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The True Heroes

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By Charles Schnell

 

Charles received Honorable Mention for this poem submitted to the Youth Town Hall “Giving Back” Poetry Competition–a valley-wide competition held in honor of Caroline Kennedy, former ambassador to Japan and daughter of John F. Kennedy. Kennedy is a longtime advocate and editor of poetry. Her family is known for its dedication to service. The compilation of poems was a gift to Kennedy when she spoke at the Desert Town Hall Forum last month.

 

The celebrities,

The athletes,

The CEOs,

The lawyers.

These aren’t the

True heroes

(Especially the lawyers).

Rather,

Blessed be

The organ donors,

The charity givers,

The teachers,

The soldiers,

Those who give their time, money, and life

To giving back,

For they are

The true heroes.

Editor: Renée Vazquez

My First Experience With American Beauty

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By Leo Milmet, The Bird on Fire Resident Film Critic

When I was ten, I began to take a serious interest in film. I saw a poster for the Cinemark Classic Series at the theater at The River. The tickets were $5 per film, so I went to see each of the listed films (Forrest Gump, West Side Story, Lawrence of Arabia, American Beauty, Casablanca, and The Godfather).

I fell in love with film that year. I was introduced to an entirely new world: the world of the greatest films of all time, not just something like Star Wars or Gone With The Wind. I became invested in the wonderfully written and beautifully realized characters of American Beauty and Casablanca like I never had been before. I was introduced to the sheer power of brilliant cinematography through Lawrence of Arabia’s beautiful, epic shots. The themes of West Side Story, despite my having already seen the film and enjoyed it, challenged me in a new way. The Godfather showed me a truly tragic fall from grace.

However, of all these classic Oscar winners, American Beauty (1999) was the film that made me want to become a filmmaker. I remember the night I saw that film. The film was a cheeky satire, but also a melodrama. I didn’t get behind Lester, the film’s anti-hero, and his disquieting desires, but I felt terrible for him nonetheless. As much as I loved every one of these films, and I did (I REALLY LOVED THEM ALL), I had become absolutely enamored with the quiet power of American Beauty, the character-based work of genius that I will forever remember seeing for the first time. I was drawn in by writer Alan Ball’s realistic characters. The film’s powerful themes of nostalgia, uncertainty about one’s place in the world, lust, and breaking the system are accessible to anyone. Even when I was not old enough to actually understand them, I still felt them. Somehow, someway, Sam Mendes directed the film so that each character, each scene, each theme spoke to me.

American Beauty changed my life. It made me want to make films just because I want another person to experience what I experienced that night. I owe this film so much because it truly was the film that made me love film.

Editor: Shelby Armor

March Madness: Or U Must Be Cinderella

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By Guest Blogger and Basketball Fan Holden Hartle

March Madness is a time where everyone, not just college basketball fans, puts some money in and fills out a bracket in hopes of making that perfect bracket. Well, for those who are more inexperienced, and want to win some money, here are some good pointers.

  • Three’s are better than two’s–Statistically, the three pointer has become very popular in the past decade. Furthermore, college teams who shoot better from the three-point line often have a better chance of winning the game.
  • Be careful of Cinderella Teams–There is always that one team that is not a high seed but goes far in the tournament. Don’t get too caught up in this. This is usually GREAT advice. Before this year, only four double digit seeds had ever made the final four. It just so happens, this is the year of Cinderella Teams! For instance, No. 11 Syracuse upset No. 3 Michigan State AND beat No. 6 TCU; No. 11 Loyola-Chicago upset No. 3 Tennessee AND No. 6 Miami; No. 16 UMBC won over No. 1-seed Virginia; No. 13 Marshall defeated No. 4 Wichita State; and No. 13 Buffalo upset No. 4 Arizona.
  • Free throws win championships–-Every NCAA championship team has been an above average free throw shooting team; keep this in mind.

However, the most important rule of all is go with your gut. If your gut tells you to pick it, then pick it. With these in mind, I hope you happen to win lots of money!!!

Editor: Peter Kadel

We met Caroline Kennedy

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By Shelby Armor

On Thursday, March 8, a team of our Upper School students went to see former US Ambassador to Japan and daughter to John F. Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy. Desert Youth Town Hall hosts four such events each year at Indian Wells’s Renaissance Esmeralda. Leo Milmet, Shelby Armor, Andrew Zhu, Renée Vazquez, and Jordan King were all in attendance and enjoyed a great night of talk on foreign policy with Japan, Caroline Kennedy’s life, and JFK!

Renée, Andrew, Jordan, Leo, and Shelby all pose for a photo before they go to see Caroline Kennedy.

Caroline Kennedy addresses Coachella Valley high school students before she enters the main ballroom at the Renaissance. She welcomed questions from the crowd.

Leo Milmet, at the request of Caroline Kennedy, shares inspiration for his poem he wrote for the “Giving Back Poetry Contest.” The contest was a tribute to Kennedy, to her love of poetry, and to her family’s dedication to service.

Next Wednesday, the Town Hall Forum hosts the final speaker of the 2017-18 series, journalist Chris Wallace. Our own Jordan King is tasked with introducing the Fox News commentator.

Editor: Makena Behnke

gurl power

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Poet Blogger Makena Behnke reminds us March is National Women’s History Month.

 

don’t tell me how to wear my hair

don’t tell me how much makeup to wear

don’t tell me you don’t like my style

and definitely don’t tell me to smile

maybe in your small dumb brain you think it’s flattering

but in our big broad minds it makes us want to scream

screaming, though, is no big fun

our voices hurt and then get numb

though they turn to deep, hoarse voices

maybe then you’ll think we should have some choices

–women’s day is everyday

 

Editor: Shelby Armor

songs that I’m always in the mood for

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By Makena Behnke

 

we’ve all been in that mood when you don’t really want to listen to any of the songs on your playlist… so here is a list of songs that i listen to when i don’t want to listen to anything.

 

  • Rebel Love Song by Black Veil Brides (when you feel a little bit like hard rock)
  • Coffee Talk by Broadside (when you need some pop punk)
  • Matter of Time by Five Finger Death Punch (heavy metal)
  • Thank God I’m Not You by Himalayas (indie rock)
  • Blank Generation by Richard Hell (punk rock)
  • All You Are Is History by State Champs (pop punk)
  • I’m Shipping Up To Boston by Dropkick Murphys (punk rock)
  • Palette by Grayscale (pop punk)
  • Free Your Mind by En Vogue (R&B/pop)
  • My Own Way by Drowning Pool (metal)
  • Sugar, We’re Goin Down by Fall Out Boy (pop punk)
  • Coffin by Black Veil Brides (hard rock)
  • Your Body Is A Weapon by The Wombats (indie rock)

Editor: Claire Jenkins

*Warning: some songs might contain swear words.

Fictional Deaths I Still Haven’t Gotten Over (Spoilers Ahead: Really)

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By Peter Kadel

Let’s face it, reading/watching/enjoying works of fiction (i.e: books, movies, and videogames) is really fun and helps all sorts of people get away from the everyday and helps them escape occasional sadness. But sometimes… grief follows us into the realm of fiction as creators of fiction rob us of our favorite characters–giving us emotional scars from which we will never recover. In honor of these fallen fictional figures, here is a list of fictional deaths I still haven’t gotten over. (In no particular order).

* SPOILERS AHEAD * * SPOILERS AHEAD ** SPOILERS AHEAD *

Wash (Firefly/Serenity): The short lived sci-fi hit Firefly and its cinema followup Serenity followed a crew of misfits who were all lovable in their own way. But the character that stole hearts was the pilot Wash. The wise cracking, Hawaiian-shirt wearing, moral center of the team was brutally killed in the movie Serenity, and this loss has scarred me forever. He was the character I wanted to be in real life. Not only was the Firefly series ended too quickly, so was Wash.

Wolverine (Logan/Death of Wolverine): Everyone’s favorite X-man. The hardcore healing mutant with unbreakable bones and claws. Most of his fans thought he would never die, after all that was his main ability. So imagine my surprise when he died TWICE, once in the comic universe and once in the cinematic universe. I had to witness the death of my favorite superhero ever TWICE: first when he was encased in metal as he reflected on all he had done and was finally content after a life of sadness; and a second time when he died holding the hand of his daughter fulfilling the prophecy that he would die with his heart in his hand. I cried both times. So needless to say, I’m still upset about it.

Han Solo (Star Wars: The Force Awakens): I think it is safe to say that this one made everyone cry, to see our favorite bold and brash smuggler gutted by his bratty Sith lord son was an emotional hell that no one deserved. He deserved better. And Chewy’s reaction to watching his longtime pal Han fall into the abyss of Starkiller Base (“BBBrrrrwwwrrroooo”) was truly heart wrenching and, yes, I cried when it happened.

(The West Wing): The are too many deceased characters to list from this show. The show’s creator Aaron Sorkin seems to delight in toying with the audience’s emotions. The saddest death was that of a staple character, Leo McGarry, who was killed off in the final season because the actor passed away. Leo was everyone’s grouchy yet endearing older relative, and the way he cares about his coworkers made him even more lovable.

Chak (Guardians of the Flame: The Silver Crown): Now most of you have probably never heard of this book series, so let me explain. A group of college students are playing a tabletop RPG similar to D&D and they get transported into the game world which turns out to have a huge slave trade which the students vow to dismantle. One of the first slaves freed by the group is a man named Chak. He was a wisecracking swordsman who becomes a key member of the team until his untimely death in the third book of the series. Chak gave himself in a heroic act of self sacrifice to save his friends. Chak easily has the most entertaining characteristics, and his enduring sense of humor made him lovable. His death hit me so hard that I stopped reading the series after I finished the book.

While there are dozens of other deaths I’m still grieving, I’m pretty sure I’m not emotionally capable of listing all of them, so if there are any you think I should have included, let me know in the comments!

Editor: Claire Jenkins

Underseen and Underrated Films, Volume Two

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By Leo Milmet, The Bird on Fire Resident Film Critic

 

I had several other ideas for my previous post “Underseen and Underrated Films,” from various decades, so I retroactively (after submitting it to my editor) titled that post “Volume One” and this “Volume Two.”  This time, however, the decade in which a film is released means nothing. These are simply some extra films that I love just as much as the others that were left out in order to follow my original rule of “one per decade.” Hope you enjoy.–Leo

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (dir. Robert Wiene, 1920): A beautiful, German, monster-horror-silent film that exudes pure artistry and pure terror at the same time. A fascinating and expressionistic masterpiece.         

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (dir. Frank Capra, 1939): An all-time American classic about a  layman who is chosen to become part of the Senate.

The Third Man (dir. Carol Reed, 1949): A masterful noir thriller. Joseph Cotten stars as Holly Martins, a pulp author who goes to visit his old friend Harry Lime in postwar Vienna, only to realize Harry is dead. Obsessed with understanding the circumstances surrounding Harry’s passing, he is led into a confusing web of contradicting stories about the victim.

The Night of the Hunter (dir. Charles Laughton, 1955): Despite initial failure, this ingeniously directed, incredibly suspenseful thrill ride is one of my favorite films of all time. Robert Mitchum stars as Reverend Harry Powell, a murderous and fanatical priest in prison for car theft when he meets a man who admits he has stolen and hidden $10,000. How far will Powell go to get his hands on the loot?

A Man Escaped (dir. Robert Bresson, 1956): A brilliant exercise in sound editing and mixing. The simple (but wonderfully executed) plot concerns the escape of a prisoner of war in World War II.

Network (dir. Sidney Lumet, 1976): A poignant political satire of insane proportions. Featuring Peter Finch in one of the greatest performances of all time.

Blue Velvet (dir. David Lynch, 1986): A twisted psychological thriller about a happy little suburban town and its deep, dark underbelly.

Clerks (dir. Kevin Smith, 1994): This low-budget, black-and-white comedy depicts the type of people who’d nonchalantly ring you up at a convenience store and then feel entitled to mock you just after you leave. Clerks is one of the best of its type because while it cracks its sometimes-funny and always overly sophomoric jokes, it entices you to latch on to its realistic, relatable and (surprisingly) intelligently drawn characters in a way that few comedies of its type can accomplish. Personally, I don’t watch this movie just to laugh, and that might be the biggest compliment I can give it.

Dark City (dir. Alex Proyas, 1998): This fascinating story, a visionary blending of science fiction and film-noir, is executed with beautifully bleak cinematography and production design. If you like film-noir or science fiction, this is an absolute must-see, even according to Roger Ebert, who named it his #1 film of 1998. Also, if you’ve never heard of this film, don’t look it up, just sit back and watch it one day, as the risk of spoiling one of the film’s many wonderful twists and turns is too high.

My Friend Dahmer (dir. Marc Meyers, 2017): This “horrifying coming-of-age story”  (the words of the director, Marc Meyers) concerning the teenage life of the infamous real-life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is one of my absolute favorite films of last year. Its well-written script is brilliantly executed, managing to be at once chilling, hilarious, and emotional without ever missing a beat.

Editor: Claire Jenkins

OSCARS 2018: PREDICTIONS, PICKS, etc.

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 By Leo Milmet, Resident Film Critic and Academy Awards Guru

Yay! That one weekend where everyone suddenly becomes a huge film buff like me is almost upon us! The Oscars are coming up this weekend!

Here is my list of predictions, wishes, and personal picks.

The following list will be divided into the Oscar nomination categories. I will write “Will Win,” “Should Win,” and “My Picks” next to the contenders:

*“Will Win” = the film/person that is likely to win the award;

*“Should Win” = who deserves to win;

*“My Picks” = my personal picks for that category.

 

BEST PICTURE:

Will Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Should Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

My Pick: The Big Sick

 

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Will Win: Gary Oldman–The Darkest Hour

Should Win: Gary Oldman–Darkest Hour

My Pick: Gary Oldman

 

BEST ACTRESS:

Will Win: Frances McDormand–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Should Win: Saoirse Ronan–Lady Bird

My Pick: Saoirse Ronan

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Will Win: Sam Rockwell–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Should Win: Sam Rockwell–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

My Pick: Sam Rockwell–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Will Win: Allison Janney–I, Tonya

Should Win: Allison Janney–I, Tonya

My Pick: Allison Janney

 

BEST DIRECTOR:

Will Win: Guillermo del Toro–The Shape of Water

Should Win: Greta Gerwig–Lady Bird

My Pick: Martin McDonagh–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

 

BEST ANIMATED FILM:

Will Win: Coco

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:

Will Win: Faces Places

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

Will Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Should Win: The Big Sick–Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani

My Pick: The Big Sick

 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

Will Win: Call Me By Your Name–James Ivory

Should Win: The Disaster Artist–Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber

My Pick: My Friend Dahmer – Marc Meyers

 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Will Win: Blade Runner 2049–Roger Deakins

Should Win: Blade Runner 2049–Roger Deakins

My Pick: Blade Runner 2049–Roger Deakins

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:

Will Win: Phantom Thread–Mark Bridges

Should Win: Phantom Thread–Mark Bridges

My Pick: Baby Driver–Courtney Hoffman

 

BEST FILM EDITING:

Will Win: Baby Driver–Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos

Should Win: Baby Driver–Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos

My Pick: Baby Driver

 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

Will Win: A Fantastic Woman

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT:

Will Win: Edith + Eddie

 

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING:

Will Win: Darkest Hour–David Malinowski, Kazuhiro Tsuji, Lucy Sibbick

Should Win: Darkest Hour–David Malinowski, Kazuhiro Tsuji, Lucy Sibbick

My Pick: Darkest Hour

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:

Will Win: The Shape of Water–Alexandre Desplat

Should Win: Phantom Thread–Jonny Greenwood

My Pick: Darkest Hour–Dario Marianelli

 

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

Will Win: The Shape of Water–Production Design: Paul Denham Austerberry; Set

Decoration: Shane Vieau and Jeffrey A. Melvin

Should Win: Blade Runner 2049–Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration:

Alessandra Querzola

My Pick: The Shape of Water

 

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:

Will Win: Blade Runner 2049–John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd

Nefzer

Should Win: Blade Runner 2049

My Pick: Blade Runner 2049

 

SOUND EDITING:

Will Win: Dunkirk–Alex Gibson, Richard King

Should Win: Baby Driver–Julian Slater

My Pick: Baby Driver

 

SOUND MIXING:

Will Win: Baby Driver–Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin

Should Win: Baby Driver – Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagi

My Pick: Baby Driver

 

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT:

Will Win: DeKalb Elementary

Should Win: DeKalb Elementary

 

BEST ANIMATED SHORT:

Will Win: Lou

Should Win: Lou

 

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:

Will Win: “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman–Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

 

Editor: Renée Vazquez

Fusion Music: Fusic

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By Peter Kadel, Burgeoning Music Editor

America has historically been a place where cultures mix and blend to create new types of food, dance, literature, art, and music–a giant mixing bowl where people can embrace and experience other cultures. The blending of cultures is what will bring us closer together as a nation. One example of this culture-blend occurs in Fusion or Alternative Music. Here are three examples of some awesome Fusion Music.

A Tribe Called Red (genre–Pow Wow EDM): These Canadian DJs combine the music of Pow Wow’s from various Indian nations with electronic dance music to make a less repetitive, soothing sound. The group frequently collaborates with other DJs and Native American musicians to create a diverse body of work. There are more electric songs like “Electric Pow Wow Drum,” “Indian City,” and “Stadium Pow Wow.” Others like “We are Halluci Nation” and “I Feel” take a political stance and force us to confront the decades of mistreatment of Native Americans. It can’t be denied that the U.S and the various indigenous nations have a troubled and violent history and this genre could be the beginning of a new era in which culture can mix and blend instead of adhering to strict separation under the guise of avoiding cultural appropriation.

Dropkick Murphys (Irish Rock AKA Celtic Punk): Now, I may be biased because this is one of my favorite bands and one of my favorite genres, so be aware of that. This genre combines two styles that sound great on their own. The rich acoustic sound and meaningful lyrics of traditional Irish song combined with the speed, energy, and emotion of rock and punk music creates a strong emotional music. While some rock and punk bands rely only on anger to fuel their music, bands like Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly (another Celtic punk band) speak to a broader range of human emotion. The sound of the genre itself, while not as unique as A Tribe Called Red, is distinct and entertaining. Celtic punk bands often gain popularity on Saint Patrick’s day when everyone is feeling a little extra Irish.

Native Howl (Thrash Grass): This pairing definitely seems like the strangest, least appealing mash up, but, as a lover of Bluegrass, I can say that a combination between Bluegrass and Thrash Metal is a fantastic union that is equally angry and folksy and all parts enjoyable. This genre is a good example of opposites attracting and playing off of each others’ strengths and covering their weaknesses. As Bluegrass relies heavily on acoustics and lyrics it can sound repetitive and all the songs can meld together. While metal has a fantastic energy and the songs are unique, the lyrics can often be lacking with similar phrases being used again and again. While Thrash Grass isn’t perfect, it is an entertaining fusion.

 

Editor: Brennan Nick