December 21, 2012

Vol. 6 Issue 5

How we Can StretCH our ImpaCt?

As the Christmas season nears, we have the opportunity to reflect on all the blessings we have, specifically the birth of Jesus. In addition to celebrating the birth of Jesus, we like to recognize Christmas time by exchanging gifts. The giving spirit is in the air during the holiday season, after all. During this hectic season, it can be easy to get caught up in what we have to get done or what we have to buy, and forget about those who are living in more difficult circumstances. There are people who are struggling through this season all around the world and in our country--people with a shortage of food and water, people without a shelter over their head during this cold winter, and people who have recently lost a parent or child. Each year, however, the holiday season brings charities that are working to aid people like these. The ringing of Salvation Army bells has become a Christmas tradition here in the United States. On the news nearly every year now are stories of anonymous people who, in the giving spirit, drop hundreds

The SpiriT of GivinG

By Nathan Bonnema
of dollars into the Salvation Army kettles outside their local grocery stores. While giving large amounts of money is a great thing to do, an impact can be made in many other ways. Dropping spare change in those kettles is one simple way to make an impact. Operation Christmas Child is another excellent organization. It takes shoe boxes filled with anything from bouncy balls and hard candy to coloring books and a toothbrush. OCC has different labels for the boxes that specify the age and gender of the intended child, and the boxes are then shipped to needy children in over one hundred different countries. Last year alone, 8.6 million shoe boxes were collected and distributed throughout the world. Additional charities such as World Renew and Toys for Tots are also doing great things this Christmas. Getting involved in charities such as these is a great way to have a positive effect on people all over the world this holiday season.

Student Council Corner

By Maddie Vande Kamp
December has been a busy month with the game night two weeks ago and the winter dance last Saturday! The game night was a fun filled evening of basketball, dodge ball, nukem, board games, eating snacks, and hanging out with friends. The Stardust Dance was also a highlight of the month with everyone looking simply dazzling! (Thanks go to Mr. A for making the giant star photo spot.) Basketball season is off to a great start and Student Council is requesting your help for concessions. The proceeds from concessions help pay for other fun events throughout the year, so if you would like to see other events happening please sign up to help. Have a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Break
Editor: Lydia Marcus
Ian Krueger, Andrew Thomas, Nathan Bonnema, and Lydia Marcus

Staff

what are we aLL DOiNG?

By Ian Krueger

Writers: Gabe Modder

Advisors: Miss Branderhorst Contact: thecougarstale@gmail.com The Cougars Tale is a publication of Calvin Christian High Schools journalism class. Students get the experience of interviewing people and writing articles for viewing by others. Questions, comments, or publications should be directed to Miss Branderhorst and will be relayed to the journalism class.

The Cougars Tale is now online. To find more news articles about events around CCHS, please check out our blog at: http://thecougarstale.blogspot.com/

Dont Forget!

Christmas is right around the corner, and with it, the much-wanted and much-needed Christmas break. Christmas break provides a lot of spare time, and the question is, what are we going to be doing with it? Many people plan to spend time with their family over Christmas break. Sophomore Sara Shields says, With my family I will be attending the Christmas Eve service at my church and then on Christmas day we will sleep in and open presents and spend time together. Similarly, Claire Stephens, a junior, commented, Over Christmas break, I will probably spend a lot of time with my family...My mom and I usually bake desserts a few days before Christmas. Students also plan to spend time alone and time with friends. Josh Moberg, a sophomore, said, I will be playing video games, playing with whatever I get for Christmas, reading, drawing, and hopefully not doing homework. He adds, with a grin, I might get Assas1

sins Creed 3. Levi Vande Kamp commented that he might go sledding with some friends, while Claire says that most of her plans are spontaneous. For those you who dont know what to do over Christmas break, here are a few suggestions. If you need a taste of nature, head over to Cherokee park in St Paul. It boasts one of the best fossil beds in Minnesota, as well as an extremely long, fast, and dangerous sledding hill. Want a taste of French architecture? Head over to the St. Paul Cathedral crowning summit hill, and while you are at it, you may want to visit the Minnesota Capitol building as well. Need to burn off some hard-earned cash? Head over to the enormous Mall of America, boasting multiple shopping centers and several theme parks. All of us are going to be doing many things over Christmas break, like baking desserts, opening presents, chilling with friends, and avoiding homework. I hope you have a great Christmas break too!

The end of the world is coming. If you believe the prediction of the Mayan calendar, you may be under impression that the world will end today. However, even if you dont believe that the Mayan calendar dictates our future, the fact remains the same: this world will not last forever. North Americans often make lists of New Years Resolutions for themselves. We may have made mistakes or developed bad habits in the past, but a new year is like a clean slate. We have the opportunity to begin again. Perhaps you have made New Years Resolutions of your own. Maybe you have vowed to amend your eating habits, rebuild relationships, or work harder at school. You may not have followed through with your pledge, but at least you recognized an area of your life that could be improved upon. Many resolutions are focused on improving our personal life. This is a good start, but it is also important to consider how we can serve others in the upcoming year. Ultimately, relationships are very important. Some people also make faith related resolutions at this time of year. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for us to get sidetracked by life and let our faith fall by the wayside. We dont need a new year in order to have a clean slate, but it certainly helps us realize that we have a fresh chance at life. Our good deeds do not save us; we are saved by faith through the grace of God. However, this does not give us warrant to behave in whatever manner we see fit. We should live a life of gratitude. This is the sort of resolution it is important to follow through with. Knowing that the end of the world is coming (at some point) and that a new year is an opportune time to revise our lifestyles, we could live by the motto, Jesus is coming, look busy. Why only look busy when we know that God sees our hearts and motives? Merely looking busy wont be very helpful. While you are vowing to eat fewer sweets or perhaps learn how to knit, keep in mind that our lives are quite short in comparison to eternity. Use the beginning of a new year to consider how you are living your life; try to reevaluate your priorities so you will actually be busy when Jesus returns. Eternity is a long time, after all.

Lydias Farewell

Editorials

TheHobbit:AnUnexpectedJourney
An ExpEcTEd SUccESS, or UnExpEcTEd Flop?
By Andrew Thomas
Well, ladies and gentlemen, the movie with the most publicity, the most wait, and the best pre-trilogy has finally arrived...the prequel of prequels, The Hobbit! This blockbuster movie was one of the most anticipated releases of 2012 for quite some time since its predecessors came out in 2001, and it was worth the wait. Now, we know the general story of Frodo and the ring, but what sparked this adventure? Bilbo Baggins, and his discovery of the Ring of Power. The Hobbit is the first documented part of Bilbos journey to help reclaim The Lonely Mountain, kingdom of the dwarves in the Desolation of Smaug, aiding Thorin Oakenshield, heir to the throne, 13 of his followers, and Gandalf the Wizard, beginning the journey of reconquering their home, and to set the beginning stage for Frodos story. But, how does this movie hit expectations? We know the story of adventure, danger, action, and no good movie would be complete without them. In fact, this movie put all needed elements to produce a great movie: good cast, good plot, true to the original story,all to really show the story of The Hobbit. As a viewer, you become immersed in the story, feeling as if you are part of this adventure, facing the dangers, feeling the stress, even experiencing the moods as they come. Almost nothing was different than how it was in the book, and it added more to the story because of that. The Hobbit left us with memorable moments, but also its moments of forgiveness where small things were noticed. Overall, it left the audience amazed and yearning for the next film, hoping its just as great as this one. From seeing the movie, it compares well with the book as far as the movie had progressed in the first of the planned trilogy. This movie stayed pretty close to the book, and portrayed symbolism well. Overall, The Hobbit is worth the time going to, and fans of the Lord of the Rings would be pleased to see a well written book turned into a wellproduced movie.

New Student Highlights

Sunny Zhou Eric Yang
Birthday: August 27, 1996 Biggest Fear: Snakes Bucket List: To eat all the food in the world Favorite TV show: A Chinese TV show If you had a time machine, where would you go? Christmas Describe yourself in five words: Chinese, Happy, Belieber, Nice, Short If you could vacation in any country, which would it be? Italy Birthday: August 15, 1995 Biggest Fear: Teachers Bucket List: To have children Favorite TV show: The Big Bang Theory If you had a time machine, where would you go? Back to China Describe yourself in five words: Like Swimming, Like Sleep, Study If you could vacation in any area, where would it be? The Middle East

Abdulai Njai
Birthday: July 3, 1996 Biggest Fear: Snakes Favorite Quote: It happens. Bucket List: To go sky diving Favorite TV show: Family Guy If you had a time machine, where would you go? To the Civil War Describe yourself in five words: Black, Playful, Doesnt Listen, Cooperative, Great If you could vacation in any country, which would it be? Spain 2

Varynda Vejvechaneyom
Birthday: April 19 1998 Biggest Fear: Spiders Favorite quote: Dont let your dreams be dreams Bucket List: To travel around the world Favorite TV shows: Amazing Race, The Voice If you had a time machine, where would you go? Go to see Jesus Describe yourself in five words: Asian, Short, Nice, Fun to be around, Friendly If you could vacation on any continent, which would it be? Europe