The Viewpoint December 2013 EXTRA

Th e

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 VOLUME 8 ISSUe 2 december

Jazz Band Brass sectrion students Tyler Green, Victoria leeks, MOrgan Dunn, Anthony Dass Practice for their concert Dec. 12.

Photo by Cory Haley

Things To Do

Running on Schedule Don’t let the year end too quickly. Remember to do everything you have to do and want to do. For all the Seniors it may be your last chance. by Ashley Friedl Sch

olarships

SAT

Ellie Pharo

Register By - Test Date Dec. 27 - Jan. 25 Feb. 7 - March 8 April 4 - May 3 May 9 - June 7

Don’t forget to put in for as many scholarships as possible. College is expansive. Let the scholarships help you.

lications App

January 22-24 Ellie Pharo

ts rm Tes

ACT

Register By - Test Date Nov. 8 - Dec. 14 Jan. 10 - Feb. 8 March 7 - April 12 May 9 - June 14

Midte

The Midterms are a stressful time as we all know. But something we can all look forwar to is getting the monday before and after the midterms off.

Application Deadlines:

Spring Tryouts

William and Mary University University of Virginia Jan 15: Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Tech Feb 1: University of Mary Washington Christopher Newport Jan 1:

Gary Tennant

Prom?

Graduation

You don’t want to miss what might be your last chance to play a sport. Go and tryout. You never know, you could be a natural.

This photo was taken by Vince Olger last year during his graduation. This is how you make moments.

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the viewpoint EXTRA l december 2013

It’s your last chance to go to a school dance. Don’t blow it off, you may regret it later.

www.flickr.com

June 14

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug So a wizard, a hobbit, and thirteen dwarves walk into a bar...

Thranduil, played by Lee Pace Also known for: “Lincoln,” “Pushing Daisies,” “The Fall”

Azog the Defiler, played by Manu Bennett Also known for: “Arrow,” “Spartacus: War of the Damned, ““30 Days of Night”

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llotr.wikia.com

The Necromancer and Smaug, played by Benedict Cumberbatch Also know for: “Sherlock,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “War Horse”

lotr.wikia.com

thehobbit.com

Bard the Bowman, played by Luke Evans Also known for: “Immortals,” “The Raven,” “Clash of the TItans”

thehobbit.com

Gandalf the Grey, played by Ian McKellen Also known for; “The Lord of the Rings” series, “X-Men,” “Six Degrees of Separation”

thehobbit.com

Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman Also known for: “Hot Fuzz,” “Love Actually,” “Sherlock”

There is only one word to describe Peter Jackson’s renditions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic books: Epic. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is shaping up to be no different.

We pick up where we left off, with the group out of the mountains, Bilbo having obtained the One Ring from the creature, Gollum, and one step closer to the final encounter with the dragon, Smaug at the Lonely Mountain of Erebor. Martin Freeman returns as Bilbo Baggins, the reluctant Hobbit hero who is dragged into a stiuation far bigger than he could have ever imagined.

His companions are the enigmatic wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) and 13 dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, the true heir to the throne of Erebor. As they continue their journey through the forests of Mirkwood, we meet some new characters in the land of the Wood-Elves, including the Elvenking, Thranduil (Lee Pace) and his more familiar son, Legolas (Orlando Bloom). Bilbo becomes an unexpected hero once again when he rescues the Dwarves from Elvish captivity, and they make their way back into the land of men, arriving at Laketown.

Here we meet two new friends, the Master of Laketown (Stephen Fry) and Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans). Bard joins the quest and the group continues their journey into the dragon’s lair.

But not everyone they meet in this quest is friendly. Azog the Defiler (Manu Bennett), the goblin antagonist from the first part of the trilogy continues to hunt the party.

Thranduil, the Elvenking, imprisons Bilbo and company when they refuse to divulge their intentions, and because of an ancient grudge against dwarves. The shadowy and mysterious Necromancer is still in his fortress at Dol Guldur, and Smaug himself will obviously prove to be a worthy opponent when they finally reach the mountain.

The Hobbit series also has the distinction of being the first films to be filmed in a massive 48 frames per second, adding a hightened sense of realisim and a very impressive capability for slow-motion, so expect some absolutely stunning battle scenes (which, if the trailer is an accurate portrayal of the movie, we will have plenty of ).

Another interesting technical decision Jackson made for this movie was making many of the characters, specifically the Orcs, have motion-capture faces instead of extensive makeup. Whether this extensive use of CGI will prove to be a benefit or a drawback is yet to be seen, and has been a major topic of debate between Lord of the Rings fans.

The sets from the trailer also look excellent, with Jackson again choosing to film in New Zealand, so we can expect some epic views as the party journeys toward the Lonely Mountain.

The movie is set to be released on Dec.13th, so start looking for it in a theater near you. Until then, sit down with the books or the original trilogy, and prepare for a wild ride courtesy of Tolkien and Peter Jackson.

ilotr.wiki.com

thehobbit.com

Thorin Oakenshield, played by Richard Armitage Also known for: “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Robin Hood,” “Frozen”

by Jonas Chechak

What’s out there? What’s the best? Check five of the Ten Best Gifts for teens here! Find the others in the magazine.

by Joshua Guillemette

usa.visa.com

Ten best gifts for teens

Product: Visa Gift Cards Info: What’s better than a gift that buy other gifts?

Any amount will do and it’ll do anywhere!

Product: NBA Ink’d 2 - Thunder

Price: $24.99 Info: By Skullcandy, these earbuds have great sound and are great for doing pretty much anything, from running to working or just relaxing.

Background photo from www.flickr.com.

Product: Epishock Price: $44.99 Info: This loud speaker by OrigiAudio, connects with any device that has an audio jack. In addition to having great sound quality and a durable design, it also has a battery life of more than six hours for parties and tailgates!

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the viewpoint EXTRA l december 2013

www.amazon.com

www.t-mobile.com

Product: Samsung Galaxy S 4 Price: $99.99 to $459 Info: Samsung’s new phone. Take pictures and edit them without special software; do from this phone. It has the ability to be touch free, meaning the user can use any application without touching the screen, only by holding a finger above the option you want to pick.

Product: Kindle Fire HDX Price: $229 Info: It has a 1920x1200 resolution with a 720p forward-facing camera. Mayday is the all new built-in button that, when pressed, contacts tech support. Live video can be seen of them but not of the customer. The Amazon expert can draw on the screen to assist in any way.

On the radar

Things to watch for and listen to

By John Keppeler

An Alaskan living in Portland called Portugal. The Man

“Better Out Than In”

T

W

ith their release of Evil Friends back in June, it seems Portland, Oregon band Portugal. The Man have finally received the public attention they’ve been craving since the band started in 2004.

Portugal have had an interesting ride as a band; losing and gaining members everywhere they go. The band caught the attention of near-legendary producer Danger Mouse to help them with Evil Friends. And while the band has changed alot they still hold on to their core val-

The artist behind the artists

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ue of creating an image completely controlled by the band themselves, setting them apart from every band out there. In other words they do everything themselves. Frontman John Gourley and art director Austin Sellers create all of Portugal’s album artwork. The band also create all of their merchandise, leaving almost no part of the band to a third party. This may seem like the band likes to be very exclusive and solitary, however this is not the case. The band loves reaching out to their fans, and engages them in every way they can.

The band members also have an eye for fashion, especially clothing made in the US. This interest has put them in the spectrum of fashion and the sneaker scene. The band has also caught the attention of celebrities such as Ben Stiller and Jay Z, who have even advocated for the band to their fans.

If you like AWOLNATION or Foster the People and their dark and ominous lyrics mixed with catchy and childish tunes, you are bound to like Portugal. The Man. While Portugal’s stateside tour is nearly over, with stops in Chicago, Portland, Los Angeles and a finale in Anchorage left, their overseas tour is starting up soon. The band will travel to New Zealand, Australia, Brazil and Argentina as a part of the Big Day Out and Lollapalooza festivals.

The band also has their own Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram account, so be sure to check up on them through social media.

www.nymag.com

anye West is fairly well known throughout the world for his music and flamboyant personality. You may also know about West’s very peculiar sense of fashion.

While less prominent than Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, another hip-hop artist is also entering the high fashion realm; blending high fashion with Nike sneakers.

Enter Virgil Abloh. West’s right hand man when it comes to art or fashion. There are high chances that any outfit or article of clothing West has worn in the past couple of years has been handpicked

by Abloh. Perhaps you know of Kanye’s signature Nike sneaker? Abloh helped Kanye with the design of the sneaker. If you haven’t picked it up yet, Abloh is the mastermind of West’s fashion sense.

An architect by trade, Abloh has been dabbling in a different market in the past year. Apparel.

Athletic shorts, hoodies, t-shirts you name it Abloh is selling it. Or had sold it.

Abloh is behind streetwear brands Pyrex Vision and #BEEN #TRILL, trademark brands of today’s rappers. Abloh’s brands have sold out within minutes of being offered to the public. Contrary to what you would see from a fashion house Abloh’s companies market your average everyday clothing articles; then apply their branding all over the pieces.

Loved or hated, Abloh has created a name for himself by bridging the gap between high fashion and streetwear.

www.unmcignite.com

www.shokhorror.com

he worlds most famous artist currently hangs his art in galleries. Illegally. He spends hours preparing his work and then applying it to buildings in cities across the globe. Illegally.

Banksy is unlike any graffiti artist you’ve heard about. Instead of posting “tags” all over the world’s cities, Banksy uses stencils and satire to protest capitalism, war, and government. In some cities his art is even protected with sheets of Plexiglas rather than being condemned and removed like other street art. Auction houses and collectors pay thousands of dollars for Banksy pieces.

He’s even produced a film about street art and has self published 6 books containing various photographs of his art.

One of Banksy’s latest exhibitions was “Better Out Than In” and was finished October 31. Featuring a different piece each day for the month of October, Banksy painted art and left sculptures all over New York City.

Banksy also used the internet to project his art to the world. Creating an Instagram, and a separate website Banksy found new fans stateside during his month long stay.

Some examples of Banksy’s work for “Better Out Than In” include a Fiberglas sculpture of Ronald McDonald getting his shoes shined by a boy dressed in very worn clothes, a wall with the words “this site contains blocked messages”, and a piece portraying a lonely man with wilting roses waiting outside a strip club.

The reason Banksy is so famous is because of the power of his art and his elusiveness. Few people outside of his circle of friends know Banksy’s true identity and his anonymity shows that Banksy can be anyone; that any random citizen can stand up to anything through art.

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Cases in the Making Take a look at these five cool, interesting cases for your iPhone. by Katie Jones

Price: $89.99 Product: Life-proof case for the iPhone Available At Lifeproof.com

Lifep

Protect your phone from the elements so that you can take it anywhere from land to sea while still looking cool.

com roof.

Pay Phone iPhone 4 case Price: $10.95 Price: $17.26

You’ll never get bored with a phone case that’s also a maze.

Whether your waiting around or on the move a very simple activity can be fun and still keep your phone looking up to date.

zazzle.com

Available at Zazzle.com

Product: Maze case for the iPhone 5 Available at Amazon.com

Express your affection for your phone by giving it an original cover that shows off its true nature. A stylist pay phone case is just the thing to let your phone stand out as the best.

Price: $29.99 Product: iPhone case Available at Craziestgadgets.com Craziestgadgets.com

If you love pets, carry your pet everywhere you go. Whether you’re a cat person or a dog person there’s a phone case for both. Not only can you bring your pet along but you can place them inside their doggy door and they become a stand for your phone.

Price: $27.55 Product: Tree of Books iphone case

If you love to read, show it by decorating your phone with books. A little show of affection can go a long way.

Craziestgadgets.com

ebookfriendly.com

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Available at Zazzle.com

What happened to your phone?

Nine faithful, heartbreaking tales about the untimely death of beloved technical devices.

by Katie Jones

Erinn Black

Erinn Black

Erinn Black

Peter Lima Senior

Luke Hunley Junior

Matt Mills Junior

Freshman year, I was on vacation in Maui, and I jumped off a waterfall with my phone in my swimming trunks. When I jumped, my phone fell out of my pocket, hit the rocks behind me and landed in the water with a shattered screen.

I was going to the little boys’ room and while I was texting, I dropped my phone into the toilet. It hit the lid and shattered the screen.

I went cliff jumping, and we had our phones to take pictures. I was jumping on rocks and fell.

My phone fell into the water and hit a rock.

Erinn Black

an

elm

Esh

Erinn Black

Nic ole

Erinn Black

Izzie Miller Junior

Amberly Marghella Senior

Adam Sims Senior

When I was in Germany, I tricked my little sister into thinking my phone was food so ever since she kept trying to eat it. So then logically, I tossed it on a frozen lake and accidentally ice skated over it, so that she couldn’t get to it.

My friend, Josh Ramsey, dropped it. Then, it just got drops here and there and got kicked. Sometimes headphone cords get caught on doors and yanks it out of my pocket.

Katie Jones

I was at a Sugarland concert, and the day after I got my phone, someone danced on it and smashed it.

Erinn Black

Erinn Black

Tammy Houk Administrator

I went downstairs one day to find my dog eating my phone. It was too late. I went to grab it from him, but he had completely ruined it. I now know never to leave my phone where my dog could grab it.

Kayla Robey Senior I was toilet-papering houses with my team over the summer, and we looked up at the neighbor’s house and someone was suspiciously standing behind the curtains. We ran away and my phone fell out of my pocket. I texted my phone at 5 a.m. to return it if found, and when I got it back there was a huge hole in it.

Samantha Owens Sophomore My phone got messed up, so it kept vibrating all the time. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore so I smashed it against the floor over and over again and it broke.

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Amber Scites

Amber Scites

Amber Scites

Hunter’s Highlight

With the Nov. 16 start of Stafford’s deer season, students who hunt are taking full advantage.

by Nathan English and staff It’s no secret from the nearby forests and the frequent camouflage clothing that Mountain View has a sizable community of student hunters.

“People think of hunting generally as a redneck kind of thing,” said senior and hunter Josh Donahue. “I disagree with that, just about every social class has hunters.”

Donahue, who has been hunting since a young age with his father and uncle, hunts on a variety of properties every year.

“There’s my house,” he said, “my buddy has property off Heflin, I have a forty acre farm in Fredericksburg, and every year I go up to Baltimore and I go duck hunting for a week over winter break.”

Donahue’s first hunting experience was in Baltimore with his uncle, where he caught his first duck, a Goldeneye, one of the rarer breeds of ducks that can be hunted.

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“My uncle told me he hadn’t killed with her grandfather, and cites her one in ten years,” he said. “It felt best hunting moment as getting great. That’s what got me her first deer. hooked.”

“People always think Most student that hunters are doing “People hunters, such as it for the wrong senior Amber reasons, like they think of hunting Scites, got into always want the generally as a redneck hunting as part big antlers,” Scites of her family said, “but some kind of thing.

I disagree tradition. people just hunt with that. Just about “My family for food. It’s good has been huntto have meat in every social class has ing for a long the freezer.” time in places like Junior Michael hunters.”

California, Virginia Brann also got into -Josh Donahue and West Virginia,” hunting as part of Scites said. family tradition, and enScites typically hunts joys hunting deer, squirrels, with a shotgun during regular ducks and turkey. season, but also hunts during the “It’s nice and quiet,” Brann said, earlier-starting black powder rifle and “and it’s actually peaceful in a tree by crossbow seasons. She hunts with yourself. It gets you your alone time; permission on land in Spotsylvania no phones, no nothing.”

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Senior Adam Sims got into hunting through his brother who was in the military and usually hunts with bows but enjoys shooting guns as well.

“If I could hunt an elephant, I would,” Sims said.

Hunting is an activity new people are still discovering, such as freshman Benjamin Hellmann.

“I got into it because it was a way to spend time with my dad and grandfather,” Hellmann said, “and I also just enjoy being in the woods.”

Hellmann hunts deer with a .270 Winchester rifle and hunts squirrels with a .22 rifle.

For those who want to try out hunting themselves, go to dgif.virginia.gov for information about permits, safety courses and the seasons for each county.