Finals have crept up on us. Today, December 14, is the day for 7th period exams. Monday, December 17, will be the exams for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd period. Lastly, Tuesday, December 18, will be the 4th, 6th, and 5th period exams (in that order). Teachers have been going berserk trying to fit in all of their lesson plans before the end of the semester. Students are anxious for their winter break, but the effect finals will have on overall grades has caused many students to worry. Those with borderline grades

are under a lot of pressure.The Lancer recently spoke

with a few teachers about their techniques for preparing students for finals. Mr. Marc Novaria, social studies teacher, knew that over the course of the next few weeks he would be “rushing to get through required material.” Many teachers admit that they felt the pressure to cover all the material in their lesson plans. Mrs. Stacey Mason repeatedly informed her classes that they would work on a bell to bell schedule each hour. She had

plenty of Spanish material to cover. Mrs. Becky McGarrity said “I am very used to my lesson plans. Most of my rushing is during the middle of the semester. I don’t feel like I need to pile on work. At the end of almost all of my classes, students are reading a novel or doing mythology which is not that difficult.” Mrs. McGarrity tells students to prepare for finals by “taking good notes throughout the semester and reading all of the handouts.” Mr. Novaria also mentioned the social studies department’s

study guide plan. The plan was to give out “comprehensive study guides”.

Students also had opinions about finals. Freshman Tom Hillebrand said ,“I am a little nervous, but not very much.” His study technique is to simply “gather study guides and skim over notes.” The last few weeks before

finals can definitely bring overwhelming work loads, and Hillebrand says “it is hard to get a good amount of sleep some nights, but the work isn’t too bad.” Sophomores Austin Swires and Ericka Harris said the week before finals they “do study guides and review notes from the semester.” Swires said that he is definitely “less nervous than last year.” Harris said that in order to maintain her sanity she had to “cut down on free time” and her advice to other students is “be careful not to overwhelm yourself in the last weeks of a semester.” Junior, Emily Saponar has a similar technique. When asked about study habits, she said, “in order to prepare for finals, I study the material on review sheets, highlight my notes, and review past assignments.” When asked about her stress levels, Saponar, said “Finals don’t cause me much stress because I realize that as long as I have been paying attention and completing assignments all

semester I should be fine.” Senior

Chase Mueller, doesn’t have to take finals this year because of exceptional scores on the PSAE. When describing the study techniques he used in previous years he said, “I read over notes and highlight the material I don’t know in one color and the material I am confident about in another color.” All of the students interviewed agreed that prioritizing which topics you need to focus on most is very important. Overall, teachers and students believe that the best way to prepare for finals is focusing in class all semester and reviewing study guides, notes, and other assignments.

by Arkayla Tenney-Howard

Ending First Semester with a Finals Frenzy

Decisions, Decisions Lancers Pick Courses for 2013-14 Academic Yearby Chandriss McAllister-Lang

In January, students will have the opportunity to choose the courses that they want to take next year. Guidance counselors will go to classes and help students decide which courses they want to take, as well as the courses that they need to take. Upperclassmen usually have more options than most underclassmen, but with more options sometimes come more confusion. Guidance counselor Mrs. Denise Douglas said, “When you’re a freshman, sophomore, or junior, you don’t have many choices. When you’re a senior, you

have more choices. So we ask students what their career interests are.” Some students believe that choosing courses that reflect on their interests, such as art and journalism, is the best path to follow; while others believe that choosing courses that show their academic strengths and give them a challenge is more beneficial. This may cause some conflict when making the final decisions. When asked what advice she would give students who aren’t sure as to what they want to take, Douglas said, “Again, I ask them what they want

to do when they graduate and that dictates part of what they take. College prep also partially dictates what they take.” Students can get an idea of which careers best suit them by visiting www.careercrusing.com. Although choosing courses can be stressful, it is important that students have a say in which direction they choose to go. For more information on what courses are available to you, look for the updated course catalog online, check your e-mail, or simply visit your guidance counselor.

News 2-3Features 4-5Centerspread 6-7Entertainment 8-9 Sports 10Activities 11

Days to RememberContentsToday- Final exam for 7thDec. 17 - Final exams for 1st, 2nd, 3rdDec. 18 - Final exams for 4th, 6th, 5thDec. 19 - Winter break begins Jan. 3 - Classes resume

Staff PhotoStudents take advantage of the after-school tutoring program held in the library. Freshman Alex Jacinto and junior Sam Johnson are shown above as they begin studying for final exams in geometry and algebra.

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Empathy is our character word of the month. Empathy means identifying and understanding the feelings of others and situations in order to get along better. Around the holiday season, many people are merry and jolly and in the holiday spirit. The reality is, however, that many families are unable to enjoy this holiday spirit. Some individuals attempt to change this reality by helping each other out and showing empathy.

Take for example the Make a Change program at East. The student body raises money to help those less fortunate around school to have

a merrier holiday. We are showing empathy through this program towards our classmates that may be having a rough time. When asked what she could do around campus to show empathy, junior Paige Schwoebel said, “your disposition-- how you talk, how you walk, how you interact with those around you. When meeting new people, don’t judge them, get to know them first and respect them.” Sophomore George Chen said, “Show empathy, not sympathy.” So this holiday season, put yourself in others shoes and show a little empathy.

Lancers Show Empathy

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Madrigal Dinner Tomorrow

Belleville East will be holding a Madrigal Dinner on December 15th. This dinner is

being sponsored by the Belleville East vocal music department.

First off, what does madrigal mean? Madrigal is defined as a song,

without instrumentation, usually written for 4-6 voices, that was extremely popular during the 16th and 17th centuries

in Europe.

Mrs. Kim Stamps and Mr. Timothy Hassall are spearheading the event, but choirs are not the only ones participating in this event. English Honor Society is helping out as well.

On the night of the dinner, guests will arrive at about 6 p.m. and walk through N building. N building will look like an enchanted forest in Medieval England. Then, they will walk into the cafeteria which will be decorated like an old English Hall. Students will be dressed up as serving wenches, kings, nobles,

knights, gypsies, and beggars. Mrs. Stamps said, “There will be over 200 people at this event and they all will be running the event.”

When the dinner starts, there will be five courses. These include traditional English food. For entertainment, all choirs will be performing music that they have been working on for the past three weeks.

All in all, it is sure to be a fun night filled with music, food, and enough fun for everyone. If you like Renaissance fairs, this an event that you certainly don’t want to miss.

by Quinn Heimann

by Mariah Christ

Photo courtesy of Kim StampsThere are over 200 students participating in the Madrigal dinner. The Royal Cast is shown here in costume.

Abriella Jones and LeAnna Studt joke around dressed as jesters for the Madrigal Dinner to be held this Saturday in the Belleville East cafeteria.

Students of the Month

Staff PhotoNovember Students of the Month enjoyed their limo lunch date with Belleville East math teacher, Mrs. Melanie Korte. Pictured from L to R are Mrs. Melanie Korte, Courtney Whitehead (junior), Jayla Armstrong (freshman), Olivia Renkins (senior), and Mitchell Harlan (sophomore, not pictured).

Staff PhotoDecember Students of the Month were treated to lunch on Dec. 11th. Pictured from L to R are Makayla Eason (freshman), Katie Parsons (sophomore), Chamecia Liddell (junior), Mitchell Harlan (sophomore, November recipient) and Nicole Fink (senior). They were chaperoned by Belleville East career and technical education teacher, Mr. Mark Crask.

BE Library Hosts Book ChatsThe Belleville East Library is

hosting a series of book chats. The first book chat was December 6th. Mrs. Annette Whittaker met with students after-school in the library to discuss Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, which was nominated for the 2012-2013 Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award. All of the nominated books are available for check out in the BE Library and this year’s nominees include titles such as The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher, and many more. You can find a complete list of the 2012-2013 nominees on the BE Library website located at http://blog.bths201.org/be-library. Most of the books will have a designated chat. When asked about these chats, library director Mr. Brad Schmidt said, “We were looking for a new way to promote the Abraham Lincoln Award nominee books.”

The library staff wants as

many kids as possible to read four books. If you read four books, you will be able to vote for the book of the year. The voting will take place near the end of February or the beginning of March. The staff wants Belleville East’s vote to count, so there needs to be a lot of eligible voters. The Abraham Lincoln Award goes to the author of the book voted “most outstanding” and is designed to encourage high school students to read for personal satisfaction.

The next book chats are scheduled on January 10th for Lockdown by Alexander Gordon-Smith and January 17th, for Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan.

by Taylor Benton

Staff PhotoMrs. Annette Whittaker led the first book chat for Anna and the French Kiss on December 6th in the BE Library.

Jacquelyn CrockettEditor in Chief

crockettj13@students.bths201.org

Section Editors

Quinn Heimann, News Editorheimannq14@students.bths201.org

Lindsay Smith, Features Editor

smithl15@students.bths201.org

Laura Kern, Entertainment Editorkernl15@students.bths201.org

Audreyana Brown-Nash, Center Editorbrown-nasha14@students.bths201.org

Felesha Lee, Sports Editor

leef13@students.bths201.org

De Robinson, Art Editorrobinsond14@students.bths201.org

Logan Bray, Photography Editor

brayl13@students.bths201.org

Staff Members

Abi Agne, Brianna Batson, Taylor Benton, Madison Bradshaw,

Ari Brown, Jeremy Bruno, George Chen, Mariah Christ, Katherine Cooper,

Angelina Goodman, Becca Humphrey, Peyton Kaercher, Asmaa Khalid,

Chandriss McAllister-Lang, Meghan McGarrity, Amoni McNair,

Jacob Rayl, Lela Roach, Timyrica Sherrod,

Arkayla Tenny-Howard, Thema Thomas, Erin Tippit, and Amy Warren

Mrs. J.J. Stallcup, Adviser jstallcup@bths201.org

The Lancer is the official student publication of

Belleville Township High School East2555 West BoulevardBelleville, IL 62221

618-222-3740 thelancer@bths201.org

Mrs. Sara Keim, one of the sponsors of Belleville Easts’ Helping Other People Excel or H.O.P.E club, enthusiastically told The Lancer about the tremendous numbers of students that joined H.O.P.E club this year. During the first meeting, she was surprised to see nearly seventy students show up compared to the ten that are normally there.

Members of H.O.P.E. club assist students with disabilities. The club allows these students to get involved. Mrs. Keim said it is “like an outlet” for the disabled students at our school and they greatly enjoy the activities. The club has gone to Laser Rock for laser tag and pizza. They even hosted a karaoke night back in September that was a huge success. October brought them together around a bonfire at Eckert’s in Milstadt. In January, the club plans to take a trip to the City Museum.

H.O.P.E club does many fundraisers to keep the cost low for students. If you bought donuts earlier this year, chances are that you helped fund the joyous times this group had. Membership to this club is always open. Most of the members are females, so males are definitely encouraged to join.

A Merry and H.O.P.E.ful Celebration

by Arkayla Tenney-Howard

Receiving gifts from Santa is definitely a joyous experience, but Lancers are learning that the Holiday season is about more than receiving gifts. Our Octagon club has taken part in a multitude of community service projects this year. They participated in food drives for Homecoming and Boy Scouts.. Optimist Club Downtown Belleville Trick or Treat was another fun event they did this year. In the spirit of the holiday season, they have most recently been participating in the Adopt-A-Family, Operation Christmas program. Members of the club bought presents for children overseas. They will also be making sandwiches, delivering blankets and bringing toys for Project Compassion. The president of the club, Lucas Birk, said he was excited because he loves giving, in fact he said “it warms my heart.” In January, the group is planning on going to the nursing home. Overall, the main goal of the group is to help the world around them and they work each day to do just that.

Octagon Club Embraces the Holiday Spiritby Arkayla Tenny-Howard

Photo Courtesy of Judy KujawaOctagon Club collected gifts for the Adopt-A-Family, Operation Christmas pro-gram.

Visit us online at

@ blog.bths201.org\thelancer

by Abi Agne Holiday Hotspots

The month of December is a time of celebration and continuing with holiday traditions. Although December is often cold and frigid, the various lights and decorations aid in warming up the holiday season.

The Way of Lights at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine in Belleville is unique compared to many other Christmas light displays. Confirming “The Way of Lights” uniqueness is the fact that the attraction includes more than a million twinkling lights! Another unique element of this light display is that it focuses on the telling of the story of Jesus’ birth, compared to most Christmas light displays which choose to focus on typical Christmas stories including the stories of Rudolph and Santa. The Way of Lights is a drive through display, giving you an up close view of the lights, while you are able to keep warm in the comfort of your own car.

Although many people would agree that the option to stay warm during these winter months is appealing, some people choose to relish the colder weather. If you prefer colder weather, then ice-skating might be better suited for you. Ice-skating has long been a favorite winter and holiday pastime. Luckily, in the St Louis area, there are numerous ice-skating rinks, both indoor and outdoor. A few local outdoor ice-skating rinks include the Steinberg Skating Rink, located in Forest Park and the newly opened ice-skating rink located in downtown St Louis near

the Peabody Opera House. Ice skating would be a great idea for a night out with friends or family.

If you feel that you possess enough coordination and have already mastered ice-skating, another great winter idea is snowboarding and skiing at Hidden Valley. Although Hidden Valley is a little bit of a drive, located in Wildwood, MO., you are promised endless fun. The temperatures are fairly warm for this time of year, but no fret, Hidden Valley has their own snowmaking system which will ensure that any visitors will have plenty of snow to enjoy. Whether you decide to snowboard, ski, or simply watch from the sidelines, Hidden Valley is a place of entertainment and amusement.

Out of the Shadowsby Jacquelyn Crockett

The pressure to decide what career to go into was early on-set hysteria for me, as a high school student wanting to be successful. I planned my high school curriculum around subjects that would benefit and aid my career choice of journalism and I did so by doubling up in English and taking college courses early on. One key factor, however, was whether or not I could truly see myself in the career I had prepped for. Pondering this, ladies and gentlemen, was when I decided to job shadow at the Belleville News Democrat (BND).

Many job shadowing opportunities are not listed online. Instead, it is easiest to pick up a phone and call. As opposed to interning, job shadowing is a short process and can often be done year round. Senior Jordan Keitt says that her summer job shadowing experience at a pharmacy helped her to narrow her career choices. Job shadowing can also significantly aid in determining

your college choice. After all, students attend colleges that have their major!

Think of job shadowing as a free chance to mess up. That’s right, mess up before you are in

college blowing money to pursue a career, only to find it’s not your cup of tea. In actuality, close to 80 percent of United States college students change their major at least once. In the end, my job shadowing

experience could likely end up saving me time and money I might have wasted on the wrong major.

Staff PhotographyThe Way of Lights at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine in Belleville is a must-see drive through Christmas light display with more than a million twinkling lights.

Image from www.steinbergskatingrink.comSteinberg Skating Rink in Forest Park

Image from http://www.hiddenvalleyski.comHidden Valley Ski in Wildwood, MO.

Photo by Jacquelyn CrockettJournalism, along with many other ca-reers, is moving towards a technologi-cal approach. Belleville News Democrat reporter Jacqueline Lee uses her smart phone to retrieve and send information.

Photo by Jacquelyn CrockettBelleville News Democrat Online Editor Joe Ostermeier maintains the webpage for the local paper.

Dr. Phillip Short is a Wildlife Biol-ogy and Advanced Ecology teacher at Belleville East. It is Dr. Short’s 23rd year at East and 30th year of teaching overall. Although he isn’t 18 anymore, Dr. Short is anything but old. You might have seen him laughing it up around campus or perhaps gallivanting through the woods with a machete. At the begin-ning of the school year, some students would swear to a judge he is insane, but everyone loves him in the end and doesn’t want to leave his classes.

Dr. Short is the teacher sponsor of the ecology club, which conducts a variety of activities on campus includ-ing taking care of the school woods, the new bird sanctuary project, and taking hiking and camping field trips. The last ecology trip was on October 20th to one of the country’s first founded ecologi-cal areas to see the annual migration of certain snake populations. Dr. Short is said to be very environmentally friendly, but what does he do to save the environ-ment? He simply says,“ I don’t know if I do. Statistically speaking, I was born in America making my footprint 30 times bigger than someone in, let’s say, South America or Europe; which is an internal conflict with me... I guess what I contribute is that I educate others on how life is beyond Belleville and hope-fully change their perspective in life.”

Dr. Short often tells his students how he gets himself into perspective by using the example that he climbs a tree in the morning and watches the sun rise.

This is no joke. He says he medi-tates and it calms him. One of the many great things about Dr. Short is that he’s very blunt and straight forward when he talks to people. Dr. Short remembers a time when he was out with his wildlife biology class and saw a rare tree across the intersection. He told them to stay put while he went to get a sample of the tree’s leaves. “As I’m crossing the street, I slip in a pothole which, mind you, came out of no where, I swear,” Dr. Short explains. “ And because my ankles are very weak, I rolled my ankle. So there I am rolling in the street in pain when all of a sudden, I remember seeing this giant concrete truck come around the corner. I did some sort of roll onto the median and didn’t die -- obviously -- but I was in tremendous pain and just escaped death. I look back over at my class who is, at this point, rolling on the ground with laughter.” Dr. Short then tells how they all thought it was some big joke but ended up having to need the help of two football players to get to the nurse.

Dr. Short also tells about how he was in class this year and two seniors, Hannah Cole and LeeAnna Studt, were playing with one of the many class snakes. All of a sudden, Hannah walks up to Dr. Short and whispers, “ The

snake bit LeeAnna.” When Short went to investigate, the snake had not bit her, but was trying to swal-low her finger and was all the way up to her knuckle. It took many different techniques, failing at any rate, before Mr. Capps and Dr. Short finally freed LeeAnna’s finger. Neither the snake or LeeAnna were harmed.

Dr. Short is not all about science. In September, he was in the faculty play, Noises Off,. He said, “ It was a very different experience for me. I try to take myself out of my element and needless

to say,

this was way out of

my element. My son is an

actor and I think the experience helped me

understand what he goes through now.

Although Dr. Short is beloved by his students, he has announced that he will be retiring in 2015. “ I don’t know what I’m going to be

when I grow up. I have many options due to my degrees and I will probably teach some college classes or work with a non-profit organization, but I still want to have the same agenda.”

To students who wish to enter the field of teaching, Dr. Short says, “ You will not make little scientists every year...and you have to put your students first and truly be dedicated.”

Photo from http://classjump.com/S/ShortsEcology/

Sensational Short!by Megan Cooper

America is a country where dreams come true. Hyon Hui, or Gina Rother came to America to live

out her dream she

had since she was a little girl.

Unlike some people, Rother did not have any knowledge of the English

language or customs when she moved to the United states. She only knew the words “Thank you” and “No” which she learned from the movie “Tarzan”.

“When I landed in L.A, I couldn’t read anything. I was supposed to find my friends that I was going to stay with, but I couldn’t. I ended up wandering around the city for six hours before they found me.”

She saw the city lights, witnessed the rush of traffic, and blew her ears out by the constant voices. She was not scared at all; it was too exhilarating.

As Rother was traveling to her new home, she saw several Americans. “I could not tell who was who,” Rother said, “They all look alike.”

Rother tried to learn the English language through television, but she

realized it wasn’t enough. She used the words she learned from T.V. shows mov-

ies, and watching people, and got a job at a clothing factory. “I like working in

America better than Korea because you get paid hourly here. In Korea, you get paid once a month. It’s a lot better.”

As she was working for the cloth-

ing factory, her English improved. She understood most of the fluent language, and her reading and writing skills became better. “It was really hard at first, but I didn’t give up. I used my senses, and figured out what the other person was saying, and guessed the rest of the way. I survived”. Eventually, she settled down in Illinois, got married, and had three children. “I am happy where I am now. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

by Susan Rother

Voyage to Another World

“I survived.”

Who’s Who? Guess Your Holiday Lancer

Unique Ways of Getting into the Holiday Spiritby Erin Tippit

Many families have traditions, especially around the holiday season. There are quite a few family traditions that are popular among the stu-dents at our school, including the Christmas pickle, reindeer food, the Christmas Eve gift, and the Elf On The Shelf. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the “Elf On The Shelf” shows up. The Elf is a little doll, that “listens” to what you say you want for Christmas. Then, every night, it flies home to the North Pole, talks to Santa, and then comes back to your house. The magic of the elf is that when it flies back, he lands in a different spot in your house. It is amazing to see the wonder as the kids try to figure out how the elf flies. Another tradition that is celebrated among families is the Christmas pickle. The Christmas pickle is an ornament on the tree, shaped like a pickle. A parent hides it somewhere in the tree. The first child to find the pickle gets an extra present on Christmas morning. “It’s an all out battle between me and my siblings to find the pickle. It’s a lot of fun,” says freshman, Madison Bradshaw. Reindeer food is a great tradition for little kids to keep the magic of Santa alive. On Christmas Eve, take oatmeal, glitter, and sparkles together in a little bag. When it gets dark on Christmas Eve, go outside with a small child and have them sprinkle the reindeer food on the lawn. Through the night, when Santa and his reindeer come, the reindeer will have a snack too, just like Santa has cookies! Then, on Christ-mas morning, go outside, and all of the food will be gone. The Christmas Eve gift has many different variations, like a secret Santa within the family, but the most common one celebrated is that on Christmas Eve, each person gets to pick one present to open up early. Around this time of year and all of the traditions, remember that they are family traditions. The holidays are about spending time with family, and being thankful for your family.

Students, To participate in the Guess Your Holiday Lancer contest, please visit the Activities Page on page 11 and tear off the entry form section. Look closely at the pictures on this page and try to figure out which Lancer staff members are enjoying the holidays in their younger years. Make your guesses and turn your entry form in to the BE Library by the end of the school day today. The person that guesses the most correctly will win a brand new Kindle Fire. But wait...that’s not all we’re giving away. There are also chances to win gift certificates to The Daily Grind and free subscriptions to The Lancer newspaper. Winners will be posted on-line, so don’t forget to visit us at blog.bths201.org\thelancer.

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The Lancer Staff

Unique Ways of Getting into the Holiday Spirit

Many families have traditions, especially around the holiday season. There are quite a few family traditions that are popular among the stu-dents at our school, including the Christmas pickle, reindeer food, the Christmas Eve gift, and the Elf On The Shelf. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the “Elf On The Shelf” shows up. The Elf is a little doll, that “listens” to what you say you want for Christmas. Then, every night, it flies home to the North Pole, talks to Santa, and then comes back to your house. The magic of the elf is that when it flies back, he lands in a different spot in your house. It is amazing to see the wonder as the kids try to figure out how the elf flies. Another tradition that is celebrated among families is the Christmas pickle. The Christmas pickle is an ornament on the tree, shaped like a pickle. A parent hides it somewhere in the tree. The first child to find the pickle gets an extra present on Christmas morning. “It’s an all out battle between me and my siblings to find the pickle. It’s a lot of fun,” says freshman, Madison Bradshaw. Reindeer food is a great tradition for little kids to keep the magic of Santa alive. On Christmas Eve, take oatmeal, glitter, and sparkles together in a little bag. When it gets dark on Christmas Eve, go outside with a small child and have them sprinkle the reindeer food on the lawn. Through the night, when Santa and his reindeer come, the reindeer will have a snack too, just like Santa has cookies! Then, on Christ-mas morning, go outside, and all of the food will be gone. The Christmas Eve gift has many different variations, like a secret Santa within the family, but the most common one celebrated is that on Christmas Eve, each person gets to pick one present to open up early. Around this time of year and all of the traditions, remember that they are family traditions. The holidays are about spending time with family, and being thankful for your family.

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Two movies centered on Abraham Lincoln were released in 2012. The first, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, was nothing particularly noteworthy; an interesting (and extremely loose) take on the genre of “historical fiction,” but nothing more. However, Stephen Spielberg’s Lincoln has shown that the story of our sixteenth president can be excellent in film format. This film’s plot centers on Abraham Lincoln’s second term as president, while he attempts to end the civil war and slavery as a whole. It very interestingly delves into the personal life of the president, and with such a small focus, can cover the emotions of Abraham and his wife, Mary, over the course of their stressful journey in the White House.

The most amazing part of this movie was Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood), the unbelievably talented actor portraying Abraham Lincoln. The prosthetics and makeup applied to Day-Lewis made him the spitting image of the “Great Emancipator.” Coupled with his

acting skill, it was hard to believe that it wasn’t truly Lincoln on screen. Occasionally, in a smile or fleeting camera shot, one could almost recognize the actor; otherwise, however, the depiction was seamless. Even his voice seems perfectly matched to Lincoln’s character; this is a remarkable feat, considering no person currently living has heard the voice of Abraham Lincoln firsthand. Movie-lovers everywhere should rejoice that Liam Neeson detached himself from the role before production began, opening the spot for Day-Lewis.

Sally Field (Aunt May of the latest The Amazing Spider-Man) plays the president’s wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, and gives a new perspective on the first lady. Many stories and films have portrayed her as a manic-depressive psychopath, void of love or happiness. Lincoln, however, features aspects of a bipolar personality, but shows a bit more sympathy—after all, her 11-year-old son Willie had recently died of typhoid fever, the constant threat

of assassination hung over her husband’s head, and a war was raging outside the White House walls. The added humanity to Mary Todd Lincoln was a welcome change, and one that improved the quality and emotion of the film tenfold.

The majority of this movie was executed perfectly. There were a few moments in which its excellence wavered—the occasional cliché camera shot and slight overacting on minor character’s parts—but nothing memorable or marring to the film’s overall image. The film earns a solid four stars out of four. So far, Lincoln is a shoo-in for an Academy Award nomination. But how will it fare in comparison to the rest of the awards season’s gems? Only time will tell. But as Abraham

Lincoln once said, “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.”

LincolnThis biopic is a new favorite for Academy Award predictorsby Laura Kern

Breaking Dawn- Part 2, the last film in one of the most famous (and infamous) series of our teen-age years, has finally been released. The Twilight fans, also called “Twihards”, dressed up in their “Team Jacob” t-shirts and reread the books for the last time-- until the movies are remade thirty years from now of course.

Breaking Dawn- Part 2 picks up immediately after Bella (Kristin Stewart) is turned into a vampire. She and Edward (Robert Pattinson), her vampire husband, just witnessed the birth of their bouncing baby half-vampire, Renesmee (a classic example of “movie magic”: com-

puter generation and about a dozen actresses). Now, Bella and her hus-band must gather friendly vampires from around the world before the vampire police, the Volturi, end their happy ending.

The movie begins with the beautiful theme music that has been present throughout the entire saga. Unfortunately, it can’t keep the audi-ence’s attention through the impos-sibly long opening credits.

However, the first scene is the same as the last scene from the previous film, giving a continuity that is much appreciated for those of us that pay attention. However, the small quips of lighthearted dialogue are overpowered by the bitter taste left from—to put it bluntly—the absolutely awful computer generated images.

These images can be put into the category somewhere between Kanye’s interruption of Taylor and the last present the dog left under the bed.

The film seemed to follow the book well, most likely because the production was overseen by the au-

thor, Stephenie Meyer, herself. Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) even waited an entire ten minutes to take his shirt off.

Speaking of shirts off, this isn’t a movie to be seen with parents. We’ll leave it at that.

The film did maintain a sort of “epic finish” feel for people that have always enjoyed the Twilight Saga. Unfortunately, the romanti-cism and emotion fail to reach the masses, and can seem a little dull to some. Despite this disappointment, the movie has perhaps the best ten-sion of the entire series. However, the nail-biting slowed and then seemed to completely cease by the end—just in time for ten minutes of old-school credits.

In conclusion, this film is a must-see for any fan of the series or even someone looking to kill a Friday night. However, anyone who didn’t enjoy the previous films shouldn’t waste their time. Taking all things into consideration, Break-ing Dawn- Part 2 earns a solid three out of five.

The Final Bite: Breaking Dawn Part 2by Brianna Batson

this family entertainment system. The Wii-U has entered Nintendo into the “8th-Generation Console War” between major gaming companies. For the past 11 years, Microsoft, Sony, and Nin-tendo have all been competing for top game console!

But Nintendo has made some changes to appeal to more than the clas-sic Mario-loving fans. This new system has already had Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 as a release title! With a franchise as big as Call of Duty showing up on Nintendo’s new home entertainment system, it means that there are high hopes! But this also signals interest-ing news in the gaming world—which could be bad or good, depending on who you ask. People who would rather play XBOX or Playstation may have to shovel out some large cash as well. With Nintendo pushing out a new system, it won’t be long before major competitors, like Sony and Microsoft, release theirs also. This means high prices for anybody who wants one. Game consoles are usually priced between $150 and $300, so people are going to have to fork over a lot of money if they want to keep playing new games.

Whether you have already spent big bucks this holiday season, or have yet to, its a good idea to start saving. Not only will the yearly price of the newest Call of Duty affect your pocketbook—you’ll need the new console to play the game too!

Big Games Mean Big Bucks by Jacob Rayl

It’s true: videogames are some of the most expensive gifts when it comes to Christmas shopping. However, you can be sure that things are only going to continue to get more expensive. So, if you haven’t yet, you may want to go ahead and start saving up this holiday season.

This year is definitely a big change for gaming! Nintendo pushed out its new console, the Wii-U, not too long ago-- for a hefty price. You are going to need to shell out $300 if you want

On December 7 and 8, the play Cyrano de Bergerac was performed in the Belleville East Performing Arts Center. Main characters were played by Freddie Rice as Cyrano, Anna Kurtz as Roxanne and Kendrick Settler as Christian. The play was directed by Mr. Zachary Rogers with assistance from student directors Gus Willingham and Abriella Jones. Technical director was Mr. Brad Schmidt. Cyrano de Bergerac is a comedy about a man, Cyrano, who is intelligent, witty, poetic and a skillful soldier in the French army, but remains greatly insecure about his big nose. Roxanne is the love of Cyrano’s life. She is in love with Christian, a soldier of Cyrano’s guard who is handsome, but lacks wit. The two men, however, work together to combine Cyrano’s beautiful words and Christian’s beautiful appearance to win Roxanne’s heart. Fifteen years after Cyrano survives the Thirty Years’ War between French and Spanish forces, Roxanne finds out that it was Cyrano’s words that she fell in love with after all. She finds this out too late, as Cyrano slowly dies in her arms from a head wound.

No one could have done a better job than Freddie Rice, with such a profound grasp on the character of Cyrano and so many lines to memorize. Anna Kurtz’s performance as Roxanne was equally amazing. The sets were put together extremely well. The exceptional sets included a creatively designed tree, Rageauneau’s bakery and various settings that established the mood for each scene. Cyrano de Bergerac was an inspirational play to see.

Cyrano de Bergerac: Theater Reviewby Logan Bray

Surprising artists claim the tops spots on the Billboard Hot 100 list.

Ranking in at number five is Fun. with their song “Some Nights.” “Some Nights” is featured on the band’s album, entitled “Some

Nights” as well. Fun. captivates their read-ers with unique sound and entertaining lyrics. “Some Nights” is a upbeat song that makes its listeners want to just get up and dance.

The number four spot this week was snagged by Bruno Mars. Mars stole the spot with his song “Locked Out of Heaven,” from the album also called “Locked Out of Heaven”. Mars grabs his fan’s attention with old, swing-style songs that are fun and upbeat, with meaning behind every lyric.

Number three this week goes to Ke$ha and her single “Die Young”. “Die Young” is an exciting party song that

brings listeners to their feet with its amaz-ing beat and great lyrics. Ke$ha locks in her listeners with flashy costumes, party girl songs, and unique tone.

Maroon 5 claims the number two spot with their song “One More Night”. Ma-roon 5 racks up their fandom with their pop-rock sound and catchy rhythms. “One More Night” is featured on the album “Overexposed”, the band’s fourth album that was released earlier this year.

Finally the one you’ve been waiting for: the number one spot. This week, number one was taken by Rihanna with her song “Diamonds”

featured on the album “Unapologetic.” Diamonds topped the charts with its pop beat and soul input. “Unapologetic” was released two weeks ago and during its first week alone sold 238,000 copies.

Each of the artists above was brought to the top not only by their hard work, but also because of their ability to connect with fans and spark our attention. Con-gratulations to Billboard’s Hot 100 top five.

Hot Top Fiveby Peyton Kaercher

Staff PhotosTop: Cast members wore amazing costumes as shown above with Megan Cooper, Jen-nifer Rea, Freddy Rice, Thema Thomas, and Michael Kelley. Upper right: The mood was set perfectly in the final scene with the special use of lighting to create a brilliant moon. Middle right: Roxeanne, played by Anna Kurtz tends to Cyrano’s wounds. Cyrano was played by Freddy Rice. Bottom right: The tallest tree that has ever been built in East theater history is seen here with the technical crew, led by Mr. Brad Schmidt. Bottom left: The battlefield camp set the stage after intermis-sion. Kendrick Setter, Freddy Rice, Malik McRath, and Harrison Danet are seen here.

Our Lancer cheerleaders cheered our boys to victory at their first home game last week, but the cheers on the sidelines and the halftime shows are just half of what they do.

Our junior varsity and varsity girls have been practicing hard to get ready for their first competition in January. There are anywhere from 16 to 22 girls on the team. They have to know how to do a number of difficult flips and be able to lift another person up while staying on cue with the music. This is something the average person probably could not do. Most of the teams have choreographers, but our varsity girls had to choreograph their own routine this year. However, that did not discourage our Lancer Cheerleaders. They have strived under pressure, which is hard for any team to do.

The girls are really close

and have a supportive relationship and that is the key to overcoming hardships. Cheerleader Christina Collins says, “ As a team we support each other in everything and we don’t have any issues on the team. I love my team!”

On December 5th at Fischer’s Restaurant in Belleville, the Turf for the Teams Kick Off Dinner was held. The dinner was the first event held to raise money for turf to be put in on the football fields of Belleville East and Belleville West. Many well-known men from the St. Louis metropolitan area attended including Dan Dierdorf, Joe Wiley, Dave Buts, and Mike Shannon.

All of the men were invited by Bob Goalby, a legendary professional golfer who graduated from District 201. He was unable to make it to the event, for he was feeling ill, but those in attendance gave his family their blessings to pass along to him. The night began with a social hour where drinks were served, and old pals mingled. After dinner was served, Dr. Jeff Dosier introduced the speakers for the night: Mr. Dierdorf, Mr. Wiley, Mr. Butz, and Mr. Shannon. Each told an anecdote of their experiences as high school and college athletes. Mr.

Wiley spoke of his accomplishments, and how playing high school and collegiate basketball bettered him. “My coaches taught me a lot about life,” he said, “how to excell to say the least.” Mr. Dierdorf agreed, saying that the term “high school athlete” means a lot and that these students are deserving of a quality field. All of the special guests were very enthusiastic about giving back to the community and supporting Bob Goalby’s cause. Dierdorf said, “it’s a pleasure to be in Belleville.” He went on to say, “Some of us are doing fine, some of us are struggling. We all know someone who is

struggling. That doesn’t mean the student athletes should suffer.” This time next year, fundraising efforts for this event are hoped to be completed. So far, $120,000 has been raised. Donations can be made

at anytime to the Belleville East Athletic Booster Club, even if you did not attend the event. Fundraising efforts can be tracked at bths201.org/turffortheteams.

Belleville Pulls Together to Benefit Student Athletesby Felesha Lee

PLAYER PROFILESby Felesha Lee

James White, a senior guard on the boys’ basketball team, has had an extraordinary start this season. He impressed fans and teammates with 18 points in the team’s first game against Mascoutah in the Thanksgiving tournament.

James was never interested in other sports as a child, only basketball. His dad was a coach, so basketball is where he found comfort. As a senior, James realizes that this may be his last year playing basketball, but definitely his last year playing with the teammates he has grown so close to. He does not plan to play college ball, but says he would not hesitate if the opportunity is presented to him. James has not yet decided what college he is going to attend, but has applied to several. In preparation for his games, James likes to focus more on getting his teammates in the right mind set, but finds comfort in the team prayer before stepping onto the court. He refers to his team as “what could be the best team in East history.” James takes great pride in being a Lancer. He manages to maintain outstanding grades while being a student athlete and shows great school spirit.

Photo courtesy of Laura Sauerwein

Track the progess of Turf for the Teams at

bths201.org/turffortheteams

Come Support the Lancer Wrestling Team Tuesday at 6 @

Carbondale High School

Lancer Cheerleaders Work Hard to Prepare for Competition

by Amoni McNair

Staff Photo The JV Lancer Cheerleaders recently held a clinic to learn their routines for the year.

James White Christina Collins

Christina Collins is a varsity cheerleader on the Belleville East cheerleading team. She works hard to help her team perform the best they can and takes great pride in being a cheerleader.

She stresses that the Lancer cheerleading team is not stereotypical. All the girls get along very well, so drama does not distance them. She loves to cheer because she knows that everyone cannot be a cheerleader, and she feels special that she is one of the few that can. Because she realizes the work that being a cheerleader entails, she makes sure to stretch and jump before each game to prevent injury.

Though she plans to attend the University of Missouri, Christina does not plan to cheer due to a back injury. She wants to make the best out of her last year cheering, especially with the team she has performed with for so long. She says the last game of this season will be an emotional one for her because she has grown so close to her team.

Christina has shown excellent team spirit and Lancer pride through cheering. Her dedication to her sport is outstanding and greatly appreciated by her Lancer family.

Photo courtesy of Christina Collins

Watch your Lancer teams play live online @

www.bths201.org/eastClick Live Video

Photo by Logan BrayAmong those that attended the dinner to support District 201 athletics was former St. Louis Cardinal, Mike Shannon.

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How to beat Str8ts – Like Sudoku, no single number 1 to 9 can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. Each compartment must form a straight - a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’ are formed.

SUDOKU

numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudokuand www.str8ts.com for Str8ts.

If you like Str8ts and other puzzles, check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.

Easy

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WORD SEARCH

Who’s Who?Guess Your Holiday Lancer

Entry Form

Name: _______________________________ ID: ______________________

1. __________ 8. __________

2. __________ 9. __________

3. __________ 10. __________

4. __________ 11. __________

5. __________ 12. __________

6. __________ 13. __________

7. __________ 14. __________

Name BankA. Mrs. BechererB. Mrs. BessC. Mr. BoytD. Ms. DayE. Mrs. KelleyF. Mr. KincaidG. Mrs. KloeverH. Mrs. KumkeI. Mr. LarsenJ. Mr. LasleyK. Mrs. MenkeL. Mr. MertensM. Mrs. MeyerN. Mr. PadgettO. Mr. RogersP. Mrs. SandersQ. Mr. SchmidtR. Mr. ShortS. Mrs. SmithT. Mrs. StallcupU. Ms. SvehlaV. Mrs. Zobrist

InstructionsLook at pages 6-7 and match up the teachers from the name bank with their holiday picture. The student that gets the most correct will win a Kindle Fire. If there is a tie, the winner will be de-termined by a drawing. All participants will be entered into the drawing for other great prizes.

*Sorry, teachers. This contest is for students only.

FIND THEDIFFERENCE

by Ari Brown

Can you find all 6 differences?

As students enjoy their last day of holiday freedom, teachers and staff will have the opportunity to receive free health screenings as they return to work this January. The employee health fair is just one of many life saving events organized by the Belleville East Health Club each year. An event as small as a health fair may not seem very important, but for Mrs. Susan Harris, Belleville East’s Athletic secretary, the employee health fair proved to be life changing.

Mrs. Susan Harris has worked at Belleville East for fourteen years, as the main office secretary and most recently the Athletic secretary. A year ago, Mr. Watkins, a health teacher at East asked Mrs. Harris if she thought that Belleville East should have a mammogram machine at the next health fair. Mrs. Harris thought it

was a great idea and found it really convenient to get screened right at her workplace. During the health fair, Mrs. Harris and many other employees got the screening. After some time, Memorial Hospital called Mrs. Harris to get some additional films taken. Memorial Hospital informed her that it was very urgent and she needed

to come in immediately. After many films, tests, and a biopsy, Mrs. Harris was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went through chemotherapy and is currently

on the road to recovery. Mrs. Harris is keeping a positive attitude and the support she receives from the Lancer family has been beneficial in her recovery.

Mrs. Harris is proof that early detection can be essential to getting the treatments necessary to battle

cancer. Without the Health Fair and mammogram screenings, Mrs. Harris might not have been able to detect her breast cancer in the early stages. The health fair offers more than mammogram screenings. A ton of useful information is available at each of East’s health fairs, whether it’s about a healthy diet and exercise or drug and alcohol awareness. Pamphlets and business cards are handed out, along with healthy snacks donated by local grocery stores. Most students look at a health fair as a way

to get out of class, and they miss out on the opportunity to improve their health. During the health fair concentrate on the information and get on the right track for a healthy year.

by Jeremy BrunoHealth Club Helps Save Lives

Studded Handbag- Very edgy and super cute with any outfit Try: Lulu’s or Target

Mini Boombox- a classic mini speaker system for your friends who love music Best at: Fredflare.com

Marc Jacob’s Hair ties- Fashionable pony-tail holders with a touch of bling Found at: Marcjacobs.com

Mini Foosball Table- just as much fun as a full size but less of a hassle to wrap up Best at: Fredflare.com

A statement necklace- a huge necklace for a huge personality, they will be sure to own the party Best at: H&M

Skullcandy NBA Headphones- For basketball lovers, the coolest pair of headphones for the players with the best moves on the court Found at: Skullcandy.com

Fringed Cardigan- Super cozy sweater, perfect for movie night over winter break Try: American Eagle

Hooded Jacket- Insulated with faux fur, a jacket is sure to keep your friends warm all winter long Try: Aeropostale or Target

Shoestrology- a book about the shoe designed on your birthday Found at: Amazon.com

Ripstik- a cooler version of a skateboard Try: Amazon.com or Target

Top Ten Gift Ideas for Your Coolest Friendsby Madison Bradshaw

Photo by Jeremy Bruno Susan Harris took advantage of the health screenings orga-nized by the Belleville East Health Club last year and is now on the road to recovery from breast cancer.

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“I am living proof that early detection is the key to being called a SURVIVOR!

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