Winter Wonderland

Aftershock

Aftershock,
by Kristine Hansen

Click on the image below to see Kristine Hansen’s wonderful Prezi review of the movie Aftershock, which she composed for an assignment in Film Studies. (Tip: click on “More” and toggle to full screen for the full effect.)

Exchange Students vs. Normal People

Exchange Students vs. Normal People
by Maya Littlefield

(editor’s note: in the interests of gentle humor, this compare/contrast piece is deliberately exaggerated)

Have you ever walked into school on the first day of the school year, seen a new kid and thought to yourself, “Wow! They do not look like they’re from around here….”? When you examine them more closely, you see that they are wearing skinny jeans and a faded t-shirt that has the name of a 90’s indie rock band on it. The back of the t-shirt is covered in tour dates, but all the locations are places like Hamburg, Germany, Florence, Italy and Paris, France. “They’re cool,” you think, as they finally say something like “I’m ‘wisiting’ from Germany,” confirming your assumption that they are, in fact, an exchange student.  When you get to talking to exchange students you find out that they have traveled to lots of exotic places, read many exciting books and have some fascinating things to say. Although some people may deny it, exchange students are more intellectually interesting than their boring counterparts.

Normal people often like to discuss things such as diversity that make them feel cultured and smart. But really, they have no idea what the word “diversity” even means. Exchange students, on the other hand, have experienced diversity first hand. They have lived under the same roof as people from all over the world. They have had to adapt to new and interesting customs that they sometimes find completely bizarre. Most exchange students also hang out with other exchange students, and therefore make friends from many different countries. This means they learn customs from one another’s countries as well and create an even greater cultural understanding. Normal people have never really had the opportunity to experience diversity the way exchange students have, but still seem to think that they can discuss it, even they really have very little idea what they are talking about.

Like diversity, exchange students also understand anguish much more wholly than normal people. This again is because they’ve experienced it. They’ve had so say “see you soon” to their friends and family with their eyes filled full of tears. Normal people may have had to say goodbye to the ones they love before, but would most likely be seeing them again in a few months. Exchange students have to say goodbye to everyone, knowing they will not see them again for an entire year. Have you ever had the urge to hug someone, but the computer screen got in the way? Probably not, but an exchange student has. Sometimes all exchange students want is a hug from their mom, or maybe their best friend, but it’s not possible because they are thousands of miles from home.  If a normal person were to say something having to do with anguish to an exchange student, the exchange student might just laugh.

Exchange students are also more fun to be around than normal people. They usually have a lack of self-consciousness making them extremely fun to hang out with at parties. While the normal people are talking to one another in small groups trying not to draw too much attention to themselves, the exchange students are running around trying to meet as many people they can, dancing on tables, and yelling things to people in their funny accents.  Exchange students also like to adventure. They often find themselves wandering the streets of an unfamiliar city at two a.m. with other foreigners. Normal people might say that this is too dangerous, but exchange students don’t care. They want to have fun and explore their new country.

While both exchange students and normal people are most of the time very curious people, exchange students have taken their curiosity to the next level. They have followed their dream of exploring the world, and doing so has made them the interesting people they are. Upon meeting exchange student you will find out that they have explored many other countries in the past, but wanted to really experience living in a different culture. So next time you meet an exchange student, why not have a conversation with them? They may prove to be one of the most interesting people you have ever met.

My Hair

My Hair
by Addie Kramer

My hair and I have a love-hate relationship though, to be honest, it tends toward the hate side. My locks have been unruly since my hair first started growing and it seems evident that they will stay that way until it stops.

As soon as my hair was long enough, my forehead was adorned with a single, silky curl. It grew from there, reaching beyond my hips within a few years. By then, it was a long, carefree, tangled mess. It lost its wispiness and was now full on crazy. I still remember sitting in front of my couch before going to daycare, my mom yanking a brush through my matted hair.

She told me stories of her mom doing the same thing and telling her that she was screaming “so loud all of the neighbors can hear”. I got my dark, curly hair from my mom. Though hers is so dark some consider it black, it is our most similar feature. It is actually one of our only similar features. Our curly hair seems to be so defining that, despite our dissimilarities, people always say we look a lot alike.

I hated getting my hair brushed, and I would complain so much she threatened to cut my hair off many times. Once at the age of five, after seeing my friend with an adorable bob haircut, I begged my mom to give the same to me. I was so naïve, unaware of the horrors of short, un-layered curly hair. I looked like the woman from the Dilbert cartoons for a year.

At the moment, my hair hits just above my shoulders. There are clear “s” patterns along my temples, formed from coaxing my curls into finger waves for last spring’s play. Beneath that, the pattern is much less predictable. My ringlets are nowhere near as perfect as they used to be. The only control comes from an arsenal of hair products. There are products to tame frizz and products to define the curls. Most of the time, it is pulled back in a ponytail or bun to hide the craziness it has become. I still have a hard time believing that people spend loads of money to make their hair curly. Anyone is welcome to have mine.

Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad
by Eli Saffell

For many people, the thrill that is experienced when one breaks the law is a very pleasurable and addictive sensation. It’s possible that a similar sensation is evoked from simply watching someone break the law, especially when that person is seemingly unlikely to do so. The popularity and high acclaim of the television series Breaking Bad could certainly show testament to this statement. But of course, the plot of this show is not the only factor that has driven this series to such insurmountable success. Along with the plot, the character interaction, character development, and moral ambiguity that is portrayed in Breaking Bad all play significant roles in the success of this series.

Breaking Bad is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico in a middle-class suburb. Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher, learns he has stage 3A lung cancer and is given a maximum of two years to live. Having experienced financial issues for years, Walter is worried about leaving his unemployed wife, disabled son, and newborn baby in an overwhelming amount of debt. Through a series of events, Walter is exposed to the methamphetamine drug trade and the amount of money that can be made. He conjures up the idea of producing and selling the drug in order to leave his family financially sound. After seeing an old student of his, Jesse Pinkman, and his involvement in the drug trade, an unlikely business partnership is made. The rest of the series follows the challenges the two undergo and the results of Walter’s decision to sell meth.

The relationship between Walter and Jesse is dysfunctional to describe it mildly. However, it is one that captures the attention of its audience and leaves viewers wondering what will happen next. Walter and Jesse have virtually no common ground. Jesse is a careless, ignorant, meth addict with, ironically, very little knowledge of producing methamphetamine. Walter, on the other hand, is a meticulous, yet desperate chemist. Walter fulfills Jesse’s needs because he knows the chemistry needed to produce very pure, high-grade meth. Jesse provides Walter with inside connections and knowledge of unspoken rules of the drug trade. However, the two hardly ever get along. Jesse’s carelessness causes many detrimental events and setbacks to the progress of the plan. For example, after Walter and Jesse drive out to the desert in their RV to cook two pounds of meth, Jesse, without thinking, leaves the key in the ignition which drains the battery. The two are stuck out in the desert with no contact and very little food. After Walter attempts to jumpstart the RV, a fire ignites and once again, Jesse’s carelessness intrudes. He dumps their entire water supply on the fire, leaving them stuck, without food or water. Mistakes like these occur frequently, creating a very defective, high-stress relationship between the two characters. This relationship, and the basis for the relationship, makes for an extremely intriguing and unpredictable interaction.

As the series develops, the audience watches dramatic changes in Walter’s personality. In the very first episodes, Walter comes off as a shy, contained family man, without the conscious ability to run a red light, let alone sell a high grade narcotic. Walter seems to lack confidence. Flashbacks of Walter’s younger ages show a strong, successful chemist with a bright future ahead of him. However, after being betrayed by his partner, Walter loses his company, and with it, his confidence. Walter is now passive and quiet, and tends to be walked on by others, especially by his brother-in-law. He resorts to working as a teacher at a public high school for which he is overqualified. His life seems to have spun to a center of mediocrity while his talents and knowledge show far more promise. The news of his lung cancer seems to be a waking call for Walter. The more he suffers from his cancer and the deeper he falls into the drug trade, the more aggressive and confident Walter becomes. His transformation from a calm, reserved high school teacher to an aggressive drug dealer, capable of murder, truly adds substance and development to the series. This certainly has helped Breaking Bad receive the acclaim it has earned.

The single factor for which Breaking Bad has received much acclaim is the moral ambiguity of Walter White. Walter begins his involvement in methamphetamine producing and distributing so he can earn money for his family before he passes away. Audiences tend to support Walter for getting involved in a risky business so he can leave his family with the financial support that they need. However, as Walter becomes more dedicated and involved in his new endeavor, his intentions and motivation to continue selling meth begin to blur. The nature of his work forces him to lie to his family, which becomes apparent to his wife, Skylar. This causes issues within their marriage and eventually leads them to a divorce. Also, due to the commitment of his work, he begins to spend less and less time with his family and even misses the birth of his daughter, Holly, so that he can follow through with a drug trade. The reason for which he begins selling meth becomes the very same thing he begins to neglect: his family. Even more shocking is the fact that even after the divorce, Walter continues to fall deeper and deeper into the trade. Audiences tend to support Walter’s initial reasoning for becoming a drug dealer, however, it seems he becomes attached to the thrill of the lifestyle and the rewards that can be obtained. He becomes a man willing to do nearly anything, including murder, in order to keep his positioning within the practice. Even after he has earned more than enough money to support his family’s needs and wants he is still reluctant to abandon his new lifestyle. It is as if his family is no longer the main priority. He simply is addicted to his new way of life. This change in moral standings creates ambiguity within the character and forces the audience to question Walter’s intentions and priorities.

Breaking Bad has received multiple Emmys and stands as one of the most popular television shows of the past few years. This dark drama series utilizes character interaction and development to capture the attention of its audience. Breaking Bad adds to its compelling plot by creating ambiguity within its main character, Walter. All these factors combine to conjure up an incredible drama that is just as addictive as the drug it portrays.

(all images courtesy AMC)

The Cave

The Cave
by Chelsea Belanger

Every day when I get home from school, the first place I go is my bedroom.  After my sister moved out of the house, I took over her old room, which is directly across the hall from mine.  Before I moved all of my belongings from my old room, my dad and I spent a few days repainting the walls.  I chose black and purple.  The dark colors, which may make the room appear smaller, are soothing to me.  The black and purple contrast with the white blinds covering the window on the back wall, and also with the white carpet.

However, the white carpet is hardly ever seen—or vacuumed—due to the fact that it is most often covered with clothes.  Even though I spend so much time in my room, I rarely muster up the energy to clean it.  In fact, the untidiness of the room earned it the nickname “The Cave.”  The remainder of my clothing—the clothing not bunched up on the floor—is found in the drawers of two dressers, which are located next to the door.  Since I am often in a hurry in the morning, I usually just rip a shirt out the drawer, leaving the drawer with hanging open with other shirts dangling out of it.  Sometimes, when I get home, I’ll tidy up the drawer enough so it will close.  Other times, it will just hang open with clothes still pouring out onto the floor.

The mess is deceiving though.  The room is not a total pigsty; at least it doesn’t smell as bad as it looks.  On top of the dressers are numerous bottles of perfumes and Bath and Body Works brand room sprays.  The overall smell—though I am quite used to it and hardly notice it anymore—happens to be the Twilight Woods scented Bath and Body Works spray.

I also have many of my shirts hanging up in the closet across my room from the dressers.  The rod is bowed in the middle because of the weight of my clothing.  Sometimes, I feel too lazy to hang up all of my freshly washed shirts, so they end up living on my bed in somewhat neat piles—I keep them on the right side, since I usually sleep on the left side of the bed.

My bed stands tucked away in the little nook between my closet and the back wall of my room.  The purple sheets and the bright, multicolored bedspread match the walls perfectly.  When I first come into my room, I immediately make my way toward my bed.  It makes a great place to do my homework after school; I can relax while I focus on getting my work done.  Sleeping at night is so easy for me ever since the walls were repainted—the darkness feels cozy and relaxing to me—and ever since I got a new mattress.  It compares to sleeping on a cloud.  Every morning after my alarm goes off, it is very difficult to force myself to leave the warmth and comfort my bed provides.  But I know I will come back to it later, since I lie in bed every night and watch LA Ink, or Ghost Hunters, on my 32 inch TV that sits on a stand directly across the room.  Both the TV and the stand are covered with layers of dust; on the rare occasion that I do straighten up the room, I always forget to dust and vacuum.

In spite of the seemingly perpetual mess, my room is my comfort zone.  I love the comfortable feeling I get from the dark colors of the walls, and way the bright colors of my bedspread express my personality.  It’s the one room of the house that I can call my own space.  My bedroom—my Cave—is my favorite place to be.

Maggie Rose

Maggie Rose
by Olivia Ursu

“I love you sixteen- five-twenty,” my four year old sister Maggie chirps as I walk in the door every afternoon. After a long day of high school, this is exactly what I need to hear. The soft pitter-patter of her quick footsteps tells me that she will prance, smiling, around the corner sometime within the next 5 seconds. Each day, I find her dressed in a different costume. One day it might be an old tutu of mine, the next it might be an Easter dress from two years ago, the hem of which comes to her knees. Occasionally I will find her wearing what appears to be every article of clothing that she owns; but no matter what outfit she’s chosen, she is the most beautiful person I know.

Maggie has straight blonde hair that falls to her shoulders. Her pale, soft skin is flawless, and freckles dot her tiny nose. Her big brown eyes sparkle under stunningly long eyelashes. Every tear that falls from those eyes breaks my heart. Nothing makes me feel worse than Maggie’s big sad baby tears. On the bright side, the tears she sheds are few and far between as she is generally a happy person.

From her made-up words like “brush-teeth (tooth brush), jamajis (pajamas), and bresket (breakfast)” to her wonderful knock-down hugs, Maggie brightens my every day. She will be the first to tell you that her boyfriend is Troy Bolton from the High School Musical movies and that she loves life because “God made me like that.” I couldn’t imagine life without her and I’m so blessed to have such a joyful person in my life.