“festival of trees begins the holiday season · “the festival of trees” is an annual...

The Voice of the Chiefs

Volume 46, Issue 3 Cardinal Gibbons High School December 12, 2007

www.cghsfl.org

By Matti Perez-Cubas “The Festival of Trees” is an annual Christmas fund-raiser for Fort Lauderdale's Museum of Art held at the Galle-ria Mall. This year, Cardinal Gibbons faculty and students vol-unteered their time and talent to make it a rousing success. Mr. Cubas and Ms. Milano showed their creativity by designing a Christmas tree for the event. The Disney-themed tree was sold at the auction for a very profitable $1800, which was donated to the museum. The Exchangettes also attended the festival and sold raffle tickets. Even though they were there to work, they made plenty of new Christmas memories. “We got to meet the Rock-ettes!” exclaimed Ms. McConville, moderator of the Ex-changettes. The large event also had a section called “Teddy Bear Tea with Santa,” and that is where the Cardinal Gibbons Jazz Band performed. They entertained crowds with a variety of Christmas favorites, such as “Frosty the Snowman,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and Elvis's “Blue Christmas.” Like the Exchangettes, the Jazz Band also felt the holiday spirit. “It was wonderful to see the excitement on the faces of all the children when they saw Santa,” said Mr. Mengersen, Direc-tor of the Music Department.

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The Jazz Band and Director Mr. Mengersen wait to play at the “Teddy Bear Tea with Santa.”

The Exchangettes with moderator, Ms. McConville, pose with the Rockettes.

“Festival of Trees" Begins the Holiday Season

December 12, 2007 2 Insight

Happy Holidays

Insight Staff: Dedicated to providing a deeper vision of scholastic, spiritual and social activities Editor-in-chief: Erin Kelley News Editor: Shawn Kelaher Sports Editor: Emily Morrill Entertainment Editor: Nick Gereffi Columnists: Erin Kelley and Nick Gereffi Staff Writers: Katie Bocksel, Meaghan Bresnahan, Lauren Cuervo, Justine D’Ad-dio, Anna Durie, Anthony Finelli, Brandy Flood, Kristen Jugs, Allison Lee, and Matti Perez-Cubas Contributing Writer: Mr. Lonteen Artists: Francesca Ascione

Contributing Photographer: Brother Brickman Graphic Designer: Anthony Finelli Adviser: Mrs. Rita Loewe Established November 1962

Dear Avid Insight Readers and Christmas Enthusiasts, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year! There’ll be parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting,” etc… ‘Tis Christmas, me darlings. But, it’s not just Christmas. Oh, no, it’s December- do you have any idea what that means?! Besides being my birth month (belated presents still accepted)… you don’t have an inkling, but you will in the next four seconds… It’s the Insight Winter Related Festival Issue!

It’s time to celebrate with latkes and dreidels at the Rosenbaum’s, Habari Gani, and that German candle crown that I always thought was a little dangerous… So, prepare your-selves. These glossy pages will be overflowing with the magic of the holiday season. But I’m not quite finished yet: strewn betwixt these pages may not be fairy dust or teddy bears wearing sweaters, but I can guarantee the Christmas spirit is still alive in GH1, where the Insight elves have been crankin’ out exactly what you good little girls and boys wanted this Christmas: an issue of Insight dedicated entirely to the glory of the holidays. You’d better not pout, I’m telling you why, Erin Kelley Top Banana/ Elf-in-Chief

The Month of Ramadan By Meaghan Bresnahan The end of the year is char-acterized by the onslaught of holidays. One of the lesser known holidays celebrated by Muslims around the world is Ramadan. Historically the month of Ramadan was when the holy Qur'an was revealed. During this time Mus-lims participate in fasting, called sawm. During the daylight hours for the entire month, they must abstain from eating, drinking and smoking. A meal is eaten at the end of day, called iftar, and another before dawn, the suhoor. Ramadan is a time for reflection and prayer. The 27th night is know as the Night of Power because it was on this holy night that the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet. At the end of Ramadan, there is a celebratory three day feast called ’Eid-ul-Fitr. It is a festive time when gifts are exchanged, charity is given, and Arabic tidings can be heard. In the spirit of Ramadan, “Kullu am wa antum bi-khair:” may you be well throughout the year.

The Insight Staff

December 12, 2007 Insight 3

By Justine D’Addio and Kristen Jugs The First Christmas Tree The origin of the first Christmas Tree can be traced back to the 1700s in Germany. Saint Boniface is said to have chopped down the first oak as a sign of Christian faith. Early Christmas trees were adorned with nuts, cookies, and colored popcorn. German immigrants eventually brought their traditions to Pennsylvania in the early 1800s, but the early Christmas Trees were not fully accepted until the late 1800s because many viewed them as signs of pagan worship. Trees eventually were decorated with lights with the invention of electricity. Origin of the Candy Cane One popular story has it that the original candy cane was invented by a candy maker in Indi-ana, who hoped to make a symbolic Christmas candy. By taking a w h i t e p e p p e r m i n t s t i c k , (symbolizing Jesus’s purity), and bending it to form a shepherd’s staff, or an upside down “J” for Jesus. The stick was then cov-ered with red stripes to represent Jesus’s suffering.

The Beginnings of Santa Claus Santa Claus, or St. Nick, was originally born in Turkey, but was imprisoned by Romans in the 4th century. Once he was released from prison under Constantine, he became a Christian, and a saint- the patron saint of children. The leg-end of Saint Nicholas was kept alive by Dutch children who would leave empty shoes by their fire-places on Christmas Eve, in hopes of Saint Nicholas’s deliverance of Christmas treats. The mod-ern-day image of Santa has come about through Coca Cola advertisements of the early 20th century. The History of Mistletoe Mistletoe was a symbol of the coming of winter, even before the birth of Christ. It was first intro-duced by the Greeks at the festival of Saturnalia, and was said to have healing powers. The Scandinavians associated it with the goddess of love, Frigga, Many countries view kissing under the mistletoe as a sign of happiness and long life.

The Many Symbols of Christmas

Green Christmas A Commentary by Anthony Finelli Christmas: it's the greatest time of the year. Some-thing about it just brings out the best in people. However, this year, as I look back, I realize that I've never seen snow during the holidays (or ever for that matter). I have never had a white Christmas. Heck, I've never even had an off-white Christmas! Growing up in Florida all my life with no close rela-tives living out of state, there was never a reason for my fam-ily to go up north for the Christmas festivities; we always just celebrated down here. Instead of building Frosty the Snow-man, I was stuck constructing his long lost relative, Sunburn the Sandman. I don't really feel as though it's taken anything away from the magic of Christmas time, but just once I'd like to have one of those Christmases you see in the movies with snow falling, children caroling, and lighting the fireplace just to try to keep warm. Instead I get hurricane force winds, old people screaming at me as I drive, and having to turn on the AC because it's 80 degrees! I suppose I can't complain. Even though the baby Jesus in our lawn is wearing sunscreen, he's still Jesus, and the

spirit of Christmas is just as strong in Florida as anywhere else. I'll see snow someday, but for now, I'll have to deal with scrounging up the shaved ice from the Zamboni at the skating rink and making “shaved ice men” out of that. Happy holidays.

Opinion


Hanukah: Latkes, Gilt, and Dreidels By Lauren Cuervo and Allison Lee For two lovely ladies who grew up gathered around the Christmas tree and leaving cookies for Santa, the chance to huddle around the menorah was an excit-ing change. Compliments of the Bresnahan family, we were invited to celebrate Hanukkah last year, and it was an experience we will never forget. Along with the beautifully lit menorah and the chant being sung by the Jewish family members, the pile of latkes (potato pancakes) arranged on the table caught our eyes. After we ate as much as we possibly could, we had the amazing chance of playing dreidel, a four sided top. Each side of the dreidel has a Hebrew symbol which stands for something dif-ferent. The game of dreidel is an intense gambling game; we bet on delicious chocolate coins. The food was truly made with TLC (tender loving care) in every bite by Mr. and Mrs. Bresnahan. The menorah, set up in the middle of the table, had nine candles in a row. Eight of the candles are lit for each night of Hanukkah. The remaining one is known as shammas which lights each of the eight candles. While lighting the can-dles, Hanerot Halalu is recited and “Maoz Tzur” is tradition-ally sung. The candles looked so perfect we wanted to blow one out for the sake of imperfection. However, we were in-formed that if anyone was to ever blow out one of the candles, Aunt Lisa would think of some serious repercussions. One year someone blew a candle out, and Aunt Lisa banned her from all other Hanukah services. All in all, the experience was enriching, and we know it will never be forgotten. Not only did we learn about the cul-

ture, but we also were able to enjoy a mouth watering meal. Although we thought this was a once in a lifetime experience, we have now made it a tradition; we are looking forward to this year’s celebration!

Hanukkah Glossary Hanukkah is the Jewish holiday, also known as the Festi-val of Lights, celebrated to honor the eight nights during which olive oil that was only supposed to last for one night lit the candles in the destroyed Temple of Jerusalem. Dreidel is a four-sided top with different Hebrew sym-bols on each side. Similar to gambling, there is a pot in the middle of money or chocolate. It is rolled and one side means to take the whole pot, one means to take half, one means to do noth-ing, and one means to add to the pot. Menorah is a nine-branched

candelabrum lit to repre-sent the eight nights of Hanukkah.

Shammas is the ninth candle on the menorah that is used to light the rest of the candles each night.

Hanerot Halalu is the song sung during the lighting of the candles of the Meno-rah.

Maoz Tzur is the song sung after the candles on the Me-norah have been lit.

Latkes are also known as potato pancakes and are baked in olive oil to symbolize the original miracle of Ha-nukkah.

Opinion

Unlocking the Mystery of Kwanzaa By Nick Gereffi

For many of us, Kwanzaa just

seems to be a cool celebration involving tribal colors and traditional African garb. The real truth, as I have discov-ered, is that the holiday is so much more. Just some quick facts to catch you up: Kwanzaa is celebrated Decem-ber 26th through January 1st. It is in-tended to celebrate African culture and the harvests of the nation, and its name

is derived from the term meaning “first fruits” in Swahili. The festive holiday is intended to bring families together in celebration of their ancestral heritage and blessings in their daily lives. It was started by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966. There are several distinct sym-bols associated with Kwanzaa. A Mishu-maa Saba is the seven-candled piece that is burned for each night of the celebra-tion, symbolic of the Seven Principles of African Culture. Other things, such as the sacred corn crop and “unity cup” of the people, are used on a consistent basis during the holiday.

This is a Mishumaa Saba one candle is burned for each night of the celebra-tion. They represent the Seven Princi-ples of African Culture.


By Matti Perez-Cubas Noise. Confusion. Chaos. The first five minutes of Saving Private Ryan? Nope---it’s just Christmas at the Perez-Cubas household. My family comes from all over the southeast (actually, just Miami and South Carolina) to meet at my house for a loud celebration. Our Christmas traditions over the years have included fabulous and detailed portrayals of a real life Nativity Scene in my living room (I’m hoping for the part of Camel #1 this year), napkin-head photos (yes, we put napkins on our heads and pose for cam-eras), and lots of intellectual humor from my older twin cousins (How do you make a tissue dance?). I can just picture what Christmas will be like this year: My little sister, Amy, and cousin, Kaitlyn, are blasting Hannah Montana from my bedroom. The men are spread around the living room watching either sports or the sci-fi channel, or as my dad says “the sky-fi channel.” My overly hopeful and well-meaning Aunt Diane attempts to gather us around the piano for Christmas carols, but after a weak rendition of “Amazing Grace,” she lets us watch TV again. Uncle Charlie is making jokes at the expense of my twin cousins, Anthony and Nicho-las. Instead of retaliating against my uncle, they just quote The Waterboy, a movie my family has seen together countless times. My cousin, Olivia, and my father are once again partners-in-crime, and they are making fun of my law student cousin, Marissa, in the tune of popular songs. Don’t ask… And where is the woman responsible for creating such a

large and weird family? Well, my grandmother is in the kitchen preparing a Cuban feast. She cooks unaffected by the loud noise, laughs at every dumb joke, shakes her head at every inappropriate remark coming from my uncle, and she is just loving every minute. Then, right before dinner, something truly miraculous hap-pens. My uncle says a prayer, and for a few moments the house is actually calm. For a few moments we silently ap-preciate the family around us, pray for the family who couldn't be there, and just remember what this holiday is all about. Christmas may be very busy and a bit overwhelming at my house, but it is certainly never lonely. There are always plenty of presents, laughs, and hugs to go around. We all know that the next day we will have to go back to living separate lives, managing stressful schedules, and acting decently in public; but on Christmas night, just for a few moments, we can be ourselves together.

Freshman, Barrett Budd (left): “Each Christmas, I steal Christ-mas lists to see what I should get for everyone and what I should ask for.”

Sophomore, Wini Glunt (right): “Every year my friends and I go around the block and take pictures with decorations that are on my neighbors’ lawns.”

Junior Ryan Burke (left): “I go door-to-door Christmas carol-ing in November.”

Senior Jennifer Braisted (right): “Every year on Christmas Eve, I bake cookies for Santa and wear footy paja-mas.”

My Big, Fat, Cubas Christmas

The Perez-Cubas napkin-head photo of '93

Funky Fresh Holiday Traditions By Shawn Kelaher During this wondrously festive time of the year, it is not unusual to come across some interesting family traditions. Some of these traditions are a symbol of family, happiness, and harmony.

Opinion


Merry Christmas 'Tis Better to Give Than Receive By Anthony Finelli When Christmas comes around, many people often are inclined to think along the lines of "What gifts am I going to get?" or "I hope I get what I want." However, the true spirit of the holidays isn't getting gifts; it's giving. “'Tis better to give than to receive” the old saying goes, and nowhere is that say-ing represented better than on the CGHS campus. Many stu-dents, clubs, and organizations are getting into the spirit and digging deep to give what they can to those in need. The CGHS annual food and toy drive collected dona-tions that went to six organizations ranging from soup kitchens to single mothers who need help. The Biomedical Club has been accumulating new or partially used baby items for moth-ers. Key Club is into the spirit by selling candy canes as a fundraiser to purchase a pair of goats for the Republic of Ma-lawi in Africa. Though it doesn't seem like much, these two goats can provide nourishment to an entire tribe. The Club also helped to finance Mrs. Lanza’s trip to Nicaragua to deliver to the people of Managira, La Chureca the clothes, shoes, and medicine that was collected by the Spanish Honor Society and Spanish Connection Some people may think that giving only "really

counts" when the gift makes a profound impression or is very expensive, but any contribution made in any way can make a significant impact. Spending just a half-hour a week can brighten a senior's day at a nursing home. Your time is the greatest gift of all. It really is better to give than to receive.

Ms. Lanza is delivering the medicine to the doc-tors in Managira, La Chireca.

Ballerinas Take Their Final Bows By Emily Morrill This year the Ft. Lauderdale Children’s Ballet Theater (CBT) put on its annual winter production of Sleeping Beauty. The ballet mimics the whimsical aura of the enchanted mystery and the timeless tale of love

and the fight of good vs. evil. This breathtaking performance starred some of the Gibbons family members: Victoria Rizzo (Mrs. Rizzo’s young daughter) and seniors, Christine O’Connor, Amelia Korelishn, Brooke Barker, and Stephanie Kopson. The seniors have been performing in CBT for the last eleven years; they took their final bows after their last show on November 18th.

Christine O’Connor, who was cast as Aurora and could have been mistaken for Ballerina Barbie, swept the crowd away with her precise and on-point performance. Amelia Korelishn and Stephanie Kopson alternated the role of Carabosse. The show that I saw had Amelia in the roll, and she gave the crowd goose bumps with her stellar routine. Brooke Barker played the Fairy of Kindness, who was also a part of the magic.

For someone who never really appreciated the understated beauty of ballet, this show was a defi-nite eye opener for me. I was able to feel the passion, tension and thrill that these girls portrayed on the stage. This definitely was a happily-ever-after kind of show!

Carabosse against Aurora

Brooke Barker (left), Christine O’Connor, Amelia Korelishn, and Stephanie Kopson


The Miracle of Christmas

By Mr. Daniel Lonteen Christmas time is almost upon us. For some reason, this time of year always seems to make me feel nostalgic. I cannot help but to think of Christmas’ past and all the memories that I shared with my family in Ohio. As a child, the magic of Christmas was alive on that special December morning. However, it never was the presents that made Christ-mas magical. I will not deny, as a child the toys, the clothes, and all of the treats were always nice, but I honestly can say I do not have any of those things any more nor remember what most of them look like. No, the magic was what took place in our family nativity. Every year, my family would take days to decorate our home. But, the centerpiece was always the nativity scene that we would place on the mantle of our fireplace. Each figurine was stra-tegically placed covering the entire man-tle. However, the manger in the barn remained empty. Baby Jesus was never in it before Christmas. Yet, somehow, he would appear in the manger after we returned home from Midnight mass. For me, as a young boy, this was the great mystery, the greatest miracle, and my family was the one chosen to receive it.

I did not know at the time that my father conven-iently always forgot some-thing in the house before we left for church. It would be at this time that he would place the baby, which he had hidden, in the manger. When we returned home, a faint blue Christmas light would be on in the barn and we would run to see the baby. It was our mira-cle. As an adult, I now do the same thing. Maybe it is because a part of me always wants to hold on to the special memory of my childhood. Maybe it is because it helps me to remember that on one special night, God so loved me that he gave me the greatest present – the gift of His Son. Whatever the reason is I do know it is about love. I have been so blessed because my par-ents taught me what the real reason is why we even have Christmas. The true present was not in packages and bows but is in the manger – the manger of the heart. The love, sacrifice, and constant support that my parents have given to me is more than anything I could ever repay. But, that is what makes it a pre-sent. They not only showed me the true

meaning of Christmas. They are Christ-mas. They have nurtured this gift in me ever since I was an infant. They made and make Christ incarnate to me each and everyday of my life. They taught me how Christ gave himself for me and the best thing I could ever do is give the same. Christmas is not just December 25th. Jesus is not the reason for the season. He is the reason for all seasons. I only pray that I too can make Him in-carnate to all that enter my life as my parents do for me.

Madonna and Child-Artist Francesca Ascione

I’ll Be Home for Christmas By Emily Morrill For those seniors who haven’t stopped to smell the candy canes and the gingerbread cookies…newsflash: time is running out. This is our last Christmas at home, at least as permanent residents and burdens to our parents. This time next year “home for the holidays” means more than just two weeks off of school; it means booking flights, packing, repacking, and perhaps even discovering your bedroom has been turned into a home gym. Our visit home will be more of a time to catch up instead of sitting back by the fire (or in most cases a plasma screen) and enjoying the Christmas cheer. What should be a time of reconnecting with family and friends

turns into a “who’s who” competition of college success stories. Christmas break for the past four years has con-sisted of watching everyone come home to us. How scary is it to think that this time next year we will be the ones with the “Gibbons Visitor Stickers” seeing all of our old teachers and bringing our favorite underclassmen lunch? Seniors, this year make sure you really cherish the memories of Christmas at home. Truly appreciate waking up in your own bed on Christmas morning, watching the Christmas Story 24 hour marathon with your dad, and helping cook in the kitchen with your mom. Those are the memories you will carry with you when you’re gone.

Opinion


Favorite Holiday Films:

It’s a Wonderful Life By Emily Morrill It’s a Wonderful Life is by far my favorite Christmas movie. It has more than just an ordinary Christmas theme; it helps us all see the beauty in Christ-mas and what giving really means. I think so many of us get wrapped up in the swing of the holidays and the chaos of parties, shopping, decorating, and cooking that we forget to appreciate the little things that are right in front of us. George Bailey spent his whole life giving and trying to please everyone. When his so called life seems to “end” on Christmas Eve, he real-izes that it is really just beginning. He is shown what life would be like without him in it, and he suddenly sees that he doesn’t want to be absent from his family and friends. Even in troubled times, we can’t forget what “a wonderful

Home Alone 2: A Christmas Classic By Shawn Kelaher Ah, Christmas: the wonderful time of the year during which families embrace togetherness and the feeling of joy perme-ates the chilly air. It is also a time that calls for those fabulous once a year, somewhat hackneyed Christmas movies. Classics like A Christmas Carol, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas, and A Christ-mas Story are always a must when it comes to enjoying holiday movies. However, my personal choice definitely has to be the sec-ond Home Alone flick.

In the sequel, Home Alone 2:Lost in New York, Kevin McCallister, played by child star Macaulay Culkin, once again loses his family dur-ing the holidays when they at-tempt to go on a vacation to Florida. He accidentally boards a plane for New York City, where he once more runs into the troublesome duo, Harry and Marv, (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern), who plan to rob a prominent NYC toy store. Like the first movie, Kevin sets up clever traps and tricks to capture the “Sticky Bandits” and have them locked in the slammer. This hilarious Christmas fea-ture, now available on DVD, is one that will forever be a favorite since it emphasizes the value of family and unity during this joyous and festive time of the year.

A Muppet Christmas Carol: Bringing Joy to All Ages By Matti Perez-Cubas Kermit the Frog, Gonzo, and Rizzo the Rat make Charles Dickens proud in this adaptation of the classic tale with an ador-able twist. Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Michael Caine, learns the error of his greedy ways with a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christ-mas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Future. But what makes this version of the story stand out from all the others? Appearances of Jim Henson's beloved Muppet char-acters, of course! With cuddly char-acters, catchy songs, and the fact that Kermit and Miss Piggy are mar-ried in this story (finally!), this movie is sure to bring Christmas magic to all families.

The Year Without a Santa Claus By Anthony Finelli When I am told to think of my favorite Christmas movie, my mind in-stantly wanders to the stop-motion anima-tion movies about the holidays from back in the 1970's. Movies such as Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and all the other classics come to mind, but the one that sticks out most is The Year Without a Santa Claus. Instead of focusing on the big man in red, this flick has Santa tak-ing the Christmas off due to a cold. Of course, there can't be a Christmas without Santa, so two of his elves venture out with Mrs. Claus to try to find children to convince Santa to do his rounds for the year, and it's not easy when their adventure leads them to Southtown, where it's never snowed for the holidays. Every time I watch this movie, I feel like a kid again, and no other movie can really do that. Its lively songs and bright characters (especially the unforgetta-ble Miser brothers) make The Year Without a Santa Claus one of my favorite holiday films, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way.


Do You See What I See? Christmas Flick Pick: Jingle All The Way By Nick Gereffi

When the Christmas season slowly creeps into our lives, I know it’s time to dust off my DVD copy of a holiday classic I like to call some kind of beautiful: Jingle All The Way. The story is simple. Arnold Schwarzenegger ( in his pre-Gubernatorial days) plays a hard working single Dad whose obnoxious, bleach blonde son wants nothing more than a Turbo Man doll for Christmas. Dad, of course, forgot to buy the impossible-to-find toy in time, and must face off with an evil postman played by Sinbad on Christmas Eve to buy the present and save the day. As if that riveting description wasn’t enough to convince you, the movie consistently delights as Arnold drudges through the snow in his brute Austrian way while battling everything from midget Santas to a life size action figure. Case in point: rent it. Immediately.

Santa’s Little Helper: Elf By Katie Bocksel and Anna Durie Christmas is a time for families to come together and enjoy the special season. What better way to do so than a holiday movie?!? The always hilarious Will Ferrell stars in our favorite Christmas movie, Elf. Elf tells the comical story of Buddy, an orphan, who crawls into Santa’s bag as a baby and is raised as an elf in the North Pole. Af-ter the truth of Buddy’s parentage is revealed, he decides to find his real father, who lives in New York City. The movie then follows Buddy’s wild adventures in the unfa-miliar setting of the Big Apple. This is our favorite holiday movie because we feel that it really captures the true holiday spirit, with a comical twist! The hilarious ways in which Buddy deals with his adventures will leave you cracking up for days and quoting the movie for years.

The Grinch By Justine D’Addio This holiday season would not be complete without viewing Dr. Seuss’s “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” at least once. Director Ron Howard captivates the audience with the movie’s fantastic scenery and characters. For those of you who do not know the classic holiday tale, it involves a mean green creature that concocts a plan to “steal” Christmas from the Who’s (inhabitants of Whoville). Everyone in Whoville fears and dislikes the Grinch because he despises their beloved holiday. Similarly, a young girl named Cindy Lou Who is also having some doubts about the season. The brave child decides to find out why the Grinch is so bitter towards Christmas. She in-sists that there must be some good in him. Throughout the movie, the pair’s relationship blossoms into friendship. Together, they search for the true meaning of Christmas. They long to find a holi-day spirit that is able to touch their hearts more than decorations, presents, or other traditions ever could. Rent it, and see if they do.

Once Upon a Christmas By Brandy Flood

The one thing I love the most about the movie Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas is that the main focus isn’t about what you “receive”, but what you “give”. The old Disney Classic consists of 3 short cartoons featuring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy. Each plot sequence exhibits a self-less act of love which can really change our perspective about the real meaning of Christmas that we sometimes forget. The first plot sequence is when a greedy wish comes true: a never-ending Christmas and endless presents. It’s meant to show you that you should be thankful for what you receive, rather than how many gifts you get. The second story is about Santa Clause and the skepticism about him. Last but not least, the final story is an updated “Gift of the Magi” where Mickey risks his most prized possession for Minnie, while she does the same. Every Christmas Eve, I watch this movie with my sister; it’s a tradition of ours. Although it is an animated film for children, people of all ages will find it entertaining and worthwhile. I highly recommend this for the upcoming winter holiday.


“An i-phone!” Joe Solenski

Senior

“A video camera” Carlyle Wilson

Sophomore

“A Bat-mobile and some new shoes” Michael Davis

Freshman

As much as giving is part of the holiday cheer, receiving new gifts under the Christmas tree or next to the menorah is what first comes to mind to most teenagers. New gadgets, fashions, jewelry, books, and equip-ment are now in stores and each child works vigorously to complete his or her wish list to good ol’ Saint Nick. We asked a few of our Cardinal Gibbons students what they wanted this holiday season, and here are some of their answers…

All I Want for Christmas Is. . . By Anna Durie

“Neon green shoe laces with blue polka

dots” Mark Szczypinski

Junior

“Candy and good gifts from our boyfriends!”

Nina Jaliashvili & Patricia Toledo Sophomores

Santa, Baby A scientifically backed commentary By Erin Kelley and Nick Gereffi FACT: SANTA IS REAL! Seriously, all you “haters” wonder why he does-n’t leave you creepy dolls and sweater sets anymore?! It’s because you stopped believing. Journey would not be amused. You’re probably shaking your head to refute us right now, but we’re going to expose to you the glory of Santa. Okay, first of all, we write letters to Santa every December. Granted, we might begin the day after Christmas of the previous year with a rough draft, but once it’s time to slap a stamp on that bad boy… oh, it’s ready. Not only is it full of what we want, it includes why we deserve it, as we attach copies of our resumes. And let us tell you: we get what we want. S a n t a c o m e s t h r o u g h .

Secondly, your parents would never lie to you. Well, unless it was something little. But Santa? Big busi-ness, there’s no hiding his existence. They’re the ones who tell you about him when you’re a little kid. They make you visit him at the mall (he goes there to see you). Oh, and just so he knows: Santa, it makes us angry when you see us standing in line to give you our lists, and you don’t wave back. And lastly, maybe you just stopped believing in Santa because he stopped bringing you presents. But, seriously, you didn’t something bad, really bad when the elves were spy-ing on you. There’s only one thing to do to save yourself from a life sans kittens in mittens. Repent, and thou shall be saved! And by saved we mean gifted all your holiday wishes from the man himself. You owe us for this one, Santa. Bring us college acceptance letters.

Erin Kelley and Nick Gereffi are telling Santa what they want for Christmas.

Opinion


By Brandy Flood “Christmas vacation.” Aren’t those the most beautiful 5 syllables you’ve ever heard? It means no home-work (well, for a while), awesome memories, celebration, not to mention yummy treats. I don’t know about every-one, but every first day of school, I look in my agenda book and count down the days until Winter Break. As we prepare for midterms, we can’t help but wonder what this holi-day season has in store for us. Some like me will stay home and enjoy the lovely fifty degree weather we Floridians often complain about, others might be lucky enough to escape from the norm and see some actual snow. Seeing snow for us Floridians will cost us a plane ticket. Bravo to those that actually can face the snow and the temperature that goes with it. I’m

actually way too chicken to stand out-side in 12 degree weather for more than 2 minutes (I’ve tried it before). Winter vacation isn’t obviously just about snow though. What about those true-blue beach weather addicts? Those who like to spend their vacation rebuilding their summer tan. My favorite thing about winter vacation is the excitement that builds up to it, such as the early Walmart Christ-mas sales and decorations in nearly every mall signifying that the Holidays are approaching, well before Thanksgiv-ing has even occurred. The extra hours of sleep are also a plus. I think that all students agree that they deserve some time off to refresh, and winter vacation allows us to do that. So, close your books and put them in a safe place for the holidays because we deserve some time from “libros” and time for family.

For most people, their birthday is the one day a year that the focus is placed solely on them. However, this can be difficult to do when your birthday falls three days before one of the big-gest, if not the most celebrated, birth-days of the year – Christmas. That’s right, I was born on December 22. Now, most people would think that this would be a cause for a rant about how awful their birthday is and how they wish that they were born at a different time. But in my case, I couldn’t be happier with the date that I decided to make my grand entrance into this big world.

When someone says the word December, most people become en-tranced by thoughts of Christmas trees, outrageous light displays, and sparkling packages sticking out from under the tree. Who wouldn’t want their birthday to be associated with such glorious spec-tacles? Over the past eighteen years, my birthday has become enveloped in the holiday traditions that are celebrated at

the time. Like my tenth birthday, for example, was celebrated in Disney, alongside Mickey and Minnie, at their Very Merry Christmas Party. This could only happen because my birthday falls so close to Christmas. People also tend to be excited about your birthday, if not only for the fact that it falls so close to what is most likely to be their favorite holiday. (If that is the case, just appease me and tell me that it is my birthday that has you so excited, ok?)

Now, I know what most people are thinking. Do you ever get scammed

on your presents? Well, unfortunately, the answer is yes. Some people like to pull the two-in-one present where they combine both my birthday and Christ-mas gift. This is something that just comes along with having a “Christmas” birthday. Do I like it? Obviously, no. Is it something that I have finally come to terms with after all these years? Yes. My parents, however, have always made it a point to separate my birthday and Christmas when it comes to presents. Now, that may seem like an inopportune situation, but think about it. Are your parents more likely to pick up an extra present or two when they are in the Christmas spirit? Take it from me, the answer is yes. So, for all the Christmas babies out there, I feel for you. Don’t let Christmas get you down. Embrace the magic that comes along with the holi-days. And for everyone else, while you’re out shopping for Christmas, pick me up something!!

Have a Very Merry Birthday! By Katie Bocksel

It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas…VACATION!

This is the way many will enjoy their Florida Christmas vacation.

Opinion


The Cardinal Gibbons Music Department Presents Its Annual Christmas Concert

Sunday, December 16th at 4:00 p.m. St. Pius X Catholic Church-A1A, 4 blocks South of

Oakland Park Blvd. Tickets will be available at the door for $10.

Cappies Review HONK! By Dana Nieuwkerk of Deerfield Beach High School Being told you’re ugly is never an easy feat to overcome, not even for a duckling. Cardinal Gibbons High School told the tale of the tribulations of “Ugly,” a duckling, in the musical HONK! on Sunday af ternoon. HONK! is a musical version of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Ugly Duckling.” This musical originally opened in 1993, later beating out “The Lion King” for the Olivier Award for Best Musical. The story is unforgettable, focusing on inner beauty in our modern aesthetically-pleased society; inter-twined in a web of characters, songs, and dance routines, lies the lesson that “beauty is only skin deep.” Cardinal Gibbons High intro-duces “Ugly” during the musical number “The Joy of Motherhood;” from that point on, Ugly meets a variety of charac-ters, both mean and nice, and suffers through the trials of growing up. Erick Crow (Ugly) not only believably pulled off the emotional chal-lenges which would come with having a face that only a mother could love, but his added in mannerisms of a duck and transformation into a swan, as well as his vibrant voice, proved that he is a dedicated actor and a great choice for the role. Maggie Peterson (Ida) held chemistry with her fellow actors which was nearly impossible to deny, or not to notice. Her nurturing qualities provided believability to her character; the tears she shed over the loss of Ugly were filled with redeeming qualities. Maggie managed to remain consistent in her

movements, accent, and other manner-isms, a quality which was not shared with all other cast mates. Erin Kelley (Cat) juggled the roles of conniving, vindictive, lustful, machismo, and loving quite well. She provided constant comedic relief to oth-erwise disheartening events of woe, and was capable of adding her own touch to her French accent; making it plausible and understandable, yet hilarious. Nick Gereffi (Bullfrog) may not have had a significant amount of stage time, but for the time he was allotted, he certainly made his presence known. Nick offered an energy and pizzazz in the second act that was carried and maintained from that point to the end of the production. Though there were some errors with bumping microphones, and music

overpowering the voices of the actors, the sound was carried well throughout the play. The set was designed well, and size-proportions were notable; particu-larly the travel size Altoids suitcase. The lighting was not too drastic and always appropriate to the setting at the time. Lastly, the costumes were subtle, yet explanatory. The fact that beaks, whisk-ers, and ears did not need to be used to be able to tell which animals each actor was portraying was a feat not many could accomplish. This production of HONK! left the audience on their feet. Cardinal Gib-bons High School, through their singing and dancing, performed a show which will be long remembered!

Review

The leads of HONK! take a bow. Left to right: Nick Gereffi, Ryan Burke, Maggie Peterson, Erick Crow, Erin Kelley, Aldo Paino, and Alexis Lacman


Big Game for Blair Walsh! By Allison Lee Senior Blair Walsh was selected to join in the U.S. Army All-American All-Star Game. Only one other student in the state of Florida and only 84 high school students in the entire United States were chosen. Blair is the first from Gibbons to be singled out for this prestigious honor. On November 28th there was a press conference in the CGHS gym announcing his selection. The game is to be televised live on January 4th on ESPN. “Blair deserves all the accolades that can be be-stowed upon him. He is a hard worker and a wonderful young man,” said Head Coach Mike Morrill. Blair has com-mitted to play for the University of Georgia next year.

How To Keep A New Year’s Resolution

By Justine D’Addio and Kristen Jugs The New Year’s resolution

tradition dates back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of Rome, had the power to look back on past events and focus on future ones because he was thought to have two faces. The Romans adopted Janus as the symbol of the New Year. They celebrated by reconciling with enemies and exchanging gifts.

As a brand new year ap-proaches, we tend to reflect on the past along with focusing on the future. Some popular resolutions today consist of los-ing weight and quitting smoking, while in the Ancient New Year, the most com-

mon resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment. The New Year signi-fies rebirth and blossoming; therefore, it is only appropriate to start fresh and make improvement in our daily lives. However, the majority do not follow through with these changes. The reality of people’s hectic lives sets in and resolutions are simply lost. Do we not have enough willpower to make a minute difference in our lives?

Ehow.com offers some simple steps to maintaining those forgotten resolutions. Step 1: Aim low. Setting the bar too high is paving the way for an unattainable goal and we give up. Step 2: Concentrate on one resolution at a time. Don’t overload it! Step 3: Get help. There is no shame in needing some support. Finally, Step 4: Reward

yourself. A little pat on the back goes a long way when in the process of main-taining a goal. So whether you want to lose a few pounds or return that plow, you now have the tools to do it.

Walsh accepts the jersey for the U.S. Army All-American All-Star Game from a representative of the U.S. Army at the press conference with ESPN.

Happy New Year!


By Anna Durie

After vigorously enjoying the stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and my family’s personal tradition, the Turducken, I am desperately awaiting the food that lies ahead at Christmas. For me, the holiday season starts when my mother hangs the sweet peppermint and Starburst candy canes from our tree. After all, it’s not the presents that make the season; it’s the food…at least for me.

My Thanksgiving was ruined a few years back when my sister’s current boyfriend brought us his traditional fam-ily “dessert” which consisted of crushed pretzels, strawberry jello, and Cool Whip whipped cream…I was not amused. But recent years have rekindled my love for the traditional pies and des-serts a la mode. Let’s not also forget the delicious latkas with applesauce, and chocolate gelt that can be found at la casa de Lindsey Rosenbaum.

Christmas is the holiday, next to Halloween, that promotes the distri-bution of holiday sweets. It brings candy canes, chocolate, and those chocolate covered peppermint sticks we all know and love. I know we are all wishing for the newest i-pod, or a new Nintendo Wii, but I have to say that I just cannot wait for Christmas dinner.

Thanks to fabulousfoods.com, you are able to make holiday creations that the whole family can enjoy!

Holiday Cookie Pops!

You will need:

• 20 vanilla wafer cookies • 1/2 cup peanut butter • 1 6-ounce bag white chocolate chips • colored candy sprinkles, red & green combo • red pull apart licorice whips, cut into 1-1/2" lengths • M&M candies • M&M mini candies • fruit roll ups, cut into 4" lengths • cake decorating writer gel in green, black, and orange • tube of white cake decorator frost-ing with flower tip • ice cream sticks • wax paper or paper plates

Instructions:

Spread peanut butter onto the flat side of the cookies. Place an ice cream stick into the peanut butter on half the cookies. Top with another cookie so the stick is sandwiched between the two cookies.

Melt chocolate chips. Dip cookie pops in the melted chips, cover-ing completely. Roll pops in red and green sprinkles and lay or stand on waxed paper or paper plates. Place in refrigerator to chill

Fun Variations

• Snowmen -- Using a licorice whip, while chocolate is still warm on the pop, form a headband and position two regu-lar sized M&M candies as ear muffs. Lie pop flat on waxed paper and let cool. When cool, use black decorator gel for eyes and mouth and orange for the nose. Gently wrap a fruit roll up around the bottom of the cookie at the stick. • Santa -- While chocolate is still warm, dip top of pop into red sprinkles for Santa's hat. Lie flat on waxed paper and let cool. When cool, dot top of hat with white decorator icing using flower tip. Use flower tip and white icing to add his beard and line the brim of his hat. Use black decorator gel to dot on eyes. · Holly -- While chocolate is still warm, position two red mini M&M can-dies off center in the chocolate. Let cool. When cool, use green decorator gel to draw on holly leaves, fill in.

Holiday Goodies

Eggnog: Delicious Outweighs Nutritious By Erin Kelley Eggnog is clogging your arter-ies right now. It contains 30% of a person’s fat content for an entire day, 19 grams! When one consumes a serving of eggnog, they are consuming a meal. Yes, a meal. Yet,

fudge comes but once a year… and grandma makes those peanut butter cookies with the Hershey kiss in the middle. Good thing winter clothes hide those holiday love handles. In one cup of eggnog there are, maybe you should sit down for this, 343 calories (135 of those calories come from carbohydrates alone). But before you wipe away your creamy, yellow mustache let us balance out this terrible news: 9.7 grams of protein are packed into those eight fluid ounces. Okay, so that’s not a lot. But if you’re looking to

up your cholesterol, not that you would, there’s 150 mgs of that, too! In the end, eggnog is a deli-cious holiday treat that no one should refuse to give up. Everyone knows when they see its little carton in Publix with the festive Christmas lights stamped on the wrapping, they know in their choles-terol filled heart of hearts that if drink-ing more than one serving of eggnog per day, every day it’s in the refrigerator is wrong… well, maybe… just maybe… they don’t want to be right. Merry Christmas, eggnog, you little minx.

Recipe


Find these words for Santa in the Word Search:

BABA

CHAGHALOO

FATHER CHRIST-MAS

SHENG-DANLAOREN

JULEMANDEN

PAPA NOEL

JOULUPUKKI

CHRISTTINDL

GANESHA

BABA NOEL BABBO NATALE

HOTEISHO

JULENISSEN

GWIAZDOR

DEDMOROZ

JULTOMTEN

SANTA CLAUS

Answers from the last issue: Can you figure this one out? NOW, WHO DRINKS THE WATER AND WHO OWNS THE ZEBRA!!!? Answer: The Norwegian drinks the water and the Japa-nese owns the zebra.

Crossword Puzzle Answers: Across: 3. Davis 6. Cubas 7. Coyle 8. Ziontz 9. Hanke

10. McConville 11. Lee

12. Stayton 14. Araque

Down: 1. Serafini 2. Gertzlin 4. Sheremeta 5. Lanza 9. Hoag 13. Orcutt

Game

Sudoku: The Sudoku puzzle is a number puzzle that involves no math, only logic. The sole rule of Su-doku is a simple one: every row, column, and 3x3 box in the puzzle grid must contain the numerical sequence 1-9. The catch, though, is that no digit can be repeated in the same row, column, or 3x3 box, and you must work around the given digits. More information on Sudoku puzzles and an online computer program are available at www.sudoku.com. (Puzzles by Pappocom)


Macy’s Madness By Meaghan Bresnahan

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a time honored tradition that began in 1929 in New Jersey as a simple procession of Macy’s employees in brightly colored costumes. Today, the parade is held in New York City and is much more extravagant than its creator could ever have imagined; it includes famous bands, multiple floats, and giant balloons as tall as the buildings they pass by. The parade begins on 77th Street and winds 2.5 miles to end at 7th Street. The performers in the parade don’t have it easy. They are watched by 2.5 million spectators who line the streets every year and 44 million viewers from all over the country who watch the parade from the comfort of their living room.

This year six girls from Cardinal Gibbons had the excit-ing opportunity to be part of this legendary parade. Katie Setton, Jordan Grushka, Alana Pruitt, Maddie Miller (Representing Pro-Am Dance Company), Brittney Petruccelli and Jasmin Freeman (representing Broward Dance Academy) had a valuable opportu-nity to perform at this year’s event.

The CGHS girls were part of a large dance number that consisted of 550 girls from 37 states. Each dance company re-ceived a DVD of the choreography that the girls learned and practiced before journeying up to the Big Apple. For six days, the girls attended practice 3 times a day, often up to four hours at a time. On Thursday morning all of the girls, clad in their Mrs. Clause-styled costumes complete with giant candy cane props, braced the New York subway to get to the starting site of the pa-rade. All of their hard work paid off with a flawless performance where they had the pleasure of introducing the parade’s guest of honor: Santa Claus.

The girls from Pro Am Dance Company pose for a picture before the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Broward Dance Academy students gather after practice with dance instructor, Diana David, a Gibbons alumna.

Miss America rides one of the floats in the parade.

Good Charlotte waves to the crowd during the parade.

“festival of trees begins the holiday season · “the festival of trees” is an annual...

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