a student newspaper

page 7page 4-5A Hobbit adventure begins

Take an outside look at Sheldon

Super Bowl turns into sibling rivalry

Mr. Irish candidates have been busy doing many fundraisers in order to help save the lives of premature babies in the NICU at Sacred Heart Hospital. Recently, the contestants and their coordinators took a trip to the NICU to see just what cause they were working towards. The NICU is a place in the hospital where families, even those

who don’t have a lot of money, can place their premature newborns while they grow and try to recover from being born before they should have been, or from being sick. Mr. Irish raises money to help support the NICU and the babies the pediatricians and nurses watch over. This trip really impacted the Mr. Irish hopefuls and seeing the babies made fundraising money a much more realistic and enjoyable task. Senior and Mr. Irish candidate Joe Ricken said, “I’m surprised by the fact that we do so much. All of us have so many things to do so we’re prepared for March 2nd. I expected mostly everything because I have been anticipating being a part of Mr. Irish ever since I was a freshman.” After going to the NICU, the seniors left with a different perspective. Ricken stated, “We got to see one of the little babies that was in one of the cribs. You think of the babies as a whole instead of looking at every individual child. It was very impacting.” Every year, every candidate has a certain money goal they aspire

to raise, and to help. Ricken said, “Just me is $1500.” Lots of events are put on so that Mr. Irish can raise funds easily. Ricken said, “My favorite event was the Irish Showcase. The guys all had fun playing basketball and it was a good bonding time.” Later, he added that coming up, “We have the classic Mr. Axeman versus Mr. Irish basketball game being held at Sheldon this year. I hope we can achieve a win . . . obviously, and also raise some more money for the Children’s Miracle Network.” The Mr. Irish versus Mr. Axeman game will be on February 13th. Mr. Irish was the fi rst amongst other high schools to do a program like this, beginning in 1993. Last year, Mr. Irish raised over $50,000 and all eighteen schools in the area raised $390,000. Since then, this program has spread to other states such as James Martin High School in Texas (named Mr. MHS). Sheldon High School has started a tradition that high schools all through the nation can participate in to help advocate for babies in need.

Mr. Irish contestants pay a visit to the NICU

Holly Fordbackpage editor

Perceived threats keep some at home

Carly Gough staff writer

Recent shootings and December 21, 2012 uncertainties are met with reactions of fear, caution, and grief in the Sheldon community

Across the nation and world, acts of violence are on the rise. Ranging from mall and school shootings all the way to stabbings in other countries, crime is getting out of hand. There is no longer the same sense of security that once existed, as people everywhere have started to fear what those around them are capable of.

According to the FBI crime statistics, “The United States has the highest gun ownership rate in the world,” with over fourteen times more guns for every 100 Americans when compared to numbers in England and Wales. This is believed to be connected to a larger amount of murders. England generally experiences roughly 550 murders each year. The most recent FBI statistics show that there were, “12,664 murders in the U.S. Of those, 8,583 were committed with fi rearms.” Interestingly enough, although it seems as though violence has been rapidly increasing, crime rates have actually decreased. The reason that issues seem to be worsening is simply because the media has chosen to show the occurrences more frequently than it used to. In fact, recently the news has been drenched with reports of school shootings, which have been met with reactions of fear, anger, and grief. There have even been threats of violence at nearly every high school in the Eugene-

Springfi eld area. Many unsubstantiated threats, born on the internet, combined with fears surrounding the Mayan calendar’s prediction of the supposed “end of the world,” made many students feel unsafe and uncomfortable showing up to school. Senior Sara Firth said, “I wasn’t allowed to come to school on the day the threat was for. My mom didn’t want me to be at risk, so I was excused all day.” Junior Tristan Mehlhaff said, “All of the stuff going on recently… it’s really scary. It’s crazy to think that people are even capable of doing this sort of evil thing to each other, let alone consider the fact it’s actually happening.” Many threats have been shown to be no more than empty words, making it diffi cult to take effective action. The police presence in and around schools in the area increased during the weeks when the violence was at its highest, but besides this, there have been little to no changes regarding safety policies.

Sheldon High School 2455 willakenzie Rd., Eugene, Or 97401 vol. 48 Issue 4 Jan. 24, 2013

page 3shstalisman@gmail.com

What is Mr. Irish all about, and where are the contestants on their journey to save the babies?

Chess is quite a complex sport. One might think that it is just a simple game where pieces are moved until ‘check-mate’ is said but it is more than that. All the strategies and inside-outside game plans are enough to make the average chess player sit down and think about his or her next move. Sheldon High School’s chess tournament will be under-way soon, and many of last year’s contestants are back to redeem themselves for a shot at being the 2013 champion. Senior Tyler Williams, a contestant in last year’s chess tournament, had a few words to say about the game of chess. Williams stated, “I’ve been playing chess for over a year now. One of the most important skills I’ve gained is having patience when I play. It’s a big skill to have.” The intensity of a chess game can put each player in an adrenaline rush as it comes down to the wire. “The most intense chess game I played was against this redhead, who

Sheldon chess players are primedwas kind of new to chess too. I had my ‘N’ game down on him and just fl uked at the end.” Inspirations play a big role in Williams ‘chess talents. “A big chess inspiration for me is defi nitely Grandmaster Yugoslav,” said Williams. Yugoslav happens to be a recent pro chess champion. Senior Brandon Hawks, who is a top contestant in this year’s chess tournament as well as the Mr. Irish pageant, talked about his discovery and passion for chess. “My dad taught me how to play chess when I was seven,” said Hawks. “Ever since then, I could not stop playing.” When asked about his future plans, Hawks stated, “I plan to take my chess skills to college and dominate the competition there.” Hawks, further revealing his infectious sense of humor, said, “Chess is my favorite sport to play. Why? Because it’s a game of strategy…not physical endurance.” While Hawks is currently reigning champion of Sheldon chess, senior Cole Bruns isn’t far from taking his place. Bruns competed against Hawks in the fi nals last year and fell to 2nd place. Knowing what went wrong at the fi nals Bruns stated, “If I could improve my mistakes from the championship game I would work on my ‘N’ game.” Bruns has been an active chess player for over ten years, and said, “I started playing chess because I needed some activity to do and my mom signed me up for chess classes. I have loved the game ever since.” While Bruns is doing chess for fun, he plans to dominate the upcoming tournament. The tournament this year is looking quite interest-ing. Many contestants have been working on their games during free periods, lunch time and even at their houses. Seeing the return of last years fi nalists Brandon Hawks and Cole Bruns will put some pres-sure, as well as diffi culty, onto the other contestants.

Tim Lawrencestaff writer

Jackson Darland photo

the Talisman

Senior Brandon Hawks examines the chess board.

The Sheldon chess tournament is shaping up to be extremely competi-tive as former top fi nishers prepare to possibly face off again

January 24, 20132 the TalismanNews

Anonymous battles Westboro BaptistsWestboro Baptist Church and internet hacktivists Anonymous battle over ideology

Sammie Tracewellstaff writer

Ethan Hauckcopy editor

Gun control policy creating fault line in politics

President Obama’s second Inaugura-tion brings much intrigue

Kara Cheungstaff writer

One of the most universally hated groups in the world right now provided more ammunition against themselves in December. Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) threatened to picket the funerals of Sandy Hook shooting victims. They thanked God for the shooting. Even the KKK, one of the most universally hated white supremacist groups in the world, said that the WBC had crossed a line, and promised a counter protest. There are, however, people who are attempting to stop WBC. The self-proclaimed “hacktivist” (hackers that protest via their online skills) group Anonymous threatened to release personal information if they followed through, and released administration passwords and usernames of a number of websites associated with WBC, such as godhates****.com, among others as a warning. But who is Anonymous? When questioned, Sophomore T.J. Strong said, “I know about Anonymous, but I don’t know much. I know that they are an online group, but not much more.” Sophomore Jarod Bays, on the other hand, said about Anonymous, “Of course I know who they are, I’m an internet geek. They are an online hacktivist group that takes a stand against what they believe to be wrong. They have acted in, among other places, Libya, Egypt, and our own United States. They were behind the FBI hacks a few years ago, and, more recently, the PSN hacks of 2011. Westboro Baptist Church is widely known for their protests at the funerals of homosexuals, soldiers, and homosexual soldiers, along with anyone else who disagrees with their radical interpretation of the Bible. However, many people

think that their most recent protest crossed a line. Campus Supervisor Darin Henry said, “[WBC] are lunatics. I don’t want to lump them into a group with Christians, who I think of as sane. They (WBC) followers are bigots.” Is anyone else doing something about WBC? The White House website had, in December, a petition. This petition was to get Westboro Baptist Church recognized as a hate group, and needed at least 25,000 signatures to get the White House to recognize it as a possibility. Last time it was checked, it had over 35,000 signatures, and that was halfway through the month-long term for the petition to get the required number of signatures. When questioned if they would sign that petition, each of the sources answered with a resounding, and almost instantaneous yes. It would appear that not everyone agrees with WBC! However, Henry later said, “I agree with Anonymous. If I knew who they were and that they had hacked WBC’s website, I wouldn’t turn them

On Monday, January 21, the 57th Presidential Inauguration was held in Washington, D.C. This was Barack Obama’s second inauguration, his last in 2009 brought in a crowd of about 1.8 million people. The whole event lasts four days, consisting of the swearing-in, parade, dinner events, and the actual service. On the morning of the 22nd, the

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Inaugural National Prayer Service was held at 10:30a.m. at the Washington National Cathedral. The overall theme for the inauguration was “Faith in America’s Future.” Considering the number of people who attended Obama’s previous inauguration, one could say that it’s a favorable event. On the other hand, there are people who aren’t as interested in such affairs. Sophomore Cayla Walker said that she would not be watching the event on TV, because she’s “not into that stuff.” Walker also said that she has previously watched three inaugurations on TV with her parents, and when asked her opinion of them, she replied, “I thought they were boring.” Even though

she didn’t watch it, Walker noted, too, that she thought Obama would address taxes and money problems in his speech. When asked what the inauguration means to her, college student Alexandra Peck replied, “It means a new beginning to a new political term. It brings hope for a better four more years, as well as serving as a reminder that the political system must be renewed in order for substantial change to occur.” As previously mentioned, there have been 56 inaugurations before this one. Peck noted how other presidents have acted in the past during the events, “Previous presidents have seemed full of energy and vigor while giving their inaugural addresses. I think this is because they want to appear new and fresh, even if many of their ideas

in. I agree with what they did.” Although there are supporters on each side of this argument, Anonymous’ supporters far outweigh those of WBC. There have been many battles fought in the war against bigotry in America, but Anonymous is winning theirs. What are you doing?

overlap and have been repeated. They want their speech to be something that voters remember, something that sticks in their minds. That way, some positive aspect of their presidency will be remembered, even if they turned out to be a really horrible commander-in-chief.” Peck later added, “I’ll probably watch the inauguration on the internet with my roommate. I would rather see it than just hear it, because I think it’s important to ‘read’ what the President is saying, as well as listen. Body language and facial expressions are interesting to watch, even though his message and implementation is what matters most.” Sophomore Geneva Lehnert had a chance to watch the Inauguration on Monday. Noting the event, Lehnert said, “I thought it was good; Obama’s speech seemed thoughtful and optimistic. The Inauguration got a little long for me, though.” Lehnert also commented that watching it was worth-while because it’s important to know what’s going on in the U.S. Lehnert’s favorite part was when Obama talked about global warming, and his plans to prevent it. Lastly, Lehnert was asked if she would’ve watched the Inauguration anyway if it weren’t for this article and she replied, “Yes, but probably not as closely.” Throughout the years the Presidential Inauguration has been an event favored by many. With almost 57 inaugurations total, this was Barack Obama’s second. Some people are excited for another four years with our President, while others could care less. On Monday, the 21st, the Inauguration took place, although only about athirdofObama’slastcrowdshowed up. Yet again, we had another successful Inauguration, and hopefully we will have four more good years with Obama.

In light of recent incidents, gun control policy has become an evenhotter topic in politics

President Obama’s Inauguration piques public interest

On December 14, 2012, the tragic events of a mass fi re-arm homicide, which killed 20 children and six teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecti-cut, devastated the nation. Only three days before, another shooting closer to home at the Clackamas Mall in Port-land, took the lives of three people, two of them being in-nocent victims. After the unfortunate chain of events, de-bate over United States gun policies has become a greater controversy than ever. President Barack Obama prom-ised to present a proposal to address gun violence by the

end of this month. The students of Sheldon High School also have opinions regarding the policies that need to be implemented in order to ensure the safety of our country. Senior Aubrey Brown personally did not believe that there should be changes in the current gun regulations. Brown said, “I think that as long as the person has gone through the required safety measures of classes, fi nger-prints, etc., they should be allowed to carry guns.” The senior later added, “they must have a permit, but not an open carry [a permit which allows guns to be viewable to the public] because that invites trouble.” The senior stat-ed that weapons in general should not be banned. Brown explained that even though legislatures are currently try-ing to ban magazines that carry more than 30 bullets she thinks it’s “pointless” because tragic events take place due to the decisions of people, not the weapons themselves. The words bad, good, and death are what senior Tyler Williams associates with guns. Williams, who plans to join the Air Force in six months, believes that some of the ben-efi cial contributions from these weapons include personal

safety of one’s home and family, as well as the security of the nation during war. Along with Brown’s beliefs, he agrees that it’s the person, and not the weapon that poses danger to society. Williams stated, “Guns are detrimen-tal because not everyone that has one is mentally stable.” Senior Hope Zima also agrees with the general idea that people are to blame for the crimes, and not the weapons. She also has opinions about the infl uences of politics in making a decision about gun regulations in the United State. Zima believes that there is a correlation between the NRA and Republican Party regarding the arguments of banning fi rearms. The senior stated, “The Party causes it to be more of a political statement or patriotic-based decision instead of personal belief.” With much optimism, Zima believes that the cross political agreement is achievable. Although, she pointed out that “it will require a lot of cooperation.” In conclusion, the recent tragic events have opened up con-troversial debates over gun policies. The students of Sheldon High School and future decision makers of our nation all have their own strong opinions regarding their stance on the topic.

Micah Tamasaka illustration

January 24, 2013 3the Talisman Entertainment

Cya Silvaopinions editor

“I’m going on an adventure!”-Bilbo Baggins

American rapper Kid Cudi’s new album has fans wondering

Anthony Lovestaff writer

Theatre vs. Hollywood adaptationsAre plays and musicals becoming more popular because of Hollywood?

Vanessa Hendricksnews editor

Expect the unexpected: The Hobbit

Students wait for Kid Cudi’s new album

Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, better known as Kid Cudi, is an American rapper and actor who first gained attention after the release of his mix tape called A Kid Named Cudi. He went to high school in Cleveland, and Cleveland is the reason why Cudi started to rap. Kid Cudi was inspired by other artists such as A Tribe Called Quest and Pharcyde. Cudi went to the University of Toledo to study film, but after a year of being unsuccessful he turned his interests to rapping. Cudi moved to Brooklyn and released his first mix tape called A Kid Named Cudi. Cudi’s mix tape caught Kanye West’s attention, and soon Kanye signed Kid Cudi. Rolling Stone named Kid Cudi an artist to watch.” By 2009 Cudi released Day n’ Night, which blew up the charts. In the fall of 2009, Kid Cudi released his first full album called Man on the Moon: The End of the Days. “Man on the moon has been my favorite Kid Cudi album since it was released,” said junior Meagan Melendrez. After many successful years, Kid Cudi is now releasing another album called Indicud. Not everybody is exactly excited for it. Apparently Kid Cudi now isn’t what he was four years ago with the release of Day n’ Night. Kid Cudi has become way too main stream for those who appreciated his originality back

in the day. “I enjoyed his original stuff before he became way too main stream,” said junior Justin Horton. Has Cudi lost himself, or will Indicud take Cudi back to his roots? Indicud is said to feature 17 brand new songs that will be more up-tempo compared to the stuff he had released previously

“I was getting tired of Kid Cudi for a while, but I am excited to hear that his new album will be fresh,” exclaimed junior Tj Wright. Indicud is said to be released in March, it will also feature artists like Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, and Jaden Smith. Indicud is one of the 50 most-anticipated albums of 2013.

Since the beginning of time, different cultures have created dances and plays to document events and stories. Plays were extremely popular and grew even more so as Shakespeare began to create his masterpieces. Before movies, plays were the main form of visual entertainment. Now, movies are the most popular form of visual entertainment and filmmakers are beginning to make movie adaptations of plays to make them more accessible to a larger audience. Many people like the fact that movies allow you to better immerse yourself in the storyline with the use of special effects. Many plays leave gaps for you to fill in with your imaginations and some people prefer to just sit back and watch without having to rely on their imagination. When asked about his opinion on plays becoming movies, sophomore Keegan Nolan said, “I think it’s a cool idea; it gives a lot more room to add more effects where plays

just have a stage.” On the other hand, though, many people prefer the live action feeling of plays. When asked what she enjoys about live performances, senior India Potter said, “The energy that comes off of the performers.” While there is more room for special effects with a movie, the one thing that movies don’t provide is the live passion and energy that comes with an actor’s performance. When asked about the good aspects of movies, Potter said, “I think that it makes it easier for people who might not have the funds to attend a live showing, but it’s definitely what I prefer.” One of Sheldon’s English teachers, Mr. Hutchins, likes both plays and movies and only has one specific type of plays he doesn’t like, but enjoys the live action of plays as well as the special effects of movies. When asked about the types of plays he doesn’t like Hutchins responded, “The only kind of plays I don’t like are musicals. I find it really hard to sit through musicals. Musical music is like nails on a chalkboard for me.” Some people enjoy dramas and some people enjoy

A very unwilling Bilbo is dragged along on a quest to liberate the dwarves’ lost kingdom, The Lonely Mountain, from a dragon they believe is long dead. The leader of the dwarves, Thorin, doubts Bilbo for a majority of the movie, giving Bilbo sometimes even more self-doubt. The story is not short of adventure to help him prove himself, though. Along the way, Bilbo and the company encounter Trolls, Orcs, Wargs, Stone Giants, Goblins, and the tie breaker…Gollum. All of which is a preface for the trilogy of The Lord of the Rings. The movie has a brilliant story-line that sticks mostly true to the book. It has been given high reviews among the viewers who’ve read the book, and some even better reviews from those who’ve read The Unfinished Tales of JRR Tolkien. The movies are generating interest with those who have not read the books and those who know them well. “I read The Hobbit to my daughter when she was five, and the movie is not something I would want her to see,” English teacher Mr. Cabrera said. He continued with, “There was a lot of unnecessary violence [in the movie] that wasn’t portrayed that much in the book.” On the other side of the spectrum, English teacher Mr. Washburn said, “I loved the fact they tried to step it up from a children’s book to an adult movie, making it along the lines of Lord of the Rings.” Which

To the Lonely Mountain /We’ll ride in the gathering storm /To get our long-forgotten gold /Far away the Misty Mountains cold… The haunting rewritten song of the dwarves’ mournfulness of their lost land begins the unexpected journey of a young hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. Based on the book, The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, the first part in a three part series, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has taken many by captive wonder. It begins at the end. An aged, ‘eleventy-first’ old Bilbo decides to write the full story of There and Back Again and is preparing for his birthday celebration. It’s a simple narration of what he’s thinking as the story flashes back 60 years. A young Bilbo, completely content with his life in a hobbit home, is suddenly interrupted by a young, crafty Gandalf and thirteen dwarves. To be specific: Dwalin, Balin, Kíli, Fíli, Dori, Nori, Ori, Óin, Glóin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, and Thorin Oakenshield.

Micah Tamasaka illustration

is true, there’s a lot more intense action than what would generally be desirable in a children’s movie. Washburn also said, “My biggest complaint might be that it seemed they went from one fight to the next.” There are also people who are hesitant to see the movie. Librarian Ms. Kunz said,“I haven’t read the book yet and I like to read the book before I see the movie. I also think the movie’s pretty long and I don’t like sitting that long.” It is true, measuring at 169 minutes, the movie is almost three hours long, which is not always enticing, though the movie’s brilliant graphics and storyline make up for the time. Although it might be a long time to run for a movie, it is actually shorter than all of The Lord of the Rings movies by 30-60 minutes. The Hobbit seeks to capture adventure as well as to reveal a truth about companionship in the face of life’s difficulties. The film does an excellent job of portraying these themes. “I’m pretty optimistic about the next two movies,” Washburn said. “If I were to make a prediction, I’d say the second one will probably be the best. But I think I’ll see all of them.” The sequels, The Desolation of Smaug is due to release on December 13, 2013, and the final part to the trilogy, There and Back Again is due to be released July 18, 2014.

musicals, some people enjoy being close to the passion and watching plays while others prefer to fully immerse themselves with the aid of special effects in movies. While both have their merits, there is no doubt that Hollywood is allowing more people to enjoy plays by making them movies and therefore less expensive to see as well as spreading the plays to a wider audience through their adaptations.

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The world didn’t end... What now?

So many occasions have come when people thought the world would end with fi re and brimstone or end with unspeakable horrors consuming the earth on which we live. However, the world in which we live hasn’t ended. The world has kept turning in light of all possible outcomes that people have presented. But what of the people who truly thought it was going to end on December 21, 2012. No one could ever conceivably know when the world would end or how it would do so. Senior Zach Parsons said, “I was pretty sure it was go-ing to end. I didn’t really try to prepare or avoid it, though.” Parsons, did indeed think the world was going to end, thus did not show up to school the day of the twenty-fi rst. “When I woke up on that morning, I thought I was in heaven, but then my sister told me I was going to be late for school and then I knew I was wrong,” Parsons said on the next Monday of school.

Kyle Radley co-features editor

So it’s now 2013 and the world did not end. After millions of Amercicans wasted their time preparing for the end of the world, many of them are left wondering what is next.

The evolution of video gamesEver since their beginning, video games have always been changing, improving, and creating controversy

Winter has begun, which means snow sports. Many people enjoy go-ing skiing or snowboarding throughout the season. Hopefully, this will be another great year for snow sports. If you ski or snowboard often, you probably already have a place in mind that you would like to go, but it may not be your best option. So, what is the best option this year? Cross your fi ngers for lots of snow, not too much wind, and for cold weather. Like a lot of people, freshman Dillon French prefers snowboarding over ski-ing because he thinks snowboarding is more fun than skiing. He snowboards very often with his friends at Mt. Bachelor and he hopes to go again this year during February. French’s favorite things about snowboarding are “doing tricks and going fast.” What he doesn’t really like is that there is “too much powder.” Like French, freshman Cheyanne Broten likes to snowboard, rather than ski. She doesn’t go quite as often, maybe once every few years, but she would like to go again this year, most likely during spring break. Broten likes to go with her family and some of her family friends up to Mt. Bach-elor when she snowboards. Broten said, “[Snowboarding is] really fun and I’m looking forward to doing it again,” but she doesn’t like falling. Freshman Molly Van Eekeren not only snowboards, she skis too. She goes up to Willamette or Bachelor as often as she can, but sadly that isn’t often. She likes to go with her family and she has already gone this year. Her favorite thing is, “having a perfect run.” Her least favor-ite thing is, “falling and then having to get back up on a snowboard.”

Junior Tobias Wright said, “I didn’t know whether it was go-ing to end or not. I was going to come to school anyway, but my mom kept me home because of the school threats. Wright, like many oth-ers, stayed home from school due to the threats the school received. Face to face with the possibility of our would stopping in its tracks, some were unfazed. Sophomore Justin Ferguson didn’t really care if the world end-ed. “I woke up on the twenty-fi rst, went for a run in the morning, and came to school. As expected, the world did not end.” Ferguson, among most, kept going with the usual routine of his life in spite of the chance of the world stopping. How would the world have ended anyway? Surely no one could ever know for sure, but anything is possible in our universe. All we can hope for is that it will be a very long time before it does happen. And who knows? It may not even end at all.

It looks like the most popular, and most likely the best, place to go is Bachelor. This year, the weather at Bachelor seems to be clear skies with little wind, which is perfect for snowboarding and/or skiing.

Sheldon students hit the slopes

Sheldon High, home of the Fighting Irish. Elmira High, home of the Fal-cons. Switching to a school with a class size about four times the size of my previous school is quite the shock. Elmira’s student total is around 400, while Sheldon’s is around 1500 – huge difference. Having such a dif-ference in class size coming into this school, I was very anxious to start. There is a list of differences between Sheldon and the school from which I transferred. One of the biggest differences, excluding class size, is the schedule. Having been used to seven, 50 minute classes a day, starting

at 8:25 and ending at 3:20, switching to four, 83 minute classes a day, start-ing around 9 and ending around 3:20 has been diffi cult. Being thrown right into everything is also a shock, but having fewer classes has made that easier. Looking at Sheldon from the outside, in comparison to Elmira, is like look-ing at a high school next to an elementary school, in terms of size. Being a sophomore at Elmira, I was unable to have an open period, forcing me to have a full schedule of seven classes. Now I have the opportunity to have an open period with only three classes - different on a variety of levels. Upon my ar-rival here at Sheldon, my eyes were opened to many different course options. Filling a schedule of four classes, with so many opportunities, is strange. My experience thus far hasn’t been horrible, but I can’t call it ideal. As far as a welcome upon arriving at Sheldon, there wasn’t really one, in comparison to Elm-ira. Probably due to the size difference, but I still can’t say that I felt welcomed overall. Though a handful of students and staff did make me feel welcome here at Sheldon. I look forward to being further integrated into this school and community.

Sheldon transfer student compares Elmira High

Alanamarie Rhoadsstaff writer

Sheldon students have their own opinions on their school. But what does a student from another school think?

Making New Year’s resolutions is a tradition most Americans are very familiar with. With the coming of the New Year, there is a promise of a fresh start for all of us, a chance to begin anew. People like to see this as a way to make changes in their lives, setting goals known as resolutions. These goals can be very important for some and just hopeful desires for others. A few members of the Sheldon commu-nity took the time to shed some light on their views of this widespread tradition. Junior Justin Duke did not make a resolution this year, nor is he in the habit of making them. However, he does believe they are important. He said resolutions are “a way for people to get motivation to make positive changes in their lives.” Duke believes that making resolutions affects Americans in the way that it gives them a goal to work towards. Duke guessed that approximately 25 percent of res-olutions are successful. In reality, statistics report that only eight percent are suc-cessful, whereas 80 percent of the resolutions have already failed by January 20. Junior Rachel Kruska also refrained from making a resolution this year. Kruska remarked, “[Resolutions] are not important because no one actually follows through with them.” She guessed that a mere one percent of resolutions are successful. Junior Liam Talty, Junior, has decided to take part in the tradition. His resolution? He wants “to become a now and not a later.” Like many of

New Year’s resolutions around Sheldon

Over the years, video games have become a popular yet controversial part of our society. From the Atari to the NES, from the Playstation to the com-puter, the overall view of gaming has constantly shifted in the public eye. Many see it as an entertaining way to pass the time, while others do their best to cast stones at anything even vaguely related to the topic. One thing that is for sure, though, is how far the gaming industry has come since its origin. From classic games like The Legend of Zelda to things like The El-der Scrolls and Portal, video games have made their mark on our culture. Although the identity of the world’s fi rst video game remains largely up for debate, Pong is widely regarded as the best example of an early game. When games like this fi rst came into existence, people no doubt marveled at the tech-nology put before them. Others took this technology and began to modify and improve it. The end result is the existence of games like Skyrim, Minecraft, Fallout, and Mass Effect. Although some people remain unimpressed with the change, saying that graphics are basically the only thing that has improved, this can be easily contradicted if you compared two games such as The Super Mario Bros. and Fallout New Vegas. While the former is a simple platformer with basic graphics and features, New Vegas exhibits an open-world that can change based on the player’s decisions. A quick glance at the two side-by-side can easily show the improvements that have been made over the years. While many people have taken up gaming as a hobby, some organiza-tions, such as FOX News, maintain that there is a direct relation between gaming and real-life violence. The recent Sandy Hook shooting, for exam-ple, caused Senator Rockefeller to propose a bill that would have research-ers study the effect of violent games on children. Although many research-ers have stated videogames have little to no effect on children, anti-video gaming advocates still remain convinced they do. It’s interesting to consider that while movies, television, books, and all other sorts of media showcase violence on a daily basis, gaming still gets the majority of blame shifted in

its direction. This could be attributed to the stereotype games like Call of Duty have created about gamers: they all spend their time shooting at and insulting each other. Though this doesn’t apply to all gamers, a few bad examples and rough criticism have set a bad precedent for the gaming industry in general. Of course, the quality of the games themselves is another topic all on its own. Many modern gamers seem content to just buy generic fi rst person shoot-ers, despite how little effort goes into the fi nished product. Junior Trisdon Zepeda said, “Since gaming has entered the mainstream, lots of companies just focus on making money by churning out clones instead of making bet-ter games.” It does not help the gaming community’s image to see that a pub-lisher can remain popular by creating sequels with no depth or added features. In contrast, The Walking Dead game, which focuses on character building and story, received negative criticism for not having what some consider “Real” game play, despite winning numerous awards for its story. One thing nearly every gamer can agree on, however, is that the industry does deserve more re-spect than it gets now. But to achieve that goal, the gaming world needs to decide what it wants to award and promote - what’s popular, or what’s actually good.

Sophie Moroskystaff writer

As the pinnacle of winter approaches, many Sheldon stu-dents are taking advantage of the surrounding ski resorts

A month into the new year many Americans struggle to keep up with the resolutions they made a month ago.

Kennedy Pottsstaff writer

For Various reasons, some students don’t feel safe at school. Al-though schools are getting better, many teachers and staff don’t ask the students if they feel safe. We at Sheldon are wonder-ing how the students of Sheldon feel about their school’s safety. Campus Resource Offi cer John Savage said, “Yes, I believe most stu-dents follow most safety rules.” Offi cer Savage also stated “Whether people agree with the rules or not the rules are in place to keep all students safe.” Savage said he would recommend Sheldon to other parents: “Sheldon is a great school.” Regarding leaving campus, Offi cer Savage said, “I have no problem with students leaving the campus as long as they stay safe” during

lunch. Offi cer Savage said, “I think school safety is important everywhere; every school takes it seriously.” Savage said he would love to have more campus supervisors around the school. Savage stated, “Lockdown safety drills should be the number-one safety drill we practice.” Savage wants students to tell a staff member when they see something that isn’t right. Vice Principal Mark Watson said, “I do think a majority of students follow the rules.” Mr. Watson said, “Just know the rules that we follow are from the dis-trict and all schools follow and enforce them.” Mr. Watson also said. “We used to have fi ve campus supervisors, now we have two; the more eyes and ears we have out there the better.” When asked about hazard drills Mr. Watson said, “I wish we had more time to discuss the importance of why we do what we do.” Freshman Carter Johnson said he feels safe because there are enough staff here to ensure students’ safety. Johnson said most students follow the rules but a few students feel like they don’t need to follow them. “I think the school rules are fi ne; they keep most students in line,” Johnson said. Johnson said all of the rules are fi ne and don’t need to be changed.

Former Sheldon student Taylor Sheldon enjoys the Timberline ski resort recently.Taylor Sheldon photo

Jarred Rogersstaff writer

Atari and Bethesda have been driving forces behind the evolution of video games.

Illustration: Micah Tamataka

How safe is Sheldon High School?

us high school students, Talty wants to cut back on his procrastination. He was asked how serious he is about following through with it. He re-sponded, “ I won’t be very successful. I just need to put effort into it.” Whether or not you decided to participate in this widespread tradition, most of us can probably agree that it is an important one in our nation. Hopefully some people will be able to use the new year as a way to make positive advances in their lives.

Clara Riordan and her theatrical success

Sophomore Clara Riordan has been acting and singing since the third grade, and continues to do so in the Sheldon theater program. Last year, she performed in the theater production Sweeny Todd: The Demon Bar-ber of Fleet Street. Later this year, Riordan will be auditioning for this year’s play, Beauty and the Beast. From a comedic monologue to a myste-rious song, Clara Riordan has become one of Sheldon’s most sought actors. Ever since she was little, Riordan has enjoyed the atmosphere of acting. “I fi nd joy in it, and it’s fun!” she exclaimed. Riordan’s fi rst play she was in was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the Actors Cabaret, and Suessical: The Musical, also at the Actors Cabaret, was her fi rst musical. It wasn’t until

last year, in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, that Riordan got the taste of what it means to be “the star of the show.” She played the role of Ms. Lovett, the baker who would bake Sweeney Todd’s victims into pies. Producing a play or musical is not a walk in the park. It takes hours of work. “[In order to produce a play, it] usually [takes] a month or two of re-hearsing, for two hours after school,” Riordan said. She then added, “Some-times we have to stay after school until 9:30 at night.” Once the night of the performance comes, tension is still in the air; there are always the pre-show nerves. Riordan knows what it’s like to have “butterfl ies in your stom-ach.” “I’m nervous if I’m not 100 percent sure of what I’m doing,” she ex-plained. Each actor has his or her own way of dealing with the nerves. Some listen to music, while others practice their lines. “I mostly rehearse,” Riordan said. “I like to know what I’m doing.” As stressful as it may be, there’s the reassuring sigh of relief once the show is done and over with. Riordan’s advice to an aspiring actor is to “put a lot of time into it and be committed.” Although her future is unknown, she “would use the skills [she] learned in acting,” in her life and career. Whether she becomes a profes-sional actor or not, Clara Riordan will not be leaving the stage anytime soon.

Noah Savagestaff writer

With all the recent shootings around the United States, students are left with the question, “Just how safe is school?”

Ben Elyentertainment editor

Clara Riordan is arguably the best actress here at Sheldon, and one of the best in the state

January 24, 20136 the TalismanOpinions

Micah Tamasakagraphics designer

Microsoft Windows 8: Is it worth it?

CJ Vangsnesstaff writer

It was beginning to feel a lot liiiiiike....Hannukkah? Should Santa stop driving the metaphorical sleigh?

Yes, they made a new one. No, you should not invest in it. Here’s why.

When you think about Microsoft, you may think about its reliability, sturdiness, and its overall enjoyable products such as the Windows OS. With this operating system you are able to browse, search, create, and share what you have created or found. But with all companies, there is almost always a competitor for the top title, to have the most sales and the most incredible products. With this competitor, and a demand to create a multi-screen experience, it has nudged Microsoft to release a new OS that has been rebuilt from the ground up, Windows 8. This new operating system was designed with the goal of being a one-stop media system, something that the developers took to heart. Junior Jason Byrd said, “Windows 8 looks decent, but I’m not ready for the change.” Now, there have been some people who have embraced this change, although others haven’t due to not knowing what this new system offers. I’m going to start off with what a one-stop media system is: a program that’s intended to combine all of the main things that you get from television, gaming, music, and all of the components that naturally come with a regular computer. Frankly speaking, why would you need one of these if you already have multiple machines that each will do the exact one of the same thing that this new OS does. With the new desktop layout it’s reminiscent of the Xbox 360 page setup that you get when you start up the machine. For those who don’t know what the Xbox’s console layout looks like, it’s basically a rectangle with smaller squares inside of it, and a themed background, which is one of the features that drives me insane when I log onto the consol. A feature that came into existence

It was the most wonderful time of the year…but not for other religions and holidays. Christmas was to some a very unfair and over-advertised holiday. Every year advertisements and TV specials for Christmas are made and shown everywhere. Sadly, other holidays like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa take a back seat while Christmas gets the lime light. Some feel that more time, money, and respect needs to be put into the other holidays. “I think a lot of people celebrate [Christmas] because it is more of a cultural thing and because it is the most popular religious holiday in winter,” freshmen Sallevedor Friedman said. I know no one who doesn’t celebrate Christmas. Friedman continued with, “I can see people not liking Christmas making sense. I feel that the other holidays are given little to no respect.” Friedman later said, “To be honest, this society will never treat other religions with as much respect or publicity as Christmas and Christianity.” “Like some, I celebrate Christmas because I was raised with it, but I am an atheist,” sophomore Arianna Hamill said. I celebrate Christmas more because I can spend time with family but I also celebrate Christmas religiously. Hamill then said, “It’s the masses fault. If [people] don’t like it then they should just deal with it.”

Hamill continued with, “The religious holidays might never be equals. I see that the other religions are very small minorities while Christmas and Christianity are the majority. I hope that I am wrong, but there is not a big chance of it.” “I celebrate Christmas because my family uses it to bond,” junior Emily Faulconer said. Christmas with or without religion celebrates love and the giving of gifts to one another. Faulconer then said, “I’m indifferent about [people] criticizing Christmas for being too advertised and too popular, because I use Christmas just to get together with family.” Faulconer continued with, “I don’t believe there will ever be holiday equality, because Christmas has gone out of the Christian’s hands and become an object for corporations to use for money.” “Yes, I celebrate [Christmas] because I grew up with it,” sophomore Gabby Bunnell said. People complain about Christmas but this is the most common reason for celebrating Christmas that I have heard. Bunnell then said, “I don’t really care what people say because it is their own opinions and thoughts.” Bunnell later commented, “I believe money is

that was really surprising was how easily I could access the app marketplace. This new feature allows you to play and use most of the apps that you use on any smart phone or tablet. There’s also this new feature, Windows-Live-ID which means that if you log into your account on a computer that has Windows 8 installed, and then go to another computer with the same OS, you can log into that computer using your account from the other computer, which is very similar to Windows Cloud. When Microsoft announced Windows 8, people were ecstatic about what Microsoft would impute into their new OS. However, what people didn’t know was that Microsoft decided to recreate their whole OS into a newer and more “up-to-date” version. Sophomore Jason Reyton said, “[Having Windows 7] made it easier to do homework.” Having used the same basic Windows operating system for the past 28 years, I’m guessing that they wanted to go into the new-year with a new and improved program. They took the best from Windows 7 and added it into Windows 8, which was a good idea,

Holidays less publicized than Christmas

but doing so created a lot of problems with the new computer: bugs, glitches, and error codes seem to pop up more frequently with this program then it did with its predecessor. Some of these errors that you may encounter are similar to Vista - same errors, different system. People who fi rst tried out the new OS complimented it’s over-all fl ow and design and loved that it made doing things a lot simpler, however, with a long term use it starts to show how it could use some big improvements. With an ever-changing market, there will be an ever-updating to the systems OS and the computer as a whole. Different OS’s and computer setups will accomplish different things. Hardcore gamers would prefer a computer that can run practically most, if not all, games; immersion gamers would want a rig that could handle high performance and 152 frames per second along with a lot of graphics enhancements. Artists would want a rig that can handle multiple windows and a lag free computer. Being an artist myself, I would love to have my computer not lag on me. “I prefer Windows 7 as

long as it’s a Mac,” junior James Reynolds said. Though there are many systems out in the market, some people would argue that Windows 8 runs a little like Vista, and realize that it actually runs more like a hybrid of Vista and Windows 7. Reynolds later said, “[the computer has made our] communications [better].” With all of the advancements and leaps that Microsoft has made in the computer industry of today, some people might argue is it worth getting Windows 8 even with all of the problems that you will encounter with a long term use. Some people are having problems with transferring over their old information into the new Windows 8, causing them to have to create a whole new account. Microsoft has also designed the new screen to be more tablet friendly which has caused many desktop users to face palm whenever they try to get to the startup menu. However, some of the benefi ts are that it’s more organized than with previous versions. You will have to decide if it’s worth getting Windows 8 personally, I intend to steer clear of that program and hopefully get it when it’s improved and not as glitchy.

the cause of Christmas being considered too popular because people spend money at Christmas sales and on Christmas themed items.” “I have always celebrated Christmas because I am a Christian,” sophomore Lauren McMichael said. I don’t believe Christmas is just for the Christians because without the religious implications it teaches and promotes giving and sharing. McMichael continued with, “I don’t care what [people] say. It is just their opinion so they can say whatever they want; I will still celebrate Christmas.”

Micah Tamasaka illustration

Micah Tamasaka illustration

January 24, 2013 7the Talisman Sports

Former Oregon players like LaMichael James and Jonathan Stewart are in the NFL, but how are they doing?

Sam Senofeatures co-editor

AJ Smithsports editor

Sheldon students look forward to Super Bowl Sunday

The Super Bowl is the game that everyone pays at-tention to at the beginning of February. It is the last of-ficial football game before the season is over. Everyone is getting their fix before the long stretch until college football starts back up. This year’s matchup will be fea-turing the 49ers and the Ravens in New Orleans, Loui-

siana. This year’s game will be held on February 3, 2013, and can be watched on NBC at 5:00 p.m. PST. The Super Bowl is the most watched television event in sports, and this will be the second-to-last Super Bowl for which the current commissioner, Roger Goodell, will be in power. Goodell has heavily modified the game over the past few years, and many people are mad about it. Senior Lane Davis said, “He has ruined the league with all of the rules and regulations, especially the kickoff rule.” The re-ported kickoff rule would eliminate kickoffs at the start of games as well as after touchdowns in return for the ball to be placed at the 20 yard line. The reason for that is for the player’s safety, which Goodell has tried heavily to improve. Even though the commissioner has tried to have a larger impact on the league, on February 3 the players will be the ones who will decide the outcome. Quaterback Joe Flacco and the Ravens will face off against the 49er’s de-

fense that has been stellar this entire season. Senior Nick Ault said, “I think the 49ers will beat the Ravens because of their stout defense.” San Francisco’s defense is third in the NFL and only allows seventeen points per game, while the Ravens force about 25 points per game. Something will have to give on Sunday, when these two teams meet. Since the Ravens beat the Patriots this past weekend, both of the Harbaugh brothers will coach their teams in the upcoming Super Bowl. John Harbaugh and his Bal-timore squad won this past weekend, proving that hav-ing the two brother’s coach in the Super Bowl will be a main highlight leading up to the actual game. Sopho-more Taylor Heinz said, “The two brothers coaching against each other adds a deeper element to the game that makes it so much more intense when they meet on the field.” Jim Harbaugh is preparing his 49ers for their meet-ing against John Harbaugh and the Ravens on Sunday.

Oregon pulls out a massive upset over then 4th Arizona

The clock hit zero and the stands emptied as students rushed the court celebrated the Oregon Ducks win over the Third ranked Arizona Wildcats. This was the first time that the tree imprinted floors of Matthew Night Arena have been rushed. The Ducks dethroning of the top team in the PAC-12 also marks the single biggest win in Dana Altman’s young career at Oregon. Year in and year out Oregon basketball coach Dana Altman has taken a group of unknown players and turns them into a force to be reckoned with in the PAC-12. Earlier this year the ducks had shown potential to be a very good team this year, however not many people expected Oregon to beat Arizona. Senior Isaac Klump said, “I knew we (Oregon) had a solid team but I did not think that we would be good enough to beat Arizona.” The Arizona Wildcats where ranked highly this preseason even though they lost a few seniors from last years squad. A big aspect of Arizona’s high pre-season ranking was the recruiting class that they brought in. The Wildcats got three of the top recruits in the nation to come play in Tusa, Arizona. Kaleb Tarczewski, Grant Jerrett, and Brandon Ashley all gained five star ratings (the highest possible rating for a high-school athlete) rating from ESPN, and were all ranked in the top 100 prospects in the nation. But it was the Oregon freshman that came through two weeks ago. The Oregon freshman duo of Dominique Artis and Damyean Dotson combined for 19 points, six assist, three steals, and one blocked shot. While the Arizona trio of freshman only recorded 7 points total. Junior Justin Horten said, “It was an amazing offensive performance and both freshman really stepped up when needed.” The two Oregon freshman where not the only Ducks to have a good game. The Ducks were lead by E.J. Singler with a career game. The Oregon Senior, and South Medford graduate, tallied 14 points along with seven rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Singler constantly came up when big when needed, changing the momentum back to Oregon whenever Arizona would make a run.

Lamichael James was, to many people, a legend playing football at the University of Oregon. He was Oregon’s second-ever Heisman Trophy finalist, the other being Joey Harrington. In 2011, he rushed for 1,805 yards in eight games. This is significant because he was injured for a good part of the season, and still almost rushed for 2,000 yards. Speculation says that if he was healthy, he would have rushed for well over 2,000 yards, in the 14 games Oregon played in 2011. Now, he is in the NFL, at San Francisco, as the backup halfback. Although some people didn’t think James would get playing time this year, sophomore Nathan Kim said, “At the beginning of the year, and a little ways into the season, I read articles that said that he wanted to play, so I thought he would get playing time this year.” James was drafted by the 49ers as their fifth-string halfback, so at the beginning of the season, there wasn’t a very good chance that he would see playing time this year. Now, he is active, pending an injury. The 49ers use James as the halfback for their zone-option plays. Eventually, he may become San Francisco’s main halfback, though he is undersized, at 5’9” and weighing 195 pounds. However, there are other Oregon players that went on to the NFL. Take Jonathan Stewart for example: he was another Oregon standout, and he now plays for the Carolina Panthers as a halfback. Stewart isn’t so popular because Carolina uses him in a secondary role to DeAngelo Williams, Carolina’s starting halfback. There is talk of how Stewart may be better if he played for a better team, but Carolina is a team on the rise. Sophomore Taylor Conlan said, “I think he’s fine where he’s at. The Panthers have Cam Newton as the quarterback, so the offense is pretty good.” Lamichael James was one of Oregon’s greatest running backs in history. He holds the career record for rushing yards, he won the school’s only Doak Walker Award, for college football’s most outstanding running back, and was a unanimous first-team All-American in 2010. James also holds the single-season rushing yards record. Sophomore Thomas Long said, “I think he ranks first because he holds so many records and firsts.” In Oregon’s only national championship appearance, he received two touchdowns.

Sam Seno photo

Former Oregon football players in the NFL today

Tanner Mitchellstaff writer

Duck fans rush the court after the major win over #4 Arizona at Matt Knight.

Oregon wins its largest game in over five seasons with a win at home against then-4th-ranked Arizona

Students predict how the big game will play out and what factors they think will change the outcome of the game

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New Year’s traditions

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Every little kid wants to get a horse for Christmas. Some people think taking care of a horse is like a dog - the usual water, food, and love, yet it’s much more. Also, people don’t usually realize how much time and money you have to put in for horses. Although people who don’t own or lease a horse can guess that they are hard work, they don’t know how it is, fi rst hand. Sophomore Josie Burk has a horse and thinks that in order to own a horse you must be able to be comfortable around such a huge animal. Horses usually weigh around 1500 lbs. Owners have to have a lot of skill, such as being stern, yet patient with a huge animal. Horses also take a lot of time. Burk said, “You must work with your horse and put time and effort into your horse.” Many horse owners also spend a lot of time on their horses, such as Burk. She goes to the barn where she keeps her horse every day, for three hours a day. Some people can think of it as if it’s like a sport, but you have to be there every day for an animal that depends on you. Although some people don’t have horses, they do know that they take a lot of work. Freshman Mariel King said, “I think it would be pretty cool to have a horse, but it would be time consuming.” That is good knowledge to have for only coming into contact with horses only a few times. For example, if you think that you could take care of a horse (that is, have the time, space, and money to care for it) and then go and buy one and you don’t have those things, you could be putting the animal in danger. A better choice, if you would want to have contact with a horse, is to go to a barn that offers renting a horse to ride. If you still want more and have the money, you could lease a horse. Leasing is caring for a horse, and pretending as it is yours, but it’s not and you could drop the lease when-ever, with the permission of the horse’s owner. Freshman Cheyanne Broten said, “When I was little, I wanted a horse really bad, but now that I know they are a lot of work I have rethought it and decided it was best not to get one.” Some people have to realize you can’t take care of it and make the better deci-sion to not buy a horse. It’s better to realize it before you buy the horse, than buy it and struggle to fi nd someone to buy it. Buying a horse takes a lot of thought. People should really think about their situations and ask questions like: Can I take care of this animal? Do I have enough time, space, and money for the horse? That would be the best thing to do before you set out on a search for a new little pony. Although horses take a lot of work, it’s worth the work; you just have to make sure you are prepared for the big responsibility.

Over the years, New Years has been celebrated everywhere and in a lot of ways. It is one holiday that we can all come together to celebrate. When people think of New Year’s, they usually think of things like the ball dropping in New York and kissing at midnight. But New Year’s has many traditions that many people may not know of or even remember. There may even be some traditions that are only celebrated in some families, from year to year. Some traditions are widely known and some are completely bizarre and un-known to most people. A tradition that most people already appreciate is making a lot of commotion at midnight by lighting fi reworks, banging pots and pans and screaming at the top of your lungs. The thing that people may not know is the reason for that. It was said that making a lot of noise and commotion at midnight warded off evil spirits for the New Year and it is done to show joy that it was a new year. A tradition that people may not be aware of is the tradition of “Watch-ing the Weather.” This tradition states that, at midnight, you should check the weather for the fi rst of January. If the wind blows from the south, the next year will be prosperous with good weather. If the wind blows from the north, there will not be good weather. If the wind blows from the east, there will be great misfortune and famine or disaster. If the wind blows from the west, there will be a lot of fi sh and milk caught and produced, but there will also be the unfortunate death of a very important person. If there is no wind, whatsoever, you can look forward to a joy-fi lled and prosperous year. Senior Sierra Broten said that she celebrates New Years by “[Going] to the snow, watching fi reworks and drinking cider around a fi re.” She added, “I don’t like the tradition of making resolutions, because no one ever actually follows through.” Freshman Brooke Hornecker, said “For my family’s New Year’s celebration we usually throw a big bonfi re and invite lots of friends and fam-ily.” She later added “[My favorite thing about New Year’s is] the bonfi re and country music. It’s what I was raised on.” New traditions for New Year’s at midnight are being shown to people every day. Broten said, “[I would like to try] eating grapes and watching fi reworks [at midnight].” Freshman Crystal Hernandez countered saying, “There is nothing new that I want to try for New Year’s.”

Alicia Froehlichstaff writer

Sam Foxstaff writer

As I fl ew in to the Santiago International Airport, I recognized the valleys with a variegated patchwork of farmland running along the tall, red Andes mountains. Meredy, my younger sister, and I made it through cus-toms with our carry-on baggage and quickly found the Chilean family waiting to greet us. The six of us—Luz, Tia Shani, Nati, Diego, Meredy and I—departed imme-diately, driving an hour through beautiful wine coun-try and stopping to eat some traditional parrilla (Chil-ean barbeque) before arriving to Concon on the coast. The fi rst day, Diego, my Chilean brother, led Meredy and me up and down the San Fran-like slopes of Chile’s cultural capitol: Valparaiso. Taking a walk through one of Pablo Neruda’s idiosyncratic houses, La Se-bastiana, located near the top of a slope in the city, my sister and I could see the intense diversity of architec-ture splattered across a colorful wave leading down to the busy ports of the sea below. My love for Chile came rushing back as I explored the odd jewelry and woodworking shops as well as the small art galleries that invite a curious eye. The emotion-fi lled murals and graffi ti that cover nearly every surface were as vibrant and breathtaking as the New Year’s sky when it was fi lled with huge fi reworks above the ocean bay. Having lived in Osorno, Chile, for fi ve months to study in San Mateo High School, I had to leave the

The reality of owning a horse

Jackson Darlandeditor-in-chief

Ever thought about owning a horse? Having one can be a big responibility and quite expensive, too

There are many traditions people have for New Year’s Eve. What are yours?

Former exchange student returns to Chile

bustle of the big cities up north to pay a visit to all my friends who were awaiting my return. Meredy had never been to Chile, though she knew several San Mateo students who came on exchange to Eugene in previous years. In fact, if Meredy had not expressed such a strong interest in traveling over the win-ter break, I don’t think I would have made the second trip my-self. And I am so happy that I did! The same day that our bus

pulled in to the Osorno terminal, one of my best friends, Pipe Caro, surprised me with a late night knock on the door to wish me a happy eighteenth birthday. Through the rest of the trip, Meredy got to know various parts of the Osorno region, includ-ing the waterfalls of Cascadas and Los Saltos de Petrohue, the Osorno volcano, and other cities in the vicinity. Though I joined Meredy on several of her excursions, I also spent time simply enjoying the company of my host family and friends while meandering through the streets of Osorno city. After two weeks of eating, drinking, speaking, and thinking in Castellano, I felt reconnected to the cul-ture and lifestyle of Chile. My eyes were reopened to the attributes that qualify Chile as a developing country: the almost nonexistent traffi c laws, the bartering, and the pockets of extreme poverty. At the same time, the daily artisan and produce mar-kets, the beautiful landscape, and the warmth of the Osorno community represent part of something very special. Traveling continues to open up my mind and spirit to the riches embedded in the di-versity of people throughout the world. I couldn’t have asked for a better person than Meredy to have shared my winter break adventures with. We fur-ther shaped our amazing friendship while in Chile.

After last year’s four-month exchange, editor-in-chief returns to fi nd old friends and beautiful surroundings

Diego Pacheco photoJunior Meredy Darland (L) and senior Jackson Darland explore the famed streets of Valparaiso, getting ready to climb a muraled staircase with no visible end.