Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Cassia Enright Commentary: Ryan Seacrest Should Simply Brush Off Academy Awards Debacle

By Cassia Enright
Staff Writer
Post Academy Awards conversation of who wore what, questionable wardrobe malfunctions, and shocking winners flooded headlines. But by far, the most talked about stunt was that of Sacha Baron Cohen. Cohen is best known for his controversial and over exaggerated portrayals of Borat, a man from Uzbekistan, and Bruno, a flamboyant German male model.
Cohen is often forgotten, because his last film came out years ago. Last night, he made his return when he came dressed as his newest character, The Dictator. Despite a ban The Academy put into place in an effort to keep Cohen out of costume and to only attend as himself, The Dictator arrived anyway.
Cohen had requested an interview with only one person, Ryan Seacrest, the host of American Idol. The Dictator arrived and approached Seacrest holding what he claimed to be the ashes of Kim Jong-il, the late North Korean dictator. The interview proceeded and The Dictator rambled on, talking about his dear friend Osama Bin Laden.
The Dictator, who was fumbling with the urn, suddenly dumped it on Seacrest. The famous interviewer was clearly shocked and upset as he tried to brush himself off. In the background you can see two security guards approach and begin removing The Dictator as he spills the "ashes" over the red carpet.
Honestly, Seacrest should hold no hard feelings toward Cohen. The Dictator just got him even more attention and fame than he already has. I would personally love to be in Seacrest's position, and so would many others. Seacrest's passive aggressive responses when interviewed about the incident become even more transparent when everyone else clearly finds the stunt amusing. My suggestion to Seacrest is to brush it off -- literally and figuratively -- and to stop being such a big baby that everyone already knows he is.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Breana Daniel-Schnobrich: Moving from CA to PA has been an adjustment



By Breana Daniel-Schnobrich
Staff Photographer 

Hi, I am Breana and I was born in California. I lived in San Francisco for awhile, then I moved to L.A. I lived there for about nine years, and just last year my dad told my brother and me that we were moving to Pennsylvania.

I was very sad and angry. California was my whole life. I had never moved out of California before, and I guess I was scared, too. I told all of my friends and they ended up throwing me a surprise party, which was really fun. 
  
My brother had been going to boarding school since 9th grade in Santa Barbara, CA, so my dad let him stay. Soon, we had to start packing up all our belongings and we would be on our way. When the moving trucks came and emptied the house, I was so sad and didn't want to leave. It was summertime when we were moving, so my brother came with us up to PA. After our flight, we got to our new house, which was a rental, and we ate dinner. I then went straight to bed.

That summer seemed very long and boring, because the whole time we had to unpack. When we got settled in, my brother and I went to our friend Max's house in Haverford. He is a really good friend who we met in Cape Cod, MA, where we would vacation every summer.

We would only get to see him every summer for a week, but now we get to see him as much as we want. Over that summer, my parents were looking to buy a house that we could live in. It took them a very long time, but we finally found one. The house was across the street from Max's, which made me extremely happy.  

When school started, I was at Harriton High School in Lower Merion School District. I loved Harriton because it was so big, and when I was in CA I was going to a small private school, so being in a really big school with lots more people seemed really fun. 

Toward the middle of the year, it became difficult academically and I was falling behind. I would ask teachers for help, but there were so many other kids, they couldn't help me. So I told my dad that I wanted to go to a different school. He thought that it might be a good idea to check out new schools, so he started looking. 

When he found Woodlynde, he thought it looked great. When we got the chance, we went to see it a few months ago and I shadowed two Upper School students, who were really friendly. I liked it a lot and wanted to go to Woodlynde as soon as possible.

When I heard I got accepted, I was so excited and my dad ordered my school uniform. On my first day just before winter break, I was very nervous but also excited.

So far I love Woodlynde. People here are so nice and they make me feel very welcome. I feel more confident thanks to the teachers' support. Lacrosse season is starting and I can't wait to try it for the first time. My brother is a very good lacrosse player and ever since he started playing, I've wanted to try it out. I will be going to a lax store with a friend and we're going to choose our sticks, which should be really fun.
 

When I started at Woodlynde, I heard about the Informer and wanted to try it out. When I heard I could take pictures for the Informer, I was very excited and now I want to start taking pictures even outside of school and not just for the Informer. So I asked my dad and I might get a camera.

I am very happy that I found out about Woodlynde. I like PA very much and I'm even getting used to the cold weather.

Nick Brayton Movie Review: Total Recall Features Memorable Execution


By Nicholas Brayton
Staff Writer

The concept of Total Recall 1990 has been done multiple times before -- Man vs. Evil Corporation -- but the way it is executed is what makes this movie memorable.

The basic plot is that in the year 2084, a construction worker named Doug Quaid, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, has a recurring dream of a terrible experience on Mars in which he dies due to being exposed to Mars' atmosphere.

After obsessing over this dream, he concludes that he should live on Mars or at least go on a vacation to Mars. He hears of a business called Rekall, which allows a person to simulate what it feels like to be on a planet for two weeks. They also have certain programs to make the simulation more exciting, like an option where you are a secret agent, which Doug chooses.

After finally entering the machine, something goes wrong and he wakes up believing that he is a secret agent known as Hauser. He keeps claiming that the Rekall technicians blew his cover.

Eventually, they sedate Quaid and as he enters his dream, he continues to stay as Quaid and is no longer Hauser. So begins the story of Doug Quaid as he saves the Mars Colony from its cruel dictator.

What gains most people's attention immediately upon viewing the film is the surrealistic setting. The director exploits the idea of living on Mars to its fullest. For example, people who were exposed to radiation due to poor shielding from the sun were mutated, and in some cases, became psychic. Also, Mars has an enclosed area, which, if punctured, can suck people out of the atmosphere. This happened multiple times throughout the film.

The CGI and set pieces also help create a unique atmosphere for this movie. I could go as far as to say that some of the CGI is actually greater than much of the CGI we see today.

The twist on the concept of Man vs. Corporation is actually quite intriguing, because the setting allows the director to create different plot devices. For example, when arriving at Rekall, Quaid is told that he will be subjected to a simulation through a machine that implants the memories of him visiting Mars.

Since scientists are able to implant memories, they are also able to manipulate what kind of memories you want, as mentioned before. The greatest part about the plot is that you are never entirely sure if Doug Quaid is living in the implanted memory or a false reality.

As per most films staring Schwarzenegger, there are multiple action scenes and shootouts. Most of these scenes are top notch, with no over-the-top violence or Arnold blindly shooting everywhere.

Overall, Total Recall is a simply miraculous movie thanks to the director's exploitation of the plot setting and spectacular special effects implemented into the film.

Eric Mitchell: My top 10 spring break vacation spots


By Eric Mitchell
Staff Writer

10) Serbia (Any place with UN peace keepers must be safe)

9) Tajikistan (A glorious free eastern republic that sounds made up)

8) West Bank (I heard it's so nice you have to fight for reservations)

7) Somalia (I want to search for buried treasure)

6) Far northern Canada (Today's high -32 degrees F)

5) Sahara (I need a tan)

4) Afghanistan (Any place with bombed out buildings and destroyed tanks has to have 
an active night life)

3) India/Pakistan disputed Kashmir border (I like fireworks)

2) Timbuktu (I heard it's nice)

1) Kansas (Corn Fest 2012!)

Bonus!
Newt Gingrich's moon base (Zero G party!)

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Charlie Bromberg: What Do You Miss Most about Your Childhood?

By Charlie Bromberg
Staff Writer

  Time moved slower and everyone seemed calmer when we were children. We didn't have any responsibilities or money, but we had loads of free time and fun. However, now we have to worry about senior projects, community service, homework, driving, friends, college visits, final decisions for college, managing our time, etc.

    These days, it's hard for me to remember when I was a child. Occasionally, I think back and remember when I:
• Had a Catch- Whenever there was an object around, I would always want to throw a ball with someone. I liked being active.


• Had Breakfast for Dinner- Whenever my dad had to go on a long business trip, my mom would always make pancakes. I looked forward to that.


• Watched Cartoons- Some of the TV shows that I would watch were Rocket Power, Hey Arnold, Teen Titans, and Batman vs. Robin. Once these shows were on, I was glued to the TV for hours.

• Played Outside- Whether it was riding a bike, shooting hoops, swimming or playing in the creek, if the weather was nice I was outside.

• Went Sledding- I remember walking to a hill approximately one block from my house and going down it numerous times. There was a ramp I would always go over. However, in sixth grade I stopped because I got a bloody nose from a sled running into me.

    As you mature, remember these good times and you'll never grow old inside.