Wesleyan Definitely Has Talent

Published on December 7, 2015 in Features by Ellie Hall

The Varsity Girls’ Cross Country Team dances to the song “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin.”

From singers to dancers to magicians to improvisers, it’s clear that Wesleyan’s Got Talent. The Wesleyan talent show was a great success this year. With a full auditorium and a brilliant student section, it is safe to say that everyone was entertained by the amazing talent portrayed by the Wesleyan students. The show included music acts by sophomores Grayson Ragsdale, Sumeet Singh and Michelle Tan, Annabel Rushing and Gigi Huggins. Also juniors Zach Green and Jessie Roberts and sisters, senior, Mary Cowart and freshman, Annie Cowart. The last music act was a rap by the swag master himself, freshman Miller Thompson. The show also included dancing acts by many members of Wesleyan’s varsity cross country team including both freshmen and seniors Beck Coxhead, Kylie Reed, and Mary Cowart; juniors Nikki Villa and Nicole Fasciana; sophomore Emma Surber, and freshmen Quinn Kaloper, Ashley Doran, Mary Ann Manley, and Annie Cowart. The show also included a magic act by junior Xavier Cooper, “piano improve” by seniors Carter Gravitt and Emma Anderson, and a poetry reading by sophomore Brooks Lalley.

The talent show was greatly enjoyed by the audience and the entertainers. (enter grade and name) said, (enter quote). Senior Beck Coxhead, who was in the talent show, said, “I think we really brought the house down with our sick dance moves.” Senior Ellie Bradach said, “It was really fun to spend more time with the Cross Country team after the season had ended. Though we may not have actually won, we won in our hearts.”

The talent show got some very positive feedback from the audience. Senior Camille High said, “The talent show was almost as great as broken in Birkenstocks.”

Wesleyan Water Pipe Scandal: Who Did It?

Published on December 7, 2015 in Backpage by Kyle Rappe

On Monday Nov. 9th, the Wesleyan water pipes were cracked allowing mud and other natural elements to enter the Wesleyan water stream. The students were told that local contractors working on campus accidentally busted it, but there are a number of valid theories that have surfaced over the last few weeks. After carefully investigating the claims, the Green & Gold has selected the most practical conspiracies. Which one do you readers believe?

Mr. Cleveland and Mr. McDaniel

Mr. Cleveland and Mr. McDaniel are two of the most beloved faculty members in the school. Mr. Cleveland had begun to sense some negative morale around the school. Calling up his good friend Mr. McDaniel, Mr. Cleveland hatched an idea. He wanted to have the Wesleyan students take a day off. Mr. McDaniel could not pass up the opportunity to make “the call,” and quickly agreed. Thus, the plan was hatched, and the water pipes were tampered with.

The School Store Theory

The Wesleyan School Store has been one of the most positive changes to the Wesleyan community this year. The school store has been very profitable, but they were losing business to the water fountains found in each hallway. The moms of the School Store decided they needed to cripple the competition for a week. During a lull in customer attendance, some of the moms snuck up and made a deal with the contractors to tamper with the pipes. This plan was successful as the water fountains were broken.

The Birthday Theory

There are a number of Wesleyan members with birthdays on Nov. 10. Caroline Hodges, Taylor Berg, Mr. Custer and Mrs. Goddard all have birthdays on Nov. 10. They decided there was absolutely no way they were going to come to school on that day. During lunch these four were never found, and they came up with a way to get the pipes to burst. Fallout 4 also came out on Nov. 10 much to Taylor’s pleasure.

The Calcium Deficiency

A number of students have a calcium deficiency and needed a cheap way to nourish it. These unnamed students (Ben Buckley and Grant Sauer) decided to mix milk into the water fountains. They snuck up on Nov 9 during their free period and poured milk into the water stream. The next few days they would drink the lovely water/milk combination, and slowly their calcium deficiency began to go away.

007 Faces His Greatest Test Yet in New Movie Spectre

Published on December 7, 2015 in Uncategorized by Kyle Rappe

Spectre opened with a $293 million opening weekend, surpassing it’s overall budget.

As the MI6 is being merged, and the 00 program is being shut down, James Bond must face off against his next greatest threat, the mysterious organization Spectre. Spectre sees Daniel Craig return for his fourth performance as the iconic British agent. Spectre picks up where Skyfall left off, as 007 is back in action performing one last mission for the deceased M (Judi Dench).

Spectre begins with Bond tracking down an assassin named Marco Sciarra (Alessandro Cremona) in Mexico City. After a massive explosion and a chase involving a helicopter, the scene in Mexico City becomes worldwide news. The issue arises as to whether or not the 00 program is necessary. This is a continuation of the events of Skyfall.

Bond looks over the damage done after a plane crash in the snow.

While Spectre has its bright moments, it feels somewhat jumbled and rushed. It feels as if it’s trying to balance too many components. Craig’s performance is brilliant again, and the supporting cast consisting of Ralph Fiennes, Rory Kinnear, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux and Naomie Harris also perform well. The acting is not the issue, it is the crammed script. While 007 being hunted instead of doing the hunting is a creative switch, it seems Spectre attempts to deal with too much. While the movie’s runtime is two and a half hours, it still feels like events are forced. Mostly the relationship between Bond and Madeline Swan (Seydoux) is rushed. This is one of the first Bond movies in which the audience actually needs to have watched the previous three installments to really understand what’s going on.

Spectre also features subplots of the question of universal surveillance. The idea of nations combining intelligence is a major driving force to the plot. The first hour of the film produces heavy intrigue and the possibility of a truly suspenseful thrill ride. However, the last hour and a half fails to live up the hype set up by the beginning of the movie. Spectre tries too hard to tie up its loose ends that it leaves the audience feeling a little underwhelmed by the end. The action sequences were creative. Since it’s a Bond movie, it features a solid car chase scene. It also features fight sequences in a helicopter and train. One of the main issues is that these action sequences are just too brief and feel like they don’t really matter to the grand scheme of the film. The fight scene between Bond, and a Spectre henchman named Hinx (Dave Bautista) is the exception. It’s outstanding choreography and unpredictability allows it to be the standout scene of the movie.

Bond (left), and Hinx (right) have an intense fight while on a train.

One the most disappointing parts of the movie is the villain. The mysterious Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz) falls a little flat. Waltz’s performance isn’t necessarily bad but fails in comparison to his other roles such as in Django Unchained. What has made previous Bond movies successful is the villain. Franz falls flat due to lackluster motivation, a predictable plan, and no physical intimidation. The movie seems to underutilize the organization of Spectre as a whole because it had so much potential to be Bond’s toughest test in years, and yet he almost single-handedly defeats them with ease. Despite its faults, Spectre is a middle of the road Bond film. It’s the third best bond film since Craig took the titular role. Casino Royale and Skyfall were better films, but Spectre isn’t as disappointing as Quantum of Solace. Spectre still provides entertainment from its action sequences, and dry humor that’s always present in a Bond film. The questions raised regarding rights to security and the question of democracy in the film’s subplot are very intriguing and provide a more modern and realistic taste to the movie. Spectre is possibly the last time Craig will play Bond, and its ending will leave you wondering what happens next for 007. Spectre earns a 6/10 in my book.

25 Reasons Why I Love Christmas

Published on December 7, 2015 in Features by Emma Parrish

He Said; She Said: Christmas vs. Thanksgiving

Published on December 7, 2015 in Editorial by Will Harper

He Said:

by Will Harper

Christmas is widely referred to as the most wonderful time of the year for a reason. For those of you who are not familiar with superlatives, this means that it is the absolute best part of the year, and no other time is better. Therefore, Christmas is better than Thanksgiving, and that’s all there is to it.

Well… I suppose I can expound a little bit. Barring the resurrection, Christmas represents the most miraculous and joyful event in the history of the world. Never mind the fact that Christmas is ridden with historical inaccuracy, superficiality and greed. It really is a beautiful occasion. Though I am a firm believer that this glorious holiday is in need of a little reform, I am still confident that Christmas is a truly wonderful thing. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus. Though we often lose sight of this among the wrapping paper, it is amazing when we slow down to recognize the original purpose of our favorite holiday. Christmas brings unity unlike any other occurrence in so many ways. Christmas brings families together from across the country. It unites strangers in public with the simple phrase “Merry Christmas.” Christmas brings together the Church and encourages generosity. On top of the more meaningful benefits of Christmas, it also provides familiar festivities that fill people of all ages with excitement. Christmas trees, hot chocolate, mall Santa, Christmas movies, stockings, reindeer, lights, music and more create an atmosphere at Christmas time that cannot be beat.

Thanksgiving, on the other hand, is a real bummy holiday. Who cares about the pilgrims and Native Americans? All that Thanksgiving really has to offer is a good meal. Christmas is so much more. Christmas completely transforms the entire month of December. Turkey Day has a cute parade and some cranberry sauce. I’m not knocking Thanksgiving, and in fact, I thoroughly enjoy the food, football and naps. That being said, it is absolutely ridiculous to compare any holiday to the wonders of Christmas.

She Said:

by Emma Parrish

Turkey, ham, gravy, stuffing, pie, family, friends, these are just some of the few wonderful facets of the greatest American holiday of the year: Thanksgiving. Christmas is one of the last breaks before the long winter sets in and Thanksgiving gets the holiday festivities started.
During Thanksgiving, the leaves are still falling and one can still enjoy the crisp fall air. From as early as five-years-old, you begin to learn about the pilgrims settling on Plymouth Rock and having the first original Thanksgiving. You aren’t taught about Christmas in school, are you now? First of all, on Thanksgiving, you have no pressure to give gifts and are relieved of the stress of buying them and coordinating them for every friend and family member. During Christmas season people spend hours in crowded shopping malls spending thousands on gifts. After Thanksgiving, Black Friday rolls around and all hell breaks loose. We’ve all seen it on the news, people being trampled in Walmart trying to get the latest and greatest electronic, and even some waiting in lines or camping out in front of stores just to ensure they get the gift they need. Now how ridiculous is that? According to Marshall Jones, “Thanksgiving promotes gratitude. Instead of asking people what they want or got for Christmas, you get to ask what people are thankful for. And that, by itself, is a reason to be thankful. And love it.” Most importantly, Thanksgiving is a holiday where you have an excuse to eat as much food as you want for an entire day. There is no shame in feeling guilty about it because everyone else is doing it too. But wait, it gets even better: naps. The endearing food coma you slip into after you have eaten your own weight for both lunch and dinner ends the day on a high note. You have a valid excuse to be as lazy as you want for an entire day. The Christmas excitement ends in the morning once you’ve opened all your gifts. The Thanksgiving excitement lasts you for days on end because you will have more leftovers than you can imagine.

It is clear that Thanksgiving has many more perks than Christmas so you may want to rethink your answer the next time you tell someone Christmas is even somewhat better.