Stage Manager…………………………………..Kara Dunkelberg
George Bailey/Freddie Filmore ……………..……Drew Bussey
Mary Hatch…………………………………………….Taylor Rister
Violet Bick………………………………………………..Olivia Fitts
Clara……………………………………….………….Lizz Moncure
Jo……………………………………………………………Mary Efrid
Rose Bailey/Mrs.Hatch………………………………Mary Helblig
Harry/Sam/Nick …………………………………..Bobby Morgan
Bert/Old Man Collins/Mr. Welch/Sherriff……….Michael Hals
Mr.Potter…………………………………………………Chris Kline
Gower/Uncle Billy/Bridge Keeper……………..Lane Broadwell
Tommy/Zuzu/Young Harry/Pete……………Maggie Moncure
Young George…………………………………David Dunkelberg
Young Violet/Janie/Sadie……………………..Marrissa Hutton
Young Mary/Ruth Bailey/Teller…………………..Anna Polson
Peter/Ernie/Dr. Campbell/Charlie/Ed …Garrick Scott
Matilda/Mrs. Thompson…………………….Alina Burlaw
Martini………………………………………………Chris Barnette

Aries (3/21-4/19):Try doing something new this month, it will work out in your favor. You will have many obstacles this month, keep control of your emotions and don’t let them take control.

 Taurus (4/20-5/20): You need to be cautious; you are beginning to become too confident. Look for the best in others and don’t be so suspicious of others.

Gemini (5/21-6/21): Many opportunities are coming your way! You will become a social butterfly this month but watch who you surround yourself with; someone might not be who you think they are.

Cancer (6/22-7/22): Follow your heart but don’t let rash decisions prevail. There will be problems in your life that you need to deal with boldly and quickly to keep your life in tact.

Leo (7/23-8/22): Make sure you keep up with your work ethic, all your hard work will pay off this month. You will accomplish whatever you set your mind to but remain humble!

Virgo (8/23-9/22): Keep your priorities straight, deal with any issues one by one without rushing. Stop worrying about others opinions, just be yourself.

Libra (9/23-10/22): Don’t spread yourself thin by trying to make everything work; things will turn out as they should.

Scorpio (10/23-11/21): Use your talents and watch those deadlines! Be patient, don’t expect quick results.

Sagittarius (11/22-12/21): Keep your goals high but do not set unrealistic goals. You will make new friends and you will find you have something in common with someone you least expect.

Capricorn (12/22-1/19): Stress will push you to your breaking point but do not let it overcome. Be confident in yourself and don’t let others put you down! Don’t miss any possible opportunities.

Aquarius (1/20-2/18): Expect small conflict in relationships with your friends and family. Have some faith and keep your friends close!

Pisces (2/19-3/20): Your emotions might overwhelm you at times but don’t lose yourself! Don’t take every offered opportunity, some may be mistakes.

Halloween is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would wear costumes to rid the roaming ghosts and spirits.  Winter and fall had been seasons associated with death, and the Celtics (otherwise known as the Irish) believed that on the night of October 31, ghosts of the dead returned to earth.  For the Celtics, the early fall and winter season caused their food supplies to run low, and to them, the season was a frightening time.  People began to believe that if they left their homes on Halloween, they would encounter ghosts and evil spirits.  They wore masks when they left their homes after dark to disguise themselves, hoping ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits and do them no harm.  This is where the tradition of dressing up in costume began.  The ancient Celtic people would also place bowls of food outside their home to please the ghosts, and prevent them from trying to enter their home.

In 1000 A.D, the church declared the day of October 31 “All Souls Day” and it was celebrated similarly to the way Samhain was.  All Souls Day later began being referred to as All-Hallows Eve, and then eventually, Halloween.  Halloween, however, did not begin to be widely celebrated inAmericauntil about the second half of the nineteenth century, when millions of Irish fleeingIreland’s potato famine of 1846 migrated there.  Americans soon began to dress up in costumes and go door-to-door asking for food or money.  This activity today is known as “trick-or-treating.”

Today, most of the superstition and religious overtones that were once associated with Halloween have dissipated, and dressing up and celebrating the holiday has become more of an activity that children, and even adults, do for fun.  Most view Halloween as a time to watch scary movies, indulge in candy, carve pumpkins with family, dress up in costume, or party with friends.

Tommy Conlon (Hardy) returns home from the Marines after 14 years away. When he gets home he asks his dad (Nick Nolte), a former boxer, to prepare him forSPARTA, a mixed martial arts competition. Tommy and his father have a strained relationship since the dad is a recovering alcoholic who deserted the family on his wife’s deathbed.  They are able to reconcile their relationship through Tommy’s training.

Tommy begins fighting and wins a lot of fans because of his nontraditional fighting style. To add to the emotional drama, during the course of Tommy’s rise the public finds out about a heroic incident involving his squad and that Tommy to honor a fallen Marine.

While all this is going on, director Gavin O’Connor, introduces the audience to Tommy’s brother Brendan (Edgerton), a former MMA fighter and now financially in debt teacher. Brendan decides the only way he can provide for his family is by re-entering the ring with his sights onSPARTA.

As you might have guessed, Brendan starts winning fight after fight, setting him on a path towards a battle between his undefeated brother. The two go head to head in a bloody and gut wrenching climax.

These two actors (Hardy and Edgerton) were astonishing throughout the film. They showed their tough exterior throughout the movie but also portrayed the sensitive sides that drove them to enterSPARTA. The fight scenes are intense but the emotional scenes leading up to the finale pack a punch as well.

The soundtrack is not what audiences might expect. O’Connor uses classical composers like Mozart and Beethoven not only as part of Brendan’s training but to add an exciting twist to an action movie.  When Brendan walks to the cage with Beethoven blaring, it is perfect.

This movie was suspenseful and overall a good movie. It was a little confusing at the beginning because of the different point of views (the two brothers and the dad) but after everything comes into play, the real action starts. This movie works by switching viewers loyalties between brothers, both of whom have good reasons for winning. During the movie, I kept changing who I was rooting for until the very end when I had truly gotten the sense of the character’s persona. I would highly recommend this movie but it is more appropriate for older and non-squeamish viewers due to its violence.
I rate this movie four out of five stars.

There’s this teacher that flirts with the guys in her class, or at the very least treats them differently than the girls. I know I’m not just being sensitive because several other students have noticed the same thing. It’s really aggravating and unfair, what should I do?

Sincerely,

Aggravated and Annoyed.

Dear Aggravated and Annoyed,

Your teacher needs to realize what she’s doing. Have you or your fellow classmates tried talking to her about it? If not, try to politely discuss your feelings with her. If the behavior continues afterwards, talk to a parent or administrator.

Dear Mama Eagle,

I feel really overwhelmed these last few weeks of school with exams and homework. They just seem to pile up until I can’t take it anymore. Is there anything I can do to avoid the stress?

Sincerely,

Stressed and Sassy

Dear Stressed and Sassy,

The best way to deal with the stress is to set up a schedule. Try studying in little increments or with a study group. Other than that, the only thing you can do is just not study and deal with the consequences. But at least there’s always next year if you fail!

Taurus – Your determined energy is usually a good thing, but this month it could get in the way of personal relationships. Stay in tune with other people’s feelings for once. Jerk.

Gemini – This month your curious nature may lead you to take up a new hobby. DO NOT do it. Whatever hobby it may be, the alignment of Jupiter’s moons hints that the uptake of anything new will result in your eventual death, whether it’s mountain climbing or underwater basket weaving.

Cancer – Expect the betrayal of a close confident this month. Cancer’s moody nature often leads it to overreact, and when you push someone too far they will exact their revenge. Don’t be surprised when everyone knows exactly what you did at the Christmas party.

Leo – As a Leo, your desire to shine is always prominent. However, when a friend achieves a major accomplishment let them have the lime light. Attention whore.

Virgo – Your compassionate nature always helps you see eye to eye with other people, which should come in handy this month when you have an opportunity to help out in your community. However, if you take this opportunity you’ll make other people feel bad for not being as saintly as you are.

Libra – This month your simple lifestyle will be placed in jeopardy when two relatives argue. They’ll both want you to take a side, but the rings of Saturn suggest that you should stay quiet and wait for the argument to blow over.

Scorpio – Your competitive nature gives you the desire to crush all rivals most months and the alignment of Mars will enhance your aggression this month. The best thing you can do is go for it! Show those losers who’s boss.

Sagittarius – The strong morals you strive to follow daily will be put under strain this month. Your temper will be tested, but don’t blow up! The moon’s craters this month shows that your reputation will be slandered and you’ll lose many friends.

Capricorn – Your ambitious behaviors will be rewarded this month when a teacher or boss praises your work. You might be tempted to let yourself slack off a while, but don’t give in or else you’ll lose everything.

Aquarius – This month your desire to be different will get you into a bit of trouble when you stand up for your beliefs. They’ll try to oppress you, but stay strong! You’re probably right anyway.

Pisces – Your abundance of energy will come in handy this month when you clash with authority. The best thing to do is to run away and pretend it never happened.

For her wedding Kate wore a custom-made Alexander McQueen gown with handmade lace.  The dress covered her arms and shoulders, following tradition.

“I thought she looked gorgeous,” sophomore Morgan Shealy said.  “It was so modern.”  The dress was the perfect mixture of modern and traditional. 

“I just thought it was perfect for her.  By itself it doesn’t seem too extravagant but on her it made her look like the perfect princess,” said Mary Efird, a sophomore.

Another beautiful dress worn by a member of the wedding party was Kate’s younger sister and Maid of Honor, Pippa Middleton.  Pippa also wore a custom made Alexander McQueen gown of white.

“Supposedly it’s tradition for the maid of honor to wear white, but it was almost kind of distracting. I would have preferred her to wear something else,” Efird says. 

Outside of the wedding, famous guests piled in to take part in one of the biggest moments of the decade.  Some looked svelte and fabulous, while others did not.

“Victoria Beckham looked amazing.  Her hair looked great.  She looked so modern and edgy, and definently stood out,” Efird said.

However some guests did not put on their Sunday-bests and showed up in “fascinators” (hats) that really were “confusers.”

“I didn’t understand Princess Beatrice’s hat. It was like a Christmas wreath on steroids,” Efird said of the Princess’ hat designed by Phillip Treacy, who also designs hats for Lady Gaga (remember that white wreath at the VMA’s anyone?)

There has been a sort of fascination with the royal wedding for some. 

“We don’t have royalty.  Our princesses are the ones from Disney.  Seeing the actually thing is exciting.  It’s like a fantasy,” Efird added.

Prince William and Duchess Catherine are currently spending their honeymoon on the island of Seychelles.