Not So Traditional Traditions

by Emily Green

                The Holiday’s are a time of celebration and tradition for people everywhere.  There are the usual Christmas expectations that every Christmas celebrator is expected to fulfill. For instance, there is the Christmas tree. This tradition of bringing a tree into one’s home, stringing it with bright, colorful lights and loading it with ornaments is widely practiced. Also, singing Christmas carols and sharing a meal with family is a common Christmas Day activity.  Although there are many followers of these holiday traditions, some people have gone outside the norm and found unique ways to enjoy Christmas.

                Since Christmas Eve is the big build up to Christmas morning, the excitement brings many families together. Colonie senior, Mike McKay, explained that Christmas Eve was spent in the movie theaters. Like many other people, it became a tradition for his entire family to go out to a Christmas Eve movie.  Also, it is a common practice for people to snuggle next to a warm fire and watch It’s a Wonderful Life, the renowned Christmas movie. But for senior Jaclyn Welch, Christmas Eve is celebrated with her family’s own tradition. They put on a talent show for each other.  This family wide competition is held each year and each person is given a chance to out shine another, but in a friendly way. It features acts such as Jaclyn’s aunt and uncle doing a synchronized dance.  Also, she has performed as an expert hula-hooper ever since she was young.  This is the kind of unique tradition that makes the holiday even more special to a family. 

My family is another example of hosting odd Christmas Eve traditions. Every year my father comes home with two giant boxes. Each box contains about 75 rolls of toilet paper. This serves two purposes; we are supplied with toilet paper for a cheap price for a really long time, and we get to play with a whole lot of toilet paper. Toilet paper activities include stacking them in doorways and then smashing trough them, or simply chucking them at your cousin. Also if you are lucky enough, you are allowed to open some and completely wrap one of your unwilling family members in toilet paper. It is definitely a different Christmas Eve activity, but for us it is the best part of the night.

Christmas Day holds a whole new array of traditions. Many which seem to take place during the opening of gifts. Senior Ally Ferral said that she opens her stocking after her presents, which is out of order in most people’s eyes. Another example is senior Sam Smith who said he has to open his cat’s and dog’s presents first.  It’s funny because when he told me this in a crowd of people, almost everyone, including myself, chimed in and said that they did that too.  Apparently pet owners are on the same page that their pets deserve the first presents of Christmas morning.

Another Christmas Day custom that can be changed is the meal. Some people have adopted the tradition of going out for a late night Denny’s meal, while others stay home to cook. They prepare uncommon meals such as chili, turkey, or fried chicken.  In my family, fried meatballs are the best food of the day. However, Melissa McGee of Colonie takes the show with her family’s tradition of eating crab legs on Christmas Day.

Despite the shared ideas of Christmas celebrations, many people have come out with their own unique traditions. These traditions are what make the holidays more personal and more treasured to them.

 

Winged Angels

by India McKinney

 Winged “Angels” flew into place and soared onto stage during the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

            According to Business Insider, this year’s fashion show was rumored to have a budget of over $12 million. The glamorous outfits and musical numbers are what people look for nowadays, however, when the show started in 1995 the runway was not as glamorous as it is now. When it all started 18 years ago, there was no fancy lighting and scenery. The models wore basic underwear and bras.

            The store was first created when a Stanford graduate from the School of Business, Roy Raymond, felt embarrassed when purchasing women’s lingerie.  He opened the first store in 1977 in San Francisco, California. The store was decorated in a Victorian fashion, thus, Victoria’s Secret was created.

            The first ever show had been created to promote the retailer’s goods in a high-profile way.  The show was held in the Plaza Hotel and all the models wore simple lingerie. The shows budget was $120,000, which is a fraction of what some of the bras cost now. Models wore cardigans, robes, boots and gloves to accessorize the simple bras. Many of the outfits were dark red because the show took place around Valentine’s Day.

            A few small wings made their first appearances in the 1998 show. A Greek/Mystical theme took place in 1999 with a backdrop of mountains.

            The 2000 show became more elaborate with a, “Fire and Ice,” theme. The background and outfits started off looking hot and eventually changed to an icy feel. The show took place near the Christmas season for the first time in 2000. The show was webcast, but not aired on national television.

            The show was first televised on national television in 2001, where classical singer Andrea Bocelli performed with a full orchestra. The outfits still remained simple, even though they all had a similar winter theme.

            2002 featured the most elaborate wings up to date, and had its first ever hosts: Heidi Klum and Mark McGrath. Marc Anthony and Beyonce both performed. The show started to become flashier and all the models received intricate angel wings.

            In 2005, the Fashion show had reached the level it is today, including full costumes, musical performances, themes and many sparkles. Between the years 2006-2008, the show moved from NYC to LA and Miami, but found its way back home in 2009 to the big apple.

            Over the years, The Victoria’s Secret Fashion show has become bigger and bigger.  Starting off very simple, and blossoming into the fashion event it is now, the future hold nothing but more elaborate and flashier performances, ensembles and wings.

Young Love or Social Suicide

 by Theo Vasilakos

                It feels like Valentine ’s Day everyday with the amount of affection displayed by couples at CCHS. Both students and teachers are getting sick and annoyed with the amount of “canoodling” and “sucking face” that goes on in the halls. PDA in the halls of Colonie Central High school, young love or social suicide?

                Summer Clevenger, a senior at CCHS said that “Its gross” and she “hate(s) everyone that does it.” Although what she said is a bit extreme, it’s true. Many students that walk between their classes are subjected to couples and their displays of “young love.” Jason Neal, another senior at CCHS feels that “not everyone wants to see that” and couples should “be more considerate to others” in the hallways. In another interview with a senior named Nikki LaMountain, she said this about the amount of PDA in the hallways, “They should do it in private. They are blocking the hallways!”

                When I asked star athlete Steph Reinhardt about her opinions on PDA, she said, “I don’t like PDA, it’s weird to watch.” But when I asked about what her and her boyfriend do in the halls she said, “We don’t hold hands but we kiss goodbye.” An anonymous source says that “it’s okay to an extent. It’s the business of the people in the relationship.” When I asked this anonymous source if they had ever been asked to change this they said, “only once before. I toned it down because I don’t want to offend anybody.”

                While these little smooching sessions happen in the halls, they have been happening in other places in our fine school. Ms McConville, a humble librarian, has witnessed this first hand in her library. “I tell them to cut it out; I don’t want to see anyone making out,”  she said. I agree with you, McConville. No one wants to see people make out in our fine schools hallways.

An Editorial Response About Sandy Hook

by Andrew Crawford


I will never forget where I was on December 14^th 2012. I was heading home after a long day at school. When I arrived home and turned on the TV there it was, the headline that read “26 killed in school shooting, 20 children and 6 adults. The color faded from my face as I covered my mouth in horror as I thought to myself “What kind of monster would do such a thing?” There I sat for two hours paralyzed on the couch as I took this heinous crime in. I later that day found out that I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. I had numerous conversations via text with my friends as the information and statistics became available. My family and I were in a somber mood for the rest of the night, feeling a great amount of grief for each person killed. I woke up the next morning refreshed but not without some sadness. At Ruby Tuesday for dinner I had a huge conversation with my mother about gun control and steps the nation should take to prevent such a tragedy. It was then at the table that I realized, these things don’t just happen.

The NRA has been promoting the right to bear arms for years. Their policy has been “We get to arm ourselves with whatever weapons available and you can’t take them away from us ”This way of thinking is incredibly dated. When the 2^nd amendment was created in the late 18^th century, there were no auto or semi automatic weapons that could give one man the power of thirty. If there were, maybe our forefathers would’ve thought twice. Why on earth would you need that amount of fire power for “personal protection?” They are called assault weapons for a reason. Civilians don’t need access to military weapons and armaments; they’re not fighting a war. I feel relieved that stores like Dicks Sporting Goods and Wal-Mart are banning the sale of firearms until the government makes a new gun control law.

So what did this heinous incident change? To put it lightly, almost everything about school security. Even now a week later school management and staff are implementing locks on the main entrance and a possibility for more police officers to patrol the school. Parents are now more concerned with the safety of their children at school. This incident will always be looked back on as the straw that broke the camel’s back about school safety. Remember how school used to be, because it will never be the same.

 

Cupcake Wars of Colonie

by Moira Dollard

 

When you bite into a cupcake you instantly feel happy. The mixture of moist cake and sweet frosting, nothing compares to it. Even when you just have a slice of cake you feel the same way. Cake is only better in that there is more of it to eat. I have had plenty of practice with eating both cupcakes and cake. All over Colonie cupcake shops have been popping up and becoming popular. Fluffalicious, Sweet Temptations and Coocadots. Each cupcake shop has different products and tastes. In this article I’m going to dissect the taste of each cupcake and tell you where the best cupcake is in Colonie. Get ready for a sweet ride.

First up is Fluffalicious. The two cupcakes I ate were “Hot Fudge Sundae” and, “Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup.”

Hot Fudge Sundae - The fudge inside the cupcake was my favorite part. It gave the great combination of a vanilla cake with the fudge. Just like a true sundae. The use of the butter cream sundae on top though took away from the overall experience I feel. I feel that if there was less frosting then the combination would be better.

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup – Great cupcake. The chocolate cake was most definitely the best part. Nice and rich and moist. The filling of peanut butter icing tasted great also with the cake. Perfect combination. I felt though that the chocolate frosting was too prominent over the peanut butter. I would have liked more peanut butter than chocolate.

Overall these two cupcakes were fantastic. A little bit too much of frosting for me but the filling and cake itself were great.

Next is Sweet Temptations. The two cupcakes from there were “Oreo” and “Chocolate Raspberry.”

Oreo – Great combination of frosting and cake. Also the presentation was beautiful. Looked really cute with a dipped Oreo on top. Although the cupcake tasted delicious I didn’t really get the taste of Oreo. The chocolate cake was really great though.

 

Chocolate Raspberry – Great presentation again. Also another great combination of moist chocolate cake and rich raspberry frosting. My favorite part was the actual raspberry filling on the inside. It’s a nice surprise to bite into a cupcake and get the real fruit taste.

I was very pleased with both of these cupcakes. The presentation was breath taking on both and the combination of cake and frosting was great.

Lastly is Coccadots. The two cupcakes elected from there were “Cake Batter” and “Peanut Butter Cup.”

Cake Batter – The cake itself was awesome. Moist, delicious great flavor. I was not a big fan of the whipped topping though. Others told me that they enjoyed the combination of the cake and whipped frosting. Just shows the different opinions of everyone. I did not like the fondant star on the front though. Not a big fan of the flavor of the fondant. It was a great presentation though and looked very cute.

 

Peanut Butter Cup – Definitely the best cupcake I ate all night. It had just enough peanut butter to go with the chocolate cake. Even though it didn’t have a filling which I would have enjoyed even more it was still a superb cupcake.

 

Both the cupcakes excited my taste buds and were presented great. Most likely my two favorite cupcakes of the night.

All the cupcakes were delicious. There was never a single bite of cupcake that I did not enjoy. My personal favorite was Coocadots but if you want a mouth watering cupcake any of the shops will suffice. I hope this look into these sweet treats was helpful!

To Leave or Not to Leave?

By Gabrielle Hurley

 

The bell rings and your stomach is yelling at you to feed it. Approaching the lunch line, the strong desire to eat fades and the happiness on your face changes to an unpleased look. You would rather starve than eat the meal the school is providing. You think about the fact that you have a car sitting in the parking lot just outside. Colonie Central high school does not allow leaving for lunch, but what’s the big deal?

Many seniors question the reasoning behind making students stay in for lunch when they are able to drive. Lunch, to them, is a free period, where no school work is being done and they are free to do what they please.

Jay Johnson is a senior at Colonie Central high school, who has his driver’s license,  and participates in buying lunch at school. When asked if he enjoyed the food served he replied with “not really.” “It’s not enough and not really appetizing,” said Jay, “I think we should be able to leave to get lunch because then we could actually get a good meal in our systems. It also gives us a chance to get healthier or at least enjoy what we’re eating.”

The time for lunch is given at 45 minute increments at different times of the day. Many stores and fast food stops reside on roads in the surrounding area. Roads such as Central Avenue or Wolf Rd. “Where we live allows 45 minutes to be enough. There’s a subway down the street, or a Wendy’s,” said Jay.

Jaclyn Welch is a senior at Colonie Central high school who does not buy lunch at the school. “It’s disgusting, and just not good,” said Jaclyn. She usually brings a sandwich from home or makes a stop at Bruegger’s Bagels and picks up something to take to school with her. “If I don’t have the time in the morning to grab a lunch my dad brings it to school for me,” said Jaclyn. Her dad brings her lunch to school frequently because the lunch provided at school is unappealing to her, as it is to most students.
“Seniors should at least be able to leave for lunch because we know the rules and regulations. If we don’t come back to school when we leave to get lunch, then we can accept the punishment,” said Jaclyn, “If the rules are broken, then we can lose the privilege.” She also agrees 45 minutes is enough time, especially if the students buy food from a quick place rather than a big sit down restaurant. 

What's In Your Closet?

by Angelia Rotandaro

 Without the proper organizational skills, a trendy shopper’s closet can become a mountain of clothes from outdated styles and trends. Keeping a neat, clean and organized closet will keep stylish women’s outfits organized and trendy.

Coordinating each item is a helpful way one can keep a closet orderly and organized. Personally, I am a freak about keeping my closet in order. Each item has a specific place. All of my clothes are color coordinated from white to black. On the top left and right are my long sleeves and short sleeves.

On the bottom left, I have all of my tank tops and on the right I have my jackets and blazers. Keeping my closet in this order calms me down and keeps me organized while I am picking out my outfit for each day. It also allows me to find the perfect outfit if I’m in a rush, and makes packing for vacation easier.

Use coordinated hangers for a clean look that will keep your clothes uncluttered and in order. Also, use boxes, cubbies, hanging organizers, and or shelves to keep shoes. You can also keep folded clothes or accessories in shelf dividers.

Keep your closet up to date with the appropriate trends for each season by cleaning out your closet right before each season. This way you can store away the items you no longer need and replace them with each season’s essentials.

If you’re one of those people who are attached to your clothes and never want to get rid of anything, good solutions to get over this fear are by taking everything out of your closet and sort everything into three separate categories. The first pile: items that you will definitely keep, the second questionable items, and the third: items that definitely can go.

Some fashion essentials that I think every woman should have in their closet is a black, fitted blazer. They go great with any outfit and can transform a look from professional to a night out. Another essential is a pair of black pumps; black goes with anything and these shoes can be worn every season because they never go out of style.

One of my favorite trends this year has been chiffon material blouses. Stores like Forever 21 and Express have affordable, colorful styles that look great on every body type. I also have been following the trend of pastel colored denim and paring opposite colored tops for a complete color blocked look.

Keeping a well arranged, up to date closet can be an easier task with the proper organizational skills.