Food Invasion!

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Today our Cafeteria was invaded by the chefs of G-Zen with trays of delicious vegan food!  G-zen is a new restaurant in town on the green, they opened up this past winter, and so far  business is booming!  They are a restaurant that in addition to only serving vegan foods, uses only organic and locally grown ingredients.  If you want to learn more about G-Zen, check out their Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/GZenRestaurant.  And hopefully they will be back soon to bring us more treats!

Kelly’s Korner: Photojournalism

Intro to Kelly’s Korner: Kelly Du, a Junior at BHS, is currently taking an online class in Social Media  and as one of her projects she will be writting once a week on our school’s online newspaper about the effects of modern media.  Here is her first topic, Photojournalism:

 

by Kelly Du

The first topic that I’d like to introduce this week involves the use of photo-ops and altered images in the media. When you hear the word photo-ops, the first thing that comes to mind might be celebrities in magazines, but really, they can be found in well established newspapers and news broadcasts. The media is a large and profitable business that depends itself on selling stories and gaining attention.  So, using sensational photos is important when trying to attract viewers. Who doesn’t love seeing a dramatic photo that captures a significant message? As the famous saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

A problem that is very common today is the fact that many images are being altered to sell a story. Technology is improving and growing every second and altering; manipulating photos is becoming easier to do with the use of computers. At this point, almost anyone with a software program and a few basic skills can alter a photo.

It’s almost impossible to detect whether or not an image has been changed. A photographer can improve a photo by changing the color and contrast of it. They can also take a person or object out of a photo or add something else instead. There are a great number of possibilities.

But even before a photo hits the computer, it’s already being manipulated when the photographer takes it. The camera angle, framing, and the right moment that the photographer chooses to take the picture are all factors in a photo’s manipulation. All those little decisions may be unconscious at the time, but the photo that comes out ends up being a contextualized representation of a photographer’s reality. Photos in general are highly interpretive depending on your culture, upbringing, experiences, and beliefs. That’s something to take into account when viewing them in newspapers, magazines, and on television.

Remember, what you see in photos isn’t always exactly how something appears. Computers or the photographer’s techniques may all be factors in sending out a dramatic photo to the public. Many images nowadays are staged, sensational, or doctored. The important thing is to be aware of all those things and to not believe everything you see. The idea that “the camera never lies” is false when you take into account all the work that was done behind the scenes. Be aware, wise, and critical of all the images that are out there.

Share, Jeff. “Camera Always Lies, The.” Center for Media Literacy. Center for Media Literacy. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. <http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/camera-always-lies>.

The New Calliope Is Out!

Make sure you pick up our own copy of the Calliope next week!  Calliope is the school’s literary magazine made up of artwork, poems, short stories and other types of writing from the students of BHS.  This is a sneak peak of the new magazine coming out; the cover was created by BHS student Ziqi Wang.  You can get your own copy of the magazine from the school store for $1.00.  If you are interested in submitting artwork or creative writing for the spring edition of the Calliope, just e-mail Mr.  Matthiessen at JMatthiessen@branford.k12.ct.us or ask your English teacher for more information.  

Editor’s Picks: Valentines Day Movies

Looking for a movie to snuggle up and watch this February 14th?  Well, our staff has picked out the best ones for you!

Valentines Date Out

The Vow is a perfect movie made for Valentines Day couples looking for something romantic with a little twist to traditional love stories. Then end the date with a drive over to Friendly’s and order one Fribble and two straws.

 

 

 

 

 

Movie Night In

Not big on going out?  That’s fine, just snuggle up on the couch with this classic love story.  And guys don’t start sighing, this movie will even make you laugh.  It’s a story full of adventure, revenge, sword fighting, and true love.  And don’t forget the buttered popcorn, and lots of it!

 

 

 

 

 

Single Ladies

For all you single girls out there, you shouldn’t miss out on Valentines Day either, so sit back and relax with comedy starting Steve Carel  (and Ryan Gosling 😉 ).   And make yourself a delicious smoothie; I recommend a Choco-peanut butter- banana one.  Here’s the recipe: http://www.foodchannel.com/recipes/recipe/peanut-butter-chocolate-banana-smoothie/

 

 

 

 

 

Single Guys

Valentines Day isn’t just for the girls, get the guys together and put on this movie, its the perfect mix of action and Megan Fox with a little love story thrown into the mix.  Order in some pizza and make root beer floats for dessert to top it all off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

V-Day with the Family

Gnomeo and Juliet is the perfect movie to watch with the family.  It’s guaranteed to get a laugh from everyone on the couch.  Mix this movie with a Breakfast for Dinner Night and you’ve got the perfect mix for a Valentines Day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Newly Singles

For all you coming from fresh break ups, grab a box of tissues, a jar of Nutella, and a spoon.  Curl up on the couch and put on reruns of  How I Met Your Mother, a show that teaches you that no matter how many breakups you go through you will always end up with “the one”.

 

 

The Balm that’s the BOMB!!!!!!!!

Photo Credit: Alison Chew

By Alexandra Augustak

With the winter season coming along, you may notice changes in your skin’s texture. The cold and dry air associated with the winter season causes sensitivity and irritation in your skin to become even more evident. Your lips, especially, are prone to irritation as they are delicate and thin compared to normal skin. The cold weather naturally causes you to lick your licks for more comfort, which in essence, is what’s causing the lips to dry up even more. When licking your lips, your saliva strips away the natural oils produced by your body that keep your skin protected, leaving them dry and cracked.

Lip balms are a convenient and popular way of dealing with irritated skin, but what the lip balm corporations don’t want you to know is that sometimes the most common ingredients in any lip balm on the market can irritate your lips even more. Here are some important things to remember the next time you’re purchasing a lip balm product:

Avoid flavored or scented lip balms

Your best bet for buying a lip balm that does not irritate your lips is buying one which has no added scents or flavors. Scents or flavors actually causes even more licking of the lips, sometimes subconsciously, which in the end causes the lips to dry up.

Avoid lip balms with methanol as an ingredient

Methanol is an alcohol which is used in lip balms to give a cooling sensation. In reality, what is producing that sensation is the act of methanol penetrating your skin and stripping away protective layers of dead skin which in the end may cause even more irritation and dryness.

Get lip balms with sunscreen

Excess moisture from lip balms often causes the outside protective layer of your lips to degenerate, leaving them more vulnerable to ultra violet rays from the sun. Lip balms with sunscreen help protect your lips from these harmful rays and keep them healthy.

Other ingredients to avoid that may cause irritation

Lanolin, camphor, paraben, phenol, salicylic acid

Easy alternatives for lip balms

If you can’t find a lip balm that will not irritate your lips, simple remedies such as Vaseline or olive oil can help keep lips moisturized without the superfluities of scents or flavors that actually increase irritation.

Citations:

http://thebeautybrains.com/2008/03/20/is-menthol-lip-balm-bad-for-you/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/309032-lip-dryness-with-chap-stick/

http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/skin-and-makeup/addicted-to-lip-balm1.htm

Flash Mob in the Commons

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The Student Council surprised students during lunch with a FLASH MOB to help kick off spirit week!  The dance was lead by juniors Kailey Hassan-Wolff and Briana Williams, both student council members, and were later joined with over 15 other classmates to dance to Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO.

Photo credit: John McColl and Morgan Reed

Ben and Jerry’s vs. Ashley’s

by Alyssa Mason

                The two most popular ice cream shops in Branford are Ben and Jerry’s and Ashley’s, which happen to be on the same street, this creates somewhat of a rivalry between each shop’s supporters.  But is one more popular than the other? After a recent poll of students here at BHS, it has been proven that Ashley’s is indeed more popular.  When asking people which place they preferred I also asked them why, and each side had its own interesting argument.

Many of the people who sided with Ashley’s, prefer them because they were here first, and are a more local business than Ben and Jerry’s.  (Ashley’s is only in CT while Ben and Jerry’s are all over the country.)  Students said that they have grown up with Ashley’s and remain very loyal to them.  Also, there is a much wider range of toppings at Ashley’s and soft serve unlike Ben and Jerry’s.  Ashley’s also stays open the entire year unlike Ben and Jerry’s which closes for a few months during the winter. Lastly, Ashley’s has a much friendlier environment with the drawings all over the walls.

The people who prefer Ben and Jerry’s although fewer, had their own reasoning also.  They claim that Ben and Jerry’s has much more interesting flavors with incredibly creative names, like Phish Food, or Cherry Garcia.  Something that Ben and Jerry’s has that Ashley’s doesn’t is free cone day, which is held once every year at stores all over the country, and you can go back as many times as you like.

Both ice cream shops are very yummy and both deserve respect.  But let us not forget the other places to get ice cream in Branford, like The Udder Place, or Friendly’s.

All Hollows Eve

  “As spirits roam the neighborhoods at night, Let loose upon the Earth till it be light…
”~Nicholas Gordon.

What is the holiday that is responsible for the biggest total sales of candy in October? One of the most celebrated holidays around the world? The most awaited and scariest day of the year? This famous holiday is today known as Halloween, formally known as “All Hallow’s Eve” and it is finally around the corner.

Pope Boniface IV created this day in the 7^th century to celebrate all the saints that could not be celebrated individually, and it has been celebrated ever since.

Halloween is a worldwide holiday that almost all countries part take in, though many have different customs and ways that they chose to celebrate this day. One of the main customs in America today is wearing costumes; this idea began hundreds of years ago with the Celts, people that lived in the European region during the Iron Age. During the Samhain Fire Festival, a festival that marked the beginning of a new season, it was custom for the Celts to take an ember from the ceremonial bonfire and light it in their family hearth, in order to protect themselves on their way home.  They dressed up in costumes to ward off evil spirits that were believed to hide in the darkness. This is where our perception of costumes was originated.

But In the recent centuries costumes have been worn not only to keep away “evil spirits” but also to scare friends, and impress others with the skill and creativity. In the release of the Home Sewing Association’s “top ten” list of costumes in the year 2001, some costumes included: super heroes, witches, professional sports figures, and the wizards from the movie Harry Potter. Over the years these ideas have changed due to the influence of newly released movies, (Avatar, The Crazies, and Alice in wonderland), new reality shows, (Jersey shore), and celebrities, (Lady Gaga, and Michael Jackson).

When asked, the majority of the students at BHS said they were going as either a character from their favorite movie or simply just wearing a mask. One student even said he was going as a pumpkin.

People all around the world wear costumes to celebrate this frightful night; it’s what makes this holiday fun and scary. So put on your mask, bring your pillowcase and roam the streets for some candy and most of all “eat, drink, and be scary”, ~Author unknown.

The Red Tide

Inspired by Vh1’s You Oughta Know.

(An interview with the new local band The Red Tide with Matt Schell and Sam Blackstone)

The Buzz: You’re called the Red Tide. Why did you choose that?

The Red Tide: You may have noticed the video we projected at Mr. BHS. Well, as Matt looked at different videos to include, he found a bunch on the red tide, an algae bloom that occurs in New England and Florida.  The tide makes great impact on the ecosystem and literally changes the water color to red. Similar to the tide, we’re trying to change music and bring in some different colors of our own.

B: Have you played out much?

RT: We’ve played every show we’ve ever been offered. Most of the shows have been at the high school and a few have been at the Guilford Congressional Church. We’re very new, which makes it difficult to get a gig. But, after we get a few recordings done and create some advertisement, we’ll be playing at places like The Space.

B: What style of music do you play?

RT: Well, I’m not really sure. It’s kind of like The White Stripes got into a crash with Beck and Radiohead and out popped something great. We’re trying to make something new and exciting.

B: Do you do covers? Or is it all original music?

RT: No, we don’t do any covers. All of the songs are completely original, even some of the tones on the piano have been custom made to give that extra uniqueness. Matt does all of the song writing, but he works with Sam to find the perfect beat to match the music style.
B: Are there any famous bands/musicians who greatly influence you?

RT: Our band has a very wide of influences. As mentioned earlier we have a sound that gives hints of The White Stripes and Beck. But, we’re always searching more new and interesting sounds to give us inspiration. Recently, we found the band Mute Math, a new band with an amazing drummer and electronic sound that sounds like nothing else. We are also influenced by some of the older blues masters and even get into jams that are derived from some of the funk masters from the 70’s.

B: Tell me about any new stuff.

RT: We have a ton of new stuff coming out. First off, we hope to have eight recorded songs done by the end of June that we’ll be able to make into an album titled, Within the Tide. We have also designed a few t-shirts and stickers that we’ll be giving away. If you would like to hear what we sound like, we have a new myspace (www.myspace.com/theredtidect) that will be constantly updated.  Also, we are considering expanding, adding a bass player to the group. We’re still searching, so if you like our style, and play bass, let one of know!

Thanks to the members of The Red Tide. Good luck!

By Rachel Rimm

Photo credit: Miranda Platt

For more interviews with local artists check out our interviews with:

Dr. Rocktopus and the Nunks

Great Caesar and the GoGetters

The Smyrk

Dancing With The Staff 2

Every week the Buzz Blog will upload a video from Dancing With the Staff.

This week it is a video of Ms. Luc’s performance!

if video doesn’t show up click here.

Enjoy,

-Madeline Alden