Warning: Contains spoilers if you have not yet seen Mockingjay or read the books.

In the eyes of many, the third installment of The Hunger Games did not disappoint. Theaters everywhere hosted 8 pm, 10 pm and midnight premieres which fans attended, both dressed up as characters and clad in pajamas per usual. For myself, I sported a t-shirt with the widely known symbol of the mockingjay glistening in gold, surrounded by flames. According to online sources, including insidemovies.com, Mockingjay conquered the weekend’s ticket sales, and may possibly be the biggest opening of the year. While being compared to previous films as not grossing enough money in its opening weekend, the film itself was as spectacular as the original Hunger Games and its sequel, Catching Fire.

Mockingjay is emotion-evoking not only because  of the context and plot that dedicated fans will already know (a rebellion against the tyrannical Capitol), but with Katniss’ pleas for peace, humanity, and justice for her fellow victor, Peeta, who was left behind when she was rescued from the Quarter Quell. Even non-readers of the book can have their heartstrings pulled during the powerful District 8 scene, when Katniss visits a hospital of wounded only to see it bombed moments later by Capitol forces. The moment is empowering to Katniss, making it clear to her that she is the one who needs to bring justice to the people, and, more importantly, that she is capable of doing so.

We see a wide variety of both new and old characters in the film, including President Coin, the leader of District 13, who was reluctant to belief Katniss could lead the rebellion, but did not come across as resistant and suspicious as she did in the book. Gale, who was celebrated as a hero for rescuing many people before District 12 was destroyed, was eager to join the fight but still stood in support of a sometimes fragile, traumatized Katniss. A battered Peeta, whose scars from the Capitol’s torture grew worse as the movie went on, was a crushing sight for many fans.

Colleen Dowd, an HHS student in attendance at the Patriot Cinemas 8 pm premiere, has never read the third book of the series but is a “huge fan of the character Finnick.” Devastated that the woman he loves is being held by the Capitol after his escape, Finnick struggles to hold himself together and then delivers a crushing blow to the evil President Snow. (spoiler alert: Mockingjay Part 2 is not going to leave Colleen very happy)

During the highly emotional scenes, it was hard not to hear the intake of breaths from many fans and viewers in the theater. Junior Annika Rowland, a fan of the series and a bibliophile says, “I thought Mockingjay was great, except there was not much action compared to the last two films, in my opinion. I’m looking forward to seeing the second part of Mockingjay.”

Mockingjay followed the recent trend of splitting the final, highly anticipated last film adaptation in a book series into two, such as Harry Potter and Twilight. Viewers are in store for a lot of tears, and a lot of action, when the final installment of the movie premieres next November.

Music is one of the most important things ever, without a doubt. Think about a world without music. It would be completely different from the one we live in today. It would be even more dreadful to walk into work, school, or anything you dislike without absolutely bumping to “Don’t Stop Believing” in the car beforehand.

What’s odd about the concept of music is, why do we like it? (“Duh Eric, ’cause, like, it sounds good.”)(Ok, voice in my head, shut up! It’s bigger than that)  Different  people are attracted to different types of music; that’s well known. What I’m curious about is why do we enjoy, say, the sounds of music but not a lecture? Why do we enjoy having our ears bombarded by varying frequencies of sound?

What I’ve found is quite interesting. Music can make us feel different emotions (“Lol of course it does.”)(I don’t need this right now, voice. Cool it.) A sad song will bring up memories associated with sadness and the feeling is not necessarily due to the lyrics of the song. We recall a certain emotion when we listen to various genres. Generally, happy emotions are applied with pop or upbeat music while sadness could be in blues or easy listening.  There’s even science behind it. When we listen to good music, the limbic and the paralimbic areas of the brain stimulate the euphoric responses. The same effect is felt when we eat good food or uhhhh….how do I put it….when a boy and a girl wrestle.

I asked some teachers  which emotions they attached to certain songs. Mr. Perry associates Shiny Happy People by REM with the carefree days of college. Mrs. Lisa Green attaches  sadness to the song Tears In Heaven by Eric Clapton and, trust me, that song, which Clapton wrote after the death of his young son, makes you feel many things. Mr. Brown’s heart of cold-tempered steel is melted by the Happy Birthday song, which surprised me greatly considering I believed the only things that made Mr. Brown feel were the hymns of the battlefield.

Students I spoke to said music may pump them up before a game (for me, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen has this effect). Others feel inspired, like Sophie Morril when she listens to Ave Maria.  Greta Barry and Maggie Fuller feel sad when listening to Forever and Always by Taylor Swift. “But only the piano version,” they said. Tyler Anderson feels “trippy” when listening to Laplux’s Without You.

“I wouldn’t be as happy without music,” one student told me. “It would be as if a whole part of my life would be ripped out.”

Music gives us a safe and responsible escape from the world, and we all need it to function no matter who we are.

The holidays are not only a time of making Christmas lists and unwrapping stacks of presents, but also a time of giving. Presents should be more than just something you pick up at the store last minute, they should make the recipient know you were thinking of them and wanted to give something they would truly appreciate. This of course is easier said than done, especially when the majority of us high schoolers are living off minimum wage. But fear not, dear reader, this guide will provide you with gift ideas guaranteed to please, but not break the bank.

Mom:
Despite their unwavering generosity at Christmastime and Hanukkah, mothers do not usually expect a lot in return. All they really want is to feel appreciated and loved by the children for whom the do so much. When it comes to buying your mom a gift, the worst route you can take is the generic bottle of floral scented lotion found at the nearest Walmart store. Instead, try to match you gift to one of your mom’s interests. It doesn’t have to be something crazy extravagant or meaningful, just show her you took the time to think about what she likes. Some examples of gift ideas are the newest CD produced by her favorite singer, a candle in the scent she likes best, or a framed quote that means something to her.

Dad:
When it comes to dads, I have one word for you: STARBUCKS. If there’s one thing my dad will love anytime of the year, it’s coffee. A gift card to his coffee joint of choice is usually a pretty sure bet, and even if it’s not the most exciting gift, it will definately be much appreciated. Dad’s not a coffee drinker? No problem! A safe fallback is always sports. I’ve never met a guy who doesn’t love some sport, whether it be football or baseball or golf. Some gift ideas in this domain are a jersey of his favorite player, cap for his favorite team, or subscription to magazines such as Sports Illustrated or Golf Digest.

Siblings:
To be quite honest, in my experience I have found that siblings (older and younger alike) are usually thrilled by some form of cash. I usually take the gift card route, that way they can choose whatever they want and will be guaranteed to love their purchases. For sisters, I would suggest money to stores such as American Eagle Outfitters, Bath and Body works, or Forever 21. Brothers are easier to please: Dick’s Sporting Goods, Chipotle, or GameStop gift cards will do the trick. Gas cards are a great gift idea to show appreciation the older siblings who drive you to school everyday!

Grandparents:
If your grandparents are anything like mine, you know the only thing they really want is to be surrounded by their family and know that their children and grandchildren are happy. Grandparents are not usually very materialistic, as they have pretty much seen it all and know there is more to life than possessions. The greatest gift you can give your grandma or grandpa is something handmade. Make a card setting aside a date you will take your grandmother out to lunch, or watch the Pats’ game with your grandfather. If you are the crafty type, wrap up a scarf you knit, or an art project you worked hard on at school, or simply paint a frame and put a picture of you and your grandparents in it.

Best Friends:
You probably know your best friends better than anyone else in the world, so any advice here is open to interpretation. A good idea for a group of girlfriends is anything that matches: rings, necklaces, etc. One summer my friends and I all got matching bracelets and it still reminds me of those fun days at the beach. Another suggestion is to give a gift card of a place your friend group frequents such as Panera or Dunkin Donuts. That way, next time you all go out you are basically footing everyone’s bill! If you and your friends are much more casual about the holidays, just make a batch of cookies and bring them to the lunch table the day before vacation. You’ll be the most popular one in the cafeteria!

Yankee Swap:
Yankee swaps are a hallmark of any New England Christmas, and whether it be friends, sports, or family, almost everyone will attend at least one. So here’s the million-dollar question: what is an inexpensive gift that everyone will be happy with? First of all, don’t make the gift too gender specific. A guy would be just about as happy with a Victoria’s Secret gift card as a girl would be with a lifetime supply of beef jerky. Instead, opt for something everyone has a common interest in such as technology (headphones, speakers, phone cases), food (dinner out at local restaurants), or movies (movie passes, DVDs of recent blockbusters).

Basically, this holiday season, try to put as much thought into the gifts you are giving loved ones as the time spent on your own wish list. But in the end, it’s not really about what is being given or received, it’s the people you spend the holiday with.

As the holiday season comes at us faster than reindeer jacked up on steroids and other controlled substances, I figured it was time to start naming off some of the movie classics and hidden gems of this jolly joyful season. Over the years I sadly have slacked off on my holiday viewership of anything  seasonally related, which makes me quite glum. Holiday movies bring spirit and a little life to our otherwise plain little town. There are the absolute classics like Rudolph, A Christmas Carol, and of course the family friendly, Die Hard. “Yippie Kai Yay mother fruitcake.” Such a classic line. There are also some lesser known films like Johnny Bravo Christmas and Christmas Oranges (that one sucks, don’t watch it).

So here’s Eric’s Totally Boss Christmas Movie list. Watch it or you’re as worthless as an elf who can’t make toys.

• Die Hard – This movie is the perfect embodiment of Christmas spirit, blasting away at terrorists on the day Christ was born with Bruce Willis kicking all sorts of eastern European butt. If that wouldn’t put a tear in ol’ Kevin Perry’s eye, I don’t know what would.
• Nightmare Before Christmas– More like “nightmare to animate,” amiright guyzz?? Ha ha ha. No, seriously, it’s a technical marvel and an incredible film as well. If you haven’t seen it, are you even human or?
• Johnny Bravo Christmas– I love Johnny Bravo because we have quite a lot in common. We’re both super ripped, like c’mon. We both have incredible hair, and we are both completely inept with speaking to females. But watching Johnny bumble through various locations is super entertaining and I suggest giving it a watch.
• Any South Park or Family Guy Christmas special- I don’t really need to explain why you should watch these. They’re inappropriate, brash, vulgar and amazing.
• Trading Spaces– Really this is just a good movie with a Christmas background but it has Eddie Murphy yelling at things and partying, and Dan Aykroyd worrying about money and stuff so that’s cool I think. (I’m weird, shut up!)
• Bad Santa– Billy Bob Thornton is a mall Santa who loves whiskey and keystones; let the comedy ensue.

Most of us probably know someone like Steven “Crash” Crashinsky: hates school, loves to party, considers himself a player. And in the spring of his senior year, Crash becomes a celebrity when he manages to stop a disturbed classmate from blowing up the school in a massacre styled on Columbine. His heroism sends his popularity skyrocketing (especially among the ladies) and lands him a lucrative book deal to tell his story. So during the last summer before going off to college, while he is determined to live it up with his friends, he begins to recount his story. Since he first met the school attacker, David Burnett, in elementary school, the story must start there.

Between chapters that detail Crash’s exploits that final summer, we learn how he met “Burn,” his sometimes friend/rival/enemy who earned the nickname after an explosive incident when they were young. We come to understand that Burn has been diagnosed bipolar, among other things. He is a certified genius, but also, at times, certifiably insane. We meet Roxanne, Burn’s older sister, who wields sarcasm like a weapon and delves into some dark places in her struggle to deal with her brother’s issues. And we learn about Crash’s own problems: struggles in school because of ADHD, emotional abuse from a father who thinks he’s lazy and worthless, and a reliance on weed and “redcups” to cope with stress. As Crash tells his story, we get a unique glimpse into the minds of teenagers who are learning disabled, dealing with mental illness, disaffected from their families and society, and distracted by the temptations of sex, drugs and alcohol.

Written in the irreverent voice of most modern teenagers, Crash and Burn is at times darkly funny, emotionally gripping and violently tense. The characters’ bluntness about their fondness for, um, blunts — and girls and parties — makes them realistic. The plot about the school attack is, unfortunately, not that hard to believe. And while Crash is the story’s hero and Burn its villain, neither fits their label quite so easily. I found myself shaking my head at Crash when he uses yet another girlfriend or lights another joint, but ready to defend him from his heartless father. Burn does terrible things leading up to the school attack, but I also understood the feelings of helplessness that led him to some of those actions.

The final showdown at the school is intense. As the narrator, Crash at one point tells readers that he’s getting to the good stuff: “If this was a movie, this would be the time to put on your 3-D glasses. Also, if you want to go to the bathroom or if you want a snack, get it now. I’ll wait.” He’s right that once you start that section of the story, you will want to read to the very end. Throughout the book, Crash teases of a secret that Burn whispered to him that ended the siege on the school. Finally, near the end, you learn the secret and, to me, it was devastating.

Crash and Burn is Michael Hassan’s first novel, and I highly recommend it. I know some readers will be turned off by the length of the book, just over 500 pages. Since the characters and story would greatly appeal to people who might normally not like to read, I do wish the author trimmed it down a little so those readers won’t be scared away. But I encourage you to give it a try. It is a riveting book — you’ll laugh and nod approval at some of Crash’s adventures; you’ll shake your head in sadness at other times. This is one of those books that draws you in and keeps a hold on you from the first page to the last.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We want your pictures too! Send them to hhsindian@hanoverstudents.org

First a preface:
When I suggest that students read a book by Ellen Hopkins, their first reaction is often “No way! That book is huge!” And yes, many of her fiction novels are very thick, topping 300 or even 600 pages. But when I flip through the books and show students that they are written in free verse instead of long paragraphs, they perk up. There may be as few as 20 words on a page. That, they feel they can handle. And while I never want anyone to choose a book because it’s short, I sell Ellen Hopkins’ books this way because too many students would miss out on her great stories if they never cracked one open.

Now on to the review:
Impulse is the story of Tony, Vanessa and Connor, three teenagers who for different, devestating reasons try to end their lives. After their suicide attempts, they are sent to a treatment facility where they are supposed to work through their issues with therapists and family members. As you might imagine, the path to healing is not an easy one. The teens struggle to deal with their troubled past, less-than-ideal present and their uncertain future. The book alternates between the three teens’ voices, revealing in agonizing bits and pieces the heartache, abuse and fear that led them to this point. Despite their different journeys, the teens find a connection with each other that gives them hope that their lives will be better.

Unfortunately not everyone gets a happy ending. The book, like all others written by Hopkins, deals with very sensitive issues such as sexual abuse, mental illness, drug use, and depression. Tony, Vanessa and Connor felt like real people, and I quickly became invested in their stories: their triumphs, missteps and especially their falls. While I know they are made-up characters, I also know that Hopkins has worked with at-risk youth and struggled through her daughter’s heroin abuse (which she writes about in Crank). Meaning, I feel that the author knows what she’s talking about. By reading Impulse, I gained a glimpse into the pressures and dangers that can plague teenagers – even the ones who seem to have everything going for them. These kinds of books also remind me that, whatever I’m dealing with, someone else may have it worse and I need to be sensitive to whatever challenges they may be facing. Those challenges are not always obvious from the outside.

I recommend this book and others by Ellen Hopkins for anyone who likes gritty realistic fiction, especially stories of young people who face and overcome trauma or hardship. Since it’s told in three voices, I sometimes had to flip back a page or two to remind myself which character was doing the talking. But even with that, the book was riveting and hard to put down. You’ll be impressed by how quickly you get through the 600 pages.

Another of Hopkins’ books that I have read is Burned, the story of Pattyn, a teenage girl whose parents’ religious fanaticism leads to physical and emotional abuse. When she begins to rebel against their rigid beliefs, she is banished from the family. Luckily, the aunt she is sent to live with does not share her parents’ values. For the first time in her life, Pattyn has the freedom and confidence to explore her world, discovering her likes and dislikes and falling in love. She sees possibilities beyond the submissive marriage and motherhood that her parents believe in. Her escape is short-lived, however, when she is called to return home; efforts to hold onto the new life she has made end badly.

While this book feels less realistic to me, because religious fanaticism isn’t something I encounter regularly, I still found the story interesting and moving. I rooted for Pattyn, and of course raged over her father’s abusive and demeaning treatment of the women in his life.

Hopkins continued Pattyn’s story in a book called Smoke and wrote a sequel to Impulse, titled Perfect. If they are even half as captivating as the originals, then I expect more nights staying up reading until 2 am.

I’m ashamed to say that I have trouble keeping up with the news.  I try to get it online, but am too easily distracted by the endless procrastination possibilities that the Internet offers.  I may be deeply interested in an article about ebola, but soon I see an advertisement for an article on Jennifer Lawrence and I immediately switch off of the important article.  Then I may try to watch on television, but I become quickly frustrated with the newscasters’ squabbling and the frequent commercials.  But now, once a week, I am able to catch up on the world’s pressing news and have the opportunity to watch unique stories that examine serious problems in our country, all while laughing more than I would at any other late night program.  HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver never fails to both inform and entertain.

There have been other shows like this; the Colbert Report, or Late Night with Bill Maher.  However, John Oliver’s program approaches news differently than its competitors.  Unlike the Colbert Report, Last Week Tonight is on premium television.  This means that it gets its funding from its viewers, and not its sponsors.  This means that John Oliver has the ability to say whatever he wants about any company if it is relevant to the news.  Let’s just say that the CEO of CocaCola was involved in a major scandal.  A station sponsored by CocaCola would most likely release a biased statement about the incident in order to retain their funding.  This is not an issue for news broadcasted on premium channels.  Another HBO series, Late Night with Bill Maher, has been very successful for a number of years.  However, in HBO’s neighborhood, Bill Maher may have been the hot shot, but John Oliver is the new kid on the block getting more than his share of respect.  This is not just because he is the shiny new host, but because he is bringing something new to the table.  Instead of wasting time on biased rants and discussions with (non-relevant) celebrities, Oliver calls attention to stories that much of mainstream media does not cover, even though they could be detrimental to the well-being of others in our world.

Much like any news station, Oliver discusses subjects that can make one  go into a melancholic, pessimistic stupor.  However when I watch these episodes, I am not depressed but elated.  While providing us factual information on subjects like nuclear weaponry, the death penalty, ISIS, and human rights violations, Oliver does the impossible: he shows us something that we can laugh at.  This takes away the pessimism of the news because seeing the foolishness of a situation makes it become less of a monster and more of a relatable problem.  For example,  John Oliver did a piece on Syria’s tyrannical leader, Assad.  Here, he explained that Assad was never really into politics.  His true dream was to become an optometrist.  In fact, Oliver said, Assad went to a university in England to realize this dream.  As Assad was overseas studying his optometry textbooks, his brother (in line to rule) had passed away.  His mother, wanting one of her sons to rule, had nearly forced Assad out of school and back to Syria.  To the world’s dismay, he then took his brother’s place.  After learning all of this, I felt that Assad no longer appeared as an unconquerable threat, but as a nerd who is afraid of his mother.  Of course, this man’s rule and treatment of his people is still to be feared, but we are reminded that this is all he is: a man.

This is the way news should be done.  We need to be educated on a wide variety of topics.  We need to make sure that the interests of the sponsors are not warping the story.  But most of all we need to be able to laugh at the things troubling our world.  If not, we internalize more fear and inhibit our ability to rationally deal with these issues.  By laughing, we can remain hopeful.  Last Week Tonight embodies this.

Check Out Oliver’s Interview With Stephen Hawking:

So Mrs. McHugh wanted me to write another article for the paper and I was all like, “idk,” but then senior savage Isaac Bickford gave me the idea to tell people all about the Homecoming dance in the lingo of the 1950s. I responded to Isaac’s idea with, “That’s the stupidest best idea I’ve ever heard….let’s do it!” So if you’re curious as to if I’ve finally gone off the deep end, I have not. So here’s Homecoming, ‘50s style.

Hey you! Yes you! Do you often find yourself on the weekend devoid of a sock hop to attend? Does your gang of high school hellhounds need a place to chill cold? Ever wanted to spend an evening with a fine young honey? If so, well, I’ve got the solution for you, daddy-o! This Saturday night come to the Homecoming shakedown.

Now before you enter, you gotta know that if you have any silly juice in your system, you’re gonna have to hit the road, ace. Don’t get salty with me if you get kicked and thrown in the paddy wagon since you wanted a little underage fun.

Now, the tickets cost thirty big ones, so if you’re a bit skinny on cash, it’s time to save up your jukebox money. The dance is open to all ages of people from big daddys to little mamas so don’t feel like you’re too old or too young to have a jig. There are plenty of reasons to attend the dance such as the chow being served. Puccini’s will be catering the hop and I must say their food never fails to razz my berries. Disc jockey extraordinaire Molly Minnehan will be itching and scratching the latest records from Elvis, Fats Domino, and, if you’re feeling frisky, Ritchie Valens. With six songs in total, the gym will be a real hoppin’ joint. Remember, only the heartthrobs and tootses of HHS can attend the dance so if someone else from some other town tries to snake in, tell them to make like an egg and beat it.

Hey fellas, once you and your cool cats groove on down to the dance floor, be sure to ask a young dame to vibe with you. Don’t be a kook about it; if you think that young lady scorching the dance floor is pretty, buck up, tie your shoes real tight, make sure your pompadour is groomed, and ask that dame to shake it. Ladies, don’t be a two-cent floosie, save a dance for a real hunk, not some creep.

The dance will last until 9:30, so after that you can hop in a hot rod and goose out of there and back to your parents for a safe responsible evening. Keep in mind kiddos, this is for fun for everyone so don’t be a stick in the mud and ruin it.

Yeah, I just wrote that. You just read that. I feel bad too. Goodnight.