Amanda Jimenez

Movie Review

               The movie I am choosing to review is Red Lights, starring Sigourney Weaver and Robert De Niro. This movie is about a psychologist named Margaret (Sigourney Weaver), whom investigates in paranormal activity. Margaret has a son in a coma which he will not wake up from, and she is conflicted about whether or not to let machines keep him alive any longer. So Margaret goes on this journey along with her assistant Tom (Cillian Murphy), disproving announced psychics, and secretly hoping to find evidence of an afterlife for her son’s sake. However, there is one psychic Margaret has not been able to discover the truth about, Simon Silver (Robert De Niro). Simon Silver is a well-known blind psychic who hasn’t been proven to be a fake. Then Margaret suddenly dies, and as a result of her death Tom continues her work and tries to find the truth about Simon Silver.

               This movie is intriguing from the moment it begins. Margaret is a very talented psychologist and very observant. From the beginning of the movie she pulls apart fact from fiction, and catches every slight piece of evidence proving these so called psychics are phony. It isn’t until she comes across an announced psychic and can’t figure out how he does what he does. She warns Tom he is a tricky one, and to leave him alone. But Tom’s curiosity gets the better of him, and he goes through very bizarre adventures. Throughout the rest of the movie, you are trying to figure out if Simon is a real psychic or if he is faking everyone out. There are certain things he does such as bending a spoon in half using only two fingers, or imprinting his thoughts on pictures from a camera. Also, he has a gift of being able to see things, even though he cannot see. Tom goes almost insane trying to figure out what we, the audience, are trying to figure out. It isn’t until the end when Tom comes to his final conclusion. I do not want to spoil the ending, so all I can say is he finds out if Simon is a liar, or if he is telling the truth. But at the end of the movie, it makes you wonder if Tom himself was a psychic all along. This ending is what makes this movie worth seeing. Although this movie is about exposing fake psychics, you can’t help but wonder if there are real psychics out there. It makes you wonder how to be certain about an afterlife. Do we see only things we want to see? Or does the fact that we can prove them wrong mean there may not be a supernatural world?

Amanda Jimenez

Fast Food Nation

               The book Fast Food Nation was a great eye opener. It made me realize what I was really contributing to when I ate a fast food meal. I am glad to say I haven’t eaten at McDonalds in over ten years, and will continue not to do so for the rest of my life. After reading this book I will also not work at a fast food restaurant, nor have I ever worked at one before. I want to cut off my connection to fast food as much as possible after acquiring this information. I feel guilt and disgust when I think about fast food and it feels wrong to contribute to this industry. I am still not sure if I want to become a complete vegetarian, but I am leaning toward that option. Becoming a vegetarian seems like a good lifestyle because of the fact that it’s a healthier choice, and I won’t be supporting the slaughtering of animals. After reading how these animals are treated, I am unable to look at burgers and meat in general the same. It seems the meat people consume everyday is unsanitary and dangerous. Moreover, I am a big animal lover myself, and it is why I can only eat meat once in a while, if I don’t think of where it came from. Finally, I want to be able to support groups whom are against all the wrongful doings of the fast food industry. I will be on the lookout for laws that can be passed to protect Americans from the fast food industry. Also, I will do my part and vote for any of these laws, as well as pass along the information I learned from the book or any other type of research I find.

Amanda Jimenez

First off, the truth was that I attended a cruise on my sixteenth birthday.

My Semester

               The start of my semester was surprisingly easy and made me happy. All my classes end before one o’clock, and all my teachers are pleasant and are very good teachers. I am taking Philosophy, Math, and English. All three classes have a fair amount of work and homework, but different levels of difficulty. So far the class I seem to be having trouble with the most is my philosophy class. The title lead me to believe it would be easy, but the concept is hard to grasp. I am not used to thinking in several different ways, and find it hard to dig deep into my own thoughts and put them on paper. Also, the different types of philosophies are interesting to learn, but difficult to practice. In my class the objective is to try and find answers, and the truth. But to be honest, I’m not sure if and where it ends or begins. However, hopefully towards the end of this month, I can improve as a philosopher, and apply what I have learned to my everyday life. Another class I enjoy taking, and is a lot more relaxing for me, is my math class. Unfortunately the assessment I took for my math portion ended up placing me in an easier math then I needed. However, it is always good to review, so I chose to stay and better prepare myself for the next level. I am very glad I did so, because I really enjoy my math class. My teacher has a great sense of humor, along with my fellow classmates. Several students and the teacher crack jokes and make the class time more bearable. Even though there is laughter during class, my classmates and I know when to settle down and let our math teacher fill us with knowledge. He is a great teacher with a lot of enthusiasm, and it helps me learn better. Finally, there is my English class. I have to say I have learned a lot from my English class these past months. There is much more writing involved then I had expected, but I know it is for a good reason. I enjoy my English class because of the students and teacher. The students in my class are very open-minded and eager to learn. My teacher is funny, nice, and teaches each lesson very well. She has made writing less painful, and sometimes fun. This has encouraged me to learn all I can, and hopefully improve on my reading and writing skills for my future college courses. Although I am enjoying the classes I have now, the workload can be difficult at times when combined with work and family. It can get stressful and complicated, but I know not to quit and to keep moving forward. I always try to keep positive thoughts in my head, and keep in mind the goal I want to achieve. The most important thing I remember is that it will eventually pay off in the future.