Maze Runner Double Feature

Last night I spent most of the evening in a darkened theater watching a double feature with a very rowdy crowd and I had so much fun!  It began with the re-release of The Maze Runner which I enjoyed even more than the first time I saw it.  Then came a screening of the sequel, The Scorch Trials.  This book is my least favorite in the trilogy (does the prequel count?).  In fact, I stopped reading it in the middle because I had a difficult time imagining what was going on.  So, once again, rather unusually, I liked the movie much more than the book because it is visually stunning!  The Scorch Trials begins exactly where The Maze Runner ends (so it was advantageous to see both movies back to back) with Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) and the other Gladers being rescued by a paramilitary group led by Janson (Aidan Gillen) and taken to a subterranean bunker.  They learn that the earth has been scorched by the sun and a plague, known as the "Flare," is decimating the population.  Thomas and the others are immune to the plague which is why W.C.K.D. put them into the maze in order to study them.  Janson promises them that he will keep them safe from W.C.K.D. but Thomas grows suspicious and eventually helps the group to escape when he learns that Janson really works for them.  While on the run they must brave a hostile environment, such as dust storms and lightning storms, as well as "Cranks," those suffering from the "Flare," and rival gangs out to turn a profit as they look for a resistance group called the Right Arm hiding in the mountains.  Not a lot of plot advancement happens in this movie but it sure is entertaining to watch the characters run from one disaster to another.  As I mentioned, the special effects are amazing, especially during a chase scene with "Cranks" (who look a lot like zombies) through a toppled skyscraper!  Once again O'Brien gives a great performance as Thomas but the other characters kind of fade into the background (I was disappointed not to see more of Minho), other than Brenda (Rosa Salazar), who has some fantastic action sequences.  It has been quite a while since I read the book (and I struggled to finish it), but it seems like there are a lot of differences between it and the screenplay (the Right Arm?)  Purists might disagree but I think the changes are all for the better because I really did enjoy this adaptation more than I thought I would, definitely more than the book.  I would recommend this movie with the following provisos:  it might be better if you haven't read the book and it might be helpful if you watch The Maze Runner again before you see it.

Homecoming Queen

My Student Body Officers and Class Officers worked so hard this week getting ready for Homecoming.  One of their jobs was to ask clubs and organizations for nominees for Homecoming Royalty.  As usual, we had many football players, cheerleaders, drill team members, leads from the upcoming school musical, and other popular students nominated.  However, I also received a request from one of the special education teachers asking that one of his students, who is autistic, be nominated and I agreed.  At the beginning of the week one of my officers took pictures of each nominee and this girl asked if she could have her picture taken the next day because she wanted to curl her hair!  So adorable.  The student body voted each day at lunch and this teacher brought his whole class down to vote for their classmate.  By the middle of the week she had quite a few votes and then the momentum hit.  Students began campaigning for her so she ended up winning by a landslide!  It made me so proud of our student body!  Calling her mother to tell her that her daughter had won will always be one of my very favorite experiences!  Let's just say the tears were streaming!  She was crowned yesterday at the Homecoming Assembly and her whole family came to see her.  Her grandfather broke down in tears when her name was announced!

She was so excited!

I was so proud of the young man voted as King!  He made her feel so special and even bought her some pink roses.

I'm also proud of the other couples in the Homecoming Court who were so willing to let her have the spotlight.  Being Homecoming Queen is a big deal and I think these girls were very gracious!

I mentioned on Facebook that I was so proud of the students of Hunter High for electing a student with special needs and a friend from high school, who works at KUTV, saw my post.  He contacted me about having a TV crew come film the assembly.  Needless to say, my officers were very excited and Emily, the Student Body President, was even interviewed on camera.  We were able to watch the feature (go here to see it) during our student government class.  After we saw it Emily said, "All the stories before ours were all about bad things.  It was nice to see a story about something good.  There are still good things in the world."  Indeed.

The Homecoming Royalty was honored during halftime at the football game (which we won 42-14).  She was so excited to ride in the back of the truck and our King took very good care of her, telling her where to wave!

My officers have done so much work to make Homecoming a success this year (the Spirit Can was a big hit at the assembly once again) and I am very honored to work with them!

2015-2016 Student Body Officers & Class Officers

This year I am working with the Class Officers as well as the Student Body Officers and I am loving every minute of it!  Here are some of the pictures taken by my friend Lesa at the International Peace Gardens a few weeks ago.

SBOs & Class Officers

Student Body Officers

Senior Class Officers

Junior Class Officers

Student Body Officers

Senior Class Officers

Junior Class Officers

SBOs & Class Officers

Being the student government adviser is a lot of work (we are in the middle of Homecoming and I just now picked up $343.00 worth of curly willow from a wholesale florist because my group wants to turn the dance floor into a forest and don't even get me started on the pinata) but it is also so much fun!  They make me laugh every single day!

2014-2015

2013-2014

Labor Day Weekend 2015

Labor Day weekend is generally considered to be the end of summer and I, for one, am glad to see the end of it!  I spent the long weekend with my Mom, Dad, and sister at our favorite KOA in Fillmore and I saw signs of fall all around.  The afternoons had a golden glow, some of the leaves were starting to turn, and the nights were quite cold (observe below)!  

It was absolutely lovely to relax for a few days before my life gets crazy (it is Homecoming next weekend and I am moving the following weekend).  Even though I will be really busy for the next little while, I am really looking forward to fall, my favorite season, for lots of reasons.

Taylor Swift at Energy Solutions Arena

I started this summer with a U2 concert in Denver and I ended it with a Taylor Swift concert last night at the Energy Solutions Arena.  Not too shabby!  I will tell you right now that this ticket was ridiculously expensive and I can't even justify the expense, like I could for Paul McCartney, because I am a relatively new fan.  My only excuse is that I love the Red album and I seriously regret not seeing that tour when it came through SLC so, in a fit of madness, I bought a ticket for the 1989 tour.  I am certainly glad that I did because the show was spectacular!  Worth every single penny!  It included pyrotechnics, backup dancers with intricate choreography, multiple wardrobe changes, a runway (which eventually elevated Taylor high above the crowd), and bracelets which lit up in sync with each song for everyone in the crowd.  The setlist included "Welcome to New York," "New Romantics," "Blank Space," a sultry version of "I Knew You Were Trouble," "I Wish You Would," "How You Get the Girl," "I Know Places," an acoustic version of "You Belong With Me," "Clean," "Love Story," "Style," "Bad Blood," a rock and roll version of "We Are Never Getting Back Together," "Enchanted/Wildest Dreams," and "Out of the Woods."  For the encore, she played "Shake It Off" which turned the ESA into a huge dance party!  My favorite moments of the evening were her light-up dress and the light-up umbrellas used by her dancers for "How You Get the Girl," her performance of "I Know Places," which is my favorite song on 1989, and her bad ass performance of "We Are Never Getting Back Together," complete with black leather catsuit and electric guitar.  I also really loved all of her inspirational messages throughout the show, especially when she said that you are not the opinion of someone who doesn't know you.  Preach it, girl!  Taylor Swift is an incredible performer and she definitely knows how to work a crowd.  She always seemed to know where the cameras were and would frequently flash a look that whipped the crowd into a frenzy!  I sang every single word and I think the woman my age sitting next to me (who was only there because her young daughter was in the crowd with her friends) thought I was crazy.  I don't care because I had such a great time and it is a night that I won't forget any time soon!  Like I said, worth every penny!

Note:  Many of my students, especially my officers, were really jealous that I was going to this concert.  When I was in high school, I couldn't imagine any of my teachers doing anything this cool!