Tron: Legacy: Just a sequel or lasting favorite?

by Olivia Underwood

Lately it seems as though the only movies being released are remakes and sequels. But are these sequels any good or should you skip these new releases of old stories?

The 1982 Disney released the cult classic science fiction film Tron to critic acclaim. Tron slowly because a fan favorite because of its advanced (at the time) use of graphics and live action and so it made some sense that now, over 20 years later, Disney would attempt to capitalize on this fan base with the sequel Tron: Legacy.

Tron: Legacy follows Sam Flynn’s quest to find his father after his father’s pager activates 25 years after his disappearance. Sam finds his father’s hidden lab in the back of an arcade and is sucked into “the Grid” a cyber world in which users and programmers battle for control. Sam’s father has been trapped in the Grid and hiding from his own creation Clu, a program seeking to create the perfect world. Sam attempts to help his father escape but when Clu steals Sam’s father’s info disc that can unlock the portal to the real world it’s a race against the machine to make it to the portal before it closes.

This movie was visually entertaining and had a good soundtrack (if you like techno, which I do) but the plot and acting didn’t leave any lasting impressions. The original Tron was popular partly because the technology was so revolutionary and that simply isn’t true anymore. Today’s audiences are too used to advance special effects and graphics for that to carry a movie. All in all, this movie is fine if you’re stuck at home with a virus but not a favorites.

Rebecca Black: A Viral Sensation

by Kayla Foushee

The day of the week is Friday, what is the first thing that popped into your head? “It’s Friday, Friday, getting down on Friday.” Yes, Rebecca Black’s notorious “Friday” video. It’s time to shed some light on her overnight stardom.

Rebecca Black was born June 21, 1997. According to wikipedia.com she gained widespread fame over the negative comments on her 2011 “Firday” video. This song was dubbed “the worst song ever.” By April 12, 2011 the video had over 1.9 million dis-likes and 250,000 likes. This song was released on iTunes for sale. It is estimated to have generated $40,000 from the first week of sales.

This song is showing up on top 100 charts all over the world. Rebecca Black is currently working without a record deal but is soon going to release a new album.

This goes to show that is you know the right people you can become a star. Rebecca Black was virtually a nobody. But with the help of $4,000 and a little mom “power,” she became an internet sensation.

In our country it doesn’t take much to be a star. Our funny video, one internet screw up, and you’ve landed you self a seat on every late night sticom you can think of. Even though she is famous for now it doesn’t mean it’s going to last for very long. So bash Rebecca Black all you want, but she’s still more famous than you are.

“It’s Friday, Friday, getting down on Friday. Everybody’s looking forward to the weekend.”

Vote Yes 2 PCHS and give Paris some color

by Kayla Foushee

Say yes to the new PCHS! That’s what all the talk’s about! I want a new locker room! I want a new band room! Ooh how about a new gym! Everyone is talking about the new and improved PCHS.

Take a walk through the halls Paris Cooperative High School. It’s bleak and old, broken down but still up. It’s like watching a movie in black in white. Our school had no hope until Illinois State offered to pay up to 65% of a new school building for Paris Cooperative High School! Thus the color movies were invented.

This proposal from Illinois State is like a new flat screen TV while our old high school was the boxy dinosaur. It’s hard to imagine an amazing high tech, contemporary high school in Paris. But with the help of our town passing the vote it’s a dream that can become a reality.

This amazing opportunity we’ve been given is a once in a life time thing! Our high school is 102 years old. “I would vote yes because it’s a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of!” Said Tisha Brinkley. It would cost $10 to $12 million dollars to keep our school in running order just for the next few years. All those repairs eventually start to add up. Don’t you think it’s time for a new school?

According to yes2pchs.com, the only difficult part is the vote. In order for the state of Illinois to supply 65% of the money, the yes 2 pchs has to get more than 50% vote yes from district 4 and district 95. If the necessary votes are not received the money will go to build a school in a different community.

Citizens of Paris, Illinois! This is your call to action! When this vote comes around on April 5th vote yes! Don’t make your children be the only kids to watch life in black and white!

Dear John: Review of a Romance Novel

by Valerie Lau

Nicholas Sparks, the internationally-bestselling Christian-romance author that wrote many of the books you see in movies, is the author of the highly popular book, Dear John.

Dear John begins with telling the background of John Tyree, a rebel that joins the army because he thinks that’s what is best for him. On his leave, John travels back to his hometown Wilmington, North Carolina, to see his Dad. There he meets Savannah Curtis. After only 2 weeks of being with her, he falls into a kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for him while he finishes his tour of duty. They promise to marry each other when John finishes the army. 9/11 changes everything. John feels it’s his duty to his country to continue serving and he signs up for 2 more years. This takes a hard toll on their relationship. Can they survive? Read the book to find out.

Dear John is one of my favorite books. It’s completely well written and really easy to read. I would recommend it to anyone who likes romance or war stories.

Texting: A Dilemma During School

by Valerie Lau

Most people wonder why kids text during class. They ask, why can’t they just keep their phones off? For some people they can. Some people don’t text during class because they think it’s wrong, but some people do for their own reasons. I asked two different people if they think texting is a good or a bad thing.

When asked if she thought texting during class was okay, freshman Renna Throneburg, said, “Yes, because you might need your phone for emergencies.” This reason has been a debate for many years. Some parents do think it’s okay for students to have their phones on during class because their parents may need to get a hold of them for various reasons such as, family emergencies, doctor’s appointments, etc. Some people disagree with this though because they think kids won’t use their phones for just that reason. They want phones off during class because they think they’ll use them to text friends or cheat on tests, homework, or quizzes.

Some teachers even think that having phones on during class is okay because then students can use them to look up things on the internet.

Britan Abernathy agrees with the people who think students should have their phones off during class. She says, “No, students shouldn’t have their phones on because it’s distracting and students don’t learn as well.” I agree with her statement. Students can easily be distracted with cell phones. They can be focused on answering texts so much that they fall behind.

So is texting during class okay? Mrs. Keys says, “Texting is okay as long as it’s your parents and I know about it.” Do you thinks it’s okay? It’s really up to you to decide.

Teen Pop Stars: Normal Teens or Gods?

by Blade Hall

Why does this nation obsess over teen pop stars? All they are are normal teenagers with a lot of make-up and auto tune. Teens and tweens alike go crazy for teen pop sensations such as Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, and Miley Cyrus.

What’s even weirder is that most of these stars have no singing talent. They lip-sync or auto tune most, if not all, of their songs. Another weird thing is that these stars, with the exception of Justin Bieber, began on Disney or Nickelodeon. They shoot a music video and BAM! they’re the next big thing in pop culture.

When asked why they thought people, particularly teen and tween girls, obsess over teen pop stars such as Justin Bieber and get “Bieber Fever,” a junior, Sabrina Cooley, replied “the girls find him attractive and he does have an alright voice.” Oh, really now? On the other hand, another junior here at PCHS, Eli Wiley, said “I think that lately in music and pop culture there has been no 'TRUE' talent and any guy that tween girls think is 'cute' can step onto a stage and lip-sync through a microphone…any tween girl is going to love them.” And when asked about why pop stars such as Justin Bieber are viewed as more of a god than a teenager, he quickly replied, “[Justin Bieber] is the face that’s always put on a screen or stage and they idolize what they see.”

So, do these pop stars have talent or do they just have the looks and the connections to get them into a studio and on stage where the auto-tune and lip-syncing comes in? Maybe some actually do have true talent, but so far, we haven’t seen any yet.

Childhood books leave lasting impression

by Olivia Underwood

“So many things are possible just as long as you don't know they're impossible.” Norton Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth is full of fun and wise advice such as this. As a young child I heard this book from my father as he read out loud this imaginative, funny, wonderful story. The humor of Juster’s world influenced me as I grew and each time I read it I find something new to love. Remembering my favorite childhood book made me wonder what kind of stories and books had influenced my friends as children. Did they still remember them? Did they still love them? How important is what we read to our children?

“When I was younger my parents read me Possum Came a Knockin’, Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? And The Hungry Caterpillar,” remembers Erica Sheeran, a junior at PCHS. “They made me happy and put me to sleep.”

The stories we read to our children can have huge effects on their lives. Erica says, “They made me a reader.”

We have to be aware of what we are reading to our kids, it’s just as important as what they’re watching. But that does not mean we should stop the time together, the words we read aren’t the only thing that children hear. They also hear the love it takes to sit down and spend time with them, and their imaginations flourish under that love.

“Of course I’ll read to my kids!” Erica says. “It makes them think.”

Skinny Jeans: In Style or Just Plain "Gay"?

by Blade Hall

Skinny jeans seem to be the controversial topic of teen boys. Are they cool and in-style or just "homosexual" like some people say? I’ve asked people around the school and was shocked to hear that people have mixed emotions about this subject.

“Guys should be able to wear skinny jeans if they want to and not have a second thought that people are going to call them gay.” says Hannah King; a junior here at PCHS. When asked if she thought a guy was homosexual for wearing them, she quickly exclaimed, “Heck no!”

On the opposite side of this topic, when Shane Mason, a freshman here at PCHS, was asked the same question, he said “I think it’s kind of weird. I see a lot of girls wearing skinny jeans and then all of a sudden guys start wearing them, and it just freaks me out.” He described them as being a little on the “fruity” side but not a direct indicator of homosexuality.

Why do some people jump to conclusions that “Oh, he’s wearing skinny jeans, he must be gay!” Why can’t a guy wear skinny jeans and not get questioned about his sexuality every five minutes? It seems like there’s a growing number of males wearing skinny jeans and even with more people wearing them, some people don’t want to say that you can be straight and also wear skinny jeans. There’s a little thing called freedom of expression and maybe these guys are wearing them because they’re a new trend or just because they think they’re comfortable.

The goal is to break down the stereotype that only homosexual guys wear skinny jeans. There are a lot of teens that get made fun of just because they wear tight pants. It’s ludicrous that people can’t wear what they want because they think they’ll get made fun of. Just think about these things before you label someone as "gay" for wearing skinny jeans because who knows? You may just as easily be called a name or stereotype for wearing something you like or having your hair a certain length. So, don’t judge people on the way they look. Get to know people before you stereotype them with a certain group.

Valentine's Day: The Holiday of Love

by Kayla Foushee

Nothing says “I love you” like a box of assorted chocolates! Valentine’s Day is the holiday where you can let the romance fly. There’s no limit to what you can do. Your sweetheart will expect chocolates even if she is on a diet. Calories do not count on Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is a great way to show someone you love how much you really about them.

According to associatedcontent.com it’s expected that on February 14, 2011 the Valentine’s industry will collect more than $17 billion dollars. Our televisions are bombarded with commercials for jewelry, perfume, candy, and flowers. Red hearts and cupids are everywhere. Women have always been considered to be more romantic than men. The unexpected thing is that men tend to spend twice as much money as women do on Valentine’s Day.

Florists look at Valentine’s Day with mixed emotions. They know they will be collecting millions of dollars. However, the long hours and customer demands can be stressful. Many people generally men, wait until the lat minute to try to purchase flowers and gifts. Therefore, the florists can charge much higher prices for basic bouquets.

Valentine’s Day is also a great way to strengthen relationships. People can examine what their relationship is all about. “What does a relationship mean to you?” I asked two couples that very question. “A relationship is being able to tell each other things no one knows,” said Kerry Johnson. Natalie McMullen, one half of the other couple said, “The key thing is to have fun and enjoy life, and keep each other close.” Another question I asked was “What are three things needed in a relationship that help make it last longer?” “Through things you need our humor, trust, and friendship,” Said Kerry Johnson. The second couple said, “Things that are important to me is my life and the one I love, and living everyday like it’s my last.”

Valentine’s Day is a romantic holiday but also it can help you define your relationship. It allows the couple to see if they have the same idea of what their relationship means. Some people judge love based on how much money is spend and for some it is the thought that counts. One thing is certain: Valentine’s Day is all about love. Hey, and don’t forget to check out the Valentine’s from PCHS students on our homepage: PCHSTigerTales.blogspot.com

"Naked Roomate" offers advice to college-bound

by Olivia Underwood

As every high school student knows, college is going to be totally different from any experience we’ve ever had, unless of course you live with your classmates, have little parental supervision, and have to pay for everything. With so many changes and new faces and places, college looks like a scary place but with the right guidance there’s nothing to fear. And there is one book that can help you.

“This book could help me with money, college living, and even dating,” Erica Sheeran said after looking through The Naked Roommate.

Questions about these things can scare the college excitement right out of you but The Naked Roommate: and 107 Other Issues You Might Run into in College by Harlan Cohen can help you through. By interviewing graduates, surveying students, and drawing on past experience Cohen has brought together a useful guide for every question you could think of, including the ones you never thought to ask.

Cohen has dared to ask even the riskiest of questions that every student wonders but no one asks such as: “Should I have sex?”and “Should I drink?” But also answers the standard “How do I avoid the freshmen 15?” and many more. This book is made to guide college bound students as painlessly as possible and covers a wide variety of useful subjects.

The Naked Roommate even has its own blog, a website where student, teachers, graduates, and parents can share stories, videos, advice, and questions directly to each and Cohen. Cohen has done everything possible to inform and entertain college fearing kids so if you have any questions about your future check this book out as soon as possible.