Santa realizations

 

Christmas is just around the corner and we are getting older. Most of us (hopefully) have come to the sad realization that our beloved Santa Claus is in fact a fictional character made up by our parents and their parents before them. Some of us may have never believed in Santa, but many students recall the crushing moment when they found out that Santa Claus was a fraud.

 

Sophomore Drew McFadden remembers the exact moment when he found out that Santa was a fake. He thought back and said that, “On one Christmas, when I was eight years old, I opened my presents and my mom told me to go thank my grandma for a specific present. I was confused because the present said ‘From Santa’. So I questioned my mom and asked her why I should thank my grandma when it was Santa who got me the present? Of course, my mom stumbled with her words and realized her mistake. That’s when I knew it was all a lie!”

 

Senior, Josh Gellinger says, “I was at the mall when I was about six years old. I was on Santa’s lap and the Santa asked me what I wanted. I told him I wanted to be a big kid, so I could drive and stuff. So then he said, ‘We can start now,’ and he pulled down his beard to reveal that he was a fraud.”

 

Senior Jessica Harness says, “I always knew he wasn’t real because my presents always said, ‘from Santa’ in my parents’ handwriting.”

 

Senior Shay Anderson-Quitugua says, “When I was about eight years old my cousins told me he wasn’t real. They said that he died ten years ago after he crashed with his sleigh into a skyscraper in New York. To this day, that’s my theory.”

 

Senior Brooklynn Altig says, “My brother got a drum set for Christmas one year that said ‘from Santa’. I remember opening our pantry and finding the empty drum set boxes. I confronted my mom and asked her why we had the boxes from the gift from Santa. That’s when the truth all came out. “

 

Freshman Wyatt Luedecker says, “When I was about ten, I heard my parents in the middle of the night talking and wrapping my gifts. It was pretty disappointing when I realized that they were the ones giving me the gifts instead of Santa.”

 

Junior Brittany Koontz says, “I found out a little later in life; in third grade. I remember I really wanted the soundtrack to the Lizzie McGuire movie and I knew I was going to get it, because my parents told me that Santa already had it. On Christmas Eve my dad said I it was coming, it just wouldn’t be there until morning because Santa was running late. The next day I didn’t get it. I ended up finding it in the couch, unwrapped. I asked my dad why it was in the couch, and that’s when he finally had to tell me that Santa wasn’t real.”

 

Now we must hold our heads high and live with the harsh reality that on Christmas Eve a magical, jolly man will not be squeezing down our chimneys to give us gifts. In fact, the noises you hear downstairs are more likely coming from a burglar than Santa. At least we still have food to look forward to.

Tyler Kelley: A Man of Attitude

Every student at Heritage has his or her own past. But for some of us, our past is what makes us who we are today, and no one knows better than Tyler Kelley, whose senior project is focused around attitude. For Tyler, attitude is what affects life the most, and to reverse the effects of his negative life experiences, he strives to maintain a positive attitude. “I could have been one of those kids that was always in depression and said ‘woe is me’ all the time. But I know that I wouldn’t have all the friends that I do now.”

            The first twelve years of Tyler’s life were filled with negative experiences; “But it prepared me for life… If someone went through an abusive or neglectful situation, they would have a better perspective on how things are.” His attitude during those times was what kept him grounded in his own despair, until “I realized positive was the better way to go.” Currently, he is famous for performing comical and random accomplishments, from playing guitar with strangers in a coffee shop to singing Irish songs in A Capella. “I try to have a positive, happy attitude. Things could be worse and I should be happy with what I have.”

            Because of his understanding of how attitude affected his own life, Tyler has committed his senior project to the effects of attitude on people. He visits classrooms as a guest speaker to present the psychological impacts of adapting positive and negative attitudes, including examples from his life story along with pre-recorded student and teacher interviews. Not only are his presentations informative, they give the audience a better understanding of just how powerful emotions can be. Some audiences have even felt faint during his description of the abuse he went through.

            Tyler says that the best kind of attitude that a person should have is “A moderately positive one, where they can understand that bad could happen, but it’s not what they should focus on.” If people can realize how important attitude is, it can change their lives for the better.  Changing his attitude from negative to positive made Tyler Kelley the person who he is today, and his triumph is in defying the odds by overcoming his past.

“…All the times people told me I couldn’t do something… I just had to say ‘You’re Wrong’.”

-Tyler Kelley (senior)

HHS on FACEBOOK

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The next time you’re on Facebook, whether you’re seeing who your ex is dating or starting a comment war, take a second to like one of the Heritage Facebook pages, such as the yearbook, senior, ASB, sports, multicultural club, HOWL, or just the Heritage High School Page. There’s even a page for this newspaper! Of the endless reasons to like one of the pages, here are just a few:

  1. Learn the latest news about Heritage sports and events from the Heritage page
  2. See great photographs and paintings on the HOWL art page by fellow students
  3. Participate in polls to have your say in matters involving school, or have one of your comments featured in the Howler!
  4. Find new people from Heritage to add and talk to!
  5. Be connected with the clubs and sports you’re in with the many HHS club and sports pages

By liking these pages, you’ll be up to date on Heritage news, see great art, and participate in your school. Why not like these pages today?

SKID

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Juniors and seniors were led out to the track for a mystery assembly on Wednesday, October 5. It turned out to be a presentation called “Stopping Kids Intoxicated Driving” (SKID) Seniors Michael Youngs, Hannah Terry, and Fletcher Stenlund orchestrated the event for their senior project.
The program is a live action role play on what can potentially happen when teenagers are in a car accident due to drunk driving. The stage was set with two vehicles covered with tarps and over the speakers sounds of students talking about their future and then switching to a party where students were drinking alcohol and decided to leave in a car. Drunk driver played by Michael Youngs stated “I drive better drunk anyways,” so he chose to drive. Senior Zach Hall only drank soda at the party so he was making the right choice and ended up as the front seat passenger. Hall forgot to put his seatbelt on, over the speaker came the sounds of a head on collision with another car full of Heritage High school Students. When the tarps were unveiled three kids in the car who had been coming home from the party suffered minor injuries but Hall in the passenger seat of the other car was thrown through the windshield and died instantly.

In a simulation car crash Zach Hall lies dead on the hood of a car while his parents stand over him for the SKID presentation. KATHY SCOBBA/The Howler

The reason for the SKID program is for students to witness what can happen when you ride in a car when someone gets behind the wheel after drinking alcohol. Teens may think that drinking at the time of the incident is fun but there can be deadly outcomes. Then you will wish you never drank, or even got in the driver seat of the car when before you know it you’re no longer breathing. Then the paramedics come to your home and aware your parents of what happened to you. The SKID program is a great deal for high school students so they won’t be like Zach Hall who was killed by a drunk driver. Hannah Terry says; “If we saved one persons life we were successful. We felt that if we impacted one person then it was worth it hopefully more were impacted by the presentation we felt good about education the students and making a difference,” said Terry.

People thought that the paramedics pushed Sarah Johanson out the other side of the helicopter and she just got out of the other side, but that wouldn’t even be possible because she was strapped to a stretcher. Yes she was actually taken away in the helicopter. They took her to Southwest Hospital so Johanson can get the full experience of what happens. Sarah says; “I didn’t get to see out the window because I was strapped down the whole time, but it was exciting. I don’t know how to describe it besides that.”
Now the students of Heritage will think twice about getting into the car while drinking and driving, after witnessing the horrifying consequences from the SKID presentation.

-Written by Amanda Holloway

SPOTLIGHT ::: MALE athlete

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John Ebert serving during a match. TYLER HOLBERT/The Howler
John Ebert a junior, tennis player has worked his way up the top and is this October’s Athlete of the Issue. “It feels awesome to know that you’re the Athlete of the Issue because all the work that you have put into the sport has been recognized,” said Ebert.
Men’s Tennis has many practice meets that help the players work on their skills, which will be put to the test against their opponents. “Boys tennis is doing really good; there are many incoming freshmen on our team. We have to train even harder now that there are more players because we’re only as strong as our weakest link,” said Ebert.
Boy’s tennis does not cut players so you can join, practice a lot and improve. “It takes long hours of practice and dedication to be an experienced player, never stop practicing,” said Ebert. Men’s Tennis is very active; having many matches keeps players active and continually working on their game.
Athletes at Heritage High School go through vigorous training and intense practices so they can increase their skills and be the best they can be. “It takes long hours and practice to be an athlete; it requires lots of dedication and hours working on our skills,” said Ebert.
T here are many athletes at Heritage and they do a good job, there is not one athlete who is bad or has no talent. Join a sport or club and encourage others to do so, because if everyone was in a club or sport then Heritage will be a great role model for all the other High Schools to follow.

-Written by John Furdui