Halee Lester

The Funniest TV Show in the History of the Universe

by: Halee Lester

Everyone enjoys a good laugh every once in a while. The perfect show to make you die of laughter is just two clicks away! Saturday Night Live is a comedy show involving short skits, famous celebrities, and musical performances. This is one of the longest airing TV shows in America. SNL has been airing every year since 1975, and it is on its 39^th season at the moment. The cast of Saturday Night Live has recently been updated and includes many new members such as Brooks Wheelan, Beck Bennett, Aidy Bryant, and Kate McKinnon. Its previous member, Seth Meyers, has just replaced Jimmy Fallon on the show “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” which will (obviously) be renamed. Saturday Night Live is on at 11:30 PM Fridays on NBC. Tune in next week to possibly see your favorite actor/actress host and your favorite musical artist to perform!

Vampire Academy

By: Halee Lester

The Vampire Academy series was written by Richelle Mead in 2007. The books follow a vampire (the book refers to them as Moroi) named Lissa and her best friend and protector, Rose through their adventures at the school for Moroi and their hunters (Dhampir), St. Vladimir’s Academy. The Moroi and their Dhampir have a special bond that links them together for life. They can sense when one another are in danger and immediately go to their rescue. The Moroi also have another special ability, the power to control the elements. Typically, each vampire has their own unique ability to control one element (earth, air, water, or fire). However, Lissa is a special Moroi with the power to control a secret fifth element called spirit. She is able to visualize the auras of and to control the emotions of those around her. The Dhampir also have unique abilities. They are very swift and strong in their movements and can easily attack, maim, or kill the enemies of the Moroi, the Strigoi. The Academy is used as a defense system against the Strigoi; the Moroi are safe within its walls and it is used as a training camp for the Dhampir. Throughout this book, Rose and Lissa learn to fight, hunt vampires, and use their abilities for good. Vampire Academy is an excellent read that I would recommend for anyone with time on their hands because once you begin this series, you won’t be able to put the books down.

Supernatural

Supernatural is a thrilling series that will capture your interest and leave you wanting more. It follows the brothers Sam and Dean Winchester through their adventures in their unique family business. Most families have a sandwich shop or car dealership, but the Winchesters save the world on a daily basis. Time and time again, battling demons, ghosts, and even angels, they save countless lives in every episode. Sam and Dean (played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) along with the everyone’s favorite angel Castiel (played by Misha Collins) are constantly put into dangerous, near-death situations that will leave your heart racing and your adrenaline pumping. After the cliffhanger of an eighth season finale, the ninth season began in October on the CW while the series finale comes possibly in the near future, much to the fans dismay. The executive producer has confirmed that a 10th season is, in fact, going to be filmed, but after 10 seasons, the show must come to a close soon. People that have followed the Winchesters since the very beginning in 2005 will have to say goodbye to this remarkable show after nearly a decade of love, loss, and triumph.

An Abundance of Katherines

By: Halee Lester

Life’s not easy for child prodigy, Colin Singleton. He’s a recent high school graduate who is going through a midlife crisis and just got dumped by his nineteenth girlfriend named Katherine. Colin has dated nineteen girls, all named Katherine, throughout his lifetime, and every relationship has ended with the Katherine dumping him. To find out why this keeps happening and to prove to himself that he is in fact a genius and not just a prodigy, Colin sets out on a mission to form a theorem called the Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability. Finishing this theorem will help him to come out of his midlife crisis and possibly get the love of his life, Katherine IX back, or so he thinks. Along the way he ends up in Gutshot, Tennessee, where Colin, his Indian friend Hassan, and their newly made comrade Lindsey Lee Wells, will find themselves and answer the most important question of them all, “Who am I?” Written by John Green, An Abundance of Katherines is a truly inspiring story that will leave the reader questioning the purpose of life and rethinking their own path through it.

High School Dropouts

Many students find high school more challenging than their previous years of education. Some teenagers find school so difficult or even simply mundane that they drop out before they graduate and never receive a diploma. About 3 million of students on average drop out of high school every year. These students do not receive their diploma and never go on to receive a college degree either. Dropping out of school before receiving a diploma will lower your chance of getting that job you applied for. When and if you do get a job, you’ll have to work harder to move up in life or to maintain a steady job than those with a high school diploma or college degree will. In the end, if you work hard in high school, it will prevent further unnecessary hardships for the rest of your life. A college degree, or even just a high school diploma can set you above the rest of the dropouts in life. So work hard now to make more money and save time later!

PIB Freshman Survival Guide

Upcoming IB freshmen have probably heard a lot about the program. They’ve perhaps heard about how “impossible” it is. As I was a PIB freshman last year, I know all the misleading propaganda such as, “Say goodbye to sleep and a social life and say hello to homework.” I’m here to tell you that it’s not nearly as bad as it seems, as long as you’re committed and follow these simple rules:

Always Be Organized. Organization is a great path to success. It helps a lot if your locker is organized so that you don’t have to waste time searching for binders and books. When everything has its’ own place, stress is eliminated and you can concentrate on more important things like homework. Organization helps prepare you for your classes, reduces stress, and saves time.
Come Prepared to Class. Always bring everything you need to class. Come with all necessary materials including paper, pencils, binders, and last night’s homework. (Yes, this means you have to do your homework every night) Also, many teachers do not accept late work, so coming prepared will improve your grade immensely. It will also save you from the embarrassment of being an example to the rest of your class, and most teachers will publicly announce your mistake of not having homework.
Get to Know Your Students and Teachers. Making friends with fellow students can boost self-confidence and motivation towards attending school. Also, it helps to have the cell phone number of a friend in each class in case you miss a day or forget the homework. This would be very beneficial to your success because teachers are not responsible for assignments when you’re absent. This will save you valuable grades that would have turned into zeros later on. Another tip for IB success is to get to know teachers on a personal level. This will help to improve you attitude towards school.
Do not Procrastinate. Due dates are closer than they seem. If you keep putting off a project one more day, eventually those days add up and then you’re staying up all night finishing the project on top of all the homework for that day. This has happened to me before multiple times. One night I had finished my homework and then I remembered that I had a math project due the next day. I only got three hours of sleep that night, and I was so exhausted at school. Take it from someone who knows, get your work done as early as possible.

These simple steps will ensure that you do great in your first year of PIB!

Who’s Your Favorite Superhero?

by Halee Lester

Erin Farwell (9th) – Thor, because of Chris Hemsworth, and he’s a god and that’s pretty cool.

Malik Warner (10th) – Batman, because he’s Batman.

Emily Learn (11th) – Black Widow, because she’s a strong female character but feminine at the same time and I think that’s cool.

Megan Rizer (11th) – Captain America, because he’s Chris Evans.

Dominique Lajoie (11th) – Deadpool, because he’s sarcastic, funny, and has a split personality disorder.

Jacky Lu (12th) – Batman, because he seems cool, I guess.

Mr. Clark – Batman, because he doesn’t have any superpowers.

Ms. Randall – Thor, because he’s super handsome and has a pet hammer.