Staff Gift Picks Snow: Good or Evil?
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My One Shirt Challenge
Viking Saga
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Candy Cane History
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A Thoroughly Modern One Act X-mas at the Saddler’s
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Ask Bon Bon... Rant and Review of Assassin’s Creed 4
Christmas traditions near & far Northwest High School
Celebrating 50 Years
Grand Island, Nebraska December 2013 Issue 4
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EDITORIAL - OPINION
Viking Saga staff share gift ideas for everyone With just days before Christmas, it’s
this long. Well, the answer is quite simple: they simply didn’t know what to get. To make last minute shopping a little easier, what to get for both guys and girls. Generic gifts could include gift cards, food, clothes, games, movies, or phone accessories. Gift cards for food, music, or clothes are all great choices. To make a gift card seem more personal, add a handwritten card or some candy and put it in a small, festive gift sack. Generic gifts are obviously unisex, but let’s break it up by gender. Now, some may think shopping for a girl is hard work, but the truth is, it’s pretty simple. Girls like virtually everything. Get her anything from food
hunting equipment are great choices for
gift cards and she’ll be happy. Homemade cookies or puppy chow can win over any girl’s heart. Clothes can include shirts from Victoria’s Secret or scarves from Vanity. Jewelry can be a 25 cent ring from a quarter machine (though this is not recommended) or a nice necklace from a department store, such as Kohl’s. You can gift cards from Starbucks or a nail salon would ensure very happy recipients. Many girls think guys are hard to shop for, but their list of things is easy to choose from as well. Boys like food, video games, and gift cards. Get him a new game or accessory for his X-box. Try a gift card to Subway or Texas Roadhouse: both are sure to cover any craving. Clothes from Buckle, Pac Sun, or a sporting store are all great choices. Camping or
forget movies. For those in relationships where no present, try to do something outside the box. Go ice skating. There’s a rink in Kearney, so you can turn it into a fun road trip date. Go on a sleigh ride; downtown Omaha is beautiful at Christmastime rides, but many other festive attractions. If you want to stay in town, rent a cute Christmas movie (check out the Hallmark channel or store), cook dinner, make some hot chocolate, and just relax. Whether you choose one of these gift ideas or something else, and you’re still not sure whether or not the recipient will like it, remember: it’s the thought that counts.
Viking Saga
Northwest High School 2710 N. North Rd. Grand Island, NE 68803 308.385.6394 www.ginorthwest.org
STAFF
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Laura Springer STAFF WRITERS Adrian Arroyo Jennifer Clement Melissa Frias Kyler Janecek Bibiana Luevano ADS MANAGER Angelica Carlini ADVISER Elizabeth Kavan
The Viking Saga is the official student publication of Northwest High School in Grand Island, Nebraska. It is printed by the Grand Island Independent nine times used to it either. I (monthly) throughout the school year. plan to stay inside and The paper is a member of the Nebraska High School Press Association. just pretend winter
Snow - - sent from heaven...or somewhere else? Bibiana Luevano STAFF WRITER
Unfortunately, there have been instances where people secretly curse this time of the year because of the dreaded snow. Yet snow is not all that bad. It creates the perfect background for the cheeriest of seasons, and brings an excuse to stir up a cup of hot chocolate. Snow allows a person to create a snowman; the euphoric feeling of accomplishing something so great is a required experience for the youngsters, and perhaps even for the adults as well. Constructing a snow fort in preparation for
could not be done without snow. Every child deserves to feel the sensation of a singular on the tip of their tongue; verily snow is the best gift of all. Despite what the “next guy” may argue, snow is not the primary reason behind humanity’s belligerence toward the winter months; causing the majority of the population’s mood to shift in the likes of a Yeti whose puppy recently got killed. Snow is practically a mere byproduct that had materialized from a whirlwind of moisture and wind currents. Whether it is widely known to society or not, snow can truly be helpful in a ways. Just think, snow provides a
single backdrop of color amongst the natural earthen hues, does it not? Therefore, snow provides the perfect advantage in assisting a homeowner in lessening the probability of accidentally stepping in their lovely pet’s “morning presents.” With the deliverance of snow, the presence of ravenous insects deplete majorly. Goodbye mosquitoes, and say “¡Feliz Navidad!” to the charmingly scarlet cardinals. One must never be quick to disregard the unimportance of snow before delving deeper into what exactly it can contribute to society. Tis the season to be jolly, and may snow continue to decorate the holly.
Kyler Janecek STAFF CRITIC
Christmas should be at the end of snow touches the ground in November or December, people get excited because it’s time to take part in festivities. It’s a genuinely indescribable feeling, and I bring this up because it makes December bearable. People have something to look forward to, but that goes away for the next two months. I hate almost every aspect of this miserable season. I hear people talking about how much they love the snow sometimes, and I make a mental note to cross the street if ever I see
these people walking towards me. While it’s true that snow looks very nice and can be fun to throw at people, I generally enjoy seeing how pretty it looks from inside my well-heated house, and honestly, you can have fun throwing anything at people if you do so hard enough. Cold is horrible and it needs to die a sure many of you are probably laughing smugly right now, and are about to say that it isn’t even cold yet and that I should man up. Now let’s get this out of the way; you are wrong. Dead wrong, dead to about the extent my urge to ever go outside again is. Sure, to those born and raised here, it’s not cold, but after spending four years of my life standing outside in the rain it’s no, I don’t plan to get
isn’t happening until it Outside submissions, suggestions, or letters to the editor are welcome and goes away. encouraged. They may be brought to Still, might as well room 32, or emailed to Ms. Kavan at make the most of it, bkavan@ginorthwest.org Any and all right? You can’t really submissions must be signed for them avoid being out in the to be considered for publication, and the editor reserves the right to edit or cold all the time, all print any submissions. jokes aside, so might as well look at the positives. It gives you something to look at out the window, and that’s always nice. It’s an excuse for all the fun and traditions or just daring your less intelligent friend into sticking their tongue on a frozen pole.
@nwvikingsaga
are stupid enough, please please don’t do it must be said again; the blanket of snow covering everything does look pretty nice, if you take some time to appreciate it. Because you probably have nothing else to do with your life this winter.
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NEWS
“My One Shirt” program gains attention Jennifer Clement STAFF WRITER
Most people at Northwest High School have noticed some of its students wearing the same blue and yellow shirt for the last few weeks. Most people think that when someone wears the same shirt more than once in a week, it is disgusting and unhealthy. But these teens are helping the less fortunate by doing this difficult activity. Eight students: freshman Kaylee Gibson, sophomores Samuel Etudur, Jayden Falldorf, and Aleesa Korell, juniors Elliott Kosmicki, Hannah Post, and Alanna Tate, and senior Kaylie Pebeck are participating in this activity. Their shirts’ bold letters simply say, “My One Shirt.” “’My One Shirt” is a fundraiser for Speed the Light, an organization that raises money for missionaries. The one shirt represents those who can only afford one shirt. “It gets really hard to plan outfits. But
it’s not supposed to be easy. It’s not easy for those people who only have one shirt, so it should not be easy for us,” Post said. The My One Shirt fundraiser has been completed in many churches and groups in the U.S. “My youth group leader [Julie Korell] actually told us about it and encouraged us to take part in it. I thought it would be a great way to raise money for a wonderful cause,” Tate said. Some of these teens, such as Falldorf, are enjoying themselves by participating in the challenge. “I enjoy seeing others’ reactions. Some think it’s cool. Others ask when we wash it. People are starting to take notice. It’s really fun to do,” said Falldorf. “I feel really good about it. I like that we are doing this for people who can’t afford even one shirt or any at all. It’s a sacrifice,” Pebeck said. Gibson says that doing this has changed her perspective on the world and showed how fortunate she is for all
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that she has. “I suppose I would get used to wearing it really quickly [if I only had one shirt]. I would probably be jealous of all these people with stylish clothes [while] I only had one shirt. I might be put down by all those people because of the way I dress,” Gibson said. There are many people around the world that have one or no shirts at all. By doing this, the students are representing the hardship these people face on a daily basis. All the students agree that they Front row: Jayden Falldorf, Alyssa Korell, Elliot Kosmicki. are proud that they are doing the Second row: Alanna Wedige, Kaylee Gibson, Hannah Post. “My One Shirt” challenge. PHOTO BY JENNIFER CLEMENT “I am very glad I participated in this activity. It’s been a very posiknow how important this challenge is, tive experience and I have had so many and sometimes they hate it. But they people ask me what this shirt is for,” said always have to keep in mind that they are Kosmicki. all doing this for others. These eight teens are helping the less “You don’t have to choose an outfit in fortunate by sacrificing their wardrobe. the morning. That’s the best part,” Korell Sometimes they love it because they said.
History of the Month
December 5, 1955- In Alabama, the Montgomery bus boycott began in response to the arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her seat on a municipal bus to a white man. Organized by the African American community, the boycott lasted until December 20, 1956, the day the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the public transportation system would be integrated. December 7, 1941- The U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was attacked by nearly 200 Japanese aircraft in a raid that lasted just over one hour and left nearly 3,000 Americans dead. It marked the beginning of World War II in the U.S. December 15, 1890- Sioux leader Sitting Bull (native name Tatanka-yatanka) was killed in a skirmish with U.S. soldiers along the Grand River in South Dakota as his warriors tried to prevent his arrest. December 31, 1879- Thomas Edison provided the first public demonstration of his electric incandescent lamp at his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. History of Candy Canes They started out as a white stick to decorate Christmas trees in Europe. But in 1670 the choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany had the sticks bent to look life shepherd staffs and then handed them out to children so they’d stay quiet during the Crèche ceremony. This soon became a tradition that quickly spread throughout all of Europe. Candy canes were later brought over to America by a German immigrant to decorate his Christmas tree, but it was still in the pure, white, stick form. An Indiana candy makerwanted to make these sticks more represent Jesus Christ, so he took the idea from the choirmaster and bent the sticks into staffs, or “j”s for Jesus. He went further by adding three red stripes to represent the Holy Trinity and the blood of Jesus, and the white then represented the virgin birth and sinlessness of Jesus. Laura Springer EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Thank you to KHAS for sponsoring the Viking Saga
Without sponsors like you, our publication would not be possible!
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FEAT
Students enjoy individual traditions Christmas is that wonderful time of year centered on the importance of family and tradition. Leaving out cookies for Santa Claus and writing him letters is a huge tradition for young kids. But, as time took its course and revealed the truth that Old Saint Nick was about as real as the tooth fairy and Easter bunny, those traditions suddenly became absurd. Every family has their own quirky little traditions, aside from the letters to Santa, like senior Alyson Mena’s family. “We [each] open one present on Christmas Eve. When we decorate the tree, we have to listen to Christmas music. We make buñuelos, [which are] those circle tortilla things with cinnamon and sugar,” said Mena. Listening to Christmas music, opening a single present on Christmas Eve, and even eating a tasty snack are Christmas traditions that may be common among many students. But then there are the traditions that are a bit unique, and extremely creative, that are practiced by families, such as junior Shayla Otero’s family. “We exchange gag gifts. Everyone buys a present that is under $20 that can be awesome, funny, or downright [terrible]. Then, on Christmas, we all sit in a circle around the pile of gag gifts that are wrapped...and we each draw a number to see what order to go in to choose [our gift]...you have no clue what you’re going to get; it’s completely random. You can end up with anything: a gift card, socks, food, or a DVD,” Otero said. Traditions are something that are special to everyone; they help bring out those warm feelings everyone gets around Christmas time.
Hol Trad near
Viking students share the
Elf on the Shelf
A Christmas tradition intorduced by Chanda Bell and Carol Aebesold, co-authors of the book Elf on the Shelf, is one that has taken homes by storm since 2005. This tradition was inspired by an elf that appeared in the 1960’s on laundry detergent. Bell and Aebesold, sisters, remembered this elf from when they were little and decided to share their family’s tradition. The concept of Elf on the Shelf is that the elf “flies in” before Christmas, most often after Thanksgiving, to watch kids and report back to Santa each night if they were naughty or nice that day. After Christmas, the elf goes back to the North Pole to be with Santa until the next holiday season. While Elf on the Shelf has targeted young kids, the spirit can live on as a fun tradition for all those that no longer believe in Santa. It can become a sort of Christmas game. Someone sets up the elf (which must have a name, that’s the first thing one must do upon receiving an elf ) in a fun setting and the first person to find the elf takes a picture and then hides the elf in a new setting.
Pictured to the right are examples of how the Elf on the Shelf game can work. There are hundreds of crazy places to hide the elf! PHOTOS BY LAURA SPRINGER
What’s your favorite C Opening Presents 35% Visiting Family 16%
Decorating the tree 11% Making Christmas Cookies 7%
W
“Apprecia someone you can c you care f
TURE
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liday ditions and far
Spread by Angelica Carlini, Melissa Frias, and Laura Springer
eir views of Christmas.
Christmas around the World Every family has different Christmas traditions. Here’s a glimpse of what traditions are practiced around the world.
Christmas in Ireland St. Stephen’s Day is similar to Boxing Day in that it also has to do with the begging of money, but in Ireland it is celebrated in a different way. Young men dress extravagantly, sometimes wearing masks, and parade noisily through the streets in the Wren Boys’ Procession. They carry long poles with a holly bush attached to the top. Christmas in Brazil One tradition is to create a nativity scene or Presépio. The word origin is from the Hebrew word “presepium” which means the bed of straw where Jesus first slept in Bethlehem. It was introduced in the 17th century in the city of Olinda by a Franciscan friar Gaspar de Santo Agostinho. Nowadays presépios are set up in December and displayed in churches, homes, and stores.
*Out of 129 students surveyed
Christmas tradition? Giving gifts
7%
7% Singing Christmas Carols 2% Other 14% Drinking hot chocolate
What does Christmas mean to you?
ating your family and enjoying time with them...It’s the joy of giving something they want that will make them happy. It’s a time where celebrate the birth of Jesus, but it’s also a time to show how much for one another.” “It’s a time of believing and . . . being grateful for what you have.” “Christmas means appreciating what you have and realizing how lucky you are.”
Christmas in Italy In Rome, cannons are fired from Castel St. Angelo on Christmas Eve to announce the beginning of the holiday season. A 24-hour fast ends with an elaborate Christmas feast. Small presents are drawn from the Urn of Fate.
Christmas in Ethiopia The Ethiopian Christmas, known as Ganna, is celebrated on January 7th. This celebration takes place in both modern churches and ancient churches carved from solid volcanic rock. People receive candles as they enter the church. Men sit separately from the women. After lighting the candles, everyone walks around the church three times. They then stand throughout the remainder of the mass, which can last up to three hours.
Christmas in India Christians in India decorate mango or banana trees at Christmas time. Sometimes they also decorate their houses with mango leaves. In some parts of India, small clay oilburning lamps are used as Christmas decorations and are placed on the edges of flat roofs and on the tops of walls. Churches are decorated with poinsettias and lit with candles for the Christmas Evening service.
What gets you in the holiday spirit? “Decorating the Christmas tree, shopping for gifts, [drinking] hot chocolate, and listening to Christmas music.” “Seeing all the Christmas decorations and hearing Christmas music everywhere I go.” “Getting together with family and doing the Christmas baking.” “I love Secret Santas and going to church on Christmas morning!”
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One Act performers wrap up successful season Adrian Arroyo STAFF WRITER
Every school year, students who have taken Drama One have the choice to take Drama 2, or One Act. One Act is during the first semester of every year; the class is taught by English teachers Bonnie Brown and Darbie Mazour. The difference between One Act and Drama One is that in One Act students actually produce a play with the whole class; in addition, competition is a part of the classwork as cast and crew strive to qualify for the State One Act competition. The students take their roles very seriously, and many of them enjoy the transformation to their character. “My favorite part is getting all dressed up in makeup and costumes. You get to become a whole different person,” said senior Julie Bruns. One Act gives students the chance to step outside of their comfort zone. Each student gets to be a different character, and they have to become that character on stage, even if the character does not have any lines. The cast attends serveral different festivals and competitions during the One Act season. These typically last all day and serveral different schools attend.
“I love getting to spend the day with my friends, and getting to see the other schools perform,” Bruns said. At the end of the day awards are given out. Festival awards range anywhere from best actor awards to best set awards. But the most important awards are at the end of the Conference and District competitions. This year, the Northwest One Act team were conference champions. Next came the District competition: the deciding factor of whether the One Act play would go to State or not. “This play is the strongest we have had since I started acting in them. We have a really strong cast all around. It’s been so great to do a comedy and I feel like it’s helped us a lot to grow as actors and actresses and just as friends and cast as a whole,” said senior Makena Kelly. “I think we have a really strong shot with our play; even if we don’t make it to State, I know we will be happy with how we have performed all season,’’ Kelly added. Unfortunately, this year’s One Act did not make it to
NEWS
State. They ended the season as District Runner-up, but the cast got the opportunity to perform one last time in front of the student body. “I thought that it was a great way for our One Act team to close our season, because we were able to throw out all of the rules and just have fun; at the same time, we showed the school what One Act was really about, and now we have many prospective members!” said senior Dalton Stout. As One Act came to a close this semester and this school year, all the students that participated are hoping that next year’s actors and actresses can measure up to their outstanding performance. “I really enjoyed performing for the school. Hopefully next year’s One Act will be as good so the school can see another performance,” senior Audrey Mehring said.
Parental Supervison Required
Get an inside look on students who have to face their parents everyday, whether they want to or not. Mr. Saddler and his daughter Erika, junior, share their favorite Christmas tradtions and memories.
Mr. Saddler Do you travel anywhere for the holidays? We typically go to either side of the family and they both live within a hour away. Favorite Christmas tradition? We went to my grandmother’s house for as long as I can remember. We went to a Christmas Eve church service and then went home and opened presents. What do you put at the top of your Christmas tree? We have an antique star that sits on top of a modern looking tree. The kids rotate turns every year for who gets to place the star.
Erika Saddler that your dad was Santa? I was really young, probably in kindergarten. I was wasn’t real. Memorable Christmas present from your parents? a huge dollhouse that was taller than I was. What is your favorite tradition? We always go sledding behind fourwheelers at my grandparent’s house. We even make ramps out of snow. Angelica Carlini ADS MANAGER
For more holiday goodness and extra Viking Saga Content, visit our website at nwvikingsaga.wordpress.com
Girls from the Priscilla Hotel (Emily Earl, Lauren Woodward, Angelica DePaolis, Rachel Jacobsen) try to persuade Jimmy (Clark Pohlmeier) to let them into the speakeasy.
ENTERTAINMENT
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Ask Bon Bon <3 Q: How do you get little kids to still believe in Santa?
Q: What do I get my boyfriend for Christmas?
- Christmas Spirit
- Stumped
A: Keep Santa’s tradition alive by watching Christmas movies, telling stories, and making sure there are presents that are from Santa.
A: A fun video game that both of you could enjoy, or a movie. You could also buy his favorite drink or snack.
Q: My friend broke a promise to me this summer. We have
Q: How can I tell if a guy likes me? He always looks and smiles at me: does that mean anything?
then, and we barely talk. Should I just call it quits on our friendship? - Friendship Trials A: Try to imagine yourself with or without this person yourself wishing desperately for things to be different,
- Love in the air A: Well, yeah, it could mean anything. Maybe ask him for his number, or hit him up on Facebook. Perhaps you should just conversate with him?
your friendship.
Q: How do you know if the love you are feeling is true love?
Q: How can I make everyone feel special on Christmas?
- Just wondering
- Feeling the love A: Make sure everyone feels loved, and don’t leave anyone out. Maybe try to give lots of hugs:) Q: Why is eyeliner so expensive?
A: Love is something we all true love, you’ll know. It’s when you can’t even imagine life without this person. It’ll all happen when you least expect it. Love you all,
- The price of beauty A: The price of beauty is never cheap, Darling.
Why The new Assassin’s Creed should have been “White Flag” Kyler Janecek STAFF CRITIC
Sometimes, it seems, people are right about things. Take me for instance. Ever since Assassins Creed: Black Flag was announced, I’ve been as cynical as humanly possible about the game’s potential. Being a fan of the older games, I basically hold the mindset that Brotherhood and Revelations slowly started making things worse, and that AC3 ruined everything. This is because the games are slowly but surely steering the main focus away from the work you do as an assassin, and taking it in other directions. For instance, in Brotherhood you don’t even assassinate as many targets in the main quest, in Revelations there is even less of a focus on it, and in 3 the focus is more on ship battles and buying and selling things than anything else. Why would anyone want this? You could get arguably the same experience by watching Pirates of the Caribbean while playing FarmVille and having your arm twisted behind your back while a small child shoots spit wads at you. I bring this up because as I predicted months ago, Black Flag takes the series even farther away from where it should be right now. Ship battles and sailing take the wheel of this games ship (and if that’s not the most meta pun you’ve heard all week, you’re lying) to the obvious extent of having you actually play as a pirate with assassin skills, not an assassin. It’s not completely detached. The traditional bad guys of the series, the Templar, are still the main adversary, and the Assassins Guild does show up a lot. It’s just a storyline that’s irrelevant in most ways to the main storyline. That’s forgivable, though, they did tell us that when the game was announced. Speaking of detached, Desmond Miles (the man who’s eyes you view these
extensive glimpses into the past from) is not linked to the story much. Instead you play as some nobody, and your purpose is extremely irrelevant. You work for a company and your job is to relive memories of a Pirate. It’s a forgettable part of the game, though as you progress some interesting plot twists are thrown at you, that will make sense to loyal fans of the series only. Now the game itself is alright. Combat is okay for the most part and the story isn’t terrible. Let’s just skip all that and talk about what I hate most: the sailing sections. The fact that you have to use your ship to get around makes things so much more painful than in the old games when you could do it on horseback. No matter how fast you go your ships speed always feels like it’s as low as humanly possible, and sailing has two different feelings associated with it. The boringness of just sailing along, and the panic that comes with almost dying because a larger ship decided it didn’t like you, which comes with the fear of having to do the section again. I’d rather be bored, and that says a lot in itself. This whole thing really is a let down, and while playing as a pirate is admittedly cool, it just isn’t that fun. I really don’t even want to talk about this game anymore. It was average, not just because of poor implementation, but poor decisions. In other words, this could have been avoided. I understand that with the change in technology the fundamentals of the game are going to change, and that we can’t have Ezio fighting legions of guards forever in 1400’s Italy, but that’s when it was best. No one asked you to do any of this, guys. It was your own choice. Now please, make a half-decent one and bring back the good stuff so I can enjoy the games, and not have to tear you apart as compensation.
~Christmastime Specials~
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~It's A Wonderful Life - 1946 ~Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - 1964 ~A Charlie Brown Christmas 1965 ~Frosty the Snowman - 1969 ~Home Alone - 1990 ~The Santa Clause - 1994
~How The Grinch Stole Christmas - 2000 ~The Christmas Shoes - 2002 ~Elf - 2003 ~The Polar Express - 2004 ~The Nativity Story - 2006 ~A Christmas Carol - 2009 ~Frozen - 2013
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