The Pixar Theory

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Galatro, Daniella

We’ve all seen Pixar movies. I’m not saying we’ve all liked them, but we’ve all seen at least one. They create multiple universes that we could only dream of, but what if they weren’t multiple universes? What if they all took place in the same universe? What if they all existed on the same timeline? That’s a lot of ‘what if’s’, but there’s an answer that explains it all: The Pixar Theory.

The Pixar Theory suggests that every Pixar movie ever made takes place in the same universe, and on one giant timeline. The theory was developed in 2013 by Jon Negroni, a writer/blogger who has written articles about the theory for websites like Huffington Post, Mashable, Slate, and Moviepilot, and that’s only a few of them. He even has a podcast, a book, and a serial novel called, The Pixar Detective. This complex and amazing theory will contain multiple spoilers for these movies, so you’ve been warned. Now, get ready to go to “Infinity and beyond!”

The Theory’s timeline had originally started with Brave and ended with Monsters Inc. or Brave again, depending how you look at it. Set in the dark ages of Scotland, Brave is the only Pixar movie that explains why animals in Pixar movies will sometimes act like humans. When the main character of the movie, Merida, meets a witch and asks her to use magic to change her fate, her mother is turned into a bear. We also see the witch disappearing each time she passes through a door, making us believe that she may not exist. This information may seem strange and irrelevant now, but it’ll make sense later. Back to Brave: Merida’s mother is restored to her human form by the end of the movie, but we learn that this magic has been used on one other person: turning the person into a bear, with a more permanent result. While these are the only two cases in the movie, it’s safe to assume that the witch has used the magic on other animals before. Over the coming centuries, the objects and animals that were experimented on would evolve, thus creating a power struggle between humans, animals, and machines.

The three movies in the human-animal relationship are Ratatouille, Finding Nemo, and Up, in that order. You may have noticed I’ve left out A Bug’s Life, but I’ll explain later on. In Ratatouille, we see Ramy the rat’s desire to cook. Even though he’s a better chef than pretty much any human, cooking is only done by humans. By the end of the film, he finds his way to success when he befriends a small group of humans. But the villain of the movie, Chef Skinner, just disappears. Where he went we’ll never know, but what if his knowledge of the animal intelligence were to make its way to Charles Muntz, the villain of Up? In learning about animal intelligence, Muntz creates the dog collars and realizes that dogs are smarter than expected. The dogs are set free by the end of the movie since Muntz has died, and again, we don’t know all the details, but as the humans begin to cross the line, we see the animals increasingly resenting humans. To develop new technology, the see the humans enter an industrial revolution. We see it in the beginning of Up, as the faceless corporation Buy-n-Large (BNL) forces Carl to give up his house. Sound familiar? Buy-n-Large is the corporation that takes over earth in Wall-E and forces the whole human population to evacuate to space. Still not ringing any bells? If not, you can watch “History of BNL” to refresh your memory. Oh, and don’t forget that you can use BNL batteries to power your Buzz Lightyear, or to read BNL’s news article about the sea in Finding Nemo! Coincidence? I think not. The movie focuses most on the animal’s perspective is Finding Nemo, which adds to the evidence of the hatred of animals and humans.

Moving on to humans versus machines, The Incredibles is the first movie that introduces artificial intelligence. Syndrome,the villain of the film, commits mass genocide on all the superheroes using an A.I. called the Omnidroid, until it goes rogue and starts killing everyone. This raises the question as to why machines want to get rid of humans in the first place. We know that animals dislike humans because the humans are destroying the earth, but what motives do the machines have?

That’s where Toy Story comes in: we then see how toys are used and discarded. And over the span of the three movies, we see how toys start displaying resentment towards their past owners. In Toy Story we see Buzz and Woody rise up against Sid, in Toy Story 2 we see how Jesse hates her old owner, Emily, for donating her, and by Toy Story 3, Lotso just despises the human race. Despite all this hatred, the toys need humans for energy and fulfillment. I’m not saying the toys are 100% machines, but maybe they are an evolved form of the A.I. from The Incredibles. It’s possible considering that The Incredibles takes place sometime in the 1950’s or 60’s, 40-50 years before the events of the of Toy Story (1990 – 2010). This also gives the A.I.’s time to rise up and create Buy-n-Large. The creation of Buy-n-Large triggers an industrial revolution, which eventually leads to the pollution of Earth. In a last ditch effort to save the human race, the machines put all the humans on the Axiom and sent them to space. Once on the spaceship the machines make sure that the humans have to depend on them for everything, treating the humans like they had treated the machines, like toys.

With the humans and most of the animals gone machines are left to take populate Earth, this is the era in which Cars and Cars 2 (and Planes, but I’m not going into that since it’s the same concept) takes place. Some people have argued that Cars couldn’t take place during this time because there’s no sign of pollution during any of the movies, but by looking closely at Wall-E, we don’t see the world during this time period, so we don’t know how polluted the world is. We do know that humans have existed in the past, because of the places visited in Cars 2: Europe and Japan. The next question is, how did Wall-E become the last robot on Earth? We don’t exactly know how the machines died but it’s safe to assume that they simply died off from lack of an energy source, and because they became so disconnected from humans. That’s how Wall-E is different: he remembers the time where machines and humans lived in peace before the pollution. Even though it’s been 800 years since the humans left, his fascination with human culture and friendship with a cockroach is what helps him maintain his personality and find fulfillment. It’s the reason why and how he pretty much saves humanity and rebuilds society. So what happens next? The answer is A Bug’s Life, yes this movie takes place after the apocalypse. In the end, credits of Wall-E we see the tree from the movie being planted and how it grows and it looks very similar to the main tree in A Bug’s Life. Plus, there aren’t many humans left, hence why they wouldn’t be in the movie. The bugs have cities, their own machines, bars, they know what a Bloody Mary is, and even a traveling circus, which shows us that humans had an influence on their culture and evolution.

Speaking of species evolving, we are left with monsters. Where could they of come from? Its very possible to believe that they were animal who were mutated by disease and evolved enough to replace the humans. Some have pointed out that the college in Monsters University was founded in 1313, but it’s possible that the monsters could’ve started their own calendar. That would make sense as to why it’s so dangerous for monsters to have any form of human contact, the doors they use bring them to the past, thus not wanting to face the effects of changing the past. They also rely heavily on humans screams for energy, much like the A.I.’s. That’s until Boo comes along and changes everything, and in a way, starts everything. After her adventure with Sully and Mike, all she wants to do is get back to “Kitty”. As she grows up, she searches for ways to reunite with Sully and along the way she goes back in time and discovers magic. Using this magic, she becomes a witch, the witch from Brave, to be exact. As I mentioned earlier, we see the Witch disappearing though doors, much like how monster to visit children. If that doesn’t convince you, The witch is also seen making wood carvings of the Pizza Planet truck from Toy Story, turns people into bears because they resemble Sully, and probably the most obvious we see she also has a drawing of Sully in her house in Brave. Thus making Boo’s love for Sully is the foundation of the Pixar Universe, showing that love of different people, ages, machines, and even species finding ways to live on earth in peace. That is the Pixar Theory.

You can also check out:

The Pixar Theory by SuperCarlinBrothers

The Pixar Theory by Bloop Animation

The Pixar Theory Official Website

Paris Attacker Captured Alive

Posted on March 21, 2016 by SULLIVAN, LAUREN

Salah Abdeslam, the Paris attacker that got away, is believed to have been captured alive in Brussels, Belgium. The Brussels Police Department has been having a very difficult time in their efforts to capture the terrorist, but their efforts may have been rewarded.

Salah Abdeslam

Theo Francken, Belgium’s secretary of state for asylum and migration, tweeted, “We hebben hem,” which translates to “We got him” in English.

If the reports are correct, this capture would be a major turn in the investigation of the Paris attack in Europe.

Abdeslam fled Paris after the terrorist attacks that killed 130 people at a theatre in Paris, the national stadium and cafes. Most of the attackers died that night, including Abdeslam’s brother Brahim, who blew himself up. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks, in which Belgian nationals played key roles.

If Abdeslam was indeed captured alive, any information that can be extracted from him could be vital in the fight against terrorism.

My Business is Your Business

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Schwartz, Dylan

Lots of teenagers have different types of jobs that make different levels of money. Most jobs pay minimum or slightly above minimum wage. When I started working, I didn’t want this to be the case. Like anyone else, I like making money. And, comic books are a passion of mine. But for many years, I never thought of combining the two things.

My display at a show.

It all started one afternoon over the weekend in October of 2010 after my father left the house for several hours. I, being an adventurous ten-year old, decided to explore the attic of my house. Within a few steps, I came across stacks of comic books– 1960’s and 1970’s comic books! I started reading them until my father came home and discovered me going through his comic books that he had saved all these years. The rest is history. What started as a hobby would give me the opportunity to earn thousands of dollars in the coming years. So, what do I do exactly? I buy and sell comic books.

The hobby of comic book collecting has grown bigger and bigger over time. This is because of publishing companies growing bigger and bigger due to gaining interest. The film industry has drastically changed the amount of interest in comics today. Companies like Disney, Marvel, and even DC are making huge amounts of money at the box office with their comic book-themed movies. Televisions shows are also being premiered on network TV and streaming services such as Netflix, and Hulu. The fact that via mass media, individuals are able to experience these stories without even having to read the comics, is a big deal. The comic market is so big, many comic conventions have sprung up all over the world. There, you can meet creators and buy and sell comics and other related merchandise. But where does this stuff com from? How is it sold? That’s where I come in.

This is serious business.

I capitalize on this strong and growing market by purchasing anything I think I can make decent money on, such as collections, at shows and on eBay. Something I look for the most are first appearances of popular characters. So far, I’ve spent thousands of dollars on comic books. In a nutshell, I buy comics from Dealer A, then sell them to Dealer B. Usually, it is much more complicated: imagine the above scenario and multiple it by many dealers with lots and lots of inventory, which means lots and lots of cash. It’s hard work, but it’s well worth it.

This is something that I enjoy very much and over time, I hope to make my business even bigger than it already is!

POLAR PLUNGE CHECKLIST!!

Posted on March 18, 2016 by SULLIVAN, LAUREN

Tomorrow is the day!!

Here is what you need to know:

TIME: Arrive by 10:45– WE ARE LINING UP AT 11:30.

WHAT TO WEAR: Wear your Village Vikings gear (if you bought something), Bathing suit under your clothing, hat, gloves, warm socks and boots. It’s best to overdress and take off layers rather than wear too little!!

WHAT TO BRING: A towel or robe for after the jump. You should be able to put back on the same things you wear to the plunge. But, in case things get wet, have an extra sweatshirt and socks, just in case! Also bring a plastic bag for any wet clothing.

**Put your cell in a ziplock JUST IN CASE!!

**You don’t have to plunge in order to join the fun– students, family, and friends who are coming just for moral support are more than welcome! Land-lovers should bring their phones/cameras and snap as many pics as they can!!

Artist Spotlight: Being As An Ocean

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Mirsky, Zachary

‘Being As An Ocean’ playing live.

Being As An Ocean is a post-hardcore/melodic hardcore band from Alpine, California. The band was formed in 2011 and is currently still active and making new music under the record company, Equal Vision. They were originally formed when Tyler Ross, Ralph Sica, Joel Quartuccio, and Shad Hamawe left their previous band, Vanguard, because they were looking for a different sound. The demo versions of two songs, “The Hardest Part Is Forgetting Those You Swore You Would Never Forget”, and “Humble Servant, Am I” that appeared on their debut album, “Dear G-d”, were streamed as two singles on the band’s myspace page on January 4, 2011.Originally, they had their guitarist write the entire album as soon as they formed. Later, it was fully tracked in an old hotel called, “The Palms”, and was then later sent to Brian Hood to be mixed and mastered. “Dear G-d” received overwhelmingly positive reviews. After its release, they toured over 20 countries including Canada, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom and Australia.

The lyrical content of this album in particular is arguably very Christian. While many critics assert that the band is a Christian band, the band has said several times that they’re just Christians who love to make music. In 2013, Shad Hamawe and Jacob Prest left the band due to personal reasons, and their desires to step away from the intense touring schedule. The members who still remained started to record some material and also held auditions to recruit new members. The band recruited Connor Dennis, the former drummer of the hardcore punk band, Sleep Patterns, and Michael McGough, guitarist of the band of post hardcore band, The Elijah.

With these two new band members, they released their second album, “How We Both Wondrously Perish”. Lyrically, musically, and vocally, this album surpasses the last one. They recorded the album in Atlanta, Georgia at “Glow in the Dark Studios” and it was released on May 6, 2014. McGough was the biggest addition to BAAO in all the best ways from his playing to his singing. Quartuccio’s vocal delivery on this album drastically improved, but over all, he is very well known for his passionate, yelled vocals and the spoken word poetry usually infused with the band’s music. Shortly after it’s release, the band stated they were working on a new album to be released later in 2015. They released the main single, ‘Little Richie” and soon after they released their self- titled album.

On this album, the lyrics rip through listeners’ hearts: ‘We still defile and abuse the innocent/Like items to be sold or owned/Slavery and prostitution is no place for a nine year old”(Death’s Great Black Wing Scrapes The Air, “Mediocre Shakespeare”, 2014) and “A loving marriage from the outside, but oh,/ how ferociously he’d hit her/Richie stood by the bleach white bedside/Ma held his face in her hands while he cried”(Little Richie, “Being As An Ocean”, 2015). Overall, this is possibly the best and most authentic band in the music scene today. Check them out; you won’t regret it one bit.

Here are some links to their social media outlets and music outlets:
http://www.facebook.com/BeingAsAnOcean
http://www.twitter.com/beingasanocean
https://www.instagram.com/beingasanocean/
https://myspace.com/beingasanocean/music/songs
https://invoguerecords.bandcamp.com/album/being-as-an-ocean
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/being-as-an-ocean/id492982354
Merch:
http://merchnow.com/catalogs/being-as-an-ocean
http://www.impericon.com/en/being-as-an-ocean.html
http://www.merchconnectioninc.com/collections/being-as-an-ocean

Delegate Update

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Hoge, Kylar

The results of the March 15th primaries have incontrovertibly altered the dynamics of this year’s election, signaling the demise of several candidates while simultaneously bolstering others.

These guys are losers.

Trump won Illinois, North Carolina, Northern Marianas, Missouri, and Florida; essentially, every single state aside from Kasich’s home state Ohio. Clinton had similar success, defeating Sanders in each state except for Missouri where they tied. Although delegate allocation hasn’t been fully tabulated yet, here are the rough gains made by each candidate that day: Clinton 371, Sanders 271, Trump 213, Kasich 80, Cruz 41, and Rubio 6. As an aside, in the interlude since the last major results were released Ted Cruz won Guam and Wyoming; Rubio won the District of Columbia. Keeping in mind these preceding victories, the rough delegate allocation totals are as follows: Clinton 1,606, Sanders 851, Trump 673, Cruz 411, Rubio 169, and Kasich 143. Keep in mind that Democrats need roughly twice as many delegates–2,382–as Republicans do–1,237– to attain the nomination; that Democratic total also factors in “superdelegates”, a group of Democratic party elites who aren’t bound to support any candidate but are presumed to heavily favor Hillary Clinton.

These result spelled disaster for Marco Rubio, who officially dropped out after losing Florida. To those unacquainted with politics, these results might not seem so pernicious. Yet, Florida was Rubio’s home state; by losing there he demonstrated insuperable weakness as a candidate and– by the Florida GOP’s winner-take-all rules– didn’t win a single delegate there. Following Rubio’s defeat, Ted Cruz declared that the GOP primary was now a “two man race”, deliberately excluding John Kasich for the following reason: it is now numerically impossible for him to win a majority of Republican delegates, even if he won every single one from now on. John Kasich’s only path to victory is through a brokered convention, which would occur if no candidate achieved a majority. However, even in this scenario Kasich would be at a profound disadvantage since even members of the Republican establishment would fear the wrath of the electorate should they back the unpopular Kasich in spite of Trump’s overwhelming popularity. There are rumors that Kasich is really just holding out in the hopes of being chosen as the nominee’s running mate. In fact, a brokered convention is actually relatively unlikely, given the political forecasting website 538’s assessment of Trumps trajectory. Mathematically speaking, Trump’s delegate count has thus far followed or exceeded that necessary to support an eventual win. No other Republican is on track. Despite this, Trump has a difficult road ahead of him, he will need to win 59% of the remaining delegates.

In summary, Marco Rubio is a political failure who dropped out after losing his home state, John Kasich won his home state but practically lost the election, Trump needs a strong performance going forward to avoid a brokered convention, and Hillary Clinton is still going to win the Democratic nomination.

The Real Truth About the Wage Gap

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Christina Zhang

Two weeks ago, an article was posted about the debatable topic of America’s wage gap. While the post does make some interesting points, I think it’s fair to say that not every factor has been taken into account. I would like to address some points which my fellow news writer did not include. I would just like to say that this piece is not meant in any way to discredit “The Truth About the Pay Gap”.

Firstly, the statistic that women earn 23% less pay is, in fact, very much true. Asserting that companies maximize their profits by hiring women because their pay is less, is not the case. Personally, I think this is because it would hypothetically take less time and money to train men for the job because the end results would yield more efficient workers. Companies would rather pay men with mediocre performances, than pay strong performing women. According to S&P 500, a stock market index, only 4.0% of company CEO’s are female. Why is it that only 20 out of 500 company owners are women?

In a country with a strong history of sexism and adherence to gender norms, it is hard to believe that people think the wage gap doesn’t exist. Sure we’ve made progress: e.g., The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act passed in 2009, the amazing history of women’s suffrage, and modern day feminism. The fact that a bill needs to be put into place at all should indicate that, indeed, something was very wrong in the first place. In the past, “feminine jobs” such as nurses and teachers were the norm for women. It isn’t because women are “altruistic” in nature, it’s because in the past (and even still today) women are expected to stay home and take care of families. Fast forward to the present, and now women have more options, but society isn’t at all fair. What happens when independent women want to apply for the same jobs that are mostly male- dominated? It’s just not far, simple as that. We’ve come a long way but we’ve got a long way to go.

Women are more likely to be in employed in lower paying fields because of the history of socially constructed gender norms. Cleaning, cooking, and taking care of children, are all vital jobs that limited women from exploring different paths. In Betty Friedan’s classic 1963 book, “The Feminine Mystique”, she explains how smart and educated women with degrees from universities tend to be depressed as a result of their “soccer mom” lifestyles. Taking care of a family is not at all bad. In fact, it’s pretty badass. The gift of a child is rewarding in and of itself, but what happens when women return to their normal day jobs? Why is it that women on maternity leaves don’t receive the adequate help they deserve? They birthing a baby and care for it, but then what? They often come back to their jobs and face work piled high to their necks and because they’ve lost time, they’ve missed opportunities for raises and promotions, which leads them to lower salaries than their coworkers that didn’t go through 9 months of pregnancy and several months of intense childcare. Society doesn’t place value on raising a child.

Lastly, women are not negotiating for higher wages. We’re demanding it because it’s a basic human right. We don’t need to argue nor fight for something that should already be ours. And as for the common retort of “no one is stopping you”, my answer is the following: Firstly, the fragile masculinity of men that are afraid of strong performing women surpassing them on economical ladders is stopping lots of women and secondly, many women don’t need to be told that no one is stopping them. They’re gonna’ go out and be strong as heck.

Are Superfoods even Super?

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Angela Chang

A superfood is typically know as some sort of produce that is supposed to give extreme (or “super”) efficient health benefits. This concept of “super foods” is not new at all; eastern cooking has ingredients like ginseng, turmeric, buckwheat, etc. that are staples, and seen as holy ingredients. Lately, though, superfoods has been sensationalized by advertisers.

Superfoods include blueberries (antioxidants, phytonutrients, lowers chance of cancer, slows age related diseases i.e. Alzheimer’s, Dementia), tomatoes (lycopene, vitamin C, potassium, lowers chance of cancer, fiber, and lowers cholesterol), kale (phytonutrients, lowers chance of cancer/ decreases levels of cancer causing liquids), black beans (protein without artery clogging substances, antioxidants, fiber, iron), broccoli (Folic acid, vitamin C, and suppresses tumor growth/ reduces risk of cancer), Salmon (despite the Mercury, omega 3 that reduces inflammation, betters circulation, and balances good and bad cholesterol. B vitamins, and Selenium that prevent cell damage which helps with preventing cancer), and oats (potassium, fiber, magnesium, phytonutrients, lowers cholesterol and prevent heart disease).

To check out more superfoods, here’s a list of 52 of them: http://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/nutrition/a3180/eat-healthy-america-52-superfoods-25519/

Whether you believe in the representation of superfoods of being “super,” doesn’t really matter. Science has proven a healthy diet creates a healthier body. The choice is up to you.

Sacco and Vanzetti

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Hoge, Kylar

Sacco & Vanzetti.

Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian immigrants who served as scapegoats for an armed robbery, which occurred at the Slater and Morill Shoe Company in the Spring of 1920. On April 15th of that year, over the course of the aforementioned robbery, two men were shot dead. They were ambushed while transporting money between factories. The first victim was Alessandro Berardelli, a security guard who died in the attack, and who reached for his .38 caliber revolver before being shot 4 times. The second victim was Frederick Parmenter, who died after being shot twice as he tried to escape. A stolen Buick was used as a getaway car by the perpetrators, who shot at other workers during their escape. The killers used a .32 caliber pistol, the “Savage Model 1907”.

Sacco and Vanzetti were originally identified as suspects after their close personal association with the likely culprits, who had now escaped to Italy, brought them to the attention of the police. Both were adherents to a sect of anarchism that preached emancipation from the state by any means, including violence. Even before the Cold War, political dissidents were viewed with keen suspicion. The two men were tracked down, arrested, and searched. Sacco had his Italian passport, dissident propaganda, and a .32 caliber pistol with bullets that were of the same type as those used during the crime. Vanzetti had shotgun shells and a .38 caliber revolver, matching Alessandro Berardelli’s missing weapon. Both men lacked immediate alibis for the day of the crime. They were both charged with the aforementioned murder-robbery, and Vanzetti with a previous crime in Bridgewater which was believed to be connected.

The Bridgewater crime was tried first, and was presided over by Webster Thayer– a man with disdain for foreigners and radicals alike. Early on in the trial, which began June 22nd 1920, the prosecution presented a multitude of eyewitnesses who put Vanzetti at the scene based on his facial hair. The defense “fired back” with a flurry of witnesses– 16 in all– testifying that they had bought eels from Vanzetti throughout the day of the Bridgewater crime, in accordance with Italian tradition. Unfortunately, these witnesses were easy to disorient under cross-examination because of their poor or non-existent English proficiency. There was some controversy over whether Vanzetti should take the stand to defend himself, but nothing became of it; retrospective legal analysis indicates it may have aided his defense if were able to outperform the other defense witnesses. Vanzetti later claimed that his defense attorney, John Vahey, had conspired against him with the judge because of their mutual bias against political dissidents. In August of 1920, Vanzetti was given the maximum sentence, 15 years, for attempted robbery in the Bridgewater crime.

For the Braintree crimes– the murder robbery mentioned at the beginning of the article– Sacco and Vanzetti stood trial together. The trial began in May, 1921 and was presided over by the same judge who oversaw Vanzetti’s aforementioned attempted robbery conviction. The state presented strong circumstantial evidence against Sacco and Vanzetti; Sacco was absent from work, Sacco’s gun was of the same caliber as that used in the murder, and both men were adherents to a strain of violent anarchism. The prosecution presented witnesses indicating both men in the crime; again, the defense team responded with a series of their own witnesses, including Sacco and Vanzetti. Sacco was in Boston applying for a passport at the time of the crime and had lunch there. Several witnesses, including a clerk at the Italian consulate, corroborated his story, although the prosecution alleged that those providing his lunch-alibi were fellow anarchists. During the trial, much was made of the similarities between the murder weapon and the weapon collected from the two men. At the time of the trial, forensic analysis was fairly unsophisticated and as a result they were unable to identify even the weapon model during the trial, much less the exact weapon. It was later discovered that Sacco’s weapon was not the primary weapon used in the crime, and it is thought that the bullets matching his weapon were planted by the prosecution after the fact. Despite this, the defense was able to rebut claims that Sacco’s weapon was so unique as to be identifiable with certainty, since 300,000 guns in circulation would have matched its forensic profile at the time.

Sacco and Vanzetti were found guilty of the Braintree crime after 3 hours of deliberation on July 21st, 1921. Even at the time, many believed that they had been convicted on the basis of their anarchism, despite claims to the contrary by the jury. Both men were sentenced to death in the electric chair, since first-degree murder was a capital crime. After several appeals, a credible confession given by another man, and the protests of their supports, Sacco and Vanzetti were put to death. Both men refused to see a priest prior to execution, in accordance with their atheistic beliefs. Sacco’s last words were, “Farewell, mother”. Vanzetti’s last words were, “I wish to forgive some people for what they are now doing to me”. They died at midnight on August 22nd, 1927.

Kpop Background

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Angela Chang

Kpop (Korean pop) is a music genre associated with South Korea. It’s basically pop music in Korean, and less lazy. There is almost always a specific and original dance routine to each song (not including ballads), which fans learn. The songs can range from cute, sexy, angsty, etc./ or be a combination of all. Kpop is not to be confused with non- pop music. Kpop isn’t the only genre of music in Korea, it’s just the one that’s most well known amongst Korean music.

The Korean music industry is ruled by the Korean government. They approve all official idols. The top three most well known agencies are JYP, YG, and SM. They tend to have eccentric personalities. Korean people tend to look on the companies as well, because they tend to be quite comedic, rich, and eccentric men. And they sometimes get involved with each group’s reality show. These companies also have their hands in a lot of other industries as well; food, sports, modeling, management (for celebrities), etc.

JYP
They hold the contracts to some of the biggest Kpop stars in the industry. For example, JYP owns 2pm (boyband), Miss A (girl band), Wonder Girls (girl band), Got7 (boyband) and a lot of others. More than that he holds artists that are in hip hop, R&B, Electronic, Dance, and Rock as well. Run by Park Jin-Young. The company is named after his initials. (In Korea and in a lot of other Asian countries the last/ family name is first. But he chose to put it first name to last.)

YG
Again named after the company owner’s initials, Yang Goon. Has artists in all the same genres, but started its company roots with hip hop. His personality is somewhat shown when his group BIG BANG (boyband), in an interview where they do impressions of him and talk about his behaviors. They mention his new want for attention. He now makes public appearances on TV, when previously he had refused to be shown on camera for the past couple of years.

SM
Founder, Lee Soo Man, (again with the initials thing.) He owns a large amount of the biggest Kpop girl groups. Girl’s Generation, f(X), Red Velvet, and BoA. And boy bands; Shinee and EXO. Some of these groups have around for roughly a decade and still look perfectly youthful, and execute dance routine with experience and grace. Girls Generation didn’t even go through a too terrible 2000’s faze, like most other artists.

Sometimes proper management is questioned, but that’s up to everyone’s own opinion.

The Villager

A Student-Generated News Blog

Monthly Archives: March 2016