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Pirate Log PUTNAM CITY HIGH SCHOOL
VOLUME 58 • ISSUE 4 • DECEMBER 2013the
Pirate Happenings:
Pg. 3Travel through Time and Space with a review over the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special.
The Commercialization of ChristmasDoes merriment have a price tag?
Pg. 6Saturnalia survives the ages and
Pg. 7Greatness awaits: the next generation of gaming consoles is here.
Although the holiday season is traditionally a time of religious celebration and joyous festivities, in recent years a large degree of consumerism and other commercial elements have become integrated into the season. For
example, many companies are rapidly recognizing Christmas and other holidays as an opportunity to capitalize on the seasonal gift gifting process, and launching advertising campaigns focused solely on holiday shopping. According to Randy Sharp, director of the American Family Association, the percentage of retailers launching holiday themed ad campaigns has risen from “roughly twenty percent to eighty percent”, and has become one of the most active shopping periods of the entire year. As a result of this rise in heavy advertising, some individuals feel that the holiday spirit is slowly shifting away from its traditional festive and ethical connotations, and slowly becoming more associated with commercialism and retail consumerism. As senior Derek Delclef puts it, “I feel like sometimes people are in such a rush to purchase Christmas gifts and other holiday commodities that they forget what the holiday spirit is really supposed to be about, which is the spirit of giving itself. Personally, I feel as though we sometimes overlook the history of the holiday itself, and are just focused too much on the gift exchanging aspects of it.” Ultimately, while the meaning and implications of the commercialization of the holidays is a broad subject that is open to multiple interpretations and a wide variety of opinions, it is an irrefutable fact that many retail and commercial elements are slowly becoming a much more prominent aspect of the holiday season.
Story by
Justin
Mullin
2 NEWS DECEMBER 2013
Happy Holidays Pirates! As we prepare for the Winter Break, let me say I hope you all enjoy your time off. Time is best spent with family, friends, and of course food! One of my favorite things to do when I get time away from school is read a great book, so in our holiday tradition; the administrators have picked our favorite titles to share with you. Here is our list…
2nd Annual Pirate P!ncipal Picks:Mrs. Lebsack- Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
Mr. Miles- The Brotherhood of War by W.E.B. Griffin
Mr. Gilliland- Barry Switzer…a Bootleggers Boy by Barry SwitzerMs. Wright- The Travelers Gi? by Andy Andrews
Mr. Bradley- Jesus is _____. by Judah Smith
Mrs. Stewart- The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins (the 3rd is her favorite)
Check them out through the library or even digitally on your phone. Some are books we enjoyed at your age, and others are our current favorites. Reading is a life skill that will help you be college or career ready, so read up over the break! We would love to hear about some of your favorite books as well. Stop and tell us if you have ever read any of these titles, or share your top pick for a book with us. You can even ask your teachers about books they remember reading in high school. The bottom line is un-plug the video games and DVR your favorite shows to spend a few moments reading. Your brain will thank you later!
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The Pirate Log Staff
The purpose of the Pirate Log is to inform, educate and entertain the students of Putnam City High School, as well as provide a public forum for the discussion of current issues. The Editorial Board will consist of all editors, the adviser, and a member at large. Work on the Pirate Log is not exclusively limited to the members of the newspaper class. However, submissions outside of the class must be approved by the Editorial Board. Unsigned editorials are written by one of the editors and reflect the general opinion of the Editorial Board. Columns, commentaries and reviews are signed and reflect the views of the individual writer. These views may or may not
reflect the views of the Editorial Board. All sides of an issue will be presented as fairly as possible without making personal attacks. Any person in the Putnam City community who has an opinion to be voiced is encouraged to submit letters to the Editor. All letters must be signed, but anonymity may be requested. The staff reserves the right to edit or revise any letter due to grammatical errors, space limitations, or content. The Pirate Log reserves the right to refuse any advertising not found to be within the publication’s standards, particularly in reference to good taste and to products and/or services that are illegal for the majority of its readers.
Captain’s Corner
DECEMBER 2013 3 NEWS
50 years, 13 Doctors, 1 Time War, and
77 million views worldwide. Ever since the moment that the final scene of “The Name Of The Doctor” was aired, fans have been on the edge of their seat, eagerly anticipating the trio of Doctors to
unite for the first time, with David Tennant reprising his role as the Tenth Doctor, Matt Smith continuing as the Eleventh, and John Hurt, as the Doctor who thinks he is not worthy enough to carry the name.
The 50th anniversary revolves mainly around Hurt’s character contemplating on destroying his home planet of Gallifrey using a device called The Moment, which
would destroy the Daleks and the Time Lords, thus ending the Time War. As soon as he is about to make his choice, the
conscience of The Moment, presented as
an previously seen companion Rose Tyler, comes forward and talks to Hurt about his decision, which is when a rift in Time and Space opens and the real adventure begins. This rift brings together Hurt, Tennant,
and Smith in the Shakespearean era as the Zygons, which are alien shape-shifters are taking over. The three Doctors are soon arrested and thrown into the dungeon, where a serious conversation about the
Time War takes place. “The show-runner Steven Moffat had to appeal to new fans and old fans alike with a show that has gone on longer than any show has the right to,” said senior Patrick
Flannigan. “He stayed within the boundaries with canon and what is proper
for celebration of the show while
delivering an amazing story.” For the fans of the show, whether old or new, it was a ride of lifetime having the three iconic Doctors all in one time period was more than the minds of the Whovians
could endure. “The beauty of Doctor Who is that it's constantly able to reinvent itself,” said Kaitlin Thomas, a writer for www.tv.com. From Smith
throwing his fez through a time rift, to Tennant yelling at innocent bunnies, all the way to Hurt making fun of sand shoes and catch phrases, the 50th anniversary has further proven that Doctor Who is a series
that will continue to transcend Time and Space. “Geronimo, Allons-y, oh for God’s sake, Gallifrey Stands!”.
Doctor Who: 50th Anniversary
Story by
Isaias
Torres and
Brandon
Thomas
(Doctor Who 50th Anniversary)
.
As the weather becomes colder and the mornings become darker, going to the bus is not an easy task. Walking to the bus stop everyday
can become a daily struggle that many students suffer with as the colder days come. Waiting in the freezing
weather can be almost unbearable, especially when the bus is late, which is a common occurrence. The bus stops are as close as possible to the residence were students live, but the stop can be one or two blocks away from the students’ home. Even though that doesn’t sound like it’s very far, in the frigid weather it can feel like a
mile. Being in the cold for that long, especially during Olu season, can be a risk to one’s health causing many students to be ill and unable to attend classes. “I feel like the bus is almost always late, so I usually wait until the last minute to walk to the bus stop,” said junior Mariah Bryant. For some students, the bus is the only transportation to school and back home, and if it is missed, so are the classes for the students. The bus can be also very crowded and loud junior Jennifer Kourtis explains, “ I never particularly did like riding the bus because of the various ear splitting conversations going on at once”. The bus is a very important part of going between school and home, and whether a student enjoys it or not, it’s here to stay.
The down sides of riding the bus
BUS STOP BLUES
GREAT MINDS TASTE ALIKE
Story by
chandler dorn
4 NEWS DECEMBER 2013
They call them
“walkers”; they slink around corners just waiting for fresh meat to pass by innocently enough to attack and rip them apart. They are savages with no heart, no mind, and no self-conscious. The people that they used to be has long gone now, all that is left is the angry shell of an infectious disease. Civilians struggle to see the light at the
end of the tunnel, however, there is none. Death is inevitable and all they can do is hope that they are not the next one to go.
“The Walking Dead” started October 31, 2010 on the hit television
channel AMC. This post-apocalyptic horror television show captivated watchers with its realistic plot and fantastic character development. Not only are zombies one of the main focuses, but the relationships between the characters in the show are in jeopardy as well which only brings in more viewers week by week. The episodes
usually run from 42-45 minutes long so that watchers can get a lot of time to really grasp the plot line. The show has won the great honor
of a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series, as well as
racking in 16.1 million viewers for the much anticipated fourth season.
In the new season of The Walking Dead, there are new faces and a
familiar threat. There are so many new people in the setting of the prison and it carries with it such a different and diverse vibe. Watching Rick quietly tend to the garden while listening to country music is the least conspicuous shift the season brings to the table as well as slowly demonstrating Rick’s aversion to violence. Season
Three ended with a long shot featuring a busload of Woodburians’ walking solemnly into the prison, an ended that made watchers itch for more episodes.
This time, however, rather than a sense of despair within the
survivors, the desperation is felt most strongly in the throngs of walkers crowding the fenced perimeter of the prison. For those inside, it is a combination of pragmatism and cautious optimism.
story by camie holderby andDakota Heilig
Reflecting on what makes “The Walking Dead” such a special and strangely addicting television
show
PHOTO COURTESY OF www.nola.com
Snow days are, of course, a much-anticipated day for most high
school students around this time of the year. In the Putnam City district calendar, there are already two days built in to this year’s school schedule. Some students are actually disappointed when snow days come around. Senior Karen Garcia says, “It makes me want to go to school
less. It also cancels practice”. Other students argue that it just adds on to the school year. Some say that it is a break that nobody can pass up and use it as a reason to get out of school for a day. Snow days are also a rather annoying reality for teachers who are trying to keep the rhythm of the classroom in full
effect, arguing that the roads aren’t bad enough to close the school down for that day. On the other hand, some teachers are just as ready as the students for any kind of break the weather will hand to them. Some people even say that this is exactly why December is the most wonderful time of the
year as well as taking into account the unanimous love of the holidays, eggnog, and snow. One thing that is for sure, is that half of the school is waiting for it with fingers crossed. It is something that students often lose sleep over the night before in anticipation of waking up and checking the news to see if school is in fact “out”.
Snow Days
Story By
Angel Chappell
DECEMBER 2013 5 NEWS
Wor! Ch"!mas Gi#s
Ever
“Once when I was thirteen, I asked my mom for some makeup and nail polish on Christmas day I was expecting some really awesome stuff on top of what I had asked for, cause my mom usually did well with gifting. My fun ended when
all I had around me were clothes. Not that I wasn’t grateful, it’s just not everyday that the average thirteen year old wants only clothes,” stated Sylvia
McLendon “My worst Christmas present was an OSU sunshade for my car last year that is still unopened, I don’t like OSU or sports at all,” complained Melanie Hughes
“When I was 13 I got Hannah Montana underwear. I hated it; I was embarrassed even in front of my family. I threw them in my closest and
pretended I never got them,” said Sierra Forehand. “When I was 15 I got a black Lab named Cailou that was really mean” said
Tiffany O’Keefe“My worse Christmas Present was Children’s sleepwear when I was like 11
and it didn’t Oit well,” Commented Dillion Myers.“One Year I got this really annoying toy cat,” said Crysta Blankenship.
“One year I got Zack Efron knee high socks. I was Oifteen and gay,” stated Cara Higgins
“My worst gift was an Xbox because it ended up counting as the family’s Xbox and when it broke it was replaced for my birthday but was still the family’s
and they got a laptop for my sister that is just hers,” Scott Bowers
Staff Picks: Favorite Holiday MoviesAaron: The Santa ClauseAdam: The Nightmare Before ChristmasAlexa: Eight Crazy NightsAlia: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Angel: Four ChristmasesBrandon: N/ACamie: How the Grinch Stole ChristmasChandler: A Charlie Brown Christmas
Dakota: The Nightmare Before ChristmasIsaias: Home AloneJazmynn: The Polar ExpressJustin: Olive, the Other Reindeer Nicole: Olive, the Other Reindeer
Snow doubt
Ever!
6 NEWS DECEMBER 2103
Saturnalia is a holiday from ancient Rome that is celebrated in the middle of December that
gives people something to get excited about and a week off work. “Saturnalia is [the Roman’s] biggest festival. It’s seven days long and includes banquets and parties; it’s a celebration of the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year, and the ending of winter or the starting of spring and summer. Saturnalia has the atmosphere of Mardis Gras,” said Latin Club sponsor Mrs. Duffy-‐Relf. At PCO however, it’s more like a miniature fair with some interesting games and competitions. Saturnalia is held in the new cafeteria and is arranged by the Latin club. Celebrated on December 17th, it’s an annual event that Mr. and Mrs. Duffy-‐Relf put on every year. At Saturnalia, there are many different booths to participate: the Vomitorium, Stab Ceasar Santa-‐pulting, Fortune Telling, Gladiator Golf, Smite the Peasants, Exsponge yourself, Pick your Poison, Make a Masterpiece, Picture yourself, bobbing for the golden apple, and Saturnalia hat making. When a game is won, a candy prize is given. Mrs. Duffy-‐Relf continues, “The Vomitorium is always the most popular because it’s the grossest”.
The bigger events include the Medusa munch, the 12 labors of Hercules, in each labor more and more contenders are disqualiOied until the last labor, with two participants left and the one to obtain the hydra head is the winner! Epic twister, a combination of four twister mats for the craziest game of twister ever played! Lastly, the chariot race, that has one person inside a blanket being pulled by two others in a race to the Oinish across the cafeteria. Rachel Lee states that her favorite event in Saturnalia is the Medusa munch, “It was fun to watch people stuff their faces with green spaghetti”. All the zeal and weirdness of this grandiose event is open to more than the Latin club and is completely free. If you missed out this year, you can always go next year!
story by Nicole Early
Saturnalia
photo courtesy of the Latin Club Facebook Page
Stop “Roman” around; celebrate this Holiday!
Photos by Camie Holderby
Kicking off the next
generation of video game consoles, Sony’s Playstation 4 released on November 15th,
2013. The gaming giant took the U.S. by storm and has sold over
one million units at the time of this publication. With more power and many improvements, the PS4 is a great console. The PS4 was officially announced in February and hosted a conference that teased what was to come. Although no console was in sight, the conference fired up the anticipation of gamers worldwide. It
wasn’t until the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) when gamers would see the true power of the system. Featuring 8 GB of ram, AMD Radeon and AMD Jaguar, the PS4 is a powerhouse. Despite being slightly more powerful than its competitors the PS4 is the cheapest out of the next-gen consoles released this year
just being priced at $499. The price is $200 dollars less than the price of a PS3 at launch back in 2007. As it seems, the popularity of the Sony brand has dramatically increased with their next incarnation of gaming consoles. According to mirrornews.com, preorders for the PS4 were double the number of
preorders for the PS3.
The PS4 sold more units than the PS3 as well. The PS4 also launched with two first party games, Knack and
Killzone Shadow Fall along with several third
party games such as Assassin’s Creed IV, Battlefield 4, and Call of Duty Ghosts. The launch-line up is fairly weak but adequate for the emergence of a next-gen console. However, 2014 will see a plethora of
titles such as a new Uncharted title, Dragon Age Inquisition, Thief, and Infamous Second Son. The Playstation 4 is a great introduction to the next-generation of consoles. Despite some downfalls, such as a yearly fee for paying online, Sony’s new system is a fantastic one. The system is reliable,
the controller feels amazing, and gaming is more pleasing on the eyes than ever. Greatness has indeed arrived.
DECEMBER 2013 7 OPINION
story by
Alexa Lihyaoui
Story by
Dakota Heilig
While the Xbox One, like the PlayStation 4, is at heart a traditional video game console, it also does a much better job of being
incorporated into the living room and working in ways that are unavailable elsewhere. You can walk into your living room, and say “Xbox on” with a normal voice level and the console will turn on. The Xbox One was the highest-‐selling gaming system on Black Friday, and for the people that pre-‐ordered them, they were delivered to their house the day that it came out. “It’s exciting that it’s a new generation of consoles,” stated a Microsoft representative. Excessive discussions have been made about the size of the Xbox One, which is of course exacerbated by the additional bulk of its external power supply and Kinect sensor.
Xbox One games like “Forza 5” and “Ryse”, look fantastic, run smoothly and have all the visual detail that are a product of the overblown lighting and rich surfacing effects one would expect from a next-‐generation game. With the Xbox One controller being such a great foundation for gameplay, it was unlikely that the Xbox One would run amiss here, but the Xbox One controller improves on the Xbox 360’s in a number of ways. In the hand, it is lighter, but still familiar, with a similar layout of joysticks and buttons. The triggers curve slightly outwards and the bumpers are larger, making all four Oit more naturally under the Oingers. The Xbox One is a huge console that Microsoft has been working on for a while, and it greatly deserves as much hype as it has received.
8 NEWS DECEMBER 2013
Ornament CupcakesDirections:
1. Following the directions for the cake type of your choosing, bake a set of cupcakes with coordinating cupcake wraps that correspond with the icing color you’ll be using.
2. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, apply as many solid colors amongst the cupcakes as you’d like. Green and Red are very festive and cute.
3. On a separate surface, unwrap mini Reece’s cups and place them upside down. In what was formerly the bottom of the Reece’s cup, use a skewer to make a small hole. Place the skewer ¼” deep into the cup and rotate gently until a small cone-‐shaped hole has been made.
4. Section off a string of pull-‐apart Twizzler and cut it into 1” tabs.5. Fold a piece in half and meet the two ends. Pinch them together gently and insert it, with the pinched end down, into the
hole that was made in the Reece’s cup.6. Place the Reece’s cup Twizzler-‐side up in the center of the cupcake as the ornament topper, and that’s it, you’re done!
Tip: Apply what is known as a “crumb layer” before you apply the icing. A crumb layer is a thin coating of icing that is applied when the cupcake has cooled and is thin enough to still see the cake underneath. It is called the “crumb layer” because it seals in the crumbs so the icing doesn’t lift up the cake top and mix into the icing, so it can have a perfectly pigmented and Olawlessly colored appearance.
For Extra Fun: After the Oinal icing layer has cooled, pour a small amount of edible glitter that coordinates with the cupcake’s color into a bowl. Roll the cupcake’s top in the glitter and apply enough pressure to impress the glitter into the icing. Then you can place the “topper” onto the cupcake.
Christmas Crossword
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