Star Wars: The Force Awakens Movie Review Joshua Liao

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Movie Review

Joshua Liao

                So by now you have definitely heard of, if not watched the seventh edition of the Star Wars series. It has made over $1 billion in worldwide earnings and has a chance to become the highest earning movie of all time. Is it worth this attention? I went to watch it, and I believe that it is. The movie was fantastic and it was very interesting to see how the producers connected it to the original series, produced 30 years earlier. Familiar characters Han Solo, Leia, and Luke Skywalker are old men and women now. The rebels have re-established the Jedi order and formed the Republic and the Resistance. The Evil Empire that Darth Vader helped to defeat has become the First Order. The stars of the show now belong to a young girl named Rye and a storm trooper named Finn. Contrary to the Star Wars films of the past, the lives of every character, including the siths from the dark side, are shown. The storm troopers are not just robots, but actual humans. Finn, in one battle, saw the evil that the First Order contained and decided to become part of the resistance. In the background of the basic plot of the movie, Han Solo and Leia had a son named Kylo Ren who trained to become a Jedi under Luke, but instead betrayed the Republic and now fights for the First Order. Rye and Finn meet together with the resistance to try and defeat the First Order who have built a third death star. The special effects and CGI of the movie are exceptional. Daisy Ridley (Rye) and John Boyega (Finn) do an absolutely fantastic job in their roles and portraying the emotions and fear that comes with fighting the dark side. In addition, this film also contains an element of humor that the other movies have not done in the past, making it a thoroughly enjoyable experience for any movie watcher. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who has not seen it yet and I can’t wait to see the next installment! 

Movie Review for Star Wars: The Force Awakens by Ravjit Kaur

Movie Review for Star Wars: The Force Awakens

by Ravjit Kaur

            Luke has disappeared, and one small droid holds part of the key to finding out where he is.

            Welcome back to a world of lightsabers and intergalactic wars. Where there is only one Jedi left who can fight back against the Dark Side. The space battle is back, beginning with a small droid named BB-8. BB-8 holds the key to finding out where Luke Skywalker, the last Jedi left, is hiding. BB-8 belongs to a pilot who is part of the Resistance, a group that is part of the Republic. The Resistance is fighting against the First Order, a group of Stormtroopers led by a new dark character, Kylo Ren. When the First Order starts invading planets, BB-8 is sent to go far away from there, and he stumbles into a girl who lives on Jakku. He explains that he is on a secret mission, and the girl, Rey, lets him into her home. She has been waiting for her parents ever since she was little, but scavenging on this desert planet is hard, and doubt is beginning to surface in her mind. Meanwhile, a newly trained Stormtrooper is shocked by how the First Order is killing people. He decides to help Poe, the pilot (and BB-8’s master) escape the evil dark lord. Together, they steal a ship and escape and crash land on Jakku, where Poe supposedly dies. Finn, the Stormtrooper, treks through the planet until he reaches a small town. There, he meets BB-8 and Rey, and they all get on a ship to deliver the message to the Resistance. The ship breaks down and they meet Han Solo and Chewbacca, who claim rightful ownership of the spaceship(the Millennium Falcon). Meanwhile, on the Dark Side of things, Kylo Ren and the First Order have built a weapon that harnesses energy from a sun and uses it to destroy entire solar systems. But on the other hand, Rey and her companions have traveled once again, and she receives Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber as gift. Until now, she had believed that Luke was a myth, and the Force was not real. Rey is captured by Kylo Ren, and Finn, Han, Chewie, and BB-8 are taken to the Resistance base. Finn and the others come back to save Rey, and Han confronts his son, Kylo Ren. Finn and Rey start fighting Kylo Ren with Luke’s lightsaber. With Rey’s newly discovered Force-sensitivities, and Finn’s skill, will they beat Kylo Ren? Or will all hope be gone? Will Luke Skywalker ever be found? Is the last Jedi gone forever? Or will the Light side of the force come back with vengeance as it always does and defeat the Dark Side? Watch this movie to find out! And remember, as Yoda says “Do or do not, there is no try.” Or you can come to the Dark Side… we have cookies. :) 

Doesn’t anybody wonder? By: Harrison Chiu

Doesn’t anybody wonder?

By: Harrison Chiu

A sense of discontent, in my mouth

Bittering, biting, befouling

A sense of dissatisfaction, in my stomach

Unbalancing, upsetting, unsettling

Doesn’t anybody feel it too?

A sense of restlessness, in my chest

Smothering, swelling, suffocating,

A sensation of pain, between my temples

Pulsing, pushing, pulsating,

Doesn’t anybody feel it too?

The indecision, despite all the thought

The unhappiness, despite all the pursuit

The meaninglessness, despite all the action

Doesn’t anybody wonder?

The Golden Globes in Review Shweta Murali

The Golden Globes in Review

Shweta Murali

The Golden Globe Awards took place on Sunday, January 10, 2016. I highly anticipate this event every year, but this year it didn't quite live up to my expectations. There were some winners and losers who I think deserved different. Also, this year’s host, Ricky Gervais, was not my personal favorite. He made jokes that weren’t even funny, and most of them were just awkward, irrelevant, and sometimes offensive. Hosts are supposed to poke fun at the audience, but Gervais took it too far. The host is usually the person who makes the award show what it is, and Gervais did that- but not in a good way. Here are my opinions about the winners:

·  Mr. Robot winning 2 awards was particularly shocking to me, as more popular and higher rated shows such as Game of Thrones and Empire were nominated. In my opinion, one of the latter deserved to win best TV Series- Drama.

·  Rachel Bloom won Best TV Actress-Comedy, for the show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend which has very low ratings. I think that either Gina Rodriguez or Jamie Lee Curtis deserved to win that award.

·  The biggest shocker to me was Gael Garcia Bernal winning Best Actor in a TV Series – Comedy for “Mozart in the Jungle.” It is a good show, but Jeffrey Tambor should have won for "Transparent." Even Aziz Ansari, who was nominated for that award, said that he thought Tambor would win.

·  On a more positive note, Jennifer Lawrence won Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy for “Joy”, which I think was expected. This movie was probably the worst movie of the year, and that says a lot coming from me because I love most movies. But “Joy” had no storyline, plot, or intensity and I think I should get my $12 back. However, Jennifer Lawrence’s acting made the movie much better. It was phenomenal, and the only reason I actually stayed in the theater.

·  Leonardo DiCaprio’s reaction to winning an award was absolutely priceless, and I think he certainly deserves it. He is an actor who does not receive nearly as much recognition as he should be getting, and I am happy he won an award for “The Revenant.”

These are just my opinions and I wanted to share them with you. Clearly, everyone who won or was nominated for an award really deserves it because they work so hard every day. These are just my personal beliefs.

Miss Telall 1/8/16

1/8/16

SBPL readers, it’s your own advice columnist- Miss Telall, presenting two more entries. Having issues or just want to talk? She’s always up to offer advice, so be sure to email her at MissTelallSBPL@gmail.com, and check the SPBL blog for a reply addressing your problem. All entries are always ANONYMOUS, and no problem is too big or too embarrassing for Miss Telall to tackle!

Dear Miss Telall,        Ok. I may have to do a bad thing. On our second to last day of school, we had a chem test, and I overheard my good friend talking to her other friend (who’d taken it already) about specific and complete questions on the test. They fully cheated on I’d say 6-7 questions. I was sitting at the lunch table feeling so awkward because, well, isn’t that wrong? Now I don’t know what to do. I’ve emailed my chem teacher about it, and asked to be anonymous, but now I feel like a bad friend! Everyone cheats a little, right? No, but cheating is always wrong.. Ugh, please help!                               Sincerely,                          Friend or Fidelity?

Dear Friend or Fidelity,         Unfortunately, the people we love sometimes do bad things- immoral things. In this situation, your relationship as a friend shouldn’t demand that you compromise your integrity. If your friendship does seem to require you leaving your moral code behind, it’s not healthy! In the end, you have to stick to what you know is right. If you do feel uncomfortable, you should anonymously report the cheating to your teacher.         It may be hard to see it this way now, but reporting this cheating is part of your duty as a friend. Friends care for each other: so, as a friend, we shouldn’t allow another friend to engage in destructive and unfair behavior. In the long run, this will help your friends, as cruel as you feel it will be. Cheating is a serious issue that extends beyond just school life- catching it now and creating the necessary consequences will discourage future behavior, and nip the problem early. Further, it will make sure that the educational playing field is level. If another group of people had cheated on a test of yours, think of the anger you would feel, at being jipped! In the end, reporting the cheating is your duty as a friend, and as a moral student.                                     Sincerely,                                   Miss Telall

Dear Miss Telall,                 I am consistently harbored with vile emotions, and keep having one bad day after the next. It may have to do slightly with my diagnosis of depression, but I need ideas on how to lighten up and start feeling better. I can’t come home from school and feel like crying/dying every single day. I desperately need a way to recollect my emotions and look for the good in my life.                               Sincerely,                          Rough Day Every Day

Dear Rough Day Every Day,         For starters, aw, I’m extremely distraught to hear your current situation. I imagine it must be hell to wake up every morning for you, but not to fear, Miss Telall is here to fix that up for you. Remember that you’re loved and valued by so many people that care about you. You are an inspiration to your friends and family. It might seem like the end of the world, but it’s not. We always have second chances to succeed, and after the rain, there comes a rainbow. Some coping devices that I encourage would be writing in your journal/entry, as ranting and scribbling away your feelings always helps to maintain calmness. Going for a run is recommended, as physical exercise is scientifically proven to boost one’s mood. Blasting up the speakers and listening to your favorite songs is another great idea. It is in your best interest to make a “happy” playlist, if you can. Lastly, do something that helps the community or give someone a very sincere compliment. Volunteer at SBPL, donate to the food drive, help a neighbor with their groceries or a kid at your school to open his locker. It’s scientifically proven that helping others brings a better sense of compassion and makes us happier. On a serious note, if you consistently have depressing thoughts and feelings, be sure to tell your parents. Sometimes medication is required to treat this illness, and doctors can know for sure if your depression is something you can work through or if you need medical help.                                     Sincerely,                                   Miss Telall

Finding New Skills, at SBPL Written By: Aleena Khan

Finding New Skills, at SBPL

Written By: Aleena Khan

This month at the library, there are tons of events and activities available for teens. The SBPL library offers lots of activities for teens like an exercise class, conversation sessions, and a group for all things nerdy. In the past I have personally attended a class on how to make pizza, and in other session we got to decorate cupcakes! I had an amazing time and got to meet new people, and picked up a skill or two. The library encourages teens to come and expand their creativity. These days, most teenagers are indulged into their smartphones, laptops, and televisions (myself included). Sometimes it feels great to do something different, and it gives me a welcoming feeling that I can accomplish other things. I recommend going to the library once in awhile and trying an event; who knows- you might do well and go places! “If you want something in life you’ve never had, you’ll have to go there and do something you’ve never done” -JD Houston