The People’s Key Album Review

by Lauren Voyles

 

The People’s Key is the final album of Bright Eyes, released one year ago today. Before I review the album, I’d like to apologize to all of the hipsters that will be angry that all of the “mainstream” people will know about their music.

In rating this album, if I had to compare it to music in general, I would give it 4 stars out of 5. If I had to compare it to all of Bright Eyes’ music, I would give 3.5 stars. This album has shown me that not every band will end up sucking as time passes, like I previously thought. This album is definitely different from previous albums by Bright Eyes. As a prelude: Every Bright Eyes song has a meaning. Most Bright Eyes songs are about personal experiences and certain people Conor Oberst (The lead singer; he IS the band) knew. The People’s Key goes more for universal meanings rather than personal ones. I have noticed, though, that over time Conor’s songs have become less personal. In one of his first albums “A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded from 1995-1997” he would actually include the name of the person he was talking about. After that, he rarely included the name of the person, but he did give very personal details about the situations or people the song was about.

Getting to individual songs, I would have to say the best song is “Shell Games”. It is definitely in the style of most of the newer songs, and most of the lyrics in it are for universal meaning but it also adds a touch of personal feelings. “One for You, One for Me” is also a very good song. I did not care for “Approximate Sunlight.”

Should you buy this album? If you like almost all of the songs and you would save from purchasing the song in the album package, or if you don’t want to buy digital download you should purchase the album. I personally chose to download individual songs, but it’s up to you. I personally think that it is a good album overall. It’s not the perfect album to end the band on, but it wasn’t bad.

How to Clean Cat Urine Out of Anything

by Lauren Voyles

 

If you have a cat, you may know how bad cat urine smells, and how unpleasant it is to have on your bed, carpet, sofa, or clothes. You may have tried before to remove the stains and/or odors without success. There are many commercial cat urine cleaners, but not all of them work. You might have thrown things away because you think that you just can’t get the smell out. Thankfully, there are ways to remove all evidence of cat urine from carpets, furniture, and clothing.

Voyles Now Selling Hogwarts House Scarves

by Lauren Voyles

Are you a fan of the Harry Potter books or movie series (or both)? SHS Junior Lauren Voyles is knitting and selling Hogwarts House-themed scarves. Voyles is selling scarves for each of the four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.

Justin Timberlake rocks the big screen in “In Time”

“In Time” is a bold new film with a powerful message. The movie is set in the future, where people stop aging at twenty five. After they come of age, their death clock starts ticking. Time is the currency, and they are only given one year by default. To live longer, they must earn time, just like money. But, unlike money, when you run out of time, you die.

The Taste of Salem is a Success

The Taste of Salem has always been a very elegant event full of great food, a fabulous silent auction, and fellowship. November 3  was no different.

Voyles Suggests an Alternative to the Thanksgiving Turkey

As everyone knows, turkey is the biggest American Thanksgiving tradition. Many people are so used to this tradition, that they do not realize the harmful effects.

Duffy Starts Knitting Club at SHS

by Lauren Voyles

 

Spanish 1-4 teacher, Mrs. Duffy, has decided to start a knitting club for the 2011-2012 school year. Meetings will be after school  on Tuesdays starting November 1^st.

The purpose of the club is to teach new knitters to knit and to help experienced knitters improve their skills. The class will start out simply for beginners., and go on from there. “Our first project is going to be a scarf,” says Duffy.

Zooey Deschanel’s “New Girl” Snags 10.1 Million Viewers on premiere night

The star of (500) Days of Summer and sister of Bones star, Emily Deschanel, Zooey Deschanel has an all new show on Fox.  The show premiered last night on Fox at 9 pm.  The series premiere snagged 10.1 million viewers.

The show is about Jess, a quirky girl who has recently lost her apartment after an abrupt, and embarrassing, break up. She finds an ad online for 3 people with an apartment looking for a roommate.  The boys who put the ad up got more than they were looking for. Their new roommate, Jess, has some serious issues. She cries randomly and likes to sing, out loud… in public.

The guys in the apartment all have distinct, interesting personalities. One of them is a personal trainer who takes his army-like training tactics and applies them to all situations. Another one of them tries to be a “ladies man” (unsuccessfully) and keep his shirt on around a cute girl. The last of them is an emotional still getting over a break up that he had… six months ago.

The show is funny, cute, and charming. After the first episode, I am sold. The show is perfect Zooey Deschanel fans; it shows all of Zooey’s usually quirkiness. Even if you are not a Zooey fan, or are not familiar with her, I recommend checking New Girl out.

Why the “Wowzer Trousers” are Superior to the Snuggie

Everyone has heard of the Snuggie. It is the infamous blanket with sleeves with sleeves with an incredibly lame commercial. They received much backlash from the public because many thought it was a dumb idea. In my opinion, it is a $20 robe.

After seeing more and more ridiculous modifications about the Snuggie, I decided it was time to tell the world about my invention: the “Wowzer Trousers”. It was originally made as an 8^th grade project to parody the Snuggie, but I soon discovered how soft and comfy it is. It is a blanket not only with sleeves… but leg openings too! Its arms are not a traditional sleeve, but a loose opening in the side of the trousers for full mobility. It fits all sizes. It comfortably fit a family of four.  And it is such an attractive teal color.

When people see you in this wearable blanket, they’ll say “Wowzers! Look at those trousers!” That in itself is reason enough to wear the Wowzer Trousers, but that is certainly not all they offer. It is so large you can use it as a sleeping bag… for a horse. It could also be used as a child’s tent. Below there are pictures to show how versatile it is and some of the wonderful things you can do with it.

After hearing about the Wowzer Trousers, there’s no way you’d want a lame old Snuggie! I would tell you to order one now, but they are not for sale. I only made one Wowzer Trousers and only one will ever be made. Try to contain your weeping.

The full size of the lovely Wowzer Trousers

Perfect for pets of all sizes!

Do things you can’t do with a regular blanket: like reading a book!

Adkins Has High Hopes for 2011 School Year

There is a new face in Salem High School’s English department. That face belongs to Mr. Adkins, a graduate of Salem and a first year teacher. He can be found in Mrs. Quatroke’s former room teaching English to sophomores and freshmen.

Mr. Atkins loves his choice to become an English teacher, but that wasn’t always his plan. About halfway through college he switched his pursuits from teaching English to Journalism. He realized soon after that teaching English was his dream job. “After reading and writing a lot, I decided to be a teacher for sure,” says Atkins.

Mr. Adkins is very satisfied with his students. “Oh, they’re good. I couldn’t have asked for better students in all of my classes. I got lucky.”

He was inspired by many of his teachers in his years of attending SHS. “I liked Mr. Calhoun because he challenged me. He pushed me to do my best.” Some other teachers that really stood out to him are Mrs. Prater, Mrs. Allen, and Mrs. Gardener. The teachers he has encountered in his life have developed what kind of teacher he wants to be.

One teaching method he is trying to relate to his students. he tries to relate English techniques with modern things and pop culture.“I had them do a project where they watched their favorite TV show and found the plot and theme.”

Adkins has high expectations for his first year.  “I’ll do the best I can to make sure my sophomores pass the ECA. I want to make them better learners.”