This year's German 3-4 classes recently experienced the festive charms of the Christkindlmarkt, an annual German holiday marketthatcapturesthespiritofChristmaswith its array of traditional crafts, foods, and decorations.Visiting such a market provided an immersive opportunity to explore German holidaycustomsfirsthand.
Class Trip to Chicago
By Anghely Bastardo
Christmas Spirit Week
Photos by Gabryel Drinkwater
Christmas Movies
By Jeraniha Gilbert
HO!HO!HO!MerryChristmas,everyone!Christmasisthebesttimeoftheyear;itisaseasonthatbringsjoyand familytogether.Itforcesonetoappreciatethosearoundthem.Whatbetterwaytospendyourtimewitheachother thancuddledupincozyblanketswithwarmdrinkswhilewatchingthebestcomfortmoviesever?Comfortmovies like The Nightmare before Christmas, The Grinch,and The Star aresomeofthebestmoviesChristmashastooffer
Startingoffstrongwithoneofthemostwell-knownanimatedworksTimBurtonhasproduced, The Nightmare Before Christmas mergesHalloweenandChristmasintoamasterpieceofafilm.Thestorybegins withthekingofHalloween,JackSkeleton,asheyearnsforsomethingnewinsteadofthesameold HalloweencelebrationthatHalloweentownthrowsfortheholiday.Insearchofsomethingnew,hecomes uponChristmastown,andhebecomesmesmerizedbyit:thecolorfullights,thejoyouscarols,theholiday food,andbestofall,giftgiving.DespitelivinginHalloweentown,hedecidestobringChristmasintotheir celebrationandcompletelychangethespookyHalloweenatmosphere Thetownsfolktrytogoalongwithit, butwiththembeingtrulycreepyinside,theendresultdoesnotfitwithwhatJackhasinmind Tocombat this,heattemptstobeSantaClausandridesintoHalloweentownwithgifts,butitdoesnotgoasplanned Instead,heruinsChristmasforthetown Bytheendofthefilm,helearnsthatthereisareasonwhyholidays donotmixandwiththehelpofSanta,bothtownsenduphappyandinpeace The Nightmare before Christmas givesabeautifulremindertoviewerstoappreciatewhattheyhaveandyetbeopentowhattheydo notyethave
The Star is not your ideal traditional Christmas movie as it adds a Christian twist by bringing back the true meaning of Christmas. There are no Christmas trees, or decor, ratheritbringstheviewerbackintimetothejourneyofJesus’sbirththroughthelens of a lowly donkey. This donkey ventures on with Mary and Joseph Jesus is still in the womb), as they were trying to find a place to safely give birth to a baby They were having trouble because of Herod’s decree to kill all the baby boys at that time TrustinginGod,theyfollowedthestarandsafelymadeittoBethlehemtodeliverthe baby in a manger Also following the star, the wise men found them and gave Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh This retelling of the Christmas story is a family friendly way of spreading the gospel while staying true to the Christmas Spirit
The Nightmare before Christmas, The Grinch, and The Star are all wonderful Christmas movies to watch this season. While they are fun, remembering the true meaning of Christmas during this time is more important than any message in a Christmas movie HaveablessedChristmas!
By Kazuha Kojo
Winter Fashion: Dressing for the Cold
Winter is here, and many people are looking for ways to stay warm without losing their style At Wisco many students still dress in creative and fashionable ways even in freezing temperatures So, how can you staycozyandstilllookgood?Hereareafewhelpfultipsfromstudents
by Aneliz
I asked two students, Nur Ushkempirov and Kevin Zhao, how they managed to stay both warm and fashionable.
“I always wear warm shirts under my clothes and bring a coat wherever I go but I still make sure my outfits lookstylish,”theysaid.Layeringisoneoftheeasiestwaystostaywarm.Wearingacoatisimportantoncold days,evenatschool.Youcanremoveitonceyouwarmup,andyouroutfitunderneathcanstillshine.
Ella Bollmeier shared her strategy as well “I always make sure my feet are warm, so I don’t get cold” She wears cozy socks, which help keeps your body warm. If you skip socks and go barefoot inside your shoes, you will get cold quickly in winter. Keeping your feet warm is important and since people don’t always see your socks, you can focus moreoncomfortthanstyle.
By choosing warm layers, wearing a good coat, and keeping your feet cozy, can make you look stylish while still stayingcomfortableallwinterlong.
Artwork
Medina Perez
What are you looking forward to this Christmas season? Is it being off school? Receiving Gifts? Seeing family? Eating food? Well, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in all the fuss of the holiday season, but we have to remember the center of it all: the birth of Jesus Christ.
When I was little, I thought it was so cool that Jesus Christ’s literal name was in the word “Christmas.” You get it? Christmas! The name, “Christmas” is a reminder of who it's about--our savior. It is so easy to get lost in all of the worldly things Of Christmas.
Many have enjoyed the Children’s Christmas Programs at all of our different churches. Well, behind all the cuteness is the beautiful story of how our savior was born. I know many have heard reminiscent Chanting, “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world…” (Luke 2:1). This year let’s try to truly remember and understand how Jesus Christ our Savior was born of a virgin Mary in Bethlehem, and that’s why we celebrate Christmas. Try not to get wrapped up in the silliness and craziness of the holiday season and remember the miracle on December 25th that is celebrated across the world.
Milwaukee On Ice: A Winter Tradition
By Mason Ware
It’s that time of year where the air gets chilly and Christmas carols take over the radio. There are many fun winter activities, but one of the most common and the most fun activity is ice skating.
Ice skating in Milwaukee began on rivers and lakes, such as the Milwaukee, Kinnickinnic, and Menomonee.
Over time, ice skating became more organized, leading to the formation of the Wisconsin Figure Skating Club in 1939. They would train beginners and host competitions, which helped people progress from the novice to the competitive level. Later, in 1992, the Pettit National Ice Center was built. This building attracted national attention from athletes and coaches alike, allowing skaters to train year-round and establishing figure skatingasaprominentpartofMilwaukee
Today, there are a variety of figure skating clubs for all ages The Greater Milwaukee Figure Skating Club helps children as young as four develop both basic skills and an initial passion for skating. For the more experienced skaters, the Milwaukee Figure Skating Club does freestyle training and preparation for higher tier competition. There are also recreational clubs such as the Wilson Ice Arena, whichturnsfigureskatingintoalaid-backfamilybondingexperienceforallages.
There are four major types of figureskating Thefirstissingles This is when one skater is on the ice, doing jumps and spins and the like Next is pairs, which is similar to singles, but includes partnerstunts,suchasonepartner lifting the other into the air Then there’s ice dance, which has rhythm and choreography added in. The last is synchronized skating, which involves large teams performing coordinated movements.
Figure skating continues to play a meaningful role in Milwaukee, offering something for everyone, from competitive athletes to families just looking for winter fun. The sport builds confidence, creativity, and community, and with so many opportunities to learn and skate, each winter brings a new generation onto the ice.
Are You Staying Near or Going Far? Traveling for the Holidays?
By Nadia Alejandro
Artwork by Kathriel Khurram
Christmas break is right around the corner It’s important to get away from the cold and monotony of winter during Christmas, and many people are already planning where to go and what to do If you’re determined to beat the winter blues butnotsurewheretogo,therearemanypopulardestinationsguaranteedtomakeyourChristmasonetoremember
It might be too late to plan a big trip, but many places here in Wisconsin require little travel time Here in Milwaukee, therearenumerousplacestospendtheafternoonorevening TheMilwaukeeHolidayLightsfestivalisafascinatingdisplay of Christmas lights sure to please all ages.Try to take family photos and have a nighttime stroll along the illuminated paths. Additionally, Red Arrow Park is a popular ice-skating choice. If you bring your own skates, it is free. No need to worry about your experience level and skating aides are available for purchase. If you have a free afternoon, explore the Pabst Mansionandfeelthefestivityineverycornerofthemuseum.Thetourisself-guided,andfeelfreetostopforholidaytreats.
Another local place is the Downtown River Walk in Waukesha for caroling and an enchanting lighting ceremony tradition. Even if you misstheceremony,thelightswillbeliteveryJanuarynight.
If you’re looking for a place farther away but still in Wisconsin, even these small weekend getaways can help boost your mood for the New Year Sleigh rides at Dan Patch Stables in Lake Geneva are a truly magical way to experience the winter wonderland outside Reserve a horse-drawn sleigh to take you through the most beautiful areasofLakeGeneva
If you miss the beach and pool days of summer but don’t want to make the long trip south, Wisconsin Dells is the perfect place for you The thrilling waterpark rides feature festive themes, and the luxurious ChristmasMountainVillageresortoffersskirunsandgolfcourses.
Whileourstateisoftendisregardedasavacationspot during the bleak winter months, there are so many wonderful places you can surely give a try this Christmas. Plus, you could always dream of palm trees inyourfuture.Maybenextyearplanatriptosomewhere warm.
Christmas Songs
By Bre'Yanna Boose
The holiday season is filled with cheerful and jolly Christmas songs from a variety of genres. Some of the top songs that are played during the Christmas season are “All I Want For Christmas is You,” “Silent Night,” and “Jingle Bells” Let’s check out some other genres of Christmas songs Starting with R&B The top song from the 90s was “Let it Snow” by Boyz ll Men, featuring Brian McKnight The next genre is pop Another festive hit is “Rocking AroundtheChristmasTree”byBrendaLee Thelastgenreis country “Winter Wonderland” by Luke Bryan & Ella Langley makes the top charts every year These are a few of the top holiday songs that are played during this season. I hope everyone has a happy holiday season and listens to a newChristmassong.
WHO’S THE G.O.A.T. OF BASKETBALL?
By Jonah Seeger
“Who’s the greatest basketball player of all time?” It’s such a simple question, yet the answers to it almost always differ widely and get pretty complicated even heated, in some cases. From casual fans to die-hards, everyone has specific reasons to defend why he/she would crown a certain player as the GOAT. Usually, though, it boils down to one thing: what do they personally value the most in a basketball player? Is it a gut feeling, or just who simply appears to have the most skill and talent?Dothestatstellthewholestory?Or, assomesuggest,doesplayingonawinning team count for something? The list goes on and on, and there’s really no “right” way of determiningwhatmattersandwhatdoesn’t However, that’s exactly what makes the question so fun to ask, because you always hearsomethingneweachtime.
NBA players themselves are divided, too. This past April, The New York Times sent out a poll to 100 active players asking who they thought the GOAT was, and
they received 18 different answers Unsurprisingly, the top three picks overall were Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and KobeBryant However,diggingdeeperinto the results revealed that age group, nationality, and position all played roles that contributed to a player’s particular answer. Age, specifically, was something that San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnespointedtoasacriticalfactor.
“Ithink,ingeneral,thetopicalwayshas a recency bias,” Barnes explained. “Each generation has who they think is the greatest player of all time.” The poll backs what Barnes is pointing out here only about 25% of the participating players born after 2000 picked Jordan over Lebron as their answer, whereas nearly 80% of players born before 1995 picked Jordan In other words, who a person grew up watching heavily affected their answer, and people are naturally less inclined to pick someone they have never actually seen playlive.
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WHO’S THE G.O.A.T. OF BASKETBALL? – CONTINUED
(Continued from page 10)
“I’m a Lebron guy because that’s what I’ve seen,” said Bruno Fernando, a center who last played for the Toronto Raptors. “I didn’t get to watch MJ with all due respect, and I realize all the things he’s done for the game … but to see what Lebron is doing at age 39 is crazy. He’s who I grew up watching, too, and he’s the guy we’d talk aboutatschoolwithmyclassmates”
Many players still pointed to Jordan because of his past of playing on winning teams The 14-time All-Star led the Chicago Bulls to six championships, never losing in the NBA Finals once As former Utah Jazz forwardAJ Martin put it, “To have six rings, never lose in the Finals, win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season, and average 30 (points per game) for your career … that’s tough to vote against.” Martin went on to describe how Jordan’s career of winning helped establish him as an icon throughout the world, causing the NBA’s popularity to spread overseas. “All the things he’s done for the game of basketball because he was a winner how canyounotcallhimtheGOAT?”
However, does winning championships really show anything about an individual player’s talent and abilities? That’s also not to say that Jordan wasn’t already incredibly talented on his own; instead, do great players onlosingteamsgetoverlooked?
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen argues that that’s definitely the case, “Personally, I think ‘ring culture’is a scam,” he told HoopsHype. “Playing on a winning team is mostly out of your control.” One of the main examples he pointed to was Chris Webber. The Hall-of-Famer never won the NBA Finals once in his 15-year career, playing on some very bad Washington Bullets/Wizards teams in the ‘90s, and coming up just short many times with the Sacramento Kings in the early 2000s Yet, Webber still boasts fiveAll-Star selections in his career while averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds per game Despite all the different arguments, Allen agreed that Lebron vs. Jordanisstilltheultimatedebate.Lineupthe two’scareerstatsside-by-sideandyou’llfind thatthereareverylittledifferences.
That’s what makes GOAT debates in basketballsofun,though-there’snorealway of measuring who the best actually is.You’re guaranteed to get a variety of different reasons from people of why they think a particular player is the greatest, whether it’s Michael Jordan’s winning career and his impact on the sport, Lebron’s dominance in this era, or Steph Curry’s unrivaled 3-point shooting The debate is something that will never be settled, and with new emerging stars,itwillonlygetmorecomplicatedinthe future
Look & Find
by Mariana Welsh
Can you find these pictures in the collage to the right?
