NEWS
DECEMBER 15, 2021
Mrs. Nycklemoe’s AI adopts Chicago class
PAGE 4 Best holiday cookies and drinks to try this season
PAGE 10 Still need to shop? Check out the last minute gift guide!
PAGE 14 Prepare for the new year with resolution tips
PAGE 18 Holiday movies to snuggle up with this break
PAGE 22 Basketball season kicks off with Late Night
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The New Space Race Elon Musk is leading the world to the next space race with the help of the Falcon 9 By: Nick Dioszeghy
On Nov. 10 at approximately 9:10 p.m. the Falcon 9 Heavy rocket thrust its booster and began lift off of pad 39A at Kennedy space center, beginning its voyage to the International Space Station (ISS). The Falcon 9 rocket is a part of a series of rockets designed and built by Space X in conjunction with the NASA space program. The Falcon 9 is the predecessor to the Falcon 1 rocket which was designed in California and launched from 20062009. Over the last 15 years Space x has continuously developed a series of rockets known as the Falcon Booster series. The primary goal of these rockets is to carry equipment to space, be it a telescope or research equipment to the International Space Station. But arguably their most important function is to be able to take humans to extraterrestrial planets, the most promising being Mars. The rockets have proven to be incredibly successful. In the past, rockets could only be launched once into the atmosphere and more specifically the rocket boosters themselves were only allowed to be used once. When the United States launched the historic Apollo 11 mission, which put the first humans on the surface of the moon, they used five engines per shuttle unit. These engines were called Aerojet Rocketdyne F-1 engines. These engines were revolutionary at the time. The aerojet engine also became one of the most expensive engines to use during a launch; they cost between
28 to 30 million dollars per engine. The aerojet engines put out roughly 1.5 million lbf, which is essential to how much pounds of force the entire staging system puts out onto the ground per second. The engine also carries a 109% power level index which allows it to reach top speeds of over 30,000 miles an hour and uses liquid hydrogen as its burning fuel. This made it the most powerful boosters in the world when they were built in 1942 and still stood the test of time when
DECEMBER 15, 2021 NASA used them on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, but it wasn’t until 2012 that SpaceX (primarily founder and CEO Elon Musk) came up with the ingenious idea to make the rocket boosters reusable. Now,after a launch, companies and governments didn’t need to throw away millions of dollars worth of engines. However, this presented a load of problems that engineers needed to overcome First of all the SpaceX engineers needed to figure out how heavy their actual engine needed to be and how much PSIA (pounds per square inch) and LBF they needed to get the rocket engine to expel. In the end they created the Merlin engine. This engine does not put out as much thrust as the F-1. It puts out around 90,00 dry lbf and nearly 200,000 atmospheric lbf but in the end is much more economically useful in the sense it costs far less than the F-1 engine. The Merlin engine cost just shy of $1 million, the F-1 engine cost around 30 million dollars depending upon who the manufacturer is. It is also much lighter, weighing
NEWS
Top Photo: Spacex Merlin engine used on the falcon 9 rocket
over 7 thousand pounds lighter than the F-1 engine. This makes it much easier for SpaceX to be able to launch and land the rocket with high flexibility and control.
Bottom photo: aerojet rocketdyne F-1 engine
Why are these rockets being built by SpaceX? SpaceX was founded in May of 2002 by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. Musk has gone on to say “I think fundamentally the future is vastly more exciting and interesting if we’re a spacefaring civilization and a multiplanetary species than if we were not.” The main goal of SpaceX is to open space up to everyday people and to be able to colonize new planets for the future generations. SpaceX’s main focus is being able to send human beings on extended space travel lasting a year or more, possibly many more. The end goal in mind is something that many people support because it is becoming concerning the way we are damaging our planet and also the simple fact that the sun will eventually swallow the entire earth whole. So there is hope that these rockets will carry future generations to new planets and it opens the opportunity for our species to live forever. THE EYRIE 03
FEATURE DECEMBER 15, 2021
It all started in room 413 when history teacher Carol Mrs. Nycklemoe and her advisory class were discussing what they were thankful for this upcoming holiday season. The usual answers of family, friends, and roofs over their heads seemed insignificant when they heard about a woman named Kelly. Kelly teaches third grade in the Chicago Public School district in the southside of Chicago. Every new teacher gets excited about the first day of school. Preparing the lesson plans, organizing the classroom, and meeting their kids for the first time. She was the same but Kelly was stunned when she first stepped into her classroom and noticed how few school supplies that her kids had available to them. Nonetheless she was determined to give her kids the best opportunity to succeed. The more she got to know her kids the more she realized how little they had. Her students come from a lot of trauma and unfortunately cannot even go outside to play due to the sounds of gunshots from the nearby park. She found that some students’ shoes were so worn down that they were practically walking around barefoot. When Nycklemoe heard Kelly’s story, she was moved to tears. When she shared this story with her advisory class they all realized that there is a huge social difference between our public schools and the ones in Chicago. One student suggested that they send them their much needed supplies. The idea soon flourished into adopting Kelly’s class for the holidays. Determined to give them the best holiday experience, the students in Nycklemoe’s advisory 4 THE EYRIE
Christmas in Chicago By: Mireya McInnis
began to brainstorm ideas. Nycklemoe emailed Kelly explaining what her class wanted to do and asked if there was anything particular they should send.
Kelly then replied back with a list of items. “Basic things like post-its, crayons, playdough were on the list,” said Mrs. Nycklemoe.
Photo by Mrs. Nycklemoe
DECEMBER 15, 2021 FEATURE The class soon started coming up with cute ideas to make the gifts festive. Laurie Plankers found snowflake themed goodie bags that held many different things for the kids. They made candy bars that looked like snowmen and also put in other candy. Librarian Amy Brown and robotics teacher Jason Smith collaborated together and created personalized 3-D bookmarks with each kid’s name on it. They even got each kid a pair of Christmas socks. “Some of these kids were told by their parents that Santa wouldn’t be making it to their house this year, so if we could give them even the smallest bit of holiday cheer, that makes a huge difference,” Abby Davis said. Mrs. Nycklemoe also
Photo by Mrs. Nycklemoe
“Every kid deserves a Christmas and I’m so happy we can give them that opportnity,” said Piper Lengquist.
wanted to make sure that every kid got a new book. She was able to research and find a book for each boy with a book about a boy as the main character that was also a person of color. They did the same for the girls as well. “Our goal is to hopefully be able to zoom in with the kids and be there when they open their gifts,” Nycklemoe said. It’s simple acts of kindness like this that makes people truly believe in the spirit of Christmas. “Every kid deserves a Christmas and I’m so happy we gave them that opportunity,” Said Piper Lenquist.
Photo by Mrs. Nycklemoe
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PHOTO DECEMBER 15, 2021
TOP LEFT Dancer, Lindsay Pruett, senior performing Falcon Late Nite PHOTO BY Coral Netten TOP Guyon Grant, senior, acting in the fall musical of Suessical PHOTO BY Devon Schmidt RIGHT Photographer, Audrey Stover, freshman, taking pictures in the commons PHOTO BY Veronica Blalock
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DECEMBER 15, 2021 PHOTO
ABOVE Raleigh Jonas, snior, performs as The Cat in the Hat during the fall musical, Suessical. PHOTO BY Devon Schmidt LEFT Reece Beckman, senior performing in the winter concert for the band PHOTO BY Andy Forest
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PHOTO DECEMBER 15, 2021
TOP The cast of Suesical performs in the fall musical PHOTO BY Devon Schmidt RIGHT Art classes created black light projects which were on display in the 700 hall. PHOTO BY Lydia Kline
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DECEMBER 15, 2021 FEATURE
‘tis the season for giving While planning gifts for the hoilday season, it’s also the perfect time to lend a helping hand around the Kansas City community. It is important to give back, and with the cold upcoming winter now is the time to do kind acts. By Teresa Foster Ways to volunteer
Volunteering locally is an amazing way to do a service for your community. It feels good to give back to those around. Volunteering is a great way for people to help their community, but many think it is especially important during the holidays. The weather is cold, seasonal depression hits, there is pressure of gift giving, and it is a very lonely time for many. People need financial support and others just need love shown towards them. Volunteering not only helps those around, but it often brings a sense of joy to help other people. Whether something big or something small, it’s likely something that will help all. Ways to contribute Sometimes, donating to an organization or charity isn’t an option, luckily it’s not the only way to spread love to others. When passing by a person without a home you can give them something to help out. Often, something small can mean the world to someone else. Many individuals just want someone to talk to, it is a very lonely world out there and many people only desire company. Taking a small part out of the day to help someone in need, is something
simple for you and a blessing for them. Many people just want food and others need clothes, blankets, socks, toiletries, etc. Another way to help out is by sending love to friends and family. Write an appreciative letter, or buy them something sweet. This is a simple way to bring a smile to loved one’s and show gratitude. There are many different things to help out Olathe South as well. There is a clothing drive being held from November 29 through December 10 at Mission Southside. There is also an angel book donation where a payment for a yearbook is made and a student who can not afford one gets it. This is a great opportunity to help our peers have a memory of a lifetime. Places to Volunteer Mission Southside is a great program with many opportunities to help out. They provide furniture to people in need, food for children when they are not at school, and clothing. Mission Southside is located at 514 S Kansas Ave, Olathe KS 66061 Center of Grace is a church that offers meals to those who may worry about when they will eat next. They cook and serve meals every Wednesday at dinner time. This is a really good thing because some people may have not had a nice, warm, and home cooked meal
in a while. Center of Grace church is located at 520 S Harrison St, Olathe KS 66061 Salvation Army is a nationwide community service program who strives to provide basic necessities for those who need help. They also always help out in the event of a natural disaster, or the pandemic for example. Salvation Army is a perfect way to just donate or get physically involved in your community. This community center is located at 420 E Santa Fe St, Olathe, KS 66061 Heartstrings Community Foundation assists adults with disabilities to live an independent life and become successful. It is important that people with disabilities still get to live life how they want and become whatever they desire, as everyone does. This is a good way to connect with people and help them grow. Heartstrings Community Foundation is located at 11599 S Ridgeview Rd, Olathe, KS 66061 A perfect way to help the community directly is by donating to the school. Our athletics and all activities are always doing fundraisers to support their program. Falcons, help out our school and give back to fellow peers. A small donation goes a long way. To donate, contact the leader or coach and talk to them about what can be done to help out. THE EYRIE 9
Holiday Traditions FEATURE DECEMBER 15, 2021
The different ways families celebrate during the holidays.
By: Mallory Brooks
Every winter families celebrate their own traditions in multiple different ways. The colder months bring the holidays, and the holidays bring lots of traditions that every family celebrates differently. “One of my favorite traditions that I’ve done for like forever is making this dessert/ snack we call ‘white trash’, it’s just like a bunch of cereal and pretzels covered in white chocolate” senior Macy Garafola says. “It is kinda what we do to kick off the holiday season since we wait all year to make it.” Garafola is not the only family to have special food they make around the holidays. “My grandma makes these really good mashed potatoes.” junior Quinn Craig says. “After we eat it’s like 10 THE EYRIE
a tradition that we all sit in the living room and watch a Christmas movie.” Dominguez’s family also makes food during the holiday season. “My grandma makes a special bubble bread every Christmas morning,” junior Gabi Dominguez shares. “I would like to cook dessert and bread.” During the holidays many families decorate their homes to get into the holiday spirit. ”Of course we decorate, inside and outside. We have holiday lights, fake giant candy canes, we have these lollipops that my mom made ages ago and inside we have tons of manger scenes and little homemade stuff my sister and I have made throughout the years,” Garafola said. Dominguez decorates but she wishes she could do even more.
“We decorate but not enough. My parents won’t let me be in charge. I wish I could put up more lights and shiny Christmas colored things,” Dominguez said. Christmas eve brings a lot of traditions for many families. “My grandma always sends us puzzles and on Christmas eve my sister and i have a competition and whoever finishes the puzzle first gets to open the first gift and we all open one gift on Christmas eve” Garafola says. Other families have cool present opening traditions as well. “We open one present in the morning right after breakfast and then save all of the rest for the night.” Dominguez says. “It’s like a sneak peek before the big reveal, and a way to get some of that curiosity out.”
DECEMBER15, 2021 FEATURE
Data for this infographic was generated by an Ipsos eNation online omnibus survey of 1004 Americans.
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OPINION DECEMBER 15, 2021
Treats for the Holidays
Some cookies make for the perfect holiday goodie but some cookies make for the Christmas equivalent of getting an UTI on your birthday. By Guyon Grant
There’s nothing better than spending time with your family making cookies. Quality time with loved ones while enjoying delicious warm treats that are left out for Santa at the end of the night. Sugar, spice, and prediabetes make the holidays great. Giving everyone a little bit of what they want. Well, almostv everyone. Some cookies ruin the holidays. Some cookies make the holidays a bleak affair, giving memories that are worse than your grandmother bringing up childhood trauma. With the holidays approaching it’s important to know which cookies to enjoy and ones to avoid at all costs. Take heed of the advice given and celebrating will be a breeze. These are the cookies stalking the 2021 holiday season.
When it comes to Holiday treats, these are the “cookie outcasts’’. Compiled of horrific Gingerbread men and cookies that look more fit for a dog than a human, these are the cookies made for social gatherings for people with impaired vision. These are about as appealing a healthy relationship is to Taylor Swift and while Jake Gyllenhaal didn’t do anything wrong, these cookies definitely gaslight everyone’s taste buds. Remember “festive” doesn’t always equal “good” and these “cookies” certainly don’t equal “food”. Keep these stale sugar wheels away from the holiday parties and away from the stomachs of the innocent. The only acceptable place to serve this dessert is on Death Row. Even then it would be considered cruel and unusual punishment. When it comes down to it these cookies are a straight up 0/10.
The classic sugar cookie gives everyone what they want. A sweet treat, that you can decorate yourself and will always taste great if it’s done the right way. This dessert tastes of nostalgia. This is a cookie for everyone to, not only enjoy eating, but to enjoy making. It’s art that looks great and tastes delicious. Making these is a great idea for this coming winter season and will always be a hit at holiday parties. Given the simple nature of these cookies, it’s hard not to love them. Having these in a big Ziploc bag that everyone in the family can take from every now and then puts these in the top three cookies of all time. The only problem is that only a deranged psychopath would make these before the month of December. For that these deserve a 9/10.
Evil was brought into the world when these cookies were created and unleashed on the public. These “Great Value” death circles are the epitome of evil. Every bite is more dry than the last. These cookies should be sold with a gallon of milk or should only be eaten under the supervision of someone who knows the Heimlich maneuver. To even classify these cookies as “Christmas cookies’’ is disrespectful to all the others. The big corporations that shove these cookies in our faces merely change the color of the frosting and sprinkles to fit any holiday of their choosing. There could be a Hanukkah themed version of these cookies. It’s actually surprising there aren’t any, as these are Kosher. The only reason they score this high is because they are FDA approved. These deserve a -10/10.
There’s never been any doubt that cookies have the potential to be the greatest holiday dessert to exist. However, in America there has been no development on making them better. The cookies shown here are a cancerous form of marketing, headed by big corporations that just want money. So this year just skip them. Now is not the time to try something new.
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DECEMBER 15, 2021 FEATURE
Drinks to Drown in This Holiday Season By Andrew Woodworth
Shirley Temple
Hot Chocolate
Not only was Shirley Temple a phenomenal actress but has her own drink named after her. This nonalcoholic cocktail is dairy-free and is more of a thirst quencher than a novelty drink like hot chocolate or eggnog. Although not difficult to make, this drink is by far more tedious to make than the others, first, a glass is filled with ice cubes, then one ounce of grenadine cocktail syrup (Pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice) is poured over the ice, finally, eight ounces of lemonlime soda or ginger ale are poured into the glass and the concoction is stirred and topped with a cherry. Those looking to try something different would surely enjoy trying this beverage. Despite being an old-fashioned classic, it is a great holiday refresher.
Warm, silky, smooth. Arguably the best way to spend the holidays, sitting on the couch enjoying that favorite holiday movie whilst sipping that chocolaty drink that we all love. Of course, however, some individuals are sensitive to dairy products, but fear not, substituting milk for almond milk or coconut milk still provides an exceptional experience for the consumer. By adding this one ingredient to this classic holiday drink, marshmallows can vastly improve the taste of this beverage. Thankfully, marshmallows are both dairy and gluten-free as they are only made with sugar, water, and gelatin. Hot chocolate is a great option for those who have a taste for rich, and sweet commodities.
Refreshing Analysis
Eggnog
Golden, rich, frothy, like it or not, everybody knows how popular eggnog is during the holiday season. Every sip is a reminder of the festive winter season, which is the most common period in which people make and drink eggnog. Although this beverage is traditionally made with booze, it is often consumed free of alcohol. This drink contains five simple ingredients, eggs, sugar, milk, cream, and nutmeg. The fact that eggnog contains raw eggs may be alarming to some, however, eggnog is often produced using ultra-pasteurized eggs to ensure safety amongst drinkers. Similar, too hot chocolate, eggnog can be produced without the use of dairy products, almond milk is a common substitute for the milk and cream in this drink.
Essentially, each of these drinks is vastly different, which one is favorable likely varies among everyone, some like sweet, tart, rich, smooth, light... The list is endless. However, these are great options for those that may be unsure of what they’d like to drink this holiday season. Of course, these three drinks are not the only options for a relaxing holiday refresher, but they are enjoyed by people everywhere and are always a choice to consider when deciding what to drink during these winter months. THE EYRIE 13
FEATURE DECEMBER 15, 2021
No Need to fear Your Gift Guide is Here By: Gianna Comelli
Buying gifts for the holiday season can be so extremely stressful. Sometimes you have all the ideas but lack the funds. Other times every gift sounds like a flop. Candy is childish, money is bland, and a gift card is just plain lazy. Gifts can be flashy and fun, but sometimes it’s good to pull the heartstrings. When giving a thoughtful gift, you should always consider things that make your person smile. Whatever it is, recognize it and then take it to another level. Simon Teferra, senior, said,“Last year I got my mom and I matching gold necklaces with a butterfly pendant symbolizing my sister.” Teferra’s gift definitely pulled the heartstrings. This is a great example of finding simple yet beautiful treasures for your loved ones. Now it’s clear we all have a gift that’s made our toes curl. A gift so great your eyebrows got stuck in the clouds. Sometimes it’s good to think about those presents that made you feel so cheerful to get that creative inspiration. Togi Tiafau, senior, definitely got quite the magnificent gift. Tiafu said, “My best gift definitely has to be from my dad, he got me a grand piano.” This present combined with receiving it from such a special person, made Tiafau’s Christmas extravagant.
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DECEMBER 15 ,2021
Feature
Sadly, there’s no escaping the gifts that make you turn your head in complete dissatisfaction. Although we should be thankful for anything we’re given, sometimes you can’t help but question what went through someone’s mind when they hand you the present. Addelyn Howat, senior, definitely got to experience some major disappointment. Howat said, “It was at a white elephant party and I got stuck with a homemade dog ornament and it was so ugly.” Yikes, not even an itchy sweater could’ve saved that one. After all the holidays are about being together. Taking care of the important people in your life and just loving each other. Whether your love language is acts of service or words of affirmation, nothing says “I love you” like a scented candle. Gifts can say so much no matter how much it costs. So remember to give the ones you love something meaningful this Holiday season.
DIY Gifts Buying gifts is definitely a go-to, but once in a while it’s nice to take the extra time to put something together yourself. You don’t have to be Piccaso to make something unique and sweet for that special someone!
1. Breigh Bigelow, junior,
said “Last christmas I made ornaments and painted them with my family and their pets names on it.”
2. Liv Sander, senior, said “I’ll usually go to Target to put together a little self care box with lotions, face masks, and other cute things.”
3. Jada Pippins, senior, said
“The best DIY present I’ve ever given was a scrapbook with all my favorite pictures and memories. On the back of each photo was a letter.”
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OPINION DECEMBER 15, 2021
How Soon Is Too Soon? Students’ Opinions on When to Start Playing Christmas Music By Sydney Slaton
As Christmas approaches the debate on when to listen to Christmas music has been rekindled. According to many students the appropriate time is after Thanksgiving; a few students have very strong opinions on the subject. As people anxiously wait for what is possibly the most popular holiday of the year, many find they cannot wait and start celebrating Christmas early. One way people celebrate is with music, but that begs the question, when is the right time to listen to Christmas music? According to sophomore Valory Boyd, the time for holiday music is “the day after Thanksgiving.” Yet fellow sophomore Sean Payne says the day after Thanksgiving is still too early. He says we should wait until “the first day of December” to start enjoying the Christmas season. Personally, I agree more with Boyd that the day after Thanksgiving is an adequate wait time; however, I think it is okay to start listening to Christmas music the week of Thanksgiving. Like Boyd and Payne, I believe each 16 THE EYRIE
holiday should be separate, but I like to mix Thanksgiving and Christmas. My family has always tried to wait until after Thanksgiving to celebrate Christmas- we decorate on the Saturday after and start watching holiday movies after that- but often
He believes that those people are “idiots” for starting the Christmas season too soon. I find that I simply cannot wait until then to listen to Christmas music. So I make an exception on the week of
Thanksgiving so that I can enjoy the holiday season early. But why must we postpone the Christmas season this way? There are many different reasons, such as Boyd’s belief that “we should celebrate every holiday.” Payne waits because he “[thinks] it’s dumb because December is when Christmas is.” Payne says his reasoning “just feels right” since he “was raised that way with [his] grandmother” who starts celebrating Christmas on December first because “she’s very traditional.” I’ve always waited until after Thanksgiving originally because of peer pressure, but later on I got used to waiting and can’t fathom celebrating Christmas in October. Another reason I wait is also because of my family, they’re pretty indifferent to the whole debate on when the holiday season actually starts but have always waited because it makes the most sense to them. Despite what Boyd and
DECEMBER 15, 2021 OPINION
Payne say, many others believe that you can listen to Christmas, to Boyd, those people “seem less appreciative of Thanksgiving.” Boyd likes to celebrate each holiday separately and stands by her claim that all occasions should have their time to shine. I’ve never cared much about how appreciative people are of certain holidays because the thought has honestly never occurred to me. Now that it has though, I can’t say it changes much for me. I still don’t mind much if people skip ahead to Christmas as long as it is at least a week after Halloween. Payne, however, has a different opinion of people who listen to Christmas music too early. He believes that those people are
“idiots” for starting the Christmas season too soon. Clearly, Payne wants his holidays to be separate. Payne’s strong opinions differ vastly from my own, as I think the only “idiots” related to the holiday season are the people who are judgemental to those who choose to listen to Christmas music early. The debate over when to start listening to Christmas music may never truly be settled as many people are anxious to get to their favorite holiday. Even between
Boyd and Payne who can agree that Christmas can wait but can’t even agree on how long it should be postponed. Everyone has different opinions on the subject and at the end of the day it just comes down to personal preference.
Art by Sylvia Grimsley
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FEATURE DECEMBER15, 2021
A New
Start
The New Year’s is full of fun new adventures, come on a journey to find out what you need to do to start the year off right. By: Brooke Burbidge
It's almost a new year! 2021 is coming to an end. Holiday cheer and vacation preparations is what the world is screaming. A huge celebration occurs on December 31st to ring in the new year. Kids in school and some adults all make resolutions. Some news resolutions
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people pick are trying better in school, getting tasks done faster, saving money and more. New Year's resolutions are a great way to rethink the year and start it on a great note. Freshman Avery Fellingham is super excited to start her New Year's resolution. “My new year's resolution
is to have a more positive outlook on life and to be more appreciative,” Fellingham said. Freshman Addison Kurtz is confident in keeping her New Year’s resolution which she is hoping will push her to success. “My New Year’s resolution is to get better grades next semester. I feel excited to be able to achieve my goals,” Kurtz said. When you have a New Year's resolution it can make your outcome in life look more positive. Making a change is something many people strive for and a new year is a great way to start fresh or make a change. Different ways to achieve goals limit your resolution to something manageable that you could add on to so you achieve
DECEMBER15, 2021 FEATURE
your resolution. Start with small steps and then gradually get bigger with your resolution. Get support on your resolution and tell a friend or a family member what you're working towards so they can encourage you to keep going with the finish line doesnt look near. Another great way for completing your resolution is staying positive because even if you quit your goal you can always start again. “To achieve this goal I will spend more time with my family and say thank you more often,” Fellingham said. Mapping out a good plan on how you keep your New Year's resolutions is a good way to stay on track for completing it. “To achieve this goal I will work on studying more and paying attention better in class,” Kurtz said. Achieving resolutions or goals is a great way to put your mind in a positive mood while you earn a goal through hardships and effort. Raining in the new years with friends and family is something people love to do. “I am hanging out with my friends,” Kurtz said. Some fun things to do during New Year’s night are hangout with friends, go ice skating, watch the new years countdown, host a
dinner or a brunch with friends or family. Fellingham is excited to hangout with her friends over the break. “My tradition is me and my friends have a sleepover and watch horror movies. I’m so excited to spend new years with my friends,” Fellingham said. Kurtz is spending the break with family and celebrating her family and friend tradition.
“Some of my new traditions are watching the New York ball drop and staying up until midnight with friends and family I’m excited to be able to hang out with my friends this new year,” Kurtz said. Before going into the New Year’s without having a resolution, think about the benefits of setting goals and planning for the adventure it takes.
Art by Sylvia Grimsley
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OPINION
DECEMBER 15, 2021
Holiday Drinks from Starbucks, Scooters & Dunkin Donuts By: Reese Bratkovic Artwork By: Ashley Rottinghaus
=rating
Iced Carmel Brulee Latte: 5/5
It’s extremely good, it tastes like a sweeter caramel macchiato. For a person who doesn’t like the taste of coffee or likes the taste very little; this is a good choice. I got it iced because I prefab iced coffee, no matter the weather. But either way, this holiday drink was great.
Iced Peppermint Mocha: 4/5
It was good, very chocolatey. And i’m not the biggest fan of peppermint flavor but for a person who likes the taste of peppermint in food they would adore this drink. I’ve heard a lot of people get it hot but again I like my coffee cold and overall would drink this drink again and I actually did. It was a very festive holiday drink.
Toasted White Chocolate Mocha frappuccino: 5/5
I actually got this drink as an iced coffee instead of a frappuccino. But 5/5 rating. This drink was so good. Subtle taste of chocolate. Was sweet but not too overpowering. Perfect nonchalant drink, I loved this one.
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DECEMBER 15, 2021 OPINION Toasted White Chocolate Mocha frappuccino (Dunkin): 5/5 I actually got this drink as an iced coffee instead of a frappuccino. But 5/5 rating. This drink was so good. Subtle taste of chocolate. Was sweet but not too overpowering. Perfect nonchalant drink, I loved this one.
Peppermint Mocha (Scooters): 4/5 This drink was actually pretty good, if someone likes a more chocolatey taste instead of alot of peppermint, like I do; they would really like this drink. I finished it all. And it had good peppermint sprinkles on top in the whipped cream, that were so good.
Signature Peppermint Mocha Latte (Dunkin): 1/5 This drink was terribile. Tasted like milk, barely tasted like chocolate. Almost no peppermint flavor, I couldnt even take more than 3 sips of the drink. It was so bad.
Hot Holiday Spice Carmelicious (Scooters): 0/5 It was so bad. I can’t even describe how horrible it was. The spice flavor was so ovrpowering. It barely even tasted like caramel. It was so, so bitter, not sweet at all. And the coffee and spice flavor did not mix well. Save your $4. THE EYRIE 21
FEATURE DECEMBER 15, 2021
Christmas Movies For the Holidays Season Get yourself ready for the holidays with one of these classic or Hallmark Christmas movies
VS. By: Maggie Flannery Christmas movies have
always been bringing families together for the holidays, whether it is a cheesy Hallmark film or a traditional classic Christmas movie. For a little background, classic Christmas movies are A Christmas Story, Elf, and Home Alone, and Hallmark movies are Crown for Christmas, The Christmas House, and The Holiday Calendar. In these movies, there’s always a hint of romance but for classic ones, they go for more of a comedy side. A great example of a comedy Christmas movie is Home Alone. 22 THE EYRIE
Home Alone is that one movie that puts you in the holiday mood without even trying to. It is about a boy named Kevin who is accidentally left at home while his whole family has gone on vacation. While his family is gone Kevin has to safeguard his house from robbers. This year Disney+ made a new version of the Home Alone classic, the movie called Home Sweet Home Alone. In this movie, the main kid is named Max Mercer, and his family went to Tokyo. In this movie, we get to see the “robbers” point of view. The interesting part is
that Max stole this creepy glass man doll that can save Pam and Jeff Fritzovski (the Robbers) from losing their home and save their family. In the end, Max did not steal the creepy man doll. Can you say plot twist? This remake was pretty good all things considered, but there were moments that are trying too hard to be like the original movie.
DECEMBER 15, 2021 FEATURE
The next movie that is great for the holidays is the Christmas Chronicles. This movie is about a brother and sister named Kate and Teddy Pierce, who has had a rocky relationship ever since their dad passed away a few years prior. It is Christmas Eve night and Kate decides that she and Teddy should stay up and try to capture Santa after seeing him in an old videotape. Needless to say, the plan goes amiss when they jump in the back of Santa’s sleigh. In the movie, Teddy and Kate learn that family makes you stronger, even more, when you lose somebody. It also tells you to believe in yourself, as all good Christmas movies do. What is Christmas without a cheesy Hallmark movie? Because if you are looking for a
great Hallmark movie on Netflix I have just the movie for you. It is called The Holiday Calendar. The Christmas Calendar starts with a young burned-out photographer named Abby Sutton who has just inherited an antique Advent calendar from her grandma. Each day the calendar will open the door for that day, but things start to get fishy when the little toys that are shown each day match with events that are happening in her life. Abby starts to think that the calendar predicts the future. Of course, no Hallmark movie is with some sort of love trope. This movie is a love triangle, with the two guys being Ty the doctor, and Josh the photographer. Which one will she choose? The last and final movie
is called Noelle. This movie stars Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader, who play the Claus siblings in this film. Noelle wants to be something special, even though her Christmas spirit is like no other. Her brother Nick is going to take over for his father as Santa. With the nerves of taking on such a big role to fill, Nick is falling apart with the pressure. Trying to help her brother Noelle urges Nick to take a break before Christmas. He does not return when Christmas approaches, and Noelle must discover where he went in hopes to save Christmas. Season’s greetings to all!
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December 15, 2021
New Movies: 2022 By: Easton Best
2022 is the Year for watching new movies. 2022 promises to be a fascinating year for cinema. There are so many new movies coming out. People better start saving up their money. There are so many sequels to popular movies already out. And just new movies in general.
SpiderMan: No Way Home
For the fans of the Spiderman movies with Tom Holland and Zendaya, the new movie, Spiderman no way home, comes out Friday December 17 2021. The teaser for spiderman no way home beat the record for most watched trailer in 24 hours online. In the trailer, Peter Parker’s identity as spiderman is revealed. As a result of his panic, he decides to visit Dr. Strange to see if he can turn back time so people will forget his identity. The only problem is that this means everyone, even his friends who knew before, will forget his identity. It also causes a problem with the timeline and multiverse.
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Avatar 2
Another very anticipated movie coming out Is Avatar 2. The first Avatar was way before its time, So many people have very high hopes for the second Avatar. Fans of the first Avatar have been waiting literal years for this second movie. And it is finally coming out. It is expected that the film will receive an exclusive theatrical release coming out on December 16 2022.
Jurasic World: Dominion
The next movie on the list is Jurassic world: Dominion. This will be the 7th movie in the series. Jurassic Park (1993) The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) Jurassic Park III (2001) Jurassic World (2015) Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) the movie will be coming out June 10th 2022, and expected to be the best one yet. In the movie, all of the dinosaurs have escaped and roam the mainland. It follows two stories that are dest
December 15,2020
FEATURE
New Movies: 2022 Top Gun Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick. Just by the name of this movie, it already sounds like it’s going to be action packed. This movie is about one of the navy’s best aviators. He must train a new group of graduates and get them ready for a very risky and dangerous movie. This movie has a budget of 152 million. It was supposed to be released early but covid pushed it back. It is now expected to be released on May 22 2022.
The Batman
Fans of superhero movies are in luck. Batman is coming out next year. And fans are super excited. They have had to wait extra long. Batman was supposed to come out in the summer of 2021. It was moved to fall before the spring 2022 rescheduling was announced. The director of Batman will be matt reeves, and batman will be robert pattionson.
Thor Love and Thunder
The next movie we have on the list is Thor: Love and Thunder. This movie will be inspired by the Mighty Thor comics of famous marvel writer Jason Aaron and continue the story of Thor’s comics. Thor is coming out july 8th 2022. This will be the 4th movie in the Thor series. In this movie Jane Foster will be back and wielding the power of the hammer for herself. It’s his second year fighting crime, and he’s fighting a villian named the Riddler. While doing this he uncovers corruption linked to his own family.
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PHOTO DECEMBER 15, 2021
TOP LEFT Keegan Wright, freshmen, wrestles in the Spring Hill dual. PHOTO BY McKinzi Sowels TOP Sophomore, Will Allen, throwing it down in the dunk contest during Late Night PHOTO BY Coral Netten RIGHT During the winter pep assembly, the goldern girls performed a dence for the school PHOTO BY Danielle Desmarteau
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DECEMBER 15, 2021 PHOTO
ABOVE The Falcon cheerleaders perform a routine at Falcon Late Night. PHOTO BY Audrey Stover LEFT Molly McBride, senior, perfomring on stage in Suessical PHOTO BY Ava Meyerhoff
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SPORTS DECEMBER 15, 2021
Basketball season kicks off with Late Night By: Gavin McAferty Every year people look forward to Late Night basketball as they anticipate the basketball season. Tryouts wrapped up on Wednesday Nov. 17 and the roster is set. Miles McGriff, the starting point guard, told us about the late night basketball event and what the program has meant to him. “The event is put on by the school to introduce the boys and girls basketball team and I’m a huge fan of it” McGriff said. His favorite part about it is “when the boys scrimmage.” After going 14-6 (.700) last season the program plans to finish with an even better record this year. “The goal is to be state champs and get all conference mentions,” McGriff said. The team lost a lot of seniors such as Luke Williams, Bryce Dickerson, and Brandon Eckles but most of Image by: Coral Netten
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their roster was filled with underclassmen last season so they should be prepared to make a state championship run. Amarion Johnson has also made a full recovery from a broken femur and is looking to make a statement in his return his junior year. The men’s program is trending in the right direction though, just two years ago the varsity team was in the sub-state located in Wichita right before it was canceled due to COVID-19. Many believe that they were going to win it all, but we will never know. Some players who got playing time that season remain on the team though such as Amarion Johnson, Brody Casson, Corbin Dozier, and Cooper Whitley. Whitley suffered an ACL and MCL tear during football season which is a huge loss for the team but his presence and leadership will ultimately still help a lot. McGriff states that the team is really close and often gets breakfast together. “I’m going to miss practice and getting breakfast,” McGriff said. When asked who he will miss playing with the most he replied “Cooper and Corbin cause I’ve been
Image by: Coral Netten
playing with em’ since second grade,” McGriff said. He also credits coaches for comradery, stating that “coaches mean a lot, they push me to be a better man everyday.” McGriff is a true point guard and will distribute the ball well and has the ability to take over and put away games. He credits his Coach Morrow among others for the ability to do that. “They’ve helped me as a man but also as a leader on and off the court as well,” McGriff said. A player expected to have a good year is Tucker Armstrong, a junior point and shooting guard. He is a deadly three point shooter and can drive the ball relentlessly. Not to overlook his ability to play defense as well. He will most likely serve as a backup to McGriff but
DECEMBER 15, 2021 SPORTS will have a major impact on the game. Look out for Armstrong this season. The women’s team is developing into something special under Coach Mike Allen. Elizabeth Webb, a senior forward for the basketball team said “late night is one of the best parts of basketball season.” Late Night consists of dancing basketball and good music. “The vibe of it is good, it involves scrimmages between JV and varsity and a dunk contest,” Webb said. Webb hopes to be a good leader for the team this year, but also has some goals for herself. “[I want to] Be the leading rebounder for the Sunflower League, average 10 points and also be 1st team all sunflower league. Win Substate and go to State and Win,” Webb said. The dunk contest was wild this year, the two main competitors being Michael Stankiewicz and Caden Kaberline. Michael’s final dunk seemed to be a fan favorite though. Mcgriff lobbed it off the side of the backboard to Stankiewicz and he successfully dunked it. ”I would say it was close between me and Will cause we both missed one dunk but he has his junior and senior year to win so ima say I won this one” Stankiewicz said. When asked what the dunk was called he responded “I have no clue what it’s called. I just see it all the time in other contests. It made me feel good seeing all my friends from the student section running to me with their phones out”. However, it’s unclear if it would carry over into an actual game.“I expect to make many in-game dunks this year considering it’s the only thing I’m good at,” Stankiewicz said. In essence, if you want to go to some electrifying games this year, go to a basketball game. Image by: Coral Netten
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SPORTS DECEMBER 15, 2021
Duke’s Head Coach Retiring After 40 Years Coach K is coaching his last season with Duke University after over four decades as head coach. By: Abby Wallace Mike Krzyzewski [also known as coach K] is retiring as basketball head coach for Duke University after four decades with the team at the end of this season. Coach K announced the day after his retirement why he’s retiring. Coach K has been the head coach for Duke since 1980. Within those 40 years with Duke, he led the Blue Devils to five NCAA Division 1 titles, 12 Final Fours, 15 ACC Men’s basketball tournament championships, and 12 ACC regular-season titles. Coach K has won more division 1 men’s college basketball titles than any other coach in history. His record with Duke is 1,101-302. Almost half the wins Duke has have been with Coach K. Duke has the fourth-most wins in the entire NCAA. He has kept his team motivated and inspired by coaching his “next play” philosophy. It’s a mindset in which he teaches the players to stay focused and motivated when dealing with on-court performance or off-court issues. It’s a way for him to get his players to move on from these issues whether the results were beneficial or detrimental to the team. Instilling this mindset to the players creates trust between the players and Coach K. Along with coaching the Blue Devils, Coach K also was the head coach for the United States national basketball team from 30 THE EYRIE
2006-2016. Coach K ended his time as head coach for Team USA winning the third consecutive Olympic gold medal. His ending record with team USA was 88-1. Before becoming the head coach for 10 years, he was the assistant coach for 13 years. His entire record with team USA comes out to be 139-7 winning 11 gold, two silver, and two bronze medals. Coach K has been a head coach for 47 years. He’s coached two other teams along with Team USA and Duke. He was the head coach for the Indiana Hoosiers for a year then moved on to coaching the
Photo by Wikimedia commons
Army Black Knights for five years. Inevitably, Coach K loved coaching Duke the most seeing as he spent 41 of those 47 years coaching for them. The players and administrators at Duke loved having him there and are sad to see him go, but Coach K and his family decided it was time for him to retire at the end of this season. After Coach K is gone, Jon Scheyer will become the head coach for the Blue Devils where he played under Coach K’s advice. With Coach K leaving, a legacy ends only for Jon Scheyer’s legacy as a coach for the Blue Devils to begin.
DECEMBER 15, 2021 SPORTS
Who Will Win? Circle below which team you think will win the NCAA Mens basketball games this weekend and send a picture to @theeyrieos on Instagram for the results!
Villanova
December 17 VS.
December 18 VS. Cleavland St
Creighton Duke
Kentucky
VS.
Ohio St
SFA
VS.
KU
Baylor
VS.
Oregon
Texas Tech
VS.
Gonzaga
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Snowball Cookies INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups softened butter 3/4 cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/2 tsp salt 3 cups all purpose flour 1 cup white chocolate chips 1/2-1 cup sprinkles - any colors 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 2. Beat butter and sugar with mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add in vanilla, mix well. Add in salt and flour, a little at a time, mixing until well combined. Dough will be thick. 3. Fold in the chocolate chips and sprinkles. 4. Using a small cookie scoop, drop cookie dough onto cookie sheets, leaving about 2” between each cookie. 5. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until just starting to lightly brown. 6. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. After cooling, sprinkle with powdered sugar for a little extra holiay flair! 7. Store in an airtight container