America Has Never Seemed More Horrifying by Felipe Becerril Castillo

Watching a television series that flows smoothly, attracts the viewers undivided attention, and frightens, seems near impossible, but thanks to the marvelously choreographed American Horror Story, that is all achievable by the push of some buttons. American Horror Story is a television program that has graced its viewers with its presence since 2011, with horrifying, but illustrious stories that are changed every season and it currently contributes quality television to the entertainment world. American Horror Story is not the most popular television series in the U.S. and it continues to receive numerous amounts of criticism; however it deserves much more praise and viewers for its perfectly synchronized and well-thought storyline that is sure to keep any viewer from detaching his attention from the television and completely captivate them.

            To commence, American Horror Story is an anthology series that began in 2011 and is currently on its fourth season. The show has a different narrative and cast each season and every storyline is crammed with popularized horror topics from the United States, ranging from extraterrestrial beings to undead corpses, or zombies. The first season of the show, titled Murder House, focuses on the Harmon’s, a family that moves into a beautiful and affordable house that has a significant history of homicides and crimes and eventually the house and its undetected inhabitants begin to unravel their true character and threaten the Harmon family’s safety. The second season of the show, titled Asylum, is about Briarcliff Manor, a facility for the mentally insane that follows the stories of its faculty and patients and brings a wide array of horror topics that range from Satanism to Nazi experimentation. The third season of the show is called Coven, the season follows a coven of witches in New Orleans that must fight for their survival as a race and are confronted with enemies that include: voodoo practitioners, witch hunters, and witches in their own group. The fourth season of the show titled Freak Show, follows on of the last surviving freak shows in America and its struggle for survival and acceptance into a society that condemns them for their abnormalities. The wide array of topics presented in every individual season demonstrates that AHS is a superb television series that deserves at least one hour of any persons undivided attention. It also substantiates the claim that the producers and writers for AHS are ingenious and extremely creative, because they seem to never fail at creating new and interesting storylines.

            The first category to consider when criticizing AHS is the acting that it contains and, more importantly the synchronization of the cast that AHS includes. The cast is extremely talented and well-organized, it even includes critically acclaimed actors like Jessica Lange, who never fails to showcase her brilliance and talent through a multitude of characters. It also has many actors that can superbly portray the role of a disturbed person, which is impeccable for the type of atmosphere and environment that AHS creates. Furthermore, the cast is near perfection, because each TV persona somehow manages to compliment the rest of the cast through their magnificent acting. Also many of the characters have terrorizing and disturbing scenes that are sure to intimidate any great actor, so the actors have to be able to record those scenes without seeming too awkward or unnatural, which they have been capable of achieving up to the most current episode. For all these reasons AHS as garnered an abundance of awards and nominations from prestigious award shows, such as the Golden Globe Awards and the Emmy’s. To conclude, the acting in AHS is one of the many reasons why it is such a great anthology series and why it deserves much more attention than it presently receives.

            Another imperative aspect that the show demonstrates is its excellent storylines and how well the storyline is able to flow throughout the series. The creators of AHS are somehow able to include up to 5 horror topics into just twelve episodes without making it seem too jumbled or out-of-place. This completely amazes its viewers, because in season 2 of AHS the creators were able to include Nazi experimentation, aliens, demonic possession, serial killers, and mutated humans. This was accomplished very expertly and it constantly left viewers at the edge of their seats, but it did receive some complaints from people who declared that it was too much for an individual season and that it left AHS creators with fewer topics to incorporate in future seasons. Furthermore, many of the seasons bring up interesting topics and themes that provide many viewers with harsh realities that were once not fully realize. For example, Freak Show is able to perfectly demonstrate how American society in the 1960’s was incredibly judgmental and narrow-minded when it came to people that had physical abnormalities. Another thing I have noticed is that not many television series can incorporate more than one storyline, because it just ends up becoming a huge mess that is not easily understood. Supernatural, for example, has numerous amounts of storylines, and is extremely hard to explain to any person who does not watch the series, mainly because of all the themes incorporated over its ten seasons. Also Supernatural is not as terrifying as American Horror Story, although both shows are categorized as horror shows. In conclusion, the creators of American Horror Story are able to incorporate many topics into one season of the show and can generate an outstanding storyline that attracts an array of viewers and a larger audience.

            Another criteria I will be suing to evaluate this anthology series is how well the producers and creators were able to incorporate new types of scenes and how departed the producers stayed from their previous shows. The producer of AHS is Ryan Murphy and he is known for an abundance of other television series that include: Glee, Nip/Tuck, and Popular. Although I really enjoy watching Glee because of the musical numbers that appear in each show, I do not like that Ryan Murphy has been incorporating a musical number for every episode of American Horror Story: Freak Show, as of late. I feel this particular way because I believe that he should be making his shows unique and incomparable to each other and by recycling old ideas into his new series it gives me the feeling that he is not trying his best. Nonetheless, I still enjoy watching American Horror Story and I still believe that the producers and creators do an excellent job at creating new scenes.

             As a result, American Horror Story is an excellent television series that has received many loyal fans and continues to grow both in popularity and brilliance. The series is already on its fourth season and has been renewed for its fifth season because of its increasing popularity and how climatic every individual season is. However you will find many opinions that certain seasons are not as exceptional as others, or that the recent AHS seasons have ben unattractive to people and are losing the spark that originally drew them in, but I disagree because AHS never fails with its disturbing brilliance and dramatic scenes that seem to captivate me at every moment. Ultimately American Horror Story is an incredible show that deserves more praise for its storyline, acting, and cast.

Minecraft from Square One: The Quality of Minecraft by Kevin Nunez

The only way to surpass reality is within a virtual environment that is only limited by the abilities and creativity of the players or the rules established within the virtual game by the creators themselves. The gaming industry has and continues to advance at a relatively accelerated pace, but as it does so, it only slowly removes a few limitations within every new game released and grants players more freedom. Every video-game-player has at one point stumbled upon some restriction while traveling through a game, perhaps a door that cannot be opened, an opening which is blocked by an invisible barrier, and in almost every case, the inability to alter the virtual setting itself. Minecraft is the only game which I have encountered that allows the player to overcome the limitations of a video-game and even take advantage of them.

Minecraft is a game, which consists entirely of blocks or cubes, where the player must survive in a simulated world with seven different biomes by removing and placing the blocks that make up that same world with limited resources. The first alpha version of Minecraft (rated E for Everyone) was released April of 2009, but was officially released on November 11, 2011, available only for the PC and was created by Markus Persson, founder of Mojang (The Amazingly Unlikely). As Minecraft progressed, regular updates were added to the game correcting the defects that it contained, and so did the players’ creativity within the game. A second game mode was introduced to Minecraft soon after, creative mode, which granted the players infinite resources and the ability to fly as well. Soon after, Minecraft was released for the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3, and is currently available for the Playstation 4, Xbox One, Playstation Vita, and Android and Apple devices as well. Minecraft is well known primarily because of the immense freedom that the players have over creating new things or altering the virtual environment within the game, but also exceeds in user-friendliness, special features, game modes, graphics, and availability on other consoles.

To begin with, the controls for Minecraft are relatively simple and easy to grasp, especially because a guide is implemented within the game, and explanations of what objects or resources are and do is offered within an in-game accessible menu. Most of the controls for the incomparable video-game are shown at all times on the bottom left corner and do not act as an obstacle in most of the consoles. Since the setting of Minecraft is made up of individual blocks, there is a small, white cross at the center of the screen that helps players identify exactly to which block they are pointing at and the game is in first person. Unlike most games, the cursor or sight is either not present or is obtrusive, meaning that it often times can interfere with the gameplay due to its size, shape or color and a third person view is not very user-friendly. The only control in Minecraft that I had difficulty locating on the Playstation 3 version was the control to run, which is activated by double-tapping the L3 analog stick upward, but is very easy to use. As for the computer version, most of the controls are controlled by the mouse, and the controls for the Pocket Edition of Minecraft for Android and Apple devices, are mainly driven by the touch-screen ability of the cell-phones. Left click or tap to place a block, right click or hold to remove a block.

One of the most astounding aspects of Minecraft, but incomparable to the freedom granted to the players, is its features. By features, the criterion refers to bonus or extra content within a game that extends the games’ story or original boundaries. In this case, when a player first enters the world of Minecraft, they are placed randomly in any of the seven biomes available which are a desert, jungle, forest, swap, plain, a snowy area or a mushroom island. In each of the biomes specific plants, trees, animals, and weather patterns are implemented. The seven biomes constitute the originally intended setting; however, in Minecraft the players are able to build portals to other dimensions. Currently there are only two, The Nether, which most would compare to hell, and The End, which is where a dragon awaits and when defeated, the game supposedly ends. Although most game endings finalize the gameplay in perhaps a story or campaign mode, Minecraft ends with a strange dialog between a “mysterious force” and the player, but the voice of the player is obviously not their own but rather a typed script, and with the respawning of the player back into the normal world. The Nether and The End both offer a different setting in which the player can choose to play in, thus altering the difficulty of the video-game and keeping the players attached to Minecraft.

Along with the features of Minecraft come its game modes. Originally Minecraft was intended to be a survival mode type of game where the players would be set in an environment with limited resources in which they would construct houses, buildings, farms or systems to survive. It is extremely similar to the way the real world functions, if the player needs to build a wooden house, they chop down a tree; if they need stone, they mine stone; if they need food, they harvest crops or slaughter animals. In addition, within the survival game mode of Minecraft (excluding creatures from the Nether and the End), zombies, skeleton archers, large spiders, and creepers (green quadrupedal creatures that explode when they get too close to the player) spawn at night or in caves and attack the player(s). In addition to this, cows, sheep, pigs, chickens and fish are also part of survival mode. However, by setting the difficulty of the game to peaceful, the aggressive mobs will not spawn, while normal animals will continue to do so. The difficulty levels are peaceful, easy, normal and hard. The harder the difficulty, the more damage the creatures cause the player. Creative mode on the other hand, is basically the very same concept except that the player cannot sustain damage, and all resources are implemented into the players’ inventory with and unlimited supply. Minecraft also supports multi-playing in either of the two game modes.

As stated before, Minecraft is made only out of squares, cubes or blocks. The players’ hands are rectangular, pigs are square, the wood is cubed, even the string of fishing polls are made of smaller blocks, but the graphics are very high. Despite the fact that the majority of the objects appear as pixilated; Minecraft can even be played in 4K or ultra-high resolution. The default layout of the appearance of the blocks can also be changed according to the players’ standards. For example, in the default layout all blocks are made of smaller blocks, but if the player would like to see the blocks a bit smoother, he or she can do so by changing the block style.

Once again, Minecraft gains the upper hand above nearly all video-games due to its wide availability on many different consoles. Minecraft is available on eight different devices, while a standard disk video-game can only be read by one console. This allowed the rapid growth of the games popularity since many people where able to play the same game as another with a different console, which allowed them to share ideas since the controls and appliances are relatively the same. The only disadvantage is that the most updated version of Minecraft is available on the PC, which can easily be updated frequently, while the game on other consoles can take months to update because of the preparations needed due to different service providers or companies.

Finally, the most overwhelming characteristic of Minecraft is the power granted to the player to create unimaginable structures, mechanisms, designs, components, even inventions within the virtual world. The one element that allows all of this to be possible is a resource within the game called redstone. Redstone is a mineral that can transfer signals through, above, under or around blocks that activate certain mechanisms by acting like a pulse of electricity, and the players of Minecraft took advantage of this and their ability to alter the setting block by block, designing extremely complex to relatively simple mechanisms. Up to this date, players within Minecraft have created working calculators, real-time clocks, functioning automatic tic-tack-toe games, circuit boards, re-playable full songs, automatic slaughterhouses, automatic farms, defense mechanisms, hard drives capable of storing one bit of data, all within a video-game. Inside of Minecraft grew a science. Advanced players looked at the specific details and conditions set within the game and took advantage of them in order to create tremendous contraptions. For example, players figured out that a zombie spawns within one-hundred-twenty-six blocks from the player and can survive a fall of 23 blocks, but not 24 because it would lose all of its life. So they built a platform 170 blocks from the ground so that the zombies would only spawn on the platform, made a water canal that pushed the zombies down a hole and made them fall 23 blocks into contained area where the players could kill them with a simple tap and collect whatever they left behind. For many, Minecraft may be but another game, but for thousands of others, it is an endless puzzle that truly tests their creativity and critical thinking.

Despite the complexity of the advanced features of Minecraft, the original story mode is very simple. Each player, as did I, started by spawning on a single square in a random biome observing the strangeness of the blocks, wandering until stumbling upon a pig, hitting it and then watching it run around in circles. But now, I have the ability to build retracting bridges, automatic harvesting farms, and invisible doors, all of my own design. Every player, as did I, started changing the world of Minecraft from square one. 

Review on the LG G3 Phone: A phone worth the buck by Jose Fonseca

The Korean Company, LG Electronics, has launched its newest flagship device on May 27, 2014, called the LG G3, to challenge Samsung and Apple’s latest devices. The successor to the LG G2 is packed with many new improvements and added features like a beautiful Quad HD screen, a spectacular camera, and a stunning phone design. That is not to mention the other design change that fixes the problems of the past device, such as the addition of a micro SD slot and detachable battery. LG Electronic always finishes in third place, but surely, this smartphone contains all the elements to be claimed the smartphone of the year.

            The overall design of the LG G3 is top notch, but could be improved compared to most of the smartphones on the market today. It includes an all-plastic back plate that impersonates a brushed aluminum design, which reduces the premium feel matched to an all-aluminum IPhone 6. The LG G3 is different from most smartphones because its buttons are located on the rear of the phone, below the 13-megapixel camera. Although it takes a while to get used to the buttons, they are intelligently placed where the fingers tend to stay on the phone. The best design feature of this phone would be the extremely thin bezels, which gives more room for the crisp and clear screen. Not forgetting to mention, the LG G3 has a removable back plate and an expandable memory up to 128 gigabytes of storage.

            LG has tweaked and improved a number of key features on the LG G3, but none of the feature stands out more than the Quad HD screen. It is the first global smartphone to include a QHD screen in a portable device. Other companies like Samsung offer 440ppi (pixels per inch) of sharpness, whereas the G3 has 538ppi, which is equivalent to high-end glossy art books. Dr. Ram Chan Woo, head of smartphone planning for LG, stated, “That the idea was you need pixels to fill in the space between lines, to make something that sorts out the dead space” (Beavis, "LG G3 review"). The Quad HD screen display life-like colors that just pop out of the screen. The screen is vivid for browsing the internet. Zooming into words is clear and cannot see a single pixel. Looking at pictures is just as vibrant as if you are looking through a pane of glass. Watching high-end video at 4k is overwhelming and is just as sharp as other phones and it cannot be mimicked anywhere else. It feels like the QHD screen is great to look at because LG knows how to make an amazing display, rather that offering a next level of sharpness that blows everyone away.

            One of the most frustrating features of the LG G2 was the slow graphic interface. It was difficult to navigate and cluttered to the point that there was an endless amount of scrolling down through junk mail to see a text message. The interface on the LG G3 has been redesigned and can easily distinguish the differences made to the new interface. LG Electronics has learned from their competitors and decided to take a few tips from them. LG went for a minimalistic look by changing the icons to flat tiles and using a mute color pallet of their own. It is faster to use and adds many fun transitions to fully customize the device. The height of the keyboard can be customized accordingly for the consumers that have large hands. For those that are actively fit, it contains a pedometer to count your steps and calculates the calories lost. This software can be beneficial to lose a few pounds.

            The battery of the phone is one of the areas that took a step down because it does not last longer than other phones on the market. The average time use on the LG G3 is about 20 hours of use including watching movies and making phone calls. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4, on the other hand, lasts about 30 hours on a single charge and that should be the average time a phone should last. Plan to purchase an extra battery or a travel charger to use on the road or trip. The reason the 3000mAh (Mille-Amps per Hour) battery is not as powerful is because of the QHD screen which is a power hog. LG Electronics should consider improving the battery or find a solution to lower the power consumption of the screen.

            The 13-megapixel camera is one of the most brilliant cameras seen on a cellphone since the creation of the television. It records and snaps pictures in 4k, which is the best quality, so far, in the photography world. The camera just absorbs the colors and replicates them in fine detail with little to no blemishes. It also includes a wide-angle “selfie” camera for those days when you get your outfit right. It handles pictures in low light situations with ease and does not create static pictures. The LG G3 combines science fiction with reality to make the infrared laser for faster focusing on whatever you are taking a picture of. The infrared laser makes this the fastest auto focusing camera in the world. To top it all off, the dual tone flash is good to improve the skin tone in dark conditions.

            The LG G3 offers the whole package in an affordable price and tops most of the competition out there. The LG G3 seems to have all the elements to put the competition to sleep.  Just like its predecessor, it will be sure to win the heart of many consumers that want power and precision out of a phone. The LG G3 is very impressive and does not joke around with its hardware. I would recommend this phone to those that want an overall breathtaking screen and professional camera.

The Rise of a Hero by Alma Uriarte

Big Hero Six, a movie that appears to be a movie about robots and high-tech suits, is not what it appears to be. In all honesty, it is a heart moving story that had an impact on many that watched it. Big Hero Six was a much anticipated movie, which had many on the edge of their seats. This action packed animated comedy caused many laughs and a few tears, it set out to break records, with an interesting plot and characters with distinct personalities that reflect off one another. The characters were sometimes the exact opposite of one another making it much more enjoyable, they continuously encouraged one another adding to the overall effect of the movie. The story doesn’t fall flat but makes sure that the next part is unpredicted, keeping everyone waiting to see what happens next. Not only did this movie appeal to kids but also teenagers and adults alike.

            Big Hero Six premiered on November 7, 2014, with midnight premieres the previous nihgt. It’s the story about Hiro Hamada, a 14 year old genius, and how he deals with a series of shocking events. This story starts off in the underground bot fights of San Fransokyo, where Hiro spends his time fighting with his own creation of a bot. Tadashi, Hiro’s older brother, directs and inspires his younger brother to apply to San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, in hopes for his brother to use his brain in a way that might help others. When tragedy befalls Hiro, he finds comfort in Baymax, a big huggable robot and the only connection to his older brother. Baymax was created to help people in distress by Tadashi. After Baymax’s unexpected arrival, Hiro and Baymax form a true strong bond that cannot be broken, they face many adventures and they each learn from each other. Together, along with a few other friends, they form the big hero six, a group of superheros. As a team they face an unexpected danger. Hiro learns that being a real hero isn’t what he thought it to be, not only does he learn that heroes make brave decisions, putting others needs before their own, he also learns that his idea of finding happiness doesn’t have to involve the suffering of another. Throughout his discovery, slowly, all the missing pieces start falling into place leading to an unforeseen ending.

            This film had very high expectations following the extremely successful Disney’s Frozen. Created by the team that made the #1 ranking movies Wreck-it-Ralph and Frozen, Big Hero Six was anticipated to reach such rank upon its release on its opening weekend. Both these stories had moving plots creating the high expectations of many who watched Frozen and Wreck-It-Ralph. Frozen had many parts that were unexpected, sad, and or incredibly interesting, Big Hero Six had to have that too in order to meet its expectations. To make sure this story remained original, several startling twists were involved in the story to keep the audience on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happened next. This movie did not disappoint, and also reached its expected goal opening weekend. As expected, this movie not only had a story to warm hearts while also created joyous atmosphere but also showed how the character developed into the hero he was intended to be from the beginning.

            The story had a message, which was somewhat easy to grasp and could apply to many. Its effectiveness is what needs to be evaluated. The message is that certain traits and characteristics are what make someone a hero, not high-tech super suits. What the movie is trying to get across to the audience is that anyone can be a hero, they just have to understand what it is that makes a hero. This message is clearly expressed through Hiro, who in the beginning, is misguided in his beliefs, allowing him to confuse what a hero does and what actions based on revenge accomplish. It takes his friends and more importantly Baymax to make him realize what he is doing wrong. His actions then change resembling the actions of his older brother, this is when he and the audience realize what the actions of a true hero are. The message is then made clear and is quite effective on developing the character into a hero that the movie needs. The rise of Hiro into a hero shows how much the character developed from the beginning and effectively states the message, anyone can be a hero.

707 Horsepower, End of Discussion by Jesus Benitez

The Dodge Challenger made its debut in 1970 when it was released in the fall of 1969. In comparison to the other concurrent muscle cars in that time period, among those the Plymouth Barracuda, Ford Mustang, and Chevy Camaro, the Challenger’s wheel base was two inches longer which created more interior space. The Car was obtainable as a two door hardtop or convertible, with a variety of engine sizes including the 426 cubic inch Hemi and 440 cubic inch eight cylinder. Dodge challengers were built for speed as they were equipped with Chrysler’s TorqueFlite automatic transmission or a three- or four-speed manual. The widened body and sleek design were very appealing, but even the paint screamed “ performance” as the Plum Crazy and Hemi Orange colors were very attractive, the bumblebee stripes furthermore increased the attractiveness of the car. The challenger was produced until 1984, and then reintroduced, restyled, and remanufactured in 2008, but there has never been a Challenger such as the 2015 Street & Racing Technology (SRT) Hellcat.

            The 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is the most powerful car ever produced in the history of Chrysler. The Hellcat stores a 6.2 liter supercharged hemi engine under its hood that produces an outrageous 707 horsepower and 650 feet of torque, all pure muscle power. Inside the engine there were many components modified to improve the performance of the challenger. For example, the engine block had to be specially engineered to withstand extreme conditions and for greater durability, along with the block, the aluminum heads were specially modified to increase the amount of air that is induced into the combustion chambers. In addition the sturdy reinforced pistons and rods are unique to the Hellcat engine and cannot be seen elsewhere. Aside from the other internal parts the crankshaft has been designed to power the enormous supercharger that forces air into the engine. Many internal modifications allow for such an immense amount of power to be at the tires of any one single car.

            The handling of the SRT Challenger is magnificent in comparison to that of other current day modern muscle cars. Taking into mind that muscle cars are not well known for their handling qualities, but for their overwhelming outputs of torque and Horsepower. The gas charged shock absorbers along with other suspension components allow for a swifter more enjoyable ride. Yet the massive six piston front and four piston rear Brembo breaks allow for the necessary force needed to stop 707 horsepower inside this beast of a car.

            The interior and exterior of the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT are similar yet indistinct to those attributes of the Challengers that existed in the 1970’s. The challenger comes with seats wrapped in Nappa or Laguna leather, alongside heated seats, classic gauges, a touch display center console, and impeccable aluminum trimming that ensures maximum comfort inside the car. On the exterior it’s another story, the body of the hellcat maintains its originality by keeping its wide body and sleek looks similar to those of the 70’s yet the new 20 inch wheel that come stock when the car give it a more extravagant look. More over there is now a various selection of color to implement onto the Hellcat and furthermore develop its stylish, modern, yet original look. Engineers also spent a lot of time designing the body for a maximum amount of aerodynamics that will aid the car in reaching high speeds at faster rates.

Today modern day muscle cars are categorized, rated, and evaluated in 3 major categories. The power of a car or engine is determined in Horsepower and torque, horsepower being 550 foot pounds per second and torque being the measure of the turning force on an object. Performance is based on the handling, braking, and other smaller components that allow for better performance overall and allow maximum performance and a smoother ride. Lastly the drive train, these are the other major components on the car other than engine, this includes the transmission, tires, chassis, and other components that improve the acceleration and speed of a car.

            In comparison to other modern day muscle cars the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is outstanding. Another high performance muscle car like the Mustang GT500 produced by Ford Motor Company carries a 5.8 liter engine that is also supercharged. Although the Mustang only produces 662 horsepower and 631 feet of torque, it has degraded brakes compared to those of the Hellcat. In addition the overwhelmingly luxurious interior of the Hellcat surpasses that of the Mustangs, and the Challenger’s looks can simply not be beaten.

            Overall the 2015 SRT Challenger Hellcat surpasses the standards of the current muscle cars. The outrageous 707 horsepower that the whining supercharged engine delivers are well worth its value. The upgraded power train, handling, interior and exterior all compliment the vintage look of the classic Challenger while delivering one of the most innovative and highly engineered automobiles of our time. 

Into the Darkness: A Review of the New Movie Interstellar by Alisha M. Medearis

Have you ever wondered what is like to be in space, floating in the zero gravity, exploring different galaxies and planets, or going inside a black hole or what the Earth looks like from afar? In the new movie Interstellar which premiered October 26, 2014 directed by Cristopher Nolan who was aided by cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema presents audiences with this experience as well breathtaking views of outer space in which they created through satellite projections, as no green screens were used; the producers wanted the audience to feel as if they were there experiencing the action along with the characters. What made this story so wonderfully put together was its scientific accuracy, visual effects, and brilliant performances from the cast.

The story written by director Christopher Nolan and his brother Johnathan Nolan, portrays a future earth in which a second dustbowl has occurred and resources are quickly running out. As the end of mankind seems to be nearing NASA sends Dr. Brand (Anne Hathaway) and former NASA pilot Cooper (Mathew McConaughey) to explore three planets which could potentially become a new home for man-kind. The movie beautifully crafted provides viewers with stunning images of space and science while keeping it all understandable for the average person. The story is one that tells of betrayal, hope, intellect and the never ending question of what do we do when Earth can no longer sustain the human population. This movie is a perfect blend between action and drama that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat.

The most acclaimed attribute to the movie is its scientific accuracy. Too many movies portray what the production crew thinks looks good however, Nolan was careful not to make this mistake and consulted Theoretical Physicist Kip Thorne; as well as being a consultant her work inspired the film and she co-produced it along with Nolan and his wife. Nolan and Thorne wanted the ideas on relativity, which the story revolves around, to be as realistic as possible and based much of the movie on Einstein’s equations of general relativity and gravity. When creating a wormhole and a black hole Thorne collaborated with 30 visual effects artists and contributed her own research on theoretical equations and gravitational lensing to create views as realistic as possible. Thorne was determined to only use scientific based scenes and not those conjured up by a screen writer’s imaginative mind.

The visual effects that were portrayed aided to the popularity of the movie as well. The visual effects artists worked diligently to create effects that were realistic as well engaging and thought provoking. Every single scene in the movie enticed the audience and kept them fully entertained while keeping the realistic feel of everything. There was not a scene where the average person could not comprehend what it was they were looking at.  Every twist, turn, explosion and planet looked as realistic as possible providing the viewer with a sense of wonder and imagination of what it would be like to explore the deep, dark, depths that make up outer space.

In addition to beautiful shots, the cast did a wonderful job of depicting the story and giving it a perfect sense of emotion without over doing it. Most notably is the acting jobs of McConaughey, Foy, and Chastain. The actors provided a sense of reality and question, provoking thoughts of what we would do if this really did happen. Often performances from big time actors take away from the realistic feel of the movie, however, this was not an issue in Interstellar and was beautifully acted and created.

Aside from a wonderful cast, brilliant visual effects, and a great sense of accuracy, the story itself was just wonderfully written. The Script writers Johnathan and Christopher Nolan wrote an enticing and interesting story portraying the depths of space. The characters were well developed as was the story line and script which efficiently contributed to the portrayal of the themes present in the movie and the continuous sense of wonder and curiosity that is experienced by the viewer. This movie enjoyed by many and bringing in good reviews by critics, is one that many will love for years to come. I would rate this movie five stars as it was extraordinarily crafted and put together, there was never a dull moment in this film and every scene keeps the viewer fully engaged. 

Comeback In The Desert by Ismael Alvarado

The Arizona Diamondbacks headed into the 2014 Major League Baseball season with
hopes of being crowned the champions of the NL West division for the first time since a magical
2011 season. After watching their bitter rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, celebrate winning the
the 2013 division title by jumping into the infamous pool in Chase Field, the Diamondbacks
were determined to not let this occur again. It did not happen again, however, not because they
themselves won the title, but because the Dodgers would win the title elsewhere. The 2014
season was a long, grueling, and woeful one for the Arizona Diamondbacks. It will be
remembered as a season of injury, bad play, and overall tough times. Fans saw their team’s stars, Paul Goldschmidt and Patrick Corbin, fall to season­ending injuries. Ultimately, the Diamondbacks would wind up with the worst record in baseball when the season concluded. But this was all in 2014, 2015 is a year of hope and a fresh start for a team that has new management that is retooling this offseason, will have its stars healthy again and also cusps the treasured number one pick in the following year’s first­year player draft.

Injury was a common word that was heard in the Diamondback news in 2014, as a matter
of fact, injuries agonized the team before the season had even started. Patrick Corbin, considered
to be one of the best young pitchers in all of baseball, suffered season­ending elbow surgery.
Midway through the season, Paul Goldschmidt, a feared powerful slugger, was hit by a pitch that
ended his season. Many other players on the roster would either have their season ended by an
injury or would have to play through one. These injuries forced the club to promote
inexperienced, young players to the club. As a result, the team struggled with these new players,
but out of this emerged promising, exciting players like David Peralta, and Ender Inciarte, both
of whom gained consideration for the Rookie of the Year award. Fans can look forward to seeing
the young talent and seasoned veterans merge together in the quest to bring the division title to
Arizona.

The number one selection in every sport’s draft is always a big occasion. Not only do the
Diamondbacks have the number one selection, but they have the opportunity to select a franchise
player. Players that can be the face of the entire sport, in fact. This possibility can bring a whole
new dynamic of life and energy into the team. Not to mention many more fans would be
attracted to the ballpark to see an exciting talent tear up the field. This draft selection is going to
do very well for the fans, team, and the whole entire organization.

Overall, the 2015 season will be one in which the Diamondbacks will have to establish
themselves as a top team again. After having the worst record in all of baseball, the team will
widely be considered a laughingstock. The new manager A.J, Hinch has his work cut out for him
in shaping this ballclub into the dynamic, disciplined squad they were before. Before, the team
was playing bland and unentertaining baseball. The team would constantly be outplayed on a
daily basis, this made fans grow tired of consistently watching their team lose. Hopefully the
new manager will bring a grit to the team that it desperately needs if it has any hopes of winning
in the division which by the way is home to the defending World Series champions, and the team
with the highest payroll in all of baseball, those teams are the San Fransisco Giants and the
dreaded Los Angeles Dodgers respectively.

In conclusion, 2015 is a blank page for the Arizona Diamondbacks. They have no
expectations from anyone other than their fans. They can be determined as underdogs headed
into the new season. The only thing that can be done meanwhile for fans is endure the cold
winter and wait for springtime to arrive. All the waiting will be rewarded by watching the
Diamondbacks claim the division title. Winning the title will be no simple task, as this team will
truly need to perform in order to win, but with their star talent coming back, they are in a prime
position to do so. But for now, the team must focus on retooling and rebuilding in order to tackle
the long marathon that is the major league baseball season.

The Road to Becoming the Best: Cristiano Ronaldo by Jovanny Vargas

Being the best at anything that we do is something that we all hope for. For most of us it may seem out of reach but for others it’s a must. Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on February 5, 1985 in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. His desire to become the best in the world has not gone unrecognized with people claiming that he is currently the best soccer player on the planet and one of the greatest of all time.

            Breaking records is one of the hardest things to do in soccer but for Ronaldo it’s something he does on a regular basis. In 1997 at just the age of 12 Ronaldo began his soccer career at Sporting CP the largest soccer club in Portugal. At such a young age clubs were already seeing the great potential in the young Portuguese. In 2002 he was already breaking records becoming the first person in Sporting CP history to play in their under-16, under-17, under-18, B-team and the first time all in the same season. His hard work and dedication allowed him to moving up in the ranks and he was only 17 years old. In 2003 Sir Alex Ferguson manager of Manchester United, the largest club in England had signed the 18 year old Ronaldo for £12.2 million making Ronaldo the world’s most expensive teenager. There’s a huge number of records that he has set making him one of the greats of all time.

            During his time at Manchester United Ronaldo broke multiple records including the all-time Premier League goal scorer with 31 goals in the league and 42 in all competition which he set in 2008 tied with George best. The Premier League is known for being the hardest league to play in so scoring 31 goals in a single season for a player is incredible. Also in this same year Ronaldo enjoyed his most successful year for his club and for him individually. Winning the Champions League, the most important trophy for a club, the Club World cup and many more. Individually Ronaldo won the European Golden Boot for most goals and the FIFA-Ballon d’or (an award given to the best player) making him the best player on the planet in 2008. The way Ronaldo was able to come up from nothing to become the best player was amazing.   

            Change is hard for some people, having to adapt to their new surroundings, make new friend and sometimes learn a whole new language. In 2009 Ronaldo made a decision that changed the world of soccer, to leave United and join his childhood dream club and the greatest club on the planet (according to FIFA), Real Madrid in Spain. Real Madrid paid United €94 million to acquire the services of Cristiano Ronaldo making him the most expensive player in the world. His first season with the Spanish giants was a struggle for him as he only scored 33 goals in all competition the lowest he has ever scored since the 2006/07 season. Even for the former best player in the world transition is something that takes time.

Constantly working hard to become the best is the way that Ronaldo lives his life. Over the past five years with Real Madrid, Ronaldo’s goal to game ratio is unbelievable with 274 goals in 261 games that’s over 1.04 goals a game. His ability to adjust to a new league was amazing. In 2013 Ronaldo regained his throne as the world’s best player winning the FIFA-Ballon d’or for a second time becoming the first Portuguese player to win twice.  As Ronaldo says “Every season is a new challenge to me, and I always set out to improve in terms of games, goals, assists.”(Brainy Quotes). He is determined to be the best working hard every season proving this true in each game that he plays.

It’s not all about records that make Ronaldo one of the greatest player on the planet it’s his style of play. His pace, power, technique, dribble and his skill set him apart from the average player. His ability to outpace his opponent, to control the ball in a confined space and be able to shot the ball at over 80 miles per hour are just some of the traits at make him an unstoppable player on the pitch. His style of play has been compared to some the greatest player of all time some of which are George Best, Denis Law, Johan Cruyff, Bobby Charlton, Ronaldinho and many other legends. Changing the way the world sees soccer introducing new method to take on an opponent, new ways that the new generations had never seen.     

Having competition is something we all hate especially when you try your hardest but end up losing. This is the way Ronaldo felt through the years of 2009-2013 as Lionel Messi was named the world’s best player winning the FIFA-Ballon d’or four consecutive times. The talks of who is the best between Messi and Ronaldo had forced Ronaldo to step up his game to the next level. He scored 55 goals in all competition and a record 34 league goals in the 2012/13 season. This had given him enough to win the 2013 FIFA-Ballon d’or ending Messi’s streak. His hard work and dedication had lead him to once again becoming the best.

Currently in the season of 2014/15 he is the top scorer of La Liga (Spanish soccer league) with 18 goals in 11 games played (Real Madrid CF). At this rate he is predicted to score over 60 goals and set incredible records and possibly be on this way to a third FIFA-Ballon d’or (Real Madrid CF). At the age of just 29 Ronaldo has won every title at club level and a numerous amount of individual awards and has proven to be the best in the world and one of the best of all time.

Never Trust a Pretty Girl with an Ugly Secret by Amber Potts

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the naughtiest of them all? Even when telling the smallest lie, it only leads to having to tell more lies to cover that lie. In the new hit series Pretty Little Liars, a teen mystery drama and thriller, there is five pretty girls from Rosewood that demonstrate exactly how deep into trouble you can get yourself by just telling one lie. They illustrate that by, telling that one lie and display how it has lead them to having to tell a million more. This show is based off of the books Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard, in which originally started off as seven books but due to the success of the show, expanded into 16 total books. This show is now broadcasted on ABC Family worldwide.

The main cast of the show includes Troian Bellisario as Spencer Hastings, Ashley Benson as Hanna Marin, Lucy Hale as Aria Montgomery, Shay Mitchell as Emily Fields, and Sasha Pieterse as Alison DiLaurentis. In the beginning of the series, which the first episode aired on June 8^th, 2010, Alison goes missing and the four other friends are left behind to pick up the missing pieces of their friends disappearance. Throughout the first three seasons Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily believe that Alison is not only missing but is dead. As a result to this they go on the hunt to try and figure out who has taken and potentially killed Alison all while they are being blackmailed by this mysterious unknown character that goes by A. Then during the fourth season it is brought upon the girls that Alison is not dead, it was all just a cover up. So their new goal from there was to find Alison and find out what really happened the day she went "missing."

With that, by the end of season 4 they find her but are still on a mission to find out who or what drove Alison to want to disappear and leave all of her friends and family behind. Turns out Alison too was being blackmailed by someone anonymous. The person or group of people that are blackmailing Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hannah are either the same person or same group of people that is also blackmailing mailing Alison. But till this day it is still unknown of who exactly it is. Also, as the season progresses Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna come to a consensus that they really cannot trust Alison or the things she says because of her continuous lies to the cops and everyone else in Rosewood about what had really happened the day she disappeared. She changes her stories so many times that the girls are unsure of what is the truth and people are constantly getting murdered by A in which terrifies the girls even more to where they do not even want to be Ali’s friend anymore. Alison even makes the four other girls have to tell lies in order to cover up her story.

The criteria that makes this show so successful is that it is so suspenseful and has great quality. It catches your attention and draws you into wanting more. At the end of every episode it will show A planning his or her next sabotage on the girls to make their lives miserable as they continue to look for an answer to who is behind on the A game. This creates mystery but at the same time a thrill of excitement to want to watch the next episode to find out what is going to happen. There is never a dull moment in this show which makes it so fantastic. The behind the scenes crew of the show do a fantastic job also in helping to follow the criteria. They make sure the makeup is well done and that everything looks real. The producer make one thing seem like another. For example, they will draw your attention to one person giving you hints that make you think that person is A, and it is not. This keeps things moving and keeps things changing so that viewers do not get worn-out or bored to death of watching.

 In conclusion, Pretty Little Liars has become a global success. Based off of the criteria given, it shows exactly why I would recommend for everyone to watch. It has a plot like no other and is still currently an ongoing triumph which makes it even more tempting to join in on the A game while you can. The only downfall of this is that Lucy Hale stated that "season seven will be our last season." Therefore, with that being said, there will only be two more seasons and season 6 starts in January, 2015. Do not miss the chance to enjoy a rather ravishing show as they finish up there series and reveal who A is.

No Era Penal(It Wasn’t A Penalty) by Samuel Lopez Gress

Soccer is a sport that will either have you at the edge of your seat, biting your fingernails,
as you wish and pray your team wins or will you have you bored to death because both your
team and opposing team cannot seem to do anything but pass the ball around. So a game you
want to watch are the ones you anticipate weeks before and mark down each day before the
game in your calendar and sometimes just sometimes that game will be remembered forever.
Those are the games that will have you talking about them months even years after the game has
happened and the criteria the soccer game has to have in order to be one of those games are
amazing saves from the goalkeepers, dirty and clean fouls from the defense, incredible goals
from the forwards, and well the most dreaded but necessary element is a game changing call
from the referee that changes the whole outcome of the game. And on January 29, 2014 round
16 of the world cup in Brazil in the stadium Castelao Fortaleza at exactly at 1:00 p.m; Mexico vs
Holland faced off (Fifa,2014) and that game was probably the most controversial game of the
world cup. This game was filled with all the criteria that a memorable game needs and this game
even broke all the hearts of the thousands of Mexican fans at the stadium and the millions more
watching at home.

The whole game was nerve wrecking from start to finish. The goalkeeper for Holland
Jasper Cillessen did not have a very busy afternoon until the 48th minute when Giovani Dos
Santos broke the Mexican team free and they took the lead. The millions of Mexicans watching
at home and those thousands watching at the stadium were witnessing history and maybe just
maybe the possibility of Mexico getting past the round 16 was in the air. After the goal Mexico
completely dropped into defensive mode which in my opinion was a terrible mistake because
after Holland took the offensive and just kept on bombarding Guillermo’s Ochoa goal but he did
not let the Dutch pass. He was like a brick wall that the Dutch team could not break. Until the
88th minute when Wesley Sneijder got the rebound of a corner and just blasted Ochoa’s goal
with a volley just inside the 18. And Ochoa just simply did not even have a time to react it was a
bullet he did not see coming.

But the Dutch did not completely shatter Mexican dreams. The score was a tie (1­1) and it
was the 90th minute but there was still six more minutes of extra time and it was the longest
most gut wrenching four minutes to watch. Everything seemed like the game was going to head
into overtime. When out of nowhere Arjen Robben breaks through the Mexican defense and is
about to cut in to center the ball when Rafa Marquez steps in to take the ball but Van Persie takes advantage of this and acts like he just got stepped on and literally fakes a foul inside the box. And all you hear is the ref blow his whistle… When a foul is committed inside the box by the
defending team, the attacking team is awarded a penalty which is a direct shot to the goal only 12
yards out. Which is incredibly difficult to save for a goalkeeper. The next minute was a
nightmare for Mexican fans. Klaas Jan Huntelaar steps up for Holland to take the penalty and he
waits for the refs whistle and shoots.. Ochoa dives to the opposite side and the Dutch scores and
they take the lead. The remaining two minutes of extra time ends and the Mexican players drop
to their knees in tears and in disbelief: the Dutch have won.

The referee committed a terrible mistake. He awarded a penalty to a foul that was never
committed. The Dutch completely shattered all the dreams of every Mexican fan watching at
home and at the stadium.

The whole game itself was completely, just completely amazing. It was nerve wrecking
from start to end. Both teams were at each others toes the whole game.The Dutch with 48
dangerous attacks and 14 attempts, Mexico with 29 dangerous attacks and 12 attempts, the Dutch with eight shots on goal, Mexico right behind them with seven (Fifa,2014). And both teams were not just attacking they were also defending with tackles from both sides trying to recover the ball and both keepers trying their best to keep the ball out from the back of the net. This game was just what people were asking for. It had all the ingredients for an amazing game and even though Mexico lost by that penalty, everyone I mean everyone: Dutch fans and Mexican fans knew that it was not a penalty!

Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire in a Dystopian World by Sarah Unger

A teenager named Katniss Everdeen volunteers as tribute replacing her younger sister
Prim, who was initially chosen to participate in the Hunger Games, a death match between young
children that will determine their fate between life and death. Only one tribute (the ones chosen
for the games) will remain at the end of the games on live television that everyone watches for
pleasure and entertainment. These games are held annually in the world of Panem, a dystopian
world in which North America, no longer exists because the nation of Panem lies there and with
12 districts surrounding the Capitol, each district producing something different from the lands
they possess and live on. The Hunger Games is a trilogy book series and movies based off the
dystopian world written by Suzanne Collins. The series is thrilling and suspenseful, written to
entertain, excite and engage the reader in a story about a girl fighting for survival in a place that
she is seen as an easy target from the poor district of 12. The movies have done a well job of
capturing the important parts of the book as well as producing a film with action and love that no
one could otherwise expect.

The criteria I will use to review the book is based on the overall story of the book along
with the characters, plot and the outline of how the story was written. The first part about
discussing the book is that I enjoyed the book very much when I read it and I loved the story
with how it was written, flowing well with every part of the book. The Hunger Games is also
very successful with the characters and the way the author used them to tell their story along
with the plot of the book. The main characters of the first book, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta
Mellark become the focus of the story when they are the two chosen from District 12 to fight in
the games. In the beginning of the story they are just two people from the same district who must
now fight for their lives but are unfamiliar with each other. Until later in the games it is
announced that two people from the same district can work together and both leave the games
alive which is what they both desire so they begin to help each other and protect each other.
Their relationship is merely friendship in the beginning but then slowly it turns into love which
intensifies the story because Katniss has Gale Hawthorne back home, whom she has always
loved. The story becomes interesting when Gale sees all of this on TV as they kiss and he does
not know where his relationship stands with her. The author did an excellent job of illustrating
everything going on with the different scenarios. Gale is not a main character in the first book
because he is not a part of the games, so that leaves Katniss and Peeta who are the main focus as they are fighting to stay alive in a crazy game where they must kill everyone around them to
become the last one standing.

The plot of the story is well thought out and a true page turner as the reader continues to
find out more about the dystopian nation of Panem. Collins was able to come up with a story that
emphasizes the struggles of Katniss but also her courageousness to stay alive and keep fighting
for Peeta as well for herself and her family, who she wishes to return home to. The author is
successful in telling the story with little twists that make the reader want more and more. The
plot was overall, a well thought out plan of a dystopian world that differs very highly from the
one we know and the basis of the annual games was such a clever way of making something out
of the insane and unreasonable ways of the governmental system in Panem.
The theme of the book was between the struggles of Katniss and her suffering on
television as well as the inequality between the rich and the poor. Firstly, Katniss struggles a lot
in the story with all the different curve balls thrown at her in the games and then this is all being
taped for the entertainment of the people which emphasizes the kind of world she lives in
because these people watching the games enjoy it and live for that time of the year when the
games occur. The children of the games are objectified and that is emphasized with all the deaths
that occur throughout the course of the book. The inequality between the rich and the poor is
clear from the beginning of the book when the author describes the districts, District 12, the
poorest one and District 1, the richest one with the most resources available. The games shows
how unfair it is for the people of District 12 because they are always seen as the underdogs with
no victors ever coming out of the games and there is always the separation between the richer
districts and poorer ones. The theme goes back and forth between these two concepts of the way
life is in the world of Katniss Everdeen.

Many compare the book of The Hunger Games to that of Divergent, both based off
dystopian worlds with the strong girl as the main character for the story. The girl in both stories,
Katniss Everdeen and Tris Prior become the main focus point of the book fighting for their lives
in two worlds differing from each other but both facing struggles of their own with action
occurring quite often in the books. But there are differences in the two books because Divergent
is based more off of a choice the character makes and must then protect those around her while
trying to becoming the person everyone sees her as. The Hunger Games differs in that Katniss is
a true born fighter and hunter and must survive the games for everyone she loves by using her
skills as a hunter to kill as many other tributes as she can before she is killed herself. There are
many similarities and differences between the books but both are well written and a good read.
And I would highly recommend The Hunger Games to those interested in action and character
because that is what the story mainly revolves around with many successes all around.

A Show Worth Watching by Nereida Avila

Sometimes, instead of doing homework like I should be, I open up Netflix and scroll and
scroll for something good to watch. Recently, I have found a show that is good enough for me to
actually recommend to people. Finding something worth watching can be hard to do, especially
when people are so busy, and when Netflix has an overwhelmingly endless amount of shows.
The show I have been hooked into watching is called The 100. It is an apocalyptic kind of show, similar to shows like The Walking Dead. The 100 is packed with thriller scenes, and also some
heartwarming ones. This show, though is centered on intense matters, can be eye opening and
can teach people valuable lessons about the struggles of surviving while keeping their humanity.

The 100 is a show that is set a century in the future when the human race goes extinct on
Earth after a nuclear world war. In this show, survivors from the war live in what is called the
“Ark”: a spaceship orbiting the Earth. But, because resources like energy and oxygen are limited,
life on the Ark could come to an end quickly. The leaders of the Ark make a plan to reduce use
of these resources, and to find a new home for the 2,000 people living on the Ark by launching a
hundred juvenile delinquents to Earth; testing if there was still too much radiation from the
nuclear war on the planet or if it was survivable. As the show progresses, these teenagers
struggle for order and survival with only two leaders and other challenges they face. The
mission of the teenagers in this first season of The 100 is to prove that the planet is safe in order
for the rest of the people of the Ark to save themselves by landing on Earth. Though they learn
life on Earth is safe, they discover not all life has gone extinct as they encounter strange
survivors.

When I decide to watch a show, the first episode needs to make me curious about what
the season will bring in order for me to continue watching the show. For me to gain interest, the
episode must present enough information that will keep me entertained, and it has to make me
ask myself questions. For instance, while watching, I should be wondering who the main
characters are and how they’re relevant to the show. I have to question where, when, and why
important events are taking place. After I get hooked to a show, I look for the show to have well
developed characters with interesting relationships to other characters. I like this because it keeps
things interesting, exciting, and relatable. I like for each episode of the show to have a purpose;
they should not drag on with irrelevant scenes and dialogue. Overall, a good show series has to
keep entertained and should keep me questioning myself.

The pilot episode of the 100 captured my attention because it reveals a lot about the main
characters, the setting, and the overall purpose of the show. All the major characters are
introduced in this episode, as well as who the protagonist and antagonist are. So far, after
watching the first season of this show, I rate it four stars out of five. It deserves a high rating
because it has an exciting plot, well developed characters, interesting relationships and dialogue.
This show is intense and full of dramatic eye catching scenes. The conflicts in this show are
somehow relatable and a lesson can be learned from each episode. The reason why I do not rate
this five stars out of five is for two reasons. First, some “main” characters hold little relevance
to the show. I feel that two of the characters shown frequently have little influence to the show.
These characters just take up screen time and it would be best for the show to revolve less around them. Secondly, some of the episodes drag on and nothing really happens. For instance, in the third episode of the second season, a search mission is occurring in which the missing is never found. Sometimes it feels like the episodes come to too many dead ends and conflicts are not resolved, just stretched into the next episode. Overall, I enjoy this show because of all the intensity, drama, and thriller, along with its interesting characters and plot.

In conclusion, I think this is a show worth the watch. It keeps the audience engaged with
its exciting scenes.

“I NEVER SAID I WAS AN ANGEL, NOR AM I INNOCENT” by Raisa Bakari

Lyricist, activist and domestic rebel, Sister Souljah has a way of conveying the rawest messages possible, as she breaks down all emotional, spiritual, and sexual barriers, exposing her readers to the harsh aspects of being a young black woman in a racist society. She is a woman of passion and great mental strength; in this non-fiction memoir she unveils a side of her that is strongly opinionated yet candid enough to be inspiring. Sister Souljah in No Disrespect gives a judicious overview as she illustrates the hardships of a young black girl establishing herself in the poverty- stricken streets of New York City. No Disrespect proves to be a survival manual, taking place during the 90’s as a young girl is attempting to figure out who she is faced with many complications. As she writes, she refrains from ever labeling the main character, at first it can be quite distracting, but as you continue into the story it becomes the thing that connects you more to the book. She allows for you to find similarities to the character that relate to your own characteristics. Some readers have even said that as they read No Disrespect they could,” feel Sister Souljah’s anger in every page,” which is a normal response to the book because every chapter is titled with the names of characters that mistreated or affected her life, such as “Nathan,” "Mona,” "Joseph”etc.

As I read this book, I focused on the word usage of the author; Sister Souljah is very quaint yet outspoken. Her diction is rarely ever complex while maintaining its power. I also paid close attention to Souljah’s development of the main character. One reason being because of the fact that I was always wondering if I had read over the main characters name. However, despite this fact I soon formulated this idea that the main character herself was the definition of the word “soldier." It was also cunning for Sister Souljah to replace the grammatically correct word “soldier” with a colloquial version of the word to appeal to her readers, it gives an understanding of the time period she’s depicting as she writes.

            In the meanwhile, as Souljah continues on, she effectively refrains from including any dull moments into the book; every chapter has you wanting more. However, I do have some suggestions that I feel could’ve made this book even more engaging. For one, towards the climax of the book Souljah begins to focus more on the physical characteristics of the main character. She also reduces the amount of positive encounters the main character deals with and begins to includes  more instances where she is getting let down by black male figures she encounters. Another thing I felt could’ve been improved was how she spoke about genetic and racial identity, she essentially says that all black people should live in their own community or land, referring specifically to Africa. Which makes me question how she feels about people who are of mixed or multiple races, such as a person who is both white and black. Should this person live out half of their lives in Africa and the rest in another area of the world?  Nonetheless it’s evident that Souljah attempted to pour out her heart and soul into this book. As she in-depth depicts the main character’s progression in age perfectly, from the time the young girl is born, to when she becomes a mature woman and leaves for college. One review read: “I had no idea what to expect, but I was amazed by Sister Souljah. She cuts no corners to tell her story and it's what makes the messages so powerful” (Walma. "A Review of No Disrespect." Goodreads. Goodreads Inc., 23 June 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.). And I completely agree; in my own personal upbringing, I was never fully into my own history, but after reading the intellectual nature of Sister Souljah, I feel as though I can’t resist my own history and books pertaining to it.

No Disrespect is a book that consists of power and strength coded in pain. This book may not be appealing to all, but those who feel they are mature both mentally and spiritually will without a doubt enjoy this book. It reveals a side of the black community that you don’t hear about often as Sister Souljah unforgettably characterizes the struggles of a young black girl.        

Bibliography

Souljah, Sister. "No Disrespect." Google Books. Google, 2014. Web. 21 Nov. 2014<http://books.google.com/books/about/No_Disrespect.html?id=2mOC84wSdQEC>.

 (Walma. "A Review of No Disrespect." Goodreads. Goodreads Inc., 23 June 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.).

Technology Changes Everything: Call of Duty Advanced Warfare by Jaime Baeza

Terrorists in the mid-21^st century are targeting a variety of nuclear reactors in many parts of the world and on different nations crippling many governments and destroying their defenses. The nations have to rely on privately owned military companies to assist in their predicament. This is the time period that Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare takes place in where as technology is evolving, dramatic changes in politics occur. This video game is a first-person shooter that was developed by Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision that was released for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 on November 4, 2014. Many of the aspects presented in this game such as gameplay and visuals has made this new installment in the Call of Duty franchise a must get game.

            The gameplay presented in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is similar to older Call of Duty games with new gameplay mechanics that make the game stand out from the rest of the games. Both tactics and technology have evolved in a new form of combat for the franchise. The new futuristic innovated technology, such as Specialized Drones, vehicles, energy based weapons, cloaking devices, newly enhanced grenades, and the main gear being exoskeletons that allows new introduction to gameplay mechanics. Exoskeletons in this game enhance player’s movement, boost jumps and grappling, covert cloaking abilities, and biomechanics are in the series. This allows players to explore the huge 3-D environment to accomplish methods of completing each mission in the single-player campaign. The combat in Advanced Warfare is also a key principle in the game. Thanks to the large amount of customization and characters abilities gives the game more substance than just pointing and shooting. For example players can use parts of the environment to help them in their combat such as tearing car doors off and using them as a shield and being able to throw it at enemies, in addition to this customizations in the Exoskeleton suits such as upgrading to gain more abilities greatly enhances the gameplay. Lastly there are many in game elements that cause you to adjust quickly to the condition being thrown upon you. For example there is a driving scene where you are in pursuit of an enemy vehicle and while you drive hazards such as other cars, missiles, and enemies so you use evasive maneuvers to try to stay on the road.

            The visuals in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is miraculous because of the attention of details the developers incorporated into the game. Effects, such as explosions, smoke effects, real world elements like land marks, and the full 3-D environment creates a feeling of interaction between you and the game that makes this game come alive. One example of incredible visuals was a scene where you are fighting on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco where the enemy soldiers deploy a series of drones that attach themselves to the support cables and detonate, causing the bridge to collapse. Another example of appealing visuals is the different locations presented such as forest, cities, military compounds, and cliffs that provide a sense on how the world is structured. Lastly due to these visuals enhanced in this game makes it feel like a movie experience with lots of action, excitement, and lots of thrill while playing this game.

            The audio or soundtracks played throughout the game is really high-quality and easy to hear or understand. Sounds such as fired shots, explosions, cracking glass, audio transmissions, and other things are very clear and easy to distinguish that makes it feel that they are all around you in real life. Another thing that further enhances the game is the music used during missions. The music matches perfectly with what’s happening at that moment that it gives the gameplay a sense of epicenes. To add to this the conversation clips and cut scenes are easy to hear and gives you updates in the plot and what’s occurring in the mission that gives you a full picture of the events in Advanced Warfare.

            Overall the game gives an interesting new take to the Call of Duty games with new gameplay mechanics, great visuals, and audio that breathes new life into the franchise. The liberating movement, excellent visuals, dynamic gameplay, interesting fast-paced single player, has made this a solid game. However there was one concern that need to be noted is the plot the game is structured around. The story is way to similar to the plot in other Call of Duty games, and also was very predictable, had disappointing plot twists, and the inconsistent narrative. The game needs to find an away to use this style of gameplay and use it to develop a plot that no one would expect because this game is dull without a decent plot. Overall this is a game that is really fun to play, and it is rated 8 out of 10 stars. 

Hozier’s Church, Love, and Sexuality by Brandy R. Lust

Take Me to Church by Hozier is a deep and moving melody that caresses the spirit and stimulates the mind. Hozier’s soulful voice mixes with a haunting tune to create this truly mesmerizing song. His message has a much deeper meaning than what is portrayed by its somewhat cryptic lyrics. Hozier clearly speaks about the church in a semi-negative light. More specifically, Hozier poetically describes the relationship, in his opinion, of the relationship between church, love, and sexuality. His composition has several layers that relate to religion, discrimination, basic beliefs, and even the concept of humanity and the suppression of it through religion.

            This composition was published in September of 2013 by Andrew Hozier-Byrne, known publicly as Hozier, is an Irishman from Dublin. Hozier compares religion to to falling in love, he sees falling in love as a wonderful death and rebirth. In his music video, Hozier shows two gay men in love and a group of radical religious members following one of the men, attacking him, and murdering him. The artist explains that in Ireland, religion is very important to most and some people cannot see past their religious beliefs. Hozier also goes a step further by relating his song to the oppression of the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) community in Russia through his music video when he shows the masked gang attack one of the gay men, which happens frequently in Russia. There is much more to this song than the most major uses of symbolism and the major messages, there are other little messages that remain mysterious, such as the chest that was burned, although the contents or meaning of that box remain unknown as Hozier states that it represents whatever the viewer wants it to. Yes, it is cryptic which seems to be the artist’s style, but it also leaves room for the audience to connect to the song personally because that box represents value and the thing that we find most important, whatever that may be.

            There are so many aspects to consider when determining whether a song or television show is “good” per se. Some of the criteria I will be looking at its fluidity, or how well the song flows, its level of depth (the deeper meaning), the message(s), the tone, the quality of the tune and voice, as well as its relation to popular topics in modern society.

            As far as fluidity goes, Take Me to Church has a very nice flow to it. Some songs are choppy and lyrics may come out sounding awkward, but Hozier’s masterpiece is smooth and very easy to listen to. It is also a very deep song. It doesn’t talk about a breakup, drug usage, or another empty topic that is popular in today’s musical society. This song is like a lyrical story that, although it is easy to understand, you must look deeper to see what Hozier is talking about. This makes Take Me to Church a very mentally stimulating listen. Take Me to Church has many messages in it. First and foremost it is describing Hozier’s perception of the relationship between the church and love or sexuality even. The next message is clearly about the oppression of the LGBTQ community in Russia, where it is illegal to be gay, and relates personally to him as he describes (in an interview) people in Ireland as carrying the weight of religion as it is a very religious place. The next message that Hozier sends is that falling in love is a religion in the sense of death, of your previous self, and rebirth, of the new and improved you. This is why he refers to a woman as a savior in his song. Another message that Hozier gets across is that love and sexuality, regardless of sexual orientation, is the most basic human, even animal, thing that we do. He believes that the church, and organized religion in general, is trying to teach people to be ashamed of one of the very things that make them human, thus stripping the population of their humanity in a sense. Hozier has many messages and they make the listener reflect on his/her own beliefs and evaluate whether or not they belief something because based on their experience or if they were taught to belief it. The song carries a haunting tone accompanied by the deep sultry voice of Hozier. This combination immediately catches the attention of the listener and makes them feel what Hozier feels. This makes both the quality of the artist and of the song quite incredible. This song has also been evaluated on whether or not any of Hozier’s messages can apply to any current world issues, which in fact it does. The artist shows a gay couple, in the music video, and a group committing severe hate crimes on this couple due to that groups homophobia. He explains in many interviews that although he isn’t gay himself, he believes gay rights are human rights; this relates to a very hot topic in America right now, which is gay marriage. Overall, if I were to rate this song based on the criteria I pre-described it would definitely be a 5/5 stars.

            I highly recommend listening to this song as it is both meaningful and aesthetically pleasing. It has a depth to it that is very difficult to find in today’s popular music. The audience that would enjoy this song would include people who like blues music, alternative rock, soulful music, LGBTQ issues, music that induces thought, and anyone who enjoys haunting melodies with hidden messages!