SJB-Times-Christmas-2020-Edition

ISSUE. 5 | DECEMBER 2020 ”THIS IS WHERE YOU WANT TO BE!” EST. 2019

THE SJB TIMES

CHRISTMAS 2020 EDITION

Front cover design & photography by the talented Daniel Vu St. John Brebeuf Regional Secondary School [email protected] | www.stjohnbrebeuf.ca

ISSUE. 5 | DEC 2020

IN THIS ISSUE…

Embarrassing Memories 3 Merry SJB Decides: True Meaning of Christmas 7

All About Santa! 8 Christmas They do WHAT now? 10

How to Make the Holidays Stress Free! 11 from all of

Best Christmas Gifts EVER 12 us at This Teacher’s Spirit Animal: A Slug 15

Christmas Art & Photography 21 The SJB Online vs Traditional Schooling 24

The SJB Do-NOT-Play List 25 Times!

ISSUE. 5 DECEMBER 2020

Ready to cringe? Embarrassing & Funny Christmas Memories By Francesca Voischos

Memories are naturally associated with holidays, especially around the Christmas season. Whether they are good, bad, funny, or even embarrassing. Our brain works in so many cool and fascinating ways. Imagery and sensory are just two ways that memories are formed in our minds. Sights, sounds, and especially smells play a large role in memory. The more sensory information that is stored, the easier memories are to remember. That is why the smell of pine could bring you back to when you were a kid putting the star on the Christmas tree.

Not all memories are exciting, some may be embarrassing or undeniably hilarious J

First up is a vivid memory from one of our own grade eights…

“I puked on Santa. I don’t remember if I was scared or excited, all I remember is throwing up.” -Anonymous

I bet Santa wasn’t too fond of the gift they gave him for Christmas that year.

Next up is a memory from one of our own grade nines.

“When I was about seven years old I got a bike with training wheels for Chrsotmas and I was so excited that I started jumping up and down. Then I accidentally hit my head on the handlebars and gave myself a concussion.” -Sophia Burton

Ouch! Been there and definitely have done that. It wouldn’t be Christmas without a little injury.

The list continues as we hear about another memory from one of our own grade tens.

“I was at my dad’s hockey game around Christmas time and I fell down the bleachers and a whole bunch of people saw me. Even a bunch of his teammates saw me and I started crying of embarrassment. Not even because I was hurt or anything, I was just so embarrassed. Like, I fell down those bleachers SO hard!” -Katie Buckle

Oof! Again, been there and done that. The bleachers can be dangerous weapons.

Next on the list is a memory from one of our own grade elevens.

“I hope this is okay for the school newspaper, but when I was seven years old I was at a Christmas party and went to the washroom. The party was at a friend’s house, and it was like a family type get together. So I was there in the bathroom when an old guy I didn’t recognize

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walked into the washroom. He started getting dressed up as santa. We made awkward eye contact for a solid ten seconds, and then I said ‘you’re not santa’. He said ‘sorry buddy,’ then laughed at me and left.” -Jeremy

Yikes! Meeting Santa in the bathroom-well not the real santa-would have been weird as a child.

Last on the list is from one of your very own grade twelves.

“A few years ago my dad and I were on our way to get some Christmas presents at Gnarly Parts- a motorbike store in Chilliwack. My dad worked that night, so we left early in the morning. It had just snowed the previous night and was crazy cold as well as it looked like a snow globe that had just been shaken. My dad, knowing all the backroads, decided to turn off at one of the unknown exits of the freeway. As we were coming off of the ramp we noticed the beautiful sun coming up over the mountains. It was the perfect scene: trees covered in snow, crystal clear blue skies, a pinky-orange colour cascaded across the bottom half of the sky, miles of land wrapped in the fresh fluffy white blanket we call snow, it was pure beauty. My dad then said ‘let's take a picture for mom’. Knowing how much my mom loves pictures, especially winter wonderlands we pulled over onto the side. I grabbed my phone and just as I was about to take the picture we felt the car make a crunch sound. TWACK I was face to face with the window looking at only snow. I looked up and saw that my dad was elevated and that the truck was leaning. I looked to my right and all I saw was white and to my left all I saw was sky. Rubbing my head from hitting the glass I looked towards my dad for answers. He looked just as confused as I was. We had just gotten Tim Hortons too, so our nice Steep Tea with one sugar and one milk was all over the floor and my lap.Crawling over top of the front seats and out the drivers side window my dad and I escaped. Looking from the outside in, instead of the inside out we realized that my dad had parked in a ditch. Due to it just snowing the night before the ground was all covered and the ditch had filled up with snow, so it looked as if there was no ditch to begin with. Having no way to pull the massive truck from the ditch my dad and I took the beautiful picture for my mom. My dad sent her the picture with the caption ‘look at the beautiful scenery’ and then five seconds later sent a picture of our truck in the ditch with the caption ‘and this is what it took to take it’. After about ten minutes of watching cars pass by, a nice young kid with a truck pulled over and offered to help us out. He said he didn’t have a tow rope, but would gladly help. Being the prepared man that my dad is had a tow rope under the back seat. Because I was the smallest he made me crawl back into the tilted vehicle and pull them out. After another fifteen or so minutes the truck was back on the road. We thanked the kid and headed on our way. When we got to our destination there was another car that was stuck in the snow and lucky for them we had the tow rope all ready to go. We pulled them out and headed on our way. Always remember that if you ever want to take a picture for your mom, get out of the car and check to see if snow is covering a ditch before you pull over.” -Francesca Voischos

WAIT!! I can’t forget about the memory of an ALMOST Beatle…

CURIOUS WHAT I MEAN? KEEP READING à

ISSUE. 5 DECEMBER 2020

The Beatle that almost was… (also by Francesca Voischos)

Dr. Lannan’s Embarrassing Christmas Memory…

I remember one particular Christmas, I was about 10 years old, and I had asked Santa for a drum kit that year. I discovered The Beatles a few years earlier but felt the time was now right to learn the drums, in case they decided to get back together. I figured I could take Ringo’s place (their drummer), because he always came across as a very nice and accommodating fellow. So I made it clear to Santa in my letter that I wanted a new set of drums, as I planned to be touring with The Beatles in the near future. I figured if I put in those terms there was no way Santa could fail me. I even asked the priests at my parish to pray that I get a new drum kit that year. I didn’t mention my plan of touring with The Beatles; I figured that would be a nice surprise. Finally, Christmas morning arrived. As my siblings and I pillaged the gifts under the tree, I couldn’t help but notice the absence of a package looking like a drum kit. By the time we finished opening our gifts, I recognized that Santa had come up short with the drums. I explained this act of treachery to my parents, fully expecting an outpouring of sympathy and even a pledge of solidarity to avenge this slight by Santa. However, my mom said rather optimistically, “Mr. Lannan, there is still one more present behind the tree. Perhaps that’s your drums.” I scrambled behind the tree to retrieve that lone gift. It had shiny gold wrapping and my name, but it was not much bigger than a shoe box. I started to question the integrity of this Santa Claus fellow. My parents urged me to open it. I, on the other hand, felt bamboozled. Still, I tore the wrapping off and opened the box. There lay a note. It said, “Sorry Mr. Lannan. Santa couldn’t swing the drum kit this year but please enjoy these Bongos!” Bongos, I repeated several times, as though it were a new and foul word in my vocabulary. I ran out to the front porch, yelling “Santa Claus. This is not over!” My feelings for Jolly St. Nick had changed significantly. When I came back inside I noticed my sister, who secretly desired to be a hippie, “playing” my new bongos. She told me if I could learn to play the bongos I would be the envy of every kid in the neighbourhood. That sounded good to me, and I began to bang on them as she had instructed. I even began to sort of like it; that is, until one of my brothers slowly approached me, clearly hiding something behind his back. To further my anguish, Santa had shown still another lapse in judgement by getting my brother a pump action Nerf dart gun for Christmas.

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My brother towered over me and said menacingly, “Play something by Elvis.” My brother was an Elvis man from way back and I knew the quickest way to stoke his fire was by speaking badly of the King (Elvis). I had no sooner said the words, “Elvis is overrated!” before the first round of Nerf darts bounced off my cranium. I instinctively ran for cover, but my brother pursued me like the lovable savage he was. I was crouched behind a loveseat—I know: the irony of it!—and I could hear his breathing. No escape. I knew he was close but realized just how close when he leaned over me and said, “Say your prayers rabbit.” (He was terribly fond of Bugsy Bunny.) I resolved that it couldn’t end like this, and I started singing “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog” as loud as I could. My whole family came out to see what the noise was, and my sister grabbed the bongos and began accompanying me as my parents began to dance. My brother, the one with the menacing Nerf gun, and I looked at each other in disbelief, united by the sight of our parents dancing. My sister refused to stop playing the bongos because my parents loved to dance. In the annals of Lannan folklore, this became known as the Bongo Christmas, one which brought much laughter but a little embarrassment, too.

These stories are pretty amazing. They range from injuries to almost becoming a member of one of the most iconic bands out there. I challenge you now to see if you can think of a funny or embarrassing story that happened during the holiday season!

Merry Christmas!!

HOW RESPONSIBLE ARE YOU FOR THE INFORMATION YOU SHARE? MADELEINE GROVES

False news spreads six times faster than truthful news according to a study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Chances are, you have seen something taken out of context, or even completely not true shared by someone. To avoid doing the same thing try to research the topic before you repost it. Find sources that are reliable and that repeat the same information. If the same information is repeated by different reputable sources, it has a higher likelihood of being true.

“Every man has a right to his own opinion, but no man has the right to be wrong in his facts” - Bernard Baruch

ISSUE. 5 DECEMBER 2020

WHAT IS THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS? CHRISTEL MAZZEK

There it is again. The question you have probably seen everywhere this time of year. I know that I have for as long as I can remember, especially in the Christmas plays we did back in elementary school. I actually recall reading an article about the meaning of Christmas last year, however I still think it’s important to take a minute and remember what Christmas is truly about. We often get caught in the Holiday season: decorating, buying presents, and other things, so we might forget the reason we’re celebrating Christmas in the first place.

This whole giant celebration that we have each year is all because of a baby. Of course, this baby went on to be our saviour, although the point I want to make is how cool all of Christmas is. It happened because of a single baby and the weirdest part is that we often forget about that. We get overwhelmed with the stress and errands that come every Christmas season, so most people don’t stop to think about what Christmas truly means.

The meaning of Christmas is different for different people which is why I asked some fellow students what Christmas means to them.

“I think Christmas is about the joy you give to other people, and the happiness you get from making them happy. It’s about spreading joy.” • Maria Jacob

“The meaning of Christmas is to celebrate Jesus’s coming with more gifts, as if Jesus isn’t enough. Christmas is also about having a good time with your family, eating food, and enjoying life.” • Monika Winterhoff

“I think the meaning of Christmas is to give- not receive. I think that it is our responsibility as human beings to remember that it isn’t important to get something back if we have given someone something. Christmas is also a time where we can really be thankful that people around us care for us and remember the holiday’s origins. Although the commercial world doesn’t acknowledge it often, this holiday does originate with the celebration of what Catholics and Christians believe to be the day of Jesus’s birth, and we need to respect that as well.” • James Watt

For me, Christmas is about love. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean the love in every classic Hallmark movie where the girl and guy fall head over heels in love just 2 minutes after they meet. Christmas is about spreading love and celebrating the birth of Jesus and God’s love for us. It’s also about spending time with family and being joyful because once about 2000 years ago a little baby was born and changed our lives forever.

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ABOUT SANTA CLAUS! RACHEL KIM

Who is Santa Claus? The term, Santa Claus, originated from St. Nicholas, a priest in the region of the ‘Lykia’, which was in the Eastern Roman Empire, which is now known as Turkey. St. Nicholas was born in Pattara, Lykia, Anatolia in 270 A.D. He was born into a very well-to-do family, so when his parents passed away early, he inherited a huge amount of money, but he spent all his fortune on charity for the poor. An example of this was that there was a father with three daughters who was so poor that there was no dowry to marry his daughters. After hearing the news, Nicholas wanted to help them, but since he had a humble character, he secretly put three bags of gold in the chimney at night. After that the legend we know has been around for centuries, the custom of secretly giving gifts to others on his birthday emerged. After St. Nicholas died, his fame spread throughout Europe, and around the 17th century, when the Dutch moved to America, he became known as “SanteClaus”. And when Christmas became known around the world in around the 19th century, the practice of giving gifts on Christmas and giving gifts secretly on St. Nicholas's birthday combined and created the legend of Santa Claus giving gifts on Christmas today.

Why did Santa Claus' name change? As it is written above, when the Dutch moved to the Americas, they started to call him not as St. Nicholas but as “Sante Claus”. And this pronunciation changed and became “Santa Claus”.

Why do we put gifts in socks? When Nicholas put three bags of gold in a chimney for the three sisters who couldn't get married because they didn't have money, they put the wet socks on top of a chimney to dry them, and coincidentally the three bags went into their socks. So after that, we always put gifts into socks on Christmas Day.

Why did Santa Claus wear red clothes? In 1931, Coca-Cola promoted themselves by dressing Santa Claus in red, which is a symbol of Coca-Cola, to prevent sale volume from falling sharply, because in winter, the weather is cold. This promotion has had a lot of influence on the current Santa Claus costume.

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INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT CHRISTMAS! JAEWON LEE

Christmas is probably the best holiday that people have been waiting for. Every single year, millions of people in different countries celebrate Christmas. People gather up with their family members and friends to enjoy Christmas and share gifts. Many people sing Christmas songs and dance together. However, there are numerous facts that we don’t know about Christmas. So, let’s see what could be surprising about Christmas.

One of the most famous Christmas songs, “Jingle Bells” was not written for Christmas, but Thanksgiving. This song was written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857. The whole purpose of this song was to commemorate the sleigh races in Medford during Thanksgiving. However, people started to sing it in Christmas because the song sounded better with sleighs in winter, especially during Christmas.

The artificial Christmas trees that we know did not come from actual trees in the first place. The first artificial tree was made of goose feathers that were dyed green. This idea came from Germany in the 19th century due to major deforestation, and it became famous from the early 20th century to nowadays everywhere.

WINTER FRAGRANCES IRENE JANG

Did you know that people remember not only your appearance, but also your scent? Fragrances affect people unexpectedly quite a lot. Scents help people to remember you and trigger the reminding section of your brain. Also, each season has its own scent. Perfume brands make their perfumes according to the season based on these interesting facts. Every year, perfume brands make their own attractive perfumes, and create sweet, cold, warm, and refreshing scents depending on the season. The public is fascinated by such scents and buys perfumes that match the seasons. The scent makes people have special memories. So, what is the scent of winter? The images that come to mind when it comes to winter are usually trees, firewood, snow, warmth, cold, and more. What kind of scent would it be if these substances were expressed in fragrance? Surprisingly, these substances are actually used a lot as winter perfumes. Find your winter fragrances and make special memories!

Clean Warm Cotton Jo Malone “Blackberry and Bay” L’Occitane Verbena 9

ISSUE. 5 DECEMBER 2020

THEY DO WHAT NOW? JIMMY DINH

Christmas is a tradition most of us celebrate, or at least I hope you do. It can range from opening gifts to large family gatherings on Christmas. Though with the whole Covid-19 situation, it might not be wise to do the latter. While most traditions during Christmas are relatively the same, gift opening and all, some Christmas traditions around the world are… strange to say the least.

Let’s take Iceland for example. “Why have one Santa, when you can have thirteen!” is apparently their motto, and yes you read that correctly. The thirteen days that lead up to Christmas, one of these thirteen will visit your house, although to make this easier to write we’ll be referring to them as the “Yule Lads”. Yes. Seriously that’s what they are called. Children will place one of their shoes on a windowsill, in which one of the Yule Lads will leave candy for the good boys and girls. For the boys and girls who were naughty? Coal? Nope. Rotten potatoes. Because clearly that is the better option of the two. Now you may be wondering, what are the names of these thirteen? … Let’s just say it is quite interesting. I won’t write them all down, however I will tell you three. One name is Spoon Licker, another a Bowl Licker, and the final one… Meat Hook. Very family friendly I must say, if I were a parent, I would surely trust my child with someone whose name is Meat Hook.

Moving southwards to another European country, we land in Portugal. Surely the Portuguese won’t make something weird with Christmas, right? WRONG! Father Christmas in Portugal goes by the name of “Pai Natal” and you better give him what he wants unless you want to keep your toes! Why toes in particular? Not too sure. Maybe he likes making necklaces out of them or something. To prevent this, you must leave out a stick of butter on Christmas Eve… in my own opinion this Pai Natal guy seems a bit strange. After all, who would eat a stick of butter by itself?

Now, many families would gather around the television and watch a Christmas story, more specifically Americans, however in Sweden no Christmas celebration is complete without Donald Duck. Every single year near 3 pm in Sweden, a show called, “Donald Duck and His Friends Wish You a Merry Christmas” airs. Supposedly 40% of the entire country of Sweden tunes in to watch this show… Which if you didn’t know is roughly 4 million people. That’s nearly the same amount of people as there is in Alberta…

Now before anything gets out of hand, I will say one thing before you move onto reading something else. I will not be responsible for any shoes that are inexplicably on windowsills, sticks of butter that are randomly put out during Christmas Eve, or a person in Canada tuning into some channel in Sweden to watch Donald Duck.

ISSUE. 5 DECEMBER 2020

HOW TO MAKE THE HOLIDAYS STRESS-FREE SAMANTHA LUISTRO & JULIANNA VIRAY

Lights going up, children playing, the air getting colder, the music playing is now festive - it’s that time of year. And after all that we’ve been through in 2020, I think we all deserve a break; Christmas is the perfect time to take a break from all the stresses of life.

However, sometimes Christmas doesn’t give you a break. It provides more stress for some people. As happy and wonderful as the holidays can be, there are many parts of it which could cause a lot of stress. Finding the perfect gift, cooking for your family dinner, decorating your house, and more. Although, there are many ways to combat this.

This may sound a bit ridiculous, but this has helped my family and many other people and it might help you as well. Plan everything out beforehand. Think about every person you are giving gifts to, how you want to decorate your house, and how much you want to spend, at least a few weeks before the holiday rush begins. Once it’s officially the holiday season, Christmas shopping may become a bit too hectic if you’re unprepared.

I suggest you set aside a day specifically for everything. Maybe spread it out a little bit so that you don’t feel like you’re cramming. For example, setting one weekend aside for shopping. And the next for decorating.

For Christmas gift shopping, make a list of what to get, and for who. I highly suggest that you set a budget for each person. (Make sure you stick to that budget, otherwise your bank account will be in pain.) Whether this list is a sticky note, on your phone, on your hand, or whatever works best for you, write a list. Maybe bring a friend along with you so that they can help you pick out the perfect gifts. Black Friday is a great time to buy Christmas gifts, since there are so many good deals at that time. Don’t forget that you can always make people gifts! Whether it’s a heartfelt letter, a craft of some sort (hats, earrings, jewelry, etc.), I’m certain that they will love it.

Cooking the perfect Christmas dinner is a difficult task, and it takes a lot of time. I suggest that you go out grocery shopping 1 or 2 days before you start preparing your food- that way, you won’t have to worry about not having enough eggs or whatnot. And while you’re preparing, make sure that animals and little siblings are out of the kitchen. They are very cute, but they can be quite the distraction. Not only does this prevent spills, but this also prevents falling behind schedule.

As for decorating? Have the entire family help out! Assign certain people to certain aspects of the house. Maybe someone can do the outside, others can do the Christmas tree, while the others decorate the rest of the house. I suggest you don’t decorate too much and that you keep it simple, but in the end it’s all up to you.

Honestly, Christmas can be a very stressful time for many of us, but let’s also not forget that this is a time to hang out with family and friends, and most importantly, celebrate the birth of Jesus. And hopefully with these tips, Christmas won’t be as stressful anymore.

ISSUE. 5 DECEMBER 2020

WHAT IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED? CINDY PHAN

“A necklace passed down “Milk and Cookies.” “A used drone.” from my Nonna to my • Josh Butler • Mr. Shin mom and now to me!” • Sophie Nadeau

“A nice Bluetooth “A hair straightener “When I was little, I got speaker.” from my mom.” a bike from my parents • Levi Quinn • Sarah Grosjean that I completely did no expect, and I was super excited! It had sparkly tassels on it and everything.” • Ms. Cardama

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LET’S KEEP ON LEARNING KOREAN! YOUJIN KIM

Snow 눈 (Nun)

Gift 선물 (Seonmul)

Winter 겨울 (Gyeoul)

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December 12월 (Sib-iwol)

Rudolph 순록 (sunlog)

Sled 썰매 (sseol mae)

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Guess the SJB Teacher! FRANCESCA VOISCHOS

Welcome everyone to another episode of guess that teacher! In the previous episode I interviewed one of the biggest Star Wars fans out there. I have to say that we learned quite a lot of information about Mr. Palmarin, from meeting his wife in University to what his last meal on earth would be. I am back at it with another wonderful teacher.

Q. What song do you know all the lyrics to? A. “I will survive” by Gloria Gaynor

For those of you who don’t know this very famous song, it is a powerful melody written by an incredible woman in 1978. When this teacher isn’t rockin’ to this karaoke jam, they are working on their hidden talent.

Q. What is one of your hidden talents? A. I can make the “forward slash” / or “backslash” \ with my mouth

You read it here first, folks. How is that even possible? I bet you are all trying to do that now. If that isn’t a hidden talent, I don’t know what is!

This talent had to come from somewhere and I bet you can’t guess where! You guessed wrong, it was from God. This teacher is not just talented, they have also experienced the faith in powerful ways.

Q. Who showed you your faith? Why are you a Catholic? Did you have a mentor? What does the faith mean to you? A. I was raised in the Catholic church by my parents, who are both Catholic. During my teens years, my family went through a crisis during which I became very angry and resentful. I reacted by rejecting the church. I did not attend Mass from the age of 15 until 21, when another personal crisis brought me back. I experienced the presence of God in a deeper way at that time, and continue to seek to place God at the center of my life. I have had many spiritual mentors in my life, including my work colleagues, and those of other faiths. I enjoy the spiritual books written by Henri Nouwen and Fr. Thomas Keating. My faith is the most important aspect of my life today. Without God, I would be one lost sheep, and probably dead!

It is amazing how God works. He is always there for us!

If that doesn’t give it away, here is how this teacher met their spouse. They were both cliff diving in Jamaica at one of the most famous cliff jumps called Rick’s Cafe in Negril. The scenery was spectacular with the greenery colliding in the most spectacular way with the deep blues of the nearby ocean on the cliffside. They were both mid jump when they locked eyes and had an instant connection. Just kidding!

Q. What would be your dream vacation? A. Somewhere peaceful by moving water!

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If that doesn’t instantly calm you, then you are missing out! Water and peace go hand in hand like flowers and the spring! Q. How did you meet your husband? A. We met at a retreat for new teachers in the CISVA. He was a teacher at Holy Trinity Elementary School in North Vancouver, and I was teaching here at SJB. This was in 1998!

Retreats are a fun way to meet new people and learn a lot!

Q. What flower would you be and why? A. A water- lily, because they open their petals during the day and close them at night. Likewise, I am more alive and engaged with the world during some times, whereas at others I just shut down.

Water-lilies are beautiful and quite unique, just like this amazing teacher!

Q. What type of animal would you be and why? A. A slug, because I’m just not that quick.

Honestly, same. However, slugs move by rhythmic waves which I would say is pretty cool.

Now most often than not teenagers are thinking about driving while exceeding speed limits and breaking rules. I mean...cautiously driving under the speed limit...right?

Q. What kind of driver were you when you first got your license? Good? Bad? Rage filled? Happy filled? A. I was a cautious driver, but I used to love taking long drives to nowhere by myself. I’d listen to music and daydream.

Driving is the best! I wonder if this teacher listened to “I will Survive” on a cassette tape on repeat while driving? For those of you who don’t know anything about cassette tapes, they used to be what was in a car instead of a CD deck and sometimes they only were single tracks that had one song on each side, so to listen to multiple songs, you had to have multiple tapes. Pretty amazing, huh!?

Listening to music is a great way to relax and on top of that I would say reading is next in line. Everyone has a favourite author, right?

Q. Who is your favourite Author and why? A. I have too many to have just one favorite. My favorite fantasy author is Patricia McKillip, and my favorite fiction author is currently Richard Flanagan. Both authors have a beautiful and powerful way of using the English language to express the depth of human experience. It’s captivating!

Captivated and engaged is the best feeling when reading a book. It is very inspirational.

Q. What inspires you most? A. A truly well written book - whether fiction or nonfiction, as well as being by the water.

Yet again another perfect comparison. Sitting by the water and reading a good book is like sleeping on a bed full of pillows, it just feels right. I wonder if celebrities get to do both those things?

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Q. If you could meet any celebrity, who would it be? A. I’d like to meet one of the favorite authors I’ve mentioned - any one

Authors are some of the best celebrities out there. I mean, actors are pretty good too. They do provide us with entertainment.

Q. What is your favourite TV show? A. The sitcom “Mom”

If you have a favourite TV show, you have to have a go to movie!

Q. What is your favourite or go-to movie and why? A. My favorite go-to would be romantic comedies of any type, or any of the first Star Wars movies made.

Wow, Star Wars is a hot topic at our school. The films must be great, but they can’t be as good as becoming your own crayon!

Q. You are a new addition to a crayon box, what colour are you and why? A. I would be the crayon that is made of all the little bits you don’t want to waste so your mom melts them together. So it would probably be brownish gray, but full of random specks of colour.

If you were a crayon, would you be that creative of coming up with a colour? Have you guessed the teacher? Not yet, that’s okay. This is a fact that should tip the iceberg.

Q. What would students be surprised to know about you? A. In high school I was voted the person with the best(or worst?) puns (surprise!). I also used to eat paper, glue and wax.

Still not sure what top-notch teacher I am talking about; don’t fret. Here is a big hint: Chemistry!!

Go to page 23 to find out who we interviewed!

ISSUE. 5 DECEMBER 2020

TOP 5 CHRISTMAS MOVIES JIMIN LEE

Home Alone (Nov.16th.1990) Kevin, who is a troublemaker, always wanted his family to disappear. Since he acted out, his mother sent him up to the attic. The next day, his family planned to travel to France. His family was busy getting ready and left Kevin. And his mother realized after they got on the plane. But she couldn’t get in touch with him because the phone line was cut off because of strong wind. When his family arrived in France, his mom tried to buy a ticket to go back home, but there were no seats because it was the holiday season. However, Kevin enjoyed his own time at home. While he was having a good time, he found out that two thieves are aiming for his house. Thieves approach his house in various ways and Kevin pranks them using his creative ideas. After this episode, he realized the importance of family.

Last Christmas (Nov.8th.2019) Kate dreams of becoming a singer, but she always fails auditions. She works at a Christmas jewelry shop. One day, she runs into Tom volunteering at a homeless center. They get close and she tells him about the trauma of heart surgery. She becomes more dependent on Tom. However, Tom tells her not to rely on him. She goes to his house and finds out that he was already dead. He died in a car accident last Christmas, and he donated his organs. His heart was transplanted into Kate. She understands the situation and Tom asks her to take good care of his heart. After that, she lives happily.

The Princess Switch (Nov.16th.2018) Stacy, a baker, goes to the bathroom at a baking contest and meets Margaret who is a British aristocratic that looks just like her. Margaret, who wanted to live normally, asks Stacy to switch roles with her for three days. So they pretend to be each other. Stacy meets Prince Edward, who is engaged with Margaret. Margaret had no feelings for him, but Stacy liked him and the two fell in love. Margaret also falls in love with Stacy’s friend Kevin. After three days, they return to their original roles. But Margaret, who could not marry Edward, tells him the truth. The two men understand their situation, and Edward marries Stacy, and Margaret meets Kevin.

The nightmare before Christmas (Oct.9th.1993) Jack Skellington is bored with the same Halloween preparations. He pretends to be happy in front of others. While he is walking, he accidentally finds a forest with various patterns on trees and opens the door of the tree with Christmas on it. And he goes to the Christmas village. After that, he prepares for Christmas in his village. He instructs his men to steal Santa from the Christmas village, but they take Santa to the devil. Jack presents himself to the villagers instead of Santa, but the gifts are grotesque and bother them. He notices how serious the situation is. He wakes up and goes to save Santa and Sally (who had a crush on Jack) and Jack and Sally fall in love.

ISSUE. 5 DECEMBER 2020

Miracle on 34th street (May.2th.1947) One day, Santa Claus appears in the middle of New York city. A department store in New York invites Santa every Christmas, and Doris who is the event's director, employs him as Santa. She tells her daughter Susan that there is no Santa Claus in the world, but Susan believes that Grandpa who is in the department store is the real Santa. Whether he is a real Santa or not, there is even a court case. Susan dreamed of living in a house with a swing in her backyard. At the end of the movie, the house is put up for sale and Santa's cane is found there.

FIND YOUR LOVE STYLE! CHAD KIM

Have you ever wondered what your love style is? If so, why don’t you try this quick and fun activity! You don’t need to take this too seriously, just do this for your own entertainment.

Q. Imagine you are given a Christmas card unexpectedly by someone that you know of. What kind of decoration on the Christmas card do you want it to be?

1. Santa Claus and Gift Packages 2. Twinkling Tree 3. A Girl with Praying Hands 4. A musical card that plays when opened

1. For those of you who chose “Santa Claus and Gift Packages” on a Christmas Card, You are dreaming of a dramatic or a movie-like love story. Your heart is always in the movies, so be careful because once you start dating and run into reality, you can be disappointed.

2. For those of you who chose “Twinkling Tree” on a Christmas Card, you are the type of person who values results more than the process of work. It seems like you don’t like in-between relationships. This makes it hard to confess even if you like him/her. But you’re a pure-hearted person who knows how to give full love once you give him/her your heart.

3. For those of you who chose “A Girl with Praying Hands” on a Christmas Card, you want your significant other in your life to keep your relationship as close as your best friend. You are the type of person who values people who are not disappointed by the way they are but have the same interests and values, so you’re the type that values meeting people who can communicate well and enjoy being together no matter what.

4. For those of you who chose “A musical card that plays when opened” on a Christmas Card, you are a pure and childlike person. You are dreaming of love like a fairy tale. From dating, to marriage, to all the scenarios that are perfectly crafted in your mind. If you’re alone right now, it’s because you’re the type who is waiting for the right person to come to you, like a fairy tale you dreamed of.

ISSUE. 5 DECEMBER 2020

NO BAKE SALTED CARAMEL COCONUNT MACAROONS FAITH NETZLAW

Prep time: 15 minutes Yield: 24 cookies Cook time: 0 Total time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS: - 3 tbsp (45ml) milk - 6 tbsp (84ml) salted butter - 11 oz bag Kraft caramels wrapped removed (should be 40 caramels) - 4-5 cups (288g-360g) shredded sweetened coconut - 4 oz melting chocolate, such as almond bark - Sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Add the milk, butter and caramels to a large pot set over medium heat. Allow everything to melt, stirring often so that the mixture doesn’t boil.

2. When the caramel is melted and smooth, add the coconut, starting with 4 cups. Mix together until the coconut is well coated with caramel. Add additional coconut as needed so that the coconut is all well covered, but not too “wet” or the final cookies will end up gooey.

3. Scoop out spoonfuls of about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture onto parchment paper, or another non-stick paper.

4. Allow to cool completely.

5. In a small bowl, melt the chocolate according to the package directions.

6. Dip the bottoms of each macaroon into the chocolate, then set back onto the parchment paper to dry. Drizzle with some additional chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt.

7. Allow cookies to firm completely, then serve. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

ISSUE. 5 DECEMBER 2020

CHRISTMAS ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

LOURDES HAKKO

KAYLA BUCHAN

SHANIA BUENAFLOR

ISSUE. 5 DECEMBER 2020

CHRISTMAS ARTWORK

OLIVIA HARGRAVE

ALEESHA COLOMA

MEDIA FACADE IN CHRISTMAS WOOJEONG YOUN

Have you ever seen a commercial building that has all of its dimensions covered with 3D lights? If you have not, a few global cities pride themselves in signalling the start of the Christmas Advent season, through what is called “Media Facade.” Media facade is a compound word of "Facade" and "Media," which refers to the center of the building's exterior. This implementation of media designs is done by installing LED lights on the building's exterior walls of Christmas landscapes and other festive scenes. While the Christmas carols serve as an audible herald to the coming Christmas, Media Facade highlights a visual one. This hasn’t caught on in all major cities on a huge scale yet, but you will soon enjoy watching these media facades as you prepare for the holiday season!

ISSUE. 5 DECEMBER 2020

OUR FAMILY TRADITIONS STEVIE LAYCOE

My family has many different Christmas traditions, but I figured it would be best to go with the funniest and most memorable one for me which would be Christmas trees! In my family, they are incredibly important and a staple of the holiday season. I have been going out and hunting for Christmas trees for as long as I can remember. Most of the time it is always a fun experience! If you have gone Christmas tree hunting before and it didn't go very well, don’t worry I know that feeling too.

One of my earliest memories was when I fell into the mud, got completely soaked, and immediately after burnt my tongue on hot chocolate. At the time I was just about three years old and didn’t get what was going on and why I fell when I was jumping in mud puddles. As I got older the falling got a lot less frequent, but my family continues to tease me about it to this day! One year my family had to go to nine different Christmas tree lots in search of the noble pine (It’s a type of tree). Once we found the tree there was an arduous discussion on how tall the tree was going to be and how much we were going to cut off. Another time my mum put bows on at least six trees to remember which ones she liked!

Once the whole process of picking one, cutting it down, tying it to the car, attempting to fit it through the doorway, and setting it up is finished I can truthfully state that that is when the real fun begins!

We get to decorate! You might think that this is a fun and relatively easy task, but I am warning you now that that is not always the case. In my experience, it is often very hectic and can definitely be a journey from start to finish. The trying event of untangling Christmas tree lights is scarred into my memory because of the bright lights and often turbulent trip of attempting to get everything plugged in and put upright. I think that putting up ornaments is one of the best parts as it is one of the funniest things about the whole thing, as long as you ignore all the mentions of mud that were talked about before. I have elected to bury that far back in my memory even though I can admit that it is slightly funnier. Most of the ornaments have some sentimental value and are filled with inside jokes so putting them up often brings on lots of laughs and/or tears—only the good kind though. Christmas trees are an essential part of Christmas in all of my memories and help to bring all of the Christmas magic to life.

Guess the SJB Teacher REVEALED:

à à à

It’s MRS. DURANTE!

ISSUE. 5 DECEMBER 2020

OPINION: ONLINE VS. TRADITIONAL SCHOOLING FAITH NETZLAW

Online schooling was definitely a different experience, and was really confusing at first, but it became the normal. But traditional schooling is better in my opinion. Benefits of Traditional schooling: Number one: the social interaction aspect is key because we are humans and are supposed to interact with each other. Number 2: we get to physically write and not just type. One day you will have to write and think to yourself, ‘I haven’t done this for years. Number 3: you won’t have a melted brain from your computer. And Number 4: you get to hang out with friends, instead of zoom (because zoom sucks 100%).

Benefits of Online schooling: Number 1: we get to chill in bed. Number 2: no masks or hand sanitizing every single second. Number 3: get to have more free time for work (and for fooling around ‘cause why not � ). And Number 4: no hard P.E (your p.e is chilling in your bed being a potato ).

JEFF BEZOS: RICHEST MAN IN THE WORLD ERICA LIM

Who is Jeff Bezos? Jeff Bezos, who was ranked as the richest man in the world of 2020, is well known as the CEO of Amazon. Amazon is the world’s largest online retailer that provides online services of websites and applications. He is also an industrialist, media proprietor, and investor. According to Forbes, Bezos is the first person in history to have a net worth exceeding $200 billion. Statistically, Jeff Bezos is making about $321 million a day, $13.4 million an hour, $222,884 a minute, and $3,715 a second this year.

About his Life & How he Created his Own Company Jeff Benzo was born on January 12, 1964 in New Mexico, US, and then moved to Houston, and later to Miami. He graduated from Princeton University in 1986 and holds a degree in electrical engineering and computer science. Benzo worked in a variety of fields from 1986 to 1995 on Wall Street. And he founded Amazon in his garage, as an online bookstore. But Benzo always planned to expand the products. So later they expanded to online commerce products and services, including video and audio streaming. At the beginning, Benzo started with the fund from his parents and a few investors. After 3 years he founded Amazon, he made it public with initial public offering (IPO). He received more fundings after that and through the stock investment of his own company, he became the richest person in the world. Benzo also founded Blue Origin, the sub-orbital spaceflight services company in 2000. He also purchased the major American newspaper ‘The Washington Post’ in 2013 as well as he manages many other investments through his Bezos Expeditions venture capital company.

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How He Became Rich? If we want to know how Jeff Bezos became rich, pay attention to how he came to leading his own company to success and making money. There are three big beliefs that he believed: 1) Have a vision and organize your time 2 to 3 years out; 2) Get used to naysayers (people who constantly say you can’t make dreams happen); 3) Take time to be efficient. The biggest factor in his success would be the efficient time management. For example, Amazon’s financial results are determined quarterly, so they could make a better plan for the near future and run a company a little more effectively. Therefore, his time is valuable. This is because of the stock investment that makes time his money.

SJB’S DO-NOT-PLAY LIST WOOJEONG YOUN & DOROTHY JUNG

Christmas carols blaring non-stop on the radio remind us that it is the start of the Christmas season. There are many traditional carols including Jingle Bells, Let it Snow, Santa Claus is coming to town, or Feliz Navidad that are routinely heard during the holidays. However, those old songs aren’t always everybody’s favourite. To find out which Christmas songs are on the Do-Not-Play list, we did a survey with the SJB community, and here are the results.

The 5 least favourite Christmas songs according to SJB are:

1. 12 days of Christmas 2. Hallelujah 3. Last Christmas 4. Joy to the World 5. Santa Tell Me

12.2% of people voted for 12 days of Christmas, 9.1% of people voted for Hallelujah, 8.4% of people voted for Last Christmas and Joy to the World, and 7.7% of people voted for Santa Tell Me. The person who voted for Hallelujah and O Holy Night said that Christmas carols are meant to be cheerful and fun. The person who voted for 12 days of Christmas said it is the worst tune because it is too repetitive, and the lyrics are not understandable.

Regardless of the results, the Christmas season will be an exciting time for everybody, and carols will be playing everywhere from the radio to the malls. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

ISSUE. 5 DECEMBER 2020

CHRISTMAS MOVIE ANNIVERSARIES LIAM NIMMO & DOMINIC NOOTEBOS

A Charlie Brown Christmas – December 9, 1965 “I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It's not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.” Summary: Charlie Brown finds himself depressed at the overwhelming materialism he sees around him during the Christmas season, and he tries to find a deeper meaning to Christmas.

Did You Know? • Cathy Steinberg, who did the voice of Sally Brown, had not yet learned to read at the time of production, so she had to be fed her lines

• Broke many of the rules prevalent for animated holiday specials during the 1960s: it didn't make use of a laugh track; real children were used for the character voices instead of adult actors imitating children's voices; and Biblical references were used to illustrate the true meaning of Christmas.

• Producer Lee Mendelson wrote the lyrics for Vince Guaraldi's "Christmas Time is Here" music, and his son Glenn, along with his then sixth-grade class, sang the vocals.

Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town - December 14, 1970 “Put one foot in front of the other, and soon you’ll be walking out the door!” Summary: A small baby named Kris was left on the doorstep of the Kringle family. When Kris grew up, he wanted to deliver toys to the children of Sombertown. But its Burgermeister is too mean to let that happen. And to make things worse, there's an evil wizard named Winter who lives between the Kringles and Sombertown.

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Did You Know? • During the song "Put One Foot in Front of the Other" when the Winter Warlock begins to take his steps, the song switches to a 7/4 time signature. This creates an 'aksak" or " limping" effect, which reflects how the Warlock is struggling to move forward.

• When Kris gets captured by the trees, for 3 frames a man's arm and a flashbulb could be seen right when the flash occurs, before the Winter Warlock appears. This was fixed on later broadcasts and DVD releases.

• When the children are naming off Santa's reindeer, one of them refers to Blitzen as "Blitster". This was not corrected to make dialogue more endearing since young children often mispronounce words.

Home Alone - November 16, 1990 “Keep the change, ya filthy animal!”

Summary: An eight-year-old troublemaker must protect his house from a pair of burglars when he is accidentally left home alone by his family during Christmas vacation.

Did You Know? • The picture Kevin finds of Buzz's girlfriend was a picture of a boy made up to look like a girl, because director Chris Columbus thought it would be too cruel to make fun of a girl like that.

• John Williams (Star Wars, Jaws, Harry Potter) stepped in when the original composer backed out. The filmmakers never thought they could get Williams, but he saw an early cut of the movie and was "enchanted".

• In the scene when Harry bites Kevin on the finger, Joe Pesci actually bit Macaulay Culkin. He still has the scar to this day.

• Old Man Marley's hand wound may symbolize his relationship with his son. In his first scene with Kevin, his hand is heavily wrapped in gauze. At this point in time, he and his son are not on speaking terms. Their next scene is in the church, where he confides in Kevin the falling out they had. In this scene, he is wearing only a band-aid. In his last scene, while hugging his granddaughter, his hand is completely healed.

ISSUE. 5 DECEMBER 2020

MEET OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM!

EDITOR: HEAD OF LAYOUT & DESIGN: Francesca Voischos Jianna Escudero

PUBLIC RELATIONS: HEAD OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Cassie Bell Shania Buenaflor

PRODUCTION MANAGER: HEAD OF ART DEPARTMENT: Reta Younan Adrian Ruar

TEACHER SPONSORS: Mr. Palmarin & Mrs. Neuls

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS

Rachel Kim Jimin Lee Woojeong Youn Jaewon Lee Chad Kim Stevie Laycoe Irene Jang Faith Netzlaw Erica Lim Jimmy Dinh Christel Mazzek Dorothy Jung Samantha Luistro Lourdes Hakko Liam Nimmo Julianna Viray Shania Buenaflor Dominic Nootebos Cindy Phan Kayla Buchan Francesca Voischos Youjin Kim Olivia Hargrave Daniel Vu Madeleine Groves Aleesha Coloma

Are you in need of advice? Do you have a Do you want to show of your writing, problem that you need help solving? Send art, or photography? Join the SJB in your question to [email protected] Times! Email [email protected] or and we’ll be sure to answer them as best as talk to anybody on our executive team. we can in the next issue. We’re always looking for new

members and anyone is welcome to *Don’t worry, your questions will be kept join! anonymous.

ISSUE. 5 DECEMBER 2020

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!