2, Table of Contents 7KH�6FUROO���'HFHPEHU���������

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4

6

8

10

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13

News

Sports and Activities

Features

Double Truck

Opinion

Editorial

Entertainment

Visit us online at www.thesunsetscroll.com

Greetings reader!

We hope that the school year has treated you well and that you are enjoying the last few weeks of 2012.

For our returning readers, you may have noticed that we no longer have a regular printed newspaper. Instead, we’ve established an online presence at thesunsetscroll.com. This change was the result of administrative decisions. Our new website has allowed us to be more timely (we update stories every two weeks), communicate PRUH�HIIHFWLYHO\�ZLWK�RXU�UHDGHUV�DQG�EH�PRUH�ÀH[LEOH�ZLWK�RXU�FRQWHQW��ZH�FDQ�QRZ�attach photograph slideshows, videos, and other media to our articles). You can check out an entire article about this change at our new website. Also, we’ve recently been featured in a front-page story in The Oregonian’s Community News section, and were KRQRUHG�ZLWK�UHFRJQLWLRQ�IURP�RXU�6XSHULQWHQGHQW�IRU�RXU�LQQRYDWLRQ�DQG�H[FHOOHQFH�in challenging times. (You can read the entire article and letter on our website.) Please spend a few minutes each week viewing the stories on thesunsetscroll.com. We put a great amount of effort into each one, and nearly all of them feature some kind of event or person from Sunset!

Our plan for the upcoming year is to have two more special-edition print issues, which will feature reappearances of our beloved The Scallion (April) and the senior issue (June). Be on the lookout for those issues!

For the holiday issue, we designed and wrote everything in less than two weeks, and we couldn’t be more proud of the way that everything turned out. Because Sunset is renowned for its diversity, we’ve incorporated universal winter-themed stories in WKLV�LVVXH�UDWKHU�WKDQ�MXVW�PDLQVWUHDP�&KULVWPDV�VWRULHV��,QVLGH��\RX¶OO�¿QG�D�FROOHF-tion of stories including an article about the upcoming Mayan Doomsday (page 13), a photo collage of Sunset athletes in action (page 5) and opinions over the validity of New Year’s resolutions (page 10).

Happy reading!

Left to Right: senior Amy Wang and senior Amy Morales.Photo by Hutton Sutherland

Amy WangCo-Editor in Chief

Amy MoralesCo-Editor in Chief

Portland’s Saturday Market and Farmer’s Market will be open throughout Decem-ber. The Farmer’s Market is reopening its winter location in Shemanski Park, and the Saturday Market location will remain near Skidmore Fountain.

The Saturday Market will remain open until late December, closing from Dec. 24, 2012 to March 3, 2013. As usual, it will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Portland Farmer’s Mar-ket will be open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. from the beginning of January to the end of February.

“[Farmers will stock] delicious pears, apples, and Winter Toad Melon,” says the Portland Farmer’s Market Blog.

Crab, a winter specialty, will be fished from the Pacific shoreline and made avail-able at the Market throughout most of the

season.The Markets are

both open-air gath-erings where local artisans and food producers showcase their wares. They are excellent plac-

es to find local merchandise, or fresh and sometimes organic fruits, vegetables and other merchandise.

Such diverse and varied products are the very nature of the Portland Farmer’s Mar-ket. Vendors operating at the Market are required to meet a basic, but demanding criteria.

According to the Portland Farmer’s Mar-ket Blog, “products... [must be] unique, creative, delicious, locally crafted, and lo-cally sourced. This means that the primary ingredients are grown and/or raised within the Pacific Northwest.”

The Saturday Market will close with an event called the “Festival of the Last Min-ute”

During the Festival, the Saturday Market “stays open every day for a week. It happens December 18 - 24, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.,” says Nancy Levenson of About.

3, News7KH�6FUROO���'HFHPEHU���������

Alex GroshansEntertainment Editor

Bryce Patel Copy Editor

Locally grown winter squash and root veg-etables are lined up awaiting the next eager customer at the Portland Farmer’s Market. Portlandians, customers and farmers alike, are not daunted by the wet weather, and will continue to show up through December.Photo courtesy of thelunacafe.com

The renowned Saturday Market opens its stalls to holiday shoppers. One of the most visited places in Portland, the Saturday Market, has announced that is the place to wrap up your last minute Christmas shopping.Photo courtesy of nytimes.com

4, Sports and Activities 7KH�6FUROO���'HFHPEHU���������

Hannah DodgeSta! Writer

“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear,” exclaimed Buddy in the movie “Elf.” Sunset’s choir is preparing for just that—spread-ing holiday cheer to their friends, family and fellow classmates.

“This year, there will definitely be some holiday spir-it incorporated along with our usual choir curriculum,” said Katie Heywood, senior and member of the Madri-gals and Free to Breathe, a women’s acapella choir.

Working hard for months in advance, the choir is put-ting finishing touches and details on preparations for their upcoming winter concert. The choir is scheduled to perform on Friday, Dec. 18 at the Sunset auditorium.

“It will be a great concert with a variety of songs,” said Natalie Boverman, junior and member of the Mad-rigals and Free to Breathe. “We are singing mainly Christmas and holiday tunes, and some Latin pieces too.”

Sunset’s Free to Breathe, along with the other choirs, are hard at work. Free to Breathe members spend long hours together practicing their holiday-themed songs and, with the help of choir director Chris Rust, find ways to harmonize seven separate voices.

“[Free to Breathe] is a smaller group of select stu-

dents that Mr. Rust put together to work on acapella pieces. It involves a lot of harmonizing and practice, but it’s really awesome to be a part of,” said Boverman.

In addition to Free to Breathe, choir at Sunset con-sists of four other groups separated by singing abili-ty and sometimes gender: Symphonic Choir, Advanced Acappella, Chamber Choir and Madrigals. Each group will be featured during the upcoming winter concert, and students are excited to soon showcase their talent to others.

“There’s just something rewarding about preparing something and presenting for an audience,” said Rust.

With so much to prepare for, it is crucial that each and every member of the choir do his or her part to con-tribute to the betterment of the program.

“I know that when each of us as choir members put in our individual efforts, we come together as a whole and are able to perform to the best of our ability,” said Heywood.

The Sunset choir is working to escalate holiday cheer to those in the community, just like Buddy from a scene in “Elf” when he hopes to instill the spirit of the hol-idays in his coworker Jovie. “Sounds like someone needs to sing a Christmas carol!”

Choir members gather to prac-tice one of the many songs from the upcoming winter concert. Students put in a lot of effort to prefect their songs.Photo by Hutton Sutherland

Men’s Cross Country

Women’s Cross Country

Men’s Soccer

Women’s Soccer

Football

Women’s Volleyball

2-4

5-1

5-3-2

4-2-4

2-3

3-7

Fall Season Sports

Records

Check out more sports scores atwww.metroleague.org

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

5, Sports and Activities7KH�6FUROO���'HFHPEHU���������

Varsity wide receiver Jeff Beiber runs alongside running back Bruce Jones as he VSULQWV� IRU� D� ÀUVW� GRZQ�� 6XQVHW� IRRWEDOO�KDG�D�����UHFRUG�LQ�0HWUR�/HDJXH�Photo courtesy of Sunset Yearbook

Sunset football players sprint onto the ÀHOG�LQ�SUHSDUDWLRQ�IRU�D�KXJH�JDPH��7KH�WHDP�PDGH� D� GUDPDWLF� HQWUDQFH� EHIRUH�HYHU\�JDPH�WR�SXPS�WKHPVHOYHV�XS�Photo courtesy of Sunset Yearbook

6HQLRU� /RXLV� 7DQJX\� FROOLGHV� ZLWK� D�-HVXLW�SOD\HU�JRLQJ� IRU� WKH�EDOO��6XQVHW�PDGH�LW�DOO�WKH�ZD\�WR�WKH�VWDWH�TXDUWHU-ÀQDOV�ZKHUH�WKH\�ORVW�WR�-HVXLW�Photo courtesy of Sunset Yearbook

Varsity soccer player Mary Grace Rosel-OL� GULEEOHV� WKH� EDOO� XS� WKH� ÀHOG�� SXWWLQJ�SUHVVXUH� RQ� WKH� RWKHU� WHDP�� :RPHQ·V�VRFFHU�ÀQLVKHG�ZLWK�DQ�LPSUHVVLYH�����LQ�0HWUR�/HDJXH�WKLV�\HDU�Photo courtesy of Sunset Yearbook

:DWHU� SROR� SOD\HU� %UDGHQ� (VSLQJ� SXVK-HV�WKH�EDOO�DZD\�IURP�DQ�RSSRQHQW�LQ�KLV�GULYH�WR�VFRUH��6XQVHW�ZDWHU�SROR�SUDFWLFHG�D�ORW�LQ�RUGHU�WR�EH�FRPSHWLWLYH�Photo courtesy of Sunset Yearbook

6HQLRU� =DFK� 7HOOLQ� FRQGXFWV� WKH� EDQG�GXULQJ� D� KDOI�WLPH� SHUIRUPDQFH�� 7HOOLQ�ZRUNHG�KDUG�RQ�KLV�WLPLQJ�WR�PDNH�VXUH�WKH�EDQG�ZDV�DW�SHDN�SHUIRUPDQFH�Photo courtesy of Sunset Yearbook

6FUDPEOLQJ� IRU� WKH� EDOO�� 6XQVHW� DWKOHWHV�DWWHPSW�WR�UHFRYHU�DJDLQVW�-HVXLW��6XQVHW�ORVW�WKH�JDPH�LQ�WKH�ODVW�VHFRQGV�Photo courtesy of Sunset Yearbook

Overlooking the Portland skyline, the lights of Pittock Mansion twin-kle and shine in the cold winter nights leading up to Christmas day. It is a tradition for the Mansion to be decorated for the holiday season, and a tra-dition for many families to visit the Mansion during this time of the year.

The Mansion is no longer a home but a museum. Tours are led all throughout the year, but from Nov. 19 until Jan. 2 the house is extrava-gantly decorated with holiday cheer.

“Generations of history and art are collected in a single place. They range from the architecture and the treasured collections of time-period furnishings, to the fascinating stories about how Henry and Georgiana Pittock contributed to shaping Portland’s destiny,” said pittockmansion.org.

Each room is separately decorated to feature a different Christmas song. There are reindeer, drummer boys and golden rings all throughout the house. In addition to the decorations, there will be musicians playing some favorite Christmas carols in the music room.

This year “Celebrating Christmas Carols”is the focus-point for the decorations. The Mansion showcases different holiday song-themed dec-orations in all 23 rooms and the grand staircase, which is the most ele-gantly decorated part of the house.

“I’m most excited to see how they have incorporated all of my favorite

Christmas Carols into each of the rooms,” said junior Taylor Labavitch.The Pittock Mansion provides the perfect family trip for both local

Portlanders and visitors to the city, so if you’re in the mood for some holiday cheer, visit the Pittock Mansion to see this beautiful staple in Portland society.

This holiday season, do not waste money on expensive decorations for parties; instead, try some cheaper celebrations to brighten the winter gloom.

“Preparing for holiday parties and functions can get expensive...with a little [do it yourself] attitude and a few hours, you can reduce the cost of primping for the holidays,” says Jamie Sim-merman of Moneyning.

For attractive table setting arrangements at dinner parties, try some helpful tips from Readers Digest.

´7DNH�FOHDU�YDVHV�RU�ERWWOHV��ÀOO�WKHP�ZLWK�ZDWHU��DQG�DGG�KRO-iday-colored food coloring—a few drops will do. Then line the ERWWOHV�XS�LQ�D�URZ��RU�GHFRUDWH�ZLWK�ÁRDWLQJ�FDQGOHV�IRU�D�IHVWLYH�touch,” says Cynthia Dermody of Reader’s Digest.

If the table is already set, try brightening up each room with some celebratory homemade trimmings.

Make festive paper chains with strips of wrapping paper—simply glue a loop together, and then string another paper strip through and repeat the process,” says Dermody.

7R�ÀOO�ERULQJ�VSDFHV�OLNH�PDQWHOV�DQG�VKHOYHV�ZLWK�KROLGD\�FKHHU��WU\�GLVSOD\LQJ�QHZ�RU�ROG�winter greeting cards to decorate doorways, trees or embellish plain, cheap items.

“For a more affordable glow, buy plain pillar candles and embellish them with thumbtacks and push pins,” says Good Housekeeping Magazine.

Wrapped candies can provide a sweet trimming for shelves or mantels; colored wrappers can brighten the room and accent color schemes for parties.

“Colorful candy strands are a magical way to dress your mantel or tree. To create these sugary

VZDJV��DOO�\RX�QHHG�LV�D�VL]DEOH�VWDVK�RI�ZUDSSHG�WUHDWV�DQG�DQ�RUGLQDU\�RIÀFH�VWDSOHU��6LPSO\�VWD-ple the ends of the wrappers together in a regular pattern,” says Good Housekeeping Magazine.

For larger decorations, try constructing wreaths out of pine branches and twigs, or even herbs to brighten entrances and rainy window views. Wreaths can hang on doorways or windows, sit

on shelves and lighten up table setting decorations.“A handmade wreath welcomes guests with the holiday

spirit. Get creative with interesting details like feathers or pine cones tied with a gingham bow,” says Country Living Maga-zine.

For easy and quick decorations, try adorning household fur-niture with festive ribbons, or framing wrapping paper. Things like couch cushions and lampshades can always receive a last minute makeover with colored ribbon.

'HFRUDWLYH�EDNLQJ�FDQ�DOVR� OLYHQ�XS�HPSW\� WDEOHV�DQG�ÀOO�empty stomachs during parties. Try inviting friends over for a baking and decorating party; it will make for a cheap party and

even more baked treats.“A potluck isn’t just cheap; it’s tasty too. Ask each guest to bring a favorite dish. Then, all

you’ll need to provide are the drinks, plates, napkins and utensils,” says Erin Huffstetler of about.com.

Decorating the house for the holiday season does not have to be costly; some simple and creative adornments around the home for parties can provide the festive atmosphere without breaking the bank.

Anamika VaughanNews Editor

Jake PedenSta! Writer

6, Features 7KH�6FUROO���'HFHPEHU���������

This photo is a prime example of the many eclectic designs found throughout one of Portland’s historic sites, the Pittock Man-sion. Built in 1917, the Pittock Mansion has continued to carry on this beloved family holiday tradition throughout the decades.Photo courtesy of 1.bp.blogspot.com

“Things like couch cushions and lampshades can always receive a last minute makeover with colored ribbon.”

Sage Steineke Sta! Writer

As the temperatures start to drop, jackets and boots come back in style and windy nights become unbearable to walk through, it VHHPV�OLNH�WKHUH�DUH�OLPLWHG�DFWLYLWLHV�WR�GR�ZLWK�RQH·V�VLJQLÀFDQW�RWKHU��KRZHYHU��WKHUH�DUH�SOHQW\�RI�FUHDWLYH�GDWHV�WR�NHHS�D�ORYHG�one entertained.

´$�URPDQWLF�GDWH�IRU�PH�ZRXOG�SUREDEO\�EH�JRLQJ�WR�WKH�]RR�DQG�VHHLQJ�WKH�=RR�/LJKWV�EHFDXVH�LW·V�LQH[SHQVLYH��DQG�LW�JLYHV�PH�D�FKDQFH�WR�EXQGOH�XS�QH[W�WR�P\�ER\IULHQG�IRU�H[WUD�ZDUPWK�ZLWKRXW�IHHOLQJ�VXSHU�DZNZDUG�µ�VD\V�VHQLRU�5DFKHO�&RQRYHU�

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,I�WKH�=RR�/LJKWV�GRQ·W�VSDUN�RQH·V�LQWHUHVW��WKHQ�WDNLQJ�D�VWUROO�GRZQ�3HDFRFN�/DQH�ZLOO�SUREDEO\�GR�WKH�WULFN�´7KH�KRXVHV�DUH�DGRUQHG�ZLWK�QRW�RQO\�EHDXWLIXO�VSDUNOLQJ�OLJKWV��EXW�DOVR�QDWLYLW\�VFHQHV��URWDWLQJ�&KULVWPDV�WUHHV�DQG�VWXQQLQJO\�

OLIH�OLNH�UHSOLFDV�RI�6DQWD�DQG�)URVW\�µ�VD\V�3';�3LSHOLQH�3HUKDSV��LFH�VNDWLQJ�PD\�VHHP�OLNH�D�EHWWHU�ÀW�LI�ORRNLQJ�DW�OLJKWV�DOO�QLJKW�GRHVQ·W�VHHP�WR�PHHW�RQH·V�VWDQGDUGV���7KH�LFH�VNDWLQJ�

ULQN�DW�WKH�/OR\G�&HQWHU�PDOO��,FH�&KDOHW��FDQ�SURYLGH�DQ�DPD]LQJ�WLPH�ZLWK�D�ORYHG�RQH��7KH�,FH�&KDOHW�FDQ�SURYLGH�PDQ\�PRPHQWV�WR�JHW�FORVH�WR�D�VLJQLÀFDQW�RWKHU��DQG�LW�HQFRXUDJHV�SK\VLFDO�LQWLPDF\�EHWZHHQ�FRXSOHV��OLNH�KROGLQJ�KDQGV�RU�WU\LQJ�WR�KROG�HDFK�other up.

´7KLV�LV�RQH�RI�WKH�EHVW�VNDWLQJ�ULQNV�DURXQG��<RX�FDQ�ZDWFK�WKH�VNDWHUV�DV�\RX�VKRS��ZKLFK�LV�HVSHFLDOO\�IXQ�GXULQJ�WKH�KROLGD\�VHDVRQ�µ�VD\V�D�UHYLHZHU�LGHQWLÀHG�DV�0DULDQQH�.��RQ�,QVLGHU�3DJHV�

$QRWKHU�FODVVLFDO�DSSURDFK�WR�D�URPDQWLF�KROLGD\�GDWH�LV�VLPSO\�JRLQJ�WR�D�EDOOHW�SHUIRUPDQFH���7KH�2UHJRQ�%DOOHW�7KHDWUH�ZLOO�EH�SHUIRUPLQJ�*HRUJH�%DODQFKLQH·V�The Nutcracker�IURP�'HF����WR����

“[The Nutcracker�ZLOO@�OLJKW�WKH�ÀUH�LQ�D�FKLOG·V�KHDUW��DQG�VSDUN�\RXU�RZQ�FKLOGKRRG�ZRQGHU��ZLWK�WKLV�EHORYHG�WULS�LQWR�D�ODQG�ZKHUH�WR\�VROGLHUV�ÀJKW�UDW�DUPLHV��VQRZÁDNHV�FRPH�GDQFLQJ�WR�OLIH�DQG�WKH�VXJDUSOXP�IDLU\�SUHVLGHV�RYHU�LW�DOO�ZLWK�WKH�ZDYH�RI�D�ZDQG�µ�VD\V�2UHJRQ�%DOOHW�7KHDWHU�LQ�D�SUHVV�UHOHDVH�

:KHWKHU�LW·V�IDFLQJ�WKH�FROG�ZHDWKHU�LQ�RUGHU�WR�VHH�D�OLJKW�VKRZ��WDNLQJ�D�ULVN�RQ�WKH�ULQN�RU�VWD\LQJ�ZDUP�LQVLGH�ZKLOH�ZDWFKLQJ�D�EDOOHW�SHUIRUPDQFH��WKLV�KROLGD\�EUHDN�VKRXOGQ·W�OLPLW�GDWHV�WR�GLQQHU�DQG�D�PRYLH��LQVWHDG��WDNH�DGYDQWDJH�RI�WKH�QXPHURXV�ZLQWHU�RQO\�HYHQWV�WKDW�3RUWODQG�KDV�WR�RIIHU�

Amy Morales Co-Editor in Chief

“My resolution was to travel more, and this year I’ve been to Boston, Seattle and Shasta, California,” said junior Alex Necas.

“I rarely make New Year’s resolutions, because I always feel like I can never come up with anything good enough to dedicate a whole year to,” said freshman Lexie Ellis.

“Even though I make a resolution every New Year, I almost never follow through with it, because I’ve usually forgotten what it was by February,” said freshman Julani Sitathammavong.

“My resolution last year was to finally get my permit. I can happily say I succeeded,” said junior Megan Armatage.

“My resolution was to get featured in the school newspaper. I think I succeeded,” said senior Jon Bunting.

“Eating healthier was my New Year’s resolution last year and I failed by the next day,” said junior Meredith Waggoner.

“My mom has always told me that she was disappointed in me for not balancing my checkbook, so I decided to make that my New Years resolu-tion. It was a terrible failure,” said science teacher Kristin Doud.

7, FeaturesDecember 19, 2012

With 2012, came the most-watched YouTube video of all time. It also offered many other funny, original videos from a ninja baby, to the Cinnamon Challenge and many pranks caught on video.

1“Gangnam Style” by Psy: This video broke the all time view list on YouTube in

early November, beating Justin Bieber’s “Baby” music video with over 800 million views.

2 “East/West Coast College Bowl” by Key and Peele.

3“Black Friday Employee Prank” by Prank vs. Prank: In this video, a man dresses

up as a Target employee and trolls the customers by giving them incorrect products and directions, and also by making fun of them. If a good and harmless laugh is ever needed, this is the video for that.

4“Barack Obama singing Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen” by Baracksdubs.

“How To Kill A Mustache” by Rhettandlink.

5

´'RSH�=HEUD�5KHWW��/LQN��2IÀFLDO�2ULJLQDO�9LGHR��/0)$2µ�E\�5KHWWDQGOLQN��Two guys are in a zebra costume and dance to video game-esque music. It is a quick and short video that will brighten up your day.

6 “My Boyfriend Does My Makeup Tag” by Jennamarbles.

9 ´&XWH�DQG�)XQQ\�.LWWHQV�:DWFKLQJ�7HQQLVµ�E\�)XQQ\FDWVDQGQLFHÀVK�

10“Extremely Scary Ghost Elevator Prank in Brazil” by dogproduction:

While this video is mean to the people being pranked, it will get a good laugh out of anyone. People are faked out in an elevator while a fake ghost comes in through a trap-door and scares them. This video has truly gone viral with about 40 million views in just a couple of weeks!

11

12

Natalie Valent Sports and Activities Editor

Shrada Menon Sta! Writer

“Dragon Baby” by PatrickBoivin.

“Why You Asking All Them Questions...#FCHW” by SpokenReasons.8

“The Cinnamon Challenge and Glozell” by Glozell: A woman who nick-named herself Glozell takes the cinnamon challenge, but with a twist. In-stead of only eating a tablespoon, she eats a giant spoonful of cinnamon! This video is really hilarious and can make anyone laugh.

7

8, Double Truck 7KH�6FUROO���'HFHPEHU���������

The American psyche can be explained by exploring the topics of this year’s best selling novels: sex and adolescent violence. Although both “50 Shades of Grey” and “The Hunger Games” have been constants on bestselling book lists, this year has been full of alternative books that are both entertaining and thought-provoking.

1 “The Fault in their Stars” by John Green: Once again Green proves his deftness at capturing the adolescent mind. A beautiful, hilarious and heartbreaking book, “The Fault in their Stars” follows the protagonist Hazel as she struggles with growing up with cancer.

2

“Suddenly, A Knock on the Door” by Etgar Keret: A superstar author in his home country of Israel, Keret delightfully combines the real and the surreal, as well as the serious with the jovial, in this short story collection.

3 “Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity” by Katherine Boo: Pulitzer Prize-winner Boo follows the lives of children living in slums in Mumbai, India. 7KLV�LV�WKH�UDUH�ERRN�ZKHUH�WKH�WUXWK�LV�PRUH�LQFUHGLEOH�WKDQ�ÀFWLRQ�

4´&RGH�1DPH�9HULW\µ�E\�(OL]DEHWK�:HLQ��7KH�LQWHUWZLQHG�VWRULHV�RI�D�SLORW�FUDVK�ODQGHG�LQ�:RUOG�

War II France and a spy captured by the Gestapo, result in one of the most engaging pieces of young DGXOW�KLVWRULFDO�ÀFWLRQ�VLQFH�´7KH�%RRN�7KLHI

“Every Day”’ by David Levithan.

5

67

“Building Stories” by Chris Ware.

“Blasphemy” by Sherman Alexie.

“Ask the Passenger” by A.S King.

8

9

10

´,QVXUJHQWµ�E\�9HURQLFD�5RWK�

“Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn.

“Home” by Toni Morrison.11

12 “Cinder” by Marrisa Meyer.

Four of the top ten weekly most downloaded songs were released in 2012, along with the highest selling digital download by a female artist. Now, as the end of the year draws near, it’s time to take a look back at the record-breakers and overall most popular songs of the year.

“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift: Released RQ�$XJ�����������DV�WKH�ÀUVW�VLQJOH�IURP�KHU�QHZHVW�DOEXP��5HG��WKH�VRQJ�broke the record for the most weekly digital downloads for a female artist.

1

“Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye.

“Boyfriend” by Justin Bieber.

“Payphone” by Maroon 5.

“Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen: Inspired home video renditions HYHU\ZKHUH�ZLWK�KHU�ÀUVW�KLW��&ODLPLQJ�QLQH�ZHHNV�DW�WKH�WRS�RI�WKH�%LOO-board charts, the song was regarded as 2012’s song of the summer.

“Ho Hey” by The Lumineers: Released as the lead single of their self-ti-WOHG�DOEXP�RQ�0DUFK�����,W�ZDV�WKH�ÀUVW�VRQJ�IRU�WKH�EDQG�WR�UHDFK�SODWLQXP�status and to make the Billboard Top Ten chart, and played in advertise-ments for Microsoft.

“Thrift Shop” by Macklemore.

“Home” by Phillip Phillips.

“I Will Wait” by Mumford and Sons: English folk rock band Mumford and Sons rose to fame after the Feb. 16, 2010 release of their debut album, 6LJK�1R�0RUH��VR�LW�ZDV�QR�VXUSULVH�WKDW�WKH�ÀUVW�VLQJOH�RII�WKHLU�QHZ�DO-EXP��%DEHO��VROG���������FRSLHV�LQ�LWV�ÀUVW�ZHHN��7KH�OHDG�VLQJOH�ZDV�UH-leased Aug. 7 and quickly became the band’s highest selling single to date.

“Tongue Tied” by Grouplove: Their album Never Trust a Happy Song was released on Sept. 13, 2011, but it wasn’t until June of this year that the second single off the record reached the number one position atop the Bill-ERDUG�FKDUWV��´7RQJXH�7LHGµ�EHFDPH�WKH�JURXS·V�ÀUVW�QXPEHU�RQH�VLQJOH�

'DQFH�RII�LQ�FDIHWHULD��2QO\�DW�6XQVHW�ZRXOG�\RX�ÀQG�WKH�VSLULW�DQG�WDOHQW�LQ�students to start dancing in the middle of the commons at lunch.1

Flash Mob- The students of Leadership, the Administrators and many teachers WRRN�SDUW�LQ�D�ÁDVK�PRE�DW�OXQFK�WR�UDLVH�DZDUHQHVV�IRU�$QWL�EXOO\LQJ�ZHHN�

School national anthem singing- Our school demonstrated how we can all come together when one of our own stumbled on the national anthem out of nervousness.3

Broke the bleachers- We simply had too much spirit for the bleachers to take, and at one of our football games this year they gave out under our jumping student section.4

Rhodes’ debut of the banana- “Go bananas!” is now a popular cheer among the students, thanks to senior Taylor Rhodes’ school famous banana suit.5

Huelskamp sleeping on roof to show support for homeless teens6Sunset football and basketball student section featured on local news 7)LUVW�$SROORV� 8QSOXJJHG� &KDULW\� FRQFHUW� EHQHÀWV� KRPHOHVV� WHHQV� LQ� WKH�

community.8Sunset students do the roller coaster during football and basketball games.

The roller coaster has been a popular cheer at Sunset for several years.9The Madrigals deliver singing Val-O-Grams to students on Valentines

day. Senders had the choice of several classic love songs.10)RU�WKH�VHFRQG�\HDU�LQ�D�URZ�WKH�PHQ·V�6ZLP�WHDP�WRRN�ÀUVW�SODFH�DW�

the state championships.117KH�6XQÁDUHV��6XQVHW·V�ZRPHQ·V�GDQFH�WHDP��ZHQW�WR�FKDPSLRQVKLS�FRPSHWLWLRQ�12

Jenny Fessler Copy Editor

Soraya Go Sta! Writer

“It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons.

9, Double Truck7KH�6FUROO���'HFHPEHU���������

2

2

10

9

87

6

54

3

12

11“Take a Walk” by Passion Pit.

With the holiday season in full swing, it is time again for a fresh start to the new year. Along with that comes the old tradition of making res-olutions for the upcoming year. Some promises are kept, while many others are broken. Some say New Year’s res-olutions are beneficial because peo-ple make changes for the better, while others say they are pointless because not many people fulfill them.

So, should people continue to make New Year’s resolutions? Of course they should, because everyone needs a new beginning and a goal to set to make a change for the better.

New Year’s resolutions are ben-eficial, because if people work hard enough, it will have a significant ben-eficial impact in their life. No matter how big or how small, it is important to have a personal goal to fulfill. If people steadily make small changes for the better every year, then even-tually they will make great improve-ments in their life.

In addition, resolutions are help-ful because when individuals recog-nize and acknowledge the weaknesses they have, that shows their eagerness to improve their character. It makes people feel confident to become a bet-ter individual, and it is a good way to make them face their dark sides. No-body wants to admit they have prob-lems, or stand up to their character or behavioral flaws, and New Year’s res-olutions can help them do so.

Also, if people accomplish the goals that they set, their self-esteem skyrockets. It stimulates a feeling in individuals that they can continue to make healthy choices in their life to promote positive change. Even if the resolution is not completely fulfilled, when they make a resolution and work hard to keep it, they will feel happier knowing that they are making a good effort to change.

Some may think people shouldn’t make New Year’s resolutions, think-ing that there is no point to them since most are broken. However, that is not

the point. Resolutions are important because they allow individuals to acknowledge and accept the prob-lems they have and also motivate to complete a goal to some extent, if not fully.

Thus, New Year’s resolutions are

beneficial because everyone should make resolutions since resolutions provide achievable goals that will im-prove the lifestyle of the individual. The goals people set, despite lapses in judgment, will instill better habits in individuals and help recognize the weaknesses they have so that those weaknesses can be transformed into strengths. This can lead to an increase in self-esteem. Everyone should make New Year’s resolutions, convince others of the benefits and continue to pursue them despite some setbacks.

Macklin TurnquistSports and Activities Editor

As the new year approaches, students at Sunset and people all across America are coming up with new health kicks, finding ways to lose those extra pounds and drop-ping their vices for their 2013 resolutions. Some say that this holiday tradition is a great way to become a better person, but

others say that there are drawbacks to these commitments.

Are New Year’s resolutions beneficial? No, they are based on an arbitrary date ver-sus the need for change; they are made at the most unhealthy time of the year, and typically leave people feeling guilty.

New Year’s resolutions put too much emphasis on the holiday instead of reach-ing the goal. It may seem like resolutions at New Year’s are more meaningful, but they actually make individuals lose sight of what they set out to do. Effective resolutions are made when people decide for themselves

that they need to make a change, not when the calendar says so.

Additionally, most resolutions are based on health or fitness, but the holidays are the worst time to make a health-oriented res-olution. According to a study by The New England Journal of Medicine, the average person gains one pound over the holidays. Although that may not seem like much, one pound accounts for most of the average weight gained over an entire year. Eating and exercising habits over the holidays are the worst they can get in the whole year, and the excessive noshing will make the resolu-tions harder to achieve. Their bodies might not even be physically ready to achieve a fitness goal, especially if that goal is too lofty to attain.

Furthermore, people end up never meet-ing their resolutions and feeling guilty about the whole process, which renders New Year’s resolutions more harmful than good. According to University of Scran-ton’s Journal of Clinical Psychology, 75 percent of resolutions are maintained for a week, and only eight percent of resolutions are achieved. The many people who do not reach their goal are left discouraged and disheartened by their failure. A broken reso-lution puts them in a worse place than where they started.

Advocators of New Year’s resolutions say that these goals offer a fresh start, and improve the lives and self-esteem of those who make them. This pretense is incorrect because not only are New Year’s resolutions rarely achieved and difficult to maintain, they can make the hopeful person ashamed of his or her inability to follow through with the goal.

Although the fresh feeling of a new year can give resolutions a certain shine, New Year’s resolutions are actually not worth-while because they put too much focus on a tradition; the lethargy of the holidays sets them up for failure and because almost all resolutions are not achieved and damage self-esteem. Instead of waiting for the right day on the calendar to come around, Sunset students should decide for themselves when the time is right to improve their habits. They should also warn their peers about the cons of New Year’s resolutions.

Amelia Turnquist Sta! Writer

10, Opinion 7KH�6FUROO���'HFHPEHU���������

Over the past few years, the increasingly negative impact that the holiday season has on the environ-ment has become a cause for concern. Some say that these excessive practices are acceptable, and make the holidays more enjoyable. However, others say that the extensive holiday practices are incredibly damaging to the environment.

Thus, the question arises, have the current holi-day practices gone too far? The answer is yes, for excessive hol-iday lights, gifts and oversized holiday meals have very damag-ing effects on the environment.

While lights are a common way for people to display their holiday spirit on and around their homes, these light displays can become very wasteful. They waste electricity, which in turn depletes non-renewable resourc-es such as fossil fuel. A few reindeer and a dozen strings of lights are a reasonable display. However, some families choose to set up elaborate light displays without using energy efficient lights, which causes these dis-plays to be very wasteful and unnecessary. “If all decorative light strings sold in America this year were ENERGY STAR qual-ified, we would save over 700 million kWh of electricity per year and reduce green-house gas emissions equivalent to those from about 100,000 cars” (blog.biggreenpurse.com).

The holiday season often prompts excessive waste, especially when it comes to the exorbitant gifts that are swapped among family and friends. Many people buy into the media’s emphasis on material items and

spend their money on gifts that are wasteful and may not be even be used by the recipient. While gifts can show friends and family that they are special, most of these gifts are taken to extremes. Buying dozens of presents for each family member can be very harmful for the environment and completely un-necessary. The many rolls of wrapping paper, ribbon and merchandise packaging are typically not recycla-

ble, and will most likely end up in a landfill. Even when gifts are wrapped in recyclable materials, many people throw away the wrappings rather than recy-cling them, defeating the purpose of the recyclable wrappings.

Many people do not consider the waste that is created by cooking extremely large meals for their

holiday gatherings. Extensive meals are cooked in many cultures, and include dishes from latkes to hon-ey-baked ham. These meals are a great way to cel-ebrate the holidays and spend time with family, but typically, more food is made than will be eaten by the family. This leaves behind an immense amount of leftovers that usually spoil before they are eaten. Ac-cording to Recycle Works, at least 28 billion pounds

of edible food are wasted each year during the holidays, which equates to over 100 pounds per person.

On the other hand, many people claim that their extremely wasteful holiday celebrations are justified because the celebrations spread holiday cheer. However, they are not taking into account the damage their actions have on the environ-ment. Individuals have a responsi-bility to future generations to pro-tect the environment and its very valuable resources. The electricity and resources saved by wasting less during the holidays far outweigh the holiday cheer excessive, tradi-tional practices bring.

Excessive holiday practices have damaging effects on the environ-ment, such as the holiday lights that waste energy, the excessive gifting that wastes packaging and the large meals that waste food.

Many people get so wrapped up in the United States’ consumer-driven culture that they mindlessly waste resources during the holidays. This winter break, people should choose to waste less by switching to LED Christmas lights, minimizing their gifts and us-ing reusable gift wrap, along with only making rea-sonable amounts of food for holiday gatherings.

Mady Coughlin Op/Ed Editor

11, Opinion7KH�6FUROO���'HFHPEHU���������

Given the recent rampage of Hurricane Sandy and the arrival of the holiday season, citizens are donat-ing extra time and money to humanitarian causes. However, after strings of embarrassing scandals, big charities have come under fire for the abuse of peo-ples’ monetary donations, something that has caused many individuals to cease donating and instead, con-tribute through alternatives - such as volunteering. They argue that the susceptibility of big charities to money fraud renders any monetary donation as use-less, and that volunteering is now the best method of contribution. Others, however, claim that mon-ey-donations are still far better than any alterna-tive, due to the fact that money is material and thus actually needed.

Thus, for major charities, is there really a differ-ence between monetary donations and time dona-tions? As of today’s conditions, is one option more logical and beneficial than the other? Time donations, in fact, are actually far more beneficial and rational than financial contributions, due to both the eliminat-ed chance for fraud, and the inability of volunteering to inadvertently cause negative consequences.

Most importantly, time cannot be stolen or transferred to non-charitable causes, unlike monetary donations. The executives of many national organizations have atrociously high salaries, much of which is sponsored through unsuspecting donors that have told that every cent of their much-needed contribution will go to the ac-tual cause. For example, the CEO of the U.S. branch of UNICEF earns a hefty $454,855, the CEO for March of the Dimes earns $627,104 and perhaps most appallingly of all: the CEO of St. Jude’s Research Hospital nets a staggering $863,770 (statistics courtesy of unicefusa.org,

nytimes.com and charitywatch.org). Volunteering time still contributes to the cause, and cannot be transferred to administrators to line their own pockets. Additionally, not all of the money donors give is actually spent on the cause - on average, only 84 percent of the donation charities receive is actually used toward the cause due to efficiency problems (forbes.com). While such a number may seem insignificant at first, in a billion-dollar indus-try, every percent is of a monumental significance. On the other hand, the level of efficiency volunteers achieve on projects is in the complete control of the actual vol-unteers, rather than largely indifferent corporate offices.

Furthermore, some physical donations (which, in turn, are often sponsored by monetary contri-butions) can actually cause more harm than ben-efit. On the other hand, volunteering is general-ly always beneficial. In many foreign-aid cases, the donation of items can actually harm the local economy because free, already available imported goods competes with local vendors. For example, in a study published by the Economic Journal, a University of Toronto researcher determined that donations of American T-shirts in Africa may have caused the “50% of the decline in employment [in the clothing industry] over the period 1981–2000.” The same counterproductive effect of this chari-ty is also applicable in food-aid cases. “Between the 1980s and today, subsidized rice exports from the United States to Haiti wiped out thousands of local farmers and helped reduce the proportion of locally produced rice consumed in the country from 47 to 15 percent” (foreignpolicy.com). Thus, ironically, rather than actually aiding the desired population, food-aid programs can actually hinder the population and set them back than if no inter-vention had been performed at all. On the other hand, volunteering, in general, can do no wrong. Much of the work they do is either so specialized or Samaritan-like to such a degree that it does not compete with community jobs.

However, opponents point out that volunteering alone cannot sustain charities. While such senti-ments are correct in theory, most major charities receive substantial government funding, thus en-suring that they cannot fail. Such safety nets en-able volunteering to be a primary method for peo-ple to donate. Additionally, while money may be incredibly beneficial in other cases, in today’s cli-mate, there is simply too much of a risk to proceed with such contributions. Furthermore, the lack of monetary donations may force large charities to re-consider their current practices.

Therefore, given the current conditions, time contributions are far more valuable and reasonable than monetary donations. Not only are they fraud-safe, but also prevent the possibility of unforeseen consequences on the people they are attempting to help. Thus, during this holiday season, Americans should donate precious hours volunteering at lo-cal charities. They should also spread awareness of the danger of donating money to charities. If they must donate, attempt to only donate to small, locally based organizations that are more likely to be trustworthy and more likely to not encounter local-economy problems.

12, Editorial 7KH�6FUROO���'HFHPEHU���������

SCROLL STAFFCo-Editors in Chief

Amy Morales - Amy Wang

News EditorAnamika Vaughan

Opinion/Editorial EditorMady Coughlin

Features EditorAnna Kemper

Entertainment EditorAlex Groshans

Sports and Activities EditorsMacklin Turnquist - Natalie Valent

Double Truck EditorMolly Field

Photo EditorHutton Sutherland

Copy Editors Bryce Patel - Jenny Fessler

Hannah Dodge - Soraya Go - Shreyans Khunteta - Jake Peden - Sage Steineke -

Amelia Turnquist

Haily Hargrave

AdviserEloika Rozendaal

Editoria l Policyis written by the students of the Publi-

cations class. It is edited by an editorial board who makes all content-related decisions and is respon-sible for all material appearing online.

do not nec-

Sunset High School, or the Beaverton School District. As a public forum for student expression,

welcomes letters to the editor and com-ments on articles, but reserves the right to refuse inappropriate letters and comments. All letters and comments must be signed and ma y be edited f or length, accurac y and clarity.

Have you prepared for the end of

the world? As we all know, the end

of the world has been proven to be a

likely reality by both scientists with

self-evident findings and historians

with Mayan evidence. This event is

on December 21 (also the day win-

ter break begins, proving the uni-

verse has bad timing). Therefore,

many intelligent souls are preparing

for the end.

Take, for example, Australian

Robert Bast. While others ignore

the impending end, Bast has made

the wise decision.

“He [Robert Bast] purchased a

75-acre plot of land that is 15,000

feet above sea level (in order to

avoid tsunamis and flooding), on

which he built a house and bun-

ker…$5,000 on stockpiles of food

and water…$11,000 on your stan-

dard array of survival equipment-

batteries, generators, water purifi-

ers, solar power and gas cookers,”

reports Geekosystem.

Meanwhile, in France, some peo-

ple are going to take advantage of

nature’s own wonders, and do the

sane and sensible move of hiding

inside a mountain.

“Believers in the apocalypse

have flooded to Pic de Bugarach,

a mountain in the south west of

the country, convinced that when

doomsday strikes a space ship may

burst out of the hillside and aliens

will carry them off to safety,” states

the Russian Times.

A possible way the world may

end could also be by a flood. Al-

though we don’t have the time to

get two of each animal on a boat

this time, at least one Chinese

man is prepared to save himself.

Meet Lu Zhengai, who, in prepar-

ing for the end, spent all his money

—$160,000—on building his very

own Noah’s Ark.

“The barely seaworthy boat,

which he claims will save him and

his family when flood waters de-

stroy his house, was designed by

Lu himself, measures 65 feet [long]

and will weigh 80 tons when fin-

ished, according to Chinese media,”

claims the Russian Times.

There are also Doomsday prepar-

ers like Braxton Stormwick and his

family, who are preparing in their

own way.

“Southwick and his wife, Kara,

also 40, and their six children, ages

13-21, have stored 700 pounds of

flour, 600 pounds of sugar, 800

pounds of wheat, water, gas, diesel

fuel, chemical suits, coal, charcoal,

14 guns and eight chickens. They’re

ready to haul it in trucks and trailers

to a cabin...90 minutes from their

home in the West Jordan suburb of

Salt Lake City if calamity hits,” re-

ports USA Today.

A lot of people are trying their

absolute hardest to make sure they

live after the end of everything,

whether it be through a house above

sea level, a cabin in Salt Lake City,

an ark or inside a mountain. So to

answer the opening question, the

smart person will prepare for the

end of the world by joining Zhengai

on his boat. Feel free to come along.

Some of us would like to live.

Shreyans Khunteta Sta! Writer

13, Entertainment7KH�6FUROO���'HFHPEHU���������

The Bugarach mountain of France stands tall and PDJQLÀFHQW��6RPH�ORFDOV�EHOLHYH�WKDW�DOLHQV�DUH�KLG-LQJ� LQVLGH� WKH�PRXQWDLQ� DQG�ZLOO� VDYH� WKHP� IURP�GRRPVGD\�

1. Build your fort, ark or other escape device for the apocalypse.�,I�LW�ÀRRGV��WKH�DUN�ZLOO�EH�XVHIXO��,W�ZRUNHG�WKH�¿UVW� WLPH��$�MHW�ZRXOG�EH�SRLQWOHVV²you’d run out of fuel and then where would you be?

2. Burn your textbooks and homework, you don’t need them anymore.

3. Gun. Get a gun. Zombies are troublesome, and

I am quite sure you’ll have head shots down after

all those hours you’ve played Call of Duty. Find a

ÀDPHWKURZHU��,Q�FDVH�]RPELHV�ULVH�XS��D�JRRG�ÀDPH-thrower handles the situation. Now, you may think

of a chainsaw or machete. Don’t, it is too loud and

UHTXLUHV�\RX�WR�JHW�WRR�FORVH�WR�WKH�]RPELHV�IRU�FRP-

fort.

4. Ask out your crush. You don’t need to wor-

ry about the embarrassment now. Plus, who knows?

They could be very desperate right now for some

company and comfort, if you know what I mean.

5. Brawl with your mortal enemy. If you’re feel-

ing mean, make things up with them. Forgiving your

enemies just makes them more mad, and then you

FDQ�JHW�\RXU�UHYHQJH�LI�KH�RU�VKH�EHFRPHV�D�]RPELH�6. Get some of your favorite food and eat it

while relaxing. Why die stressed out? You’ve been

stressed all school year, you deserve a break in your

last minutes.

7. Invite some friends over and watch the sky together. Friends and family are ultimately why

you’re alive, and they should be with you as your

life ends.

Shreyans Khunteta Sta! Writer

Doomsday preparers in Utah store food for the end RI�WKH�ZRUOG��0DQ\�SHRSOH�KDYH�SUHSDUHG�MXVW�LQ�FDVH�D�FLYLOL]DWLRQ�GHVWUR\LQJ�HYHQW�RFFXUV�

Photo courtesy of fcorpet.free.com

Photo courtesy of militantlibertarian.org

,Q�SUHSDUDWLRQ�IRU�GRRPVGD\��/X�=KHQJKDL�DQG�D�IHZ�KLUHG�ODERUHUV�EXLOG�DQ�DUN��=KHQJKDL�KDV�FODLPHG�WKDW�GRLQJ�VR�ZLOO�KHOS�KLP�VXUYLYH�WKH�HQG�RI�WKH�ZRUOG� Photo courtesy of t

Today most of the world celebrates New Years on Jan. 1, but this was not always the case. The Ancient Greeks celebrated the New Year on WKH�QLJKW�RI� WKH�¿UVW�QHZ�PRRQ�DIWHU�-XQH�����Then the Romans, before Julius Caesar, cel-ebrated the New Year on March 1. During the middle ages, most European kingdoms cele-EUDWHG�RQ�0DUFK�����RU�WKH�GD\�RI�WKH�IHDVW�RI�Annunciation. The date was eventually changed back to Jan. 1 in the eighteenth century.

The Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is celebrated in Chinese commu-nities throughout the world. Originally this holiday was an extremely important religious festival that honored household deities and family ancestors, and lasted for two weeks; however, when China DGRSWHG�WKH�:HVWHUQ�FDOHQGDU�LQ������WKH�IHVWLYL-ties began to change. As of 1996 it is a week long RI¿FLDO�KROLGD\�WKDW�DOORZV�SHRSOH�WR�WUDYHO�KRPH�and celebrate with their families.

Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year, is a two day celebration that usually falls sometime in Sept. or Oct., depending on when the first month of the lunar-solar Jewish cal-endar. Unlike the secular holiday, Rosh Hashanah is usually a seclud-ed affair, a time for repentance and prayer. Jews often do not go to work during the celebration.

Celebrated in Thailand, Sonkran – the water festival – is a Buddhist fes-tival that lasts three days. From April ��� WR�$SULO� ���� WKHUH� DUH� SDUDGHV� WKDW�feature giant Buddha statues which spray villagers with water. In many villages people exchange bracelets made of string to show respects, these are traditionally worn until they fall off naturally.

As the technology in our world becomes more and more advanced, companies are competing to capture our attention with crazier and more exciting gadgets. This year is no different, and there are sure to be many whim-sical devices given and received.

For the athletes out there, the Nike FuelBand is the ZD\�WR�JR��0XFK�PRUH�WKDQ�D�SHGRPHWHU��WKH������)XHO-Band simply records any movement and calculates it as ‘fuel points’ which you can tally and set goals for using the accompanying iOS software.

Another fun accessory you can wear and use is the Pebble E-Ink Watch. Now one of the most sought-after watches on the market, even before its release in early ������WKH�3HEEOH�ZRUNV�ZLWK�\RXU�L3KRQH�RU�'URLG�WR�GLV-play calls, emails, and music, among other apps. It even tells time!

One of the more whacky gadgets is the machine wash-able Electronic Rock Guitar shirt by ThinkGeek, which brings your average air guitar to life. The shirt senses your movements, so you can play without a real guitar. For the UHDVRQDEOH�SULFH�RI������LW�HYHQ�LQFOXGHV�D�PLQL�DPS�DQG�plays most major chords.

If you’re a hipster of sorts, or just want to try some-thing off the beaten path, then the Google Nexus 7 Tablet is for you. Jumping on the tablet bandwagon, the Google proves it’s not far behind its competitors with the Nexus 7. Not only are the visual displays and performance hailed E\�FULWLFV��LW�FRPHV�DW�WKH�DIIRUGDEOH�SULFH�RI�������ZKLFK�will give it a leg up on the Kindle Fire and iPad.

If you’re looking for a more whimsical tech tool, then look no further than the TechPet. From the company that gave us Tamagotchi, TechPet is the next big pet techno-ORJLFDO�EUHDNWKURXJK�IRU�DERXW������6LPSO\�GRZQORDG�WKH�

TechPet app and plug your phone into the robot puppy, and watch it come to life. It even recognizes gestures and voice commands with your iPhone’s microphone and camera.

)DQF\�JDGJHWV�ZLOO�GH¿QLWHO\�EH�LQ�PRUH�WKDQ�RQH�JLIW�box this holiday season, as companies try to sway cus-tomers with high-tech devices, each more elaborate and impressive than the next.Anna Kemper

Features Editor

Molly Field Double Truck Editor

14, Entertainment

Your average air guitar comes to life with this fancy shirt. The Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt is available online by ThinkGeek for only $30.

Photo courtesy of thinkgeek.com

This robotic version of mans best friend is Tomagotchi’s most recent creation. The TechPet iPod adaptor works as not only a fun toy, but also as a dock, loudspeaker, hands free speaker, and a music player.

Photo courtesy of tamagotchi.com

Far left photo courtesy of 100thingstodobeforeyoudie.com,Middle left photo courtesy of travelblat.com,

Right photos courtesy of whatafy.com,

7KH�6FUROO���'HFHPEHU���������

15, Entertainment

“You’ll shoot your eye out!” This simple, five word sentence threatens more than once to ruin the dreams of a slightly chubby, four-eyed and hopeful nine-year-old boy. Ralphie (Peter Bill-ingsly) has only one thing on his mind this year for Christmas: getting his little hands on the barrel of a Red Ryder Car-bine Action 200-shot Range Model Air Rifle. Narrated by an adult Ralphie (Jean Shepherd), “A Christmas Story” re-counts the familiar endeavors of a child trying to score the best Christmas gift ever, in Ralphie’s big blue eyes, a glo-rified BB gun. Ral-phie exhausts all tactics known to a boy of his age, first, inserting an ad for the air rifle in his mother’s magazine. Quickly realizing that a device used to shoot projectiles at high speed would not pass his moth-er’s safety threshold, Ralphie pleads to his teacher in a poorly written essay and finally, desperately, to Santa Claus. To his dismay, even the goodhearted St. Nicholas shoots down his hopes with the same lecture as his mother, “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.”

The comical plot, hilarious characters and brilliant script carve this film into a timeless holiday masterpiece. Although the acting may be overdone in some bits, it is almost called for and only makes the film more entertaining. B i l l -

ingsley excellently portrays the wimpy, melodramatic Ralphie, bringing out the kid in every audience member. Ralphie’s mother (Melinda Dillon) is a slightly in-dulgent and goofy woman, a picture of the traditional ‘50s mom. Shepherd as the adult Ralphie is witty and hilarious; describing Ralphie’s father (Darren Mc-Gavin), Shepherd says, “In the heat of battle, my father wove a tapestry of ob-scenity, that as far as we know is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan.”

With its PG rating, “A Christ-mas Story” is en-joyable to all who love to snuggle up and get into the holiday spirit. The humor can be both juvenile and smart, making it relatable and ap-preciated by all ages, and it does not reveal enough

about the Santa myth to ruin the Christ-mas magic. From bullies to opening pres-ents on Christmas day, the film touches on the highlights and lowlights of both childhood and the holiday season, and leaves the audience with a fondness for Christmas as well as thankfulness for family. It wraps up the deep affection the audience holds for the holidays, and ties it up nicely in a big bow. Children will go to bed dreaming of their perfect Christmas gift, and for some it may just be a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model Air Rifle.

It seems that year after year ra-dio stations play the same oldies style Christmas songs as soon as December strikes. Well, this holi-day season a group of various indie artists gathered together to try and change that convention. On Oct. 30, 2012 the Hear Music/Concord Music Group and the Starbucks la-bel released the multi-genre album Holidays Rule. The composition was produced by the Decemberists’ Chris Funk and features famous artists such as Fun.,The Shins, The Civil Wars and The Head and The Heart. Though the album still falls under the genre of holiday music, it isn’t just another typical Christmas album.

One of the traits that makes Hol-idays Rule unique is that it features music from multiple genres as op-posed to just one. There are a to-tal of 17 songs performed by 17 different artists on the album and though the majority of the artists are indie, the range of genres it con-tains is significantly broad. A few of these genres include Americana, alt-pop, folk, electronica, country, American standards, New Orleans gospel and more. The electronica/alternative-pop side of the album consists of Fun.’s cover of “Sleigh

Ride” as well as The Shins cover of “Wonderful Christmastime,” while the more country/folk side of the album is made up of songs such as “Green Grows The Holly” and “It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas” covered by the bands Calexico and Fruit Bats. All of the songs featured in Holidays Rule are covers of other well-known seasonal songs, but it’s the new genre twist that sets them apart from their predecessors.

Another thing that sets Holi-days Rule apart from other albums in its category is that three out of the 17 talents featured on the album are artists/bands local to the Port-land and Seattle area. These bands include The Head and the Heart, Black Prairie, Agesandages and Y La Bamba. The reasoning behind the large amount of local bands is largely due to the aforementioned fact that the album was produced by a member of the Decemberists, which began as a local Portland band itself. Given its unique twist on typical holiday music and its personal background with the local artists, this album is sure to impress this holiday season. Holidays Rule can be found on Itunes for $7.99 or in CD form at a local music store for $9.99.

Sage Steineke Sta! Writer

Amelia Turnquist Sta! Writer

7KH�6FUROO���'HFHPEHU���������

16, Entertainment 7KH�6FUROO���'HFHPEHU���������