12.13.2013 Vol. 4 No. 15
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“have yourself a merry little Christmas�
cover art by andrew deskins | rawr
must-watch movies
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Vandal holidays
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Christmas cookies
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the argonaut
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your work in rawr illustration
horoscopes emily vaartstra | rawr
photography mixed media paintings sculptures short fiction
Capricorn 12/22-1/19
Be cautious of who you are standing next to on New Year’s Eve. You don’t want to accidentally kiss your pet German Shepherd — he might be the same height as your significant other but he/she might take offense to the appearance mix-up.
non-fiction rawr is an alternative weekly publication covering art, culture, campus life and entertainment. We are accepting all forms of art and creativity to be featured inside the publication, or on the cover. Email: arg-arts@uidaho.edu
It is finally happening. You are graduating from the best university in the world and you are so excited to grab that diploma and book it out of here. But wait — you still have finals to take.
Gemini 5/21-6/21
All you want for Christmas is to return that awful puke colored sweater your grandma got you. But be darling and humor her and the rest of your mocking siblings, for at least a day.
I know you are going to be disappointed when Santa and his reindeer don’t stop by your house again this Christmas — even though you waited up all night. Spoiler alert—you are a college student and it’s about time you know that Santa isn’t real.
Pisces 2/19-3/20
Cancer 6/22-7/22
Aquarius 1/20-2/18
poetry
Taurus 4/20-5/20
Don’t forget what Christmas is all about this year — eating as much shrimp and cocktail sauce your stomach can hold. Oh and those delicious shortbread cookies and baby Jesus.
Aries 3/21-4/19
You’ll want to start off 2014 right — by standing on the roof shouting “I am the master commander!”
You may be dreaming of a white Christmas, but everyone else around you is just dreaming of the moment you’ll finally stop singing about it.
Leo 7/23-8/22
Chestnuts roasting over an open fire … because your kitchen is literally on fire. Your attempts on making the perfect Christmas dinner have failed — but on the bright side, there’s Chinese takeout.
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tribal sounding percussion This time of year we find towards the end of this song ourselves bombarded by gives it that African numerous versions flare that’s celebrated of the same Christby the holiday. mas songs during the month of December, “Yule (Winter Solbut Christmas isn‘t the stice Song)” by Lisa only winter holiday. If you just can’t stomach Thiel listening to “White Yule was origiChristmas” for the miljared nally a Germanic Pagan s jona lionth time this week, holiday that would r raw here are some songs for eventually merge with the other holidays this Christian practices and season. turn into Christmas. Yule is usually held in celebration of “The Kwanzaa Song” by the Winter Solstice by modWilliam Scott ern sects of Paganism. Thiel’s Kwanzaa is the celebration layered vocals in some parts of African heritage observed make this a really beautiful here in the United States. The sounding song.
“Light One Candle” by Peter, Paul and Mary Most of us are familiar with the Jewish Festival of Lights, commonly known as Hanukkah. Made famous by their hit “Puff the Magic Dragon,” Peter, Paul and Mary’s Hanukkah song is all about finding a light in the dark, all backed by an angelic sounding choir to complement the three vocalists.
“Ganesha Pancharatnam Stotram” by Adi Sankaracharya The festival of Pancha Ganapati is celebrated over five days at the end of December in honor of the Hindu deity
12.13.13
Sagittarius 11/22-12/21
Rockin’ around the Christmas tree can get a little crazy, if you drink too much of that special holiday punch your uncle brought over. So be careful — it might turn into conga line. Virgo 8/23-9/22
It’s time to bring back the little joys of being a kid during Christmas time. Snowball fights with the cousins ending in broken noses and bloody faces — all worth it for the hot cocoa upon returning indoors from the battle.
Libra 9/23-10/22
There is no such thing as Christmas without a “Home Alone” marathon… actually just “Home Alone 2” is fine.
Scorpio 10/23-11/21
It’s time to tighten up those skates and play a real sport — ice hockey is the best way to prove which side of the family reigns supreme.
“non-Christmas music”
Lord Ganesha. There are a few versions of this song, but the original lyrics were written by Sankaracharya praising Ganesha. While it is performed in Hindi, the tune is rather catchy.
“New Year’s Eve” by Snoop Dogg ft. Marty James Dancing, drinking and women. Everything you’d expect from a Snoop Dogg song and pretty fitting considering it’s a New Year’s Eve song. This songs all about having a good time and James’s backing vocals compliment Snoop’s verses.
“The Chanukah Song” by Adam Sandler
Making its debut on an episode of “Saturday Night Live” back in the ‘90s, you’ve probably heard one version or another before. This song became a mainstay in Sandler’s career and pokes fun of Christmas’s dominance of the holiday season.
“X-M@$” by Corey Taylor This song is for the Scrooges. Taylor delivers a hilarious song from the point of view of someone who hates the holiday season. The song contains explicit material — listener’s discretion is advised. Jared Jonas can be reached at arg-arts@uidaho.edu
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RAWR REVIEWS
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Based on a short story written by John Hudges, “National Lampoon’s: Christmas Vacation” is a nurainy darono great movie for rawr the family during Christmas time — it is rated as the number three best Christmas movie in AMC TV. “Christmas Vacation” was directed by Jeremiah Chechik and was released in 1989. The failures of the Griswold family’s Christmas plan is what the movie is all about. The deadpan character Clark W. Griswold, played by Chevy Chase, and funny cousin Eddie Johnson, played by Randy Quaid, make the movie humorous and gives it a unique personality. This may sound familiar to all households across the country — the perfect Christmas is all planned out, but when Christmas gets closer things tend go wrong. “National Lampoon’s: Christmas Vacation” can relate to family in general because the scenes show realistic events that might happen during Christmas time. For example, Clark Griswold was trying to perfect his family Christmas vacation by decorating his house’s entire exterior with twinkle lights. His first trial was a complete failure, because he couldn’t make the lights turn on. Although, he maintained his positive attitude and didn’t give up — it wasn’t until several trials when he finally made the lights work. Even in an outstandingly funny sequence, the comedy stays on track — like when Griswold had to accommodate all of his relatives in his house, he managed his character well. Other than its funny scenes, the movie also has other different emotional scenes that balances its funniness — like when their cousin’s Eddie and
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Holiday Russian tea cookies
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arg-arts@uidaho.edu his family, who have lived in an RV, come to their house unannounced to celebrate Christmas. In one of the scenes, Eddie’s young daughter Ruby Sue revealed her real feelings to Clark about her nervousness of Christmas and her joy of spending Christmas in a nicer place like Clark’s big house. “Christmas Vacation” is a classic humor Christmas movie. Kids would likely enjoy both Chevy Chase’s deadpan character and Randy Quaid’s funny character. Aside from its realistic scenes, some criticism the film has is that some of the scenes are not realistic and its deadpan humor may annoy some audiences because it was not funny enough. Earlier in the movie, Clark Griswold was trying to get their own tree. Though when he brought his wife Ellen, daughter Audrey and son Russ to the forest, he realized he didn’t bring an axe or saw to cut the tree. In the scene, they pulled out the tree by themselves — not so realistic. Another example is the memorable sliding scene, where Clark sled from the woods to the neighborhood to the road and ended up in Wal-Mart. The whole scene is funny, yet unrealistic. Overall, “National Lampoon’s: Christmas Vacation” is one of most humorous, classic Christmas movies that a family should watch during their time together in Christmas. Nurainy Darono can be reached at arg-arts@uidaho.edu
For more recipes, visit us online at one (or all) of the following: Website: www.uiargonaut.com/crumbs Instagram and Twitter: @uicrumbs Facebook: www.facebook.com/uicrumbs
emily vaartstra crumbs These are also known as Mexican wedding cookies. This recipe has been used in my family for as long as I can remember and has always been the biggest hit during the holidays. Around Christmas time, there is always a cooking frenzy of baked goods and lots of delicious cookies — make sure this cookie is put into the mix. You’ll be wishing you had the recipe years ago. Emily Vaartstra | rawr
A Crumbs Recipe Card Holiday Russian tea cookies Ingredients • • • • • •
2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup sugar 1 cup butter 1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Directions 1. 2.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, salt and sugar in a small bowl. 3. Cream the butter in a mixing bowl, add vanilla, and then add the flour mixture and nuts. 4. Roll into 1 inch balls on a baking sheet. 5. Bake for about 20 minutes. 6. After the cookies are cooled, roll in icing sugar. Emily Vaartstra can be reached at crumbs@uidaho.edu
the argonaut
12.13.13
For them from you iPad Air came out last month and this new innovation has been a center of conversation across the country. It’s as thin as a pencil and only weighs one pound. If this is outside the price range of your budget, getting the new iPhone 5s is another option. These can be great gifts for your parents or any of your siblings because today’s technology allows people to keep in touch easier
movie-reel aly soto rawr
You’re done with finals and are finally back at home in time for the upcoming festivities. While you help your mom, dad, friends, etc. decorate the house, make cookies and wrap presents, grab some hot chocolate and enjoy the following holiday themed specials.
“A Christmas Carol” There’s a version for everyone — old, new, cartoon and Disney. Personally, my favorite is the one featuring The Muppets. A wonderful tale that is not only a classic but reminds everyone that Christmas time is not all about receiving the very best of gifts.
“The Santa Claus” (1994) Make sure to read the entire contract including the fine print. Not doing so may land you with the biggest job of them all as Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) finds out in this seasonal comedy. After accidently killing Santa on his yearly delivery, Scott dons the red suite and finishes delivering the presents. It isn’t until afterward that he learns doing so has put into effect the Santa Claus, meaning he’s the next “big
guy.” This movie will entertain the whole family as the kids watch and wonder why anyone wouldn’t want to be Santa Claus.
“Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000) The live action film derived from the beloved children’s book delves deeper into the characters’ backgrounds while still keeping true to the story and the moral at the ending.
“Miracle on 34th Street” (1947) When a Macy’s department store Santa Claus claims he’s the real deal, his attorney Fred Gailey must quickly come up with credible evidence to convince the court before his friend is locked away forever in an insane asylum. This lovable classic has entertained many generations exploring a very important question that children, adults, and skeptics ask every year: What proof is there that Santa Claus is real?
“Elf” (2003) After finding out that he is a human, Buddy the elf (Will Ferrell) leaves the North Pole and heads to New York City to meet his biological dad, Walter. Buddy’s bubbling personality manages to infect
Marc Jacobs “Honey” ($50) or Calvin Klein’s Encounter ($74) Marc Jacobs “Honey” just came out this fall. It has a flowered and sweet scent with golden touch, which many girls may adore. Calvin Klein’s “Encounter” has its classic woody scent that
LeapPad Ultra ($149.99) LeapPad Ultra is a tablet designed for kids’ education. It’s 7 inches wide and comes with cameras in the front and the back. It comes with two colors, purple and green. It’s also has kidsfriendly WiFi, so parents can adjust what kids can and can’t do when browsing the Internet. LeapPad Ultra is one of the fabulous 15 list of Toys“R”us for Christmas gift. Nurainy Darono can be reached at arg-arts@uidaho.edu
Christmas edition everyone he meets except for Walter — who isn’t into the Christmas spirit at all. While this film explores a much repeated story about dealing with quirky family members, the Christmas theme gives it an original feel.
“Home Alone” (1990) Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is not having a good Christmas season. He’s picked on by his family and blamed for anything that goes wrong. Two thieves have been robbing the neighborhood houses and Kevin’s sure his house is next. But the biggest problem he has to deal with? Due to the large family rushing to the airport for their holiday vacation Kevin was accidently left behind. Home alone with no adult supervision, Kevin must prove himself resourceful — especially when defending his house from the Wet Bandits’ next heist. While not exactly a holiday classic, this comedy is filled with laughs and interesting home security lessons tied in with Christmas lessons on the importance of family. Aly Soto can be reached at arg-arts@uidaho.edu
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iPad Air ($499) or iPhone 5s ($199)
Dr. Dre beats audio is known for its clear bass sound quality. The beats pill speaker is a portable version that has Bluetooth — you can play your music anywhere and anytime. It is small and comes in different colors such as red, white, black, blue, pink, orange, yellow and green. This can be a hot gift for someone who listens to music all the time.
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Beats Pill speaker ($199.95)
fits men. These scents have been listed as two of the recommended scents for the holiday season this year, according to Stylist magazine. These can be something hot and very special to get for loved ones.
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The frenzy of gift shopping is still underway, but you have yet to even think about what to give your friends and family this Christmas. Check out some of 2013’s hottest gifts.
with video chatting and sharing photos.
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The hottest gifts for Christmas 2013
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Retail ready for the holidays Retail stores prepare for increased store traffic during the holidays wise, it’s crazy,” Gottschalk said. Gottschalk said this year there has also been a strong The holidays are a busy time focus on gift cards. The store for many stores. Retail stores has gift cards placed throughin particular have special deals out with a large display by the on holiday wear, as well as checkout counter. special packages only offered The push for the gift cards through the holidays. provides an option for people Brianna Gottschalk, the who don’t find something else assistant store manager of throughout the store, she said. Old Navy in Moscow, said the The sales vary past couple weeks from year to year, have been slow Gottschalk said. This compared to last year there were sales year, but the 50 during certain hours percent off all store of the day. items Black Friday “For example, sale was the usual pajamas would be on frenzy. sale from 1 p.m. to 3 Gottschalk said p.m. and then coats this year they hired would be on sale a little less than from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.,” 10 people for the Gottschalk said. holidays. Sales disappear “We usually hire after Christmas but UI about 10-15 seawill resurface again sonal workers all during January, GottBrianna Gottschalk of November and schalk said. December who will “We will have a be gone by February,” Gottpretty good sale for New Year’s schalk said. that’s targeted at different items The new hires will assist such as active wear,” she said. with increased store traffic. Old Navy isn’t the only store Gottschalk said this year amping up for the holidays. they have not done a lot of Kimberly Lynn, manager of holiday decorating in favor of Rue21, said they started preparmarketing. ing for the Christmas in Octo“This year there has been a ber when they began receiving lot of marketing and signage a larger stock of items.
kelsey hart rawr
We usually hire about 1015 seasonal workers all of November and December who will be gone by February.
photos by jessica greene | rawr
The Palouse Mall retailers see an increase in business during the holiday season. In response, many of the stores hire temporary workers to assist during holiday rushes and holiday sales. “We double the amount of stock we have until Christmas,” Lynn said. Hiring for the holidays also starts around this time. “We start hiring in October, and that goes until the end of the season. We will take them on as permanent employees if they perform well,” Lynn said. Rue21 has several holiday packages only offered through the holiday months. Special nail polish packs and assorted perfume packages are common
at this time. This year, people can get rueBUCKS. These rueBUCKS act as monetary credit toward future purchases. If you spend $40 you get one rueBUCKS coupon, Lynn said. Each rueBUCKS coupon is worth $20 off a $40 purchase. “The business during the holidays varies based on when the students leave,” Lynn said. But Lynn said the busiest week for their store is closer to Christmas.
“The store gets crazy from a week before Christmas all the way to Christmas Eve,” Lynn said. Returns and exchanges occur during the holidays but without too much deviation from normal exchanges and returns. Lynn and Gottschalk said the exception is the day after Christmas where a large number of returns at any store are common. Kelsey Hart can be reached at arg-arts@uidaho.edu
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Vandal holidays
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Campus living groups create their own holiday traditions jared jonas rawr
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From a signature meal prepared on Christmas morning to going out and cutting down a tree together, most families have holiday traditions they do every year. The holiday season at the University of Idaho has many of the on-campus living groups following their own holiday traditions. Every year, the fraternity of Alpha Kappa Lambda goes out as a group and carols in front of all the sororities on campus. “It’s all in the spirit of the season and it ends up being a blast,” Alpha Kappa Lambda member Zach Maryon said. Braving the elements, the men of Alpha Kappa Lambda sometimes bring instruments to go along with their caroling. “We’ve had times where we’ll have musical accompaniment, because some guys in our house play piano or guitar to go along with the songs,” Maryon said. Within the fraternity, they also do a voluntary Secret Santa exchange. “Most of the gifts are just fun gifts that we get (to prank) each other,” Maryon said. “It’s not necessarily always serious things that you get and that’s part of the fun of it.” For the holidays, the women of Steel House come together and have a big dinner. “It’s a time for us to come together at the house,” Steel House president Alyse Armstrong said. After the feast, the residents do activities. Other than the feast, the Steel House also gets a Christmas tree to put up for the holiday season.
• St. Nicholas was the bishop of Myra, an area in what is now modern-day Turkey. • The name Santa Claus, originated from a Dutch translation of “St. Nicholas,” “Sinterklaas” • Santa Claus has long been depicted wearing a red and white suit in stories and illustrations, but the image didn’t become the standard
“The executive board goes out as a group (and) cut down a tree and then bring it back to the house,” Armstrong said. This year, Targhee Hall is participating in the Residence Hall Associations hall decorating contest. The winner of the contest this year gets $400 donated to their hall. “We’re decorating it more than we have before,” Targhee Hall president Anne Wardlad said. Like Steel House, the residents in Targhee also have a big dinner for Thanksgiving and Christmas to come together for the season. “Basically it’s just kind of working with everyone and/or eating with everyone,” Wardlad said. Delta Zeta Sorority gets together every year and has an ugly sweater party. During the party, the sorority members have a themed gift exchange. “This year we did a white elephant gift ornament exchange,” member Kate Cole said. Each person involved made an ornament to be given in the exchange. “We all ran around the room and stole each other’s ornaments for an hour and then we got to open them at the end and we all had a surprise ornament from someone,” Cole said. During the academic year, most people become pretty well acquainted with the people they live with and the holidays offer up a chance to become closer. Something as simple as a prepared meal together can be enough to get into the spirit of the season and give everyone some extra cheer right before Finals Week at the university. Jared Jonas can be reached at arg-arts@uidaho.edu
until the 1900s when this image was used in several advertising strategies by companies including Coca-Cola. • The tradition of Santa Claus entering the house through the chimney originated from pre-Christian religions as many of their gift giving, god-like and magical figures entered the house through the same way.
Twinkle lights, holiday music A few Christmas party ideas to ensure good memories and an enjoyable time alexia neal rawr Christmas parties are often overdone, so here are a few simple party ideas to get guests having a good time. Some ideas for holiday drinks include eggnog, apple cider, cranberry punch with orange slices and peppermint hot chocolate. Some treat ideas include cookies, cakes or pies. Decorations for these parties can be simple with some white Christmas lights set up and holiday music. All of these additions to the party will help set the mood for guests to enjoy the Christmas-themed gathering.
White Elephant This game is usually played with six or more people. Each person brings a wrapped gift — often times something humorous or inexpensive. The gifts are put in the center of the seating area and the first person pulls a gift from the pile. The next person has the choice to either pick from the central pile or steal from the previous person. If the person steals, the person they stole from has to either steal a different gift or pull from the pile. The next person’s turn starts after someone choses from the pile. A gift can only
• Not only is St. Nicholas the patron saint of children, he is also the patron saint of thieves. He earned the title because of his work in trying to rehabilitate them.Santa Claus was awarded Canadian citizenship in 2010. • The tradition of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tracking Santa started when children accidently called them
be stolen twice. The game ends when the last gift is pulled from the middle pile. There can be themes for the gifts such as electronics, homemade, around the house, etc.
Ugly Sweater At this party, guests are encouraged to wear the ugliest sweater they can possibly find. Most ugly sweaters are purchased from thrift stores. Crafty people can even make their own by purchasing a plain sweater and decorating it in an ugly yet festive way. To host this party, simply decorate in a holiday manner and provide some food or drinks. To make it a competition, set up a big bowl and blank strips of paper to have people vote on whose sweater is the ugliest and present the winner near the end of the party.
Tie Exchange This party is often encouraged for guys and girls that aren’t in a relationship, as it is a type of “date function.” Guys show up to the party first and place their ties or bow ties on a table in a central area. When the girls arrive, they pick a tie from the pile and the owner steps forward. The two are encouraged to stay together and get
to know each other a little bit. After an hour or so, the host can turn the lights up and make an announcement having guests thank their partner for the conversations, and put back on their ties. At this point, the party can turn into a normal party, and the two can either chose to stay together or mingle with other guests until the party ends.
Secret Santa For this game, write the names of the participants on a sheet of paper and cut out each name. If the participants don’t all know each other well, write down an interest on the backside of the paper with the name on it. Assign each participant another person’s name and their interests. On the party date, the participants bring their gifts and discreetly place them in a central area. When everyone has arrived, distribute the gifts and remind participants not to reveal whose gift went to whom. There can be themes for Secret Santa parties such as all gifts have to be winter, holiday or re-gifted.
Thrift Store This party requires guests to wear only things they have bought from a
because of a miss-typed phone number for a “Santa Hot-Line.” • In other areas of the world that celebrate Christmas, children receive their presents from Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and sometimes as early as Dec. 6, St. Nicholas’ Day. • In the U.S. it is tradition to give Santa Claus milk and cookies to eat. In other parts of the
thrift store. People can get creative with this by finding humorous hats, scarves, gloves and shoes. The clothing doesn’t necessarily have to be holidaythemed, but obviously not new. Guests also bring one wrapped present that was purchased from a thrift store and put in a central location. Sometime during the party, people that brought a gift will grab one present from the pile. The party can then continue.
The Giving Party This party is centered around guests purchasing gifts that will be donated to different charities or one specific charity. A popular theme for this party is a children’s toy giveaway. These parties are perfect for the spirit of giving during Christmas. The guests should bring the gifts unwrapped along with wrapping paper and bows. At the party, the guests will spend time wrapping the gifts and writing Christmas cards for the recipients of the gifts. Some charities prefer the gifts to be unwrapped, so make sure to check with the organization beforehand. Another option is to bring the party to the charity organization to volunteer. Alexia Neal can be reached at arg-arts@uidaho.edu
world children also leave pudding, pies and even beer instead. • The tradition of Santa Claus appearing in malls can be credited to James Edgar when he started to dress up as the jolly gift giver in his department store. (source - St. Nicholas Center, santas.net and unmuseum.org)
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emily vaartstra | rawr
Gingerbread houses are a contemporary Christmas tradition. Ellen Kittell, professor of history at the University of Idaho, said many Christmas traditions predate the birth of Christ.
Cultural Christmas bryce delay rawr Christmas can be described as a collaboration of icons and historical symbols whose origins are not readily known. Ellen Kittell, a professor of history at the University of Idaho, said some of our Christmas traditions predate the rise of Christianity. For instance, the Cult of Mythras — a popular Roman faith influenced by Persia — celebrated the birth of their god on Dec. 25. Kittell said the idea of reindeer delivering presents comes from small native tribes of Northern Europeans—one in particular called the Sami tribe
of Finland. The Christmas tree is also a borrowed tradition from Germany. Germans would light candles and place them on a pine tree, in a way of representing new life and hope for the spring, Kittell said. Christmas means different things for different people in Moscow. Katie Goodson, campus minister of Saint Augustine’s Catholic Center, said for her Christmas is about passing on tradition and stories of Jesus through scripture. “On Christmas, we read the book of Luke before we open presents,” Goodson said. “I think Luke provides the most accurate story of Jesus’s birth-
day. Like the story of Mary and Joseph not finding a place to stay and ending up in a stable.” Goodson also emphasized the importance of the four weeks of Advent for Catholicism. She said Advent is a time to reflect on her faith and a time of Christmas anticipation. The significance of Christmas traditions has drastically changed even in the last century. Kittell referenced the “Little House” books saying that when the series depicted Christmas, they were usually seen giving something homemade to their loved ones or something small like a single orange. Even food and the way it’s
Christmas traditions have evolved throughout the centuries prepared has evolved in this century, she said. Kittell said the invention of the microwave changed the dynamic of the kitchen work and food preparation. Today we rely more on pre-made meals than creating everything from scratch, she said. Whereas 50 years ago, most family members would have been helping prepare dinner during the holidays. Some traditions have remained the same for Christmas. One tradition that became popular during Charles Dicken’s time was caroling, which is still a tradition today. Kittell said Dr. Michael Murphy, director of Choral
Activities, orchestrates many groups of carolers to perform throughout Moscow. Goodson also mentioned the importance of hymns in their celebration of Christmas. Music invokes memories of past Christmases and recaptures an ancient mood passed down from generations before, she said. Whether families celebrate with past traditions of caroling, homemade gifts, storytelling or new traditions of gift shopping, microwaved meals and TV specials, ’ Christmas is different for everyone and has a unique history behind all of its traditions. Bryce Delay can be reached at arg-arts@uidaho.edu
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Twelve cookies of Christmas
“Sugar cookies, because it’s a family tradition to make them for Santa every year. Everyone gets together to decorate them.” Cassie Brandt
“Gingersnaps dunked in eggnog. It gives a warm feeling in a cold environment.” Victor Atkinson
“I love soft gingersnaps. They are small and flavorful, but not too sweet. The batter also tastes amazing and it’s easy to make.” Anna Mitchell
“Gingerbread cookies. Every year my sister’s mom makes them for me and every year they are so amazing that I wish everyday was Christmas.” Bekah Whitney
“Chocolate chip fresh from the oven that are slightly gooey.” Charlene Hunter
“Eggnog brownies. It’s not really a cookie, but I like them this time of year.” Nick Hall
“Oreo cookie balls. I only get them around this time of year, so it makes them kind of special.” Tyler Chmieleski
“Snickerdoodles. They are the best cookie ever.” Curtis Walker
claire whitley | rawr
The best cookies to leave out for Santa Claus this year claire whitley rawr Around the holidays, cookies become one of the most contested foods. Some people even go so far as to have bakeoffs to determine who has the best cookies. Cookies represent the holiday season just as much as trees, Santa Claus and the Grinch. The smell of cookies baking in the oven bring back memories from all areas of people’s lives. People love to indulge in these small pleasures. However, with this indulgence sometimes comes a sense of guilt. University of Idaho dietician Marissa Rudley said that there are some ways to make the traditional Christmas cookies less of a guilty pleasure. Rudley said that biscotti is a great holiday cookie. It has less sugar and fat than most cookies and are really
versatile. Rudley has made orange biscotti with cranberries and almond slivers as well as espresso chocolate biscotti with almonds. “People don’t really like messing with something so traditional,” Rudley said. However, she said there are several ways to substitute ingredients for each other that will not detract from the flavor of a cookie. It is important to remember to try and experiment, but to experiment with subtle substitutions, Rudley said. Some substitutions included combining flaxseed and water as an egg binder, Greek yogurt instead of sour cream or fruit purees in place of some oil. She also suggested instead of using all white flour, to try to substitute half of the recipe with white whole wheat flour. “It still gives the tender baked product and it won’t look like you made the cook-
ies with whole wheat flour,” Rudley said. It is important to remember the rule is substitution not elimination, she said. “When you take something away, be sure to add something of just about equal flavor,” Rudley said. “It’s like a canvas. Take a little butter from here, add a little coconut oil, a little olive oil or something to make it just a little bit more nutritious.” Sugar is an exception, she said. Most cookie recipes have an overabundance of sugar anyway, but fruit can make a good substitution for sugar if sweetness is still wanted. “It’s not about depriving yourself for the holidays either,” Rudley said. “Don’t go overboard. If you try to do four substitutions in once recipe Grandma’s sugar cookies are not going to taste like Grandma’s sugar cookies.” Claire Whitley can be reached at arg-arts@uidaho.edu
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New Year’s resolutions 2014
kelsey hart rawr Every year, people make New Year’s resolutions. Some involve shaking old habits, forming new ones, creating a new identity or working on personality characteristics. Here’s what some University of Idaho students have to say about their New Year’s Resolution.
“My resolution is fulfilling my math requirement by passing Stats 121, also to keep exercising and stay healthy.” “I want to eat healthier and eat less candy.”
Will Symons
Jessica Spraktes
“This year, my New Year’s resolution is to not take an elevator or escalator.”
“My New Year’s resolution would probably be to get more into athletic TV. “
Amy Owings Ellen Kaasik
“I don’t really make New Year’s resolutions, because I don’t see anyone follow through with them.”
“I would like to get all As next semester and lose the freshman 15.”
Levi Lobato Bailey Luna
“Umm … to not eat chocolate.”
“My resolution is to lose 10 pounds.”
Bree Romeo
Catie Roggio
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Events calendar 7:30 p.m. – “A Christmas Carol” presented by the UI Theatre department at the UI Hartung Theater 8 p.m.- “RUSH” presented by Vandal Entertainment in the Borah Theater
Sunday, Dec. 15
Friday, Dec. 13
illustration by jesse keener | rawr
12 p.m.- Friday Crafternoons at the UI Women’s Center 6:30 p.m.- Late Night Lounge at the Campus Christian Center 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.“RUSH” presented by Vandal Entertainment at the Borah Theater 7:30 p.m. – “A Christmas Carol” presented by the UI Theatre department at the UI Hartung Theater 8 p.m.- Jazz Choir’s holiday concert at the ASUI Kibbie Dome 8 p.m.- “Wadjda” at the Kenworthy
Saturday, Dec. 14 2 p.m.- “A Christmas Carol” presented by the UI Theatre department at the UI Hartung Theater 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.“Wadjda” at the Kenworthy
2 p.m.- “A Christmas Carol” presented by the UI Theatre department at the UI Hartung Theater 3 p.m.- “RUSH” presented by Vandal Entertainment in the Borah Theater 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. “Wadjda” at the Kenworthy
Monday, Dec. 16 Fall Finals Week
Wednesday, Dec. 18 12 p.m.- Daytime Distractions in the Idaho Commons 7:30 p.m.- Kenworthy Behind the Screen: Reader’s Theater presents “A Child Christmas in Whales. 9 p.m.- Women’s climbing night at the Student Recreation Center
Thursday, Dec. 19 10 a.m.- Fall book buy back at the VandalStore 7 p.m.- “It’s a Wonderful Life” at the Kenworthy
Friday, Dec. 20 Last day of Fall Semester 7 p.m.- “It’s a Wonderful Life” at the Kenworthy
“Chionophobia”
Dhe R WOof t EK
E W
The fear of snow.
illustration by shane wellner | rawr
After looking out the window and seeing an army of snowmen glaring at him, Ryan ran and hid in his closet to suppress his chionophobia.
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FALL2013 GRADS Get ready to throw your cap! Idaho Commons: 885 . 2667 info@uidaho.edu
Student Union: 885 . 4636 www.sub.uidaho.edu