Pirate Log PUTNAM CITY HIGH SCHOOL

VOLUME 58 • ISSUE 4 • DECEMBER 2013the

Pirate Happenings:

Pg. 3Travel through Time and Space with a review over the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special.

The Commercialization of ChristmasDoes merriment have a price tag?

Pg. 6Saturnalia survives the ages and

Pg. 7Greatness awaits: the next generation of gaming consoles is here.

     Although  the  holiday  season  is  traditionally  a  time  of  religious  celebration  and  joyous  festivities,  in  recent  years  a  large  degree  of  consumerism  and  other  commercial  elements  have  become  integrated  into  the  season.  For  

example,  many  companies  are  rapidly  recognizing  Christmas  and  other  holidays  as  an  opportunity  to  capitalize  on  the  seasonal  gift  gifting  process,  and  launching  advertising  campaigns  focused  solely  on  holiday  shopping.  According  to  Randy  Sharp,  director  of  the  American  Family  Association,  the  percentage  of  retailers  launching  holiday  themed  ad  campaigns  has  risen  from  “roughly  twenty  percent  to  eighty  percent”,  and  has  become  one  of  the  most  active  shopping  periods  of  the  entire  year.      As  a  result  of  this  rise  in  heavy  advertising,  some  individuals  feel  that  the  holiday  spirit  is  slowly  shifting  away  from  its  traditional  festive  and  ethical  connotations,  and  slowly  becoming  more  associated  with  commercialism  and  retail  consumerism.  As  senior  Derek  Delclef  puts  it,  “I  feel  like  sometimes  people  are  in  such  a  rush  to  purchase  Christmas  gifts  and  other  holiday  commodities  that  they  forget  what  the  holiday  spirit  is  really  supposed  to  be  about,  which  is  the  spirit  of  giving  itself.  Personally,  I  feel  as  though  we  sometimes  overlook  the  history  of  the  holiday  itself,  and  are  just  focused  too  much  on  the  gift  exchanging  aspects  of  it.”      Ultimately,  while  the  meaning  and  implications  of  the  commercialization  of  the  holidays  is  a  broad  subject  that  is  open  to  multiple  interpretations  and  a  wide  variety  of  opinions,  it  is  an  irrefutable  fact  that  many  retail  and  commercial  elements  are  slowly  becoming  a  much  more  prominent  aspect  of  the  holiday  season.

Story by

Justin

Mullin

2 NEWS DECEMBER 2013

Happy Holidays Pirates! As we prepare for the Winter Break, let me say I hope you all enjoy your time off. Time is best spent with family, friends, and of course food! One of my favorite things to do when I get time away from school is read a great book, so in our holiday tradition; the administrators have picked our favorite titles to share with you. Here is our list…

2nd Annual Pirate P!ncipal Picks:Mrs. Lebsack- Same  Kind  of  Different  As  Me  by  Ron  Hall  and  Denver  Moore

Mr. Miles- The  Brotherhood  of  War  by  W.E.B.  Griffin

Mr. Gilliland- Barry  Switzer…a  Bootleggers  Boy    by  Barry  SwitzerMs. Wright- The  Travelers  Gi?  by  Andy  Andrews

Mr. Bradley- Jesus  is  _____. by  Judah  Smith

Mrs. Stewart- The  Hunger  Games  Series  by  Suzanne  Collins  (the  3rd  is  her  favorite)

Check them out through the library or even digitally on your phone. Some are books we enjoyed at your age, and others are our current favorites. Reading is a life skill that will help you be college or career ready, so read up over the break! We would love to hear about some of your favorite books as well. Stop and tell us if you have ever read any of these titles, or share your top pick for a book with us. You can even ask your teachers about books they remember reading in high school. The bottom line is un-plug the video games and DVR your favorite shows to spend a few moments reading. Your brain will thank you later!

Ed i to r sA lexa L i hy aou iA l i a Tay lo r

Pho to Ed i to rB r andon T homas

Photo g r aphe r sBr andon T homas Ange l Chappe l l

S t a f f Wr i t e r sAa r on R i f f aChand le r Do r n

N i co le Ea r l yAdam CoeJus t i n Mu l l i nDako ta He i l i gI sa i as To r r esJazm ynn LemosCamie Ho lde rby

The Pirate Log Staff

The purpose of the Pirate Log is to inform, educate and entertain the students of Putnam City High School, as well as provide a public forum for the discussion of current issues. The Editorial Board will consist of all editors, the adviser, and a member at large. Work on the Pirate Log is not exclusively limited to the members of the newspaper class. However, submissions outside of the class must be approved by the Editorial Board. Unsigned editorials are written by one of the editors and reflect the general opinion of the Editorial Board. Columns, commentaries and reviews are signed and reflect the views of the individual writer. These views may or may not

reflect the views of the Editorial Board. All sides of an issue will be presented as fairly as possible without making personal attacks. Any person in the Putnam City community who has an opinion to be voiced is encouraged to submit letters to the Editor. All letters must be signed, but anonymity may be requested. The staff reserves the right to edit or revise any letter due to grammatical errors, space limitations, or content. The Pirate Log reserves the right to refuse any advertising not found to be within the publication’s standards, particularly in reference to good taste and to products and/or services that are illegal for the majority of its readers.

Captain’s Corner

DECEMBER 2013 3 NEWS

     50 years, 13 Doctors, 1 Time War, and

77 million views worldwide. Ever since the moment that the final scene of “The Name Of The Doctor” was aired, fans have been on the edge of their seat, eagerly anticipating the trio of Doctors to

unite for the first time, with David Tennant reprising his role as the Tenth Doctor, Matt Smith continuing as the Eleventh, and John Hurt, as the Doctor who thinks he is not worthy enough to carry the name.

The 50th anniversary revolves mainly around Hurt’s character contemplating on destroying his home planet of Gallifrey using a device called The Moment, which

would destroy the Daleks and the Time Lords, thus ending the Time War. As soon as he is about to make his choice, the

conscience of The Moment, presented as

an previously seen companion Rose Tyler, comes forward and talks to Hurt about his decision, which is when a rift in Time and Space opens and the real adventure begins. This rift brings together Hurt, Tennant,

and Smith in the Shakespearean era as the Zygons, which are alien shape-shifters are taking over. The three Doctors are soon arrested and thrown into the dungeon, where a serious conversation about the

Time War takes place. “The show-runner Steven Moffat had to appeal to new fans and old fans alike with a show that has gone on longer than any show has the right to,” said senior Patrick

Flannigan. “He stayed within the boundaries with canon and what is proper

for celebration of the show while

delivering an amazing story.” For the fans of the show, whether old or new, it was a ride of lifetime having the three iconic Doctors all in one time period was more than the minds of the Whovians

could endure. “The  beauty  of  Doctor  Who  is  that  it's  constantly  able  to  reinvent  itself,”  said  Kaitlin  Thomas,  a  writer  for  www.tv.com.  From Smith

throwing his fez through a time rift, to Tennant yelling at innocent bunnies, all the way to Hurt making fun of sand shoes and catch phrases, the 50th anniversary has further proven that Doctor Who is a series

that will continue to transcend Time and Space. “Geronimo, Allons-y, oh for God’s sake, Gallifrey Stands!”.

Doctor Who: 50th Anniversary

Story by

Isaias

Torres and

Brandon

Thomas

(Doctor Who 50th Anniversary)

.

     As  the  weather  becomes  colder  and  the  mornings  become  darker,  going  to  the  bus  is  not  an  easy  task.  Walking  to  the  bus  stop  everyday  

can  become  a  daily  struggle  that  many  students  suffer  with  as  the  colder  days  come.        Waiting  in  the  freezing  

weather  can  be  almost  unbearable,  especially  when  the  bus  is  late,  which  is  a  common  occurrence.  The  bus  stops  are  as  close  as  possible  to  the  residence  were  students  live,  but  the  stop  can  be  one  or  two  blocks  away  from  the  students’  home.  Even  though  that  doesn’t  sound  like  it’s  very  far,  in  the  frigid  weather  it  can  feel  like  a  

mile.  Being  in  the  cold  for  that  long,  especially  during  Olu  season,  can  be  a  risk  to  one’s  health  causing  many  students  to  be  ill  and  unable  to  attend  classes.          “I  feel  like  the  bus  is  almost  always  late,  so  I  usually  wait  until  the  last  minute  to  walk  to  the  bus  stop,”  said  junior  Mariah  Bryant.      For  some  students,  the  bus  is  the  only  transportation  to  school  and  back  home,  and  if  it  is  missed,  so  are  the  classes  for  the  students.        The  bus  can  be  also  very  crowded  and  loud  junior  Jennifer  Kourtis  explains,  “  I  never  particularly  did  like  riding  the  bus  because  of  the  various  ear  splitting  conversations  going  on  at  once”.        The  bus  is  a  very  important  part  of  going  between  school  and  home,  and  whether  a  student  enjoys  it  or  not,  it’s  here  to  stay.

The down sides of riding the bus

BUS STOP BLUES

GREAT MINDS TASTE ALIKE

Story by

chandler dorn

4 NEWS DECEMBER 2013

They call them

“walkers”; they slink around corners just waiting for fresh meat to pass by innocently enough to attack and rip them apart. They are savages with no heart, no mind, and no self-conscious. The people that they used to be has long gone now, all that is left is the angry shell of an infectious disease. Civilians struggle to see the light at the

end of the tunnel, however, there is none. Death is inevitable and all they can do is hope that they are not the next one to go.

“The Walking Dead” started October 31, 2010 on the hit television

channel AMC. This post-apocalyptic horror television show captivated watchers with its realistic plot and fantastic character development. Not only are zombies one of the main focuses, but the relationships between the characters in the show are in jeopardy as well which only brings in more viewers week by week. The episodes

usually run from 42-45 minutes long so that watchers can get a lot of time to really grasp the plot line. The show has won the great honor

of a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series, as well as

racking in 16.1 million viewers for the much anticipated fourth season.

In the new season of The Walking Dead, there are new faces and a

familiar threat. There are so many new people in the setting of the prison and it carries with it such a different and diverse vibe. Watching Rick quietly tend to the garden while listening to country music is the least conspicuous shift the season brings to the table as well as slowly demonstrating Rick’s aversion to violence. Season

Three ended with a long shot featuring a busload of Woodburians’ walking solemnly into the prison, an ended that made watchers itch for more episodes.

This time, however, rather than a sense of despair within the

survivors, the desperation is felt most strongly in the throngs of walkers crowding the fenced perimeter of the prison. For those inside, it is a combination of pragmatism and cautious optimism.

story by camie holderby andDakota Heilig

Reflecting on what makes “The Walking Dead” such a special and strangely addicting television

show

PHOTO COURTESY OF www.nola.com

Snow days are, of course, a much-anticipated day for most high

school students around this time of the year. In the Putnam City district calendar, there are already two days built in to this year’s school schedule. Some students are actually disappointed when snow days come around. Senior Karen Garcia says, “It makes me want to go to school

less. It also cancels practice”. Other students argue that it just adds on to the school year. Some say that it is a break that nobody can pass up and use it as a reason to get out of school for a day. Snow days are also a rather annoying reality for teachers who are trying to keep the rhythm of the classroom in full

effect, arguing that the roads aren’t bad enough to close the school down for that day. On the other hand, some teachers are just as ready as the students for any kind of break the weather will hand to them. Some people even say that this is exactly why December is the most wonderful time of the

year as well as taking into account the unanimous love of the holidays, eggnog, and snow. One thing that is for sure, is that half of the school is waiting for it with fingers crossed. It is something that students often lose sleep over the night before in anticipation of waking up and checking the news to see if school is in fact “out”.

Snow Days

Story By

Angel Chappell

DECEMBER 2013 5 NEWS

Wor! Ch"!mas Gi#s

Ever

“Once  when  I  was  thirteen,  I  asked  my  mom  for  some  makeup  and  nail  polish  on  Christmas  day  I  was  expecting  some  really  awesome  stuff  on  top  of  what  I  had  asked  for,  cause  my  mom  usually  did  well  with  gifting.  My  fun  ended  when  

all  I  had  around  me  were  clothes.  Not  that  I  wasn’t  grateful,  it’s  just  not  everyday  that  the  average  thirteen  year  old  wants  only  clothes,”  stated  Sylvia  

McLendon        “My  worst  Christmas  present  was  an  OSU  sunshade  for  my  car  last  year  that  is  still  unopened,  I  don’t  like  OSU  or  sports  at  all,”  complained  Melanie  Hughes

“When  I  was  13  I  got  Hannah  Montana  underwear.  I  hated  it;  I  was  embarrassed  even  in  front  of  my  family.  I  threw  them  in  my  closest  and  

pretended  I  never  got  them,”  said  Sierra  Forehand.    “When  I  was  15  I  got  a  black  Lab  named  Cailou  that  was  really  mean”  said  

Tiffany  O’Keefe“My  worse  Christmas  Present  was  Children’s  sleepwear  when  I  was  like  11  

and  it  didn’t  Oit  well,”  Commented  Dillion  Myers.“One  Year  I  got  this  really  annoying  toy  cat,”  said  Crysta  Blankenship.

     “One  year  I  got  Zack  Efron  knee  high  socks.  I  was  Oifteen  and  gay,”  stated  Cara  Higgins

“My  worst  gift  was  an  Xbox  because  it  ended  up  counting  as  the  family’s  Xbox  and  when  it  broke  it  was  replaced  for  my  birthday  but  was  still  the  family’s  

and  they  got  a  laptop  for  my  sister  that  is  just  hers,”  Scott  Bowers  

Staff  Picks:  Favorite  Holiday  MoviesAaron: The Santa ClauseAdam: The Nightmare Before ChristmasAlexa: Eight Crazy NightsAlia: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Angel: Four ChristmasesBrandon: N/ACamie: How the Grinch Stole ChristmasChandler: A Charlie Brown Christmas

Dakota: The Nightmare Before ChristmasIsaias: Home AloneJazmynn: The Polar ExpressJustin: Olive, the Other Reindeer Nicole: Olive, the Other Reindeer

Snow doubt

Ever!

6 NEWS DECEMBER 2103

Saturnalia  is  a  holiday  from  ancient  Rome  that  is  celebrated  in  the  middle  of  December  that  

gives  people  something  to  get  excited  about  and  a  week  off  work.      “Saturnalia  is  [the  Roman’s]  biggest  festival.  It’s  seven  days  long  and  includes  banquets  and  parties;  it’s  a  celebration  of  the  winter  solstice,  which  is  the  shortest  day  of  the  year,  and  the  ending  of  winter  or  the  starting  of  spring  and  summer.  Saturnalia  has  the  atmosphere  of  Mardis  Gras,”  said  Latin  Club  sponsor  Mrs.  Duffy-­‐Relf.          At  PCO  however,  it’s  more  like  a  miniature  fair  with  some  interesting  games  and  competitions.  Saturnalia  is  held  in  the  new  cafeteria  and  is  arranged  by  the  Latin  club.  Celebrated  on  December  17th,  it’s  an  annual  event  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duffy-­‐Relf  put  on  every  year.      At  Saturnalia,  there  are  many  different  booths  to  participate:  the  Vomitorium,  Stab  Ceasar  Santa-­‐pulting,  Fortune  Telling,  Gladiator  Golf,  Smite  the  Peasants,  Exsponge  yourself,  Pick  your  Poison,  Make  a  Masterpiece,  Picture  yourself,  bobbing  for  the  golden  apple,  and  Saturnalia  hat  making.  When  a  game  is  won,  a  candy  prize  is  given.          Mrs.  Duffy-­‐Relf  continues,  “The  Vomitorium  is  always  the  most  popular  because  it’s  the  grossest”.

     The  bigger  events  include  the  Medusa  munch,  the  12  labors  of  Hercules,  in  each  labor  more  and  more  contenders  are  disqualiOied  until  the  last  labor,  with  two  participants  left  and  the  one  to  obtain  the  hydra  head  is  the  winner!    Epic  twister,  a  combination  of  four  twister  mats  for  the  craziest  game  of  twister  ever  played!  Lastly,  the  chariot  race,  that  has  one  person  inside  a  blanket  being  pulled  by  two  others  in  a  race  to  the  Oinish  across  the  cafeteria.      Rachel  Lee  states  that  her  favorite  event  in  Saturnalia  is  the  Medusa  munch,  “It  was  fun  to  watch  people  stuff  their  faces  with  green  spaghetti”.        All  the  zeal  and  weirdness  of  this  grandiose  event  is  open  to  more  than  the  Latin  club  and  is  completely  free.  If  you  missed  out  this  year,  you  can  always  go  next  year!

story by Nicole Early

Saturnalia

photo courtesy of the Latin Club Facebook Page

Stop “Roman” around; celebrate this Holiday!

Photos by Camie Holderby

Kicking off the next

generation of video game consoles, Sony’s Playstation 4 released on November 15th,

2013. The gaming giant took the U.S. by storm and has sold over

one million units at the time of this publication. With more power and many improvements, the PS4 is a great console. The PS4 was officially announced in February and hosted a conference that teased what was to come. Although no console was in sight, the conference fired up the anticipation of gamers worldwide. It

wasn’t until the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) when gamers would see the true power of the system. Featuring 8 GB of ram, AMD Radeon and AMD Jaguar, the PS4 is a powerhouse. Despite being slightly more powerful than its competitors the PS4 is the cheapest out of the next-gen consoles released this year

just being priced at $499. The price is $200 dollars less than the price of a PS3 at launch back in 2007. As it seems, the popularity of the Sony brand has dramatically increased with their next incarnation of gaming consoles. According to mirrornews.com, preorders for the PS4 were double the number of

preorders for the PS3.

The PS4 sold more units than the PS3 as well. The PS4 also launched with two first party games, Knack and

Killzone Shadow Fall along with several third

party games such as Assassin’s Creed IV, Battlefield 4, and Call of Duty Ghosts. The launch-line up is fairly weak but adequate for the emergence of a next-gen console. However, 2014 will see a plethora of

titles such as a new Uncharted title, Dragon Age Inquisition, Thief, and Infamous Second Son. The Playstation 4 is a great introduction to the next-generation of consoles. Despite some downfalls, such as a yearly fee for paying online, Sony’s new system is a fantastic one. The system is reliable,

the controller feels amazing, and gaming is more pleasing on the eyes than ever. Greatness has indeed arrived.

DECEMBER 2013 7 OPINION

story by

Alexa Lihyaoui

Story by

Dakota Heilig

     While  the  Xbox  One,  like  the  PlayStation  4,  is  at  heart  a  traditional  video  game  console,  it  also  does  a  much  better  job  of  being  

incorporated  into  the  living  room  and  working  in  ways  that  are  unavailable  elsewhere.  You  can  walk  into  your  living  room,  and  say  “Xbox  on”  with  a  normal  voice  level  and  the  console  will  turn  on.        The  Xbox  One  was  the  highest-­‐selling  gaming  system  on  Black  Friday,  and  for  the  people  that  pre-­‐ordered  them,  they  were  delivered  to  their  house  the  day  that  it  came  out.        “It’s  exciting  that  it’s  a  new  generation  of  consoles,”  stated  a  Microsoft  representative.      Excessive  discussions  have  been  made  about  the  size  of  the  Xbox  One,  which  is  of  course  exacerbated  by  the  additional  bulk  of  its  external  power  supply  and  Kinect  sensor.  

     Xbox  One  games  like  “Forza  5”  and  “Ryse”,  look  fantastic,  run  smoothly  and  have  all  the  visual  detail  that  are  a  product  of  the  overblown  lighting  and  rich  surfacing  effects  one  would  expect  from  a  next-­‐generation  game.  With  the  Xbox  One  controller  being  such  a  great  foundation  for  gameplay,  it  was  unlikely  that  the  Xbox  One  would  run  amiss  here,  but  the  Xbox  One  controller  improves  on  the  Xbox  360’s  in  a  number  of  ways.  In  the  hand,  it  is  lighter,  but  still  familiar,  with  a  similar  layout  of  joysticks  and  buttons.  The  triggers  curve  slightly  outwards  and  the  bumpers  are  larger,  making  all  four  Oit  more  naturally  under  the  Oingers.        The  Xbox  One  is  a  huge  console  that  Microsoft  has  been  working  on  for  a  while,  and  it  greatly  deserves  as  much  hype  as  it  has  received.  

8 NEWS DECEMBER 2013

Ornament CupcakesDirections:

1. Following  the  directions  for  the  cake  type  of  your  choosing,  bake  a  set  of  cupcakes  with  coordinating  cupcake  wraps  that  correspond  with  the  icing  color  you’ll  be  using.

2. Once  the  cupcakes  have  cooled  completely,  apply  as  many  solid  colors  amongst  the  cupcakes  as  you’d  like.  Green  and  Red  are  very  festive  and  cute.  

3. On  a  separate  surface,  unwrap  mini  Reece’s  cups  and  place  them  upside  down.  In  what  was  formerly  the  bottom  of  the  Reece’s  cup,  use  a  skewer  to  make  a  small  hole.  Place  the  skewer  ¼”  deep  into  the  cup  and  rotate  gently  until  a  small  cone-­‐shaped  hole  has  been  made.

4. Section  off  a  string  of  pull-­‐apart  Twizzler  and  cut  it  into  1”  tabs.5. Fold  a  piece  in  half  and  meet  the  two  ends.  Pinch  them  together  gently  and  insert  it,  with  the  pinched  end  down,  into  the  

hole  that  was  made  in  the  Reece’s  cup.6. Place  the  Reece’s  cup  Twizzler-­‐side  up  in  the  center  of  the  cupcake  as  the  ornament  topper,  and  that’s  it,  you’re  done!

Tip:  Apply  what  is  known  as  a  “crumb  layer”  before  you  apply  the  icing.  A  crumb  layer  is  a  thin  coating  of  icing  that  is  applied  when  the  cupcake  has  cooled  and  is  thin  enough  to  still  see  the  cake  underneath.  It  is  called  the  “crumb  layer”  because  it  seals  in  the  crumbs  so  the  icing  doesn’t  lift  up  the  cake  top  and  mix  into  the  icing,  so  it  can  have  a  perfectly  pigmented  and  Olawlessly  colored  appearance.  

For Extra Fun:  After  the  Oinal  icing  layer  has  cooled,  pour  a  small  amount  of  edible  glitter  that  coordinates  with  the  cupcake’s  color  into  a  bowl.  Roll  the  cupcake’s  top  in  the  glitter  and  apply  enough  pressure  to  impress  the  glitter  into  the  icing.  Then  you  can  place  the  “topper”  onto  the  cupcake.

Christmas Crossword