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The Fourth Wall
By Ashley Rowe
Layout Editor
Author Jodi Picoult stretches
the mind of the reader and touches
on another controversial issue in
her novel Nineteen Minutes.
Published in 2007, this novel
challenges the reader’s perception
that what is bad may not have
started out that way. The plot of
Nineteen Minutes is focused
around a school shooting that
shakes the entire town of Sterling,
New Hampshire. This event
creates chaos for all of those who
live in Sterling.
What is most intriguing about
Picoult’s novel is that the reader is
able to see into the mind of the
killer, Peter Houghton, who wants
nothing more than to eliminate all
of the people that he hates. With
the alarming increase in school
shootings over the past decade, it
is frightening to see the type of
mentality these killers have. The
reader is able to see Houghton’s
side of the story and just what
caused him to become so violent.
In essence, Picoult wants the
reader to feel some sort of empathy
for Houghton, to remind us that we
all have been bullied at least once
in our lives. People calls the novel,
“a brilliantly told tale, one that
dares to remind us that someone
loved the killer, too.”
The story also follows
Houghton’s family and their grief
and guilt during the whole ordeal.
The novel shows firsthand what it
is like to be the mother and father
of a killer. The story also follows
Josie Cormier, Houghton’s best
childhood friend. The novel
illustrates why Cormier and
Houghton, who were once good
friends, are now estranged.
Cormier’s world is torn when her
beloved boyfriend was killed by
Houghton’s wrath. Also
introduced is Judge Alex Cormier,
Josie’s mother. When Judge
Cormier is asked to oversee
Houghton’s trial, will her
daughter’s involvement in the case
cause her to be biased?
In addition, Nineteen Minutes
is Picoult’s first novel to debut at
number one on the New York Times
Best Seller list. All of Picoult’s
novels deal with controversial
issues, such as teen suicide, rape,
sexual abuse, and much more.
Picoult’s novels deal with touchy
subjects in a way that is mentally
stimulating to readers. Once one
starts reading one of her novels, it
is difficult to put down the novel.
Nineteen Minutes can be
found in the Penn State Mont Alto
Library. More information about
Jodi Picoult can be found at
www.jodipicoult.com.
By Andrew Lynn
Staff Writer
There is a relatively
unknown movement which affects
1.1 billion people. World Water
Day, a UN backed movement, is an
international effort to raise
awareness and funds to make safe
water available to everyone.
Beginning in 1993 The UN
designated March 22 of each year
World Water Day. Along with the
United Nations, UNICEF, Ethos
Water, and Starbucks Coffee make
a public effort to gain recognition.
UNICEF alone, “...works in more
than 80 countries around the world
to improve access to safe water and
sanitation facilities in schools and
communities, and to promote safe
hygiene practices” says Michael
Bociurkiw, a UNICEF
representative. Ethos Water and
Starbucks announced on March 6
that they are teaming up with actor
Matt Damon’s H20 Africa
Foundation and expanding their
distribution of water bottles to
more than 40,000 grocery,
convenience, and other stores.
Ethos Water is currently exclusive
to Starbucks Coffee Company and
donates $0.05 for each bottle sold
to the Ethos Water Fund.
World Water Day 2005
marked the beginning of The Water
for Life Decade (2005-2015). The
UN-sponsored decade has the
ambitious goal of cutting in half
the amount of people who cannot
access clean water. This year, The
Water for Life Decade is focusing
on sanitation. The UN has
declared 2008 the International
Year of Sanitation (IYS). IYS is
primarily a theme of the Water for
Life Decade and its components;
the main goal is to reduce some
1.5 million deaths of children each
year related to lack of water,
sanitation, and hygiene.
College students often
find themselves wanting to help,
but are discouraged by the drive
for money, which they tend to lack.
However, there is good news.
There are more things to do to be
involved other than donating
funds to the efforts. Michael
Bociurkiw encourages students to
“visit www.tapproject.org, where
[students] can sign up as
volunteers.” Tap project
volunteers help gain participants
and spread the word to the media,
family, friends, and restaurants.
Students can also form an
“advocate page” on
www.worldwaterday.net. Elise
Chisholm, a media correspondent
for Starbucks and Ethos Water,
says students can use the
advocate page to explain “why the
cause matters to you.” Advocates
also can invite others to join them
at World Water Day events, list
their involvement, and add links
they find useful. There is incentive
for advocates who recruit the most
volunteers.
Currently, World Water
Day is about as well known as
explains websites. Now itis left up
to societies in countries better off
than those affected by the water
crisis to determine the significance
of World Water Day.
Accros the
Universe
Revolutionizes
the Beatles
By Julia Ritchey
Editor-in-Chief
In 1963, President John F.
Kennedy was assassinated. In
1964, the Civil Rights Bill passed.
In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was
assassinated. In 1969, the first man
walked on the moon. The 1960s
was an era of change. However
important those accomplishments
»
the arrival of the Beatles in
America is a widely recognized a
cultural milestone in the 20%
Century.
Rolling Stone described The
Beatles’ music as innovative and
culturally impacting to the era.
Defining the 1960s, The Beatles
composed over 200 songs. Across
the Universe, a musical film by
Julie Taymor, was released in
September of 2007, over 40 years
since their initial arrival in America.
As of February 2008, the musical
has been released on DVD.
They lived without rules. They
loved without fear. But as the
world changed, so did they.
The plot stars Jude (Jim
Sturgess), a young British artist,
struggling through the constant
juxtaposition of free love and the
Vietnam War during the 1960s. In
the film, Jude jumps ship to find
his father in America. While in
America, Jude meets Max (Joe
Anderson). 3
As Jude’s journey continues,
Max and Jude move to New York
City. While there, Max’s sister
Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), with
whom Jude falls in love, moves in
Sadie (Dana Fuchs).
In time, a large group of
characters come together. All
trying to escape the harsh reality
of the Vietnam War, the group
goes on a “magical” adventure.
Shortly after their escape, the
reality hits them when Max is
drafted. As the story unfolds,
many of the characters drift apart.
Lucy and Jude are separated when
an anti-war protest leads to their
arrests and sends Jude back to
Liverpool.
Plotline aside, Across the
Universe successfully and
ingeniously interweaves 37
Beatles’ classics. While adding to
the rhythm and heart of the film,
the songs also highlight the themes
and messages of the film.
“I Want You (She’s So
Heavy)” exemplifies the film’s
innovation. While playing upon
Uncle Sam’s “I Want You” during
Max’s recruitment tests, the song
is sung in the background by Sadie,
Prudence, and Max. While keeping
with the tempo, the scene is craftily
choreographed with drill sergeants
and draftees partnering up and
dancing with one another.
The groundbreaking film does
the “Fab Four” justice. The music-
based film creatively brings chart-
toppers and even less-popular
Beatles’ songs soul while the
original plot unfolds.
If “you say you want a
revolution/ well, you know”
Across the Universe is the
film to see.
A A Lo. Nya ET a
FT Es, Spa Th RRL NY BE BER net