Homer High School Olympian: September 2014

Monday, September 29, 2014

Tough Game Against Cortland

Alex Levitskiy

This past Thursday, the Homer boys Junior Varsity and Varsity team played against their rival, Cortland. The Junior Varsity boys were victorious, ending the game with a lead of 4-0. This was an important game for the Varsity team because if they won or tied the game, they would qualify for sectionals. Prior to the game, Coach Shiffman told the team to work hard. The stands were filling up more than ever before as the match began. Homer had a good play that ended up in us getting the first corner kick of the game. The ball was not being dominated by mostly one team; playing was occurring on both ends of the field. Justin Prentice, number eleven, of Cortland, had a breakthrough run, but Homer goalie, Hiland Bush, stopped the shot. It was fairly easy to see the level of intensity in the players. Later on in the half, Hiland Bush fed the ball to Mark Harris, who then played a great ball to the corner. Then Anthony Levitskiy outmaneuvered Cortland's defense, chipping the ball to Jas Singh who deflected the ball towards the goal only to have it stopped. Cortland then had three corner kicks in a row. Shortly after, number one of the Cortland team drew Homer’s goalie out of the goal, then gave the ball to number eleven who shot and scored on an open goal during the last few minutes of the first half. At half-time, Coach Shiffman told his team that “It was a good half.” His comment about the goal was that “It was an unlucky goal.” He told Homer to think that it was still 0-0 as they went on the field. Homer once again had the first corner of the second half, during which Anthony Levitskiy had a great header, almost scoring. Around ten minutes into the half, Cortland had a corner, and number sixteen of the Cortland team scored. The intensity picked up, with Marton Tozser and Nikolai Grihin getting good attempts at shooting. The half went on, and during the last few minutes Anthony Levitskiy, Jas Singh, and Brad Sovocool, made a great play but were not able to score. The final score was 0-2, with Cortland avenging their previous loss to Homer. Coach Shiffman commented that the team worked hard, and that we should have won. Homer still has a chance at getting into sectionals, which they hope to accomplish during this upcoming week’s games.

SADD's Game Night! This Friday, October 3rd!

Game Night!
This Friday, October 3rd!

Come to S.A.D.D.’s Game Night on October 3rd! The event takes place from 7 pm to 10 pm in the High School Cafeteria and all are welcome. Game Night is a guaranteed evening of fun with friends. Come play some video games with your pals, or partake in one of the many board games, including Scattergories. Enjoy refreshments, like nachos and cookies. When asked about the event, S.A.D.D.’s president, Stephen Hyde, said, “S.A.D.D. is happy to be hosting its tenth annual Game Night. We are planing a lot of fun and are expecting a lot of students to come and join us.” So plan a pleasant Friday night and attend S.A.D.D.’s Game Night, you won’t be disappointed!

Movie Review: The Maze Runner

Skyler Powers

The Maze Runner was released on September 19, 2014. It is based off of the young adult novel, of the same name, written by James Dashner. The movie follows the main character, Thomas, who is placed in the center of a maze along with many other boys. When a girl shows up the day after Thomas arrives, everything in the maze turns to chaos and the group finds themselves running to escape the maze and to stay alive.

Let me start off by saying that I really enjoyed this movie. It was quickly paced and you never really had any time to get bored with it. However, the story could have been slowed down, in my opinion, as it would have been more interesting for the mysteries and questions to gradually unravel and answer themselves. I have read the novel and I am pleased at how close the movie was to the book. That being said, it did have some major changes which I cannot say due to the fact that this review is spoiler-free. The acting in this film is good, but not anything Oscar-worthy. However, in one scene, the main actor, Dylan O’Brien, puts some real emotion into his performance, which was a pleasant surprise.

From a more technical perspective, the film has some great “chase scenes.” The camera shots of the runners in the maze are done well, and it really puts you on edge. The film has good scoring with the right music at every moment to set the mood. In the end, the movie becomes very intense, holding true to its source material. The movie has its fair share of plot twists which throw you off, but there could have been more if it weren’t for Thomas’s flashbacks. I personally think they gave away way too much, but in the end the movie still keeps you guessing.

The movie concludes with a cliffhanger, leaving you wanting more, but you’ll have to wait until the sequel. All in all, this movie is a fun time with twists and turns and an ending that will leave you wanting more. Based on this, I believe that this film has done its job and it has done it well.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Youth and Government 2014!

Youth and Government

Youth and Government will hold its first meeting on Thursday, October 2nd. The club meets at the Cortland YMCA from 7:00-8:30 pm. Anyone interested in learning about government, in improving their public speaking skills, in creating new legislation, in preparing for and participating in a mock court case, or in connecting with students from across the state should attend this meeting! The leadership team will discuss the different branches of the program, as well as the opportunities for delegates throughout the year. Youth and Government meets once a week to prepare for our big conference in March where members from across the state meet and participate in a mock government. Join us to become involved in an exciting, rewarding, and fun club! Do not say that Youth and Government is not for you because Youth and Government has something to offer to everyone! If you are interested in learning more about the program, attend our next meeting, stop by the Youth and Government table at Open House, or see Ms. Giordano in room 124. We hope to see you soon!

Music Review: alt-J This Is All Yours

Tighe Gugerty

alt-J, an English experimental indie rock band that formed in 2007, is relatively new to me as a music listener. I was introduced to them roughly a year ago and they were slightly perplexing to me. I haven't completely listened to their debut album, An Awesome Wave, but the two songs that stood out in particular to me were polarizing. “Breezeblocks”, one of their singles of the album, sounds almost like an incoherent, mumbled rap with heavy rock drums, piano, and what sounds to be a children's xylophone. While another single that caught my eye of the album, “Something Good”, a sweeping epic of piano and marching drum sound, seemed to be juxtaposed against the aforementioned song. Fast forward two years, on September 23rd, alt-J is set to release their sophomore album, This Is All Yours. Like the last album, it begins with a song titled “Intro”, which gives a preview of things to come. It starts with an acapella melody and seamlessly transitions to robotic singing and a drum beat that is top offed with a celtic vibe. Next is “Arrival in Nara”, which is a simple song with softly played piano accompanied by guitar plucking. “Nara”, the preceding song, sounds like a little bit of a heavier version of the previous song but with some deep, almost dubstep like, synthesizer added to it. After this the album begins to pick up speed with “Every Other Freckle” which features heavier electronic influences and some kind of pipe sounding instrument. Once at the song “Left Hand Free”, the album has picked up considerable speed and heaviness. On this track, the band takes a more bluesy rock sound that is a departure from anything they have done before and is reminiscent of the Black Keys. After that the album drops off into “Garden of England- Interlude” which is filled with sounds of nature and panpipes. “Choice Kingdom” offers up a slower pace, but a trippy sound. “Hunger of the Pine” brings the tempo up a little with an orchestral sound and a R&B sounding sample. Then the album shifts down once again to “Warm Foothills”, which sounds like a cute love song that the lead singer and a female vocalists take turns singing on. “The Ballad of John Hurt” gives what would seem to be a generic alt-J song, it doesn't particularly stand out from the others. “Pusher “ gives off a slow, acoustic jam session vibe followed by “Bloodflood pt. II” which combines piano, electronic, and brass elements. The album is closed by “Leaving Nara”, which combines many of the elements from throughout the album much like the intro. Overall I was pretty satisfied as the album as a whole entity, I thought that the build up to “Left Hand Free” was satisfying but I wished that alt-J had delved a little more into songs like that. It was the highlight of the album for me and I would enjoy if they could crank out more songs similar to it in the future. The other more typical alt-J sounding songs expand upon their unique sound and surpass those of the first album. With that being said, it was a let down that the second half of the album could not pick up the steam of the first. Do not think that the second half the the weaker side, for it has some excellent tunes, but if they could have tried some more songs in their new territory that would have been excellent.

Wrap Up: alt-J’s new album delivers a solid sound throughout, but the second half is a bit slower than the first.

Highlights: “Left Hand Free”, “Pusher”, “Every Other Freckle”

Lowlights: None- may be revised

Score: 8.7/10

Release: Sept 23, 2014 Listen now on iTunes for free

Welcome Homer High School's New Reading Teacher, Mrs. Collins

Welcome, Mrs. Collins!

Meghan McGrath

Mrs. Collins is the new reading teacher at the high school. She was hired in February of last year, which most would consider a hard time to join in, especially since most students and teachers had already set a routine to their day. Mrs. Collins, when asked, actually said that it was easy for her to acclimate to the routines (even though she went from a stay-at-home mother to a full time teacher). Her joining was made easier due to the fact that she was able to easily fit into the schedules of the students she was helping. She helps them in anything that requires reading, which not only includes english courses but also history courses. This is not her first time teaching, either. She has been a teacher for ten years and taught in a variety of places: Portland, Maine, Richford, Vermont, outside of Albany, and Plattsburgh. In those schools, she mostly taught at the middle school level, which Mrs. Collins says has a different dynamic than high school. Homer is only the second high school she’s taught at. She says there is a difference in the schools because of the ages of the students, but also because “Homer is a nice community and I feel the community in the school.” She feels that the students and teachers have made her feel welcome, and that she has made friends with teachers that she works with. This year, she is helping out a new round of students and making an imprint on their learning.

Potty Pages

For more info on what SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) is doing, see the stall closest to you!

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

The Start of Cross Country 2014

Joe Settineri

When you think of a sport, a few things might come to mind: balls, sports equipment, last minute scoring, four quarters, etc. When you think of Cross country, a few different things might come to mind: “Is this even a sport?,” “Who runs for fun?,” or “Wow, that sounds terrible.” All of the previous statements highlight the murkiness of this “mystery sport” that no one really hears much about. Cross Country is indeed a sport, although thought otherwise by many. Do Cross country runners run for fun? Well, yes and no. The majority of our runners here at Homer strive to reach a sublime physical condition, to prepare them for other activities and sports. In the process of being on a team, completing new milestones, and beating competitors fun is added into the mixture, whether you are a prepper for the next season or just in it for fun. Running, something so physically draining, is not fun for anyone because they are working up to their full potential. The aftermath of races, goals being broken and achieving a state of fitness you never thought possible of yourself, is the rewarding and, yes, fun part. This year the 2014 Homer Cross Country Team is looking like it could have one of its best years in quite a while. Coaches Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Graves are positive for one of the best seasons yet with a solid boys and girls squad. The boys team, having over thirty participants (the most in a decade), is looking for a win against Cortland and Chittenango on Wednesday. The Girls having a sparser team of eight is still a solid group that will go head to head with Cortland and Chittenango on Wednesday as well. Standouts include returning juniors Evan Ulrich and Mckayla Crawford, who lead the boys and the girls teams respectively in times. Grant Stokoe and Zoey Fish also stand out as outstanding freshman runners, making great additions to both teams. Returning Seniors Jackson Dowdle, Tyler Hatfield, Grace Gugerty, and Erica Stevens, also plan on having a solid seasons having run all four years.

Movie Review: Into the Storm

Ana Shore

Into the Storm was an exciting film, yet lacked a real plot and major character development. The tornadoes that occurred, probably every 20 minutes, within the film added suspense and thrill, making it fun to watch. However, the beginning of the movie was nothing truly exciting because of the introduction of the characters, who were forgettable and lacked depth. The weak start to a relationship between two characters added a needless romance that contributed little to the actual film, but was required in order to add a sense of urgency and suspense when they found themselves trapped in the middle of a tornado. A good portion of the movie revolved around rescuing these two characters. This served as a plot during most of the film. Many aspects of the movie were predictable, such as certain obstacles that were inconveniently placed to hinder the storyline.

From a more technical perspective, the film had quite a few amazing shots. The tornadoes looked impeccably real as well as the resulting debris. There were also a few times where, with a good eye, CGI could be seen well. However, you'd have to really be looking because almost all of it looks real, which of course, it should.

I really liked this film despite its rating from IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes and I would watch it again in a heartbeat. It is a classic disaster movie that makes up for its lack of a plot with amazing action and suspense. There is almost never a dull moment and every time I found myself wishing for more tornadoes, there they appeared. Overall, Into the Storm is a very cool movie!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Movie Review: When the Game Stands Tall

Mel Videto

When the Game Stands Tall was enticing, exciting, and a thrill to watch. The film depicts the story of legendary football coach, Bob Ladouceur, and the De La Salle high school football team, The Spartans. When a 151 winning streak, accomplished over the course of twelve years, is broken, the team must recover and make a comeback. Based on a true story, the movie was an excellent adaptation of true events and delves deep into the relationships between the players. It sheds light not only on how important football can be to some people, but also how the sport is not just a simple, toss-the-ball game. This movie shows just exactly how close a team must be to succeed. Personally, before I watched the movie, I had absolutely no interest in football. However, after viewing it, I came to have more of an understanding of how close-knit the team must be, not only to each other but also to the coach. The film emphasizes a lot on how family and friends are more important than winning.

From a more technical perspective, the movie has several memorable shots as well as impressive action sequences. During many of the actual games, the point of view is very internal and allowed me to feel as if I were right there on the field. I enjoy a movie that makes you feel involved. The filming of the games was extremely interesting and had terrific suspense. I was constantly on the edge of my seat wondering if De La Salle would win. Overall, the movie was touching, thrilling, and showed how companionship and the love of a sport matters more than the number on the scoreboard.

Book Review: Anthem

Book Review: Anthem

Skylar Powers

Anthem is a 1938 novel written by Ayn Rand. It had it’s first release in the United States in 1946 after being edited and essentially rewritten for American readers. This novel is one that many students at the Homer High School have read, but I want to make people aware of this novel. I am writing a spoiler-free review of the novel.

The story takes place sometime in the future and this makes it a dystopian novel. This isn’t The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, or Divergent. It is the opposite. In this fictional future, all technology and discoveries that humans take credit for today, are gone. Everyone follows a certain set of strict rules, and breaking these rules would result in horrible consequences. Life is set up ahead of time and everyone does what they are supposed to do. This is the case until secrets start to be revealed that go beyond everyone’s logic and intelligence.

The novel, in my opinion, starts out on a slow note. The first chapter drags along, and sometimes it got hard to continue reading. The language was repetitive and the story seemed dull and deprived of emotion. To add onto that, the wording is extremely confusing and the book doesn’t make much sense. For example, “We felt the cords of our neck grow tight as our head rose higher to look upon the faces of the Council, and we were happy” (Rand 26). The characters didn’t seem interesting at first, and they aren’t because that’s the way the story makes them out to be. They aren’t unique or very ambitious. The verb agreement is confusing. They use “We” with “I” verbs, if you know what I mean. It doesn’t take long to get used to the society’s usage and the reasons why they speak the way that they do. The book is a brief 89 pages, so it has to pick up in speed. Just in the second chapter, the story becomes very interesting. I became obsessed with the characters and I wanted to know what would happen next at every moment. As the story’s mysteries start to unravel themselves, the book becomes more understandable and, also, more interesting.

This book deserves more credit. It should be considered with the classics like 1984, another popular dystopian novel. It is a fantastic book with a fantastic ending and great characters. So, if you are looking for something different that can be read quickly, this book is definitely a really good option.

Movie Review: The Giver

Julia Fouts

On August 15, 2014, the movie The Giver was released. Based on Lois Lowry’s well-acclaimed book, this phenomenal movie is a must-see. The story centers on Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) who lives in a futuristic, colorless, and emotionless world. When Jonas graduates from childhood, he learns from The Giver (Jeff Bridges) all the memories of the past. He begins seeing colors and feeling deep emotions; he also sees all that is wrong with the society he lives in. Hate, love, music, and knowledge are absent in the society. Jonas risks his life to restore the past and attempt to save his world from its emotionless state. The movie does a good job in displaying the book’s main themes and ideas; it is an exciting tale for everyone, having read the book or not. The visuals are outstanding, especially when The Giver’s memories are shown to Jonas. Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep play their roles well; Cameron Monaghan, Taylor Swift, and Odeya Rush are also fantastic. The development of the protagonist, however, is mediocre. By infusing more emotion into his character, Thwaites could have added more depth and interest to his character. Despite this, Thwaites was a great choice for Jonas and did well in one of his first movies. Suspense filled the climax, and the movie is by far one of the best futuristic films of the decade; it is simple, interesting, and the romance is not overdone. In the movie, Jonas learns of pain and suffering, but also of joy and love. He has an incredible desire to share all that he feels, and this desire powers the storyline. Thoughtful ideas, such as totalitarianism, freedom of expression, and the danger of ignorance are a few central concepts displayed in the movie. Sameness and equality are put to the test in the enticing and powerful movie, The Giver.