Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah light up the theaters once more as an unstoppable duo who leads the film in entirely new direction with their spunky attitudes and witty sense of humor. G.G. Sparrow (Parton) and Vi Rose Hill (Latifah) are the co-leaders of the Divinity Church Choir of a small congregation in the southern town of Pacashau, Georgia. Each year, the entire town, who has come upon rough times, puts their faith in the choir winning the National Joyful Noise Competition. G.G. and Vi Rose have a history of butting heads but this year it reaches a head with Vi Rose’s promotion to choir director.

Joyful Noise is a film that makes you want to keep on watching. The cast was surprisingly pleasing, especially the romantics of the film. Olivia Hill (Keke Palmer), daughter of Vi Rose and star singer in her mother’s choir, falls head over heels for Randy Garrity (Jeremy Jordan), the handsome grandson of G.G. who recently moved to Georgia from New York. Of course, her mother forbids her from seeing him as well as joining the choir. Nothing is overdone about their relationship in the movie; It’s sweet and simple.

Of course, the music is the main ingredient in a mix of wonderful emotions this movie captures. They bring a new “vibe” to your traditional gospel fare by producing mash ups with songs such as, Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror and Chris Brown’s Forever. The original pieces were just as amazing. They make you want to stand up to sing and dance along with them. A random woman in the theater even clapped after one of the high-energy performances in the film.

Joyful Noise it is not going to win an Oscar for Best Picture but will definitely be a part of many home DVD collections for many families to enjoy. The actors and actresses does a great job with their characters and the music is, simply, enjoyable. It’s the perfect idea for a mother-daughter getaway afternoon that will make the day even more delightful.

“I think that this is an important cause because many people do know the harmful effects of smoke. It will benefit students and teachers alike,” said junior Josephine Baltazar.

The RT juniors demonstrated at Sansone Park Place during a farmers’ market on Jan. 29 in their first attempt to gain support for the campaign. Students stayed from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and conversed with shoppers about the effects of smoking and second-hand smoke. They also handed out surveys for people to fill out supporting a smoke-free campus.

“It was a lot of fun to help the community and try and get rid of smoke, especially around the younger generation,” said junior Ashlee Nimmo.

The Right to Breathe campaign is solely focused on educating the public about the dangers of smoking and second-hand smoke to students, teachers, and visitors.

“Respiratory Therapists deal with many patients that have diseases related to smoking, so this goes along with the class. What a better thing for the kids to be involved in,” said Respiratory Therapy Program Leader, Mrs. Vicki Smith.

Sansone Park Place is located at 9500 S. Eastern Ave. For more information about Right to Breathe visit http://www.righttobreathenv.com

Primarily, Angels is about personal relationships and the impact of AIDS’ growing impact in the Reagan era of the 1980s. Rather than focusing on one protagonist, the series focuses on an ensemble, with two dissolving couples at the center: gay couple Prior (Justin Kirk) and Louis (Ben Shenkmen) are torn in two after Prior contracts AIDS, and devoted, married, Mormons Joe (Patrick Wilson) and Harper (Mary-Louise Parker) are terribly unhappy together; Harper addicted to Valium and the hallucinations that come with it, and Joe a closeted homosexual.

The story takes a very pronounced and fantastical turn once Prior, after being left by Louis, dying and alone, is visited by an angel (Emma Thompson), who claims to be “the principality of America” and declares Prior a prophet. Completing the cast are Al Pacino as Roy Cohn, a real politician acting as second-in-command to Joseph McCarthy during the communist Red Scare, acts as Joe’s mentor while struggling with his coarse, secret homosexual endeavors and contradictory behaviors that have rewarded the bitter, cynical man with AIDS; and Jeffrey Wright as Belize (the only cast member also in the stage version; this role landed him a Tony Award), former drag queen, and Prior’s best friend and eventually the nurse assigned to take care of Roy, a public enemy against people like Belize and his friends; and Meryl Streep as Joe’s Mormon mother, who comes into town to try and mend problems after a depressed Joe confesses his homosexuality to her over the phone. In case you haven’t noticed, every member of this cast is a top-notch actor who either deserves multiple Oscars, or already has multiple Oscars.

Yet despite all of the top tier talent on screen, the real star of the show is off-screen; the original playwright Kushner pens the dialogue and that is what shines through as the heavy hitter in this product. It bounces back from dramatic, to poetic and profound, to epic stuff you’d find at home in the Iliad or Odyssey, to finally some of the most hilarious stuff I’ve ever heard. There’s a particular scene where Prior confronts Louis for leaving him because of his disease; you expect it to be a particularly heavy scene, and in some ways it is, but the whole time the direction and dialogue is making fun of the overdramatic nature of the characters, assisted by the already ridiculous encounters Prior’s had with an angel. It’s to the point where I actually started to feel bad, because I was laughing at characters while they were crying and vulnerable.

Something else to note are the supernatural tidbits that slowly creep about in the background during the first half before bursting into the spotlight; for example the aforementioned Angel of America. The narrative sneaks in mythological allusions, or out-right shout outs, to both Judaism and Mormonism and treats the source material properly. It all comes together to add a layer of adventure and wonder onto this weighty political piece, and it provides both entertainment as well as making the whole story more accessible to those not too interested in pure serious business, therefore delivering that serious business, and a fantastic experience, to a wider audience.

Everything comes together to say what needs to be said about bigotry regarding the gay community, and it doesn’t sacrifice anything for that message. Not a single funny line, or light hearted moment, or a character arc; none are these are compromised to get the point across, and the point is fantastic. That is why Angels is perfect.

As I walked in, I could see some of the meat grilling in the front window, giving off a sensational smell. As this scent went through my nose, my waitress came right away and seated us. I looked to the left and saw a magnificent collection of wine, and to the right was the salad bar where I was seated. I noticed a lot of waiters serving meat to all the hungry customers waiting. It was a full house, but the service was surprisingly quick.

Their menu consists of a walk up buffet-style salad bar, and 15 styles of meat served directly to your table. Since it is all you can eat style served to your table, the full service includes free drinks and all you can eat salad and meat (Pricing around $50). The meat menu includes various types of meat like grilled beef ribs and lamb chops for those who are into red meat, and grilled chicken for those who aren’t.

Fogo de Chao serves their food using a “marker” system. The server explained to me that when I turn the marker to green, it tells the waiters to approach me and serve the food, when red means to take a break. While I waited for the waiters to walk by, I was served with my drink, Brazilian cheese bread, mashed potatoes with extra Brazilian seasoning, and fried bananas.

Pretty soon, the waiters start appearing, one after another. They offered very enticing meat, from Petite-Filet Mignon that melts in your mouth, to bacon-wrapped sizzling chicken with a spicy kick. Everything is served fresh off the grill, with each of the meat having its own specific flavor.

When my cousin and I finished with the main course of filet mignon and the pork ribs, we browsed the dessert menu. We finished our wonderful dinner off with their signature Fogo de Chao Papaya Cream and their Crème Brule (around $10 each). Each of the desserts was warm, served with Brazilian blueberry liquor sauce spread on top, accenting the already delicious taste.

Fogo de Chao not only has the perfect atmosphere for fine-dining experiences, but also some of the best meat and dessert I’ve ever been served. When we walked out, the waitress thanked us with a smile and complimentary mint chocolates. In the end, we left with satisfied stomachs and more memories to share.

Menu Link: http://www.fogodechao.com/menu/dining-experience/

I hate elevators. Sometimes the people smell of horrid perfumes or they look at you like you are crazy while getting on with a family of six, like mine. I’m sorry that we don’t all enjoy piling down the staircase to make it to our movie on time. Not to mention, being a resident of Las Vegas gives me all the more hilarious situations in an elevator. You have your annoying college kids, overzealous tourists and your bingo players.

Due to a recent experience in the elevator, the atmosphere of the small square compartment intrigued me. Sure, the woman with bright red-rimmed glasses, red lipstick, and tacky tourist shirt was slightly distracting, but I started to think about ways to take advantage of how people feel in an elevator. No one expects another person to talk to him or her or even acknowledge his or her presence. Therefore, I’ve thought of a few tricks to mess with fellow elevator riders.

I always hate boarding an elevator that already has a party in it. They literally watch you walk on, probably judging everything about your appearance, but always seem to ask what floor you’ll be stopping. Imagine if you were to enter the elevator but once you are on, you don’t turn back towards the door while everyone else is facing forward you are facing him or her. What would people do? Of course, they would act as if nothing is wrong. That’s the greatest part.

I hate consciously avoiding another person’s eye contact. It’s awkward and completely obvious as to what both people are doing. Next time you are on an elevator and you catch someone sneaking a peek at you, stare right back and don’t stop. They really won’t know what to do.

Think of all the things you find awkward in an elevator and think of ways to react or counteract them. People riding in an elevator either don’t care or feel just as awkward as you do. It’s funny to change what most people expect like a casual elevator ride with classic music playing through it’s scratchy speakers while standing silently, waiting for your floor to finally arrive. I’m ready to give a few riders the weirdest elevator ride of their lives.

“Writing is not simply the gathering of words, but a feeling, a passion, a pleasure. And with an award or not, I will continue to write pieces that I hope will inspire and entertain,” describes junior Donovan L.

Randy Bae, Josephine Baltazar, Trisha Bantigue, Nicole Boucher, Cynthia Castaneda, Nae-Meng Chen, Kevin Dionisio, Sarah Endriss, Vanessa Gomez, Donovan L., Nadia Manivong, Henson Nguyen and Vivian Sam each had at least one piece recognized.

In Dec. 2011, the students were encouraged to create a piece to be submitted for the writing contest. They had a choice of different categories such as poetry, short story, persuasive writing, and personal memoir. Students could write for as many categories as they wished, but it had to meet the requirements and be completed before the deadline.

“I was so excited that Mr. Davis was entering us in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards! I’ve won this award previously in 8th grade, and I wanted to challenge myself and see if I could win it again. I was extremely excited when I found out I was recognized. I felt like this was the best essay I’ve ever written!” exclaims Nicole Boucher, junior.

Regional awards include the Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention, and American Visions and Voices Nominees.  The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Ceremony will be held at the Springs Preserve on Feb. 4, 2012 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. An exhibit displaying all of the winning pieces, both art and writing, will be open from Feb. 4 to March 2.

Girls that normally wear makeup on a daily basis (such as myself) sometimes go without it for a day to give their face a break. I thought I would flaunt my natural beauty so that people can appreciate me for… me.

Most boys tell girls “I like it when girls don’t wear makeup,” but their actions speak otherwise. My best guy friend sat with me in a class, looked at my face, and automatically said, “Wow, you definitely do not look like Alex today.” Besides the fact that I felt extremely comfortable with the way I looked, I felt confident that day, which is a rare occurrence. Within a split second, my feelings were hurt and I was in utter shock at what my best friend had said.

As I was trying to forget what just happened, he let out a short chuckle, and replied with an insincere “just kidding!” But, what if I really did look ugly? What if all of the compliments I had received earlier were just a way to sugarcoat the fact that I looked unappealing to everyone?

I decided to shake it off and just accept his “apology.” Jokes are phrases said with the intent to make others laugh; however, I was certainly closer to tears than laughs. Movies and TV shows, I think, have played a large role in the evolution of joke-making. As a result of seeing snide remarks on TV, we make rude comments to each other. Instead of joking about light topics, we joke about peoples’ height, age, style, grades, race, etc.

These are the jokes that really get to individuals’ feelings, and result in low self-esteem and no confidence about their well-being. I was starting to anticipate that with every joke, there comes a little bit of truth.

In order to avoid damaging our days, people should think three times before opening their mouths, whether they are our best friends or knights in shining armor. We all know that one person that has to comment about everything, and we should all be well aware that if the person being attacked is not laughing, neither should the attacker.

“Beautiful Lie” flows with its loud, interesting tones that create a positive vibe. Incorporating ideas about happiness and having one chance to live in these moments aids in the delivery of this cheerful attitude. “Glory” moves into new territory with hardcore rock beats. His strong, bold voice overpowers the beats and empowers the lyrics, which make them more notable. And “Good Girl” focuses on the idea of having “one life” and living it as you want, yet describes it in a chill tone.

However, Leslie constantly portrays his wealth and rebellious lifestyle in not just this song but the entire album, making it difficult for the everyday listener to relate. Many artists, particularly rappers, repeatedly incorporate this theme, and after a while, it gets annoying. From being a Salvation army brat to attending Harvard to producing, singing, rapping, and being an entrepreneur, Leslie would receive more attention from talking about his story to fame rather than topics only celebrities and wealthy people know about. As listeners, we intend to relate to his music and look for advice within the lyrics, yet currently, he fails to do so in a majority of his songs.

Additionally, Leslie does imitate Drake and his album, “Take Care.” Rather than giving more personal, innocent messages, he shows off his rebellious side in the lyrics and the beats of “Les is More.” It does not feel like his own personal sound because it’s too cocky. Leslie’s classy looks and naïve nature was replaced with dirty rapping, concerning mature themes, a luxurious lifestyle, and alcoholic beverages, comparable to Drake. Additionally, in his music videos, he does the same hand movements as Drake and wears an identical fashion style—it’s plagiarism at its finest.

Though the rapping is admirable to the ear, Leslie constantly portrays his wealth and rebellious lifestyle in the entire album, making it difficult for the everyday person to relate. Leslie tries to fit in to this “rock star life,” as stated in “Beautiful Lie,” but he truly was born to stand out. Don’t get me wrong; I like the lyrics, but watching the Drake wannabe can be quite exhausting.

Then simply set the home screen on your smartphone, laptop, iTouch, iPad or desktop browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) to www.southwestshadow.com. If a journalism student asks to see your device’s homepage and yours is set to our website, then you instantly will be handed a $10 Best Buy gift card!

iPad and iTouch users! We know you can’t set your homepage to our site, but you can add an icon to your desktop. Simple visit the site and select the “arrow” icon next to The address bar and select “add to Home screen.” Be sure that this icon shows on your desktop area and does not require swiping to another screen.

Teachers, you can win too! This contest will begin on January 23rd and we will be posting the winners!

Good luck!

Day 7 Winner – Justin Valencia
February 3, 2012

Day 6 Winner – Freshman Ralph Gallo
February 2, 2012

Day 5 Winner – Junior Kirk Obrador
February 1, 2012

Day 4 Winner – Senior Caroline Saquido
January 31, 2012

Day 3 Winner – Junior Kristelle Dealca
January 30, 2012

Day 2 Winner – Junior Deianara Torres
January 27, 2012

Day 1 Winner – Mrs. Miriya Julian
January 26, 2012