Advice For Incoming High Schoolers

It is the time of the year when students are beginning to prepare for the next phase in their lives. It is the time when we reflect on our past endeavors and start to focus on new ones. The transition from eighth grade to high school can be an exciting but scary change. The older we get, the less we rely on our parents, and the more we begin to become our own person but this new found power also comes with responsibilities. Although at this stage in our lives, we are probably more than ready to ship off to college and leave our adolescent years in the dust, but it is important that we embrace the present and enjoy it as much as possible.  Here is a list of things to remember as you embark on the journey of high school:

1.       Remember to keep up your grades: although it easy to slack off, always keep in mind that college is important and the choices that you make in high school determine your future

2.       Make the most of your experience- there is a lot to do during your time in high school, try to participate in as much as possible and take advantage of awesome opportunities

3.       Get involved- there are many clubs and activities to join in such as student council, key club, and JSA that not only look good on resumes but are super fun and informative as well

4.       Stay organized- you will get a taste of being responsible for yourself and your things. Teachers are not as lenient if your organization skills are not up to par, so it is important to keep track of your work and make sure you turn it on time. Also, take advantage of renweb!

Water For Elephants Review

            Friday, the film adaptation of the novel Water for Elephants hit theaters.  After reading the book a while ago, I have been eagerly awaiting to see how it would be portrayed onto the silver screen. The film stars Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz, and Hal Holbrook. The movie begins with Jacob Jankowski as an old man reflecting on his voyage with a depression era traveling circus. He flashes back to his college self. While Jacob is taking his final veterinary exam at Cornell, he gets life altering news which causes him to carelessly jump onto a random passing train. Unknowing that jumping onto that train would change his life forever. He soon finds out that he has joined a traveling circus and quickly becomes one of the circus hands. He begins to fall for the circus’ star attraction Marlena who happens to be August, the ring leader’s wife. Tension starts to build as Marlena and Jacob start to fall in love and we learn that August is an angry lunatic.

            What really stood out to me in the film was the cinematography. They really personified the scenery and atmosphere of a depression era traveling circus and it was obvious that attention to detail was greatly considered. The book focused more on the growing plot rather than the details of the setting. Surprisingly the acting was a little flat. I was disappointed with Reese Witherspoon’s insipid performance as the caring Marlena as it was not noteworthy. I though Robert Pattinson played Jacob Jankowski awkwardly well. As far as the romance between them goes, I felt it was a bit rushed and unbelievable. It did not gradually grow into a love affair as it did in the novel. What really kept me watching was Christoph Waltz’s performance. He plays the schizophrenic “bad guy” exceptionally well. So well in fact, you feel obligated to root against him.

            Over all I thought the movie was a good adaptation of the book. It was not drawn out, but it stayed exciting throughout especially with the help of a few scenes that were added for dramatic affect. It did the book justice and was entertaining to watch.

Key Club Visits Clean the World Headquarters

A few months ago, the Academy at the Lakes Key Club discovered an organization called Clean the World. Clean the World’s Mission is to “Collect and recycle soap and shampoo products discarded by the hospitality industry every day, and through the distribution of these and other donated hygiene products to impoverished people, prevent the millions of deaths caused by hygiene-related illnesses every day.” (http://www.cleantheworld.org) Every year more than five million children die from diseases such as diarrhea and acute respiratory disease that could otherwise be prevented if they had something as simple as bar of soap. Clean the World collects soap from participating hotels that would otherwise be thrown away. Our Key Club got involved and we have been collecting soap from our Academy community. Last Saturday a few of the officers, Senora Febles, and Mrs. Crowley went to their headquarters in downtown Orlando to deliver the soap that we had collected. While we were there, we were informed about their brand new recycling techniques and facility. We worked for a few hours helping with the initial cleaning process of the soap which they received from various hotels around the country. Clean the World is a fairly new organization but Key Club is very excited for the future of our projects with Clean the World and we hope to excel in future soap collections. For more information please visit http://www.cleantheworld.org

"Award Show Round Ups" By: Ellen Crowley

            It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No it’s not the holiday season, it’s award ceremony season. With the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards over and the Academy Awards, and the Emmys around the corner, the entertainment industry is abuzz with anticipation. Some of top contenders this year are films such as The King’s Speech, Inception, Black Swan, 127 Hours, The Fighter, True Grit and The Social Network and shows such as Glee, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, The Office, and 30 Rock.

            The Golden Globes are determined by the votes of the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. At the Golden Globes, The Social Network went home with the big awards of the night such as Best Motion Picture in a Drama, Best Director in a Motion Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score.  Jane Lynch and Chris Colfer from Glee won for best performance by an actor and actress respectively.

            The SAG awards are determined by the votes of the members (approximately 100,000) the Screen Actors guild. The big winner of the night was The King’s Speech which won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and Colin Firth won Outstanding Performance by a male actor in a leading role. Other big winners were Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, Betty White, and Melissa Leo.

This year in the film and television industry have raised the bar. I am excited to see what is next to come from the Screen Actors Guild.

Obscure College Courses

     College courses have been kicked up a notch throughout the years. There is still the generic math, science, and language courses but some new modern classes have been added into the mix.  You can take classes such as Parapsychology, Rock Music from 1970 to Present, Psychology of Facebook, The Science of Harry Potter, and even Underwater Basket Weaving. 
    Some colleges offer a course on Parapsychology, which goes in depth about the paranormal, psychokinesis, telepathy, myths, and involves the science of human consciousness. Students learn about paranormal forces and investigate them, perfect for any aspiring Ghostbuster. At the University of Minnesota you can take a class called Rock II: Rock Music from 1970 to the Present. Here you can learn about a wide range of the genre such as punk, metal, alternative, and grunge. This course is a timeline for fans of rock and roll legends. A newer subject that is becoming more popular is the science of Harry Potter. At Frostburg State University, they challenge physics and the possibility of flying broomsticks, wands, time turners, and three headed dogs. Stanford University offers a course on the psychology of Facebook. This class teaches students about how persuasion and motivation are successful in social networking strategies. They go in depth on everything from profile pictures, commenting, and applications, to news feeds. This class gives meaning to all of the Facebook addicts. At Reed College you can take a class on underwater basket weaving (literally). Students must use reeds to create a basket, while this may be a challenging task for most, these basket makers are fully submerged underwater. 
    This course proves that underwater basket weaving is harder than it looks. College classes have changed throughout the years. These courses are sure to provide something for everyone.

Sources:

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/merce011/mercertaylor/

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=22841903424

http://collegetimes.us/the-15-coolest-college-courses/

"Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World", By:Ellen

Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World is a quirky romantic comedy directed by Edgar Wright and is based on a graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. The film is about a 22 year old, bass-guitar playing, guy from Toronto, named Scott Pilgrim. When Scott meets the woman of his dreams, Ramona Flowers, he instantly tries to win her over. Unfortunately for Scott, he soon realizes that in order for him and Ramona to have a chance of being together, he must conquer her seven evil exes. Through out the movie, a wide variety of Ramona’s evil exes pop up at unexpected times and places, and he must defeat them all.

            What made the movie so eccentric was the art direction. The visuals were set up to make the movie have a comic book feel. There were screen divides, thought bubbles, plenty of sound effects, and even onomatopoeias that fly across the screen while the action was happening in the foreground. There was a lot of creative thinking into the artistic direction as well as subtle nods to the fans of the original Scott Pilgrim comics.

            The cast in the film was spectacular as well. The protagonist, Scott Pilgrim, was played by Michael Cera. His offbeat personality adds to the all around quirkiness to the film. Ramona Flowers, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, is Scott’s mysteriously witty love interest and Wallace Wells, played by Kieran Culkin, is Scott’s sassy roommate.

            The script was superb. There are many subtle jokes that you will never catch if you just watch it once. This is one movie you can see over and over again and notice something new.

            This unusually funny coming of age story is very clever, there is something for everyone, there’s action, comedy and romance. I would give it 3 out of five paw prints.

(Artwork by Tori)

"Homecoming Week", By: Ellen

     
    Homecoming week is the one week each school year that students can wear whatever zany, creative outfits they want pertaining to the theme of the day. Friday was Decades day. Students wore attire representing the culture from the 1920’s to the 1990’s. Monday was Pajama day. Students came to school dressed in their most comfortable PJs and slippers. Tuesday was twin day.  All over campus, there were twins, triplets, and even some quadruplets. Wednesday was celebrity day. The students used their creativity and dressed as their favorite celebrities and pop culture icons. Thursday was blue and white day. Students showed their wildcat spirit by wearing blue and white clothing. Blue and white day also corresponded with our homecoming pep rally and the annual founder’s day ceremony. Students gathered in the gym as we reflected on the history of Academy at the Lakes. There were five teachers who were acknowledged for achieving the commemorative ten year medals. Mrs. Stein, Ms. Pisicante, Senor Legon, Mrs. Aucoin, and Señora Estrella were recognized during the ceremony. That Friday night, the football team played in their homecoming game. The Academy community really showed their support as the team portrayed great sportsmanship and brought their academy wildcat pride to the field. On Saturday night, the upper division had their annual homecoming dance in the gym. The gym was decorated beautifully. There was an array of lights and backdrops that completely transformed the gymnasium. Homecoming week was a great success. Both students and faculty showed their wildcat pride and support!

"Golf Angles", By: Ellen

In the game of golf, the angle or “loft” of the club is a vital factor for hitting the perfect shot. Each club has a different loft angle which affects the outcome of the shot. The loft of a golf club is the angle that is formed when the club face lies respectively to the ground. The higher the measurement of angle of the club, the higher trajectory the ball will have and the shorter distance the ball will travel. Luckily, each club is also assigned a specific name, or a number usually ranging from 3 to 9. Much like the angle of the club face, the higher the number, the shorter the trajectory and distance the ball will go. The United States Golf Association has established a set standard for each of the angles and their corresponding numbers. There are different types of golf clubs as well. Wedges and irons are usually made of iron and are solid where as woods and drivers have bigger heads, are hollow, and go further than irons.  For an example, a pitching wedge can range from 47-53 degrees. A pitching wedge has a higher loft, therefore it used around the green to get the ball up in the air. A five iron ranges from 28-32 degrees and is typically used in the fairway. A driver has the lowest angle measurement of 8 - 13 degrees; it is used to hit a long powerful shot because the distance and trajectory is the largest. The angles may range for each player individually according to their comfort. Fortunately, the technology that is available now is extremely advanced and this can be easily done. The club loft is extremely important in golf. It is the main ingredient in the formula to create the perfect shot.

(Artwork by Tori)

"High School Trip to New York City", By: Ellen

On November 18^th, after much anticipation, the high school went on our extended trip to New York City. We gathered at the airport at 5 AM to set out on our voyage. When we arrived, we put on our many layers of clothing as we embraced the chilly weather. The first stop on our tour of the Big Apple was the Brooklyn Museum. We saw many exhibits with a wide variety of themes and cultures.  Then we headed across the bridge into the city and got a great tour of New York University. We loaded up into the buses and drove through Times Square. After we took in all of the hustle and bustle, we enjoyed a great dinner at Bubba Gump in the heart of Times Square. Once our bellies were full, we went to Madison Square Gardens for a basketball game between Pittsburg and Maryland. Once the game was over, we braced the cold once more and ascended to the top of the empire state building. We snapped many pictures as we enjoyed the night skyline view. The next morning we loaded onto the bus and had a tour of central park and upper Manhattan. We strolled through central park and had a few hours to shop in FAO Schawartz, Abercrombie and Fitch, Trump Towers and Tiffany and Co. Then we went to the newly built Poptart world. Once we tried every Poptart flavor created, we went ice skating in Bryant Park. That night we went to an acting workshop. We could choose from three classes: stage combat, improvisation, or an audition. We also sat in on a question and answer session with Krysta Rodriguez who plays Wednesday Addams in the new Broadway musical The Adams Family alongside Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, which we had the pleasure to see after the workshop. On the final morning of our trip we rode the ferry and explored Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. On our final trip to the city, we practiced our bargaining skills as we shopped on Canal Street. Our trip to New York was incredible. We got to experience so much in a short amount of time. It was a blast and something we will remember forever.