But the big question is: did the movie live up to the expectations of the fans of the New York Times bestseller? The answer is yes. Yes, it did.

If you have been living under a rock for the past couple of months, here is a short synopsis:

 After years of revolt and turmoil from the people of the United States, the government took full control of the citizens of the futuristic country, Panem. The country is split into 12 Districts, and each year one boy and girl, aged 12-18, from each district are chosen to participate in The Hunger Games where the children fight to the death and a lone Victor remains. Sixteen-year old, Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, volunteers for her sister, Prim, when she is chosen as the female tribute of District 12 for the 74^th annual Hunger Games.  The movie follows Katniss through her journey of the Games and leaves you on the edge of your seat aching for more.   

            I first heard of this book in 2009, and when I read the summary, I didn’t think I would be a big fan of cheering on children to kill each other. But as I kept hearing the rave reviews and people talking about it, I decided to see what all the fuss was about. So, I read the first book. And it became an obsession of mine that greatly exceeded any Twilight fascination that I ever had. Then, Lionsgate released news that they would be producing a movie adapted from the series and my excitement exploded.

            I counted down the days for over a year until the movie came out. I re-read the series over and over again, but that still didn’t satisfy my craving. I purchased midnight release tickets, made T-shirts, bought anything Hunger Games that I could find. And finally, the day came. March 23, 2012.

Some fans are not happy that small details were left out, but the movie is an adaption to the book, so there are naturally some differences.

This movie is full of action and adventure and a couple of comedic moments.  The visual effects of the movie were extremely well done from the fire balls to the mutant dogs to the animations of the Capitol. The story line ran extremely close to the books, and I feel as though the director, Gary Ross, did a very good job at representing Suzanne Collins’ work.

I thought the actors who were picked for the movie were right on target. Jennifer Lawrence was absolutely flawless in her portrayal of Katniss. Lawrence gripped Katniss’ raw emotions and captured her perfectly the way Katniss was described in the books. Josh Hutcherson, who plays Peeta Mellark, did a great job with depicting Peeta’s innocence and soft-heartedness. Stanley Tucci, who plays Caesar Flickerman, was by far the most perfect man for the role. He portrayed Caesar’s fakeness and weirdness so well that it felt as if Flickerman himself had stepped out of the book and onto the screen.

The movie was rated PG-13, and rightfully so. There is a lot of violence, but not a lot of gore. Parents should definitely think twice before they take their children to see a movie like this.

All in all, I give this movie 8 out of 10 stars. If action is your thing, this is the movie for you.

The countdown has begun with just under 600 days until the release of Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games.

What is the S.A.F.E. TEAM, and what changes will take place with its implementation?

The TEAM’s official website states its mission as, “to provide an opportunity for our staff, families and community to partner together for success and increase… Personal Responsibility, Safety and Education.”

Just how the program is to accomplish this is still a little vague at this time, but the gist of the program is thus:

The S.A.F.E. TEAM is to be composed of adults from the families of enrolled students who volunteer to patrol the campus during portions of the school day in order to,”[help] create a safer, more secure environment.”

Though available sources are short on specifics, those the website offers all seem to be roles already actively fulfilled by teachers and other staff, for instance:

“S.A.F.E Zone – welcoming guests, supporting the front office or faculty, and working with small groups of students near the Main Entrance

S.A.F.E. Walks – providing a visible presence in the hallways, parking lots and campus perimeter

S.A.F.E Times – being actively involved with students, one-to-one or in small groups, while inside grade-level, elective and special activity classrooms”

The ‘S.A.F.E. Zone’ initiative seems a great deal like duties already performed by our director of first impressions Emily Skipper and the staff of students who work as teacher and administrative aides during off periods—duties such as welcoming guests and supporting the faculty, and as for S.A.F.E. Zone volunteers working with small groups of students, that raises more questions than answers.

‘S.A.F.E. Walks’ appear to be a sort of self-explanatory hall-monitoring program. The question here isn’t one of premise, but one of function: What sort of authority will these adults have over students? Will they write referrals or detentions for students skipping class? Will they have the power to take up electronic devices? Or will they merely be able to alert a staff member with the authority to do so?

Most confusing is the concept of ‘S.A.F.E. Times’—what purpose would an adult without a teaching certificate serve inside the classroom? To keep unruly students in line or assist teachers with menial tasks such as passing out papers? Though the website does not state what role the volunteers would fill, there are several photographs of students and S.A.F.E. TEAM volunteers conversing one-on-one while class appears still to be in session.

The unanswered questions about this program are not a matter of possibility, but of utility. What roles could these volunteers fill on campus that faculty and staff are incapable of?

In considering the answer to that question, allow me to pose another:  Why would a radical, change-effecting program like this be proposed for implementation more than half way through the school year? Why not at the beginning of a school year, when such a transition could be more easily accomplished? Something has to have made such a rapid change a necessity, to have made unpaid volunteers fulfilling faculty and staff roles a necessity.

For those of you unfamiliar with the current problems plaguing our educational system, the most pressing and immediate is the State of Texas’ 27 billion dollar budget shortfall. Bear in mind that 44% of all spending in Texas is on education, and in the words of superintendent Dr. Bret Champion in his Jan. 11 ‘Straight Talk’ newsletter, “There is no way around the fact that 86 percent Leander ISD’s budget is people: the salaries and benefits of the talented folks doing great work in the district.”

Given the economic climate and its relation to faculty and staff and the rapid advancement of the S.A.F.E. program, it is not unfair to say S.A.F.E. may be necessary just to cope with the increased workload of the (potentially diminished) teachers and staff after the budget cuts in April or May of this year.

In principle, S.A.F.E. is a brilliant program which may soon become sadly necessary to ensure normalcy  on campus, but the lack of information which has been provided for it has certainly been unsettling, namely the function and authority of the program’s volunteers. If more hard, unassailable fact were to be provided about the program, positive response to and popular opinion of the program would undoubtedly increase, making the changing of the guard all that much easier.

While some people hate it and try to find any excuse to ignore it others get starry eyed. Of course we are talking about February 14, Valentine’s day.

But what is there behind this day of love and appreciation, where does it come from? Is it all seriously just being blowed up by the flower industry?

Originally it is a religious holiday, named after the Christian matyr ‘Valentin’ and established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. Today it’s not an official religious celebration anymore since Pope Paul VI deleted it from the Roman calendar in 1969.

That doesn’t prevent people from writing neat postcards or buying heartshaped candy… and red roses, right?
But why red roses? This tradition has its origin in a poem, published in 1785 by Gammer Gurton’s Garland:

The rose is red, the violet’s blue

The honey’s sweet, and so are you

Thou are my love and I am thine

I drew thee to my Valentine

The lot was cast and then I drew

And Fortune said it shou’d be you.

Still, even enough people in a relationship hate this day so that it makes you wonder about what it’s all about.

In my opinion, the ‘haters’ do have their point. Celebrating Valentine’s Day by just spending money on some roses and a Walmart greeting card, buying pseudo love, just because the partner expects us to. That is definitely not how it’s supposed to be.

But if you see it what it’s meant like – a day of love, not presents – then it can be a great opportunity to show affection. Don’t think of what you could buy your love – think of what makes you love him/her. Instead of buying a sparkling, prefab heart’s shaped greeting card with a run-of-the-mill poem printed on it, write down what characteristics of him/her you love. Show personality and thought instead of money and a unlimited credit card. Valentine’s Day is not about showing off which restaurant you can afford to take your lady to, it’s about feelings and true emotion.

If you still aren’t convinced – or you are single and that’s your reason to hate this day – there’s still the SAD you could celebrate, the official Singles Awareness Day.

Famous words. Everybody has heard them before, especially on New Year’s Eve.

New Year’s Resolutions are probably as old as mankind itself. They show our desire for change, beginning with a new year.

And it’s true – isn’t the first of January a great day to start something new? An easy day to remember?

It doesn’t matter if you are young or only young at heart – everybody can make and sustain New Year’s Resolutions. But how many people see this time of the year as a chance to grow and how many just laugh about fools who start every year with the same old intentions?

“I think [resolutions] are a waste of time, and no one really accomplishes anything anyways,” senior Lyndi Martin said.

And she speaks from experience; Martin made New Year’s Resolutions, to eat healthier, work out more and eat leass fast food. How long did she last?

“Not even a day.”

 “I personally think that New Year’s Resolutions can help you get better, to improve your lifestyle,” freshman Tyler Ziemann said. “[I want to] try harder in everything I do. To give always 100 percent.”

He  sustained his goals for at least a few months, but how did he do it?
Zieman said he shared them with family and friends to build support.
“I told my family, but some of them are just personal; I keep them within myself,” Ziemann said.

Other people like to keep their resolutions a secret.

 “I didn’t share it because other people would have called me gay,” senior Chris Oballe said.

“To be more outgoing and nicer to people” is his first New Years Resolution ever. But why this year?
“This is my first year to make a resolution at all. I hope it goes well. I’m a man now. I’m 18. I’m about to inherit the family business,” Oballe said.

Most people don’t sustain their resolution for more than a few months.

Of course there are exceptions.

“One year I resolved to drink a glass of milk a day. I did it. It was in second grade,” senior Nathaniel Lane said.

How did he accomplish that?

“Focus. Like if I do bad, slap myself in the face. Start a revolution. It’s only a real victory if you do it by yourself,” Lane said. This year he’s off to be more optimistic – “because stupid stuff gets you down. Being optimistic helps you being happy.”

And isn’t that something we all should be occasionally?

It only remains for me to add that New Years Resolutions are a good thing to make, if you have the right personality and strength to sustain them.

With school underway once again, the thought on some students’ and teachers’ minds is simply, “When is the next break from school?” We did have a nice little three day weekend but that’s not near long enough. I mean, come on, only one day off? There needs to be another “BREAK” from school. For those of you who don’t know what I am hinting at, it is none other than spring break.

When spring break comes around, there is more than just excitement from students and faculty. Many people don’t know where to go and if they should fly or go on a road trip with a few of their friends and family.

When deciding where to go you must factor in your price range and the amount of time you can get away.  

Now I understand that most people would rather not have to travel far for a fun spring break so think local.

Some ideas that I have found to be enjoyable are downtown Austin where you can find any shop you may need to go to, and when the sun goes down there are plenty age appropriate places you may enjoy yourself. 

Another idea is going to the 360 bridge. This place is fun and exciting for you, your family and maybe a few friends, and it is very inexpensive. Its located on the outskirts of downtown on Lake Austin. The view is amazing and breath  taking if you enjoy nature.

Barton Springs is always on somebody’s list because it is a cool refreshing oasis that you can explore. If you think that you are pretty good with acrobatics there is also a diving board on which you can attempt stunts. Its only $3 a person, and it’s right next to Zilker Park.

For those of you who enjoy being with your pets outdoors, Zilker Park is an amazing place to enjoy time with your furry friends or play Frisbee golf. There is a full 18-hole course just for Frisbee golfers. You can park almost anywhere in the park, and it’s only $5.

Whether you have the money to travel to ideal spring break hotspots or not, you are always going to be able to find an inexpensive way to enjoy your break here in Austin.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” she replies. I am so utterly angered that I walk away from her but she doesn’t notice because I hear that wretched sound fade as I walk away, fuming.

Texting. It has taken over the world. Literally. Everyone has to talk to someone at every moment of every single day. An average teen sends 3,000 texts a month according to CNN, and I find that to be ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong, I do my fair share of texting, but when I’m talking to someone and I get a text, I ignore it until I’m finished with my conversation because I feel it’s disrespectful.  It angers me that teens these days are so reliant on their phones, and if it loses power, their whole world ends. 

It makes me wonder, what did our parents do when they were our age and wanted to talk to someone? I’m pretty sure that they called the person or went to their house and actually had a conversation that wasn’t like: “Hey!”

“Hey”

“Wht r u doin?”

“Nm. U?”

“Nm.” This leads me to believe that America has lost its conversational skills. No one knows how to talk face to face anymore.

Everyone is more comfortable now without their voices being projected out for the world to hear. It seems that we are all scared of talking to someone because there might be a hint of emotion in our voice. We feel that more can be better said behind a computer screen rather than in person, and frankly, that really annoys me. Talk to me. I don’t want to read something off a tiny LED screen from you.

This tsunami of lost communication can’t be stopped. And social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have made it worse. Facebook and texting have given teens and even adults the excuse to text or message their friends instead of calling them. At this point, there’s no turning back.

On Facebook, you can “add” whoever you want, but most people don’t even know half of their friends personally nor do they really care that their so called friend is bored on a Monday night sitting with their cat watching the Bachelor. Social networking is also extremely time consuming. I’m sure most people check their Facebook or Twitter account at least once a day, but then there are quizzes and horoscopes and don’t forget Farmville that take time away from work or someone more important than your computer.   

The whole point of the invention of the telephone was to talk to someone. Now with texting, a two minute phone call has been dragged out to 15 minutes, taking even more time away from actually doing something productive.

So people, please, I’m begging you. PUT. THE. PHONE. DOWN. and spend some quality time having a conversation with your parents that you may not see after you go to college or with your friends who you haven’t actually talked to in days. Get some fresh air. Go walk your dog. Play kick-ball or four-square with the neighbors. Turn back time for a little while. Oh, and leave your phone in the house. You know, just in case.

He asked me if I was struggling with quenching my thirst in an accent that sounded just like Mr. Miyagi from Karate Kid; which may I add, is a pretty good movie, and if you haven’t seen it you should go check it out.

I replied with a “yes,” confused as to who this creepy monk was. He handed me a scroll with Chinese lettering all over it.

“In this scroll you will find all the answers you seek of the water fountains.”

I unraveled it, and I could feel the magic hit me in the face right away. All of sudden I felt like the strongest man in the world. I looked back up at him and till this day I won’t forget what he said to me.

“A person whose heart is not content is like a snake which tries to swallow an elephant.”

I have no idea what that had to do with water fountains, but it stuck with me through the years.

Then all of a sudden he threw a smoke bomb on the ground and poof he was gone.  I studied the scroll and became a master of the water fountains. Now, I am here to share the information with everyone that was given to me at the beginning of my quest for thirst-quenching paradise.

Rule #1 Never go to any of the water fountains in the mall sector. They are warm, and you can literally taste iron bits in the water, who really wants that? Also, when two people are using them at the same time they start shooting at crazy levels and nobody want their face getting drenched in water.

Rule#2 Avoid lines. No water fountain is worth the wait.

Rule #3 Decide what your priorities are. Now if you are a cold water fanatic and don’t care about anything else, go to the athletic hall for a nice swig. But if you’re a germ freak, go to a less traveled area because normally when athletes get a drink from a water fountain they have been working hard. Beware of sweat.

Rule#4 Some journeys are just too great to complete. Never travel too far for a drink because you will end up losing more energy than gained from the fountain itself. It’s just not worth it.

Rule #5 A sly rabbit will have three openings to its den.  Always have multiple options when it comes to choosing your water fountain because you never know what obstacles you might face such as a stampede of freshmen on their way to lunch.

Rule #6 A wise man makes his own decisions; an ignorant man follows public opinion. Never trust anyone on what they say about the water fountains. Everyone has their own opinion so listen to your own.

Rule #7 Dig a well before you are thirsty. Always have a water fountain planned to go to because when an emergency happens, you always want to be prepared.

Rule #8  Sometimes the safe route is the way to go. Pick the C-building when not sure what to do. It has cold water and is in between buildings so the travel time will never be too bad.

Yes, it’s October, and that means Halloween can’t be far off. Having a friend or family member dragged off and messily devoured by a pack of desiccated corpulencies can really put a damper on the holidays, so this season, be prepared.

The first thing one must ask when facing the unpleasant prospect of an all-out war between the living and dead is, “Am I prepared?”  

To help you decide just precisely how doomed you are, take the time to fill out the questionnaire below:

Do I and my loved ones have access to a one-month (minimum) supply of fresh water?

Yes__/No__

Are I and my loved ones currently living in a densely populated area, where once-amiable friends and neighbors will inevitably turn on me for my last can of Bush’s baked beans?

Yes__/No__

Are the family pets tasty, nutritious and contain at least 12 grams of protein per serving?

Yes__/No__

Will I be able to muster the courage to put down a family member or loved one that has recently ‘turned’ or will I allow them to turn me in to human jerky?

 Yes__/No__

Do I know how to aim for the head?              

 Yes__/No__

Am I aware that selfless sacrifice to allow a loved one to escape will only result in my reanimation and subsequent attempt to consume said loved one?                                          

Yes__/No__

If you answered ‘no’ to any of the above questions, you’re little more than a walking Hors d’oeuvre, but if you answered nothing but ‘yes’, congratulations! You’ve won the grand prize: the responsibility of  rebuilding the world’s shattered infrastructure and reconstituting its broken spirit.

Though virtually every family knows what to do during the inevitability of a dead uprising, how safe are we? Most of our days aren’t spent in the relative comfort of the neighborhood bunker, but slaving away at work, or in our case, school.

We spend dozens of precious educational hours every semester marching stolidly out of the building during fire drills, cowering in corners for pretend tornadoes or terrorists, sitting in seminars on the dangers of drunk driving—all of which is purported to enhance our chances of surviving long enough to make it out in to the workforce.  If we have time to learn how to escape something as rare as a tornado, why does our curriculum ignore the oppressive and omnipresent danger of zombism?

In its current state, the school is both indefensible against and unprepared for the undead scourge.  A mosh of students without organization or direction at the first shout of, “ZOMBIE!” will be little more than a writhing smorgasbord to the undead menace.

However, a school populated by knowledgeable, fit and practiced young zombie survivalists—trained to be so by rigorous drill—would be a beacon of hope in a world consumed by darkness.

If the school’s administration truly wants us to ‘Be the Best for the World’, it must ensure that we can survive its inevitable, impending, zombie-filled end.

     I started to see stars everywhere. On the sides of freeways, the walls of overpasses, oh excuse me, “fly overs,” on fronts of houses and even at a store at the mall that sells nothing but stars. I guess that’s why they call it the Lone Star State.

     I have lived in Texas for about four years now and there is a ton of things, I’m fixin’ to tell ya starting with number two. “To fix” is an actual verb. I was born and raised in California, and when I got here I honestly didn’t know what to say. But I shortly learned my third thing. Students don’t actually ride to school on horses. It amazed me and I was so intrigued. I literally thought I would see tumble weeds roll along the dusty, cracked land like in those old western movies. 

     I will give Texas credit though. Number four: The school system here is 200 percent better than California’s. I learn so much more here and teachers get paid a lot less in California than they do here. As a middle school science and math teacher in California, my cousin has 37 students in her largest class. With that number of students, there is no possible way she can help every one of them through the things they don’t understand. I can barely understand, let alone hear the teacher with 25 kids in my classes. I can’t even imagine 37 kids in my class.      

     However, number five, the way the school spends its money most definitely should be addressed.  The new 10,000 seat stadium costs $18.5 million dollars when there is another 10,000 or more seat stadium that is literally two miles away. Why can’t we just use that stadium? I mean I know its part of another school district, but can’t there be compromise for every other week?  That $18.5 million dollars could be used for better and more productive purposes.

     What I am also fascinated by is the huge numbers of animal carcasses that litter the sides of the road. Number six: Is there not a road-kill-pick-up-crew? And no, the turkey vultures don’t count. Number seven, It’s hard to tell children that the animals “are just sleeping, they’re not dead.” Trust me; I’ve had to do it before. I don’t see how hunting these beautiful animals is fun either. You might as well pick one up on the side of the road and call it a day. These hunters, these killers only have to do three simple things: sprinkle some deer food, climb up in the blind, conveniently bought at the local grocery store, and shoot the poor animal’s brains out. They then chop their head off and plaster it on their wall like a prized possession. Number eight: killing is not something to be proud of. They stare you down too, the deer heads, they make you feel guilty, their eyes darting deep down into your soul.

     I’m sure everyone will agree with me on number nine. Texas has the most bi-polar weather in the nation. You can have all four seasons in one day, no joke. Though when we aren’t having all seasons packed into one day, it’s actually a very nice day. I love the spring here. All the flowers start to bloom and the trees regain their life. It’s beautiful, and the weather is perfect. Summer is a whole different story. It is nasty and humid and just plain gross. I hate the summer here. It’s just horrible. Fall, is not so bad. Some of the trees turn red and orange, it’s beautiful. I love driving down Brushy Creek Road toward Round Rock during the fall. Winter is not my favorite, but it’ll do. Everything looks dead in the winter and you skin and lips get all cracked and chapped, and it’s just not pleasant. The cold doesn’t really bother me because you can just put on another jacket, unlike the summertime when there is a limit to how many clothing items you can take off.

                Lastly, number ten, Texans are horrible drivers. Ok, maybe not every Texan, but a very large percentage is. I’m afraid to learn to drive here. My mom has gotten into so many almost-accidents from people being ignorant and impatient. When you try to back out of a parking space, drivers speed right past you while you slam on the breaks. The traffic here doesn’t even compare to L.A. and you can ask my dad, and probably your dad too, who sits for 45 minutes every day on the Mo-Pac or Loop 1. It is so dangerous to drive here, just by seeing my mom try to avoid accidents daily.

                So, there are my 10 things. Most of them are, I’ll admit negative, but hey, I didn’t choose to live here.

No more amazing comebacks. No more tailgate parties. No more college football Saturday or Sunday afternoon NFL games. They realized that, for the next seven months, ESPN would be horribly void of NFL and college football and filled with other sports that vainly try bridge the gap between the end of one season and the beginning of the next.

Instead of players in Death Valley or The Big House, all you see is players in The Juice Box or The Friendly Confines.  Saturdays lose their meaning and Sunday afternoons feel empty without watching your team play.

You think you might never get over this loss. But remember, you’re not alone. There are ways to cope. So before you lock yourself up in your house for the next few months, think of things that remind you of the greatest game ever, and you won’t have to lose the passion. Pick up an X-Box controller and play NCAA 10, or play some street football with a group of buddies. They know what you’re going through.

You can re-watch games on ESPN Classics and pretend like you don’t know that Colt McCoy will be knocked out of the National Championship, or who will come out on top of the Colts-Patriots shootout. Take time to remember this past year. Plus, the NFL Draft is just a few weeks away. Be sure to tune in to see how the Lions blow their picks this time. Or, if all else fails, you can pick up another sport to watch.

Finally, remember that time heals all wounds. Fall will roll back around in no time, and we can all relive the dream, the passion and the love for the greatest sport in the world.