Vol. XVIIIFrIday, december 16, 2011 No. 3KerronicleT

he

opINIoN, page 2, gIFt gaFFes

News, page 3, the sIdes oF sopa

Feature, page 6, keepINg wIth joNes

INsIde the Issue

alIeF kerr hIgh school 8150 howell-sugarlaNd rd.

eNtertaINmeNt, page 7, home aloNe

ceNterspread, page 4, helpINg heaps

etc., page 8, wINtry wears

Holiday gifting causes struggle for men2 OPINION

Kerr High School8150 Howell-Sugar Land Rd. Houston, TX 77083

(281) 983-8484 ext. 267

Kerronicle

Staff:Editor-in-ChiEf

Joanna AriasStory Editor

Phil Pham

BuSinESS ManagErPhat Pham

Photo EditorAja Bryant

The Kerronicle is published six times a year by the student newspaper staff of Kerr High School and serves as a medium of communication for its readers. It exists to inform its readers about school and community, school policies and their changes, entertainment, and to serve as a forum for student expression.

Advertisers interested in placing an ad in the Kerronicle should contact the staff at (281) 983-8484 ext. 267 or 8150 Howell Sugar Land, Houston, TX 77083.

Letters to the editor are welcomed and encouraged. Letters should be delivered to room 302 or e-mailed to laura.negri@aliefisd.net. All letters must be signed.

FrIday, december 16, 2011VOl. XVIII NO. 3

Staff rEPortErSAlyssa Andaverde

Kelli ChowJesus EscobarTuong-Phi Le

Tracey LeKrista Lutrick

Hadiqa Memon Durand NguyenJason NguyenKevin Nguyen

Nadia Zulfa

I’ve never been known to be a great gift-giv-er and I would have to blame girls for that repu-tation. Asking me to shop for my guy friends, brother or my dad is a simple task, but when it’s for a girl or my mom, it suddenly becomes Mis-sion Impossible. In a world where every girl has their own taste, preferences, and desires, what compliments one girl insults another. What one girl adores, another despises.

When going out to get the gift, you have to juggle the idea of getting the recipient some-thing she would want while keeping in mind that you can’t go and break your bank, espe-cially on a minor friend. Is your gift “appropri-ate” for that person -- would you give a friend that you just met an iPad? On top of that, you also don’t want to come up short with your gift when the gift she gave to you last year was spectacular and sets the bar high for gift-giving. But the worst thing about gift-giving is figur-ing out, from a guy’s perspective, what a girl would want.

There shouldn’t be any debate, shopping for a guy isn’t hard at all. For younger men, a simple article of clothing would suffice--or, if you’re willing to stretch your wallet: that video game they’ve been looking forward to for a

while. Even a gift card wouldn’t seem thought-less. For Father’s Day, my dad seems genuinely happy to get cologne. Chances are, guys don’t really care too much about what they get and they definitely don’t think too deeply about the gift.

But it’s a whole different story when it comes time to shop for women-- sisters, girl-friends, friends, and mothers alike: it’s impos-sible to buy clothes for a girl because your taste does not equal her taste. You can’t give them money or a gift card because that seems tacky and seems like you didn’t put any effort into it. You can’t spend too little because she will feel like you’re cheap, but if you spend too much she will think you’re going overboard. Spend-ing too little or too much might not necessarily be an obstacle when it comes to buying for fam-ily, but in the end, the real problem is, again, finding a suitable present. Finding the perfect gift for any girl as a guy is just unfair. It’s like trying to find a whopper at McDonalds or a Big Mac at Burger King: virtually impossible.

I’ve heard so many times that you can’t go wrong with jewelry for women (“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”). But when you’re looking at the price-tag, it seems like you’ll be signing your soul over to the devil. Ladies, it’s like us asking you to get us a car! Really, the aver-age engagement ring in the US costs between

$3,500 to $4,000, or about three months salary. On a student budget, you can just forget about jewelry. So unless the girl happens to be the guy’s wife or soon-to-be-wife, asking for jew-elry just seems unrealistic.

That leaves pretty much nothing else that a guy can get for a girl. Everything seems out of the budget, cheap, or just impossibly hard -- you can’t even resort to flowers because I’ve observed flowers as a “hate it or love it” kind of deal for girls; some find it romantic and beautiful while other girls hate flowers and see them as symbolism for death. The only solution I’ve found when it comes to shopping for a girl friend is getting a joint gift, preferably with a girl because doing it with a guy will get you nowhere. Girlfriends typically appreciate more “meaningful” gifts (how ambiguous of an ad-jective), so look for things related to shared in-side jokes and romantic things.

If all else fails, I found that the best way to go is to bluntly ask the receiver what she wants. Unless you already know what the receiver wants, just asking for a wish-list or what she would want from you specifically makes the job unimaginably easier; the only problem af-ter that is actually getting the gift. So you do lose the surprise-factor, but it’s a surefire way to make any girl happy; after all, she got what she wanted.

lost in sporting goods:

By: Jason nguyenstaff RepoRteR

By: KRista LutRicKstaff RepoRteR

We all know shopping can be horrendous, especially at this time of year, when everyone and their mother is trying to rush last-minute Christmas shopping. But it isn’t just the over-filled stores, sold-out signs, and crazy one-day sales that have us women stressing over the hol-idays: it’s also the problem of what to get men.

Should it be a video game console, an iPod, a cell phone, a football jersey? We find ourselves asking, “Does he need this? Would he even want this?” Christmas is probably the worst time to shop for a guy because we have to shop for all the men in our lives at once. This is quite and overwhelming feat, for sometimes we feel like they will not like whatever we get them, thus destining whatever object we pur-chased to a life of forsakenness.

Usually, women find it easier to shop for boys who haven’t hit puberty yet; just buy them whatever super hero action figure is popular or a video game, or a card with money in it. But what do you do for them when they get older? Obviously you can’t get him a toy or an action figure every year for his birthday or Christmas, unless he is a dedicated collector. Therefore, the problem remains: what do you get him?

That leaves two options. One: you get him

something that is related to whatever band, sport, book or TV show he likes the most. Or, option two; you get him a gag gift. It works even better, though, if the gift reflects both his personal interests and sense of humor.

But we still put a lot of thought into even those two little options, always asking our-selves, “Will he think this is funny, or that I’m just being rude?” And, I will tell you, we are never really satisfied, because we feel like it’s just not good enough.

Guys, however, don’t have to worry as much when they’re shopping for their friends, fathers, or brothers. They only need to make sure that the gift is masculine and not too lovey-dovey. But with women, it goes deeper than that. We don’t want to get them the same thing every year (no dad wants an ugly tie every year for Father’s Day or his birthday), but there are only so many items to choose from. We want it to be appropriate for the relationship AND the occa-sion.

Eventually we settle for something that we hope he would like, but we are rather dismal about it. The hardest part for us getting and giv-ing gifts to men is that we never really believe that there is a perfect gift for them, because we simply can’t put all our love and care into any one object.

wOmeN searchINg FOr that PerFect gIFt

“I didn’t know what to get you...”

SoPA could cut-off copyrighted content

Texas to nevada: mathIs leaVINg aP POsItION FOr mOVe tO aNOther state

3News

When Kim Mathis made a surprise appear-ance on KHS TV news on

Friday, December 9, her announcement soon had news anchor senior Jonathan Villegas in tears. The assistant principal told the school she would not be returning to Kerr after the winter break; instead she would be moving to Nevada.

Mathis’s husband was laid off in June and had been search-ing for a job in his field; in November he found one in Reno, Nevada, so the whole family will move on December 28. She said she was upset and heartbroken when she heard about the move, but she knew she had to do what was best for her family.

“I’m moving from hot, humid Houston to dry, desert Reno, “ Mathis said. “I’m going from the fourth largest city in the United States to a city with [a low population].”

Moving won’t be easy for Mathis because of the bonds she has created in the district. She has been an assistant principal for many schools in Alief ISD, including various middle schools and Elsik High School. She has been the assistant principal for Kerr for the last two and a half years.

“I love the equality for all here; it doesn’t matter what you look like or what you do…there’s a sense of acceptance,” Mathis said, “[I’ll miss] the students and the staff and this is where I grew up -- Houston. I’ve been in Alief from kindergar-ten through 12th grade; I[even] graduated from Elsik.

She said she will miss the students at Kerr in particular.“I like waking up to come to school and the interaction with

the kids. You guys know where you’re going…you’re very driven and bright kids. Where do you find 800 great kids?”

Her move will impact many other staff members as well.“She’s going to be missed…she added energy, was fo-

cused…I enjoyed working with her for two and a half years,” principal Greg Freeman said. “The school is never the same, you lose a part of you. There’s always change, it’s a part of life and you have to be flexible…something new comes along—you have to make the best of it.”

Mathis has created strong bonds with students and in return, many appreciate her just as much.

“There is a kind of community between the teachers, staff, and students, and her leaving breaks up the community,” senior Denny Dramkin said. “I feel like so many of the teachers are leaving and I’m sad to see that. In a lot of ways, everyone spoke more to Mrs. Mathis than [to] Mr. Freeman, so our outlet is gone. Whenever there was a problem, we’d talk to her.”

The assistant principal position will be temporarily be filled by counselor Sarah Tones. Tones was sad to see her fellow staff member go, but knows that it is an opportunity for both Mathis and her.

“She’s a great co-worker and friend,” Tones said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for her family and I respect that.”

Tones says that she’s prepared for a challenge of a new role. Even though she will not make most of the schedule changes

for the students she has been counseling, she will help them make good decisions.

Janie Gatlin, a retired counselor from Taylor High School and Alief Learning Center, will temporarily fill in for Tones as counselor of students with last names beginning with M through Z.

Even with these significant staff changes, business will go as usual. Mathis still plans on participating in the 2012 graduation and ends with a few words of wisdom to her students.

“I’m telling you guys this: get excited about the new chap-ters in your life…embrace it and accept it,” Mathis said. “I just wish the best for all the students; they definitely made a large impact in my life.”

Coming home after school, junior Tommy Harris decides to listen to some music in order to relax from a busy day. He spends quite some time on YouTube on average.

“I listen to music on YouTube for about two hours a day.However, in those two hours he finds that some of his favorite

music videos have been taken down by YouTube.Instead he heads to Tumblr, only to find a pop-up that states

the web site has been blocked.On November 16, Tumblr and other sites participated in

American Censorship Day in order to increase awareness of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a bill proposed to the House of Representatives by Texas Representative Lamar Smith.

SOPA’s purpose is to eliminate piracy by giving the govern-ment the power to shut down search engines and block websites that contain pirated contents. Any media content deemed “pi-rated content” would be removed.

The bill gives the government the power to force search en-gines and internet service providers to make web sites disappear. A website that is found with pirated material would be de-indexed from search results and an internet service provider would use a domain name system to make a roadblock, stopping internet us-ers from accessing the site. The website would still exist, but would not be accessible from the traditional web address. That means that only those who are advanced in technology would be able to get around the roadblocks and access the site.

Some feel the bill could encourage more illegal activity.“[The government] is encouraging hackers to find loopholes,”

said senior Aaron Giang.The bill was expected to be discussed in Congress this week.

Voting could take place next week. Many websites such as Google, Facebook, and Yahoo have

already begun their campaign against the bill. They published a

full-page newspaper ad urging lawmakers to vote against the bill. The vague definitions in the bill would force them to block the domain names of websites and could lead to lawsuits.

But it’s not just web giants that would be affected by this bill. Ordinary internet users, including those who have never pirated material before, will feel the effects of SOPA. If SOPA is passed,

people could face up to five years in prison for streaming copy-righted music, making music covers, or even watching videos with copyrighted content, according to the American Censorship (http://americancensorship.org/index2.html).

Conversely, the bill is being supported by companies like Sony, hoping to regain money that has been lost from piracy.

Some online users support the legislation.“I enjoy the fact that people get to share and communicate,

but at the same time, I am against illegal activities; so I am sup-porting [the bill],” said teacher Evguenia Volkova. “If that is what they have to do to stop piracy, then I support it.”

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has claimed substantial financial losses from piracy. In MPPA’s tes-timony letter to the Congress, it is stated that the entertainment industry losses $135 billion a year in pirated material.

Microsoft’s income comes from creating and selling software, but their products are being pirated all over the world. Despite the money lost from their products being pirated, Microsoft still does not agree with the SOPA bill.

According to Business Software Alliance blog (an associa-tion that represents Microsoft), “...definitions of who can be the subject of legal actions and what remedies are imposed must be tightened and narrowed.”

Search engines that link internet users to websites containing pirated material would be in danger of being shut down.

Many people believe that if the government were given this amount of power over the internet, many web sites would be blocked due to the broad definitions provided in the bill. Others have expressed that it hinders the free expression and creativity.

“I feel like it is a violation of my constitutional rights,” said junior Dimitri Koufakis.

Ironically, December 15 -- when the House of Representa-tives was scheduled to discuss the bill -- was the 220th anniver-sary of the First Amendment.

Now instead of music blasting through Tommy’s speakers, he could be left with only a web site blocked message.

“I’m [upset] cause I wanted to see the music videos.”Outraged by bill Harris said, “I would protest because they

can’t take our rights from us.”

i If you wIsh to learn more about the soPa bIll, vIsIt KerronIcle.com for more InformatIon

By: KeLLi chow & Kevin nguyenstaff RepoRteRs

U Search Browse

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By: hadiqa MeMon & nadia ZuLfastaff RepoRteRs

Caption and Photo by Kevin Nguyen

Mrs. Mathis checks over paperwork in her office.

4 in focusin focus

Gather your materials. You will need: wrapping paper, a bow, tape, scissors, and your boxed present.

Then, fold one flap so that it creates a triangle.

Repeat the previous step for the other side.

Bring the other end up and tightly tape it to the box

Second, bring one end of the paper up and tape it down to the box.

First, measure and cut out enough wrapping paper to wrap around the box, plus a few inches to overlap.

For the orphans: Students

volunteer to make teddy bears on December 13. These

bears were made to give to orphans. Photo by Anh Lu

Ph

oto by A

nh L

u

What seemed like another regular school day for sophomore Diane Chau turned out to be extremely significant.

“After carrying out my daily routine at Kerr, a group of theater kids and I took the bus to MD Anderson Cancer Center where we’d perform skits and sing songs to the cancer patients,” Chau said.

Volunteering at MD Anderson for the first time was nerve-wracking, but Chau was reassured the moment that she arrived.

“I felt super nervous but my butterflies disappeared when

I saw

the black-lettered ‘Cancer Center’ sign with the word ‘Cancer’ crossed out by a red bow. The center reminded me of a really nice hotel. There was a gigantic Christmas tree, a fancy piano and we were greeted by a friendly doorbell guy upon our arrival,” Chau continued. “ When we were performing for the patients I was able to transform my nervousness into adrenaline, into energy that helped me perform better,” Chau said.

In the midst of colorful wrapping paper and compiling wish-lists, people often forget another gift: the gift of giving.

Students for Humanity, however, take this gift to heart.

“Our next fund raiser involves us making teddy bears and selling them in pairs of two,” Students for Humanity co-president Anh Lu said.

“Kerr students get a chance to purchase the teddy bears, keep one and give the other one to the orphans at Presbyterian Children’s Home and Services.”

Students for Humanity’s new fundraiser was inspired by their need to give back to the community.

“Previous years, we don’t really do much to give back during the holidays, so this year we’re going to change that with our teddy bear fundraiser,” Lu said.

Students aren’t the only ones giving back during the holidays. Doris Curry has been adopting a platoon -- a unit that usually consist of 16-50 soldiers -- for years, sending them letters

once per week and a care package filled with donations and other goodies once per month.

“I do it because some of these soldiers join the military because they were lonely and knowing that I’m making a difference in their lives is rewarding,” said Curry.

She focuses not on the war but rather the soldiers that risk their lives fighting those wars.

“Even if you don’t support the war, it’s still necessary to support the soldiers fighting it,” said Curry.

The donations, however, are not the hardest part.

“The hardest part is writing the letters to soldiers telling them about the mundane things that goes on in my life,” Curry said, “like how when I was moving and it was 109 degrees outside but they’ve been fighting the war for years under 150 degrees. But that’s what they want to hear, they want to know that everything at home is same.”

Whatever the form, those who give back strive to do so because of the rewarding feeling that they get in return.

“I felt like I have gained more than I give when volunteering at MD Anderson. Seeing the cancer patients laugh and smile, knowing that you’ve made someone’s life better even if it’s for a couple of hours, gave me a warm feeling inside. It also taught me to appreciate life more,” Chau said. “Even when they’re diagnosed with terminal cancer, they managed to laugh and have fun with their lives, so why can’t I?”

A selfless present: by: PhiL PhAmStory Editor

Volunteers give from their hearts for the holidays

in focus 5in focus

Now take the entire end and fold it up so that the present is wrapped, taping down the fold.Repeat the previous steps

to the other side.

Create another triangle fold by folding down the paper again.Repeat the previous step for the other side.

Place any bow onto the box to finish it.

Something that all holidays share is the importance of reuniting with family members and friends, and either remembering an ancient tradition or looking forward to new ones. The holidays are also of time of giving and sharing with others, and are usually a time of celebration and happiness.

Many children in America will remember opening gifts under a Christmas tree when they think about the winter season. However, America is now a place of many cultures, each with its own unique traditions and celebrations, so there are other children who will remember the holidays quite differently.

One of those celebrations/holidays is the Muslim religious holiday Eid-al Adha . This holiday is a festival commemorating the willingness of a prophet named Abraham to sacrifice his son because he was obedient to God.

“God told a prophet named Abraham to sacrifice his son, and he did it without question,” says sophomore Mohammad Binzahid, “but then God replaced his son with a goat while he was cutting. The main point of this is obedience.”

Eid al-Adha has a special process that is followed every year.

“First, it begins with a prayer then we sacrifice an animal, either a goat, sheep or camel,” says Binzahid, “and you can distribute the meat to people who need it or to your friends, but you usually share it.”

Binzahid says that he likes spending time with his family but also enjoys the traditions.

“I like the get together and the reunion, but I really like when the goat gets cut.”.

Among the culturally different holidays celebrations such as Eid-al Adha, is Chinese New Year. This celebration takes place in late January and early February.

Chinese New Year is typically celebrated with family members and large celebrations, including fireworks and large feasts. These celebrations are usually meant to bring in luck and happiness and get rid of ill fortune.

According to sophomore Jing Wu, Chinese New Year’s is a time of starting over with your life.

“We celebrate the New Year; it’s like starting over again when you chase away bad spirits when you start a new slate, just like when you start school.”

Chinese New Year’s has certain traditions that are followed every year, although traditions may vary depending on the culture of those who are celebrating it.

“We spend quality time with family and on the day before we have this feast and we pray to our ancestors and gods,” said Wu.” Our whole family then gets together on the morning of Chinese New Year’s and we don’t usually eat meat, but that’s only in the morning”

Part of the tradition for many people on Chinese New Year’s involves receiving money, hanging out festive decorations and traditional dances.

“I like getting money, the decorations, getting time to spend with my family, and the lion dancing,” says Wu.

Although traditions differ among cultures, something that many of them have in common is that they are a time that is usually spent with family.

“You could say they’re like a get-together, though not a party,” says Binzahid, “we all talk, play, have fun and eat.”

Winter traditions include diverse celebrationsby: JESuS EScobErStAff rEPortEr

6 Feature

When Tinsley Jones was in high school, he drove a sweet ride: a red ’53 Pontiac convertible that he shared with his brother. It was the kind with a black leather interior and a black top, the kind that was perfect for picking up a date or cruising down South Main Street on a weekend afternoon.

In those days South Main was a different place. Now it is a string of churches and falling-down storefronts facing patched pavement and light-rail tracks, but once it was a simple two lanes, back and forth, with no highway access. Narrower, perhaps, but it glittered like a teenager’s dream. There was Playland Park, with its roller coasters and rides and carnival games. There were two drive-in eateries, Prince’s and Stewart’s, for grabbing a quick bite to eat. Nearby were the Lowe’s, Majestic, and Metropolitan movie theaters, as well as several drive-in movies.

Jones spent some of his weekends here, eating out, driving around. Other weekends were spent at sporting events, especially football games. Sometimes the local country clubs hosted dances, where you could dance the Jitterbug or the Bop or the Bunny Hop or the Twist. Sometimes there was bird hunting or fishing out of town.

“Life was more simple,” Jones said. “Safer, less stressful. Most of us were carefree but recognized a proper education was essential. [It was] not nearly as high-tech.”

Jones’s official job at Kerr is hall monitor.

He keeps the school safe, making sure that doors are locked, IDs are worn, and that outsiders register at the front office. He also maintains lockers and patrols the halls to make sure that all is well.

Many are familiar with this aspect of Jones. Fewer ask him about his past, his story, and his memories of a simpler time.

This is a man who remembers attending sixth grade at Grady Elementary, which was comprised of “four rooms, six grades, and two outhouses” and sat at the corner of Post Oak and Westheimer, the present-day location of the Galleria. In 1949, however, it was nothing more than “two little crossroads about five miles from the city limits of Houston.”

Jones lived on what was then the south side of town, in a neighborhood that was “moderate upscale, but not River Oaks”. He first attended Grady, then Lanier Middle School, and then transferred to Persian Junior High. He then attended Lamar High School, where he captained the school’s champion swim team.

“The swim team was so good,” Jones said, “that in order to find competition we swam against freshmen at A&M,Texas, Rice, SMU, TCU, and usually beat them.”

Jones spent his own college years at the University of Houston. He interrupted his college education twice: once to join the Air Force reserves, and once to get a job and marry his wife, whom he met at college and to whom he has been married for 51 years.

Jones spent six years in the Air Force reserves, serving between 1959 and 1965.

“Back in the day the draft was in effect,” he said. “If you were drafted you had to do

two years of active duty.” Instead, Jones opted for six years in the reserves, which allowed him to stay in school. The job required basic training, a two-week camp every summer, and a weekend’s meeting once every month. Jones was never called up to fight.

He graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from UH and started working in the oil and natural-gas industry. For several years he purchased and sold natural gas, crude oil, and other by-products to energy companies.

From 1980 to 1987, Jones worked as Vice President of Marketing and Gas Supply for the Enron corporation. His favorite part of the job was working with customers—oil and gas producers, municipalities, businesses—and negotiating business deals. It was a job that entailed lots of traveling and entertaining of customers: playing golf, skiing, fishing, and the like.

“Back in that era we did a lot of entertaining,” Jones said. “It was an accepted practice…It wasn’t bribing customers. It was just getting to know customers so that we could…find out what their corporate goals are so that we could meet their corporate goals while meeting our own at the same time.”

In 1987 Jones was given a severance package from Enron. He went on to start his own company, Environmental Containment Rings, which designs and furnishes material for secondary containment units for hydrocarbon liquids.

“Using my type of containment system,” Jones said, “any spill would be contained and could be disposed of without incurring any soil contamination.”

In addition, Jones also began substitute teaching for Alief around 2003. After two years of this, he decided to work full-time.

“I woke up one day and said if I’m gonna substitute teach, I might as well get a full-time job and get health benefits,” Jones said. He joined the staff at Kerr in the fall of 2006.

“I think Kerr is an extremely special school,” Jones said. “There’s greater…desire on the part of the students to further their education.”

His favorite part of his workday, he says, is greeting students as they arrive at school.

“I work the bus door in the mornings, which I volunteer to do,” he said. “I want the students to feel comfortable and welcome. Most respond very positively. It makes me feel good.”

By: Tuong-phi LeSTaff RepoRTeR

Jones remembers colorful past

Sophomore Roukaya Mabizari considers herself Algerian at heart. She is half Berber (an old African tribe) and half French. Mabizari is very proud of her heritage, especially because her grandmother happens to be the chief of her tribe.

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Question:

Answer: No, I use to believe in Santa until one Christmas my dad came in dressed up like him. I

gave him a big hug and his beard fell off!

Do you believe in Santa Claus?

Q:

A:

Name three things you love to do.

Read, work at the hospital, and go swimming.

Finish the sentence! During Winter Break, I will ________.

Live life!

Q:

Q:

Q:

Q:

Q:

Q:

Q:

Q:A:

A:

A:

A:

A:

A:

A:

A:

There is a big sale at your favorite store, what do you do?

Shop till I drop! If someone gets in my way they better watch out, 'cause I don’t stop!

Favorite season and holiday?

Autumn and Thanksgiving, only because it’s around my birthday.

Who was the last person you hugged?

Lan Mach! Who just happens to be my BEST friend from fourth grade.

Think fast: Holidays!

Party!

Late, early, or right on time?

Early, the fun things happen before a party.If you could replace turkey as the traditional dish served on Thanksgiving with any dish, what would it be?

Chachouka...it's a traditional Algerian dish that makes my mouth water each and every time!"

Sunny paradise; I don’t like the cold.

Would you rather have a winter wonderland or sunny paradise?

Mr. Jones supervises the lunch line every day.

7entertainment

Holiday Reads and ratingsClassic and modern books still keep the Frosty Christmas spirit

With all the frantic Christmas shopping and decorating, most of us don’t have the time to find the perfect Christmas books to add to the holiday spirit. Well, have no fear because here are two books that will definitely keep you--and your younger siblings and cousins--absorbed in the Christmas cheer.

Frosty the Snowman adapted by Annie North Bedford: Published in 1950, and based on the Christmas carol of the same name, the book retells the classical tale of Frosty the Snowman through the adventures of Sally, Joe, Billy, and Tommy. The four children find Frosty’s magical silk hat and brings him to life. They spend a fun day with Frosty and his broomstick, running

around town and playing. In the end, Frosty leaves the children and promises to return. This classic children’s book has the same theme of magic that little kids adore, like other Christmas classics such as The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Frosty the Snowman transformed the Christmas carol by Steven Nelson and Jack Rollins into a magical story that we all cherished as we grew up.

Frosty’s New Friends by Richard Cowdrey:Basing it off of the classic Frosty the Snowman story, Cowdrey writes a new story about a father who tells a bed time story of his personal encounter with Frosty to his daughter. His childhood self goes on a fun adventure full of sledding, hide-and-seek, and snowball fights with his sister, Frosty, and his snowpup until dawn. The story ends with the bed time

story coming to an end, and his daughter asking whether Frosty will return. Although it’s a lot similar and not as good as the original, Frosty’s New Friends puts a nice spin on the classic version, and it’s great story for the holidays when you’re looking for something new to read, yet still contains the traditional Frosty the Snowman feel-good theme.

Arthur tells Santa’s story from behind the scenes

Not so bad being Home Alone with movies

By: Joanna aRiaSediToR-in-Chief

By: TRaCey LeSTaff RepoRTeR

Arthur Christmas is the comedic story of a naïve member of the Christmas family coupled with a cynical former Santa and a feisty wrapper elf on a mission. The first half hour of the film is a delightful high-tech rush of Christmas Eve aboard a high-flying ship, Santa’s newest mode of transportation for the most important night of the year. But when one child doesn’t receive her present on Christmas Eve, young Arthur, son of the current Santa, (voiced by James McAvoy), resolves to deliver little Gwen’s one present. Along with grumpy GrandSanta, eight reindeer and a relic sleigh, Arthur sets out to keep his father’s

legacy alive. After a night of mapping and wrapping misadventure, Arthur and his team (minus a few reindeer) finally make it to the little child’s house, but is it the right one?

Arthur Christmas is a great holiday film for the whole family. Though is has some surprisingly sophisticated humor for a movie geared toward the younger crowd, it was wholly enjoyable and worth the ticket price. Writers Peter Baynham and Sarah Smith put together a screenplay that was cute and not too cliché. Graced with the voices of Hugh Laurie, Imelda Staunton, and Jim Broadbent, distinct characters made the film a memorable experience. My rating is a full five stars for this modern spin on the classic Father Christmas legend.

Something that people can not miss during Christmas is the comical “Home Alone” series. “Home Alone” movies bring warmth, laughter, and Christmas spirit into any home. Families can enjoy this film.

The first movie, “Home Alone: A family comedy without the family” features a young boy named Kevin McCallister. On the day the family was going on vacation, Kevin was left behind. He comes across two bandits thinking that nobody’s home, but to their surprise, a clever boy awaits their arrival. Kevin resorts to techniques to show he’s not alone. His techniques, however, are only successful for a short period; eventually the burglars realize he is alone. A chain of traps set up by Kevin slows them down. The happenings are uproarious.

“Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” covers the adventure of Kevin McCallister once again separated from his family at the airport and boarded a different flight that landed him in New York. The same bandits haven’t given up their thieving ways yet. Kevin discovers the bandits’ plan and tries to catch them. Kevin finds a family member’s house that was being renovated; where he plans the traps. Christmas

activities incorporated in the film boosts the holiday spirit.

“Home Alone 3” takes place on the street of the Pruitt’s family. Alex Pruitt is also left home alone. Thieves try to retrieve a microchip that was lost. They search houses but aren’t successful. Alex witnesses the searches and tries to call the cops. No one believes him however. When the criminals target Alex’s house, he takes matters into his own hands by setting up traps to capture the bandits. The adventure of Alex changes everyone’s outlook on him.

“Home Alone: Taking back the house” is set in his dad’s girlfriend’s house. The criminals devise tactics while the dad and girlfriend were out. Again, Kevin uses his brainy and swift ways to outwit the thieves.

The third movie is my favorite. It has twice the crooks and action than the others. Spoiler alert: When the bad guys jumped from the window onto the trampoline, the trampoline was actually cut in the middle, causing them to fall through into ice cold water. Police come and tell them “Freeze!”, when they were already freezing.

During the winter, these films are perfect to revisit. They contain spirit, intelligence, and humor. Check out this series if you haven’t done so. You won’t regret it.

Released: November 23

Running Time: 97 minutes

Rated: PG

pRopeRTy of Sony piCTuReS enTeRTainmenT

Richard Cowdrey puts a modern spin on the classical Frosty the Snowman in his book Frosty's New Friends. Photo Credit: Grosset and Dunlap (Penguin Group Inc.), New York.

By: nadia ZuLfaSTaff RepoRTeR

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With the holiday season right around the corner, students are beginning to wear their winter favorites.

“Winter fashion consists of wearing a warm, cozy sweater with nice boots,” freshman Sandra Igboanusi said.

To some students, scarves and beanies are considered this season’s must-haves.

“Scarves are my favorite winter fashion item,” senior Thu Bui said. “I own many but I don’t wear them.”

But junior Yao Liang believe otherwise, saying that hats are the perfect thing to add to make any winter outfit stylish.

“In my opinion, the perfect accessory would be a nice beanie to keep your head warm and looking cool.”

By Aja Bryant and Alyssa Andaverde

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1.Sophomore Clara Sosa is shopping at a local Target for winter clothes.“I like to get my winter clothes from JcPenny, Target, and Hot Topic,” Sosa said. 2.Sosa is browsing through the winter coats, hoping to find one that is seasonable.“I define winter fashion as clothes that express holiday spirit and fun colors that keep you warm.” 3. Senior Fey Okusaga struts her stylish scarf. “Winter fashion involves boots, sweater, and jackets. Basically get bundled up so that anything cold can’t come in and anything warm stays.” Okusaga said.4. Senior Jonathan Villegas is staying warm in his scarf and sweater. “Winter fashion to me means staying warm in the winter while still looking so fashionable!” Villegas said. 5. Sophomore Sandra Igboanusi is sitting in the cafeteria, wearing a cream beret and black leather boots. “My favorite places to shop is Forever 21, Old Navy, Aeropostale, and Hollister,” Igboanusi said.6. Senior Cameron Clark is in the main hallway, sporting his letterman jacket. “I define winter fashion as warm, browns and blacks, and faux furs,” Clark said.7. Sophomore Alyssa Martinez is working on her school work while looking fashionable. “I think [winter fashion] has a lot to do with scarves and the jacket. 8. Junior Yao Liang is spotted wear a dark gray sweater with khaki pants. “Winter fashion is some kind of fashion that keeps one warm and cozy during the winter time, but also shows a ‘lil bit of swag’,” Liang said.

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