While some use advent calendars to count down the days until Christmas, others are counting down until the infamous date of December 21, 2012, the date of the supposed apocalypse.

This date has been sensationalized in the media through movies such as 2012. Sonia Norton (11) said,“It’s really interesting to me to watch so many people believe whole-heartedly that the world is going to end. I guess this whole freak-out shows the power of the mass media.”

Many Sea Kings find the doomsday obsession ridiculous. As early as the Romans, there have been apocalyptic predictions. Krista Galleberg (11) says, “I think it is funny that this particular doomsday scare is getting such a big reaction; there have been tons of similar predictions in the past and clearly nothing has happened. Also, I heard that some people are claiming that we are reading the Mayan calendar wrong and that they were actually predicting a new start for the world. My personal opinion is that the Mayans got bored with making the calendar and just decided to stop.”

However, December 21, 2012 marks another day besides the end of the world: winter break. Antoinette Papesh (11) cheerfully says, “I’m looking forward to spending that Friday in celebration! Goodbye world! Woo! Ahh just kiddin’, I and many others will be celebrating because winter break will have started that day at 12:00 sharp, and that’s quite a beautiful concept.”

My personal opinion is that of my fellow Sea Kings. Stop the stressing, stop the stockpiling of food and supplies, and enjoy the winter break.  To me,  the idea that we are doomed with an apocalyptic fate is irrational.  Once the world does not end on December 21, following the current pattern, there will likely be yet another prediction of an apocalypse with many more to follow. However, my plans for doomsday do not involve bomb shelters, do not involve  battle gear, and do not involve a lifetime supply of canned food. As Jennifer Calderon (11) says, “I will wake up the next morning after celebrating the start of break and I will scream out, ‘Take that! I am still alive! Oh yeah!’” I hope that all Sea Kings will follow her lead.