The Lion’s Tale
Leo Junior/Senior High School
december 18, 2015
Leo Yuletide carolers bring holiday cheer
4
christmas
diy
ideas
7
days left
until
christmas
3
christmas
recipes
10
christmas
movies
quotes
Notable
Numbers
5
dollar
christmas
gift ideas
Choir and band students bring Christmas joy to the community in their annual performance
By Corinne Roth
Special editor
The band and choir’s annual Yuletide Christmas concert
and festival was performed on
Saturday, Dec. 5.
The band, concert choir, and jazz
choir provided the music for the
guests through singing popular Christmas carols and winter
songs.
Choir
students
start
preparing for Yuletide in midOctober, while the band begins
preparations right when marching band season comes to a close.
This year, the band prepared for
three weeks. Apart from preparing musically, hours of decorating
took place within the cafeteria to
provide a Christmas aura.
This year, choir and band
members were encouraged to
decorate trees in the extended cafeteria as a Christmas tree decorating contest. Some of the students’
trees each held a specific theme,
one being Mario and another being movies, while other trees were
decorated with color coordinating
bows and ornaments.
The Yuletide festival
consisted of solos and ensembles
starting at 5:30 pm. During this
time, a candlelit dinner was held
for guests who had purchased a
dinner reservation beforehand.
The band and choir concert began
at 7:00 pm.
The dinner portion of the
show has been a tradition both
choir and band directors wanted
to continue this year.
“It is a very good meal.
Mrs. Deb Carper prepares all day
for the concert,” choir director
Kim MacDonald said.
The junior high choir also
participated through serving people who purchased dinner tickets.
Feature editor
3
christmas
games
25
days of
christmas
program
list
true
meaning of
christmas
TCID:PP
During the high schoolers’ performances, these students would
file through delivering food and
drinks.
Both choir and band directors choose the music for the
concert through sound and the
season.
Band director Bob Meyers focused on challenging, but
achievable, songs for his band to
preform, while MacDonald also
considers what the choir would
sound good performing and
ways to cater to what the audience would like to hear as well.
“My favorite song was
‘O Come O Come Emmanuel’
because it was so beautiful and
it was an extremely difficult song
for us to learn, but it turned out
great,” junior Cassidy Strickler
said.
Once the concert reached
its last leg of the performance, the
members invited up the audience
to end the show in singing “Hallelujah” with them. Some parents,
siblings and friends joined the
singers on stage to conclude the
show.
“People should come to
Yuletide to enjoy a great dinner
and to watch their friends perform great songs and serve them
dinner,” freshman Evan Snaufer
said.
This specific winter concert has been performed for 34
years, with preparations for the
35 Yuletide concert already being
made a year in advance.
PHOTO BY CORINNE ROTH
Juniors Emma Shade, Cassidy Strickler, Sophia Morris, and sophomore Bella Hadley sing in Leo’s Yuletide concert.
SSH club adopts Christmas families
By Tawni Woodward
1
Volume LVI Issue vII
Each year for the past
15 years, Leo’s Students Sharing
Hearts (SSH) club adopts a
Christmas family or families in
need.
The average American
will spend about $750 on gifts
and accessories. For example, a
family with two adults will spend
around a total of $1,500. Sadly,
many families can’t afford that.
Families send in
a list of items they want or need
such as clothing, board games,
types of food, and anything else
they may want.
The SSH club
raises money to shop for their
adopted Christmas families. To
raise money, they do things such
as selling suckers, neighborhood
walks, and collecting change at
football games.
$100 may be
spent on each person and $200 to
$300 on food, along with a $50 gift
card.
The
money
raised by students buys them a
pair of pants, an undershirt, a
tee shirt, pajamas, socks, and any
other clothing items they may
want.
Not only does the
money go toward the clothes, but
families with children will receive
a board game and a few toys. The
families ask for other items they
may need like towels and sheets.
SSH
members
shop and wrap the presents for
these Christmas families.
“This
activity
puts you in the holiday spirit
and really makes you feel good,”
teacher and former SSH sponsor
Rosi Brown said.
Raising the money for
these families comes from the
students and the club.
“The
money
raised comes from the hard work
of the SSH club and the teachers
holding Christmas drives in the
class room,” Brown said.
Many students
at Leo such as senior Robyn
Hall have been helping families
since freshman year just by
simply wrapping, shopping, and
preparing presents for delivery.
“It’s shown me that
there’s plenty of people in our
own community that don’t
have the money they need for
Christmas. Everyone deserves to
enjoy that time with their family,”
Hall said.
According
to
Brown, the families are always
appreciative and write a “thank
you” letter to the club.
People always have the
opportunity to adopt a Christmas
family; it doesn’t just have to be
through Leo’s SSH club.
Inside this issue...
Three
Christmas
Recipes
4 DIY Christmas
Ideas for Family,
Home, Tree, and
Kitchen
Fort Wayne area gathers for the annual
Lighting of Santa.
p. 12
p. 4
p. 6
December 18, 2015
Page 2
A&E
Local clothing boutiques stock shelfs
Buyers exposed to unique pieces not typically found in department stores
By Corinne Roth
Special editor
A boutique is a small
retail store that focuses on selling unique items, or clothing
targeted at a smaller market.
These shops are established
to sell a wide range of things,
products like clothing, food, or
jewelry.
Boutiques are believed
to be one-of-a-kind.
Boutiques cater to a
client who wants more unique
products and services, providing something that one just
can’t find anywhere and everywhere. Boutiques offer a more
personalized touch throughout
the store, showing their own
flare. All cooperation owned
retail stores have to look the
same, while boutiques can
look how ever wanted, since
they are not owned by a corporation. Boutiques, though,
can often charge more for what
they offer.
Unlike boutiques, department stores are not as independent or personalized,
although the clothes within the
stores are cheaper.
More and more local boutiques within the Fort
Wayne have started to spring
within this year, offering many
different boutiques throughout
the area.
Sugar Love Boutique,
Creative Women of the World,
Belyst Boutique, Mainstream
Boutique, Essentials and Frosting, Symmetry, and Urban
Hippy are scattered all across
Fort Wayne.
Sugar Love Boutique
is a quite popular and known
name within Fort Wayne area,
located in Woodland Plaza on
DuPont Road.
The name Sugar Love
was developed through what
the boutiques owner, Jill Hite,
used to call her kids: sugar and
love.
Developed from a
business plan and research,
Sugar Love Boutique was created two years ago through
a stay - at - home mom who
wanted a project while her kids
weren’t at home.
Sugar Love was created originally as an online
store, but came to life through
the boutique opening in April
of this year.
This boutique sticks to
its local grounds by using local friends as models for their
clothing, through advertising
only on social media, purchasing some ads in local newspapers.
“I have always loved
shopping at boutiques in other
cities, I started our online store
because I could work at home
and could still be available for
my kids,” Hite said. “As we
grew, we saw a need for what
we were doing in Fort Wayne.”
Hite’s plan behind the boutique is to buy things that follow current trends that hold
good price points and clothing
of good quality and pieces that
can be worn in many different
ways.
“We have more unique
items than you can find in department stores,” Hite said.
“We also buy limited quantities so that we are able to get
new items in daily.”
Belyst Boutique offers
upscale and independent label
clothing and accessories to creative and free spirited women
in the Fort Wayne area.
“I offer a curated selection of upscale items, as well
as personal service,” Belyst
Boutique owner Jill Uber said.
“I carry both local and handmade lines, things you just
aren’t going to find in a department store. Some other services I provide at Belyst include
dressmaking and in-house alterations.”
Uber feels like she
is the only boutique in Fort
Wayne offering this particular
sort of style paired with a high
level of quality.
“It is important to me
to sell pieces that are not only
special, but that will last a long
time,” Uber said.
Creative Woman of
the World takes a spin on their
boutique, being a nonprofit
boutique that empowers woman by offering business training and market opportunities.
100 percent of the profit from
Creative Women of the World
goes to the fund the mission of
training.
“I wanted to create a
non profit that helped women create a sustainable and
creative business that could
change their lives,” Creative
Women of the World Executive Director Lorelei VerLee
said.
Other than the pieces
sold, Creative Women of the
World is unique in the sense
of knowing who they bought
their products from. In their
store, story tags are attached to
every product in the store. The
tag tells who made it, where
they are from, and how they
are benefited from their product being purchased.
“You know when you
support a woman owned business, you help that woman
feed their children, send them
to school and help her community,” VerLee said.
Prices are widely
ranged in the boutique; from
beaded rings for $3.50, to recycled steel drum metal wall
sculptures for $150. Everything
in the store is uniquely handmade.
“You know that every
purchase made in our store directly helps someone recover
from poverty, human trafficking, or disaster,” VerLee said.
“When you give your friend
a gift purchased from us, it is
like giving twice!”
Christmas movies start ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas
off the holiday season
By Michaela Sauer
A&E editor
The countdown to “25
Days of Christmas” has started, and the classic and original
movies, TV shows are about to
air every day until that special
day.
The official “25 Days of
Christmas” airs on ABC Family and on Hallmark Channel
when they air original movies.
The days of Christmas have
been airing since 1996 and were
previously called Fox Family’s
25 days of Christmas. The entire showing lasts from Dec. 1
to Dec. 25. There is also an extended countdown to 25 days
of Christmas starting Nov. 22.
Non-Christmas movies and shows are aired as well.
Movies that air for example
are, “The Little Mermaid “and
“Harry Potter.”
According to freshman Leah McClees she prefers
Hallmark Channel because the
station is a classic. Mcclees’s
favorite movie is “Hitched for
the Holiday.”
“It’s super cliché
but not the generic Christmas movie where Santa has
magic,”McClees said.
The Hallmark Channel
plays original television movies and premieres new ones
every year. Their countdown
starts on Oct. 31.
Both stations air movies and shows all day long for
the most part, and thousands
of viewers watch them each
day.
“Knowing that cheesy
movies will be playing almost
24/7 for 25 consecutive days just
makes me happy,” McClees
said. “I shamelessly admit to
watching one to two movies
every night, and I watch it the
most during Christmas break.”
Some of the most popular Christmas movies always
include romance, comedy,
friendship, and family. The
most popular movies include:
“Elf”, “A Christmas Story”,
“It’s a Wonderful Life”, “Home
alone”, and, “Polar Express,”
according to Rotten Tomatoes. To senior Makala Wills both
ABC Family and Hallmark
Channel have her favorite
movies.
According to Wills,
it depends on which channel she’ll choose because ABC
Family shows all of the classics and Hallmark Channel has
movies that warm your heart.
“I really love Holiday
in Handcuffs from because it’s
funny, but also a really cute
love story,” Wills said.
The Wills family always watches the movie “Polar
Express” together each year,
according to Wills.
“I am a Christmas fanatic,” Wills said. “I start listening to Christmas music at
the beginning of November
and watch the movies all year
“Knowing that cheesy
movies will be playing
almost 24/7 for 25 consecutive days just makes
me happy.”
round.”
As reported by Wills,
the best movies are on at 8:00
p.m. Wills enjoys eating gingerbread cookies and drinking eggnog while watching the
marathon.
Senior Katie Hamilton
likes being able to cuddle up
on the couch and watch some
classic holiday movies that
bring back childhood memories.
“Elf definitely my
favorite Christmas movie,”
Hamilton said. “It’s basically a
tradition in my family. I watch
it at least two or three times a
year.”
Hamilton does not
watch the marathon every
day, but whenever she can, she
does. According to Hamilton,
Christmas is her favorite holiday because there’s an excited
feeling in the air, and she loves
the snow and lights.
“Anything with chocolate and peppermint is what I
like eating while watching the
movies; popcorn’s pretty good
too,” Hamilton said.
Fri. Dec. 18
4:15 pm Disney’s A Christmas Carol
7:30 pm The Santa Clause
9:45 pm The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
Sat. Dec. 19
5:15 pm The Santa Clause
7:30 pm The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
9:45 pm National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Sun. Dec. 20
7:00 pm National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
9:15 pm Elf
Mon. Dec. 21
6:30 pm Elf
8:45 pm The Santa Clause
Tues. Dec. 22
6:30 pm The Santa Clause
8:45 pm The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
Wed. Dec. 23
6:30 pm Frosty’s Winter Wonderland
7:00 pm Mickey’s Christmas Carol
7:30 pm The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
9:45 pm National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Thurs. Dec. 24
6:00 pm Disney Pixar’s Toy Story That Time Forgot
6:30 pm National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
8:45 pm Elf
Fri. Dec. 25
4:30 pm Disney Pixar’s Toy Story That Time Forgot
5:00 pm Elf
7:15 pm Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Provided by ABC Family
December 18, 2015
Page 3
FEATURE
Christmas albums spread spirit around Leo
By Emili Runestad
Feature editor
Every year, music
artists
record
popular
Christmas music albums that
gain attraction.
“Christmas
music
really sets the tone for the
season,” sophomore Maddy
Book said. “I’ll listen to
Christmas music occasionally
after Halloween but mostly
after Thanksgiving.”
Popular music artists
release Christmas albums.
Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey,
Michael Buble, Idina Menzel,
John Travolta, Taylor Swift,
Chris Tomlin and Bing Crosby
have all recorded well-known
Christmas albums.
“This is my favorite
Christmas album because
Mariah Carey’s voice is quite
wonderful,” Book said about
Carey’s “Merry Christmas”
album. “The album features
the classics, but also originals
by Mariah Carey.”
According to Billboard
News, the most popular
Christmas album this year is
Pentatonix’s “That’s Christmas
to Me.” The second album on
the list was Chris Tomlin’s
“Adore:
Christmas
Songs
of Worship” followed by
Michael Buble’s “Christmas.”
Christmas albums by Elvis
Presley, MercyMe, Francesca
Battistelli, and Casting Crowns
were also all in the top 20.
“My
favorite
Christmas album is ‘Christmas’
by Michael Buble,” sophomore
Shannon Aker said. “This is
my favorite album because I
like how he does renditions of
popular songs. I like how he
remakes songs to fit his style.”
Christmas albums and songs
can be lucrative for music
artists. A music group called
Manheim Steamrollers has sold
over 28 million albums of their
Christmas album according to
Wikipedia.
Wisconsin
Record
Research found that the most
popular Christmas album in
2013 was “Wrapped in Red”
by Kelly Clarkson, which was
Clarkson’s most successful
album. Her album consisted of
many traditional songs along
with some of her own songs,
such as “Underneath the Tree”
and “Wrapped in Red.”
The most popular
Christmas album in 2014 was
“That’s Christmas to Me” by
Pentatonix. The acapella group
sold over 615,000 albums in
2014.
Many
original
Christmas songs recirculate
through new famous voices.
Most of the albums listed
earlier, like “That’s Christmas
to Me,” all have many of the
traditional songs.
One example of a traditional
song that recirculates through
Christmas albums is the song
“Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” It
has been recorded in Idina
Menzel’s Christmas album,
“Holiday Wishes” and in
movies such as “Elf,” “Jack
and Jill,” and “Home for the
Holidays.”
“It just pumps me up,”
senior Sarah Field said about
Christmas albums. “Christmas
is my favorite, and it’s just such
a cheerful time of the year.
Christmas music is always
so happy and cheerful. It just
makes me so extremely happy
and cheerful.”
PHOTO BY MORGAN YINGLING
Juniors Abbey Steenman and Tori Fry enjoy Michael Buble’s Christmas album.
Families celebrate Christmas Students share their ideas
for cheap Christmas gifts
with yearly holiday traditions
Presents can be bought for under $5 and still be enjoyed
By Emili Runestad
Feature editor
Local Fort Wayne Traditions
- Christmas fireworks at Parkview
field
- Santa’s Workshop display on Main
Street
- Nutcracker performance at Fort
Wayne ballet
- Downtown holiday window contest
- The Festival of Trees at the Embassy
- Garden in Lights in the Botanical
Garden
- Fort Wayne’s lighting of Santa
Each
year
people
celebrate
Christmas with different traditions.
Some common household traditions
are making sugar cookies, viewing the
beautiful Christmas lights, going sledding,
decorating a Christmas tree, shopping with
loved ones, and (of course) giving gifts to
friends and family on Christmas Day.
Each year many people start off
their Christmas traditions by buying gifts
for their loved ones on Black Friday. This
tradition can be a great way to bond with
friends and family and save money on
presents.
“One Christmas tradition we do
every year is getting pajamas Christmas
eve,” sophomore Ellie Dykstra said. “Also,
we always go to church on Christmas Eve
and read the story of Christmas to remember
the true meaning of Christmas. We also put
up stockings and get little gifts from Santa.
Lastly, we have an Elf on the Shelf.”
According to USA Today, 88 percent
of people put up a Christmas tree, 65 percent
of people put up a religious decoration, 81
percent of people take time to reflect on the
birth of Christ, 65 percent of people attend a
church service on Christmas, and 56 percent
of people attend a Christmas show every
year.
This year Fort Wayne will continue
their traditions with the Christmas
fireworks at Parkview field, the Santa’s
Workshop display in Main Street, the
Nutcracker performance at Fort Wayne
ballet, Downtown holiday window contest
in downtown businesses, the Festival of
Trees at the Embassy, Garden in Lights in
the Botanical Gardens, and more.
Many countries view Christmas traditions
differently.
“In Latvia, we didn’t give gifts on
Christmas because it was viewed differently
because of religion,” senior Jane Makevit
said. “We gave presents on New Year’s.”
Many people have Christmas
traditions that help spread Christmas
cheer to those who are less fortunate. Some
of these traditions include volunteering
at soup kitchens, sponsoring a family in
need, delivering cookies to neighbors, and
starting food banks.
Some families just can’t wait for
Christmas and countdown the days until
Christmas using an advent calendar.
Many traditional Christmas foods
are only served during Christmas time.
Peppermint flavor, eggnog, hot chocolate,
Christmas shaped cookies, and gingerbread
flavors are all traditional Christmas foods.
“I have a ton of amazing Christmas
memories,” Dykstra said. “I remember
always being the first one to wake up and
going down and looking at all the presents
under the tree.”
By Madi Turpin
Special editor
When Christmas rolls
around, many people find
themselves in a tight situation;
they’re low on money.
Several stores push
out sales on certain objects and
then raise the prices of others.
Senior Erika Chaney believes
that Black Friday sales always
provide a good way to purchase products for a cheaper
price than what they’re originally listed for. She also searches for good sales prices that can
be found in departments, malls
and shops.
“Lots of stores offer
sales during the holidays,”
Chaney said. “You just have to
know when the sale is going
on.”
Sophomore
Sarah
Hertsel also believes that Black
Friday shopping is the best
way to go. She also suggested
searching in retailers, such
as Target, for quality gifts at
cheaper prices. For Hertsel,
the hardest part of Christmas
shopping is trying to find
something that everybody
likes.
Both Chaney and
Hertsel agree that money
is a serious factor in Christmas shopping. According to
Chaney, Christmas shopping
would not be much of a problem if money wasn’t involved.
Hertsel said that it’s harder
to pay for gifts when you are
without a job.
“The biggest problem
with Christmas shopping is
money,” senior Kray Klopfenstein said. “It’s also hard to
find a good price on something
nice.”
To save money on this
expanding issue, Chaney suggests that people research sales
and use coupons. She also
thinks putting thought into
gifts can help prevent people
from spending so much money. Klopfenstein said that people should just stop spending
so much if they want to stock
up on cash.
“Sometimes
gifts
from the heart are better than
anything money could buy,”
Chaney said, “but researching
sales and using coupons can
get you a long way.”
Hertsel believes that
people can save money by selecting the item they want to
buy and searching online for
a cheaper price. This way, she
says, they can find the gift they
want at a better price than what
it might be listed in a store.
For people struggling
with ideas for Christmas presents, Klopfenstein, Hertsel and
Chaney listed several options
for creative and inexpensive
purchases.
Chaney
suggested
pens and notebooks, Washi
tape, nail polish, hot chocolate and pictures. Klopfenstein mentioned makeup and
socks, and Hertsel said chocolate makes a good gift. All of
these gifts can be found in local
stores and departments for under $5.
“Chocolate,” Hertsel
said. “You can’t go wrong with
chocolate.”
December 18, 2015
Page 4
FEATURE
Annual lighting of the Santa
continues to attract viewers
By Mackenzie Joefreda
Editor-in-chief
Every year on the
Wednesday
night
before
Thanksgiving, downtown Fort
Wayne lights up for the Night
of Lights event.
This night begins
at 5 :00 p.m. and has events
throughout the rest of the
night. This event is free for everyone, though certain attractions may cost.
Night of Lights is just
what its title says, a full night
of Christmas lightings around
the city.
The lightings start
with the History Center Turret
Lighting on Barr Street, then
continue to the Christ Child
Festival Nativity on Main
Street, Aunt Millie’s Northern
Lights on Pearl Street, and finally to the main event of the
evening, Santa and his Reindeer at PNC on Main and Berry Streets.
Just before the Santa
and his Reindeer are lit up,
thousands of people from Fort
Wayne, and even other cities,
gather around on Main and
Berry Streets and sing along to
Christmas carols. Mayor Tom
Henry speaks before the lighting.
Another
activity,
which is extremely popular on
this evening, is the Embassy
Theatre’s Festival of Trees.
Though this is open the whole
Christmas season, it is highly
visited on this night because
so many people are already
downtown. The Festival of
Trees is $7 for adults and $3 for
children.
Seniors Abbey Keele
and Carly Myers have both attended this event for the past
five years. They both share this
night with a group of friends.
“It’s really cool to see
the city come together every
year for a tradition,” Myers
said. “It’s nice to see that people still have Christmas spirit.”
Both Keele and Myers
attend the Festival of Trees, the
Community Center’s Santa’s
Workshop, Aunt Millie’s, the
Allen County Courthouse,
and the Grand Wayne Center,
which holds little toy villages.
The girls also both make sure
to get to the lighting of the
Santa early so they can get a
good spot and to make it on the
news.
“Every year we make
it our goal to get interviewed,”
Myers said. “We end up hanging out by the news trucks
more than actually watching
the event. So far, it’s worked
every time though.”
Keele has also been on the
news and thinks it is exciting
but awkward at moments.
“I’m definitely not one
to be interviewed,” Keele said.
Many attending families eat somewhere downtown
on this night as well. Freshman
Audrey Keele has gone downtown on this night for the past
three years with friends and
always goes out to eat beforehand. Abbey Keele and Myers
also go out to eat beforehand.
Myers and Abbey
Keele have gone to either
Clara’s Pizza King or Acme
Bar and Grill every year.
The Night of Lights
is a part of the Downtown
HolidayFest, which continues
through the end of the year.
The HolidayFest includes festivals, performances, Holly
Trolley Shopping, and more.
Another happening in
Fort Wayne during this season
is the Fantasy of Lights. This
is a drive through Christmas
light show located at Franke
Park.
PHOTO BY MACKENZIE JOEFREDA
People watch the annual lighting of the Santa.
Students binge Preppy shirts become popular
watch on Netflix
By Mackenzie Joefreda
Editor-in-chief
People religiously watch popular shows
By Kelsey Carroll
A&E editor
The movie and TV
show provider, Netflix, started in 1997 and has been gaining popularity ever since.
With categories such
as scary movies or children’s
shows, there are hundreds of
options to choose from.
“I have watched 11
different series on Netflix,
some of which include Prison Break, Grey’s Anatomy,
90210, One Tree Hill, and The
Fosters,” senior Audrey Lukemire said, “but my favorite is
Grey’s Anatomy.”
According to Lukemire, she loves Grey’s Anatomy the most because it is so interesting and all the characters
are so good-looking.
“My favorite show is
The Office because the characters are relatable, and I love
the style of the show,” junior
Maddie Schroeder said.
Schroeder
watches
Bob’s Burgers, Futurama, The
Office and several others.
“If I were to choose
one series to recommend to
others, it would be Prison
Break,” Lukemire said. “It ap-
peals to both guys and girls,
and it is really interesting.”
Because Netflix has
become so much more popular, people spend more time
watching it than regular television.
“I really hate commercials so that’s one of the main
reasons why I choose to watch
Netflix,” Lukemire said. “I also
never have to wait for the next
episode.”
Schroeder said she
spends at least 30 hours per
week.
“I love that there are
no commercials so I can easily binge watch my favorite
shows,” Schroeder said.
Lukemire said that
on the weekends she usually
watches a whole series, but
during the week is usually
about 10 episodes.
“My family got rid of
cable so we could have Netflix,
and now I binge-watch shows
all the time,” senior Katie
Hamilton said.
According to Hamilton, the show she would recommend to others is Friends.
“It is a really funny,
light-hearted show that brings
your mood up after a long and
tiring day at school,” Hamilton
said.
PHOTO BY MACKENZIE JOEFREDA
Vineyard vines sells authentic preppy t-shirts.
Preppy t-shirts have become a popular
trend among students.
There are many different brands of
these t-shirts including Vineyard Vines, Ivory
Ella, Simply Southern, Carolina Girl, Southern
Preppy, and many more.
The most popular type of these t-shirts
is long-sleeved and short-sleeved. Vineyard
Vines, however, has more preppy styles also, including polo shirts and dress pants and shorts.
Many girls are coming to love these
shirts. Senior Abbey Keele and freshman Madi
Forte have Vineyard Vines long-sleeved t-shirts.
Vineyard Vines’ t-shirts have a signature whale
on the back, and the logo down one of the
sleeves.
“My favorite is Vineyard Vines because
they have a cool style and design,” Forte said.
Senior Sarah Field owns an Ivory Ella
long-sleeved shirt. Ivory Ella is associated with
the organization called Save the Elephants. The
company donates 10 percent of their net profits
to Save the Elephants.
Ivory Ella shirts have their logo, an elephant, on the backs of the shirts.
“My default favorite is Ivory Ella,” Field
said. “Elephants are so cute, and Ivory Ella is a
great way to financially support the cause of
helping elephants to not become extinct.”
Each girl discovered these shirts on either social media or on vacation in a southern
state.
These shirts have a nicer feel to them
than regular t-shirts. According to Forte, they
have a great quality. Because of this, and since
they are more preppy styles of shirts, girls can
feel like they are dressing themselves up, as opposed to wearing a regular t-shirt and sweats.
“I don’t like not dressing up, so for me,
I still feel casual, but nice when wearing them,”
Keele said. “They are comfy but still fashionable
t-shirts.”
Because these shirts are name brand
and made with different, softer material than
other t-shirts, they tend to be more expensive
than regular, generic t-shirts.
One can buy a simple t-shirt for around
$10, but these new preppy t-shirts are sold anywhere from $25-$50.
Keele does not believe the shirts should
be sold for this much money.
“For some brands such as Ivory Ella, the
money you spend on the shirts goes to a good
cause,” Keele said. “I do not think the companies who keep all the money should have such
high prices.”
Though some may think the shirts are
too expensive, the shirts continue to grow more
popular.
All of the companies have online stores,
and several of them have stores in southern
states as well. Many have accounts on social media websites, like Instagram and Twitter, too.
December 18, 2015
Page 5
OPINION
Christmas loses true meaning over time
By Alyssa Gross
Editor-in-chief
Christmas originally
was celebrated by Christians
to remember the birth of Jesus
Christ. Christmas
is now celebrated by people
around the world, whether
they are Christians or not. It
has become a time where family and friends come together
and remember the good things
they have and the important
things they love.
Many though, are to
believe that the true meaning of Christmas has been
removed from the commercialized version. Instead of
celebrating the love we have
in our lives and/or the birth of
Jesus, people are now more focused of whose house can be
the most decorated and what
gifts to buy to satisfy the other.
Large and small companies use and abuse the
Christmas season for their
greedy desires.
Ever wonder why you
see Christmas decorations or
Christmas-related items in
several aisles of stores in the
middle of October. It’s actually pretty simple. Stores know
that Christmas is the biggest
gift buying seasons of the
year so why would they not
put their merchandise out as
soon as they can, in hopes of
increasing their profit.
According to The
Statistic Portal, in 2013 the
total retail industry sales in
the United States amounted
to about 3.08 trillion U.S. dollars. It’s very obvious that our
world, especially our country,
has become driven by the power of a dollar.
Christmas is the time
of the year in which people
should recognize all the amaz-
ing things they have in their
lives, not the amazing things
they want in their lives.
It’s the season of giving. Now that doesn’t just
mean giving expensive gifts
to your friends and family; instead, it means giving little acts
of love. For example, baking
cookies for your local fire department to show your appreciation for their hard work and
long hours, volunteering at a
homeless shelter to give those
less fortunate a happier Christmas, volunteering at a children’s hospital to help spread
smiles and Christmas cheer to
those who are sick and locked
PHOTO PROVIDED BY SARA GIBBONS
Senior Sara Gibbons and her sister sit on Santa’s lap after volunteering for Christmas.
in the hospital for Christmas,
or teaching Sunday school to
the children of your Church.
It can even mean something as
simple as making a homemade
meal, card, or memento for
your family to show your appreciation for all they do.
Christmas season is
the time of the year in which
we all should just take a break,
watch Christmas movies with
our families while eating
snowflake-shaped
cookies,
and appreciate all the love that
surrounds you.
Commercialization
and the greediness that seems
to affect the majority of society
is always going to be present
no matter how hard one tries
to terminate it. Instead though of focusing on how to rid the planet
of this Christmas corruption,
we need to focus on ourselves
and how we can embody the
Christmas spirit. If we all do
our job in remembering that
Christmas is the season of love,
giving, and of Christ, then it
shouldn’t matter whether or
not stores start selling Christmas items in October.
Turn on and sing along
to “The Christmas Song” while
you drink hot chocolate and
stare at the beautiful lights
and ornaments covering your
Christmas tree. Remember all
the love you have been blessed
with in your life, all the happy
memories you have made of
the years, but most importantly give love to those around
you so their Christmas can be
a merry one.
Social network sites release false truths about celebrities
By Allison Dearing
Feature editor
Media and social networking sites have become
such a big part of society’s everyday life. More and more
the press has been releasing
“breaking news” about celebrities and everyday people that
are far from the truth.
One of the most wellknown tabloids is the National
Enquirer. According to their
website, their focus is around
“celebrity gossip, scandals, and
the latest from Hollywood.”
If it’s supposedly gossip, why do they still publish it? They know it’s just for
themselves and the company,
yet people’s careers and relationships can be ruined because of them.
Former NFL player
Ray Lewis is one celebrity who
has been accused of something
that never actually happened.
In January of 2000, two of Lewis’ friends were killed. Blood
was later found in Lewis’ limo
and received a year of probations and a $250,000 fine by the
NFL.
According to Sports
Illustrated, “charges against
Lewis were later dismissed
and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges for obstruction
of justice.”
Since then, Lewis has
received backlash from the
accusations and has written a
book where he addresses the
night he was involved in.
Another example of
the media taking rumors out
of proportion is the bombing at
the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta,
Ga.
Richard Jewell, a security guard at the time, was
Response to editorial
By Steve Gabet
Greeter
The last issue of The Lion’s Tale
contained an editorial suggesting that the
daily recitation of The Pledge of Allegiance
results in the loss of its meaning and
significance and needs to be said once a
week at most.
The argument was well written
and the writer’s point of view was
very understandable and probably
representative of a good number of her
peers. As a high school student, I remember
making a conscious decision to stand with
my legs spread and my hands down to
my side during The Star Spangled Banner
because it was a little too nerdy to stand at
attention and put my hand over my heart. I
did respect both of these rituals but did not
fully understand their meaning. The purpose of social ceremonies
and rituals is to draw peoples’ attention
and focus to important values or beliefs.
Sometimes they are serious like weddings
and funerals and sometimes they are simple
parts of the everyday fabric of life. Every
day, for example, one hears a multiplicity
of, “Hi! How are you?” and, “Have a good
day.” Yet, even during seventh period
these greetings don’t lose their meaning.
It is not that the pledge has lost
its meaning from overuse. It is that the
typical student only performs it as a respected
tradition and not as a reflection of some pretty
important values. It is like young children
responding to their parents’ demands to go
to church, eat their vegetables and be polite
to the very elderly next door neighbor. Parents are trying to teach a larger principle
which their kids may not yet comprehend;
however, to ignore the principle relegates it to
insignificance.
Even after, as both a student and
teacher, having said the pledge every school
day for fifty-three years my thoughts go to
the goals and great promise of our country. It is a belief that every person is equal and
endowed with certain unalienable rights. Though my pride in the pledge is tempered
by the fact that my country has not always
lived up to this lofty goal, I am encouraged
and enthused that, more than any other
country in history, we have held these goals
high and have continued to strive to meet
them. Further, we have provided a system
which allows public discourse and a process
whereby the aggrieved, disadvantaged and
discriminated can pursue the change which
would more accurately reflect our ideals. It really is SO EASY to take for granted the
political, economic, religious and social
liberty which is the general condition in our
country but the pledge is twenty seconds to
recognize, appreciate and recommit ourselves
to maintaining these values of human freedom
and dignity. It is time well spent!
wrongfully suspected of setting off a deadly bomb. There
was a story that leaked to the
media that Jewell was the
bomber himself and “sought
publicity for saving people
from the explosion,” according
to Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS).
Jewell’s lawyer, Lin
Wood, even thought that Jewell was once guilty.
In an interview with
CBS, Wood said, “I actually believed what I saw on television
and what I read in the newspapers and I thought that the
FBI had their man and the man
was Richard Jewell.”
People every day are
falsely accused of different situations. Whether you are used
to being on the front page of
a newspaper, or no one’s ever
heard your name before, the
media does whatever it takes
to get people reading their articles.
The press should get
their information straight before publishing anything that
could potentially ruin someone’s life. It’s not worth changing someone’s life for the worst
just to get an interesting story
for the audience to read.
All sports deserve equal respect
By Alexis King
Editor-in-chief
People may think that
golfing, racing, bowling, etc. are
not sports but they are and should
be respected as sports.
In other words if something is physically demanding and
requires one to have some skills it
could be considered a sport.
Some think just because
golfing, racing, bowling, etc. don’t
require you to be the fastest or the
strongest that they shouldn’t be
considered a sport, but they are
all physically demanding in some
way.
Other athletes may say
that those things don’t take as
much as what soccer or basketball
would, but they are wrong. For example according to Livestrong the
average golf course is about 6,000
yards long. This means that for a
round of 18-holes walking, a golfer walks on average about three
and a half miles per round of golf.
Walking three and a half
miles in the hot sun, freezing cold,
or sleet is physically demanding
on anyone’s body, and not everyone would be able to do it while
also carrying a golf bag full of
clubs. Golfers still have skills and
need to be in shape to compete in
the sport. They deserve respect
just like the football players.
Another example would
be racing. According to Street
Directory, the temperature in a
NASCAR race car can reach up
to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. That
alone is physically demanding
on the body. Then add the speeds
they are traveling with how long
the race is. Not just an average
person can do this.
A race car driver has to
have skills to control the car so
they don’t go crashing into the
wall and has to be physically prepared for the conditions they experience in the car. Both of those
things are in the definition of what
a sport is.
Like the definition says, a
sports is something that requires
skills and physical ability so the
events where someone is running
the whole time, tackling someone
to the ground, kicking the ball
across the field, or hitting the ball
as far as they can with a bat are
not the only ones considered a
sport.
The people who compete in the sports like racing, golf,
bowling, boxing, etc. should all be
considered athletes because athletes are people who compete in
a sport. They deserve the respect
just like the other athletes.
December 18, 2015
How to:
Page 6
SPECIAL
Make your own Christmas
Provided by Pinterest
For the Family
Lettered
Painted Mugs
Materials needed:
For the Home
Lighted
Burlap Garland
Materials needed:
Mugs ($1 at Dollar Tree)
Oil Based Sharpie Paint Pens
Letter Stickers
Oven
Burlap Ribbon
(multiple or one color)
White Mini Lights
Scissors
Instructions
Instructions
Step1: Place the sticker on the mug how
you would like it.
Step 2: Using the paint pen, make dots
all around the sticker.
Tip: Make sure the dots are full around
the letter, if it isn’t as full the letter will be
harder to see.
Step 3: Once you have the design you
want peel off the sticker.
Step 4: Heat your oven
to 350 and bake the
mug for 30 minutes.
For the Tree
Personalized
Wire Ornaments
Materials needed:
12 Gauge Aluminum
Jewerly Wire
Twine or Yarn
Super Glue
Pliers with Cutter
Step 1: Cut the burlap into 8-10 inch
pieces.
Step 2: Cut those pieces vertically down
the middle.
Step 3: Knot the burlap around the wire.
Tip: You can use any pattern to tie
the
colors
Step 4: Repeat the steps over and over until you have the finished product.
For the
Kitchen
Hot Chocolate Mix
Gift in a Mason Jar
Materials needed:
1 3/4 cup non-fat dry milk
powder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
powder
Instructions
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Step 1: Write or print out letters in
Mini chocolate chips
desirable font.
crushed candy canes
Step 2: Cut out wire long enough to trace mini marshmallows
the letters of the name.
Mason Jar or large glass jar
Step 3: Make a loop at the beginning of
the name with the wire.
Step 4: Follow the lines of each letter with Instructions
the wire. (use pliers to pinch tight corners)
Step 1: First, layer ingredients in jar.
Tip: use tape to hold down letters!
names with T or X wil require an Be sure to put powders on bottom so
that they don’t sink through the chips
extra wire to be glued on
Step 5: Make a loop or heart at the end
When ready to use:
of the name with the wire.
Step 1: mix ingredients well
Step 6: With yarn, tie a knot at the top of
Step 2: Add 1/2 mix to 1 cup boiling water
the name. Secure with glue
Step 3: Stir completely until combined
Step 7: Wrap the yarn tightly around the
wire. Repeat step 5 when you reach the
end.
December 18, 2015
Page 7
ADS
December 18, 2015
Page 8
SPECIAL
e
t
i
r
o
v
a
f
’
s
t
n
e
d
u
t
s
e
h
t
Match
e
t
i
r
o
v
a
f
r
i
e
h
t
m
o
r
f
e
quot
e
i
v
o
m
s
a
Christm
A) “Bye Buddy...hope you
find your dad!”
B) “We elevs try to stick to
the four main food groups:
candy, candy canes, candy
corns, and syrup!”
2.
C) “Those Whos are hard to
frazzle, Max. But, we did our
worst, and thats all that
matters.”
3.
1.
D) “Oh the Who-manity!”
E) “Maybe Christmas he
thought doesn`t come from
a store, maybe Christmas
perhaps means a little bit
more.”
6.
4.
G) “Saving you? I noticed
you were improperly
packaged!”
8.
H) “SANTA!!!”
I) “Dad you are ruining
Christmas!”
J) “Ralphie looks like the
deranged Easter bunny!” 9.
7.
10.
1. J, 2. H, 3. G, 4.E, 5. B, 6. C, 7. F, 8. D, 9. A, 10. I
F) “She falls down a well her
eyes go crosseyed...she gets
kciked by a mual they go
straight again. I don`t know!”
5.
December 18, 2015
Page 9
SPECIAL
Holiday Games
Help S
a
nta
find hi
s way
to
the pr
esents
I P V P MG E J S T C X MO E
G WUNRZAOLCRKI MO
VBQI QI BY E NOE VWT
NPNARDY NI UF F E UE
CCXOPS AF GHT ODNL
HDHJ CCT MHGCWUJ T
XCE I Y ODHS RE OCY S
YNI DAPOTGF RAYHI
AVNCDS F KEI ZTZYM
SAEM
QIIKIPLNYLE
CGONGGEL VES AHHP
I DSSNOWMANSSOEW
J OKJ KY WOE QBI HND
J KJ DZAPL I NYKPKL
L ZCVAF QWJ BRGZHZ
Words to Find:
CANDYCANECOOKIESEGGNOGELVES
GIFTSGRINCHJOYLIGHTS
MISTLETOESANTASLEIGHSNOWMAN
TREE
Unscra
words mble the
to solv
hidden
e the
Christ
mas
messa
ge
December 18, 2015
Page 10
ADS
December 18, 2015
Page 11
ADS
December 16, 2015
Page 12
SPECIAL
Lion’s Tale Cookbook
‘Tis The Season To Eat Great Food
*Christmas Strawberries*
Ingredients :
1 (12 ounce) can condensed milk
1 (6 ounce) package strawberry gelatin
14 ounces fine coconut
Green icing
Directions :
Mix together, reserving 2 tablespoons of the straw
berry jello powder.
Chill the mixture.
Shape into strawberries, roll in the reserved jello powder.
With the green icing, make a"hull" at the tip of the strawberries.
Chill until firm.
Provided by Elesha Stuckey
*Peppermint Bark*
Ingredients :
2 pounds of white chocolate
30 small peppermint candy canes
Directions :
Line a large jellyroll pan with heavy-duty foil
Place white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl.
Heat in microwave on medium setting for 5 to 6 minutes.
Stir occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
Place candy canes in a plastic bag, or between two pieces of waxed paper.
Using a mallet or rolling pin, break the candy canes into chunks.
Stir peppermint into melted white chocolate.
Spread evenly in pan, and chill until set, about 1 hour.
Provided by Elesha Stuckey
*Frozen Fudge Pie*
For Crust :
25 Vanilla Wafers (crushed)
½ cup pecans (chopped)
½ cup melted butter
Spread in 9’’ pan
Bake at 300 for 15 minutes
Cream :
1 cup + 2 tblsp of sugar and ¾ cup butter
Add :
1 tblsp vanilla
2 squares unsweetened chocolate (Use nestle premelted
packs – use two packs)
3 eggs. Beat & add each egg individually. Beat one egg at a
time for 4 minutes.
Pour in crust & sprinkle with nuts
Provided by Cheryl Ashton