Winter Lights

by Shelby Katz

December 8, 2012, or the 25th of Kislev, is Hanukkah, according to the regular and the Jewish calendars. Since the Jewish calendar is shorter, Hanukkah falls on a different date, in December, each year. 

Every year, the Jewish people keep special traditions such as, cooking everything in oil, lighting the menorah, saying prayers, having a big feast, and going to temple. A favorite event of the Jewish community is the giant menorah (Hanukkiyah) that is lit by the Rabbi. Lighting the menorah is a special task because it is done in a certain way. The first night, a candle (shamash) is placed in the middle and one candle to the far right on the menorah. Each day after, a candle is added to the left of the far right candle. This symbolizes the miracle with the oil. The lighting of the candles is usually done right before sundown (if it’s the Shabbat) or just after sundown and prayers are said. The shamash is lit first and then is used to light the rest of the candles, from left to right. Following this sacred tradition, the Jewish family celebrates with a feast. This is repeated for eight consecutive nights. Gift giving usually accompanies the celebration.  

Football Finale

by Kyle Montgomery, Carlos Murillo, and Miguel Jimenez

After a huge overtime win over St. Martins, the Yellow Jackets played a very talented Houma Christian. The game was close until the 4th quarter when Houma Christian intercepted the ball and ran all the way back for a touchdown. When we received the ball back, we charged back down the field and intercepted the ball again. After that, Houma Christian ran the clock out and the Jackets lost the opportunity to win their homecoming game.

This past week we played a close game with Ascension Episcopal. At the end of the first half, Haynes was winning 14-13. By the start on the 4th quarter we were losing 33-14. Energized by the spirit of our loyal fans and the fact that it was our final game, we found a spark and charged back, winning the game 37-33. Now the Haynes Yellow Jackets have their first winning season, with the record (5-4)! J

Seeing Stars

by Minh Cao

     

     In 1960, the United States flag design altered to reflect the addition of Alaska and Hawaii. Now, 50 years later, there is a possibility our flag will soon be out of date.

     On November 6^th, 2012 Puerto Ricans voted to become a state with about 61% of the votes in the affirmative. The options on the ballots were statehood, sovereign free associated state, or full independence. Sovereign choice received about 33% of the votes, with 5% of the people voting for full independence.

     Even though Puerto Ricans voted for statehood, they may not even attain it. Before Puerto Rico becomes an official state, the United States Congress must vote on the issue. Since there is no urgent need for this topic to be approved, Congress may not vote on it for some time. Meanwhile, flag designers can wrestle with how to accommodate 51 stars. 

The Beat

by Quinn Lemon

For the week of October 21-27, The top songs are as follows:

1. One More Night by Maroon 5

2. Gangnam Style by PSY

3. Some Nights by Fun.

4. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift

5. Die Young by Kesha

6. As Long As You Love Me by Justin Bieber ft. Big Sean

7. Too Close by Alex Clare

8. Diamonds by Rihanna

9. Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself) by Ne-Yo

10. Blow Me (One Last Kiss) by P!nk

        The number 1 song “One More Night” was released on June 19, 2012 as the second single from their fourth studio album, Overexposed. It quickly became popular among the mainstream audience due to its catchy tune and its reggae-influenced sound. As for the lyrics, the song is about the battle between what the mind, heart, and body want. The singer, Adam Levine, sings, “You and I go hard at each other like we’re goin’ to war.”, indicating that he is involved in some precarious activities. But he then  contradicts his previous statement by singing, “Try to tell you no but my body keeps on telling you yes.” This implies that he knows that he shouldn’t be involved in such activities, but his “body” thinks otherwise.