Daily Archives: October 11, 2013

Music Rants & Recommendations

Who here enjoys music?  *everyone raises their hands*  Ok, how about old music?  *many hands drop*  Well, today I’m going to talk about music.  Lets start in the ‘50s and make our way to now.  One name: Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll.  He’s in the music Hall of Fame and has some awesome songs.  “Love Me Tender”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, and “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, just to name a few.  Next comes the Beatles.  The Beatles were big in the ‘60s.  Talk about the British Invasion.  Some of you may be going: “Huh?  The Beatles?”.   Ask your parents or your grandparents.  It’s your grandparents “pop” music.  One Love is a good song.  Then there’s Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, etc.  I could go on and on.  Next is the ‘70s, with disco, BeeGees, and Diana Ross.  There also was Pink Floyd, Bob Marley, and Don Mclean’s American Pie.  Then there’s Meatloaf.  Mmm… yum.  Not really though.  It’s a cool band.  Ooh, you can’t forget Queen and Elton John.  The ‘80s was Michael Jackson, Madonna, and REM.  There was also U2.  I’m skipping the ‘90s and going to the new millenium.  We have Fun, Mumford and Sons, Katy Perry, Lady GaGa, and Rihanna.  There’s also Justin Timberlake and One Direction.

 

I personally enjoy Queen, the Beatles, Meatloaf, Elvis, and modern music.  Others, like Elton John or Bob Marley, I’ve listened to a little, but not too much.  I highly recommend the aforementioned artists and bands.   I consider my taste eclectic.  New music is just as important to me as older tunes.  The Beatles are one of my favorite bands.  Most of their music is fun and light, and other songs are a little more deep.  The songs get you dancing and sing along.  Overall, I like their voices and you should try them.  Queen is rock music, quite different from the Beatles, but just as good.  They sing “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions”.  Meatloaf is also rock too, but it’s quite different from Queen.  Elvis is more rock ‘n’ roll, but he’s just awesome.  I also like all of, or most, of modern music.  There are some artists I don’t like, but we don’t all enjoy the same things.  I guess you could say that I like old rock, but that’s not the extent of music.  Wicked (a musical) has beautiful songs.  If you ever have the chance to see it, go!  My favorite song is either “Popular” or “What Is This Feeling?”.  Please take up my advice and listen to what I recommended.  You won’t regret it.

~Alyssa

“Pop!”

Teachers may think that chewing gum in class will just be a distraction.  Actually, popping a strip of gum in your mouth can academically, physically, and mentally help students.  It helps students keep on task, and need fewer breaks, which means more learning.  It also relieves stress and anxiety.  Students who chew gum are proven to get 26% to 36% higher grades on their tests and quizzes.  Physically, it can keep them from being hungry, and chewing gum can help with your oral health.  Chewing gum will help students in many ways, so not being able to chew it in class may actually prevent students from doing better.

I believe chewing gum in school is a good thing.  It helps students to concentrate, so they can absorb more material and do better on assignments.  Chewing gum during class also prevents students from having to go to the bathroom, or get a drink.  However, if the kids are using the gum as a distraction, or not disposing of it properly, I understand teachers would get annoyed.  Having to scrape gum off of the bottom of desk wouldn’t make me happy.  If the students are capable of chewing the gum and not sound like a cow, teachers should let them chew.

~Zoe

Can’t Forget the Titans

Football. Enraged coaches. Loud boys. Sounds like the typical go-to movie for middle school and high school boys, right? The answer couldn’t be any further from no. Remember the Titans, although being about the popular sport of football, has an incredibly deep plot, with too many important lessons and themes to count weaved in between the pleasantly fulfilled scenes. This past Monday, I had the chance to watch the movie in class and to reflect on the qualities demonstrated by the characters. By the end of the movie it was evidently apparent that there was not a single person in the classroom who was not moved and touched by the viewing in one way or another.

The plot starts off in Virginia of 1971, during the time of when integrated races was just being introduced. One town in particular was having to mix their high school with students who were both black and white. This idea was considered outrageous at the time, for segregation between the two skin colors was distinctly defined as prohibited prior to this. However, with new rules beginning to become enforced, the town has to learn to cooperate. The story is focussed on the high school’s football team, the Titans, and how they overcame their differences and learned to work together as a team. Although encountering numerous difficulties, their coach Herman Boone not only whips them into immaculous shape, but forces them to treat each other as equals. At one point he says, “I don’t care if you like each other right now, but you will respect each other”. However, at the end, it becomes clear that they more than respect each other. Referring to each other as “brothers”, their tight, unbreakable bond is what leads them to victory in the end, in both life and football.

Overall, Remember the Titans demonstrated the capability of successfully setting aside our differences in culture and race to work together to reach one goal. Whether this goal be something as big and broad as making the world a better place, or as small as winning a football game, they are all relevant and share equal importance. Personally I believe that even in today’s world, years and years after equal rights laws and the end of segregation, our tendency of making accepting uniqueness a difficult task is what separates us as a good nation from a great nation. If our world took a close look at this inspiring movie, there is no doubt in my mind that it would become a significantly better place than it exists as today.

~Liz