Students, faculty assess campus parking

Mixed feelings on campus parking page 1
Editorial, “My Side of the Story,” page 2
Senate connects with students, page 3
Breaking down the Oscars page 4
THE
Friday
February 24, 2012
Volume 31 Issue 3
MEsa Journal
Students, faculty assess campus parking
Mixed feelings emerge when students and faculty share opinions
By Chris Bartlett
Staff Writer
For some students on
campus parking has not
been a major issue, but
for many students it has
been a major issue. In
fact the issue has
garnered some attention from the facultydriven Environmental
Sustainable Committee.
“The basic concern is
with more students and
growing population the
issue of parking is more
important,” said Dr.
Todd Richardson, assistant
professor
of
English.
While outlining the
purpose of the committee’s letter to the
Student Senate dated
February 8, 2012.
“More parking lots
wouldn’t be aesthetically as pleasing as seeing
more people out and
around
campus,”
Richardson said. It
develops a better community and saves parking spaces, gas usage
and pollution.”
Written by Dr.
Stephen
Andes,
Assistant Professor of
History, the letter discussed the issues of
safety and convenience
of those students that
chose to walk, bike or
skate around campus.
“Of course, safety con-
Photo by: Victoria Valenzuela
The parkinglot behind the SAC and Gym and next to the Visual Arts
building almost always has open spots during class hours
cerns
should
be
addressed such as more
lighting on sidewalks to
and from campus; the
installation of more
emergency call boxes;
and the increased frequency of shuttles,”
Andes wrote.
With clubs like the
Dirty
Birds
Longboarding Club and
the fact that many of the
student housing unit’s
outside walkways are
littered with bicycles, it
seems as though many
of the students currently living on campus
have no problem using
methods other than
driving to get around
campus.
A push for more participation from those
living on campus would
UPCOMI NG
EVENTS
On Campus
February 24
Homecoming Pep Rally - Gym 5pm
February 25
Parent Pancake Breakfast - SAC 10am
Casino Night - SAC - 4pm
Homecoming game- Mens
Basketball vs. St. Edwards Falcon Dome - 7:30pm
February 27
ATM Student Senate Poll Table Mesa Lobby - 10am-3pm
Around Town
February 24
Continental Antique Show - Ector
County Coliseum Building D - 10am
February 24
Jackalopes Hockey - Ector County
Coliseum - 7:05pm
February 25
Ozark Mountain Hoedown - Ector
Theater, 500 N. Texas Ave. - 8pm
February 27
Shrimpfest Fundraiser at The Ector
County Coliseum - 7pm
help solve the issues
brought to light by Dr.
Andes. But other issues
such as the wildlife
(coyotes and foxes) seen
around the dirt path
leading from Student
Housing to the Science
and Technology building/Library
would
need to be considered
as well as stated by
Andes.
While to some students like Sophomore
Ethan Kappes, “parking
hasn’t been a major
issue.” There are those
that do feel like it is a
definite problem.
“It’s not impossible,
but it is a major problem,” says Senior Jack
Ploss. “I find myself
having to park in the
very back or on the
Photo by: Victoria Valenzuela
The main Mesa Building parkinglot is often the most full on campus.
Many students who are not able to park are using the circle around
campus.
streets.” Ploss also said
that he has “driven
around 20 minutes to
find a parking spot.”
Different class schedules and the parking
lots student park in definitely are factors that
have to be taken into
consideration.
And while there
is no one solution, Sgt.
Kniesly
of
UTPB
Campus Police said
“the tram program
implemented by Dr.
Lara has helped a lot,”
as well as the additional
parking lot for the
Science and Technology
building, which is limit-
ed in comparison to the
other parking lots on
campus.”
If you are a student living on campus
and don’t know the
Tram schedule, it is
accessible on the UTPB
website and in the
Student Transportation
Services brochure on
campus.
This brochure can
also be found on campus located outside of
the University Writing
Center on the second
floor
and near the
Police Station on the
first floor of the Mesa
Building.
Falcons go Greek for a week
Homecoming reveals more active campus involvement
By Chris Bartlett
Staff Writer
Homecoming Week
Monday,
off
kicked
February 20 with corndogs
and drinks in the SAC
building before the basketball game and a “lighting
of the letters” afterwards.
Those who attended
were able to not only see
school spirit (posters, decorations and life-sized
UTPB letters in the quad
grass field), but also were
able to talk to students,
both current and former,
about what this homecoming week means to them
and the changes they have
noticed through the years.
“Since 2004 I’ve been
seeing more and more student involvement,” said
graduate student J.P.
Garcia. “The freshmen are
super involved this year!”
Garcia is a staff member
Homecoming
the
on
Committee and says the
committee has been planning and preparing for the
week of events since
November. The theme
stems from the “idea of
friendly competition”.
One couldn’t help but
notice the handful of students wearing their Kappa
Delta Rho shirts proudly,
most likely in support of
their KDR brother, Seth
Tullar, who is running for
Photo by: Victoria Valenzuela
Members of the student body, Mary Kincade and Rutesh Bhakta vote for
their pick of Homecoming king and queen. The winners will be announced
Saturday, February 25 at the Men’s basketball game.
Homecoming
king.
KDR vice-president and
Junior Alec Martinez shed
a little light on what Greek
life means to him and what
he believes it can do for
others. He describes his
fraternity as “a band of
brothers there for each
other in any way possible,” and that the “opportunities were tremendous.”
He also feels there has
been “much more student
involvement” and that he
“feels like it will improve
the quality of students
graduating.”
Even former students
like 2008 Homecoming
Queen,
Iris Fierro, have noticed
the rise in student involvement.
“The school has developed a lot and there is
more spirit and more
campus participation (in
Fierro
Homecoming),”
said.
The week of activities
culminates Saturday night
with the Homecoming basketball game between the
Falcons and St. Edward’s
University Hilltoppers at
7:30 p.m. the Falcon Dome
followed by Casino Night
in the SAC building.
During Casino Night
attendees will have the
opportunity to win up to
$1,000 in prizes.
2
, The Mesa Journal
oPInIon
Friday, February 24, 2012
.
Editorial
Passwords are
heartbeats
By Angie Rodriguez
Staff Writer
A progressing technology could possibly allow
individuals to unlock
their computers, laptops,
tablets
simply
and
through the touch of
their finger.
Along with his team of
scientists at the National
Chung Hsing University
in Taichung, Taiwan,
Chun-Liang Lin has
used electrocardiograph
readings in order to decipher human heartbeats
into encryption keys.
This is a new technology
that uses an individual’s
unique heartbeat to
unlock their device. The
readings are generated
from
the
individual’s palm.
Furthermore, this
technology is already
used in hospitals, some
local gyms, and doctors’
offices, and could be
coming soon, to your
very own device. Voice
and face recognition
could be a thing of a
past, and passwords
could be long forgotten.
In today’s ever growing technological world,
it is good to be on top of
the best security
services available in
order to avoid identity
theft, fraud, viruses, or
being hacked. With this
new
technological
advance, security would
be greatly improved. For
example, the passwords
could no longer be
cracked, there would be
a greater defense against
hackers, and privacy
would reach a new level.
This new feature has
the potential to be the
greatest security defense
out on the market today,
and possibly for the next
decade or so.
The down side to this
revolutionary leap isindividuals who have
pacemakers may not be
able to use this technology. Pacemakers depend
on the individual’s level
of need, where they
could work all the time,
most of it, or not much at
all,
according
to
www.tomsguide.com
Consumers who totally depend on a pacemaker do not have an irregular or unique pattern,
which runs into problems with the heartbeat
deciphering software.
Though, there is hope for
consumers who do not
solely depend on pacemakers, such as those
patients whose pacemakers only work when
it is absolutely necessary.
So using your own
heartbeat as your own
personal password may
be in the near future, and
even though, some may
not be able to take
advantage of this technology, the advantages
may out weigh the negatives. Fraud, security
hacks and identity theft
may be a thing of the
past and total and complete privacy will be a
thing of the future.
Get ready for next
issue, where The
Mesa Journal covers
film maker Charlie
Minn, and his movies.
Do you have a
comment or
concern?
Share it with the
student body
through the MJ.
Send your letter to
the
editor to:
[email protected]
Electronic copies of
letters are preferred, but not
required.
See letter policy
for more details.
My side of the story
Column
have been feeling restless lately. I honestly hate
that feeling, because it makes me frustrated, and if
I keep thinking more about it, it makes me even
more restless.Yesterday, I went and watched "The
Vow," which is not a good, happy movie, as expected
from the previews, but is in fact really depressing.
However, I didn’t go because I was dying to see it,
but because my mom promised me free popcorn. I’m
a sucker for movie theater popcorn and a Hershey’s
Cookies and Cream bar, so I went. Turns out my
By Avery McWilliams
mom pulled the “you’re late” card and made me buy Editor-in-Chief
my own popcorn! Needless to say I spent the whole
movie feeling a tad on the bitter side.
My animosity about not getting free popcorn aside, I spent the whole
movie daydreaming about living somewhere else. The film is set in Chicago,
and suburban parts of Illinois. For me, everything about the setting was
absolutely lovely, right down to Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdam’s
apartment, which had an artsy, studio vibe. I didn’t really like the film, but
the setting had me wishing I lived somewhere else other than Odessa.
My daydreams went far into that evening, and even the rest of the week, fantasizing of moving to a random city, (one where it rains often), and completely starting over.
I designed my future apartment in my mind, complete with a small garden
where I would grow daisies, (my favorite flower). My living room would be
filled with my favorite vinyl albums to play at my leisure. My bedroom
would be completely decorated from the apartment section of Urban
Outfitters.
I can’t explain why I have grown restless, except that I lived in several
places growing up, including Houston, and finally, Odessa, where I’ve ended
up. Odessa is the place where I’ve lived the longest. I feel like my mind is
ready for a change of scenery and it’s making me feel like I have to move. But
alas, I am restless and ready for a change of scenery.
Many times, however, I feel like I need to move, when in all honesty, I need
to change my habits. My life has gotten pretty monotonous, given the fact
that I get excited over a high score on the iPhone game, Temple Run, (which
is still a pretty big deal).
The point is, the best way to lose that restless feeling is to change things up
a little bit. Maybe a move is not needed, just an attitude adjustment. I mean,
I’m not going to be in college forever. And when I think about it, once I’ve
graduated and have a job. I may get that cute apartment, but I will also have
bills, student loan, and other concerns to worry about. But so what? I may
have to grow up, but I want to live the adventure starting now. My advice to
all who are feeling as restless as I am: switch things up, and try something
different.
But above all, keep dreaming.
I
“SpOILed” filmmaker Mark
Mathis will be on campus
February 29 in the LibraryRoom:LL001 at 10:00 am to
discuss his latest film.
The Mesa Journal
e-mail: [email protected]
Staff
Editor-in-Chief: Avery McWilliams
Assistant Editor: Jared Wilson
Staff Writers:Brett Daily, Angelica Rodriguez, Chris Bartlett
Layout & Design: Avery McWilliams
Photographer: Victoria Valenzuela
Business Managers: John Barrow, Seth Tullar
Advisor: Celinda Hawkins
General Information:
The Mesa Journal is a student publication that provides information, commentary, and entertainment for The University of
Texas of the Permian Basin community. Editorial statements
and advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of
UT Permian Basin adminstration.
Letter Policy:
All contributions, in good taste, will be edited for grammar,
spelling, length (250 minimum), libel, profanity, and personal attacks. All letters must contain the author’s name, major,
academic classification, and contact information. This information can be withheld upon request. Electronic copies of
articles and letters are preferred.
Mission Statement:
The Mesa Journal is designed to inform, entertain, educate,
and heighten awareness of students, faculty, and administrators at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Staff
members will be responsible journalists by maintaining high
ethical standards with fairness, accuracy, and balance.
Friday, February 24, 2012
on Campus
The Mesa Journal,
3
Mardi Gras rave draws dancing crowd
Students attend dance party as a celebration for Fat Tuesday
By Angie Rodriguez
Staff Writer
Dubstep, electronic, techno, and dance music filled the
Student Union multipurpose
room Tuesday night with
songs such as D.A.N.C.E by
Justice,
Billy
Jean
by
Michael Jackson, Weekends!
by techno artist Skrillex,
and much more, as
the
Homecoming Rave got under
way with a Mardis Gras
theme.
The night began at 7 p.m. in
the multipurpose room of the
Student Union. Gold, green,
and purple ribbons covered
the entrance and most of the
room, where drama masks
and crowns were on every
wall.
Students of all classes
greeted the homecoming rave
with a warm welcome with
their smiles, beads, and mad
dance moves.
A purple backlight lit the
dance floor once the lights
turned off, and a projector
screen that had random
objects morphing into one
another played. All sorts of
refreshments and snacks,
such as sodas, waters, mini
weenies, cookies, and chips,
awaited the hungry UTPB
ravers.
Senior Leticia Zapata who is
on the homecoming court, has
gone to multiple student
Photo by: Victoria Valenzuela
Students Kristi Reed, Jackie Hostetter, and Sal Valencia lead the crowd
during a dance.
Photo by: Victoria Valenzuela
Graduate students Mattie Cottrell and
Adri Andrade share a laugh while dancing. Cottrell and Andrade were crowned
Homecoming King and Queen last year.
sponsored raves enjoyed the
Mardi Gras rave.
“It keeps people from not
actually going out and drinking and stuff life that,” Zapata
said.
As for the music, Zapata
enjoyed the dubstep that was
playing and is a fan of Mardi
Gras.
Sophomore and Program
Board
member,
Yesenia
Gonzales, helped sponsor the
past Halloween rave.
Gonzales says that even
though this was a Mardi Gras
rave, she would probably not
go to the actual Mardi Gras
because “it is a little crazy”.
According to Gonzales,
thanks to a few guys that had
a sound system, the music at
the rave was a good addition
to the party. Also, a good
turnout always comes at the
end of the night.
However, the turnout
was not as much as they
hoped, organizers will no
longer provide glow sticks
because they were used very
little at the last rave.
Junior Gahndi Espino’s,
who is on the Homecoming
court, celebrated at his first
homecoming rave,who decid-
ed to come to the rave on the
spur of the moment.. Espino
suggested for any future
raves there should be more
activities.
“It should not just music
going on because not everyone is going to be dancing, of
course”, Espino said. ” There
could be two or three booths
or a corner for video games”.
Overall, the night ended on a
high note; full of music, dancing, food, and friends enjoying each other’s company.
The dance rave was just one
of the many activities held for
students
during
the
Homecoming week, including
Falcon Olympics on Thursday
and a pep rally on Friday.
Baseball team begins season Senate uses poll to
Falcons looking to replace four all-conference seniors
By Jared Wilson
Associate Editor
The Falcon baseball
team has begun the 2012
season. The 2011 season
featured four first team
all-conference seniors
two of which made the
Gold Glove team and a
third place finish in 2011.
The Falcons have started off the season (1-2).
Losses came from Texas
A&M International in a
double-header
three
game series. Texas A&M
International managed
two close escapes against
the Falcons 6-7 in the
first game and 1-2 in the
second. The team managed to shutout Texas
A&M international 4-0
behind the strong arm of
junior Travis Wilcox and
the bats of sophomore
Ryne Head and senior
Hugo Hernandez in the
final game of the series.
The Falcons recently
hosted the UTPB Classic
on February 10 -12 featuring teams from Texas,
Oklahoma and New
Mexico. In the first game
of the tournament the
Falcons fell to Eastern
New Mexico 13-1 at
Legion Field in Midland.
UTPB pitchers combined
to hit seven Greyhound
batters along with a slew
of errors in the field. The
games scheduled for
February 11 and 12 were
cancelled
due
to
inclement weather.
The struggles have continued for the Falcons
through the first nine
games of the season
posting a 1-8 record and
0-6 at home at Roden
Field. Of these losses the
Falcons dropped a three
game series to St. Mary’s
who was at 9-0 in
Heartland Conference
play so far this season.
The team will return to
action on February 24 in
a double header against
St. Edwards at Roden
Field in Odessa. This will
be the fourth of nine consecutive
conference
games for the Falcons
including three double
headers.
If you are unable to
make your way out to
Roden Field on Friday
stay tuned in with the
new
game
tracker
offered
at
www.sidearmstats,com/
utpb/baseball/scoreboard.aspx.
This tool provides
live game stats and
updates for anyone who
is unable to make the
game or if students want
to stay up-to-date when
the team plays away
games.
Would you like the Mesa Journal
to cover a specific story? Email us
at [email protected]
and let us know!
hear from students
By Avery McWilliams
Editor in Chief
While most students
tend to slow down in the
spring semester, Student
Senate has raised the bar,
by continuing their hard
work and by bringing
some important issues to
the students..
The Student Senate is
taking their slogan
“Your campus, your
voice” to heart by hosting suggestion
tables on several issues
like the new constitution, getting an ATM
machine and helping
students register to vote.
On Tuesday February
21,the Senate set up a
table in the Mesa Lobby
to display the newly
revised constitution to
the
student
body.
Students were able to
read the old constitutions and make comparisons with the new one.
and were able to make a
simple vote. Students
also voted indicating
whether they approved
or disapproved of the
new constitution. There
were 89 in favor, and 10
against, for a total of 99.
The Student Senate
will also be addressing
student’s suggestions,
asking for their opinion
on an ATM on campus.
“Some students said
we need an ATM on
campus so we decided to
have a table to ask the
students if we need a
ATM,” said Student
Affairs
Committee
leader Hugo Rodriguez.
“One of the reasons I
heard we need a ATM is
because the doctor on
campus does not take
debit cards.”
The table will be held
on February 27 in the
Mesa Lobby, where the
Senate will be taking
suggestions from students and faculty asking
their
opinion
on
installing about an ATM
machine on the campus.
With elections coming
up, Senate will also host
a “Rock the Vote” table
from 8 a.m. to 2
p.m.Tuesday in the Mesa
Lobby, where they will
help students register to
vote.
“We will have a few
computers with the Rock
the
Vote
website,”
Senate Vice President
Uriel
Uranga said.
“They can fill out the
information and we will
print it out. Then students can go around the
corner on campus and
send it in to the post
office.”
4
, The Mesa Journal
Campus life
KDR hosts Rent-a-Gent
By Brett Daily
Staff Writer
Kappa Delta Rho
Epsilon Gamma hosted
their second annual
Rent-A-Gent event on
Friday February 10th in
the Student Activity
Center (SAC).
Students and faculty
were welcomed to the
event, where they could
bid on the fraternities’
gentlemen, who in turn
provided four hours of
their time to the highest
bidder. During the event
20 fraternity men were
auctioned off to the 40
persons in attendance,
which were mostly students.
The organizer of the
event was sophomore
Ethan Moore, whom
holds
the
Epsilon
Gamma
Fundraising
Chair of KDR.
During the auction,
each gentleman walking
down the lobby stairs to
the platform where
the auctioneer, junior
Morris
“Trey”
Williamson, who entertained the crowd with
jokes and commentary,
who stood at a podium.
The bids started at a
small price of $10 and
increased in increments
of $1.
During several bids,
these increments raised
from $5 to even $20
increments as the bidders got more competitive with one another.
“I’m glad to be able to
raise funds for our fraternity and help people out
at the same time” Senior
Von Doria said.
The lowest auctioned
gentlemen was junior
Diedrick
Dutchover,
whom could not attend
the event and was auctioned off for $10, while
the highest auctioned
gentlemen was sophomore
Mark Dix who was
auctioned off for $251.
Overall, the second
annual Rent-A-Gent was
very successful with the
fraternity raising roughly $1450.
The Rent-A-Gent event
was exciting, humorous,
and well enjoyed by
attendees and gentlemen
whether a person was
there to watch or bid, the
entertainment level was
shared by all.
Friday, February 24, 2012
UTPB opens their hearts to
Make a Wish Foundation
By Seth Tullar
Contributor
The University of
Texas of the Permian
Basin is a campus ripe
with generous hearted
students. This generosity
is evident from the
numerous clubs that are
service oriented, like
Baptist Student Ministry
and
Students
in
Philanthropy.
This
semester one club in particular is working hard to
help the communities of
the Permian Basin in a
big way.
The Student-Athlete
Advisory Committee has
teamed up with the
North Texas Chapter of
the Make-A-Wish foundation to help grant
wishes of local children
in west Texas.
This year, the Make-AWish Foundation of
North Texas celebrates
its 30th year of granting
more than 6,200 wishes
in North Texas and since
their inception in 1982.
Traditionally, the
deals
with
SAAC
Collegiate
National
Athletic
Association
(NCAA) legislation and
athlete concerns, but they
have opened their hearts
to the needs of kids who
are much less fortunate
than they are. They plan
to raise over $600 for
Make-A-Wish
this
semester through various fundraisers, including selling Wish Stars in
the gym and glow in the
dark Wish bracelets.
Kim Fotis, Director of
Development for MakeA-Wish, told us of an
avid tennis player named
Alex at Odessa High,
who played until medical conditions prevented
him from doing so. The
Make-A-Wish foundation is granting his wish
to
go
to
The
Championships
in
Wimbledon, England.
This is the premier grass
court tennis tournament
that most tennis fans
only watch on television,
as greats like Roger
Federer and Serena
Williams grace the courts
in their customary allwhite attire.
In addition to raising
money, the SAAC has
also invited a local MakeA-Wish recipient, Alex,
to
speak
at
the
Homecoming basketball
game this Saturday. Alex
will be able to communicate his gratitude to the
people of the Permian
Basin who donated to the
Make-A-Wish foundation to make his wish
possible. SAAC member
Nicole Leffingwell commented that, "it's kids
like Alex who are more
than deserving of our
help that inspire me to
help
Make-A-Wish.
Sometimes it's hard; you
have to be on your feet
for hours, asking folks to
open their hearts and
wallets, but when I think
about Alex and how
much he will benefit
from our work, I now it's
worth the effort."
And the Oscar goes to...
On February 26, the Academy Awards will present the 2012 Academy Awards. Here
are the Mesa Journal’s predictions to see who will go home with a prized Oscar.
Here are the nominees...
Best Actor
-Demián Bichir in "A Better Life"
-George Clooney in "The Descendants"
-Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
-Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier
Spy"
-Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"
Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
-Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with
Marilyn"
-Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
-Nick Nolte in "Warrior"
-Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
-Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud &
Incredibly Close"
Best Actress in a Leading Role
-Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
-Viola Davis in "The Help"
-Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon
Tattoo"
-Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
-Michelle Williams in "My Week with
Marilyn"
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
-Bérénice Bejo in "The Artist"
-Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
-Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
-Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
-Octavia Spencer in "The Help"
Best Picture
-"The Artist"
-"The Descendants"
-"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
-"The Help"
-"Hugo"
-"Midnight in Paris"
-"Moneyball"
-"The Tree of Life"
-"War Horse"
Our predictions...
Best Actor: George Clooney, “The
Descendents”
George Clooney knows how to
catch an audience’s attention, and
with “The Descendents” it’s no different. In this film he plays a
lawyer in Hawaii whose wife is in
a coma. While deciding whether or
not to pull the plug on his wife, he
accidently finds out she is having
an affair. While the concept of the
film, is not the most likely,
Clooney’s reaction is the most convincing. His portrayal of a husband betrayed is so real and warming; you almost think Clooney did
lose his wife.
Best Supporting Actor: Jonah
Hill, “Moneyball”
You’ve seen Jonah Hill in all of the
fan favorites, such as “Superbad,”
“Knocked Up” and he will next
appear in the remake of “21 Jump
Street.” This funny guy is known
for his comedies, but his portrayal
of the Oakland A’s general manager, Peter Brand, shows Hill in a
new light. Brand reassesses the
whole way the game of baseball is
done, and Hill surprisingly is good
at being serious. Who knew?
Best Actress: Rooney Mara, “The
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
After watching “The Girl with the
Dragon Tattoo, no one would
guess that Rooney Mara played
Mark Zuckerberg’s mousy ex-girlfriend in “The Social Network”.
However,
Mara
completely
changed her entire persona by taking on the role of Lizbeth in “The
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Her
characterization of the criminal
mastermind turned detective is
mesmerizing. She makes you
cringe. Mara holds nothing back in
this film, with each scene becoming more and more surprising. She
deserves the award for acting completely crazy, and completely cool.
Best supporting Actress: Melissa
McCarthy “Bridesmaids”
Melissa McCarthy shines through
the entire Saturday Night Live
studded cast of the comedy
“Bridesmaids.” Although the film
itself is not the usual Oscar material, McCarthy’s character Megan,
steals the entire film, from the
wedding dress scene to the airplane scene. Her character is not
the usual nominee for best supporting actress, but her role was
truly golden, which is all the more
reason why she should get it.
Best picture: “The Artist”
A silent film about the end of silent
films, sounds simple right? This
film received a lot of talk for being
a non-talkie film, and it completely
deserves it. Jean Dujardin plays a
convincing pompous silent movie
star, George Valentin, in 1927 who
loses everything when Hollywood
introduces sound. His counterpart
on the other hand, new starlet
Peppy Miller, played by Bérénice
Bejo, has her career take off. The
film is about Valentin’s struggles
as he tries to live without his one
true love, silent films. Oddly
enough, the lack of voice allows
other parts of movie that are easily
bypassed to speak. The characters
are convincing, the soundtrack is
so compelling, detailing every
emotion the character faces, and
the storyline is very easy to follow.
Director Michel Hazanavicius did
an outstanding job taking a simple
technology switch and made it into
a truly enjoyable movie.
All information found on www.oscars.com. Picture of the awards found on www.google.com.