Retirement

I am retiring after teaching at both Kearns Jr. High and Hunter High School for 30 years!  I can hardly believe that 30 years have gone by since I nervously walked into my first classroom and was mistaken for a student.  Over the years I have taught Utah History (that was interesting because seventh graders are needy and they invaded my personal space quite a bit), U.S. History, World Geography, English 9, English 10, and College Prep English.  I have been the advisor to the Academic Team, the Peer Leadership Team, the Cheerleaders, and the Student Body Officers (at both schools!) as well as the AVID Coordinator.  I have taken three different groups of students to Europe, gone with students to leadership camps at Utah State University and Dixie State University, arranged countless field trips (my favorite was the Sundance Film Festival every year), and chaperoned various activities and dances (I am very good at holding random objects).  I have worked with some of the best colleagues and have taught some amazing students (many of whom I am now privileged to call friends).  Teaching can sometimes be a really difficult job but, on the whole, it has been such a rewarding career!

Covid-19 changed just about everything this year, including the usual fanfare attendant upon reaching the milestone of retirement, but yesterday Hunter High School had an incredibly meaningful graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020 and all of the retirees were honored.  It really meant so much to me to have a banner congratulating us and to get to lead the graduates in while the entire faculty cheered.  I will always remember it!

Note:  Lots of people have asked me what I am going to do now.  I am taking a gap year (that is what I am calling it because it sounds so much better than saying that I am taking a year off!).

Conjure Women

The next selection for the Barnes & Noble Book Club was Conjure Women by Afia Atakora. Unfortunately, my group was not able to meet yet again because of the current situation but there was a live chat with the author yesterday on Instagram that was very interesting and informative. This novel takes place on a sprawling and isolated cotton plantation before, during, and after the Civil War (described as slaverytime, wartime, and freedomtime). In freedomtime Rue is a former slave who has reluctantly taken the place of her mother May Belle as a healer and a conjure woman after the latter's death. Her status in the community is threatened by the birth of a baby with a caul on his head and unnerving black eyes, the arrival of a charismatic preacher who espouses a belief in Christ rather than superstition, and a strange sickness that is killing all of the children. However, the status of the entire community is threatened by the secrets of the past, especially a spell created by May Belle connecting Rue and the master's daughter Varina. This is an incredibly compelling story about a group of people during a tumultuous time that I, a student of history, didn't know a lot about. Because Reconstruction is usually painted in such broad strokes, I didn't really realize what happened to the former slaves who were left behind on plantations after their masters were killed or were abandoned by them in the immediate aftermath of the war. It was really interesting to me to read about the lengths that Rue goes to in order to keep the community safe from both the master's relatives in the North as well as a new threat from those who resent their freedom. I also really enjoyed Rue's character development, particularly her journey from a scared girl who feels that she will never live up to her mother's expectations to a woman who is able to save the people she loves. She is so complex and resilient. I also found the relationship between Rue and Bruh Abel to be fascinating because they distrust each other's methods (using spells or working miracles) but once they realize that they are both essentially frauds they become friends. Even though many of the events described in this novel, such as torture and rape, are very brutal the prose is incredibly beautiful and I loved the symbolism, particularly the fox. This novel is epic in scope and so mesmerizing that I was transported to another time and place. I absolutely loved it and I am so glad that it was included as a Barnes & Noble Book Club selection because I don't think I would have chosen it if left to my own devices. Don't miss it!

Note:  The next selection for the Barnes & Noble Book Club is All Adults Here by Emma Straub (go here for more information).  I did not especially care for Straub's The Vacationers but I am willing to give this the benefit of the doubt.  There will be a virtual discussion via Facebook on June 2.

The Way Back

I actually had a ticket to see The Way Back but then the quarantine ended my plans. I love the theme of redemption and I love a good underdog sports movie (Gavin O'Connor also directed Miracle which is a favorite of mine) so I was really looking forward to this and was a little sad that I would miss it. Luckily it is already available on Amazon Prime Video and I had the chance to see it last night.  Construction worker Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck) is an absolute mess who can't even make it through a shower without drinking and frequently needs the proprietor of his favorite bar to carry him home at night.  Not only is he fighting many inner demons but he has also never recovered from the death of his son and is hurt when his estranged wife (Janina Gavankar) moves on with another relationship.  He is asked by his former high school, where he was once the star player, to coach the basketball team.  They haven't made the playoffs since he was on the team and, at first he just goes through the motions, but he eventually takes the job seriously and mentors a player who reminds him of himself (Brandon Wilson).  The team begins winning against all odds but the only way Jack can help them is by helping himself recover.  I loved this movie so much!  Affleck, who is very hit or miss with me, gives one of the best performances of his career in a role that is pretty unsympathetic (there is none of his usual charm or charisma on display here).  His ultimate redemption is not at all what I was expecting but it still made me want to stand up and cheer.  The basketball sequences are thrilling because O'Connor puts us in the middle of the action (just like he did with Miracle) and the score adds to the intensity.  The young actors do a really good job as players looking for a reason to win, especially Wilson.  There is a lot of profanity (which precipitates a hilarious scene involving the school's chaplain) but I would definitely recommend this movie.

Note:  There are quite a few recent releases now available on Amazon Prime Video such as The Call of the Wild, The Invisible Man, Onward (which is also streaming on Disney+), and Emma.  I recommend all of these movies.

Dolphin Reef

This year there are two Disneynature documentaries to celebrate Earth Day in April and, as someone who loves these documentaries, I am here for it!  In addition to Elephant, Disney+ is also streaming Dolphin Reef which I really enjoyed!  The underwater cinematography featuring a beautiful and dynamic coral reef in Polynesia and all of the fascinating animals who live there is simply stunning.  The main narrative revolves around a young and easily distracted bottlenose dolphin named Echo as he is weaned from his mother Kumu.  He has a few adventures, such as swimming with a humpback whale who has migrated from the north to give birth to her calf in the warm water, and a few close calls, such as an incident with some tiger sharks and getting lost with a turtle in a deep underwater cavern, as he learns to survive on his own.  We are also introduced to many of the other animals who are vital to the symbiotic relationship in the reef ecosystem and my favorite is the peacock mantis crab who is portrayed as an OCD neat freak (this, like most Disneynature documentaries, features narration that is very anthropomorphic).  I feel you, mantis crab!  There is a message about doing our part to protect the delicate balance in nature to keep the coral reefs around the world thriving but I didn't find it to be heavy handed.  What I liked most about this documentary, aside from the breathtaking visuals, is that I actually learned quite a bit about dolphins that I didn't know, such as synchronized sleeping and the unique ways they catch fish.  I enjoyed Natalie Portman's lighthearted narration and I also really liked the score.  If you are a fan of the Disneynature documentaries, this is a spectacular entry in the canon that I would definitely recommend!

Note:  In addition to the premiere of Elephant, Disney+ is also steaming the 2019 Disneynature documentary Penguins which is a lot of fun.

Elephant

I am a huge fan of Disneynature documentaries and, since elephants are my favorite animal, I have been looking forward to Elephant for months.  Is there anything cuter than watching a baby elephant frolic in a watering hole?  I submit that there is not so I thoroughly enjoyed all of the spectacular footage of one herd's epic migration across the Kalahari Desert from the Okavango Delta to the Zambezi River when their watering hole dries up.  The narrative focuses on an elephant name Shani, her boisterous calf Jomo, and the matriarch of the herd Gaia.  Shani must protect her calf and learn from her mentor how to lead the herd as they face brutal temperatures, dwindling food sources, and dangerous predators.  What I really love about elephants is how tender they are towards their calves and how protective they are of each elephant in the herd.  There is a powerful scene of a mother trying desperately to free a calf from the mud, a dramatic scene as the elephants circle to protect a calf from a group of lions, and an incredibly poignant scene of the herd's reaction to a death (I may or may not have had a tear in my eye).  I loved the time-lapse photography showing the changing seasons in the Okavango Delta and the Zambezi River, particularly when a waterfall slows from a torrent to a trickle.  As with many Disneynature documentaries, the narration is very anthropomorphic and I thought it was adorable when Jomo wanted to go and play with a baby cheetah and when he was jealous of the attention paid to a new calf in the herd.  The narration is by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and many have been critical of her performance.  While I don't care for her personally, I think she does a pretty good job balancing the emotional and playful tones of the narrative (aside from an inconsistency in her pronunciation of Shani).  This is a compelling look at some of the most intelligent and majestic creatures on Earth and I highly recommend it.  Elephant is now streaming on Disney+.

Note:  One of the greatest experiences of my life was being able to see elephants on safari in Kenya and Tanzania.  I got to see two baby elephants frolicking in a watering hole and it was exactly like what was depicted in this documentary.  It brought back many wonderful memories!