The Antlerette December 2018 Volume 93 Issue 4
The Evolution of How The Grinch Stole Christmas Esmee Teresi, Staff
As Christmas approaches, many Americans begin their holiday traditions: drinking cocoa and watching Christmas movies. The famous holiday classic, How The Grinch Stole Christmas is rejoiced around the Christmas season by many and continues to have renditions made of it. Several versions of the film have been adapted with the most recent version of the Grinch being voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch. The character was first introduced to television in the 1966 animated TV special. It was based on Dr. Seuss’ 1957 illustrated kids book revolving around the town of Whoville and the Grinch’s grouchy but silly personality. Then in 2000, a live-action version was released starring Jim Carrey as the Grinch. Everyone was put into heavy makeup and prosthetics to resemble the town of Whoville’s wacky hairstyles and oddly pointed noses, and Jim Carrey was put into a big fuzzy suit and was painted bright green. Then, the most recent movie was
released, paying homage to the original cartoon by also using animation, but in a more refined and modern style. Each rendition of the story maintains that the Grinch hates Christmas and wants to ruin it, ending with the same heartfelt message that we all know and love: the Grinch finally seeing the beauty of Christmas and having a heart. In my opinion, the original 1966 version of the story is by far my favorite. It’s like the Dr. Seuss book came to life. The animation is almost identical to the illustrations in the book and it’s my favorite story out of them all. It’s short, sweet and reminds me of the cold December nights I had as a kid curled up on the couch with a blanket watching Christmas movies. But no matter your favorite version of the beloved classic, we all come together and can hear “you’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch” and appreciate such a comical and fun Christmas story. https:// nerdist .com
https://startsat60.com
Merry Scams David Roots, Staff
Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays in the world. It lets you show how much your loved ones mean to you and how much you mean to your loved ones by giving them your time and gifts. However, Christmas is like money; it only works if everyone contributes. Everyone loves the idea of getting together with loved ones and getting free food and gifts, but how would you feel if you spent the most money and time on your family’s Christmas, but you received the least amount of presents and food? Everyone says it is the gift of giving, but why do some people have to do it more than others? Like people in America’s free market society today, there are people that take advantage of the system and use it for their own benefits. It can range from your friends and family to a worldwide corporation. Even though there are many people and companies that do many good deeds, there are some powerful corporations that take advantage of kind souls by using their generosity as a profit. They usually say that “for just five dollars you can give this poor orphan the toy of their dreams”, or “by volunteering at our company, you are helping the friend of tomorrow.” I am not saying to not donate your money like a rich Grinch, but you shouldn’t donate money to any person ringing a bell saying it is for a good cause. Before you donate your hard earned
money to a cause, do a little research. Find out how much money they donate, where they donate to, and how much money they earn. If you are thinking that this is too much work, then you shouldn’t donate. Even though it is the corporations that are scamming and lying, it is also your fault for not caring how your money is being used. It’s not complicated. Just remember, don’t give the gift of giving to someone that doesn’t share. People with true Christmas spirit are viewed like Santa: everyone loves them, but no one wants to be them. This Christmas, try to be your family’s personal Santa: the one who cares, the one with true Christmas spirit. It won’t be easy. A lot of people will use you and make fun of you, but that will help you find the truly best parts of Christmas by showing people’s true colors. Christmas is a sweet but deceptive reminder that everyone is going to cause you pain, anger, and stress. You just need to find the ones that are worth suffering for.
Tis The Season of Truth Joshua Omoruyi, Staff
The Christmas we know today has been a long part of history and holds special meaning to many. However, many people do not know where Christmas and all its traditions actually originate from. The answers surprise many. Many believe that the Christian Church established Christmas, but actually the Romans celebrated on that day long before Christ was born. They were celebrating the winter solstice and the return of the sun from a long winter. They praised the Roman god of harvest, Saturn, during this time. This holiday was looked down upon by the Christians of the time. The first
Christian emperor of Rome and the Church hatched a plan to bring more people towards Christianity. The pagan Romans didn’t want to stop celebrating. What the Christians decided to do is to turn the festival into a Christian holiday. They said that Jesus was born on this day, which is false, and said it was a time to reflect on what Jesus has done for humankind, incorporating aspects of both the old winter festival and the new Christian traditions. `The Christmas tree for example, which has its roots from the Normans, was adapted by the Romans and this tradition stayed. The gift giving, which was already a part of the holiday, was now said to reflect Jesus’ giving spirit. They added attending Church, Christmas carols, and the baby Jesus birth scene into the holiday. Then, the ideas of Saint Nikolaus, Krampus, Knecht Ruprecht, and all the other versions were conceived. These were said to bring gifts to the good children while the bad were punished in some form. (The modern version of Santa Claus was actually created by the Coca-Cola Company). After the Roman Empire fell, each region added their own new takes on the holiday, giving us the diverse Christmas traditions we know today. Even though the origins of Christmas was a large scale conversion plan, that doesn’t mean one should stop his giving spirit.
https://www.umnews.org
Stan Lee: Earth’s Mightiest Hero Jordan Ritchie, Business Manager
“Keep moving forward, and if it’s time to go, it’s time. Nothing lasts forever.” The great man whom this quote belongs to is right, for the most part. Most things don’t last forever, but one thing that will is the memory of Stan Lee. Stan Lee is not only the owner of this insightful quote, but is also a renowned comic book writer, responsible for the creation of characters like Spider-Man and the X-Men. Since Lee’s comics gained popularity, Marvel, Iron Man, and Wolverine have become household names, and so has his. However, fans all over the world have been in mourning since his recent passing on November 12, 2018. However, this article will not be about his death, but his life, which he lived to the fullest. Stan Lee–born Stanley Martin Lieber–was born on December 28, 1922 to his Romanian-Jewish parents, who immigrated to America to have a better life. Despite his enormous success and popularity today, Lee wasn’t always a millionaire. During his childhood, a onebedroom apartment was all his parents could afford, so Lee was encouraged to do well in school so as to have a more promising future than they did. He did so and even skipped a few grades to graduate high school earlier. At age 16, Lee got a job as an editorial assistant for Timely Comics, working with Joe Simon and Jack Kirby–the famed comic book writer we geeks all know to be a household name. In the beginning, his job consisted of getting coffee and running errands, but when he pitched a story idea for Captain America, Kirby and Simon, impressed, decided to use it in the next issue. Two years later, Kirby and Simon quit, so Lee became not only the new head writer of
the company, but editor and art director as well. This fix was meant to be temporary, but Lee was exceptional at doing all of these jobs simultaneously. Comics were a great escape for people, especially during this time, as World War II was raging on. Fictional heroes are great, but Lee felt the need to take part in the action with America’s real-life heroes, so he decided to enlist in the army. He said, “I felt our nation was really in danger, and I couldn’t live with myself if I were a civilian, and other people were over there fighting.” However, instead of going off to take part in the actual war, he was told to stay in the states and was made a playwright; he wrote scripts for training films to be shown to soldiers. At age 23, he was discharged and returned to the company we now know to be Marvel Comics. Stan Lee may have been successful in business, but not in love. Many women were not attracted to the fact that Lee worked for Marvel. Though, one day he met a woman and straight-up said to her, “Hello, I think I’m going to fall in love with you.” This woman was Joan Boocock, Stan Lee’s future wife, who was actually enthralled by his job in comics. It’s crazy to think that at this time, people turned their nose up at the prospect of comics, and today at the very sound of Marvel, ears perk up with excitement and joy. Marvel has become such a huge part of people’s lives all over the world. We, as regular people, can relate to the iconic characters Lee has created, especially the younger generation. In fact, I surveyed 75 teenagers, asking who their top 5 favorite Marvel characters are and it was incredible to see how many different characters were named: Doctor Strange, Daredevil, some even named some baddies like Loki and Doctor Doom, just
proving that Lee made even his villains favorable. However, the top 5 are: 5) Deadpool 4) Thor 3) Iron Man 2) Captain America And at number 1, whom 64% of those surveyed chose as one of their favorites is Spider-Man. Spider-Man isn’t just a hero; he’s also a regular guy. Peter Parker was just a dorky teenager when he was bitten by a radioactive spider, turning him into the amazing hero we know and love. Stan Lee even said, “I never thought that Spider-Man would become the worldwide icon that he is. I just hoped the books would sell and I’d keep my job.” Spider-Man has done so much more than that. He’s become a role model for people to look up to, despite being fictitious. However, Stan Lee has become an even greater role model. One great thing about Lee that I’d like to point out is how he was so ahead of his time. At a time when segregation was not unheard of and writers were sticking to white characters, Lee created Black Panther, one of the most popular superheroes today. In fact, Black Panther ranked at number 6 in the teens’ survey, proving that our society has made great progress towards racial equality. Lee also created characters like the X-Men–ostracized and labeled as mutants– who symbolize the minority class, or any other type of person who is discriminated against or feels like a misfit among society. Lee once said, “If my books and my stories can make people realize that everybody should be equal, then I think it would be a better world.” I hope we can all someday have the same mentality as Stan Lee and live in the world he envisioned. We can get there if we only keep moving… keep moving forward… I’ll let Stan Lee take over, since he could say it much better than any
of us could, “You know, my motto is ‘Excelsior’. That’s an old word that means ‘upward and onward to greater glory’.” I guess that’s where we’re heading, then. Stan, we are honored to have been able to share this incredible journey with you, and will venture on in your memory. Excelsior…
were burned by the fire, destroying everything they had. Families are suffering from harsh and cold weathers brought on by the fire, unable to breathe in the toxic smoke. Some families have gotten gotten sick while breathing the smoke because it is so strong, it’s damaging their lungs. As well as that they don’t have homes or food, resulting for them to sleep outside without a roof over their heads and face many days of starvation. We citizens that weren’t severely affected by the fire should honor and help out the families that don’t have foods by setting up donation systems, such as the Elk Grove High school’s AP English 11 teachers that are selling pop tarts and water to give them any help they deserve to receive.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com
The Fire That Destroyed All Tess Sommer, Design Manager
The fire in Paradise, California was a most devastating one for everyone not just in Paradise, but also for the friends and families of victims in Paradise. The fire started because a man was cutting metal wires in a dry field, which eventually set the entire field on fire. This spread to Paradise, affecting everyone inside the city. Many people were evacuated out of the city with minimal food, water and clothes, some even lost their lives. More than 1,000 firefighters had been battling the fire for weeks. The fire killed around 85 people and has destroyed 19,000 buildings, 14,000 homes, and 500 business buildings, burning a total of about 153,000 acres. (Deadliest Fire in California History Deemed Contained). Families are devastated because the memories they have made in their homes
https://www.washingtonpost.com
Effects of the Campfire Vivian Scherrer, Staff
During the month of November, there have been two big forest fires. These fires bring smoke, ash, and health conditions to the valley. Many people in America have health conditions such as asthma. Asthma is very common as 1 in 13 people have it. During November, schools were cancelled because of the smoke and people were wearing masks to school and work. Although cardiovascular problems can start, physical problems can happen too. It can affect older people more, but it all depends on the hormones and their health problems. With the fires you can also get acute burns. These can be related to larger fires
and hotter temperatures. It releases carbon dioxide and it can be dangerous to the lungs if a lot of smoke is inhaled. The “Camp Fire” in California resulted in multiple deaths and destroyed the whole city of Paradise, California. There are around 85 deaths and 11 people still missing. The fire destroyed homes, cars, and everything people owned. These health problems include cause trouble breathing and runny noses. Also you can get an aggravated chronic heart to lung diseases. Many people have been hospitalized due to these reasons and the fire. Not only were people hurt and killed, but so were animals. Animals can get burned from the fire or die of starvation due to plants being burned. Although, the Camp Fire is 100% contained doesn’t mean it’s fully extinguished. The fire is extinguished now. That means that there are possibly still little fires throughout Paradise and the other places its spread to. During this 2018 wildfire season, there have been 7,983 fires, burning 1,824,505 acres of land; this is in California alone. This is one of the most destructive wildfire season in California. The reason California has so many fires is because of our long dry summer without any rain. Then when something is dry and flammable, it can ignite a spark and winds can carry it and create a large wildfire affecting a lot of people. The Camp Fire got put out because we had a rainy day one day of the week and as the rain progressed, it increased the rate of containment. Not all homes were lost, but they were damaged. Wild forest fires can be dangerous and can affect many people and their health. They can start as bushfires and turn into big forest fires. Many animals and people were affected by these fires and I hope that they stay well and safe through these hard times. Thanks to the rainy day we had it helped extinguished the fire and cleaned up the air. This is important because of how much it
affected people who not only lived in the fire and lost everything, but also to the people that live nearby and got affected by the smoke.
https://www.seattletimes.com
The Danger of Denying Climate Change Daniel Thomas, Staff
On November 8, 2018, the biggest and most destructive wildfire ever in California’s history started and killed 88 people with 158 still missing. The fire’s magnitude has inspired new debate on climate change. People who deny climate change confuse climate with weather. With extreme events from coast to coast, floods, fires and hurricanes, we cannot deny that our climate is in crisis. Global warming has been a continuous issue for decades. Some people in our own government are known to be climate change deniers, such as the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Vice President Mike Pence, and even the President himself. The problem comes from corporations protecting their own interests at the expense of natural resources. There are always multiple excuses from these deniers, like when President Trump blamed forest management on California’s fires to try to steer the conversation away from climate change. The constant production of carbon dioxide produced by human activities continues to be the main contributor to climate change. According
to NASA, it’s causing glaciers to shrink, plant and animal ranges to shift, and trees to flower sooner. Not only that, but the effects that scientists have predicted that would happen in the future are now occurring such as accelerated sea level, more wildfires, stronger tropical storms, and intense heat waves. Politics intensifies the problem of denying climate change. Corporations have stockholders and profits to think of and oil and gas are the basis of our economy. Preventing or diminishing climate change are costly propositions and people in power can’t be bothered, but they are making a tragic mistake on behalf of everyone on the planet. The dangerous effects of climate change have already been happening. The last four years have been on record as being the hottest years ever, with it steadily getting hotter with every passing year, according to ClimateChange.org. Last year also broke a record of being one of six years to have multiple category 5 hurricanes, which are extremely powerful at 190 mph and can definitely do major damage. These deniers of climate change are faced with the reality of the situation constantly, yet they still refuse to believe that it could be true. There’s always going to be an excuse for them to use, so unless we take action now, more innocent people will die. One group of people is causing harm to us all. They can only refuse to believe in something for so long before it eventually catches.
https://www.thetelegram.com
Would No Homework Be Beneficial? Daniel Thomas, Staff
Homework has been given out for so long that it has become second nature for students. A lot of us accept it as something you just have to get it done, but there has been continuous debate on whether or not homework should be given. For most schools, children at the age of 8 are given a comparable amount of work to what most adults have to do for their jobs. Parents have argued that homework and studying are common causes of anxiety and depression in their children. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, as many as 2 to 3 percent of children between 6 and 12 may have serious depression, and 6 to 8 percent of teens as well. There are stigmas involved against these statistics saying that children are just being lazy, which is most likely the reason for about 80% of kids with depression not getting the proper treatment. Another argument against homework is that it’s an outdated concept. It was originally outlawed in the U.S. because the government didn’t see a real need for the population to get a higher education. It wasn’t until after the Cold War where the country was in need of more scientists that would require higher education and homework became a regular for the common child. According to Vokka.com, the amount of work has been doubled since 1981. Because of this, many parents and kids have acknowledged the fact that times have changed and there are not as many reasons to force them to do this much. Recent studies show that 90 to 120
minutes of homework has been detrimental to students’ learning, too. The more homework needed to do, the less effort the student puts into it. With all of this in mind, most likely nothing will change because there are not as many people speaking out about this. It will have to take a whole organization or social group to protest, but too many are accustomed to it so there are no apparent reasons to change anything. Although as times change, eventually everything will.
Disney Conspiracy Theories AdriAnna Delabra, Staff
There are many conspiracy theories involving Disney movies. Some involve mental health such as mental illness or disabilities. Others involve theories that some characters from certain movies are the same or related to characters in other movies. I will introduce to you only a few of the many Disney conspiracy theories. A widely known one is that all Disney Pixar movies take place in the same universe. The movies in this theory include Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Finding Nemo, Cars, Brave, Monsters Inc., Wall-E, Up, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille. The theory is that the timeline begins with Brave as it is set in the dark ages and ends with Monsters Inc. If you look close enough at every one of these movies, there will be a clue in one movie about the other. For example, in Brave, there is a carving of Sully from Monsters Inc. on a wooden log in the background. Let’s get into the movie theories. Carl from Up died in the beginning of the movie. Any who has seen the movie will know that Carl is an old man grieving after his wife’s death who later longs to fulfill their dream. He ties balloons to his
house on a mission to fly to South America. After he is airborne, he realizes a boy named Russell had jumped on his house in attempts to ask for help to receive his final badge for Boy Scouts. The theory is that Carl died in his sleep after he was told he had to leave the house he shared with his wife to go to a retirement home. The rest of the movie is his journey to the afterlife with Russell, his guardian angel trying to get his “wings” or final badge. Russell may have taken on a form of a child due to Carl and his wife Ellie’s desire to have children in their earlier years but were unable to. At the end of the movie when Carl and Russell return to their city, it signifies that Carl made it to heaven. Another popular theory is every Disney character takes on a different form of mental disorders. The theories with the Disney Characters having mental disorders does make a lot of sense, especially considering Walt Disney, himself struggled with mental illness. Alice, in Alice in Wonderland is believed to be suffering from Schizophrenia, a disorder which causes hallucinations, paranoia, and negative social behaviors. She is associating with floating cats, has long and odd conversations with caterpillars, she was paranoid for most the movie about the queen cutting her head off, she sees her body constantly changing from large to small, and lastly, she believes the entire world is real and never questions if it isn’t. Another character believed to have a mental disorder is Scar from the Lion King who is said to be a sociopath. He kills his brother, is very anti-social, but easily persuades people into doing things. A more well-known theory is that all Winnie the Pooh Characters are living with some form of mental illness and/or disorder. Pooh is said to have characteristics pointing towards Binge Eating Disorder, he is noticeably larger than most of the movie’s characters and has an odd obsession with honey and feels the constant need to
consume it. Piglet is suspected to have Anxiety disorder, jumping at any sudden noises or running to hide. Tigger shows symptoms of ADHD with an emphasis on hyperactivity. He is super energetic, always moving, and is always interacting with others. Eeyore has severe depression or chronic dysthymia, a disorder defined by a low mood for at least two years. Along with the symptoms of depression such as no interest in normal activities, hopelessness, low self-esteem, low appetite and poor concentration. Finally, Rabbit suffers from OCD, Rabbit is constantly counting things throughout the movie, giving everyone his wrath when his order is interrupted. There are a considerable amount of Disney movie conspiracy theories that are all intriguing. Many characters are relatable to young kids through characters with common illnesses like ADHD and autism. They are also relatable to characteristics to older viewers such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. Walt Disney had made all Disney movies enjoyable, relatable, and loveable.
http://www.lifebuzz.com
Reconnection In Process Darian Toca, Staff
Why is it that reconnections with family, friends, or someone who caused trouble in the past, are either extremely difficult or surprisingly easy? Perhaps it depends on the situation or the person you are reconnecting with. It is usually one of the two, but especially is very difficult for either both or one of the people involved.
Why is it this way? Humans want to be accepted by others, of course. Whatever happened in the past might’ve given them a bad experience. Bringing back that same tension could bring back bad memories and start up more drama. People are social animals. Though some of us do walk alone, we usually rely on each other to survive. We look for attention in any way we can, but a mistake can lead to negative feedback from people. Once the drama is over, there is usually a silence that follows. An anonymous person has said before, when another was acting up, “Just don’t give him attention.” Then once the event was finished, the two people completely ignored each other for a long time. There is a fear that is placed in both of these people. A fear of interaction could lead to the more issues. However, I have experienced reconnections of my own. When we see things in a new light, we take what we have learned from our mistakes and shape ourselves to be a better person than we were yesterday, which is a good reason to at least try to reconnect. Once you and the other person have been given time to grow and mature, it is good to try and talk again. It is hard to say hello, but the reconnection that follows, strengthens a bond that is stronger than before. Give it time and who was once an enemy can become a good friend. But if we are not careful, it could end up taking a bad turn. Reconnections are not always going to go well. Some things were made to stay the way they are, but it is worth it to find out if that is so, by giving someone a second chance. It is up to us to make a friend instead of an enemy.
http://exposure.org.uk
A Message for a Friend Emily Kennedy, Editor in Chief
I went to this coffee shop you would’ve loved yesterday. The owner is an old man named Mort who believes only in two things: dark roasts and good conversation. There is an old couch inside that is your favorite shade of green, the color of your Eddie Bauer sweater. It is accompanied on the left by a towering pile of books Mort has deemed appropriate for his shop, most of which are in French. Mort’s ex-wife was French. He doesn’t care for her much, but he does enjoy the language. I’ve been making collages in my spare time because I miss you and it makes me feel like you’re here with me. I haven’t been able to muster the effort to complete a major painting project in the last few weeks, but I am always able to find a little joy in cutting up National Geographic magazines and pasting them into my collage book with Mod Podge. I’m thinking I might try to fill up the book before Christmas, so I can give it to you as your Christmas present. Last year’s poem calendar was very beautiful and time-consuming to make, taking me four seasons of Seinfeld to finish. I’m afraid the collage book is not measured in Seinfeld seasons, so I cannot forge a direct comparison, but I hope you love this gift just the same.
Someone has stolen our tips again! We think it was one of the delivery guys, as they’ve stolen from us before, but there’s no way to be sure. I’m just worried about the full-time baristas. They depend on their tips for gas and food money, whereas I just use it as a weekly coffee budget. I showed Jerry some art that my friend Wren made. It looks like it was made by a serial killer. I found it concerning, but Jerry was into it. I think I might set the two of them up. I was rummaging through the four dollar bin in a record store a few days ago and I stumbled upon a lucky discovery. The record is called “A Slow Boat to Capri”, featuring Italian songs sung by Giuseppe Scarola. Giuseppe is a fashionably dressed Italian man with a very large mustache, who is locally known in Capri for transporting travelers on his rowboat and providing them with a jovial performance of these Italian songs. He describes himself on the back of the vinyl as a tanned and muscular son of a boatman. Needless to say, the record immediately reminded me of you. Sunday morning, a very old Swedish man came in and ordered a triple cappuccino. He stood at the bar and took a sip, then raised his eyebrows at me in an expression that reminded me of you for some reason. It made me smile. Although I’m not able to be with you right now, I hope you know that I think of you all the time. I know this does not entirely make up for my absence, but I suppose it will suffice until we see each other again.
https://markmanson.net