Band of Brothers

I spent maybe too much time as a young boy playing soldier. Innumerable afternoons were spent in the woods and fields around my house, with a branch as my rifle. I was almost always fighting Nazis—not a bad pastime I suppose. Regardless, much of my pre-pubescent thoughts were directed to World War Two. From campaigns to tanks to paratroopers, I soaked up as much as I could, from documentaries to A Bridge Too Far and of course lots of Call of Duty. But one thing I never got around to watching as a squat nine-year-old was Band of Brothers. 

The HBO miniseries was just added to Netflix. I began watching the intense, wonderfully written and shot show last week. Composed of only ten episodes, I’ve been stretching my viewings out; One every two or three days, letting the action marinate in my mind. We are saturated in “gritty” and “realistic” war media that lacks substance and instead tries to find creative salvation in gore and melodrama. Band of Brothers admittedly began this trend, yet it exceeds the stereotypes entirely. The show knows how to hit emotion without saccharine and presents action to the viewer in a way that is both realistic and exciting. Though I’m sure nine-year-old Jake would have been elated to watch the show, I’m glad I didn’t have HBO back then. The show is a complex and successful work of art, that requires more than an appetite for gun fights to watch. 

-Jake Hall

Ever After High Deserves a Comeback

As the years go by, many of the shows that watched us grow up have either been cancelled or changed in some way. Take Monster High or My Little Pony for example. As a new generation of children rise the shows that raised us are now changed and “modernized” to raise them. However, there’s certain shows that I feel should’ve never been changed or cancelled. One of those shows being Ever After High, Ever After High is a show about the children of the more subtle fairytales by the Grimm Brothers. Ever After High was released in 2013 after Mattel’s previous hits Monster High and Barbie. Unlike their previous two shows Ever After High was cancelled in 2016 after the release of Disney’s Descendants. Whenever Disney came out with their own movie based on the same concept as Ever After High, Mattel knew that they wouldn’t be able to compete with Disney and discontinued the show. However, many of the shows’ previous fans weren’t and are still not happy with this situation. Some because they feel like they didn’t receive the ending it deserved and others because they wished to see more of the characters developments such as the relationship between Darling Charming and Apple White. Many were left wondering what would happen after these two daughters of Snow White and an unknown character called King Charming, shared a moment in which we learned they were each other’s true love. Now, a couple of years later we are coming together to ask for a comeback. The probability that a new season of Ever After High would help the show get popularity back is high, specifically with the memories and nostalgia that it would bring all the people that grew up with it.  

-Samael Morales

Healing

At first, breaking up didn’t really affect me. I mean what couple doesn’t argue and fight? We had broken up a few times before and I didn’t think this time was any different. We still kept in contact and checked up on each other. I wasn’t worried. At first, I felt free. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulder. I wasn’t the type to commit to anyone anyway. I could hang out with whoever I wanted and act however I wanted without considering whose feelings were getting hurt in the process. I enjoyed it at first but that only lasted a few days. I started to get the feeling like I was missing a part of my daily routine. As much as I tried to adjust to my new one, I just couldn’t. Not having them in my life felt too different. After a month and a half, we completely cut off contact. That completely destroyed me. How do you go from talking to someone all day and explaining to them every part of your day that they missed, to not talking to each other at all? One month turned into three. What I thought was going to be a break turned into something permanent. I was in denial for so long. “Right person, Wrong time” I would tell myself every chance I could. I would pray every night that the next morning they would somehow end up back in my life. When they moved on, that absolutely destroyed me. I felt like they were moving forward with their life, I wasn’t making any progress. For weeks on end after that, I was the worst version of myself. I had no motivation to get out of bed every morning. I completely disconnected myself from everything around me. My grades suffered tremendously and I could barely last a full day of school because I was just so focused on them. I failed every quiz, every test. I found a way to connect everything around me to them. As I would take a test in math, I’d remember the times we spent working on math together and how much they hated math. I would get so zoned into my own thoughts and when I snap back, I would see my paper filled with tear drops. I completely forgot who I was and stopped taking care of myself. I lived in sweats, I gained 20 pounds, and I stopped getting my hair done. I couldn’t bear to even look at my reflection anymore. I was so deep in a hole that I couldn’t dig myself out of. At one point, I loved them more than I did myself. Regardless of what terms we were on.  I was mentally and emotionally drained and everyone could tell. My parents started worrying. They forced me to go on this trip so I could get a distraction, and it worked. I finally felt good. Everything was starting to be okay until my birthday came around. They didn’t wish me happy birthday, and although that might not be a big deal for others, it was to me. I was angry the entire day. I sat at my birthday dinner without uttering a word. As soon as 12 hit the clock on the next day, I knew. I finally let my heart take in what my brain had been trying to tell me. I don’t hurt anymore when I see them and I’ve grown so much.  I’m so happy that I was able to experience how it felt to be loved. Regardless of whether it was temporary. As much as I wished that we’d end up back together later down the line, I have come to peace with the fact that maybe there’s no coming back. I’m no longer bitter about them being with someone else. As much as I wish that it were me. I have learned that people come and go. As selfish as this sounds your self-love should be greater than the love you feel for others. We both moved on; they went to someone else, and I had myself. Nothing brings me more joy than to see how far I have grown. It brings me tears to look back at my old memories, my old notes, to look back at my old self, and see just how much I’ve grown. 

-Niah Alexis

The Art of Pumkin Carving

Carving pumpkins is a staple activity that shows Halloween is near, however did you know pumpkin carving can be a form of art? Carving pumpkins into jack o lanterns originated a couple hundred of years ago from an Irish myth.  This myth consists of an individual who goes by the name of Stingy Jack.  Stingy Jack tricked the devil for his own monetary gain which resulted in his untimely death. In death, God nor the Devil allowed Jack into their realms, so he was sentenced to roam the earth for eternity. The people of Ireland started to carve demonic faces out of turnips to frighten away Jack’s wandering soul, thus beginning a very well-known Halloween tradition practiced by millions. 

Pumpkin carving has always been a fun activity that anyone can participate in, however few have taken the art form to a new level. Ray Villafane is one of these individuals that have mastered the art of carving pumpkins. Ray is an American sculpture artist who started this art form 12 years into teaching art. One of his students brought him a pumpkin to carve for class to which he displayed his outstanding abilities. This prompted his students to bring more and more pumpkins to carve and his newfound passion for sculpting. He is now a full-time sculpture artist spreading his love for art and the message that you can make stuff from ordinary objects and natural materials.  

-Jillian Busek