The Viewpoint April EXTRA

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a r t x e Viewpoint

Mountain View High School 2135 Mountain View Road Stafford, VA 22556 @mvtheviewpoint mvtheviewpoint@gmail.com

STUDENT NEWS Magazine MVHS April2014 extra

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By Kristin Hanson

GOOD

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BAD MCTCAMPUS. com

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Are these snow days good because we can play in the snow, or are they bad because we might have to make them up?

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Snow

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ren’t snow days just so much fun? Well of course they are, but could it cost us losing days of our summer? Or even adding minutes to our school days?

Well, I have had enough of this. I am ready for Spring!

Most likely everyone wants the county to not add time to the school days, and the Stafford County School Board has come up with many options to chose from like: • Taking away our early releases, or • Taking away teacher work days, or • Taking away three days of spring break, or • Adding days at the end of the year, or • Adding a few Saturdays to the schedule, or • A mixture of the above, or • A waiver It may come as a surprise, or not, but we missed a total of 16.65 days of school in just three months.

The school board decided on Thursday, March 11, 2014 to not make up any of the days except get rid of a few early releases. Everyone should be happy about this news. So, technically it wasn’t a waste to have so many snow days even though this winter has been so long and just about everyone should be so done with this cold weather.

I do not know what days will be made up exactly, but I do know that it will not affect us too terribly for our summer schedules.

Now that we have had yet another snow day on Monday, March 17, 2014 which was St. Patrick’s day and another half day on the following Tuesday, we will have to make up those days. The school board has not yet decided though, how we will make up these days.

They are still calling for snow and it is the end of March and Spring has already started. Too bad the school board can’t change the weather because I would personally prefer 70 degrees and sunny. I think a lot of people would back me up on that.

To be honest, I actually kind of enjoyed having these snow days because we didn’t have to take midterms/endof-the-year exams, we had extra time to finish homework/projects, and we got to hang out with our friends.

It has been about seven years since we have had a massive blizzard in Virginia and even that wasn’t as long as 2014 s.

We didn’t even have snow for Christmas in 2013. We barely even had snow at all in 2013! I just hope that it doesn’t stay cold throughout the year. My allergies have been all over the place. It is either hot and I’m sneezing, or its cold and I’m coughing. There is literally no in-between.

Instead of having a White Christmas, we could be having a White Easter.

Creative ways to spend your snow day!

Snow on the ground? No school? There are fun things to do without leaving home besides the usual. Here are a few ideas: by Sarah Yakulis

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Do a DIY. The only thing better than having something awesome, is having a thing you made yourself just the way you want it. Go on a crafting site such as Pinterest or Instructables, or look in a magazine and talk to friends about what projects they’ve tried before. Find an attainable idea, and go for it! Change it up and make it the way you want with the materials that are accessible to you and that you prefer to use for your project.

Get organized. There’s no better time to change up your space and get organized. Ditch distractions and focus on making your room the way you want. Tidy up and make homemade organizers. Designate spots to separate school things from sports and everything else you may have. Once everything has a space and is organized, you’ll be able to find everything easier and cut down on stress.

Make homemade treats. Everyone loves cookies and popcorn, but snow day after snow day, that can get boring. Mess around with cake pops or homemade popsicles. Just open a cookbook or go on a website such as Glorious treats do a search for delicious recipes you can make with the food you stocked up in preparation for another Snowmageddon.

Reminisce. One of my personal favorite snow day activities is looking through old photo albums with my mom. As cheesy as it may sound, it’s tons of fun to see myself, my siblings and other friends and family members at other stages in our lives. You don’t need a photo album to do this though. Read old notes people have wrote you, or just simply think about all of the great memories you’ve had, and the people you’ve had them with.

Spend time with your family. According to a Penn State study found on the University’s website, teens who spend more time with their family have a higher self esteem and better social skills. The study also shows that teenagers will get into less trouble and will be less likely to give into peer pressure. So get out of bed and put down your phones (save that battery, you won’t be able to charge without power) and spend some quality time with the people who love you unconditionally.

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does anybody actually you do t u n’t really mean, b think before they speak? by Kayla Mason

Think Before You Speak

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How many times in a day do you hear someone or something acting stupid get called gay or retarded, or overhear two people in the halls after leaving one of the worst teacher’s classes and saying, “She just went off on me! She’s completely bipolar!”

You’d say more than once.

Sometimes people will correct others when they say things that they haven’t thought about correcting themselves, but often everyone lets these hurtful words go.

Often if anyone gets called any of the misused names that exist, no one will say anything and the conversation will continue on, even if someone has taken notice.

When you hear the slang terms of gay, retarded or bipolar, the ideal that represents some part of who a person is used in a negative way to name another person. I’m not going to say, “Girl wearing a skirt as a top,” is something that defines how a person exists, but however you look at it, when someone uses those words, it’s not to say something is good.

Think of how many times you have heard any of those words used in a positive way when you’re talking with your friends You’d say less than once.

The fact that people call others “retarded” out of habit is worse than them doing it on purpose. That means in our heads no one’s automatic conscience tells them, “This is a bad thing to say.”

What’s hard to understand is the sheer mention of these names around particular people makes connections to their lives.

People with mentally handicapped or bipolar friends and relatives are affected by these people in their lives who have an entirely uncontrollable condition that alters the reality of those around them every day. Hearing people talk about a serious mental condition that their sister has to compare a kid to who doesn’t have good judgment and does things he’s not supposed to is not anything these affected people should have to put up with.

Not only are the people hearing what they themselves are described as only be used in a degrading way, but the people who love and care for them do also.

Little brothers and sisters, parents and best friends are mentioned unintentionally in a way that hurts other people, either by caring that other people get called these things, having some relation to someone characterized by a misused name, or by these people themselves who unintentionally get made fun of every day because of “Bad habits.”

Often people with mental disabilities are even smarter than someone who is considered to be “normal” and sexual orientation has nothing to do with someone’s intellect.

So why can these words be used as slang words interchangeably with stupid?

Because of social norms and bad habits, people commonly don’t find it necessary to make sure that what they say doesn’t hurt other people, whether it be by calling someone retarded, bipolar, gay or any other name used in a way that isn’t understood mutually as harmful.

Not everyone has to support what other people do, but how you act toward people who believe other things than you do or who can’t defend themselves is how you define who you are, so be kind, be conscious and think before you speak.

Love

by Austin Venable

Why do we constantly chase after it? What makes that urge tick inside that makes us crave a relationship? What is this magical force that attracts two people like magnets? More importantly, What is it? Love comes in several forms; family, friendship, and romantic.

The first type, family, is probably the one that you will always have to lean on. In most cases, your family will love you unconditionally and will love you for you. Unfortunately, many people forget that they have this type of love and simply turn a blind eye to it The second , friendship, is by far the most common. It’s never to late to go out and pick up some new friends. Once you become close, you two can always share secrets and develop a life long bond. These don’t work out sometimes, and can end with just the slightest problem Finally, is the one that we all love to talk about, romantic. With romantic love, you commence a search to find your other half, your life long lover. You look for physical attractiveness as well as personality compatibility. With constant trial and error, you hope to find the right one. But in a desperate attempt, you lower your standards, you start sneaking out at night, you lie to your parents, your heart is constantly being messed with, but you kind of like it, you do things you normally wouldnt do, but why is this?

“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.”

-William Shakespeare

No one really knows. But when asked about why love feels so good, Doctor Helen Fisher of Rutgers University (also the author of Why Do We Love) said in an interview with Judy Dutton; “Because some of the most powerful brain circuits for pleasure are triggered. The main chemical involved is dopamine, which produces feelings of euphoria, energy, sleeplessness, and focused attention on your beloved. Biologically speaking, you’re experiencing something similar to a cocaine high.”

So if Love is really that powerful, why do most high school relationships not work? In my opinion, it most likely falls down to a few reasons, the relationship was all about looks, a true connection was never formed, social pressures force the two apart, it started in the sheer happiness of a moment and was not thought out, or the two simply grow up and find out what they truly want. Do remember, you’ve just started your life and your preferences are almost guaranteed to change over the course of a year, let alone four years. It’s a hard fact, but it’s estimated that only about 5-8% of high school relationships will last when the couple graduates, and even less likely to marry, so on average, maybe about one couple from a high school will get married.

Scary I know ...

Having said all of this, they are far from a waste. There are so many things you can learn from a failed relationship. Lessons such as knowing what warning signs to look for, what things you don’t like, realizing you don’t like a certain preference, etc. are valuable assets and a normal part of breaking up. Sure, you will have a sour face for a while, but with your new knowledge, your next relationship most likely will last longer and be happier.

High school is a rough, stressful transitional time in your life. You’re a growing and developing person and still trying to figure out what you really want in your life. As maturity grows and you grow into an adult. You’ll realize that you don’t have to always have to have relationships. There are many other fulfilling opportunities, such as sports, academic success, and simply just having a fun social circle.

There is no law stating you must date in high school. You are not obligated to date, regardless of the peer pressure. In that time, you’ll grow physically and mentally, and at the end of four years, you will know what you want your real love to be. Just as Dr. Seuss said, “You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

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The Rumor Mill How rumors affected me.

by Regine Lee and Hailey Bullis

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Chrissi Carter and Lexi D’Amico

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Hailey Bullis

n school, I learned a lot of life lessons. At the end middle school I lost my best friend what seemed like a meaningless argument, and when summer ended, it was me against the world.

You see, rumors are as vast as the sky. They can be heartless, intended, unplanned, and even hopeful. The second most important lesson I learned in middle school was taught to me by my 8th grade geography teacher, and it was that everyone’s a story teller.

Some people could fill the galaxy with their countless stories ten times over, while others are simply watching the world go by, never experiencing enough to tell any stories. Disguising lies as the truth is the root of most rumors. It’s knowing that who you tell rumors to will believe it. It’s also putting faith into unworthy sources, like the guy behind me in a class and in past cases, even my closest friends and family. It’s underestimating your surroundings and praying that nobody repeats the lies.

Rumors are strange. They can make or break something.

Rumors spread like wildfire and are hard to stop. Many of us have been on the wrong side of a rumor, rumors that we don’t undertand how they started. Everyone who has been affected by rumors knows this though; They can get ugly.

I’ve lost count of how many times I believed from sources ranging from a random kid in the hallway to the official weather station on television that it would snow, only to wake up to the spotless street and sidewalk. At the start of second semester, word of a pep rally was floating around the school, and my friends and I were confused about whether the rally would actually happen or not.

Since the opening act of the fall pep rally had been a week full of spirit days, weird costumes, and utter chaos, I couldn’t imagine a pep rally on a normal week where the only spirit day was wearing orange and maroon on Friday. I wore maroon just in case the pep rally was existent, and to my surprise there was orange and maroon as far as the eye could see when I arrived to school that day.

The rumor that really affected me though was the one my best friend told. My “best friend” and I were really close. Back then, I didn’t think about the friends I chose and I never thought I could get hurt. All I knew was that I liked having people to talk to and I loved being a part of a group. My friends meant everything to me, but our unit began to crumble under the pressure of rumors. My friend told lies about her family, saying she was related to celebrities and that her dad had died when he hadn’t, trying to gain popularity and sympathy. These should have been redflags to me and I wish I would have noticed, but I didn’t.I was living a lie, trusting somebody that didn’t deserve to be trusted. I let her into my innocent circle of friends, and by telling my other best friends that I was the one telling lies about them and that I was really weird hurt me because I had never been exposed to betrayal.

Now, four years later, I still see my old best friend. When she sees me in the hallway, she whispers a rumor to her friends, and I run in the opposite direction. In the same way everyone’s a storyteller, every person is a kid at heart.

Some rumors tug at those heartstrings with reminiscence of what once was, and rumors give the heart hope that their memories will be relived.

Other rumors send you running away from them and never looking back. With as much immensity as rumors hold, they all have the same intention- to send people into a whirlwind of unattainable stories that could cascade into the truth.

Spring Break Spring Break is the week that students anticipate each year. It’s a time to get away from all things school and work, unless you sadly have to work on the glorious week of relation. If you’ve got no idea what you want to do for the break, here’s a few ideas that could help you get started. by Emily Archer time 1. Beach Spend a day or more

2. Movies Remember the movie

plans 4.Party Not that much into

Spree 5. Shopping If you’re like me and

sitting in the sand with a few friends soaking up some vitamin D. Build a sand castle or walk along the board walk. Local beaches like Virginia Beach is just a drive away.

the beach? Have a get together. Grab some friends, food, and music and party the night away. Buy decorations at Party City or wherever you prefer.

trips 7. Road Like going new plac-

es for and fun exciting adventure? Jump, in the car and drive. Drag a few friends with you for the ride. Visit New York City for the first time if you’ve always wanted to go.

you wanted to see but never could? Well now is the time to do it. You don’t have to watch just one, because you don’t have to wake up six all week. Movie theaters like Regal and MovieCo always have great movies. Regal isn’t as far away, opening times may vary. You can watch the Oscar films

love to shop, just hop in the car and go to some of your favourite shopping spots. Shop to your hearts desire.

The Spotsylvania mall has a wide variety of stores. Opens at 10 am to 9:30 pm

8. Explore Downtown Freder-

icksburg is a great place to walk around. There are shops everywhere along with an amazing fudge store. There are also antique shops and restaurants.

parks 3. Amusement Visit and amusement

park for a ride filled with fun. Go with your family or friends, maybe even both. Parks like Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens. Kings Dominion is closer and open from 10:30 am to 10:00 pm on weekends.

During the week it’s open from 9:30am to 8:00 pm

Day 6. Museum You can visit Wash-

ington D.C. and take a trip to the museums around the area. To find out what’s around you, be sure to check out www.dctours.us

Buff 9.History If you’re a big fan of

history you can always go visit the Battlefield of Fredericksbrug. You can visit the website www. civilwar.org to find other battlefields near you.

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Spring Fashion Trends

It’s time to put your layers and Uggs away! Spring is right around the corner ... and you know what that means! Trade in your dark dreary colors for bright exciting colors! Spring is all about vibrant colors. From classy denim to flowy skirts, here are some ideas to think about. By Katelyn Lewis Target- $24.99

Forever 21- $7.00

American Eagle-$29.95

Hollister- $55.96

Crop tops are back with a bang. They can be styled in many different ways and can go with just about any outfit! Crop tops are becoming more popular day by day. Wear one with a patterned skirt or some highwaisted shorts!

Target- $17.99

april 2014

H&M.com

Sarah Yakulis sports this look with a pair of simple sandals to balance out all of the pattern in her floral dress.

You can never go wrong with a flowy tank top! A tank top can go with almost anything. Tank tops are an essential for spring. Pairing one with a cardigan and capris or shorts would be a show-stopping combination.

H&M- $19.95

Target.com

Hollister.com

Pairing a jean jacket along with a dress adds more emphasis on the dress pattern. Your outfit will look much more complete.

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American Eagle.com

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Dresses for spring are a must! Floral dresses are a nice way to show of your feminine side and are perfect for the spring weather.

The lightweight fabric and pretty patterns will work perfectly for your spring wardrobe! Maxi skirts look casual, yet striking and glamorous.

You can never go wrong with a pair of classic skinny jeans. If it’s more of a warm day, then you can swap your jeans for some capris or even denim shorts.

Sofia Keane elaborately shows off the most recent spring trend with a fitting crop top and eye-catching maxi skirt.

Sierra makes a classic combination with her flowy tank top and a pair of her most trusted jeans with neutral flats to keep the attention to her tank top.

Pack sunscreen, money and caution for spring break Spring break can be expensive. Be sure to get the most for your buck. by Molly Lynch Places: According to dosomehting. org, the number one U.S. spring break destination is Daytona Beach. Many people go to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, Florida, and many other places. But some don’t even go anywhere. Maybe because it is too expensive or they just do not feel like going anywhere . For the people that go places, be careful. Because when you think that the hotel that you get is nice online, it may not be nice in real life.

Pick your hotel with caution. It happens to millions of people all the time. Don’t let you or someone else be one of those millions of people.

Costs: 1.5 million students go on spring break every year and collectively spend over one billion dollars. Be careful when it comes to money, anywhere.

Some stores may have a dress that you like but another store has the same for cheaper. At place like Myrtle Beach there are tons of beachwear stores, that have the same things, just different prices.

When you buy your hotels try to find the best deal for what you are looking for.

Spend your money wisely.

Clothes: Always wear sun screen and flip flops at the beach to prevent sunburns and pain in your feet. Bathing suits come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Be careful for what type you pick.

If you get a bikini, and you go to a water park and go down some water slides. It would not have a good turnout. You can have small bathing suits, just make sure that they stay on. You should always at least wear a pair of shorts and a shirt

when you are walking around, because you can get sunburnt anywhere, when if the sky is cloudy and the sun is blocked.

Pools and Beaches: If you’re going to a beach for spring break, don’t swim at night. Make sure you follow the beach safety rules that should be posted near busy areas. You can swim at the pools at night if they are open. But swim with caution. You will always want someone to be with you when you go swimming no matter your age. Be careful when it comes to strangers, you can make new friends but not everybody will be nice. If someone that you don’t know is in swimming In your way, just ignore them. No matter what, always try to have fun.

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Is college prep causing stress?

Move over teenage dream, there’s a new sheriff in town.

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by Emily Wiesiolek

ccording to teenhelp.com over 68% of teens in America claim school work is their top stress in their lives. Rightfully so, with a deadline of four years to prepare for the college frontier, not only is looking good for the right school important, but taking full advantage of scholarships.

Even though university tuition has stopped its dramatic rise, the cost for four years at an in-state college can still be upward of $8,893, even after grants and scholarships are factored, says collegedata.com.

More or less, suddenly the teenage dream of enjoying normal high school life has become a rare figment of imagination. Whoever said high school is the most memorable and important years of your life was obviously lying through their teeth, or just not mentally here.

High school has become a battleground, where stress, worry and regretting putting in an extra 30 minutes on a project have become a norm. Since when should school be a place of fear and slavery ran by a teacher who can be compared to Stalin’s reign when it comes to grades?

It all adds up to one thing, the rising requirements for college.Even some special, advanced programs can help boost your sucess for college admission. Lisa Renard, IB coordinator at Mountain View said, “Some students have noticed they have a greater hold on their management skills and note taking. Not only that but students appear to become less overwhelmed with the shift from high school to college.”

It’s all too confusing: You don’t have to have this, but you must have that, and it varies within every college and student. Some students don’t even take a year of a language and get in; others take four and get in, where is the formula to success here?

The answer is there is no magical formula. There is no key class to take to guarantee you get in. Truth is, rejection will be a normal occurrence, even after taking all the honors and AP classes you can get your hands on, but these advanced programs can give a little boost of interest to the admission’s office. Former IB student Lydia Hendricks, from class of 2009, said, “IB taught me how to perfect papers, analyze material (instead of just memorize it) and express a well-supported opinion in class discussion. I often found in college, especially through group assignments, that the IB graduates stood out; they had the easiest time completing more complicated assignments, and didn’t stress as much as other students. They came better prepared. Perhaps their lower levels of stress were due to their ability to balance work and downtime better - when you are more efficient at studying, and know how to prioritize incoming information, you are less likely to be overwhelmed and you find you have more time for clubs, sports or other activities on campus.”

Programs such as IB can look good to some colleges, but others will not take their credit, leading to another sinkhole in the system.

There simply is too much competition and so little spots to fill in big name colleges. Sure, it isn’t impossible to get into Ivy League schools, but it isn’t easy! At the end of the day, high school is a pain in the butt nowadays, ever changing with new ways to get ahead of one another.

School no longer is that perfect 1980s romantic comedy starring a girl leading the head cheerleader dream, becoming prom queen, who has the most faithful and loving varsity football playing boyfriend.

No, there isn’t much lovey-dovey dreaming within the lives of those students seeking to seriously prepare themselves for college. If you find yourself living that way, let me know, I want to know the secret way to enjoying this place.

Student’s constantly find themselves trying to make their portfolio the best it can be, hoping to knock the socks off any college representative they find. I was one of those kids, dreaming and slightly cocky, thinking my name, my GPA, and my place in a rigorous program would get me the ticket into my college of choice.

To this day I regret the fact I am missing out on the best four year of my life, demoting myself to a paperwork slave, and possibly developingback problems from the amount of hours I put in typing away on my computer.

At the end of the day, I plan to rise from these pitiful, pitiful ashes like the falcon I am and snag that last spot at Harvard. Maybe, hopefully say this all had meaning.

That all those worksheets and notes and times I cried about some project due tomorrow would be worth it, and I really had given up four years of life to make the rest of my life easier.

I don’t know if I made the right decision, but I’m sure one day it’ll work out. All I know is, move over teenage dream, I need to get into college!

Tuning out to tune in?

Students want to listen to music; teachers may or may not let them.

The question is, is music the key to success? by Elizabeth Ougnitch

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Ellie Pharo

s music a distraction or a motivation? Some people say that music helps them concentrate on the work they’re doing while others will say that music distracts them from working.

Music can affect a person’s mood positively or negatively. Teen Ink said, “It can be relaxing, angering, soothing, energizing, and much more.” If listening to music puts you in a good mood and motivates you to finish your work then why not listen to it?

Many teachers don’t allow students to listen to music on their devices because it comes across as a distraction. Other teachers say that they’re concerned that if they allow their students to listen to music on their phones then they might start texting and not doing their work, completely defeating the purpose of allowing music to be listened to.

The major issue with having students whip out their phones during class is getting them to put them back away. Once a teacher allows students to listen to music on their phones, some excuses could start coming up like they could say that they’re on their phone because they’re looking for a different song when really they’re texting.

So is listening to music in class a good idea? Debate.org asked people the same question. The results came out to be 50/50. One person wrote, “You have music playing in the car when you are driving so what is the difference to listening to music in class when the teacher is not talking? If we are talking to the people around us then we won’t get any work done.”

While some agree that listening to music is a good idea others say “No, give them an inch and they take a mile.”

“Students are at school to learn, not sort out their play lists. Once you allow children to listen to music once, they then seem to think it is their right, and every lesson then starts with a negative because the teacher has to explain why the students can’t listen to music immediately,” said a student on debate.org.

In some cases this can be true but isn’t it time to start trusting the students with such a simple thing as allowing them to use their phones in class.

“We found listening to music helped the kids with ADHD to complete their work. Actually for this subgroup, the effect of music on them was nearly as effective as medication,” reported Director of FIU Center for Children and Families, William E. Pelham Jr., to FIU magazine.

John Hopkins University School of Education “The intentional use of music in the classroom will set the scene and learning atmosphere to enhance our teaching and learning activities.”

So playing music in the classroom will stimulate students to do their work instead of sleeping or talking to their friends. Even adults use music to help concentrate on their work. The New York Times wrote “Some workers like to listen to music when they find themselves losing focus. They may also plug in their ear buds to escape an environment that’s too noisy — or too quiet — or to make a repetitive job feel more lively.”

Going to school really is a repetitive thing. You get here every day at the same time, take notes, do your work, eat, do more work and finally go home. Listening to music can help your day be more exciting.

Being a teacher and constantly telling your students to keep quiet while they’re working could be a very tedious task so letting them listen to music will keep them quiet and entertained.

Overall, music is a great way to keep your students from falling asleep and keeping them on task with their work.

What the teachers said ...

World History Teacher Cynthia Tyler Q: When students listen to music in your class, is it distracting?

A: It depends on the assignment they’re doing.

Q: In your opinion, does music affect one’s work ethic in a good or bad way?

A: That’s one you can argue on both ways. If you’re easily distracted, it’s better to not listen to music.

Q: Does music affect your work ability?

A: Yes, it helps me concentrate on my work.

Q: Do students listen to music while you’re teaching?

A: Not when I’m giving notes. Only when they’re doing individual work.

Biology Teacher Catherine Jackson Q: Do you think letting students listen to music in class is a good idea?

A: Yes, it helps minimize distractions from other people.

Q: Do you think the type of music a person listens to affects their work?

A: No because it’s each individual persons preference.

Q: Would it be better for the teacher to play music off of their computer or for the student to listen to music on their phone?

A: I think its a disruption if the teacher plays music on their computer. It goes back to having your own music preference. I believe it’ll just cause more issues. april 2014 l the viewpoint EXTRAl 11

New music releases

Tired of what you’re hearing on the radio? Me, too. Give these a listen to hear what you’re not hearing on B101.5 by Eleanor Reichhardt

consequenceofsound.com

rollingstone.com

Lea Michele Louder

musiCourt.blogspot.com

Pharrell Williams GIRL

Pharrell Williams ‘ top hit from the album which is also a “Despicable Me 2” top hit, “Happy.” This album, obviously, is has a lot of songs March 3 about girls. “Lost Queen,” the message is that he is singing to a girl who’s got him whipped.

A line from the song, “Taking care of you, that’s my number one passion.” Another hit from the album “It girl,” has an 80s feel to it and sounds very Michael Jackson. it has jazz but also a beat. “Know Who You Are,” features Alicia Keys.

The first verse is just Williams and the second verse is just Keys, though both verses start with lyrics, “I know who you are, and I know what you’re feeling.”

“Marilyn Monroe,” a quick paced song, starts out with a little bit of classical to it and turns into a jazz 80s kind of feeling song. Some lyrics, “I Just Want a Different Girl.” “Come Get It Bae,” featurws Miley Cyrus and has a blues-pop feel to it. “Brand New,” features Justin Timberlake and some lines are, “I just wanna say thank you for this day, ‘cause it is so good. Oh, you got me feelin’ brand new.”

“Gust of wind,” features Daft Punk so it has more of an electric pop feel to it.

Lea Michele’s new album March 4 is “Louder.” It came out on March 4 and her top hit is “Cannonball.”

Michele’s album is rumored to be about recent death of boyfriend and co-worker Cory Monteith. “Cannonball” has a good beat but is also slow with the lyrics. Michele sings about starting to live again and says, “But I won’t hide inside.”

It sounds like she singing about mourning Monteith.

Another song, “Cue the Rain,” is sad and she sings, “But your hand in mine is hard to erase, and I find myself looking for you.”

Michele really took death hard and is now releasing the pain through one of her great talents, singing.

Foster the People Foster Supermodel The March 14

People have come out with album “Supermodel” that dropped on March 14.

One of the songs, “Best friend,” is a quick, fun and happy song. Lyrics, “When your best friend’s all strung out, you do everything you can ‘cause you’re never gonna let it get ‘em down,” really keeps the title going with best friends.

“A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying the Moon,” has a lot of drum in it but balances with guitar and voice. With lyrics such as “Wondering why the bottom felt alive, I’m searching for answers,” this song has a nice beat to it all though it is loud.

Toward the end of the song it has a pitch change and a small guitar and drums solo before he sings again.

Songs that also came out this March

Young Money Rise of an Empire March 11 april 2014

publicity.vanguardrecords.com

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hiphop-n-more.com

josepvinaixa.com

Shakira Shakira March 24

Ozomatli Place in the Sun March 11

Eli Young Band 10,000 Towns March 4

And falls down the stairs.

“The Monuments Men” is George Clooney’s cinematic baby, which he directed, wrote and acted in.

Based on a true story, “The Monuments Men” takes place near the end of WWII when an unlikely group of museum curators are tasked to protect art in the warzone, take back the art stolen by Nazi looters and return them to their perspective owners.

Frank Stokes, played by Clooney, is the man who assembles the Monuments Men in the movie. Like most historically based movies there is some inaccuracy . Originally Stokes’ real life representative, George Stout, tried and failed to assemble a group like the Monuments Men earlier in the war and later joined a corps of 17 Monuments Men after the group was created

by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

While this doesn’t detract from the movie all that much, it does make a few of the ending and beginning scenes feel a bit hollow.

The montage which acquired the main cast felt very “Ocean’s 11-esque,” but it didn’t work as well as “Ocean’s 11” assembly because of the absence of dialogue, and because the characters and settings in America were all very similar, making it practically impossible for the audience to know who the characters

by Nico Villarreal

being assembled are.

The similarities in appearance and character remain a problem throughout the entire movie; by the end the viewer will likely only remember the names of two Monuments Men at best. If the movie had only taken time to properly introduce the characters it would have been improved exponentially.

On a technical level there were some mild annoyances, such as subtitles being too large or certain transitions between languages (German, French and English) being abrupt and inconsistent. But these grievances are mostly forgivable.

“The Monuments Men” does have some things going for it, such as several genuinely amusing and heart wrenching moments. Even if those moments would have been better with some decent characterization beforehand of the people involved.

Throughout the movie the themes about the importance of art and culture are constantly reiterated. At several points Clooney’s character plainly explains the theme by saying how protecting art and the culture it represents is something worth dying for. And people do die for it, quite dramatically. At one point Stokes explains, “You can wipe out an entire

generation, you can burn their homes to the ground, and somehow they’ll still find their way back. But if you destroy their history, you destroy their achievements, then it’s as if they never existed. That’s what Hitler wants, and that’s exactly what we’re fighting for.”

Conceptually, this is a very interesting and thought provoking theme, but the movie doesn’t make it thought-provoking at all.

The question of whether or not the deaths were worth it is answered with an irrevocable “Yes!” by the movie, but the reason why isn’t shown in its 118 minute showing. Sure its told, its practically shouted at the audience, but it isn’t shown.

There are dozens of magnificent pieces of art shown on screen, but their beauty and importance is constantly glossed over with monologues about how important they are.

Overall, “The Monuments Men” isn’t a horrible movie, but it isn’t a good one either.

It has a fun score, some good moments, and is fairly entertaining but it is also filled with several German salt mines worth of squandered potential.

MCT Campus

MCT Campus

Clooney’s baby tries to crawl

Pompeii’s fiery folly falls flat on its face

by Nico Villarreal Ever been curious to see “Gladiator” combined with a disaster movie? Yeah, me neither.

But that’s exactly what “Pompeii” tried to do.

The movie’s main character is Celtic slave turned Gladiator, Milo, who is taken to compete in the Gladiatorial Games in Pompeii. He is the last of a clan of horsemen brutally slaughtered by the Romans and is the best fighter in Britannia. Over the course of the movie Milo picks up a best friend, Atticus, and a scandalous love interest, Casia.

“Pompeii” has a lot of problems and only a handful of high points. Besides the horrid screenplay which uses every single cliché and stock character it can, “Pompeii” suffers most at the hands of, or rather, the face and voice of, Milo’s actor Kit Harington.

His lines did him no favors, but neither did his action-hero monotone and failure to move a muscle in his face during the entire film.

If the script had only required him to be an action hero, that would have been fine, but there were moments where Milo had to be a super dramatic horse whisperer and romantic prospect for Casia, moments that are laughable in how horribly done they are.

Probably the best part of this movie is the character Atticus, played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, a Gladiator who is only one match away from earning his freedom, kind of like the cop who is just about to retire.

A few of his lines are actually amusing (on purpose), and more importantly, he is the only three dimensional and dynamic character in the entire movie.

There is a lot of death in this movie. Something that isn’t really surprising, considering what happened. But the scale of death is greatly exaggerated, as it seems the towns of Napals and Herculaneum were combined with Pompeii, which was little more than a vacation spot for the rich in ancient times, for dramatic effect.

With a high scarcity of genuinely entertaining scenes, good writing, and consistent tone, it’s pretty ill-advised to go see this movie. april 2014 l the viewpoint EXTRAl 13

Sports are the secret To success From healthy habits and friendships, sports provide a world of opportunities. by Morgan Ocetnik

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re you sick of the cold weather and indoor games? Time to embrace Mother Nature, because spring sports are out. This is a chance to improve your health. Sports are also beneficial towards your social interaction and self-esteem.

Field hockey coach Pattie Sullivan said that the benefits of playing sports are getting to exercise, relieve stress, feel better, and have that social group. Sports affect your health by relieving stress from a long day at school.

Exercising allows you to stay active and fit. Being physically active isn’t the only thing you need to keep up with, nutrition is important, too. Just because you’re staying physically fit doesn’t mean you can sit around eating bon-bons. You must eat healthy foods, take vitamins and drink lots of water throughout the whole day.

Social interaction is a big part of playing sports. When you’re with a team all the time, you build a good relationships. You meet friends that have the same interest as you and create fun memories. Friends will encourage you to meet your goals and will boost your confidence. If you’re in a soccer game and you haven’t been running you’re fastest or your touches on the ball aren’t on, your teammates will try to cheer you on and push you to do better.

Self-esteem is the state of well-being. Self- esteem will allow you to feel good about your body staying healthy, and having more friends. Sports give you excitement if you score a goal, get first place in a race or hit a home-run.

Having a positive attitude is the key; it allows you to be happy and the people around you to be happy. Basketball coach James Hodges said, “You have to be able to balance what you’re doing in school along with your sports and if you’re not disciplined, you’re not going to be successful and obviously everyone wants to be successful.” Being able to balance your academics and sports is tricky. You need to be able to stay focused in school first. Sullivan said, “Hold your academics as high as the job on you team.”

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Spring is in the air. Play a spring sport that you enjoy; soccer, tennis, track, lacrosse, baseball, or softball. Soak up the rays and get some vitamin D, enjoy being with friends, get healthy, work on that figure, and make lasting memories. april 2014

Blood, sweat, and tears The rewards and downfalls of doing what you love. by Emily Johnson

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ompetition: The factor that provides a race for a certain prize, honor or advantage. People such as athletes, musicians, and artists, devote their lives to improve upon their talents more and more each day. People put in blood, sweat, and tears, to satisfy their crave for a victory. For that moment when they can hold their trophy in the air and say “I did it”.

Unfortunately, not everyone can have that moment of glory. They may have bled just as much, sweat just as hard and cried even more, just to fall short. In the world of competition, people must realize they can’t give up what they love. Fall down seven times, stand up eight, which truly, is easier said than done.

Before people can even begin to start their journey they have to want to go somewhere. The question is where are they going? For some people, they’ve known all their life what their talents are. They were kicking soccer balls, pointing their toes in dance class, or singing their hearts out along with Barney. For others, it’s not so easy.

Though it doesn’t really matter, does it? What matters is the effort that individual puts into achieving his goal, his desire to get better and realize he wants to go far. The next question may be, where do I go from here? Strength and desire don’t come from any old place. People have to want it, and be willing to train their hearts out to get it, whatever “it” is.

Training isn’t just doing the occasional P90X workout on a Sunday or trying to press all the keys on a piano when it’s time to practice. It’s putting in extra work and time even when people don’t have to, it’s because they want to. Training is sleeping, breathing, eating, living their passion all at once, 24/7. In whatever people pursue, it’s going to be hard work, it’s going to be exhausting. It also might just be worth every single second of it.

At some point in a person’s life, they’ll face their chance to do something big.

Big moments do big things and moments like those can change a persons life forever. Every step they’ve taken to get here is looked back upon, have they trained hard enough, long enough, are they good enough? Confidence is key in times like these, in the moments before people put them selves on the line.

Whether it’s a competition, show, tryout, game, or even the Olympic stage it’s their moment. Their time to showcase what they love so much, what they’ve devoted so much of their time and effort to, and what they never want to stop doing.

Former head coach of the Green Bay Packers, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and one of the men considered to be the most successful coach in the NFL’s history, Vince Lombardi, said “I firmly believe that in any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfilment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle victorious”.

Very few people come out as winners, but when they do it’s a glorifying moment. Their hard work and dedication has finally paid off. Everything they put into what makes them happy, has all been worth it. The thing is, there can only be one first place.

Not everyone can be victorious, not everyone can come out on top, it’s just not the way of the world. If it were, and success was easily attainable, nothing would be worth fighting for. Maybe their hard work didn’t get them the first place, maybe they even got last. That doesn’t mean they’re a failure, or they aren’t good at what they do. It means it’s an opportunity for them to improve and grow, if that’s what they choose to do.

Giving up seems so easy, in the minds of some people, they think it’s just easier to give up. To not have to work towards anything anymore, because yes, it’s way easier to give up rather than to work harder than ever imaginable. Though, is it the right thing to do? Lombardi also said “The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.”

Maybe it’s passion that pushes people to their limits. They live for the moments when they can look back at where they came from and where they are now and be proud. They love what they do and knew better than to give up just because things got tough. Those people devoted their blood, sweat, and tears to be the person they knew they could be, now that’s a real winner.

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