Sochi not so safe?

by Meghan Quinn

Skiing, luge, ice skating…and terrorists?  I never thought terrorists and louge went together that well, but apparently the terrorists think otherwise. The 2014 Winter Olympics are about to begin, but just where are they being held?

Sochi, Russia, just miles outside of the infamous war zone, has been chilling threats over the past few weeks. Threats like, “as for your Olympics, something that you really want, we’ve prepared a present for you. You do your business and we’ll do ours. We’ve prepared a present for you and all that come over,” have been on all the news stations from CNN to Channel 5 News Boston. Just weeks ago a suicide bombing in nearby Volgograd, Russia took place, killing 34 people by the same group issuing these threats.

Although the bombing in Volgograd had nothing to do with The Olympics taking place or The United States, it is still a serious matter of international relations. According to Joshua Cook, writer for The Ben Swann Newsletter, “Last summer in a meeting with Vladimir Putin, Prince Bandar bin Sultan directly threatened Russia with terrorist attacks to persuade the Russian president to withhold support from Assad’s regime.”  The Saudi Prince then offered Russia a multi-billion dollar arms deal, and along with control over Europe’s oil supply. Cook reported that following Russia’s rejection of the Prince’s offer they also issued threats toward the Russian Olympics in 2014. Among the threats Bandar issued included, “I can give you a guarantee to protect the Winter Olympics in the city of Sochi on the Black Sea next year. The Chechen groups that threaten the games are controlled by us” (Cook). 

            With Middle Eastern turmoil striking again, why don’t they just move the games? Whose bright idea was it to have them in Sochi anyway?  Do you think a worldwide event should be held in such a tense area of the world? Judging by the amount of money spent on security, 2 million dollars, Russia was never going to move the games—especially since Russia has spent almost $51 billion dollars on the Olympics, making it the most expensive yet, including the summer games.

Sochi is no stranger to safety concerns. Remember way back when when all the homosexuals of the winter games were feeling a little unsafe? According to BBC News, Anatoly Pakhomov, the mayor of 2014 Winter Olympics host-city Sochi, said that there are no gay people in his city. If you were gay, would you feel safe or welcomed in Sochi? Pakhomov, a member of President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party, said that homosexuality is not welcome in his region, but that it would welcome gay people with “hospitality” if they respect Russian laws. It is a little funny that Putin wanted the Winter Olympics to be held in Russia so the world could see the “new” more “welcoming” Russia.

            The Olympic Committee should have never even thought Sochi could host the games safely. But then again, things like the Olympics shouldn’t be compromised because of our differences with other cultures. The entire reason for a lot of these problems is because we do not understand each other. I am not saying you and me, but America, and places like the Sochi area. Does anyone ever think to just calm down with the terrorist threats, the money, and the thoughts of something always going wrong, and maybe just try to understand what makes people like the Boston Bombers, and the Sochi Bombers do the things they do, and vice versa? The Olympics are supposed to be this high, positive energy event that brings the entire world together all wanting the same thing, but maybe if the entire world took some of that golden Olympic energy and used it to try to understand our differences, things like the games could go on peacefully.

But hey, I, along with many other people, will probably be thankful to watch the games from the comfort of their couch, rather than standing out in the stands.  

Works Cited

Cook, Joshua. "Volgograd Bombings: Who’s behind the Terrorist Attacks in Russia?"

Benswan.com. N.p., 1 Jan. 2014. Web

"Sochi 2014: No Gay People in City, Says Mayor." BBC News. BBC, 27 Jan. 2014. Web. 30 Jan.

2014.

Kicking off award season with the SAGs

by Hanna Souhail and Steph Kerrigan

            In the midst of winter and the bitter temperatures, television fanatics at least have award shows to look forward to.  Kicking off the award season, only eight days before the Grammy’s, were the SAG (Screen Actors Guilds) Awards.  The 20^th annual SAG Awards episode was aired January 18, 2014 on television stations such as TNT and TBS.

The three major categories of the SAG Awards are Theatrical Motion Pictures, Television and Honors for Stunt Ensembles.  Each category is then divided into subcategories consisting of five nominees and one recipient.

            American Hustle, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper, actually contains scenes filmed in Woburn.  The film took home the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.  The recipient for the Outstanding Male Role award went to Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyer’s Club while the Outstanding Female Role went to Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine.  Supporting role awards went to Jared Leto in Dallas Buyer’s Club and Lupita Nyong’o in 12 Years a Slave.

            As for television shows, the two major winning series were Breaking Bad and Modern Family.  Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad actually took home one of the Outstanding Male Role award for a television series while Ty Burrell took one home for Modern Family.  As for the female recipient, the award went to Maggie Smith of Downton Abbey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus of Veep.  Television miniseries awards for outstanding actor and actress went to Michael Douglas of Behind the Candelabra and Helen Mirren of Phil Spector.  Lone Survivor and Game of Thrones each took home an award sub-categorized in Honors for Stunt Ensembles.

            As for fashion on the SAG Awards red carpet, among the Best Dressed list was Lupita Nyon’g in a turquoise Gucci gown and Sofia Vergara in a strapless, sparkling silver Donna Karan Atelier gown.  Unlike the women on the Best Dressed list was actress Gabourey Sidibe, who was criticized for her unconventional body image.  However, Gabby did not let the criticism ruin her mindset.  Instead, the famous actress only used the words to her advantage and used the harsh words to empower her.  (For more on body image, stay tuned for The Bull’s Eye February edition.)

            For more on the SAG Awards, head over to www.sagawards.org were you can find plenty information regarding the 2014 Awards as well as years’ past.

JV girls basketball: Shooting for victory

by Hanna Souhail and Steph Kerrigan

            The JV girls basketball team is having one of their best years yet.  The team has proven their athletic ability and talent by winning a total of seven of their nine games.  Co-captains, juniors Julie O’Melia and Victoria Heath, have worked well together and continue to lead their team to victory.

            According to Captain O’Melia, the team has shown plenty of promise and potential.

            “The team is doing well.  We are really aggressive and athletic.  We all just really like to play basketball,” said O’Melia.

            Heath agreed with her co-captain and believed that the team continues to make new achievements every day.

            “We are doing great and we are getting better every day.  This season is so much fun,” stated Heath.

            Although the team improves in different ways each year, the players have made huge improvements with scoring baskets and having a competitive offensive line this year.  O’Melia felt like the team’s greatest advancement is in fact their offense.

            “Each year, we’ve seemed to improve in a different way.  This year, we’ve really improved on our offensive skills,” expressed O’Melia.

            Heath explained just how much the team’s offense has improved but felt like the technical skills need to be worked on.

            “We’ve really improved on offense.  We get a lot of offensive rebounds now, but we need to work on handling the ball more,” explained Heath.

            The friendship between the two captains plays a huge role in the success of the JV girls basketball team.  Both players admire one another and helped each other improve in every aspect of the sport.  O’Melia feels like Heath has helped her enormously.

            “Tori and I have been playing together since I started in the seventh grade.  I was new to the sport, and knowing teammates like her really helped me to improve.  She is very hardworking and a great leader,” said O’Melia.

            Noting her friend’s progress, Heath expressed how well they really get along.

            “Julie and I have been playing together for a long time now.  I think she has improved tremendously throughout the years.  She is a great teammate, and she always keeps me laughing.  She’s a great leader,” said Heath.

            At the rate the team is going at, they should have no problem in finishing a successful season.  The two captains work together to lead the team to victory. 

JV boys hockey: prepped for success

By Kellie Herbert and Meghan Quinn

            Hockey fans are you looking for a new team to watch? The JV boys hockey team is that team. They are here for the long run. Sophomore Brian Kenton commented on the strong aspects of the team.

            “Our team is doing alright. We have a strong offense but struggle on defense. Our strongest offensive player is Declan Newman,” said Kenton.

            Although the JV team is strong, coaches Mike Bonish and Larry Parece choose to bring down varsity players to make the team even stronger. Sophomore Chris Kenton said that bringing down varsity players are a benefit to the team.

            “Our team is doing pretty good. I’m very confident that we will do well the rest of the season. I think that it is good that varsity players are being brought down to play on JV, like freshman Christian Brinkley and sophomore Chad Connolly. They really add to our team,” said Kenton.

            The varsity players like being brought down to play alongside the JV players as well. Each team member gets enough playing time so everyone can enjoy the game. Connolly enjoys his time with the JV team.

            “The JV season is looking great. I like getting pulled down to the JV team because I get a lot of playing time in the games. Everyone on the team gets to play at some point in the game,” commented Connolly.

            With sophomore Justin Cushing in net the team has come out with a 4-2-0 record so far this season. With their next game this Monday, January 20, the Woburn High JV boys hockey team is sure to keep your eyes on the ice.

            Next time you want to watch a good hockey game, stop by the Ned O’Brien hockey rink and see these boys take a victory for Woburn. 

WMHS boys JV Track team strides to victory

by Ally Mann & Megan Clark

On January 8, the boys JV Track team had their third meet of the season. Through these JV meets, athletes who show extraordinary performance will make it to the varsity level, so these meets are important to look for future varsity members. Not only do the coaches and captains look for athletes for the present season but also for seasons to come. Current captain, senior Christian Lundin, spoke of what he thinks is most important during these meets.

“We have a lot of promising athletes who are showing some potential which is important. In the future, we’re going to be losing a lot of our best guys and we need a lot of people to step up and it’s looking like some of these guys are going to be able to fill these roles,” said Lundin. 

Track athletes spend much of their time improving on their running skills throughout the year in hopes that they will graduate from the JV team to Varsity.  Many members of the team have shown hard work and dedication which has helped the team succeed. Senior Ricky Metters, who is not only a member of the JV team, but also an alternate for the Varsity team wishes he could dedicate all of his time to one team only.

“We have to do pre-meets when the JV does workouts and we can’t run during the meets, and end up missing double the workout which is not fun.  I think each of us [alternates] has missed the equivalent of six or seven workouts this season because of being alternates.  I’d rather do either Varsity or JV rather than be on both teams at once,” said Metters.

The boys JV Track team may be considered the underdogs compared to the Varsity boys, but in the future, they are going to be very useful team leaders.  The boys are without a doubt a very strong and determined team and many of them are definitely going to lead the team to victory.

"Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones" scares up mixed reviews

by Ally Mann

The Paranormal Activity series has existed since November 2009. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this “found footage” series, these movies are all based off of one another eventually reaching a common goal of what this “paranormal activity” truly is. Some may be sequels or even prequels to the others, keeping paranormal fans on their toes as to where they are within the series. With that being said, when going to see the newest installment of the Paranormal Activities series, The Marked Ones, it is suggested to see the previous films.

The Marked Ones is the fifth movie for the Paranormal Activity creators.  Some viewers say that it should end now. This film has had various reviews ranging from “a terrible waste of time” to “brilliantly terrifying.” Those who are avid Paranormal Activity film watchers will understand all of the hidden points and characters from the previous films that appear in The Marked Ones. As the series goes on, the viewers find out more information and gain further knowledge on the “paranormal activity” that has been going on throughout the series. Without seeing any of the other films, this movie can seem to be boring, and basically is a waste of your time. You need to have an understanding of what has been found out before to understand what is going on now.

The scenery for The Marked Ones is a good change from the usual middle class suburban neighborhood the previous films were set in. Also unlike the previous films, the format of the film itself is much different from the others. Those who have seen the first four Paranormal Activities know that all of these movies are set up in a “found film” sort of format. They are all filmed from home videos and self-made footage, instead of a professional made movie. Unlike the others, The Marked Ones is missing the format of “Day 1, Day 2” type of film clips, and instead is just flowing day to day with no title interruption. The subtle differences do give it a different feel, but still connect with the rest. 

Like all scary movies, whether it is The Goonies or The Conjuring, it depends on the viewer as to how scary or not the movie actually is. Someone can scream at every move the main characters make, or one could only think that a few moments here and there really got their hearts pumping. Whether you consider it a great movie or a flop, it would be advised that if you’ve seen the other four installments, then The Marked Ones is a definitely a must see. 

The 71st Golden Globes results are in

by Megan Xie

The aftermath of the 71^st Golden Globes is here. The Hollywood Foreign Press once again has highlighted the best television and film of the year, showcasing the best of both worlds. Back to host the show this year were the brilliantly clever Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who with their razor sharp wit, entertained Hollywood’s biggest stars.

American Hustle (which includes scenes filmed in Woburn!) and Twelve Years a Slave led with seven nominations each. American Hustle took home the awards for Best Motion Picture Comedy/Musical, Amy Adams for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy/Musical, and Jennifer Lawrence for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy/Musical. Twelve Years a Slave ended up winning one of the night’s biggest awards, Best Motion Picture Drama.

Other notable lead roles that went home with a globe statue were Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club, Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine, and Leonardo DiCaprio for his outrageously wild performance in The Wolf of Wall Street.

Already securing a large fan base, Frozen also won Best Animated Feature Film. One of the year’s most buzzed about movie, Gravity fell short of its wins, only receiving one award for Best Director, Alfonso Cuaron.

Nelson Mandela was recognized by popular band U2 for winning Best Original Song in a Motion Picture for Mandela- Long Walk to Freedom. The band spoke about Mandela’s constant love under tough circumstances.

On the television spectrum of the night, Breaking Bad took home two awards, Best Television Series Drama and Best Television Actor Drama for Bryan Cranston, making it a worthwhile way to end the acclaimed show.  The new television series, Brooklyn Nine-Nine also surprised viewers with two statues.

As if the night could not have gone any more smoothly for host Amy Poehler, she surprised herself by winning Best Actress in a Television Series for Parks and Recreation. Displaying her surprise, Poehler exclaimed, “I never win anything!”

However, the award most coveted of all, the honorary Cecil B. DeMille Award was awarded to legendary Hollywood director, Woody Allen. To display the vast number of movies Allen directed, produced, starred in, and wrote, the Hollywood Foreign Press put together a sentimental video montage of Allen’s first film to his very latest.

A very big year for film and television resulted in a night filled with memorable moments from the world’s favorite stars. Award show season is just beginning with a bang from the Golden Globes. Can’t get enough? Keep your eyes open for the Academy Awards airing March 2^!