This masterpiece is finally presented as the artist intended for the first time in more than 30 years – together and connected as one, instead of each third of the painting separated at different art museums.
The Monet exhibit will be on display through Jan. 22, 2012.

(Ellen Creager/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

I’m sure you wouldn’t, either.

If you, say, live near the Eastern seaboard, I’m fairly certain that the governor of your state would want you to move away from the coast as soon as possible with a hurricane on the horizon.

A few weeks ago, Hurricane Irene clobbered the East Coast with high winds and heavy rain. At least, that was what the media was promising New England residents.

I had been watching the storm very closely, since I have family living on the East Coast. From what the media was telling me, Irene was going to hit the coast – hard. It was expected to be a Category 3 hurricane. The politicians began advising everyone to be safe and move away from the storm at all costs. As a result, I became very worried for my family.

Hurricane Irene came and passed through the East Coast.

When I checked back with my family in New Jersey, I learned that they had driven through the rainy mess on the highway, pausing only to visit a college campus mid-storm. My family in New York City was only frustrated that the subway was shut down temporarily for the storm.

I was caught off-guard. What about the politicians’ warnings? What about the floodings in Vermont? My family seemed totally unconcerned. (Of course, one could always take the point of view that my family is either senseless to the extreme or merely an unusual circumstance, from the scientific perspective.)

It struck me as odd that so much hype was built up around what seemed to be merely a heavy rainstorm in most of the Eastern states.

Then, I realized that the last thing politicians would want to be responsible for is a huge hurricane disaster, especially with the Hurricane Katrina tragedy still etched clearly in their minds. No one in his or her right mind would want to be at fault for a tragedy like that.
Although I hope that people of influence continue to caution civilians each time a hurricane passes through the mainland, I fear that people near the coastlines will disregard these warnings after some time, especially since it seems that most warnings and precautions were (to some degree) heeded but not needed for Hurricane Irene.

When third-class passenger on “Titanic” Jack Dawson (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) subtly passes first-class passenger Rose Dewitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) a note with the above message, Rose has to choose between two options. She can either stay with the other first-class women on the dining deck, fulfilling her mother’s expectations, or follow Jack to the third-class “party” and live a life full of adventure, never knowing what the next day will bring.

Fortunately, Rose chooses the latter.

I watched James Cameron’s “Titanic” for the first time a few days ago, and, needless to say, it has become my new favorite movie. I must admit that this is largely because Jack Dawson is just so attractively full of life, but there are other facets of the movie as well, such as the special effects, the attention to historical detail, and the acting, among other things.

What makes the movie so enjoyable is the fairy-tale love story, and what makes it so interesting and gripping is the waiting for the inevitable end of it.

“Titanic” was a great twist on the classic poor-boy-meets-girl-who-just-so-happens-to-be-out-of-his-league. It was refreshing to see a man so dedicatedly in love with a woman that he was willing to risk his life numerous times to ensure her safety, even letting her stay afloat on a raft that could only support one person’s weight while (spoiler alert!) he literally froze to death. Most people were only out for themselves, but Jack and Rose stuck together.

What makes Jack such an attractive character is his appreciation and encouragement of life. When the ship is sinking, his quick-thinking guarantees himself and Rose the last spot on the ship that stays above water before it sinks into the icy Atlantic. Jack also saves Rose from her own suicide. Even when all hope seems lost in the icy waters of the northern Atlantic, he tells Rose to never give up and keep trying to live. Jack’s emphasis on life is refracted by the ship’s ultimate sinking, which causes, of course, many deaths, including his own.

Rose also is a great character, and she could definitely be considered a role model for young women today. She is extremely drawn to Jack, but, because of social restrictions, she is torn between her head – what she should do (staying with her fiancé) – and her heart – what she wants to do (leave and stay with Jack). She ultimately chooses to follow her heart, the choice the audience roots for, since DiCaprio’s portrayal of Jack is so awe-inspiring that everyone watching wants to be him.

However, the forbidden love of Jack and Rose is not the only thing that makes the movie so enticing. The special effects are absolutely beautiful. In fact, it cost around $200 million that made “Titanic” the success that it is.

The portrayal sinking of the “Titanic” is definitely inspiring because not only does the depiction cause admiration for the special effects (it’s not as if the film-makers could just produce a real ship the size that has the grandeur to match “Titanic”), but the image channels real fear and shock into the viewer.

I really liked that “Titanic” was able to incorporate lots of historic details into the movie. I have been really interested in the real Titanic’s sinking for a long time, so it was nice to see that Cameron actually paid attention to the history. Although the Jack Dawson and Rose Dewitt Bukater were not real people (I know, darn it!), John Jacob Astor (the richest man on the ship), Mr. Andrews (the shipbuilder), and Mrs. Brown (who would later become known as the “Unsinkable” Molly Brown because of her persistence in trying to rescue any survivors) were among the passengers aboard in the movie who were actually aboard the real ship. Cameron also got the dates of the Titanic’s voyage correct.

It was so cool to see the real sunken ship underneath the Atlantic’s surface after so many years. Seeing scientists actually try to discover things about the ship was really interesting, and I’m glad that the movie-makers included this in the film.

The acting was also superb. DiCaprio and Winslet’s portrayal of their characters was totally believable. They were able to make the audience believe that their characters were real, relatable people whose love was also authentic. Billy Zane, who played Rose’s idiotic, much hated fiancee, the foil of Jack, acted very convincingly as well.

“Titanic” is an absolutely fantastic film that everyone should see. One bit of advice: Make sure to have a box of Kleenex on hand while watching it. I guarantee that anyone who watches this will be crying by the end.

But I must confess that I like smaller dogs better than bigger ones. I associate a dog’s size with its aggressiveness and its ability to bite humans. The smaller the dog, the nicer it probably is.

Graphic by Meredith McMahon

It was a beautiful four-day weekend, so I took advantage of the unusual 70-degree February weather. I decided to go for a walk with my dad in Forest Park. On the way back home, we ran into a man and his dog – or rather, his dog ran into us.

This dog was huge, one of those huge Great Danes – and unleashed. It decided to follow us a short distance before ramming its rather ugly face into my knee. Keep in mind that the owner found nothing wrong with this and “took offense” – a nice euphemism for what was actually said – when my dad told him to leash his dog.

Needless to say, I was decidedly frightened of the weirdo and his dog.

Yes, both my dad and I reached home safely, and all was well after my jeans were washed, removing any physical trace of the dog and symbolically removing the danger of the dog. But the entire walk home I was afraid that the dog would come rushing back, baring its teeth, ready to bite.

What really scared me though about this experience was the owner did not seem to care his dog was unleashed, scaring innocent people such as myself.

There is, in fact, a St. Louis City law that, according to stcin.missouri.org, “Dogs must be on a leash whenever they are on a city street, sidewalk, park, or any public area.”

When the owner of the dog “took offense,” he clearly thought he was in the right. Whether he was aware of the leash law is uncertain. I really can’t say.

Regardless, this man was breaking the law. He could not care less about rules and certainly could not care less about others and their safety, or their state of mind for that matter. Maybe his dog is the friendliest dog in the world, but other people have no way of knowing that.

My own rule about the size of a dog and its corresponding unfriendliness still upholds (sorry, owners of big dogs). However, I have realized that size is not what really matters in situations like these. No matter the size of a dog, if the owner lets his dog run unleashed, it is against the law and a threat to safety – or, at the very least, a threat to my state of mind.

I like dogs. I really do. I just like them better when they are leashed in public.

Anyone who has yet to watch one episode of either show is sorely missing out. They are among the best sitcoms – may I even go so far as to say the best shows? – on Earth.

“Friends” is about, as the title so illustriously says, a group of friends. This includes fashionable Rachel, geeky Ross, eccentric Phoebe, airheaded Joey, bossy Monica, and sardonic Chandler. Together, they act as one hilarious, dysfunctional family, even though they all live separate lives. Everyday occurrences become comical stretches of time and the viewer gets to know the characters really well.

Upon first glance, “Friends” may seem like a show lacking any substance. Actually, it probably is, if a person does not delve into the depths of the characters’ souls, but then, that can be true of any show.

Each character’s quirks add to the funniness of each episode. I don’t think any given episode would be as funny if the directors cut out Monica vacuuming a vacuum or Joey and Chandler’s weird but understandable love for Duck, Jr., and Chick, Jr.

Combine the characters’ peculiarities with their awkward romances – Ross and Rachel, anyone? – and everyday interactions, a person ends up watching side-splitting antics.

Of course, “Friends” could never compare to “Everybody Loves Raymond”. “Everybody Loves Raymond” is basically the epitome of an enjoyable sitcom.

“Everybody Loves Raymond” is about Raymond (of course), his wife Deborah, his kids, and his parents, and his brother; but mostly, it’s all about Raymond.

Even though his mother, Marie, pampered Raymond like a prince while completely ignoring his older brother Robert, his father, Frank, was cold and distant when Raymond was a child.

But there’s more. Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, it is revealed that Frank, Marie, and Robert continuously barge in his home, because all three live right across the street from him.

Everybody who loves Raymond in the show makes up one completely, ridiculously dysfunctional family. The show wouldn’t be the same without Marie and Deborah’s constant contesting for Raymond’s attention, Raymond and Robert’s sibling rivalry, or Frank’s odd habits.

Just watching the Barone family’s behavior is enough to laugh out loud. It’s not everyday that I get invited into another family’s house to watch them live in a way that can make me keel over with laughter.

Sure, maybe it seems a bit odd that, as a teenager, I am watching old ‘90s sitcoms instead of “90210” or “Gossip Girl”. But, I highly recommend watching these two shows to get a hearty laugh.

Turn on the TV and start laughing.

The members of the CHS Fashion Club are preparing to create a night of fashion on March 5, when students will model other students’ fashion creations. Members of the club have been hard at work and are hopeful that this student-run fashion show will be successful.

The fashion show, held in Stuber Gym, will be on March 5. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. The pre-party will start at 7 p.m., and the show will start at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $8 for students, $12 for adults, and $20 for VIP seating.

In previous years, the wardrobe classes have sponsored the semi-annual fashion show. However, due to the lack of wardrobe classes this year, the Fashion Club has taken it upon itself to sponsor the fashion show.

“The CHS Fashion Club is stepping in to make some magic,” president of Fashion Club Grace Brumley said. “Many fabulous and talented students are in the process of whipping out garments for the show. This year we decided to make the show unlike any CHS has seen before.”

Fashion Club has been hard at work for the past few months to make this totally student-run show happen. Having a club makes planning something like this more fun because each member has a ton of creative freedom.

The theme of the fashion show will be “Club Diamond.” Everything will be pink and silver, with a heavy Marilyn Monroe influence, which will highlight the student-made garments.

“Tons of retailers wanted their stuff in the show, but this fashion show is just about student work,” vice-president of Fashion Club Andie Glik said. “This show is a bunch of hard-working teenagers putting on display their creativity and work to benefit an organization, KUTO, a non-for-profit charity that helps suicidal kids our age.”

However, retailers, such as Brown Shoe Company, Paul Mitchell Hair Academy, Zeizo Boutique, Dos Resale Shop, and others, are sponsoring the fashion show. Junior student contributor Sydney Wright has been busy designing and sewing clothes to put in the fashion show.

“Mostly I have been focusing on designing and creating the clothes that I am putting in the show,” Wright said. “The clothes I have made so far are a three-quarter inch sleeve black velvet mini-dress and a sleeveless cream-colored backless dress. I am currently working on black harem pants, a royal blue one-shoulder dress, and a blazer.”

Fashion Club is preparing to make the show successful by staying focused, making improvements in plans and getting student ideas.

“There are new and different kids at every meeting, who all have something to say,” Brumley said. “I love this because my ideas aren’t always what is going to be best for the show. I need input from others to make this show the most successful.”

Freshman Wayne Sexton is the secretary of the Fashion Club, a very important role in the planning of the fashion show.
Brumley has been trying to keep everyone focused on achieving success.

“I’ve started collecting their finished garments early,” Brumley said. “We’ve had some pow-wows to ensure everyone is on board with the amount they’ll be putting on, when the deadlines are, and the quality of garments we expect. Every designer will be backstage with a needle, thread, and ripper in hand to make any last minute changes they feel are needed.”

Attendees can expect to see wearable high fashion at this show.

“This show is going to be like a New York City fashion show because all of us are trying to think out of the box and the clothes are ‘higher fashion’ designs instead of everyday wear,” Wright said. “We are not going to go full-on couture, though; we’re making clothes that can actually be worn.”

The show will be like New York Fashion week because there will be photo opportunities, a DJ (Clayton’s very own Josh Fagin, better known as Jay-Fay), VIP gift bags, a backstage, and a pre-party. The difference is that students under age 19 will design the clothes.

“Paparazzi will be everywhere, taking pre-party pictures and runway shots,” Brumley said. “This is the most upscale fashion show at Clayton yet. We’re ready to showcase every student’s talents and put on a show no one will forget.”

“Oklahoma!” is this year’s upcoming musical, and students are already hard at work perfecting their performances.

Practices have begun for both the actors and pit orchestra, and the tech crew is hard at work as well.

Rehearsals are usually every day after school, and they last for at least a couple hours. These rehearsals help the students prepare for the upcoming performances on Jan. 20-23. Much hard work goes into preparing for the performance. Part of the work is getting into character so that the audience will believe what they are seeing.

“To get into character for rehearsals, I allow myself to cool down from the rest of the day so that I can really focus on playing my part,” freshman and chorus member Claire Lisker said. “You have to make yourself believe that you are the character that you are playing, so that way you can react how your character would – in other words, acting naturally. You have to make the audience believe you as well.”

Senior John Holland, who plays Will Parker, does not have a routine to get into character, but he does prepare in certain ways for playing an overly energetic character.

“I have to convince myself to be extremely lively and ready to exert a lot of enthusiasm,” Holland said. “Will Parker’s role as a bit of the comic relief helps to take the time out of building a deep character and put time into making my lines as funny as they can be. I find it most rewarding when I am able to deliver a joke with perfect timing that allows for the most humor possible.”

Others, however, like senior Sarah McAfee, who plays the female lead character Laurey, do not have a special way of getting into character

“For me, once I start looking over my lines and getting into the scenes, the character just starts to come,” McAfee said. “On days when it doesn’t come, I just have to buckle down and try to really focus. Focus is really the biggest thing for me in terms of characterization.”

Freshman actor Ben Diamond, who plays Cord Elam, agreed with McAfee.

“I don’t do much to prepare during rehearsal,” Diamond said. “Usually, it’s something simple, like saying the lines over and over again in my mind while I’m fidgeting. However, I also like to reserve about 10 to 30 minutes to go over my lines at night before rehearsal the next day.”

“Oklahoma!” takes place on the prairie territory. Because of this, the actors must adopt a country twang to be convincing characters.

“It’s difficult to make to accent sound authentic,” McAfee said. “There’s still the same amount that goes into searching for character depth and trying to consider the plot and staging on a grander spectrum—the musical being the show we put on in the large theatre.”

The student actors always warm up before practice begins; it is an essential part of preparing for getting into character.

“You must warm up somehow,” Lisker said. “For singing, you warm up your voice and stretch your mouth. For dance, you warm up and stretch your body, and for acting you mostly relax your body and focus yourself into character. There are several specific warm up routines that we all know as a group that can prepare us for each thing. I find it really rewarding to be able to explore and express yourself through singing, dancing, and acting.”

In fact, dancing is a central focus of this play.

“The dancing portions are where the actors can really shine with a musical that is built around the music rather than the story,” Holland said.

Indeed, actors do not only prepare physically, but they also prepare mentally for their roles. As a matter of fact, according to McAfee, knowing one’s lines is also helpful.

“Preparing for acting is a lot of looking over your lines and making sure you know your blocking,” McAfee said. “It’s always nice to have your script out of your hand. I love the rehearsals when you have the script out of your hand and you know exactly what to do. Those are the times when you are really able to play with your character, and the magic really happens. Those are the rehearsals where the show starts becoming a real performance instead of just blocking scenes, and it is so cool to watch everybody grow.”

Theatre director Kelley Ryan believes that to create the best possible play, students should know their lines as soon as possible.

“The lines really should be the least of it,” Ryan said. “Kids should [be] off the book as soon as possible. We work on character relationships, rhythms, and making sure the story is clear. Hopefully, what will happen during performances is that everything will be so ingrained in each person’s mind that when they perform, they trust the rehearsal process, tell the story, and just relax and have fun.”

Diamond believes that Wydown productions are very different from high school productions due to the ways that high school students prepare.

“Rehearsing for plays at Wydown was different mainly because the [high school] actors are more mature, so we get more things done,” Diamond said. “Also, people look and sound good the first time they try a dance or set of lines, whereas at Wydown it was more that they really had to practice a lot to sound good. I think that comes from the kids at the high school being more independent.”

The tech crew is also hard at work creating sets. Director John Armstrong supervises the students at work.

“Generally, each crew member gives most of their focus and attention to a certain task at hand,” junior and tech crew member Matt Mikesic said. “As soon as a person finishes a job, he or she is assigned a new one. The process repeats itself each day until we have quality sets for the show. The average member, like me, does a little bit of everything and just gives help where it is needed. We get to add our own input and ideas that are often used during building the sets. What is really rewarding about the whole process is being able to watch the show and see all the props in use and knowing that I helped make the show more spectacular.”

“Oklahoma!” is very different from last year’s theater production, “Sweeney Todd.”

Not only do  the  accents  differ, but also the moods of  the  different musicals are also complete opposites.

“’Sweeney Todd’ was very music-intensive, but this show is not quite as much,” Ryan said. “This show a dance-heavy show, so there are more dance rehearsals. The students have five hours of dance rehearsals a week. They practice musical theatre dancing, stylized Broadway dancing, and a little ballet. There is also work on developing the country-twang accent. ‘Sweeney Todd’ deals with lots of drama and dark themes. This show is lighter. There is definitely some darkness, but it’s not as intense as ‘Sweeney Todd.’”

“’Sweeney Todd’ is a lot darker than ‘Oklahoma!’” McAfee said. “’Oklahoma!’ tends to be considered sort of a fluffy musical with not a lot of intense plot. That’s something we’re working on. We’re trying to get into the depth of the show to make it really realistic and heartfelt.”

The music of “Sweeney Todd” also is darker than the cheerful music of “Oklahoma!”

“’Sweeney Todd’ was a lot less straightforward musically,” junior flautist Taylor Kloha said. “With Sweeney, we tended to spend more time rehearsing the spots with sudden, bizarre time and key signature changes. It seems like ‘Oklahoma!’ is going to be more of a run-through-it-until-we’ve-got-it-down kind of situation. The two musicals are polar opposites. Both are well-known, successful musicals individually, but ‘Oklahoma!’ is much more cheery and upbeat. ‘Sweeney Todd’ was an amazing production, and “Oklahoma!’ should be outstanding as well.”

The reason for the cheerfulness is that “Oklahoma!” was first performed in the World War II era, when audiences wanted a light-hearted performance to escape from the reality of the war, contrasting with “Sweeney Todd.”

“Thus, ‘Oklahoma!’ is a funny and entertaining show that focuses more on song and dance,” Holland said. “’Sweeney Todd’ is, of course, Sondheim’s exploration of ideas of revenge and madness, which results in a very different, very dark show.”

McAfee acknowledges that the musical is not a modern one, but that this quality should not detract from the entertainment of the musical.

“’Oklahoma!’ was actually the first stage-performed musical in 1943,” McAfee said. “It is not modern at all. It was modern for its time, but there’s nothing twenty-first century about it at all. The songs are written in a classical musical style, and the setting is in 1906. It’s definitely different, but don’t let the idea that it’s old turn you off – it’s a lot of fun and really entertaining.”

As a very dedicated Harry Potter fan, it was unfortunate that I was unable to see the movie at its midnight premiere, but I still was able to watch it on its opening day.

Now, I have read the entire Harry Potter series many times – you really don’t want to know exactly how many times I have read the books – and I had high expectations for this movie, especially since Warner Brothers decided to divide the seventh book into two films, in order to make more money and to include more material.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow: Part One” was not a disappointment. Actually, the new movie not only met my expectations, but it actually surpassed them.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One” opened with Voldemort’s meeting with his most faithful Death Eaters. I was surprised that this scene followed the book’s portrayal of the meeting (almost) exactly. Here, Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) tells his followers that he needs to kill Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) more than ever to continue with his evil plans to rid the world of all Muggles.

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, from left, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger star in Warner Bros. Pictures' fantasy adventure, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1," a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Jaap Buitendijk/Courtesy Warner Bros./MCT)

Harry, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) spend most of their time in hiding in different, isolated forests throughout the movie, trying to formulate plans to find and then destroy Voldemort’s Horcruxes.

In between these forest scenes, action often dominates the screen. Harry’s transport to the Burrow at the beginning of the movie, the intrusion into the Ministry of Magic, and the trip to Godric’s Hollow provided much contrast from the simple forest scenes.

The depiction of Bathilda Bagshot was totally creepy; she looked absolutely perfect. When Bellatrix began to torture Hermione at the Malfoy Manor, Watson portrayed an especially convincing Hermione in pain.
This movie definitely was more serious than the previous six. Although some comic relief was provided by the hilarious Fred and George and the adorable, Harry-worshipping Dobby, the majority of the film took on a more solemn tone, especially during scenes in which several characters die and when Ron, tired of being ignored by Harry and Hermione, leaves the two.

Also more prevalent in this movie was the romantic tension between the characters. Ron is more adoring of Hermione than ever, and Harry and Ginny share a kiss. However, Ron becomes jealous of the Harry-Hermione bond, and leaves them for a period in the movie.

Actually, there is no romantic tension between Harry and Hermione at all. Even when Harry tries to help Hermione forget her depression and longing for the absent Ron by dancing with her, it is clear that they are just developing a “brother”-“sister” bond. The scene would have been a nice tribute to friendship, but the audience murmured audible “Aww”s. The depiction of Harry and Hermione as a couple is just sickening, and that audience should be ashamed of themselves for trying to make Hermione and Harry’s friendship into something more.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One” also was more artsy than the previous films. The director, David Yates, chose to illuminate the English countryside in several beautiful shots. The animation of “The Tale of the Three Brothers” was very picturesque as well.

It was great that the movie followed the book as well as it did, and I’m sure that any passionate Potter fan would agree.

The beginning of the end was absolutely fantastic. Let the countdown to the release of the second part begin!