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Knight Times
Ic catholic prep
Elmhurst, IL
Www.iccatholicprep.org
2020-2021, Volume 2
December 2020
Inside this issue:
Christmas 2-4
ICCP’s Favorite Christmas Jingles and Features
Holiday Features
By: Avery Berschel & Kyli Katsigiannis
Merry Christmas IC Catholic
Christmas is a magical time of year filled with decorations, Prep Community!
lists to Santa, and catchy Christmas carols that fill every store and
car radio. The choices of Christmas songs are endless and so
many musicians have put their own twist on the Christmas clas- Prayers for a happy and
sics. Listening to carols such as Frosty the Snowman or Let It
Snow! Let It Snow! make you want to burst out in song wherever
healthy 2021!
you are. The song that really gets the ICCP community singing is
All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carrey. This song won
with 65.7% of the votes and Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
came in second with 14.3% of the votes. The other song choices
such as Jingle Bell Rock, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Knightivation
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town were
not as favorable as the iconic Mariah
Carey Christmas song. Mariah Carey By: Kelsey Wojtalewicz
released All I Want for Christmas is
You in 1994 and it averaged about 1
million daily streams on Spotify in the Isn’t it insane how the final
US, up from just over 600,000 month of this crazy year have finally
streams per day in 2019. This song arrived? This year has upended every
continues to remain at the top of the aspect of modern life, yet we still
charts every Christmas season and pushed through and made it! You
has shown to be loved by all during should feel extremely proud of your-
the holidays. self, especially since no one ever said
living through these times would be
easy. Now, here we are with another
Within the Christmas season one of the most popular things Christmas just around the corner from
to do is watch Christmas movies. With the COVID season, many us. No one could ever have predicted
people are cuddling up on the couch with a warm glass of hot that we would have to celebrate such
chocolate and binge-watching movies to prevent the spread. The a sacred holiday during a pandemic,
ICCP community voted on their favorite Christmas movies to watch but I guess that’s just a part of life.
during this time of year. Based on the results, the most popular Life is about taking whatever is thrown
Christmas movie for the ICCP students was Home Alone which re- at you and sculpting it into something
ceived 65.7% of the votes. The runner-up with 22.9% of the votes beautiful. By now, I think everyone has
was How The Grinch Stole Christmas. In heard the phrase that there is always
third place was The Santa Clause with a light at the end of the tunnel. I think
8.6% of votes and Gremlins with 2.9% that it’s important to realize just how
as fourth.The last option given was The important the tunnel is to that saying.
Santa Paws; however it received no The tunnel is needed in order to recog-
votes. The ICCP favorite, Home Alone is nize that bright light up ahead. These
a family Christmas classic that was pro- challenges that 2020 have brought
duced in 1990 by John Hughes. When a upon us make days like Christmas ex-
bratty 8 year old Kevin McCallister acts ceptionally more special and meaning-
out before a family trip to Paris, his ful. So, when you open your eyes for
mother makes him sleep in the attic. the first time on December 25th, just
After the rest of the family leaves for take a moment to realize just how far
the airport without Kevin, he awakens you’ve come since our lives drastically
to an empty house and his wish to have changed just last March.
no family nearly comes true. But his ex-
citement sours when he realizes that
two men plan to rob their household and that he alone must pro-
tect the family home. This iconic movie is the perfect way to spend
your quarantine Christmas.
PAGE 2 Christmas Features
Winter Wonderland COVID-19 Edition Last Minute Gift Ideas
By: Matea O’Donnell
By: Zoie Wilson
It’s Christmas time! This is usually one of the most hec-
tic times of the year with most people rushing around to differ-
Despite the darkness, snow, and jack frost nipping at ent malls getting gifts and decorations to celebrate the most
your nose, December is one of the most wonderful months in wonderful time of the year. Now because of COVID, this year’s a
the Chicagoland area. Even though we are in phase IV of a little different. Online shopping has been very helpful while try-
global pandemic, there are still plenty of festivities that are ing to get gifts for friends and family but just because the op-
open and safe. Celebrate the Holidays with twinkling displays tions are out there doesn’t mean you know what to get people.
of Christmas lights at Lincoln Park Zoo for only $5! Enjoy a Need gift ideas? Here's a couple…
night stroll through the zoo under the shimmering lights with a Masks! Lots of teen girls have taken masks to the next
cup of hot chocolate. Lincoln Park Zoo will also be offering 3 level and making it fun to match them with their outfits. Skin-
free admission nights on December 17, 21, and 29. care and makeup! Girls always want to look their best, so
makeup is a pretty typical go-to for girls. And as for skin care,
Test out your skills on an outdoor skating rink with the
everyone wants to get rid of their acne so skin care is a good
city's sweeping skyline as a backdrop. The Skating Ribbon at gender neutral gift. Skateboards! A lot of people, both boys and
Maggie Daley Park is a great winter attraction. The admission girls, want a skateboard, penny board or longboard under their
for the Skating Ribbon is always free, but due to this year's Christmas tree. Since most teenagers can't drive yet, these are
circumstances, you will have to make a registration while ad- a great way to get around town with your friends. The skate park
hering to the social distance safety precautions. Only a maxi- is a popular hang out place during the summer so you can learn
mum of 180 skaters will be allowed on the ice at a time. cool tricks too. Clothes! Obviously this could be another gender
Jack Frost Winter Village is also a great 2-acre attrac- neutral gift. Most of the time girls like to give gift cards to their
tion that is family-friendly. There are many activities for your favorite clothing store so they can pick out what they like. Boys
family to participate in. The most affordable pass goes for $21 like athletic wear and sweatshirts. Technology! Phones, comput-
per person and includes Jack's Winter Walk and a Christmas ers, headphones, Apple watches, and chargers are all great ex-
amples of technology that a lot of teens put on their Christmas
doughnut.
lists. While these gifts are more on the expensive side, they are
The Soldier Field Sledding Hill has a 33-foot slope and very popular because everyone wants the best and latest tech-
the Chicago Park District pumps out faux snow when there nology. Shoes! This one seems to be more popular with the
isn’t enough of the real stuff, ensuring that the sledding hill is boys, but a lot of girls have shoes on their Christmas lists too. A
always white and fluffy. Plus the panoramic view of Lake Mich- lot of people like to wear shoes as a statement piece whether
igan from the top of the peak is beautiful. they are really expensive heels or Jordan’s or Air Force 1’s. Vid-
Lastly, Wilder Park is having its annual family-friendly eo games! Yes technically this fits in with technology, but the
Conservatory Holiday Flower Show. This event is both free and amount of different consoles and games the boys want these
open to the public and it runs from early December thru early days is enough for its own category. PlayStation 5 is the newest
January! It's the last month of the year, so make the most of system that everyone wants to get. Xbox is the other very popu-
the remaining days by filling them with the best things to do in lar console. Fortnite, Minecraft, GTA, Madden and call of duty
are some of the most played games in 2020. So, IC Catholic
Chicago this December.
Prep community, if you are late to the game with Christmas
shopping this year, this list is a great place to start!
Holidays from Around the World
By: Bianca Cortez
This holiday season the community comes together to celebrate a wide range of different calendar days. Often holidays
such as Christmas cause people to overlook holidays like Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Diwali, and Chinese
New Year. In the United States, we celebrate multiple cultures in a country known for its freedom and diversity. In the ICCP commu-
nity it is no different, so this year ICCP is bringing to light just how diverse even holidays can be.
Hanukkah
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that takes place over a span of 8 days and nights. The 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev marks
the beginning of the holiday. Depending on the Lunar calendar, Hanukkah can fall on any day from November to December. Peo-
ple celebrate Hanukkah by lighting their menorahs, spinning dreidels and eating traditional tasteful dishes.
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a holiday that celebrates African culture over a 7 day period. It begins on December 26th and ends on January 1st. On
the sixth day of Kwanzaa, a big feast called Kwanzaa Karamu takes place. Family members like to exchange creative gifts with
each other. Kwanzaa’s celebrated through lighting the Kinara while embracing the African culture and its history.
Winter Solstice
December marks the upcoming holiday of Yule. The winter solstice is on December 21st which is the shortest day and longest
night of the year. The winter solstice celebrates days getting longer from then on out due to the rebirth of the sun.
Las Posadas
Las Posadas is celebrated by some Hispanic families in the United States from December 16th to December 24th. It’s a preceding
holiday to Christmas that goes on for 9 days, beginning with a procession with candles, songs and sometimes even people playing
the parts of Mary and Joseph who lead the parade. Every night of Las Posadas is celebrated with gifts, treats, songs, celebration,
food and prayer.
Diwali
Diwali or the Festival of Lights, is a five-day Hindu holiday celebrating life and the victory over the battle of good over evil. Taking
place between October and November, a different legend is celebrated, but the holiday is filled with fireworks, feasts, and family.
The Hindu luni-solar calendar determines the date of Diwali.
Chinese New Year
At the beginning of the New Lunar New Year, Chinese New Year begins its 15 day celebration. The Lantern Festival lands on the
15th day of the new year, which is celebrated at night with a parade. The Chinese New Year marks the beginning of a new season
spent with family, loved ones, and feasts.
These holidays land all over the spectrum, but one thing they all have in common is love, family, and culture. So this Christ-
mas season widen your horizons and experience the beauty of diversity.
Christmas Features PAGE 3
The History of Christmas Traditions
By: Isabella Kachiroubas Claus can be traced back to St. Nicholas. He was a Turkish born
monk who went around helping the sick. Dutch immigrants brought
Where did Christmas come from you may ask? Well, it started long his legacy to New York where writers started making tales of Santa
before the ‘Grinch’ who stole Christmas, but it supposedly started Claus. Additionally, one of the most popular poems is from 1823,
with Krampus, a half-demon, half-goat. This half-demon, half-goat “A Visit From St. Nicholas” written by Clement Clark Moore. This
punishes children during the Christmas season according to a Cen- poem starts with the beloved first line: “Twas a night before Christ-
tral European folklore. For another idea, some people think that mas…”. To continue on, when then did Americans first start deco-
Christmas may have come from an ancient Roman festival called rating Christmas trees? Well, Americans decorating Christmas
‘Saturnalia’ which celebrated the god Saturn. Celebrated from De- trees didn’t begin until the 1890s, but for many years cultures in
cember 17-23, the Romans would decorate their homes with Northern Europe celebrated Winter by decorating their homes with
wreaths and festive candles. They would attend parties and feasts evergreens and green palm fronds. Nonetheless, on the same top-
and give gifts to one ic of Christmas traditions, Elf on the Shelf started around 2005
another. So, when the when a mother/daughter team wrote the ‘Elf on the Shelf’ story for
Roman Empire em- children. Finally, when did yule logs start? Yule logs started around
braced Christianity, lots 1966 when in New York City WPIX-TV aired a three hours continu-
of these traditions were ous loop of a fireplace with holiday music.
carried over into Christ- What should I learn from all this? All holiday traditions
mas. Who was the origi- started somewhere and evolved over the years, just like the fami-
nal Santa Claus then? lies of ICCP with their own Christmas traditions.
Well, the original Santa
Christmas Dessert Recipe
By: Elizabeth Groth
Italy is known for many delicious treats, especially during the holidays.
On Christmas my family has many assorted Italian cookies and pastries, but
one that sticks out most to me is struffoli. Struffoli originates in Naples and
nuns would prepare them to offer them as a Christmas gift to all those noble
families who had distinguished themselves for their sense of charity and pie-
Christmas Traditions ty. This dessert is sweet and very addicting!
My family every year since I was little has always made these for the
holiday. It was my favorite thing growing up and helping roll out the dough
and put the honey on top. This is something that makes me happy, so to
By: Amelia Kasper spread the holiday spirit here’s a recipe:
Ingredients for a half batch:
Dough
Jenny Froment, a student at ICCP, was • 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
asked about her yearly Christmas traditions. • ⅛ cup granulated sugar
Every family at ICCP has different Christmas • ¾ teaspoons baking powder
traditions. During the month of December eve- • ⅛ teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs
ry year, Jenny helps her mom with decorating
• ¼ cup canola oil
the Christmas tree and she also goes ice skat- • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
ing. She said that her favorite part about the • 1 quart light vegetable oil for frying (optional)
Christmas season is “watching Christmas
movies with my family and making cookies Coating
with my brother.” Every year she spends her • ½ cup honey
Christmas with her mom's whole side of the • ⅛ cup granulated sugar
family. Her tradition consists of fun family
1. In a large bow whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
events that they do every year. Jenny said, Whisk eggs, ¼ cup oil, and the vanilla together in a small bowl. Add the
“We have a secret Santa for all the cousins wet mixture to the dry and mix with an electric mixer on low speed until
and a white elephant for the adults in her fam- clumps begin to form. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
ily. Even though all families may have to
change their traditions due to Covid-19, we 2. Heat up 1 quart of oil in heavy, deep pot.
wish everyone a Merry Christmas. 3. Take a handful of dough at a time and roll it beneath your palms on a
lightly floured surface. Roll into ½ inch diameter ropes and cut into ½
inch lengths.
4. Place about a dozen pieces of the dough in the fryer at a time, stirring
a few times to prevent sticking. Fry until light golden brown. Remove with
a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, then gently place into a large
bowl.
5. Place honey in sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir to
combine and bring to a boil.
6. Allow to boil for 1 minute and remove from
heat. Gently pour glaze over the cookies in a
bowl and fold carefully with a large rubber spat-
ula.
7. Mound the struffoli on a plate and add non-
pareils sprinkles over top (optional).
Christmas Features PAGE 3
College Student’s Take on COVID
By: Ava Falduto to spend on my classwork, I also require a lot more time man-
agement skills to make sure I stay on track. Being online means
For most people around the country, life has been quite I am pretty much on my own in terms of remembering to do as-
different in 2020; many events, games, and even school have signments and quizzes.”
been called off or postponed due to COVID-19. Taking a deeper
look into the effects of the pandemic on college campuses, ICCP What have your schools been doing to follow COVID protocols?
alumni Kaitlyn Falduto (Class of 2017) and Andrew Falduto Do you feel safe on campus?
(Class of 2018) speak on their experiences at Marquette Univer- Andrew: “Indiana has been doing both on-arrival and miti-
sity and Indiana University. gation testing on top of the online class format. On-arrival test-
ing is for when students come back to campus, and the mitiga-
How is this year different from the others from a college per- tion testing is for randomly selected students throughout the
spective? semester who are staying in Bloomington. Overall, I have felt
Andrew: “This year has been the complete opposite of safe the whole semester in Bloomington, and I know there have
what a normal college experience should be. In terms of classes, been very few, if any, student hospitalizations because of
none of my lectures were in person, and I have only stepped foot COVID.”
in the actual school campus once this semester even though
I’ve been in Bloomington. From a social perspective, it has been As a senior, the past years on campus have been full of life and
very hard for students to collaborate with each other, or even for streets are always filled with people on game days and big
them to just socialize in general. Gatherings of more than 15 are events… How is that different this year?
quite literally illegal, so this semester it’s even harder for stu- Kaitlyn: “There’s nothing to do. There’s not National Mar-
dents to make the right choices as well as keep their mental quette Day, less school spirit, no fans, no volleyball season. It
health up.” has made me miss out on a lot of the ‘lasts’ of college.”
How has the transition been from in person classes to online How do you feel about staying home until late January? Will you
classes? Do you like the change? miss campus or are you excited to be at home for a while?
Andrew: “To be completely honest, I have loved the Kaitlyn: “I am looking forward to being at home after finals
change from in-person classes to online. I attribute most of that are over. I will not miss having to cook for myself every single
to my 8 am classes that I have everyday. Instead of getting up day of the week and I get to be with my family.”
an hour or two before to get ready and walk on campus, now I
can roll out of bed 10 minutes prior and “go to class”. In addi- How has COVID taken a toll on your senior year, and what are
tion, the online format allows the professors to post live and your hopes for change in the coming of 2021?
asynchronous lectures to the site. When it comes time for study- Kaitlyn: “It has made me appreciate the smaller moments
ing and reviewing, it is very easy to access information to be on campus, like going to work or walking down Wisconsin Ave. at
able to make the best study tools possible. Overall, I think the sunset. It has prevented me from going out with all the friends I
online format did have an effect on me, but in a positive way. I have met at school and has prevented me from meeting even
feel that I have learned much more this semester than any prior more amazing people. My hopes are that I will be able to have a
semester, and my grades have reflected that.” somewhat normal graduation in the spring of 2021!”
Is it harder to focus while in your apartment versus in class? Overall, students around the country and around the
What habits have changed since the change? world continue to face many challenges as the school year pro-
Kaitlyn: “I was lucky enough to have three in-person clas- gresses. While there is hope that things may begin to turn
ses this semester and three online classes.” However, during around in the early months of the new year, millions of kids and
online class, I find myself doing other things and not paying at- teachers are still adjusting to new learning models and means of
tention, which has led to more homework and note taking out- communication that have made this school year unlike any oth-
side of class time.” er. Similar to Indiana and Marquette, ICCP has made adjust-
Andrew: “Since all my classes are online, my study habits ments to everyday school life to keep students on track and as
have changed immensely. Although I have a lot more free time successful as possible.
Newspaper Staff An Insightful Look into Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square
Featured Writers By: Elizabeth Murray
The holiday movie I chose to review is Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square.
The movie was about an evil old woman named Regina, who decided to sell the town
Avery Berschel because of her own personal gain. She wanted to put the past behind her, but neglect-
Bianca Cortez ed to think about the townspeople she’d be affecting. She’d be putting people out of
Ava Falduto their homes and businesses just to make a big fancy mall in place of a town built on
Elizabeth Groth memories. The townspeople work against her to try to save their town that they love so
much. She is visited by an angel many times to remind her that she should reconsider
Isabella Kachiroubas
her choice of evicting everyone. She was blinded by the bad, which kept her from see-
Amelia Kasper ing the good in the town. She became so hardened by the bad experiences that she
Kyli Katsigiannis forgot to remember the good things that happened to her in the town. She just needed
Elizabeth Murray people to remind her of the good she once had, instead of dwelling on the past. She
Matea O’Donnell learns that happy endings aren’t just for fairytales.
I really enjoyed the movie because it was very wholesome and interesting. I
Zoie Wilson thought it was cool that Dolly Parton put most of the work into the movie. The movie
Kelsey Wojtalewicz reminds people that Christmas is a time for giving and showing people that you care
about them. It teaches people that greed doesn’t get you where you want to be be-
Moderator cause it just makes you sad and alone. You find true
Ms. Doyle happiness with the people you surround yourself
with. If you are reminded of love, you’ll think about
all the good it has done for you. Regina always
Online PDF Version of the Knight Times is thought that her Dad was disgusted by her having
available on the school website under her son, but he was just trying to protect her from
“student life.” the harsh views of the townspeople. She only
learned that after her father died. She realized that
From all of us here at The Knight there is more to a story than just the part that she
saw. If she hadn’t opened her heart to love, she would have stayed the bitter and sad
Times, we wish the IC Catholic Prep person she had become. Christmas should be a time of spreading cheer and being
community a blessed with the people you care about most. This movie reminds the viewers that the Christ-
mas spirit lives on in each one of us, it only goes away when we let it.
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