They were on the battlement looking out at the sea of fog that lay just a foot below them, so thick it looked like the edge of the world.
She was sitting in the embrasure, the tips of her feet brushing the clouds of opaque sea.
“Fog’s low tonight,” she said to him.
“Yes, it is.” His response was clipped and uncomfortable.
She kicked her leg up and folded it so she could rest her chin on her knee. “The stigma persists, even here.”
A light chuckle bubbled out of him. “Yes, you may be in a different Kingdom, but that doesn’t mean you’ve escaped the beliefs of Norinth. Don’t tell any of the bigots and loyalists this, but all of us, our kingdoms, they’re all derivatives of the same belief. They difference is in how we approach and enforce those beliefs.
“I am sorry if I seem uncomfortable around you. In my defense there aren’t many, well, really any women in this profession or anywhere near it, not to mention you are quite a case.”
A breeze blew through, ruffling the tops of the trees peeking through the fog.
“I could catch the stars,” she said, reaching toward the sky, “and still people wouldn’t believe in me.”
The moonlight reflected blue off her unusually short hair, and her hand seemed to glow.
“I’m sure they’ll believe you eventually.” He was staring at her, unsure of what she was, because she certainly wasn’t cut from the same cloth as any of the other soldiers.
Saturday night was the OVS Alumni basketball game, and, even to my surprise, I attended. I’m not much of a sports person, and this, in fact, was the first basketball game I have ever watched (aside from seeing Lamar Odom’s game scenes in the reality show “Khloé and Lamar” and from passing by my living room while my dad has a basketball game on.)
I have many questions. Do the players ever get scared of going for the basketball? I mean, it could hit you, or just give you calluses on your hands. Also, the players run into each other a lot. If it were me, I’d stay far away from the pack of players, which, obviously, is counterintuitive and pointless – maybe this is why I don’t play contact sports. Also, do some players foul each other just so they can go back to the bench? I’m pretty sure I saw that happen once, and that’s definitely what I would do. But, after watching the game tonight, I have a great deal of respect for the student and alumni players. They have a lot of athletic talent and the ability to run for 40 minutes – two things I do not possess.
There’s a lot of controversy surrounding whether Electronic sports, or E-sports, as it’s called, should be considered a sport. Competitive video gaming has seen immense growth in the past 10 years, as technology has allowed companies to make better and more immersive games.
The platform for E-Sports has grown like crazy – E-sports events have more viewers than the NBA Finals, and the numbers are closing in on the famous NFL Super Bowl. In 2011, E-Sports and game streaming start-ups alone have raised up to 714 million USD. During the Starcraft finals back in 2011, the viewership was stunning as it had up to 3.5 million people watching around the globe. Since then, the viewership of E-Sports has risen more than 300% to a stunning 11.7 million people watching the recent Pro Circuit Championship in 2012. The prize pool for these events can go up to the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Some parents who once discouraged their kids from playing video games now see the potential they have for earning higher salaries than professional athletes by playing video games as their job.
So, is gaming a real sport? I think so. It requires strategy and critical thinking, and also a lot of stamina, just like sports. E-Sports athletes often retire by the age of 30-35. It’s demanding. For those of you who disagree, I would like to formally welcome you to the digital age.
On Sunday, February 5, 2017, many amazing things happened. There was the first overtime in Super Bowl history, in the last quarter of the game the Patriots came back from a 25-point difference, and Tom Brady was awarded his fourth MVP award. This year I was a lot more in tune with what was happening on the field, but I did stick to my roots as an avid commercial watcher. This year, there were many advertisements that caught my eye.
Featuring the faces of many and the simple message that “we all belong,” Airbnb’s #weaccept commercial took my breath away. Along with spending a bucketload of money on this commercial, Airbnb is donating $4 million to the International Rescue Committee, providing for over 100,000 people in need, like refugees, for the next five years. Airbnb’s efforts are a beam of light during a time when many people’s rights have been challenged.
Another commercial that stood out was Coca Cola’s #AmericaIsBeautiful. This minute-long commercial features people singing “Amazing Grace” in over five different languages. Interestingly enough, this commercial isn’t new – in fact, it was Coca Cola’s commercial in 2014 as well. However, the beauty of this commercial is only amplified by its meaning. I think the coming together of many different people is what makes America great, and that we, as a country, should embrace those differences.
This year, I was especially excited for the Budweiser commercial, especially because of the amazing #LostPuppy commercial back in 2015. In their 29th year of Super Bowl advertising, Budweiser featured the story of one of their founders, Adolphus Busch, coming all the way from Germany to make this famous beer. This was among the many commercials to tell stories of immigration and generally embracing different cultures. The commercial shows the rough conditions that entrepreneurs had to go through to make their dreams come true – a success story that I find truly inspiring.
Unfortunately, there was one commercial that got cut short: 84 Lumber’s story about the journey of a Spanish-speaking mother and daughter. After being hotly debated, Fox decided to cut off the end of the commercial, which shows the family encountering a wall, as it was “too controversial.” Since Fox has the right to deny any advertisements they choose, the private lumber company showcased a revised version of the commercial, and prompted viewers to watch the full version on their website.
Most articles that have come out about the Super Bowl commercials have described them as overly political. I understand how the commercials could be seen that way, but the messages of acceptance are ones that need to be spread. The leaders of our country can bring up these controversial issues, but companies and organizations can’t truly voice their opinions without being seen as controversial, as many people will fight back saying that these commercials are pushing a certain agenda. How are their agendas any different from ones being presented everywhere in politics?
Erasmus would never forget the first time he saw her. She was dressed like every other woman in court, wearing a bright color, white, a tight-fitted bodice and a loose skirt.
The white made the golden tones of her skin stand out, and her dark hair looked like liquid night. There was a layered gap where extensions had been added to adhere to court fashion. Her face was all sharp angles. Hunger and ice lived in her eyes. She was a waif, but her steps were steady.
No one knew yet why she was there. But once they learned, they wouldn’t look at her the same way.
She looked to everyone else like a visiting noble to be presented to the court, but she wasn’t.
It was in the subtle movements she made to catalogue the room – the way her hands never quite stopped moving.
Erasmus could tell she wasn’t a normal woman. She didn’t look like she was from this continent and he had never seen her before.
The room paid her no heed, there was no reason to, she wasn’t uncommonly pretty or striking, she had no particular air about her that asked the room to look at her, but Erasmus knew by the way the consul from Norinth was looking at her that she meant something more.
Paris Couture Spring/Summer 2017 Week is over – the runways have been taken down, venues dismantled, the models have jetted off, and photographers are off to their next job.
This fashion week featured sheer and embellished fabrics, top models, and dramatic venues. Dior balanced their collection with light and dark influences, Alexandre Vauthier focused on minis, and Maison Margiela served a fierce, ethereal collection. Social media’s favorite models, Gigi, Bella, and Kendall, all closed and opened shows during the day and partied at night.
But, what also comes with fashion week is the amazing street style. Celebrities, influences, bloggers, and rappers all popped from show to show wearing the season’s best trends and setting new ones. Here are my favorite runway and street looks of Paris Couture Week:
Today is Crazy Friday at my school. This week, the theme was Superhero Day – which meant we had to dress up as a hero. Today at breakfast, my friend asked me if minions were heroes. I started laughing, and said no. She said she asked because she wanted to wear a minion costume. However, after a few seconds I realized that minions are superheroes, because in the movie they saved the moon.
The definition of “hero” on Google is “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” When you think of it this way, Minions are heroes.
Many other things are heroes too – not only characters on the screen, but also heroes around me. For example, my friends save me everyday from my boring life, Jack the Cat saves me from being too stressed, and my family supports me and gives me love. I appreciate all the heroes out there, and I hope I am one too.
There are many online trends. Some are funny, like the Hollywood sign vandalism, while others are, frankly, destructive, like the popular “transformation” pictures.
Photo Credit: @transformationfeed
While scrolling through my phone, I came across an Instagram page called “@transformationfeed” which has nearly 1 million followers. The profile is filled with various before and after pictures. Some showed people growing older, more muscular, gaining weight, and, most popularly, becoming thinner. Each photo is flooded with comments about how inspiring these people are, how they wish they could look like him/her, or how they wish they could lose weight.
This page, and its many variants, are just another outlet for people to become obsessed with changing their physical appearance. Little girls/boys will see these photos and want to be older, because that’s the only way they’ll look attractive. Some will see the drastic weight loss and want to lose weight themselves. Obviously this desire will happen anyway, but pages like this just scream that changing ones appearance will make them “inspirational” or “lucky,” among other things.
Photo Credit: @transformationfeed
Of course, these stories are inspiring. And of course, I’m glad these people reached their goal weight, grew older, or fought cancer. However, I don’t like seeing pages that promote unrealistic expectations. These stories spark feelings of discontent, unease, and make those who can’t gain/lose weight feel even worse.
Now, it must sound like I’m complaining, but what if instead of posting before and afters, we just post afters. We just post pictures celebrating the current beauty of these individuals. We just have an account celebrating people of every size. “All bodies are good bodies,” says an article in FEMmagazine.
Based on the horribly juxtaposed 13 book children’s series, Lemony Snicket’s A series of Unfortunate Events is back on the screen.
After an adaptation starring the ever bold and physical comedian Jim Carey, there was something missing – a certain element of discomfort that made your skin crawl. Long-time and new fans alike are excited to see the whimsical and dark series come to life in ways the movie didn’t.
Thanks to Netflix, 13 years after the movie, fans left wanting more are treated yet again to the world of the Baudelaire Orphans.
Photo Credit: Flickering Myth
Netflix is a growing empire, what with its ever-increasing show and movie collection complete with the little red Netflix stamp in the corner. But none of its other series’ are nearly as daring as Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. Clocking in above The Crown as Netflix’s most expensive show to date, and aimed to appeal to every major viewing group, A Series of Unfortunate Events had to jump through all the hoops and stick the landing.
And stick the landing it has, masterfully translating a rich and vivid book series to the big screen.
With Daniel Handler (or better known to A Series of Unfortunate Events fans as none other than the Lemony Snicket) writing for the first two episodes detailing the first book, the show was off to a strong start.
The filming, dialogue and acting perfectly reflect the original material in ways that are often lost in book-to-screen translations. The actual visual and audio result is a style that is resonant with Wes Anderson’s later works like The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom and even Fantastic Mr. Fox, with vivid colors, sharp dialogue, specific score, and subtle etchings of humor in small, seemingly insignificant places that make all the difference.
Sticking pretty closely to the original books, the Netflix series has only upward to look. Having only covered four books of 13, and with the introduction of a secret organization only hinted at in the books, the show will undoubtedly grow in complexity and content as the series goes on.
Today I watched a movie called Fences with my English class. The movie is about an African-American family. The main characters are: an alcoholic, an old-fashioned father, a housewife, and their sons – one who wants to be a football player, and one who has a job related to music. The father is a stubborn character who wants his son to learn how to “survive” rather than play football.
This movie takes place after the segregation and discrimination against colored people was abolished, and when white and colored people became one nation. Time Changes by Rose Maxton tells us that the pain and the wounds in our hearts are healed as the time changes. Since tomorrow is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I feel the need to recognize this tragedy in our history. I am glad that in my generation I can go to school and socialize with colored people. Because there were many abolitionists who worked hard for us to be equal, I can live in this great generation.
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