The topics were picked at the tip of a hat! Maya Narayanasamy and Alice Ramos wrote down topics, put them in a hat, and let it do its magic. Sit down, grab a cup of coffee, and read about shows, movies, books, and more.

School Books
Narayanasamy: I don’t understand how they determine what books are the best for high schoolers to read. There are so many books we as students are missing out on, just based on how we choose our school books. Not enough people are aware of the classics or have a wide literary knowledge. I mean, they have Shiver. That book is terrible. It has no substance to the point where it doesn’t satisfy a reader. I honestly would rather throw myself out of Svinny’s window than read that book again.
Ramos: The whole adult theme thing makes me angry. Deciding whether or not a book is appropriate for school when we’re trying to become mature adults, is just ridiculous.
Narayanasamy: For example, The Color Purple has a rape scene within the first page of it, but that doesn’t take away from its importance and its depth. There’s no need to be squeamish about it. A lot of the books that we read now a days, they’re entertaining but they don’t hold any substance whatsoever.
Ramos: Like John Green, with Paper Towns. It could be improved in the writing, for sure.
Narayanasamy: It’s like eating a single oreo cookie. It doesn’t offer you anything of nutritional value while The Color Purple is a three course meal… with steak… I love steak… medium rare.

The Good Doctor
Narayanasamy: I heard the show is really good.
Ramos: It’s so good. So, I watched the first episode because it just came out, and basically it’s about this autistic doctor and how there’s this whole stereotype that autistic people can’t be surgeons.
Narayanasamy: Or just people that have a disability or a mental illness.
Ramos: Yeah! And it kind of breaks this stereotype that all mental illnesses are just “illnesses” in all aspects. Something an autistic person can see, is usually not something a “normal” person can see. In the show, he has super refined senses, so when he saves this kid in an airport he rides in the ambulance with him and sees a tiny shift in the EKG heart monitor. When he told the other doctor, he dismissed it since he didn’t see the change. When the surgery started going downhill, they called him panicking and he went to give his genius expertise, even though the other surgeons were being cold towards him for his disability. The pilot is about how they don’t want to hire him and decide to give him a chance after he saves this child. I’m excited to see where the show is gonna take you.
Narayanasamy: I’m happy there’s a show that disproves the whole belief that people who have certain labels are less capable.

Mother!
Ramos: Oooooh. I heard it was really good.
Narayanasamy: I heard it was really bad.
Ramos: Well, usually when books are turned into a movie, you can tell the quality of the movie is worse. But this one seems so philosophical and there are things hidden inside the actual visual representation. Well I don’t know if it was a book first, but the movie seems so deep and meaningful in a way that books usually are.
Narayanasamy: Honestly, I don’t think that it was Jennifer Lawrence’s best performance.
Ramos: Well, isn’t she supposed to be going crazy?
Narayanasamy: I didn’t really get any of that.
Ramos: I liked the trailers because they were vague and made me wanna see more. It could be that the trailer is just really good and when you go to watch it, it just disappoints you.
Narayanasamy: I heard that Jennifer Lawrence is dating the director and he’s like two decades older than her.
Ramos: Ew!
Narayanasamy: Like JLaw, you could do so much better….
Ramos: Oh did you know the director did Black Swan? It was a really good movie. Mother! Is probably one of those movies that half the audience gets and the other half doesn’t because it’s so deep.

It
Narayanasamy: I hate clowns, I hate this topic. I love Stephen King. I’ve read plenty of his books, he’s amazing.
Ramos: There’s just so much to say about this movie and…
Narayanasamy: I hate it.
Ramos: Okay, well you can’t just focus on the clown. Have you watched the movie?
Narayanasamy: I watched the original when I was four! I’m still scarred.
Ramos: Well, I watched the new one and I really liked how so many things could be connected to the clown. In the end, the movie kind of eluded that the clown is fear and if you’re not scared of it, it dies or loses. The fear is what he feeds on so you can’t let it rule your life.
Narayanasamy: I hate clowns. I am afraid.
Ramos: I just thought the movie itself was a balance between comedy and horror. It wasn’t scary, it just made you think and it was cool.
Narayanasamy: Are you trying to say that It was a comedy?
Ramos: It was funny! There were so many jokes.
Narayanasamy: I am afraid. I would cry when Ronald McDonald from McDonald’s came on TV.

(To read the rest of the story, pick up a copy of the Hawkeye at a newsstand near the main office or the media center.)