They'reeeee Back!

By Lucero Soriano

   Every summer students lament the loss of one of the staples of their existence. What could this vital staple be? TV shows. All the beloved TV shows were on break just as ESHS students were, causing everyone to miss their television programs terribly. For all TV lovers, the most fabulous event in September is the return of all TV shows to beloved television sets. Of course, nature has its own way of balancing everything, and the excitement students feel for having their shows back on TV is countered by the fact that there is also a pile of homework back on each student’s desk; it seems as if every teacher gives tons of homework, almost to balance this newfound plethora of entertainment options.

Despite this sad fact of reality, many shows have returned to TV screens and attracted large numbers of viewers. The popular Gossip Girl came back as a hit, as about 2.61 million viewers tuned in to watch the new season. All the fans were overjoyed to hear that "XOXO Gossip Girl here." Other opinions about a wide variety of shows exist, and Junior Brianna Moore said, "I could not wait to watch The Secret Life of the American Teenager; I love that show! It's about different cases, a girl that does not have a mom and she does not get love and looks for it in the wrong places, and there was this other one that gets pregnant  from a guy in a band." 

The infamous 90210 is also a new hit which follows the next generation of the Beverly Hills High elite, including the sons and daughters of the characters from the original show. This saga is a guilty pleasure for many teenagers and perhaps some of their parents as well. ABC’s ace in the hole, Dancing With The Stars, is back with a new cast, including Cody Lindley, Lance Bass, and Kim Kardashian. As junior Gary Muro said, "OMG I'm only watching that show to watch [Kim Kardashian], she is so sexy. Go girlfriend…!" Who will ESHS students be rooting for this year? Many cannot wait to see what is going to happen with Blair and Chuck; will the "frenemies" get back together? To find out, tune in to Gossip Girl, Dancing with the Stars and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Happy viewing!

 

 

Crushin' On You...Let's Work it Out

By Laura Lindsey

ESHS students are finally back at school, which means new classes, new friends, new experiences and new crushes, making this time of the year quite exciting. However, could these new relationships be affecting academic performance? Some may claim that relationships are harmless, but think again. Depending on the type of person involved, these relationships could have a beneficial or negative impact on one’s academic well being. Some students study with their crush. This strategy can actually encourage both students to study, providing the perfect combination of pleasure and pain. Although this is an ideal scenario, most of the time the situation unravels differently. Several students were asked what their past experiences have been when trying to balance out school and relationships. Junior Meagan McCall commonly observed, "Normally I spend a lot of time with whomever I'm dating and stay up late talking to them, so I don't spend as much time doing work." Many students had similar stories.

Even if dating itself does not affect academic performance, what results from two people fighting or breaking up? Many in such situations become increasingly distracted. Sometimes, the occurrence of a fight makes it impossible to concentrate; this lack of concentration will affect test scores, resulting in lowered grades. Results show that relationships typically have negative effects on students. However, this does not imply that people should not have relationships; it simply means that, as students, individuals need to work harder on staying focused on school work.

      Life and relationships are all about priorities, which is where problems occur. It is safe to say that the urge to spend time with a crush is tempting, but is it really worth having grades drop? Perhaps, grades do not seem to be important right now, but they will be. The grades received in high school set the stage for the rest of one’s life. As senior Ryan Ward stated, "School is more important because relationships are only temporary." So maybe there is a way to find a compromise between the two. Why not use studying as an extra reason to spend time with a boyfriend or girlfriend? Since it is a new year, take this time to adjust priorities, make a plan, and make this year awesome.

 

Lakeview Terrace

By Kim Keener

Everyone has some type of bias or prejudice, whether it is against people, situations or religion. These opinions of the world are mostly contracted from specific past events or the way a person was raised.  In the movie Lakeview Terrace, an interracial married couple moves in next door to a Los Angeles police officer named, Able Turner. Able Turner is a widow with two children, so he is very strict and careful when it comes to raising them. Since Able is on the force, he is well aware of the dangers present everywhere in their neighborhood.

  Shortly after the new neighbors moved in, Able's children look through their bedroom window to find the couple (Chris and Lisa) in a very public display of affection.  Able walks in and is curious as to what has his children so mystified. This leads Able to believe that they are flaunting their personal life obnoxiously, disrespecting him and the neighborhood. He decides that he does not want his kids to be around them. Able takes measures into his own hands by deciding to harass the couple until they move.  Able had security lights around the side of his house; these lights were always shining into Chris and Lisa's bedroom. After a few days, Lisa convinced Chris to talk to Able about moving the lights.  However, Able quickly manipulated the situation by throwing a couple race comments his way and making it sound like Chris was suggesting that it was all right for his children to be exposed to the violent teenagers who hang around their neighborhood.  

Meanwhile, Chris is trying to make the most of the new home and all of its possibilities. He ideally wants to maintain a pleasant relationship with all of his neighbors because Chris and Lisa want to start a life there and Lisa is anxious about having a baby.  Able crosses the line several times in order to do whatever is necessary to get Chris and Lisa out of his neighborhood.  He also crosses the line at work, accumulating more stress and possibly causing him to make several questionable decisions.  At the movies resolution, the situation escalates to be extremely dramatic and frightening, especially for Chris and Lisa.

This movie was really suspenseful, and keeps the audience hooked into the story line the whole way through.  It also made me aware of the everyday judgments and prejudices that people experience and how those prejudices can influence a situation.  This movie is unique in that it addresses many issues simultaneously which are not usually seen on the big screen. This movie leaves the viewer feeling somewhat sad, because each side depicted its own issues, which were truly eye opening.  Overall, this movie addresses important subjects that are rarely acknowledged by the public, so I would definitely recommend going to theaters and seeing it.

 

Slipknot

By Michael Munch

    All Hope is Gone, the new Slipknot album, delivers the band’s unique style in a completely new way. The album has all the same hate-filled lyrics that every fan has come to expect from the group, but in a slightly less "heavy" manner. To some this album may come as a disappointment, as the band delivers their message in a radically different medium, possibly to be expected from Stone Sour, rather than Slipknot. For those who do not know, Stone Sour is another band featuring the Slipknot frontman, Corey Taylor. The album will still scare parents, as any good music should, but the power and strength of Slipknot's previous works is not apparent in every song; basically every other song on the album is soft, flaccid, and otherwise ridiculous. Senior Hunter Hale had this to say about the new album: "In my opinion the new Slipknot album could of been much better they did produce two pretty good songs, Vendetta and Psychosocial come to mind, however a lot of the other songs seem rushed and are much more mainstream than the old Slipknot." This album is very unimpressive for those who do not place emphasis on the concept of mainstream music, because it is obviously a valiant attempt at flattering the masses, who like terrible music. 

    As far as individual songs are concerned, the album had its moments. The album starts out with “.Execute.”, which at first sounds like just static, but upon closer inspection reveals the provocative lyrics asking questions of the listeners and ending with the album's rallying cry, "ALL FREEDOM IS LOST. ALL HOPE IS GONE." This leads into the second song, “Gematria” (The Killing Name). “Gematria” is a politically charged anthem of rebellion, crammed with quotes from speeches and thought provoking questions; it asks the listeners "America... What if God doesn't care?" and leaves the individual to answer that question. The third, more calming song, “Sulfur”, seems as if it would fit better in a Stone Sour album, but makes a somewhat decent addition to All Hope Is Gone. “Psychosocial”, the next track in the lineup, has more potential than the previous songs. It gets back to the roots of Slipknot and will join the likes of their original masterpieces such as “Wait” and “Bleed and Before I Forget.” Unfortunately, the next addition to the more mainstream sound of Slipknot is “Dead Memories”, another somewhat disappointing song for those who enjoy the band’s previously heavier sound. “Vendetta”, a surprisingly more upbeat selection from the band asks listeners "ARE YOU READY FOR THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE!?" This somewhat uncanny song seems out of place in the band's repertoire, but is definitely an exceptional piece and worth listening to. “Butcher's Hook”, the next song in the lineup stays true to Slipknot's sound. Loud, fast and in your face, this song has everything fans have to come to expect from the masked musicians. Unfortunately, not all of the songs are as engaging in this album. “Gehenna”, next in the lineup, is slow and almost whiny to the point of annoyance. “Snuff”, an acoustic song with singing rather than the typical screaming, comes as a quiet disappointment. The highlight of the album comes at the end with the cover title, “All Hope Is Gone.” This is a true Slipknot song, with a brutal sound and a powerful message that "We'll end the world, when all hope is gone."

   All Hope Is Gone is the first album to come out of Slipknot's studio in four long years. It comes as a much anticipated arrival to the collections of Slipknot fans everywhere, such as senior Colby Garafano, who thought the album was "magically delicious." They have changed their music in what seems like an attempt to gather more listeners who are not fans of the heavier music, and adopted a more mainstream sound. All said, in a dramatic break from their past, Slipknot's once distinctive sound and unique song characteristics have been replaced by a much more generic and bland sound. Freshman Tyler Becks agrees with the overall consensus on the album: "I heard like one or two songs I liked, but overall the album sucks."

Guess Who This Teacher Is

Five Clues: - Born in Houston, Texas - Owned a horse named "Shorty" - Has four children - Getting Master Degree of Arts at Cal State Long Beach - Grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico