What do I get him for Christmas?!

By Rhiannon Miller

It’s that wonderful time of year again, full of love and happiness. But I have no idea what to get my boyfriend for Christmas! Sure, I’ve had a few ideas, but nothing great. So, where do I go to find inspiration? Lucky for me, someone had my same problem and realized a way to solve it, not only for himself, but for millions of others. Gifts.com® is a place to find gifts of all prices for all people. I simply log on to the website and take the personality quiz located on the left side of the page. This handy shopping helper narrows down my search starting with gender, to age, hobbies, and weekend activities all while using clever personality types such as the gadget guru, the travel enthusiast, the music lover etc. The web site then puts together a list of possible purchases. But sometimes I don’t know which gift my friend would like more. In such instances, I simply purchase a gifts.com gift certificate and presto! Once my friend receives the certificate they can pick out their own gift. Now, what about those people who don’t know what give to me? Wishpot.com™ is another cleverly put together website. By logging on and signing up (which takes only a few minutes) I can create a personalized list that can be viewed by all of my family and friends. Making my list is so easy. After creating my free account, I drag the “wishpot button” to my tool bar, which allows me to add items I find online by simply clicking and dragging the item to the button (just like dragging an item to the trashcan on your Mac). These creative websites make holiday gift shopping quick and easy. Log on to the Internet and see for yourself. I’m sure your holiday shopping will never be the same.

The State of the School: A Letter from our President

By David Sanchez

The 2nd trimester is infamous for being the worst time in a student’s life. The onset of snow, the loss of daylight, and the dying motivation leftover from 1st trimester make the 3+ months of school seem like an eternity. Well, I can’t do anything about any of that [especially the motivation part] but what I can do is try to provide an outlet for your frustration.
According to Mr. Murphy, “First trimester was a success.” I agree. We had a great 5-DAY Homecoming Week, huge success among all the sports teams, and a pretty smooth finals week. However, it’s not first trimester anymore, and student government is going to start doing things differently. First, we’re trying to get the green light to have parent chaperones in place of faculty chaperones. After a long week of school, what teacher wants to stay up all night at a lock in? Not many. So as long as we can get parents to volunteer their time, I foresee a number of lock ins, informal dances, movie nights etc. Here’s the thing: we basically want to plan so many events so that if you can’t attend one, it’s totally okay because there’s another happening the next week! No one enjoys focusing completely on school without a couple breaks in the winter months. And that’s where students come in, we need your ideas! So starting after break, get ready – you shout the idea, we’ll make it happen.

Kennedy Space Center: No Boundaries to Possibility

By Jean Xin

The warm, humid Florida air hit me the second I stepped off the plane. Huge smiles spread across our faces as we realized that we were actually here. While I know that nobody likes looking through other people's vacation photo albums and getting to hear all about someone else's fun trip at length while they are stuck in Wisconsin, I ask you to bear with me, especially if you're interested in science. Aside from basking in the Florida sun (well, for two of three days, it was actually warmer in Wisconsin on one of them), we also met so many passionate people dedicated to absolutely fascinating research.

Dr. Weaver, Mr. Dan Barry, Tatiana Barry, Julie Iuliano, and I were fortunate enough to stay in Florida from Nov 11 to Nov 13, and it was am extraordinary experience. During late April/early May of 2009 (conveniently right in the middle of AP Exam induced panic, but that's another story altogether), we entered the No Boundaries contest after Mr. Vanden Heuvel brought it to our attention. It started as a good alternative to making a circuit (which reminds me a bit too much of daycamp craft projects and was rather conducive to third degree burns) or a photography contest for which I had no inspiration. However, as the idea evolved, it quickly became a lot of fun, despite the weekend during which I worked on it for about 6 hours straight on Saturday and then another 5 hours on Sunday. My eyes swam with HTML tags. We created a website and promotional video marketing a STEM career of our choice, astrobiology, to youth. According to the NASA educators we spoke to, the USA is suffering a severe shortage of people going into Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math fields. This is creating great concern for the future workforce of the large engineering firms, and especially for NASA, as they can only hire American citizens. While the making of our project was a story in and of itself, let's fast forward a few months to the actual trip.

Unfortunately, Kaitlyn could not make it, but the rest of us arrived at the Orlando airport the evening of November 10, and after a desperate scramble to find late night food, turned in quickly. The next day, we were welcomed to the Kennedy Space Center by a NASA educator. We had expected to spend only a few hours there, but we managed to stay the whole day. Kennedy Space Center is a great educational experience combined with a lot of fun touristy things. Some highlights include the Rocket Garden, Robot Scouts: Trailblazers for Human Exploration! (This would become a motto for the remainder of the trip), seeing two phenomenal IMAX films narrated by Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise, and The Shuttle Launch Experience, a relatively unexciting ride whose buildup was fantastic (complete with giant television screens, robotic arms, and way too many fog machines). Educationally, there were very accessible and well-designed signs everywhere, which gave a layman's explanation about the space program and application stemming from space research (e.g. the materials science research for the shuttles provide us with many of the heat resistant materials, and even metals, that we use today). If you're ever down by Orlando, it's definitely worth the stop.

Due to our fantastic time management skills, we worked for about six hours straight on the presentation we were to give NASA, which induced significant coffee consumption the next morning. Nonetheless, the five of us squished into the car, and shipped off to NASA. After a bit of a run-in with security (not nearly as dramatic as it sounds), we met people from NASA education and boarded an official government minivan. Our first was the Orbiter Processing Facility, where we were catapulted into a world of a zillion safety hazards, scaffolding, and some really excited people. I looked up, and that's when I realized that I was standing directly under the space shuttle Discovery. Someone with a great vertical probably would have been able to touch it. We talked about the insane temperatures that these tiles could withstand, despite the fact that they felt like a piece of Styrofoam. Most of the tiles on Discovery have been there since 1984! Seeing the orbiter up close was phenomenal, especially as we learned random facts. (Did you know that the external fuel tank, the giant orange thing, is held on by one bolt?) What struck me most was the atmosphere in the building, though. Instead of the daily drudge of your average corporate office or high school, everyone there was having fun and doing what they loved. Here's my shameless plug for NASA, but the employees at the OPF are truly being paid to do what they love, and how many people can say that? It's certainly enough to make me push a STEM career up on my possibility list. After, we went to see the engines after being ushered into a pristine white room, with a billion posters that warned of F.O.D. I know next to nothing about engines, but these are engineering miracles. Their material is designed to withstand the temperature of liquid hydrogen (−423.17 °F) and the temperature encountered in reentry (upwards of a thousand degrees). In fact, the nozzles on a space shuttle are actually made of little tubes, where liquid hydrogen flows as both coolant and fuel. They are capable of producing thrust up to 1860 kN at sea level- translated, it's insane. Ahem, excuse the geek-out. If you thought that sounded cool, though, you really ought to consider a STEM career.

After seeing the orbiter facilities, we were interviewed and spent some time at the launch pad, though we couldn't go up, since it was so close to the departure of the shuttle Atlantis and there were too many safety concerns (which is saying something, considering how many tanks of liquid gases I walked past). We also saw a gator, as KSC is also a wildlife reserve (I still don't really get that logic, but let's roll with it.) After that, we headed over to the Space Station Processing facility, another pristinely white building complete with a sticky floormat to prevent you from tracking in debris. Though much of the ISS is already up in space, we saw modules which bring waste, new clothes, etc. to and from the ISS. The Italians named them Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo. Yes, like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, although they were giving a nod to the great Renaissance talents. There's even a ninja turtle on their logo. The only (two, technically) word to describe the SSPF (NASA really likes acronyms and warning labels) is sci-fi.

Finally, we explored the Materials Science and Life Sciences labs. As far as materials science goes, *please prepare for geekiness overload,* I got to ogle electron microscopes and pretty much every spectrophotometer imaginable. They analyze unknown samples, since every minute detail must be checked and double checked. We took a quick break from touring here to give a presentation to the NASA education staff. Tip for all the Hawkeye 2.0 readers: if you don't want to pay for graduate school, go study a science. Honestly though, STEM careers have a lot of potential, not only for your career, but for the betterment of the world.

Afterwards, we went to the life sciences/astrobiology lab (appropriately, since we studied astrobiology) to see some really amazing experiments. First, we saw chambers that mimicked conditions for outer space living, and explored an experiment in which plants are grown in colored LED light (plant pigments only absorb a small range of wavelengths of light efficiently, but they also need other wave lengths for growth modulation). The second scientist we visited ran into a bit of a disaster that morning. After his microbial spore experiment spent about a month exposed the harshness of outerspace (makes you appreciate our ozone layer!), his experiment was shipped back to him that morning with a giant orange sticker that said, "X-rayed by the United Postal Service." While highly unlikely, these hardy microbial spores might have survived the radiation of space only to be killed by the USPS. Yikes. Finally, we talked to a scientist who has created the world's best "Mars Chamber," a pressure, temperature, radiation, and light controlled cylinder to mimic the conditions on Mars. In order to avoid "space pollution," we must be certain that we don't bring microbes to Mars that could mutate. He has been testing the hardiest bacteria on the planet, and none have survived the UVC exposure of Mars, so you can put that horror movie to rest for now.

Almost 1500 words later-- we basically had an absolutely amazing time. We go the movies to witness fantasy, but they say the truth is stranger than fiction. There is so much amazing research happening right now, and we're the generation that will push it forward. Don't miss that opportunity.

The Muniz Movie Reviews

by Mitchell Muniz

Note: These reviews are strictly my opinion; my goal is to give you some insight on recent movies.

“Paranormal Activity”

This film is utterly terrifying in every sense of the word. The ultra low-budget horror flick that was filmed in the home of the director has managed to make 10 times what it was made for, averaging 61 million at the box office. Katie and Micah are a young couple living together in a suburban home that becomes haunted by a demonic entity which, they find, becomes active in the middle of the night as they sleep. As each night goes by, the entity becomes more enraged, and Katie and Micah find out their lives may be at stake. This film is a celebration of what horror once was before special effects. Unlike other films, it makes you use your imagination and think for yourself. Filmed in the manner of “The Blair Witch Project,” this one proves to be much scarier!
5 out of 5 stars


“2012”

The new apocalyptic thriller from the director of “The Day After Tomorrow,” “2012” follows the journey of a father (John Cusack) trying to save his family from the destruction of the world the Mayan culture predicted. This movie is nonstop action all the way through. The special effects are jaw-dropping. This is a great movie to sit back and enjoy; there’s absolutely no need to think. But keep in mind this movie is two hours and forty minutes long! This is a highly intense movie, and very entertaining!
3 out of 5 stars

Personal Top 10 Music

by Ryan Anderson

1) “Cry for Help” -Shinedown

2) “The Good Life” -Three Days Grace

3) “Overcome” -Creed

4) “Lost in You” -Three Days Grace

5) “Spoonman” -Soundgarden

6) "In Memory"- Shinedown

7) "Show me how to Live"- Audioslave

8) "Breathe"-Popevil

9) "Break" -Three Days Grace

10) "I will not Bow"- Breaking Benjamin

Upcoming Trends in Fall Fashion

After spending the long weekend in New York City, the heart and soul of the American fashion industry, I am well prepared to document this fall’s upcoming trends. Everything on the runway is punk inspired-leather, studs, metallic neutrals, bold neon colors-but what makes this upcoming trend different is that the top designers are putting a feminine spin on these otherwise masculine fashion statements. Pastel floral prints, rounded collars, and bright handbags are incorporated into the punk trend to create a well-rounded high fashion look (think Coco Chanel meets Alexander McQueen meets Juicy Couture). Fall is my favorite month for fashion because the weather permits you to wear a complete outfit-jacket and shoes included. No flip-flops or tank tops; just boots, blazers, and trench coats. If you’re shopping for a new look this fall, I recommend heading to Milwaukee. Urban Outfitters and American Apparel can be found in the Historic Third Ward, and just around the corner is Bayshore Mall, where you can find Forever 21 and H&M, both inexpensive stores that inspire you to incorporate designer-inspired pieces into your simple wardrobe.

Although following trends is a large part of your own personal style, deciding for yourself what you think is fashionable is what gives you your own individual style. To offer you an example of this, I interviewed Mackenzie Naughton, a prestigious fashion icon at our own TPS.



Mackenzie’s Unique take on Personal Style:

Chelsea: So, Mackenzie, who is it in the industry that you gain inspiration from to create your own personal style?

Mackenzie: Juicy Couture. If I had one person to remake my room it would be Betsey Johnson or Juicy Couture.

C: Interesting! So from what I have observed, rhinestone hoops earrings and terry cloth bright sweatshirts are significant staples in your wardrobe, would you agree?

M: Yes because it represents my mood, and I am generally a happy go-lucky girl.

C: Very good. So when you wake up in the morning, what exactly is going through your mind as you are putting together this interesting ensemble?

M: Well, I just grab whatever is closest to my bed usually, but when I’m hyped up on my Adderall sometimes I try to look like a rainbow to be a shining light in the darkness that is TPS.

C: I must say, sitting next to you can be blinding. However, I enjoy the contrast to the usual sweatpants that Prairie students seem to begin to wear on a regular basis after they learn about the Junior Thesis. What is your favorite part of this fall’s fashion?

M: Probably nice cozy sweatshirts and Uggs.

C: What are your favorite stores?

M: Juicy Couture. That is my number one. Also Tiffany & Co., Forever XXI, and Chinatown.


C: If you had to pick one particular garment that represents your style, which one would it be and why?

M: My pink sweatshirt that has a big smiley face on the back and on the front it says “Be Happy”

C: Thank-you so much for your time Mackenzie, I look forward to seeing your upcoming wardrobe this fall. Any last thoughts?

M: I don’t like the tights you were wearing today.

C: Gee, Kenz, thanks; I guess that’s why it’s personal style.

Fashion Quote of the Month:


Fashion fades, only style remains the same.


Coco Chanel

Twilight: Misplaced Hatred

By Fiona Lochtefeld

By taking the pro-Twilight side of this debate, I am automatically setting myself up for ridicule. What used to be known as a “weird girly apple vampire book” is now suffering under the crushing weight of its own popularity. A lot of people adore the series. A lot more people hate it because they are tired of having it constantly shoved down their throats. I myself- and I admit this with only a modicum of shame- love the series.

Seriously. It’s one of my all-time favorites. But I’m not just saying that because I am obsessed with Robert Pattison or because I’m a screaming eleven-year-old with unrealistic expectations about what a good boyfriend is like. I started reading the series when it was still a weird girly apple vampire book—when vampires were only for Goths and emos. I have read other vampire books, including those by Bram Stoker, Anne Rice, and Ellen Schreiber. I have not been brainwashed; I am still capable of making rational judgments and pointing out flaws in the series. And while I’m glad that the series has done well, I think that its current popularity is absolutely appalling.

Because we are almost always surrounded by something with Robert Pattison’s face on it, it’s inevitable that the series has made enemies. Lots of enemies, who claim that Twilight has no literary merit whatsoever, because it is unrealistic or sexist, or just plain bad.

Is Twilight sexist? Perhaps. Bella admittedly depends on both Edward and Jacob to pull her through the current crisis. On the other hand, if she was completely independent, we probably wouldn’t like her much, either, because she would seem callous. If she always made the right choices, she would be obnoxious. And one might note that all of Bella’s escapades take place amidst creatures that are faster, stronger, and better trained in combat than she. Doesn’t it make sense for her to depend on others when she would be instantly killed if she did not?

As for unrealistic—it’s a vampire novel. Come on. The vampires may be scarily beautiful, but, seriously, how realistic can you expect a book about bloodsuckers and shape-shifters to be? Push the idea of realism from your mind already. Sit back and enjoy the ride that the book provides.

I don’t mean to say that Twilight is the Epic Of The Century. It is not, any more than Harry Potter is. Popular is not the same as profound. Engrossing is not the same as life-changing. And although Stephanie Meyer’s writing style is smooth, descriptive and engaging, it’s not anything special. She’s no Tolkien or Shakespeare. Then again, most authors today aren’t, regardless of how famous they are. J. K. Rowling’s writing style isn’t that special, either.

Many people are now saying that Harry Potter is a much better series than Twilight, both because it reached a larger demographic and because it came first. But if Twilight had come before Harry Potter; and it was Hogwarts, not Forks, from which we couldn’t escape, we’d probably hate Harry. We’d be claiming that Jacob would be eating Lupin for breakfast instead of vice-versa. And the only reason that we would be saying that would be because we would be so sick of Harry Potter that we would be unable to look at it impartially.

Ask yourself: do I really hate Twilight, or do I just hate the fangirls? If you had tried the series before they became hideously popular and had hated the book—well, what of it? You would have just tossed it aside and forgotten it. But you wouldn’t take the time to rail against it and anybody who likes it. You wouldn’t spend your time saying that it was a bad book. When we say “bad” in reference to books, we usually mean that we just didn’t like it. Similarly, when we say that it was good, we aren’t offering professional criticism on the writing style or plot devices. We’re just saying “good” because it’s understood that “good” really means “I liked it.” So unless you’re sure of your ability to criticize literature objectively, don’t say that it’s “bad.” Say that you hated it. Say that, by reading it, you wasted precious hours of your life and that you want a refund. But don’t use “bad” indiscriminately. Just accept that it wasn’t what you thought that it would be and move on. Let those of us who did like it like it without fear of being ostracized or mocked.

On the flip side, I would like to (nicely) ask all of the rabid fans to please, please shut up now. I’m begging you. You’ve had your day. You’ve come out of the closet and shown the world just how obsessed you are. Now, please get back into your closets, where you have left your well-loved copies and your book lights, and let the rest of the world go on its merry way. By shoving it in everybody’s faces, you are actually harming the series, not increasing its popularity. People who have never read it are turned against it without even giving it a chance. People who used to vaguely like it have been converted intoTwilight-haters. People who started reading it when it first emerged and cannot shake their obsessions have been forced into silence for fear of merciless ridicule. And everybody is being driven insane. You don’t have to go to such extremes for Twilight to be recognized as a great series that has attracted a lot of fans. If the world hasn’t gotten that by now, I don’t think it ever will.

If you like it, great. If you don’t, fine. But don’t hassle the other side. Don’t insist that yours is the only way. In fact, just avoid the topic altogether and avoid an altercation. Ignore the New Moon posters that glare at you from the theatre walls. Walk past the shelves of Twilight books at Barnes & Noble without making obnoxious gagging sounds. Don’t declare that the series is the epitome of All Things Good or scream every time you see a silver Volvo (no... not even if the license plate reads ED CULL). I’m not asking for reconciliation with the other side. I’m just asking that we reach a détente. This isfeasible. Harry Potter has proven that this can be done. So can we please try?

The Muniz Movie Reviews

by Mitchell Muniz

Note: These reviews are strictly my opinion; my goal is to give you some insight on recent movies.

On DVD (horror)

“Drag me to Hell”

This movie is directed by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, and The Evil Dead Trilogy), and it stars Alison Lohman and Justin Long. This low-grade and highly entertaining horror film was a hit not only at the box office, but also with critics and regular moviegoers alike. Christine Brown seems to have it all. She’s a hard working loan officer on her way to a promotion with a loving boyfriend. That is, until Christine denies an elderly woman another extension on her home loan. Now she is cursed with three days to live before the Lamia demon comes to claim her soul to burn in hell for an eternity of unthinkable torment. This is guaranteed to get a few jumps, and laughs out of you before the movie ends, and now it comes in an unrated version packed with more blood and carnage! Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly raves “the most crazy, fun and terrifying horror movie in years!”

5 out of 5 stars

“Trick ‘r Treat”

Written and directed by Michael Dougherty (Writer of “X Men 2”, and “Superman Returns”) in his first major directorial debut, and starring Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, and Anna Paquin, we explore the mysterious night of Halloween. A creepy and, at times, humorous, tale of the scariest night of the year, we experience four interwoven stories of terror: a high school principal (Dylan Baker) who moonlights as a serial killer; the quest of a virgin searching for that special someone takes a gruesome, and unexpected turn; A group of teens pull out a prank with disastrous consequences; a cranky old man is sought out by a trick-or-treating demon. The winner of the Audience Choice Award Screamfest, all about respecting the customs of Halloween, critics rave is “the best Halloween film of the last 30 years” -wizarduniverse.com.

5 out of 5 stars

Not sure about these? Check out the trailers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggDNhd5FC2U -“Trick ‘r Treat”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUZTybLlWKI - “Drag me to Hell”

Twilight Bites
By Savannah Henderson


I think one of the things that frustrates me most about Twilight is Edward's seemingly absolute and inexplicable perfection. Yes, I know, he's a vampire, and as such, is supposed to be the epitome of excellence and exquisiteness. This is not an excuse. In my opinion, Edward, being a main character in a book series, is obligated to have at least one major character flaw, and no, vampirism does not count. Not only are his incorruptible selflessness, kindness, and intelligence frustrating and grossly unrealistic, they are also some of the many traits that make him such a dull character. Another reason I dislike Twilight is the character Bella Swan.

Isabella Swan represents everything I hate in this world. Not really. But she is annoying.

Consciously or subconsciously, when Stephenie Meyer created the character Bella, she also created a blatant attack on both feminism and female independence. For example, when Bella was accepted to Dartmouth, one of the best colleges in the country, she stoutly refused , in favor of turning into a vampire. Her excuse? She was afraid of aging, and looking older than her 17-year-old boyfriend. Another example of Bella's complete codependence and spinelessness? She allowed her boyfriend to pressure her into marriage, despite the fact that she did not want to marry him, and that she knew her parents wouldn't approve. So instead of standing up for herself, she conceded, and married her boyfriend at the ripe old age of eighteen. Her mother and father were both inexplicably supportive of this decision, although they had spent the first eighteen years of her life discouraging her from doing exactly that. Unfortunately, everything seemed to work out perfectly.

Then, although they knew that Edward could crush her to death as easily as I could tear a tissue in half, and that every one of his bodily excretions, from his tears to his saliva (which really makes me question the wisdom of their copious frenching throughout the series) Bella and Edward decided it would be a good idea to practice unsafe sex.

And of course, Bella Swan ends up pregnant. At eighteen. With a baby that will probably kill her. And she's happy about it. Way to go, Stephenie Meyer, you've got feminism spewing out of your ears.

Of course, we all remember what Happened in New Moon. When, after Edward left Bella, she almost literally fell apart. She did not try to pull herself together. She did not try to move on. She did not try to acquire any semblance of independence or self-confidence. Instead she sat there wallowing in her own self-pity and ignoring the advances of Jacob Black, the only decent character that Stephenie Meyer managed to create.

Instead, she decided to partake in dangerous, irresponsible, and quasi-suicidal behavior, just so she could hallucinate hearing Edward's voice.

Afterward, when Edward reentered the picture, she literally leapt into his arms. Never mind the fact that he left her, and refused to contact her for a year. He was instantaneously and absolutely forgiven. The fact that he ruined her life for nearly a year? Never again mentioned by Bella for the entire series.

I don't like Twilight because it not only allows, but takes delight in Bella's weakness, how pathetic she is, and how spineless. Edward is an uninteresting and two-dimensional character, the writing is over-embellished and mediocre, and the plot is all but non-existent.

I don't like Twilight because it's misogynistic.

I don't like Twilight because it's overrated.

I don't like Twilight because it's a waste of paper, and I don't like Twilight because I think it's lame. I don't care when people say that they like, or even love Twilight, but I can't stand it when they say it's good. This book is second rate at best, sexist, and says all the wrong things about a women's role in a relationship, and presents it in the lamest way imaginable.

And for these reasons, I can say with complete and utter confidence, that Twilight bites.

The Muniz Movie Reviews

The Muniz Movie Reviews
by Mitchell Muniz

Note: These reviews are solely my opinion. I am in no way trying to persuade you into seeing or not seeing these movies. My goal is to just give you some quick insight on what to expect.

Jennifer's Body
This new dark comedy from the writer of Juno, Diablo Cody, is a lot of fun, and seemed to pull through. It is jam-packed with witty humor, clever thrills, and, of course, blood and guts!

Megan Fox plays a high school student who gets possessed by a flesh-eating demon, whose hunger just so happens to be satisfied by, quite literally, devouring boys.

I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this movie, but it is definitely not for everyone. The humor is more on the offensive side, and, of course, if you get dizzy around the sight of blood, I suggest you stay away. I walked into the theater expecting a corny, fun movie, and that is exactly what I got out of this. This is not a straight out horror movie, and, while it will make you jump, I can almost guarantee that there will be more chuckles of laughter than jumping out of your seat. So, if you are looking for a movie that is fun and different, I suggest you give this a shot! I mean, come on, its Megan Fox eating boys, what’s cooler than that?


Inglorious Basterds
The new comedy/drama from Quentin Tarantino, one of Hollywood’s most creative writers and directors, is by far one of his best films! Filled with suspense, great humor, creative dialogue, and lots of Nazi killing, it’s all you’d expect from the warped brain of Tarantino.

In Nazi-filled France, a group of Jewish soldiers is put together by Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Pitt), to bring down the reign of the Nazi army.

As a fan of Tarantino’s previous work, such as Kill Bill, and Death Proof, I was expecting something creative and out of the ordinary. If this movie sparks your interest, don’t think it is just a movie about killing Nazis, because there is much more at work here. The movie revolves around the lives of numerous characters, which adds loads of depth to the story. As in all Tarantino movies, there is a lot of dialogue in this movie, but not boring dialogue, we’re talking brain-pumping dialogue. This movie, to me sits up there with the great ones like Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. Highly recommended!

The State of the School: A letter from our president

The State of the School: A letter from our president
By David Sanchez, student body president


Over the summer break, the student government officers tried to invent ways to make Prairie a better place to attend school and make this school year more enjoyable. We acted on two thoughts – the first was finding a compromise on the many rules that had been enacted over the past couple of years, and the second focused on organizing a long list of social events throughout the year.

We met with Mr. McKinney early in the summer to find out why exactly these rules had been made – athletic shorts are unprofessional; pizza is bad for your health; and grinding is…well, we still don't really understand their argument for that. Anyway, we did our research, conducted surveys, and cross referenced other local school policies, and gave a presentation to the Academic Council at the beginning of the year. From all that work, we were able to get back a full spirit week and get rid of lunchroom dismissal. Whoopee! We realized that the 100% of seniors, 90% of juniors, and 92% of sophomores were right – Student Government has little/no say in how Prairie is run anymore. So we decided to turn our focus to other areas.

We’ve met a couple of time with Mr. Murphy and several parents to plan some fun activities. Money is always the issue when it comes to social events, so we decided to enter an online video contest hosted by eCompliments.com. We strategically entered with two weeks left so we could sneak up and reach 1st place right as the competition ended. We did! We took first place with 48 hours left. Unfortunately, life isn’t always fair and doesn't always go according to plan. Phil Defranco, a professional YouTuber with over 500,000 followers entered the competition on the last day and got enough votes to surpass us within a few hours. You win some, you lose some, and as Rocky says, “It’s not how hard you can hit, it’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” We’re going to do everything we can to make this school year a blast.

Is Simplicity Better than Over the Top?

Is Simplicity Better than Over the Top?
By Rhiannon Miller


What makes a great movie? Is it the graphics? The actors? The plot? The location? I like to believe everyone has their own idea. In other words, to each his own. However, is there a perfect formula to making a movie that everyone loves? For instance, is there such a movie that possess wonderful eye pleasing visuals, top-notch actors, and a story line so great it evokes every known type of feeling within its viewer? Is this possible? Perhaps it doesn’t take much to make an amazing movie. Maybe simplicity is key. Making a great movie could be as easy as walking into a middle school classroom and letting the camera roll. Laurent Cantet based the film Entre Les Mur’s (the classroom), which took the Palme d’Or (the most supreme award) at the annual Festival de Cannes in 2008, on this idea.

Who would have thought that watching a classroom of kids could be so interesting?! Honestly, it wasn’t. If you’re a kid who has attended one of Racine’s public middle schools, chances are you have experienced much of what the movie shows: rowdy kids, poor administration, and a poor learning environment. For those of you who have not , a.k.a. “Prairie Lifers”, this movie may interest you if only for the sake of seeing the experience in middle schools maintaining low incomes. However, there is more to the movie than just what the title suggests. It takes you into the life of its each characters and gets to the bottom of their actions. If that’s not enough for you, at least watch it for its amazing documentary style filming. What I found especially intriguing was the script--the fact that there isn’t one! All the students’ lines are spontaneous. The way it works is rather ingenious. The school is in fact an average school and the students are actual students. The director would speak to the students, explain the scenario, offered words and suggestions and boom! It was filmed. The one exception was the teacher, who was an actor and had more input from the director of what to say. If you want to know more, the DVD includes a “behind the scenes” section where you can learn all about the process for filming. Although the movie is French, it has subtitles and is available at your local Blockbuster. I encourage you to see for yourself what it takes to make a great, award- winning movie. You may be surprised.

More information at Rotten Tomatoes

The Great Twilight Debate

Twilight: Just No

By Matt Steege

Twilight is, to put it simply, bad. I won’t be talking about my issues with materials, about how vampires “glitter” or how it lacks all the elements of a good story. I will talk about how she uses those materials. Some people enjoy Twilight very much, and there is nothing wrong with liking a book. However, there are many reasons that I find Twilight lacking. Foremost among these is the behavior of the vampire Edward. Anyone who has read and enjoyed Twilight is either an Edward fan or a Jacob fan. Vampire or werewolf, these people stand by their choices. Edward is the one who bothers me the most. He is dangerous. I don’t mean because he’s a vampire, though that is a bit of an issue. I mean that, were he a real, normal person, he would probably be considered a stalker. He literally sneaks into his “love” Bella’s room at night to watch her sleep! I put the word “love” in quotations because I find it to be more slavish devotion on Bella’s part than an emotional bond between the two of them. Bella is willing to sacrifice everything for Edward. The only thing in her life that matters to her appears to be Edward, and she’s only seventeen at the start of the series! She is under heavy influence from hormones, and seems incapable of making good decisions. The path she is on is one to self-destruction. However, in all honesty, she has little personality to lose. She is a hollow shell for teenage girls to project themselves onto. You’ll also notice that Edward is never really described in his appearance. He, too, is an empty character for girls to project their dream man onto. I can’t even say that their personalities are in-depth enough to have flaws. Perfection is an awful trait in a character. It’s unrealistic and, more important in this type of writing, boring. To be fair, perhaps this wasn’t an attempt at a “put-yourself-in-her-shoes” story. Perhaps Stephanie Meyer’s writing just isn’t, well, good enough to depict things clearly. Her constant, whining repetitions in Bella’s voice of “he’s so gorgeous” reiterate the fact that Meyer some problems with adjectives.

Surely though, it must have some redeeming qualities to become such a sensation! After all, so many people like it, it has to be pretty good. However, I think I can rather easily explain a good deal of its fame with two words: Harry Potter. Once the Harry Potter series was done, a void was left. “What will we read now?” cried teens. “What will we sell now?” cried advertisers. There was nothing left! It must be remembered, though, that nature abhors a vacuum. So the gap was filled. Twilight had gone from being “that book on the shelves near Harry Potter no one cares about” to being the greatest love story since “Romeo and Juliet” in next to no time at all.

The most dangerous thing about this book, however, is how many people look at Bella and Edward as “the ideal relationship.” So happy, so perfect, so unbelievably misogynistic I want to scream. Bella lets Edward into her house, gives up everything for him, and trusts him not to take advantage of her in her emotionally weakened state? In reality, you can’t trust the first person you see, think is gorgeous, and “fall in love with.” Bella also seems physically incapable of doing anything herself. After all, Edward can do it for her. In the end, this book is the most depressing and sexist book I’ve ever read. Stephanie Meyer: taking a leap back to the year 1800! I can only hope the next great sensation is better than this one.

No More Studying Fears

By Maggie Mawn

It has taken me quite some time, but I feel that I am beginning to master the art of test taking. Tests are not fun and I'm definitely not guaranteeing that I can make the idea of a test put a smile on your face; however, I can offer advice and tips on how to make preparing for tests and quizzes an easier and less stressful experience. I want to hear about what you guys need help with. So, submit questions and concerns (you can comment below) that you have with your test taking strategies and I will do my best to help you out!

Sustainability Spotlight

Tips by Jessica Walley

It’s easy to go green! One simple habit you can start is eliminating plastic bags. 500 billion petroleum-based plastic bags pollute the earth each year! Most grocery and retail stores offer eco-friendly bags that you can purchase. This is just one way to start living more green!

Letter from the Editor: Welcome!

Dear Hawkeye readers,

Welcome to the completely revamped Hawkeye! In honor of the twenty-first century, the continuation of this Earth and the trees upon it, and the sanity of the editors who now hate Adobe InDesign with a fiery passion, we have decided to put The Hawkeye online! However, we aren’t giving you carpal tunnel for nothing—we have also redesigned the content of The Hawkeye 2.0 to reflect what you want to read about. Here, you’ll find everything from movie reviews to fresh music, and a few Hawkeye originals such as Jake Zimmerman’s Pet of the Week.

The most exciting thing about The Hawkeye 2.0, however, is its ability to change rapidly. When we first started imagining this project, we bounced ideas all over the place, and what we realized is that we have no set agenda we need to cover. We’ll make sure you can get all of your relevant school discussion (e.g. Letter from the President, debates on school policy, etc.) but we also realize that school is just a part of our lives. We have tapped some of the best writers, trendsetters, and some of the most entertaining people from the Prairie Upper School to contribute to The Hawkeye this year. But that doesn’t mean we’re done! We want to hear from you and hear about what you want to read or write about! So just hit that charming little “Comment” link underneath a post and tell us what’s up. We are always looking for fresh ideas.

So let’s say you’re into soccer, science, and songwriting. We’ve got your back. By using the tagging function, you can simply click a link which will take you to the category/sub-blog of your choice. Only read what you want to, and skip over the boring bits! Also, if you suddenly realize that your résumé is a bit lacking, check out our classified ads for various extracurricular activities and service opportunities around the school. Hopefully, we can be useful, or if nothing else, entertaining. Welcome, browse around, procrastinate that history paper, we’re excited to see you here!

Sincerely,

Yijing Xin

Editor-In-Chief

PS- Every few weeks, I’ll write a post recommending some of the highlights of The Hawkeye, so always check back if you’re bored!