Tag: Kori Washington

Review: ‘The Breakfast Club’ offers more than just Saturday detention 

by Kori Washington

He wrote it in two days.

This is how long it took filmmaker and producer John Hughes to write the script for the 80s classic “The Breakfast Club.” He had been inspired by an early draft of the script, which was discovered years later, after the movie premiered.

Fun fact. The film’s title was inspired by the name of a detention program at his friend’s son’s school. This is important because the title’s symbolic meaning lies in showing the unlikely “club” of outcasts from different social cliques. 

Graphic by Kori Washington.

This leads me into the plot of the story. The story begins on one morning when five students of different social groups are all put together for Saturday detention. Once all students are in the building, the vice principal, Richard Vernon, assigns them to write a 1,000-word essay with the prompt “Who you think you are?” 

But as the day goes on, the students realize they have more in common than they thought.

The film was great. I love how Hughes made every character different, with totally different lives, but in the end, they all had problems. Throughout the movie, the characters slowly start to warm up to each other, which leads them to reveal the reason they ended up in detention in one big circle.

This is my favorite part of the movie because this scene shows so much emotion and passion.

And the person who really stuck out to me in this scene was Anthony Michael Hall, who plays Brian Johnson in the film. He really stood out to me because he was talking about the stress of trying to be this perfect kid who also gets straight A’s on everything, and during this scene, I could really relate to him.

During this scene, I also loved seeing each character share their story and tell everyone about all the trouble they have in their lives, which I think was very healing for each of them to share what they had bottled up for so long.  

Overall, I think “The Breakfast Club” was an amazing movie because it shows how different people can come together and really understand each other. It teaches that everyone has their own struggles, and sometimes all it takes is opening up to realize we’re not that different after all.

by jhshyphen

‘Stranger Things’ final season creates nostalgia

by Kori Washington

From fan theories to TikTok countdown clocks, the excitement for Stranger Things season 5 is everywhere. As this Wednesday’s Netflix release gets closer, fans around the world share their predictions and thoughts about the show and its final season.

Stranger Things premiered in 2016, and over the course of nine years, the show has become one of the top shows of all time.

Graphic by Daysha Gray.

Stranger Things is set in 1980s Indiana, and the story begins when four boys are playing Dungeons & Dragons in Mike’s basement. Once the game is over, they all go home. However, the next day, they discovered that Will never made it home safely and is now missing. This is when the story hits its climax, and the whole first season is about three boys, his family, and a newfound friend trying to solve the mystery of Will’s disappearance. 

The following seasons continue with many conspiracies, twists, turns, and deep emotions. Still, throughout the seasons, viewers watch everyone grow up, fix or make new relationships, or change themselves for the better.

Throughout all of this, they all still find time to try and save Hawkins, and their journeys has intrigued fans for over nine years.

For English teacher Allison Clary, Stranger Things brought back nostalgic memories.

“It looked like an interesting show and I really loved that it was set in the 1980s, which was when I was a teenager,” she said. 

Science teacher Melissa Brewer agreed. “I like the nostalgia aspect of it. I like the 80s throwback stuff, because I’m from the 80s.”

Social media also played a role in why people started watching the show.

“I saw it on TikTok, and I thought it looked cool, and then that’s when I got really interested in the show,” said freshman Jerome Sanders.

But social media and nostalgia aren’t the only qualities that make Stranger Things stand out from other sci-fi shows. 

“They’ve also really brought us into the lives of all those characters. So I feel like they’re all my friends,” said Clary 

“It’s emotional to watch because you get so emotionally attached to the characters,” said Sanders. 

As the final season approaches fans share the same mix of excitement and sadness.

“I feel sad because because weŕe not going to see out favorite characters again, but I have been hearing they release a trailer of an animated series, and I’m excited,” said Sanders. 

“I’m super sad and very bittersweet. I have loved a lot of series, but this one is just unique,” said Clary.

After nearly a decade with these characters, saying goodbye feels upsetting. Even the show’s characters capture that feeling, like when Eleven said, “Friends don’t lie.” That line sums up the loyalty and connection that made Stranger Things so meaningful to fans.

The first four episodes of Season 5 of Stranger Things premiere on Netflix on Wednesday evening. The remaining episodes premiere on Netflix on Dec. 25, with the series finale on Dec. 31.

by jhshyphen

Column: We can control anxiety one step at a time

by Kori Washington

I overthink everything.

You could ask me the simplest question, and it might take me a few minutes to answer. And I always think of the worst that could happen. Sometimes I jinx myself because it does end up happening. That’s why I stick to activities that are within my comfort zone — so I don’t have to stress myself out. Still, sometimes I think that my anxiety is what holds me back from gaining new life experiences.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/children-mental-health/data-research/index.html. Graphic by Kori Washington.

But that’s not even the worst part about it. My anxiety has also caused me insomnia, which has played a big part in my life, especially when I was younger. I remember my fourth-grade year. My grandmother had passed away, and that really took a toll on me because she was my best friend. So that summer was the first time I started having sleeping problems, and that was also the year I had my first depression episode. 

I can remember it like it was yesterday – the long nights, the feeling of nothingness, and the worst part of it all was that I lost interest in activities that I used to enjoy. For example, I didn’t go outside anymore to play with my sisters or friends, and I just stayed in bed all day, even though I couldn’t sleep. I had no motivation to do anything else. However, after a few months of feeling that way, I finally got the help I needed, and I went to talk to someone.

But the crazy thing is, to this day, some people believe that teens shouldn´t have anxiety because they think that teens don’t have enough life experience to be unhappy or stressed. But according to the World Health Organization, “One in six people is aged 10–19 years. Adolescence is a unique and formative time. Physical, emotional, and social changes, including exposure to poverty, abuse, or violence, can make adolescents vulnerable to mental health problems.”

This proves that out of all people, we teens have the most to worry about. We have to worry about our looks, grades, and social life while also planning for our futures.

But if we don’t worry about these issues, then we’d be irresponsible and unlikable, which causes us more stress because everyone wants to be liked, and if someone tells you they don’t, they’re lying because every person wants to feel loved or cared for by someone. 

In the end, my experiences with anxiety have taught me that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed and that it’s a common struggle for many, especially during our teen years. While I often overthink and worry about the worst outcome, I’ve been working on trying to see the better side of life.

It’s important to remember that everyone faces our own battles, and that reaching out for support is okay. By doing this, I’m starting to try new experiences, one step at a time.

by jhshyphen

Teen goal setting helps students prepare for their futures

by Kori Washington

Freshman Jonayzia Dickerson has known that she wanted to be a forensic tech ever since eighth grade, and right now, that is her main goal in life. 

“This goal is important to me because I want to pursue a career in science and medical studies,” said Dickerson. 

Teen goal setting is more talked about and more pushed on today’s teens, so they can have successful and better lives.

Also, today’s teens have more opportunities, which causes them to be more motivated, according to health academy counselor Amy Colangelo.

“I think students are more motivated because there are more resources and there are more opportunities as they get older,” said Colangelo.  

“Find what interests you, come to school, set small goals; then, once you meet that goal, set a bigger one.”

Health Academy Counselor Amy Colangelo

For example, freshman Krislynn Hughes, who is pursuing her career goal of being a veterinarian, said, “My love for animals and not wanting to be broke when I’m older keeps me motivated to chase my goal.”

Also, according to Colangelo, it’s very important when setting goals for students to find something that interests them. 

For example, Dickerson said, “My love for science is what keeps me motivated. I love science because it combines all subjects into one.” 

Even though most teens have interests that keep them motivated, some teens have distractions that keep them unmotivated.

For example, business academy principal Matt Barker said, “Most teens have trouble with goal setting because of social media. It gets them distracted and not focusing on their goals.”

Despite these distractions, Colangelo still tries to give teens advice.

“Find what interests you, come to school, set small goals; then, once you meet that goal, set a bigger one,” she said.

Baker agreed. “Don’t set unrealistic goals; have short goals, then move on to bigger goals.”

by jhshyphen

Counselor Andrea Schedler serves as a positive freshman guide

by Kori Washington

Counselor Andrea Schedler’s love for educating others started from a very young age. 

“I can vividly remember just playing school and baby dolls. And then in third grade I remember somebody asking me well what do you want to be when you grow up and I was like ‘I want to be a teacher’,” said Schedler. 

 As you can see Schedler always knew she wanted to work with children and when she got older she started working at a daycare, which led her to major in elementary education and earn a minor in psychology. These are the experiences that have led her to where she is now.

Schedler’s day begins when she steps into her second-floor office to prepare for all her incoming freshman meetings. She starts off by preparing a folder for each student with all the information they’ll need for freshman year and to make sure they get to know her as well.

“One of my main goals as a counselor is to make sure every freshman know who I am because I hate when people say, ‘I didn’t even know who my high school counselor was’.” 

For the past three years that Schedler has been a Jeff High counselor she has also been working on a new goal to increase resources for teens and their mental health, and this is important to her because she wants students to know that those resources are available to them and also so they can feel more comfortable at school.

It’s Schedler’s commitment to her students that makes her the best at what she does. 

“Freshman year she just helped me get through it ´cause I was fresh to high school coming from middle school, so it was a big change but she helped me out,” said sophomore Carter Durbin. 

Junior Cash Waters agreed. “During freshman year she really helped me get comfortable with this school and get to know everybody.”

When Schedler welcomes her freshmen she likes to offer them advice for the school year.

“Get involved in something, whether it’s a sport, club or other upcoming school activities so that you can have a group of friends and people that you can trust. And always have a trusted adult.”     

by jhshyphen