It’s A Wonderful Life

A Play in Two Acts by James W. Rodgers

Play Review by Aedan J. Roach

It’s A Wonderful life by James W. Rodgers was performed and hosted by the Calvary Players of the Calvary Christian School in Deerpark, NY on December 9th, 10th, and 11th of this year. I was able to see the performance on December 11th. When I arrived, the church appeared to be welcoming because it was nicely decorated for Christmas and there was a spread of refreshments ready for intermission. The admission to the play was free. Donations were appreciated, if you felt that was what God led you to do. The Assistant Director, Joanie Nietzschmann, introduced the play by stating that this would be the last performance on the current stage because the church is being remodeled by Grace Community Church. This was a sentimental moment for her because she has been directing plays for eleven years on that physical stage. The beginning of the play started with the main character, George Bailey, played by Liam Southard, appearing greatly despaired and contemplating suicide.  At that moment, George was visited by Clarence Odbody, the Angel, played by Connor MacNeil. Clarence came to help George realize that people would not be better off without him and that his life was truly a wonderful life. Throughout the play, Clarence provided him with evidence of his good deeds such as saving his brother Harry Bailey, played by Joseph Bruno, from drowning and saving Mr. Grower, played by Alexander Reno, from committing a horrible mistake that could have ended him in jail. Clarence continued to provide him with positive memories of the good times spent with his family, which included his mother, played by Zara Gigi, his Aunt Tilly, played by Maggie Noakes, his Uncle Billy, played by Neoskye Ealy and his future wife, Mary Hatch, played by Sarah Callahan. Clarence also allowed George to see what his life would have been like if he had never been born.

Throughout the play, George’s rival, the grumpy old man named Mr. Potter, played by Aaron Morell, tempted George with a financial offer that he almost could not refuse, if he sold the Building and Loan to him.  After he realized Mr. Potter’s selfish reasons, George declined his offer and called him a scurvy little spider. It appeared that Potter tempted George just as Jesus was tempted by the devil. The devil said the he would give Jesus everything, if he would bow down to him but Jesus declined and that is what Jesus led George Bailey to do.

During the play, the actors stayed in character at every moment. I especially noticed this when George gave me a high five as an audience member, as if I was a part of the gang. In addition, it was humorous when Violet Peterson, played by Samantha Phillips, exited the stage, while still mumbling under her breath about her dress getting dirty. None of the actors missed a line and all the actors did an exceptional job of taking on the character’s personality and characteristics. Liam Southard’s ability to mimic James Stewart’s voice and mannerisms was so smooth; just like spreading butter on toast. It was amazing! Also, Nehemiah Bontrager did an outstanding job playing Sam Wainwright, George’s long-time friend. He made him more comical with his amusing antics. The sound effects and background music, led by James Callaghan, Priscilla Cassase, and Hank Huff were perfectly executed. The set was created and designed by Danielle and Dom Cassase, Jeff Colgan, Michelle MacNeil, and Joyce Southard. They provided a set and backdrop that clearly represented the time and made you feel as if you were in the 1940s. The costumes, designed by Alison Bruno, Erin Hill, and Michele Neusch, and hair and makeup, provided by Haley Carlisle and Erin Hill, made each actor alive in that time. The props, created by Jackie Morell and Dawn Weiss, were completely realistic. All in all, I have to say that the Director, God, and His Assistant Director, Joanie Nietzschmann, did a phenomenal job on directing this play. This was the most amazing play I have ever seen!

Lastly, Aaron Morell provided a profound moment when he gave his testimony to the audience. He stated that that at one time, he was in a very dark place feeling unloved even with his church and family. He then read his Bible more often and felt the true love of Jesus. It was then that he realized the true impact of what Jesus did for all of us, which is died for our sins. Once understanding that fully, he realized that life, including his, is truly a wonderful life!

Home By DreamWorks

(Movie Review by Aedan Roach)

I watched an animated movie called Home by the company DreamWorks. It is a family oriented movie. The main characters were Tucci, nicknamed Tip, whose voice was played by Rihanna, Oh, who’s voice was played by Jim parsons, and Lucy, Tip’s mom, who’s voice was provided by Jennifer Lopez. In the beginning of the movie, Oh and his species, the Boov, were running away from their enemy, the Gorg. They landed themselves on the planet Earth and decided to make it their new home planet. When they arrived on Earth, they relocated all the humans to Australia except for a fourteen-year-old girl, Tip. Tip and Oh soon met in a convenient store. He was hiding from his fellow Boov because he had made a horrible mistake. He accidentally sent an email to the Gorg with the exact coordinates of where the Boov species were located.  After meeting up with Tip, Oh convinced Tip to help him escape and stop the email with the promise to help her find her mom Lucy.  The story revolved around Oh, Tip, and Tip’s cat’s adventures in the slushy car, built by Oh, to save both Tip’s mom and the Boov from the Gorg. This movie was based around Christmas time, which usually provides an uplifting storyline. Since the characters were animated, they provided the audience with laughter and good spirit. The movie was well edited. The music used was appropriate and followed the mood of the characters. The special effects in this movie were good and kept the audience’s attention. Overall, I would say Home is a fun movie to watch as a family, especially those with younger children.

Broome Street Wind Ensemble and Simple Strings

(By: Aedan Roach)

The Broome Street Wind Ensemble and Simple Strings held a concert at the Drew United Methodist Church on November 13, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. Broome Street Wind Ensemble and Simple Strings is made up of players of all ages and is local band that plays in the Port Jervis area. They have been doing this concert for the last several years to collect food for a food drive for the local food pantries. When you entered the church sanctuary, everything was decorated for Thanksgiving, which was appropriate for their cause and for this time of year. The stage presentation was well organized and everyone was dressed in black, which helped the audience to stay focused on the music.  The concert started with the Broome Street Wind Ensemble, directed by Brittany Robinson, and opened with the Star-Spangled Banner.  The next ensemble they played was the United States Coastguard Anthem, which they played for the very first time. After that, they played three more songs. The first, Mt. Everest, written by Rossano Galante, reminded me and others in the crowd of the Jurassic park theme song. The next songs, Semper Paratus, written by Francis Saltus Van Boskerck, and The Promise of Living, written by Aaron Copeland, were pleasant to hear around this Thanksgiving season because they were full of thankfulness. During the Promise of Living, there was a flute solo by our very own, Zara Gigi Southard, which was beautiful. After the Wind Ensemble finished their song selections, there was a short break in the concert, so that the players could change to the Woodwind Quartet. They ended the first part of the concert with Menuet, written by B. M. Colomer and the people in the audience said it was a very soothing song.

The band members then switched to Simple Strings, which was directed by Seth Riehl, and included another Calvary Player, Amber Southard, playing the cello. They began with two classical pieces, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, written by Mozart, and Allegretto, written by Beethoven. Mr. Riehl compared Beethoven’s piece to something from Lady Gaga and said that “a simple melody can grow into something so much more.” Then they played Lullaby to the Moon, by Brian Balmages, and Sabbath Prayer from Fiddler on the Roof, by Jerry Bock, which were both 20th century pieces.  After these pieces, the full Orchestra, still directed by Seth Riehl performed. The first piece they played, Gavotte in D minor, written by Jean Baptiste Lully, which tells a story of a conductor stabbing himself in the foot with his conducting stick, while conducting his orchestra. The next song they performed was Capriccio in A, which was composed by Franz Josef Haydn. Haydn used his music to express himself because he was an insecure person. Mr. Riehl stated that Haydn developed this piece to sound like a musical joke, almost like you would hear in a Tom and Jerry cartoon. Lastly, they played the Turkish March, also written by Beethoven, which is a Gypsy parade.

The Broome Street Wind Ensemble, directed by Brittany Robinson, ended the concert with four songs from various movies. The first, The Nightmare Before Christmas, written by Danny Elfman, is a Christmas song with a dark twist.  The second, Into the Woods, written by Stephen Sondheim, was based on several fairytale stories. The third song, the Seal Lullaby, written by Eric Whitacre, was originally written for a movie but Dreamworks chose to make Kung Fu Panda instead, so Eric Whitacre decided to publish it himself. For the final song, the wind ensemble played highlights from Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace, written by John Williams, which brought the final excitement to the end of the concert.

The concert was a total success and the crowd appeared to love every song. The band were well rehearsed and didn’t miss a note. It also appeared that the food drive was a success because the table was overflowing with donations. The audience felt good because they had sense of giving, while enjoying a beautiful concert.

Nervousness Increased

(Interview By: Maggie Noakes)

At times like this, the interviewer gets more nervous than those being interviewed.  To start from the beginning, I, the interviewer, was assigned the task of quizzing the high school STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) class on recent projects.

Upon arriving at the classroom, the students had just seated themselves and some looked nervous or suspicious when I asked their classmates to step out of the room to answer a few questions.  There being only four students in the STEM class, it took but a few minutes.

I had five questions on the group activities that had happened prior to my visitation; all rather simple.  That is what I thought before I started asking the questions.  

The first person I interviewed was my brother, so that was pretty easy.  “Hey, can I just grab Liam for a few questions?”  I had asked after approaching the classroom door.  I took him into the hallway and sat on the floor to write.  First I asked him his age and name along with his grade.  The results were “Liam Noakes, sixteen years of age, grade eleven.”  The next question was a little trickier.  “What has your favorite project been so far?”  He then proceeded to tell me that his class had only really done one project, he was also the only one to mention that, but said that he was excited to start the next project.  “Rocket cars.”  He stated as his favorite.  “Okay, and how did you make the rocket cars?” I asked.  “Well, you stick an engine inside of it, use wheel axles to hold it in, put decals on it, and shoot it off.”  We both laughed at this response and continued onto the next question.  “How well do you think you and your team worked with each other?”  “It could have been better,” he said simply. “It wasn’t the best.”  Now Liam was teamed with Kyle Colgan, our next interviewee.  “And what did you think about the other team; were they challenging to beat?”  “Yes, they worked well together.”  For the fifth question, he had nothing to add to his answers and was thus released into the wild, also known as a classroom full of teenage boys.

Going back to the room, I asked Kyle Colgan to step out and answer the same questions.  After getting permission to use his full name, he answered his age and grade, the answers came out, “Fifteen years of age, grade nine.”  “And what has your favorite project been?”  Since our previous subject informed me that they had only done one project, the answer was bound to be “Cardboard boats.” and that it was.  Kyle went on to explain what the class had done to make the boats. “Simply cardboard and duct tape,” he said.  He didn’t add much more but it was made clear that the process included folding cardboard into a boat-like shape and covering it in duct tape for protection.  We quickly finished up the interview with his answers to the last questions. “How well did you and your team work together?”  “Pretty good.”  was the plain answer.  Seeing how it was clear nobody wanted elaboration, I asked him the final question, “How do you feel about the other team?  Were they challenging to beat?”  “Yes.”  There being nothing more Kyle wanted to add, he went back to the classroom and the next person was sent out.

The second to last student was Nate Rupert, age sixteen, grade eleven, and teamed with Luke Filep.  He too stated that his favorite project was the cardboard boats and explained how they were folded and taped to be sent into the water, carrying a team mate.  “We duct taped them, put them in the pond, and rode them.”  It was amusing, picturing high school students sitting in cardboard and duct tape boats floating in the middle of the pond.  “How well do you think you and your teammate worked together?”  I asked, my nervousness increasing due to social awkwardness and self consciousness of how slowly I was writing.  “Very good.” he firmly told me, showing a confidence in his answer that the other two had not shown.  It is interesting how humans look at themselves and think that they did not work well with other people and how others think the exact opposite.  “And what about the other team?” I simply asked, not thinking any detail was necessary. “Mm, not so much.” Nate admitted.  Once more, with nothing to add, he went back to the classroom and sent out the final person to be questioned.  

Luke Filep, age sixteen, grade eleven, and teamed with Nate Rupert, concluded the interview series.  Even though I had asked the questions three times before, I was still afraid of messing up and writing the wrong answer or getting the questions in the wrong order.  My fears were confirmed later on in the questioning.  Like the other two, Luke explained the construction of the cardboard boats and the process thereafter; none, however, explained that the gym teacher was to ride in one of these cardboard boats; at least not that I have recorded.  To move on, I asked the next question which was, “How well do you think you and your team worked together?” “Very well.”  This is where my social skills argued with my brain and my brain lost.  “How hard was the other team?”  He looked down at me, rather confused until I heard the record scratch in my head. “What?” He asked. “I mean how hard were they to beat; on a scale of one to ten?” it was however, a relief to know that I was not the only one tripping over my words if we point back to the lake-pond. “Oh,” he said and finished up with, “they didn’t sail their boat so...one out of ten.” We both laughed and having nothing to add, the panic inducing review had come to a close.

I am sure that I was more nervous than everyone combined but that is okay because what fun would the ride be if there weren’t a few downs in the roller coaster of life?  This gives everyone something to laugh about as well as the outcome of four students working together in teams and a little about what they think of each other as teams.  Of course challenge and rivalry is fun, but like all good things, it must come to a close.  I hope that this story brought giggles but a little bit of seriousness with it as this shows how self conscious we can be and how others feel about the connection between teammates.

Good Charlotte - Concert Review

(By: Delani Ennis)

On Friday, November 11th, 2016.  “Good Charlotte” performed at “Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel” in Provenience, Rhode Island.   While, the outside appearance of the venue was nice, the overall venue experience was less than stellar.   To start, fans were left waiting in the cold, for over an hour after doors were to open.   Next, although the tickets specified re-entry was allowed, the venue denied the ability to leave and return.   The interior was dark, dirty, and way over crowded.  Several attendees were injured crowd surfing the mosh pit, due to a jam-packed general admission and let's not even discuss the inferior sound systems!  Words cannot even describe, how truly vapid and offensive the opening acts were.  If not for the exceptional performance by Good Charlotte, the evening would have been a total bust.   Good Charlotte, consisting of members,  Joel Madden on lead vocals, and his twin brother, Benji Madden on lead guitar.  Along side them, was Paul Thomas on bass guitar, Bill (Billy) Martin on rhythmic guitar and keyboard, and last but not least, Dean Butterworth on the drums.  From the energy given from the band, along with the crowd, the night was known to be a hit.  Their vast setlist included hit songs such as, “The Anthem”,  “I Don’t Wanna Be in Love”, and ended with “The Anthem”.  They also included new songs, such as, “Life Changes” and “The Outfield”.   All in all, while the venue certainly was not a hit, Good Charlotte rocked the house!

Unstoppable Love 2014 (Jesus Culture)

(Concert Review By: Priscilla Cassase)

Jesus Culture is a Christian Worship Band, with the lead singer Kim Walker-Smith. Like many other worship bands, they drag their music on for too long and are very repetitive. The members improvised too many of their songs; this is whats known as prophetic worship. It's a genre of Christian worship that allows the presence of God to come on everyone.

The main reason why the songs lyrics are very spontaneous and at times random, is because the artists will allow God to speak to them and they sing or speak what they believe God has put on their hearts, which may result in some songs going on for up to 10 minutes.

With that said, Jesus Culture does have capturing, heart warming music. Kim is a sincere singer and very talented artist, as are the other members of this band. There was a lot of variety in instrumentation and song selection. A few of their song choices were typical but again, repetitive and long; however, they did have a couple of very unique and different songs as well.

With all that in mind, I did love the concert; you could feel the Holy Spirit there. The atmosphere made you feel full of love; the stage lighting was not obnoxious, as I find to be the case at most concerts. The instruments did not overpower the singers' voice or burn a hole into your ear drums.

The audience was literally gobbled up in the music, with everyone worshiping in one accord as the Bible says we should be. The whole time I felt empowered.

As far as Christian bands go, they did a very good job. Overall it was not a waste of money; it was well worth it.

Election Fare In NY

(By: Priscilla Cassase)

Mad As A Hatter In D.C.

(Fine Dinning Review By: Delani Ennis)

Located in Central Washington, DC “The Madhatter" is the place to be, this Alice in
Wonderland themed restaurant and bar is the perfect location if ever looking for an amazing
meal or just a fun place to go grab a drink while in DC.

As soon as you walk through the door, with decor on every wall (and ceiling) it will seem as if

you, yourself have fallen down the rabbit hole to Wonderland. 

The Madhatter is a clean, funfilled, family style restaurant by day and a cool, club like atmosphere by night, with a full bar, dance floor, and multiple party rooms on both floors including the “Upside down room”. 

The Madhatter offers an amazing experience for people of all ages with brunch starting around

11:30am and closing around 2:00am daily. The Madhatter also offers a wide variety menu

which includes, soups, salads, sandwiches, seafood, burgers, pasta, and so much more! 

With appetizers starting at $8 and entires ranging anywhere from $8-$30, there is sure to be

something for everyone to enjoy. While some may consider the food to be a bit expensive, its

definitely not over priced, and is worth every cent! In no time at all, the food is served

steaming hot and looking amazing. There is an abundance of food, each dish tastes better

than the last. To make the experience even better, the wait staff is absolutely delightful.

Everyone is friendly, funny, polite, and oh so very helpful! Be sure to tour the entire restaurant,

from top to bottom and even upside-down, as in the “Upside-down tea room.” The theme is

definitely a great highlight that adds to the entire event. So, in the end, the overall experience

is phenomenal from the minute you enter to the second you walk out. Leaving you dying to

return!

Progress?

(By: Aedan Roach)

Honor

(By: Delani Ennis)

Oriental Flare!!

(Restaurant Review By Aedan Roach)

I visited the Fugi Japanese Steak House located in the Galleria Mall in Middletown, NY. My first
impression when I walked in was that the restaurant was clean and appeared to be family friendly because of course, there were families seated throughout the restaurant.

There is a bar that serves alcohol which is located at the front of the restaurant, away from the general seating. Fugi is known for its hibachi grills, which are located towards the back of the restaurant

Before being seated, I took the time to check out the bathroom. It appeared to need a light cleaning because the sinks needed a wipe down and the floors were sticky.

At the entrance, there are pictures of people who had their birthday there that year, which made it feel like a warm and friendly environment. The décor is mostly Japanese, which allows people to see a different culture. The maître d greeted me with a smile and led me to my seat at the hibachi grill, making it handicap accessible for my wheelchair.

Reservations 845-692-8881

The grills were absolutely spotless, so it appeared that they take pride in their cleaning. Our waiter, Kyle, also greeted me with a smile and a hello. He was very attentive when I needed
something and quickly refilled my drink before I even asked.

Hibachi restaurants are known for their chefs cooking in front of you. The chef was entertaining and performed amusing tricks while cooking; for example, he spun his spatula around his fingers and made an onion volcano that shot fire.

I watched him prepare the food and it was comforting knowing what was going into the food. The food was delicious! I had the steak and shrimp and it was seasoned just right. The portions were more than enough and for some people even a second meal. I went on a Monday night, which was semi busy, but on Friday and Saturday nights, you may want to call for a reservation.

For all these reasons, I would say this restaurant is family friendly and caters to all families including those with a disabled person or a very young child. I would recommend this restaurant to all.

Classic Dinning

(Article By Priscilla Cassase)

The old fashion Americana Diner and Restaurant is located in Middletown,

New York at 420 Rout 211 W.,  Middletown, NY 10940. 

It’s excellent if you are traveling and need a bite to eat. If you are having a family dinner or

lunch, the Americana is spectacular for that. Wanting to have a birthday breakfast? Amazing selection of breakfast foods accompanied by marvelous coffee, which has always been a pet peeve of mine. 

I have never had a nasty waiter or any problems with the food. In regards to sanitation, the

bathrooms are clean and the floors appear swept regularly. The tables are shiny and clean, along with utensils and place settings. 

This eatery has great prices with large food portions. The Americana has a wide variety of food

and yummy selections of desserts. It has a cozy American theme, with great wall paintings, top notch lighting and plenty of seating. 

Although it can be hard to hear conversations at times as a result of generally being crowded.

The location is not spooky or sketchy and right off the main road making it easy to spot. 

Overall, I highly recommend this fine eating establishment in any situation and would definitely return. Two thumbs up!

New Horizons

(A Photographic Essay By Aedan Roach)

A Matter For Debate

(Photographs and Article by Delani Ennis)

The Presidential Election 2016

As the National Presidential Debate is coming to an end, these three candidates have been working diligently to prepare for their big debate that took place on November 3rd, 2016. All of the candidates did a phenomenal job and brought up great points on important issues that are significantly impacting today's society. Topics included Economy, Race Relations, Common Core Educational Curriculum, Obamacare, Gun Control, Immigration and Religion in Schools. There is no denying that these three did extensive research in an attempt to further educate  and prepare themselves for their big day.

While there are many similarities between the three, there are also very distinct differences. One example of this was noted during the discussion concerning the Second Amendment, where Mr. Filep felt that more restrictions should be put into place to limit gun ownership. Mr. Southard expressed that there should simply be stricter punishment for individuals using guns in the act of committing a crime. Finally, Mr. Ennis pointed out that the use of knives and stabbings are more prevalent than gun injuries stating, "We can't possibly take away all the knives; how would we butter our toast?"

All jokes aside; each candidate brought a unique perspective to the issues plaguing our society and left most viewers questioning their own personal stance on today's most important issues.

Stricter Gun Control Measures

More Crimes Are Committed With Knives

Heavier Punishment For Criminals

Urban Decline In Similitude

Photographic Essay By: Priscilla Cassase