Learn how to make homemade ravioli

Meredith Medoway and Andrew Huff show viewers how to cook ravioli from scratch in the latest episode of Barefoot Editors

Open minds prepare for open house

On Tuesday, January 26, East’s gay-straight-alliance met to discuss topics ranging from t-shirt design, open house and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) issues.

The annual East open house for eighth graders from Cherry Hill middle schools is an opportunity for incoming freshmen to catch a glimpse at their future scholastic home, and for East clubs to leave a lasting impression on potential future members. The gay-straight-alliance hopes to create a vibrant and welcoming stand that reflects its inclusive, open-minded and colorful disposition.

In addition to open house night, the GSA talked about the creation of the first South Jersey chapter of PFLAG, the national organization Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, in Collingswood. The net meeting of the gay-straight-alliance will be Tuesday, February 9 after school.

Bus driver deliberately late on testing days

Cherry Hill bus driver Cynthia Swift, 47, was charged with two counts of reckless endangerment of grade point averages yesterday morning. A jury sentenced her to 1 year of administering East math contests, alone.

Swift plead not guilty to purposely arriving late to every stop on her 15-minute route whenever student Richard King had a Calculus AP test.

“I was 23 seconds late to his stop the other day, or so this loony tells me,” she said, referring to King. “When he stepped onto the bus, he slapped me right across the face. Then he handed me a stopwatch and told me to start practicing on weekends.”

King claims, however, that East’s ambiance fueled his passionate response to Swift’s tardiness. “I have a 94 in Calc now because I got an 89 on that test: and that’s just not good enough. I dreamt last night of cougars, everywhere, scratching unit circles into my arms and I still can’t find theta!”

At this point in Swift’s trial, a court-appointed physician administered a sedative to King.

Later, King recounted the initiation of his mathematical woes. “Well, at first I thought ‘maybe she’s just sleepy today,’ or, ‘maybe there was a mother hen crossing the road,’” King said. “But I suspected something else when she started closing the doors on me.”

Swift, however, said she used the mechanical doors out of fear that King, who “always stood in perfect posture by the curb holding his textbook… stroking it,” would berate her driving skills by analyzing her bus route mathematically.

Wheezing from the pneumonia he contracted from waiting for the bus outside on December 15, the day of his Calculus AP unit test, King recalled a particular incident in greater detail, for which Swift was arraigned.

“I saw a speck of yellow from around the corner while I was just skimming the basic integration formulas. I got so startled she had arrived almost on-time that I flung my book a few feet in front of me. Then… I saw my bus driver jerk the wheel and jump the curb. She wanted my book, and she destroyed it.”

“That part is true, actually,” Swift said while on the stand.

East principal Ron O’Schmeeza said, “The word… ‘calculus’… contains the word ‘us.’ I think it is imperative that we… work as a team… a community… to ensure that the East community keeps the ‘us’… in calculus. Thank you.”

Check out the latest episode of Barefoot Editors

Meredith, Andrew, and special guest Melanie Mijares show viewers how to make a variety of candy snacks, many of which will be featured at the Coffee House bake sale.

Be sure to stop by East’s Coffee House on January 23rd, 2010. The event will be from 7-10 pm, and all proceeds will go to NJ Cares, an institute dedicated to helping children who have suffered from child abuse.

For more recipes and ideas, go to www.bakerella.com

Recipes:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles (courtesy loveandoliveoil.com)
Makes approx. 3-4 dozen.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk or soy milk
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

14 oz dark chocolate candy coating

Directions

Beat butter and sugars and in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add soymilk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed (or by hand) until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.

When dough is firm enough to handle (it may help to lightly flour your hands), form dough into 1″ balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Place sheets in freezer and let chill for 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate candy coating in a double boiler or in microwave according to package directions. Using forks or a dipping tool, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Tap fork on side of pan to remove any excess coating, and return to waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until set. Store, chilled, in an airtight container for up to 1 week (though good luck making them last that long).

Cake Balls (courtesy of bakerella.com)

Ingredients
1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper

Directions
1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

homemade cream cheese icing:

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 stick butter
1/4 tsp vanilla
heaping 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/8 cup granulated sugar

Directions
-beat all ingredients together in mixer until thick and creamy

No Bake Oatmeal Cookie Balls
Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 ripe bananas
2tbsps butter
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

In a large bowl, combine the oats, sugar and cocoa. With clean hands, mix in the water, vanilla, bananas and peanut butter.
heat butter in a skillet until it caramelizes slightly and then add to batter.
Wash hands, then roll the dough into balls 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Roll balls in confectioners’ sugar until thickly coated.
Chill 20 minutes before serving.

Stage Crew prepares for Coffee House and the spring musical

From 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Wednesday January 13, East’s stage crew worked simultaneously on the skeleton of the spring musical, Man of La Mancha, and several props for Coffee House.

The stage crew, fueled by Dunkin’ Donuts munchkins, sawdust and paint, juggled chit-chat with friends with manufacturing two of East’s biggest crowd-gatherers.

Mr. Gambino (’03) and Robert Weaver (’03) directed the night’s work. The next stage crew call is Thursday January 14 from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm, followed by Saturday January 16, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Although the Man of La Mancha set remains with unpainted pieces of wooden infrastructure, in just two months the extraordinary tale of Don Quixote and his chivalric quests will occupy the stage.

Barefoot Editors: Holiday special

Meredith, Andrew, and special guest Brooke Weiss (News/Features Editor) make some delicious holiday treats.

Recipes:

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1½ tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 large egg

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices to combine; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the molasses and egg until combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to about ¼-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place the cookie shapes onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely. Decorate as desired.

Light Egg Nog

Ingredients
2 cups nonfat milk
2 large strips orange and/or lemon zest
1 vanilla bean
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
Freshly grated nutmeg for garnish

Directions
1. Combine 1 1/2 cups milk and the citrus zest in a medium saucepan. split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds; and the seeds and pod to saucepan an bring to a simmer over heat. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, egg yolk, sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl until light yellow.
2. Gradually pour the hot milk mix into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, then pour back into the pan. Place over medium eat and stir constantly with a wooden in a figure-eight motion until the eggnog begins to thicken, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the remaining 1/2 cup milk to stop the cooking. transfer the eggnog to a large bowl and place over a large bowl of ice to cool, then chill until ready to serve.
3. Remove zest and vanilla pod. garnish with nutmeg

Cupcakes:

1 box cake mix
1 cup buttermilk in place of amount of water called for on box of cake mix
Amount of oil called for on box of cake mix
4 eggs, instead of number called for on box of cake mix

Use a hand mixer to moisten batter, then beat for 2 minutes on high.

For the decorations:

Ice cupcakes and roll edges in sweetened shredded coconut. Place small cupcake on its side on the large cupcake.

Scarf: Cut Fruit Roll-ups into scarf shape with serrated knife. Wrap around “neck” of cupcakes.
Mouth: Insert chocolate sprinkles into smaller cupcake in the shape of a smile
Nose: Microwave an orange starburst for a few seconds until it is soft enough to form with your hands into the shape of a nose. Form points on both ends, insert one end into small cupcake.
Eyes: Insert a mini choclate chip on the small cupcake, pointed side in, for each eye.
Hat: Take one half of an Oreo cookie and use icing to apply to the “head” of the snowman. Use icing to apply a mini Reese’s peanut butter cup with the inner brown wrapper still on.
Earmuffs: Cut a Fruit Roll-up into the length of half of a scarf, and roll it together to form a long tube. Use icing to attach a skittle or M&M to each side. Put in the freezer for a minute or two to allow it to set so the skittles of M&Ms stay in place.

Eastside Salon Rouge Makeover: Andrew

The response to my new ‘do has been subtle; a few peers have noticed and have mostly said “Oh my gosh! Your hair is so shiny!” Others have asked, “Did you dye your hair?” to which I respond, “No, not me personally.”

This “makeover,” if it even equates that, has highlighted a unique trend of hair-care segregation, at least to me. There are understated, over-expressed caveats of “guys go to barber shops, girls go to salons,” which have produced a split-end of the hair-care business. There is an implicit bias against males getting anything more than a 5-minute haircut, or even stepping foot into a salon, as if those actions aren’t manly enough.

I found out literally last minute that I had a 4:00 appointment at Salon Rouge to have a stylist go wild with my one-inch of blonde hair. Eager to change my token hairstyle, I entered the high-end salon ready to give whoever held the scissors free reign over my hair.

Ever since my seventh grade history teacher enthusiastically remarked that my spiked hair looked good, I have worn the ubiquitous male version of the up-do. Guys don’t have much leeway with hair styles, aside from the few who are patient enough to grow it out: I am not one of those people, so I settled for the traditional close-cut haircut.

Desiree, a sociable young stylist with a wavy blonde reverse-mullet type of haircut, asked me if I wanted my hair to “speak, scream or whisper.” After initially choosing a mild-mannered tone, I opted for my follicles to scream. Unfortunately, the color specialist thought my hair would be best suited for natural highlights. The nearly-colorless verdict was disappointing, but not completely: I was getting highlights for the first time.

Hair care, from a simple cut to more complex chemical procedures, is not (or at least should not be) an esoteric business driven by gender; feminine or masculine, gender should not limit one from being adventurous with his or her appearance. I’ve been to barber shops, cut my own hair and gone to hair salons. Salons offer an ambiance of being a part of a community of others in similar situations, as opposed to the one-on-one environment of a barbershop. In my experiences, stylists are more conversational, more rushed, but acute with their work; barbers are more reserved, work slower but are less precise. Stylists, too, encourage innovation, change and are eager to craft a new haircut, whereas barbers return an old haircut to a customer.

But the question remains, and may always remain: Do guys really need a candy-cane pole to feel secure about getting a haircut? Of the four hours I spent at Salon Rouge, surrounded by female customers and employees, I never felt a singe gender-driven glare from anyone. No one seemed to care that a guy had stopped by to get his hair done, and I found that observation to be refreshing. Of the four hours I spent at the salon, it took only one-and-a-half hours for my hair to be washed, cut, colored, rinsed, dried and cut again.

To me, those archaic delegations of guys to the barbershop and girls to the salon seem unreasonably tedious.

I don’t care where you get your haircut and whether I get my hair cut at a barbershop, a hair salon or in my own bathroom is really none of anyone’s business.

Well, except for this eyebrow-raising (and hair cutting) experience.

East’s GSA gets an encouraging visit from “Ugly Betty” casting director

Geoffrey Soffer (’95), the casting director of ABC’s Emmy-winning “Ugly Betty,” spoke yesterday with East’s Gay-Straight Alliance about his life after high school.

Soffer joined ABC Television Network/Touchstone Television in New York in 2003, where he is now Manager of Casting. Despite his prominence in the television industry, the conversation quickly turned matters concerning the gay and lesbian community, both at East and beyond.

Soffer called the people gathered in C115, gay and straight alike, “pioneers.”

He noted the courage it takes to advocate for a minority group, and lamented the fear some individuals have about joining GSA.

“They think about it, they talk about,” he said, but they lack the confidence to walk through the door.

In a conversational style, Soffer sat on the front desk taking questions from recent East graduates, current students and two faculty members, including the gay-straight alliance advisor and retired East teacher, Mrs. Ida Varon

Referencing his current stomping grounds, the entertainment industry, Soffer, who is gay and recently married his partner of six years, said, “with guys it’s usually 50-50,” in terms of being gay.

On the topic of gay rights, and the slow progression to equality for members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community, he said, “We see the Ellen DeGeneres’ and the Barney Franks. We see gay leaders, we have them, but we don’t see everyday [gay and lesbian] citizens functioning in society.”

“We see the rich poster children,” he continued. “[But], we need people like you and me who are not famous.”

Soffer used an analogy to explain the importance of coming out – which he stressed as a defining, liberating moment which allows LGBT people to “wake up with a sense of purpose.”

If “Mary in accounting,” he said, comes out, then her co-workers will know someone who is gay, and will not be disconnected from the gay community. They like Mary, so they realize that they can like lesbian people, too, and that they aren’t all stereotypically masculine, he said.

Unfortunately, though, discrimination is rampant, and has manifested in seemingly innocuous language, such as the phrase “That’s so gay,” he said.

Sometimes, Soffer said, “people don’t even know that they discriminate [by saying] ‘That’s so gay.’ [But], it’s a negative. It’s the negative word they chose.”

To convey the insulting nature of the phrase, he compared it to someone saying, “That’s so Jewish,” or “That’s so black.”

However, Soffer says that his sister-in-law, whom he called an incredibly accepting person, sometimes uses the phrase, and that “in those situations I try to diffuse it with a joke.”

All kidding aside, Soffer acknowledged the fact that many cross-cultural people still regard homosexuality as an illness.

One straight GSA member recounted how a friend’s mother believed her to be a lesbian and refused to allow her daughter to go to her house.

Soffer said that even if homosexuality were an illness, “since when are we a country that discriminates against sick people?”

A lesbian member of the GSA told of how she overheard a woman say “that’s gross” when a speaker revealed he had AIDS.

She added, “What if we ran away from people with arthritis?”

As pictures from the recent protest outside of East traversed throughout the rows of listeners, Soffer reinforced the implementation of sensitivity training for East teachers. As one attending faculty member noted, oftentimes teachers will be at the computer and will overhear slurs, but will disregard them completely.

At 4:05 p.m., Soffer concluded the discussion with sound advice for the GSA: “make noise.”

Barefoot Editors serve up breakfast

In this episode of Barefoot Editors, Andrew Huff and Meredith Medoway show viewers how to whip up some easy-to-make breakfast foods.

Recipes:

Egg-in-a-Hole

Ingredients:
slice of bread (any kind)
large egg
butter
salt
pepper

Directions:
Cut a hole in the center of the slice of bread (about 2 in diameter)

Put 2 tablespoons of butter into a frying pan. When it gets bubbly, add the slice of bread

Crack the egg into the hole in the bread. Let it cook for a minute or so, until the bottom of the egg starts to appear white.

Flip the bread and remove once the egg is cooked (be sure not to cook too long so that the yolk is dry or too short so that the yolk is runny)

Put the cutout part of the bread into the pan to sop up the rest of the butter

Salt and pepper the egg to taste

Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
1 mango
2 kiwis
1 pint of strawberries
2 bananas

Directions:

Cut the mango, kiwis, and strawberries into bite size pieces as shown

Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge until ready to serve

Slice banana into the salad right before serving

Barefoot Editors cook up Thanksgiving dishes in new episode

In this episode dedicated to Thanksgiving, Andrew and Meredith celebrate by whipping up some easy-to-make side dishes.

Recipes for the foods featured in the show:

Buttermilk mashed potatoes

Ingredients
Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes
1/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Add them to the boiling water and bring the water back to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan, making sure it doesn’t boil. Set aside until the potatoes are done.

As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain them in a colander. Place a food mill fitted with a small disk/blade over a heatproof bowl. Pass the potatoes through the food mill, turning the handle back and forth. As soon as the potatoes are mashed, stir in the hot milk mixture with a whisk or rubber spatula. Add enough buttermilk to make the potatoes creamy. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper, and serve hot. To keep the potatoes warm, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water for up to 30 minutes. You can add a little extra hot milk to keep them creamy.

Herb and Apple stuffing

Ingredients
16 cups 1-inch bread cubes, white or whole wheat (2 baguettes)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
2 cups medium-diced yellow onion (2 large)
2 cups medium-diced celery (3 large stalks)
2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and large diced
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds, toasted, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Put the bread cubes on a 13 by 18 by 1-inch baking sheet and bake them in the oven for 7 minutes.

In a large saute pan, melt the butter and add the onion, celery, apples, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Saute for 10 minutes, until the mixture is soft.

Combine the bread cubes and cooked vegetables in a large bowl and add the chicken stock, and almonds, if desired.

Place the stuffing into the main cavity of the turkey and into the neck of the bird.. I cook a 12-pound turkey for 2 1/2 hours at 350 degrees F in a preheated oven. Make sure the stuffing in the cavity is secured by wrapping the legs tightly with string.

Asparagus

Ingredients
asparagus
extra virgin olive oil
salt pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line pan with foil and line asparagus up on it, then drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Cook in oven for 10-15 minutes or until crispy

Stage crew hammers away

Today, from 2:45 pm to 6:00 pm, members of East’s stage crew continued working on the set for the fall show, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The stage currently features hanging painted foliage, several two-dimensional wooden trees positioned in various locations, and large asymmetrical blocks that are currently being painted, among other set pieces. The paint crew today worked simultaneously on transforming some of these blocks to resemble marble, in addition to painting strips of canvas to look like tree trunks. With less than one month until the premiere of the show, the stage crew continues to work tirelessly towards an opening night strong enough to rouse any viewer from his or her dreams.

Special Halloween episode of Barefoot Editors

In this third episode of Barefoot Editors, Andrew Huff and Meredith Medoway dedicate the show to pumpkin-flavored foods in celebration of Halloween.

Barefoot Editors: Episode two

In the second episode of Barefoot Editors, humor editor Andrew Huff and entertainment editor Meredith Medoway show the viewers how to make Grown-Up Mac & Cheese along with Butterbeer.

Premiere episode of Barefoot Editors

In the first ever episode of Barefoot Editors, Eastside’s very own cooking show, humor editor Andrew Huff and entertainment editor Meredith Medoway show the viewers how to make ‘Peanut Butter Jelly Bars’.

Part One:

Part Two:

Preparation for fall productions keeps stage crew busy

Less than two weeks into the new school year, East’s stage crew members already have their drills fired up and their paint brushes dripping.

While stage-work on the fall play, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, has not commenced, the staff of devoted carpenters and painters have a full schedule nonetheless. Preparing the stage for the upcoming Lab Theater performances and Red Ribbon Week Awareness Play, the stage crew worked on Monday night from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Areas of the stage were repainted, while wooden additions which extended it four feet closer to the audience were removed. Also, deconstruction on several other set pieces occurred.

Lab Theater will perform on October 9 and 10, while the Red Ribbon Week Play will run through the last two weeks of October.

Spongy, Square, and Alive?

Nearly ten years ago, a mystical creature burst the bubble of reality as the human race had known it, and cackled his way to the top of pop culture. Said to live within the confines of a tropical fruit fathoms below sea level, this porous creature has squeezed laughter out of stoic children with the help of his aquatic friends ever since.

Only recently, however, was it discovered, in a shocking expose, that Spongebob Squarepants lives and breathes beneath the Caribbean Ocean.

Robert Pare, a catfish wrangler who has been fishing in the Caribbean on his vessel, “The Whisker,” for twenty-four years, was the man who first successfully located Spongebob.

“There it was!” he shouted to reporters, “A pineapple, on the ocean floor! Then there was a burger-joint, and a biome of all things!”

Pare had been scuba diving with his wife, Margaret, to look for a mythical catfish lair along the ocean floor. The two are enthusiasts of marine folklore, but never thought Spongebob existed. Upon discovering the pineapple and other locales, though, they notified authorities.

United Nations officials quickly sent a group of marine biologists down to observe and investigate the find in international waters.

Lead researcher Dolores Jenkins, who has devoted her life’s-work to proving the existence of two-dimensional animated cartoons, said, “While we cannot give too many details out to the public, we can say that we have come across various habitats clustered together in the form of a community shaped like a bikini.”

Jenkins continued to say that “there were life forms detected,” but would not elaborate on that statement, nor would she confirm if the “community” was a bikini top or bottom.

Immediately after news broke of the underwater situation, hoards of fans of the animated television series on Nickelodeon arrived in the Caribbean, all eyeing for a chance to glimpse a piece of Spongebob, his square pants or any of his aquatic neighbors.

Although it has neither been confirmed nor denied by authorities and the UN, some enthusiast believe that Spongebob and his friends wish to travel to the mainland on a diplomatic excursion above sea level.

After entertaining the masses for ten years underwater, the comedic troupe could use a breath of fresh air.

Another strike threatens Hollywood

Less than a year after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike that put the entertainment industry on hold for 100days, the actors of the entertainment industry are preparing for their own match against Hollywood.

Following in the steps of the WGA,the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), which represents actors and actresses, has been unsuccessful in negotiating new contracts with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers(AMPTP). The main argument in the contract negotiations, the same which sparked the WGA strike deals with new media sources, lies with the new and ambiguous field of online viewing of TV shows and movies. They argue over payment for the use of online material, an issue which the WGA fought earlier this year. Due to the lack of an agreement between SAG and AMPTP, SAG has begun preparing for a vote to begin a strike.

According to TV Guide’s website, the Guild needs 75 percent of its 120,000 members to vote in favor of the strike for it to go forward. The support of a strike could effectively shut down Hollywood again for the second time in one year.

SAG says on its website that it attempted to negotiate with AMPTP, but could not reach a decision that would benefit SAG members, therefore initiating the desire for “strike authorization ballots.” The website also says that the Guild “cannot allow [its] employers to undermine the futures of [its] members and their families.”

A SAG strike in the aftermath of the writer’s strike could mark an important turning point in Hollywood, compensating actors for the showing of their work online.

For the rest of us, it could mean a longer wait for TV shows and movies–and a need for more DVD’s.

Entertainment Update 2: a biweekly update of entertainment news

Monopoly Movie

The well of creative, innovative, dramatic and comic Hollywood films has clearly run dry with the production of a Monopoly-based film. One Hollywood insider revealed, anonymously for fear of being exiled from Tinsletown, that movie executives get their movie ideas by getting drunk and playing a combination of Twister and Clue. The film will star the iconic game board sitting on a kitchen table, with the camera focusing on each piece of paper property for five minutes at a time. To really bring in the big bucks there will even be a narration by Tom Cruise to spice up the dated, but constantly updated game.

When TV shows don’t get enough viewers

Two NBC shows, Lipstick Jungle and My Own Worst Enemy, have been cancelled–the latter after only four episodes. The lack of viewership on the NBC shows apparently led the stars of Lipstick Jungle to go into the jungle, and get lost amidst the thicket of designer lip wear. When discovered, the actresses had deforested the jungle, taking with them all of the lipstick, leaving viewers with no lipstick and no jungle. For My Own Worst Enemy, television proved to be the fateful foe, and thus the show is being rewritten as an Opera. The Christian Slater show couldn’t garner high viewership with its split personality and espionage theme, but perhaps it will do so onstage. The show is set to debut soon, featuring all of the actors from the TV show, and has already created Tony Award buzz. To add to the hype, scientists are working on a way to give Slater multiple personalities, ensuring the performance will be authentic to the show.

A world all its own

The two poles of Hollywood, Hollywood, California and New York, New York, have between them a distance of thousands of miles, presenting numerous obstacles for actors, actresses and producers of TV shows and movies. To solve this problem, the various guilds of Hollywood (Screen Actors Guild, Writers Guild of America, etc.) have banded together and are petitioning for the ability to secede from the Union and form their own nation, Star Island. Led by top secessionist, Todd Palin, husband of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, the group hopes to overtake Hawaii and use the island as the epicenter of Hollywood’s entertainment productions. Many of the stars feel that, being so beautiful, elegant, glamorous and rich as they are, they should not have to be subject to the common people of the world. Tickets to Star Island for fans to see, but not touch, stare at or speak of or at, will go on sale following the establishment of the nation.

Entertainment Update: a biweekly update of entertainment news

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt: Famous, Kind and All-around Heroic

Recently, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt of the Emmy-award winning drama, The Hills, were named not only Good Will Ambassadors by the United Nations, but also honorary leaders of the free-world by President Bush and Congress in a unanimous decision. The two stars, paragons of humility, talent and caring, embraced their new titles by adopting the continent of Africa. Showing Americans everywhere that plastic surgery, scripted shows and cattiness equal world peace, Montag and Pratt are said to be awaiting knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II and sainthood by the Pope. Bless them.

High School Musical 92: Still in School

After several installations in the Disney series, HSM will be back in theaters this fall with the ninety-second edition of the film franchise. The storyline picks up with our favorites high-schoolers still in school (they never graduated), although aged a bit. Now in their nineties, stars Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale said, “we’re so happy to still be in high school after all these years, and Disney loves us so much that they lock us into the set.” Disney decided in 2008 to make the franchise infinite, allowing for future generations to marvel at the phenomenon of High School Musical. Upcoming titles for the film series include “High School Musical: I have classes with my grandson” and “High School Musical: the nursing home.”

Way of the future created by new pilot program

Walking to class has become obsolete, and in its place a multitude of futuristic ways to travel begin to usher Cherry Hill East into the future.

The Parent Teacher Student Association announced recently that the school won a nationwide contest to be “Made” into a “school of the future” through a new pilot program.

The school opted to go ahead with the experimental program despite warnings from the FDA concerning hazardous adrenaline levels in test runs.

Cherry Hill East Principal Dr. Ron O’Breeza said, “Mundane staircases and humdrum hallways have held us back for far too long, and we can do better than escalators.” 

The transportation pilot involves ten alternative ways for students to get around the school.

Ellen Johnson (’09) said the slip-and-slide hallways “electrified and wired” her. She then demonstrated her “skyrocketed” energy level by sprinting down the hall and leaping onto a slip-and-slide.

In addition to hallways, various staircases around the school have been equipped with systems ranging from convection currents to wind tunnels and trampolines.

Eric Carp (’11) said, “I shattered several bones from the trampolines, but I got to class so fast I barely noticed a thing.”

On the other hand, Hannah Wilson (’10) said, “The wind tunnels make me feel less self-conscious about my weight.”

A slight drawback of the school-wide installations, however, has been the influx of student hospitalizations and injuries. In one such incident, several students were sent through multiple floors of the school after a bungee cord malfunctioned.

A similar glitch occurred when one of the slip-and- slides burst, flooding the first floor of the school.

Samuel Smith, English teacher, described the event as “a baby tsunami,” but looks at the incident positively, saying “on this day students and teachers got to class in record time.”

One student present during the flood, Bob Jones (’11) said, “I feel betrayed by the slip-and-slides. I’m calling for a boycott.”

Regardless of any minor technical difficulties, the response to the installations from both students and teachers has been overwhelmingly optimistic.

The dramatic rise in school attendance has sparked several rumors that plans exist to start implementing tours throughout the school in an effort to promote and market “the school of the future.”

Eagle Eye

Technology has become the focal point of debate as surveillance and security have crossed the boundaries of privacy. 

The eye in the sky is watching you, so be careful what you say. 

Jerry Shaw, a downer accustomed to working at Copy Cabana and hustling his friends at poker, has been “activated”, or, in other words, chosen. Following the death of his twin brother, Ethan, a military hero, Jerry’s mundane life halts with the discovery of terroristic weaponry scattered about his apartment. 

Shia Labeouf, fresh off his role in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, plays the scruffy twin, thrust into a world of conspiracy and espionage. 

Seconds after setting his eyes on chemical agents and guns in his home, a shell-shocked Jerry receives a call from a mysterious woman transmitting instructions to him over his cell phone. 

A fellow pawn in the top-secret game, Rachel Holloman receives a call from the same computer-voiced woman, with a set of instructions herself. 

Michelle Monaghan fills the role of the devoted mother, whose compliance with the all-seeing voice rests on her hope of preventing any harm on her young son. 

The two unsuspecting civilians become entrapped in an anti-terror mission, becoming targets of the federal government along the way. The mysterious caller backs up her threats of annihilation if compliance is not met, showing Jerry and Rachel the price of disobedience. 

The film’s big reveal, the caller’s identity, comes as a shock, although the trick has been done on film before, like in I, Robot. Nonetheless, Eagle Eye makes good use of the villain-against-democracy, placing unlikely heroes in several situations that test not only their teamwork and will to survive, but their willingness to save their country. 

The many action sequences deliver explosive special effects on a magnitude that can be, at times, dizzying, but are still satisfying. Approximately two hours long, Eagle Eye delivers a near-future depiction of our susceptibility to the power of technology, and the possibility of a battle against our own electronic creations.

2.5 out of 4 stars

Nick and Norah: A Musical Journey in NYC

A single kiss between Nick and Norah sparks an all night adventure for elusive love, music and a drunken mess named Caroline. 

Strangers to each other, the music connoisseurs of the film’s title connect after a concert in the Big Apple by Nick’s band. The only connections between the two main characters are Nick’s ex-girlfriend and Norah’s schoolmate, Tris. 

Nick is heartbroken and simply hasn’t gotten over being dumped by his girlfriend, a.k.a his “homie forever,” as indicated by his many posters on his picture-laden bedroom. Michael Cera, in his laughable awkwardness, captures Nick’s heartbroken hope to get back together with Tris through volumes of mix-tapes. 

The title characters begin their city-wide, day and night journey after a single lip-lock in front of the bubbly, jealous Tris. 

Always a gentleman, Nick assists Norah in getting her pal, the alcohol-loving and rambunctious Caroline, home. However, Nick’s gay band-mates offer to take the “drunk mess” home, while he and Norah look for Fluffy, the elusive band performing a secret concert in New York City. As could be expected, all goes awry from there. 

Still hung up over Tris, Nick can’t seem to connect with Norah. Kat Dennings shows Norah’s willingness to throw caution to the wind, along with her insecurities from being a music mogul’s daughter. 

While being driven home by the band, an intoxicated Caroline starts to believe that she has been kidnapped and escapes, running off around the city. 

From the first frame, the film lights a humorous fuse, unique to each character, only increasing the laughs when they gather onscreen. Caroline’s escapades around New York enlighten the audience to both the pitfalls and comedy that stem from drinking in the city. 

Similarly, Ari Graynor creates both disgust and laughs during Caroline’s arrival at a bus terminal bathroom involving a phone, a turkey sandwich and gum. As the night goes on, Nick and Norah begin to separate, as each goes back to his or her ex. Despite the seductive attempts of Tris to reclaim her Nick, he thwarts those plans in favor of rekindling the evening spark he had with Norah. 

From the early evening to the early morning, the two discover that through getting lost they found each other. The love of music that began their attraction culminates into their awkward yet fitting realization of being soul mates of more than just music. 

The infinite playlist of Nick and Norah plays the tune of two teens with music in their hearts, and a common chord that fuels their love.

3 out of 4 stars