http://jameslogancourier.org/ News from James Logan High School en-us Nucleus CMS v3.24 © Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://jameslogancourier.org//nucleus/nucleus2.gif http://jameslogancourier.org/ http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7753
By Tierra Negra, Courier Special Correspondent

One night, my youngest daughter walked into my bedroom to show me her English portfolio with a dedication letter. As I was reading the letter, she seemed obliged to clarify that she did not add me because she ran out of space.

I kept wondering what would have been her purpose in having me look at such thing if it was only acknowledging her far away father for raising her up alone (up to a couple of years ago) and the coach for supporting her throughout the season. I also asked myself why it hurt so much. It must have been praise what she was expecting of me.

I grew up used to being told only when things were done wrong so they could be corrected and improved. I do not recall ever receiving words of praise from my parents. I might have been the smartest of the family but, if this was understood, it was never spoken of or acknowledged because they feared I would grow up arrogant or vain forgetting to be observant of my flaws.

My parents must have already sensed what I recently read in a report about the way praise hamper students’ efforts or willingness to try new things if it is just directed to their intelligence and not diligence or hard work.
Because of the way I was brought up I am shy to receive recognitions making me feel uncomfortable at times (even though I rarely get them). I keep thinking what good would it be to have another trophy or plaque to dust or display occupying a space that I could use for more practical things with less work involved?

I have stopped wondering about the purposes behind the abundance of acknowledgement through Oscars, Golden Globes, Grammys, or Halls of Fame awards for people that through their professions do so little for their community accumulating so much money on top of success. We have been well trained to be happy admiring at a distance how they show off their fortunes easily obtained through their ability to lye and make us believe in dreams and fantasies.

Jokers and entertainers used to be looked down with disdain perhaps still a century ago. Their latter capacity to climb the social class and economical ladder has been proportional to a generalized increase of leisure time. However, with the emergence of the internet, movie and record industries have been losing a lot of revenue and privileges and now they come to the realization that laws such as SOPA and PIPA might get them back what they seem to believe they “rightfully deserve”.

Although I do not need any sort of acknowledgement to feel proud about my achievements, it does not necessarily mean that I would not appreciate some gratitude and respect from the people that surround me. Alas, that must be one of the hardest things ever to achieve because I am not a celebrity or someone far away that could not constantly remind everyone around how imperfect and annoying I can be when I allow my flaws to emerge.
]]> Opinion http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7753 Sat, 4 Feb 2012 19:06:59 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7752 ]]> Opinion http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7752 Sat, 4 Feb 2012 08:47:38 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7751
From wikipedia:
Frank Wills (February 4, 1948 – September 27, 2000) was the security guard who alerted police to a possible break-in at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., which eventually led to the uncovering of the truth about the Watergate Scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

Frank Wills was born in North Augusta, South Carolina.

In June 1972, Wills was working as a private security guard at the Watergate office building, the location of the Democratic National Committee headquarters. On the night of June 17, he noticed a piece of duct tape on one of the door locks when he was making his rounds. He removed it, and continued on his patrol. One of the five burglars — Frank Sturgis, Virgilio González, Eugenio Martínez, Bernard Barker and James W. McCord, Jr. — noticed that the tape had been removed, and replaced it with another piece of tape on the door (the tape was placed over the latch bolt to prevent the door from latching). When Mr. Wills returned, he saw that the tape had been replaced and called in the police. The five men were found in the DNC offices and arrested. This triggered the chain of events which exposed the Watergate scandal and eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

Read more about Frank Wills, free from the Los Angeles Times.
Wills played himself in the film version of the book All the President's Men, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's account of their reporting work on the Watergate scandal, but never recovered from his moments of fame. After his part in history, he quit his job as a security guard because he did not receive a raise for his role in discovering the burglary.

In 1973, the topical song magazine Broadside published the song "The Ballad of Frank Wills", written by Ron Turner. Mr. Turner later recorded the song for Broadside/Folkways album, Broadside Seven.

Wills worked for the comedian/activist Dick Gregory, lived in the Bahamas, and had a Harry Nilsson album dedicated to him. He made some money on the talk show circuit, but was unable to hold down a steady job.

He returned home to South Carolina in the mid 1970s and cared for his stroke victim mother for several years.

He was convicted of shoplifting in 1983.

After her death in 1993, he was so destitute that he was washing his clothes in a bucket until James Kilby founded an organization, Treat Every American Right (TEAR) to raise money for Wills. Frank Wills died nearly penniless from a brain tumor on September 27, 2000, at University Hospital in Augusta, Georgia, having lived in poverty most of his life.

Spike Lee loosely incorporated Frank Wills' story into Lee's 2004 film, She Hate Me. In the 1994 film Forrest Gump, Wills is the guard who takes Forrest's call complaining about men with flashlights across the street disturbing his sleep while he is staying at the Watergate Hotel across the complex from the DNC office.]]> In Quotes http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7751 Sat, 4 Feb 2012 08:09:14 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=1519
Robert Earl Jones (February 3, 1910 - September 7, 2006) was an American actor and the father of actor James Earl Jones. While born in Mississippi, the actual location of Jones' birth is unclear as some sources indicate Senatobia, while others suggest nearby Coldwater.

Roots in the Harlem Renaissance
Jones was a grade-school dropout and a sharecropper before making his way, via Chicago, to New York City and a career on stage and in film. Altogether Jones appeared in more that twenty films, including The Cotton Club (1984) and The Sting (1973). Jones was a living link with the Harlem renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s, having worked with Langston Hughes early in his career. After moving to New York in the 1930's (after a short career as a prize fighter in Chicago where champion Joe Louis used him as a sparring partner), Jones worked with young people on the Works Progress Administration, the largest New Deal agency, through which he met Langston Hughes, who cast him in his 1938 play, Don't You Want to Be Free?

Visit the Earl Jones Institute website.

Celebrate Black History Month with The Courier
Jones told the New York Times in 1974:

"It was kind of natural. Langston Hughes' aunt, Toy Harper, taught me how to read my first poem: 'I am a Negro black as the night is black/ Black like the depth of my Africa' and several other poems. It was poetic drama, put together by several of his poems. We linked them together by a narrative, and I was that narrator.

Stage and screen career
He was a boxer and ran in marathons in addition to his acting. The Amsterdam News reported that Jones ran several marathons including the 1996 New York City Marathon at the age of 86.

His most noted role was in the 1973 film The Sting, in which he played an older con man alongside Robert Redford. He also appeared in the films Witness, Trading Places, and The Cotton Club. Jones acted mostly in crime movies and dramas and his career highlights were Cold River and One Potato, Two Potato. His career started in 1939 with a small role in Odds Against Tomorrow (1959). Although he never achieved the fame enjoyed by his son, James, Jones found a comfortable niche in Hollywood with steady work from the 1960s through the early 1990s.

Toward the end of his life, Jones was noted for his stage portrayal of Creon in a 1988 musical version of the Oedipus legend, The Gospel at Colonus. He also made appearances in the long-running TV shows Lou Grant and Kojak. His last film was in the 1992 drama Rain Without Thunder. One of his last stage roles was, a 1991 adaptation by another figure from the Harlem renaissance, Zora Neale Hurston of Mule Bone.

Though blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s, he was ultimately honoured with a lifetime achievement award by the US National Black Theatre Festival.]]> In Quotes http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=1519 Fri, 3 Feb 2012 00:10:00 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7750
MISCELLANEOUS
Need Drivers Education? Your place is the Adult School. There are two offerings – April 2, 3 & 4 or June 18, 19 & 20 – 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is $125. Applications are now available in your house office, or see Mr. Caruso in Room 77 for application/information.

The popcorn cart is now open Monday thru Friday near the Career Center and in Memorial Court. Mmmmm….. good!

Yes, we are open! Colt Necessities is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday during 4th & 5th period lunches. Baseball hats, knit caps, and a variety of good looking hoodies. Stop on by!

S.D.E.S. de Alvarado is holding a crab feed on February 5th and is looking for student volunteers to help with set-up, serving and clean-up. For more info on volunteering, check the Career Center link on Logan’s website, or pick up a flyer in the Career Center.

Attention TAs! If you are scheduled as a second semester TA, you must report to Ms. Quintal in the front office for your assignment. This applies to all TAs – even if you were a TA first semester and you are remaining in your previous assignment. If you have any questions, see Ms. Quintal during your scheduled TA period. Those TAs that fail to report to Ms. Quintal will continue to be marked absent.

Eastin Elementary needs volunteers to help with their multi-culture event! For more details, check Logan’s website under the College/Career link, or pick up a flyer in the Career Center.

Are you fascinated to learn more about other cultures? Do you love to mix with different cultures and are curious to know about their traditions? SIKH FORUM invites you to come and witness SIKH Marriages. You get a chance to taste delicious Punjabi food too. Sikh Forum will entertain guests every Saturday for the remaining school year. For registration and further details please contact Simrat Sahota, Pooja Gill, Harpreet Sahota or Jaspreet Kaur and other office bearers of SIKH Forum or Mr. Rana in Room 442. Hurry, as we can accommodate only 10 guests each visit."

Donate blood on February 9th! American Red Cross will be here for a blood drive. Sign-ups are in front of the stage during both lunches.

ACTIVITIES
Girls Softball tryouts are on Monday, February 6 @ 3:30 on the softball field.

Looking for a place to do school work? Need help? There’s a place from 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday, February 4th, Room 77. Please enter by the carpeted hall near the library.

Interested in Track & Field? Come out to the track after school.

Practice for the SAT and ACT in one test! Take the Kaplan SAT/ACT combo test on Saturday, February 25th. Buy tickets for $15 in House 3 during lunch and after school.

Come to the Youth Alive Bible Study every Friday during lunch.

Boys Tennis tryouts are 2/6/12 after school at the tennis courts. Freshmen welcome!

SENIORS
Seniors: The Senior Panoramic Picture is on Wednesday, February 8th, right after school at 1:45 p.m. in the stadium. Order forms with prices should have been passed out in your APS, Econ or Transpersonal Psychology classes. Seniors in afternoon ROP will be excused from their absence. See you after school on Wednesday in the stadium.

The New Haven Schools Foundation scholarships have arrived, and hard copy applications are available in the Career Center to all qualifying Logan seniors.

Financial aid packets for seniors are now available in the Career Center. Feel free to pick yours up before school, after school, or at lunch.
]]> Daily Bulletin http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7750 Thu, 2 Feb 2012 14:59:12 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7749
By James Sarmiento, Courier Staff Writer

The James Logan Colts faced off the Irvington Vikings at Irvington High School Jan. 25. It was a sloppy start in the first quarter for our Logan Colts being out scored by the Irvington Vikings 14 to 9.

“Our defense was sloppy from the start and our heads weren’t in the game.” said Trent Torain, a sophomore shooting guard for Logan.

“We came out big headed and lazy. We underestimated them, which let them get that early scoring run. We looked as if we were running in slow motion because we were not getting back on defense and they kept beating us on hustle plays.” Clarence Kaye, a junior point guard, said of the first quarter.


Although with a slow start our Logan Colts trampled the Irvington Vikings in the second quarter, outscoring them 23-2. Going into half time the score stood at 32-16 with James Logan leading.

“During the break between the first and second quarter Coach Fortenberry gave us a speech about how we needed to pick up our game and play defense. It gave us the spark we needed to explode in the second quarter.” said Logan center Khari Leno, a sophomore.

“It was as if we just got this burst of energy and everything seemed to be going right at the right times. We were playing great defense, getting steals and making their shots hard. Our jump shots just seemed to be falling in no matter where we shot on the floor.” power forward Marquise Godfrey said of the team's play.

During the third quarter Logan dominated just as they did in the second quarter outscoring the Irvington Vikings 17 to 4. By the end of the third quarter the scoreboard read 49 to 20, our Logan Colts leading by 29 points.

Going into the fourth quarter Coach Fortenberry felt confident with his team and put in all of his sophomores against the seniors and juniors of Irvington’s varsity team. Even against the older team, our sophomores were still able to outscore them 20 to 17. The only reason why Irvington scored so much in the fourth quarter is because Coach Fortenberry decided to practice new defensive schemes against the underpowered Vikings.

The high scorer for our James Logan Boys Varsity Basketball was Divine Mundeke with 13 points; 9 of which coming from three 3-point field goals. Next was Trenton Torain with 12 points; 6 of his points coming from two 3-point field goals. Then Khari Leno with 11 points; ten of his points coming from the paint alone, being a dominant force inside.

Our next game for the James Logan Colts will be Friday the 27th against Mission San Jose, which will be played at James Logan High School.]]> Sports http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7749 Thu, 2 Feb 2012 12:19:24 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7748
By Malcolm X Abram
Akron Beacon Journal (MCT)

For 23 years, Don Cornelius hosted "Soul Train," "the hippest trip in America." For many young African-Americans and fans of R&B, soul and eventually hip-hop, the syndicated Saturday morning mainstay's tagline was the indisputable truth.

Cornelius was found dead Wednesday morning at his Los Angeles-area home of a gunshot wound, an apparent suicide. He was 75.

Back when Cornelius created the show in 1970, there was no MTV, no BET, no VH1, no record label-driven YouTube channels. There was just "American Bandstand" and "Soul Train."
And while "Bandstand" featured some black artists, "Soul Train" was the show to watch to find out what was really hip and happening. And Cornelius, the show's creator, writer, executive producer and host from its debut in his hometown of Chicago on WCIU-TV, was one of the coolest cats on television.

His smooth radio-trained velvety baritone, snazzy threads, cool, perfectly sculpted afro and relaxed, debonair demeanor let viewers know that for the next hour of airtime we were in the hands of someone who knew our music, our artists and was one of us.

There weren't a whole lot of us on television back in the '70s and early '80s. Yeah, there were a few places we could see ourselves on shows such as "The Jeffersons" and "Diff'rent Strokes," and those shows' socioeconomic polar opposite, "Good Times." There was also the then-standard comic sidekick: a sassy maid; some recognizable character actor playing a not-too-bright crook on a cop show; or "Starsky and Hutch's" favorite snitch, Huggy Bear.

But Cornelius gave us a vision that came closer to our own: cool, confident and hip. He introduced many viewers and R&B fans of all races to up-and-coming artists as well as established stars we didn't get to see very often elsewhere.

"Soul Train" wasn't simply the black version of "American Bandstand," trotting out the latest Top 40 hitmakers. On "Soul Train," viewers saw the latest fashions and dances and heard the newest music. They also saw a cadre of dancing regulars that included Asians and Latinos and some funky white folks all grooving together to the same Earth, Wind and Fire or New Edition tune. Cornelius made sure to mix in history and social lessons in the show to educate, unite and entertain.

It wasn't until I became an adult that I came to understand what Cornelius had managed to do in the context of his time.

When "Soul Train" started in August 1970, the Civil Rights Movement was still happening. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the unrest his assassination wrought were still recent history.
In its second year, "Soul Train" was nationally syndicated on eight stations, with many others around the nation passing on the show, interested in neither the concept nor the largely untapped market share at which it was aimed.

However, within a few years the show and its host became so popular nationwide that in 1973, "American Bandstand" creator Dick Clark attempted his own version called "Soul Unlimited" with embarrassingly clueless and short-lived results.

With little more than self-determination and belief in himself and the needs of his underserved and largely discounted audience, Cornelius created an African-American cultural bellwether and pop culture icon one grooving hour at a time.

"Soul Train" was also a proving ground for white artists seeking a wider audience with artists such as David Bowie, Elton John, Average White Band and mixed race groups admitting to feeling a little bit hipper (especially Bowie) by being asked to be on the show.

Cornelius also created the Soul Train Awards in 1987, giving fans an opportunity to see their favorite artists and celebrate their contributions.

For kids like me growing up in the 1970s and '80s, "Soul Train" was the perfect ending to the Saturday morning cartoon block, bringing us back to reality with undulating dancers, music and of course, the Soul Train line, still a staple at many weddings and gatherings of friends and families.

Cornelius quit hosting "Soul Train" in 1993 and the show ended its run in 2006. However, without Cornelius, it quite simply lost its heart. With a plethora of music-dedicated cable channels and that new thing called the World Wide Web, the show's time as tastemaker had simply passed.
Today, the musical cross-pollination of artists and genres is commonplace, and few young music fans would bat an eye if an R&B singer records or performs with a country singer, or a rap star with a rock band.

Those musically open-minded youngsters can in part thank Don Cortez Cornelius.
Rest in peace, Mr. Cornelius. Generations of fans hope you have found what you always wished for us.

Love, Peace and SOUL!

Malcolm X Abram: mabram@thebeaconjournal.com

(c)2012 the Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)
Visit the Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio) at www.ohio.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services]]> News http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7748 Thu, 2 Feb 2012 07:51:50 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=1518
From wikipedia:
Edward "Sonny" Stitt (February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982) was an American jazz saxophonist. He was a quintessential saxophonist of the bebop idiom. He was also one of the most prolific saxophonists, recording over 100 records in his lifetime. He was nicknamed the "Lone Wolf" by jazz critic Dan Morgenstern, due to his relentless touring and his devotion to jazz.

Life and works
Stitt was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in Saginaw, Michigan. Stitt had a musical background; his father taught music, his brother was a classically trained pianist, and his mother was a piano teacher. His earliest recordings were from 1945, with Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie. He had also experienced playing in some swing bands, though he mainly played in bop bands. Stitt featured in Tiny Bradshaw's big band in the early forties.

Listen to samples of Stitt's music, free from amazon.com.


Celebrate Black History Month with The CourierStitt played alto saxophone in Billy Eckstine's big band alongside future bop pioneers Dexter Gordon and Gene Ammons from 1945 until 1949, when he started to play tenor saxophone more frequently. Later on, he notably played with Gene Ammons and Bud Powell. Stitt spent time in a Lexington prison between 1948-49 on account of selling narcotics.

Stitt, when playing tenor saxophone, seemed to break free from some of the criticism that he was apeing jazz genius Charlie Parker's style. When alto saxophonist Gene Quill was criticised for playing too similar to Parker once by a jazz writer he retorted, "You try imitating Charlie Parker!" Indeed, Stitt began to develop a far more distinctive sound on tenor. He played with other bop musicians Bud Powell and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, a fellow tenor with a distinctly tough tone in comparison to Stitt, in the 1950s and recorded several albums for the burgeoning Prestige Records label as well as for Argo, Verve and Roost. Stitt's playing is said to be at its zenith on these now rare records. Stitt experimented with Afro-Cuban jazz in the late 1950s, and the results can be heard on his recordings for Roost and Verve, on which he teamed up with Thad Jones and Chick Corea for Latin versions of such standards as "Autumn Leaves."

Stitt joined Miles Davis briefly in 1960, and his sole performance with the 1960 quintet is on the record Live at Stockholm, which featured Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Cobb and Paul Chambers. However, Miles fired Stitt due to the excessive drinking habit he had developed, and replaced him with fellow tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley. Stitt, later in the 1960s paid homage to one of his main influences, Charlie Parker, on the seminal cut "Stitt Plays Bird", which features Jim Hall on guitar. He recorded a number of memorable records with his friend and fellow saxophonist Gene Ammons. The records recorded by these two saxophonists are regarded by many as some of both Ammons and Stitt's best work, thus the Ammons/Stitt partnership went down in posterity as one of the best duelling partnerships in jazz, alongside Zoot Sims & Al Cohn, and Johnny Griffin with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Stitt would venture into soul jazz, and he recorded with fellow tenor great Booker Ervin in 1964 on the enjoyable Soul People album. Stitt would also record with Duke Ellington alumnus Paul Gonsalves during the 1960s. Around that time he also appeared regularly at Ronnie Scott's in London, recording a live 1964 album with Ronnie Scott - The Night Has A Thousand Eyes - and another in 1966 with resident guitarist Ernest Ranglin and tenor sax player Dick Morrissey.

In the 1970s, Stitt slowed his recording output slightly, and in 1972, he produced another classic, Tune Up, which was and still is regarded by many jazz critics, such as Scott Yanow, as his definitive record. Indeed, his fiery and ebullient soloing was quite reminiscent of his earlier playing. Stitt was one of the first jazz musicians to experiment with an electric saxophone (the instrument was called a Varitone), as heard on the album Just The Way It Was - Live At The Left Bank, recorded in 1971 and released in 2000.

Stitt, to his credit, never slowed down, joining the Giants of Jazz (which included Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk) on some albums for the Mercury Records label, and recording sessions for Cobblestone and other labels. His last recordings were made in Japan. Sadly, in 1982 Stitt suffered a heart attack, and he died on July 22.

Although his playing was at first heavily inspired by Charlie Parker and Lester Young, Stitt eventually developed his own style, one which influenced John Coltrane. Stitt was especially effective with blues and with ballad pieces such as "Skylark".]]> In Quotes http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=1518 Thu, 2 Feb 2012 00:51:00 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7747
MISCELLANEOUS

Need Drivers Education? Your place is the Adult School. There are two offerings – April 2, 3 & 4 or June 18, 19 & 20 – 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is $125. Applications are now available in your house office, or see Mr. Caruso in Room 77 for application/information.

The popcorn cart is now open Monday through Friday near the Career Center and Memorial Court near the Little Theater. Mmmmm….. good!

Yes, we are open! Colt Necessities is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday during 4th & 5th period lunches. Baseball hats, knit caps, and a variety of good looking hoodies. Stop on by!


Mission Valley ROP is offering a course in Game Design/Interactive Media Arts from 1 to 3 p.m. for the 2012-2013 school year. If you are interested in applying for this course limited to 15 seats, please attend an information session at the Mission Valley ROP on Tuesday, February 7th, from 4 to 5 p.m., or see your Career Tech for the application. Applications are due Thursday, February 16, 4:00 p.m.

S.D.E.S. de Alvarado is holding a crab feed on February 5th and is looking for student volunteers to help with set-up, serving and clean-up. For more info on volunteering, check the Career Center link on Logan’s website, or pick up a flyer in the Career Center.

Attention TAs! If you are scheduled as a second semester TA, you must report to Ms. Quintal in the front office for your assignment. This applies to all TAs – even if you were a TA first semester and you are remaining in your previous assignment. If you have any questions, see Ms. Quintal during your scheduled TA period. Those TAs that fail to report to Ms. Quintal will continue to be marked absent.

Eastin Elementary needs volunteers to help with their multi-culture event! For more details, check Logan’s website under the College/Career link, or pick up a flyer in the Career Center.

Are you fascinated to learn more about other cultures? Do you love to mix with different cultures and are curious to know about their traditions? SIKH FORUM invites you to come and witness SIKH Marriages. You get a chance to taste delicious Punjabi food too. Sikh Forum will entertain guests every Saturday for the remaining school year. For registration and further details please contact Simrat Sahota, Pooja Gill, Harpreet Sahota or Jaspreet Kaur and other office bearers of SIKH Forum or Mr. Rana in Room 442. Hurry, as we can accommodate only 10 guests each visit."

Donate blood on February 9th! American Red Cross will be here for a blood drive. Sign-ups are in front of the stage during both lunches.

ACTIVITIES

Girls Softball tryouts are on Monday, February 6 @ 3:30 on the softball field.

Looking for a place to do school work? Need help? There’s a place from 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday, February 4th, Room 77. Please enter by the carpeted hall near the library.

Interested in Track & Field? Come out to the track after school.

Practice for the SAT and ACT in one test! Take the Kaplan SAT/ACT combo test on Saturday, February 25th. Buy tickets for $15 in House 3 during lunch and after school.

SENIORS

Seniors: The Senior Panoramic Picture is on Wednesday, February 8th, right after school at 1:45 p.m. in the stadium. Order forms with prices should have been passed out in your APS, Econ or Transpersonal Psychology classes. Seniors in afternoon ROP will be excused from their absence. See you after school on Wednesday in the stadium.

The New Haven Schools Foundation scholarships have arrived, and hard copy applications are available in the Career Center to all qualifying Logan seniors.

Financial aid packets for seniors are now available in the Career Center. Feel free to pick yours up before school, after school, or at lunch.]]> Daily Bulletin http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7747 Wed, 1 Feb 2012 11:19:10 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7746
Hardcover: 880 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books
for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0375856110
ISBN-13: 978-0375856112
By Paul Tran, Courier Staff Writer

The fourth and final book of Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle, commonly known as the Eragon series, appropriately titled Inheritance, was recently released in November of 2011. As a fan and long-time follower of the series, it was an instant read for me.

With colorful descriptions of exciting action scenes and suspenseful plot twists, it was fairly decent as far as fantasy novels go. The book was tediously thick,a whopping 839 pages from the first book’s 528. It was also disappointing to Eragon fans in many areas, it unfortunately wasn't a satisfying book.

A large problem, and one of my pet peeves, was the book’s the long periods of dull and boring conflict. Until approaching combat with the almighty Galbatorix, no major battles occur between any of the characters. Much of the fighting consists of pages describing the senseless slaughter of common soldiers. Though another “boss” exists in the form of Eragon’s half brother Murtagh, direct battle, though it constantly feels imminent, never commences.
Painfully long descriptions of background details envelope an abnormally large portion of the book, leaving little to the imagination, while other important events are not described satisfactorily, leaving the reader with an incomplete understanding of the situation.

The climax of the book, the fight against Galbatorix, took only a couple chapters and ended surprisingly quickly, but the book refused to end, continuing on for a handful of excruciatingly uneventful chapters while the author struggled to mend the remaining mysteries he’d failed to make peace with.

Angela, the herbalist and indisputably the most intriguing character in the Inheritance Cycle, is never developed. “It is to leave some mystery in the book,” says author Paolini. This is basically a huge middle finger to the Eragon fan base, as one of the book’s largest appeals was the possible unveiling of Angela’s past and her relevance to the series.

When the book finally ends, the reader is left with a bitter experience of the beloved Inheritance Cycle. With Galbatorix slain and their four-novel old goal accomplished, one would be content with an immediate happy ending. Instead, the book continues on for what seems much longer than the author has spent on any significant event while the reader watches the plot decay, eventually turning joy into disappointment. Eragon reaches the conclusion that, with peaceful life he’s desired set before him, he must leave everything he’s ever loved and live as a hermit raising dragons in discontent for the rest of eternity. The end.

While the book contains relevant chunks of plot necessary for the Eragon series, it is not recommended that one reads it expecting an action-packed, magical novel. Without intense commitment to the Inheritance Cycle and the patience of Mother Theresa, it would prove to be a excruciatingly difficult book to complete without first dying to boredom. Overall, Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance is a upsetting finale to Eragon.]]> Entertainment http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7746 Wed, 1 Feb 2012 10:58:13 -0800