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  • The charming exterior of Butter and Fold attracts many customers at all hours of business. From the elegant teal and gold color scheme to the waft of freshly baked breads, it’s impossible to simply pass by without taking a peek inside.

    A&E

    Butter and Fold: The perfect place to satisfy your pastry cravings this fall

  • At the Olivas Links Golf Course, on Sept. 21, 2023, the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) girls golf team faced off in a league match against Bishop Diego. The Dragons played well and won the match with an overall score of 249-303. Pictured above, Maddie Wicks 26 concentrates as she putts her ball toward the pin, finishing hole five with three over par.

    Latest

    Recap: Girls’ golf takes Bishop Diego 249-303

  • On Sept. 22, 2023, Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) competed in their first Tri-County Athletic (TCAA) league meet. Foothill Tech races with five girls on varsity, including Danika Swanson-Rico 25, Bennett Rodman 26, Kalea Eggertsen 26, Emma Anderson 26 and Isabella Efner 25. They warm-up on the start line, exchanging words of encouragement and waiting for the queue to begin the race.

    Cross Country

    Cross country starts off strong at first league meet of the 2023 season

  • With beloved melodies and nostalgic anthems dating back over a decade, fans and general audience members alike enjoy singing along to her award-winning album, Fearless, from 2008.

    A&E

    The Eras Tour: an adventure spanning 17 years of music 

  • On Sept. 21, 2023, Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) boys water polo hosted a home game against their opponent Malibu High School (Malibu). With lots of splashing, Ethan Ortiz 24 attempts to find an open teammate to give Foothill Tech an advantage to win their league match.

    Boys' Water Polo

    Recap: Boys’ water polo bested by Malibu

  • Students of Foothill Tech try to make button pins of their own design at Back to School Night. This college and career class provides an opportunity to learn life skills and creativity.

    Latest

    Foothill Tech welcomes parents and guardians at Back to School Night 2023

  • In the teen show “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” an adaption of the popular Young Adult novel, protagonist Belly Conklin navigates her love life in a triangle between brothers Jeremiah and Conrad Fisher.

    A&E

    “The Summer I Turned Pretty”: In Defense of the Fisher Boys

  • During F.I.R.E and lunch, members of the Associated Student Body worked hard to prepare an assembly line of delicious In-N-Out for the Class of 2024.

    Latest

    Class of 2024 connects through In-N-Out Burger and festivities

  • On the sunny afternoon of Sept. 19, 2023 girls tennis played against the Villanova Preparatory (Villanova) School Wildcats. The tennis team huddles together and chants in a pregame ritual before beginning their matches.

    Girls' Tennis

    Girls’ tennis triumphs over Villanova in first league match

  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the much anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed and beloved video game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Announced in 2019 by Nintendo at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, Tears of the Kingdom was released on May 12, 2023 after nearly four years of waiting. Since its release, the game has been met with widespread acclaim from critics and fans alike. The game directly follows the events of its predecessor, building upon them and expanding an already immense world. Writer Kelly Quinn shares his thoughts.

    A&E

    “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” is victory for gaming

  • The three cakes that were reviewed were Lemon, Pumpkin Spice and Red Velvet all topped with a generous amount of cream cheese frosting.

    A&E

    A dive into Nothing Bundt Cakes: America’s largest specialty cake company

  • Comprising of 12 songs, Olivia Rodrigos new album GUTS is her second studio album and was released on Sept. 8, 2023. Rodrigos first studio album, SOUR, released in 2021, was critically acclaimed and beloved by fans, making her second album long anticipated. Writer Isheeta Pal takes on the task of listening to GUTS and reviewing it, delving into its key themes and messaging.

    A&E

    Album Anatomy: “GUTS”

  • A sign displayed in the store highlights the unique vendors in the store as well as promoting shopping from local artists.

    A&E

    Hey! Friends shows Ventura why shopping locally matters

  • Christopher Nolan hits it out of the park once again with his brilliantly done biopic about the man who invented the atom bomb, Oppenheimer.

    A&E

    “Oppenheimer” is a mind-blowingly impactful film

  • In Laufey’s latest album “Bewitched,” released on Sept. 8, 2023, she brings a jazzy and soothing take on the journey of love. Following the success of her previous album, “Everything I Know About Love,” her sophomore album comprises 14 songs, each bringing their own unique spin that is sure to bewitch the listener. Join writer Lily Toreja as she reviews each song and delves into their individual meanings.

    A&E

    Album Anatomy: “Bewitched” by Laufey

  • On the eventful evening of Sept. 14, 2023, the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) Dragons faced off against Cate in their third league match. The matchup was very even and came down to the fifth and final set in which the Dragons were unable to secure the win. After bouncing and hitting the ball to set her rhythm, Malia Gray ‘24 (number 9) goes to serve, as her teammates and her alike hope for the best.

    Girls' Volleyball

    Girls’ volleyball endures a hard loss against Cate

  • Jackson Basurto ‘24 and Alfred “Mason” Borkowski ‘24 are in full recruitment mode as students pass by their table. The club offered a fun way to engage with other students while doing something they all enjoy.

    Events

    Dragons find their connection at Club Rush 2023

  • On the afternoon of Sept. 14, 2023, the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) girls golf faced off against La Reina at the Olivas Links Golf Course. Maddie Wicks ‘26 tees it up with hopes of sticking it close to pin and hopefully having a birdie opportunity. Wicks finished hole six with a double bogey and finished the entire course with a 56.

    Girls' Golf

    Foothill Tech defeats La Reina in league match

  • Isabella De La Rosa 24 (number 3) and Charlis Swezy 27 (number 1) block from the net, while Malia Gray 24 (number 9) and Morgan Houston 25 (number 2) stay behind to cover any unexpected plays from the other team.

    Girls' Volleyball

    Girls’ volleyball spiked on by St. Bonaventure

  • Students hit the ground running as the 2023-2024 school year picks up its pace. With this years You Belong Week taking place Sept. 11-15, 2023, as well as Club Rush on Sept. 15, 2023, Dragons are busy keeping up with all the events.

    FDP-TV

    FDP-TV: Season 2, Episode 2

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The “War on Christmas” is bunk

Credit%3A+Coca-Cola+Christmas+poster%2C+Belfast+%28December+2014%29+by+Albert+Bridge+is+licensed+under+CC+BY-SA+2.0
Credit: “Coca-Cola Christmas poster, Belfast (December 2014)” by Albert Bridge is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Alarm over the supposed “war on Christmas” harmonizes with the holiday season in the same way that empty resolutions to “exercise more and eat less” do the new year. Never before in America have members of such a dominant religious majority (Christianity) exhibited this level of outrage and undeserved indignance.

We have freedom of worship, the ability for Christian store owners to fire employees for being gay and the assurance of walking into a business knowing that you’ll hear some type of Christmas music, yet I’m supposed to believe that not only is there a war, but that Christmas is somehow losing?

The case of a Washington court preventing the Catholic archdiocese from advertising its “Find the Perfect Gift” campaign on city buses is this year’s attack on Christmas—because there’s obviously no other way for a religious organization exempt from income and property taxes to promote a campaign. I guess the internet and social media don’t exist. No means of advertising is as indispensable as the backside of a bus, right?

Let’s assume that people screaming “war on Christmas” aren’t religious Fundamentalists looking to play the victims. Say they’re simply concerned that materialism is too embellished in the holiday while the religious aspect is ignored. Millennials would at least appear to be the culprits of the abandonment of God.

According to Pew Research Center, Millennials see Christmas as “more cultural than religious,” contrasting with more religiously-inclined older generations. However, there the gap closes. Compared with figures of other age groups, the same percentage of Millennials report celebrating Christmas, getting a tree, gathering with family, buying gifts and caroling. When people say there’s a “war on Christmas”, they likely mean a “war on faith” if the culture, practices and every non-religious aspect of the holiday remain uneroded.

If the problem is purely commercialism, then the aggrieved hosts on Fox News should be shedding tears of joy. Reaping profit from the holidays is a pastime of the free market that grows more obvious each year due to the new ways that companies can overwhelm consumers with advertisements. The day of consumer indulgence—Black Friday—marks the beginning of the season.

In fact, the most godless crime in the war on Christmas is committed on the capitalist forefront: store owners choosing to say “happy holidays” over “merry Christmas” as to not assume the religion of their patrons. What business does any theocrat have in how a private enterprise conducts itself? Should the government mandate that Walmart and Dollar Tree say “merry Christmas?” Such a measure would contradict the conservative mantra of “don’t tread on me” and the secularism America was founded on.

There shouldn’t be a popularity quota for Christmas or the Christian faith. Religion is slowly declining in America; freedom of worship also entails freedom not to worship. An actual “war” brings to mind malicious intent—a grandiose plan to wipe out the opposition. As a Christian, no underground network of non-Christians are persecuting, silencing, burning, or beheading you for practicing your religion (leave that to Saudi Arabia). With 81% of non-Christians celebrating Christmas, it’s more like Christmas is waging a war against everything else (minus the beheadings).

In his speech at the Values Voters Summit, President Donald Trump once again tried pandering to the religious right. “We’re getting towards that beautiful Christmas season that people don’t talk about anymore,”he claimed shortly after calling to end the “attacks on Judeo-Christian values.” Odd that a country with a 92 percent rate of Christmas celebration would be so averse to talking about it. This is because it isn’t—which is why Trump’s narrative didn’t convince anyone. If this imaginary “war on Christmas” concept squeaks its way into another mainstream news segment in Christmas of 2018, we may have a serious contender on our hands for the oppression Olympics.

 

Image Credit: “Coca-Cola Christmas poster, Belfast (December 2014)” by Albert Bridge is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

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