Mina Bradley-Belcaid as Mimi in Rent: School Edition. photo by Rebecca Holt

The TJ Performing Arts cast, crew, and instructors showcased their talents Wednesday night with their version of the hit Broadway musical, RENT: School Edition; the phenomenal leads of which were:  Andrew Craig (as filmmaker Mark), Colby Schaller (as Roger an ambitious musician), Mina Bradley-Belcaid (as the feisty exotic dancer Mimi), D’Aaron Moore (as Angel), Joseph Powell (as Collins), Megan Lussier (as Maureen), and London Thatch (as a no nonsense lawyer Joanne), and of course a great supporting cast and crew, including Director Michael Palmieri, Music Director Edwina Hebert, and Choreographer Carole Fulkerson.

The leads shone in their roles, with Craig moving the story along in a smooth baritone. The friendship between Craig’s character and Schaller’s character is seen in their relaxed postures – easily transitioning themselves into overlaying harmonies and playing off each other in sarcastic banter. The tone of the play is immediately set-up by the opening number RENT, which is sung with full on attitude and the youthful spirit of rock and roll. When Mimi, played exceptionally well by Bradley-Belcaid, walks in a more sultry mood is set, adding to the serious undertones that run throughout the play. Angel (Moore) stole the show with every change of costume, and whether male or female, Angel’s presence onstage was a definite audience-pleaser.

One of the most memorable performances of the night was Lussier’s rendition of Over the Moon, an entire song sung as an extended metaphor of Maureen’s experience on Avenue B. Another memorable moment was given by Maggie Barbour in one of her many roles as Alexi Darling, when she gave brief but hilarious singing voice mails that were a pleasure to listen to and watch.

After the characters are introduced, the audience is taken on a sensational ride of song and dance – with unconventional subject matter. With every joke there is a message, and the harsh reality of the AIDS epidemic that ravaged the city of New York in the 1980’s. The audience is reminded about love, and friendship, and the importance of living in the moment.

Some material might be unsuitable for children under the age of 13, but RENT: School Edition is definitely something everyone should experience this year. I encourage everyone to go see it on one of the nights to come: March 18^th, 19^th, and 20^th at 7 pm.  Tickets are available at the door, or online here.

Photo by Rebecca Holt

Spartan Andrew Craig’s ascent into greatness was amplified by his can-do attitude and his confidence in his abilities that is helping him achieve his dreams. “I’m driven by ambition – achieving and beating the odds and being the best I can be. I’m also really competitive,” said Craig.

From his acceptance to Yale University – which is the result of years of hard work – to his involvement in the TJ community, to his AP and Honors classes along with running track and playing soccer his freshmen year, Craig has become a symbol of what can be achieved at Thomas Jefferson High School.

“I attended a Yale prospective students meeting and fell in love with the college,” said Craig. “I’m looking forward to studying either biology or theater, increasing my knowledge, learning more about the world and meeting new people.” Craig also had plans to apply to Columbia University (another Ivy League school) in New York, but Yale’s early decision is restrictive; applicants have to commit to the school until a decision is made about their admittance.

Craig got another opportunity to visit the Yale campus in early January and took another tour of the town and visited nearby New York. “Yale has a beautiful campus; I was extremely excited. It has all these old buildings and the architecture is just beautiful,” Craig said. “New York is where my heart is. Denver lacks the culture that New York City has – it’s a magnificent city and there are many job opportunities and internships there. You just feed off the energy of the people and the culture.”

Even though Craig is the All School Student Class President he also lends his leadership qualities to Peace Panel, Black Student Alliance, Gay Straight Alliance and RENT – TJ’s school musical, which is an opportunity for him to show off his voice talent while portraying Mark Cohen, an independent filmmaker.

“My favorite part about being involved is knowing that I am helping to make a difference in TJ’s community through participating in these clubs,” said Craig. “I have developed great time management skills over the last couple of years.”

Artwork by Anna Becker

It’s that time of year again when the celebrity elite comes together for one night to recognize films that have touched our mortal lives. Oscar nominees endure the pre-Oscar awards such as the Golden Globes and the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) awards in hopes that by gaining victory for those they can get the golden ticket to the Academy Awards. This year’s nominees include the box office hits such as Avatar and indie favorites like The Hurt Locker. The Oscars are by no means predictable, but when there is an obvious winner it is easy to point out the diamond in a rough. These are my choices:

1. Best motion picture of the year: Avatar

Most, if not all, of planet Earth has seen this epic tale of Pocahontas with blue people. Avatar’s other nomination for visual effects is well earned, going hand in hand with the reason the film has become so popular. The movie is a visually stimulating ride, especially in 3-D and IMAX with political views on American consumerism and commentary on how we abuse our own environment thrown into the mix.

Other nominees:
Second Choice: The Hurt Locker
Third Choice: Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
District 9
Inglourious Basterds
A Serious Man
Up
The Blind Side
An Education
Up in the Air

2. Best actor in a leading role: Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart

From what I observed from the Golden Globes and SAG awards Jeff Bridges was picked as the favorite. In Crazy Heart he plays Bad Blake, a 50-something year old former country music superstar who’s fallen from grace due to his alcohol abuse. Bridges co-stars with Maggie Gyllenhaal and Colin Ferrell, but a large portion of the movie’s praise and success goes to his performance.

Other nominees:
Second Choice: George Clooney in Up in the Air
Third Choice: Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker
Morgan Freeman in Invictus
Colin Firth in A Single Man

3. Best actor in a supporting role: Christoph Waltz

Christoph Waltz was also a SAG and Golden Globe favorite this year. Waltz’s portrayal of Nazi Hans Landa in Quentin Terintino’s Inglourious Basterds is a chillingly charming performance. Waltz’s character is a self-proclaimed detective motivated by the thrill of coming out on top. Landa assesses a situation and immediately knows the full outcome and we quickly learn that we have to love to hate him since he is just that good.

Other nominees:
Second Choice: Matt Damon in Invictus
Third Choice Woody Harrelson in The Messenger
Christopher Plummer in The Last Station
Stanley Tucci in The Lovely Bones

4. Best actress in a leading role: Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side

This is Sandra Bullock’s year. Not only did she win a Golden Globe, People’s Choice, and SAG award for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy, she became the highest paid actress in Hollywood after The Proposal and The Blind Slide became big box office hits. The Blind Side is a heartwarming story about a real life white family who took in a homeless black youth, saving him from gang violence, homelessness and preventing him from becoming another statistic, and helping him achieve his football dreams which resulted in him being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens.

Other nominees:
Second Choice: Gabourey Sidibe in Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by
Sapphire
Third Choice: Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia
Helen Mirren in The Last Station
Carey Mulligan in An Education

5. Best actress in a supporting role: Mo’Nique in Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

Mo’Nique is unique in her portrayal of Mary in Precious. Both critics and moviegoers see no other contenders for the Supporting Actress Oscar and are united in being awed over Mo’Nique’s powerful performance. Mo’Nique’s character is Mary, Precious’s harsh and unforgiving mother and as the movie progresses the layers of her hatred and hurt are peeled away to reveal a woman in a great deal of pain.

Other nominees:
Second Choice: Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air
Third Choice: Maggie Gyllenhaal in Crazy Heart
Penélope Cruz in Nine
Vera Farmiga in Up in the Air

6. Best animated feature film of the year: Up

Pixar can do no wrong. It’s not surprising Up is nominated this year. Like its predecessor, WALL-E, the film was a box office smash (grossing $723 million worldwide). The story is also unique: Up stars 78-year-old Carl (Edward Asner) whose age is quickly catching up to him. In an effort to revive his wife’s last wish, Carl decides to embark on a dangerous journey to Paradise Falls (located somewhere in South America). Unfortunately, Carl accidentally takes 8-year-old Russell along (Jordan Nagai), creating a hilarious and heart-warming adventure.
Other nominees:

Second Choice: The Princess and the Frog
Third Choice: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Coraline
The Secret of Kells

7. Best Director Oscars 2010 Nominees: James Cameron, Avatar

I refuse to see Avatar as anything more than Hollywood’s way of milking money out of the public by transforming an overused topic (oppression of a native people) into a 3-D thrill ride, but that doesn’t mean the movie won’t take home one of the most coveted prizes of the night. Without Cameron’s vision the film would lack the credibility to be in the Oscar race. Cameron deserves his nomination since he produced, co-wrote, and directed the film and his Golden Globe wins for Best Director and Best Picture.

Other nominees:
Second Choice: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Third Choice: Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

Artwork by Anna Becker

Internet: the final frontier. When all else fails, the World Wide Web provides a plentiful playground. Should we fear the Internet? Is the Internet creating a multitude of mindless, overweight zombies, with drool dribbling down their chins? I believe not. In fact, the Internet should not be shunned or ostracized, but seen as the next step in human evolution.

Practically anything and everything you can fathom in our known universe can be found just one mouse click away. From young to old, foolish to clever, we are all on a level playing field. It does not matter who or what we are, the Internet is here to masterfully serve our needs. Whether reconnecting with loved ones or finding a hysterical video posted for all to see, the information super highway always here for every occasion.

The Internet represents the world community coming together in one place and sharing experiences and wisdom. Was there ever a time when ordinary people could utilize technology to show their extraordinary individual traits? Was there ever a time when the world with all its imperfections could be accessible to everyone? With one simple click, we’re walking on the sandy shores of Southern France or tiptoeing across the cobbled steps of Prague. Another click lets us talk to our cousin in London, catch up with a childhood friend, or translate a web page written in Cantonese. The Internet feeds so much into everyday life it’s hard to imagine living without it. There are maps, magazines, measurements, motivational speakers, and ways to manage money. We can learn how to cook, how to make a video, how to know if our boyfriend’s cheating, how to draw and even how to be a ninja. We can shop, preview a movie, learn about a new artist, view art and rate it. We can shop for books, antique goods, cars, and sell all the useless stuff that has accumulated in our closets. There is always something to do, something to see, to read about, gossip and criticize, and most importantly to learn about.

For everyone’s use there are a host of search engines that open a floodgate of information. It might seem overwhelming at times, especially with the cyber world becoming more complex and even posing as a danger in forms of viruses and hackers, but with newly discovered danger there is always newly discovered ways to avoid it. The Internet’s rapid growth has leaked into other forms of technology, also. Today it’s becoming a norm for libraries, college campuses and Starbucks to have free Wi-Fi, and even cell phones are able to tap into the web.

The Internet allows its users to contribute to or be a witness of the modern world without leaving the comfort of a leather office chair. Information is key to learning, and the more we dabble in what the Internet has and will provide, the faster we can understand our changing world.
If humans are constantly evolving, constantly moving, it is inevitable our technology will follow suit. There is always danger in the knowledge we acquire, but the Internet is just as multifaceted as the world is.

Artwork by Anna Becker

In a perfect world we would all be able to comfortably multitask while driving, but since this is not a perfect world and since there really is no such thing as multitasking (since the brain can only focus on one thing at a time), people – more specifically teenagers – should never try to multitask while behind the wheel.

The new Colorado Law banning texting while behind the wheel is a Godsend, but it isn’t being taken as seriously, and that scares me. I don’t like being afraid of cars. I like cars. They cover much more ground than the two appendages I call my feet. Unfortunately, Congress passed the law too late for a mother who lost her nine-year-old son in a car accident where the other driver was distracted by his/her texting.

The law is mostly aimed at teenagers, and that’s understandable. It is widely known and expected that most teenagers find this law unfair, but what I want to know is: what’s unfair about it? Safety? Not harming an innocent person? The fact that out of all the age groups teens own the most mobile phones (the average teen in the U.S. sends or receives an average of 2,899 text-messages per month)? Or that last year in December alone U.S. citizens sent 110 billion messages – a number that has been steadily increasing in the past three years?

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I would like to go through the rest of my life without being killed because someone received a text messaged they just couldn’t ignore.

Wrap your head around these statistics: a simulator study done by Clemson University found that, “Texting and using iPods caused drivers to leave their lanes 10 percent more often.” Another study done by AAA (American Automobile Association) and Seventeen Magazine revealed, “61 percent of teens have admitted to risky driving habits.”

Additionally, if you drive while texting you’re increasing your chances of getting into an accident 23 times greater than with not texting.

The texting issue isn’t just a Colorado problem, or even a problem in the United States only; it has turned into a global issue (a study in Ontario found that 1 trillion text messages were sent worldwide last year), as well. Studies have also shown that texting while driving is even more of a risk than speaking on the phone, both of which should be completely eliminated when you are in a vehicle. Aside from that, 18 states (including Washington D.C.) have already jumped on the bandwagon and made texting illegal. Unfortunately, the other 32 states are waiting for more research and data before they can even make the bill into law.

Research done by The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that in the moments before a crash or near or crash, drivers spent five seconds looking at their phones, the same five seconds it takes a vehicle to go down a highway the length of a football field.

NRMA (National Roads and Motorists Association) research has found that not only do drivers lose their ability to keep their vehicles straight but they also aren’t able to respond as quickly to traffic signs.

If statistics doesn’t convince people who text while driving, then maybe common sense might. What could possibly be more important than your safety or the safety of others? What could possibly be so important in that text message that you can’t wait?

Imagine you are driving to school, you’re already ten minutes behind schedule, someone just cut you off and the loud blaring of traffic horns is doing nothing for the headache you obtained from the lack of sleep you got the night before. The line finally gives way and you are about to turn into the parking lot then WHAM, you get rammed head-on by another car. Not only are you late, with a killer headache, but you also have a serious neck injury and your car is a completely unrecognizable mass of metal. Imagine that the only reason this happened was because the other driver had glanced down at a text-message he was receiving and had feebly tried to respond.

I know what most people are thinking, “Oh this won’t happen to me, I’m careful.”

Do you know what being careful is?

Not texting while driving.

Artwork by Mia Nogueira

The title of director Grant Heslov’s (who came out of the woodwork after winning an Oscar for his screenwriting for Good Night and Good Luck, 2005) new movie seems to reflect the satirical joy ride on which it takes its audience. The all-star cast which is composed of Ewan McGregor (Angels & Demons 2009) George Clooney (Ocean’s Thirteen 2007), Jeff Bridges (Iron Man 2008), and Kevin Spacey (Shrink 2009), breathe life into their characters with ease and with obvious chemistry and charm.

McGregor’s character, Bob Wilton, is a newly divorced journalist who, in an effort to somehow compensate for his wife leaving him for another man, sets off on a dangerous expedition to Kuwait in order to cover the Iraq War. This leads Wilton to meet Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), who explains to Wilton that he is a Jedi Warrior, a former member of the New Earth Army created by the government to be psychic spies. Wilton takes the new information with a straight face, motivated only by the chance of hitching a ride with Cassady over the border; he listens as Cassady explains how the New Earth Army was assembled. As much as Clooney’s character is one tequila shot away from being considered a crazy drunk – rambling about his former solider days – one can’t help but want to believe him. Which is exactly why this movie is enjoyable.

The movie flashes back to the 1970s when Bill Django, a Vietnam veteran who goes on a “spiritual” journey to decode the vision he had had during a mission in Vietnam. Django’s research (which involved a lot of the activities that were popular during the hippie movement) birthed the New Earth Army philosophy. The director’s impeccable skills at story telling draws one in so deep it’s as if these events happened as realistically as George Bush’s re-election or Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift at the MTV video awards.

As a young recruit, Cassady shows great promise in his abilities, and quickly moves up the ranks when he telepathically locates a missing solider. Enter the villain, Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey), whose jealousy of Cassady leads him to the Dark Side. After a mishap involving illegal chemicals, Hooper accuses Django of slander and gets the New Earth Army gets shutdown.

In the present, Wilton and Cassady become stranded in the desert when Cassady accidentally runs his rental car into a rock. The pair hitch a ride with a group of men in a truck, but end up getting kidnapped when the men turn out to be extremists. Luckily they escape when a private security firm rescues them. After getting lost in the dessert they are found by the newly revived New Earth Army who are using the Dark Side of The Philosophy to torture captives by putting them in a dark room with flashing lights and playing the Barney theme-song repetitively. There are a few adult-themed jokes but the plot-line is a straight forward one and doesn’t lose laughs along the way.

Afterward there are hilarious antics involving LSD (the main reason the movie is rated R) and a daring rescue of a heard of goats.

This movie was too unbelievably believable to not believe. If you squint, there is a message hidden in Wilton’s character growth about believing in yourself in times of adversity, but one can’t help but think this is some outrageous concoction mixed together by a half-crazed journalist who spent too much time in the sun.

It’s not.

Or, as the movie warns, “More of this is true than you would believe.”

Photo by Rebecca Holt

Fact: there are approximately 2.5 million Americans who have epilepsy. In that group there are 180,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States, and three in 100 people will develop epilepsy by the age of 75.

Despite such surprising statistics the neurological disorder is sometimes misconstrued as a mental illness because of the recurrent seizures people with the disorder have. In order to further educate TJ students and dispel some of the stereotypes associated with the disorder such as the myth that people with epilepsy have “fits” when it’s really just recurrent seizures.

Colorado’s Epilepsy Foundation sent Marcee Peterson, who gave a presentation to several JROTC classes about Epilepsy. Peterson first gave a brief description of Epilepsy, and then answered questions students might have. Afterward, she showed a video that was in depth about seizures, the many different types of seizures, and what should be done in case someone is experiencing a seizure.

“I have been a Program Manager at the Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado for three years,” said Peterson. “My focus is serving youth and families that have been affected by epilepsy by providing programs and support.  Our programs for youth and family include a summer camp for youth ages 10-17, and a Youth Council so young leaders can have a voice and help raise awareness.”

The foundation also has a mentor program, educational presentations about epilepsy to teens, school personnel, school nurses (like the one at TJ), and in other venues within the community that include educational workshops, support groups, and information and referrals.

“What I most enjoy about working with the Foundation is raising awareness and understanding of epilepsy in the community and positively impacting the lives of those with epilepsy in various ways,” Peterson said. “We appreciate opportunities like the presentation day at Thomas Jefferson High School where we can reach many teens.”

Epilepsy can be caused by head injury, infections that affect the brain, stroke, brain tumor, Alzheimer’s disease, and genetic factors. The disorder is not contagious but if someone is experiencing a seizure for more than five minutes then an ambulance should be called.

“It was wonderful to see your school and the teens take an interest in epilepsy,” said Peterson. “By promoting Epilepsy Awareness Month and by taking the time to learn more about epilepsy in order to better support their classmates who are living with it.”
For more information please visit www.epilepsyfoundation.org.

Photo by Rebecca Holt

From TJ Spartan Martha Alvarez’s humble beginnings in the town of San Pablo in Guanajuato, Mexico, to her role in several Latino organizations, she has repeatedly demonstrated her inclination to take on challenging leadership positions and make them look easy.

“Growing up in a small town was a bit hard. I remember having to get up early in the morning to walk a couple kilometers to school, then coming home, feeding the chickens and goats or helping out in the corn and bean fields and then going out to play at sundown,” said Alvarez. “I have a lot of cousins and uncles that are just a couple years older than I am. We used to play soccer, climb trees, and go bird hunting with slingshots. A lot of my fondest memories are those I shared with all my cousins. We were a tight-knit family.”

Alvarez, who moved to the United States eight years ago, first lived in Coachella Valley in Southern California before arriving in Denver in 2002. “We used to move around a lot during the summers but would always come back to Denver during the school year,” Alvarez said. “I visit Mexico at least every other year. We still have a lot of family down there, like my great grandmother, my grandparents and ten other aunts and uncles and all their kids. We have a huge family.”

After witnessing a Latino man being wrongfully tackled by police officers in South Federal Blvd. in Denver, Alvarez became more inclined to get involved in the community, so that instances like those could be made known to the public. “The incident lasted about two-minutes, but a couple months later I was watching a feature on police brutality against immigrants on Univision (a Spanish channel on TV) and I saw the same guy from Federal talk about what had happened,” Alvarez explained. “It turns out that he was an immigrant and the police had arrested him for not having a driver’s license and because he couldn’t understand what they were saying to him he didn’t get out of his car. The incident got me thinking that maybe I should do something to help.”

Alvarez saw a flier for La Raza (our people) Youth Program and immediately filled out the application. “By the 2nd semester of my junior year I was already beginning to get involved, thanks to the opportunities La Raza provided,” Alvarez said.

La Raza is an all Latino community of students who promote higher education for Denver teens. The community also organizes many events for the Latino community in Denver along with CIRC (Colorado Immigrants Rights Coalition). In addition to being a member of La Raza, Alvarez is also a CIRC events assistant, helping organize student movement for the Denver Reform and promoting the Dream Act to congress.

“I went to the La Raza Leadership conference. It was a statewide event organized at the Metro State College fair. There were cultural workshops, break dancing and other entertainment. More than 5,000 students attend every year. It was fun,” said Alvarez. “We met some really interesting people and learned about their experiences as students.” The most recent event Alvarez worked on was the Corky Gonzales symposium. “We worked with Escuela de Tlatelolco (a community based private school) to organize an event for deceased Chicano activists from Colorado.”

In recognition for her work, Alvarez was honored on the La Voz website as student of the week. “La Voz is Spanish for ‘the voice.’ La Voz is a Colorado newspaper that focuses on reporting on the Latino issues to the Latino community,” Alvarez explained. “They usually highlight outstanding Latino businesses, immigration and other similar issues.”

Alvarez is heavily involved within the TJ community. She has been a National Honor Society member for two years, which led her to doing work for Denver Health hospital, helping the homeless with the Denver Rescue Mission, and volunteering for events for Iglesia de Guadalupe church. She is also the chairwoman of M.E.Ch.A, TJ’s first Latino organization. Furthermore, she enjoys writing for the Thomas Jefferson Journal as the People Section Editor, and marching with JROTC as their supply officer.

After high school, Alvarez has plans to attend the University of Southern California, CU Boulder, or CSU Fort Collins. “I want to go to college in California because I love the weather and the time I spent there as a little girl,” said Alvarez. “CSU is my second choice because I can picture myself there; in order for me to go to any school I have to feel like I would be happy there.”

Even with a full schedule, Alvarez still manages to have time to relax with friends and family. “I’m not really sure how I balance everything sometimes. After a while you just fall into a routine,” said Alvarez.

Edward Salazar, Alvarez’s Hispanic/American History teacher had nothing but praise for her. “Martha never quits,” said Salazar. “She embraces all new topics and ideas in class and works well within the cultures she’s in while advocating for a world vision.”

Alvarez’s magnificence will continue on well after she has left Thomas Jefferson high school, and she will continue to lead her generation into a more successful future. “I don’t know what I want to do in the future; there is so much I want to do and I’m still trying to figure out how to do it. “

Artwork by Rebecca Holt

The return of the knitting club, spearheaded by Sudi Stodola (TJ’s hardworking librarian) gave rise to another club this year that will stimulate the minds of its members as they knit.

“We had some girls who wanted to start a literature club, and then the knitting club talked about how nice it would be if we could be talking about books while we were doing our knitting,” Stodola explained. “So we decided since we had a need for a book club, and since the knitting club wanted to talk about books too, then we could just combine it and call it: Knit and Lit Club.”

The knitting club is also continuing its involvement in various charity projects throughout the year, and new ideas are constantly brought forward. “In November we will revisit our Warm Up America project, and with Warm Up America what we do is knit squares. We have simple patterns available for anyone who wants to participate,” said Stodola. “You donate your squares and I take them down to the craft store where other volunteers knit the squares into quilts for the homeless.” Stodola revived the project after a good amount of success in previous years, and she has already made plans for other charity work, such as knitting caps for premature babies.

Stodola further revealed that the book club will also be included in volunteer and recycling and “green craft” projects. “One project that we’re thinking of, is doing a drive to collect plastic bags from newspapers because if you cut them into strips you can turn them into balls of yarn-like material, and you can knit a tote bag for shopping.”

Stodola started the knitting club the first year she arrived at TJ three years ago, after transferring from Merrill Middle School. Prior to that she taught freshman composition at Metro State College of Denver and Colorado University, Denver. “I went back for my Masters in Library Science because I was tired of teaching English,” said Stodola. “I found that I liked being a librarian so much more than I ever liked being an English teacher. I’m really surprised it took me this long to figure it out.”

Even though the book club is still in the planning stages, some students in the club expressed their interest in reading Jane Austin for their first novels. “Right now we’ve got three girls reading three different Jane Austin books, so our first meeting will be to hammer down which Jane Austin books to talk about,” Stodola explained. “Because some people are reading Emma and some people are reading Pride and Prejudice, and since people are already reading, we may just talk about the differences between the two and what we think of the two books.”

Any Spartan who would like to join the Knit and Lit Club, meetings will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays after school from 3-4 pm. “What we do is on Tuesdays is we do just the knitting. This is the best day to learn if you haven’t knitted before, and then on Thursdays it’s the book club (the knitting, of course, is optional),” said Stodola. “So those of us who still like to knit will probably hang out and knit or crochet while we’re talking about the books. The people who come just for the books can just eat popcorn and talk about books.”

Artwork by Rebecca Holt

When it comes to obsessions, I will be the first to admit I am a starry-eyed Harry Potter nerd and a rabid “Twiheart” foaming at the mouth. Despite that, it’s not Robert Pattinson’s chiseled bad-boy looks or Harry Potter’s vast magical world (and Snape), which excites me. It is, believe it or not, the books. Holding that 600 page textbook-like novel allows me to escape into the holy grail of teenage fantasy, where magic and mystery prevail alongside ‘vegetarian’ vampires and a twisted evil wizard who resembles a giant snake.

Film blockbusters such as Twilight and Harry Potter are perfect examples of Hollywood’s need to brand everything and market it for one-size-fits-all audiences, and along the way it is tarnishing the appeal of the original book series. Now more than ever, more teens have an apathetic attitude, and watching the movies over the books, finding it a tedious waste of time to wade through pages that the author slaved over and poured her entire heart and soul into.

Don’t get me wrong, Stephenie Meyer and J.K Rowling probably wouldn’t be rolling in dough if it wasn’t for the films’ publicity sky-rocketing them both to number one on the best sellers list for more than a month. But is it right to sacrifice artistic creativity over making money?

For example, there are a lot of things that could be said about the summer’s biggest blockbuster hit, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but only one word could describe my emotion in the theater when the screen turned black and a steady flow of music accompanied the credits.

Shock.

Aside from the fact that it turned into a grotesquely cheesy teenage romance movie fit only for the Twilight series, it cut out a beloved character’s funeral, missed imperative character development, and had a dilapidated plot.

The movie starts, like always, with Harry and his newly discovered raging hormones. No Dursleys this time around; the movie skips right to the meat of the plot, which is the introduction of Professor Horace Slughorn. Skipping on to Hogwarts, we witness the first evidence that the screenwriters and directors actually paid attention to the book; it is established that Draco Malfoy is up to no good. Onward to some witty dialogue, the words “love potion” being flung in every direction, something about a spider dying and, finally, back to Harry’s raging hormones. Then, at last, Harry accompanies Dumbledore to a mysterious cave, and he’s given mysterious instructions about a mysterious object.

At this point my jaw had already unhinged at the number of things they had changed, but I was stubbornly clinging to the hope that the final showdown at Hogwarts would redeem the entire movie.

I was wrong. There was no final show down.

As a fan of the books first and the movie second, I cringed every time they missed a vital piece of information or changed, well, anything. It is true that in the book the rocky relationship between Ron and Hermione along with Harry and Ginny’s awkward encounters happened in the most amusing bits to add light to a dark and gloomy book, but it was not the primary focus and it actually served a purpose.

Snape and Voldemort’s roles disappeared into the background in favor of witnessing an obsessed Lavender Brown doodle a heart for a very uncomfortable Ron Weasley. The chances the audience got to have a peek at Voldemort was through Dumbledore’s memories, which then awkwardly transitioned into talking about the horcruxes, and then it was right back to who snogged whom in the hidden staircase.

Meanwhile, half the people in the theater are left to wonder what a horcrux is and why it is so important. This isn’t the first instance where the Harry Potter producers have left out bits of information only people who bothered to read the books would know. For example, the third movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban introduced the Marauders without a hint of who they were and why they had such odd nicknames.

The Half-Blood Prince was supposed to be set up to explain exactly what was going to happen in Deathly Hollows. For instance, the importance of Harry learning about his archenemy’s past, the horcruxes, and really finding out exactly why Voldemort turned into a homicidal maniac – or more accurately the lengths he took to receive immortality.

This fall the Twilight sequel New Moon and the newly adapted Cirque Du Freak will be let loose in a theater near you. I feel a tiny prickle of foreboding. The first Twilight movie, like all the other book-to-movie franchises, started out better than expected. Aside from a horrible case of bad acting and adding an extra scene or two, the movie stayed true to its roots. Unfortunately, the trailer for Cirque du Freak I hesitantly watched left me skeptical and somewhat horrified of the final outcome. I’m sure of one thing, however; even though my morbid curiosity will surely lead me to watch my favorite series be slaughtered on-screen, I can always tell my friends, “The book was SO much better,” then vent by writing a very angry blog about Hollywood ruining the things I love.