Every family has a different story, they each have those relatives they like, they don’t like, the grandmothers who come and squeeze your cheeks and spoil you endlessly. This year a new sitcom on ABC called Raising Hope has turned out to be a huge hit.

Airing fall 2010, Raising Hope is a hilarious comedy about a crazy family who never seems to learn from their mistakes. The main character, Jimmy Chance, is the son of Virginia and Burt, who conceived him while in their teens.

Unfortunately, Jimmy didn’t learn from his parents and ends up having a child with a woman who turns out to be a serial killer. Months after Hope was conceived, Jimmy and the serial killer, Lucy, reconnect, right before she is caught and executed, and Hope is placed in Jimmy’s care. Amongst the chaos of having a small child in the house, the family’s eccentricities are further enhanced by Maw Maw’s Alzheimer’s disease.

The show started off kind of slow for me at the beginning, but as it continued into the season, it became more popular. It shows on Tuesdays after Glee at 9 pm so from one excellent show to another it goes.

In the season finale that aired May 17, it showed the family 5 years earlier when Maw Maw has not yet “lost her mind” and when Jimmy went through a “dark” phase of his life.

In the episode Jimmy is going through a “goth” phase, including makeup, dark clothes with chains and leather boots accompanied by wild hair with blue highlights. He demands to only be called Drakkar Noir. Mawmaw kicks out Virginia and Burt and they have to survive living in a van until offered living space in the basement of Virginia’s boss’ house among an Alpaca. 

The overall show is based on the bringing up of Jimmy’s daughter Hope, and how they try their best to raise her with everything that she needs. In each episode they have a problem that they face and in the end of the episode it comes back to them realizing that they are a perfect family and that Hope will be just right.

Every episode causes the audience to burst out laughing. The problems faced by the Chance family are often humorous and simple, but the ways they choose to confront them are complex to a point of nonsense. It is definitely worth staying up 30 more minutes after Glee.

The “Top 4” perform “songs of inspiration” and “songs of Jerome Lieber and Mike Stoller.” Lieber and Stoller are successful songwriters from the 1950s, who wrote humorous songs aimed at the teenage population of that time. Lady Gaga and her unique self was the mentor of the night.

James Durbin started the evening with his inspirational song, “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. He picked it because he “never stopped believing during this whole journey of American Idol.” The three judges, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler, loved the performance.

Haley Reinhart’s inspirational song was “Earth Song” by the all-astounding Michael Jackson. She sang the song with her jazzy growls but Randy and J-Lo were too harsh on her.

Jennifer told her to “think more on the songs you choose,” and Randy said “the song didn’t quite fit you.” Steven totally disagreed saying “you nailed it! Don’t believe them!”

Lauren Alaina was next to sing Martina McBride’s “Anyway” for her inspirational song. Steven was complimenting on how her voice was so clear and easy. It just sounds like her singing is so effortless.  

Scotty nailed another country hit singing “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning” by Alan Jackson. He turned on his country charm and wowed the judges. They had no insults, just compliments.

Round 2 of the night, Haley sang “I Who Have Nothing” and redeemed herself from her first try of the night. Gaga told her in the rehearsal “to give them drama, give them Edith Piaf.”

Next, Lauren sang “Trouble”, an Elvis Presley classic. During rehearsals, she was afraid of the lyrics when she had to call herself “evil.” Jimmy Iovine told her to “just be a character.” Jennifer told her “I saw a performance quality in you when you walked out on that stage.” Lauren had fun as the audience could see.

Scotty ended his performances with “Young Blood” in which Steven commented, “you made Gaga’s yaya go lala. I love your humor, man.” He won the crowd over with his performance.

“Love Potion No. 9” was performed by James as his Lieber and Stoller song. Jennifer said the song was kind of questionable for her at first. She confessed after the performance, she was wrong.

On Thursday, Lady Gaga had a performance video for her new song, “You and I.” Tyler showed his new music video for his come back song, “It Feel So Good.” Jordin Sparks performed her new song, “I am Women.” And Enrique Iglesias sang a mix of his songs.

As the night opened, James and Scotty sang “Start a Band” by Keith Urban and Brad Paisley. And the two girls, Haley and Lauren sang Miranda Lambert’s “Gunpowder and Lead.”

James did a beautiful job on Wednesday night but America thought Lauren was number 1. James went home on Thursday night with a tearful last song that even brought Lopez to tears. The emotions running throughout the stage was almost as emotional as Pia leaving because everyone was under the impression she would win. Good Luck, James.

Remember 2 weeks left until the finale! Tune in Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 pm and make sure you vote! Please leave comments below about your top pick.

The finale is only 3 weeks away which means we are left with the top five in American Idol: Scotty McCreery, James Durbin, Haley Reinhart, Lauren Alaina and Jacob Lusk. Sheryl Crow was the guest star for insight on their song choices along with the ever-so popular, Jimmy Iovine.

The theme of this week was songs from “now and then.” The contestants picked a popular song from the present, and one that’s from the ‘60s. This week allowed each contestant to have two chances to blow away the crowd with tears and smiles.

James Durbin was first, singing “Closer to the Edge” by 30 Seconds to Mars as his song from “now.” The performance wasn’t one of his best, but he still won the crowd.

He for his “later” song, he sang “Without You” by Motley Crue. There were tears in his eyes as he sang and the raw emotion reverberated around the stage as his voice did. Randy Jackson agreed once again that “James was in it to win it”.

For Jacob Lusk’s “now” song, he sang “No Air,” a duet by Chris Brown and Jordin Sparks, in which he sang both parts. Randy did not agree with the song choice because it was the “wrong choice for a gospel singer”. 

His oldies’ song was “Love Hurts” by Nazereth. Jacob got lost in the middle of the song, Steven Tyler pointed out, “but everyone was lost in you when it happened.” Jackson said Jacob redeemed himself.

Lauren Alaina’s first song was “Flat on the Floor” by Carrie Underwood. Jennifer Lopez said she “ate the song up”. Tyler said she “is it”, assuming he meant “the Idol they were looking for.”

Lauren’s second song was “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers which she claims to be her parents’ song. (Although I recall from her auditions that “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith, was her parents’ song?) Lopez said “there is nothing to judge, it was beautiful.”

Scotty “the Body” McCreery took the stage to sing Montgomery Gentry’s “Gone.” Steven was convinced Scotty was “dancing with the devil”. His energetic, lively performance had many audience members on their feet. He definitely lit the eyes of many teenage girls back home, as he does every time. 

The “Body’s” second round song was “Always on My Mind,” an Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson hit. As usual, Scotty entertained the audience with his soft song.

Haley Reinhart was the last to sing an unreleased song by Lady Gaga, “You and I.” The judges were questionable as to why Jimmy Iovine suggested that for her because American Idol was for an audience to hear ways many popular songs can be performed even better. Since no one knew what the real song was supposed to sound like, it was confusing for the audience to get into it.

So she then closed the show with “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals. She got the standing ovation she deserved and Randy said it was the best performance of the night.

On May 5, we said “good-bye” to the gospel king, Jacob Lusk.

Remember: 3 weeks until the finale! Don’t forget to vote for the person you want to win!

American Idol is in their “Top 8” week with the theme of “Songs of the Cinema.”  On April 13, the show started out with Paul McDonald singing “Old Time Rock and Roll” by Bob Seger from the movie Risky Business with Tom Cruise.

All three judges were enjoyed the performance and Randy Jackson said “we just witnessed the opening song of his first concert.”

Lauren Alaina was next singing “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus from Hannah Montana: the Movie. When Alaina was recording with Jimmy Iovine, he and Will.i.am agreed she “sang it much better than Miley Cyrus.”

Jennifer Lopez said “I love that cry in your voice” and Steven Tyler said “you move me beyond tears.”

Stefano Langone sang “End of the Road” by Boys II Men from the film Boomerang. After his performance, Lopez reminded Langone of the talk they had a week ago. She told him, “You have got to stop singing to stay. You have to start singing to win”, which is exactly how he performed.

As number four, Scotty McCreery performed with another country song, “I Cross My Heart” by George Strait from the movie I Cross My Heart.

Jackson is proud that McCreery is staying with what fits best with him, “if it ain’t broke, don’t even consider fixin’ it” says Jackson.

Casey Abrams sang with his natural bluesy tone with his choice of “Nature Boy” by Nat King Cole from the movie Moulin Rouge. He refused Iovine’s request of picking another song because Iovine believed “no one will here your voice in a whisper.”

The audience and the judges were thrilled with Abrams’ performance and that he took that strong leap of faith by not going with the advice given, especially with the pressure of the judges using the “save” on him.

Haley Reinhart came out with confidence and left with skepticism about her choice of song. Singing “Call Me” by Blondie from the film American Gigolo, Reinhart was having a ball.

At the end of Reinhart’s routine, Lopez stated “you aren’t showing that you are earning your place to win,” to which some audience members disagreed.

Nearing the end, Jacob Lusk sang “Like a Bridge over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel in the movie The Graduate. Lopez said “you are gifted.”

To close the show, James Durbin sang with ice last week, this time fire. Durbin sang “Heavy Metal” by Sammy Hagar from the film Heavy Metal. Lopez said “Real! Who would have thought we would have heavy metal on American Idol?” Tyler said “Great, as usual.”

On April 14, the next unlucky contestant was sent away from the competition, the highly entertaining Paul McDonald.

“For males twenty-five is the fatal age. For women it’s twenty. We are all dropping like flies.”

Seventy years before Rhine was born, scientists created perfect children. Cancers were eliminated along with other serious diseases. Life seemed perfect.

At least it was, until the “first generation” started having children of their own, and the virus killed every male child at 25 and every female child at 20. Ever since the discovery of the virus, the world has been in a panic to find the anecdote.

The poor live in ruins, and the rich have Gatherers kidnap young women to be brides for the young rich men to continue the human race. Every day hundreds of girls disappear, to be found dead along the roads, used as prostitutes, or never heard from again.

16-year-old Rhine lives with her twin brother, Rowan, in a run-down apartment in Manhattan. Their parents, first generation geneticists, were killed in a bombing while trying to find the anecdote.

While trying to find a job, she gets kidnapped by the Gatherers, and sold to a rich doctor for her heterochromatic eyes, one blue and one brown. A few days after she arrives at the mansion, she is married to Linden, along with her two other sister wives, Cecily and Jenna.

The longer Rhine stays at Linden’s home, the more her spirit degrades, until she starts a real relationship with Jenna and her attendant, Gabriel. But the more she lies to become Linden’s “first wife,” the more she starts forgetting about the real world around her. She must get away, before it’s too late.

Wither, the first book in the “Chemical Garden” Trilogy, by Lauren DeStefano is a tragically haunting vision of the future. She writes a world of fear, disgust, pain and loss through Rhine’s point of view.

DeStefano writes her characters so well that you either love them or hate them. The reader wants to be Rhine’s best friend and help her through her troubles, while they also want to hate Housemaster Vaughn for the things he does behind the girls’ backs.

Wither is a blatant attack on genetically modified organisms, while producing an extremely convincing outlook on the future. The prospect of such a future looming in front of the world is a scary possibility.

Rhine’s world is one that I hope our world will never have to experience. Only living to 20 as a woman is hard to even imagine, especially since I would only have 2 years left.

An important underlying message DeStefano writes is to enjoy every moment, whether it be big or small. With only a fourth of a normal lifespan, there’s no room to wander through life without noticing the small things.

The future is both far off, and here-and-now. The possibility of Rhine’s world becoming our own is a very real risk. So never forget to “stop and smell the roses,” because you never know when it might be your last opportunity.

The Middletown High School’s TBA Improv Troupe added five new members to its improvisational craziness.

The TBA Improv Troupe started in the summer of 2009.

Middletown High School junior Matt Gabb said, “we are just so in love with improvisational theatre…so we wanted to do more of it and be able to perform it in front of an audience and spread our passion for improv to the community, so we started the TBA Improv Troupe.”

The TBA Improv Troupe started out with six members and by June 2010 they had nine. But a few members graduated and when they started up again in fall 2010 they only had five. Then they auditioned two new members in the fall and in February 2011 the TBA Improv Troupe auditioned about 15 hopeful members and accepted five. Now the TBA Improv Troupe has a total of 12 members.

The three new members from MHS include sophomores Olivia Christ, Aaron Carlstrom and Jason Spiegel.

“I love the group dynamic we have and just getting together and having fun,” said Christ.

The two other members who were accepted into the TBA Improv Troupe attend Brunswick High School. The members include senior Kevin McCarthey and sophomore Tyler Kambis.

The TBA Improv Troupe decided to add new members because the seniors will be graduating and their last show will be in June.

“We wanted to give the new members plenty of time to adjust before we lost the seniors, so there wouldn’t be as much pressure on them starting out,” said Gabb.

This year the TBA Improv Troupe opened up the auditions to students in other schools because they are the only active high school Improv Troupe in the region.

“We knew of other kids at other schools that wanted to perform improv, but did not have the opportunity at their own school, so we gave them the opportunity here at Middletown,” said Gabb.

The TBA Improv Troupe’s next shows are on April 29 and June 3 at 7 p.m. on Knights stage and the admission is free.

By Ally Caho
Round Table reporter

Walking down the hall, the sound of holiday piano music plays in the air. On Dec. 21 the MHS Music Department presented their “A December Piano Recital”. The concert lasted the majority of first block and took place in the Middletown High School Auditorium on the Knight stage.

The students performed their favorite holiday or winter songs. The performers could also present any other songs that they felt would entertain. The songs varied from Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by H. Martian to Stairway to Heaven by Led Zepplin.

The students choose what music they would perform in early November. They’ve were working on their selections since then to perfect it for the performance. The students have been practicing alone, in groups, and with. Middletown High School choral director Lori Bower even accompanied some of the performers with their pieces.

The audience contained many family members who came to support the pianist. Also MHS science teacher Jane Brandt brought her first period chemistry class to come support some of their MHS friends and classmates.

“I think everyone performed phenomenally! I really enjoyed listening to their pieces, it really got me in the holiday spirit!” said MHS junior Bryana Duley.

“In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing.” With the grace and power of this line, Norman Maclean begins his modern classic of fiction of the American West, A River Runs Through It and Other Stories.

A River Runs Through It was written by Norman Maclean. This book is written autobiographically.

The story is about two fly-fishing sons of a Presbyterian minister in rural Montana named Norman and Paul. Norman and Paul are exact opposites; Norman is reserved where Paul is rebellious.  

Norman takes his school work and writing a bit too seriously for Paul, who would rather have a good time, drink and play cards rather than get involved with any academic study.

Norman and Paul also have different ideas of the future: Norman wants to be a college literature professor and Paul wants to stay in Montana and write for a local newspaper.

But, ironically, Paul is the better fly fisherman and in this way attains a sense of perfection.

The novel also details the Maclean boys’ involvement with a colorful group of town’s people, including a young Indian woman Paul decides to date and the defiant Jessie whom Norman later marries.

The story not only focuses on the importance of fly-fishing, religion and family but introduces the insight of Norman Maclean’s life. 

The river is the anchor of the story. It runs through the land as well as the Maclean boys’ lives.

I liked the book. My Advanced Placement Literature class was assigned to read it at home as homework.

The beginning of the book seemed a little slow as they were introducing the characters and towards the middle of the novel the words were a little difficult to decipher.

The novel is not just a book to read if you like to fish. Anyone can read it and understand the author’s message.

How to fly-fish: “The one count takes the line, leader, and fly off the water; the two count tosses them seemingly straight into the sky; the three count was my father’s way of saying that at the top the leader and fly have to be given a little beat of time to get behind the line as it is starting forward; the four count means put on the power and throw the line into the rod until you reach ten o’clock-then check-cast, let the fly and leader get ahead of the line, and coast to a soft and perfect landing.”

Middletown High School’s Marching Knights will march their way down the streets of Middletown, Braddock Heights and Myersville. With their hats in hand, uniforms shining in the sun and glowing smiles on their faces, don’t be surprised when they come knocking on your door.

The Marching Knights will be doing their annual “Tag Day” on Nov. 20 and 21. Tag Day is a fund raiser in which students will be asking for donations to support the band. Tag Day has been held since 1996 and the event is very successful.

Some of the money does go toward students to help pay for their spring trip to New York or other events. Students need to pay $200 for the trip, so Tag Day is the perfect choice to fundraise for this money.

Students like Tag Day because they earn money and have a chance to be with their friends and help the band out.

“It is fun being with friends and collecting money. It really helps the band a lot,” said Middletown High School sophomore Ryan Nau.

The Marching Knights hope for big donations but know that it will decrease this year because of the economy.

MHS sophomore Tisa Mullins said, “I think it will be successful because it has in the past couple of years; however, with the economy, the amount donated may decrease this year. It definitely will not pay for the whole trip, but it will help with our expenses.”

Marching Knights seniors normally aren’t involved in Tag Day since they won’t be returning next year. But since the band is going to New York, it changes their attitudes about becoming more involved.

MHS senior Noah Denier said,” I want to go to New York so the money from Tag Day will help pay for it. I wasn’t going to do it because I won’t be here next year, but I want to support the band and raise money for New York.”

While in New York, the band will tour Ground Zero, Battery Park and the WTC Memorial. The students will have a chance to eat lunch at South Street Market and see an afternoon performance of “Mary Poppins.”

After the Broadway performance, the students will shop around Times Square and finish off will a dinner at Bubba Gump’s. Although the band will not be performing in New York, students think that the trip will be very beneficial.

Contributors who donate $100 or more will be recognized on a plaque in the MHS band room. Tag Day is also tax deductible so by donating it also helps the contributor as well.

“The band is awesome and people will want to help the band out by giving us money on Tag Day,” said MHS sophomore Maggie Miller.

People can grow up in small towns, with tons of history, and not even know about it. Middletown Valley is enriched with history, involved in both the American Revolution and the Civil War, the only wars fought on American soil right in our home town, but yet people come and grow without knowing any of the events here.  

In the fictional town of Gatlin, the people are all about the War Between the States, otherwise known as the Civil War. The Daughters of the Revolution run strong, and basically have control over the entire town.

In the book Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Ethan Wate lives in Gatlin, where Southern pride runs deep. Recently Ethan is having strange dreams about a girl slipping through his arms, and waking up with mud of the nightmare in his bed. He cannot understand the visions.

On the first day of school, he expects everything to be normal, but for the first time in a very long time there is a new girl. After searching to find out who she is, Ethan realizes that it is the girl in his nightmares. When he approaches her about it though, she denies every word.

In small country towns, if you are out of the ordinary, you are not welcome. Lena Duchannes is not normal. She does not strive to be a cheerleader, she does not act like all the other girls and she lives with the town’s recluse, Macon Ravenwood. This causes her to receive endless torment from the popular girls in the school.

However, strange things start happening around Lena. When a window breaks mysteriously, Ethan knows something is going on. He is drawn to her, and time after time when she denies him, he refuses to give up.

Eventually Lena gives in and allows Ethan to grow close to her. As their relationship grows, so does his knowledge of who she is, and who her family is. When all the secrets are told, Ethan is caught in the darkness of a world he never knew.

Garcia and Stohl write in Ethan’s point of view. The reader experiences everything that Ethan does: his anger, his fear and his feelings for Lena. The emotions in the book are strong and clear, and ring out to all who read it.

My favorite part of Beautiful Creatures is how Garcia and Stohl write in the dialect of southern people. The dialect makes it seem like the story is alive, and the reader can almost hear Amma speaking to Ethan as she scolds him.

Beautiful Creatures teaches to not only allow yourself to choose your own destiny, but to know about where you came from.

“Just because you live in the middle of nowhere doesn’t mean you can’t know where you live.”