Sie sind auf Seite 1von 8

The

Logan Kickham Editor Courtney YBarbo Staff writer

NorsemaN
Bryan High School February 2009 Volume 38, Number 4

Seniors dominate powder puff


Another year of smash-mouth flag football has come and gone and once again the seniors have come out with a victory. Each year the junior girls face off with the senior girls in an all out battle for bragging rights and dominance; while the boys also exchange their usual roles on the field for a sideline position as coaches. This years game was once again refereed by the always popular, Mr. Lester Banks. I have been refereeing powder puff for eight years, Banks said. While most juniors have suspected the game has been fixed for many years now, this year the payoff was allegedly seen by several junior girls. I saw the hand-off; the seniors gave Lester a folded up envelope. It was in the middle of the field and the whole defensive line saw it, junior Jessica Harlin said. Senior Shelby McGee tries to break The seniors maintian, however, that they did not bribe the official. away from junior Megan Bork during We never the powder puff game. payed him anything. The juniors must have been mistaken, senior coach Colton Loehr said. Mr. Banks knows that even though this may not be fair to all involved it is the spirit of the game. The name of the game is to let [the seniors] play and let them have fun and thats what I did, Banks said. The seniors came out to play and had a great time. They all played with a lot of heart, Loehr said. Although they lost, the juniors know that they brought their A-game to the field. We did have some really good plays, some really good players, and I know we all had a lot of fun, junior Mason Gallindo said. The game lived up to traditions and expectations on both sides of the field and while this years juniors played their role as the losing team, they know next year will be their time to shine and Seniors Ruth Ledezma and Johana Saldana enjoy are already anticipating their big win. the Sadie Hawkins dance with their dates.

Sadie Hawkins

Feature - Page 2

Foreign exchange program brings cultural diversity


Chelsea Downey Assistant editor Christina Romero Staff writer Simply moving to a new town can be strange, but changing continents can completely change your world. Sixteen-year-old Matthias Ibach is a transfer student from Buchen/Goetzingen, Germany; southeast of Frankfurt. Matthias came to Texas through the World Heritage Program and he specifically picked the United States in order to experience new things and see how life is in America. He will stay in the United States until June with Rhonda and Steven Pierce, who have housed foreign exchange students before. Matthias is currently enrolled as a junior, but it must be noted that American high school is very different from its German counterpart. [Americans] have the same classes every day; in Germany we have a weekly schedule and the teachers change rooms while the students stay in class, Matthias said. German schools require two foreign languages so Matthias is fluent in German, French and English; but still has trouble adjusting to all classes in English. If English were my native language [classes] would be easier, Matthias said, I have to concentrate on what the teachers saying, and think about it more. Language is not the only major difference between America and Germany, driving and phone usage rules also vary, and driving isnt allowed until 18. Here you can use a cell phone while driving. In Germany its forbidden while driving, Matthias said. Though Matthias does not get his German driving permit until he is 17, he still has an interest in automobiles. The German cars are more efficient and smaller, Matthias said, but I like American cars because theyre so big. When people think of German driving, besides cars, the Autobahn comes to mind, an experience that Matthias takes in stride. [The Autobahn] is fun, but its normal for us, and Im used to it, Matthias said, there are speed limits sometimes in working areas, though. As fun as the Autobahn may be, driving is not purchased cheaply in Europe, where Americans complaints of low gas are meaningless compared to $10.00/gallon in Germany. Not only do driving ages differ, but the drinking age is also lowered for teens. Drinking is different because its earlier in life, at 16, but the children dont abuse it because were allowed to drink, Matthias said. Despite the many differences between Germany and the United States, European teens have begun to mimic their American cousins. A lot of kids speak English, play American games, listen to American music and like to watch American TV shows, Matthias said. Though Matthias has already traveled thousands of miles to reach his new residence, he continues to travel to experience a new culture. Ive been to New York and Washington DC, Matthias said, But I really liked Reno where we watched

air races and they looked pretty amazing. As a soccer and tennis player back home, Matthias was eager to experience American sports, both as a spectator and a participant. I like your football and baseball, I also play tennis and like to watch it as well, Matthias said. Throughout his stay in America Matthias has begun to adjust to the culture shock and even found a fellow German, Ingo Stoessel, though he still misses his friends and family along with his former vacation schedule. I like German holidays better, because we have 3 weeks at Christmas, 3 weeks at Easter and only 6 weeks in the summer, Matthias said, I dont like it that you have 8 weeks in a row for summer. Traditionally, Americans celebrate Christmas on the 25th, leading to mass celebrations and little notice given to the day before, but not in Germany. We celebrate on the 24th, so we open all our presents earlier than you, and we eat turkey on the 24th, Matthias said. Though the Christmas holiday traditions vary in Germany and the United States, Valentines Day is much the same. I dont know how its celebrated here, Matthias said, in school we can buy flowers for our people, is pretty much the same. Though Germany and the United States are almost polar opposites to most people, for Matthias, both have their high and low points. Theres nothing really different, Matthias said, I like the people here, and the way people live. Matthias has so far enjoyed his experience in the United States, and eagerly awaits more experiences.

Order Senior Pictures

Dont forget to order you senior pictures from Photo Texas to make sure you have enough time to include them in you graduation announcements. You can order online at www.phototexas. com or come by room 6160.

UIL Willis Invitational

On Saturday, January 17 the UIL Academic team competed in the Willis tournament. Winners included: Clint Lanham with a 1st place finish in computer science and a 2nd place finish in computer applications; Justin Luther with

Academic team competed in the A&M Consolidated invitational. Winners included: Logan Kickham with a 1st place finish in feature writing, a 2nd place finish in news writing and a 5th place finish in headline writing; John Fuller with a 2nd place finish in headline writing and a 4th place finish in feature writing; Brian Cune with a 6th place finish in accounting; Clint Lanham with a 5th place finish in computer applications and a 6th place finish in UIL Consol Invitational computer science; and Nico Milanes On Saturday, February 7 the UIL finished 2nd in computer science.
a 3rd place finish in computer science; James Moncivais with a 1st place finish in computer applications and two 2nd place finishes in computer science and spelling and vocabulary; Reed Williams with a 1st place finish in current issues and events. The science team and the computer applications team both finished in 1st place. Both the science and computer applications teams consisted of Lanham, Luther and Moncivais.

Three academic teams earned 2nd place each: the computer science team, consisting of Nico Milanes, Clint Lanham and Jacob German; the accounting team consisting of Brian Cune, Chris Scarmardo and Tyler Green; and the journalism team consisting of Logan Kickham and John Fuller.

Order Your Yearbook

Dont forget to order your 2009 yearbook. Books are currently $65 and will go up to $75 after the books come in. You can go to www.smart-pay.com or pick up an order form in room 6160.

OFYP plan entails early release for qualifying students


Logan Kickham Editor All content in this article is subject to change per the OFYP committee as things are continuing to be discussed on a high school and district level. Students were informed in the latter part of the fall semester that they would have the potential to be released from school seven days early. The OFYP program is currently being defined through a series of committees that have requested parental and teacher input. To qualify for OFYP, students must miss no more than 8 days of class, excused or unexcused for core classes, pass all core classes, and pass the TAKS test. Students who will remain on campus during OFYP will fall under one of three categories: credit recovery, attendance issues or TAKS failure. This program was first initiated by the downtown administration. Administrators then sent out questionnaires and conducted open forums to allow parents, teachers and other administrators to comment. The school board had the final say and approved the program. The initiation of this program means different things for different campuses. One of the main problems students are concerned with are final exams. There will be four exams on Friday the 15th and then there would be three scheduled on Monday which would mean the amount of time that we allow for exams would be shorter, Dean of Instruction Donna Willett said. the extra thee days. As for final exams, all students will take part one of exams and the qualifying students will be done. The change only affects the students that are staying longer. During the ten days, OFYP students will be focusing on the core courses. Part 2 [finals] are exams specific to TAKS objectives over the things they covered during the tend days and there will be some sort of average between Part 1 and Part 2, Willett said. The second Part 2 is will be similar to a unit test of the reviewed TAKS material The day to day schedule for students still in school is still up in the air, but some ideas have been discussed. Were going to try to keep [ninth and tenth graders] schedules the same as a normal day, but they will focus on specific TAKS objectives during that time, Willett said. So accommodations will be made for students with COOP or other conflictions in their schedules. We will work that out with the student and they would keep early release and late arrival, Willett said. Underclassmen will likely attend elective courses along with TAKS objectives, but eleventh and twelfth graders may not. Juniors and seniors will probably look different because they have already taken their exit level test, Willett said. The majority of upperclassmen attending the extra two weeks will probably be focusing on certain subjects in order to pass their second opportunity at the exit level test. Willett says juniors and seniors will spend the majority of their time practicing whatever portion they did not pass. The district is attempting to implement

In-Depth - Page 3
this policy in order to encourage students to strive for success with TAKS, but past freshmen classes have presented a problem in the years past. We need to get the ninth grade to start taking it seriously in advance rather than waiting until the 11th grade, Willett said. In previous years administrators havent been able to get an accurate idea of students TAKS potential. We are trying to get people motivated to take TAKS; try and take it seriously because we dont know whether or not the students really know the material needed to pass, because they dont try or put effort into TAKS the years before, Willett said. Adminstrators are still pushing for kids to realize that comply with the standard exam exemption requirements could result in even fewer days of school. Were trying to stress for seniors, the 14th can really be [their] last day, Willett said. Providing incentives to the kids for performing well academically is something many of the schools already support with their final exemption policies. The district is hoping that this program will be a catalyst for future improvement. Parents and students must continue to watch for postings that involve the revision of OFYP as the end of the year draws closer.

Because of the shorte n e d schedule the exams are not the only thing having to be revamped. For students who qualify, the school year will be seven days shorter, if not then students will have a revised schedule that could require them to stay three extra days past the original school calendar. Willett says a perfect attendance reward policy is being attempted for the OFYP days. If students attend the first seven days and have no discipline problems they wouldnt have to come

7 Days Early

Pass your core classes No more than 8 days of absences whether excused or unexcused in core classes Pass TAKS

Page 4 - Opinions

As Valentines Day approaches, stores are beginning to put out candy and flowers, and guys are beginning to prepare the perfect Valentines Day for their girlfriends. To me, Valentines Day is just another day. I personally think that if you truly care about someone you should show them everyday, not just on February 14th. The holiday has become more commercialized, as stores everywhere have candy, jewelry, flowers, etc. displayed right when you walk in. Magazines have Valentines Day issues out. All over Radio and T.V. are commercials for businesses saying that their product is the perfect gift. All of these factors lure people into spending money on people they love, because they feel, that they have to. Love should not be measured by the gifts you give or receive. It should be about being with the one you love. I know girls always say, I dont want anything, but the truth is, we do. But I do not want guys to go out and spend a lot of money. Money does not buy love. I

Valentines Day should not be the only time for affection

Jamie Berthold

By

Working through stress


Rex Urquhart Seth Wells

Bryan High: Im baaack

mean, for me, I would rather get a more thoughtful gift than a gift that costs a lot of money. After all, it is the thought that counts. People have become so wrapped up in making the perfect Valentines Day that they forget what the holiday is really about. Most people do not even know why we celebrate Valentines Day, and it doesnt really seem to matter anymore. All that matters nowadays is the presents. When you are so caught up in getting everything right, you forget to focus on what truly matters. You lose sight of the fact that the day is about spending time with the people you love and showing them how you feel. If you truly love someone you should be spending time with them and showing them how you feel, making Valentines Day pointless Valentines Day gifts should be less about making everything perfect and more about making the day perfect for the one you love. The day would be perfect by just being with the person who, you love. Honestly, if you worry less about buying the perfect gift you will not be stressed out and you will still have money. Think about it, if you dont waste your money on Valentines Day, you will still have money to take the person youre with out again later. Basically, this time of year should not be as much about money as it should be about being in love. But, dont get me wrong, Its still nice to be thought of on Valentines.

Stress. Everyone experiences it at one point or another, and its becoming more and more common in high school students. Most teens are getting stressed over taking on too many things while at school, such as clubs, sports, and just plain studying. They think they have to be the smartest academically, the coolest socially, and the star athletically. If your palms are already sweating, take a deep breath and read on, because this article is especially for you. High school students are pressured to take on too many tasks by todays set of standards. Stress is usually self-created because of the pressure to be perfect. No one is perfect, not even the person expecting you to make all As, catch every pass, or be voted most popular. Im not saying you shouldnt try to achieve any of these goals, but if you

By

do make a B and it was the best you could do, then accept that and move on. If you spend less time lingering on the past and focusing your future and whats ahead, thats less stress for the present. If you want advice for handling stress, we suggest to first stop cramming your schedule full of activities all the time. Everyone deserves a break every now and then, so dont be afraid to take one. I also advise you to have some fun. Whether its hanging out with friends, playing video games, or shopping, do something that makes you happy. Also, get a good nights sleep. No one can function their best on less than seven hours every night. Stress should be something that happens periodically, or better yet, when youre 40. High school is an experience to remember, not one to look back on and remember how panicked you were throughout half of it. So enjoy being a teenager while you can. Even though one test or game may seem like the end of the world if it doesnt turn out exactly how you imagined it, its not. Just remember to relax sometimes because life will go on

Courtney YBarbo
Yes, its true, Im back! And I am so glad to be back in the halls of B-High. Just to catch yall up to speed about me and my life and where Ive been lately, I moved with my parents to Hewitt which is right next to Waco in October, all because of my dads job. I recently moved back to B-town and Im living with Logan Kickham, my BFF and her father, K-Dawg, and every other weekend with Logans mom and step-dad, busy busy busy. Now let me tell ya, I hated it in Hewitt, I went to Midway High, a 4-A School, where I was a Midway Panther. Lame, huh? I like being a Viking so much better. Midway students were real weird. Between each class, they would go to their lockers, yes, they actually used their lockers! The school looked like a mall and was overly clean, not worn in like Bry-

By

an High. The hallways were deathly quiet, kind of creepy, no loud screams or pushing people, no one singing Lil Wayne songs, nothing. Another thing that bugged me was that the majority of the students were white upper middle class; it wasnt as culturally diverse as B-High and that felt a little boring. The rules were crazy strict there too. Even though you didnt have to have a hall pass, you werent allowed to have cell phones! Like at all, not even on campus and there were no iPods either! You also couldnt have jeans with holes whatsoever. If they saw you with holey pants they would make you change into I Love Midway sweatpants. yeah, not cool. The school had a funny smell too, it kind of smelled like a dentist office. Sick. They also didnt have a water polo team! Lame. The students there werent mean, I made friends, but only a few during the little time I was there. So to answer your question if I was a lonely freak with no friends and sat alone at lunch, no I wasnt, I had friends, thank goodness! But now, Im back for good.

Todays disappointing media


Jessica Harlin

Everyone watches movies. Some may even say that watching movies has become an electronic pastime of todays society. The movie industry has a major influence on our economy. There were approximately 286 movies made in 2008. That is almost 6 movies a week. The theaters are packed on every night of the weekend, and Im just wondering why. All the movies that come out in theaters these days have the same theme within their individual genre. Take action movies for example, someone is always trying to kill someone else. Two people meet, fall in love, and the bad guy dies, the end. Its quite pitiful that with all of the writers and producers that are creating works of art they all have the same plot line. Another downfall to todays entertainment is the vulgarity that is required to amuse peoples deplorable sense of humor. Even some cartoons have sexual innuendos which are saying that its ok to let such so called humor be broadcasted to our children. Although I understand that parents dont want to have to be completely bored while trying to entertain their children, if you say its ok to expose them to such things at a young age what right do you have to say they cannot watch similar movies when they actually understand the meaning of such humor. When movies are not filled with crude humor they are full of stupid. The classic cartoon of Looney Toons where Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner are in a never ending battle is funny because no matter how hard the coyote tries he never catches the roadrunner and he always gets hurt in the end. Well current movies have taken that idea of getting hurt from a cartoon and put it in a movie with real people and when they get hurt its just sad and not funny at all. Although I am not going to say that all movies are trash and everyone should be ashamed of themselves or anything like that I am just saying the quality of the movie business is ina steady downward spiral. I dont know what qualifies a movie to be rated R, but they should honestly reconsider the eligibility of some of the content that producers allow in the movie, because I know some stuff is really not necessary. Besides the fact that the content is not only unacceptable; close to half of the newly released movies are rated R for strong language, violence, or sexual content. Remakes of old movies seem to be becoming more and more frequent and also more and more disastrous. When you take a classic and try to make it modern it loses its distinction. Yes, modern-day technology is more advanced than it was but the originality of the film is ruined when you change it.

Hard work, no reward

Opinions - Page 5

By

With all the chaos that engulfs students throughout their four years of high school some outlets can be fun and quite possibly a necessity to make it out of here alive. Electives, especially sports, provide kids with the break they truly need. While many colleges expect to see extracurriculars along with competitive grades on an application, no one seems to realize that this is an extremly difficult task to achieve. The problem lies within the grade-weighting process. Students are required to participate in at least a year and a half of physical education classes so it is understandable that an athletic class would not be weighted for a students freshman and sophomore years. Once at a varsity level though, athletes are generally putting in countless hours of practice a day for a season or in some sports as much as an entire year and dont seem to be getting the credit they deserve. Students that are struggling to perform well academically as well as in the sports arena are inevitably being punished with respect to their GPA. The kids taking predominatly pre-AP, honors, and AP classes are having their GPA brought down by participating in school activities. One would think that administrators and board members would encourage participation by rewarding students and not punishing them. The system does, however, recognize and reward students who participate in extracirriculars such as band, choir, or Shy-Annes by offering positively weighted GPAs, multiple credits for only one activity or even both. Its funny how the system can discourage students from helping themselves and their school in a certain activities, but show positive incentives in those they deem to be more important such as the all time favorite - texas football. ---The Norseman Staff

The

NOrsemaN
Bryan High School October 2008 Volume 38, Number 4

The opinions expressed are those of the writers and are not reflective of the administrators, faculty or staff of Bryan Independent School District. Submissions to the editor are welcomed, but must be signed and should not exceed 300 words. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions in the interest of clarity and length or to not print a letter at all. Letters containing obscene or libelous material will not be considered. Bryan Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex or handicap in providing education services.

Adviser Rebecca Dominy Editor Logan Kickham Assistant Editor Chelsea Downey

Staff writers Jamie Berthold Ruthie Dearman Jessica Harlin Caitlin Quinn Christina Romero Rex Urquhart Seth Wells Courtney YBarbo

Page 6 - Sports

Boys basketball on track for state

Christina Romero Catlin Quinn Staff writer As of February 9 the Viking boys basketball team is currently in first place in district. They are currently 11-0 in district and 25-2 overall. The Vikings are competing well this year with their eyes focused on their goal - make it to state. Head basketball coach, John Reese, believes he has a strong group of boys playing on the court. We have good kids and they play real hard they do real well, Coach Reese said, The key to success is good players. Not only do the kids seem to excel as individuals, but when they step on to the court they seem to bond as a cohesive unit. All the kids get along together and they play extremely hard on the court, Coach Reese said. Working close together, as athletic teams must ensures that the players learn to both lean on each other and take responsibility for their actions. We are real big on accountability, Coach Reese said, they have each others back on everything. With the loss of last years seniors, new leaders Terrance Wilbert and other seniors were ready to take on the responsibility of leading the Above: Senior Dacorian Burleson team. makes a jump shot inside the lane. Its a role I had to pick up after the seniors left last year Wilbert said Its a responsibility watching over these little kids. Left: J- Mychal Reese trys to score The varsity team is made up of mostly juniors and seniors, but ocon the Grey wolves. casionally this line can change, for instance J-Mychal Reese joined the team as a freshman. [I have been playing] since I was four years old, Reese said. Reese has been playing for many years but when he came to high school he discovered that the sport he knew and loved had evolved to a more demanding pastime with his transition to the big campus. Its way more physical coming from middle school, Reese said, but its fun. Though Reese is young, he is a huge asset to the team. At the Crosstown showdown he helped lead the Vikings to victory by scoring 24 of Bryans 94 points. In an intense game against Shoemaker, Reese scored half of the Vikings points, but Reese was not the only one who helped the Vikings bring home the victory. Wilbert had four of six shots in the last few minutes of the overtime game. In the end the Vikings defeated the Grey Wolves with a score of 67 -64. The teams next game is Friday February 13th at Harker Heights.

Swim team advances swimmers to regional meet


On January 31 the swim team competed in the District 12-5A swim meet where the girls placed 5th overall and the boys placed 3rd. In the Womens 200 yard Medley Relay Bryan placed 4th and the relay consisted of Briana Criaco, Emily Acker, Makayla Walker, and Melissa Williams. For the Womens 50 yard Freestyle Melissa Williams placed first with a time of 25.64 seconds. Flying through the 100 yard Butterfly was Makayla Walker with a 5th place time of 1:06.78. Melissa Williams came out with another first place time of 55.03 seconds in the 100 yard Freestyle. The girls pulled through the 200 yard Freestyle Relay with a 5th place win. Briana Criaco, Makayla Walker, Emily Acker and Melissa Williams made up the relay. The boys managed 3rd place in the Mens 200 yard

Medley Relay consisting of teammates Cody Smith, David Godinez, Ivann Alejandro and Cullen Tolmsoff. In the Mens 200 yard Individual Medley David Godinez earned 6th place with a time of 2:10.38 seconds. For the Mens 50 yard Freestyle Cullen Tolmsoff placed 3rd with a time of 23.16 seconds. In the Mens 100 yard Butterfly David Godinez placed 5th with a time of 56.61. In the 200 yard Freestyle Relay, Tyler Williamson, Josh Luna, Joseph Arellano and Dorian Galindo, placed 6th. In the Mens 400 yard freestyle relay, Godinez, Smith, Alejandro, and Tolmsoff, placed 2nd. Cody Smith tore up the pool with a first place finish in the 100 backstroke in just 57.82 seconds. The regional competition will be held this weekend in Freshman Melissa Williams swims during the 400 yard freestyle relay at the district Mansfield. swim meet at Texas A&M University.

ABC Family finally has primetime hit with Secret Life


Jamie Berthold Staff writer The Secret Life of the American Teenager premiered last summer and is currently running season two on Monday nights, at 7:00 p.m. on ABC family. In its first season, the show premiered with teenage band geek, Amy Juergens, showing up to high school pregnant with the school players baby. Ricky used his charming ways and got Amy to fall for his spell one night, and now Amy is pregnant. Like most teenage girls, Amy told her two best friends, Madison and Lauren, the two big mouths of school. Soon after, all of Ulysses S. Grant High School knew about Amy being pregnant. Before the school knew, Ben Boykewich, another nerd at Ulysses S. Grant High School, started showing interest in Amy. They had gone out once and it was love at first sight. Well, Amy thought Ben would skip out on her but instead of leaving, Ben agreed to help with the baby. As the season continued, the challenges of being a pregnant teenager were portrayed. Twisted love triangles began, and of course there was high school drama. The show was a hit and ABC family managed to put a show worth watching on the air. It shows teenage girls the struggles they would go through if they got pregnant, such as, being talked about and receiving dirty looks like Amy does as she walks

Entertainment - Page 7

down the hall. Luckily, Amy has Ben to help her. He is a sweet romantic guy, who takes care of her and loves her, and would do anything to be with her. Ben is played by, Ken Baumann. Ken does an excellent job capturing his role, in my opinion. He showed me that there are good guys out there who are willing to be with girls through thick and thin. Amy is played by Shailene Woodley. I give her props for taking on the role of Amy. I think she does an amazing job capturing the emotional trauma a pregnant teen goes through. I like that at the end of every episode the show ends with Shailene talking to the viewers encouraging abstinence. She took a role of a girl who is struggling and turned it into a show that teenage girls who are watching can listen to her and be convinced to stay abstinent. ABC family hit the jackpot with this show. It captures drama, discrimination, and real life situations while providing a lesson for teens in a way that is worth watching. It shows us that life isnt always easy, and sometimes we make mistakes, but we have to live with the consequences of our actions. Altogether, the show has viewers craving for more and applauding ABC family, for its outstanding achievement with this hit show.

Debut album satisfies craving for simply good music


Chelsea Downey Assistant editor Poison Kiss, the debut album of Enfield, Connecticut alternative rock/power pop band The Last Goodnight, surpasses expectations. Released in 2007, the album had measurable success in the United States,with Pictures of You remaining on charts for months while gaining radio success. Starting off with the keyboard-laden title track of Poison Kiss, lead singer Leif Christensens crooning vocals soar and keep the song upbeat, yet full of tender goodbyes. Poison Kiss speaks of a mans memory of how his former loves attempts to keep him around; their last kiss will part them forever. A dance tune for any lover of music would have to be Back Where We Belong, in which Ely Rises pleasing keyboarding and Kurtis John Henneberrys piano plunking add a uplifting guitar melody. Fastpaced lyrics combine with a swing-like chorus of optimism describing a couple reaching the perfect place in their life and relationship, the place where they belong. Of course, the jewel of the CD is Pictures of You a radio hit of 2007, full of memorable lyrics and Christensens aching and soulful voice full of regret for the missed opportunities of all. This song truly paints a picture of how the world is missing that one link to happiness and fulfillment. Though the song manages to siphon the problems of the entire world as a metaphor for one couples loss, it still makes an impact. Pictures of you, pictures of me/Remind us all of what we could have been, the clock is ticking and we should use the past to fix the future, yet remember where we came from. Stay Beautiful is reminiscent of Maroon5s classic songs, yet The Last Goodnight brings a new depth with the almost a capella opening and a soaring segue to a swing-rock beat bursting through with the simple message of Dont stop/ dont change/ stay beautiful. What more does a girl-or guy-want to hear than you are perfect as you are? Christensen is almost overshadowed in his singing by the guitar skills of Mike Nadeau. If a broken heart were to be transformed into song, I am almost positive that it would resemble the first aching words of This Is The Sound. This song carries a sad, tear-inducing melody telling the tale of a man finding his love cheating, and how he cannot stand to be her friend or even see her face. Larone "Skeeter" McMillans drumming stands out here, a literal representation of the sound of a broken heart beating. If I Talk to God, is carried almost completely on

the shoulders of Christensens vocal embellishments. His voice carries angelic hope for resolution and the belief that even talking to yourself will help you through the day. A redemptive, Christian song, God managed to effectively combine a solid rock beat, pop-influenced catchy lyrics and a wholesome and tender soul. As a whole, Poison Kiss holds up very well by rock or pop standards, yet not all the songs are perfect. Personally I felt that One Trust, Good Love, and In Your Arms did not quite complete the meld of soulful lyrics meets catchy rock-pop beat. Whereas the other titles showed the bands talents as mainstream rock stars effortlessly infusing their heartfelt lyrics with enough smooth pop influences to render them easily likeable and remembered songs. The band recently completed an Australian tour but it is unknown whether they will return to touring the United States or head back to the recording studio to create another work of musical fun.

Page 8 - valentines day game Page

Happy Valentines Day!


ADMIRER ARROW CARING CHOCOLATE DAY ETERNAL FEBRUARY FLOWERS FOURTEENTH FOREVER GIFT GIVE HAPPY HEART HUGS KINDNESS KISSES PARTY RED VASE

E A E E E L R E D

H T F F M E R G R N W I O F I E I S T G K I T G N R A A R R

F O D B E Y V N O G N A R I A

O R R T R N T E A O U S E T E

U E R F S U S R G O E H I H I

Word Search
R V T H A W A E A W Y R F G D T E A H N G G R E P A I C I T E R E Y U A G I Y E E L R V U E R B V E K N M U V M Y D E I N S K T B A I D Y P P A H S Y T A F S R A R A R R I S C F E H I Y R E I A B Y G Y A E A F C T T N A E R E E W E C R Y R P E S T C A A F A S F H T R I R O I E Y H H A E D L O E R N O O T I A N T R A C O C N A A U E W Y A D I R W

U W O L S E S S I K A A S R M

E E L L R E A A U E E S V E I

M R A D R E F V L S R T L R R

D S T S S E N D N I K E P C C

F E E A Y E N R A E D Y A I E

A E A R H L Y E D E A H G R R

H F A Y O R

E T O M U I

love

sight sight sight

LOV

head LOheelsVE

the rasingingin

give give give give

get get get get

Creating Conversations

Write your own messages on these conversation hearts!

love at first sight, never ending love, head over heels in love, singing in the rain, forgive and forget

Love Jokes
What did the paper clip say to the magnet? I find you very attractive. Knock, Knock! Whos there? Olive. Olive who? Olive you! What did one light bulb say to the other? I love you a whole watt!

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen