300 Review
By: Gabe G.
Frank Miller’s second graphic-novel-turned movie, 300, gives viewers a fantastical history lesson of one of the most dramatic battles ever fought in Ancient Greece.
Director Zack Snyder remained true to the graphic novel in his approach to the film; revolutionary cinematography and incredible CGI animation truly take the viewer for a ride. This movie is like nothing ever before, the battle sequences as well as the dialogue make for a landmark picture that all action fans should experience.
However, this movie is not meant for the faint at heart. Violence and war was an integral part of Spartan culture, and is depicted zealously in 300. Those who saw Frank Miller’s Sin City, directed by Frank Rodriguez, are familiar with this stylized violence. Although at times one might call it gratuitous, it is necessary to convey the true meaning of the film.
The plot revolves around the Spartan government’s reluctance to send soldiers to fight the approaching Persian hordes. King Leonidas, played by Gerard Butler, defies the senatorial leaders and leads a march of 300 Spartans to fight the invading Persians and defend the pass of Thermopylae, the only road through which the Persians can reach Sparta. Guided by his sense of honor, duty and patriotism, Leonidas makes a courageous stand, despite the fact that his force is overwhelmingly outnumbered.
Frank Miller wondrously blended fact with fiction; warriors on both sides of the battle are not restricted by common laws of physics. Many of the creatures, and even the soldiers, that fight in 300 are stretched very far from reality. The surreal nature of the film only adds to its revolutionary feeling. A milestone has truly been crossed in American cinema.
Performances by Butler and Lena Headey spectacularly portray King Leonidas and his wife, Sparta’s Queen. The emotion and fervor of the performances truly rallies the audience to Sparta’s cause.
Whether seen in an IMAX cinema, or a regular movie theater, 300 will astound action fans everywhere. Limitless supplies of violence, snappy dialogue and beautiful cinematography make this a film a must-see.
Gymkana
By: Amanda F.
The Gymkana assembly will take place at Owings Mills on Mar. 16 to wrap up on the last day of the Students Against Destructive Decisions Traffic Safety Week. During Traffic Safety Week, SADD has planned fun and educational activities for the school in order to ensure the safety of OMHS students behind the wheel of a car.
“I am really looking forward to Gymkana this year. They are so entertaining and talented, and they really put on a great show,” exclaimed sophomore Rachel D.
The Gymkana Troupe of the University of Maryland is a group of gymnasts who travel all over the country to exhibit their stunts, dances and other gymnastic routines to schools. According to Gymkana’s own website, (http://www.gymkana.org/gymkana.html) they have been helping students make good decisions to lead healthy lives for over 60 years. Gymkana is open to all University of Maryland gymnasts who pledge to be absolutely drug-free.
Gymkana was founded in 1946 at College Park, and reviews have claimed that it has become a very influential and successful program. The organization has reported how proud they are to be known as the only collegiate exhibitional gymnastics troupe actively touring the United States, and go by the slogan “student athletes teaching students to live drug-free!” The gymnasts pledge to be drug-free, and stress to their audiences about how important it is to remain so. Gymkana has claimed that they have influenced hundreds of thousands of people to join them in living a drug-free life.
The Gymkana Troupe’s way of catching students’ attention and putting out their message by performing routines, is a way that the students seem to thoroughly enjoy. According to SADD, Gymkana’s return to OMHS every year shows that it is a worthwhile and beneficial assembly. “Gymkana is awesome!” declared sophomore Marni S. “It is so much fun to watch, and their routines are absolutely amazing!”
Reviews from critics of Gymkana’s performances, have described them as, “Not just a spectacular gymnastics show, but a powerful anti-drug message in a medium that youth understand.”
Maryland Smoking Ban
By: Gabby S.
As of Feb. 26 smoking was officially banned in all Baltimore City restaurants and bars. Mayor Sheila Dixon will sign the ban, which will start Jan. 1.
The ban in Baltimore City will forbid smoking in most public places, including bars, restaurants, bowling alleys and in taxis. Only outdoor areas of restaurants, private property and cigar bars that meet special criteria will be excluded. Any business that breaks this ban will have to pay a $500 fine and any smoker will have a $250 penalty.
On Mar. 7 this ban went to Annapolis in hopes of getting the whole state of Maryland to adopt the ban. Howard, Prince George’s, Montgomery, and Talbot counties have similar smoking bans, as do bigger cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
State Senate President Thomas Miller stated, “I think that time has come. It’s a health issue. It’s a quality of life issue. So many major jurisdictions have the law in place; it only makes sense for us to have a uniform state law.”
While many support these smoking restrictions, there is still a lot of controversy over the issue. The Restaurant Association of Maryland is worried about the effect the ban may have on the economy. Melvin Thompson from the Restaurant Association commented, “I think we can still defeat the bill, I mean a lot of lawmakers certainly understand the economic impact this has had around the state.”
State Senator Catherine E. Pugh, Baltimore Democrat and former city councilwoman, disagreed with the idea that the ban would hurt businesses, saying that it would “put the entire state on a level playing field.”
When a procedural vote was taken on Feb. 12, the smoking ban only received six votes, which was enough to advance the legislation, but two votes short of final approval. However, t]he support for this bill has made a major turnaround, considering that in early Mar. the proposal did not seem to have all the votes necessary to pass it.
This turnaround is partially due to Dixon, who made phone calls to many members who had abstained on past votes. As Mayor, she has said that one of her major concerns is health and has publicly supported the ban for months.
Traffic Safety Week
By: Julie F.
“Underage drinking is a factor in nearly half of all teen automobile crashes, the leading cause of deaths among teenagers,” read one of the many posters displayed at Owings Mills High School during the week of Mar. 12 to Mar. 16.
For the second year, OMHS participated in a Traffic Safety Week in order to reinforce good choices with driving and riding.
The week commenced with an opening assembly featuring former NFL player Steve Fitzhugh. Through humor and personal experiences, Fitzhugh motivated students to make the right choices and to not forfeit their destiny.
In a demonstration called agree/disagree, Fitzhugh asked each student on the stage to show if s/he believed a statement related to moral choices to be right or wrong. As the students went back and forth on the stage, the impact of peer influence on teens was illustrated.
“My favorite part [about speaking to teens] is seeing students change,” expressed Fitzhugh. “If one kid today makes a decision inspired by what I said an entire generation will be affected,” concluded Fitzhugh.
Mar. 13’s activity consisted of driving the Safety Bug, a custom engineered Volkswagen that demonstrates the loss of control one would experience if operating a motor vehicle while in an impaired state. Students were able to drive this vehicle around the school track, as the Safety Bug coordinator delayed the steering mechanisms for seven tenths of a second, the same reaction that would occur after one drink.
“It was fun driving the Safety Bug, but it also made me realize how scary it would be to actually drive drunk. It helped me to understand the real dangers of drinking and driving and how little control you have over your judgment when impaired,” commented junior Miranda S.
With a Baltimore County Cadet on the side of the street on Mar. 15, a survey was taken to see how many students and teachers wore their seatbelts when driving to school. It was found that 270 out of 295 drivers buckled up, a 91.8 percent achievement.
Also on Mar. 15, a demonstration was held to show that every 33 minutes a person dies from a car accident in America. To illustrate this, a student dressed as the Grim Reaper would remove a student from class every 33 minutes and place a flower on his/her desk. The student would then return with his/her face painted white and sign across his/her chest, explaining how they died. For the rest of the day, these 15 students were not allowed to talk.
Traffic Safety Week concluded with the traditional Gymkana assembly on Mar.16.