Oakwood High School 5870 U.S. Route. 150 Fithian, IL 61844 ... · PDF fileCalton enjoys...

Oakwood High School 5870 U.S. Route. 150 Fithian, IL 61844

The Oakwood TimesThe Oakwood TimesOakwood High School 5870 U.S. Route. 150 Fithian, IL 61844

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HappHappHappHappHappyyyyyHolidaHolidaHolidaHolidaHolidaysysysysys

(It isn’t just Chr(It isn’t just Chr(It isn’t just Chr(It isn’t just Chr(It isn’t just Christmas anistmas anistmas anistmas anistmas anymorymorymorymorymore)e)e)e)e)

Turn to page 4 to learnmore about the variousholidays celebrated at

this time of year.

(Photo by Dixie Sexton)

2The Oakwood Times December 16, 200522222

Calton chosen as December SOM FFA & FCA servethe community inringing bells

Senior project gathers toys and mittens for less fortunate

By Kendra MarshThe OHS faculty has chosen yet another extraor-

dinary student to receive an honor. Jessica Leann Caltonhas been named as the December Student of the Month.

“She always has a smile, she’s always pleasant,”said Mrs. Lynn Anderson.

Anderson also said that Calton is considerate ofother peoples’ feelings and is overall a caring person.

Upon finding out her award, Calton recalls Mrs.Judy Steffen and her jumping up and down.

Calton said she was “EXCITED in big bold print!”According to Calton, one of her biggest influences

is her mother.“She’s a go-getter. She doesn’t believe in doing

things halfway,” says Calton.She feels that her mother has helped her to become

the person she is today. Her own personal motto is theage-old golden rule; treat others the way you want to betreated.

“She’s outgoing, she’s nice, she’s caring, she’s there[when you need her]. She always does her work to thebest of her ability,” said friend Emily Scott.

Calton enjoys spending time with her friends andfamily when she’s not busy at her job. She’s currentlyemployed at the East Lake Hospital for Animals inDanville. Calton loves animals and enjoys trying to bet-ter their lives when the animals are at their lowest.

Not only does Calton like to help animals but alsopeople. She’s a good listener and enjoys hearing peoples’problems so she can help to solve them. She is enrolledin the Nursing II program at Danville Area Community

College, which is one of her favorite classes.With her experiences in the nursing class and her

job, Calton is preparing for her future career. She planson attending DACC or Parkland Community Collegebefore transferring to a four-year university. Calton wouldlike to pursue a career as a veterinarian technician or aparamedic.

Booster Club buys athletic chairs

Senior Jessica Calton is the December Student ofthe Month. Calton hopes to pursue a career as aveterinary technician or a paramedic. (Photo courtesyof Calton)

Senior known as a sweet,Senior known as a sweet,Senior known as a sweet,Senior known as a sweet,Senior known as a sweet,caring personcaring personcaring personcaring personcaring person

By Kacie WilsonThe OHS Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter and

the FFA are helping raise money for the Salvation Army byringing bells at local businesses.

Students worked two hour shifts last Saturday from 10a.m to 8 p.m at the Towne Centre County Market, and otherswill donate their time tomorrow at the Danville Wal-Mart.

The Salvation Army raises money year round to helpaid natural disaster victims, families in need, and senior citi-zens. They also take donations of food, clothing and toysand distribute them to families with children.

If you don’t get a chance to make your donation throughthe Salvation Army’s Red Kettles, you can donate to theDanville Salvation Army or on-line atwww.salvationarmyusa.org.

FFA members Jake Duncheon and Chris Duncheonrang bells to raise money for the Salvation Army during lastyear’s holiday season. The FFA will again be ringing bellsthis year. (Photo courtesy of Mr. Joel Gehrig)

By Kacie WilsonFor the past week and a half, students and faculty have

been bringing in gently-used toys and new mittens and glovesfor the annual Mitten/Toy Drive.

The items were collected in a box in the East Lobby,and they will be distributed to children in our school district.

“It’s always a good community service event because

it helps the local children,” said senior Erin Davis, the chair-man of this year’s committee.

Davis, who is raising the money as her senior projectfor Student Council, decided to put a new twist on thingsthis year and added a class competition.

In addition to bringing in items, students could donate$1 and have a star placed on a large tree in the cafeteria.

Each class competed to see who could raise the most money,and the winner’s class sponsor will be dressed as Santa Clausetoday. The sponsor will also be passing out candy to theirclass.

All money raised from the competition will be used tobuy more toys and mittens.

sBy Dixie Sexton

The OHS Booster Club decided to put their profits fromthe past year’s hard work into padded team chairs.

The Booster Club purchased 36 padded, purple chairsfeaturing the comets logo to be used at any game or meetheld in the gym.

“We wanted something that would benefit the mostsports,” said Secretary/Treasurer of the Booster Club KeriMarsh.

The chairs came in at $57 each. The club also pur-chased a storage cart for the chairs. The Booster Club chosethe chairs as this year’s project.

“We hope to do a project every year,” said Marsh.

A project has not yet been chosen for next year, but theBooster Club is open to any ideas.

The Booster Club gets it’s funding from the 50/50raffles and occasional concession sells. The club plans towork concessions for wrestling on January 28 at OGS and isasking for student involvement.

The new chairs, having been in use for under twoweeks, have already proved their worth. The members ofthe Booster Club plan to support OHS with their future ef-forts.

“We hope everyone enjoys the chairs and that they maybring added spirit to the school,” said Marsh.

The Oakwood TimesDecember 16, 2005 2222233333

By Brooke StevensRay Sydnor, a former Philadelphia

Eagles wide receiver, spoke during an assem-bly at OHS on drugs and alcohol.

Sydnor is part of the “One Way ToPlay” project and is sponsored by The RonaldMcDonald House of Charities and the Fel-lowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

Sydnor said that he always wanted tobe a professional athlete, but he didn’t knowof anyone who had made it so it was a toughgoal to reach. Because his sister didn’t wanthim to rely on sports, she forced him to read.He began to link academics and sports bycalculating baseball statistics.

During high school, Sydnor was in-volved in National Honor Society. He playedfootball and basketball, and was named anAll-American in both sports.

After graduating from high school,Sydnor was accepted to the University ofWisconsin, where he started both football andbasketball as a freshman. Football was hispassion and he began to see his dreams com-ing true.

“When I get too old to play,” saidSydnor, “I want to run down the field, catcha touchdown, and die in the endzone.”

While he was succeeding on the field,very few people knew that he was becoming

By Erin PouilliardThe annual Holiday Concert was

held on December 4 in the OHS gym-nasium. The concert opened with“Shout for Joy” as it is every year.

Performances by the band in-cluded: “Songs of Praise,” “The Christ-mas Song,” “Let it Snow,” and theManheim Steamroller version of“Carol of the Bells,” which is apercussional piece. The chorus sang:“With a Voice of Singing,”“Westminster Carol,” “Carol of theBells,” and “Christmas is a Feeling.”

The choruses were accompaniedon the piano by Jason Allen, a seniorat North Vermillion High School. Thehigh school band was joined by thebands from OGS and OJHS.

“The performance showcased allthe talents within the school district,”said freshman Ryan Parker.

The performance went verysmoothly, with only a few minor prob-lems, and earned a very positive re-sponse from the audience.

“I think it went pretty well. Itwas a lot of fun,” said Parker.

By Christina ZitelloThe scholastic bowl team has started what may be the last year

for Mrs. Norma Anderson. She has been the advisor for the organiza-tion since it started at OHS.

“This very likely will be my last year,” said Anderson, “but I’mnot certain, my mind changes every day.”

There are plenty of old and new faces on the team this year.There are enough kids to have a varsity, junior varsity and fresh/sophteam once again this year.

The team members include freshman Stanley Zitello, RossWhite, Nathan Burke, Katie Webb, Sophomores Chris Johnson, JoeLewis, Thomas Tosh, Aaron O’Neil, Sierra Isard, Kyle Carnahan, RosaShoemaker, Juniors Eric Brazleton, Trent Block, Travis Davis, MeghanHohn, Tucker Knight, Erin Pouilliard, Megan Knoblauch and SeniorsSam Fry, Brittany Park, Dixie Sexton, Adam Wilson, Zane Yohaus.

Anderson and the assistant advisor Miss Janelle Dodge bothsaid that the JV and fresh/soph teams are very promising.

“There are some more sophomores that tried out this year afterI strongly suggested it to them,” said Anderson.

Dodge said that these newcomers will eventually make a posi-tive contribution to the team.

“Some seem a little intimidated and don’t ring in as fast as thevarsity kids but I think they’ll do well,” said Dodge.

Anderson hopes to have a winning season. She has accomplished

Concert putsOHS into the

holidayspirit

Scholastic Bowl welcomes new members

Former pro footballer deliversanti-drug message to OHS

addicted to drugs and alcohol. He had devel-oped the motto “Variety is the spice of life.”He declared that he would try anything once.His friends’ parents had always said that theirchildren should be more like Sydnor, but bythe end of his teenage years, he had becomeaddicted to crack.

In 1980, Sydnor was featured in SportsIllustrated, The Sporting News and was in-terviewed on ESPN. He had his own shoecontract by the time he was 22.

“I really thought I was the man,” saidSydnor.

In his rookie year, the Eagles went toSuper Bowl XV. The day before the game,he missed practice, and was not allowed toplay, although the Eagles did give him a Su-per Bowl ring.

His life continued to spiral downwarduntil he landed in prison, where he decidedto overcome his 19-year addiction to drugs.

“Drugs will make you go further thanyou want to go, pay more than your want topay, and stay longer than you want to stay,”said Sydnor.

Sydnor ended by emphasizing that peerpressure is real, faith, commitment and ac-countability are needed to get through it withsuccess.

Former Philadelphia Eagle Ray Sydnorstands with freshman Blake Ruff duringSydnor’s anti-drug message at OHS. Sydnorspeech was sponsored by the OHS chapterof the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.(Photo by Ashley Cook)

Thomas Tosh, Aaron O’Neill, andJordan Makowski perform during theholiday concert at Oakwood HighSchool. (Photo courtesy of The Acorn)

this goal nearly every year advising the scholastic bowl program.The first meet for the team was on December 10, in a tourna-

ment in Charleston.

Mrs. Norma Anderson poses with last year’s team afterwinning her 500th Scholastic Bowl match. All members of last year’steam but one return for this year. Pictured are, from left, Sam Fry,Tucker Knight, Zane Youhas, Anderson, Jake Fry, Dixie Sexton,and Erin Pouilliard. (Photo by staff)


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By Brooke StevensHanukkah, which means “dedication” in Hebrew, is a Jewish

holiday that is celebrated on the 25th of Kislev, the Hebrew calendar,and runs for eight days and nights.

In the year 2005, this translates to December 25 through Janu-ary 1. It is celebrated to honor the Jewish victory over the Syriansand the new dedication of the holy temple in Jerusalem. It is alsoknown as the “Festival of Lights.”

A menorah is a candelabra used to symbolize the miracles thatoccurred after the Jewish triumph. At the dedication of the holytemple, the Jews only found one container of oil. This amount wasonly supposed to burn one day. However, the small amount of oilmiraculously lasted for eight days.

One the first night of Hanukkah, one candle is lit. Every nightafter that, another candle is lit.

The Shamash is the highest candle, and it is used to light all ofthe others. The eight burning candles are said to symbolize the eightdays of Hanukkah and the light of freedom for the Jewish people.

Hanukkah celebratedfor eight days

The holiday of Hanukkah comes with many traditions. The dreidel isa four-sided top that has Hebrew letters on each side that was once usedwhen the Jews were not supposed to be learning. They would act as if theywere playing with the dreidel when they got caught studying.

There are also many foods that are associated with Hanukkah. Mostof the foods use oil, which relates to the oil that is burnt in the menorah.Latkes are pancakes that originated in Eastern Europe. Sufganiyot are jellydonuts covered in powdered sugar or cinnamon.

During Hanukkah, it is also very popular to consume dairy products.This is done in memory of the Jewish heroine, Judith.

KKKKKwwwwwanzaa celebrations incranzaa celebrations incranzaa celebrations incranzaa celebrations incranzaa celebrations increasineasineasineasineasinggggg

Christmas traditionslive on through years

By Brooke StevensChristmas is a holiday that

is celebrated on December 25every year. This day celebratesthe birth of Jesus. The story ofhis birth has been passed downby the Christian gospels Mat-thew and Luke. Although the ac-tual birth of Christ is still beingdebated, the set date of Decem-ber 25 was chosen to create a daycelebrated by both the Christiansand the Pagans.

In the United States, Christ-mas is celebrated by the exchang-ing of gifts. Santa Claus was de-rived from a bishop named SaintNicholas. Today, he is portrayed

as a white-haired, jolly old man wholives at the North Pole.

Along with giving gifts, manyfamilies send Christmas cards tofriends and family. The average fam-ily sends 27 Christmas cards eachyear.

Putting up a Christmas tree anddecorating it with garland and orna-ments is also a popular tradition.Many families decorate their houseswith mistletoe and holly to celebratethe season.

During the Christmas season,caroling is a traditional activity. Manypeople also ring bells to help the Sal-vation Army raise money.

By Josh BoughKwanzaa is a holiday that is ob-

served from December 26 to January 1honoring African-American heritage,most often found in the United States. Itwas created in 1966 by MaulanaKarenga, originally Ron Everett, as analternative to the growing commercial-ism of Christmas, although Kwanzaadoes not have a religious connotation atall.

It is a cel-ebration of Afri-can culture,based on the har-vest celebrationsin Africa cel-ebrated aroundthe 10th month ofthe year. In 2004,te National RetailFoundation polledconsumers and

Top 10 Things NEVER to say about a Christmas present1. What is it?2. Nice try.3. So, did you have a little too much eggnog when you went shopping?4. Hey, I’ve been needing some new rags!5. I’m sure it was in style when you were a kid.6. I just won’t wear it out of the house.7. So … where’d you put the receipt?8. How much did you pay for this?!9. It’s OK, you know my love is unconditional.10. I think it’s time to get your eyes examined again.

Top 10 Holiday Songs1. The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole2. The Twelve Days of Christmas - Traditional3. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry4. O Holy Night - Eric Cartman5. Jingle Bells - Various Artists6. The Chipmunk Song - Alvin and the Chipmunks7. The Chanukah Song - Adam Sandler8. Grandma Got Runover By A Reindeer -Elmo and Patsy9. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley10. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms

Holiday listsCompiled by Erin Pouilliard and Meghan Hohn

principles.The African-Americans that

choose to celebrate Kwanzaa decoratetheir homes with their most treasuredAfrican relics, fruit, and their most beau-tiful art to represent a commitment tothe holiday and African idealism. Every-one is involved, from the youngest of chil-dren to the eldest of adults. Many cus-toms have been carried over from Af-

rica.M a n y

families cel-ebrate Christ-mas andKwanzaa, re-garding both asc o m p l e t e l ys e p a r a t e ,Christmas forc e l e b r a t i n gfamily, andKwanzaa for

Umoja - UnityKujichagulia - Self-determinationUjima - Collective work and responsibilityUjamaa - Cooperative economicsNia - PurposeKuumba - CreativityImani - Faith

The Seven Principlesof Blackness

found that only1.6% celebrate Kwanzaa.

The name of Kwanzaa comes froma Swahili phrase which means firstfruits. The extra “a” was added to the word“Kwanza” so there would be seven let-ters in the word, one for each of the SevenPrinciples of Blackness. Each day ofKwanzaa represents one of the seven

ce l ebra t ingtheir heritage.

Kwanzaa has recently becomemore widely known from the help of sev-eral television shows including LateNight with Conan O’Brien, Buffy theVampire Slayer, Futurama, and PowerRangers. It was also featured in thecomic strip The Boondocks.


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MISTLETOE ELVES CHRISTMAS TREESANTACLAUS SNOWMAN CANDYCANE PRESENTORNAMENT REINDEER SLEIGH BELLPOPCORN CAROLS SNOW DREIDLRUDOLPH KWANZAA MENORAH

Christmas-time jokesCompiled by Brenden WatsonWhat happens if you eat the Christmas decorations?

You’ll get tinsel-itis.How does Santa Claus take his pictures?

With his North “Pole-eroid.”What reindeer needs to mind his manners the most?

“Rude”olphWhat do you call a cat on the beach on Christmas?

Sandy ClawsWhy didn’t the skeleton go to the Christmas party?

He had no body to go with.What do snowmen eat for breakfast?

SnowflakesWhat do Santa’s elves learn in school?

The ElfabetWhy does Santa have three gardens?

He likes to ho ho ho.Why did the elf sleep in the fireplace?

He wanted to sleep like a log.

ChristmasTrivia

The Top 5Gifts for Boys, 2005ByJenna Hazelbaker

1. XBox 3602. iPod/MP3 Player3. NCAA Football, 20064. Watch5. Boxers

Gifts for Girls, 2005

Photos from pictures.xbox-scene.com andwww.infinityshoes.com

1. Cowgirl Boots2. Purses/Handbags3. iPod4. Digital Camera5. Jewelery

By Laura Lucas1. Who was the first president to

spend Christmas in the White House?2. What happens when Saint Nicho-

las laughs?3. Which state was the first to make

Christmas an official holiday?4. Where did the real Saint Nick live?5.What does the X in X-mas stand

for?6. What year was Santa Claus born?7. What Chirstmas song was actu-

ally a secret message?8. How many months does it take

the average American to pay off theircredit card bills?

9. How many people currently livein the United States with the name of S.Claus?

10. What was the weight of Santa’ssleigh loaded with one Beanie Baby forevery kid on Earth?

11. What is the average wage of amall Santa?

12. What is the average wage of amall Santa with a real beard?

1. John Adams 2. His belly shakes like jelly. 3.Alabama 4. Turkey 5. The Greek letter Chi 6.280 A.D. 7. The 12 Days of Christmas 8. Sixmonths 9. 78 10. 333,333 tons 11. $11 per hour12. $20 per hour

Ingredients: ¾ cup butter1 ½ cup sugar2 1/2 tsp cinnamon4 cans of biscuitsBunt Pan

Glaze: Add: 1 ½ sticks butter1 cup sugar1 tsp cinnamon in pan, boil 2-3

minutes, shut off.

Bread: Add: 4 cans of biscuits, separatedinto quarters.

Shake a few in ½ cup sugar and 1 ½tsp cinnamon.

Put ½ in pan and pour glaze.Put rest of the dough in and add topping.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

A Christmas recipe:A Christmas recipe:A Christmas recipe:A Christmas recipe:A Christmas recipe:Monkey BreadMonkey BreadMonkey BreadMonkey BreadMonkey Bread

By Erin Davis andKimber Hawkins


By Kimber Hawkins

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What was the worstWhat was the worstWhat was the worstWhat was the worstWhat was the worstChristmas gift youChristmas gift youChristmas gift youChristmas gift youChristmas gift you

ever received?ever received?ever received?ever received?ever received?

Blake Warren, Freshman“Socks”

Sheila Hall, Sophomore“A Barbie”

Cortney Keagle, Junior“Tickets to a Barney Concert Live.”

Bryan Hembrey, Senior“Anything that I have already

received before.”

Mr. Brian Benck, Teacher“My little brother.”

Christmas time is an OK time of year. Everything aboutthis time leaks happiness and sentiment into me, except forsnow.

As a little girl, without a doubt, the best part of Christ-mas was the presents. I remember my first Barbie and mycooking set, which I never would have had the chance toown without the help of Santa. The wait for the morning was

what we do best. We managed to get all of our purchases(well, his purchases) before 11:30, and then, we had time tokill before meeting for a movie later in the afternoon.

We went to Chili’s, and we realized that people are ruth-less. I am nearly always scared for my life while I am ridingwith Josh, but this was a day where I could see my life end-ing. People wouldn’t wait for stop lights, let alone for any-

Erin’s SpaceErin’s SpaceErin’s SpaceErin’s SpaceErin’s Space

Christmas gifts are less valuable afterrisking injury to buy them

the most anticipated moment ofmy year. It was a moment thatfilled me with dread, as well ashope.

Every time that Travis andI were misbehaving, my motherwould look at us and march tothe phone. Through clenchedlips and in a scary voice she’dthreaten us beyond imaginablelimits.

The words “If you don’tstop RIGHT NOW, I’m callingSanta Claus,” chilled my bloodand gave me goose bumps. Thepunishments that we receivedwere terrible, being sent to ourrooms for 15 minutes or not get-ting candy when we went to the apothecary, but the call toSanta was the scariest, most terrifying form of punishmentthat we could have faced.

As I got older, though, Santa lost his flair. I began con-centrating on other things, and soon, Eli was the only be-liever left in our house.

This aging process made me realize that presents maystill be one of the best parts about Christmas, but buyingthem isn’t. For the past three years, the Villa Grove basketballtournament has impeded on my ability to shop the day afterThanksgiving. Without this experience, I didn’t realize howcutthroat people were.

This year, I found a way around the tournament with alittle help from the people that I love themost. One of my best friends in theworld, Miss Boo, got herself out of bedat 4 a.m. to purchase a digital camera formy parents for Christmas. Getting toWalMart before 5 a.m. was a little scaryfor her, but the scariest part was whenthe customers were told the sales werein action.

In the heat of the moment, Booreached over to grab the selected cam-era, only to be edged away from it by anangry man. This man bonked her in thebelly, and tried his hardest to veer her offcourse. To his unpleasant surprise though, she had a backup,and her mom, Franny, grabbed the ultimate prize.

After the game, I went to Champaign with my mom toget a down comforter. I didn’t know it at the time, but I endedup running into Josh, and I finished my shopping day withhim. We went inside the mall, and at this point, it was already10:45 a.m., the last minutes of perpetual shopping bliss.

We were running through the mall, because running is

one, even if they had the right ofway.

I assumed that people’s in-ability to drive that day stemmedfrom getting up at 4:00, so I didn’tget too filled with rage, but justlet their behavior slide. I wentshopping again last weekend,though, and I discovered thatpeople are only concerned withone thing; their parking spot.

Boo and I drove intoChampaign about 4:00 on Satur-day, and our first destination wasOld Navy. The drive on Prospectwas frightening and bumper-to-bumper, but Boo kept her cool. Wereached Old Navy, and then we

went to Menards, without any accident.When we began to leave Menards, a very frightening

problem ensued. We had to take a left turn, even though wewanted to go right. No one would let us out of the Menardsparking lot, and when they did we traveled west on MarketStreet. People were cutting us off left and right, and an acci-dent even occurred on the road we were traveling on.

To get turned around again, we went into the Best Buyparking lot, and then tried to exit. These cars kept pulling outof their spots, not paying heed to the fact that in a little blackcar behind them, there were two girls becoming angry.

After five minutes in the parking lot, we got back onMarket, this time, going the right way. Once we reached the

mall though, we were at the highest levelof anger available, and the parking lotpeople continued to pull out.

At this point, I’d broken, and I wasgetting to the point where I was yellingat people out of the window.

With all the people in the parkinglot, it is very easy for people to lose theircars. I know it sounds silly, but Boo andI looked for 15 minutes in the freezingrain looking for the Boo-Mobile.

Once we found it, we were relieved,and leaving town was much easier thancoming.

I now know that when I get a present, I shouldn’t justtake the thoughtfulness into account, but also the effort thatwas taken to get the present.

Going shopping during December is scary, and on awhole different level than anything else. I know I have somelast-minute shopping to do, so I’m sure there are others aswell. Just remember to be careful, and please watch out forthe crazies.

By Erin Davis

The words “IfThe words “IfThe words “IfThe words “IfThe words “If

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RIGHT NORIGHT NORIGHT NORIGHT NORIGHT NOWWWWW,,,,, I’m I’m I’m I’m I’m

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By Laura LucasDo you ever get bored in the winter and

you can’t think of anything to do?Have you ever thought about ice skating?

It sounded a little lame to me at first too, and withmy past experiences skating, I wasn’t exactlythrilled about going, so you can imagine my en-thusiasm when the idea was given to me.

Anyway, the overall experience reallywasn’t that bad.

proud of myself and then my confidence

Ice skatingwas fun,

but painfulMeggy07: Hey! Guess what I did to-

day?! =)Jenny07: Hi! What?!Meggy07: My family and I went and

bought our Christmas tree.Jenny07: Oh, at WalMart?Meggy07: NO! I said we bought a

CHRISTMAS TREE not a PLASTIC one!Jenny07: You bought a REAL

Christmas tree, like the onesin the woods?

Meggy07: Yes! What elsewould I be talking about?

Jenny07: Our family anda lot of other familiesaround here never get realtrees.

Meggy07: Then whatkind of trees do you have?Fake ones?

Jenny07: Well duh! Whywould you want a realone!?

Meggy07: Whywouldn’t you? It’sChristmas! Why wouldyou want a big pieceof plastic in yourliving room?!

J e n n y 0 7 :Well, with faketrees you don’thave to waterthem, clean up af-ter them, or havethat nasty pinesmell in your house!

Meggy07: But you missthe real meaning of Christ-mas. Going out with your familyand picking out a tree is justpart of the fun! Nasty pine? Are youkidding?! I love that smell, you walkinto your house and the winter aromaawakens your senses!

Jenny07: Yeah, but we still deco-rate the tree the same as we would ifwe had a real one.

Meggy07: Yeahhhh, but it just seemsunnatural! Wait! It is UNNATURAL.

Its PLASTIC! LOLJenny07: I know, but it 1000

times easier just to store yourtree downstairs and not have toworry about going out in thefreezing cold weather andwalking around for hours tofind just the right tree.

Meggy07: Hey, whileyou’re at it, why don’t youjust buy one of those treeswith the lights alreadyattached!!

Jenny07: LOL…that iswhat we have now! Andif one of the lightsburn out you can justreplace it in 2 sec-o n d s ? ? Meggy07:Oh my, you’re likeScrooge or theGrinch! If youhave a realtree, all youhave to do is re-place the bulbtoo!

Jenny07:Well, the tree

is only a smallpart of the Christ-

mas tradition. There is much moreto Christmas than gifts,lights, and trees.Meggy07: Yeah, your right

there is a much bigger meaning ofChristmas such as being with familyand friends and realizing what’s mostimportant to you.

By Laura Lucas

Christmas trees -- real or arChristmas trees -- real or arChristmas trees -- real or arChristmas trees -- real or arChristmas trees -- real or artificialtificialtificialtificialtificialFrom: Meghan Hohn <meggy07>To: Jenna Hazelbaker <jenny07> OIMOIMOIMOIMOIM

SEND

B I U Courier New 10

Robbie and I went to the David S.Palmer Arena in Danville, which offershockey teams for young people, a con-cert venue for adults, and also open ice

skating for thepublic.

I had a littletrouble gettingstarted; I had to bepulled for about ahalf a lap by myboyfriend. After Iwent around acouple of times Istarted to get thehang of it.

I was very

boost was shot. As I was slowly skating around,I realized that some 10-year olds were doublelapping me and laughing.

There was also some other bad points. Ihad only been skating for approximately 15 min-utes when I started to complain that my ankleshurt.

Then I sat down and rested giving my feeta rest. After resting, I then tried to skate a couplemore laps until I couldn’t stand the pain anylonger. I went to sit down and take off my skatesand leave.

The lady that you get the skates from wasvery friendly and asked me how I did I laughedand gave her one of those are you kidding melooks, and she just laughed.

I was a little disappointed that I wasted $5for my 20-minute skating experience, but it was agood time waster and an interesting experience.I’m glad I gave ice skating another chance, evenwhen I really didn’t want to.

Ice skating might not be the thing for me,but I saw some people on the ice who reallyenjoyed it.

I recommend that if you are bored in thewinter to give ice skating a shot!


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Show a positiveholiday spirit

this seasonWe, the staff of The Oakwood

Times, believe that the holidays are atime to show how much you care.

It can be as simple asvolunteering at a local foodshelter or ringing bells for theSalvation Army.

The holidays are not allabout buying and receivinggifts. Sure, it is nice to get newthings once a year and tosplurge a little, but it stillimportant to remember whywe celebrate at this time ofyear.

While most of our readers will becelebrating the birth of Jesus Christ,not everyone celebrates in a religiousway.

There are many non-religiousthings that go along with the holidayseason: buying and unwrapping gifts,putting up a tree, decorating your houseinside and out, and singing popular car-ols.

Also remember that the holidayseason is not just about Christmas, butother reasons for celebration, such asKwanzaa and Hanukkah, or maybe justcelebrating the end of another year.

No matter your reason for celebra-tion, spending time with your familyshould be a big part.

Many people don’t get to spendtime with their families until the holidayrolls around, and you should take fulladvantage of that.

So before you start worrying aboutif your mom or dad got you the newHollister sweatshirt you want, remem-ber why you are celebrating in the firstplace, and to be thankful for everythingyou have.

The Oakwood Times would like towish everyone a happy and safe holi-day season.

Cookie’s ChristmasCookie’s ChristmasCookie’s ChristmasCookie’s ChristmasCookie’s Christmas

ByAshleyCook

I feel like the Grinch

The weather is getting colder, the snow is beginning tofall, and you hear the same music on almost every radio sta-tion.

Yes, Christmas is FINALLY here! Bring on those pre-sents!

I don’t know about therest of you, but I love Christ-mas. It’s my favorite time ofthe year. Not just because youget presents, but because ev-eryone seems to be in the bestmood around Christmas andyou get to see family that youdon’t normally get to see.

Every year I drag thetree out and start to put it upon Thanksgiving day. My dadalways complains, but I do itanyway.

My mom and I goChristmas shopping everychance that we get and soonthe presents start to pile upunder our tree.

On Christmas Eve, I beg my mom to just let me openone present before Christmas day. She always says no, butmy wonderful grandma let’s me sneak one of hers.

Like most youngerkids, I find myself not be-ing able to sleep the nightSanta is coming and thenwaking myself up at 6a.m.! My parents arenever a fan of that idea,but they do it anyway.

I rip open all of mythings and then leavethem sitting in the livingroom while my mom beginsmaking Christmas dinner. Around noon my dad and I driveover to my aunt’s house to visit with my other family andthen come home just in time for my mom’s side of the family tocome over.

This year something is different though, it’s almostChristmas and our tree is still in the basement and nothing inour house says “It’s Christmas time!” I haven’t bought a

single thing for anyone, and my mom just informed me thatshe hasn’t bought anything for me! She has no idea what toget me and is forcing me to make out a wish list, somethingthat I haven’t done since I was like five!

It’s not all mom’s fault. Idon’t really know what I want.I have an overabundance ofclothes and that’s my normalgift. I’m too old for the toysand the cool electronic giftsare too expensive.

I’m not exactly surewhy, but this year I’m just notin the Christmas mood.Maybe it’s because I’m get-ting older. The excitement ofChristmas isn’t the same aswhen I was a kid. The old tra-ditions, seem just that, old.

My parents don’t seemtoo thrilled with the seasonyet either. My dad’s refusingto put up Christmas lights be-cause he doesn’t want to fight

the snow and cold.Even the good-old snow day didn’t help. We got out of

school for a day, but I’m still not in the Christmas mood. Ieven went outside andplayed in the snow hop-ing that it would cheerme up, but it didn’t helpthat much. I was just leftfreezing and having toclean my car off everytime I wanted to leave thehouse.

And believe me,the roads weren’t anybetter! I was terrified to

drive into town for a work meeting that I just HAD to be at.Maybe since Christmas is approaching quickly, I will

get into the Christmas spirit. Hopefully a little Christmas shop-ping and putting the tree up will help me get into a bettermood.

Until then, I feel like the Grinch.

WhWhWhWhWhy doesny doesny doesny doesny doesn’’’’’t it ft it ft it ft it ft it feel likeel likeel likeel likeel likeeeeeChrChrChrChrChrisisisisistmas ttmas ttmas ttmas ttmas this yhis yhis yhis yhis year?ear?ear?ear?ear?

Happy Holidays!Happy Holidays!Happy Holidays!Happy Holidays!Happy Holidays!

Even the good-old snow daydidn’t help. We got out of schoolfor a day, but I’m still not in theChristmas mood.

The Oakwood TimesDecember 16, 2005 2222299999C

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TTTTThe Oakwhe Oakwhe Oakwhe Oakwhe Oakwoodoodoodoodood

TimesTimesTimesTimesTimes

Members of the staff are enrolled in Jour-nalism Class. The paper is published by theOakwood Times staff.

Subscriptions are $8 per year and maybe purchased by contacting the staff atOakwood High School, 5870 US Route 150,Fithian IL, 61844.

The Oakwood Times encouragessigned letters, comments, art, or col-umns from its readers. The OakwoodTimes reserves the right to edit all sub-missions for length and clarity. No sub-missions will be printed that are con-sidered libelous, in poor taste, or areintended solely as a personal attack.Opinions expressed do not necessar-ily reflect the opinions of the entirestaff or the district employees.Editors in Chief Erin Davis

Dixie SextonManaging Editor Josh BoughCopy Editor Kacie WilsonBusiness Mgr. Brooke StevensNews Editor Carley RedmanOpinion Editor Kendra MarshSports Editor Nick VinsonPhoto Editor Ashley CookReporters Brooke Eickhoff

Jena FoleyKimber HawkinsJenna HazelbakerMeghan HohnLaura LucasKayla PhillipsErin PouilliardAshley SermakBrenden WatsonJessica WhitingtonChristina Zitello

Advisor Mr. Tim Lee

VVVVVolume 20,olume 20,olume 20,olume 20,olume 20, Issue 5 Issue 5 Issue 5 Issue 5 Issue 5In the avalanche of college applications I’ve looked

over, I’ve come across an essay question to the effect of“Give the quote that defines your life and the reason behindit,” quite often. I never really understood it. I didn’t see howyou could sum up your life in a quote.

That is, until one of my best friends introduced me toRENT a couple months ago. If you don’t know anything aboutRENT, you’re really missingout.

It’s a wonderful story oflove, families, and friends, butmostly of the hardships thatcome with them. In this story,I found some quotes that areslowly changing my life, andso, in this column I will bequoting from the show a fewtimes.

Now, what my columnis really about is families,memories, and Christmas. I al-ready lost some of you, butfor those of you who are stillreading, this isn’t just a ran-dom reminiscence of mine.What I’d like to say here isaddressed to those of you who don’t really like Christmas, orfind it hard to deal with. This is mostly for the seniors who arefacing what is probably your last Christmas living at home.Some of you are happy about it and it makes some of you cry.

I would like to address the wonderful opportunity thatwe are given with Christmas. For this day, or couple of days,you have most of your family all in one room. You are pre-sented with the chance to tell them what they mean to youand how much you’ll miss them when you’re away.

Now I know how some of you feel, for some of youwhat you’d like to say to your families I could hardly printhere. Maybe it’s your fault and maybe it isn’t, but I’m here totell you that it doesn’t matter any more.

You don’t have a lot of time left as a kid at home so youhad better make the most of it. “No day but today.” It doesn’tmatter who started what, or who’s mad at whom. Just be-cause we’re the younger generation doesn’t mean we can’tfix things. Some times it takes a child’s voice to make an adultsee that something is wrong. And trust me, your family still

thinks of you as a child.For some of you there isn’t outright fighting in your

family, but things aren’t what they once were. Some you standin the remnants of a broken family that seems to have recov-ered as much as it is capable. But as I am coming to see, it isnot enough just to be at peace with your family. What youreally should be doing is actively caring about them and mak-

ing memories that you cantreasure later. “The oppositeof war isn’t peace, its cre-ation!”

It isn’t easy at first, butyou’ll find that just trying toforget the wrongs that havebeen done helps immensely.Just loving people in spite ofeverything can open doorsyou never knew existed. Andwho knows, maybe they feelthe same way you do.

I wanted to write thiscolumn before Christmas sothat perhaps you can takewhat I’ve said to heart andmake a difference in your fami-lies. I certainly hope to in

mine, because as I said we don’t have much longer at home.If there isn’t much to go back to, who’s saying you will goback at all. “Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.”

If you try, you’ll see that you do have some memoriesworth treasuring already. I know I do. There are things I al-ready know I’ll miss just by being in college.

I’ll miss my mother putting on the Christmas music wellbefore Thanksgiving and putting it away well after New Year’s.I’ll miss my grandpa watching Sherlock Holmes movies withme. I’ll miss my brother waking me up at ungodly hours onSaturday mornings to play video games with him. I’ll missgrandma singing to her Bluegrass CDs as she cooked Sun-day dinner. I’ll miss the way my dad shares his sacred PeanutM&Ms with me. But I think there is always room for morememories.

There’s always room to be happier than you are now,but it won’t happen on its own.

*All quotes are by Johnathon Larson.

Christmas is a time of making newmemories and remembering the old ones

Whity WWhity WWhity WWhity WWhity Wordsordsordsordsords

ByJessica

Whitington


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When I walk into a P.E. class I notice a coupleof things. You have a group of students who com-pete to make it possible for their team to win, and agroup of students who don’t care about what hap-pens. Most of them do not even move.

I’ve seen some students throw the ball to theopposite team on purpose. To me this is a tragedy.

I don’t understandthose who lackcompetitiveness

By BrendenWatson

Those studentshave no senseof competition.They have noidea what it islike to make thegame-winningplay.

I havebeen competi-tive ever since Ican remember. Iwould competewith my brother,sisters, or par-ents in anything. We played board games,video games, and numerous games outin the yard. I even tried to swindle myfamily out of precious properties in Mo-nopoly to acquire hotels. I played Mad-

den 2005 for hours just so I could beat my brother,when he had not even played the game yet. Myfather, brother, and I compete in bench press. Thefirst question we ask each other after a coupleweeks of hard lifting is what are you benching.Whoever is benching the most has the braggingrights until he is passed.

That is why I just do not understand howsome students choose not to be competitive. With-out that competitive drive, why go out for a sport?They do not care whether they win or lose just aslong as they are getting in shape. If a person doesnot care about losing they have no heart. When itis late in the match and the athlete is out of energy,it is his competitive spirit and heart that keep himgoing. Those are vital for an athlete to be suc-cessful.

During wrestling season a lot of people askme how I can lose so much weight. My reply issimply my love to compete and be successful inthe sport. That is the main reason why I go topractice every day, train at the YMCA after prac-tice, and watch what I eat. I never miss practice forany reason

The next time you’re in P.E. choose toparticpate. It won’t kill you to run and exercise alittle bit. It will help you gain confidence and re-spect with other students. Without competition Iwould not be the person I am today.

Wrestlers in good condition

The members of the OHS cheerleading squad took first place at theVilla Grove Thanksgiving tournament. Team members are, front row, fromleft, Amanda Wahlfeldt, Amanda Cruse, Carley Redman and TaylorWright.Middle row, Chelsea Tarquini, Jenna Hazelbaker, Laura Lucas, and AshleyCook. Back row, Erin Davis, Brooke Eickhoff, Kacie Wilson and BrookeStevens. (Photo courtesy of OHS Athletics)

Squad takes title at turkey tourney

By Brooke EickhoffWrestling season is now well

underway, and the team has some highexpectations for this season. A teamgoal is to have an over 500 season, anda couple of seniors have some highgoals they hope to accomplish.

During wrestling season, theteam members have to be in perfectshape so the conditioning is very ex-tensive. If they aren’t in perfect shapeit’s a higher risk of injury.

“Conditioning is a major part,”said Coach Markwell, “but if you aren’tin shape you’ll get hurt. That will hurtthe entire team.”

They have to lose or gain weightdepending on what weight they wish towrestle at.

It is completely their own decisionon which weight they want to wrestleat, so the weight loss is their responsi-bility.

Adam Wilson, senior, ended foot-ball season weighing 195 pounds, but

matches. Another one of Wilson’sgoals is to qualify for sectionals.

“The conditioning is hard,” saidWilson, “but you have to if you wantto win.”

Coaching the team is once againCoach Dave Markwell and OHS alumni,Ryan Shaw.

The Captains this year are se-niors, Brenden Watson, Adam Wilson,and Ray Kent. Watson hopes to placeat the state meet, following in hisfamily’s footsteps.

Watson would be the fifth of hisfamily to participate in the state meet.Brenden’s brother, cousin, dad, anduncle have all went to the state meet inprevious years.

With 10 freshman and only fiveseniors, the team is very young.

Freshmen Austin Patton andRayse Clendenen are showing the teamthat they have by starting the seasonreally well.

The team has a shot at a Vermil-

By Jena FoleyMost of us didn’t stop eating turkey long

enough over Thanksgiving to think about theVilla-Grove Tournament, where the cheerlead-ers were competing for the first place title.

There were seven squads this year; Ob-long, Salt Fork, Tri-County, Georgetown-RidgeFarm, Heritage, Villa-Grove, and Oakwood.

This is the third year the Comets haveplaced first. The squad was judged on numer-ous things: motions, stunts, jumps, appear-ance, spirit/enthusiasm, and sportsmanship.Each squad is judged through-out the tourna-ment by opposing coaches.

Since winning this competition, their fo-cus will primarily be towards The VermilionCounty Tournament.

Along with the boy’s basketball CountyTournament, the cheerleaders will also competefor the county title. This is one of their biggestcompetitions of the year.

“Our focus is on stunts and being cre-ative,” said Coach Debi Lock.

The cheerleaders are competing to de-fend their title as county champions.

“I’m very excited because of our new,more difficult stunts, they’re all original,” saidsophomore Amanda Wahlfeldt.

Freshman Alex Shaw takes downan opponent at a recent meet againstSalt Fork.(Photo courtesy o f OHSyearbook)

he is now down to 171. Wilson hopes to be 160 pounds afterChristmas.

“It is so hard,” said Wilson about dieting during theholidays, “sometimes I have to just go to my room and hide.”

Wilson is very dedicated to the sport and has been apart of it for over eleven years. He hopes to win at least 25

ion County title since they have already beaten Salt fork andWestville.

It will most likely come down to Bismarck and Oakwoodlike it has for the last few years. It is still unknown the compe-tition in the regional, because the location of the Regional isyet to be determined.

The Oakwood TimesDecember 16, 2005 222221111111111Girls take second in Comet/Tiger Classic with 3-1 mark

Kimber Hawkins and Chelsie Bartlett trap a Georgetown-Ridge Farm player in arecent game at OHS, while Coach Bough shouts instructions in the background. The girlsteam is off to its best start in four years. (Photo by Ashley Cook)

By Carley Redman“I feel that it’s a process and will take time to get

where we want to be, but there is definitely potential tohave a very rewarding season,” said OHS boys basket-ball coach Jon Heath.

This year’s Oakwood High School basketball teamplaced sixth at the Thanksgiving Tournament. The Com-ets ended the tournament with a 2-2 record. They weredefeated in their last game against Heritage for third place.

“We need to focus on being consistent and improv-ing every day,” said Heath. “We were inconsistent at ourThanksgiving Tournament, but that’s to be expected earlyin the season. We showed what we’re capable of if weplay hard and play together.”

Heath’s opinion was echoed by many of his play-ers.

“We did alright, I thought we should of done better,we just need to want to win,” said junior Aaron Pratt, whoalso made All-Tournament Team.

This year, the basketball team has had to adjust toseveral changes. This is the fourth coach that OHS hashad in four years.

“Coach Heath is a great coach,” said Pratt. “Theonly problem with different coaches is that they all havedifferent views on what we need to accomplish.”

With having four different coaches the team has beenthrough several new traditions, coaching habits, and teammembers.

“Hopefully I’ll bring discipline,” said Heath. “I expectmy players respect to their coaches, the officials, and theopposing team. They are representing Oakwood. Also, I wantthem to want to be successful, play together, and play bas-ketball the right way.”

Heath has individual meetings with each team memberon a weekly basis to establish a personal relationship withthe players.

“They are important because they give me and eachplayer an opportunity to discuss things we may not be ableto get to in practice,” said Coach Heath. “I feel it helps keepeveryone on the same page, and it helps us communicatefreely on a one-on-one basis.”

Heath is a former Paris (Crestwood) Junior High coach.For three years, he took his team to the Illinois State Champi-onships, winning the title one of the three. The adjustmentfrom junior high to high school will have very little affect onhis coaching.

“On the court, it’s a little different because the gamesare eight minutes long in high school. As far as the way Icoach, that really hasn’t changed,” said Heath. “As long asyou play hard, be honest, and do what I tell you, you’ll be

fine. If you’re lazy and have attitude problems, you won’tget on the floor much.”

Aside from having a new coach every year, the teamhas had to overcome many obstacles. Two-year letterman,senior Nick Vinson, is out for medical reasons due to a caraccident. Vinson is staying optimistic and hopes to returnsoon for the Comets.

The OHS boys’ basketball team will compete at theHayden’s Holiday Tournament which will be held Decem-ber 27 through December 30. The Comets hope to improvetheir turnout this tournament from the last.

“I think we have a very good chance, but again, wehave to want to be successful as a team,” said Heath. “Somany high school teams are evenly watched, and it justcomes down to the little things like hustle plays, takingcharges, and diving for loose balls. Hopefully we can gothere and be very competitive.”

They will play on December 27 at 1 p.m. and at 6:30p.m., also on December 28 10 a.m. and at 8 p.m. All of thosegames will be played at Heritage High School. The finalround games will be played at Schlarman High School.

After the new year, the team resumes their schedulewith a game on Jan. 3 against Salt Fork at OHS. They willalso play a home game on Jan. 6 against Georgetown-RidgeFarm, at Oakwood Grade School.

By Brenden WatsonThe girl’s basketball team has gotten

off to a good start this year. Their 6-4 start isbetter than the past few years.

There is only one senior on the team.The other 11 players are underclassmen

“Since Stephanie and I were the onlyreturning starters at the varsity level, win-ning early in the season has given us confi-dence to compete with the tougher teams,”said Amy Bertilson.

Oakwood earned 2nd place in the LadyComet/Tiger annual tournament. Their 2nd

place finish was an improvement from lastyear.

They were defeated by the other hostteam, Westville, in the championship. Thefinal score was 54-36.

“Our defense is what has been keepingus in games against better teams,” saidBertilson. “Anticipating passes to get stealsand turning them into points.”

Starting off the season with wins hashelped build the teams confidence. That con-fidence has not only helped the older girlsbut the younger ones too.

Oakwood has built leads to allow the

underclassmen to get into a varsity levelgame.

“It has helped our young players de-velop,” said Coach Bough.

“The transition from junior high to highschool is a big step, and by them being ableto play a few minutes here & there they canget a taste of it without them being dependedon for scoring,” said Bough.

Stephanie Denius is a returningletterman. She is starting varsity as a sopho-more and is expected to be a team leader.Though she is only a sophomore, she doesnot feel any pressure.

“At practice, I try to set the tone bypushing the offense,” said Denius.

The Lady Comets last game beforeChristmas break is on December 19, atOakwood. They will play Salt Fork. Follow-ing they don’t play until January 2, atWestville.

The Vermilion County Tournament isscheduled for January 9-14.

“I think we are going to do good,” saidDenius. “Our defense is solid, but we needto improve on our ball movement.”

Heath slowly getting boys team to do things his way

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TheMona Lisa

has no eye-brows. It wasthe fashion inRenaissanceFlorence toshave them

off.

Eating with afork was once

consideredscandalous.

53% ofAmericans planto “re-gift” this

year.

It’s Donder, not Donner.

A person usesapproximately

57 sheets of toi-let paper each

day!

Dolphins sleep with one eye open!

Consumer spending on dairy

products is $74.6 billion annually,

or about 1.33%

of personal income.

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