The Lion’s Roar A La Colina Publication December, 2015

Holidays, Community, Books, and More!

“ ‘tis the season to be jolly ” The Lion’s Roar is Back! Members- Annabelle Tiller- Chief Editor Amelie Funk- Formatter Paige Kieding- Book of the MonthEmma Grabenstetter Malvina Clavering Merrick Larbig- Fun Facts Trevor Hancey Roz Borah Luke Mitchelson

Holiday Quiz By Annabelle Tiller

What Christmas ballet is most famous?

a. Mr. and Mrs. Claus b. The Nutcracker c. Frosty the snowman What should you leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve?

a. gum b. candy c. a carrot What is Frosty the Snowman’s nose made out of?

a. a botton b. a rock c. a carrot What color is the Grinch?

a. green b. red c. blue Which reindeer does not belong below?

a. Roger b. Comet c. Dasher All I want for Christmas is…

a. little brown dog b. two front teeth c. own big house

*answers on last page* 1 

Upcoming Events At LC: •December 9th-Holiday Choir Concert

•December 11th-Unity Shoppe Penny Drive ends •December 18th-Holiday Fun Day •December 19th to January 4th-

WINTER BREAK!

Comic

By Amelie Funk

 

10 Facts About The Holidays By Merrick Larbig

1) In 15th-century France, one in every four days was an official holiday. 2) Over 25% of all emails are sent during the holidays. 3) The average consumer spent $407 on Black Friday last year. 4) According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 45 million turkeys are

cooked and eaten in the U.S. at Thanksgiving. 5) During Chinese New year, about 1.01 billion red envelopes are exchanged. 6) There's a $1,000 fine for using or selling Silly String in Hollywood on Halloween. 7) The Hanukkah candles are added onto the special candelabrum from right to left,

but are lit only from left to right. 8) Norwegian scientists have hypothesized that Rudolph’s red nose is probably the

result of a parasitic infection of his respiratory system. 9) The Germans made the first artificial Christmas trees out of dyed goose feathers. 10) Each year more than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent in the U.S. alone.

Random Bonus fact! Oscar the Grouch used to be orange. Jim Henson decided to make him green before

the second season of Sesame Street. Oscar said he went on vacation to the “very damp Swamp Mushy Muddy” and turned green overnight.

before

We Don’t Need Geniuses By Malvina Clavering

As we begin the year at La Colina, some of us are learning the daily routine and system of junior high, others

are recalling the ways from last year; the social hierarchy, the time to eat, the people you met. We are all adapting to

changes. There are small changes, such as the renaming of EDU to NEO, and there are large ones; the new teachers,

the new schedule or a new school campus for some. All of this is part of how we experience school, and I think most

would agree that it is important to have a good school experience, because here is where we spend most of our early

lives. La Colina has a wonderful school culture, the teachers and staff are terrific, and they have taught a brilliant

variety of students how to make a community of lasting friendships. Our school has great academics, but what is it

that is encouraged in the students? What do we teach them to be? How are these lessons taught?

Personally, I have noticed that many of the junior high students I know find school a positive experience,

however, there are always going to be problems. Do we really benefit from seeing mark of our performance on every

assignment that is turned in? Perhaps we’ve done our work and turned it in each day, and all seems well because

those scores are reflected in the overall grade. But does this mean that this is a good system of evaluating student

performance? The main problem is not the work, or the teachers and their methods, it is the pressure that kids feel

to have the best possible score on everything. (cont. on next page)

 

Grades are so defining, if you are below A’s or B’s, then you are considered not good enough. This is the

message that is spread when students are forced to keep up their grades. This does not benefit us because it leaves

us with low self-esteem and gives unneeded stress. Teenagers are already going through an unsteady phase, schools

should be doing what they can to make kids feel good about themselves. But with such a strong press to perform

well, we are simply causing competition, students will slowly start to suppress each other, rather than help each

other succeed. By doing this, we may create people who are incredibly smart and get the best grades, but this is not

what the world needs. These top people are what management thinker Margaret Heffernan would call “Super

Chickens,” she states in her TED talk that they are common in many businesses. But these businesses are not the

most productive because “Super Chickens” are not good at working together and supporting each other. Schools and

teachers should not be promoting geniuses, but people who will help society.

Why the Classics are still Important By Luke Mitchelson

The Australian government has pledged to begin moving its educational curriculum away from history and and strengthening mathematical and scientific instruction, especially in the way of computer science. In fact, under the changes proposed by Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne, children begin learning code in fifth grade and learning how to program computers in seventh. Many would say that these changes simply represent a refocusing of education to better provide future workers with the skill sets they will need in the mechanized world of the twenty first century, but is this really true? According to The Fortune, as the twenty first century continues, the increasing automation of the work force will result in in massive job loss for intermediate workers, meaning workers between the levels of CEO and jobs such as mailmen, trash collectors, and laborers. As the medium-pay job level between these two tiers disappears due to automation, many would reason that the only job on this level that will be available in the future will be that of computer specialists. This opinion is the reason behind the educational reform in Australia. Even these jobs however, may be replaced by machines in the not so distant future. While many would scoff at the idea of machines writing computer code, many people in 1916 would have scoffed the idea of cellphones, which we now take for granted. These are the very reasons why it is so important to continue emphasizing subjects such as history and philosophy in schools. While scientists and engineers will always be important, the machines that they design will never be able to replace philosophers, historians, and religious leaders. These jobs all require the ability to empathize with people, to judge them based on logical moral standards, and most importantly, to view the world from a relatable human perspective. This is why, in my opinion, subjects which require morality, emotion, and empathy, the very qualities that separate humans from machines are equally important to emphasize in schools today. Although changing technology can make many jobs irrelevant, there will always be work for those who can use the qualities that only humans possess.

 

Sing For Your Supper By Roz Borah

Participation in the performing arts has a big effect

on a brain’s capacity for learning, and if November 5th’s performance was any indication, La Colina has got to be one of the smartest schools around. The first number was an amazing a capella rendition of the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back”, performed by Outburst. The following numbers included “Anything Goes”, “Footloose”, “Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend”, “Cats”, “Me”, “Forget About the Boy”, “Wake Me Up When September Ends”, “Song of the King”, and “Stick to the Status Quo”. After every piece, members of the audience had a hard time remembering that what they had just witnessed was performed by seventh and eighth graders. Every song was so professional, every dance was choreographed to the point of perfections, every set changes was so efficient.

The show, called Sing for your Supper, was to held to raise money for spring competitions that three singing groups on campus will be going to. During intermission, guests went around the cafeteria in a silent auction, bidding on everything from Best Buy gift cards to air plants to help pay for their lodgings, their busses, and anything else the performing arts department needs.

After the intermission, the songs performed were “Bosom Buddies”, “The Kite”, “Summer Nights”, “As if We Never Said Goodbye” and a medley of Stephen Schwartz songs. But the highlight of the second act was the “Audition Workshop”, in which the performing arts teacher, Mrs. Saleh, sings at a series of “auditions”. She sang songs from musicals such as “Man of La Mancha”, “Hairspray” and “Miss Saigon”. There is only one word to describe Shannon Saleh’s singing voice: magnificent. But the purpose of the set was to announce the spring musical, an honor that was given to Grammy Award winner Cheri Steinkellner. The play that La Colina will be doing for its spring musical was written by Cheri a mere seven years ago, and La Colina will be the first jr. high school to be performing it. It is based on songs from the 1910s and 20s, by George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and other turn-of-the-century greats. “Hello! My Baby” follows the story of music seller Mickey McKee who dreams of being the next Irving Berlin, and (Continued) Jewish sweatshop worker Betty Gold “who just happens to be a musical demon”. Auditions took place the following week and playing the leads will be Ben McAvene as Mickey McKee and Maddie Thomas as Betty Gold. The show will run in early March, so make sure to go see it to support our incredible performing arts department.

Holiday Events 2015

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Recipe

By Annabelle Tiller RECIPE CREDIT TO- allrecipes.com

● 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ● 2 cups white sugar ● 1/2 cup vegetable oil ● 4 eggs ● 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ● 2 cups all-purpose flour ● 2 teaspoons baking powder ● 1/2 teaspoon salt ● 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least 4 hours.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into one inch balls. Coat each ball in confectioners' sugar before placing onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool. ENJOY!

 

By Emma Grabenstetter

This year Santa Barbara is providing many spectacular opportunities to have fun during this holiday season. Come on out and enjoy the festive activities with your family. Here are some of my favorite upcoming events to help you get in the winter mood. Parade of Lights When: Sunday, December 6, 2015 This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Parade of Lights. This year’s theme is, “A Red, White & Blue Holiday”. Awards will be given out at the Veteran’s Memorial Building with appearances from local D-day veterans. Santa’s Village activities will begin at 3:00 pm at the pier in the harbor. Come take pictures with Santa Claus, and you will receive a special goody bag if you are one of the first 200 people to take a picture with Santa Claus. The parade will begin at 5:30 pm, including approximately 25 boats. Stay for an amazing fireworks display at 7:00 pm. Make sure to come out with your family for a jolly good time.

Nutcracker Ballet at the Granada Theatre When: Saturday, December 19, 2015 at 2:00 pm Saturday, December 19, 2015 at 7:30 pm Sunday, December 20, 2015 at 2:00 pm This is a great way to celebrate the holidays with your family. You will experience an amazing ballet based off of E.T.A. Hoffman’s story. Set to Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable music, you will encounter a young girl’s, Cara’s, story on Christmas Eve. In her dream, a nutcracker she receives as a gift escorts heron a magical journey, saving her from evil rats.

Holiday Parade When: Friday, December 4, 2015, at 6:30 pm This parade starts at State Street, and continues down to Cota Street. As the only nighttime street parade in Santa Barbara, the holiday parade celebrates its 63rd anniversary this year. Over 50,000 spectators are expected to line the streets this year. You can count on floats, marching bands, performance groups, local personalities, and last but not least, Santa Claus himself. Santa will be doing meet and greets from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm, in the Paseo Nuevo Center Court. Hopefully you can bundle up, come watch an extraordinary parade.

 

Book Of The Month: Anna Dressed In Blood, -- Kendare Blake

article written by Paige Kieding

Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

Published by Tom Doherty October 17th 2011

Pages: 316

Genre(s): Horror, Romance, Paranormal

Source: Purchased

Rating: 4.5 stars

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay. Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home. Yet she spares Cas’s life.

-Goodreads.com description

Writer’s review: The only thing that I didn’t enjoy as much was the romance. It felt a bit insta-lovey and forced, and I didn’t

*If you’re looking for an amazing YA horror novel, look no further. Anna Dressed In Blood has it all: the spookiness, the romance, the terrifyingly-descriptive writing style.

The Characters: The protagonist of this book is Cas, an incredibly brave and loyal, but still realistic, character.What makes Cas so special? He has inherited a unique ability: he kills the dead. Just like his father did before him, before he was found brutally murdered.

Alright, on to Anna, the other main character. Yes, the girl on the terrifying cover with blood dripping down her beautiful white dress, AKA “Anna Dressed In Blood.” Anna is dangerous, powerful, and ultimately deadly. She’s full of vengeful fury, and she won’t stop until she gets what she wants. Even if it means killing anyone who gets in her way. Especially if it means killing anyone that gets in her way, for that matter. Until, for some reason, she doesn’t kill Cas. Though Cas is a truly wonderful and relatable character, it’s really Anna who takes the center stage.

The Plot: Terrifying. Seriously, truly terrifying. Anna Dressed In Blood had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, and it’s full of vivid and gory imagery. I actually had to take breaks in between chapters because it got too intense for me. So, basically: this book was awesome!

Quotes: “She’s my purpose and we’re going to save each other. We’re going to save everyone. And then I’m going to convince her that she’s supposed to stay here. With me.”

***

“I’ve seen most of what there is to be afraid of in this world, and to tell you the truth, the worst of them are the ones that make you afraid in the light. The things that your eyes see plainly and can’t forget are worse than huddled black figures left to the imagination. Imagination has a poor memory; it slinks away and goes blurry. Eyes remember for much longer.”

***

“I can feel that photo of Anna staring at me from sixty years ago, and I can’t help myself from wanting to protect her, wanting to save her from becoming what she already is.”

Final Thought: Basically, if you want an amazing YA horror novel perfect for Halloween, read this RIGHT NOW. I promise, you won’t regret it. Unless you do, which would make me really sad. I loved this book SO MUCH, and definitely won’t be forgetting about this one for a long, long time.

 

really see the characters gradually get to know each other like I wanted them to. However, I don’t think that took away much from the novel since I loved it so much as a whole.

The Writing Style: Kendare Blake is an amazing novelist, and she’s certainly not afraid to write some extremely disturbing or gory scenes. Her writing is vivid, descriptive, and flows perfectly. Cas’s voice sounded authentic and realistic, and was actually really funny in some parts, which helped lighten up the dark mood.

Q&A With The Book’s Author: Recently, I was lucky enough to be in contact with the lovely author Kendare Blake. If you don’t already know, she’s the author of Anna Dressed In Blood, Girl of Nightmares, Antigoddess, Mortal Gods, Ungodly, Violent Ends, Slasher Boys & Monster Girls, and Sleepwalk Society. Kendare can be found on: Her Website // Goodreads // Facebook // Twitter.

Kendare Blake is the author of several novels and short stories, most of which you can find information about via the links above. Her work is sort of dark, always violent, and features passages describing food from when she writes while hungry. She was born in July (for those of you doing book reports) in Seoul, South Korea, but doesn’t speak a lick of Korean, as she was packed off at a very early age to her adoptive parents in the United States. That might be just an excuse, though, as she is pretty bad at learning foreign languages. She enjoys the work of Milan Kundera, Caitlin R Kiernan, Bret Easton Ellis, Richard Linklater, and the late, great Michael Jackson. She lives and writes in Kent, Washington, with her husband, their two cats.

What was your favorite scene/chapter to write in Anna Dressed In Blood? I loved writing a lot of scenes in Anna. Most of them,

really. Cas made that book, and Girl of Nightmares, such a pleasure. I loved writing the scenes when Cas and his mom first hit Thunder Bay. When he talks about how haunted it is. I loved

writing the scenes with Thomas being awkward. I loved the magic.

Are your characters based off of people you know, or are they just purely from your imagination? Usually, purely imagination. Though they will share traits of people I know. Like Cas thinking he could climb the rocks at the waterfall. My husband thought

that, the dope. And Thomas’ car, is my friend’s car from high school. And Hermes in the Goddess War drinks the same beer as another friend. And Tybalt is my cat, who just passed away this summer.

One of the Most Popular Computer Games

By Trevor Hancey Have you ever heard of Minecraft? Minecraft is a sandbox game created by Markus Persson also called Notch. It is based from real life. Lots of people around the world have played this game. Some people that have played Minecraft are FuriousDestroyer, SuperGirlyGamer, CaptainSparklez, SSundee, Dantdm, and Jemma. In Minecraft, you’re a player in a world trying to survive without dieing that’s the goal of survival mode. In Creative Mode you have access to almost every single block in the game. The goal of Minecraft is to beat the game. There are servers that you could play on with other minecrafters, also you can play on maps made by other minecrafters. Some servers are Mineplex, Hypixel, and The Hive. Some maps are Notch Land, Fun Land, and Parkour maps. There are tons of mods to make Minecraft easier or harder. Some mods for Minecraft are The Lucky Block Mod, Orespawn, The Waypoint Mod, and Not Enough Items. You can download these mods but make sure it is in the right version. Minecraft has 5 different platforms. The 4 platforms are Playstation, Xbox, PC, and PE. The fifth platform is the Wii but it hasn’t come out yet. It is going to come out sometime in November. There is a wiki for minecraft it is this link: http://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Minecraft_Wiki. This wiki has everything you need to know on Minecraft like crafting recipies. It is a really useful site for beginners of the game. On https://www.youtube.com there is a ton of videos of this game. Lots of people post their gameplay on this website: www.minecraft.

 

On average, how long does it take you to write a book? It varies greatly. The initial draft usually takes anywhere from four to

eight months. But given the varying times I completely rewrite it after that…you have to tack on another four to six.

Did you ever think one of your books would be made into a movie? No, I didn’t! It’s still very weird to me that anyone is

interested in turning Anna into something other than a book. It’s incredible. And Stephenie Meyer and Meghan Hibbett are

fantastically talented producers. I’m hopeful (extremely hopeful) that it will keep on moving forward.

Are you working on any projects currently? If so, could you tell us anything about it? Of course! I’m working on my new book, THREE DARK CROWNS. It comes out next fall, and is about triplet queens on a hidden island. One is an elemental, who can control the elements and call storms. Another is a naturalist, who makes

Who are some of the authors who inspire you? Oh, so many. All of them I’ve read, in some way. But in particular: Milan Kundera,

Bret Easton Ellis, Caitlin R. Kiernan, and Joe Hill.

What is the hardest part about writing? When it’s not going well. Some days it just isn’t there. And those days are long and full of torment. The doubt isn’t fun either. Wondering if you’re writing something that anyone else will find compelling. Do you have a

bag of diamonds, or a sack of rat turds? It’s sometimes shockingly hard to tell.

When did you first decide you wanted to become an author, and why? I wanted to write when I was about…eleven, I think. So I wrote a novel, just to see if I could finish one. And I could! But

even though I never really stopped writing, I studied to be other, more practical things, because I knew it was a long shot that the writing would work out. As for why…I don’t know. I read a lot, as a child. And writing is the only thing I’ve really been compelled to

do.

Do you ever get writer’s block? If so, do you have any tips on overcoming this obstacle? Nope. Never had it. I’m so grateful. It

sounds terrible.

Are you a planner or a pantser? Depends on the story. I would say I’m mostly pantser. Following the string through the trees.

But when things get too complicated, I do sometimes draw charts to stay on top of them.

What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?Don’t stop writing. Write, write, write, and read, read, read. Learn. Get

better. Never stop improving. And don’t get stuck up in your own head. Get it down on the page.

Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included? Nah, man, you are wicked thorough. Thanks for having

me by!

_______________________________________________

To find more reviews, interviews, discussions, and other bookish fun, visit my blog at https://thatgirlandherbooks.wordpress.com/. I hope you enjoyed!

Join the La Colina Newspaper Club! Meetings held on Thursdays (every

other week) in room 312.

Answers to Quiz- 1.b 2.c 3.c 4.a 5.a 6.b