photos courtesy of the internet issue 2...

Issue 2December 2013

Second period donations end Dec. 19th, Rubber Chicken set for Jan. 28th

Holy food drive Batman!

LC gets Thoroughly Modernwith their latest production

Tyanne NeilStaff Writer

“Thoroughly Modern Millie” is set in the fast-paced 1920s, a Kansas farm girl moves to New York City determined to marry for wealth and power. In this stage version of 1967 film musical Millie samples the “Thoroughly Modern Millie: flapper life, makes friends, finds unexpected romance and nearly gets caught up in a white slavery ring,” according to a theoretical promo. This production is full of tap dancing, high energy musical numbers, and all the glitz and glamour of the 1920s. Senior Vanessa Butler has the lead role as Millie Dillmount. “Being the lead role is so much work and I am so tired! I don’t even have time to get a drink of water until almost the end of the show! But it has really pushed me to grow as an actress and I am so thankful I got this opportunity before I go off to college,” she said. The cast in this production also includes: Senior Tanner Azzinaro as Jimmy Smith; Senior Genevieve Alexander as Miss Dorothy Brown; Senior Will Dubiel as Trevor Graydon; Junior Anna Maguire as Mrs. Meers; Junior Melina Palomba as Muzzy VanHossmere; Junior Kezia Rhodes as Bun

Fo; and, Junior Liam Schaaf as Ching Ho. Preparing for the show takes a lot of hard work and dedication. “Thankfully we have so much help. Students build props, a costumer comes in; parents help out to

get everything done in time. We have been planning this show for over 2 years and to see it finally open makes me feel great,” said drama teacher and director Greg Pschirrer. Senior Sierra Wilson choreographed the

play. “I gladly accepted the opportunity of being the assistant for choreographing, I’ve been dancing for fourteen years and I love it. I do not perform in this show but I have performed in the productions in the past, such as In the Heights which was an amazing play as well,” she said. Assistant director Suzanne Maguire said, “I am proud of my students and I am inspired by their dedication, talent, and hard work. You have never seen high school theatre like you will at LC, it is very high quality, and students should go see the play and see what their peers can do.” The play Thoroughly Modern Millie and all the characters are going to state for a thespian festival in March. To prepare, this show will use over one hundred costumes, over forty wigs, about one hundred and fifty light signals, and a cast crew including over fifty people. Pschirrer said, “I would absolutely encourage others to join the drama production. Drama is a place where you can be yourself and you don’t have to worry about what others think of you. It also gives you an opportunity to get away from life for a while, it helps with leadership and your confidence and it’s a lot of fun.”

LC Drama debuts their first musical of the year, prepares for next show “Noises Off!

by Katherine LawlorOpinions Editor

LC students voted for the annual Rub-ber Chicken theme in their MAPS classes on Nov. 12, and finally selected a winner: Chuck Knight Rises. This Batman theme will face off against Ferris’s Disney motif. The Rubber Chicken has been an LC-Fer-ris tradition aimed at increasing school spirit at both institutions since 1983. Students and teachers are already gear-ing up for the Jan. 28 showdown. Leader-ship started off the theme discussion, tak-ing theme suggestions from any student who submitted them. “We came up with themes that would have five small props,” said leadership student junior Alicia Burg. Leadership eventually narrowed it down to four themes: Cirque de Chuck, Chuck in Paradise, Chuck Dynasty, and the Chuck Knight Rises. Students voted in their MAPS classes. Batman (Chuck Knight Rises) won by more than 200 points, Burg said. To increase school spirit for both LC and Ferris, as well as to help the com-munity, both schools are hosting food drives. As of the first collection day, Mc-Neiece’s second period was in the lead with 930 pounds of food, according to leadership teacher Chantal Czarapata. As of December 6, the National Hon-ors Society had turned in 718 pounds; LC’s collection runs until December 19.

“The most important thing about the [Rubber Chicken] competition is that we have as many people at the girls’ game as we can, and the other impor-tant thing is that cheering is always positive. No negativity, no kids get-ting into trouble,” said Czarapata, who helps to organize the Rubber Chicken. The cheerleaders will perform at half-time for the girl’s game. The boys’ game

starts immediately afterwards, and Drill Team will be performing at half-time. Judges will award points based on props, student participation, overall spirit, and the outcome of the games. The Rubber Chicken is a school wide ef-fort. Leadership, Drill Team, Cheerleading, Spooh Crew, and the general student body are all closely involved. This year, the t-shirt packet will include two LC t-shirts, accord-ing to Czarapata, one orange and one black.

Seniors Vanessa Butler and Tanner Azzinaro star as Millie Dillmount and Jimmy Smith in 1920s NYC.

No-Shave Results

Pg. 2

Basketball Preview

Pg. 6

Our thoughtson Lady Gaga

Pg. 8PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INTERNET

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUZANNE MAGUIRE

Tentatively, the black one will be a tank top. Senior Brendan Finch is the tiger for Spooh Crew, a senior boys’ group that performs at the Rubber Chicken and helps to encourage school spirit. “We practice with the cheer-leaders. We’re working on stunts, how to hold people in the air, and we’ll do a vid-eo of course,” Finch said. “It’s really fun.” Cheerleaders are a large part of winning Chuck. “We have to adapt our cheers to the theme,” junior cheerleader Gigi Rusnak said, “We have a five minute routine with the boys that we’ll perform. We also help [leadership] with props.” However, the student audience is the most important factor in terms of points. Student cheers, participation, and adherence

to the theme are very important, ac-cording to Rusnak. “Come for the girls’ game and stay the whole time. Students will need to be there the whole time in order for us to win Chuck,” she said. Although Rubber Chicken is Jan. 28, LC students are encouraged to start looking now for their costumes.

“We [need] as many people at the girl’s game

as we can” -Chantal Czarapata

Game TimesVarsity Girls: 5:30

Varsity Boys: 7:30


NEWSJOURNALThe

by Kyle Thiessen

Features Editor

PHOTO BY EMMA TANNER

Debate, KnowledgeBowl clubs compete

The issue of race and how it relates to school discipline is a topic under continual discussion in the districts. And now, more and more people are arguing that racial injustice is still prevalent in the public school system. Their argument is not without sta-tistical evidence. “40% of people ex-pelled from school each year are black,” said suspensionstories.com. Researches call this direct route from expulsion to incarcera-tion the school to prison pipeline.The school to prison pipeline is a prob-lem that stems from a lack of help with social, academic, and emotion issues by the schools that the troubled students are attending, which subsequently leads to their long-term suspension or expulsion. The issue of race has also been fo-cused on by those who believe in the school to prison pipeline, and was brought up at the NAACP meeting last month. “Black students are three and a half times more likely to be suspended than white students” said suspensionsto-ries.com. The NAACP wants to eliminate

race from the picture, and instead focus on giving kids the support they need. The supporters of this idea say that ab-sences from school are being dealt with too harshly. “How does it make sense that we are forcing kids to stay out of school because they didn’t attend it?” said Shadle High School principal assis-tant Phil High-Edward at a recent NAACP meeting on the subject. “That’s valuable school time that they can’t make up.” The meeting brought up the point of schools needing more in-school sup-port systems for kids. The panel said that kids need to be kept in school if we want to help change their behavior.

Race can tend to be an issue at LC, as we have a relatively diverse student population. In addition, LC’s zoning en-compasses both middle-class and inter-city neighborhoods, leading to a variety of cultural backgrounds being present. “There are still issues of race in Spo-kane, but I think LC has risen above it” said African-American Sopho-more Alexes Coward. “I feel like every-one gets an equal opportunity at LC.” In addition, counselor Vicki Jones said that “Unfortunately, there is still ra-cial bias, but as a school and a staff, I think we work extremely hard to be fair-minded and equitable.”

Another point brought up by those against the school to prison pipeline is the idea that administrators are too quick to punish, but Jones argues that the staff isn’t over-disciplining, and that LC’s staff has an understanding that “Our job as educators it to educate and teach them how to become self-disciplined,” she said. “Our goal is not to suspend,” said Principal Jeremy Ochse. “Our goal is to find and cre-ate alternate options to keep kids in school.” These options may include ISI, outside ser-vices, and after-school tutoring programs. “We are also trying to connect kids and families to outside resources,” said Ochse. Both Jones and Ochse also mentioned that many factors other than school life draw into a student’s potential for criminal activity like home life, friends, and poverty. “We are always trying to tie students to sup-port groups inside and outside of school,” said Jones. “If students are homeless or in poverty, we connect them with resources like Catholic Charities or the Tiger Pantry.” So while the problem may not be solved in Spokane or the country, the LC staff seems optimistic that we will move beyond the issues of over-expulsion and racial bias in discipline. Programs such as ISI are being utilized to keep kids in school instead of kicking them out, and teachers and coun-selors alike are optimistic for LC’s future.

NAACP, schools explore crime prevention

The NAACP of Spokane held a panel meeting about the school to prison pipe-line early last month. Judge Joe Brown traveled to Spokane to be on this panel.

PHOTO By KYLE THIESSEN

Marketing students raise cancer awareness with hair

Staff Writer

by Josh Underwood

by Emma Tanner Several members of the LC debate team and the Knowledge Bowl club participated in tournaments this past November. The debate team competed in another tournament Dec. 7-8 at Mt. Spokane High School. The debate club meets Mondays and Wednesdays after school from 2:30 to 5:00. The debate class meets sixth period in room 023. The debate club and class are very similar and students do the same things in each. Students write their speeches and get their work critiqued by teacher Sean Flaherty and other students. Some of the debate competition categories are mock trial and Lincoln Douglas. In the mock trial students take the place of attorneys and judges and defend their standpoint, according to idebate.org. In the Lincoln Douglas debate students must form a persuasive argument on the issue of ethics. Many of the LC debate students were finalists in the Nov. 15-16 tournament in their chosen areas including: sophomore David Archer, varsity public forum octave, sophomore Max Hufnagel, public forum, sophomore Kahlil Wilson-Moore varsity impromptu and dramatic interpretation, freshman Parker Burchett, novice congress, and freshman Dakota Magnum-Turner, novice congress. According to history and debate teacher

Sean Flaherty, this was one of the more successful debate tournaments. Quite a few LC students also placed: freshman Ben Read, second place novice oratory, sophomore Ireland Keen, first place novice interpretative reading, sophomore Lillie O’Hara, second place novice interpretative reading, Hufnagel, second place impromptu, and sophomore Lily Morehouse, fifth overall speaker Lincoln Douglas debate. The tournament on Dec. 7-8 was amazing for the LC team according to Flaherty. As a team overall LC took fifth out of 20 schools that competed. Many students won awards and placed in the semifinals for many competitions and debates. In other news, the LC Knowledge Bowl team had a tournament Nov. 4 here at LC. According to English teacher and Knowledge Bowl coach Emily Haxton, Knowledge Bowl is a team Jeopardy-like competition with multiple teams trying to buzz in their answer first. Their latest tournament was on Dec. 16. The club has 36 students and between four and six students per team. Two varsity and three junior varsity teams compete. Teams meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays during lunch. Joining the club is easy all you have to do is walk into room 223 during lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays and sign in. Sophomore Lyndon Wiese said, “It gets kind of hectic but it is still fun”. The questions cover everything from math to poetry.

Staff Writer


PHOTO BY JOSH UNDERWOOD

No Shave November is a way to raise cancer awareness. It is a way to show support, give education about cancer, and promote donations. It begins on the first of November and ends after November 30. The concept of this event is embracing your own hair, by letting it grow wild and crazy. Cancer patients do not get to embrace their hair once losing it. Many people who have participated in this event donate the money they would spend on the tools they use to shave, to cancer patients. Beards, and mustaches can be grown, leg hair, other areas can be grown out to be a participant. You will be disqualified if you shave before the end of the month. The rules are you do not shave, wax or trim in November. On average, hair that isn’t on your head grows five and a half inches per year. No Shave November is fun in many different ways for this event, as students take a photo every day to watch his or her hair slowly grow. Styling your fur can be a fun way to look at it. The most popular mustache and beard look is the French Fork. No Shave November was started as an official school event by LC’s business

department lead, Dave Jackson. He wanted an event that the school would carry on over time, so he gave his sports and entertainment marketing class a project to start the school event. “We asked people to donate stuffed animals, fuzz for fuzz. If you give away one of your fuzzy stuffed animals as a donation, you get a fuzzy feeling back for giving. This really gave the students an outlook behind the scenes of an event, which they now know takes a lot of effort,” Jackson said. The prizes for LCs competition were donated by Starbucks, Dutch Bros, Hoopfest, Ben and Jerry’s and P.F. Chang’s. They donated mugs, gift cards, shirts, and money to our school to give the winners a prize for their enthusiastic participation. The stuffed animal donations from the LC students for people with cancer go to the Arch of Arch’s thrift store. Students made announcements, signs, photographs, and displaying all to pull off the event itself. “If I could grow a beard I would totally participate in No Shave November with the school. I love the idea of encouraging people to become more aware about cancer, and I love even more when people choose to do things about it to prevent and help it. One person can make such a difference it just takes some kind of participation and a different outlook on it,” said junior Devante Mason.

Debate club members compete against each other during a lunch practice. The club meets afterschool on Mondays and Wednesdays in room 027. The Knowledge Bowl club meets every Tuesday and Thursday at lunch in room 223.

Freshly shaved senior Cooper Chervel has been crowned the champion of No Shave November. Lead by business teacher Dave Jackson, the student and staff competition included a stuffed-animal toy drive for charity.


Hours: Sunday 4:00-9:00 p.m.

Tuesday-Saturday 5:00-10:00 p.m.

For reservations call: (509)-326-7251

Location: 712 N Monroe St. 99201

Handicap accesible

December 25th is an exciting day for millions of families All around the world, that celebrate Christmas. Christmas is an annual Christian festival that celebrates the birth of Christ. People often get in the spirit by buying a Christmas tree to decorate and set up in their house. They also en-joy warm Christmas cookies and milk surrounded by the people they love, watching old Christmas shows on TV. Christmas do and don’ts: do get the Barbie dolls or toy cars for the younger children; don’t get a gift card for someone to a store whose clothes won’t fit them anymore; don’t let dad shop for the teenagers do get a Christmas tree for the whole family to decorate. Senior Stephen Cole said, “The best Christmas gift I received was a new rock climbing set, five- toed shoes, and a rock climbing helmet.” Gifts for mom: choose a silly thing that reminds her of some-thing goofy, buy her a favorite book, give her a night to relax, or pick out a piece of clothing or jewelry you think she will enjoy. One Christmas I was just opening my first present and as I finally got it opened I was confused on what it was exactly. It was circu-lar shaped, but also squishy and smooth. My dad finally leaned over and said, “It’s a stress ball so for now on you can be relaxed instead of having negative energy constantly in the household.” I was shocked at first, I did not expect that at all. I guess my attitude was not the greatest, but I think my dad went a step too far on that one. I got over it and was thankful for all my problems in the end. Besides, the stress ball did come in handy. Gifts for dad: new hunting gear, tools, new socks or under armor, a new tie, or homemade cookies. Sophomore Elizabeth Syrotchen said “My favorite thing I got for Christmas was my first cell phone, which was a Pan-tech Laser.” Freshmen Shannon Gerety said, “My favor-

ite thing I got for Christmas was easily my iPhone!” In a kid’s eyes a cellphone is basically the best thing in the world. Little things such as crafts and cards or cute little key chains or even a favorite candy would also be perfect for a Christmas gift. You could also have fun with the gifts and get your friend or family member a silly gift just to joke around and give them a good old Christmas laugh. Algebra teacher Megan Willingham said, “My favorite thing I got for Christmas was my husband buying me a new car when we lived in Korea a few years ago.” A new car is also a popular gift out in the world. Gifts for your best friend: silly cards, their favor-ite candy, jewelry, or their favorite movies and snacks. Christmas is a get what you get and hope for the best sort of deal. Freshman Bella Regalado said, “One of the strangest things I ever got for Christmas was Justice gift cards, considering I’m too old to fit their clothes anymore, and Harry Potter jelly beans. The flavors of Harry Potter jellybeans are booger, grass, skunk, etc. It was terrible!”

Need Christmas Gift Ideas?by Tyanne Neil Staff Writer

The Spokane Lilac Royalty nominated LC senior Brynn Camp-bell for the Fab 14. The Lilac Festival has celebrated the Spo-kane community with these ambassadors to the northwest and the world since 1938. Activities will begin as she becomes visible throughout the community, working her way to be-come a part of the selection of one queen, and her court of six. All senior girls in the county of Spokane were eligible for li-lac nomination, including online schooling, and home schooling. Annually, seven of the best and brightest young ladies from the community are selected to serve as youth ambassadors through the Lilac Royalty Program according to Spokanelilacfestival.org. To have been a candidate for the Fab 14, and potential-ly the royal court, students must meet multiple standards. This includes a cumulative GPA of 3.0 for six semesters, lead-ership roles within their school, volunteer activities in the community, and most importantly, a willingness and inter-est in representing the city throughout the spring and sum-mer at many events, festivals and community parades. Once nominated for Fab 14, the girls move into the selec-tion of the royal court. This process is much more intense and a very elaborate judging procedure. Based on a prepared speech, impromptu questioning, and individual interviews with five distinguished judges from the community, the royal court will then be chosen, according to Bingcrosbytheature.org. The committee looks for many traits in the Fab 14. “She is a very outgoing, and seems to be she was cut out to be a queen one day. She is decisive, organized, and understands what it means to be a ‘lady’,” said freshman Halle Campbell, Campbell’s sister. “This has been a lifelong goal for me, I have grown up my whole life in Spokane and really admire the way they honor our military,” said Campbell. The mission of the Spokane Lilac Festival is honor-ing our military, celebrating our youth, and showcasing our region. The committee participates in a variety of events that support lo-cal armed service men and women, including partnerships with Toys for Tots, Fairchild Air Force Base, Veteran Benefit events, and Spokane Navy Week, according to Spokanelilacfestival.org. Much help and support is given along the way. “My parents

SYS to perform “Water”

by Shelby FisklandGuest Writer

PHOTO BY SHELBY FISKLAND Senior Joe Mouser performs for the Spokane Youth Symphony and for the LC chamber orchestra. Like many LC stu-dents, Joe has been part of SYS for over 8 years.

have been my biggest supporters throughout this wonder-ful experience so far,” said Campbell. The process is com-plex and meant to draw out the seven best seniors in Spo-kane County to represent our community. According to Campbell, “the interviewing sessions may be stressful at times.” Campbell referred to the steps of being chosen as if, “apply-ing to a college.” Only a number of things are required, but candidates can do community service, high leadership roles at school, high grade point average etc. to make themselves more noticeable than others. With 29 schools eligible, candi-dates must learn to do everything in their power to stand out. “Many things set these wonderful ladies a part from most, including their ability to take be accountable for their own actions, be flexible and adapt easily, are comfortable talk-ing to groups of people, contain confidence and have goals they are willing to follow through with,” said Nan-cy Hough, vice president of Spokane Lilac Festival hosting. Come to support Campbell Jan. 26, 3:30pm, at the Bing Crosby Theater. She will compete with 13 others for the chance to be a part of the Spokane Lilac Royalty.

Campbell represents LCby Savannah McConnell

Sports Editor

PHOTO COURTESY OF STUDENT OFFICE

Senior Brynn Campbell is a nominee for the 2014 Spokane Lilac Roy-alty. She is now a part of the fab 14 awaiting judging and selection for the final 2014 Lilac Court on Jan. 27 at the Bing Crosby Theater.

Issue 2december 2013

Features

JOURNALThe

Lewis and Clark High School boasts several students who are part of the Spokane Youth Symphony. This group includes: freshmen Caleb Hindman and Anna Seppa; sophomores Ka-tie Grainger and Malcolm Teel; juniors Grant Cook and Matt Wildman; and se-niors Joe Mouser and Brooklyn Peterson. The Spokane Youth Symphony is a non-profit, musical education organi-zation that started in the Lilac City in 1949. Their purpose is to attract and in-spire young, musically gifted individuals. These musicians come to the sym-phony with varying degrees of talent where their love of music and commit-ment to the program is nourished and nurtured, according to their website. The Symphony is comprised of two cham-bers: the Philharmonic and the Symphony Orchestra. The two groups have rehears-als every Monday night. The program is currently led by Board President Connie Rae Kerbs. She has been with the Spokane Youth Symphony for many years. The Spo-kane Youth Symphony’s home is St. Paul’s Cathedral on Spokane’s lower South Hill. “We play some beautiful music with beautiful people and this has improved my musicianship,” said Mouser. He has been playing the violin for 10 years and joined the Spokane Youth Symphony 8 years ago at age 9. Mouser’s older sister, an LC graduate, also played the piano for the Symphony. He said that his parents wanted them both to have the opportunity they did not have. Seppa said that the symphony pro-vides a nice, encouraging and forgiv-ing environment. Her experience has given her a “taste for what professional symphonies are like.” Seppa’s conduc-tor, Dr. Ruth Boden, previously taught cello at Washington State University. Seppa’s inspiration comes from her mother. “We play different movements of Beethoven and Mendelson,” said Sep-pa, which she indicated has only been done one other time in the United States. The Symphony members play a wide ar-ray of instruments, including violin, viola, violoncello, bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bas-soon, trumpet, trombone and tuba.. The tiers of development are: Strings, Sinfo-nietta, Philharmonic, and the Symphony, according to the symphony’s brochure. According to spokaneyouthsymphony.org, The Spokane Youth Symphony’s theme for the 2013-2014 performance year, which has already begun, is The Four Elements: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. These elements tie into their per-formances, the second of which will be held on Jan.19 at the Fox Theatre. The season continues with the other two con-certs on April 27and May 18. All concerts are on Sundays and begin at 4:00 p.m.

LC provides several after school labs for students who need to im-prove their understanding in classes, make up quizzes, and get more or-ganized. Students in the district are provided with an after school bus. The labs cover the core subjects: math, English, history and science. The lab for Math is located in room 333 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The science lab is located in room 305 Mondays and Wednesdays. The English lab is located in room 133 on Tuesdays and Wednes-days, all from 2:35 to 3:35. All freshman can attend a new home-work center in room 017 from 2:35 to 3:35, Mondays and Thursdays. According to administrator Bri-an Straggins, the homework cen-ter’s intent is to offer freshman stu-dents a quiet location in which to study and complete homework. “This scenario would create a win-

win, allowing you a consistent moni-toring location and gear up an adult homework center presence would en-able us to open it for two additional days. A special thanks to Michelle Gra-fos who graciously offered her room to support the center,” Straggins said. According to math teacher Donna Huck, the after school lab is a way to better understanding and a chance to im-prove their grades. The district provides a take home bus which leaves at 3:45. “I like it when my students are car-ing about their studies and their grades! And this district’s administration frown on students getting F’s, and ask teach-ers to do all they can to help our stu-dents correct that situation,” said Huck. The labs benefit the students by help-ing them bring up grades and giving better understanding of class content. The labs benefit teachers because stu-dents are up to speed in class, and often better behaved. This is a way to cope with missing days at school as well. “Teachers are required to stay at school until at least 3 pm so hopefully

kiddos realize that and stay to get help. Second, as a teacher, the more we help students understand the material the smoother the class time gets because there is less confusion. It is to our ben-efit and the entire class to make sure students who are willing to get help ac-tually get the help they want and need,” math teacher David Montecucco said. According to Montecucco, his mo-tivation is his own children. Both of them failed the test and did not have teachers willing to stay and get them over those high stakes tests. He thinks he can help students pass important tests and graduate from high school. To find a lab for the subject, ask your teacher and they can point you into the right direction to help you out. Research confirms that kids who participate in af-ter school programs “reap a host of ben-efits in interrelated outcome areas - ac-ademic, social-emotional, prevention, and health and wellness,” according to Harvard Family Research Project. By better utilizing the assets that are available to students, labs will in-

crease access to technology and well-supervised activities that stimulate social interaction, increase exposure to new ideas, and promote better work habits for future after school studying. “Some students have after school com-mitments such as sports or clubs. Be-cause they are involved in those com-mitment, they may not have time to stay after school for help. But, if a stu-dent is having a rough time in school and needs a lot of help, teachers should be able to request them to stay a little later to try and help them or offer to have them come in during lunch for help if they can’t stay after school,” sophomore Haleigh Dobson said. “It helps that you have computer ac-cess at school when you don’t have it at home, along with a teacher that will be able to help you like the Eng-lish lab, an English teacher is in there, a math teacher, a math teacher is in there. It’s really laid back and easy going. I’m always extremely com-fortable to just walk and get straight to work,” junior Celina Whipple said.

by Emma Tanner Staff Writer

LC Sophomores participate in an after school science lab. The lab for Math is located in room 333 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The science lab is located in room 305 Mondays and Wednesdays. The English lab is located in room 133 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, all from 2:35 to 3:35.

Visit the after-school support labsfor extra help


Issue 2 December 2013

Meet the LC Journal Staff

Tyanne Neil

Josh Underwood

Emma Tanner

Shelby Fiskland

Jackson McMurray

Lily Morehouse

News Editor Bryn Hines

Opinions Editor Katherine Lawlor

Editor-in-chief Carter Powers Beggs

Staff Writers Guest Writers

Savannah McconnellSports Editor

Jennifer Showalter

Features EditorKyle Thiessen

Advisor

Cohosts a radio show

Has listened to “Good vibrations”by marky Mark and the

funky bunch over 800 times

Runs cross country and plays tennis

Plays in the coeur d’alene

Professional symphony

Has played softball for ten years

Has played soccer for 6

yearsis writing a novel

wants to Travel the world

Bursts into songspontaneously Not pictured: Holley Edwards and isaac handleman


Features

Meet the new Tigers in town

Brian Spraggins Loretta Kron

Acadmic MentorGEAR UP College & Career Readiness

Favorite Superherois Spiderman

Favorite animal is a tiger

Les Allred

Head Custodian

Hussam Al Khalidy

Bilingual Specialist

Is a certified Eagle Scout

Fought insurgents alongside Ameri-can troops in Iraq

Freshmen geta second chanceby Josh Underwood

Staff Writer

LC administrators organized a program to help freshman who have Ds or Fs pass their classes beforethe winter break. The program started after school Dec. 11 and ends on Dec 18. For two hours after school teachers and computer labs will be available to freshmen who need help. Teachers will be available from 2:30 to 4:30 and a take home bus leaves at 4:40 from the front steps of the school for students who need transportation. Students will meet on the second floor after school to sign in and choose which classes they need help with. Snacks will be available for the students participating in the labs. Students will have time to work by themselves or work with the teacher to gain a better understanding of the material and raise their grades. Multiple teachers will be available for this program, including Spanish, English, History, Science and Math. After school programs already take place regularly but this program specifically targets freshmen.

The administration is piloting the program this year to help the freshmen students who have low grades so that they are on track to graduate and do not have to retake classes. This new program is set up to specifically help the freshmen who have low grades however this program does not differentiate from the after school labs already in place. Although any freshman can participate in this program, it is targeted towards students with low grades. The administration hopes to implement other programs like this in the future for other grades and will hopefully go school wide according to principal assistant Peter Elzey. The hope is that every student who has low grades will leave for winter break with an improved understanding and raised grades. If the program goes schoolwide, there will be different times for different grades to catch up on work. Students with low grades were informed of their grades and given the opportunity to meet with teachers to try to get their grades up. “If we can help one student, it is a success,” said Elzey.

by Brynn HinesFeatures Editor

Historically, the winter holidays are synonymous with giving, especially to those less fortunate. This year, with the tragedy of typhoon Haiyan, will certainly follow the tradition. Typhoon Haiyan, thought to be the strongest tropical cyclone in recorded history, hit the Philippines on November 8, leaving behind a catastrophic scene: more than 5,000 dead, almost 24,000 injured and about 3 million people displaced, according to CNN. The death of thousands is a tragedy beyond words, and, the catastrophe is far from over as survivors of Haiyan now face a massive humanitarian crisis, lacking shelter, food, clean water, and medical supplies. Recovery from the monstrous typhoon will be a long and strenuous journey for the Philippines, but, with our help, the struggle can be minimized. Donations can be made online or by calling 1-800-521-CARE. World Vision is also mobilizing its staff around the country to respond to the disaster, and so far has provided emergency food, water, and hygiene kits to an estimated 24,000 people. Donations are accepted online and the organization also lets you sponsor a child in the Philippines.

While the victims of Haiyan need our help, there is also a need for donations within the Spokane community. The Christmas Bureau is one local organization active during the holidays. According to Volunteers of America Eastern Washington, “Beginning in 1945, the Christmas Bureau has offered help and hope to thousands of needy families.” Finally, organizations within LC have organized ways to volunteer over the holidays. National Honors Society and Key Club are two clubs active in the community, and participate in events including the Santa Express and baking cookies at the Ronald McDonald House. Contact Key Club advisor Don Worthy, or any National Honor Society leadership member, including senior Erin Kaya, Treasurer of NHS. According to Kaya, who is also a founding member of the Ronald McDonald House Teen Board, “there are always ways to help out at the Ronald McDonald House. You can decorate doors and make meals or cookies.” Kaya also said that after Christmas, there is a “slump” in donations throughout January, and “it is important to stay in the giving spirit even after the holidays. So as Christmas time approaches, keep in mind the victims of Haiyan and our community members in need, and remember that even a small donation can have a crucial impact on another’s life.

The Phillipines needs our help

Beyond Christmas• Dec 18 is Bake a

Cookie Day

• Dec 19 is Look for an Evergreen Day

• Dec 24 is National Eggnog Day

• Dec 27 is National Fruitcake Day

• Dec 31 is Make up your Mind Day

• January 24 is Compliment Day

LC students show support for Typhoon Haiyan victims. Their Tagalog message reads “Rise up Culion” and will be part of a video message shared with the Culion people during their annual feast. Culion was one of the Phillipines cities hardest hit by Haiyan this fall.

PHOTO BY CORY DAVIS

INFOGRAPHIC BY CARTER POWERS BEGGS

INFOGRAPHIC BY CARTER POWERS BEGGS AND EMMA TANNER

by Brynn Hines

News Editor

Issue 2DECEMBER 2013

Sports

LC wrestling started its first practice, Nov. 18. To start off the season, the

first varsity tournament hosted in Deer Park on Dec. 7. With a young team, the new season brings many opportunities. “I can’t wait for all the competition, and testing ourselves to the limits:” said varsity coach Mathew Orndorff. Students are as excited as ever. “I am looking forward to working with the toughest kids at LC so that we can all get stronger and better in our sport together,” said freshman Timmy Lamb. GSL wrestling is known as a sport for its competitive nature. “The team is always looking forward to our duels with Ferris,” said Orndorff. Rivalry often gets the best of some athletes and makes winning more of a prize than a simple win. LC Tigers stand out as wrestlers, compared to other schools in the GSL. “We feel we always have something more to prove, and that attitude brings out good wrestlers,” said Orndorff. Unlike a few other schools the Tigers have to keep on fighting for titles; nothing is set in stone. According to Lamb, “we’re a tight knit group of with some very experienced coaches that care about us all and we always have each other’s backs.” A team can often perform better together. The team bonds during their many optional practices throughout the season, along with their Preseason condition.

by Savannah McConnell Sports Editor

by Carter Powers Beggs Editor-in-Chief

Senior captain Dominique Butler competes on the vault during a meet last year against NC. Butler is enthusiastic and excited about the 2013-2014 season. Their next meets are Dec. 17 and 18 at Mt. view, both beginning at 2:40. The following day the team heads to U-High to face the titans at 4:30.

Gymnasts tumble, vault their way into winter season

LC senior Zack Oosting wrestles in the first take down tournament at U-High. Making his way to the finals of his weight class, he came close to a win

In mid-November, the LC gymnas-tics team began practice, led by captains senior Dominique Butler and junior An-issa Martinez. The gymnastics team is especially large this year, with 20 girls, and according to junior Celeste Gray, the team is expecting a successful season. Gray has participated in gymnastics for two years on the LC team, and is enthu-siastic about the 2013-2014 season. “We have a lot of new talent that is ready to learns and improve,” Gray said. Sopho-more manager Margie Tapak said “we are really going to compete well season.” During a meet, athletes compete in either varsity or junior varsity, and can compete in one or more events, including vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor ex-

ercise. As varsity positions are not set in stone; many athletes are given the chance to compete for the team at the varsity level. Commonly, athletes compete in more than one event, including Gray who said “My fa-vorite is vault, but I also compete on floor.” For vault, participants complete a 25 me-

ter sprint which leads to a jump off of a beat board. Floor routines and balance beam events are choreographed by either the athletes or the coaches, and are judged by difficulty, execution, timing and creativity. Additionally, competing on the bars in-volves various flips between two un-even bars set at two different heights. The team began practicing at Mountain View Gymnastics Monday through Friday, working hard and focused in preparation

for the upcoming meets. According to But-ler, “the practices are difficult and tiring, but rewarding. We know that if we prac-tice well, we will perform well.” While the team does not practice at LC, they do have one home meet this year against Ferris, NC, Rogers, and Shadle on Jan. 22 at 6:00. Though school practices are themselves demanding in both time and energy, some girls additionally participate in gymnastics outside of school including junior Han-nah Kraby, who trains with her club team. Kraby said that “it gets intense with the amount of time I put into gymnastics, but luckily, I also practice for my club team at Mountain View so I can go straight from LC practice to club.” Kraby hopes that with the amount of practice she is putting in, that she will not only earn a varsity letter, but will also improve from her freshman year. According to Martinez and Butler, the team is working towards sending many girls to regionals and as a team would like to win more GSL match-es this season compared to last year.

PHOTO CREDIT: SAVANNAH MCCONNELL

PHOTO CURTOUSEY:SUE POWER

PHOTO COURTESEY OF:DOMINIQUE

Girls, boys shoot for winning

basketball seasons

After weeks of practice, the boys and girls basketball team are looking to have standout seasons and beat Ferris at Rubber Chicken . Both teams are very young but do not see that as an excuse to not perform at a high level. “We’re very young, only three seniors, so we’ve got a lot of youngsters who have to learn fast,” said boys head coach Jeff Norton. This early in the season, potential is the word of the day with both teams exhibiting it according to coaches and players. Young teams require strong leaders with seniors like Emma Keenan taking on that role. “If I play well I set an example and lead through my actions,” Keenan said. Even though both teams are young and full of potential, the seniors who are on the team are looking to win now, after a disappointing seasons last year. Even though the girls team has a history of success, the team finished 10-12 last year while the boys finished 8-12. “I’m not worried about next year; I’m concerned with having a good season; I want them to be good right now,” Norton said. The boys are looking to improve on their losing record last year exponentially,

and the entire team is expecting great things from each other. After losing seven seniors last year, the team is full of juniors looking to make their mark: Senior and three year varsity player Colin Hardie hopes that the change is going to lead to better results. “[I want] a good run in the playoffs like everyone else on the team, that’s the goal,” said Hardie. Both teams competed in the annual Fitz Showcase from Dec. 6-7, a series of exhibition games of teams from all over the Northwest. The boys went 1-1 on the weekend with a tough loss to Archbishop Mitty and won a 65-56 dogfight against Moscow where 53 fouls were called in a 32 minute game. Senior Connor Hojnacki was LC’s standout player over the weekend with 14 points against Mitty and a player of the game award. “This team has a lot of potential, we just need to meet that standard,” said Hojinacki. The girls fared slightly worse going 0-2 over the weekend with a close loss to GSL leader G-Prep and a loss to Coeur d’Alene. Although the results were disappointing for the girls, Keenan is still hopeful for the rest of the season. “I expect us to prove something from the past two years,” said Keenan. LC’s next game is Dec. 17 at home, Girls game at 7 and boys play as well.

LC varsity basketball, boys and girls began their 2013-2014 season. With games on Dec. 12 the girls won their game against Shadle Park, with a score of 87-50.

“ We have a lot of new talent that is ready to learn and improve,”

Tigers take down wrestling

None of these were, or are, required. “Guys who want to be successful have to put in time on their own hands, and this is our way of offering,” said Orndorff. Team bonding is always encouraged. In November the wresting team held an all-nighter. This was meant to bring the boys together, and trust each other. The closer they are the more comfortable they become with each other, which can lead to good performances on the mat. “Our wresting family brings Tiger pride to every event, letting us stand out,” said sophomore Noah Buckley. With being more of a younger team this season, it means new experiences for freshman boys. “I am excited to start the season with my new brothers,” said freshman wrestler Kyle Schon. He has upper class men who wrestle to look up to, which is a step up from middle school. While lower class men outnumber upperclassmen, there are three returning wrestlers with state potential. With such high standards, this gives lower class men strong role models to look up to. Some teachers have the experience of coaching as well. According to Jeremy Richardson, JV wrestling coach “our mission is to help improve each wrestler, whether they are state returners, or first time wrestlers. “ This year the starting number of boys was 45, but may go down as the season begins. On Dec. 12 the team won against with nine out of fifteen matches Mead Go support your Tiger wrestlers on Dec. 18 as they take on U-High!


Opinions

Let’s face it, if you don’t know who Paul McCartney is, you’ve probably never interacted with another human being in your entire life. Ever heard someone describe the Beatles as “John, Paul, George and Ringo?” Guess what, Paul is Paul. Paul McCartney is almost indisputably the most successful musician in history. He was literally made a knight by the Queen of England for being so good at music. The Guinness Book of World Records named him the most successful composer of all time. His co-composition with John Lennon “Yesterday” is the third most frequently played song ever. I’m legitimately surprised that this man hasn’t purchased the entire planet yet. “New” is Sir Paul’s first release since waaaay back in 2012 when he released an album of covers of Jazz standards like “Bye, Bye, Blackbird” and “It’s Only a Paper Moon.” It’s easy to draw the conclusion that someone who made music in the ‘60s and is still playing jazz music is obviously severely out of touch with the world of music nowadays, right? Actually, not right. This album is truly modern, not like it’s trying to sound modern. Many blasts-from-

Of course Lady Gaga’s new album is weird. Before Artpop’s release, she’d basically done it all: worn a meat dress, performed covered in blood, etc. Well, with the release of Artpop, she’s hovered around in a flying dress, danced in a white pool-floaty suit, and sang about how she wants a guy more than marijuana in a heart-felt manner. But honestly, how surprising is it? So how about we all get over the fact that the album is strange or different, because you’re a fool if you didn’t expect it to be like this. Instead of griping about the album’s lack of superficially meaningful lyrics, I decided to brace my ears and dive right in. And honestly, I was surprised. It seemed like the more shallow-sounding the song, the more the lyrics really meant. Take, for example, the song “Donatella.” On the surface, it appears to be a song about the glamorous lifestyle of the rich and famous. Lyrics like “Tailor these clothes to fit your guilt, what’s your size?” and “but don’t puke, it’s okay you just had a salad today” leave another meaning to be inferred. The lyrics speak of the underlying feelings of many upper class: guilt, hate of one’s self, hiding behind material things. The song X Dreams seems to be about typical pop fluff and lesbian fantasies. However, the real meaning seems to lie in the cursory lines such as “We could be caught” and “We’re both convicted criminals of thought” which imply the

The much anticipated Hunger Games sequel, “Catching Fire,” lived up to expec-tations. I've always been a bit of a pur-ist when it comes to movie adaptions, and director Francis Lawrence stayed true to author Suzanne Collins' vision. Catching Fire is fast paced and breath-taking. I walked out of the theatre ex-hausted; the film leaves no room for relaxation. The first two minutes cover the first three chapters of the novel, and this breakneck speed never lets up. The Hunger Games trilogy was widely accessible to many readers across many genres, so these movies have one main audience: fans of the novels. Because of this, as with many movie adaptions, not every plot device was fully explained.

By Katherine LawlorOpinions Editor

By Jackson McMurrayGuest Writer

By Kyle ThiessenFeatures Editor

the-past like McCartney have tried their hand at re-inventing their sound for a new generation with little to no success. For instance, who could forget Depeche Mode’s 2013 release Delta Machine? (The answer is everyone could, because it was awful). New highlights hard electric guitar melodies, catchy choruses and basically just sounds like modern alt-rock. This is a happy, melodious album, with subtle influences from his previous career. This is just a very good, well-rounded album that is immensely satisfying to listen to as a unit, not only as 12 individual tracks. Sophomore Caroline Halverson describes the album as “a little different, but with a feeling of familiarity.” A close friend of mine from Santa Fe, Anastasia McAllister, saw Sir Paul perform in Seattle 2 years ago and won’t ever let me forget it, saying that, despite having toured almost non-stop for basically 50 years, “He can still rock Helter Skelter.” As I will say with most albums, you should probably give it a listen before you buy it, but honestly, just buying this album is not much of a risk. This album is consistently great from beginning to end, and leaves you with a mild ache for more. This album is probably worth whatever outrageous amount the record company is bound to be charging for it.

Movie sparks fans’ imaginations, stays true to book

For instance, how many people who didn't read the book realized that lead-ing man Peeta was (Spoiler alert!) lying about star Katniss being pregnant? By it-self, it was a rather pointless plot device. Effie Trinket's unscripted nod to the first movie ("all mahogany, of course!") was a clear nod to the fans. Catch-ing Fire wasn't trying to draw an audi-ence; all this movie had to do was sat-isfy its current fan base, which it did. The casting was flawless. I didn't think anyone could pull off Johanna Mason's over-the-top character, and the Internet just about exploded when Finnick was cast, but both characters were well chosen. Unlike the first film, the arena is not the primary setting. Katniss and Peeta travel through most of the districts and spend much more time in the Capitol than in the past. Indeed, only about half of the film takes place in the arena, al-though most of the action does as well.

atrocities against the LGBT community in foreign countries, especially Russia, where you can be jailed for being gay or lesbian. However, not every song on this album seems to a have a deep or hidden meaning. Songs like “Do What U Want” and “Venus” are typical bouncy, bassy, poppy Gaga that emulate hits like “Just Dance” and “Born this Way.” A couple of songs did go out on a limb in terms of strangeness, especially “Aura,” the opening title. The song starts with Gaga singing about how she killed her old image and hid the weapon, then moves on to “Aura, aura, aura” in a violent voice, and later involving lyrics such as “my veil is protection for the gorgeousness of my face.” Of course, one could imply deeper meanings about this song, but the surface is weird enough that holding a hidden meaning doesn’t seem to be a priority of the song. Overall the album is, in a word, interesting. Lady Gaga fills a niche that no other mainstream pop star could hope to be included in, so the album serves its purpose. Of the large collection of 15 songs on the album, four of them have been irremovably stuck in my head since listening to it; the songs are indisputably catchy. As for the quality of the lyrics as a whole, I wasn’t exactly pleased. But the album is filling the Gaga niche well, as it debuted as No. 1 on the Billboard 100. So give it a listen if you’re into Gaga, and stay far away from it if you aren’t. Oh, and expect to hear “Applause” on the radio for the next two years.

The costuming was exquisite. Fans of the novel might remember Kat-niss's wedding and Mockingjay dress-es; my fellow moviegoers gasped aloud when she stepped onscreen. Ultimately, I think director Lawrence did a fabulous job. The film was well writ-ten, those atrocious shaky camera scenes from the first movie were omitted, and the movie stayed true to the novel, and thus to its fan base. The main caveat is its questionable ability to be a stand-alone film, without the backstory of the book to hold the plot together. A book purist I may be, but if anything this film tried to cram in too many novel moments that simply didn't translate on screen. This movie is a must-see for fans of the books series. If you haven't read the books however, I hesitate to recommend a movie whose finer points could sail right over your head. Still, a solid plot and talented actors should appeal to all movie enthusiasts.

The second movie in the Hunger Games

series, Catching Fire, was released on November 22. Box office sales

reached $300 million in the first ten days.

The Catching Fire novel was released

in September of 2009. The novel won Publisher

Weekly’s Best Book of the Year for 2009.

Want to be a part of the

paper, but don’t have room in your schedule for electives? LC’s Journal-ism class will

be a CTE credit starting second semester. The LC Journal can

always use more writers. Join us!

Album is poppin’! Gaga loved by

many, confuses most

New McCartney album appeals to all

Lady Gaga’s lead single “Applause,” which appears on her newest album Artpop, is soaring to number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Applause is Gaga’s twelth top ten single in the US.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE INTERNET


Opinions

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Steve McQueen’s most recent film, “12 Years a Slave,” is incredibly difficult to watch, as it should be, but it is a movie everyone must see. Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as a free-born Solomon Northup living in New York in 1841. He is a successful fiddle player living with his wife and two children until one day two white men take him out drinking, drug him, and sell him into slavery. This is where Solomon’s life as a slave begins. The film features superb acting. Ejiofor is absolutely perfect; the emotion in his eyes will make your heart ache. But the most outstanding performer was Lupita Nyong’o who played another slave named Patsy. Her character is favored by the slave owner until she upsets him and is hurt for it. Nyong’o has received much Oscar buzz for her role; her vulnerability and kindness are characteristics of the character she portrays perfectly. The pain the characters experience in the film one watches for just enough time that you will feel uncomfortable. McQueen allows you to watch the abuse slaves experienced longer than any other movie I have ever seen. While many movies will show you just what happens at the beginning of the violence but leave you to imagine the rest,

in “12 Years a Slave” the audience watches the horror the whole way through. The audience cannot switch to watch another character or shift from the home in which the abuse is taking place in from the outside like we saw in Lee Daniel’s “The Butler.” Here, the audience is with the characters the whole way through; it’s uncomfortable and certainly disturbing. My first reaction to the film was to feel sad and guilty. Sad because obviously watching so much suffering is difficult to take in, and guilty because I could not believe this movie had not been made earlier. As many critics have said, this is an important movie. I could talk about just how brilliant the acting was, because it truly was spectacular. Or how the irony of the beauty in which the city the movie was filmed contrasted with the terrible things that went on. Or how the music set the most perfectly frightening tone I have ever heard in a movie. Instead, it’s important to focus on how much this movie is needed. Although so difficult to watch, we must see how terrible slavery was. Obviously we can never truly understand the extent to which people were abused. What we can do is recognize the importance of understanding the history of America. The fact that slavery ended only about 150 years ago is amazing. When you think about it, 150 years is a very short amount of time.

By Lily MorehouseGuest Writer

Everyone should watch incredible film

“Twelve Years a Slave”

New feminist movements have gripped the attention of the media, but the majori-ty of teens are unaware of this movement, or they simply do not understand the ideol-ogy behind feminism, which is something I would like to fix. In the most formal defini-tion, feminism is “the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men,” according to the New Oxford American Dictionary. The definition is simple enough, but many activists have twisted it and created a false image, which cultivates a negative connotation behind the word feminism. I can not count the number of times I have called myself a feminist, and the first question I am asked is, “So… do you not shave your armpits?” or, one of my favor-ites, “But you have a boyfriend, doesn’t feminism like, forbid that?” People seem to miss the real definition of feminism: to create an equal world, one without double standards for men and women. Feminism also has become a hot but-ton topic due to sexually-explicit songs and commercials. Carl’s Jr. released a commercial where a half-naked wom-en ate a burger, and nothing else hap-pened. I am sure everyone knows “Blurred Lines” and “Give it to You” by Robin Thicke; both songs having incred-ibly explicitly sexist lines, and some crit-ics claim that both songs are about rape… yet people still buy and listen to them.

Activist groups, like Femen, create the wrong image behind this completely ra-tional movement. Femen is an activist group who constantly protests topless against sexism, religion, and patriarchy. The group Femen has recently been in the news for crashing Paris Fashion week top-less, pulling up the skirt of one model, and screaming about the sexual exploitation of women in the modeling industry. Their radical showing of their supposed dedica-tion to feminism is completely misplaced; their motives may be pure, but their methods embarrass feminists as a whole. The University of Cambridge has created a campaign called, “The ‘I Need Feminism’ Project. This project identifies why both men and women need feminism. On the “I need Feminism Project” Tumblr page, anonymous people send in their reasoning for why they want feminism in their lives. Some reasons include, “I need femi-nism because when I told my principal that I was sexually assaulted the first thing out of his mouth was ‘what were you wearing?’” “I need feminism be-cause I’m tired of hearing ‘If you were a boy, it’d be different,’” and “I need feminism because society taught me to blame myself and not my rapist,” ac-cording to the project’s tumbler page. Feminism is a truly important ideal that should be respected and understood. In fact, most people are feminists even if they don’t identify themselves that way. We all want equality between gen-ders, and that’s truly what feminism is.

By Holly EdwardsGuest Writer

Die Hard (1988)The seminal non-traditional holiday movie, Die Hard is set on Christmas Eve, but cen-ters largely on John McClane (played by Bruce Willis, in the role that made him a star), as he shoots lots of bad guys in a skyscraper. The timing gives you an excuse to watch it over break. But did you really need a reason to watch Bruce Willis kick butt?

Arthur Christmas (2011)An oft-overlooked holiday offering from the folks who brought us the beloved Wallace and Gromit, Arthur Christmas may not be on the annual viewing lists of many, but it deserves a place alongside other holiday classics for its charm, warmth and ingenuity.

Midnight in Paris (2011)Midnight in Paris has nothing to do with the holidays, but it’s just the sort of relax-ing treat you’ll be wanting over break. Bolstered by ever-likable Owen Wilson and Woody Allen’s signature wit (and, of course, romance), Midnight in Paris is per-fectly accompanied by a glass of warm hot chocolate and a crackling fireplace.

Gremlins (1984)For those bored of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Co-min’ to Town, Gremlins should satisfy your desire for something with more of a bite. Dark and twisted, Gremlins won’t warm your heart like most of the other films on this list, but its warped sense of humor is what makes it so endearing.

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)Another seemingly off-topic choice, My Neighbor Totoro may not be a holi-day film, but that’s no reason to pass it up over break. Heartwarming, creative, funny, and visually beautiful, Totoro is an ideal choice for a family movie night.

Edward Scissorhands (1990)Another holiday movie that many forget is a holiday movie, Edward Scis-sorhands is as typically bizarre as any of Tim Burton’s offerings, which is pre-cisely why it’s such a welcome change of pace from the holiday norm.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)It may not be a holiday movie, but there’s a reason why Ghost Protocol released on December 15. You’d be hard pressed to find another film so intent on entertain-ing its viewers as purely -- and mindlessly -- as this one. Those looking for two hours of unabashed fun over break need look no further than Ghost Protocol.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)Silver Linings Playbook is not a holiday movie, and it’s not particularly joyous through-out a large majority of its runtime. So why did it make the list? Well, for those looking for a fantastic piece of cinema to watch in your two weeks off, Silver Linings fits the bill, sporting fantastic performances, a smart screenplay, and several Oscar nominations.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)Though arriving a bit late for Thanksgiving, its subject holiday, Planes, Trains & Automobiles is hysterically funny, wonderfully heartwarming, and all about the wholesomeness of fam-ily. However, you may not want to watch it with your family, as it gets a bit vulgar on occasion.

Meet the Parents (2000)Despite, again, lacking explicitly holiday-centric themes, Meet the Par-ents is enormously funny, sports a fantastic ensemble cast, and stars Ben Stiller in a movie that doesn’t suck. What more could you ask for?

By Isaac HandlemanGuest Writer

Film Club President

Film Club’s top 10 holiday movies that you should watch over winter break

From left to right: junior Julian Welge, junior Holly Edwards and English teacher Emily Haxton stand up for feminism. These pictures are a part of the “I Need Feminism” project, which is sponsored by the University of Cambridge. See more at whoneedsfeminism.com.

PHOTOS BY KYLE THIESSEN

photos courtesy of the internet issue 2...

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