Order a Coe-Brown Northwood Academy Yearbook for your student!

Quantities are limitedPlease order by Friday, January 24, 2020 to ensure you get a copy.

  • Please be advised that orders will not be accepted after Friday, January 24th. There is no guarantee that you will be able to get a book if you do not place an order by this deadline.
  • All yearbook orders automatically include the 32-page Spring Supplement, which has everything in it that occurs after our final submission deadline (Prom, Spring Sports, Concerts, Plays, Graduation/Baccalaureate, etc.). The supplement does not print until the summer and is sent home to seniors that have graduated. All others are distributed when students return to classes in August. If you do NOT want the spring supplement you can enter the coupon code NO_SUPPLEMENT at checkout to remove the supplement from your order. This will reduce the price by $16.

To Order – Go to yearbookforever.com, make sure you have selected Coe Brown Northwood Academy, choose any additional options you may want, enter your information, and pay with credit card, debit card or PayPal.

Please feel free to contact either Michael Clauss (mclauss@coebrown.org) or Kathy Biery (kbiery@coebrown.org) if you have any questions regarding the ordering process.

 

Kind regards,

Michael Clauss and Kathy Biery

Advisors of the Coe-Brown Northwood Academy Yearbook

‘Let it Snow’ Movie Review and ‘Jaws’ Book Review

Let Go Of Let it Snow  

Wednesday afternoon, I grabbed a blanket and settled into my couch to watch Let it Snow, the newly movie adapted version of the book Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances written by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle. I was excited to watch this new Netflix movie, I knew it was going to be cheesy and had 75% Rotten Tomatoes rate but I thought maybe it had some promise.

Within the first thirty minutes I was let down. Not only were the characters stale, but the stories were overworked cliches with drama that seemed drawn out and overblown. I waited an hour and thirty-three minutes, hoping and praying that maybe the cliche tales would be wrapped up uniquely, in a way that would separate Let it Snow from the Hallmark Channel’s Christmas romances, but how I was wrong.

There are three stories that are happening over the course of this movie and they are stitched together to create a Frankenstein-esque monstrosity. In the first tale, Tobin, played here by Mitchell Hope, has to find a way to tell his best friend the Duke, played by Kiernan Shipka, that he is in love with her, but several setbacks stop him from doing so. During one portion of this movie they sing a tacky and out of place duet of “Whole of the Moon” originally sung by the Waterboys. 

Liv Hewson’s character, Dorrie, must confront a visiting cheerleader girl named Tegan, played by Anna Akana, who she likes on why she won’t acknowledge her. Their romance is refreshing in one sense as they are LGBTQ+ characters in love, but dull in that there is little to no characterization or originality in their storyline.

Julie, Isabela Merced’s character, is a girl struggling to face the real world and decide between going to college and staying to take care of her sick mother. She is about to leave on a train where she meets the new rising popstar Stuart Bale, she is annoyed by his presence and continues on her way. Minutes later she learns that the train is stuck because of snow on the tracks and gets off the train to go home where she is followed by Stuart. They are only walking for a minute when Julie says, “I got into Columbia (University). In New York. Also my mom is sick,”(Let it Snow). Are we supposed to believe that people just tell strangers about their innermost dilemmas within seconds of meeting? Julie jumps from being annoyed with Stuart for his fame to being a giggly schoolgirl over him within seconds.

Sure everyone gets their happy ending but it leaves the viewer with several questions: Will Julie go to college? How will she take care of her mother? How did Stuart get away from his publicist to see Julie? Why was Duke hanging out with JP instead of talking to Tobin? Why did that one lady wear tinfoil? Did Keon ever get to meet the Tempest? Why did I think this movie would be any good?

The rating of 5.8 out of 10 rating left on IMDb is absolutely valid as this movie lacked in not only fresh characters but also original stories and fails to draw viewers in past the first thirty minutes. While looking for a good Christmas movie to watch this year, settle for something besides Let it Snow.

– Anna Principato


What Came First; the Movie or the Book? (And Which Is Better?)

Most of us have scene the 1975 movie Jaws directed by Stephen Spielberg, the classic summer horror film that sparked a newly revived fear of sharks, but many have never read the book that came first. By the same title, Jaws, this book written by Peter Benchley came out in 1974 and became an instant sensation. 

The setting is a little town called Amityville where a young woman recently washed up on the beach, dead and torso severed, supposedly killed by a shark.  The book follows the chaos that unfolds from the now multiple shark attacks. The town thrives on its summer business of attracting tourists to the beaches, but this new threat of a killer shark threatens this coastal paradise’s welfare. We watch as Brody, the police chief, struggles between what he knows is right, shutting down the beaches, and what the mayor is pressuring him to do, keeping the beaches open for tourism money.

The book opens with a chapter dedicated to the shark’s point of view, allowing the reader to build a connection with the shark which is unique in the horror book genre. But Jaws isn’t all about sharks, guts and gore, it also dives into the personal lives of several other Amityville residents. The story circles mainly around Brody but also branches out to Brody’s wife, Ellen, and her crisis about her relationship with Brody, “This depiction of human frailty hints at Benchley’s main triumph over Spielberg”(Independent). Of course, it doesn’t bore you with the human relationships too much as there is always the lurking shark to focus on. 

The movie version of Jaws, while a classic, makes the story more about how terrifying the shark is while the book is more focused with the shark’s impact on the people of the town. The book is better than the movie because in the movie you don’t know why Hooper, the ichthyologist specializing in sharks, is so annoying and hated by Brody but the book explains their issues with one another much clearer. The movie hides these reasons and turns Hooper into an annoying, pompous know-it-all golden boy. In the book there is much more reasoning on why Hooper is the way he is. For these reasons, the original version of the story Jaws created in 1974 is much better than the movie version created in 1975. With a fast paced plot and intense scenes, Jaws is the book you need for a quick and easy read.

– Anna Principato

Bowling Season Sports Wrap

It’s the winter sports season here at CBNA. While everyone talks about basketball, there seems to be one sport that is overlooked: bowling.. The roster is looking solid this year. Returning members include Caitlyn van Gerena, Tyler Clark, Winter Lussier, Sabrina Jeffers, Lucas Laliotis, and Brianna Burke. Their game on Saturday was against Stevens High School at Maple Lanes in Claremont. Laliotis got a double strike near the end of his 1st game, though failed to make up for it in the 2nd. During the baker round, Laliotis’ squad lost by one point. When interviewed afterwards he had this to say. “We tried our hardest, but barely made it in the end. I couldn’t pretend to be upset because I was exhausted, and wanted to go home to get ready for my piano lesson at 4:30.” Their next game is up at Merrimack Ten-Pin Center in Merrimack against Souhegan High School on the 14th. They hope that you can watch their schedule and come to their games prepared to cheer the Bears on.

Kingpin

Frosting Over Tradition

It seems that in this generation we often have to ask ourselves if we should stick to tradition, or make changes to make it equal for everyone?

This is the dilemma of current Durham councilmen. After concerns that last year’s Christmas celebrate and tree lighting was discriminatory against people that don’t celebrate Christmas. The real concern came after they denied the option of putting a menorah beside the tree when lighting it.

Because of this, they have changed their annual Christmas celebration to a “Frost Fest” to refrain from discriminating against members of the community. I asked a Jewish source who has chosen to remain anonymous about his thoughts on Durham’s alternative celebration and the Christmas season in general. He said, “Christmas is a beloved holiday for others… I think people are so concerned with themselves and seeming like some righteous martyr that they try to take away other people’s fun by calling it ‘offensive,’” and I totally agree.

The town councilmen are not allowing the annual Christmas tree lighting happen and Santa is not making his appearance. They were about to replace the wreaths on light posts with snowflakes but community lash back has caused them to leave it and reconsider that decision. In response to these changes the town has been comparing the councilmen to The Grinch, insinuating that they have taken the Christmas spirit away.

To me, it seems that the councilmen are trying to cover up the fact that they did discriminate last year by going overboard on political correctness this year. The Christmas tradition is something that many people, religious or not, are excited for. Kids await Santa Claus, parents enjoy the decorations, it is a wonderful thing for many people. 

This is how Hanukkah is for other people too, a time of family and joy. Celebrating something that makes you happy and excited is not a crime against humanity. Many people agree with this, including this anonymous source that says, “What if someone held a celebration for Hanukkah, would that be discriminatory against Christmas? People should just have their celebrations.” Why not just let people enjoy their holiday season without making it a big social justice movement? 

Yes, denying the placement of a menorah beside the Christmas tree was wrong and discriminatory. However, taking away a town’s traditional Christmas celebration because of this is not the right move. 

The councilmen feel as if they are doing a big and just thing, but really the “Frost Fest” means that nobody can have what they want. Maybe they could have simply chosen to place a menorah beside the tree this year?

I think sometimes we all need to take a break from trying to save things that do not really need to be saved, and just enjoy where we are. The town tradition was very much more loved than hated, and the situation that occurred last year could have been handled in a different way than simply changing everything. The holiday season is wonderful for many people,regardless of religious affiliation, and Durham’s new “Frost Fest” is removing the wonder that was once present in nearly everyone’s holiday season.

Drusilla Szatko

Senior One Act Plays

After the closing of their recent musical, Cinderella, the CBNA theatre program has promptly gotten back to work. Their new endeavor: Senior One Acts. The One Acts consist of one scene with up to six characters, all directed by seniors. Some are, in fact, senior projects.

I have had the pleasure to interview one of the student directors, Caitlin Reynolds, who’s piece is called Jumping by William Borden, and features a man (played by: Calvin Swett, grade 11) who has just been cheated on by his wife and is about to jump off a bridge when a woman (played by: Ruby Carr, grade 12) approaches him and tries to force her political views onto him, evidently causing them to fall in love. 

Caitlyn says she chose this piece because it, “Really speaks to her,” has a good message, and shows us that, “There is still love in this world.” She says she knows her actors very well and when reading the piece she saw them playing the characters. She says she can’t wait to see it all come together and is very excited for the final show. She also says that although she didn’t choose to do this as her senior project, she has wanted to direct one of the one acts since she was a freshman. Her stage manager, freshman Cassandra Clery, is equally as excited. 

Along with Jumping, there are four additional one acts. Medieval Medicine directed by Madison Bowen, The Meaning of Halloween directed by Patrick Helm, In the Waiting Room of the Ghost Placement Agency directed by Abi Pellitier, and Weekend Warriors directed by Mrs. Lent and assistant directed by Lauren Rose. 

All cast, crew and theatre friends are very excited for this newest endeavor. Please join us on December 11th in the Garrish Gym at 7pm to watch these wonderful and hilarious shows!