Download - Northwood Howler | December Issue
Volume XIV, Issue IV: December 14, 20124515 Portola Pkwy. IrvIne, Ca 92620www.thehowleronlIne.org
Timberwolves waltz their way to a premiereBy tIm ShIeh & ChrIS SunBusiness Manager & Staff Writer
Northwood’s Speech and Debate Team placed 4th overall out of 25 schools at the Cypress College High School Speech and Debate Invitation held Dec. 7 - 8. This was the first time in three years that the team placed at an invitational with over 700 competitors.
The majority of Northwood’s de-baters invested their time in prepared debates including Lincoln Douglas Debate, Congressional Speaking, Par-liamentary Debate and Policy Debate.
Northwood had four major victo-ries in Congressional Debate. Senior Chirag Dixit and sophomores Roxana Akbari and Jeremy Wang placed first, second and eighth, respectively, in the Varsity division, and sophomore Chris Park placed fifth in the Novice division.
Juniors Evan Swerdfeger and Cullen Im placed third in Parlia-mentary debate, a form of debate for which students are given 20 minutes
of preparation to interpret and debate a resolution concerning either philoso-phy or national or international topics that changes every round.
Although it was his and Swerd-feger’s first time debating in the Parliamentary format, Im said he and his partner could really related to each other during the rounds.
“Evan is a great partner, and I found Parliamentary Debate to be the most intellectually stimulating debate I have ever participated in,” said Im.
Junior Jordan Fadness placed sixth in the quarterfinal rounds of Varsity-level Lincoln Douglas de-bate, a one-on-one debate that centers around a resolution usually concerning morality.
Sophomores Danielle Yuhan and Kunwoo Lee placed 5th in Novice Policy Debate while juniors Tim Shieh and James Hwang placed 7th in Varsity Policy Debate, a two-on-two debate during which each side advocates a governmental policy change.
“I believe [policy debate] prob-
By monSoon PabraIManaging Editor
Speech and Debate Team raises the roof with a 4th place finish
Northwood’s White and Blue Mock Trial teams finished in the top eight and top 16 respectively on Dec. 6 and 4. Both teams made it past the first four preliminary trials, which is farther than Northwood has gone in the last five years.
“It was a great experience be-ing a part of Mock Trial for the first time,” said sophomore Chris Park, who was on the Blue Team. “I can’t believe I was part of a legendary team qualifying to semi-finals after far too many years.”
For the past three weeks, both the Blue and White teams have competed at the Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
Mock Trial meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Two deputy district attorneys, Rahul Gupta and Eric Scarbrough coach and
accompany the team to every trial, giv-ing the team advice drawn from their personal experiences in courtrooms.
In Mock Trial, there are three at-torneys in each of the two teams. The three split up the opening statement, the closing statement and the direct and cross examinations of witnesses. The four witnesses for each team are scored based on their knowledge of the facts and believability. The wit-nesses play a large role in determining whether the team wins or loses.
The Pretrial attorney is the most important attorney in Mock Trial. Da-vid Tag, who has served for two years, reflects on his years as an attorney.
“Looking back these past two years, Mock Trial was an experience unlike any other,” said senior David Tag. “It was all due to the deputy District Attorneys that incorporated their trial experience into our argu-ments. It isn’t so much a play as it is a real trial with real debate and some great rebuttal.”
By monSoon PabraIManaging Editor
Param Shah The Northwood Howler
creaTing muSic: Philharmonic Orchestra and Chamber winds rehearsed “A Waltz Down Christmas Avenue” after school on Dec. 10 while composer Goffe commmented on their interpretation.
ably requires the most amount of work,” said Lee. “But I enjoy working with Danielle. She is a great partner and is as reliable as a sister.”
Two Northwood students also placed in Individual Events, which focus on speechmaking. Sophomore Momachi Pabrai placed fifth in Dra-matic Interpretation, an event that focuses on interpreting any dramatic piece of literature to move the judge emotionally. In addition, senior Alan Sun placed sixth in Impromptu speak-ing, an event that requires students to deliver a five-minute speech on a given topic after two minutes of preparation.
Senior Jay Gopal, Speech and Debate president, said Pabrai and Sun gave a large amount of hope to the team with their performances; the team has always done “extraordinarily well” in debates, but has tended to fall apart in individual events.
“[Overall], I am really proud of the entire team for doing so well at a tournament we haven’t placed at in over three years,” said Gopal.
mock Trial adjourned. Verdict? Huge Success!
It is not just recreating, but actually creating
“
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Northwood’s Philharmonic Or-chestra and Chamber Winds will premiere “A Waltz Down Christmas Avenue” at the Winter Gala Concert on Dec 20. This is the first time Northwood has been approached by a composer to premiere a piece.
Photo provided by roxana akbarI
THe greaT DebaTerS: The Speech and Debate Team, along with adviser Vernon Brock, display their plaques and trophies after the award ceremony.
The piece was written by Andrew Goffe, a private music instructor and freelance composer who hopes to use the piece in a film he is currently work-ing on. According to Northwood’s Instrumental Music Director Ben Case, the film’s producers will attend the Gala Concert to decide whether or not to use the song.
Case said conducting an entirely new piece, which Goffe gave him
liberty to modify as he saw fit for the world premiere, was “really exciting.”
“As opposed to listening to previous recordings, it is much more of a dialogue [between the composer and the orchestra] for us,” said Case. “It’s not just recreating, but actually creating.”
The tune, which is written in the traditional waltz time signature of ¾, has a series of chromatic runs that culminate in a hemiola effect where multiple harmonies contrast and blend with each other.
Goffe had initially written “A Waltz Down Christmas Avenue” as a simple four-part piece for just strings, not a full orchestra, to encourage his son to practice more.
“It just hit me that if I wrote a little piece, then my son couldn’t hide from practicing his cello,” said Goffe.
Although he does not have set plans to compose more pieces in the future, Goffe said he is open to more opportunities.
“I write for the love of it,” said Goffe. “If I ever made a penny off of this, I’d be ecstatic. If I made a million, I’d also be ecstatic. When you do what you love, you’d never work a day.”
The Northwood HowlerHoliday Gift Guide
With a personality quiz and gift ideas for eight types of people, holiday shopping will be a cinch.
centerspread 6-7
NEWSDecember 14, 2012 The Northwood Howler2
For the first time in three years, the City of Irvine’s Youth Action Team (YAT) will host a city-wide dance tonight. The Winter White-Out Dance will have a holiday theme and will be held from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Heritage Park Community Center.
According to Northwood se-nior and YAT representative Annette Lee, YAT is hosting the event to give Northwood, Irvine, University, Woodbridge, Creekside and Beck-man high school students a night to have fun and relax with their friends. They also wanted to give students something fun and exciting to do on a Friday night.
Since students enjoy going to
their own individual school dances, we thought we can take it to a whole other level by having a city-wide one,” said Lee.
At the dance, the students can either show off their skills on the dance floor or relax in the upstairs lounge, where they can play pool or ping pong. Water and nachos will be sold at the snack bar for $1 and lico-rice will be 10 pieces for $1.
Tickets can be purchased at the door for $7, or $6 with two canned goods. Also, a student ID is required to be admitted into the dance.
“This is going to be an amaz-ing dance,” said Lee. “You’ll get a chance to hang out with your friends from other schools and have a night to remember! [It] doesn’t get better than this!”
Propping up California’s schools
YAT hosts Winter White-Out dance
Northwood avoided more than a week of furlough days, cuts to teach-er pay and curriculum modifications following the passage of Proposition 30, which increased the tax rate on high-earners in the state, according to Principal Leslie Roach.
“While I know for the students furlough days don’t seem to be a ter-rible option, teachers would lose a significant portion of their pay and the curriculums would have had to be significantly cut,” said history teach-er Eric Keith.
The proposition will result in an increase of sales tax from 7.25 per-cent to 7.5 percent for four years and the establishment of a seven-year, stratified tax bracket, which would
raise income taxes for the top 3 per-cent of Californians at graduated lev-els of $250,000, $300,000, $500,000 and $1 million.
According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, $6.8 billion are ex-pected to be generated per year from the increased taxes to provide relief for a variety of different institutions. These include the Los Angeles Uni-fied School District, one of the larg-est districts in the state, which would have faced $225 million in cuts and over a month of furlough days if Prop. 30 did not pass.
“This is an opportunity of great importance, not only to the Univer-sity of California and other higher education segments, but also to the state as a whole, and we cannot afford to let it slip away,” said University of California President Mark Yudof in
New rides at Knott’s
By Zoe Burger and Tim ShiehCopy Editor and Business Manager
a statement following the passage of Prop. 30.
Public secondary education would have faced a similar fate if planned cuts were carried out. It was predicted that University of Califor-nia schools would face a $250 mil-lion cut this fiscal year to increase student’s tuition by 23.5 percent. In addition, the system would have suf-fered cuts throughout 2013 and 2014 as well.
“I am grateful that the voting base in Irvine supported the passage of Prop. 30,” said counselor Bob Venable. “More importantly, let’s take the next step in lowering class sizes K – 12. In this era of metrics, I still believe research supports the no-tion that less kids in a classroom is aligned with measurable student suc-cess.”
By elaine lu and Karina leeStaff Writers
By ChriSTine leeStaff Writer
Knott’s Berry Farm will intro-duce three new rides by the summer of 2013: a wild mouse coaster, a fly-ing scooter and a classic scrambler ride.
The wild mouse coaster has four-person cars and a 52-foot-tall track. With sharp corners and zig-zag turns, the ride will give riders the il-lusion of flying over the edges of the
Latimes.comThe NeW KNOTT’s: The new rides, Coast Rider, Pacific Scrambler, and Surfside Glider, are expected to open at Knott’s next summer.
PhoTo Provided By Annette Lee
coaster’s rails. It will be called Coast Rider, after Knott’s famous wooden roller coaster GhostRider, which is the longest wooden coaster on the West Coast.
The Surfside Glider is a flying scooter, which features suspended vehicles that are self-piloted and designed to resemble flying animals or aircrafts. Elevated 28 feet off the ground, riders will get a bird’s eye view of the rest of the park.
The Pacific Scrambler is a spin-ning carnival ride. Riders go on indi-vidual spinning cars that give the il-lusion of crashing into other cars and their surroundings.
These three new rides will be built in the Boardwalk area, where Perilous Plunge, the tallest and steep-est water ride in the world, was lo-cated. With the death of a 40-year-old woman in 2001 due to inadequate safety restraints and resulting contro-versies, the ride has been closed since
Labor Day this year.“We’re going for families,” Jen-
nifer Blazey, Knott’s Berry Farm’s spokeswoman told The OC Register. “There is a tween age that is not re-ally ready for the high-speed coasters but too old for Camp Snoopy.”
By adding these three new at-tractions to its collection of 40 rides, Knott’s Berry Farm hopes to make the park a more family-friendly at-traction.
ADSThe Northwood Howler 3December 14, 2012
ACCENTDecember 14, 2012 The Northwood Howler4
Northwood’s own Renaissance Man, freshman Amrit Rau exhibits strengths in the science and arts; it’s like he has two brains combined into one. Rau delivers impromptu speeches and solves math and science problems with elegance, poise and purpose. Rau exhibits a skill in both the maths and the sciences as well as debate. He recently placed first in an event that is considered the most difficult of non-prep events in Speech and Debate.
“When I showed up at the Novice tournament for Speech and Debate, I just talked and talked and talked, and I ended up winning first place in the Impromptu category. I also was a semifinalist at CSU Long Beach’s Jack Howe tournament in the same category,” said Rau “I’m also really looking forward to the upcoming tournaments to expand myself as a speaker.”
In addition to being a brilliant impromptu speaker, Rau is also a bit smarter than the average math and science nerd. Every year, the Science
Olympiad team takes on about six to seven new Olympians. It is regarded as one of the most competitive clubs to join and is rendered for the best and brightest. Rau made this team as a freshman, an accomplishment that only a select few Olympians can proudly proclaim.
Although his speaking skills are beyond superior and his science is impeccable, Rau is most confident in his ability as a mathematician. He can conquer almost all problems and provides brilliantly simple solutions to his fellow classmates and teachers. He is in Honors Pre-Calculus as a freshman, two years ahead of the state standard and is forever attached to the beauty of math.
“I like the fact that it’s pretty objective, because there is usually just one answer expressible in symbols – it’s not like other areas where you can get in trouble for bias and subjectivity. To some degree, I love the fact that there are a bunch of different sides to every problem – you can look at something from different perspectives, but always get a same solution.”
Random Regular: Amrit Rau
By Monsoon PabraiManaging Editor
Chris sun The Northwood Howler
Meet MeAt: The flavorful barbecue and delightful service offer customers a satisfying experience and meal.
If you’re stressing this holiday season because of before-break tests, homework assignments, essays and college applications, take a break to prepare for winter festivities in a fun and affordable way! Here are the steps to make your very own holiday snow globe with materials that can be found around the home and in local convenience stores.
MaterialsAny jar with a tight-fitting lidGlycerin (can be found in your
local convenience store)Shrubbery, mini pine cones,
plastic holiday figurines— anything you would like to be in your snow globe
Hot glue gunLaminated picture (optional)2 drops of food coloring (optional)Glitter (optional)
1. Take your lid and attach any plastic figurines, pictures, shrubbery
ParaM shah The Northwood Howler
RenAissAnce MAn: Freshman Amrit Rau sits down to solve challenging math questions with sophisticated poise.
Go Globe-al with a Do-it-Yourself
students speak: Thanksgiving Break
This autumn, Northwood students enjoyed their one-week Thanksgiving break with activities ranging from spending time with family to completing those dreaded last-minute college applications. But whatever their plans may be, students were excited to share their Thanksgiving plans with The Howler.
“Made a special feast for my extended family and hung out a bunch with my sister, who came down from Berkeley.” Rohan Ramanan (12)
“College applications...” Diane Kang (12)
“Studied, hung out, slept.” Bradford Lee (11)
“I went to Maui with my family for our last plane ride together before I go to college.” Allison Chen (12)
“Went shopping for Christmas gifts.” Charlton Huang (11)
“For Thanksgiving, I took my cousins from Arizona to Universal Studios.” Daniel Yoo (12)
“Hung out with my cousins.” Sarah Heo (9)
“I went to Mammoth with my family and went skiing.” Lisa Olsen (9)
By Tiffany TsaiStaff Writer
“Potluck! And, I went with Northwood’s Philharmonic Orchestra to Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall to watch the Beethoven 9th Symphony with 45 students, Halop and Case.” Brandon Chen (12)
“Didn’t do much except hang out with friends and ate food.” Cody Strohl (11)
“Ate lots of food with my family! Mashed potatoes. Yum!” Paulina Cortez (10)
“Soccer practice and Black Friday shopping. I also participated in a volunteering event to help those who can’t afford Thanksgiving.” Grace Hsieh (10)
Because of the menu’s huge selection of items, everyone can find a special sauce or dish that they enjoy.
Although the restaurant prepares certain dishes like rice and noodles, meats and vegetables are all self-cooked using special grills in the center of your booth or table. Meat arrives expertly marinated and freshly cut and takes anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes to cook, depending on the type of meat. Various vegetables come in foil packages and are fully prepared after a few minutes on the grill.
Although the All-You-Can-Eat option was removed due to its overwhelming popularity, Gyu-Kaku still offers great Happy Hour discounts. In fact, Gyu-Kaku’s main price advantage is its frequent Happy Hour: any time before 6:30 p.m. and after 8:30 p.m. Having a meal during
Happy Hour gives you at least a 15% discount off your bill.
Finally, Gyu-Kaku has a few small, but important, elements that set it apart from most restaurants. Although there are dozens of fantastic sauces, for people like myself who prefer eating meat plain or are just too lazy to put sauces on, the meat arrives with a very light but still noticeable flavor. Most importantly, Gyu-Kaku really does feel like Happy Hour because of its constantly smiling and helpful servers.
With affordable prices and delicious variety, Gyu-Kaku can either be a great alternative to Korean BBQ or a new favorite eating spot with friends. As a meat-lover who doesn’t have an infinitely deep wallet, I recommend Gyu-Kaku to anyone looking for some great BBQ at a great price.
Whether you’re looking for a mid-price meal or the rich flavors of Asian cuisine, Gyu-Kaku offers a menu that can be explored without worrying about cost, coupled with an altogether happy and comfortable environment. It’s definitely become one of my favorite places and has replaced Gen as the place to go when craving meat.
Located in Tustin, Gyu-Kaku is one of the few Japanese BBQ places around Irvine, and is a 15-minute drive from Northwood by freeway. When ordering, you can choose between set course menus and individual dishes, with the first option providing an easy package and well-balanced meal, but lacking the freedom of choice and Happy Hour deals of the latter.
Hidden treasure: Gyu-kaku
or other ornaments to the inner side with the hot glue gun. If necessary, use small rocks or pebbles to secure materials upright. Make sure to leave plenty of room around the outside of
the lid so that it can be screwed back on.
2. Fill your jar up to a little below the brim with water and then
put food color and glitter in if you so desire. Then, stir in three teaspoons of glycerin for each cup of water.
3. Seal your jar with the lid while
upright and secure with electrical tape or hot glue to prevent water leaks.
4. Flip over your new snow globe and enjoy!
By EMaan baqai & franCEsCa riCaPiToLayout Editor & Staff Writer
By Chris sunStaff Writer
niColE Wu & sTEvEn horng The Northwood Howler
Fun Festivities: With some holiday spirit, you can turn simple materials into a beautifully homemade creation.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTThe Northwood Howler 5December 14, 2012
Holiday HummmsBy Zoe Burger, Brandon Choi & Param ShahCopy Editor, Junk Editor & Photo Editor
School has been stressful lately, and winter break still seems just out of reach. Lay down with some hot cocoa and cookies, pop in your headphones and get lost in the music.
Meet the “Mulan” Cast!
Let’s get down to business! The cast for “Mulan,” Northwood’s upcoming winter musical, has been selected. Sophomore Miriam Chen and senior Serena Lee will both star as the lead character, Fa Mulan, while seniors Brendan Coen and Shounak Dattagupta will play the male lead, Captain Shang.
By Tiffany TSaiStaff Writer
Double casting the lead roles of Mulan and Shang allows all four students the chance to showcase their talents. Chen and Lee will take turns starring as Mulan on different nights of the musical. Similarly, their co-stars Coen and Dattagupta will also alternate for the role of Shang.
“I love being in theater and I’m so privileged to have this opportunity to work with talented people and people I’ve worked with before,” said
Lee. “It’s definitely a blessing!”Many other roles in the Mulan
cast were also released. Senior Alex Garber will star as Mushu, Mulan’s spunky dragon companion. The roles of Yao, Ling and Chien-Po, Mulan’s friends from the army, will be played by Dylan Huynh, Kameron Johnson and Kevin Rhee, respectively. Sophomore Ethan Ng will portray antagonist Shan Yu, the leader of the Huns.
“I think we have a great and very flexible cast,” said Coen. “Before the list was posted, so many people could have fit in three or four [roles].”
Based on the Disney movie, “Mulan” depicts the story of a young Chinese girl who disguises herself as a man and enlists in the army in order to protect her father from fighting in the war against the invading Huns.
There will be familiar songs from the movie as well as
Talented Timberwolves
Showcasing a variety of awe-inspiring acts, Northwood’s Talent Show proved that Northwood students are not only talented musically, but also possess a variety of unconventional skills.
A particular favorite were the members of Wolfpack, who left everyone in the audience smiling with their dance renditions of popular songs such as “Baby,” “Thriller” and “Gangnam Style.” While a tough act to follow, junior Umar Dalati’s soccer juggling show displayed his athleticism in a unique and exhilarating way. In another mind-boggling exposition of hand-eye coordination, senior Chang-Buhm Huh and junior Kyle Lee twisted and turned with their yo-yo and
diabolo to fast-paced music. Senior Laura Harker and Michelle Farina’s performance of “Black and Gold” blew the crowd away as well.
“Half of my nerves went away when I heard the audience snap along with me. Knowing they were enjoying it gave me the best feeling,” said Farina.
To begin the second half, Magician Josh Serrano tricked his assistants and the audience with his complicated card tricks, while seniors Kai Ono, Eric Han, Serena Lee and Brendan Coen and junior Dalton Tran left everyone speechless with their musical arrangement of “Who’s That Baby.” To conclude the show, senior Sam Beresford and junior Joshua Berger of Breach the Summit performed one of their hit singles.
“I thought the acts this year were unique, and all the hosts were really
funny,” said senior Catalina Tam. “My favorite act was definitely the magic show because I thought [Josh] did an awesome job by involving the audience. I’m still confused as to how the card got to the other side of the stage!”
Hosted by senior Dallin Murphy, junior Zach Pierce and sophomore Bharat Vishnubhotla, the Talent Show was a reminder of the multitude of talents that Northwood students have to offer.
“Planning to host the talent show was a super awesome experience, but the magic really happened when we were on stage introducing the acts,” said Murphy. “After a few, we started to feel a connection with the crowd and with the talents. Nothing can replace the feeling of happiness I had while hosting with my boys Bharat and Zach at this year’s show.”
By emaan BaqaiLayout Editor
Param Shah Northwood Howler
norThwood’s goT TalenT: (from left) Kyle Lee amazes the audience with his diabolo tricks, while Eric Han, Serena Lee, Kai Ono, Dalton Tran and Brendan Coen showcase their singing prowess.
new musical numbers that will incorporate the whole ensemble. Chorus director Zach Halop, Keiko Halop, orchestra director Ben Case, dance choreographer Judy Scialpi and drama teacher David Weiss will all work with students and contribute to the making of this musical.
“For me, Mulan is all about attitude and triumph,” said Halop. “The belief that you can get it done. That translates to every part. The belief that the audience takes away. And we believe we can get it done and it will translate to the audience believing into whatever they want.”
The musical will be performed on the week of February 20-23 in the NHS theater. Tickets will be sold during the week of the musical.
“I recommend that everyone come watch the show because it will be a classic!” said Lee. “Besides, who doesn’t like ‘Mulan’?”
Param Shah Northwood Howler
Bringing honor To us all: Northwood students have already started to prepare for the upcoming musical by making costumes for the cast.
STeven horng Northwood Howler
Quick-TakesTiffany Tsai: Is this your first time performing in a Northwood play?Serena Lee: I played Dorothy last year in “The Wizard of Oz.”Shounak Dattagupta: It’s my first time in a musical.Brendan Coen: I played the scarecrow in “The Wizard of Oz” and Demetrius in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”Miriam Chen: This is my first time performing in a Northwood musical.
TT: Favorite “Mulan” song?SL: “Reflection”! I think it speaks a lot of truth to many of us and it’s a super beautiful song about being strong in the midst of struggles.SD: It’s definitely “I’ll Make a Man Out of You.”BC: “A Girl Worth Fighting For”!MC: Tough question! I have to say “Honor to Us All” since it features Grandmother Fa, one of my favorite characters.
TT: What are you looking forward to most in this musical?SL: Getting to know people and building a new community with everyone on cast and crew! SD: I feel like the cast is perfect, and this is a story that almost everyone has seen or heard. BC: I’m looking forward to acting on top of a set I helped build, and also being able to both act as a lead and watch the show from the audience.MC: I’m definitely looking forward to working with everyone else that’s involved. You won’t find more hardworking, dedicated and talented students anywhere else!
December 14 , 20126 CENTERSPREAD 7December 14, 2012
On a rainy night, this person can be found sitting against a window with his or her feet tucked under blankets and hands filled with another great read. Finally, you can be the sensible friend who presents the missing piece to a bookworm’s complete bliss: a self-stirring mug. He or she can then remain fixed upon flipping pages even while mixing up the perfect cup of hot cocoa. With the push of a button, the powerful 4,000 RPM motor quietly begins to stir the drink within the spill-free mug. These mugs are sold on stirringmugs.com in different colors and a reasonable price range of $17 to $18. Happy reading!
Shopping for a hipster is admittedly a difficult task. Because they’re always going against the social norm, the hipster won’t settle for an ordinary gift. So, to make your hipster friend’s holiday dreams come true, a Polaroid camera is the perfect and out-of-the-ordinary gift to please a hipster’s anti-mainstream ways.
Not your average camera, the Polaroid 300 Instant Camera can be found on Amazon for $69. Though it is a little on the pricey side, a Polaroid camera will give your hipster friend the ability to express themselves in a unique way.
Polaroid cameras print pictures instantly and give them a vintage feel—this is what makes this camera a perfect gift. Since artsy pictures are commonly associated with the hipster, a Polaroid camera will allow your friend to take these hipster-style photos to a whole new level.
Buying gifts for those picky sophisticates immersed knee-deep in the world of fashion may be tricky, but a good potential gift is “The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited,” which contains 113 photographs of fashion A-listers like Anna Wintour, Claudia Schiffer and Sofia Coppola. The book isn’t cheap, but the images are styled and shot by fashion royalty—Carine Roitfeld, former editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris and global fashion director of Harper’s Bazaar, and Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director of Chanel—and can be bought from Amazon and BN.com for around $58. A less expensive option is Ted Baker’s bow pencil case, which would add a touch of ladylike luxury into their daily routine. It comes in coral and black ($30) and ivory, red and black with a glitter bow ($35). The glitter bow and coral versions can be purchased at Nordstrom, while the black version can be purchased at Ted Baker.
Average Joe (n.) He or she is your typical human being. Your Average Joe is neither tall nor short, ugly nor attractive, smart nor dumb, interesting nor boring. This person is, in one word, normal. As he or she is not exceptional in any activity and has no unique hobby, your gift should be generic, but also practical. For this reason the Sony MDR ZX300, an affordable pair of head-phones with good sound quality found in either black or red, is a practical gift choice. Reviewers compliment them for their comfort, sound clarity and bal-ance. Your Average Joe will be able to use them every day. These can be found on Amazon for around $20.
A shopping trip for a techie can quickly become an expensive venture, but there are a lot of useful and fun gadgets that won’t drain your wallet. An original gift, found on Wired Magazine’s Holiday Shopping List, is Paper Punk, which lets you build and print 3D geometric designs without scissors and glue. Paper Punk products can be found and ordered on their website, paperpunk.com. The prices for single items range from $9.95 to $18.95, and multiple packs cost more. These fun paper building blocks appeal to imaginative minds of all ages and are made of eco-friendly recycled paper. All of the blocks are basic geometric shapes with bright colors fun patterns. The kit has instructions on how to build a puppy, race car and robot, but since the blocks are interchangeable, the possibilities are endless. There are multiple tutorials online for building other figures, like dragons and popular cartoon characters. These figures make perfect desk ornaments to put next to your computer when finished.
Choosing a gift for those who love music isn’t too difficult around the holidays. Here is something for people who can’t leave the house without an iPod and a pair of earbuds and can’t find the joy of the holidays without music. Whether you are young or old, Michael Bublé’s creatively titled “Christmas” album will complete anyone’s music track this season. Sipping on hot chocolate next to the fireside and listening to some Bublé will make the perfect winter evening.
Online reviews from artistdirect.com have described the album as a “hybrid of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin,” and the songs as “warm and toasty as a mug of peppermint-spiked hot cocoa and true to Bublé’s Rat Pack style.” Available for $16 at Target, this album is the perfect little gift!
The life of a jock is none too easy, with regular games on school days to practices during seasonal breaks. If they aren’t playing hard in their games, they’re probably at the gym working out or staying updated on the scores of their favorite teams. Athletes are constantly on the go! That’s why the Nike+ FuelBand is the perfect gift for your favorite sports enthusiast. The FuelBand tracks everyday activities, from dancing to running to playing basketball. Worn around the wrist, the FuelBand calculates the number of burned calories, steps taken and more. Users can set a daily NikeFuel goal, a great motivator to keep active throughout the day. Available in Black, White Ice and Black Ice colors with different wrist sizes, this accessory can be found at any Nike retail store and online for $149. Recommended by 97 percent of its reviewers, the Fuelband is a promising option as a gift for an athlete during the winter holidays.
Some people can’t help but find themselves short on time every morning, rushing around at the last minute. Save them the hassle of fiddling for their necessities by giving them a La Chance Passe Smartphone Wallet ($45.95) from MochiThings.com. On the left side, there’s a 3.0” X 6.1” pocket that fits almost all smartphones available today, according to their website. There’s also a zippered pocket for coins or car keys. On the right side, there are four card slots and two bill compartments. A wrist strap allows for hands-free use and a small opening on top of the wallet enables users to listen to music without taking their phones out. The wallet comes in hot pink, baby pink, orange and a unisex deep blue.
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Extrovert Introvert
Take the quiz that The Northwood Howler’s shopping experts put together!
iPoda book
Too mainstreamI don’t really care
I would never
For rehearsal
For practice
By Katie Haines, Staff Writer
By Jenny Lee, Accent Editor
By Elaine Lu, Staff Writer
By Zoe Burger, Copy Editor
By Christina Ko, News Editor
By Christine Lee, Staff Writer
By Jennifer Park, Staff Writer
By Christina Ko, News Editor
Give the right gift that brings a smile this season...
Holiday Gift Guide
Depends on the day
ESPN
iBook
Facebook Pinterest
All of them
Mall
Coffee Shop
Home
H&MApple
Why?
To sleepTo do homework
before my job
Average Joe
START HERE
JOCK
AVERAGE JOE
FASHIONISTA
MUSIC LOVER
PERSON ON THE GO
HIPSTER
TECH GEEK
BOOKWORM
www.stirringmug.com
www.pocket-lint.com
www.smartsandcrafts.com
www.duncanvillepantherprints.org
www.mochithings.com
www.hitechreview.com
www.shop.nordstrom.comwww.nike.com
No
www.modaoperandi.com
Compiled by: Megan Nazareno, Editor-in-Chief & Sonali Seth, Viewpoint Editor
VIEWPOINTDecember 14, 2012 The Northwood Howler8
Psycho Pabrai: I’m a Grinch
‘Tis the season to be ANGRY, fa bla bla bla blaaa bla bla bla blaaa. Lately, I can’t get the stupid holiday music on the radio out of my head and the nauseatingly cheerful holiday deals on the television.
I hate the holidays. I can’t stand the disgustingly lovey-dovey family warmth in this time of freezing cold. Ew. To all you Christmas do-gooders, I have a serious question: what is wrong with you fools?
It is just December! Not a huge excuse for the whole world to spread all this weird warmth and cheer. It’s a time of depression, solitude and lone-liness. Instead of celebrating winter, we should hibernate like bears, with a lot less singing, giving and receiv-ing. I don’t have space in my already cluttered room for repulsive ribbon-covered stocking stuffers and sick-eningly sugary goodies that give me cavities. I just want to crawl in a cave and wait for spring.
The holidays have plunged my world into chaos: everywhere I go, I’m surrounded by wreaths, red and green lights, Santa hats and those horrifyingly annoying Christmas car-ols. All I can say is that this is clearly the beginning of the end: the Decem-ber 2012 Santa-dressed zombie apoc-
alypse has arrived.Hey Psycho! What do you want
this season? Me? I want nothing but for all the social seekers to leave me out of those stupid Secret Santas.
We aren’t all Santa! Stop trying to be the man! What am I supposed to do with a coffee mug and fuzzy socks? Watch “25 Days of Christ-mas” on ABC for the millionth time in a row while sipping hot chocolate with tiny marshallows? Cuddle in my Snuggie hoping for a movie I haven’t seen before? Fools! Leave me alone!
Excuse me if I don’t like hugs. And I’m sorry I visibly writhe in dis-gust at your reindeer pajama pants. Here’s a tip: love them at home, but don’t show them off at school. I think they are just really weird.
There really might be more to this winter euaaggchchfest than the meaningless presents and children playing in fake snow.
Param Shah Northwood Howler
HolIday Hater: Monsoon feels like tearing her hair out at the thought of warm holiday cheer.
By monSoon PabraiManaging Editor
Senioritis? Not exactly
Param Shah Northwood Howler
By Jay GoPalContributing Writer
For all of you seniors finished with or in the midst of your college applications, I must warn you that what I am about to say may deeply unsettle you: college is just the begin-ning.
Yes, that means there’s plenty more years of blood, sweat and tears to follow the last four years of high school. For some of you, there may be medical school or law school after college. Regardless, after that comes work. After work—well, let’s just say
that work is the beginning of the end for all of us.
Through the entirety of high school, we students obsess over ad-mission into our dream university, in-stead of enjoying the last years of our childhood. If we burn ourselves out now, we might not be able to succeed in college.
But here’s the good news: now, it’s time to kick off our shoes, appre-ciate growing up and look forward to our next great horizon.
At the end of the day, remember that it’s not where you go to college, but what you do there that matters.
The stylish implications of Gangnam Style
By DenniS KimBusiness Manager
Oppa, Oppa, Oppa: we all know the beginning of this cherished an-them. Yes, I’m talking about “Gang-nam Style,” the constantly played Korean pop song that may be the first foreign language song many North-wood students have ever heard.
The artist, PSY, has appeared on American television shows like “Saturday Night Live” and “The El-len Show.” Even more impressive, the music video has become the most viewed video on YouTube, garnering over 900 million views.
Because of its popularity, we began to hear the song on radio sta-tions, in shopping malls, and even at our own dances. However, PSY actually never expected for the song to become as successful as it did. In fact, he joked about producing a song that would become a worldwide sen-sation, but was just as surprised as ev-eryone else when it actually did.
So how did such an obscure side project become so popular anyway? The answers lie in social networking, the influence of celebrities, and his
es of people sharing the video content with their friends and followers.
After the song was released, celebrities tweeted about “Gangnam Style,” especially A-list celebri-ties with millions of followers like Britney Spears, Josh Groban, Ryan Seacrest and T-Pain.
“Help, I’m in a gangnam style k-hole,” tweeted Katy Perry a month after the song’s release.
PSY himself replied back to Per-ry, thanking her for the support.
“I’m the very ‘PSY’ of the vid-eo. K k. This is a H~~~uge pleasure to be introduced by U~!!! Please fol-low me if possible~!” tweeted PSY.
But what are the implications of such a viral video? For many people who listen to Korean music regularly like myself, we do not want people thinking that all Korean music is like “Gangnam Style.” Catchy, funny and loud.
Korean music has its own genres just like American music, and Gangnam Style does not represent all of Korean music; hip hop, techno and pop genres are all indicative of popu-lar Korean music. Not all Koreans act like PSY. The truth is, he is an outra-geous comedian just like Will Ferrell or Steve Carell.
However, I am proud as a fellow Korean that “Gangnam Style” has broken into mainstream American music with outstanding success and that more people are starting to listen to Korean music because of it. People disregard the fact that the lyrics are in Korean.
Before “Gangnam Style,” a non-English song reaching number two on Billboard was considered impos-sible. Without a doubt, the newfound success of such a song has given Ko-rean music a new gateway into the American music industry.
“Gangnam Style” has truly made history and given massive numbers of people worldwide the chance to simply enjoy fun music, even if they might not have under-stood the lyrics. For students, it is a song where dancing with friends and having a good time becomes easy. As Justin Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun tweeted, “HOW DID I NOT SIGN THIS GUY!?!??!”
Param Shah Northwood Howler
tHIS GaNG’S IN Style: Northwood seniors Jason Kim, Nick Yoon, Eric Han, Timothy Jun, Connie Oh, Han Lee pose according to popular internet sensation “Gangnam Style,” which became an overnight hit.
“ “ Without a
doubt, the new-found success of such a song has
given Korean mu-sic a new gateway into the American
music industry.
shocking appearance. The skyrocket-ing popularity of “Gangnam Style” was only made possible by YouTube and other social websites, with mass-
“ “ To all you Christmas do-
gooders, I have a serious question:
what is wrong with you fools?
Holiday spirit is still disgusting, but maybe it’s our way of showing our loved ones how much we appre-ciate them, even if it comes with the gifts, cards, music and generally foul wintry cheerfulness.
All right, fine. Give me gifts, show me love. I’ll try my best to re-turn the favor and show some love.
Just don’t hug me and stuff can-dy canes down my throat. I’ll partici-pate in the best way I can and try to connect with my family and friends.
Maybe I can use the holidays to fill up that growing wish list of 2012 and reinforce meaningful relation-ships in my life before high school is over. Thank you, Christmas spirit, for giving me a reason to find happiness in the bitter cold. So, to my Secret Santa: this year, I’ll take a red ther-mos and fuzzy socks, with a side of wintry friendship.
ready for colleGe: After months of agonizing over college applications, Northwood senior Jay Gopal dishes out some much-needed advice for upcoming college freshmen.
SPORTSThe Northwood Howler 9December 14, 2012
Running towards Success
After a dismal start, Northwood Football was able to end its season on a high note with a commendable quarterfinal finish at the CIF playoffs and a city championship trophy, defying all pre-season expectations for the team.
“All of this is from a team that was picked to finish in 5th place prior to the season and for a team that started out 00 - 04 in a tough pre-season schedule,” said head coach Rick Curtis.
The Timberwolves started the season on a four-game losing streak with games that featured fourth-quarter surges that kept Northwood competitive. In addition to early-season losses, the Timberwolves also struggled with injuries. Defensive lineman Alex Griffith was benched after multiple concussions, and running back Addison Damasco missed the rest of the season with a broken collarbone. Despite multiple obstacles, the football team continued to work together to make CIF.
“Our kids never stopped working to improve,” said Curtis.
The losing streak was broken with a dominating 45-7 win over Valley Christian on Sept. 28. This momentum carried the team into the league season, which featured a thrilling season-opening 21-10 win over crosstown rival Woodbridge.
The team eventually compiled a
3-2 league record, enough for second place behind Corona del Mar in the entire Pacific Coast League, and Northwood’s wins over Beckman, Woodbridge and University earned the team the Dennis Toohey Fence Post trophy.
During CIF play, Northwood dominated Rancho Los Alamitos 41-13 before falling in the quarterfinals to Laguna Beach, who held a 10-0-1 record.
The key to success, as both team members and Curtis credited, was the senior leadership, which featured star quarterback Kevin Norman, Joe Dunleavy, Matt Blackburn, Michael Sleiman and Griffith, as well as the team’s fast and offensive strengths.
“We had leaders everywhere getting on us to get the job done, and the entire team really clicked by the end of the season,” said junior Jared Ruiz. “The team was successful due to our high-powered offensive weapons.”
Whether or not Northwood can repeat its success next year and go deeper into CIF playoffs remains a question because many seniors from the team will graduate.
“We will need to replace several key positions on our offensive and defensive lines, and a big part of next year’s team will most likely lie in those players’ development in the off-season,” said Curtis, who notes that there will be 12 returning starters and has named sophomore Brian Abel as the possible quarterback.
By Jennifer YuOnline E-in-C
Fall CIF Wrap-UpBoys Water Polo:
The Northwood Boys Varsity water polo team made a splash in the pool this season. The team, backed by a stellar season last year, during which they qualified for CIF semifinals, made it all the way back to CIF again this season.
“The team did really well this season,” said team member junior Jason Lee. “We did a lot better than we expected, and I’m really proud of all of the guys.”
The team defeated Lakewood in the CIF wild card game, but unfortunately lost the next game against Loyola. Northwood put up a great fight against the Loyola team, who is ranked third in Division I. Led by captain senior RJ Simmons, the team had a collaborative season with contributions from a wide variety of players and finished 2nd in league behind Corona Del Mar.
Girls Golf: Girls golf built upon last year’s
CIF title, once again making it to CIF despite having an extremely young team. Although the team lost several tough early-season matches, it rallied to once again reach CIF Southern Sectionals, continuing Northwood’s
dominant girls golf streak the past few years.
The team had several highlight wins and beat Irvine twice and Corona Del Mar on consecutive days to finish off the season.
“We were a young team this year, and in the beginning of season we started off with more losses than wins,” said captain senior Stephanie Luchetta. “Our turning point was when we beat Beckman by one shot. We had a great season and I couldn’t be more proud of our team.”
Girls Volleyball:Another Northwood team that
made CIF this year was Girls Volleyball. The team, led by seniors Emma Wroblicky and Maddie Levinski and sophomore Molly Langdon, concluded its season by reaching the first round of CIF.
“We had extremely close games this year,” said Wroblicky. “The team’s proudest moment came when we took a game from Corona Del Mar, a huge accomplishment for us. We had a really great season!”
Although the team will lose graduating seniors such as Wroblicky and Levinski next year, the younger players will surely help the team succeed. With a successful season this year, the team is primed to have yet another great season next year.
Northwood’s cross country team finished off another successful year as they sprinted their way to State Championships and claimed the fifth place title. The team was led by seniors Lee Lazar and Marisa Purcell — athletes embodying experience, dedication and leadership. Both runners have been a part of the Girls’ Varsity Cross Country team since their freshman year and have made it to State all four years. The Howler had a chance to speak with both Lee and Marisa about the sport and their personal stories.
Jaime MacDonald: During what moment in this season did you know you were headed to the respected State Championships?
Marisa Purcell: We basically knew the day of the OC Championship, but you don’t ever
really know with cross country. Because you don’t know what will happen until the day of the race.
JM: How did the two of you earn the position as captains for the team?
Lee Lazar: We’ve been on the team together for a really long time and we were underclassmen on varsity since our first year.
MP: It just naturally led into it.LL: Yeah and we’ve been
dedicated to the team for a while and we know Mr. Gates, [the girl’s cross country coach] really well. It was something we felt that we should do.
JM: Lee, what obstacle did you face that actually kept you back from competing at State?
LL: Well, I had shin splints and I didn’t know how serious it would get so I took the week off of practice and then tried running on it again, but instead of getting better I ended up just making it worse. The doctors think I fractured it. So I mean it was
tough to see the team go especially since this was my senior year and I wanted to finish off strong. I wanted to go to State for my fourth year, with Marisa, but moments like this happen and I was able to handle it.
JM: What was your best year or memory of cross country?
MP: Going to State as freshmen was pretty cool but we didn’t really know how important it was at the time. It just got better with each year.
JM: What advice do you have for people interested in joining cross country?
LL: At first, cross country seems really hard and people think that they’re not cut out for it, but I believe everyone can run cross country. It all depends on your dedication and how much you want it.
MP: It definitely gets easier over time with hard work.
LL: Cross country is a difficult sport, but it’s also the most rewarding.
By Monsoon PabraiManaging Editor
Two Northwood senior athletes have committed to playing sports competitively in college. Jessica Dang will be playing soccer for University of California San Diego and Austin von Blasingame will attend New Mexico State University as a Division I baseball player.
“The whole ordeal was actually pretty unexpected, but ultimately I was just proud of myself,” said von Blasingame. “It’s an exceptional blessing but it didn’t just fall from the sky.”
Von Blasingame, who at one point was ranked seventh
in the nation for his position in basketball, loves baseball out of all sports because of the creativity and consistent challenges. He was contacted by the head coach at New Mexico State, who took interest in von Blasingame’s potential at a showcase in San Diego, and invited him to come visit the campus.
Using a more active approach, Dang first contacted the coach at UCSD and succeeded in getting his attention.
“I sent him a YouTube video of me playing, which got him interested,” said Dang. “He came out to watch me play and emailed me back to send in my transcript, so he could have it processed through
admissions. This was a long ordeal, so the anticipation was a killer.”
Dang was part of the Olympic Development Program for soccer in her freshman year and has played for the Tustin United club team for the past six years.
Both Dang and von Blasingame hope to have successful playing careers in college. Although they feel very fortunate for their opportunities, they know that they still have a lot of work to do in order to improve.
“Committing early is definitely very stress relieving. I wouldn’t necessarily say I’ve been freed from the application process, but I sure am in a fortunate position,” said von Blasingame.
By sooYun ChoiCenterspread Editor
By JaiMe MaCDonalDStaff Writer
Athletes sign for colleges
anDrew Towfiq The Northwood Howler
FAntAStIC FootbAll: The Northwood Football team had a fantastic season, making it all the way to the 2nd round of CIF.
RUnnIng FoReveR: Marisa Purcell and Lee Lazar, teammates on the Girls Varsity Cross Country team have become close friends through high school, running together for all 4 years here at Northwood.
ParaM shah The Northwood Howler
ParaM shah anD sTeven horng The Northwood Howler
College CompetItoRS: Jessica Dang and Austin Von Blasingame will be playing sports competetively in college next year
A rewind on football
Brandon’s BasuraDecember 14, 2012 The Northwood Howler10
Dear Brandon,I am writing to you from my new
email account ([email protected]), since we have recently discon-tinued the North Pole Post Service to reduce expenses. I hope this letter finds you happy and healthy, unlike many of the elves working here.
You may be a little surprised to get a letter from the man who is supposed to watch you sleep and keep track of your goodness, and even more surprised to find that all is not well in the fantasy land up north which 99 percent of adults deny the existence of. (Don’t worry, we’re not mad. We are just waiting for you to face the facts.)
But the truth is, we face dark times ahead, and not just because we see the sun for only half of the year. Homes (gingerbread and otherwise) have foreclosed, jobs for elves have disappeared in the Workshop, and ig-loos have melted as a result of accel-erating climate change. We are facing mounting pressures as the demands for gifts rise every year and our sup-ply of toys and funding continue to drop.
Maintenance of both public and private elfish health care has become far too expensive, and too many disheartened elves emerge from the Elfish Preparatory Academies with-out necessary qualifications to hold a job in the competitive Workshops. Obesity from the overconsumption of cookies and whole milk threatens the health of our leadership (me) and prevents efficient chimney travel.
Our arctic economy can barely hold water, let alone ice, because of the mistakes of past leaders. Our Christmas trees face mass destruction
as we try to expand our workshops to accommodate more toys for the children of the world. Our entire op-eration is threatened by violence and hatred as we exhaust our resources defending ourselves against the polar bears.
Indeed, this winter wonderland is in deep water, facing immense ice-bergs and collapsing avalanches as we trek forward.
However, our greatest crisis is not budget, climate, or war: it is of the elves. I see it every day, and it scares me far more than our economy ever could. It is the fear, the despair, and the hopelessness that I see ev-erytime I look in a young elf’s eyes. Years of false promises and adminis-trative deception has made our elfish population cynical and disillusioned about our future.
And this, Brandon, is why I write to you. Although you may not think of us often unless it’s to pine for the new iPad, we desperately need help.
At the North Pole, we face a grim future that shiny ornaments or warm hot chocolate cannot repair.
By the way, if you haven’t guessed already, you won’t be getting Black Ops 2 this year. Let’s be real, you were getting coal anyway.
We’ve always supplied you with Christmas cheer, so now it’s your turn. ‘Tis the season to give, after all. I look to you, and the rest of the world’s children, for hope in this cold time.
Yours truly,Santa Claus
P.S. And to answer that bug-ging question, yes, Bob Venable and I were separated at birth. Jeez, stop asking already.
Breaking news: Santa Claus finally replies!By Sonali SethViewpoint Editor
The holidays are almost here, and Santa’s Workshop is busier than ever. As one of Santa’s favorite elves, I consider myself to be the know-all source on all of the North Pole’s most important events. Do you every won-der what we elves do after Christmas, during Thanksgiving, summer, and all the days in between? Of course, I am sure that you’re dying to know (and if you’re not, then read this any-ways otherwise it’s coal for you, pal).
4:32 a.m.Rudolph the Red-Nosed Rein-
deer… Had a very shiny no—Snooze!4:37 a.m.If you ever saw i—Snooze!6:00 a.m.
Woke up, bright and early! Off to breakfast! I hope we have candy cane waffles and egg nog today! And cookies!
6:30 a.m.Shoveling the reindeer stables
today! Donner had too many cookies last night! I rose up to the challenge!
10:00 a.m.Took a cookie break! Mrs. Claus
is the dandoodliest!12:00 p.m.Testing zippers at the factory!
One zip up, one zip down and OK all around! That’s the motto!
4:00 p.m..One zip up, one zip down…I ab-
solutely love my job!5:00 p.m.Casually testing this new game
Black Ops 2 for the kids!
10. Click “Not Attending” on the Facebook event “The day after 12/21/2012.”9. Order the most expensive items off the menu of the classiest restaurant in
town, eat, and then casually leave after paying with Monopoly money.8. Eat a carton of every Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor. Then eat the ice cream.7. Say that you are going bungee-jumping, cliff diving and skydiving all in the
same day, but actually stay at home and eat pizza the whole time.6. Tell the guy or girl you have been crushing on that you would love to get
pizza with him or her.5. Chicken out and plan the date for Dec. 22.4. Post a witty Facebook status about the end of the world, get a lot of likes,
and feel good about yourself before the world ends.3. Wipe off notes from Mr. O’s whiteboard with dirty hands until he admits
that he is Giancoli.2. Hijack NASA and, with your top 10 favorite people, take a shuttle to the
Moon.1. Cry next to the Christmas tree you will never get to unwrap presents under.
By Megan nazarenoEditor-in-Chief
10:00 p.m.Lost track of time! But at least
my KDR is 25/3 now. Gotta tell San-ta about this! Hurried to dinner with Mrs. Claus! Chocolate spaghetti, sprinkled with cookie crumbs! Yum!
11:00 p.m.Good night! ‘Twas a dandoodly
day!4:31 a.m.Regretting having all 819 left-
over cookies from the cafeteria ear-lier tonight. Oh, look at that! It’s time to get back to work!
Our days aren’t totally devoted to making presents for you ungrateful kids. We definitely don’t spend all of our time stealing cookies, harassing Santa, and riding the reindeer, mostly playing with your toys.
A day in the life of an overly chipper elf
By eMaan BaqaiLayout Editor
ParaM Shah The Northwood Howler
DAring Zoe: Despite Mr. O’s constant nagging to not wipe the board with her hands, Zoe decides to erase the “famous a-tiger-is-falling-into-a-closed-tube-what-is-the-velocity-of-its-tail” problem with her hands.
ParaM Shah The Northwood Howler
krAZy kAitlyn: Kaitlyn the elf hides from Santa as she tries to smuggle in one last cookie before bedtime.
alexa Kreizinger Contributing Artist
Brandon’s BasuraThe Northwood Howler 11December 14, 2012
I freeze, a brittle smile pasted on my face. Turning around, I spot a geeky looking kid with a thick pair of glasses. I scoff.
“Um. Excuse me. I’m Lion Rocktee. Who are you?”
“You can’t trick these eyes! I have 20/15 vision as a matter of fact. You’re Ryan Lochte, 11-time Olym-pic medalist and four-time world record setter. I’m Melvin Harriet Phineas Johnson III, your biggest fan ever.”
“That’s cute, but I’m Lion Rock-tee. It’s funny because some people actually mistake me for Phillip Kelps.” I try to be nonchalant and flip my hair, arms akimbo. “Must be these babies.” I show him the gun show,
Lady and Killer. “Anyways, it’s not like Ryan Lochte would ever come here. He would rather run through the fields after the cows’ morning sit-down before coming to—“
“What’s up, guys? Lion, you did awesome on your trials! Oh, this is my little bro,” said Rachel, ruffling Melvin’s bushy hair.
“Rachel! Rachel! Rachel! Ra-chel! This guy’s totally—”
I swipe my hand in front of his mouth and chuckle. “Melvin and I get along fantastic. Can you like wade for a sec? We have to talk about some things, you know, guy stuff.”
I drag Melvin behind the other side and pin him against the wall.
“Dude, what is your problem? I’m just a normal, more-handsome-than-usual, high school student. I can swim well and I have killer tech-
nique, so what? I’m LION ROCK-TEE.”
“Can’t...breathe...”I loosen my grip and watch as
his pale face comes back to life.“Who are you trying to be? Mi-
ley Stewart with her double-life sort of thing. Don’t you already know what it’s like to go to school? I mean you’re like 28 and you look way too—“
“Buff? Handsome? Talented?”“—old to be a student.”“Yeah, well most of my high
school life was spent in the pool than in the hallways at school. I want to see what I’ve been missing all these years. It’s not like anyone else no-ticed, except you.” I narrowed my eyes.
“Well I’m not your number one fan for nothing. I can’t wait to tell
By Angeline nguyenStaff Writer
everyone this secret. They’re going to be so jealous that I’m talking to the actual Ryan Lochte!”
Before I can get my hands around the little weasel, he slips out my arms and runs towards the pool. I race inside and spot him on the start-ing block, flailing his arms as if he spotted a shark in the water.
“Lion, what’s going on?” asks Rachel.
“No time to talk,” I spew. I scramble towards the block and like a clichéd movie scene, everything moves slowly. Everything around me is muted and I only see Melvin.
“Everyone! That’s guy over there is actually—”
I tackle him off the block with a strength that would make a lineback-er proud. Before I know it, we’re both tumbling into the water.
Umm...During the winter, male reindeer lose their antlers so Santa’s reindeer are actually female.
Umm...7 percent of mall Santa applicants have been found to have criminal records.
Umm...The average person will buy 22 presents, but will only receive 14 from others.
Umm...53 percent of Americans regift their presents.
Umm...You will be elbowed three or more times when you go holiday shopping.
Umm...In Sweden, a common Christmas decoration is a goat figurine.
Umm...“Jingle Bells” was originally written for a Thanksgiving celebration in 1857.
Umm...56 percent of Americans sing carols to their pets.
Umm...Gift giving isn’t an original tradition of Hanukkah.
Umm...Kwanzaa’s seven-day celebration ends on New Year’s.
Umm...The U.S. government has issued two Kwanzaa stamps: one in 1997 and one in 2004.
Umm...More vehicles are stolen on New Year’s day than on any other holiday.
Umm...By the second week of January, 25 percent of people abandon their resolutions.
Umm...In Spain, it is a tradition to eat a grape on each chime when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s.
Umm...It is noticed that almost 56 percent of Americans sing to their pets during the holiday season.
Umm... In 1999, residents of Maine built the world’s biggest ever snowman. He stood at 113 feet tall.
Umm...The Norwegians once believed that witches and devious spirits were likely to steal their brooms on Christmas Eve.
Umm...Christmas trees are edible. Many parts of pines, spruces, and firs can be eaten. The needles are a good source of Vitamin C. Pine nuts, or pine cones, are also a good source of nutrition.
Umms...By Angeline nguyenStaff Writer
Brandon’s confession: Never been bearded
By BrAndon ChoiJunk Editor
Chuck Norris. Morgan Freeman. Abraham Lincoln the Vampire Slayer. Santa Claus. Mr. Venable. Jesus. Impressed?
What all these great men have in common is not only incredible charisma and an awe-inspiring presence, but also an awesome beard.
No Shave November has recently passed, and in retrospect, it was maybe the most difficult month of my life. Sure, college applications and school work were burdens, but my true enemy was my inability to grow facial hair, or at least I thought so.
Yet, what is life without challenges? Thus, I took it upon
myself to duke it out with three of the greatest, perhaps hairiest, men on campus. It was not an easy task.
My rivals included physics extravaganza John Olivares, the sly and often whimsical Tim Horrigan, and the king and emperor of APUSH, Eric Keith.
This is how it went...Day 1: I discover the clean-
shaven faces of my enemies. Yet, it is not a fresh start for us all.
Truth is, I haven’t shaved in a couple weeks. I am a couple whiskers ahead. I think I can win this.
Day 2: I am now in last place. Their ability to grow facial hair is uncanny and extremely suspicious. I suspect foul play as I notice an odd patch of hair on Mr. Horrigan’s left hand. It is obviously a poorly-rinsed usage of Rogaine.
Time to step up my game.Day 15: My facial hair has
actually retracted in fear of the grizzly beards of my opponents. I am at an all-time low. It seems as though the competition is just too much. I don’t see much hope.
Day 28: I feel an odd tingling sensation all over my face. I fear it may be my body’s way of telling me to stop this competition once and for all. There are only two more days left. What’s the worst that can happen?
Day 30: Something amazing has happened! I woke up to a full, natural, and luscious beard on my face. It seems as though hard work does pay off and that the slow and steady does win the race in the end.
Day 30 Part Two: It seems as though a family of endangered birds
has nested within my beard. I am now being transported to a conservation where the fate of me and my beard will be decided.
Sadly, the Environmental Protection Agency recently forced me to shave my beard in order to transfer the birds to safetey.
Beard or no beard, my participation in No Shave November has changed me. The rough competition has built character and I came out of the competition as a more confident and a bit hairier man.
The beauty of No Shave November, however, lies in its aspect of tradition.
Whether grizzly, whiskered, or maybe even hairless, it is what brings us together amidst our busy lives and packed schedules.
The Chronicles of Lion Rocktee: The continual struggle of a double life
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The BeaRded BesT: The three manliest men and the youthful Brandon show their beards or the lack thereof. Before (top) and after (bottom).
Happy Holidays!
