December 2019

The 2019-20 National Honor Society members pose for a group photo at the

conclusion of the induction ceremony held in the cafe on December 8, 2019.

Rochelle Eastman joined older brother Quinton as a member of NHS this year.

The new NHS members are ready and eager to begin service to our school and local community.

The annual Faculty "Ugly Sweater Day" was held on Friday, December 20, 2019. The competition was, as always, fierce this year with many worthy participants. Once again, the sartorial discernment of Mr Babin proved the difference. Mr B proudly walked away with the distinction of wearing one truly ugly (but seasonally spirited) sweater!

Christmas in Littleton

Stephen Lucas ~ December 6, 2019

It is finally Christmas season, and it is making a buzz all around town. Christmas season for everyone generally starts around after Halloween and goes until the middle of January. All throughout people are Christmas shopping, there are Christmas specials on TV, people putting up decorations, and many more things all "ChristmasChristmas". Some of the most popular Christmas events are the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which may not sound Christmassy, but there is a lot of Christmas things, and it ends with a giant Santa float. There is also a Christmas parade that happens Littleton the day after Thanksgiving, where they have businesses and clubs from the area join in, and they all show the Christmas spirit. Plus, now is the time where families start to go out and look for a Christmas tree. All of these events make time unique and very enjoyable.

For the school, all of the students are waiting for Christmas break ever since getting back from the five-day break they got for Thanksgiving. This year the winter break is going to be exceptionally long with it being a full two weeks off starting the 20th and ending on the 5th. This is the longest the break has been in years with last year's break being one of the shorter ones with it only being a week and a half long. Over the break, there will still be extracurricular activities such as basketball and cheer. The only days not available are the 24th and the 25th because the staff plan to clean the gym floor. Other than that, all of the teams will be practicing throughout all of the breaks.

About Christmas, junior Cole Hadlock said, "I go to my grandparents’ house, and we read ‘The Night Before Christmas’ the night before 'ChristmasChristmas'. We also hide a little pickle thing in the tree and whoever finds it gets to be Santa." When asked about his favorite part, Hadlock said, "I get to eat a lot of food with my family. My favorite present that I've gotten was when I was like 11, and I got an Xbox 360, and all I did for the rest of the break was play that because I got fishing simulator. Other than that, my Christmas in the past has been really good, and I'm excited for this year because my mom said that I could get a lot of presents that I ask for so I can help choose, so it's pretty dope."

Everyone is in the Christmas spirit, especially when getting into the car, the first thing heard is Christmas music playing on every station with a variety of selections of the genre. Many other people have an advent calendar, which is a little surprise every day of December until the 24th, which leads to the big day. All of these details make this time of year enjoyable and promising for the new year to come.

Steps to Responsibility

Jaxon Edwards ~ December 1, 2019

This isn’t going to be a dictionary, reference manual or a handbook on the topic.

Responsibility is something you find on your own time and something you become acquainted with freely. The majority of the people who are around display this attribute in some way. Maybe they just got a promotion because they are responsible enough to be trusted more. Sometimes it could even be as simple as keeping a secret for a friend you have known since kindergarten.

The point of it is to not spread that secret or slack off after the promotion. You do your best for the person who trusted you and you complete your task to your fullest ability.

Now I know I’m not the perfect person to be talking about this because I slack off all the time and fight back with all my being. But for the people out there who are reading this and finding this to be an awakening, all the power to you. Responsibility comes with a few steps and rules to follow.

The first being: Never ever do something to lose trust and lose the fire in you that makes you trustworthy. You are you. You might have a different method of upholding personal standards and that puts you at an advantage. Another thing to remember is to do your damned near best. Never slack. Once you do, the train will leave you behind and keep rolling. Your best is needed even when it is hard. Finally, you need to understand the meaning behind it all. If you run blind, you’re basically useless. Sure you might get lucky and get something right, but it’s dumb luck. You need to understand everything and thrive to understand even more.

It might seem stupid to you but this concept is a lost art that slowly diminishes as the days go on. Our newer generations does not understand how responsibility works. We don’t want to be the people who our parents were or be like our grandparents. We want to be totally different and we can be that, but we cannot disregard the general rules of responsibility.

If we use responsibility to benefit us AND TO SHOW OUR BEST we are true MVPs. We are the best generation only if we act on our responsibilities, duties and we trust and let others trust us.

As Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to PREPARE, you are preparing to fail.” You need to prepare to be the best in order to be the best. You need to prepare to push yourself the furthest and hardest to be trusted the most.

Update on Kicks for Your Dogs

Austin Marquis ~ December 6, 2019

Whether you are looking for a new pair of shoes for yourself or looking to make some money by reselling, December is the right month. Big-name brands like Jordan, Yeezy, Off-White, Nike, and Adidas are all releasing popular sneakers.

This month already the Nike Doernbecher Freestyle 2019 Collection has dropped. This collection is made up of six pairs of shoes that have been completely designed by young patients that have gone to the OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. Since 2004, the program has raised over $27 million dollars for Doernbecher.

The A Ma Maniére X Nike Air Force 1 is another shoe that has already came out this month. The shoe’s retail price was set at $170 but the high demand has raised the re-sell price to around $500, a couple of people have bought them for over $1,000. The shoe consists of a soft tumbled leather and suede wrap on the midsole giving the Nike Air Force 1 a new revamped look.

On the 12th, the Off-White x Nike Waffle Racer SP and the Adidas Yeezy Boost 380 Alien are releasing. The Waffle Racers will have little resell value but the Aliens are a different story. They have a lot more hype behind them, so their re-sell price should go up about $200 from their $230 retail price.

On the 14th the highly anticipated Jordan 11 Breds are set to drop. If you know anything about sneakers you should know the signature Air Jordan 11 silhouette and the famous black red colorway. Stocks are very high on the shoe, making them pretty easy to cop. This, unfortunately, means that there is very little money to be made if you are planning to re-sell.

From the 16th to the 20th five different Yeezys are coming out. First is the Yeezy 500 high, it looks very similar to the previous 500’s but it features dark blue neoprene material with black suede overlays on the adiPrene sole. Next is the Yeezy Boost 350 v2 ‘Yeezyreel’ a very similar looking shoe to the Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Glow In The Dark. There are two versions available, one is non-reflective and has a retail price of $220, while the other has 3M reflective throughout the shoe and is priced at $250.

A day after the Yeezyreels come out the Yeezy Boost 700 ‘Carbon Blue’ drop. The name is a little deceiving because they feature a gray, light blue and orange sole with blue and grey leather overlays with no carbon blue. Retail is pricey, costing $300 and predicted resell is only around $350 so there is little profit to be made.

On the 19th the Yeezy Boost 350 v2 ‘Yecheil Reflective’ are dropping. The shoe features a black primeknit upper with reflective white threads along with hints of red and yellow accents. Just like every other 350 v2, the will have a stripe that is black and a boost sole that is covered in black rubber.

A day later on the 20th the Off-White x Nike Dunk Low are set to release. There are three different color ways including a red and white, green and white, and a navy blue and yellow. Retail price is $170 but the high popularity will cause re-sell price to go up to $600-700.

I talked to some of my classmates and asked them about their thoughts of these shoes. One of them said that some of them look really cool but are overpriced and that you must be crazy if you are paying the re-sell price. Another said that they thought that all the shoes were ugly and that he never pays over $100 for a pair of shoes.

If you plan on getting any of these shoes, good luck. Most of them will sell out in a couple of seconds but it's always worth a shot. If you're not going to buy any then I hope you learned a little more about kicks for your dogs.

Christmas and its Meaning

Sadie Lucas ~ December 10, 2019

Why is Christmas such an important holiday? Christmas is an important holiday because you get to spend time with your family. This holiday is very exciting and beautiful.

Christmas is a festive holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25. This holiday is celebrated by millions of people in the world. The word Christmas is a combination of Christ and Mass. Christmas is a time where families get together and remember the good things they have and to be thankful. The Christians distinguished between the birth of Jesus and the celebration of this event. Christmas Day has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870. Christmas trees came into America in the 1830s and became very popular until 1846. After Thanksgiving and Black Friday, a lot of people start getting ready for Christmas.

The big guy with a white beard and red suit is Santa Claus. He is traced back many years to be a monk named St. Nicholas. This legend brings toys to boys and girls on Christmas Eve. It is essential to have your children know that Santa is real for as long as possible, so it doesn't ruin their childhood while thinking otherwise.

There is a lot of fun things to do around Christmas. Christmas movies are often watched around Christmas, too. The most popular Christmas movie is “Home Alone”, released in 1990. Another popular movie that families watch is “How The Grinch Stole Christmas”, released in 2000.

In Littleton, there is a parade every year. It is a Christmas parade. There is a lot in the parade, such as floats for individual businesses, veterans, toys for tots, the Red Sox Mascot, horses, and so much more. Also, something fun you can do with your family is going to Santa's Village in Jefferson. Families will have a lot of fun there meeting with Santa Claus. Baking cookies and decorating your house is a great thing to do with your family.

Christmas is very exciting for kids. The night before Christmas is called Christmas Eve. A fun tradition is the Elf On The Shelf. It can help with your children's behavior. The idea of the elf on the shelf is that it is Santa’s helper who watches the children every day and each night. There is a lot of fun ideas to do with it.

The most exciting part about Christmas is opening presents and seeing what you received. Everyone should be thankful for what their parents can do for them. Christmas shopping is very stressful and expensive. There are fun activities like making gingerbread houses, building snowmen, and so much more. Also, getting your Christmas tree and putting it together with your family is essential. There is a phone number for kids to call to talk to Santa Claus and tell him what they want for Christmas.

On Christmas, something fun to do is make gingerbread houses. The icing holds the houses together. They are decorated with candy. Baking cookies is a fun thing to do, and you can make sugar cookies and decorate them with frosting. Around this holiday, you should use cookie cutters such as Santa, snowmen, wreaths, ornaments, and snowflakes. Also, you can make gingerbread cookies and many more to give family and friends a treat for Christmas.

Holiday Season Activities

Parker Paradice ~ December 18, 2019

The Christmas holiday for most is an exciting time. For some, it's the best time of the year. A day after the big Thanksgiving dinner, homeowners go straight into the Christmas mood unpacking all the boxes and placing the decorations all about in their homes to embrace the wonderful time of year. All across America, people love to spend the rest of their time after the Thanksgiving feast flipping that switch into the Christmas mood during their time off from work or school. In my household, Christmas decorations are a huge deal for my family, and it is the same way for many other homeowners across the country.

Right after Thanksgiving, while families are still in their "food comas," they begin unloading countless decorations that come from the attic or the cellar. I know many different ways homeowners get into the Christmas mood, all of them a little differently. I hear stories from aunts and uncles, from friends, and even on the radio on the way to school. So every household has its own unique ways of decorating. Many die-hard Christmas lovers will go all out when getting into the mood. Those types will stay in their pajamas all day while they put a Christmas movie on and listen to Christmas carols as they carefully place every decoration from stockings to lights all about in their home. But then there are those families who work hard and want to get it over with as soon as possible so they can enjoy their vacation and relax on the couch.

Getting into the Christmas mood doesn't always mean decorating just the inside of their homes. For many people, it is much more than that as the process of setting up the outside of their homes for the holiday is a huge deal and can be a big competition with the neighbors for some. Lots of households like to turn their home into a private light show with hundreds of lights draping everywhere across their roof and windows as they try to out-do their neighbors with the better looking decorated home. These people will go all out as they wait and plan for this time of the year and try to make their houses like the ones shown on the TV show, "The Greatest Christmas Light Fight," to have the best looking home in the neighborhood. Almost everyone likes to enjoy their decorating and have fun with it as they love it so much, and it's the best time of the year for them. There will always be those few homes who get into their moods and decorate as if it is a sport.

Christmas time is always extraordinary, and the process of decorating houses makes it all the more amazing. Getting their home Christmas decorated is always an enjoyable transition in many homeowner's lives as they flip the switch into the Christmas mood and embrace the holiday spirit.

Holiday Resolutions

Joshsplained

Josh Finkle ~ December 4, 2019

December is arguably the single greatest month of the whole year. There is so much going on from basketball season starting, to jumping into the holidays with Christmas and Hanukkah. If you have the energy, celebrate them both. Also, remember that the New Year begins the day after December 31, as well.

One of the biggest traditions near the end of December is when people like myself construct New Year’s resolutions. A New Year’s resolution is best defined as a tradition, most common in the Western Hemisphere but also found in the Eastern Hemisphere, in which a person resolves to change an undesired trait or behavior, to accomplish a personal goal or otherwise improve their lives.

Many people I know make or have tried a New Year’s resolution, and their accounts are recorded below:

Have you ever attempted a New Year’s resolution?

Olivia: Yea.

What was it?

Olivia: It was a New Year’s resolution about stopping my habit of biting nails.

Did it work, if not why?

Olivia: No, because people stress me out and it just happens and I get nervous.

Do you think New Year’s resolutions are pointless?

Olivia: For Olivia, yes they are.

Our next interview was with Hannah Walker Brown. She had some wonderful insight.

Have you ever attempted a New Year’s resolution?

Hannah: I feel like I’ve made one about working out, but didn't.

What are your thoughts on New Year’s resolutions?

Hannah: I think they are very good, but no one ever follows through with them.

Do you think New Year’s resolutions should be gone away with?

Hannah: Yes, because you should make goals throughout the year and not just have one to follow that was made on one day.

There are people who think resolutions are great and they keep them, and there is a greater population of people who do not like them and they do not even bother making one. I conducted some research, it was quite shocking to see that the statistics I discovered. This exercise proved to me once again that research is the cornerstone of a meaningful education.

A study done by the University of Scranton showed only eight percent of people achieve their New Year's goals, while around 80 percent fail to keep their New Year's resolutions. A lot of people tend to make resolutions that they cannot keep. They always say “ Yea, I’ll make one next year and I’ll actually do it.”

The most common resolutions are the following, 19.7 percent of people say they will exercise to get in shape. Another 18.3 percent of people say they will go on a diet to lose weight. The least likely to be made is saving money (14.8 percent), eat healthier in general (11.9 percent) and something for self-care (5.5 percent). 36.6 percent of people only keep their resolution for a month, while 11.7 percent of people keep it permanently.

The top 10 states that keep their resolutions are South Dakota at 37.5 percent, Alaska at 35.3 percent, Minnesota, and Maryland both at 31 percent. Iowa at 28.6 percent, our home of New Hampshire at 25 percent along with Vermont at the same percent. Massachusetts is a reported 24 percent and Montana, and Utah are both 23.8 percent.

The top 10 states that do not keep their resolutions are New Mexico at 4.5 percent, Tennessee at 8.0 percent, Indiana at 8.7 percent, Colorado at 9.1 percent, Nebraska at 9.5 percent. Kansas came in at 10.5 percent, Virginia is at 11.8 percent, Texas came in at 12.3 percent and Connecticut and Hawaii are both a 12.5 percent. That study was conducted by vitagene.com.

To conclude, New Year's resolutions are not all they are cracked up to be. Many people do not keep them or they put them off. As a bright Hannah Walker-Brown said: “You should make goals throughout the year and not just have one to follow that was made on one day.” She is right. Why to make goals for the new year when you can do it at any time? It seems very pointless. So I leave you with this: Will you be making a New Year’s resolution?

Report abuse