Cafeteria Food : A+

According to Mr. Millevoi, a GNSHS health teacher, the school cafeteria uses a higher “grade” of meat than Taco Bell does.
Surprised?
Many people generally view cafeteria food served in school as sub-par or uninviting. The radical anti-cafeteria students may go so far as to call school food “disgusting.” They would rather “go jump off a bridge” than ingest something produced by the school. Despite the bad reputation that school food has received has among students, the quality of it still remains relatively decent.
I personally think school food tastes good.
For instance, there are the Gassy foods; the oily, greasy, irresistible foods which make your mouth water at the sight of them. The tacos, the fried chicken, etc; they stimulate your salivary glands to work overtime. In the back of your mind, your conscience is probably telling you that this is extremely unhealthy, and will probably cause you to “pass gas” for the rest of the afternoon, but you still cannot help asking the lunchlady for “one….. no two, orders of that fried chicken right there. The ones with the nice, tender, chicken breast meat.” Sooner or later you know that eating this will be a terrible decision, but for the time being, you relish each bite, filling your mouth with the delicious juices.
One in a while, there are the Special Occasion foods; the turkey and stuffing served the day before Thanksgiving, the mashed potatoes and gravy included in your meal as a side dish. These are foods which are only served few times a year, and even though you don’t expect them to taste very good, you buy them for the sake of honoring the holiday. Your expectations of them are so low that when you actually sit down to have a bite, you are surprised that they are not too bad. You remark to all your friends sitting around you that, “Hey, the turkey’s not so bad”, while everyone just stares at you as if you just got knocked in the head with a baseball bat, and temporarily lost your sense of taste.
Then there are the Foods you wish you could have everyday, like the tater-tots, curly fries, and French fries. You are always in the mood for these foods, and whenever they are on the menu, you sprint to the lunch line hoping that they did not run out. If they ever do run out, you curse the last person to order it, and then sit back down sulking about how you are not hungry anymore.
There are always the Over $1.75 foods, which you want to buy, but don’t have enough money. Or it’s just not worth it. You can only afford these foods maybe once every couple weeks, and whenever you do, you complain about how the school overcharges them. You tell your friends, “this Quiznos sandwich isn’t even six inches long, or this Kosher pizza is so small.” You blame the school, the bad economy, and George Bush on how the sandwiches “last year” were 50 cents less and a lot bigger. By the time you finish the meal, you still feel hungry, but thoroughly satisfied.
Unfortunately, for all the good food, there must be some bad ones.
For example, the infamous meat-loaf. This hunk-of-meat is an appetite-killer . If you are brave enough to try it despite its appearance, I am sorry to say that you will not be rewarded for your actions. It is a shame that this meat-loaf actually tastes as bad as it looks.
Luckily for us, there are the Classic foods; the foods that never get old, and never fail to make a good meal. The Classics include the Chicken patties, the cheeseburgers (when they are not burnt), and the pasta. You can count on them to be there for you, to provide the energy you need to last the day. It also helps that they always taste good, so if you’re not in the mood to try something new, no problem.
Just make sure you don’t try the meat-loaf.

-Jason L.

My Fairy Tale Ending

Once Upon a time, 

in an enchanted palace,

lived a  story-book princess,

waiting for Prince Charming's kiss.

She waited and waited,

for that perfect day to come,

but soon her once-upon-a-time,

was over and done.

So she hopped on a white horse,

in search of her true love,

the stars showed her the way,

there was hope from above.

Deep into the woods,

a cottage within the dark trees,

the door slightly cracked open,

she slipped in with ease.

In front of her gleaming wide eyes,

laid Prince Charming under a spell,

a kiss to wake him from this sleep,

a timely memory to keep.

In the end you will see,

a marriage followed by a ball,

because in my fairy tale story,

there's a happy ending after all.

THE END

- Danielle B.

The Perfect Woman

She knows players on the Yankees

Other than the short stop 

When she wears a bikini

She makes your jaw drop

She can take a joke

And she's lots of fun

She knows Angoletto's pizzeria

Is 824-3151

She loves to go out

And party like a college chick

She also enjoys "The Departed"

My favorite crime flick

To go back to her looks

She has a size D bra

And her scorching hot legs

Leave other guys in awe

And if things got rough

I'd never feel I missed her

Because she would have 

A banging twin sister

-Steven F.

Afternoon Naps

I didn't have any school work today,

To have this pleasure more often do I pray.

I came home, ate dinner, then laid to rest,

This is the kind of day I like best.

No numbers for math, no verbs for español,

No formulas for chem, no Shakespearian dialogue I don't know.

My afternoon naps are a required part of my day,

But waking up to loads of work is not okay.

I feel so renewed, my energy has been restored,

Waking up early tomorrow will be a chore.

I won't fall back asleep till 3 o'clock,

And my death-nap trap will remain locked.

Maybe I should go to sleep at a reasonable hour

So the next day at school wouldn't make me feel so sour.

I don't think that will happen anytime soon,

Until then, I'll have a date with my naps

Every afternoon.

:)

I can't stand Thomas L. Friedman

As I was searching for an op-ed to use for the assignment, I stumbled across the familiar name of Thomas L. Friedman. I figured that since Mr.Daszenski picked his op-ed for the two past assignments I should try to use him again. For that reason I printed the Op-ed and began to read it. It was called "Cars, Kabul and Banks." Basically Friedman believed Obama had to focus on three essential issues: Cars, Kabul, and Banks. As I began to read I was reminded of how much I hated Friedman's views. In this op-ed I really could not stand his views especially those on what to do with Detroit. His perspective on Detroit is completely illogical. He believes "we have to let nature take its course" with the Big Three. Does he have any idea what would happen if the Big Three went down? Does he know how many jobs are at stake? How many families will be destroyed? Or even how America as a society would be damaged? Thomas Friedman obviously does not know what will happen and that is why he says that only “the core truth” in this problem is important. He says that the problems that the Detroit automakers stated on the union, retirement costs, health care, and other numerous factors was not part of “the core truth.” His core truth is that the Big Three were not fashionable enough. He compares this situation to the ill put analogy of his Sony walkman and his I-pod. He says he was always happy with a Sony walkman but when the apple came out he had to get it because apple made him. That is nowhere near the problem of the Big Three’s sales. A $300 I pod does not compare anywhere near a $10,000 purchase for a car. People don’t go out and buy a car because a nicer or better looking car came out. They buy a car because they need too. It had nothing to do with fashion and everything to do with price and gas mileage. The Big Three have to pay an average of $55 an hour with benefits while nonunion workers at American plants of Honda or Toyota get paid $45 an hour. It then becomes simple math. If you have to pay your workers more you have to make your cars more expensive. Also this extra money going to workers takes away from devoting money to other sections of the company. This all tied in with the oil spike ultimately led to the problem we have today. People were faced with new decisions to make. Do I want the more expensive gas guzzling SUV or the smaller and cheaper 30 miles per gallon car? It did not have to do with “Oh everyone has a nice I-pod I want one too.” Hopefully Friedman’s simple minded view on what to do with Detroit does not come true because if it does not only will Friedman feel stupid but America’s economy will fall to an even lower point than it is at now.

-Matthew P.

Cinematic Poetry

You're tearing me apart.

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

I wish I knew how to quit you.

You want the moon?

Just say the word,

and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down.

I ain't so tough.

You always said you could shoot.

I never believed you.

So I got that going for me,

which is nice.

Round up the usual suspects;

if they move, kill em'.

They're not gonna catch us,

we're on a mission from God.

Houston, we have a problem.

Snap out of it.

You're gonna need a bigger boat.

Go ahead, make my day.

I'll be back.

I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way.

So here's looking at you kid.

Make your life extroadinary.

-Alison G.

The Wanton, Wayward Aftermath

Breathe in the voltaic neon lights,
      The pulsating beat pervading the arena.

The rhythm tingeing my thoughts with a molten haze
      Movement not a choice, but a musical proclamation

Melodic fundamentalists have hijacked my neurons, the blistering crash inevitable.

I ebb with the fluorescent flow of your lighted lips
They mouth the words I can’t discern
      I presently look to my flowing wrists
Skin dissipating into a vibrant, quaking pool seeping
Through the narrow spaces of earth.

Lyrical lysosomes eat away at my structure, gnawing
The fleshy membrane that keeps me from leaking soon
Gives way
Heart pounding
            Knees trembling
      Thrusting into and above the vibing vibes of the stage
As I come to the realization
That you like it this way.


-Andrew S.

For eve

For eve,
Lay your fingers upon mine, witness their intertwining grace.
As I study the lines on your face, that dance so elegantly to form a makeshift silhouette.
Let us gaze about the hour as but a mere distraction.
Confessingly, I've loved you, never have I broken.
I ask that you occupy my vacant heart, intentions to stay.
Living where life once took place.
When you dream, be it of us, eternally, rythmically.
Breathe in, to breathe me in, gentle inhalations of me, of you.
Remember, as I will never forget this promise I bid you, of my heart, in your hands.
And if this never recieves the honor of being witnessed by your deep eyes only
know that I am yours, evermore.

- Lindsey S.

Expressing Opinions

Opinions. Everyone has them. Whether you like a song or not, your best friend or your worst enemy, these are all opinions in which other people may disagree with. These opinions allow people to express themselves and show that they are different. The opinions of one person may differ greatly from another, showing the difference in personality and taste between these people.
In this world, expressing opinions is greatly encouraged. Because it is considered as "expressing yourself" no one goes against the ideas of opening up. Of course opinions can clash and can cause debates but this is just another form of "expressing yourself." I never really thought about limitations in expressing opinions until yesturday.
My friend and I walked into a restaurant yesturday. I ordered my favorite dish, The New York Strip Steak. I LOVE its medium-well done, juicy, and tender meat which simply makes my mouth water for more. My vegetarian friend thought otherwise.
"How can you eat that poor cow? Poor thing, chopped like that and cooked that way..."
I felt as if I were slapped in the face. How could she say that when I was just about to eat the "poor cow." My scrumptious meal just turned into a bloody picture and my ravenous appetite faded for a few minutes.
My very open-minded friend was oblivious to what she had just done. She continued to munch away on her colorful salad covered in Italian dressing. How rude of her to express herself in such a way and not even regard my opinions. For those few minutes, I waited in annoyance for my appetite to return.
I had a strong urge to make her gag by saying some thing like 'You know, that dressing probably had a lot of animal fat...' but that would also make me a rude person and the bad guy. Instead, I simply replied with a demonstration.
"Easy. Just watch and learn." as I cut the steak carefully and popped it in my mouth. My friend watched and cringed as I began to chew in a steady pace. Then, she continued to munch on her salad.
At that moment, I realized that expressing opinions should be limited. In some cases, such as this one, if they are not limited, the situation may make you sound very rude, even if it wasn't intended to be. I still love my friend very much but she still has a lot to learn.

-Hannah K.

Final Macbeth Performance Reflection

     Loss is something all beings, human or beast, must go through at one point in their lives. The emotions involved in loss are some of the strongest one could ever feel. The tragedy, Macbeth, provides some of the best evidence of this and the idea of loss is prevalent throughout much of the play. In scene 4.3 of Macbeth, Ross comes to inform Macduff about the death of his family and it is this painful loss that provides Macduff with the vengeance that eventually brings him to kill the tyrant, Macbeth. Loss drove us to war in 2003 and loss drove us to vote for change in 2008. Loss is in these cases and in many others, the driving force behind man's actions. Macbeth's story is also that of loss, he lost his king, his sanity, his wife, his friends, and his kingship. This prevalence of loss as a driving force and as a frequent event in Macbeth is why Jason, Matt, and I decided Macbeth is a play about loss.
     The scene my group had chosen to perform was scene 4.3, in which I played the part of the Doctor and Ross. Our Director’s Concept changed my roles from doctor to show coordinator and from Ross the nobleman to Ross the talk show host. This was a scene filled with emotion from Ross who had struggled to utter the news of Macduff’s family’s death to his face. Macduff had to pull the words out of him, “Be not a niggard of your speech. How goes ’t? (4.3.209)” To express the agonizing emotion in scene 4.3, our Director's Concept needed to be inherently emotional. We had chosen a talk show as the concept because in a talk show there is a strong focus on feelings and reactions. In talk shows such as Oprah and Dr. Phil, the highlight of the show is emotion. Much as Oprah might release emotions from one of her guests, Ross released the emotions being felt by Macduff. Both a play and a talk show have a special interaction with the audience and this makes the setting of a talk show appropriate for a play. The talk show, through its intimate nature and design, highlights the emotions involved in loss, which we believe to be the very essence of the play.
     To bring this concept to life we had dressed to fit the part; I had wore a headset as a show coordinator, and I dressed casual yet formal as a talk show host; Jason wore a uniform as he was Macduff, someone ready to fight; and, Matt had dressed formally as Malcolm, a leader of the battle. For the setting and sound I had prepared a keynote which did not go exactly as I planned, when the video of it played, the controls weren't showing. Sadly, this was drastic to the Director's Concept because without the video our peers couldn't tell the concept apart from one of World War 2. The video was ineffective and without the director's concept in the minds of the audience my costumes' effectiveness was nullified. I wouldn't describe the scene as a failure, I would simply say we reached for the sky and fell on our faces.
     There is much to be said about learning a play from performing it as well as from seeing others perform it. We have learned about both general stage performance, such as blocking and levels, as well as the play Macbeth during the past few weeks. At this point in time I can say I not only know the story of Macbeth but I can also say I know the performance of Macbeth. I can thank my teacher’s performance based approach to this just as much if not more than I can thank the reading of the play’s direct text. Semantic learning, learning by attaching meaning, is known as the strongest type of learning. Performing and seeing my peers perform have given me memorable moments which allow me to attach meaning to the play therefore causing me to remember it. That is why these performances help us so much and are such a useful educational tool. I could go on incessantly about the positives such as getting people to participate who normally wouldn’t, breaking the ice in the beginning of the year, etc. However there are some weaknesses that I would like to bring up about this approach. The time spent for performance rehearsals and the actual performances could arguably be spent better and some people, such as me, with laughable acting skills could be embarrassed in front of the class. Other than these weaknesses, performing what we read is different from the usual class activities making it something everyone will pay attention to and learn from which is more than enough to justify it.

-Evan R.