Imagine living life without a proper pair of shoes and having to worry about the hazardous and dangerous objects that could injure you or inflict diseases. Some people own five different pairs of shoes or maybe even more collecting dust in a closet. But those who are too poor for shoes walk in danger every single day.
This may be really irrelevant to many Americans who don’t worry about this simple luxury that most people take for granted every single day.
Blake Toms speaking to the crowed at one of the events form the “One Day Without Shoes” events that took place last year. Photo By: http://impact.aol.com/cause/toms-one-day-without-shoes/
For children across the world who suffer from intense diseases that affect them in many ways, just from not wearing shoes, the matter is life and death.
People all around the world and here at Penn Manor are working towards change by joining an effort called One Day Without Shoes which is designed to raise money and bring awareness to the situation.
To join in the effort, people are actually going through a normal day with one little alteration – they will all be without shoes on April 10.
This whole concept was created by the TOMS shoe company but was really brought to Penn Manor by students in the Young Humanitarians Club.
One of the club members, Emily Peris, skipped this event last year but decided that it would be good to participate this year.
“We were originally going to try to make money off of it [for Honduras] but we could not do that. So we have the option to donate to our club,” said Peris.”There are just a lot of kids that are less fortunate.”
According to the One day Without Shoes website, more than 4 million people suffer from Podoconiosis which is a debilitating and disfiguring soil-based disease that tampers with the immune system. This happens in countries like Mexico, the northern regions of South America, eastern Africa and even some parts of Europe.
There is another disease called Hookworm which is common in Mexico, southern regions in Africa, and also in Asia. Some 740 million people are affected by hookworm which can cause intestinal pain, weakness and cognitive impairment. More than 30,000 people live on one landfill in the Philippines, where many are without shoes and are exposed to broken glass, syringes and debris.
But that’s not all. There are 1.8 million Kenyan children who are infected by jiggers, burrowing fleas that cause painful infection.
This person is participating in the”One Day without Shoes.”
Penn Manor will not allow students to go barefoot but they will be allowed to wear flip flops.
“I really feel that a lot of students will participate and we will get the awareness of this out,” said Penn Manor Junior Mackenzie Payne.
There are many things people want to do before they die and never get around to doing them. It is four guys’ mission to do as many as possible and at the same time help people do theirs.
Brothers Jonnie and Duncan Penn and their friends Dave Lingwood and Ben Nemtin have their own MTV show which is called the Buried Life and now, they are breaking into to writing.
This quartet of boys, now men, have changed peoples lives all over the nation.
“Our goal was to give people the feeling that you can do anything,” says Jonnie Penn, 25. “We started with that. We scribbled down the ones that moved us … Some are sad, some are hilarious, some are scandalous. We wanted to get that balance.”
This group of guys want to prove that anything is possible and you shouldn’t settle. This mission has had them cross off 80 of the 100 things they wanted to do before they die.
The Buried Life's list of things to do before they die.
They’ve crashed a wedding, making a toast to a mystified bride and groom. Survived four days on a deserted South Pacific island, and possibly the most stunning: they played basketball with President Obama on the court in the White house.
“We added it to the list because we knew it was going to be almost impossible,” says Lingwood. But through good old Washington lobbying, they eventually got the ear of the president. “He liked that we helped people.”
This book and TV series is designed to get people thinking. The group of guys don’t just try to cross out things on their bucket list, They also help people do the things that they want to do .
“We try to help people achieve what they might need,” says Lingwood, who earlier this month was lured to Georgia’s Kennesaw State to urge students to help a classmate who needs a kidney transplant. The request came through Facebook, where the men have 1.25 million fans, people they call “Community.”
The Buried Life helps as many people has they can achieve their goal.
“I really want to go skydiving when I get older,” said Kara Overmyer as she pondered about her own bucket list.
This new book is appropriately called “What Do You Want to Do .”
Sales are expected to be a success just like the MTV series that is entering there third season.
“I want to watch a baseball game in every major league stadium in the US,” said Austin Richwine, a Penn Manor senior and the starting center fielder for the Comets baseball team.
The boys really think that the book is for everyone.
“To be honest, this is a book for more than just fans of the show,” Penn says. “This is for anyone who’s ever going to die one day. It also tells a bit of our story going from depressed college dropouts to meeting Oprah and starting The Buried Life on MTV.”
The book is in stores right now. Maybe it could help someone get motivated to cross a couple things off their bucket list before they get buried.
My feet stuck to the splattered soda on the floor, my eyes focused intently on the screen.
I was completely enthralled in The Hunger Games, but I wondered how I had never heard of this series before. I always hated people who went to the movie but didn’t read the book. Now I was that person.
Why now?
I’m usually on top of this type of thing, I am (maybe “was” is a better term) an avid reader, but somehow this wildly popular series slipped by me.
This really doesn’t seem likely.
Senior Jay Jackson enjoys a good book in his free time in the library. Photo by David Mohimani
I was even a huge fan of the author, Suzanne Collins, who wrote another popular series which I absolutely loved.
So I started to think about why I had never heard of the Hunger Games until recently and I came up with one answer.
No Friday Reading.
Let’s do the math. There are twenty-five Fridays (not even including early dismissal days), so let’s say all teachers give the minimum 15 minutes( many of which gave more) that’s 25 hours of reading throughout the year.
I read about 50 pages in an hour, so that is 1,250 pages throughout the year.
That’s is about 3 to 4 books.
In fact, the entire Hunger Games trilogy is 1,153 pages in total.
So in theory I could have read the entire series and gotten a decent start on another book.
But instead of reading, I was stuck doing enrichment and practice for a test I had already completed.
Dr. Jan Mindish implented Friday reading more than a decade ago when she saw the need for a change in students’ reading habits as well as their attitude towards reading. As well as wanting to gain renewed enthusiasm, Mindish wanted to get Penn Manor off the PSSA warning list.
“We don’t teach reading, kids just fake reading,”said Mindish,” because kids don’t get to read what they want.”
She explained that when students’ arrived in high school, they arrived to a world where reading was mainly confined to textbooks and educational journals.
“Many kids stop liking to read,” Mindish remarked.
She described a situation when she was principal when a teacher told her that she believed one of her students could not read.
“He was so good at faking it (that you did not realize he couldn’t read).”
Mindish quickly realized that action was required, after Penn Manor’s reading PSSA’s score took a severe dip.
She decided that kids would read books of their choice periodically throughout the week.
It was met by resistance not only by students but also by faculty, she recalled.
“Then kids figured out that if you didn’t have a book they sent you to the library,” said Mindish, noting that was unfortunately a pleasant alternative for many students to flipping through pages of a novel.
So teachers were required to keep substitute materials in their room for students who “forgot” their books.
Eventually everyone, although somewhat reluctantly, bought into the new free reading time.
This free reading time evolved into its modern name of “Friday Reading” because that became the designated time slot when everyone in the school read.
Kids were not only reading during the mandated time period.
“I saw kids with books all the time, which I thought was so cool,” said Mindish.
Mindish had accomplished the first part of her goal of getting kids to read, but how would they improve PSSA scores?
There was an intial surge in scores, but the long-term effect is still in question.
In 2003, after a slight dip in reading scores from 72 percent proficiency in 2002 they fell to 66 percent the following year.
A reading consultant gave Mindish the idea to have students use a list of reading strategies such as making connections, make predictions, asking questions, and reflecting, just to name a few.
Mindish, along with the district’s administration, decided to provide supplmental practice PSSA materials for students to read on Fridays.
This change from free-choice Friday reading, was met by quite a severe backlash, she recalled.
Students’ formed a petition with more than 240 signatures, objecting to the new reading program because it wasn’t free-choice reading.
The issue was covered by local media and was brought to the attention of the school board.
A program that was once despised by students had turned into something that the kids were adamant about keeping the way it was.
Mindish said the so-called “smart” kids were upset and claimed that they did not need this extra practice.
Despite the criticism, Mindish held the program intact.
“It’s hard to change,” she mused. If you do it (change), everybody has to do it.”
After the semi-freeze on free reading for a couple of months Mindish allowed students to once again read books of their choice.
The results?
A three percent increase in reading proficiency.
After this Penn Manor moved to a system that included Friday Reading as well as periodic reading PSSA practice.
The new system improved PSSA scores, from 2001 to 2005 the high school had a 20 percent increase in profciency in math and reading PSSA’s.
This was the highest increase in the county during that time period.
After 2006, Penn Manor scores took a slight decrease before eventually plateaued.
“We just couldn’t seem to get above that 70 percent mark.”
She used the analogy of weightlifting, if you keep doing the same exercises you won’t get stronger, you need to change up the routine, she explained.
Toward the end of her career, Mindish admits she may have gotten a bit “lazy.” She retired at the conclusion of the 2008-2009 school year.
Now Penn Manor is back on that PSSA warning list.
Enrichment was the first step taken,but what if that does not work.?
Friday reading was Penn Manor’s savior last time, but now seems like a distant memory for many Penn Manor students, so distant that one new faculty member did not believe it was a real thing.
What will get us back on track?
That is a decision the administration will have to make.
Penn Manor is running, jumping, throwing, and hoping for another successful season.
It is the the start of another track season here at Penn Manor. It will feature a handful of new faces for the Penn Manor track team, however, they well still have their veteran athletes which they will heavily rely on to have a successful 2012 season.
They will rely on the key contributions of Seniors Jess Huber, Darin Spirk, and Laura Wissler the trio competes in throwing events. Sprinters Levonta Jones, Adrian Vireut and senior, David Burch. In distance Emily Novak and Meghan Maisano who run the 800 meters and the 4×800 relay team that won both leagues and districts last year. In distance they will look for sophomore Greta Linsdley to have another stellar year. She won the 3200 and 1600 at the league meet last year and was a part of 4×800 relay team that won leagues and districts. Other keys components to a successful 2012 season are hurdlers, Emily Novak and Eli Marcelino, jumpers, David Burch and Adrien Vireut, and pole vaulter, Selena Hasircoglu.
Coach Morris adresses the track team before their scrimmage. Photo by Sam Valentin
But they will have to endure this season without Demetrius Dixon, Morgan and Natasha Fletcher, Katie Maisel,Peter Ashworth, Austin Groff, Andy Olsen, Quinn Nadu, Helen Doolittle, Sarah Connor, and Matt Funk who all graduated. While girls jumper, Jessie Greenslade did not come out this year.
But sprinter, Levonta Jones does not seem to concerned.
“We lost a lot of key athletes but I still think we can compete at a varsity level” said Jones.
And he seems to be right. Penn Manor unofficially won there scrimmage against Garden Spot earlier this year. Even though score was not kept.
Next the Comets faced defending State Champion, Hempfield in their first home meet of the season.
The entire team, coaches included, knew this was going to be a test.
“Its a freaking battle,” said Joe Herman, a throwing coach for the Comets.
“Hempfield, the defending state champion in track and field, were a challenging first meet for us,” said head coach, Arthur Morris.
And a battle it was with the Comets coming up just short giving them their first loss of the year.
Last year the boys overall record was 4-2 while the girls overall record was 5-2, meanwhile every member of the team is hoping for a better season.
“We are hoping better then last year,” said Herman.” The kids are looking good two weeks in.”
A couple years into the Morris regime and he has switched things up for the Comets which he ultimately hopes leads to success.
“[Coach Morris] is conducting things differently this year,” said Jess Huber. She thinks the more one on one coaching is going to make a difference this year. But we will only know at the end of the season.
They did rebound from their loss with a win against Warwick.
Their next meet is April 10th at home against Cedar Crest.
The team has not really gotten to much attention for accomplishments on the track. However, with the talent that this team has this year it might be a team that you may want to pay close attention to this year.
It has been a year of changes for Penn State. A new football coach, a new president, and no Joe Paterno. Now Penn State is considering another major change for the university: switching from a public university to a private university. Penn State trustees chairwoman Karen Peetz called it, “the Cornell model,” in a recent report.
The reason Penn State is considering the option of becoming a private University officials say is because PA Governor Tom Corbett warned Penn State to open its records to the public or he will cut off their taxpayer funding.
“I hope if Penn State goes private it doesn’t affect the tuition too much,” said senior Ian Toomey, who will be attending Penn State next year.
Currently, Penn State benefits from exemptions to some parts of the state’s Right to Know law. The law’s agenda is the following: “Providing for access to public information, for a designated open-records officer in each Commonwealth agency, local agency, judicial agency and legislative agency,” according to PA Freedom of Information Coalition.
So what records does Penn State have that they want to keep out of the public’s eyes?
With the recent child abuse scandal at Penn State involving former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, Penn State may want to keep the records involving the scandal private and not comply with the Right to Know Law. These could include records for court cases involving Sandusky, and current and former employers who will stand trial for related charges in the scandal.
Penn State is considering the option of becoming a private institute. Photo from Pennlive.com.
Peetz stressed that this decision will not be rushed and no changes should be expected in the near future.
“The Cornell model is of great interest. But this can’t be rushed. I don’t think that’s going to be a quick decision,” said Peetz in a recent article in The Patriot News.
Penn State officials have already met with officials from Cornell University, which used to be a public university, but changed to a private school. Cornell though still receives some New York state aid for four of its colleges for research and teaching.
“It was only a discussion of ideas and nothing more,” said Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers of the meeting.
People involved with Penn State want to know what changes they will face if Penn State decides to go private.
One definite impact, according to the article in The Patriot News, is the cost of tuition to attend to Penn State.
Senator Jake Corman, a Centre County Republican, stated in the article that, “Trustees would move away from setting tuition based on what students could afford and shift to how much they’re willing to pay.”
Matt Brouillette, president of the conservative-leaning Commonwealth Foundation, thinks Penn State going private is a great idea, and that tuition price will not change drastically.
“We obviously know higher-education subsidies don’t lead to lower tuition, so eliminating those subsidies is not going to directly affect tuition costs,” Brouillette said in a recent article in The Patriot News.
Currently the tuition at Penn State for Pennsylvania residents is about $15,250, about ten thousand dollars less compared to tuition for out of state residents. Because Cornell still receives some aid from the stat of New York their in state and out of state tuition also differ. A new York resident pays about $27,000 in tuition compared to $ 43,000 for out of state students.
Under Governor Corbett’s proposed budget Penn State will receive a 30 percent cut in state funding. This fact makes the idea of going private more plausible because Penn State is relying less and less on state funding to help off set costs.
In a year of change for Penn State a major decision now looms over the university. Will they continue to operate as a public university and receive state funding? Or, will they switch to a private university and follow the “Cornell Model?” Only time will tell.
A firestorm has swept through the country, with an issue that concerns a little over half of the population.
Women’s reproductive health. From the challenge of the “Obamacare” health care overhaul, to the presidential candidates’ personal views, it’s hard to turn on the television lately without being bombarded by the issue. At the center of the issue is the clause of “Obamacare” that requires companies to cover birth control and preventative healthcare for women as a part of their health insurance policies, regardless of whether or not the company happens to be a religious institution.
Boehner and Pelosi speak out on the debate. Image credit Getty Images.
Some have called it an infringement of religious rights, others a basic part of health care for women. Others simply look at their calenders in confusion, wondering when we traveled back in time to 1957.
According to Speaker of the House John Boehner, “This is about protecting Americans’ religious beliefs. We’ve done it for 220 years. It’s part of our Constitution and the government’s moving in a direction that would force some Americans to violate their religious beliefs. This is wrong and we want to stop it.”
But just prior to the vote on the Obamacare clause, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, said the Senate GOP’s attempt was “a blunt, sweeping overreach into women’s health” that is “disrespecting women’s health issues” by allowing employers to cut basic health services for women, such as contraception, mammograms, prenatal and cervical cancer screenings, and other preventive care.
But the question that seems to be thrown around the most is, is it a matter of entitlement or of women’s health rights?
A Penn Manor student laughed when asked the question, saying “Entitlement? In the sense that men think women feel entitled?”
Some Penn Manor students weighed in on their beliefs about birth control and abortion, “The only reason that people are having babies is because they’re having sex before they’re ready,” said a Penn Manor junior girl who wished to remain anonymous, “[if they have access to birth control] then more people will have sex before marriage.”
Others had a different opinion, “It makes sense for the companies to cover birth control,” said another Penn Manor student, “If they don’t cover birth control then employees will get pregnant and then the company will have to pay them to be on maternity leave.”
“I am pro-choice,” the student said.
When some girls were asked about the legality of abortion, their responses were immediate, “No. Abortion shouldn’t be legal. It’s a child, not a choice,” said the student, “You’re killing a human life, but people who’ve had an abortion will be forgiven by God.”
These reactions come on the heels of the controversy surrounding Virginia’s abortion bill — namely, if a woman would wish to have an abortion she would be required to submit to a transvaginal probe and subsequent ultrasound. The intention of the bill was to make sure that the woman really knows exactly what she is getting rid of, to put the emphasis on informed consent of a medical procedure.
The controversy revolves around the political aim of the bill — is it to have the fetus personified in an invasive probe or to give the woman more information before she makes her final choice.
A similar bill has been tabled in the Pennsylvania Legislature.
One Georgia Democrat, in retaliation for the bill, even submitted a satirical antivasectomy bill that required a probe of its own. Neither that bill nor the Virginia abortion legislature passed when it came to a vote.
Recently, Susan G. Komen for the Cure pulled its funding of Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions as part of its family planning, to much controversy.
But what about when using birth control isn’t about birth control?
When the Food and Drug Administration first approved the use of the birth control pill in 1957, it wasn’t actually for birth control at all, but for severe menstrual disorders and pain. Birth control has been shown to have many positive effects (and some negative side effects like weight gain) like the prevention of ovarian and endometrial cancer. According to the LA Times, it also is “used to treat ovarian cysts, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, breakthrough bleeding and painful menstrual periods.”
Birth control can be used to help control severe menstrual symptoms, like debiliatating cramps.
That fact is not often brought up by the conservative opponents of the “Obamacare” legislation.
Like Rush Limbaugh.
Limbaugh, the ultraconservative radio talk host, made extremely offensive comments about Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke for three straight days.
Fluke, who was invited by the Democrats to sit on the all-male Republican
Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown Law student, was the subject of Limbaugh's rant. Image credit AP.
committee discussing women’s reproductive rights and freedom of conscience, was barred from giving her testimony on the grounds that she was not experienced enough in the issue. She would have been the only woman on the committee.
Later on she would be invited by House Democrats to give her testimony, where she cited several cases of anecdotal evidence and statistical facts, including that during her three years as a law student she could spend as much as $3000 on birth control, and that she had a friend with a disorder that was regulated by birth control — a drug not covered by her Jesuit school’s health program.
Limbaugh used this as part of his talk program, “What does it say about the college co-ed Susan Fluke [sic], who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex, what does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex. She’s having so much sex she can’t afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex. What does that make us? We’re the pimps. The johns? We would be the johns? No! We’re not the johns. Yeah, that’s right. Pimp’s not the right word. Okay, so she’s not a slut. She’s ’round heeled’. I take it back.”
Fluke was not quiet, did not just take it, “‘No woman deserves to be disrespected in this manner. This language is an attack on all women, and has been used throughout history to silence our voices,” she said in a press release. ‘The millions of American women who have and will continue to speak out in support of women’s health care and access to contraception prove that we will not be silenced.”
And now a recent study has found a connection between the use of birth control and wages for women. In an article for the Huffington Post, Martha Bailey, an affiliate at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research who authored the study is quoted as saying, “As the pill provided younger women the expectation of greater control over childbearing, women invested more in their human capital and careers,” Bailey explained. “Most affected were women with some college, who benefited from these investments through remarkable wage gains over their lifetimes.”
The debate is the biggest one of the election even though America has a weak, recovering economy, huge debt, and soldiers overseas.
The “Hunger Games” series continues to fly off the shelves of the library at Penn Manor High School and has done so for the past two months. The book series has and continues to grow in popularity because of the movie coming to theaters soon. It seems to be that the students want to read the book before the movie comes out so they can compare the two.
All three books of the the “Hunger Games” series photo by nannypoppins123.blogspot.com
Diane Bounds, the librarian at Penn Manor High School, said that not only “The Hunger Games” but every other book in this series has been off the shelves for several weeks.
The library has actually set up a waiting list where the students sign up for what book they want and have to wait their turn to get it. The first book of the Hunger Games series was published in 2008 and since August of this year students have been all over these books, according to library personnel.
“I dont think the students will stop reading these books after the movie comes out because of all the other books,” Ms. Bounds said about the books’ popularity even after the movie was released into theaters.
“I have definitely seen students check out this book who normally don’t check books out at the library,” Bounds said.
With the amount of students who are interested in reading these book, some students have decided to take this problem into their own hands like sophomore Megan Laughlin who asked around and found some friends that actually own all three of the book so she was able to barrow them instead of buying them or waiting on the list. Megan really enjoys reading this series because of all the action and suspense that makes it very easy to loose track of reality and read through the book at a fast pace because you want to find out what happen next.
“Im really excited to see the movie and im pretty sure that it will be very accurate to the book,” said Laughlin
Last week was the midnight showing of “the Hunger Games” where some students from Penn Manor attended the showing at a theater near them.
The Hunger Games movie has been one of the biggest movies for gross revenue, $155 million, on its opening weekend, more than other popular book series movies such as the Twilight movie. Hunger Games fell behind other popular movie like last year’s “Harry Potter” which raked in 169.2 million and “the Dark Knight” which brought in 158.4 million dollars a little more then the Hunger Games.
Although there have been no plans to make the other two books in the Hunger Games series into movies, “Catching Fire” and “Mocking Jay,” but with the high success of the “Hunger Games” movie on its opening weekend it may be that these next two books in the series will bring in the same kind of profit.
Governor Tom Corbett has not been a popular figure at Millersville University, lately.
The university said 20 percent will be cut this year from their usual state allocation. An audience of more than 200 people, from students to alumni, were set up outside the Student Memorial Center with signs and school clothing to emphasize their rage against Corbett. The members of the rally said that their goal was to make lawmakers fear them.
Speaker talks to students at Millersville. Photo courtesy of Lancaster Online
The cuts will increase tuition for students annually, and potentially cause some students to drop out. In recent years, the university has cut a total of 124 faculty members and 144 courses, and is planning on adding to those number in the upcoming year.
Chuck Ward, a professor at Millersville University said in a Fox News video report, “A shrinking number of faculty and a shrinking number of courses are being offered to the same amount of students.”
Not only are the educational aspects of the school being minimized, but the athletics are well on their way also.
CROS, which stands for the Coalition to Rescue Our Sports, is a group put together by students to raise money to save their athletics program. An endowment fund of $300,000 was offered to the track and field and cross country teams at Millersville, to hold them for two to three years so they can figure out a permanent financial solution but the university turned the offer down.
Corbett’s proposed budget would cut funding to all of higher education in the state, affecting tuition and fees for many Penn Manor students.
Junior Juan Cubano was considering going to Millersville University, but now that tuition is going up he said, “Millersville isn’t as attractive of a school to me anymore, I’m mainly just disappointed that the school would let this happen.”
Cubano has lived in Millersville all his life and his dream was to play soccer at Millersville, but he said his dream is crushed.
It’s that time of year again, when driving along side a small stream and there looks to be about 100 trucks parked by the side the road.
Before trout season began Saturday, all the rods and reels are set up and ready to go- is the weather going to cooperate?
For 18 southeastern counties 8 a.m is the start of a spring ritual, not a minute early nor a minute late. Those 16 years or older must obtain a fishing license and Trout/Salmon stamp. Failure to do so, can result in a fine. There will be game commissioners out everywhere, don’t test them.
With a slight chance of rain in the forecast for tomorrow, it may hold back the faint of heart but not those from doing what they love to do – throw that line in and wait for a catch.
As for Penn Manor sophomore T.J Helm, he said, “I don’t mind if it were to rain, I’ll put on my rain suit and continue what I do best, just fishin.”
Some students don’t mind the weather and it wont phase them a bit. As for senior Ryan Dicamillo, he predicted, “I’ll be out there bright and early, my buddies and I have a ritual we do every fishing season.”
Some refused to give up their “spot,” Dicamillo’s response was simply, ” I can’t tell you that, you just have to be there.”
All waters in Adams, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill and York counties will be filled with fisherman.
The weather doesn’t seem to be a big deal here at Penn Manor.
Senior Josh Morgan said, ” If you love to fish you will be out there rain or shine. Overcast sky’s are the best for fishing but if it were to rain that’s not going to stop me.”
With rain in the forecast there has to be something that changes your style about fishing, what is it?
Morgan chuckled, “an old fisherman once told me to use a different type of lore and there are certain spots that will be hitting better than others.”
When asked what do you mean by some spots will be hitting better than others?”
He replied, “there are certain holes that trout go to every year and with rain in the forecast they move to better surroundings and where they can feed. I’ll leave it at this, where I’m going there will be fish being pulled out not a doubt in my mind.”
The weather doesn’t seem to be a big deal but there is one big deal that everyone sees every year -people flying by on the road driving carelessly even though they know people are fishing and even some families are out together bonding.
Sometimes true stories can be inspiring when brought to the big screen, but other times they can highlight mistakes and problems with society. The Experiment did the latter.
A remake of the German film Das Experiment, it tells the true story of a Stanford psychology experiment gone miserably wrong. The test subjects are offered $14,000 to participate in the two week trial. It seems like easy money but there’s a catch, some of the volunteers will lose some of their civil rights for the duration of the experiment. This is because the volunteers will play the roles of guards (Forest Whitaker) and prisoners (Adrien Brody) in a prison like atmosphere.The only rule is no violence or the experiment will be terminated and no one will be paid. Easy enough.
Being a remake of a huge hit, it had a lot to live up to and was unfairly compared to the original. I never viewed the original so I had no bias while coming up with my opinion of the film, and I personally thought the movie was 3 out of 5 stars. Something to rent to watch, but not necessarily to be part of your movie collection.
A great part of the film were the leading actor’s portrayals of their characters. Forest Whitaker had an outstanding performance of a man who became drunk with power. There wasn’t much background information on Whitaker’s character given, but I got the feeling he was someone who had been bullied all his life and now all the power was in his hands. His role is kind of creepy, he seems unstable, and Whitaker pulls it off terrifically. He was very convincing and actually provoked feelings of fear in me for the other inmates.
Brody’s role is that of a recently laid off worker that meets a love interest during a protest. Unfortunately for him, the girl is leaving for a long trip to India and he doesn’t have enough money to join her on her travels. The experiment is the fix. Brody does a terrific job of balancing the traits of a leader, while also being on the brink of losing his mind at some points as the experiment takes a turn for the worse.
The Experiment is a gritty true tale and definitely leaves you wondering if things like this still happen, maybe not in the U.S., but in other countries. The real story is that a Standford psychology professor, Philip Zimbardo, conducted a prison experiment in a Stanford basement in 1971. Zimbardo allowed the guards to abuse the prisoners, all of which is on footage, until he ended the experiment after six days because of the brutality.
The Experiment is a psychological story of how power can make one corrupt, which I believe is a reflection of our society in all forms of government.
