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Review: Disney�s Newsies On Broadway

No Author — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:55:00 EST

This show takes place in 1899, New York City. It focuses on a group of teenage boys who earn their living by selling newspapers. Though they have never made much off of such a job, they are furious when the head of the newspaper decides to raise the price that they buy their papers for from 50 cents to 60 cents per 100 papers. To them, this is outrageous, as they have to sell even more papers just to make the same income. So, they decide to do something that has never been done before. They go on strike, demanding better wages and rights for �newsies� all over the city.

Movie Review: The Hunger Games

No Author — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:06:00 EST

As I�m sure all of you know by now, The Hunger Games hit theaters on March 23rd. But what you probably don�t know is that it was the third most successful movie opening of all time. In my opinion, it should have been the first! It is a given that any book turned into a movie means that the movie will put the book to shame. However, there have been some surprising exceptions throughout time like the Harry Potter series and, in my opinion, The Lord of the Rings. After attending the midnight premiere of The Hunger Games, I believe that it did do the book justice. But, like with any book turned movie, there were parts that I felt could have been changed and parts that I wish they decided not to cut out.

Opinion: Art Show Decision is Unjust

No Author — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:11:00 EST

Most art enthusiasts in Region 15 are familiar with the annual art show held at the high school. If you�ve been in the region since kindergarten, you�ve probably attended it at least five times in your lifetime, wandering through the endless maze of child masterpieces, large and small, in the gym. . .

Opinion: Dissenting from Popular Evolutionary Opinion

No Author — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:09:00 EST

Don�t panic! This article is not intended to jeopardize the secularity of Pomperaug High School, and I am not claiming to debunk all the premises made by Charles Darwin�s famous Theory of Evolution. Rather, the intent is to bring attention to the logical objections which many modern day scientists and philosophers have regarding naturalistic evolution (evolution as taught in your biology class). . .

Review: The Hunger Games Trilogy

No Author — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 12:48:00 EST

Every once in a while, a book comes out and quickly gathers a huge fan support within no time. This happened first with the Harry Potter series, and then again with Twilight. Well this phenomenon is back again with the trilogy known as The Hunger Games. The first book came out in September 2008, and since then has gained a wide fan base and two new books to complete the trilogy.

Review: The Woman in Black

No Author — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:13:00 EST

The audience is then brought into Arthur Kipps� desperate attempt at being able to financially support his son, Joseph, after the tragic death of his wife. Being a realtor, Kipps is assigned to try and sell the ominous house in the marsh as his last chance to save his family from poverty. Since he is so desperate to make ends meet, he ignores the warnings that the locals give him about the house and the woman that lived there. Little does he know that this woman was full of vengeance and never really left.

Opinion: Star Wars Shouldn�t Have Been Released in 3D

No Author — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:12:00 EST

Something has to be done about Star Wars in 3D. First off, it�s totally out of order. The original Star Wars, for those who don�t know (or read roman numerals, [really George Lucas, you made these movies in the 20^th century]), was episode four. The title was A New Hope, signifying the hope promised by the Skywalkers in the fight against the Empire. But unfortunately, the new 3D version of The Phantom Menace promises to bring no such hope. In going out of George Lucas�-sanctioned order, the filmmakers have ruined the long established, confusing chronology. A true fan won�t give this film the time of day until episode four is released (again.)

Opinion: NDAA Protects U.S. Safety

No Author — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:16:00 EST

The National Defense Authorization Act (s1867), aka the �indefinite detainment� bill, has recently received much undue criticism. The act allows for the detention of suspected terrorists on American soil for an indefinite period of time. It has come under heavy fire from liberal interest groups and leaders nationwide for its supposed violation of the Bill of Rights. . .

Opinion: NDAA Violates Rights

No Author — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:14:00 EST

Recently a bill has been approved in both houses of the congress and in the senate. This bill is called the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and is the military�s budget bill. However, this bill has created some controversy in the United States. . .

Opinion: Mixed Reaction to Occupy Wall Street Movement

No Author — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:05:00 EST

Hopefully you�ve heard of the recent Occupy Wall Street events. Beginning September 17th, a number of protesters began gathering in New York City to start the 99% movement. The �99%� refers to the significant difference in income between the wealthiest 1% of Americans and the rest of the country. Since its commencement, the movement has created a huge voice, not just in the United States but all around the world. Other countries have found events such as Occupy London and Occupy Athens popping up all around. Now that the event is starting to calm down due in part to the dropping temperature, all there is for me to do is look back and reflect on the pros and cons of the idea.

Deux Ex MaCHINA?

No Author — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:13:00 EST

Are European Leaders Looking to China to Help Alleviate Debt Woes?

The October 27th crisis summit brought Europe's powers together to create what was later deemed a �comprehensive package� to stabilize the Euro-Zone, but many are concerned that it will not be nearly enough. . .

Review: Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

No Author — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 16:49:00 EST

Who would have ever imagined watching Spiderman, not in 2-D, but real human form, fly throughout New York City with the greatest of ease? Not me! I went to New York City to see the musical Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark with my family a week or so ago. And let me tell you, a real Spider-Man beats the comic character a thousand to one.

J.K. Rowling Introduces Pottermore

No Author — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:24:00 EST

When J.K. Rowling announced that she would create a website that was an extension of her most popular series of books, Harry Potter fans from all over the world could hardly contain their excitement. Although Pottermore does not officially open to the public until late October, one million people were allowed to gain early access. I was included among this group of people. Our role is to test out the site and supply J.K. Rowling with feedback. She and the other poeple working on the site will take our suggestions and comments into consideration when she alters the website before opening it up to the public.

Opinion: Troy Davis Execution Was Unjust

No Author — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:59:00 EST

I have never been a fan of the death penalty. The whole idea about using murder to punish murder has never sat well with me. Therefore, when I first heard about the Troy Davis case, I was displeased. However, I was even more disturbed when I learned the details behind the case. In 1991, Troy Davis was convicted for murdering the police officer Mark MacPhail. On the day of his death, MacPhail was working as a security guard at a Burger King. However, while working he noticed a man being assaulted in a nearby parking lot. He intervened, but he was unfortunately shot and killed in the process. The shooter was supposedly Troy Davis. During the 1991 trial, seven witnesses testified that they had seen Davis shoot MacPhail. Two other witnesses confessed that Davis had admitted the killing to them. At first this seems like ample evidence to convict someone, but when you look deeper into the case, you begin to realize that it isn�t much evidence at all. The trial included no physical evidence against Davis. In addition, the prosecution did not produce any murder weapon, DNA evidence, or surveillance tapes. Later, several of the witnesses either recanted or significantly changed their stories. The two people who had said Davis confessed to the shooting later said that they had been lying. Therefore the whole case rested on a few, unreliable eyewitness accounts. Nonetheless, the 1991 trial concluded that Troy Davis was guilty, and he was sentenced to death.

Review: Unbroken

No Author — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:52:00 EST

A review of Demi Lovato's new CD, Unbroken:

Movie Review: Smurfs

No Author — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:54:00 EST

We all have heard of those little magical creatures called Smurfs. And this summer, Columbia Pictures has given our generation a taste of these itty bitty blue creatures. This PG movie was directed by Raja Gosnell, who is known for once directing The Fantastic Four. This story begins in the happy life in the Smurf Village. Their days are filled with singing, dancing, and merrymaking. But there is one person who can really frighten a young Smurfling: Gargamel. This man is a wizard, like Papa Smurf (voiced by Jonathan Winters), but unlike Papa Smurf, Gargamel is evil and has set out to take the Smurfs� magic and use it for his monstrous plans.

Opinion: Budget Cuts Shouldn�t Bar Students from High Level Classes

No Author — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 17:53:00 EST

The flood of upset juniors in the counseling office last Wednesday and Thursday reflected the ineffectiveness of the scheduling process in accommodating students� needs. A commonality was noticeable: many of them, myself included, were students that had enrolled in one or more AP classes but were in a position that would force them to either drop or change one of these classes in order to make their schedules work for next year. . . .

Review: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

No Author — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 17:49:00 EST

Rachel Didsbury reviews the recently revived 'How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying'.

The Debate About Tate

No Author — Wed, 25 May 2011 17:29:00 EST

James Tate of Shelton High School thought he was being creative when he taped cardboard letters to the side of the school asking Sonali Rodrigues to prom. But when school administrators saw the message, they forbid him from attending prom, saying that he had trespassed on school property and put himself in danger by climbing a ladder to post the message. The incident soon garnered national attention with the aid of media coverage and Facebook groups supporting James. After much pressure, the decision was reversed and James will now be allowed to attend prom. However, the incident has led to debate over whether what he did was right and how the school should have reacted. Two Phoenix writers discuss the issues in the following opinion pieces. �Rebecca Beilinson

Political Opinion: Parties are the Problem

No Author — Wed, 25 May 2011 21:46:00 EST

What is the ultimate flaw of civilizations, of governments, of organized societies in general? Some might say that it's corruption and a lack of general goodness in man. Others would suggest that it's due to other imperfections of the human mind and spirit. Most would likely propose that it's due to broad spectrum of mankind's negative traits and intentions. If one particular, decisive error in humans throughout history had to be identified as the dominant cause of death, destruction, and economic/societal failure, it would be indecisiveness itself.