Hunger Games Book Review

     The new movie The Hunger Games is coming up soon, and has recently gotten a lot of press. The movie is based on The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

     The book is based on a unique idea; children between the ages of 12 and 18 must fight to the death in a futuristic society. They are put in ‘the arena’ and must be the last one alive in order to finally return to their family and home.

     The main characters, Katniss and Peeta are from the same district, and work together in hope to make it back home.

     The book is filled with violence and action, with a little romance mixed in. Although it may be a tad graphic for younger kids, I recommend it for all as a great read. Suzanne Collins makes you feel as if you truly are in the arena with them. At the end of the book, you almost feel as if you personally know the characters, because of the great writing.

     So before you see the movie, read the amazing book first!

Assembly 2/23/12

     Yesterday, at Roosevelt we had an all-school assembly. It was in honor of John Meeks, an amazing wrestler at Roosevelt. He has won state four years in a row, and has never lost a wrestling match in his entire high school career.

     You can imagine how proud everyone was at Roosevelt; to have an amazing athlete from our own school. Needless to say, I was amazed by what a great athlete he is.

     But when I got down to the assembly, Mrs. Danielson, our principal began speaking about John winning state. I soon realized that this was the first assembly I have been to in honor of an athlete or a sport at Roosevelt this year. I then made a list in my head of all the other amazing athletes and their great accomplishments at Roosevelt.

     Most of the sports teams at Roosevelt do get recognition of their great accomplishments, but never an entire assembly! Mrs. Danielson then went on to mention a miniscule group of athletes and teams that have done well this season, without mentioning the majority.

     Now, while the sports teams do great recognition, as well does the drama department, there is a team at Roosevelt who gets very little recognition. I am a member of the Roosevelt Debate Team, and although we have an incredibly strong team, we get little recognition.

     Some of the Debate’s team great accomplishments include winning the State Tournament, qualifying over 10 kids to nationals, and winning our fall conference. While we have achieved these great heights, there has not even been a single morning announcement in the morning, telling everyone of our accomplishments!

     I am a strong believer in praise for each and every person in different extracurricular activities, but unfortunately at Roosevelt, we usually only focus of the sports aspects than the academics.

     I am a member of the swim team and soccer team, and hope that announcements or even assemblies will be made when we win games, but I wish we could focus a little more on the academic accomplishments of Roosevelt students rather than just the athletic.

Movie Review of The Help

     Looking for a movie that will make you laugh, cry, and make you want to do something in the world? Then go see The Help. It’s a heartwarming tale of friendship and sacrifices, good for almost all ages.

     The Help stars Emma Stone as Skeeter, Viola Davis as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny. It was directed by Tate Taylor, and is a product of Walt Disney. The movie was based of the book, The Help, by Kathryn Stockett.

     Although three very different young women, they build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project. Set in the 1960’s in Mississippi, it shows the racial injustice in the United States during that time. Although slavery is abolished, most blacks are still discriminated against greatly in this movie. The Help tells the story of many black female maids, and tells the story of how three unlikely friends, can change their hometown.

     The three women decide to write a book on the stories and adventures they’ve had while working for white people as maids. With the likely chance that the book will never be published, the women work even harder to make the book better and better.  As the movie progresses, we get to take a look at the lives, adventures and experiences these women endure. At the end of The Help, you feel as if you know the characters personally, because of the great depth we hear and learn about them.

     Now out on DVD, The Help is rated PG-13, so it may not be appropriate for younger audiences. This movie is considered a drama, but is still very funny in many aspects. While showing how terrible racial discrimination was in the 1960’s in Mississippi, the movie also makes it fun and playful. While teaching you a lesson, The Help also entertains. 
     The Help, is one of the few movies like it. No other movie addresses a topic like this, but also makes it entertaining and enjoyable. The Help is clearly one of the most unique and creative movies of its time. It was based off the book, The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, which is a great piece of literature.
      Finally, my overall review of The Help is 9 out of 10. I really enjoyed the movie, and it sent a great message. It can make you laugh and cry at the same time. It makes you feel like you should go out and make a difference, just like the women in the movie. So, go see it!

New!

      Hi! My name is Elena Hildebrandt, and I live in Iowa. I'm 14 years and am a freshman at Roosevelt High School. I enjoy playing soccer and swimming, traveling and hanging out with friends.

     I swam on the Roosevelt Swim team over the fall and really enjoyed it. I’ve been swimming at the Riverfront YMCA for 5 years and didn’t really enjoy it until now. At Roosevelt, I have a lot good friends on the swim team, and I believe that’s why I enjoy it so much.

     I’m also planning on playing soccer on the Roosevelt team in the Spring. I’ve loved soccer from the day I started playing when I was 4, and I know I will always love it. Unfortunately, not as many other freshman girls are planning on playing, but I am still extremely excited.

     I am also involved in the Roosevelt Debate team. I know most people consider debate to be really nerdy, but I really love debate. It’s already taught me so much and I’ve made friends I know I will keep with me for the rest of my life.

     I am writing this blog because it is an assignment for my journalism class. So far, I really like this assignment. I have many friends who write blogs, and I really enjoy reading them. Although this is an assignment, I do plan on continuing to write on this blog for a while after. So while there may be a few random posts, I will try to be consistent with my posts.

      I hope this helped you all to get you to know me better!