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13 Reasons Why You Should Watch Season 2!
by Molly Florimonte
Tomorrow, Friday 18th, 2018, is a big day for Netflix and fans of the hit TV show 13 Reasons Why. There are countless analyzation videos and fan made trailers circling the internet prior to the actual release date. Season one of the show blew up last year and fans were dying for more. So much so that the show was declared “The most tweeted about show of the year” by Variety Magazine. Ahead of The Walking Dead and The Vampire Diaries, two of the biggest shows in the last ten years, 13 Reasons Why has a huge following.
Although many feel that the show should have ended when the main character, Hannah Baker, sadly took her own life, many of the true fans disagree. The first season ended on a cliff hanger showing Alex Standall being rushed to the hospital and a mystery person answering his phone. Lots of people were afraid that Alex was dead until a new social media account was created on April 25th. Netflix itself tagged the handel @alexstandall on an Instagram post captioned “this is important for so many Reasons”.
Now Instagram accounts exist for all the other characters in the show as well, but none seem to be quite as important as Alex’s. When you click on the account you can see many posts made from the point of view of Alex Standall. The account has already gained 167 thousand followers in the last month. Assuming all of his new fans are viewers buzzing to see what the second season has in store, Alex has posted many sneak peaks into what tomorrow entails. Posts with canes and medicine bottles foreshadow his condition after this incident. Other posts about the coffee shop or his birthday have been made as well. Are these photos key hints into the plot of the show or are they just ways for Netflix to gain hype about the series?
There are many other theories that fans want addressed in the second season besides Alex being alive. There are lots of theories on who actually shot Alex. Was it himself? His dad? Or, as many believe, was it Tyler and his secret stash of firearms? Several viewers want to know if Skylar and Clay end up together, or if we ever find out where Justin went. Also, fans can not forget about the ominous polaroids in the trailer or Selena Gomez’s new track made specifically for the show. The estimated release is 8 am UK time Friday morning. This translates to around 3 am here in Ohio. The people over at Netflix have a lot of questions to answer in the next season hopefully, while coming up with some new mysteries to solve.
Posted: May 17th, 2018
"Why Does 'Straight' Have to be the Default?"
by Guest Writer Owen Porta
Recently, I saw ‘Love Simon’ which some say is a milestone for the LGBTQ+ community. This movie is one of few movies that portray queer teens in a light that is not sexual or promiscuous. As the quirky and relatable Teen Rom-Com that it is, this movie is not just for those of the LGBTQ+ community, it is for anyone who has ever felt like they have to hide who they truly are because the world and society are such scary things and ideas.
Simon is a normal teen in high school that is surrounded by a loving family that includes an extremely liberal mother, a dad who does his best, and a sister who is more than likely the next Gordon Ramsay. Along with his family, he also has his three best friends, Nick, Leah, and Abby.
When an online confession is made that someone at their high school has come out as gay, Simon is quick to make a fake email address so he can contact this anonymous person who calls themselves ‘Blue’. After weeks of deep and and meaningful conversations, Simon continues to search for who he believes Blue to be. As everybody knows, high school never really goes the way you plan. After a classmate (Martin) doesn’t get his way with Abby, he decides that Simon is the one to blame and does something that changes everyone’s lives.
The language, the scenarios, the characters, even the setting is all too familiar for teens such as myself. ‘Love Simon’ is the first of hopefully many movies to come, that revolves around gay teens in a way that who we are is not ‘taboo’ or ‘disgusting’. It depicts being a part of the LGBTQ+ community as something that is normal and 100% valid.
Finally, in my opinion, ‘Love Simon’ was a heartwarming, funny, and truly inspiring movie. Anyone who seeks to understand the community in a better way, parents who desperately want to see what their children can possibly go through, ‘Love Simon’ is a must see for everyone that wanders the same question, “Why is ‘Straight’ the default?”.
Posted: April 20th, 2018
Everything Sucks!
by Makayla Head
The Netflix original show Everything Sucks! by creators Ben York Jones and Michael Mohan is a very interesting high school sitcom. It is based in the late 90s early 2000s to show how the classical high school cliques and lifestyle looked back then. It came out onto Netflix this year, being one of their first Netflix originals of 2018.
The story and plot of the show starts off with 3 freshman starting their first day at Boring High School. These freshman are best friends set out to have the best and most normal high school life and they do so by joining the AV club. The freshman, Lucas O’Neil, played by Jahi Winston, finds the sophomore girl in the AV club Kate Messner, played by Peyton Kennedy. Winston desperately wants to impress Messner, the focus of his huge crush. However, in one of the main plot twist, Kate Messner has a crush on a girl Emaline, played by Sydney Sweeney. Lucas and the other characters, in an attempt to impress each other in the drama club, come up with this idea to create a movie. The rest of the show takes the viewer through the actual shoot and the adventures that follow. In addition to the student drama, a subplot develops, as Lucas’s mother, played by Claudine Nako and Kate’s father, played by Patch Darragh, start to fall in love.
At the end of the day, Everything Sucks! Is a quick, easy to watch comedy about a typical 90’s high school. The show combines comedy, drama, and typical issue surrounding a teenagers life to create a very fun and watchable series. While Season 1 ends on a cliffhanger, it definitely leads to viewers to be waiting for Season 2 to be released.
Posted: April 9th, 2018
Baby Driver Review
by Nathan Brown
The musical score of a film can be an amazing addon, or a crippling hindrance. If the music is generic in cinema, it can lead to a forgettable movie, which no one wants. But, if the film directly ties music into the narrative of the story, it can lead to amazing results. Since 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy and its 2017 sequel, music has had a resurgence of sorts. Both movies heavily featured music and without spoiling anything, found ways to give it plot significance. Director Edgar Wright, previously known for such films as Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, Shaun of the Dead, and Hot Fuzz, took the idea of music and tied it beautifully into his latest movie Baby Driver. Taking the idea of a memorable score one step further than most directors and filmmakers, Wright uses the soundtrack of Baby Driver to highlight insights into his characters that other films would have used basic expositional dialogue to provide the information to the audience.
Baby Driver stars Ansel Elgort as the titular character, Baby. Baby suffers from Tinnitus, a disease where ringing or the perception of noise is heard in the ear drums. Baby got in a car accident as a child where both of his parents were tragically killed. Without spoiling the plot, Baby picks up the habit of boosting cars, and ends up in debt to Doc, a heist mastermind, played by Kevin Spacey. In order to pay back the debt he owes to Doc, he plays the role of getaway driver for Doc’s heists, and instead of getting his half of the score, it goes directly to Doc. Baby uses any money he gets to take care of his adopted step-father Joe, who’s deaf. Through a series of increasingly dangerous heists, Baby must navigate the criminal underworld and attempt to pay back Doc without getting caught by the police, or killed in action. Without going into spoiler territory, we learn that Baby, as well as being a driver with amazing talent, is a sampler. More specifically, he takes audio from different conversations, for better or worse, and uses it to make music for himself. This hints at Baby’s true passion once he gets out of the crime business. While not being able to go into much more detail, Baby Driver’s story is one of poinency, action, and charm.
Baby Driver can best be described as Wright’s passion project. While being most well-known for the Three flavors Cornetto Trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End), Baby Driver has once again thrust Wright back into the spotlight. Baby Driver is most well known for its soundtrack. Wright has stated in multiple interviews that he always envisioned a car chase set to The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion song “Bellbottoms” and his dream finally came true in the opening 6 minutes of Baby Driver. Baby Driver, on a budget of an estimated $34,000,000, made only $20,553,320 on its opening weekend, however it grossed $226,945,087 at the end of its worldwide theatrical run, making it a knockout success for Wright.
Overall, Baby Driver was an absolute success for Edgar Wright’s passion project. With a steller soundtrack, talented cast of actors in both main and supporting roles, and thrilling chase sequences, Baby Driver is absolutely recommended to any fan of action movies, as well as those who want a trip down memory lane for some classic songs that are reinvigorated in a fresh way.
Posted: April 9th, 2018
Mama P: Woman of the People
by Guest Writer Lila Gerdes
Students don’t always realize how much work their teachers do for their school outside of class unless they witness it themselves. Sometimes even other teachers don’t even see the dedication of those working with them on a daily basis. I have had the privilege of being taught by one of the most hardworking people I know for all four years of my highschool career. Maria Palassis, lovingly known by her students as “Mama P”, teaches choir, orchestra, musical theater ensemble, and piano at Oak Hills High School. She is also the director of drama club here at the high school, as well as the manager of our key club.
Choir, orchestra, musical theater ensemble, drama club, and key club all occasionally require after-school commitment from both the students involved in them and Mama herself. Out of those commitments, drama club is the most time consuming. When asked how many hours a week she spends on average on extracurricular activities, Mama took a deep breath and paused before replying, “I would say thirty.” Even she seemed astonished at that amount. When dispersed evenly throughout the seven days of a week, that’s more than four hours a day dedicated to her work for the school and its organizations. A person really must love what they do to spend so much of their free time working hard on something without receiving anything in return. So, why does she do it? For Mama, working so closely with the students is her greatest reward. “For me, it’s so fun. And--this is going to sound really cheesy--it’s such an honor to see you guys grow as actors and as individuals,” Mama said fondly about the students in drama club. Her least favorite part of being the director of drama club, however, is “hurting the feelings of kids who don’t get the role they wanted.” In the four years that I’ve been a part of drama club and known Mama, I can attest that her connection with each year of students is unique and stronger than the connection most teachers have with even a single student.
This time of year is busy for Mama P and all of drama club. Every year around this time comes the production of the spring musical, which typically includes a live orchestra, dancers, singers, and actors--all of whom must be instructed by Mama. This year’s spring musical is Fiddler on the Roof, which will run from March 8th through the 11th. “Just having the audience see the show through the eyes of the actors” is what Mama is the most excited for, followed by witnessing the audience’s reaction to the spirited song “to life,” which she describes as “crazy fun.” Rehearsals for shows can range from four hours a day for three days in a row during normal rehearsals to almost six hours every day of the week during dress rehearsals and “tech week.”
Posted: March 8th, 2018
The Greatest Showman
by Guest Writer Maria Zalot
The Greatest Showman is a huge musical film filled with great songs and even better cinematography. In his directorial debut, Michael Gracey delivers a great escape into another world. Lead actors; Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron and Zendaya bring the story to life and make the audience fall in love with the characters. Broadway star, Keala Settle also stars in a supporting role which still showcases her incredible singing voice. However, despite the successes the main character is questionable and the inspirational message should be taken with a grain of salt.
The movie is the story of P.T. Barnum (Jackman) and the beginning of his circus. It follows Barum as a poor child and shows his climb to the eventual founder of the “Greatest Show on Earth”. The audience also sees his relationship with his future wife, Charity (Williams), and their two daughters. A major plot point is Barnum’s struggles to make a museum and the eventual circus and includes the recruitment of the “attractions”. Add in Zac Efron as a business partner (and his own romance) and you’ve got yourself a movie!
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The cast and crew behind the Greatest Showman are all amazing. They was no acting performance that let down and every piece of clothing felt real in the world of Barmun. However, hands down the best part of the movie is the music. The Greatest Showman grabs the audience from the first second. The first song, The Greatest Show, is a brillant opening of color and sound that refuses to let the audience look away. More showstoppers follow, A Million Dreams and Never Enough are spectacular songs that wouldn't seem out of place on the radio. The song receiving the most praise is the feel good power song of the movie, This is Me. Performed primarily by Keala Settle, the song celebrates being yourself and feeling empowered. It has been nominated for many awards including an academy nomination for best original song. The dance scenes could be better but the songs more than make up for it.
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However, the Greatest Showman can’t hide everything behind huge songs and some acrobatic tricks. The character of P.T. Barnum is tricky and is far from an inspiration. In real life P.T. Barnum was a racist capitalist who did not show as much empathy toward the performers as movie has him. The movie paints Barnum as a fun loving family man who becomes a champion for outcasts and misfits. It glosses over him lying about the performers (putting the “giant man” on stilts) his obvious attraction to another woman while married, letting down the entire circus, losing all of his money, and being downright mean to the performers that made him popular. But don’t worry one song and he is back of track! Parents should be aware of the subtle underlying messages concealed in the movie. They may need to talk with their kids about recognizing Barnum’s flaws and the importance of treating people like people regardless of what they look like.
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Even this fun loving musical can’t escape politics. There are a few very interesting moments in the film where the whole circus of oddities is invited to fancy events, such as the Queen’s palace, and the two black acrobats (who have no physical deformity or oddity) are the most concerned with being allowed to go. Also Zendaya and Zac Efron’s characters are love interests but are held back because he is a rich well-respected white man and she is black. It is an interesting commentary on society and the place of the dark skinned as being below the other outcasts. The point is rightly shown that skin color shouldn't matter.
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The cinematography was excellent The setting of 1800s New York was very believable and helped transport the audience back in time. The film does a good job of being realistic while still maintaining a sense of magic. Overall, the Greatest Showman delivers the feel good movie musical our society loves. This movie is one for all ages. Children, teens, and adults can all find something enjoyable and will definitely find themselves singing the songs days later. Though the real life subject is far from someone to be celebrated the movie shows the importance of being yourself and not changing for anyone and provides an hour and a half of good old entertainment.
Posted: March 5th, 2018
Gotham Review
by Hailey Parker
Many fans of DC and Marvel comics often turn to the theaters in search of the next portrayal of their favorite characters. Often however, they are missing amazing creations right on their Recommended section of Netflix. Currently, one of the top shows created by Bruno Heller is the TV show “Gotham”. As many comic book fans know, Gotham is the city that Batman protects. However, this show does not focus as much on Batman, but rather the Commissioner Jim Gordon and the development and growth of different villains, such as Penguin, the Joker and The Riddler. Overall, the ongoing show is a huge success, and I personally find it one of my favorite shows.
With the aspect of Batman not the prime focus of the show, many viewers aren’t as hooked by the idea of the show. This is a huge mistake, as the show develops other characters that are never really explored in other films. Most of the films focus on the development of Batman and the main villain that is focused on is Joker. Most other villains in the comics aren't very well known, if they're ever even shown in the films or games. For instance, Jervis Tetch is only featured in the games, comics and Batman: Bad Blood. Yet he's just as interesting in Gotham as the Joker, with a whole story arc of his own. Gotham also dances the line with a few disorders for the characters that overall makes them much more human and intriguing. Edward Nygma is one of my personal favorites, and the show attempts to give him Dissociative Personality Disorder. This occurs when there is a split in the system, due to some sort of trauma related incident, which gives the person ¨blackouts¨ in which the other personality takes over and they have no memory or recollection of what they had been doing. While this isn't completely possible to portray in a television show, since the disorder is a mental issue, Nygma does have a traumatic incident which cause his mind to split, creating a side of him that is more confident, sadistic and narcissistic. A few notable differences with this disorder though, is that the person with DPD has no awareness of their other sides, whereas Nygma converses with the other him.
While the show does tend to focus on the villains more than anything, Jim Gordon is also a very important aspect of Gotham. He is the main protagonist of the show, instead of Bruce Wayne. While Bruce is an important part of the show, it is also set during his childhood. Most movies skip past the in between time of his parents death and Batman being the hero of Gotham. Gotham focuses more on Jim Gordon and his involvement in the case of the Wayne murders and how it ties him up in several other dark parts of Gotham. The show primarily focuses on his growth within the GCPD and eventual promotion to Commissioner.
While there's a few facts tweaked for the sake of drama and television, the show does a fairly good job of staying true to the comics, a feat not achieved with most films and movies. One of the things that does seem to be an issue with Gotham is the pacing and a few story arcs. Some of the arcs seem completely unnecessary and serve to only delay the main story. The pacing can be a bit off sometimes, such as one arc lasting a full season and other seasons having multiple arcs occurring throughout, making it a bit difficult to keep up. Yet it makes up for this with intense plot twists around every corner, leaving the audience desperate for more.
Although there are a few issues with the pacing of the show and a few personal issues I have with some of the story arcs, the show overall is amazing in my opinion. It keeps me captivated and constantly hooked back in with all the great characters, plots and characteristics they add to the show consistently. If someone is on the search for a new television show, I would highly recommend ¨Gotham¨ as a must-see, whether a comic book fan or not.
Posted: March 1st, 2018
Underrated Books: Valentine's Day Edition
by Morgan Higgins
Valentine's Day is here and love is in the air. Couples are around every corner giving each other presents and kisses left and right. For those of us who haven't found that special someone, but want a little love in our lives, I have compiled a list of Young Adult Romance stories for you to read.
I’m pretty sure this series was the first to get me really into some love stories. When I first started reading it, only the first two books were out and I have to wait year after year for each of the next ones to come out. It was a pain, but it was worth it. I spent about two days on each book, that’s how much I loved it. My friend, Lilli, finished one book in a day.
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The Selection: Kiera Cass
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A futuristic take on The Bachelor. The US has become a monarchy after China took over. The King’s Son is the heir to the throne and needs a wife to do so. 35 girls throughout the land and of different classes are picked to compete for his heart. Who will win over the 5 books series?
Part 1: (The Prince)
- The Selection
- The Elite
- The One
Part 2: (The Couple’s Daughter)
- The Heir
- The Crown
This book got me hooked on this author. I ordered every single book that was like this that she wrote. I read this in the span of 8 hours (over two days) and then read the other two in a day. One each day, I don’t have that much free time.
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The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight: Jennifer E Smith
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A boy and a girl, Hadley and Oliver, meet each other at the airport. They bond over their flights being delayed and create an even bigger relationship. They end up on the same plane and sitting right next to each other, going to the same city. Will they end up together forever?
It was at this point where I loved books about relationships. This one took me a bit longer to read. I had to restart the book two times because I read two chapters and then I would get so busy that I couldn’t read at all. Then trying to read it again felt like a lot of effort. But once I did end up reading it and finishing it (within two days) I loved it. This book is also by a girl on Wattpad and two of her works have been published so I had to support her.
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My Life with the Walter Boys: Ali Novak
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Jackie is being sent off to live with her aunt and uncle and their family...which consists of 12 boys (not all of them actually being related to her). During the story she starts to develop a relationship with some of them, but who will she choose to be with?
I hope this helped you on your book adventures. If you need any more ideas for books to read you can email me at 18morganhiggins@ohlsd.org
Posted: February 14th, 2018
What's New?
by Kelsey Schwegman
In the last edition of The Tartan, Abby Kromme and I set up a blind date between seniors Sydney Longbottom and Tyler Dunn. We only provided readers with info about how each felt before the date, leaving readers wondering how it ended. Around 6pm on the clear Saturday of September 16th the date unfolded at Larosa’s.
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Although Sydney was late, they both agreed that overall it was a pretty good date. Sydney’s favorite part about the date was how it was not awkward ,”It wasn't awkward like I had thought it would be, the conversation seemed to flow easily.” Tyler had the same thoughts, commenting on how he enjoyed that they carried on a conversation the entire date. The topic of conversation was apparently unclear, as both Sydney and Tyler gave different topics as the big one's they talked on; shark attacks seemed to be a very popular topic on their date.
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With a minor slip up, The Tartan did accidently leak Tyler’s first name during lunch, as some of the Tartan girls (including myself) sit with Sydney on a regular basis. Tyler told me one of the most memorable part about their date was Sydney's introduction “I knew it was you.” Sydney really wanted to know who it was, which she revealed to us in the first interview before the date went down. Even with the leak, they agreed that the date was fun. Being from different friend groups, the two didn't speak again until the homecoming game. For the ‘dad’ theme, Tyler and others from the Scot Squad brought their own mini grill to make hamburgers and hotdogs; Sydney being one of the few to actually get food.
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Readers will be saddened to hear that neither of them are sure of a second date. Although they still had fun, there weren't any ‘sparks’ to back up a second date. On the better side of things, neither of them had anything bad to report about each other! When asked if there was any point they didn't get along, both claimed they got along just fine.
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With as well as the date went, another blind date could be coming soon! It was seemingly fun for Sydney and Tyler and it was definitely fun for Abby and I to set up. So, if anyone has a friend they think would be a good candidate, email me at 18kelseyschwegman@ohlsd.org. Any student is eligible as long as they have a good attitude and the will to have fun!
Posted: October 11th, 2017
Drumline... Next Big Thing?
by Leah Lindemann
Ever since the first-day-of-school pep rally, drumline seems to be the hottest topic within the student body these past few weeks.The drumline phenomenon has constantly been growing since with features on Snapchat and even a request for a mixtape. Every student, especially seniors, anticipate the drum line's iconic halftime performance in front of the Red Sea. The whole atmosphere changes when the drumline walks out. More cheering and positivity radiates from the stands with excitement. If the football team isn’t doing so hot, then Senior Carl Fisher and the drumline will pep the student body back into shape by pounding on their drums.
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Fisher has participated in the drumline since bandcamp of freshman year, but has been in band for a total of eight years. From an outside perspective, the drumline may appear to be just pounding a stick on a drum, but the activity takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Carl practices three days out of the school week, sometimes even four, depending on if the band has a competition that weekend.
Learning music seems to be a bigger challenge than actually playing the instrument, especially because they have to memorize it, but it gets easier with the opportunities to practice all the time. The chance to participate in the drumline has taught Fisher to become more organized and help him learn the skill of time management. Since drumline has been such a hot topic, people seem to look and act differently towards Carl. Some people consider him almost as a hero. Fisher says he feels like ”the guy everyone knows is just someone they see from the Prep Rally's and playing in the student section during the football games.”
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Since Carl is now a senior, high school will be over before he knows it. He does not plan to do anything music related in college, but the Army has offered him to be apart of their drumline. Sadly, Carl has declined and his drumline career will stay with Oak Hills High School as he moves onto college. Fisher wishes to leave a legacy to future drum liners by being a good role model and person all around. Even though he is not planning to further his drumline career, he does recommend drumline to all incoming freshman and even current high schoolers. He believes it is very enjoyable because he got to meet some awesome people who share the same interests as him. The drumline gets to explore and perform at different places around Cincinnati, which he thinks is an awesome experience. The music taste of the student body has shifted this year because today’s drumline is the next big thing. Move over football players, Carl Fisher and his drumline crew are making their way to the top.
Posted: October 10th, 2017
Stephen King's IT (2017) Movie Review
by Nathan Brown
Recently, a new adaptation of Stephen King’s IT made its way to cinemas on September 8th, 2017. The film has exploded in popularity and shows no signs of stopping. Every year, studios churn out horror movies that tend to leave the audience unsatisfied. This year is different, however, because IT left viewers speechless. Now, if that title sounds familiar to you, it’s because this movie is actually a remake. The original came out as a T.V. miniseries back in 1990. While revered as a horror classic, the original has become cheesy and lost most of its scare value. This is where the remake comes in.
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The 2017 version, directed by Andy Muschietti, stars Bill Skarsgard as the titular monster: Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Many people doubted how he’d perform in the role that Tim Curry defined over 20 years ago. However, Skarsgard came out on top and proved everyone wrong. He took the role in strides and turned it into a performance that will stand the test of time. While Curry took a more joyful look for Pennywise, Skarsgard and the makeup department went for a more sinister look, and they nailed it. Curry’s Pennywise was always thought of as terrifying, but in a severely dated way. Skarsgard’s Pennywise is truly terrifying on every level.This new version also decided to recast the child-actors, and they couldn’t have selected better choices. While relatively obscure, these child-actors have the talent to carry this film and make the audience care about them. The film star Jaeden Lieberher is Ben Denbrough, a young child who suffers from a stutter and is haunted by the death of his little brother Georgie who was killed by Pennywise. Jeremy Ray Taylor stars as Ben Hanscom, a new kid who often finds himself ridiculed by the town bullies. Then we have Sophia Lillis who portrays Beverly Marsh, a young girl who suffers from an abusive father, and is the only girl in the group. Together, these three lead the losers’ club, a group formed by Bill, Beverly, and Ben, along with their friends Richie, Mike, Eddie, and Stanley, to defeat Pennywise and stop him from kidnapping and killing the town’s children.
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Without spoiling much of the plot, Beverly, Bill, and Ben start out as having small individual friend groups. The three then bring everyone together and provide a sense of unity in the assemblage. Pennywise happens to be a shapeshifter, and appears to each of the children as their darkest fear, in order to feed off their fear before he kills them. However, he takes on the form of a clown when appearing to the children as a group. Together, the children must overcome their fears to kill Pennywise. If they should fail, the entire town’s population of children could lose their lives in the same way that Bill lost his little brother.
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At the time of this review IT has grossed $555,575,232 worldwide and shows no signs of stopping. The film also just passed The Exorcist by becoming the top grossing horror movie of all time, which is impressive because The Exorcist held that record for 44 years. Another notable feat that IT has acquired more in the month it has been released than The Exorcist grossed in its entire theatrical run. The film only had a $35 million budget and they were able to make that back and then some to say the least. The way things are going, it wouldn’t be surprising if IT crossed the $1 billion mark by the end of it’s theatrical run.
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Overall, Stephen King’s IT is a perfect choice for this year’s best horror movie. The motion picture features brilliant performances, a terrifying redesign of a role defined 27 years ago, and amazing chemistry between all the kids. This movie is highly recommended to anyone, especially fans of the book, or the 1990 mini-series. While semi-conventional to a seasoned horror fan, IT still provides plenty of scares for those who seek an adrenaline rush. While fairly predictable with some noticeable CGI shortcomings, IT is sure to shock you and leave you with a deep hatred of clowns!
Posted: October 9th, 2017
Author Kelsey Timmerman Visits OHHS Students
by Alli Auel
Many westsiders, including Oak Hills High School students, have little experience and knowledge of the outside world. Most individuals are ignorant to the hardships faced just minutes down the road from them and especially the ones thousands of miles away.
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Author, journalist, and traveler Kelsey Timmerman brought the realities of the outside world to individuals across the United States when he decided to document his journey to uncover where his clothes and foods came from in his books, Where Am I Wearing and Where Am I Eating. These two books follow Timmerman as he travels to countries such as Honduras, Cambodia, China and many more. Both books intimately describe the connection between impoverished factory and farm worker’s standards of living and the all-American material lifestyle. By introducing readers to the human element of globalization—the factory workers, their names, their families, and their way of life—Where Am I Wearing and Where Am I Eatingbridges the gap between global producers and consumers.
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Oak Hills High School AP Language and Composition students caught a glimpse of those realities when they were required to read one of Timmerman’s two books this past summer. After learning the hard truth of the lives of those across the world, on Thursday, September 7th, AP Language and Composition, AP Seminar and AP Human Geography students were granted the opportunity to meet Timmerman in person. Timmerman was invited to OHHS to share the stories of his travels with the lucky AP students.
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Timmerman presented students with both humorous and serious stories from his travels abroad, as well as personal encounters with many different types of individuals. The goal of Timmerman’s presentation was to show OHHS students that their luxuries and materials are produced by people who have little to nothing, but still manage to find joy in life. Timmerman hoped to teach students to always think about others and to find their life’s purpose.
Posted: September 26th, 2017
