I started off by asking about his experience as a Harriton gym tryer. He told me that dodgeball was his favorite sport, though he always enjoyed a good game of Tchoukball. “Mr. Papsin was my role model, so since 6th grade I wanted to put in as much effort as I could in positively everything I did.”

However, his efforts became a disadvantage and it backfired on him in 2006 in his first office position. “So, I was in the office,” he said, “and I saw one of my coworkers handing a cup of coffee to the boss. Something came over me; I don’t know what it was, but I before I knew it, the coffee was on the ground and I was shouting “INTERCEPTION!”

I asked what had sparked this incident, and he responded, “I don’t know! I just had this sensation sweep over me. It was like a euphoria that drove me to display my athletic talents in an inappropriate time and place. I saw our boss about to get the coffee and I just thought, I must stop this or we’ll lose the game! I don’t even know what game we were going to lose; I just knew it was important!” Luckily, his boss was a former gym tryer as well and understood the situation.

However, his hyper competitive spirit broke through in an unfortunate way a few months later.
He explained, “I was getting ready for bed a few weeks ago when my wife jokingly threw a pillow at me because she wanted to sleep and I was being slow. Soon, a small joking pillow fight ensued. Of course it was all meant to be fun, and no harm was meant. I went to hit her again but this time there was no joke. She now has a concussion. Of course I had no intention of hurting her, it was all cute and flirty, until I got into the heat of the moment. I just felt like it was becoming a competition and if I didn’t go hard I would have to go home.”
He continued, “I feel like I need to win at everything! Even things I’m not supposed to win at! Like Jumping or Waving! And Yelling! I need to WIN AT YELLING.”
“But don’t you think that’s irrational?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he responded, “It seems rational to me. Here’s another example. So a few years ago I started working for a pharmaceutical company as a researcher. I was working on a project I’ve been involved with for a while and I noticed my co-worker Jim was taking pipettes from the wrong box. His box was on the other side of the room, and I knew it didn’t make much of a difference, but rules were rules.”

I asked how this made him feel. He replied, “I felt like he was getting an unfair advantage because I was following the rules and getting pipettes from the other side of the room. So I told him so. He told me to ‘Chill Out.’ That snapped something in me, and I just lost it. I felt like I was being reasonable, following the rules, keeping everything fair. Then he told ME to chill, and it just made me so furious that someone could not care about the rules like I do.”

He concluded the interview saying, “I love competition. It drives me to do better, and so it gets out of hand sometimes. So what? Still… I hope my wife will talk to me again.”

The only issue seems to be that no one else was informed. “Until I see documentation, this is a non-starter,” said another freshman, ignoring Harris’ threats. The position, largely honorary, has been filled by prominent bullies of Harriton’s past, all of whom filled out the required paperwork and had parental signatures present (none were over eighteen at their time of ascent).

According to Harris’ parents, “Jake’s always been pretty well-behaved; I just can’t understand why he did not follow through with the paperwork. Why won’t he talk to us about these things; he’s usually so open with us. We’re worried about him.”

Since the departure of senior Matt Leguardia, Harriton’s most recent school bully, Harris has been eyeing the spot eagerly. Sophomore Tyler Garret was another contender for the spot. Regarding his drop out from the race, he made this statement: “Naw, das drawlin’! Sike I don’t even care; they whylin’!” Our Linguistics Team is currently working on a translation.
In a statement to Harriton’s student population, Harris reassured the public that, “things should go on as they were before. We lost an important member of our community; however, I will carry on his responsibilities as he would have, and we wish him the best of luck bullying adults in a real world setting.”

This proclamation, uncertified by the Harriton Department of Clichés, went unnoticed and was not distributed to students during their Advisory period, as is protocol (according to the committee’s bylaws, Article IV, Section II).

There has been concern expressed by Harriton community members about Harris’ legitimacy, but T-Rock (a member of Harris’ self-appointed “posse”) released this statement, unofficially, via Twitter: “Jake’s chill. And Lol my Spanish teachers so drawl”. One student in particular seemed to take a different stance, and posted on his Facebook, “I won’t believe in anyone new until I see the paperwork. Long live Laguardia!”

“Please don’t use my name,” added fellow freshman, Martin Bloom, of 18 E. Black Rock Rd North, Gladwyne, PA (right near the gas station).

In an interview with Harris, it was revealed that Harris’ new title might simply be in place to avoid being bullied himself. Harris admitted that he “sort of used to wear socks with sandals in middle school” and wanted to make sure he headed off any problems when he arrived at Harriton.

Say what? Yes, invisible. You know the drill. But have you realized the full potential of this beauteous tool? It’s not just for avoiding awkward conversations with ex-boyfriends, it can be utilized in such a way to facilitate avoiding all people. I myself only go on the available setting on any networking device between the hours of 4:15 and 4:30 pm on alternate Thursdays, just to switch things up a bit. That is how much I like being invisible, and I hope you learn to appreciate it as well.

One of the most obvious reasons for my hidden nature is that it allows one to selectively choose who one deigns to talk to. Gone are the days when you just wanted to ask that one person a question at 10:00 pm and then suddenly seven extraneous people try to talk to you at once (for the sake of this argument, it is assumed that everyone is as popular as me). Now you can talk to one person and one person only. Added bonus: since your friends will know that you are invisible and therefore choose who you want to talk to, they will feel extraspecial when they realize they are a member of the Elite Few.

Conclusion: Being Invisible is the best. 10 / 10 stars.

The first book in the series, “A Game of Thrones,” hails from a world far, far away which seems to be experiencing its own version of the medieval period.

There are knights and ladies a plenty, along with dethroned princes, mysterious eunuchs, and ancient brotherhoods, but this book surpasses the average “Kill-the-wizard-save-the-princess” fantasy book by a long shot, because behind the fearless knight, is a heartbreaking story; behind the beautiful lady, is a Machiavellian mastermind; behind the dethroned prince, is a desperate fool who just wants his kingdom back.

This book and the ones that follow it do more than take you to a world that astounds and surprises at every turn: it tells the story of the people as much as the events.

Everyone has his or her own favorite character that he or she loves to root for, which makes it hard when characters die, which is common (it’s not quite “Hamlet,” but it’s close).

The narrative is told through the eyes of several different characters; eight, to be exact. This is done simply because the plot is too big to be seen by only one person.

The story’s tendrils stretch from Winterfell, the stronghold of the honorable house Stark, to the country’s capital in the south – filled with scheming courtiers and ubiquitous spies – across an ocean where an exiled king sells his sister in return for an army, to the frozen north where a brotherhood of watchmen guard the realm from undead monsters.

This writing style gives you the sense that the story is one enormous puzzle that’s put together, piece-by-piece, as you read.

The plot in “A Game of Thrones” spins all of the unforgettable characters together in an intricate tapestry of murder, secrets, kings, and civil war. The main overreaching plot in “A Game of Thrones” is a war between two powerful families that will determine the fate of The Seven Kingdoms, but rest assured that this is far from the only plot contained in the nine-hundred-odd pages of the book.

There are so many diverse plots and characters that you feel as if you’re reading several different books, instead of just one. There are plot twists galore in this novel, some which are more predictable than others; from opportunistic betrayals to surprise beheadings, this book won’t cease to surprise you (or at least attempt to).

I am staunchly opposed to the idea that there are no ‘good guys’ or ‘bad guys’ in “A Game of Thrones,” a notion that I have heard several times before.

There is no mistaking Bronn, a mercenary with all the empathy of a brick, for a good person (although he does make a very good character).

No, the thing about “A Game of Thrones” is that the ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ are scattered across every side of the enormous conflict. I think that this, in itself, is a comment on war, saying that no army made entirely of devils, and no army is entirely made of angels.

Keep in mind that this is not a book to read to your little sister; in addition to frequent profanity, there is matter-of-fact sexuality throughout the book that only increases as the series continues.

There is also much violence in the novel, as is to be expected from a fantasy book. The violence and sexuality are intensified by the high quality of the writing – writing on a par, some have said, with literary giants like Charles Dickens or fantasy legends like J.R.R. Tolkein.

There are some drawbacks to the novel; it is very long, (it took me months to read, albeit I am a very slow reader). It can be tedious at times (do we really need to know every course of the banquet?), and it is also very complex, requiring a lot of attention and memory.
I may not stand for everyone here, but when I read “A Game of Thrones,” the story, and the world it was set in, gripped my mind in the way toddlers become obsessed with fire engines or race cars.

While I was reading it, every butter knife I touched was Valyrian steel (a magically sharp type of metal), and every howl in the night came from a direwolf (a race of wolves the size of horses). It filled me with the kind of excitement that you get from a great story told by a great storyteller.

This season, however leaves me unsure as to whether I even like the show anymore – let alone as to whether I want to take the time to watch it.

Over the summer, Fox and the “Glee” creators made it sound as if this season would be the one to watch, but I’ve been utterly disappointed.

My favorite characters, Mercedes Jones and the adorable couple of Mike and Tina, were promised more screen time this season. While they did indeed get plenty of onscreen action, it was definitely not the type I would want to watch.

To start off, we were able to hear more about Mike and Tina’s relationship and family life. That was great, but Mike’s parents, unfortunately, had the stereotypical Asian family dynamic to a ‘T.’

In a show that strives, amongst many other things, to eliminate and teach against stereotypes, I found it absolutely ridiculous that they would portray such a blatant and offensive stereotype.

The second thing I found absolutely preposterous was the fact that once they finally gave Mercedes more screen time and more of a back-story, her character became an absolute shrew. She went from confident, driven, and sweet to mean, nasty, and spiteful.

While I love character change, development, and maturity, there is nothing mature about how Mercedes is acting. She even left the glee club when she felt that she wasn’t getting as many solos as she deserved. What could be more childish than that?

And it’s not just Mercedes – about half of the main characters are behaving in an absolutely deplorable manner. It seems as if every vile and mean thing someone could think of is being done on “Glee.”

Of course, a show targeted at teenage girls is always going to have some level of drama and angst, but last time I checked, this wasn’t “Degrassi.”

I find the drama as cliché as it is annoying.

The melodrama and the character underdevelopment comes off as a cheap and easy way to stir the audience into coming back to see the fate of their favorite character. What makes the whole thing worse is that by the end of the season, everyone will be best friends again – all the drama is totally unnecessary.

Besides maintaining the regular characters, “Glee” has turned into a completely different show. The die-hard “Glee” fans will stick around, watch the show, and buy the music, simply because it is “Glee.”

It seems like since the amazing, climatic ending of the first season, “Glee” has been on a slow and painful downward spiral; almost all of the things that I truly loved about “Glee” – lovable characters, the sense of family, and kick-butt songs – are gone.

It hasn’t gotten to the point where I want to completely abandon the show all together, but I’m putting “Glee” on probation, so to speak.

I had such high hopes for this season but am sadly disappointed the with the mediocrity and the travesty that tries to come off as a copy of the once great “Glee.”

Coldplay has managed to change its sound while remaining consistently good. On their new CD, “Mylo Xyloto,” Chris Martin and Co. embrace the rhythm-filled sound that was hinted at on “Viva La Vida.”

The arena rock that Coldplay has been known for, yet never really strived for, comes out in full force on “Mylo Xyloto.” Tracks like “Paradise” and the Rihanna-assisted “Princess of China” are full of the upbeat sound that Coldplay is shooting for.

That being said, the Coldplay of the late 1990s and early 2000s makes an appearance in “Us Against the World” and “U.F.O.” Overall, “Mylo Xyloto” is a good album by a great band.

Many older Coldplay fans will be slightly disappointed with the end result. It’s impressive that a group can change so much and still create good music and good albums, but “Mylo Xyloto” leaves you wanting something more.

At times, it feels slightly overproduced. Songs like “Charlie Brown,” in which Martin’s voice is sped up at certain parts to sound like a hamster, seem forced and unnecessary.

It is a concept album, Coldplay’s first, that tells the love story of two people – Mylo and Xyloto – with a happy ending, and this method leaves the listener detached from the story, a bystander to what is happening.

In earlier Coldplay, you can hear and feel the pain of what Chris Martin sings. The emotional depth is what made so many love them, and “Mylo Xyloto” noticeably lacks this. The overproduced nature of the songs seems detached when compared to the personal, stripped down songs of Coldplay’s past.

What Coldplay loses, it tries to make up for in raw entertainment. The more beat-driven sound is new to the band and still a work in progress, but it’s a good first step.

Overall, “Mylo Xyloto” is an album to be enjoyed, but for different reasons then previous works by the band. Coldplay fans should expect something new from the musicians – something different, but if given a chance, something very enjoyable.

Although I went into the theater liking the leading actor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, from his performance in “500 Days of Summer,” I didn’t expect to enjoy the film nearly as much as I did. It was hilarious, heartfelt, and had wonderful actors. There certainly wasn’t an issue of whether or not the viewer would be on Adam’s side – you really root for him throughout the entire film; you really do want him to be okay, not just for his sake, but for his friends and family, who won over your heart as well.

The movie begins as Adam Lerner, played by the lovable Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is sent to the on oncologist due to a pain in his back that won’t go away. The doctor seems to be almost deliberately sadistic, spitting out a series of frightening-sounding medical terms, leaving Adam staring back with a blank expression.

Adam is 27 years old when he is diagnosed with cancer, and he is left in complete shock. (“Me? That doesn’t make any sense though, I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I… recycle.”)
The film is about the way Adam’s friends and family respond to his grim diagnosis, and, of course, Adam’s trials along the way. Adam’s mother Diane, played by Anjelica Huston, is very sweet, and possibly too supportive by offering to move in with him, despite his kind words pleading her not to.

Adam’s inexperienced therapist Katherine, played by Anna Kendrick, is very young and charming, and she understands what he’s going through more than he would like to admit.
Seth Rogan plays Kyle, the affable, caring, omnipresent best friend with a vulgar sense of humor. I am not Rogan’s biggest fan; the characters he plays are all very similar, but I found his role as Adam’s best friend necessary to the plot.

The film was refreshing, because nearly every aspect of it is unexpected. This hasn’t really been done before; it’s a comedy where the main character is dying from cancer.

After hearing the news, Kyle remarked, “If you were a casino game you’d have the best odds!”
There were definitely low points throughout the film, but Kyle always brought up the mood. When Adam is overwhelmed by grief and bewilderment, Kyle assures him that everything will be fine and tells a series of crass jokes to make his friend smile.

Kyle lacks the capacity to communicate on a serious level most of the time, but it is quickly shown how greatly Adam’s illness has affected Kyle.

Adam has every reason to be depressed, afraid, dejected, and completely cut off from the rest of the world, and yet—he isn’t. He truly does try to make the best of the situation.

As Katherine, Adam’s therapist, told him at the very beginning of the film, “You can’t change your situation, the only thing you can change is how you choose to deal with it.”
With help from the therapist, and from his friend and mother, Adam deals with it in a way that is both realistic and uplifting.

As a big fan of their music, I was ecstatic to meet them and to finally listen to their music live. So on Friday, I headed down to the studios in Philadelphia. We sat in a small studio used for broadcasting, small live shows, and talk show sessions. The band came in and performed three great songs: “How to Save a Life,” “You Found Me.” and their new single, “Heartbeat.”

The band was fantastic live, their voices sounded great, and their songs were amazing. Between each song, they had a question-and-answer session, and all four of them were hilarious and great guys. After their session, we were lined up and got to talk to them for a brief moment and take a picture. They were nice and cool, and thanked us for coming to see them play.

Overall, the performance was fantastic, and it really showed that they were a genuine band with a real, unique sound. I would recommend that all non-fans start listening to their music, and that all fans make sure to listen to their new hit, “Heartbeat.” For anyone who would like to hear new music from them, the band is coming out with a new album, “Scars & Stories,” on February 7, 2012.

Harriton Banner: What’s the hardest part about working on this show?
Jake Ohlbaum: I’d say there’s two parts. Turning a one-act musical into a two-act musical is pretty difficult. We want the show to have the same fast-paced rhythm,but we don’t want to get the audience in and out too quickly. It’s basically adding an intermission where there never was one, and making sure it makes sense. The other challenge is finding a medium between personifying the island culture as well as making sure our acting doesn’t offend anyone of that culture. It’s like, we have to make sure that we’re letting the audience know who we are and where this is taking place, but we want our roles to be of “characters,” not “caricatures.”

HB: What makes this musical different from other musicals you have been in?
JO: Well, for one, I’m a senior. There’s a different attitude that comes with that, I think. I’m less worried about my performance or the performance of a specific scene; I’m more worried about making sure everyone has an awesome experience and that our show as a whole is amazing. Another thing that’s different is for the first time I’m playing a character that is so much fun to “create.” My part doesn’t carry the show or have any unbelievable showcase numbers, but he’s so much fun. I love being able to explore costume and make-up ideas and just mess around. I’ve never gotten to do that before in a show.

HB: What makes this character different from other roles you have played?
JO: Although I’ve played the character that nobody likes before, this guy is much more complex. That’s probably because Papa Ge is a god, not an actual person. He has fun manipulating the fates of the characters; he and the other gods sort of ‘play chess’ with the events in the show. He’s also pretty smart. He’s a shrewd politician, I suppose.

HB: What’s it like to play the villain?
JO: It’s awesome. I have an evil laugh, terrifying make-up and everything. It’s so much fun to “strap-in” and play Papa Ge. It’s extremely empowering.

HB: How are you making this character your own?
JO: I’m glad I get to play this role as a senior. I’m not really a theater “veteran,” but I feel like I wouldn’t be able to do this role justice in any other year. I’ve played characters who support the leads, who are the leads, and I’ve been in the ensemble. In a way, this character calls for all of them. I watch YouTube videos constantly of other past Papa Ge’s and I’m still sort of trying to find a way to blend all of those with my personality. Because I’m so short, my voice, and my acting, and my physical motions have to be so much bigger if I want to make the impact on the audience that the God of Death should.

HB: What is your favorite part of the show? Why?
JO: I guess my favorite part is the beginning. It’s pretty epic. I love shows that just start right up. No overture, no real exposition other than the opening monologue. Our show starts with a bang (literally, it’s a storm). That’s my favorite part. Either that, or the Papa Ge scenes. I love being scary.

HB: What do you want the audience to come away with after seeing this show?
JO: Obviously, I want them to like it. More than that, I want them to see us as a more versatile theater company. This show is much different from other ones we’ve done. It’s not really a rock musical; it’s not really a drama or comedy. I guess I want them to feel a whole variety of things. Not many shows evoke as many feelings as this does. I hope they’re scared, romanced, moved, and exhilarated all at once.

To Piper, singing is more than just a pastime – it is a lifestyle. Piper realized her natural talent for music at an early age. “I have always loved singing; it is something that I feel everyone could relate to,” says Majors. Studying voice for the past seven years with her beloved voice coach, Lisa Wilson, Piper has been able to improve her singing and pursue her passion. Although her strong, soprano voice lends itself to the styles of classical and opera, which are her main musical focuses, Piper also enjoys singing different styles of music, such as musical theater and jazz.

Musical theater comes as second nature to Piper. She has participated in Fiddler on the Roof, twice in Once On This Island, The All Night Strut, Into the Woods, Aladdin, and Little Shop of Horrors. Starring as Erzulie in Once On This Island, the beautiful Goddess of Love, Piper will make her first debut in a HTC production.

Not only does Piper study voice and participate in shows, but she also sings competitively. During competitions, each singer is given a time for an audition. Singers prepare three songs to sing for a selected panel of judges. Contestants choose their favorite song of the three, and the judges choose one song of the remaining two. After the audition, like any competition, contestants must painfully wait for their results. Singers who are finalists move on to the next round which is a concert. It is there that they are awarded first, second, or third place.

Most of us have probably never attended a singing competition. “Singing competitively is very unnerving, but it is undeniably an amazing experience,” remarks Piper. The intense atmosphere is easily comparable to that of any competitive sporting event. Almost everyone who participates in competitions are extremely talented and dedicated to their singing. Rehearsing pieces takes hours of practice and may seem repetitive or tedious at time, but in the end, at least in Piper’s case, it does pay off.

On Saturday, October 29, Piper took part in a singing competition in the high school classical division. The pieces she sang in the competition were “I Attempt From Loves Sickness to Fly” by Henry Purcell, Ricky Ian Gordon’s “Will There Really Be A Morning, “ and “O del Mio Dolce Ardor” by Von Gluck. Not surprisingly, Piper finished as a semi – finalist, which is equivalent to receiving a silver medal.

Although transitioning from one high school to another is seemingly difficult, Piper has undertaken this challenge with ease. “The transition from Shipley to Harriton was surprisingly easygoing. Everyone is very welcoming and since there is a wide variety of people that attend Harriton, it is impossible not to find someone with the same interests as you,” comments Majors. She is very pleased to be attending a school with such a cohesive and friendly student body. Piper did not hesitate to jump into extracurricular activities and Harriton and it involved with HTC’s fall production of Once On This Island.

Piper participates in musical activities as much as possible and has taken advantage of the music program at Harriton. As a new addition to HTC, Piper serves as a role model for the underclassmen. Her dedication and passion for music is truly exemplary. Piper is part of Mr. Joseph’s IB Music class, as well as Mr. Bizich’s concert choir. IB Music is a course designed to teach students music theory and to allow them to practice and compose their own music. Piper is further continuing her musical education in this course. Concert choir allows Piper to sing during a class almost every day – what more could she ask for?
Are you wondering who inspires an opera singer like Piper? Natalie Dessay, Florence and the Machine, Jesca Hoop, and Sia are among a few of Piper’s musical inspirations. Piper mainly listens to alternative and indie music. She has reported that the most recent artists she has listened to on her iPod are Tune – Yards, Yeasayer, Beirut, Foster the People, and Noah and the Whale.
With a talent like Piper’s, the only logical explanation is to pursue it throughout the rest of her life. Applying to liberal arts colleges, Majors plans to study music and partake in musical endeavors in her college experience. She plans to push herself as far as she can go to pursue her dream. “I plan to further my music career even out of college, as far as I can take it,” says Piper.
With the rapid approach of HTC’s fall production, the cast and crew are preparing themselves for yet another fabulous and successful show. Starting November 17 and continuing through November 20, HTC will perform the mystical Once On This Island. Once On This Island is an engaging, heart – breaking love story that will get you dancing to the upbeat island music! Come out and see Piper as Erzulie, the beautiful Goddess of love, and witness her indescribable talents firsthand! After all, as Piper says, “no matter where you are from or who your friends are music is something everyone can have and enjoy.”