Unloved by Zoe Merold

Within the darkest depths of her being,

Hides a deadly ex-love of want and need.

It thirsts for the end of her well-being,

So within her heart it buries a seed.

And in her heart the planted evil grows,

Its roots enveloping and infecting,

Turning the mirth that remains into woes,  

Leaving her to cry through her suffering.

The old love begins to whisper to her,

Poisoning her mind with thoughts of despair,

Speaking of her never-ending torture.

Her life has become a forlorn nightmare.

Now her life she wishes to be rid of,

For what is a life when there is no love? 

A poem for the new year by Thomas Mortillaro

A new year has sprung upon us

And resolutions are beginning to fall

Although there is much to discuss

We still sit down and get ready for roll call

Now is a time for a fresh start

Where we all can improve ourselves

Some jog to strengthen their heart

Some take a glance on their dusty bookshelves

Some work hard to find the right girl

Some strive to get perfect grades

Some work harder to afford a pearl

And some might be ready to pick their bridesmaids

Now is a time to make your own decisions

Because there's always room for major revisions

'La La Land' - A Film Review by Pat McGurrin

For those who don't know, La La Land is a recently released musical directed by Damien Chazelle, featuring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. The film has won over 80 awards since its release, and has been nominated for over 130 more.

I personally don't like musicals at all, but yet it is easy to say that La La Land was the most captivating film I have ever seen. It seems as though most musical's music really corny, (not that La La Land's wasn't), but each song seemed less 'typical' than most musical's scores.

The Music

- Sebastian:

• In La La Land, Ryan Gosling's character (Sebastian), is passionate about jazz and is a skilled pianist. Composer for La La Land Justin Hurwitz, seamlessly reflected Sebastian though the score, with each song having a jazzy vibe through the piano. Towards the beginning of the movie, it is revealed that Sebastian is struggling to show is skills, so it makes sense that the piano in the score would be very upfront, like he would have wanted it.

- Mia: 

• Emma Stone's character (Mia) is equally reflected throughout the score. Mia is conveyed to be vibrant and playful, but at the same time she's very nervous on the inside. Each number is performed by large orchestras, but the instrument that stands out  the most in La La Land (next to the piano) is the flute. Specifically, the song 'Someone in the Crowd',  discusses Mia's lack of confidence-but it also includes a solo from Mia and then a flute solo. That flute solo then builds up to and grand close to the song. 'Someone int the Crowd' even has the same counter melody as the opening number, 'Another Day of Sun' (A piano and flute filled piece), which was played just before the first time Mia and Sebastian met.

Filming

La La Land was also so captivating due to its use of 'CinemaScope', which offers a wide angle picture just like IMAX. Unlike IMAX though, CinemaScope was used in the 50's and 60's so the picture is a bit grainy. While it may just seem logical to just use newer, IMAX instead, director Damien Chazelle likely wanted the film to look like musical's of that time.

Chazelle also decided to be ambitious with his filming, as most of the scene were just long tracking shots, done one take. This was especially impressive during the musical numbers, since it felt as though the action was just unfolding.

Theme

(This section contains spoilers). Mia and Sebastian's relationship can be traced down to to themes, which both of them learn in the end. Both Mia and Sebastian had big dreams, but they realized in the end, that pursuing their dreams come at the cost of each other. They also learned that no matter what, they should stick to their roots, and that good things will come with patience. Their relationship never did succeed, and amidst their success they knew that they never could have truly succeeded alone.

Watch It!

You don't have to be into these types (I'm not) to love La La Land. It's for anyone who loves jazz, or any music. I do recommend seeing it in theaters though (I've seen it twice), since the CinemaScope experience is really breathtaking. I'd say that La La Land is my favorite movie ever, and I cannot wait to see more movies by Chazelle.

Blog post 12/22 Dylan Mazzella
Pros and cons of school uniforms
Pros:
The issue of bullying seems to be exaggerated in television series and movies, with large kids seemingly attending school solely for the purpose of harassing kids smaller than them and taking their lunch money. Most times, when people feel that a situation is a bullying situation, it is their friends who are putting them down, and something that makes this happen is the types of clothes kids wear. The easiest solution to this issue is taking the diversity in clothing selection out of schools. Another positive effect of school uniforms is a perceived sense of unity and identity. The unity is achieved through the sameness that is present with a school of students who dress the same, and the identity is achieved because it gives some type of consistency to a student who otherwise may not have it. He or she can look forward to wearing the same thing daily, which is something that one can rely on to be the same. From a school perspective, which of course is also important, it gives a positive image for the school.

Cons:
    This issue could be seen as a bad idea because of the freedom of expression that is taken away from students. Though it provides with some type of artificial identity, students could be seen as stripped clean from identity, and put into a cookie cutter community. Students can see this move by school boards as an attempt to keep students from making themselves unique which could negatively affect learning experiences of students. From the very important perspective of the school board, it is a budgetel nuisance to provide shirts and ties for each student, and if the school were to require students to purchase their own school uniform, it would lead to anger in families in the particular town in which the uniforms are being introduced.

Irony in the Shipman's Tale: By Nick Matkiwsky

In Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury tales, one story stands out as the most ironic story of the bunch. The Shipman's Tale is a perfect blend of situational and dramatic irony and it drives the plot of the story. In the tale, a rich merchant lives in a giant mansion which is always filled with party guests. He had a beautiful wife and she loved to accessorize herself with luxurious clothing. The wife felt neglected because her husband began to refuse her wants and kept his money to himself. In order to get what she desired, the wife decided to ask one of the merchant's best friends for a loan. The situational irony comes into play when the best friend of the merchant, a monk, loans the money from the merchant and gives it to the wife. The merchant treated the monk like his brother, yet he went behind his back in order to try to charm his wife. This scenario is also displays dramatic irony because the audience is aware of the situation and knows that the monk is going to give the money to the wife without the merchant knowing. With dramatic irony the reader is intended to know more information than the characters in the story. In this case we the readers know that the monk went against his friends wishes in order to woo the merchant's wife and give her what she desires. Chaucer's use of irony strengthens his stories and make them more entertaining to read. Using irony also can emphasize any points the author wants to express, like in the Shipman's Tale when the story demonstrates how the wife felt neglected and how the merchant refused to acknowledge her.

Bullet Journaling By Mrs. Kopp

Each year, in December, I start to think about my goals for the upcoming year.  I used to write long lists of resolutions, but was then perpetually disappointed when I wasn't able to fulfill all of them (who has time to run for 100 days in a row?).  Then, for a while, each member of my family would choose one word that we hoped would represent the new year (I'd make little wood signs with each word because I love to paint and use my Cricut machine). 

As I think of 2017, I realize that there is one area of my life that I want to focus on and that is my life as a writer.  Before I was married and had children, I used to write all the time.  I would fill journals with thoughts, poetry, and drawings, but then suddenly- I just stopped.  Despite the fact that I still collect journals (and bookmarks) because I LOVE THEM, I wasn't writing.  

So, in 2017, I want to write every single day.  But, I know that I won't have time for that and it makes me sad.  Then I heard about something called Bullet Journaling.

Bullet Journaling is supposed to be a way to quickly organize plans, activities and thoughts.  I loved this idea and I'm ready to go. 

First, I purchased a fun planner that had enough room for me to bullet journal on each day of the year.

I purchased this at Michael's craft store (another favorite of mine- I wish I could live there) for only $11.99 (70%off)

Then, I got some pens that make me happy (I know, I know it's weird).  Now I can write a few sentences a day or more, if I have the urge and time.  I already added some poems leading up to the January calendar. I am so excited about this and I encourage each of you to find a way to achieve one goal in 2017. 

Happy New Year! 

What The Holiday Season Means To Me by Jessica Longstreth

With winter break fast approaching for this school year, I though it appropriate to discuss what this time of year means to me. I hope that some of you readers can relate to what I feel during this season.

The holiday season, Christmas in particular, has been greatly commercialized. Just think about the heaps of presents and the great amount of money that is poured into Christmas each and every year. According to the findings of the American Research Association, in 2015, holiday retail sales raked up 600 billion dollars. However, when I think about Christmas and the holiday season, my main focus is not on the presents, or getting the most expensive gift for my family and friends -- these are just material things. Sure, I still get small gifts for my family and friends, and it's always nice to receive a gift from my loved ones. But my point is that the gifts are not the sole highlight of my winter break.

True holiday season in my family starts as early as Thanksgiving. What do I mean by true holiday season?  Well, I mean that theses are the times when I get to spend time with family members. Whether I see them often or rarely, this is the time of year when we all get to see each other once again. This aspect of the holiday season is perhaps my favorite. It's taking the time to have fun with my family and closest friends during this time that fills me with the most joy. Also, it doesn't hurt that holiday break is just a nice relief from the stresses of the normal school week. It allows me to take some time for myself and watch my favorite Christmas movie, Elf, or curl up on the couch with some hot chocolate. Speaking of delicious hot chocolate, I can't forget the other great part about the holiday season -- lots and lots of food!

So now I ask you, the reader, what does this holiday season mean to you? Look past the elaborate gifts. What brings you joy this holiday season?