January 2009 Archives

Your father looks outside and sees a runaway cow trotting down your road!

With that said, I gues that means I am a country girl...

It was on the National Mall, while being squished on all sides by about two million people with icicles for toes, that we caught a glimpse of world peace.
What's that? Did I just hear a sigh of desperation? Well, get ready to break out into a chorus of sighs because this is going to be one of those dramatic recounts. Ahem. Maybe I should start at the beginning.

Oh, to turn back time! To revisit the good old days of decades past. It sounds so romantic. Wearing poodle skirts and going to sock hops in the '50s -- or putting on heels and makeup to go out in the 1920s ... what could be better?
We asked members of the York Daily Record/Sunday News' Teen Takeover staff to tell us which decade they'd like to live in and why -- if, of course, they could turn back time.
Their answers were rather predictable.
After all, who wants to relive the Great Depression or a world war? Better to be a lounge lizard with big hair listening to '80s music or a hippie taking part in Woodstock, they say.
Read on to see where they'd set the dial if they had a time machine.
-- Jennifer Vogelsong

If I could live during any decade, I would live in either the '80s or the '60s. In the '80s, I could walk around with pink leopard suits, gold jewelry and huge hair. I could be a Nirvana groupie. I could hang out at CGBG with Joan Jett. The '60s are amazing, too. I would go to Woodstock and live in southern California. I would sit with an acoustic guitar and play for the people. I would live in the rock venues and go on tour.
-- ANGELAMARIE FLYNN, Central York High School

I personally like the decade I live in, but as an alternative, I'd have to use a process of elimination. The '80s are out because of the music. The '70s brought the fear of being drafted for Vietnam. The '50s and '60s were plagued with discrimination and the thought that the Russians could be attacking at any moment. The early '40s were when Hitler planned to take over the world, the '30s saw the Great Depression, and the early part of the century was too much of a transforming period. The 1920s were full of jazz, night life and people wearing cool top hats. Plus, when I think of the 1920s, I'm immediately reminded of Kevin Costner in "The Untouchables" -- bringing down Capone would be sweet.
-- By SEAN RAMIREZ, Susquehannock High School

I would choose to live in the 1920s. Before any thoughts of the Great Depression filled people's minds, all was fun and lighthearted. Prohibition prompted businessmen to operate secret basement saloons with live jazz music. The fashion was a revolution from the conservative 1800s -- girls wore shorter skirts, higher heels and brighter colors. It was an age of change. The first World War had just ended, and the country could not have been happier. The music also showed the spirit of the country and revolutionized the world of pop culture.
-- JOANNA MYERS, Susquehannock High School

Part of me -- the part that houses the progressive fighter for social justice, women's rights, environmentalism and liberal ideals -- has always felt anachronistic. Most think that the '60s was the perfect era for someone like me, but I disagree. The '60s have always seemed too dreamy, too lacking in action (I am liberal, but I don't swear off realism).
Rather, the '70s is where my heart calls home. I'm not too fond of the style and clothes (I never could rock the bell bottoms), but the zeitgeist is very alluring. The action and protest-oriented theme of the era is my idea of perfection -- I'm a firm believer in grassroots activism. I'd love to be in San Francisco protesting Proposition 6, in one of thousands of colleges nationwide celebrating the first Earth Day, or in Washington petitioning for more eco-friendly regulations in business. Hand me some platforms, a megaphone, a picket sign and a time machine -- I'm heading back to the '70s.
-- MARYBETH SEITZ BROWN, Spring Grove Area Senior High School

If I could live in any decade, I would live in the the '80s because of the fashion and music. The fashion during the '80s was the beginning of the large framed sunglasses, the debut of Converse sneakers and Air Jordans. Adidas dominated the decade. I would have loved to live in the '80s because I would be able to witness and participate in an era that still influences fashion today.
Hip-hop was in full bloom and took over the music industry. The '80s were also when MTV first aired. The '80s launched many artists' careers. It would be great to live during such a history-making decade.
-- JONATHAN MOORE, William Penn Senior High School

I would live in the 1950s. Of course, my idea of the era is probably highly romanticized. (I mean, I'm ignoring the Korean War here.) But the '50s were completely classic. I have a penchant for all things classic.
I would love to have been able to watch Audrey Hepburn movies in the theater -- for a few cents, from what I understand -- and listen to Frank Sinatra as he became popular. I could do without the beginnings of consumerism and the rise of the suburbs with their cookie-cutter houses and poodle skirts, but I think the '50s were quite a time.
-- LEXIE GROVE, West York Area High School

Being a flapper in the 1920s would be ideal. It would be glamorous to live in a world like in "The Great Gatsby," a time when power was based on quick, young success and money. I'd love to live in a chic New York apartment where my closet would be filled with short, black dresses that my elders would snarl at and little hats to wear out to illegal bars. The 1920s seem less complicated and more sophisticated. Oh, the life it would be.
-- LAUREN GERBA, Spring Grove Area Senior High School

My favorite decade is the '70s. My all-time favorite music is retro techno. In that era, it was all about bright colors and disco. Even the people looked so carefree -- they didn't really worry about things like text messages and iPods. They just wanted to have fun. Many good things came from the '70s, like the VCR, the first inkjet printer, and something most of us can't live without -- our cell phones. That's right, our best friend in our pocket was invented in the '70s.
-- MELANIE CRISAMORE, York Catholic High School

If I could live in any decade, it would be the '80s. I think it's funny how people dressed. When I think of fashion in the '80s, I think of people just putting on random, bright colors. I think that would be fun. Everything in the '80s was extreme. The hair, the makeup, the music. It was all so wild. It would be fun to go back and experience all that.
-- MADI MCSHERRY, Central York High School

I would live in the '80s. It's not that I am into hair metal bands -- truth is I can't stand ACDC. (I am more into the alternative bands of the decade.) The '80s brought about the best movies. I mean, "The Breakfast Club" -- absolutely amazing! The horror movies of the decade are also the best. "Nightmare on Elm Street" -- I could watch it over and over. And the Leprechaun movies. He is the most adorable murderer ever. It's so ugly it's cute. Oh, and who can forget -- it's when Sonny Moore, my future husband, was born!
-- AMBER ROUTSON, Spring Grove Area Senior High School

If I could live in any decade, it would be the '80s. I love the music. It was before political correctness, so I'd have a blast with my friends. The fashion was horribly awesome. To walk into school looking like I dressed in the dark and be considered cool would be awesome. My favorite movies were made then -- the horror movies and "The Brat Pack." I wish my hair could be as big as back then. Rock on!
-- RACHEL BRAGG, Dallastown Area High School

If I could live in any decade, it would be the 1980s. I am a big rock person. I also like being different, wearing the weirdest stuff. Shorts in winter, totally funky socks and hats. Peace to the world, even though it would never come. Go 80s!
-- ALICIA MILLER, West York Area Middle School

I would want to live during the 1950s.
Why?
It's the most recent decade of stability we've had in American history. And the state of our economy and our country in general now is enough to make me crave anything normal.
I'd rather skip the whole Vietnam War, so that rules out the '60s. The 1940s aren't really an option because of World War II. The 1970s might be OK, but the gas shortage would probably be inconvenient (maybe even more so than the $4/gallon gas we had a few months ago).
Aside from the Korean War at the start of the decade, the 1950s were fairly uneventful, both at home and abroad. Sure, this may seem a little boring, but right now, some degree of normalcy in this country would be a nice break.
-- CASEY GEORGE, York Suburban Senior High School

I was in Wal-Mart the other day when my mom and I were intrigued by the bin of DVDs that they always put out. We began to look through the random titles and were standing there for a good 20 minutes. My mom became really excited when she found "Walking Tall" and she tossed me the box. I noticed that the box didn't have the frustrating security sticker at the top that all CDs and DVDs have. I opened the case to notice that the disc was not there. Not only was that DVD not there, but there were several other DVD cases that did not have a disc in them either.

It made we wonder what this country is coming to if people feel compelled to steel DVDs. I know that seems like something very minor compared to murders and frauds, but it affects the younger generations. First, the person who stole the DVDs is more prone to commit another or bigger crime because they were able to get away with it. Also, it does not teach the younger kids a good lesson when the find empty DVD cases.

I just saw Revolutionary Road today, and words can't even begin to describe how unbelievably depressing it was. The second the credits began to roll, as I wiped tears from my face, I vowed to never watch it again. But the more I think about it, the more I realize what an amazing movie it is. Sam Mendes really created a masterpiece here. So tragic and so heart wrenching. I can only hope that very few married couples experience such bitter unhappiness as the two characters in the movie.

Yesterday I felt like I was blind. Seriously, I couldn't see anything, it was terrible.

Today, January 20th, 2009 Barack Obama has been sworn in for the Presidency. Today was the start of a new semester for Central York High. It was also a historical moment for the U.S. Going to school, there was a buzz. Teachers were excited and voicing their opinions, students were jittery and we all watched in awe as Obama got sworn in. It seemed that every available television in Central was watching Obama. But can one man really change a boat load of problems in four years? I for one hope so, it's about time someone made some changes around here. His speech today was incredible. It was pure honesty, I thought. He's right it is going to be hard and it is going to take time for change. Hopefully our newest, young president can make that happen. What did you guys think of the inauguration today?

For my English class, we did a unit on advertising, and analyzed techniques of advertising before writing a paper analyzing a specific advertisement and the methods it uses to sell more than the product. As a introduction to the unit, we chose two advertisements and described them; the first as a story and the second as a very detailed description of everything we saw. I will never look at ads the same way again, for sure. Here are my two descriptions, see if you can picture what the ads look like:

Sometimes I feel this way...

I could wile away the hours
Confer them with the flowers
Consult them with the brain
And my head I'd be scratching while my bolts were busy hatching
If I only had a brain
I'd unravel every riddle
For any individual
In trouble or in pain
With the thoughts you'd be thinkin' you could be another Lincoln
If you only had a brain
Oh I could tell you why the ocean's near the shore
I could think of things I never thought before
And then I'd sit and think some more
I would not be just a nothin'
My head all full of stuffin'
My heart all full of pain
I would dance and be merry
Life would be an ingudarry
If I only had a brain
Gosh it would be awful pleasin' to reason out the reason
For things I can't explain
Then perhaps I'll deserve ya
And be even worthy of ya
If I only had a brain

Have you ever played the game The Sims 2? It is the most amazing and addicting game I have ever played! The "sims" which is short for simulation, is so addicting! The main object is to make generation after generation. Its the most addicting game ever!

I'm currently sitting in my grandma's office chair in her apartment in Bethesda, Md., a DC suburb, eating the remains of a red (velvet), white and blue cake and anxiously thinking about what tomorrow will bring.

I'm going to the Pennsylvania Democratic Party ball tonight with my great aunt, a former delegate, and the Inauguration with my family tomorrow. Though I know pretty much what to expect event wise, I'm still excitedly unsure about how being so close to Obama will affect me, especially after volunteering for his campaign.

Will report back tonight after the ball with part two. I can't wait!

The song is called Dervish!

Don't you hate when one thing goes wrong, everything goes wrong?
...and when something happens that you keep thinking about even though it hurts?

I have so much going through my head, but little to say.
Don't you just hate that?
...when your mind is so full, but yet you get quiet and distant?
...when you want to ask the world what to do, because you are just so unsure?

That is how I feel.

So, as some of you know, Susquehannock is performing the challenging musical Les Miserables this spring (known affectionately as "Les Mis" by many). A lot of us have had our reservations about putting on a stellar performance...until we found this on Youtube.

Suddenly, anything Susky performs feels like a Broadway show.

I was sitting in my room watching my daily dose of Chelsea Lately on E!, and she began talking about the York College wrestling incident. Apparently some wrestlers from the away team are accusing the YC wrestlers of having herpes.
If it's true that's really nasty. Like super nasty.
I know it happened a little bit ago, but I was just surprised to see something in York talked about on a nationally watched television show. If you've never watched Chelsea Lately, click here.

I hope the multitude of "House, MD" reruns on the USA Network hasn't distracted you from the brand-new episodes showing weekly on FOX.

Someone is really looking out for Spring Grove's mock trial team in Lawyer Land. Excitingly, we've been invited to a practice competition in Altoona by a lawyer who has represented our school district before. His firm is paying for our bus, hotel rooms at the Mariott, and meals, just so we can practice against other teams to be better prepared for our real competition in the next month.

I'm soo excited! This is an amazing learning opportunity and the best way to prepare for the actual competition. The only down side is getting the whole case together in, oh, three days?

Do you smell that? Yeah, that's the work I've done so far for my directs. It stinks.

Wish us luck!

If you saw Ivelina Mitranhova in the hallways at York Suburban Senior High School, you would never guess she came to the United States from Bulgaria in fourth grade. She is like any other student -- trying to balance a job with her schoolwork. Except most students don't speak fluent Bulgarian and also understand people who speak Russian.

We've all seen the show, but how many of us wonder if our friends are secretly conspiring to get Stacy and Clinton to set us straight? A few basic guidelines can get people wishing they had your style.

1. When in doubt, be modest.
These are not the streets of Las Vegas. If your grandparents would be ashamed of your outfit, don't wear it! I once saw a girl wearing a T-shirt with "modest is hottest" written on the front. She was right!
2. Dress to your size.
Girls who are size seven should never try to squeeze into a size three. Clothes are meant to be comfortable, not unbearable. Always dress to your size. And remember: Designers always, unfortunately, cut their clothes differently, so a size 10 in one store might fit like a six in another. If it feels too tight, it ain't right!
3. Dress to the occasion.
In other words, never wear jeans to a black-tie occasion. I once saw a girl wearing 5-inch stilettos and a satin party dress to a fair. Yes, a fair -- as in crowded and messy, with people wearing jeans and T-shirts to feed the cows. Needless to say, she looked ridiculous.
4. Dress your age.
Basically, pigtails and Winnie the Pooh have no place on girls older than 10; however, I see so many teens and adults dressed like Pippi Longstocking. On the other hand, I am not condoning young girls wearing fishnets and stilettos. Inappropriate dress, whether too young or too old, will never be tolerated in a professional office setting.
5. Dress nicely!
When in doubt, skip the T-shirt and sweats. A nice outfit goes a long way in showing you respect yourself, which in turn encourages other to respect you.

San Diego-based multi-talented singer, songwriter and producer Greg Laswell has created the perfect relaxation album. "Three Flights from Alto Nido" will surely relieve any stress.

Laswell's somewhat-indie musical style is one that is all his own. He puts a fresh, delightfully new twist on an older Beatles-like sound. With his sensationally soothing vocals and minimalist instrumental style, Laswell addresses common relationship woes with calm melodies and underlying energetic beats, creating a contrary, yet interesting, mood.

Did you ever walk by a shoe store and want a pair of shoes so bad?

Well, I have. And they are always Converse.

I love the high-tops and the many different colors.

I am a huge fan of the punk and rock styles, but there are many other styles like hip-hop and regular sneakers. They also have ankle cuts that many teens wear.

They are also very comfortable and match pretty much anything I wear!

Colors like red and blue and peach catch many eyes. These aren't regular sneakers; They are easy to wear and fun-to-be-seen-in sneakers. So, if you are ready to be up to date, then beg your parents to go out and buy you a pair of Converse. Or, start saving your allowance.

They range in price from $21.99 to $55.99 and can be found at several local stores.

My favorite pair would have to be high-tops that are black and more of a punkish style. They are fun to be seen in!

-- Alicia Miller, West York Area Middle School

The only thing better than reading a good book is reading a good book that came directly to your mailbox and cost much less than retail price.

This is the beauty of book-swapping service BookMooch.com. Users can mail away their books and get books from others. The premise is to allow readers to find good homes for their used books.

Over the summer, a mentor advised me to pick up "Lucky Girls," a collection of short stories by Nell Freudenberger. I was skeptical, but became captivated by the eponymous first, a tale of a young American who leaves her home to live with the love of her life in India until his untimely death.

:( it needs corrections
My name is spelled wrong and it says that that I am from Susquehannock High School...

I go to Spring Grove Senior High School.
And my last name is spelled Routson...

just for reference.

I saw "Yes Man" in theatres yesterday, and I was just a tad doubtful that after such a long break from the funny side of the movie spectrum, Jokester Jim might not be so hilarious. But, fortunately, he proved me wrong; the movie kept my interest and kept me laughing from its Sandstorm start to its fashionable finish. (You'll see what I mean). If you are in need of a good laugh and an uplifting plot, this is the movie to see.

Five...four...three...two...one...
Happy New Year!

It's finally here.

Out with 2008 and in with 2009. With the arrival of the new year, there is a lot of commotion about what lies ahead: anxiety, excitement and mystery.
"What's your new year's resolution?"
"I can't wait to graduate."
"I am so ready for my birthday!"
Teenagers are always looking forward to what's going to happen next, what their next move is.
But the year just ended. For some, 2008 was the year they graduated and "got out of this place." For others, it was just another year -- school, school and more school.
So, why not look back on the year instead of looking forward?

If being anxious from something that you know is going to hurt is crazy, then call me crazy!
Ever since I can remember, I couldn't wait...I counted down the days.
And yes, people, I mean counted down the days, the hours and even the minutes until my long awaited dream became reality....
.....when I would be marked forever!

Alright, so anyone who enjoys movies as much as I do knows this year is kind of unique for the Oscars, what with Heath Ledger in the running for a posthumous Academy Award. The Golden Globe nominees are out (I hate the Golden Globes) and looks like Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire are getting a lot of press. Ive read all these articles about possible Osca nominations, so I just wanted to throw my two cents in on a few categories that feature movies I've seen.

Best Actor
Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Synedoche, New York)
Josh Brolin (W.)
Sean Penn (Milk)
Will Smith (Seven Pounds)

Best Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger (Dark Knight)
Brad Pitt (Burn After Reading)
Emile Hirsch (Milk)

Best Actress
Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)

Best Supporting Actress
Again, I haven't seen enough movies this year to make an educated guess about this one. I read some of the nominees people are projecting and I've never heard of any of the movies ha. Frances McDormand was good in Burn After Reading though.

Best Original Screenplay - Yes! the money category!
Milk by Dustin Lance Black
Burn After Reading by Joel and Ethan Coen
Synedoche, New York by Charlie Kaufman (this guy is a genius!)

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Dark Knight by Jonathon Nolan, Christopher Nolan, and David S. Goyer
Slumdog Millionaire by Simon Beaufoy
Miracle At St. Anna by

Best Picture
Wall-E
The Dark Knight
Synedoche, New York
Slumdog Millionaire
The Wrestler

So yea, I haven't seen enough movies this year to throw out guesses on best director and like best supprting actress and all that. The ones I really only care about are the screenplay awards and best picture. But yea, just my two cents. I'll probably be wrong because the Academy seems to pick these random movies every year. Oh, and the Curious Case of Benjamin Button was basically Forrest Gump with a different ending. That shouldn't win anything in my opinion, except for maybe Brad Pitt as Best Actor.

Tonight, I went to go see the highly acclaimed movie, "Marley and Me" with very low expectations. However, this movie took me by surprise. Not to sound heartless, but I thought it was just going to be another one of those, happy go lucky dog movies until the dog dies. But I was really wrong, it was more than just about a dog named Marley. It was about the struggles of life that many newly wed's face and a dog that went right through it with them. This movie had a great story line and I cant wait to read the book. In other words, you should go see the movie!!!

I finally saw "The Dark Knight." But I was sorely disappointed. My expectations were obviously much too high, for the movie was certainly not my cup of tea. I'm just curious why America was so quick to slurp it up.

The Joker symbolized a twisted mind, a very sorrowful one. His maniacal grin still sends chills up my spine. And a child's hero was beaten down, forever sneered upon by an imaginary society.

I would much rather watch silver screen greats such as Cary Grant and Joan Crawford as they appeal to the intellectual, not the violent. But everyone's different, I suppose.