Illuminating the Truth: Behind the Brushstrokes of "Starry Night"

by Rachel Sawyer

Looking out of his window at an asylum at Saint-Remy, an artist painted. Centuries later this painting would become one of the most recognizable paintings ever with record-setting demands for prints. From the fluid night sky to the peaceful village below, “Starry Night” intrigues every viewer, even without prior knowledge about its origin. Children recognize this painting, as even they can relate to the calming feeling it produces.

The night sky, as painted from Vincent Van Gogh’s memory during the daytime, is the most prominent feature of the painting and it catches the viewer’s eye at first glance. The blazing stars and the illuminated yellow moon set a contrast against a deep blue sky. The exaggerated swirls and large brushstrokes create a peaceful aura that is mirrored with the sleeping town below. The movement created by the sky’s fluidity and various points of interest immediately grabs the eyes of viewers as the underlying meaning of the painting sinks in.

The massive and luminous sky hovers over the small town, making it appear even smaller in contrast to the great mysterious blue. At a closer look, the town appears haphazard, and the yellow light that appear in the windows of the houses represents not only life but also a struggle against the terrifying mystery of life and the universe, as portrayed in the sky. The only building that dares penetrate the deep sky is the church, with its steeple barely brushing the edge of the unknown. Interestingly, the church has no yellow light in its windows, as it does not oppose the mystery, but rather accepts it.

As Van Gogh painted “Starry Night,” he felt a void inside himself and a longing for religion. He felt trapped in darkness, as is apparent from the deep green Cyprus tree that he constructed and placed into the landscape that in reality lacked such a tree. Even during the day, when he painted, he imagined his world in darkness and mystery of a starry night. He also felt lonely and separated from the world. Many viewers can relate with these feelings, as Van Gogh did not place any people in the scene, but rather left it open to encompass anybody, as well as to show his own feelings of isolation.

However, the bright stars can also represent hope and life. Van Gogh longed for religion for a way to embrace the great mystery as the church steeple embraces the sky. He wished for the peace represented as rolling blue mountains and thick swirls of sky, and wished to move away from the grounded, dark, isolated life he had in the asylum, which dominates the painting with the stark contrast of the lonely dark tree.

Gimme an R- for Recognition!

Cheerleading, what is it? Is it a sport or an activity? Cheerleading is not always recognized as a sport but it should be. Now what’s the difference between cheerleading and football? What makes football a sport but not cheerleading in some states and to some people? Cheerleading is a sport and can be a very dangerous one.

Bottom line, cheerleading is a sport. It is one of the most dangerous sports in the world. For example, if you are not properly taught how to do a low, high or a liberty you could drop the flyer and she could seriously hurt herself. You always have to have spotters around the stunt just in case something goes wrong. Now how is that not dangerous? People say that football is more dangerous than cheerleading because guys are plowing into other players to try and hold them off. They can get hit too many times and develop some mental illnesses but it is not the only dangerous sport out there.

Football players have all this padding and helmets to try a decrease the power of the impact. But what about cheerleaders? They have no padding or helmets or anything of the sort to decrease the impact. Their only protection is the other girls that are spotting them. All the cheerleaders have for a little impact support would be the mats at competitions and during practice. But they don’t bring the mats out on the floor during games to do stunts; they do those on wood or concrete floors. If they have a flyer fall without being caught they could seriously injure themselves.

Cheerleading is a sport, not an activity. There are national competitions and state competitions to compete against the best squad. Football has a competition too. So what’s the difference between these two sports? They both sound equally as dangerous. Cheerleading is a sport. It’s just as dangerous, time consuming, and sport worthy as the other. It should be recognized as a sport everywhere.

Humor Column: Cheese Whiz Kids

There are some pretty smart kids out there; we’ll all admit that. Teenage geniuses getting their degree at MIT at 16, one child accidentally stumbling the wonderful invention of the popsicle, and many other great discoveries made by those under the even age of 18. Inventing a glove that translates sign language and the nonreusable syringe really helps the future of the world, yes, but if I were that kid, I’d be inventing things that weren’t nearly as useful to the rest to the world as they would be to me. Let me offer up a few examples.

A machine that helps keep your room tidy. Sure, most would just call that a robot that’s still years in the making, but you could easily train hamsters to set off a Rube Goldberg contraption that sweeps your clothes into a hamper or blows your homework all over your desk and not your floor. Or the hamsters could eat all of the spare crumbs lingering about your carpet. That works too. Good luck finding the hamsters again, though.

How about a backpack that gives you a readout of what binders and objects are inside while you’re on the go? That way, you can realize much faster if you’ve forgotten your history textbook on the bathroom counter or your biology report in the hands- or paws, rather, of your faithful friend Fido. But the recovery of your report is pretty slim to none, really. ReadingBackpack 2.0 might be able to save your paper by deterring the dog somehow. It’s a work in progress.

Or how about a wireless printer that you can take anywhere that doesn’t actually require an internet connection or power cord to work? If you forgot to print out a vital report or essay, this printer would be useful so you can do so safely on the bus to work or in the bathroom five minutes before class. Then again, good luck with the battery life on the thing.

Maybe I’m going too far into the science fiction realm to be truly realistic about this. The printer is actually on its way into existence, though, from the concept pictures and ever-so-reliable 3D models I’ve seen on the web. But hey, would other students not agree that these inventions would be more useful to them than magnetic locker wallpaper?

Kids can be smart, but they need to get their priorities in line. And by that I mean their personal priorities. They need those trained hamsters.

Column: Hopkinton Brings Home School's First Lacrosse State Title

by Curtis Fraser

Over my three springs playing on the lacrosse team, Coach Doug Maynard rarely went a single practice without mentioning Stellos Stadium, the site of the NHIAA Division III Boys’ Lacrosse Final Four. My first two seasons, our chances seemed slim to step on the field at Stellos.

This season felt different.

After the first three games of the season, we were 1-2, and it seemed we would have another season like the two previous, floating around .500: nowhere near state championship caliber. We did not know at the time, however, that the teams we had lost to would end up losing two games combined all season long. We lost to Hollis-Brookline in the season opener by two goals, and a week later we were defeated by Kearsarge in sudden death overtime.

That was the last time Hopkinton lacrosse suffered a defeat.

As the season progressed and the wins began to pile up, it became more and more apparent that this team was better than the past two teams I had been on. Games came and went, and the number in the win column kept growing and growing. The loss column had a “two” in it for over two months.

The two was still there when we entered the state tournament as the four seed, giving us a first round bye, and an opportunity at home to advance to Stellos Stadium. We opened with a matchup against fifth-seeded Plymouth, and won easily, 10-3.

We were headed to Stellos.

On Saturday, June 4, we walked onto the field at Stellos Stadium underdogs against top-seeded Kearsarge, the only team in Division III without a loss. Two months prior, we had fallen to these same Cougars in overtime, and that proved to be an omen. After 48 minutes, the score was tied at nine.

Kearsarge won the opening faceoff of the overtime, and quickly set up their offense in the our end. After passing it around for about a minute, Hopkinton senior captain Brooks Wood forced a turnover and sprinted down the field with the ball.

There was little doubt what he was about to attempt on the Hopkinton bench. All spring in practice, we had watched with awe as Brooks ripped shots just under the crossbar on our own goalies. We all knew he would be looking to do exactly the same right now.

He did.

The bench emptied, the crowd exploded. We were going to our first state championship game in the lacrosse program’s history, where we would face Division III’s cinderella, tenth-seeded Gilford.

The Kearsarge game had been so intense and entertaining, it was hard to put it behind us, but we had to immediately look to Gilford.

By the time Monday rolled around, we were prepared and anxious for our shot to bring Hopkinton its first state championship in lacrosse. We knew it wouldn’t be an easy game, but we were heavily favored, and had beaten Gilford in the regular season. In the locker room before the game, Coach Maynard said a quote that no doubt resinated in all of our minds.

“This isn’t for me, this one is for you guys, your school. When you’re driving on (Interstate) 93 when you’re older and you drive by this exit, I want you to remember what happened here on this night. I don’t want you to have to forget it.”

Most of us won’t forget that night for a long time.

Storming the field following the win.

Losing my helmet after hurling it in the air in triumph.

The police escort, rolling back to the school singing Sum 41’s “Fat Lip.”

I may not have stepped foot on that field during the course of play that night, but it’s still not a night I’m ever going to forget. I didn’t have a role in the outcome of a single game all season long, but I was still a member of the first state champion lacrosse team in Hopkinton High School history.

And that’s still pretty damn cool, I think.

It Does Not Look Good For Future Classic Movies

By Brian Morgan

     What happened to the good movies? What films of today will be considered classics for generations to come?   Recent films such as Cowboys vs. Aliens, and Mars Needs Moms will barely be remembered by the viewing audiences a week later, no matter years later.  Even movies that are receiving Oscar buzz such as The Artist and The Descendants, although considered excellent movies today, will be quickly forgotten tomorrow.   Yes, some of the recent movies are enjoyable, but most of them are based on books or movies from yesteryears. Sherlock Holmes and The Muppets are both entertaining movies; however they are based on books and TV shows from the past.  You cannot create a film classic by solely taking characters from previous successful works and placing them in new adventures. 

     Star Wars, and Bambi are iconic movies that have stood the test of time. Even though they were first seen more than sixty years ago, they are still enjoyed today by people of all ages. How many people have gone in search of Gone with the Wind, Casablanca and Young Frankenstein? What makes these movies last is that they were unforgettable the first time they were viewed. They were new and exciting for their era and, at the same time, timeless.  Classic movies come in all forms: animated, drama, comedy or science fiction. What makes a movie a classic is not it’s genre but its innovation and creativity.

     The movie industry seems more interested in making money than making a film that will be remembered for years to come. Hollywood should return to the movie basics that create wonders.  A movie that appeals to the current audience may not be relevant to audiences of the future.  Some ideas are timeless. Movies based on love, family, hope and the unthinkable last a lifetime. Mindless shoot-um-ups and sophomoric movies might evoke a scream or a laugh for the moment but the silence in the future will be deafening.

Top Five Shortest Celebrity Marriages.

By Ziggy Chesley

It’s a well-known fact that celebrity marriages tend to start and end rather quickly. In fact it seems that the news is filled with recent divorces and fights between couples. But there are some divorces that are so quick that they even have Hollywood in shock. Here are five of the shortest.

Drew Barrymore and Tom Green- Five months

It’s clear that Barrymore doesn’t have the best luck when it comes to marriages. Barrymore married comedian Tom Green, but filed for divorce five months later.

Lisa Marie Presley and Nicolas Cage- Three Months

Though Cage may be a huge Elvis Presley fan, he couldn’t make this marriage work. After being engaged to the child of Elvis for ten days, Cage and Presley got married in secret in Hawaii. However the marriage ended quickly, with Cage filed for divorce three months later.

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries-72 days

Famous for the “fairytale wedding” that cost well over the normal wedding budget (around 10 million dollars to be precise), this reality TV star and NBA player married on August 20, 2011. But this couple couldn’t keep their marriage alive, and Kardashian filed for divorce 72 days later.

Drew Barrymore and Jeremy Thomas- 29 days

A then 19 year old Barrymore proposed to a bar owner Jeremy Thomas after just six weeks of dating. The wedding was rather last minute, and was officiated by a psychic. The quick relationship crashed and burned however, when Barrymore filed for divorce 29 days later.

Britney Spears and Jason Alexander- 55 hours

Even the southern sweetheart Britney Spears is entitled to mistakes. Spears married her childhood friend at the infamous Little White Chapel in Las Vegas. However, the marriage was ended 55 hours later.

"Is Avoiding Tourist Traps and Activities in New York City Possible

“Is Avoiding Tourist Traps and Activities in New York City Possible?”

By Oliver Josephson

New York City is my birth place and where I lived for eleven years of my life as a little boy. My it has changed throughout the years. When my father was a child, famous sights like Times-Square were not a tourist trap; in fact, it was a seedy part of the city with homeless people, drug dealers, and strip clubs. According to my father, who grew up in New York City, the city has changed tremendously throughout the years. I see it myself. Right around when I was born in the 1990s New York City was on the way to becoming more commercialized and touristy. To people who live and have lived in New York City like me, it feels as if the old New York is disappearing and turning into a giant commercialized mall. Do not worry, if you are someone who wants to avoid tourist traps and activities in New York City, it is possible if you know where to go.

The best way to travel in New York City is to stay away from the touristy areas such as midtown, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, and the big museums. Do not get me wrong, it is important to visit these sights if you have never been to the city before. However, there is so much more to explore and going to these sights is not a truly authentic urban New York City experience. Because New York City is so large, it can be overwhelming to find your way and figure out what to do, so I will give you some steps and advice to guide you from avoiding the tourist traps.

The first step, is finding the right transportation to travel around the city in order to avoid tourist traps and activities. Do not take any of those double-decker tour buses. While sitting on one of those buses all day and traveling quickly from place to place, you do not get to experience the feel of the city. Instead, simply walk around by foot. When traveling by foot, you may wander into a cool unknown neighborhood or street you may have never discovered while on one of those buses. Of course, if you become tired and is impossible to walk everywhere in such a sprawling city in one day, hopping on the subway is the way to go. It is one of the cheapest and most efficient ways to get around the city.

When people are new to New York City, they tend to stay in areas that are the most well-known that all of the tourists go to like Times-Square or Rockefeller Center. They eat in all of the chain restaurants like Hard Rock and go to all the big stores than can be anywhere. They are not experiencing the real New York City. There are way more interesting places to be in the city. The options are endless. Go grab some dimsum down in Chinatown, grab a quick falafel, go to any of the ethnic neighborhoods, or any of the classic New York Jewish eateries. Then, to keep yourself entertained you do not need to go to a Broadway show. Just hopping on a subway can be entertainment with the break dancers and Mexican mariachi bands performing in the cars and there are always performers on the street and in the train stations. It is free entertainment that you do not have to wait on a line down the block to see. It is how the locals keep themselves entertained every day while traveling from place to place.

New York City may be disappearing and is becoming a tourist trap, but if you know where to go, it is without doubt possible to enjoy your trip. If you have never been to the city and want to avoid the tourist traps simply research all of the different neighborhoods the city has to offer, get in touch with a local or someone you know in the city, or you can always contact me at oli93@tds.net if you any questions or need recommendations when you come to New York City or follow me on my progressing Yelp and read my reviews of places I have been to in New York City.