December Issue 2011

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the roarFRIDAY, December 2, 2011

The Loveland High School Student Newspaper

www.lovelandschools.org/theroar

Page Editor: Jessica Miller

Editorials

Sports

News

Center

Entertainment

By Alyssa TiptonStaff Writer

Most of us around LHS have seen or know of Kendall Fein (12), but what many of you may not know is the secret life be-hind the pageant queen. Kendall’s days of pageantry started when she was a mere 6 months old, when her mom began entering her into contests. She continued competing until she was 9, when she stopped. However, she rediscov-ered her passion at age 14 and started com-peting again. During her pageant hiatus, Kendall de-cided to pursue a new dream of acting and modeling in California. She was in many national commercials and even had a de-but on Disney Channel when she was on Mike’s Super Short Show. Although she enjoyed Hollywood at the time, Kendall does not plan on pursuing Hollywood in her future. Kendall’s most recent achievement was taking the title of Miss Ohio Teen USA 2012 in October. “I was trying to stay calm and not psych myself out throughout the whole thing. But when I won, I was in complete shock (be-cause) I was so excited,” she says. The contestants in the pageant were judged in three areas: swimsuit, evening gown, and interview. There were five final-ists, but Kendall snagged the title. She had been first runner-up for Miss Ohio Teen USA last year. After many years of competing, Kendall knows all the secrets of the pageant world. For example, the famous Vaseline-on-the-teeth trick is supposed to help you smile. However, she doesn’t like that technique. “I tried it last year, but I thought it was easier to just smile myself,” she says. “My biggest pageant secret I would say is to al-ways be yourself. If you’re true to yourself, you can get far in anything you do.” To prepare for a pageant, Kendall works with many professionals in order to per-fect her performance. For her most recent pageant, she worked with a pageant coach every week for about a month and a half, including interview practice. She also took

The seniors that accompanied Mr. Volkman to Washington D.C. trip returned home after a very full trip. Sights seen included the ma-jor war memorials, the Lincoln memorial, Jefferson memorial, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the U.S. Capitol building and the Supreme Court. Students saw LHS grad Seth Mitchell’s grave in Arlington Cemetery, where they also had the pleasure of seeing President Obama. While most of the students agreed the entire trip was incredible, each had their own personal highlight. “My favorite thing was the play we saw at the Kennedy Center, because it was funny and all improv,” said Austin Hopkins (12). It was also fairly unanimously agreed that the Holocaust Museum was truly a sight to behold and definitely worth the walk-through. “It was so powerful, and putting a face to the name of all those victims really made an impact on me,” Logan Cornett (12) said.

walking classes so she could nail her strut across the stage in high heels. Right now, Kendall’s biggest priority is focusing on the Miss Teen USA 2012 pageant. However, her future plans in-clude pursuing a higher education in col-lege, where she will study dentistry, and possibly competing in the Miss Ohio USA pageant. The Miss Teen USA 2012 pageant takes place in the Bahamas next August. The pageant will last 16 days, and each state

will be represented. Kendall will even have the honor of meeting the host of the show, Donald Trump. Many of us do not know what the pag-eant world is actually like. “If you are passionate in what you do, then it is so much fun,” Kendall says. “But some girls are extremely conniving, so watch your back at all times. Some girls will mess with your dress and give you false advice just to up their chances of win-ning.”

Read about YouTube stars on page 10.

Read who some LHS students are hoping to meet under the mistletoe on pages 8-9.

Read what Officer Rod Hous-ley is up to on page 6.

Read about The Roar’s dodgeball tourney on page 4.

Read about the dangers of caffeine on page 2.

Fein lives the pageant life

By Steven GoodmanEntertainment Editor

Seniors reminisce on trip of a lifetime

Kendall Fein takes the stage at the Miss Ohio Teen USA awards.Photo provided by Cheryl Ballinger of cherylphoto.com

Photo from proelite.com

Seniors pose in front of The White House.Photo by Jarron Talbot

LHS senior named Miss Teen Ohio USA

Photo by Sabrina Newstead

Photo by Alyssa Tipton

Photo illustration by Elizabeth Worsham

Image from seankennyreviews.blogspot.com

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Editorials2FRIDAY, December 2, 2011 Page Editor: Bridget Landis

Jessica Miller

The Roar is the official student newspaper of Loveland High School. The Roar is produced by students in Journalism. Editorials reflect the staff’s opinion but do not reflect the opinions of LHS administration or Loveland City Schools. The Roar is published monthly. For information regarding adver-tising in The Roar, call 697-3749. As an open forum for students, letters to the editor are welcome, but are subject to be edited for length, libel, and clarity. Letters to the editor may be dropped off in room 109.

Staff Policy

The RoarLoveland High School1 Tiger TrailLoveland, Ohio [email protected]

Editors-in-ChiefSabrina NewsteadElizabeth WorshamAdvertising ManagerAlyssa TiptonBusiness ManagerKyle SiegSection EditorsSteven Goodman, EntertainmentReagan Johnstone, Light NewsJessica Miller, SportsOgonna Ononye, NewsStaff WritersMatt BeckerAndrew BesseyMitch CaspersonBridget LandisDanny McManusDanielle MeyerHannah MoloneyRyan MossJenna MyklebustErin PogueMarie PolicastroMegan SlabaughLiz SullivanCarla WeismantelMaddie Whitaker

Recent Awards * George H. Gallup Award (top prize), 2011 Awards for School News Media (Quill & Scroll Honorary Society) * International First Place Award, 2010 Awards for School News Media (Quill & Scroll Honorary Society) * Second Place (Overall Publications), 2011 Ohio Scho-lastic Media Awards * 12 individual awards, 2011 Ohio Scholastic Media Awards * Second Place (Headline Writing), Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s 2011 Gold Circle Awards * Certificate of Merit (Edito-rial Page Design), Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s 2010 Gold Circle Awards

Contact Information

Megan Slabaugh

After minimal hours of sleep, Starbucks or a Polar Pop seem to be our only saviors. Judg-ing by the length of Starbucks lines in the morning, LHS students turn to one thing to help them get through the long school day: caffeine. Yet what we think is helping us sur-vive these everlasting days is really taking a toll on our bodies. According to Sci-enceDaily.com, 85 per-cent of teens in the world are consuming the most commonly used psychoactive drug. As we sip on energy drinks, coffee, and soda, our bodies slowly become dependent upon caf-feine. If you consume 300 milligrams or more of caffeine regularly, your body will go through withdrawals, if it doesn’t receive this amount daily. Dr. Melissa Conrad Stöppler’s studies prove that withdrawal symptoms can include fatigue, depression, irritability, tremors, jumpiness, deprivation of deep sleep, and vascular headaches. Caffeine raises a stress hormone, cor-

The holiday sea-son usually brings cheer. However, many people are af-fected this time of year by the shorter days, suffering from depression caused by Seasonal Affective Disor-der.

SAD is triggered by the loss of day-light. Although SAD research is still go-ing on, one’s circadian rhythm, or body clock, is the most probable cause of SAD. Your body clock receives external cues from your environment, which are usually caused by loss or gain of daylight. These cues change the circadian rhythm, result-ing in fluctuations of mood and well-being. Depression results from SAD and can become serious. Dr. Kelly Rohan, a psy-chology professor at the University of Ver-mont, said that 30 percent of SAD sufferers have had thoughts of committing suicide but that very few commit suicide. Dr. Ro-han, who specializes in SAD research, said “Suicides are not common with SAD be-cause sufferers always have a light at the end of the tunnel – spring.” Treatments for SAD include variations of light therapy and anti-depressants. Two times as many women than men are diagnosed with SAD, and SAD suf-ferers are generally in their 20s or 30s. In order to be clinically diagnosed with SAD, one must be depression-free throughout the year, then develop depression during

winter. “SAD can be reoccurring for many peo-ple, so it is necessary to get help when you are suffering, whether it is SAD or not,” said Dr. Walter Smitson, a psychiatry pro-fessor at the University of Cincinnati, in an article published by UC. Although Dr. Rohan stresses the im-portance of being evaluated for SAD, if you are not clinically depressed then less

Don’t let the winter blues make you SAD

Effects of caffeine detrimental

tisol, which raises heart rate and blood pressure and tells the body to increase its energy stores. This increase in cortisol pro-duces food cravings, potentially leading to weight gain. According to Johns Hopkins Medical Center, lack of sleep is a whole other issue. Caffeine blocks our ability to slow nerve cells for preparation of sleep, speeding them up instead, and produces an intense neuron firing in the brain. This triggers pi-tuitary glands that release hormones telling adrenal glands to produce adrenaline, caus-ing one to be alert and hyper. The blocking

of sleep-inducing chemicals throws our sleep cycle off, preventing the eight hours of recommended sleep. The coffee bean, tea leaf, kola nut, cacao pod and 60 other plants contain this natural drug. In our world today, a cup of coffee, a can of pop, or a Red Bull are too conve-nient to pass up. Many of us feel like we can’t get ready in the morning without our Starbucks coffee, which has more caffeine in it than our recommended daily amount. Before cracking open that next can of pop, think about the negative effects it can have.

Megan Slabaugh suggests you don’t drink this much caffeine. Photo illustration by Elizabeth Worsham

drastic measures can be taken to restore well-being. “Some people just do not like winter, and if that’s the case then participating in new activities, aerobic exercise, and sim-ply finding ways to enjoy the outside envi-ronment will help their moods,” she said. We operate on a mere 10 hours of day-light this time of year, making it crucial to not let the winter blues get the best of us.

Editorials 3FRIDAY, December 2, 2011 Page Editor: Liz Sullivan

CONTRA

It’s that time of year again: time to spend all your money on gifts for other people, tacky deco-rations and tons of food. It’s time to bring out your holiday joy and cel-ebrate with friends and family.

However, what do you do when awk-ward holiday situations arise? There is a certain holiday etiquette that one must fol-low in order to ensure no one gets hurt and everyone has a good time. So here it is: 1. To buy a gift or to not buy a gift: It’s always awkward when you go over to holi-day gatherings empty-handed. If you get a gift and your friends don’t have one, they’ll feel really bad. However, if you don’t get them anything and they got you something, you will feel really bad. The best way to prepare is to get an inexpensive host gift to say thank you. It can range from food to household items. 2. Re-gifting: Re-gifting is a compli-cated art. First, make sure you note who gave you what gift. This will save you a lot of stress later because then you will remember who not to re-gift your gifts to. Secondly, make note of where you got this

gift, in case the person you are planning to re-gift it to is at the event. Then, when you are officially ready to re-gift, re-wrap the gift and go on your way. You will be the ultimate re-gifter. 3. The dreaded fruitcake: You know it’s coming; someone is bound to give you a fruitcake during the winter holidays. The only way to dodge this one is to politely accept the fruitcake and then re-gift it as a host gift at a different party (see Nos. 1 and 2). Just make sure the person who gave it to you isn’t there and everything will be fine. 4. Getting a gift you already have: One of your friends gets you something you already have. What do you do? The answer is simple. Take the gift and return it with the gift receipt to get the money back. If there is no gift receipt, sell it on eBay, or simply re-gift it (see No. 2). 5. The dreaded holiday card: If you are one of those families that sends the cheesy holiday cards and you’re unsure who to send them to, read on. List all of your closest family and friends and limit the list at that. Your neighbors don’t want a card, especially if you haven’t talked to them in months; neither does your boss or the mailman. Keep boundaries and you will save not only money, but time as well.

Twitter is the best social networking site because it is fun to follow people out-side of your circle of friends. There are athletes, entertain-ers, and funny people (such as @MensHu-mor and @miilkkk) on Twitter who come

out with new tweets on an almost hourly basis. An intriguing quality of Twitter is the anticipation for your favorite person you follow to come out with their latest tweet. People want to hear about what their favorite celeb-rity is doing or what your favorite athlete thinks about their team’s troubles. One annoying aspect of Facebook is the “truth is” status. It is mainly used for guys trying to get girls to hang out with them or acknowledge them. The irony of the situa-tion is that the truth never actually comes out; it is only what people want to hear. What really agitates me about Facebook

are the people who continually post “truth is” statuses to get attention from people. One last quality of Facebook which re-ally annoys me is “Facebook stalking.” It really makes me conscious of what I write in my statuses and what kind of pictures I post. On Twitter, no one goes through the pictures of a potential person to follow. However, on Facebook everyone filters through the pictures of potential friends. One of Twitter’s advantages is people tweet more constantly than people post statuses. This allows people to stay more in touch with the people who they follow.

Another good as-pect of Twitter is that people can see your following-to-follower ratio. There is a constant competition to

have a positive follower-to-following ra-tio. On Facebook, everyone just has a 1:1 ratio of friends. Twitter has many more positive quali-ties and less negative qualities than Face-book. Also, Twitter has some of the most entertaining people to follow. It’s certainly more exciting than “liking” your favorite celebrities on Facebook.

We live in a social world, and we need a social network to keep us all connected. Facebook is that net-work. Twitter is infe-rior because it simply doesn’t offer as much as Facebook. One good thing about Facebook is

that you can “stalk” people. Everybody has done it at least once. What is more amus-ing than browsing through your potential best friend’s page to laugh hysterically at the pictures of their dog on Halloween, or to realize you both love Vampire Weekend? Let me an-swer that for you. Nothing. Facebook allows you to invite all your friends to events at the same time. Nobody really sends invitations in the mail any-more. Simply clicking “Create an Event” has taken over. When you make an event, you know exactly how many people can come because RSVP is just a click away.

Twitter limits the size of your message to 140 characters, while Facebook allows you a very liberal 1,000 characters. If you want to pour your heart and soul into a post on Facebook, you can, while Twitter forces you to abbreviate your thoughts, and your followers aren’t going to fully comprehend how awesome you think it is that the Ben-gals are above average this year. Facebook is superior to Twitter because you can find everything much easier. When someone posts on Facebook, you can see the comments right below it, while on Twit-ter you have to search all over the timeline

for responses to people’s tweets. On Facebook, you can also find other people easier be-cause you can type in the person’s

name, school and work, which narrows the list of names greatly. On Twitter, you have to remember people’s username to find them on Twitter. What is easier to remem-ber: Mitch Casperson or lilmitchie26? Facebook is the best way to stay con-nected with friends and make new ones, while Twitter is about seeing who can get the most followers.

Old holiday moviesAs soon as December starts, ABC F a m i l y ’ s “25 Days

of Christmas” starts. The cheese-tastic stop-motion animated specials will touch your heart no matter what age you are.

Cincinnati winter activities This winter, you could enjoy the jolli-est season of the year by going to the Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo or going ice skating on Fountain Square.

DodgeballPossibly the hottest on this list, this white-hot competition will take place tonight at 7 in the gym.

Mirror picsThey just make you look silly and im-ply that you don’t have any

friends to take a picture for you.

Indianapolis ColtsThe Colts are 0-11 right now, and they don’t seem to be showing any signs of getting better. Missing Peyton Man-ning apparently makes quite a differ-ence. Could this recent power be head-ed for a winless season?

Two and a Half MenNow that Ashton Kutcher has taken the lead in this overdone sitcom, it has lost its flair and overall funniness.

Tweets of the month Want your tweet printed in The Roar? Tweet @lovelandroar about school, sports or something fun; we’ll print our favor-ites. Be witty, enthusiastic and good-natured, and follow us at twitter.com/lovelandroar. Here are some favorites from recent weeks: “LOVE Erin Pogue’s article on tattoos in the @lovelandroar!! Good job, Erin!” – highDEVinition (Devin Bart), Nov. 8 “#Seussical is one of the best plays I’ve seen! So excited for #Grease this spring!” – derbaderb3 (Darby Moloney), Nov. 11 “@lovelandroar is the Schmidt” – StellNorris (Stella Norris), Nov. 15 “Breaking Dawn made me want to break my face off. #midnightreleasewasa-waste” – chrissiecapo (Chrissie Capobianco), Nov. 18

Mind your holiday etiquette

Two staffers debate social networks’ perks, disadvantages

MItch Casperson Ryan Moss

Sabrina Newstead

Twitter Facebook

Here are some highlights of events and news from around the school:

* A shout-out to Ms. Burge and the envi-ronmental science classes for receiving the 2011 Award as Outstanding School Recy-cling Program from the Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District. The award was presented to Ms. Burge at the Cincinnati Zoo. It was given by Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune. * Congratulations to the new drama director, Sonja Hansen, and the drama de-partment for their successful production of Suessical the Musical. The show involved the help of 107 students, as well as students from Mrs. Burns’ graphics class, Mrs. Nie-meyer’s art class, LHS Color Guard, Na-

tional Honor Society, START Club, GSA, Partner’s Club, and Mrs. Bierkan’s strings class. The show was seen by nearly 1,700 people, breaking LHS box office records for tickets sold. * Support The Roar and come out to see dodgeball tonight at 7 p.m. If you’re not on a competing team, admission is just $2. Concessions will be available for sale. * Congratulations to the Marching Band on its role in the Magic Kingdom parade during its trip to Disney World last week. * Have a great holiday season! The last day before break is Tuesday, Dec. 20.

Love,your editors, Sabrina and Elizabeth

Roar around the school

Sports4FRIDAY, December 2, 2011 Page Editor: Erin Pogue

By Megan SlabaughStaff Writer

Dodgeball hits LHS tonight

Whoever said anything about rookie mistakes? Quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green are leading the surprising 7-4 Bengals in their first year in the NFL. Dalton, a rookie quarterback from Texas Christian University, shone in his college career. As a three-year starter at TCU, Dalton lead the Horned Frogs to an

Pair of rookies lead surprising BengalsBy Danny McManus

Staff Writer

During the summer, most of us are swim-ming in pools, enjoying ice cream, and re-laxing with friends. But for one individual, summer means long hours of hard work and practicing in the hot the sun. This individual is Anthony LaMacchia (12), and he is tak-ing aim at the Loveland record book. The senior shooting guard is one of only two returning starters from last year’s team. Last season, LaMacchia was third on the team with 10.4 points per game. He led the Fort Ancient Valley Conference and broke a school record with 54 3-pointers. He had a 40.8 three point percentage from beyond the arc. This year, he is looking to break his own mark, and even break the school record for career 3-pointers. The record was set by Kevin Schappell with 145 in the years 1998-2002. In order to break the record, LaMacchia needs to make 70 more. When asked how he achieves such suc-cess from beyond the arc, LaMacchia replied,

“Constant practice. All summer I just shoot. Coach Partin also has shown lots of confi-dence in me.” “He has great form, and he works very hard at it,” says Coach Partin. His great shooting skills might help him with his aspirations to play ball in college. Currently, Grinnell and Centre are LaMac-chia’s top choices. LaMacchia’s own personal goals are to make first team all-conference and be named Fort Ancient Valley Conference MVP. LaMacchia is looking to help improve the 5-16 record from last season. With the help of a new up-tempo, fast paced offense, LaMacchia is looking for the team “to have a winning record, obviously, and to win conference.”

By Danny McManusStaff Writer

LaMacchia looks to liven up basketball season

undefeated season and a No. 2 national ranking last fall. Dalton was drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft. Since taking over as the starting QB for the Bengals, Dalton has not disap-pointed. He leads all rookie quarterbacks with a 60.1 completion percentage and 16 touchdowns. He was the offensive rookie of the month for October, and lead the Bengals to their first five-game winning streak since 1988.

CBS analyst Rich Gannon said of Dal-ton during the Bengals game against the Tennessee Titans, “He doesn’t play like a rookie. Even-keeled, in control of his emotions. Not making mistakes, not turn-ing the ball over, very good in situational football. He is very, very impressive. Smart player.” Dalton is also a prime candidate for the rookie of the NFL’s year award. It doesn’t hurt to have the fourth over-all pick of the 2011 draft, Green at wide

receiver lining up. Green was the first receiver picked in the draft, and right-fully so. While playing three years at the University of Georgia, Green hauled in 23 touchdowns. Now, Green leads the Bengals and all rookie receivers with six TDs. He also leads the Bengals with 745 receiving yards. Dalton and Green have formed quite a tandem in the early part of their careers, and it seems like it will be that way for a long time to come.

Anthony LaMacchia is ready to take on a new season.Photo courtesy of Anthony LaMacchia

The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived. What is it, you ask? Here’s a clue: dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge. Tonight at 7, the student body will take over both gyms in a com-petition hosted by The Roar. Being double-elimination, all teams are guaranteed at least two games. Each member of the winning team will receive a “dinner for four” voucher from Chipotle. If you’re just coming to hang out and enjoy the entertainment, admission will be $2. If you’re coming for the sweat, blood, and love of the game, here are some tips to remember: “Remember the Five D’s: dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge,” advises Nick Kerkhove (12). “A strong soul is a strong throw,” states Thomas McCarty (12). “Don’t underestimate the strength of a woman,” Alyssa Tipton (12) says. Rachel Baker (12) is back from last year’s winning team, the Baracka Flocka Flames. “Don’t expect to win,” she said. “Win-ning last year was a magical experience that I’m looking forward to again.” In general, the event will follow gym class rules. Some particu-lars: * If you’re hit in the head, you’re out. * When each game starts, you have to bounce each ball against the back wall to activate it. * If you catch a ball from the other team, one of your players who is out gets to come back in. * If you catch a deflection, it’s still a catch; the opponent is out. * When instructed by officials, you can advance to the other side’s attack line. Pull out the sweat bands and bring your game face, because LHS is ready to rage.

Photo by Sabrina NewsteadFrom left: Jon Treloar, Rachel Baker, and Matt Beachy are back from last year’s champion team.

Sports 5FRIDAY, December 2, 2011 Page Editor: Mitch Casperson

By Kyle SiegStaff Writer

It’s almost wintertime, and that means it’s about time for snow to start coming down. Sometimes the most entertaining thing is watching athletes try to perform in crazy weather conditions. Here’s a compi-lation of some of the most extreme winter weather conditions in sports history. *The 1967 NFL Championship Game between the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys in Green Bay had a tem-perature of -15° with a wind chill of -48°. The game was dubbed the “Ice Bowl” and has forever been referred to as one of the best football games ever played. The Pack-er won 21-17 to take home the champion-ship trophy. *While the Ice Bowl had the coldest air temperature, the coldest game in NFL history via wind chill was the AFC Cham-pionship game in January 1982 between the San Diego Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals. The “Freezer Bowl” had an air temperature of -9°. With winds of 27 miles per hour, the wind chill was -59°. The Ben-°. The Ben- The Ben-gals won 27-7 and earned their first trip to the Super Bowl. *In 1950, Michigan played Ohio State for the Big Ten Conference championship in football. Over five inches of snow fell

in 30 mph gusts while the game was being played. The game earned the nickname of the “Snow Bowl.” The terrible snow forced a total of 45 punts. Michigan won 9-3 even though they did not complete a pass all game. *The first game of the 2007 baseball season had the Cleveland Indians up 4-0 on the Seattle Mariners, only one strike away from having the game qualify as complete. The game would have been a no-hitter. However, the snow was too bad and um-pires had to cancel the rest of the game and series. The game had to be replayed from the beginning in Milwaukee, where there is a roof. *On New Year’s Day 2011, the NHL Winter Classic in Pittsburgh was threat-ened by abnormally warm temperatures. The Washington Capitals were playing the Pittsburgh Penguins in the annual outdoor hockey game in temperatures in the 50s. The game had to be moved to nighttime so showers wouldn’t melt the ice. The Pen-guins lost 3-1. *A playoff game between the New Eng-land Patriots and Oakland Raiders in 2002 was played in blizzard conditions. The heavy snow caused New England quarter-back, Tom Brady, to fumble the ball while he was being hit by an Oakland player. The referee said Brady was tucking the ball so

Crazy winter weather nothing is new in the world of sports

Smiling faces welcome you the second you walk into the special education room, led by Mrs. Swaine. These kids are prepar-ing for their future in the classroom, but what are they doing outside of class? Many of the kids are involved in a worldwide organization known as Special Olympics. Special Olympics is a sports program for special education students. The program offers them the chance to be involved in a variety of different sports: basketball, bowling, dancing, swimming, volleyball, and track and field. Special Olympics works in tandom with Part-ners Club. Partners Club President Jillian Kemmet (12) said, “This program allows the kids the opportunity to do more than go to school and then just go home.” A few of the current Loveland Special Education students are participating in Special Olympics this year. Twins Kyle and David Meineke are involved in swim-ming, volleyball, and track and field. Drew Anderson competes in bowling, basket-ball, volleyball, and track and field. Sarah

Luti (11) participates in volleyball and track and field. Lucas Fields is staying in-volved by swimming this year. Although not involved yet, Morgan Holton plans to join the sports’ world sometime this year. Special Olympics hosts tournaments,

By Andrew BesseyStaff Writer

Swaine’s students savor Special Olympics

By Jessica MillerSports Editor

NBA players settle lockout, get ready for season

The Special Olympics crew and Partner’s Club friends pose for a team picture at their latest event. Photo provided by Jillian Kemmet

it could not be called a fumble. This call gave the Patriots new life, and they drove down the field for the game-tying field goal. They eventually won in overtime 16-13. Oakland players still complain to this day about the call in the “Tuck Rule Game.” *One of the most bizarre weather con-

ditions in sports history was the “Fog Bowl.” A 1988 playoff game between the host Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles was played under a blanket of fog that made it nearly impossible to see. Many players said they could not see more than 10 yards downfield. The Bears pulled out the win with 20-12.

that give Special Education kids the chance to compete. Kyle and David Meineke have earned gold medals in the-100-yard walk-ing race and in the freestyle and backstroke swimming events. Anyone can be a volunteer and help

support this program. According to Mrs. Swaine, “The kids have done a great job of volunterring over the years.” If you have any interest in volunteer-ing, see Mrs. Swaine in room 202 for the details.

If the recent trials of the NBA lockout have shown anything, it’s that the NBA is not forever, along with its players. The lockout started July 1 when the league’s collective bargaining agreement expired. This was the fourth lockout in NBA history, and the first since the 1998-1999 season. However, the lockout unofficially ended last Saturday after 149 days. After fifteen hours of negotiating the day prior, an agreement was struck. The plan is for teams to play a 66-game season. As of Monday when The Roar went to

press, players still had to vote on this ten-tative agreement. In order to vote, players must reform their union that was dissolved Nov. 14. After the players officially shake hands on the deal, the season will start. The season is scheduled to start on Christmas Day with the Boston Celtics at the New York Knicks. The season will be played until no later than April 26, 2012 – 10 days later than the usual season’s end. The NBA All-Star Game is still scheduled to be played in Orlando, with the date to be determined. Before games can commence, players will attend training camps starting Dec. 9. Due to the cramped season, rules were set to ensure the season will be played

without causing too much strain on the players. Teams will play two more home games a month than usual, but they cannot play three games back-to-back more than three times during the season. This lockout has led many players to pursue other ways of playing. Seventy-five players signed to play with foreign teams, including teams in Turkey and Israel. While many players joined other teams to keep a steady salary, many organized and played pickup and charity games. LeBron James, Ron Artest, and Nick Young are a few players who played in the Drew League out of Los Angeles. The Drew League was founded in 1973 by Alvin Willis and has become a league for

pros and amateurs to play together. Players such as John Wall and Brandon Jennings graced a D.C. pro-am league, the Goodman League, with their skills. Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Al-dridge put on a sold-out charity game Nov. 6. Big names such as Kevin Durant, Josh Howard, and Jamal Crawford played in the game held in Portland, Ore. Proceeds went to Breast Cancer Awareness, Providence/St. Vincent’s Cardio Vascular Institute and New Avenues for Youth. Fans came out to support the game while the salary disputes raged on behind the scenes. Although the NBA lockout has been full of uncertainties, one thing can be certain – basketball will play on.

News6FRIDAY, December 2, 2011 Page Editor: Jenna Myklebust

You may have seen her in the cafete-ria or teaching a Spanish class, but do you really know the new Spanish teacher with one of the biggest hearts in Loveland? Mrs. Sambuchino has a lot to offer and many stories to tell. Originally from In-dianapolis, Mrs. Sambuchino began teach-ing at Hamilton High School, where she stayed for three years. Next, she taught at Roger Bacon High School for four years before coming to Loveland. Mrs. Sambuchino loves teaching, and she loves community service equally as much. “When I can connect service to the cur-riculum, that makes me really excited,” she said. Service work has always been an im-portant part of her life. When she was 16, she began participating in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a non-profit organiza-tion dedicated to helping the less fortunate. Today she is still very involved in St. Vincent de Paul and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the local chap-ter. She is a chair on the Conference Fund,

which approves funds for specific needs of the less fortunate. At Roger Bacon, she was able to con-nect the Spanish curriculum to service by having her Spanish class write children’s

books in Spanish and hold a food drive. With the food collected and the books the students wrote, the class traveled to a food pantry in Indianapolis. “The students were able to read the

By Danielle MeyerStaff Writer

Mrs. Sambuchino jumpstarts charity work

He has the most competitive martial arts school in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. He has sent five students to compete interna-tionally. He has even had UFC fighter Rich Franklin and former Bengal Dhani Jones train at his school. He’s Officer Rod Housley, and this is Vision MMA- the mixed martial arts train-ing center he built from the ground up. For those of you who aren’t seniors, Of-ficer Rod was the resource officer at LHS until 2009. He was the guy every student liked, related to, and confided in. He is now a Symmes Township sheriff, and although he misses counseling students, leaving LHS has been bittersweet. It has given him a fresh start to build and teach at his own MMA gym. The inspiration to start his gym came from Loveland High School. Before he left, Officer Rod helped a group of pro and amateur fighters who trained in the LHS wrestling room. When wrestling season started and the room was occupied by stu-dents, the fighters promised Officer Rod

they would follow him to train if he were to open up a gym. He proceeded to do that in 2008. Officer Rod’s own MMA career started when he took his son, Mason Housley (12), to Mason’s karate tournament in 2003. “I had zero karate training, and Ma-son’s instructor told me that I should just try fighting in the tournament. So I did,” said Officer Rod. He donned karate gear that day for the first time and won two gold medals, beat-ing a tough fighter from Ireland. Since then Officer Rod earned an amateur MMA re-cord of 12-1 and now has a professional record of 4-2. “Rod gives 110 percent to his gym and is extremely giving to his fighters with his talent and time. It’s hard not to notice how supportive he is of their passion and dreams,” said Shellie Housley, his wife. Officer Rod now has two MMA schools under his belt, the main gym in Oakley and another in Dayton. Vision MMA hous-es about 40 amateur and 16 pro fighters. One fighter has even climbed his way to the UFC, while three fight in Strikeforce,

By Jessica MillerSports Editor

Officer Rod excels in the gym and the ring

books to the Hispanic kids that were there. It was a really cool experience,” she said. Mrs. Sambuchino is also the advisor for the Invisible Children club at Loveland. Ogonna Ononye (12), president of Invisible Children, says, “She has such a passion for student service, and is always able to figure out a way to get a creative idea to work as well as be productive to the cause.” Besides being busy with teaching and service work, she is currently celebrating the success of her husband, Chuck Sam-buchino. Recently, his newly published book, How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack, was contracted by Sony Pictures to become a motion picture. On Nov. 9, two writers joined the production team to write the screenplay for the film. The movie’s director is Robert Zemeckis, who has directed films like Back to the Future and Forrest Gump. Between teaching Spanish, supporting her husband’s writing career, and help-ing the community, Mrs. Sambuchino has a full plate. But it’s never too full for a quick hello, so stop in sometime and get to know our newest Spanish teacher; she has a lot to tell.

Mrs. Sambuchino loves helping others.

As the temperature drops, the winter months become more and more grueling. Most of us can beat the cold inside our warm, heated homes, drinking hot soup and sitting on the couch watching TV. Some people, however, are not as for-tunate during these cold months. But you can help. Here are some creative ideas for how to help out in the Greater Cincinnati area this winter: 1. Bring hot soup to someone in need. Whether it is an elderly neighbor or some-one less fortunate in downtown Cincinnati, hot soup is always a remedy for beating the

Winter volunteering makes for warm feelings from head to toeBy Reagan Johnstone

Light News Editor

cold. 2. Make or buy blankets for someone without housing. Head over to Jo-Ann Fabrics and choose two pieces of colorful, fleece fabric. You can make thick, warm blankets out of the fabric by following a few simple instructions online. The blan-kets can then be given to the homeless to help fight the cold, or they can just make great gifts. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of making anything, then you can also buy fleece blankets and hand them out to people in need. 3. Donate toys to a local charity. Many impoverished families in Cincinnati cannot afford Christmas gifts for their children. If you have any old toys from when you were younger or extra money that can be spent

a California-based MMA and boxing orga-nization. Four others rank in the top 100 in the world. In addition to owning Vision, Offi-cer Rod uses his business skills to organize fights. Many of his fights profit local orga-nizations. His latest fight, on Nov. 26, was held at Turfway Park, and 20 percent of the profits were given to Trevor Craft, a dis-abled boy in need of a new wheelchair. Of-ficer Rod’s next fight is Jan. 22 at Turfway Park, and future fights are being planned at Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Ind. In addition to all of this, Officer Rod

is in the process of producing his second “Fight for the Future” event at his old school, Norwood High School. “Fight for the Future” will have a wide range of fight-ers matched up, with all the proceeds going to Norwood’s athletic department. “It was awesome to see all of the peo-ple who came out for the (first Norwood) event, and we were able to raise a lot of money. We’re going to try to raise even more this year,” said Officer Rod. Officer Rod is greatly missed at LHS, but he has accomplished extraordinary things and will continue to do so.

Officer Rod Housley prepares to pummel his opponent.

on new toys, then consider donating to a local family or organization collecting toys for impoverished families. 4. Shovel a neighbor’s driveway. Ask a friend or neighbor if they need help shov-eling, especially if you have elderly neigh-bors that are unable to do so themselves. They’ll certainly be grateful. Whether you reach out in your commu-nity or in the greater Cincinnati area, there are plenty of ways to volunteer. You can also get involved with an orga-nization to help people in need. Some reli-able charities include: 1. Charity International- Your donated money helps give food, clothing, shelter, education and medical care to children in extreme poverty all around the world.

Charity International is a non-profit orga-nization, and you can even donate money online through a credit card. Go to chari-tyintl.com for more information, or call (800) 733-7201. 2. UGIVE- UGIVE is a non-profit orga-nization that offers many opportunities for high school students to volunteer. You can enter your zip code on their website to find volunteer opportunities near you. Sign up to become a member at ugive.org. 3. United Way- Contributions to this charity will help provide a quality edu-cation that leads to a stable job, enough income to support a family through re-tirement, and good health. You can also donate online through a credit card at liveunited.org.

Photo by Danielle Meyer

Photo from proelite.com

News 7FRIDAY, December 2, 2011 Page Editor: Danielle Meyer

By Steven GoodmanEntertainment Editor

When some people hear the word “math,” they get a cold chill down their spine and absolutely dread going to that class. Three certain Loveland students, though, get a warm, happy feeling inside. Perry Strong (10), Grant Portune (11) and Kate Rice (12) are not only amazing at math, but love the challenge of it. Perry is currently taking AP Calculus and is the only sophomore doing so. Per-ry’s love for math is derived from the fact that there is one specific answer for ev-ery question. “I love the challenge of AP Calc,” said Perry, “but it’s also fun to solve algebra equations.” He is hoping to use his math skills to go into the field of astrophysics; it is in this field that he enjoys debating Stephen Hawking’s theories of the universe. He first gained an interest in this field through his dad, who also has an interest in it. Al-though he isn’t a part of the academic or math teams, he enjoys doing math and log-ic puzzles like Sudoku.

Math geniuses ace LHS classes, SAT Grant took AP Calc last year as a sopho-more; now a junior, he is taking Multivari-able Calculus at Xavier University. The math class he favors the most is also Mul-tivariable Calc, although his favorite one available through LHS is AP Calc. Grant furthers his math abilities by being a part of the math team here at LHS, and he hopes to go into mechanical engineering while mi-noring in math. Kate, who is taking AP Calc this year, scored a perfect 800 on the math section of the SAT. “I like math because there are fewer exceptions, unlike English,” said Kate. She furthers her math studies by participat-ing in academic team and the math team. While she doesn’t want to go into anything as math-oriented as engineering or astro-physics, she wants to major in chemistry, which is still a very math-intensive field. All three of these students scored very highly on the SAT. Grant scored a 780 and while Perry has yet to take the SAT, he scored 740 out of 800 on the Math I SAT Subject Test.

From left: Perry Strong (10), Grant Portune (11) and Kate Rice (12) rank as the top three math students at LHS

Photo by Steven Goodman

The Roar attained second place na-tionally in the Headline Writing catego-ry in the Columbia Scholastic Press As-sociation's 2011 Gold Circle Awards. The CSPA deemed The Roar's head-lines second only to those of The Vi-king, the student newspaper at Loud-oun Valley High School in Purcellville, Va. The association, owned by Colum-bia University, ranks the top three high school papers nationally in various cat-egories. The Roar had individuals who earned Certificate of Merit recognition from the CSPA in each of the previous two years: Mollie Fitzgerald (LHS '10) and Hailey Booth ('11).

Roar deemed 2nd nationally in headline writing

Every month The Roar features several star students. Check out a few of Love-land’s overachievers. Jillian Kemmet (12): As the president of three different clubs−Partner’s Club, SADD and Start Club−she is extremely busy when it comes to extracurricu-lar activities. She does things such as volun-teering at care centers, setting up fun school events, and helping organize the Partner’s Club parties. Alicia Sullivan (11): Tied for the record for the highest individual game in Love-

Faces in the crowd: LHS rising starsBy Maddie Whitaker

Staff Writer

By Ogonna OnonyeNews Editor

With college application deadlines nearing us, everybody’s stressing over one thing or another. Take a quick break and check out these crazy true stories to get your mind off of school worries.Modern warfare for Modern Warfare Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 caused riots outside of stores everywhere as eager gamers anx-iously awaited its release on Tuesday, Nov. 8. But one Colorado enthusiast seemed to have trouble separating the concept of Modern Warfare the game from actual modern warfare. Lomorin Sar, 31, was charged with disorderly conduct for threatening to blow up his local Best Buy for not having the game in stock. Sar later claimed he wasn’t serious about the threats but was still pressed with charges for making the threat. Source: (huffingtonpost.com)911 saves lives, not phones 911 is the number to call for emergencies—fa-tal emergencies; not to mend a broken heart and definitely not to fix a broken iPhone. 41-year-old Michael Alan Skopec of Illinois learned this the hard way. Skopec, apparently devastated with his broken his iPhone, called 911 five times to bring attention to his phone-y troubles. But when the am-bulance finally arrived at his home, the intoxicated man refused to say what was wrong with his de-

vice and was charged with resisting a peace officer Source: (geekosystem.com).Lucky baby While we were celebrating those serving our coun-try on Veteran’s Day, Jacob Anthony Saydeh was just starting his lucky life. Precisely at 11:11am on Nov. 11, 2011, Danielle Saydeh gave birth to the lucky lit-tle boy at Virtua Memorial hospital in Mount Holly, N.J. Even more of a coincidence was the fact that Danielle is an Air Force veteran and husband Chris-topher is currently a Staff Sergeant for the Air Force as well. Their first son, Chris, now has a lucky charm of a younger brother to add to his fortunate family. Source: (huffingtonpost.com)My dog ate my money! A dog chewing a bone? Normal. A dog down-ing dozens of dollar bills? Unfortunate. This ill-fated situation did happen, however, to Christy Lawrenson and her husband in St. Augustine, Fla., the first week of November. The couple had saved up $1,000 to re-pair their car, but they set the bundle of cash on their counter and left for a night out. When they returned, their priceless pooch, Tuity, had bitten through $900. The couple finally managed to salvage what they could of the saliva-covered salary and got Tuity to upchuck the rest. We’ve all heard the saying “you are what you eat.” That makes Tuity one pricey pup. Source: (newsfeed.time.com)

land history is this Tiger bowler, with an amazing score of 236. Not only is Alicia a bowling star, but is also a face people might see on the Love-land stage during play productions. She partic-ipated in The Emperor’s New Clothes and Seussical.

Grant Spikes (11): Who doesn’t love pigs? This southern gen-tleman from Texas was new to LHS last school year, and his favorite hobby is raising pigs and showing them in the Clermont County Fair. Grant has been raising

pigs for about two years and plans to con-tinue going to the fair each year to see if he can increase his ribbon collection for his outstanding pigs.

Lauren Blumberg (11): She is a triple threat. She’s athletic, musically talented, and extremely involved in extracurricular activi-ties. Lauren participates in volleyball and div-ing. She is also in Wind Symphony, Jazz Orchestra, Student Coun-cil, and National Honor Society. Lauren continues her hectic schedule with out-of-school activities, such as teaching piano lessons, Girl Scouts, and working at a local pool.

Say What?!: Check out this weird news

8FRIDAY, December 2, 2011

Walking in a Winter Loveland

This is the season for being jolly, for spreading Christmas cheer (by singing loud for all to hear), and for catching up on your holiday history. Here are some details on their origins. Christmas is a religious celebration for Christians commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. However, before Christians dubbed it a religious holiday, early Europeans celebrat-ed the winter solstice around the same time. These ancient peoples celebrated the darkest days of the year by lighting a huge piece of wood, called the yule log. These logs could stay burning for up to 12 days, hence the “12 days of Christmas.” Though no one knows the actual birthday of Jesus (though it is speculat-ed to be sometime in the summer), Pope Julius I kept the celebration of Christmas around the same time as the winter solstice. Modern-day Christmas celebrations include gift-giving, Christmas caroling, and tree decorating. Kwanzaa was first created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga. He created this holiday in hopes of bringing together the African Ameri-can community. Kwanzaa gets its name from a Swahili word meaning “fresh fruit.” This hol-iday is a harvest celebration and is celebrated by eating traditional African meals, singing

songs, dancing, and telling stories. Kwanzaa lasts seven days, and on each of those days a candle in the Kinara, the candle holder, is lit. There are seven principles, one per day, and they are discussed during the candle-lighting ceremony. These principles, meant to better the African American community, are unity, self-determination, collective work and re-sponsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration to re-member the defeat of the Syrians and the re-building of the holy temple in Jerusalem. In 168 B.C., Syrian forces ravaged the Jewish homeland; killing thousands and building an altar to Zeus inside the city’s holy Sec-ond Temple. When Israelite forces took back their home from the Syrians, there was a call to cleanse the temple, rebuild the altar, and keep the menorah lit. There was only enough oil to keep the menorah lit for one day, but miraculously the flame flickered on for eight days. This is where the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah originated. Modern celebrations include the lighting of one candle in the me-norah each night, the game of dreidel, and gift-giving. Whatever you’re celebrating this winter season, don’t forget the history of where it came from and the history of all winter holi-day celebrations.

By Danielle MeyerStaff Writer

Hear the history of the holidaysContemporary

Gifts: Of course it is always cute to make a homemade gift once or twice, but Christ-mas isn’t the time. You have been waiting all year for that new laptop or purse, not a home-made card that says “Merry Christmas” on it. Save the homemade gifts for another holiday. Christmas is about bringing out your inner child, which is kind of hard to do when all you get for Christmas is a home-made card. Christmas trees: Christmas is a time to relax and hang out with family, not cleaning up pine needles every five seconds. So leave the real trees in the ground and purchase an artificial tree that looks just as real. Using the same tree every year saves money. Don’t think artificial trees look real? Well, most actually do. You can even buy spray for the artificial tree to make it smell just like a real one. Where to go: When you think of Christmas, you think of a break from school and work and time to spend with family. Well, what better way to do that than going on vaca-tion? It is a perfect time for a get-away to forget about the stresses of school and just enjoy life. It is also a great way to bond with family, which, after all, is what Christmas is all about. Dinner: Have you ever had that one disaster Christmas dinner when the ham or turkey burned or the mash ed potatoes spilled all over the carpet? Well, all that can be avoided if you just go out to eat. You won’t have to spend all Christmas cook-ing, and you can avoid all the dirty dishes after the big Christmas dinner.

Carla Weismantel (11) and Bridget Landis (11) went head to head in a debate over how to celebrate Christmas. Carla thinks celebrating it the modern way is the best way to celebrate. Bridget, on the other hand, thinks celebrating Christmas the traditional way is best.

By Carla WeismantelStaff Writer

Music: Everything in our world has changed since the olden days, so why not Christmas music? You can still keep the same lyrics, but we need new people to sing it. For example, songs like “Last Christ-mas” sung by Mariah Carey are much more liked than the traditional version of “Last Christmas.” I bet you don’t even know who sings the original song. We don’t listen to the oldies year round, so we don’t want to listen to them during Christmas either.

THEN NOWKatie Wright (9) Barbies Ugg bootsKyle Mary (12) Chainsaw SpaceshipTaylor Hoffman (11) Polly Pockets Anything but coalHannah Hope (11) Pony Xbox KinectMike Shaver (10) Thomas the Train iPod TouchCharlie Schickel (10) Power Rangers FoodJeff Prifti (9) Hot Wheels Beats by Dr. DreMario Dias (12) Nintendo 64 Mini horseRachel Wittwer (10) Santa’s sleigh bell New cell phoneSarah Brizzolara (12) Skip-It Ice skating clothes

Students jump into the holiday spirit by reminiscing childhood Christmases and comparing their old lists to their new by answering the questions, “What did you ask for from Santa when you were young?” and “What do you hope to get this Christmas?”

By Jenna MyklebustStaff Writer

Dear Santa,This Christmas I want...

In the dead of winter, most people are stay-ing indoors and curling up by a fire. These amazing humans are out doing the impossi-ble, being forever remembered in history.Frosty’s friends In 1999, folks in Bethel, Maine, made themselves the home of the world’s tallest snowman. The citizens constructed a snow-man with the tremendous height of 113 feet, 1 inch. This record was broken nine years later in the same city, when they created a 122-foot, 1- inch snowwoman that weighed in at a whopping 13 million pounds. (source: bethel-mainesnowwoman.com)The new North Pole In Derry City, Ireland, back in 2007 a strange occurrence took place. These Irish folks showed off their holiday spirit by cre-ating the record for the most Santa look-a-likes in one place. Nearly 13 thousand people dressed up to establish this record. (source: prints.paphotos.com)

“Bigloo” Twenty-six people from Bellevue, Wisc., constructed the world’s largest igloo, nick-named ‘Bigloo,” just last year. This 27-foot-wide, 17-foot-tall structure was quite the ac-complishment. It took them nearly 75 days to construct. (source: worldrecordsacademy.org)Polar bear club In 2007, a British lawyer, Lewis Pugh set a world record by swimmming one kilometer in the Arctic ocean. This was no ordinary swim, Pugh dove into, and stayed in the water for 18 minutes and 40 seconds, at a temperature of 29-32 degrees Fahrenheit. (source: environ-mentalgraffiti.com) Fantastic fruit cakes In December 2008, the country of Ro-mania set the world record for the world’s heaviest fruit cake. This cake weighted in at 619 pounds and was decorated with whipped cream and even more fruit. A crowd gathered to watch the unveiling, and they were all able to enjoy of piece of the world’s heaviest fruit cake . (source:bakingbites.com)

By Andrew BesseyStaff Writer

Check out these wintry records

Meet me underneath the mistletoe this Christmas The fire is crackling, the snow is lightly falling outside, and Christmas music softly plays in the background. The mood is perfect-ly set for you and that special someone you think about all day long. You don’t think the moment could get any better until you look up to find – you guessed it – mistletoe. The Roar interviewed several students to find out who they would like to spend time with under the mistletoe. Instead of sugar plums, Grace Samyn (12) dreams of Michael Barnell (9) all day long. Adam Beran (9) would love to sweep Megan Slabaugh (12) off her feet under the mistletoe. Chrissie Capobianco (12) has more than friendly feelings for her friend Mikey Wein-berg (12). Luke Cummings (11) wants nothing more than to cuddle up next to Lily Rodriguez (10) this holiday season. Tanner Hawk (11) longs to meet Stella Norris’s (12) eyes and warm touch under the mistletoe. All Kyle Jarc (10) wants for Christmas is

Hannah Moloney (12). Even after over a year of dating, Daniel McCarthy (11) can’t fight his feelings for Ashley Rivera (11). Reed Schle-sner (12) is mes-merized by the cool blue eyes and warm heart of Kayla Herrmann (10). Keegan Ri-ley (9) and Matt Becker (11) fight for the love and affection of their mutual crush, Stef Dever (12). Marie Poli-castro (12) hopes there is enough room under the mistletoe for both of her crushes, Pe-ter Hoffman (9) and Daniel Kiley (9).

By Alyssa TiptonStaff Writer

Carla Weismantel (left) and Bridget Landis battle over which Christmas is better.

Matt Becker (11), left, and Keegan Riley (9) love Stef Dever (12).

9Page Editor: Marie Policastro

Walking in a Winter LovelandTraditionalContemporary

Gifts: Gifts bought from the store are nice, but gifts made by hand are more meaningful. The price of a homemade gift is also a plus; you won’t spend a fortune on gifts with little sentimental meaning. A homemade gift has so much more meaning than a gift you bought at Target for $10. Christmas trees: Real Christmas trees

Carla Weismantel (11) and Bridget Landis (11) went head to head in a debate over how to celebrate Christmas. Carla thinks celebrating it the modern way is the best way to celebrate. Bridget, on the other hand, thinks celebrating Christmas the traditional way is best.

By Bridget LandisStaff Writer

VS. Although popular carols resonate in your ears every December, do you really know what’s behind the lyrics? Here is a brief his-tory of your favorite holiday tunes: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”: The character Rudolph first appeared in a book-let written by Robert L. May in 1939. After buying and distributing coloring books for Christmas every year, Montgomery Ward store owners felt they it would save money by publishing their own books. Thus, Rudolph was born. About 10 years later, Johnny Marks adapted the poem into a song, which was re-leased in November 1949, sung first by Harry Brannon and then by the more commonly rec-ognized Gene Autry. Since then, the story has been turned into various movies, spoofs and even comic books. “The Christmas Song”: This is one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time, commonly referred to as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.” Despite the happy holiday feeling you may get when you hear it, the lyr-ics actually written in the heat of the summer of 1944, in an effort by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells to keep cool. Although the jotted lines in a notebook were never intended to be a song, the two decided to set the words to mu-sic, and in 1946, the Nat King Cole Trio made the first recording. The popularity of the tune skyrocketed, and it has now become the most

performed Christmas song of all time, accord-ing to Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI). “Jingle Bells”: This song was inspired by the popular 1800s sleigh races in Medford, Mass. James Lord Pierpont originally wrote the song for Thanksgiving, but due to its pop-ularity during the November holiday, people continued to sing it at Christmastime. It was also the first song to be broadcast in space on Dec. 16, 1965, in a prank by Gemini VI as-tronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra. The two reported a strange object to mission con-trol, describing it as “a command module and eight smaller modules in front. The pilot of the command module is wearing a red suit...” and then burst out into a harmonica rendition of the tune. “The Twelve Days of Christmas”: Al-though Christmastime festivities occur on Dec. 25, some traditions believe the celebra-tion lasts for 12 days, leading up to the Feast of the Epiphany on Jan. 6. Although the ori-gin of the song is a mystery, it probably be-gan as a memory game in which players had to repeat the verses back to one another. It’s earliest printed version came in a Children’s book called Mirth and Mischief, published in England in 1780. The song we hear today was first recorded by James O. Halliwell in 1842. Since 1984, the song lyrics have served an even greater purpose than entertainment. PNC bank uses the cumulative costs of the items as an economic indicator, with the cost rising from $12,673.56 in 1984 to $23,439.38 in 2010.

By Elizabeth WorshamEditor-in-Chief

Decipher these holiday lyrics

are the way to go. The smell of a real ever-green tree is always inviting. Going to the tree farm to cut down your tree builds memo-ries with your family you will never forget. The tree may not be the most uniform size or shape, but that adds to the memories you have made. Where to go: Staying home for Christ-mas is the best way to celebrate Christmas. You can relax and enjoy time with your fam-ily. We all know the airports around the holi-

days are hectic, and the price for a ticket is outrageous. Save yourself a trip and stay home. Dinner: Some people may see cooking a holiday dinner as a hassle, but that brings your family closer. Making the perfect dinner will add to all the holiday festivities. Your family will be able to enjoy its time at home together and eat a de-licious holiday meal. Many restaurants are not open for the holidays anyway. Music: Christmas carols always make the holiday season brighter. The clas-sic Christmas songs have been around for decades; there is no need for new songs by Chris Brown or Justin Bieber. The classics like “Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night,” and “Winter Won-derland” are true songs about Christmas. The new songs that celebrities are writing are not about the holidays, but they are about love during the holidays; this is taking away from the

true meaning of Christmas.

Everyone knows when you find yourself under the mistletoe, you seal the deal with a kiss. But why does mistletoe require a kiss? In the 18th century, the English credited mis-tletoe with a certain magical essence called a kissing ball. At Christmas time a young lady standing under the mistletoe cannot refuse to be kissed. A kiss under the mistletoe could mean deep romance or lasting friendship and goodwill. If the girl remained unkissed, she can expect not to marry within following year. In some parts of England, the Christmas

mistletoe is burned on the 12th night of De-cember. If the mistletoe is not burned that night, the legend goes that all the boys and girls that had kissed under it would never marry. The custom of exchanging a kiss under the mistletoe can still be found in many European countries, as well as here. In some countries a kiss under the mistletoe is interpreted as a promise to marry, as well as a prediction of happiness and a long life. So the next time you’re under mistletoe with that special someone, remember what you’re promising that person. There could be a possible marriage in your future.

By Hannah MoloneyStaff Writer

Learn the history of mistletoe

Meet me underneath the mistletoe this Christmas Carla Weismantel (left) and Bridget Landis battle over which Christmas is better. Photo by Erin Pogue

Photo by Alyssa TiptonStella Norris (12) and Tanner Hawk (11) cuddle.Matt Becker (11), left, and Keegan Riley (9) love Stef Dever (12).

Photo by Alyssa Tipton Photo by Alyssa TiptonKyle Jarc (10) snuggles his crush Hannah Moloney (12).

Entertainment10FRIDAY, December 2, 2011 Page Editor: Ryan Moss

By Ogonna OnonyeNews Editor

Although YouTube is notorious for caus-ing those all-nighters due to taking “a quick break” while studying, it’s also a great re-search option for finding new artists. There are tons of underrated yet amazing cover artists and entertainers on the Tube. Here are some suggestions on who you should subscribe to: Alejandro Manzano quite possibly has the most angelic male voice ever heard. Alejandro and his brothers, Daniel and Fabian, form the YouTube band Boyce Avenue (search boyceavenue). Not only are their covers creative, but their original songs are beautiful beyond compare. The band previously toured the U.S. with other YouTube singers such as Tiffany Alvord (TiffanyAlvord) and twins Megan and Liz

(meganandliz), who also have a beauty channel (meganandlizBEAUTY). Boyce Avenue is currently on a European tour with another YouTube favorite, the ador-able Tyler Ward (tylerwardmusic). Kina Grannis (kinagrannis) is another singer with an exceptional voice. She be-gan covering songs on YouTube but has successfully made the transition to creating her own music. Her pure, indie tunes are unlike anything we’ve heard before, and her imagination in creat-ing music videos is mind-blowing. Her video for “In Your Arms” was made using 288,000 jellybeans, and in “Valentine” she creates a domino effect using 700 DVD cases. For more creative covers, check out

Justin Robinett and Michael Henry’s duets (justinrobinett). They put a new spin on piano-playing and harmonizing. Seven-teen-year-old Christina Grimmie (zeldax-love64) also has a knack for playing piano in her covers, and she recently went on tour with Selena Gomez. The soulful YouTuber always has new ways to sing the classics.

Joseph Vincent (hoorahjen-car) is a YouTube singer with a smooth voice that gives pop songs a jazzy vibe. His originals, like “Life of a Man,” “Bumble Bee,” and “If You Stay,”

are soon-to-be classics. The YouTube Family (YTF) videos never fail to make us smile. This inter-net group is comprised of seven super-talented, hilarious guys who feature each other in most of their videos. Many have

probably heard of Ryan Higa (nigahiga), a member of YTF who humorously mocks celebrities and rants about things that irri-tate everyone, like “Arrogant People.” But the other members are entertaining as well. Kevin Wu (kevjumba) creates videos like Ryan, but many are from funny personal experiences. JR Aquino (JRAquinomusic), Andrew Garcia (andrewgarcia) and Vic-tor King (victorvictorkim) have amazing voices that are showcased in both their covers and original songs. Victor King is also part of the breakdancing group Quest Crew with another member of YTF, Domi-nic Sandoval (theDominicshow). Chester See (chestersee) is the triple threat of the YouTube Family, being a singer, actor, and model. Be sure to browse the best of YouTube entertainers. They’ll most definitely make your day.

Find your voice with YouTube

Start with an electronic beat set at a steady tempo. Next, add the bass and snare drums, followed by the hi-hat. Then add the familiar “wub-wub-wub” of the wob-ble bass, and you have dubstep. For those of you who don’t know, dub-step is a music genre that has gone main-stream in the last couple years. It’s not particularly new, but it is becoming in-creasingly popular.

Dubstep originated from London in the late 1990s with the help of a club called Forward>>. Forward>> allowed relatively unknown DJs (now known as dubstep pro-ducers) to come in and premiere new mu-sic. This club soon gained popularity in the underground scene. Before dubstep producers gained popu-larity with their own music, they become famous for their remixes of pop songs from the radio, both in the U.S. and the U.K. Dubstep really began to get popular this

past year, with the most well-known dub-step producer being Skrillex. Dubstep is, and always has been, created using synthesizers with one “instrument” that sets this genre apart from the others. The familiar sound of the wobble bass is always displayed during dubstep’s trade-mark bass drops. So, how can folks dance to dubstep? The most common way is to jump as high as possible and then slam your feet on the ground when the bass drops. Several other

common dubstep dances are similar to ones for thrash metal-basically throwing your body around with as much intensity as you can muster. So, you’ve never had the chance to listen to dubstep? Some of dubstep’s biggest pro-ducers are Skrillex, Doctor P, Chrispy, Flux Pavilion, Bassnectar and Big Chocolate. Keep in mind that sometimes it may be easier to find these artists on Youtube than on iTunes. Take a listen to them and maybe you too can become a true “dubstepper.”

By Steven GoodmanEntertainment Editor

Dubstep is drumming up a new audience

Entertainment 11FRIDAY, December 2, 2011

By Alyssa TiptonStaff Writer

Page Editor: Andrew Bessey

Evilness

Costume

Voice

Powers

Accomplishments

Voldemort and Darth Vader are two of the most classic and evil movie villains of all time. Voldemort’s evilness is unprecedented. His murder of Cedrick Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is one of the most memorable evil acts in the history of movie making. Darth Vader takes the edge in the cos-tume category because his is much more

elaborate. Volde-mort wears a set of robes, while Vader wears a complex suit and helmet. His prop of a light-saber is also much more exciting than a piece of wood. Darth Vader’s voice is classic and very well known. Voldemort’s just sounds like he was at a

high school football game and lost his voice. Darth Vader’s trademark Kurrrssh-hh Pahhhhhh breathing is recognized any-where. Which is more exciting: waving a wand to cast a spell to kill someone, or chok-ing someone from across the room? We’ll take the choking method. Vader’s control of “the force” takes the edge over Volde-mort’s magical abilities. Neither villain kills his ultimate tar-get. Vader proves more successful be-

cause he kills the evil emperor. He dies a good per-son, while Volde-mort dies the evil scumbag that he was at the begin-ning of the series. The winner is Darth Vader by a score of 20-16.

His redemption helps him take the cake.

By Mitch CaspersonStaff Writer

Voldemort Darth Vader Categories

Face-off: Voldemort vs. Darth Vader

Christmas came a bit early this year. On Nov. 1, Justin Bieber released his first Christmas CD, Under the Mistletoe, and did not leave his fans disappointed. This CD includes remixes of holiday classics like “Drummer Boy,” “Silent Night,” and “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire).” Also, Bieber creates a few holiday jingles of his own, like “Mistletoe” and “Christmas Eve.” Bieber’s slightly deeper voice sounds perfect with its sweet yet powerful tone. As if his voice isn’t perfect enough alone, he teams up with other celebrity voices to create pure magic. Featured artists on his CD are Usher, Boyz II Men, Busta Rhymes, and The Band Perry for a little country

It’s Christmas Day and you are filled with joy as you get ready to sit down and have Christmas lunch. Not everyone has the obligatory turkey and potatoes. Take a look at some international cuisine. In England, the common cuisine is ham, roasted potatoes, Brussel sprouts, stuffing, and some extra sides. It’s not too differ-ent from America, apart from dessert. For dessert, the British usually eat Christmas pudding. This is a dome cake typically made from dried fruits, and it resembles a type of fruit cake. After baked, this cake is then put on a plate to cool and drizzled in alcohol. You then light the cake on fire

and the alcohol evaporates. The outside of the cake is then caramelized and ready to be served. If you lived in France, you would be eating smoked salmon, roasted chicken, stuffed turkey and some other more exotic foods. For dessert, the French usually have a Bûche de Noël. This is a rolled cake with a thick cream in the middle. Typically, the outside is either a chocolate or vanilla sponge cake, which is then rolled up with cream and some fresh fruit in the middle. In Spain, the Christmas cuisine includes roasted lamb, shrimp, lobster or crab. For dessert it is common to have manteca-dos. These are crumbly, airy cakes served along with fresh fruit. Some other desserts are king cake, yema, marzipan, and polvo-

Review: Bieber’s Xmas album sounds like a hit

rones. If you were Italian, you would eat a more starchy meal, including tortellini, ravioli, and vermicelli (baked pasta). Des-sert would consist of panettone. Panettone is like a sweet, light bread with pieces of candied fruit spread throughout. It is usu-ally served with tea or coffee at the end of a delicious Christmas meal. Another simi-lar Italian dessert is Pandoro, which is also sweet bread. Pandoro is usually formed into a star-shaped dome of bread and coat-ed in a vanilla icing sugar. In Japan, Christmas isn’t a public holi-day. However, the people who celebrate it would typically eat Tori no Karaage (deep-fried meat or seafood) or a form of crispy chicken. For dessert, the Japanese eat

Christmas cake, white cream sponge cake frosted with whipped cream and topped with strawberries. If you lived in Australia, you would be eating roast turkey, ham or chicken, along with stuffing and maybe some seafood. For dessert, the Australians eat Christmas pudding (much like the one in England), soda bread (bread baked with baking soda instead of yeast), and the traditional des-sert of Australia, Pavlova. Pavlova is a meringue with crisp crust and a soft cen-ter. Heavy whipped cream is added on top, and it is then garnished with berries. Now you know some of the traditional foods of Christmas around the world. Try a couple out this year and add to your tasty traditions.

Spice up your Christmas with these traditions

twang. Also, he joins Mariah Carey to create a sweet rendition of her “All I Want for Christmas is You.” His perfect voice flows harmonically with every singer he is paired with; it amazes me. If you enjoy the more traditional, reverent Christmas songs, Under the Mistletoe is probably not for you. This CD gives fans a modern take on the Christmas classics. Bieber uses his pop edge to reinvent the classics in a way that has never been done before. Fans all around the world are admiring his new songs, already having memorized every song weeks before Christmas. Loveland High School’s own Molly Query (12) is one such fan. She has an obsession with the new CD, saying, “Every time I listen to the CD, it makes me love Justin more and more. This CD is perfect, just like him.”

Justin Bieber wants to meet you under the mistletoe.

By Sabrina NewsteadEditor-in-Chief

Courtesy of Island Records

Entertainment12FRIDAY, October 7, 2011 Page Editor: Ogonna Ononye

With the holidays quickly approaching, everyone needs a good selection of holi-day movies to check out this season. If you get tired of the same old holiday movies or A Christmas Story on 24-hour repeat on Christmas Eve (although that movie is on my list), you can check this list twice and make your own choice between the good and the bad with my top picks for holiday movies. Elf- This movie is easily one of the fun-niest holiday movies I’ve ever seen. With Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf, who is com-pletely clueless outside of the North Pole, you have joke after joke. If you haven’t seen it, take the opportunity to watch it as soon as you possibly can. A Christmas Story- This film is a holiday classic. It’s the story of Ralphie, a young boy who wants nothing more than to get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas, but he is pounded with warnings that he’ll “shoot his eye out.” This movie is as funny as it is heartwarming, and is easily relatable to

We all know and love the holi-day classics such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman, and could probably even tell the stories by heart, but there are always movies and shows that get overlooked when deciding what to watch during the holiday season. A good place to look for some feel-good holiday movies is on ABC Family for its “25 Days of Christmas” marathon. It has its own original Christmas movies, such as Holiday in Handcuffs. This family favorite stars Melissa Joan Hart as a waitress who kidnaps one of her customers (played by Mario Lopez) and brings him home to meet her parents on Christmas. Another classic is the old cartoon The Year Without a Santa Claus. When Santa takes a vacation, it’s up to Mrs. Claus, with the help of Snow Miser and Heat Miser, to keep Christmas alive. It’s an old one, but it’s always a good one. One of Aaron Connor’s (11) favorite movies to watch this time of year is The Ultimate Christmas Present. It tells the story of a girl who steals Santa’s weather machine to make it snow in California, but things quickly get out of hand. Aaron said, “You’re never too old for a good Disney movie.” Another worthy movie is one of Mitch Casperson’s (11) fa-vorites, Jingle All the Way. This movie stars Arnold Schwarzeneg-ger, who plays a busi-nessman father who does everything he can to get that year’s hot toy for his son before Christmas Day. An oldie but a goodie is It’s a Wonderful Life. This black-and-white

movie tells the story of a businessman who is shown what life would’ve been like if he had never existed. Don’t rule out those movies that aren’t all about Christmas either. Laura Dop-pler (11) loves watching the Harry Potter weekend marathons around Christmas-time. “I love how it’s Christmastime in al-most every movie; it always puts me in a cheery mood,” she said. Whether you are gathered around the TV with family or friends, grab some popcorn and holiday cookies and don’t forget to pop in some of these Christmas favorites.

Pogue’s picks: Christmas classicsBy Erin Pogue

Staff Writer

anyone who has wanted just one specific toy for the holidays. Home Alone- Granted, this movie isn’t really about the holidays, although it does take place during Christmas. It’s the sto-ry of Kevin, who is accidently left home alone when his family rushes off for vaca-tion. While Kevin’s by himself, two es-caped criminals try to break into his house. Although the movie starts off a little slow, I think anyone who has seen it will agree that the funniest part is when the criminals show up. The Nightmare Before Christmas- You can’t have a holiday movie list without some sort of a musical on it, right? While this movie isn’t all singing all the time, it’s still a great holiday movie that has a happy ending, as all holiday movies should. Al-though it’s debatable whether this is a Hal-loween or Christmas movie, I’m adamant-ly standing behind it as a Christmas film. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vaca-tion- This movie is the epitome of a fam-ily get-together gone wrong. Chevy Chase stars in this hilarious take on a holiday with a dysfunctional extended family. It’s noth-ing but laughs all the way through.

Steven’s Stars: holiday edition

When Americans think of the British, they typically think the only difference in languages is the accent. However, this is the smallest difference. The true English language has many slang words and say-ings that set it apart from American Eng-lish. When I lived in England, we used

It makes you slip on an icy driveway before your morning journey to LHS. It makes you bundle up in every coat, hat and scarf you can find in your closet. It makes you seek relief from your frozen fingers and toes with a log burning in the fireplace. It is winter, and it is approaching quickly. In order to dodge the winter woes, pre-pare yourself by always keeping certain things handy. If you follow this Winter Survival Guide, you might just sport a smile through Loveland’s harshest times. Here is what you should be sure to keep with you: * A sled, because you never know when you might pass by a snow-covered park. * A fork and spoon, because with all the food the holidays have to offer, you want to be sure you don’t miss a thing.

Matt’s “DeclassifiedWinter Survival Guide”

* An ice scraper or a chainsaw, be-cause you can be sure that you’ll have ice on your windshield every morning; it just depends whether it’s a frosting or a full out glacier. * For all the males out there: a shovel, because there are always little old ladies willing to pay big money for a young man to clear their driveway. * Your throwing arm, for both a snowball fight and tonight’s LHS dodge-ball tournament. * For all of LHS’s ladies: a gift card to Party City, in order to throw the best Secret Santa party in town. * A fake beard, if you want to look like Santa himself, or if you weren’t grown up enough yet to participate in No Shave November. * A top hat, corncob pipe, a button nose, and two pieces of coal to complete your very own Frosty the Snowman. * Some warm gloves, for when you construct your own igloo.

Blimey! LHS Brit briefs us on British slang

these phrases all the time. If you are travel-ing to Britain any time soon, it’s handy to know what they mean. Here are some translations from British into American slang: Best of British – Good luck (“Best of British to you”). Blimey – Oh my God. Bugger all – It’s cheap. Bung – to put it into (“Bung it in the oven”).

Cheerio –See you later. Whistle and flute- suit (“Nice whistle and flute”). Loaf of bread- head (“Use your loaf of bread”). Boat race- face (“You have a nice boat race”). Mad as a hat-ter- completely crazy or insane. Sixes and sev-ens- a mess or topsy-turvy. Sod all- noth-ing (“It cost sod all”). Snogging- making out. Bloody- dog-gone it. Dodgy- sketchy. Bloke- man. Mate- good friend. Slag- to bad-mouth somebody. Welly- to try harder (“Give it welly”). Yonks- ages (“I haven’t heard from you in yon-ks”).

This prim and proper Brit Sabrina Newstead (12) brews her midday drink with the special little teapot shown above.

By Sabrina NewsteadEditor-in-Chief

By Steven GoodmanEntertainment Editor

Illustration by Sabrina Newstead

By Matt BeckerStaff Writer

Light News 13FRIDAY, December 2, 2011 Page Editor: Hannah Moloney

By Marie PolicastroStaff Writer

Strings Concert(Auditorium, 7:30

p.m.)

Mission:

Protocol movie

December 2011

What is HE wearing?!? Sweatpants? Check. Sandals? Check. LHS Hoodie? Of course. Obviously, these are the necessities of back-to-school apparel for the majority of our classmates. It’s a rare occasion when one stumbles upon that confident, creative trend-setter who takes the term “school style” and teaches it a lesson. It’s to this student we present the title “fashioni-sta”…. Or…fashionist-o? Once again, a leading man graces these pages in our recurring

feature. Austin Dewees (12) is one classy kid. You’ll never catch him in anything that does not exude class…except maybe when he’s working at Mike’s Carwash. His style is clean-cut and gentleman-like. From his many button-downs to dark jeans, he most definitely dresses to impress. Style: Classy. Shops: H&M, Banana Republic, Zara. Go-to outfit: “Clarks, skinny jeans, but-ton down, and blazer.” Austin advises: “Pay attention to Eu-rope. That’s where I get all of my fashion sense.”

The holidays can be full of awkward encounters, especially when gift-giving is involved. Many people are unsure who they’re supposed to get gifts for, and how big or what type of gift they should get for the many relationships in their lives. We’re here to help. Here is the ultimate guide for this upcoming awkward gift-giv-ing season. “That friend in your Spanish class”- This gift is for that one girl/boy who you sit next to in Spanish, or whatever class it may be. You guys chat in class, but you’ve

What others think about Austin’s style: “I’m always in awe of his outfits. I’m incredibly jealous of his blazer. I one day hope to dress as well and as put-together as he does today.” -Thomas McCarty (12) “He’s super fresh every day, like busi-ness-indie.”-Maggie Stancliff (12) “He’s precious. He’s the only person who would wear a blazer and a tie to a football game.”- Mitko Karshovski (12) “He’s like a little man.” -Clarissa Wey-man (12) “He cares about what he wears.” -Mr. Allison

never really hung out outside of school. A candy cane, mixed CD of holiday music and a thoughtful note will suffice. Keep a couple of these gifts on hand in case you have multiple buddies, get an unexpected gift, or notice a left-out look from the girl/boy who sits behind you. Teacher- Having block scheduling works to our benefit. We have a maximum of six teachers. Therefore, getting gifts for your teachers is not a daunting task. Teach-ers will appreciate the thought you put into your gift, so the size does not matter. A book in the subject they teach, candy, or a gift card to one of their favorite stores or restaurants would be a thoughtful senti-ment. Sibling- Siblings are by far the easiest

to buy for. You are around them 24/7 and know what they like and don’t like. This gift should show some effort. Get a gift that involves an inside joke or one to re-mind them of something you both used to enjoy together, like the complete set of Boy Meets World on DVD or the soundtrack from Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Parent- Do not wimp out on these pres-ents. Your parents deserve something fan-tastic for all they do for you and for all they put into the holiday season, specifically. I start months before this jolly season rolls around, paying attention to the little things they mention they want or wish they had. So when you’re out shopping with your mom and she says she wishes she could get a purse just like the one in the window, but

in black, go find it, wrap a ribbon around it, and anticipate the look on your mom’s face when she sees the effort you put into her gift. Best friend- She/he merits quite the gift. You know everything about each other, so finding a gift to suit them should be a piece of cake. While it doesn’t necessarily need to be sizable in quantity, it should have a sentimental quality. You can either give them a tangible gift, or you can take them on an outing and treat. I, personally, pre-fer the gift of time: doing something you wouldn’t normally do. This way, you get to spend time together and make a memory out of the gift rather than presenting them with something that will sit on a shelf or hang in their closet.

By Marie PolicastroStaff Writer

Are you lost? Check out this gift guidePhoto by Marie Policastro

Austin Dewees (12) looking fresh.

Senior Austin Dewees is a stylish kid with European influences

Buzz14FRIDAY, December 2, 2011 Page Editor: Maddie Whitaker

(The Roar will feature a top 10 list each issue. It’s completely up to the author, determined randomly, what he or she wants to count down.) For the seniors, it’s hard to believe we are nearly half way through our last year together. The past three and a half years have flown by faster than any of us expected. Here’s a countdown of the top 10 memories from our time at LHS: 10. Freshmen initiation: Who could forget how much fun it was to come in here for the first time as little 14-year-olds? The seniors looked huge compared to us, and we all had seniors that we looked up to. 9. Winter dances: Not as many people went to these as Homecoming or Prom, but that’s what made them so fun. They added some craziness to what at times could be a dark and gloomy time of year. 8. Freshmen year Homecoming festivities: We really didn’t know what to expect out of our first Homecoming week, but we showed how awesome our class is by upsetting the seniors in Powder Puff and having a great male cheerleading squad. We burst onto the scene that week and showed the whole school we were a force to be reckoned with. 7. Talent shows: It was awesome to see our classmates show off their amazing abilities in the annual talent show. Whether the talent was funny, bizarre, or awesome, it was a blast every year. 6. Basketball games: There are very few things

better in life than getting sweaty with your friends in a hot gym while watching your classmates on the basketball court. The experience of a basketball game is unique because you are so close to the action that the opponent can hear what you are saying. We definitely got into the opponent’s head. 5. In-school wrestling meets: These were maybe the most intense sporting events in high school. It’s awesome to have the entire student body cheering on some of the hardest-working athletes in the school. It’s also nice that we dominated every year. 4. Male cheerleading: All four years, our male cheerleaders were an unstoppable force. With moves that were too fresh for any other class to handle, we took home the four-peat this fall. Whether it was “The Bernie,” “The Cat Daddy,” or “The Dougie,” we showed we are the class with the best moves. 3. Junior Prom: The junior Prom was the first one where everyone in our class could go. Everyone had an amazing time as we danced the night away. After Prom was also a lot of fun with the inflatables and the casino room. 2. Football games: There’s something special about Friday night lights with the popcorn popping and the cheerleaders cheering. The atmosphere of game day was great, and we’ll all miss how exciting it was. In particular, we’ll really miss beating the tar out of Milford. Ring the bell, baby! 1. Senior Homecoming: The whole week felt like a dream for the seniors, from dominating the events, to routing Glen Este, to the dance that was easily the best yet of high school. It was awesome to come together as a class and have that night to

By Kyle Sieg Staff Writer

Want to know how to truly impress your friends and family this holiday season? Transform your bedroom into a winter wonderland. First, you will need to buy several strands of Christmas lights. Depending on the size of your room, you’ll need different amounts. It’s better to have too many than not enough. You should buy at least five more strands than you think you will actu-ally need. Use Command Strips to hold the strands of lights up. String them around the top of your walls to where they almost touch the ceiling. Another component you need is snowflakes. Make several intricate ones out of paper. Hang them from your ceiling high enough so you won’t run into them while walking around. Buy some evergreen trees. You want to buy the

How to turn your bedroom into a winter wonderlandBy Liz Sullivan

Staff Writersmall, shrimpy ones. Remember the tree in A Charlie Brown Christmas? Those types of trees will work perfectly. They should be inexpensive too. The pine smell will add to the holiday spirit. You can place them strategically around your room. Add unique colorful ornaments or garland to each tree Make several playlists. You should have three of them: a calm one, a sing-along one, and a modern one. Have these playlists ready to be played when a person walks into your winter wonderland. All these items will stun your guests, so be sure to show off your hard work. If you really want to impress them, have a tray of cookies and candy canes on a dresser. Having a winter won-derland in your room will make your holiday season magical.

Beard of the month

Bryce Plitt (11)exclaims, “My dream has finally come true!”

Where’s Mikey?

remember forever. 2-0-1-2! The year is not quite over, but it’s almost time to start moving on.

Top 10 best high school moments for class of 2012

Photo by Hannah Moloney

Photo by Jenna Myklebust

Find Mikey Weinberg (12)in the LHS library.

I hope everyone cuts out this list and looks back on it in a few years to reminisce on the good times we had together.

FRIDAY, December 2, 2011

People 15 Page Editor: Matt Becker

Facebook is a fun way to get to know others. Each month, The Roar will pick one student at random (hitting names on a dartboard) to help introduce you to new faces, Facebook style.

By Reagan JohnstoneLight News Editor

Grade: Sophomore.

Activity: Marching band.

Favorite movies/ TV shows: Lord of the Rings and Wilfred.

Favorite band: The Beatles.

Favorite class: French.

Hero: My dad.

Can’t live without: My iPod.

Pet peeve: “I hate when people leave oth-ers out.”

Fun fact: “I am half French.”

Colette Audax “Hanging out with Rachel Randall (10)”

Rachel Randall

Kelli Scarpa

Rebecca Trate

Sarah Goldenberg

Tiana Hough

Emily Robinson

Photo by Bridget Landis

Birthday:May 6, 1996

Ashley Jungclas (12)Anna Berberich (10)

Casey Baumgarth (10)Cassie Nedeljko (11)Donna Weesner (11)Elizabeth Foster (11)Hannah Sublett (11)Jordan Moragne (10)

Rachel Sharn (10)

Equine Club

Faculty Advisor: Mrs. KochLeader: Emily Hole (11)Meetings: Two Tuesdays a month; next meeting is Dec. 6 (2:25-3:15) in room 123.Events: Scheduled to ride and learn about horses at J/S Farm Services, a barn in Lebanon, on Dec. 3 from 12-2 p.m. Also planning to represent LHS in the walk, canter, trot, and

jump events in horse shows this spring.

Description: It’s the brand new equestrian club for Loveland students who love horseback riding or who wish to learn more about horses. For the riding experts, Equine Club is a perfect fit because they will get to show off their riding skills during spring competitions. It’s not neces-sary to have your own horse or any riding experience, so newcomers are welcome. Anyone and everyone is encouraged to attend.

This is your astrological guide to this month, based on the stars and the imagination of The Roar. These are completely true, but take the advice with a grain of salt. Aries (Mar. 21-April 19) – You’ve been extra tired lately and under a lot of stress. Consider not putting things off to the last minute anymore and getting some much-needed sleep. Taurus (April 20-May 20) – You know how you’ve had that craving, but can’t figure out what you want? It’s Chinese food. You’re welcome. Gemini (May 21-June 20) – Don’t freak out too much over your next big test. It is going to end up being a lot easier than you expected. Cancer (June 21-July 22) – Branch out this month. It’s time to meet new people and add some new friends to your group. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) – It’s your lucky month, Leo! A great deal of money is coming your way because of someone’s generous heart. It’s a good thing you make good tips. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) – Stop taking the safe way out. This is the month to take some risks and live life the way you want to. Libra (Sept.23-Oct. 22) – That special someone you’ve been crushing over for weeks has finally noticed you. Look out for when he or she asks you out. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) – Last month was an amazing 30 days. This month, however, is going to be rough. Brace yourself! Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) – Stop spending so much time on Facebook and YouTube. Stalking people is fun, but only for a limited time. Do your homework. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) – Work hard this month and it will all pay off. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) – You should donate to a good cause this month. You’ll definitely feel good inside afterward. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) – This month is going to be super-easy and relaxed. You’d better enjoy it though, because it may not last long.

Horoscopes

Fill your iPod with favoriteXmas tunes

Eighteen Loveland High School students were asked to name their favorite Christ-mas song, and these are their responses. “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms -Ian Jeffery (10), Alyssa Thiel (11), Han-nah Hope (11) “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey -Darby Moloney (10), Christian Przezdziecki (11) “Last Christmas” by Wham -Jenna Ad-kins (10), Kalli Barcroft (12) “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano –Alexis Boyd (9) “Jingle Bells” -Maeci Ujvari (9) “Christmas Tree” by Lady Gaga –Aus-tin Worcester (12) “Grandma Got Run Over By a Rein-deer” by Elmo & Patsy –Brooke Weber (12) “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber –Kayla Burton (12) Anything not by Justin Bieber –Olivia Legg (12) “Sleigh Ride” –Michael McManus (9) “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” by Bruce Springsteen –Danny McManus (11) “Christmas Shoes” by New Song –John Despotakis (11) “Little Drummer Boy” –Jared Witt (10) “This Christmas” by Chris Brown –Al-lie Muller (11)

By Carla WeismantelStaff Writer

Photo courtesy of Emily Hole

9

Group leader Emily Hole (11) takes the reins.

Caboose16FRIDAY, December 2, 2011 Page Editor: Steven Goodman

Tiger Holidays From opening presents to playing in the snow to sitting on Santa’s lap, the holidays are filled with great memories, immortalized in hundreds of holiday pictures our par-ents took when we were younger. With that in mind, The Roar asked some LHS students to give us their holiday pics from their days of youth. (All photos provided.) 1. Alex Taylor (12), right, and sister Samantha pose in matching outfits in front of the tree on Christmas Morning. 2. Stef McKelvey (12), right, and younger brother Matt pose on Santa’s lap. 3. Jenna (11), left, and Noah Myklebust (9) tell Mr. and Mrs. Claus what they want for the holidays. 4. Mitch Casperson (11), right, receives a loving headlock in front of a Christmas tree from his older brother, Phil. 5. Joel (9) and Tara Spencer (12) hold hands together in front of the Christmas tree and their presents. 6. Conner (9) and Preston Schrader (9), left, struggle to open a Christmas present as big as they are.

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