by Mary Polleys
½ cup school spirit
1 cup catchy tunes
¼ cool dance moves
2 tablespoons cute boys
1 teaspoon Disney magic
And voila! The phenomenon that is High School Musical is born. And if you think only children through pre-teens are entranced by the film, think again. High schoolers, to college students, to fully developed adults fall prey to its trap.
Just saying the name High School Musical immediately prompts an outbreak of “We’re All in This Together,” by some fan or another. Zac Efron as Troy Bolton, practically household names due to the Disney channels far reaching influence.
Disney is even already advertising a High School Musical sequel, where the viewers supposedly get a choice in the major twists in the plot.
So what made this Disney movie so much more successful than the others? The fact that it was a musical was surely a factor, seeing as most Disney channel originals are not musicals. The story line seemed far more thought out, and the actors more carefully chosen, naturally because they had to act, sing (or pretend like they were), and dance.
High School Musical is the Grease of our generation. The story is of a boy and a girl, who meet on a vacation outside of school and (go figure) end up singing. The boy however, is the captain of the basketball team and doesn’t want his buddies to know that he’s found a new passion in singing. They have to overcome the cliques formed at their high school (“Break Free,” so to speak) to achieve their goals and end up together again for the happy ending. Sound familiar?
Despite its similarity to Grease and predictable nature, it has become the kind of movie that you watch over and over again, while memorizing the lyrics and learning the dance moves. Ipods allow you to have the entire songs complete with music videos with you at all times, and many people take advantage of that opportunity.
If you tune into popular adolescent shows at all, you’d know a couple of the characters from the shows. Sharpay is also known as Ashley Tisdale who is also known as Maddie on The Suite Life of Zach and Cody. Troy Bolton, also known as Zac Efron, played a supporting role of Summerland, a television show that also starred music star Jesse McCartney. Chad Danforth, also known as Corbin Bleu, went on to star in the Disney Channel original movie Jump In! With their all star cast and award winning director and choreographer Kenny Ortega, money machine High School Musical will not soon be forgotten.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
by Mary Polleys
The new Harry Potter movie, based off of the 5th book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix of the series is scheduled to hit theatres July 13, 2007.
Daniel Radcliffe, the original actor cast to play Harry Potter, remains on the scene as well as Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger).
Newly cast is the actress to play Cho, the girl which in the novels, was supposed to be present in every year up until now, but has been MIA in the films. Those who also read the novels know that this year is the book in which Harry gets his first kiss, with Cho, which makes her a very important casting choice. True Harry Potter fans will be waiting for that scene.
Also introduced in the new movie is Dolores Umbridge, a perfectly detestable character, played by award winning actress Imelda Staunton who also played Mrs. Blatherwick in the movie Nanny McPhee.
The rest of the returning actors include Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall, Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid, and Michael Gambon as Albus Dunbledore who has played in the series beginning with Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire.
As most Harry Potter fans hope, the fifth installment of the movie portrayal should follow that of the book very closely. As Dolores Umbridge takes control of Hogwarts, Harry’s world begins to fall apart. The question is, will Harry be able to save the day, or will he have to sacrifice the life he has been dreaming of?
Also in question is the fate of the beloved series. Will the series end after the formerly projected seven novels, or will the success drive the series on for more of Harry’s life after Hogwarts? If J.K. Rowling does decidedly end the series, will she end Harry’s life in the process? As proven in previous books in the series, Rowling will stop at nothing to shock her readers. The title of the seventh, and perhaps final, book of the series is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which leans toward an unhappy ending for the students of Hogwarts and the fans of the imaginative series.
However, the fans won’t be entirely without Mr. Potter if the series ends, because the three main actors for the movie portrayal have already been signed and announced for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows scheduled to enter theatres in 2008 and 2010 respectively.
The new Harry Potter movie, based off of the 5th book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix of the series is scheduled to hit theatres July 13, 2007.
Daniel Radcliffe, the original actor cast to play Harry Potter, remains on the scene as well as Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger).
Newly cast is the actress to play Cho, the girl which in the novels, was supposed to be present in every year up until now, but has been MIA in the films. Those who also read the novels know that this year is the book in which Harry gets his first kiss, with Cho, which makes her a very important casting choice. True Harry Potter fans will be waiting for that scene.
Also introduced in the new movie is Dolores Umbridge, a perfectly detestable character, played by award winning actress Imelda Staunton who also played Mrs. Blatherwick in the movie Nanny McPhee.
The rest of the returning actors include Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall, Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid, and Michael Gambon as Albus Dunbledore who has played in the series beginning with Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire.
As most Harry Potter fans hope, the fifth installment of the movie portrayal should follow that of the book very closely. As Dolores Umbridge takes control of Hogwarts, Harry’s world begins to fall apart. The question is, will Harry be able to save the day, or will he have to sacrifice the life he has been dreaming of?
Also in question is the fate of the beloved series. Will the series end after the formerly projected seven novels, or will the success drive the series on for more of Harry’s life after Hogwarts? If J.K. Rowling does decidedly end the series, will she end Harry’s life in the process? As proven in previous books in the series, Rowling will stop at nothing to shock her readers. The title of the seventh, and perhaps final, book of the series is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which leans toward an unhappy ending for the students of Hogwarts and the fans of the imaginative series.
However, the fans won’t be entirely without Mr. Potter if the series ends, because the three main actors for the movie portrayal have already been signed and announced for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows scheduled to enter theatres in 2008 and 2010 respectively.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Spring sports start up again
By Chelsey Monks
Recently spring sports have started up again. High school athletes are into their old ritual of waking up early… really early, then off to school where our brains almost explode, then stay after to make things up, tests, quizzes, etc. And then off to practice for two to three hours of running, catching, throwing, and hitting, then home to take a shower to wash the sweat off, eat dinner, and do homework. Teen lives are absolutely crazy and the fact that parents complain about being tired is crazy. It may seem cliché but they couldn’t stand one day in our shoes. School is getting harder every year and the stress of getting into a good college or university doesn’t seem to help. Parents, coaches, teachers, and friends all challenge our patience and its not our fault that sometimes we explode. Wouldn’t you? Balancing a good relationship with parents, keeping on good terms with teachers, playing hard for coaches, and dealing with the ever so difficult social life is making me dizzy just talking about it.
However, at the end of the season and the school year and after finals are over, students are ready to embrace the summer. Thank goodness we have two months to collect ourselves before the cycle starts over again, if not I think all us teens would be basket cases by now.
“I have a bomb”
by Ryan Hennigan
Graffiti in the boys bathroom read “I have a bomb” on Wednesday March 27. Oh Joy, here we go again…
A code yellow, a police squad, bomb dogs, a hired detective, and an arrest were among the chaotic events that followed. And all over a small little note written in a stall right next to “Mike was here” and “50 cent sucks”.
The bottom line is someone needs to put an end to this. There needs to be another solution for events like these that don’t include bomb dogs. As long as there are kids who are looking for a day off of school, there will always be fake bomb threats. The reality is, if a person was considering bombing a school, they most likely would not let it be publicly known or at least not in script it in the bathroom stalls.
While I realize that a responsible school can not ignore the occurrence, I believe that there is a better and less disruptive way of going about it. For instance, the school could acquire a ready detective to access the seriousness of similar events. The detective could be given the authority to decide upon whether or not the threat is worth taking serious action. This would prevent the inevitable chaos that occurs every time some derelict decides to vandalize the bathrooms.
While I don’t believe this put an end to the threats or the chaos, I do think it would greatly reduce the occurrences. The school is giving the culprit exactly what he wants when they flip out and call the police or call school off. With the possibility of this being eliminated, students would have less motivation to take part in this type of ridiculous behavior.
The student-athlete’s life
by Nicholas Papadopolous
Homework causes student severe stress and causes them to live hectic day-to-day lives. In a poll taken about how much homework students have per night, I asked 15 student athletes and 2/3 of them said they have around two hours of homework each night.
With an average practice starting at 2:30 and ending at 5:30, student-athletes aren’t having enough free time to relax from their silly lives. After getting home at 6:00, students are eating, then doing homework, then showering, then going to bed, only to repeat the day tomorrow.
There aren’t many solutions coaches or teachers have about this problem. Many coaches urge their players to do some of their homework before practice, then yell at them when they lose track of time. Teachers often say “It should only take you half of an hour”, but when all six teachers say this, it adds up pretty fast.
I myself play High School hockey and baseball in the winter and spring respectively. Sometimes, I find that I forget to do some of my homework because I am too busy worrying about tomorrows game or today’s practice. Some of my teachers don’t understand the amount of pressure us student-athletes have to handle our lives.
On nights where the student-athlete has a project, an essay, a gorilla, and a book report due the next day, they can suffer academically and physically. Sometimes, I am forced to skip "South Park" just so I am not staying up until 1 a.m. finishing my homework.
Since there are no reasonable solutions to the problem at hand, the student athlete can do nothing but complain and try to survive.
Homework causes student severe stress and causes them to live hectic day-to-day lives. In a poll taken about how much homework students have per night, I asked 15 student athletes and 2/3 of them said they have around two hours of homework each night.
With an average practice starting at 2:30 and ending at 5:30, student-athletes aren’t having enough free time to relax from their silly lives. After getting home at 6:00, students are eating, then doing homework, then showering, then going to bed, only to repeat the day tomorrow.
There aren’t many solutions coaches or teachers have about this problem. Many coaches urge their players to do some of their homework before practice, then yell at them when they lose track of time. Teachers often say “It should only take you half of an hour”, but when all six teachers say this, it adds up pretty fast.
I myself play High School hockey and baseball in the winter and spring respectively. Sometimes, I find that I forget to do some of my homework because I am too busy worrying about tomorrows game or today’s practice. Some of my teachers don’t understand the amount of pressure us student-athletes have to handle our lives.
On nights where the student-athlete has a project, an essay, a gorilla, and a book report due the next day, they can suffer academically and physically. Sometimes, I am forced to skip "South Park" just so I am not staying up until 1 a.m. finishing my homework.
Since there are no reasonable solutions to the problem at hand, the student athlete can do nothing but complain and try to survive.
AP Fees
by Kerry Richards
The time has finally arrived for us to pay our dues for AP exams. How much does it cost for a student to try to go above and beyond? That’s right, 83 dollars every time a student tries to go beyond just the average. What is that for the three exams I have to take this year? 249 dollars.
How is this fair in any way? Because we, as students, choose to take classes that go above the norm, we are required to pay astronomical amounts for testing. Along with the fees for SAT’s, SAT II’s, and the ACT, of course. Sure, everyone claims it will save us on college tuition in the long run. However, I frankly don't see this happening. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel completely unprepared for any of my AP exams. There is just so much material to cover and practically no time left until exams. It seems utterly hopeless to hope for a four, let alone a five. It is possible, it’s been done, and at Pembroke no less, but that doesn't ease the fear that I've just wasted 249 dollars.
It seems as if this is a cost Pembroke High should attempt to cover. I understand that that is a lot of money. However, it seems unfair to make students pay this fee. Isn’t there some way to raise this money in a much better way? There must be a way through fundraisers or the such.
The time has finally arrived for us to pay our dues for AP exams. How much does it cost for a student to try to go above and beyond? That’s right, 83 dollars every time a student tries to go beyond just the average. What is that for the three exams I have to take this year? 249 dollars.
Next year, with my five exams, that comes to 415 dollars.415 dollars!! That’s three months of car insurance payments, 18 dinners at a restaurant, almost seven weeks worth of work.
How is this fair in any way? Because we, as students, choose to take classes that go above the norm, we are required to pay astronomical amounts for testing. Along with the fees for SAT’s, SAT II’s, and the ACT, of course. Sure, everyone claims it will save us on college tuition in the long run. However, I frankly don't see this happening. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel completely unprepared for any of my AP exams. There is just so much material to cover and practically no time left until exams. It seems utterly hopeless to hope for a four, let alone a five. It is possible, it’s been done, and at Pembroke no less, but that doesn't ease the fear that I've just wasted 249 dollars.
It seems as if this is a cost Pembroke High should attempt to cover. I understand that that is a lot of money. However, it seems unfair to make students pay this fee. Isn’t there some way to raise this money in a much better way? There must be a way through fundraisers or the such.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Term Ending Blog
by Katie Jochems
Now that terms have closed and I’m getting my grade for each class I’ve realized how bad it’s getting. I am slowly spiraling into the end-of-the-year student who does work merely to get a passing grade. I guess you could call it bare minimum. The worst part is, I really don’t feel too concerned with how this year is going to finish, and I have faith that I can end the school year with a passing grade in each class.
I don’t quite know what to call this because it’s the first year that I’ve had such a procrastination problem. Maybe I have an early case of senioritis, which doesn’t bring much hope for next year. I’m finding it way to comfortable to push things off until last minute, and my grades don’t seem to show that I’m struggling or anything, so the mystery illness continues. Junior year is coming to a close and I hope that as it does this motivation, or the lack thereof, doesn’t get any worse or my grades will begin to slip. And hey, vacation is only a couple weeks way, so why push myself to the brink when I can have all vacation week to catch up on work? Yep, this is getting bad.
by Katie Jochems
Now that terms have closed and I’m getting my grade for each class I’ve realized how bad it’s getting. I am slowly spiraling into the end-of-the-year student who does work merely to get a passing grade. I guess you could call it bare minimum. The worst part is, I really don’t feel too concerned with how this year is going to finish, and I have faith that I can end the school year with a passing grade in each class.
I don’t quite know what to call this because it’s the first year that I’ve had such a procrastination problem. Maybe I have an early case of senioritis, which doesn’t bring much hope for next year. I’m finding it way to comfortable to push things off until last minute, and my grades don’t seem to show that I’m struggling or anything, so the mystery illness continues. Junior year is coming to a close and I hope that as it does this motivation, or the lack thereof, doesn’t get any worse or my grades will begin to slip. And hey, vacation is only a couple weeks way, so why push myself to the brink when I can have all vacation week to catch up on work? Yep, this is getting bad.
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