Monthly Archives: March 2023

WARNING: spoilers ahead!

Most of the romantic comedies released in the 2000s follow the same exact storyline. The smart and nerdy high school girl has a crush on the most popular jock. After she undergoes an intense makeover, the two fall in love at the end of the movie and live happily ever after. Even though there are countless movies that feature the exact same plot, I still find myself indulging in all of them. One that I recently watched for the first time is no different. The DUFF was released later in 2015, however it reminds me a lot of these early 2000s rom coms.

Jess, Casey, and Bianca
Via: USA Today

This movie follows Bianca and her two best friends Jess and Casey. From the start of the movie, it is apparent that Bianca is highly ignored by others compared to her two friends. Although Jess and Casey always make sure Bianca is included, she begins to feel left out after having a conversation with her neighbor Wesley. Wesley is a popular football player that grew up with Bianca, so they remained friends throughout high school. Wesley informs Bianca that she is considered “the DUFF” of her friend group, meaning “the designated ugly fat friend.” He says that it is her responsibility to make her two friends, Jess and Casey, look better. After hearing this hurtful comment, she becomes incredibly angry with Jess and Casey. 

Throughout the entire movie, Wesley and Bianca grow closer over a mutual agreement. Wesley agrees to help Bianca land a date with her crush, while Bianca agrees to help Wesley pass chemistry so he can continue playing football. However, after Bianca’s date, it is revealed that he had been using her to get closer to Jess and Casey. Bianca confides in Wesley, where the two express their feelings for one another. Bianca makes up with Jess and Casey, and the three of them attend prom together. At prom, Wesley wins prom king but leaves with Bianca instead of accepting his crown. They end up together at the end after discovering the major feelings they have had for each other all along. 

Overall, this movie is definitely not a cinematic masterpiece. It follows along with the same exact storyline that was extremely popular during this time, so I cannot say that it is completely original. However, if you are looking for a good rom com to indulge in, I would recommend giving this movie a watch. There are many comedic moments throughout that will have you laughing the entire time. It also has a good message behind it; Bianca’s life had been filled with hurtful comments about her appearance, but she chooses to overlook all this negativity and be proud of who she truly is. The ending is somewhat inspiring because it shows that you do not need to change yourself in order to make others like you but should just express your true self. Bianca is highly intelligent and funny, which is the true reason she ends up with Wesley. If you are anything like me, where rom coms are a guilty pleasure, I would recommend watching The DUFF. 

Our Public Schools Deserve Better

Michael Oher is a former offensive tackle who played primarily for the Baltimore Ravens over eight seasons. He is renowned for his sheer massive size and immense football talent. However, he is most known for his incredible and inspiring life story. The Blind Side, written by Michael Lewis, tells the tragic tale of Michael Oher’s upbringing and his escape from the system in which he was raised. Michael was raised in a troublesome neighborhood, surrounded by drugs and gang violence. He was able to escape his situation after being accepted into a private school, where his incredulous athletic talents were discovered by his football coach. His skills were then built upon, so much so that he was accepted to Ole Miss to play football and was later drafted to play in the NFL. 

Michael Oher’s story is nothing short of heartwarming; but unfortunately, it is not the ending that many children in the same position as Michael receive. Many of these children fall through the cracks due to underfunded public schools. In a tell-all interview about his story, Michael explains that he and his classmates would skip their classes often. Michael fell behind in school but was continually passed along to the next grade by his teachers. This school experience is sadly familiar to students who are living in low-income areas like Michael. Many low-income students are not given the same facilities and opportunities as their higher-income counterparts.

Next I will introduce my brief topic and how children in public schools located in low-income areas often do not have good as an education access.

WARNING: spoilers ahead! 

I believe that everyone has one movie that they could watch repeatedly without once getting bored with it. The Blind Side is one of my favorite movies and I have watched it countless amounts of time. Starring Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron, who play Leigh Ann Tuohy and Michael Oher, this movie is one that will absolutely tug at your heart, while still featuring comedic moments. 

The Blind Side is based off the true story of Michael Oher’s relationship with the Tuohy family. It begins with Michael being accepted into a private school based on the premise he would partake in athletics here because of his massive physical size and athletic talents. Michael’s past is very unknown, but it is later revealed that he had an exceedingly difficult and tragic childhood. He was removed from his mother’s custody because of her drug addiction and continually moves from couch to couch because he does not have a permanent place to live. One night, the Tuohy family is driving home on a freezing night when they spot Michael walking with minimal clothes on. Leigh Ann insists on allowing Michael to stay in their house for the night. After becoming closer with the Tuohy family, Michael is revealed to be a very caring and protective figure. He repeatedly expresses instinct to protect the family from any kind of harm. In one specific scene, Michael uses his arm during a car crash to physically block the airbag from hitting Leigh Ann’s young son, S.J. 

A real image of Michael Oher and the Tuohy Family. Via: Baltimore Sun

When it becomes time for Michael to start playing football, it is very evident that he is apprehensive about playing. After many failed attempts from his coach to improve his skills, Leigh Ann talks with Michael about the importance of protecting teammates on the field. She relates each member of the family to specific players on his team and explains that it is his job to protect them just like he protects the Tuohy family. This is where the infamous title drop is, The Blind Side, is mentioned because Leigh Ann explains the importance of protecting the quarterback’s blindside. After having this conversation, Michael shows his impressive talents for football. Due to his skills, he soon became recognized by many different college football programs.  

Eventually, the Tuohy family welcomes Michael as one of their own by officially adopting him. Towards the end of the movie, Michael has a difficult decision to make about college. After experiencing a blowout with Leigh Ann, Michael returns to his old neighborhood where he finds himself in trouble. He eventually rekindles with Leigh Ann and makes the decision to play football at Ole Miss. The end of the movie features a very emotional goodbye between Michael and the Tuohy family and finishes by sharing real images of Michael and the Tuohy’s when he was drafted to play in the NFL. 

As I said earlier, this movie is one of my all-time favorites that I have watched so many times without it becoming tiring. This movie is one that will make you cry and smile at the same time. Although Michael is shown to have a very tragic childhood, his relationship with the Tuohy family is extremely heartwarming. The dynamic between the two comes together to create this amazing movie. The Blind Side did a wonderful job of expressing Michael’s incredible true story. Considering how difficult his childhood was, his accomplishments are nothing short of inspiring. 

As if I have not said it enough, this movie is life changing. Michael’s story is outstanding and inspirational. This movie has been immensely popular since its release, which is nothing but deserved. If you have not yet seen The Blind Side, you absolutely must watch it. It is such a feel-good movie that always puts a huge smile on my face by the conclusion. I promise that it will change your life, so get watching! 

The funding set aside for the public school system has been a hot topic debate for some time now. Proponents of this issue often argue that public schools are underfunded, leading to students being robbed of the best possible education. The amount of funding given to public schools is very crucial; this funding leads to schools being able to purchase instructional materials and tools that create a strong learning environment. Throughout the entire United States, it is evident that many public schools are lacking in funding, specifically in low-income areas. 

In February, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court issued a ruling that declared Pennsylvania’s school funding system to be constitutional. Upon investigations, it was found that students residing in school districts with low property values and incomes were being deprived of the same opportunities and resources that are given to students residing in higher income areas. These schools did not have access to basic technology that is proven to be extremely useful inside the classroom. They also lacked funding for infrastructure improvements and purchasing materials for classrooms. The root of this issue comes from the dispersion of public-school funding throughout Pennsylvania. Funding for schools relies heavily on local taxation; therefore, lower income areas are not provided with as much funding as higher income areas are. One of the biggest components of this court decision was the idea that all students deserve an equal opportunity to access a good education, regardless of where they live and socioeconomic status. Although this decision is a good start, there are still many changes that need to be made throughout Pennsylvania and the rest of the country in order to provide every child with a solid foundation in school. 

This issue is one that I am very passionate about because it is one that is very personal to me. My mom has been a teacher for over twenty years in a lower income school district. Often, she relies on spending her own personal money on materials for the classroom, because the funding she is given is not enough to cover the cost of the materials she needs to provide her students with the best education. Her experience is not rare, as her coworkers all have similar experiences. Teachers should not be faced with the burden of supplying their own classroom materials, but this is what her school district has resorted to. This places unnecessary stress on teachers and may prevent students from having access to needed classroom equipment due to funding restraints. 

Within the previous five years, her school district consolidated six elementary schools into one in order to save money. Instead of having to fund multiple different buildings, the school compiled all the elementary schools into one building. However, this new school is not nearly big enough for the number of students it is housing. There were also many teachers that were let go because there simply was not enough room for them to have classrooms, which lead to increased class sizes and more difficulty for teachers to personally connect with their students. Her students no longer receive enough one-on-one time with their teachers because there is a lack of teachers and space in the new elementary school. Overall, she feels as though her students are not learning as well because of this change. This shows how underfunded public schools do not have equal opportunities to provide students with a strong education as schools who have access to more funding.  

In order to face this problem head on, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has expressed his support for the previously mentioned court case. He also heavily promoted better funding for public schools throughout his entire campaign process and inaugural address. Although his outlook on this situation appears to be positive, Pennsylvania’s public schools are estimated to be underfunded by 4 billion dollars. This is the result of decades of increasing costs seen by school districts with was merely combated by underfunding. Many public schools throughout Pennsylvania have struggled to keep up with increasing costs because they are not being given a higher percentage of the state budget. This is especially prevalent in low-income areas, which is completely unfair. Children growing up in lower income areas should have the same opportunities and experiences as those raised in higher income areas. 

The testament from Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Jubilirer is very telling about the major extent of this issue. She explains how the gaps in quality were amplified for historically disadvantaged groups, including Black and Hispanic students, those who speak English as a second language, and poorer students. Students who are already less likely to have access to the best education are even more disadvantaged by the lack of funding given to public schools. She also explains that they had discovered educators were often forced to make decisions about which few students would benefit from limited resources because there were simply not enough to provide all students with these resources. Overall, this lawsuit alleges that the lack of equal funding being provided to all schools and students was in violation of stated standards set within Pennsylvania’s state constitution. This was because Pennsylvania relies heavily on local property taxes, creating a strong disparity between lower and higher income areas because there is much more funding available for the schools located in higher income areas. 

The issue presented in my mom’s school district is seen throughout many other school districts. School officials are forced to make cuts throughout many different aspects in schools, leading to less opportunities for students within these schools. This issue is one that cannot continue to go unnoticed and unprevented. All students, despite their socioeconomic status or location, should have the opportunity to receive a quality education. This lawsuit brings forth many discrepancies about how funding in public schools is and the unfairness of this system. Overall, this issue is one that will take plenty of time to fix but is incredibly important. 

Works Cited

https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-state-government-education-8fdfb556d9a76be8e9d72ffeac1a0e2e

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj2uJzbv9_9AhXEFVkFHbgJDekQFnoECBIQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mcall.com%2F2023%2F02%2F17%2Fyour-view-seeing-the-issue-from-all-sides-inequities-in-pa-school-funding-is-real&usg=AOvVaw3v3V6qy8SXp_1lvisPzCYu

WARNING: spoilers ahead! 

While I was growing up, my parents were huge fans of family movie nights. It was super easy for them to turn on a movie and create a highly memorable bonding moment for my brother and me. I absolutely loved having nights like these with my parents. Both were born in the 60s, so sometimes they would select older movies. One of their favorites was Top Gun. I have always really liked this movie too, so when I heard there was going to be a sequel to this film, I knew I had to watch it.  

I did not get around to watching it until recently, and I had lofty expectations for it because I have loved the original film for years. Over the past week, I had a little bit of free time, so I figured it was the perfect time to finally watch it. I had seen a lot of hype surrounding this movie when it was originally released last year. I was excited that Tom Cruise would be starring in Top Gun: Maverick, alongside Miles Teller. I really like both actors, so I was anticipating good things for watching this movie.  

Maverick (Tom Cruise)
Via: The New York Times

Maverick, played by Tom Cruise, is first introduced as a disgraceful fighter pilot. He is constantly getting himself into trouble and finds himself in an exceedingly tricky situation after not following specific orders during a test flight. He ends up being placed back in the Top Gun school as an instructor. At first, Maverick is unenthusiastic about this assignment and expresses distaste about it. Regardless, he agrees to attempt teaching. His team was assigned to destroy a uranium plant nestled in an underground bunker inside a canyon. 

When Maverick’s final team is announced, he works to gain their respect by showing his intense knowledge and talent for flying. However, there is one member who is very apprehensive about him because of his past association with Maverick. Rooster, who is played by Miles Teller, is very cold towards him. Rooster’s father, who passed away in a flight accident, used to fly with Maverick. Rooster continually blames Maverick for his father’s death and holds this against him. 

When the mission is laid out for the team, it seems impossible. They went through many failed tests which revealed the true danger that all the team members will be put through during this flight. On the day of the flight, the team finds themselves in danger after destroying the plant. Maverick ends up sacrificing himself to save Rooster, who consequently goes after Maverick. Both of their planes ended up crashing and the two found each other and were able to escape and reunite with the other team. In the end, Rooster forgives Maverick for the incident and the two finally have a good connection. 

Overall, this movie lived up to everything I was anticipating. I liked how the directors incorporated Rooster’s storyline into the movie because his connection with Maverick was interesting to watch throughout. The whole movie was very action packed and the plot was not predictable, which is something I always really enjoy about movies. The actor choice was also good because the team had a good dynamic. Finally, I really liked how there was comedic elements to this movie instead of just straight action, which created a very well-rounded film. 

If you are someone who enjoys action movies, I would highly recommend Top Gun: Maverick, especially if you are going to watch the original first. Even if you do not typically enjoy action movies all that much, I would still recommend the watch. It played off the first movie well and lived up to all expectations.