’re uncomfortable or that the maintenance is too much for them? Chase later stated, “The worst part of my beard is the itchy-ness; if you don’t brush it, it gets bad.” The maintenance of a beard my leave you some work, but the point is that beards can be a cool trend for winter so maybe you could try and grow one.

Pregnacy A Quiditch match My hair Her previous engagment A car wash An episode of Jersey Shore A spray tan the length it takes Santa to get a letter A Mac Miller concert Making a bowl of cereal The life span of a fly The pause that Dora makes after asking a question The average person’s attention span A Twilight sex scene Summer vacation An occupy march Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock’s wedding The NBA strike The theme song from Jeopardy The football season The line at Dutch Bros.

Christmas in Germany

Christmas is always a special day no matter where you are.

Elise Buecklein staff writer

Christmas: A Christmas tree, hanging up stockings above the chimney, the smell of Christmas cookies, buying presents for everybody. Christmas has many different faces. Even though you might not believe in Santa bringing the presents with his sleigh anymore, for most people Christmas still has this special feeling of magic. But Christmas doesn’t mean the exact same thing for everyone.

When people from Norway think of a white Christmas with snow on the Christmas tree, people in Australia might remember that one Christmas where the candles on the tree melted without a fire because the temperature was so warm.

In America, Christmas is commonly celebrated on Christmas Day, 25th of December. Santa Claus brings the presents in the night and gets some milk and cookies in return, which seems like a pretty good deal for us. But it is different

countries, different customs. In Germany, for example, Christmas is called “Weihnachten” which can be closely translated as “Holy Night”. Presents are being opened on Christmas Night, the 24th of December, not on Christmas Day. Also it is not Santa Claus who brings the presents with his sleigh but the Christmas Child.

Other differences also occur in the celebration of the time before Christmas. A big part of celebrating Christmas is of course the preparation of Christmas presents for the people you love, no matter where in the world you are. But besides that people in Germany also celebrate this time with a Christmas wreath with four candles where they lit up a candle each Sunday before Christmas. They also have a Christmas calendar, where you open one door every day and find a little piece of chocolate or some other little thing that has something to do with Christmas.