Entertainment, News

Super Bowl XLVI heats up Sunday

0 Comments 30 January 2012

By Nolan Bostic and Nathan Bostic
Trojan Tribune Staff
Photo courtesy of Filmschoolrejects.com

The 46th annual Super Bowl will kick off at 6:30 EST on Feb. 5. The much anticipated matchup between the two talented franchises is expected to come down to the wire. For the New England Patriots, this is a revenge bowl, as they will try to get back at the New York Giants, who defeated them in the 2008 Super Bowl. While Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are chasing their fourth Super Bowl ring together, Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin are looking to win their second. Going into the playoffs as the number four seed, the Giants knocked off the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers. The Patriots went into the playoffs as the number one seed. They crushed the Denver Broncos and then topped the Baltimore Ravens by three.

While New York wasn’t a favorite coming into the playoffs, the franchise played solid ball and took advantage of the opportunities they were given. The regular season didn’t go exactly as planned, but nevertheless, they defeated the Dallas Cowboys in week 17 to win the division and come into the playoffs strong. Though their regular season record was a lousy 9-7, the Giants knew that with the talent their team consisted of, they were capable of beating anyone. Team leaders offensively during the regular season were Eli Manning, Ahmad Bradshaw and Victor Cruz. Manning threw for 4,933 yards and 29 touchdowns, finishing with a quarterback rating of 92.9. Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 659 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging about 3.9 yards per carry. Victor Cruz had 82 receptions for 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns. Defensively, the Giants were led by Antrel Rolle, who had 96 tackles and Jason Pierre-Paul, who had 16.5 sacks.

New England was definitely a favorite coming into the playoffs. As a number one seed, many NFL fans and analysts expected them to go deep into the playoffs. The Patriots have questionably the best offensive unit in the league, but as an old saying goes: ‘defense wins championships.’ This is an obvious weakness to the franchise, but in the playoffs, their defense has played exceptionally well. In the regular season the franchise went 13-3 and won their division by a large margin. Offensive leaders for the Patriots during the regular season included Tom Brady, BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Wes Welker. Brady passed for 5,235 yards and 39 touchdowns. He had a quarterback rating of 105.6. Green-Ellis led the Patriots in rushing yards with 667 yards and 11 touchdowns. Welker had 122 receptions for 1,569 yards and nine touchdowns. Defensively, the leaders for the Patriots were Jerod Mayo and Andre Carter. Mayo had 88 tackles, and Carter had 10 sacks.

There are some key players to watch in the Super Bowl for both teams. For the Giants, they are their quarterback Eli Manning, and their receivers, Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham.  New York has three exceptional pass rushers up front as well: Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora.  New England’s key players to watch are the quarterback, Tom Brady, and the two tight ends, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.  The Patriots also have two key receivers: Wes Welker and Deion Branch. Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo are two players to keep an eye out for on the defensive side of the ball.

Reviews

Calling all Potterheads

0 Comments 30 January 2012

By Madi Monahan and Alex Davis

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo courtesy of Google.com

Fan of Harry Potter? Like Glee? Well, what if we told you you could get the best of both worlds? A Very Potter Musical is a Harry Potter-based internet phenomenon which was produced by Starkid Productions (a theater production company now based in Chicago) starring Glee-sensation Darren Criss as The Boy Who Lived. First performed at the University of Michigan in April 2009, the filmed musical was uploaded onto Youtube in June of that year. Since it came online in 2009, it has received raving reviews by fans of the series, and it has surprised those who aren’t, awarding over 110 million views.

This hilarious parody mixes original songs with plots from the books without giving anything away or ruining it for the hardcore addicts. In the opening number, “Get Back to Hogwarts”, Criss is revealed under a single spotlight, presumably in the cupboard under the stairs, and shares with the audience the trials and tribulations of being a boy wizard in the muggle world and his longing for his home away from home, Hogwarts.  Alongside Harry are his trusted best friends, Ron Weasley (played by Joey Richter), who comically always has food with him, and the frumpy, know-it-all Hermione Granger (Bonnie Gruesen), who is always the first to put a damper on the boys’ crazy ideas.

When they finally arrive at their beloved school, they are approached by possibly the funniest character in the whole sha-bang: Draco Malfoy. Played by a girl, Lauren Lopez brings slithering skills and a whole new perspective to the character. With quick wit and an obsession with Pigfarts, (the Mars equivalent of Hogwarts) there is never a dull moment with Lopez onscreen. Add in a couple of bromances between Voldemort (Joe Walker) and Quirrel (Brian Rosenthal), with a very touching duet, “Different As Can Be”, and Dumbledore (Dylan Saunders) and Snape (Joe Moses) with an obsession with a “boss Zefron poster” and you’ve got a marvelous way to entertain yourself for a night.

This crowd-pleasing play has inspired a sequel with a threequel in the works. You can find these musicals along with a few others produced by Starkid on Youtube under their account name, StarkidPotter. Although three hours long, it is definitely worth your time.

Editorials

Schartz At Top of Drama Department

0 Comments 30 January 2012

By Andrew Ideker

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo by Andrew Ideker

Senior Joe Schartz joined the drama department last year as a junior. He got his first taste of the West Central Drama Department by starring in the spring musical, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Schartz earned the lead men’s role of the play. Continue Reading

News, Reviews

Red Tails: We Fight!

0 Comments 30 January 2012

By Cameron Stone, Riley Danielsen, and Matt Sebert

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo courtesy of moviefanatic.com

This movie takes place in the World War II time period. It is based on the real life Tuskegee Airmen of the American Air Force. The film focus’ on the discrimination against African American fighter pilots in the American Air force. The African American fighters were thought to be inferior in intelligence and resourcefulness to whites. That they were physically unfit for duty and couldn’t control themselves in the face of danger. The movie more than proves that false. Continue Reading

Sports

Up close with Brittainy Schmitz

0 Comments 30 January 2012

By Alanna Schmeichel, Paige Fromm and Taylor Bergeson

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo by Jill Goertel

West Central has many athletic opportunities; one of the options that female athletes have to participate in is gymnastics. Over the course of the regular season the girls participate in 10 meets, all leading up to regions and state. Gymnasts can qualify for the state meet individually throughout the season or at regions. The state meet is in Brookings Feb. 17 and 18. As of now we have one gymnast qualified for state. Sophomore Libby Goertel will be competing in the state meet again this year. “I got really nervous last year at state, but hopefully since I’ve been there once before, it will be easier to just focus on my routines and not on my nerves!”  Continue Reading

Entertainment

84th Annual Academy Awards to air in February

0 Comments 30 January 2012

By Nicole Christensen

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo courtesy of hollywood.com

First held in 1929, the Academy Awards were hardly the anticipated televised event it is today. Two hundred and seventy people attended the occasion at Hollywood’s Roosevelt Hotel with tickets costing $5. Recipients included the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer, and Charlie Chaplin for producing, directing, writing and starring in The Circus. Unlike today’s Oscars, there was little suspense when the awards were presented; the recipients had already been announced three months earlier. That all changed the following year when the Academy decided to keep the results secret until 11 p.m. on the night of the Awards. In 1941, the policy changed to the sealed envelope system still in use today. Continue Reading