All posts by jlang@nafcs.k12.in.us

News

Freshmen play their first pops poncert and their last marching band show for the season on Wednesday

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By Garland Noel

“People may say that it takes a lot of dedication and work, and they’re right about that, but it’s all worth it in the end, ” said freshman Chase Bishop

Bishop, who plays baritone saxophone for pep, concert and marching band, is playing his first pops concert this year along with most of the freshman band players. The pops concert, which is held here on Wednesday at 7, marks the last time this year’s marching music will ever be played. The marching band is not alone as all the school bands will be playing their own part of the performance, making this one of the largest band concert aside from Winter Fantasia.

“We’re playing ‘Instant Concert,’ ‘Into the Storm’ and ‘Romanesque’,” said freshman intermediate band percussionist Luke Malone.

Malone said that his favorite piece was “Instant Concert” because it was fun to play and had a lot of songs in it. Freshman Mason Moberly and others agreed with his assessment, although Bishop disagreed and said his favorite was “Into the Storm.”

“It has the most energy has the most energy of the all pieces. ‘Instant Concert’ pretty much has one theme through out the entire piece, but ‘Into the Storm’ combines three different themes,” said Bishop.

With the intermediate, advanced, jazz, marching and pep bands playing this is a huge event, not to mention the A and B winter guard and the winter percussion playing. For some, though, it all comes back to why they do it.

“I have a lot of friends in band; everybody gets along, it’s just a cool experience,” said Bishop.

Christian DiMartino, News, Peter Hyle

Cafeteria hosts Book Drive for Dr. Seuss Day

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By Peter Hyle and Christian DiMartino

Every year the cafeteria makes a special lunch for Dr. Seuss Day. Serving food such as green eggs and ham and grinch burgers, it has become a yearly tradition for the FC cafeteria workers. This year however, the cafeteria hosted a week-long book drive in honor of the author’s birthday.

“The purpose of the book drive is to give to a school with lower income children,” said food and nutrition manager Jody Kramer.

All of the books collected in the book drive are to be sent to Green Valley Elementary in hopes that they will encourage healthy reading habits.

“The National Education Association started these book drives 17 years ago. It focuses on motivating children and teens to read more through events, partnerships, and reading resources,” said school librarian Pamela Poe.

Weather interfered with Dr. Seuss Day, which was last Sunday and scheduled to be celebrated at FC on Monday. After the snow day and two-hour delay at the start of last week, it was decided that the cafeteria celebration would be held on Tuesday.

“Cooking the themed food is easy, fun, and my cooks love to do it because it’s something different,” said Kramer.

For most involved, the rewarding aspect of the week was collecting all of the books for the children.

“Roughly 50-60 books were donated into the box, which is great for the very first year we’ve done the book drive,” said Kramer.

“The entire drive is in conjunction with Reading Across America. We stopped officially collecting on Friday, but we will still collect any books that come in late.”

According to Kramer, the first book drive at FC, held in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday was an achievement.

“In my opinion, it’s a good day celebrating a wonderful author. Hopefully we can do the book drive again next year and it will be even more of a success. We have great kids and staff in this building that made the book drive possible,” said Kramer.

The donated books are put into boxes before being taken to Green Valley Elementary.
The donated books are put into boxes before being taken to Green Valley Elementary. Photo by Peter Hyle
A&E, Isaac Mathewson

Favorite Film Friday: Goodfellas

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By Isaac Mathewson
Written and directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
Martin Scorsese has been known throughout the film world for his depictions of brutal and often bloody violence as well as social outcasts who want to make something of themselves even if they have to resort to crime. One of the most famous examples of these films comes from what has often been revered as one of the most influential mob movies alongside The Godfather.
Goodfellas, based on the book Wise Guys by Nicholas Pilleggi, tells the autobiographical story of Henry Hill (Liotta) and his rise and fall from grace within the mob. Robert De Niro plays his boss and best friend Jimmy “The Gent” Conway, Joe Pesci plays the aggressive Tommy DeVito, and Lorraine Bracco is Henry’s wife Karen. The first half of the film, leading up to the Billy Batts (played by Frank Vincent) murder, shows the good aspects of being in the mob and the second half after the murder shows the consequences of living a life committed to crime.
The film, like many of Scorsese’s movies, works like a documentary. It shows the life of Hill, from his eyes, from when he was a kid dreaming of a life of crime to when he is a coke addicted adult who struggles to live day by day to support his family. Scorsese does this in a way to help us understand and even sympathize with the main character.
One of the most famous aspects of this film is the filmmaking. Every shot and camera angle is absolutely stunning, especially in scenes where it shows Hill walking through a building such as a night club with Karen by his side. You get the sense that you have been transported to this time period and that you are there with the characters.
This film is also notable for its depictions of violence. From the opening scene that depicts the Billy Batts murder, you just know that this is a very different film than anything ever done before. The violence is not only very bloody but it is also very brutal. You can feel it every time someone is shot, stabbed, beaten, or strangled. This film really brought violence in gangster films to a whole new level and Scorsese would upgrade the violence in his movies further with Casino and The Departed.
The actors all fit their roles, but the one actor who stands out above all of them is Joe Pesci. His performance, which won him an Academy Award, is well known among gangster film fans all over the world. Although he is only 5’4 and stocky, he has a very violent temper and will kill anyone in cold blood if he feels insulted. Even though he is one of the protagonists, there’s no telling when he will get angry and suddenly turn violent. The most notable example is when he asks Hill, threateningly, how he finds him funny while they’re talking at a night club. It’s interesting how someone so violent and short tempered can be so close to his mother.
Many fans of this film have shown disappointment over the years since its release that it did not receive the Oscar attention it deserved the year that Kevin Costner’s Dances With Wolves was released. While that movie is no doubt beautiful and is too a landmark in cinema history, I would be lying if I didn’t say that this film really was truly 1990’s best picture. It is not only a landmark for mob movies, but for all films in general and to this day many filmmakers find inspiration in this film. It is one of the best mob movies of all time, as well as one of Scorsese’s greatest achievements.
Features, Isaac Mathewson

Theatre graduates share their plans for the future

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By Isaac Mathewson
At one point, she was a student like any other. She was an actress and was in A Cappella.
Now FC graduate, Marina Hart, who gave a great performance as the lead in Thoroughly Modern Millie, is out of high school and currently in her second semester at Indiana University Southeast.
She continues to be a part of theatre at her school and is planning on majoring in journalism. She also plans on studying dance and music.
Hart continues to look positively at the future, “It is my belief that if you have a passion for anything, you will go far in whatever you do.”
Hart is not the only person who looks optimistically at the future.
Fellow graduate Cain Mathewson, who was also in A Cappella and gave a fantastic performance in Ashes two years ago, is also attending IUS and he plans on duel majoring in Zoology and Music.
“I’ve had a passion for these my whole life and I want to be able to say that I am a good musician and knowledgeable about animals.”
Mathewson is also working on his first novel entitled “Gone and Good Riddance,” a controversial book that he believes will be a critical and commercial hit. He also hopes to audition for movies and be a screenwriter too.
Both of these students said they look at the future with great optimism and that they know that although it will be a lot of hard work, it will be very rewarding in the end. 
A&E

FC theatre recreates Jane Austen’s 1813 classic

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By Melanie Parrish and Megan Johnson

“Alright ladies and gents, line up for the last dance in the second ball,” said director Amy Harpenau.

Theatre students hastily take their places on the floor. As they disperse and the talking dies down, a countdown of “five, six, seven, eight” is given and classical music begins to play.

Pride and Prejudice is a play set in the early 1800’s about a young woman whose strong willed intentions clash with the surrounding beliefs of others.

“I think the sort of strict boundaries of this time period go along with relations between characters, because if somebody dances with the same girl twice, then it’s like ‘oh, well we’re expecting a marriage proposal now’,” said junior Chelsea Balmer, who plays Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Pride and Prejudice is a novel originally written by Jane Austen. The book created the basis for the play later written by Jon Jory. Within this play, there are several themes: romance, independence, responsibility, and of course, pride and prejudice.

A major theme within both the play and the book  is justified within the first lines, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”

However, in order for these themes to be shown thoroughly, they must have actors who are able to naturally display them.

“When we choose a student for a role, we’re looking at the character qualities as a person and as an actor,” said Harpenau. “Actors are more than just what is written on a page.”

Director Amy Harpenau coaches senior Savannah Wormley and sophomore Ashley Denny. Photo by Megan Johnson.
Director Amy Harpenau coaches senior Savannah Wormley and sophomore Ashley Denny. Photo by Megan Johnson.“Actors are more than just what is written on a page.”

The play is defined as a “satire,” meaning comical ridicule is used to show the indirect problems within the plot. As the play is a satire, actors must be able to act in a comical manner, yet still channel the true emotion of their character.

“I try to think about the character’s mental status,” explained Balmer. “I try to think, ‘how does that affect their thinking and their feeling?’”

Though the specifics of stage design have not been released yet, there will be a new addition.

“It will include an extension of the stage, allowing the actors to be closer to the audience,” said theatrical arts teacher Robbie Steiner.

“Hopefully the design doesn’t stick out; I want the audience’s focus to be more towards the students.”

Pride and Prejudice will be showing April 25, 26, 27 at 7:30 p.m. and April 26, 27 at 2 p.m.

“With such a range of characters, you are bound to find someone that you like. There’s a lot of great banter between the characters, so it’s fun, but there’s also a really good underlying message.”