The Hunger Games Movie Review (By: Nikhita Singhal)

For the fourth weekend in a row, The Hunger Games has dominated the box office – in fact, it’s the first film since Avatar to spend that amount of time at No. 1. And on its opening weekend alone, the movie grossed a whopping $155 million, making it the third-highest debut in North American box office history. Only The Dark Knight and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 came ahead of it, both of which were sequel films that were released in the summer.

But does The Hunger Games live up to all the buzz?

As you probably know, the movie is based on the best-selling dystopian novel for young adults by Suzanne Collins. It all starts when Katniss Everdeen, a teenager played by Oscar-nominated actress Jennifer Lawrence, volunteers to take her sister’s place in a brutal, televised fight-to-the-death. And worst of all? All of the competitors, known as tributes, are between the ages of 12 and 18.

The struggles of the main characters may not be literally the same as what we go through every day, but are certainly relatable. And the film is fairly well directed. But in the end, it’s the strong performances by the film’s leads, Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, as well as a few of the minor characters, that set this movie apart. In particular, Stanley Tucci steals every scene he appears in. However, the film lacked some of the darkness that was omnipresent in the book. Sure, there were children killing children. But the movie almost seemed like it had had the sharp edges of the book smoothed off. Several scenes were still full of raw emotion though, and may even bring you to tears.

All in all, The Hunger Games is a superbly acted, fairly thrilling film which appeals to a wide audience. And although it certainly lives up to the hype surrounding it as an amazing movie, it doesn’t quite live up to its potential.

The next installment in the series, Catching Fire, is set for a November 22, 2013 release.

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Dramatic Drum Roll (By: Olivia Herbert)

I waited. For a sign, a smile. Something that would grant me the knowledge that he is still in there. That he was okay, but with each moment that passed I was constantly disappointed. Tyler sat unmoving, not making a single sound. We sat side by side on the cold concrete floor, which was surrounded by shelves upon shelves of empty jars. Leaving me uncomfortable, feeling like a cadged animal with no sign of escape. Yet there was an urge within the pit of my stomach. One that burned like the depths of the underworld itself. I knew what had to be done. It was time for the hunter to become the hunted. Mitchell has to pay for what he'd done.

"Tyler? Tyler? We need to come up with a plan." I whispered softly. His sea blue eyes, as deep as the Mariana Trench itself, flickered to me, but only for moment. "We can't just sit here and wait for him. If we don't do something, we're giving him the upper hand."

A long moment of silence followed after I spoke. "You know she's right Tyler."

My breath caught in my throat. Neither of us had made a sound. There was someone else in this cellar. I slowly looked to my left, dreading what I might find. A girl and a boy sat diagonally across from us. Hands intertwined, clothes caked in blood and dirt. I wondered how long they had been here.

"Who are you?" "I'm Bay and this is Emmett. And who might you be?" I was afraid to answer. The words I wanted so desperately to say, gathered in my mouth but lingered on my tongue. Maybe it was because of all the backstabbing and double-crossing. Maybe because I just couldn't trust them quite yet. All I could do was stay quiet.

"I'm Tyler. That's Natalie. May I ask what you're doing here?" I saw Tyler in the corner of my eye giving me a questioning but disapproving look. "Shh," the girl named Bay hushed.

"You mustn't speak too loudly, the others will hear us. Come closer and then we'll talk." Something didn't feel right, but Tyler didn't take a second to think it over. He stood up but remained low to the ground as he walked towards them, taking a seat next to Emmett. However I was hesitant. Why hadn't they asked us to move closer in the beginning? What kind of a trick was this? Nevertheless curiosity got the best of me when I followed afterward.

"Emmett and I had been on the road when it all started. For months we had planned for this day. It was the day that we were going to run away together," muttered Bay once I sat. Despite the circumstances, I felt a smile forming on the edge of my lips.

"Our parents never approved nor understood our relationship. We were the happiest we've ever been once being free of their rules and hatred. Although, that didn't end up lasting long because the suns rays that had beamed down on us so beautifully, disappeared. Then dark clouds suddenly loomed above us. It was like all the light and joy in the world had vanished."

As Bays words painted the scene, I felt like I'd already been there. Or that she had been in the car with us when we crashed.

"It was never ending. The rain came down so heavily I was in fear the windshield might cave in. I remember my heart pounding in my chest, so loud I could have sworn I heard it over the crackling thunder. The next thing I knew, the air bags had been deployed, my vision was blurred, and blood trickled down my dress from my side. The rain had made it nearly impossible to see where I was going, therefore causing me to drive off the road and send us tumbling down a hill."

I stared at her in disbelief as several questions clouded my judgement. How had the exact same events happened to the both of us?

"Emmett was badly injured, but even when I tried to drag him out of the wreck myself it was no use. I cried out for help, after what seemed like an eternity someone finally came. Emmett had already been unconscious for over fifteen minutes."

An image of Mitchell passed through my mind, making me shudder. To my surprise, I felt Tyler's arm drape over my shoulders in a comforting motion. My skin tingled where his hand laid. I looked up at him gratefully. Our faces so close, yet he seemed miles away.

"The man said he lived in the house nearby, but moments before hadn't seen one." Bays voice startled me, once I was brought back to earth and the situation. I tried to pay attention, though I bit my tongue attempting to ignore the desire my lips prickled with.

Without any other options I followed the man towards the rickety, uninviting house. I watched him nervously as he carried Emmett over his shoulder. I knew something wasn't right, a nervous knot had formed in my throat and my stomach twisted into several uncomfortable knots.

At that moment I could have sworn Bay and I were the same person. That we had experienced the same things, met the same people. At that moment our hearts seemed to beat as one, in perfect harmony. I sat impatiently to hear more of the story we somehow shared.

The door creaked eerily as we entered through it. Suddenly the awful combination of mold, decay and death assaulted my nostrils. Cringing slightly, I followed the helpful stranger into what I could assume to be the kitchen, where he set down Emmett's unconscious body. I felt slightly shy when I realized the man hadn't said anything the entire time, thus startling me when he asked me my name and my whereabouts. I told him my name was Sally and I was on the road with my boyfriend. But it was something in his eyes that told me he knew I was lying. His friendly sweet smile unexpectedly twisted into a vicious, foul smirk. At that instant I abruptly found myself caught between two options. Run and think only of myself. Or stay and do everything in my power to protect Emmett, whose body still laid limp on the kitchen table.

My heart began to sink in my chest, for I knew this wasn't going to end happily ever after. Since they were still here. Hiding, waiting for their killer to find them. I guess we had more things in common then I thought.

So of course I stayed with Emmett. Knowing there was no way I would be able to live without him. I swallowed my fear and held my chin up high as I watched the man twirl a knife in his hand. I stood in front of Emmett, standing my ground, even though my legs wobbled unsteadily.

Bays voice became faint as a series of sobs erupted from her. Almost like she's been holding it in the whole time. Even with Emmett brushing away every tear that fell from underneath her closed eyelids. She struggled to continue.

"The man told me his name was Alaric. Although I had about as much trust in him as he did in me. Alaric then told me how he hated when people lied to him. He said it reminded him of his wife who had died a while ago. I offered my condolences, which caused a rage unlike no other to emerge from him. Alaric's anger so powerful, I would be lying if I said the room wasn't heating up. I looked down at the knife he had been holding this whole time. His knuckles turning white from clutching its handle. Unexpectedly, Alaric grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and pushed me against the wall. His odd black eyes bored into mine like hot charcoal."

I remembered the look on Mitchell's face when I went to look back at them. His eyes had a similar dark essence to them. It was as if they were two dark vortexes that would pull you in if you got too close. Once these thoughts passed through my mind, two puzzle pieces seemed to snap together. Unexpectedly, I finally understood what was happening.

"Bay. Would it be possible that this Alaric guy and our killer Mitchell could be the same person?"

I fiddled with my thumbs anxiously while awaiting her answer, but she seemed lost in thought. When she finally answered I realized I had been holding my breath the entire time.

"No, that's definitely not possible," said Bay. A wave of relief washed over me. Although what I hadn't realized was, Bay hadn't finished.

"That's definitely not possible because we killed him..."

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How to... get fit! (By: Cheryl Joseph)

Summer is coming in less than three months, and if you’re like the rest of us, you’ve developed what some like to call a little “pouch”. By “pouch”, I mean that your trouble zones (stomach, thighs, etc.) get an extra layer of insulation. Some like to blame it on our evolutionary desire to put on fat for winter. For any other animal, it would be a good thing, but we humans are masochistic and have decided that it’s better to be thin.

If you want to get fit, fad diets don’t work – you may lose weight at first, but you’ll gain it back later on. The best way to do it is in a holistic way: by eating right and exercising, so that you’ll keep off any weight that you lost. Really, you need to change your lifestyle before you can truly get healthy. Here are a few ways to get fit, and stay fit.

1) Eat food from all the food groups. Unless your personal beliefs prevent you from doing so, do your best to eat meat, dairy, grains, and fruits and vegetables. Approximately half of each meal should consist of fruits and vegetables. We all know that fruits and vegetables are great, but protein is useful too! Protein actually keeps you full for longer, so you’ll eat less. Meat is also full of vitamins and minerals essential to all bodily processes, including weight loss and metabolism. Carbs are vital too: when they’re whole grain, their fiber helps keep you full as well (among other health benefits). As for dairy, not only does it contain vast amounts of vitamins and minerals, but studies have shown that women that drink milk actually lose weight faster than those who don’t. It’s just a study, but there’s no harm in trying.

2) Drink lots of water. Studies have actually shown that more often than not, when you think you’re hungry, it’s actually thirst. This is especially common in women. Besides preventing overeating, water cleanses your body, which is great for clearing up your skin (who doesn’t hate pimples?).

3) Start an exercise regimen. The ideal is to exercise for 3 to 5 sessions a week – but make sure you understand which type of exercise does what. For instance, a lot of people do crunches to get rid of stomach fat; crunches (when done properly) are great, but mostly it’ll just reinforce the muscle beneath your layer of fat, rather than getting rid of the layer itself. This is why the best exercise regimens contain a combination of cardio, strength training, and flexibility. Cardiovascular exercise, as the name suggests, increases your heart rate; it works your whole body, burning calories, strengthening your heart, and increasing your lung capacity. Cardio exercise is (arguably) one of the best ways to burn calories. Strength training specifically targets muscles – weight-lifting, Pilates, etc. This is great, because not only does it burn calories during your workout, but also increases your metabolism. This means that you’ll burn more calories at rest, without even lifting a finger. Stretching is also essential to longer muscles, and should be done before and after cardio and strength training, after warming up the muscles. A combination of all three of these is your best bet to getting fit.

4) Exercise… again. Physicians also recommend incorporating at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day – “moderate” meaning something that warms you up, and makes you a little out of breath. It’s pretty easy to integrate this into your day: walking to school, work, or other locations; cleaning the house; and gardening are all great sources of moderate exercise.

5) Motivate yourself. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, the best way to get motivated to exercise and eat well is to understand all the benefits associated with it. Exercise, for instance, stimulates insane amounts of endorphins, which is why everyone is super happy right after a workout. It also helps you concentrate. In the long run, it benefits your body in countless ways (other than how it looks!): your organs begin to work optimally, your skin glows, your hair is much shinier and healthier, and you have an overall feeling of well-being. Who doesn’t want that?

Although it’s great to get in shape, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. Also, remember that everyone has a different natural body shape. So don’t be upset if you don’t look exactly like some other girl – every body shape is beautiful. By all means, get fit – I encourage it! But as long as you’re living a healthy lifestyle, even if you don’t look like what you see on television, it doesn’t matter. Hopefully, you’ll see soon enough how gorgeous a healthy body really is.

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