I would say that the best thing about Christmas is all of those beloved Christmas songs you hear every second on every single radio station. But on Thursday, December 11th, the three choirs (Concert Chorus, VOX and Chorale) of HHS made those Christmas songs go from tiresome to delightful once again.

Being a member of concert chorus, I can personally say that the best word for the process of becoming performance ready is this: chaos! We had very little time to prepare and our Chorus director, Mr. John Schnelle, is still a noobie learning the ropes here at HHS.

But despite these setbacks, the concert was amazing.

The evening started off with the tradition of VOX singing “Carol of the Bells,” which always sounds beautiful. Chorale sang alongside Concert Chorus’s traditional Christmas songs such as “Sleigh Ride,” “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “Silver Bells” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” Though there were some minor mistakes in “Silver Bells,”,they did not distract from the overall joyous sounds of the carols. As Mr. Schnelle says, “Make lots of mistakes, I’d rather have you make lots of confident mistakes than no sound at all.”

Then VOX stepped away from conventional Christmas songs and sang “A Ceremony of Carols.” This exquisite collection of poems portrays the birth of Jesus. The mood of the carols vary, ranging from the lightheartedness of Mary holding Jesus in her arms to the coldness of God fighting against the dark forces of Satan. The finale ends the way it began, with an overall sense of joyful closure. VOX was able to depict all of these emotions perfectly; fantastic job ladies!

The concert ended with a sing-a-long of “Joy To The World” and “Silent Night.” All members of the audience were encouraged to sing along and sure enough, the performers were not the only ones singing. The tradition of asking the alumni to join the choruses on stage once again added to the spirit of the sing-a-long. As for the grand finale, for the first time in HHS, the tradition of the choruses singing the “Hallelujah Chorus” had a twist. The HHS chamber wind band accompanied the choirs for an extraordinary blend of music. It really gave the powerful sound the “Hallelujah Chorus” demands.

An awesome job all around to everyone in the music department, I can’t wait to attend the band concert — hopefully now, people won’t be moaning about Christmas coming around the corner.

UPDATE: We now have the program from the concert. Click here to see it: HHS Winter Choral Concert.

She’s straightened her hair, she’s moved to Manhattan and she’s released a pop album.  Taylor Swift has changed a lot in the past few years and nothing reflects this more than her new album, 1989.

For many years we have known Taylor as the sweet, emotional, country girl whose album covers featured her flowing curls and innocent face. Much like the girl, the music on those albums was also sweet, emotional and country.  The songs had many singer/songwriter melodies with a banjo, and truck references thrown in to emphasize the whole country aspect of her albums. However, after the first record, each became increasingly more pop. Her penultimate album, Red, stretched so far into pop territory that it featured mellow dub-step influences.  Yet, it was still performed at country music award shows and followed by Luke Bryan songs on various radio stations.  Now, eight years since Taylor took over the radio and earned the worship of millions of girls, she has made the bold move to completely abandon any country ties with 1989.

The album is entitled 1989 for two reasons.  The first being that it was the year its creator was born.  Second, the music is said to be inspired by a various ’80s icons, such as David Bowie and Madonna. In fact,the album cover was made to emulate one of Bowie’s.  To the majority of her listeners that were born in the ’90s, the music sounds like the indie style pop music of today.  Songs like Out of The Woods  and Wish You Would sound remarkably similar to current pop band The Bleachers.  Also, songs like Bad Blood clearly are influenced by Taylor’s good friend Lorde. But her ability to combine these influences with her own personal voice makes these songs unique.

1989 differs not only in style, but subject matter as well.  Swift is well-known for her songs about relationships that spur fans to sing their hearts out after a successful first date or a devastating last date.  These songs have been criticized as melodramatic, far too emotional and immature.  Perhaps as a demonstration as her developed maturity, Taylor strays away from this subject.  There are still several love-sick songs, but they are much less “why me”  and more “this is the way it is.”  This is shown through the lyrics in Blank Space: “So it’s gonna be forever, or we’re gonna go down in flames. You can tell me when it’s over, if the  high was worth the pain.”  She also explores more themes of self development and the excitements that her new life offers.  The songs reflect a far more independent and, I think, better role model than before.

There is one feature of 1989 that strongly relates to her previous albums.  All of them provide a clear picture of their lyricist.  Taylor writes as though she is within the privacy of her own diary  and, because of that, she has never lost the deeply personal voice that touches millions. I can’t wait to hear what else that voice has to say.

Check out her latest video.

Sixteen-year-old Lydia Lee appears to have it all. She spends hours on the phone each evening, talking to friends. She dives into advanced science classes in the hopes of one day becoming a doctor. She’s polite to her parents, agreeing to their every request without so much as a grumble or complaint.

But, as her family is soon to find out, picture-perfect Lydia is only an illusion. When she goes missing and is found dead, drowned in a local lake, her family struggles to understand what happened. They eventually realize that everything they thought they knew about Lydia was wrong.

In Everything I Never Told You, author Celeste Ng explores what it’s like to be a minority. Lydia’s father was the only Chinese-American student in all of his schools growing up. Her white mother was the sole woman pursuing a medical degree in a time most people thought women went to college only to catch a husband. Their biracial marriage in the 1950s was rare, and in some states, illegal. In the town where Lydia grew up in the 1970s, there is no one outside of her family who looks like her. In all of their experiences, being the minority meant facing taunts, isolation and limited opportunities.

Those limited opportunities haunted Lydia’s parents, who transferred all of their hopes and dreams onto her. Lydia struggled under the weight of their expectations, creating a public face that masked her unhappiness and insecurity. While readers are shown what is going through each character’s mind — during the current investigation into Lydia’s death and in the decades before — it is clear that the family members never shared their experiences and feelings with one another. If they had, maybe they could have helped one another. Or maybe they would have been further weighed down with guilt and shame. We’ll never know. And while readers learn what Lydia was thinking the night she died, her parents and siblings never do. They are left with countless questions that they will never be able to answer.

This is not a happy book, but it is an interesting one. Reading about the experiences of Lydia and her family through their eyes brought home the challenges faced by anyone who feels isolated or unaccepted because of their race, religion or sexual orientation. Some of us will never experience this firsthand. Books like this help us better understand what others may be going through.

Another plus is that the book is written like a mystery, with the opening line telling us “Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.” Pieces of the puzzle are slowly revealed as the author alternates between present time and the past.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes realistic fiction about families or mysteries that aren’t necessarily about detectives and crimes. Fans of Ellen Hopkins’ books may also like this. Even though it is not written in verse, it is the same kind of story of dysfunctional families and survivors of tragedy that Hopkins often writes about.

As the cold weather approaches, I know I find myself anywhere but outside when it comes to staying warm! Don’t get me wrong, I love the winter, but without the beach, the pool, or even the backyard to chill out, I grow bored with my surroundings. Where does one go for excitement during such a cold season?!

Might I suggest . . .  Patriot Cinemas?

For you fellow students who may not know of Patriot Cinemas, it is the Hanover movie theater! I don’t know about you, but I sure remember going to the movies all the time back in middle school. Why not pay them another visit this holiday season? Sometimes it does get a bit cold in the theaters, but throw on a fleece jacket with some fuzzy socks and boots and you’ll be good to go!

Located right behind the Hanover mall at 1775 Washington Street, the theater has all of your ‘need-to-see’ movies for this season. Currently showing “Horrible Bosses 2,” “Penguins of Madagascar” (showing in both 3D and 2D based upon your preference), “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1,” “Dumb and Dumber to” (no, that is not a misspelling of “two”), “Big Hero 6,” and so many other great options! Check out the rest of the shows online at patriotcinemas.com. You can check out the shows coming soon, or you can even buy your tickets right from the website. If only you could buy the popcorn and snacks online too!

Did I mention the beyond affordable cost for the movie tickets???

Adults– $9.50
Children under 12 – $6.50
Seniors (65 & over) – $6.50
Daily Bargain Matinees until 6:00pm– All Seats $6.50
SUPER TUESDAYS !! All Seats for All Shows – $5.00
(3D Movies – $2.50 Premium Fee for all Admissions)

Close your eyes and imagine the smell of buttery popcorn, the sweet flavor of the cherry ice slushies, the delectable taste of cheesy nachos, and the anticipation of the movie you’re about to view. Sounds good to me! Looks like I’m going to be seeing a movie this upcoming Tuesday! How could I skip out on a $5 movie ticket!?!? Now all I need is somebody to go with . . . any takers?

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.