Christmas carols
By: Cristian Mendoza
Christmas carols were first sung in Europe thousands of year ago. They were not Christmas songs but were pagan songs. The earliest carol being similar to modern carols was written in 1410. The carol was about Mary and Jesus meeting new people in Bethlehem. Before carol singing in public became popular, there were official carol singers called ‘Waits’. One of the most known Christmas carol is called “Silent Night”. There are many other known Christmas carols.
Coco(2017)
By Trinity Reimer
Disney Pixar's animated adventure fantasy film Coco (2017) staring Anthony Gonzales, Gael Garcia Bernal, & Benjamin Bratt, tells the story of 12-year-old Miguel Rivera, whose one true passion is music. Throughout the movie, Miguel discovers the truth about his family’s history and stays true to himself and his beliefs, despite the fact that it contradicts with those of his family. The film’s narrative, thematic content, and formal techniques bring the emotions shown in the film to life through abstract lighting and colors, traditional Mexican music, and the film’s detailed animation. Ultimately, Coco, directed by Lee Unkrich and screenplay by Adrian Molina, shows that one doesn’t have to change for change to occur through the narrative, bright colors, and gorgeous songs of Mexican culture.
In Coco, the Riveras banned music from their lives because of the father of Miguel’s great-grandmother Coco. Her father left their family to pursue his career as a musician and left Coco’s mother to raise a family on her own. The sound of music reminded her of her walk away husband, so she shut all music out and banned it from the rest of the family. Miguel, however, is persistent and is insistent with his passion and continues to play music behind his family’s back-his inspiration being the great Ernesto De La Cruz. He soon realizes that he might be related to the owner of the guitar (who he believes to be De La Cruz), he found in the attic of his family’s business and attempts to reveal this to his father. In doing so, his grandmother smashes his guitar which leads Miguel to run away and join the Day of the Dead talent show to prove to his family and himself that he was born to be a musician. With his only guitar in pieces, Miguel’s only option is to steal the guitar of De La Cruz. As a result, he enters the Land of the Dead and runs into his family members. They are told the only way Miguel can return to the Land of the Living is by receiving the blessing of a family member-his great-great-grandmother is more than happy to do so, but with the condition of Miguel never playing music again. This upsets Miguel and he runs away to find De La Cruz, who he believes is his great-great-grandfather. Miguel gains the help of Hector, who is soon to be forgotten, to find De La Cruz. Ultimately, Miguel learns the truth that Hector is his great-great-grandfather, not De La Cruz, who murdered and stole the songs of Hector before he could return to his family. He reveals this to his family and the rest of the world and soon returns back to the Land of the Living, where he sings the infamous “Remember Me”, a lullaby Hector wrote for Coco. Coco remembers her father and the joy of music and music is brought back to the Rivera family. The colorful scenery and sounds of Coco bring the traditions of Mexican culture to life. While one cannot physically see the actors in this film, they create a realistic and heartwarming experience for the viewer through the use of their strong emotional voices when singing. The use of tone in this film is essential to bring the animations to life through the actors’ performances. Specifically, in the tear-jerking reunion scene, where Miguel sings the lullaby Hector wrote for Coco to remind her of her father and her love of music, in order to save Hector’s soul. Anthony Gonzales, who voices Miguel, sings softly with a few voice cracks to convince the audience Miguel is crying while singing. Ana Ofelia, the voice of Mama Coco, sings as if every line is the last line she will weakly sing, in order to convincingly play a very old and forgetful Mama Coco. Here, Miguel stays true to his ambitions to hopefully save Hector and convey the power of music to his family. He proves one does not have to change themselves to make a change, the film’s ultimate goal.
Given the brief analysis of the film’s plot, one can see the themes of death, family, ambition, hope, and music throughout the film. Death and family are clearly a consistent theme of the film, as the narrative takes place on Day of the Dead and focuses on the ambitions of the Rivera family. However, instead of conveying death as the end of life, screenplay writer Adrian Molina uses the Day of the Dead history and cultural meaning to express that death is the start of a new life. The film surrounds the viewer with the bright color and sounds of Mexican culture to convince the audience they are in Mexico experiencing and learning about traditional Mexican values and celebrations. The film’s plot is able to clearly relate and connect to Mexican values and traditions through the use of costumes, sounds, terminology, and colors. Coco relates and connects to the world we live in through Miguel’s ambition and his family’s traditional values. Though their values may differ to those of another, they ultimately relate because of the emotional attachment of the tradition, deriving from the history of their family. Clearly, the use and inspiration of the values and traditions of Day of the Dead contribute to the film’s goal, by providing a realistic and convincing history and environment conveyed through the colors and music of the film.
The formal techniques of Coco also contribute in making the plot and scenery more realistic. The Mise-en-Scene of Coco, inspired by the streets of Mexico, allows for a believable scenery and environment for the narrative to take place in. The dancers in the film wear traditional Folklorico attire and the streets of Mexico are showered with marigolds, the traditional flower used to symbolize Day of the Dead. Pixar’s Coco uses colors as strong and bright as Miguel’s ambition, which further shows how colorful Mexican culture is. Music obviously a major component in the film’s formal techniques, as Miguel’s fighting passion in the film is music. The power of music is used in the film to convey the raw emotions the characters experience in the film. The music and lighting for this film are essentially what moves the audience and transports them into the cinematic world of Coco. The use of music and lighting often correlate with one another to create the “mood” for the audience at the appropriate time (i.e: brighter colors and upbeat music for happy, fun times and darker colors, slower music for sad times). For instance, “Un Poco Loco” initiates with darker colors and jagged abrupt sounds allow the viewer to feel the nervousness and uncertainty of Miguel and he performs in front of an audience for the first time. As Miguel becomes more comfortable on stage, the colors become brighter, the music gets louder and happier, and the view may begin to feel inclined to dance and sing along with the characters. The editing in the film often includes soft and smooth fading transitions between scenes while often focusing on a third-person perspective. However, the camera techniques used in the film often support the emotions felt by Miguel at the given moment. For example, as Miguel runs away from his family, the ‘camera’ (animation) pulls away from Miguel and gets lost in the crowd, then abruptly focuses in on him again, to help contribute to Miguel’s feelings of being lost and out of control. These formal techniques make the film feel more realistic and transport the audience member into the world of Coco. As Miguel continues to attempt to prove the power of music to his family, the music in the film engulfs the viewers with the sounds and the auditorial into the powerful emotions felt by Miguel. These techniques contribute to the film’s goal by surrounding the audience member with the one thing the Riveras ban-music.
Essentially, Coco shows that one doesn’t have to change for change to occur through the narrative, bright colors, and gorgeous songs of Mexican culture. The use of formal techniques, thematic content, and narrative of the film create a realistic environment for the viewer and transports the viewer into the magical cinematic world of Coco. I recommend this film to others, as you cannot help but sing along to the soundtrack, as one would quickly learn the words to “Remember Me,” as there are at least 4 different versions in the movie. The bright and strong palette of Coco and the use of the gorgeous guitar control the mood of the audience and the heartwarming narrative shows that family (and ambition) is what makes life worthwhile.
In Coco, the Riveras banned music from their lives because of the father of Miguel’s great-grandmother Coco. Her father left their family to pursue his career as a musician and left Coco’s mother to raise a family on her own. The sound of music reminded her of her walk away husband, so she shut all music out and banned it from the rest of the family. Miguel, however, is persistent and is insistent with his passion and continues to play music behind his family’s back-his inspiration being the great Ernesto De La Cruz. He soon realizes that he might be related to the owner of the guitar (who he believes to be De La Cruz), he found in the attic of his family’s business and attempts to reveal this to his father. In doing so, his grandmother smashes his guitar which leads Miguel to run away and join the Day of the Dead talent show to prove to his family and himself that he was born to be a musician. With his only guitar in pieces, Miguel’s only option is to steal the guitar of De La Cruz. As a result, he enters the Land of the Dead and runs into his family members. They are told the only way Miguel can return to the Land of the Living is by receiving the blessing of a family member-his great-great-grandmother is more than happy to do so, but with the condition of Miguel never playing music again. This upsets Miguel and he runs away to find De La Cruz, who he believes is his great-great-grandfather. Miguel gains the help of Hector, who is soon to be forgotten, to find De La Cruz. Ultimately, Miguel learns the truth that Hector is his great-great-grandfather, not De La Cruz, who murdered and stole the songs of Hector before he could return to his family. He reveals this to his family and the rest of the world and soon returns back to the Land of the Living, where he sings the infamous “Remember Me”, a lullaby Hector wrote for Coco. Coco remembers her father and the joy of music and music is brought back to the Rivera family. The colorful scenery and sounds of Coco bring the traditions of Mexican culture to life. While one cannot physically see the actors in this film, they create a realistic and heartwarming experience for the viewer through the use of their strong emotional voices when singing. The use of tone in this film is essential to bring the animations to life through the actors’ performances. Specifically, in the tear-jerking reunion scene, where Miguel sings the lullaby Hector wrote for Coco to remind her of her father and her love of music, in order to save Hector’s soul. Anthony Gonzales, who voices Miguel, sings softly with a few voice cracks to convince the audience Miguel is crying while singing. Ana Ofelia, the voice of Mama Coco, sings as if every line is the last line she will weakly sing, in order to convincingly play a very old and forgetful Mama Coco. Here, Miguel stays true to his ambitions to hopefully save Hector and convey the power of music to his family. He proves one does not have to change themselves to make a change, the film’s ultimate goal.
Given the brief analysis of the film’s plot, one can see the themes of death, family, ambition, hope, and music throughout the film. Death and family are clearly a consistent theme of the film, as the narrative takes place on Day of the Dead and focuses on the ambitions of the Rivera family. However, instead of conveying death as the end of life, screenplay writer Adrian Molina uses the Day of the Dead history and cultural meaning to express that death is the start of a new life. The film surrounds the viewer with the bright color and sounds of Mexican culture to convince the audience they are in Mexico experiencing and learning about traditional Mexican values and celebrations. The film’s plot is able to clearly relate and connect to Mexican values and traditions through the use of costumes, sounds, terminology, and colors. Coco relates and connects to the world we live in through Miguel’s ambition and his family’s traditional values. Though their values may differ to those of another, they ultimately relate because of the emotional attachment of the tradition, deriving from the history of their family. Clearly, the use and inspiration of the values and traditions of Day of the Dead contribute to the film’s goal, by providing a realistic and convincing history and environment conveyed through the colors and music of the film.
The formal techniques of Coco also contribute in making the plot and scenery more realistic. The Mise-en-Scene of Coco, inspired by the streets of Mexico, allows for a believable scenery and environment for the narrative to take place in. The dancers in the film wear traditional Folklorico attire and the streets of Mexico are showered with marigolds, the traditional flower used to symbolize Day of the Dead. Pixar’s Coco uses colors as strong and bright as Miguel’s ambition, which further shows how colorful Mexican culture is. Music obviously a major component in the film’s formal techniques, as Miguel’s fighting passion in the film is music. The power of music is used in the film to convey the raw emotions the characters experience in the film. The music and lighting for this film are essentially what moves the audience and transports them into the cinematic world of Coco. The use of music and lighting often correlate with one another to create the “mood” for the audience at the appropriate time (i.e: brighter colors and upbeat music for happy, fun times and darker colors, slower music for sad times). For instance, “Un Poco Loco” initiates with darker colors and jagged abrupt sounds allow the viewer to feel the nervousness and uncertainty of Miguel and he performs in front of an audience for the first time. As Miguel becomes more comfortable on stage, the colors become brighter, the music gets louder and happier, and the view may begin to feel inclined to dance and sing along with the characters. The editing in the film often includes soft and smooth fading transitions between scenes while often focusing on a third-person perspective. However, the camera techniques used in the film often support the emotions felt by Miguel at the given moment. For example, as Miguel runs away from his family, the ‘camera’ (animation) pulls away from Miguel and gets lost in the crowd, then abruptly focuses in on him again, to help contribute to Miguel’s feelings of being lost and out of control. These formal techniques make the film feel more realistic and transport the audience member into the world of Coco. As Miguel continues to attempt to prove the power of music to his family, the music in the film engulfs the viewers with the sounds and the auditorial into the powerful emotions felt by Miguel. These techniques contribute to the film’s goal by surrounding the audience member with the one thing the Riveras ban-music.
Essentially, Coco shows that one doesn’t have to change for change to occur through the narrative, bright colors, and gorgeous songs of Mexican culture. The use of formal techniques, thematic content, and narrative of the film create a realistic environment for the viewer and transports the viewer into the magical cinematic world of Coco. I recommend this film to others, as you cannot help but sing along to the soundtrack, as one would quickly learn the words to “Remember Me,” as there are at least 4 different versions in the movie. The bright and strong palette of Coco and the use of the gorgeous guitar control the mood of the audience and the heartwarming narrative shows that family (and ambition) is what makes life worthwhile.
How to make the perfect hot chocolate
By: Brian Fernandez Jr.
December is here, bringing cold weather and rainy days. The perfect thing for this time of year is a nice refreshing cup of hot chocolate. This article will provide a perfect recipe to whip up a cup of hot chocolate.
The first thing to prepare for making this heavenly, tasty hot chocolate is gathering: a 3 oz chocolate bar, 1 tbsp of butter, 1 cup of half and half, and ¼ tbsp of vanilla. The first step is to take the 3 oz chocolate bar and the 1 tbsp of butter in a bowl and heating it up, making sure it melts. After the two ingredients are melted add the vanilla, and mix in the half and half slowly. After stirring all the ingredients together, they can be transferred into a cup and heated again to the desired temperature. After the cup is at the desired temperature, stir the drink again, to ensure the best quality. And done! Time to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate!
The first thing to prepare for making this heavenly, tasty hot chocolate is gathering: a 3 oz chocolate bar, 1 tbsp of butter, 1 cup of half and half, and ¼ tbsp of vanilla. The first step is to take the 3 oz chocolate bar and the 1 tbsp of butter in a bowl and heating it up, making sure it melts. After the two ingredients are melted add the vanilla, and mix in the half and half slowly. After stirring all the ingredients together, they can be transferred into a cup and heated again to the desired temperature. After the cup is at the desired temperature, stir the drink again, to ensure the best quality. And done! Time to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate!
THE ULTIMATE WINTER BUCKET LIST
By: Laila Elreedi
Here are ten activities EVERYONE should try to complete to make the most out of this winter season!
1. Try snowboarding at China Peak
5. Mail a Holiday/Gratitude card to American soldiers
1. Try snowboarding at China Peak
- This might sound overwhelming, especially if you never snowboarded before. But hey, don’t knock it until you try!
- I don’t know about you, but I always made hot chocolate from a powdered mix. This year, I definitely want to test my skills and try making homemade hot chocolate.
- Surprisingly, there are ice skating rinks in the Central Valley! You can try ice skating on the fake ice at the Holiday Ice Skating rink on Main St. However, if you want to take a go on actual ice, you can visit the Gateway Ice Center in Fresno.
5. Mail a Holiday/Gratitude card to American soldiers
- If you enjoy writing, then this is the activity for you! There are many soldiers fighting for our freedom and missing their families during the holiday season. For more information on writing and mailing cards to troops, you can visit OperationGratitude.com
- From Secret Santa to White Elephant, the options for a holiday gift exchange are endless!
- All it takes is a pen and a paper! Jot down some ideas on the positive changes you want to make for the new year to come.
- Redecorating the home can be as simple as trying some DIYs or as extravagant as going on a Target shopping spree! Sometimes decorating the home can make you feel like you’re living in a brand new house.
- I mean… why wouldn’t you want to take a picture with Santa
- Nights beside the fire are the some of the coziest, most relaxing nights. Gather by a fire with some friends & family and reflect on 2018.
What a Sword Can Not Accomplish
By: Alexandra Carrillo
The second question of the literature piece asks whether the power of literature can truly shape a character and influence one's daily life. The text asked to choose a quote and connect it to the central idea to that of which I chose “the pen is mightier than the sword.” Although this is a very old and well-known saying, it continues to resonate with me. Literature has the ability to not just simply influence one's own way of thinking but to inspire new forms of being and living in one's life. When I hear that a sword will never outdraw a pen, I think of the countless emotions, words, connections, and beliefs an author with a single pen can produce. Whereas a swords only purpose is to duel, the purpose of literature serves many and speaks for many. It has given countless men and women in the past and in the present the opportunity to voice the wars that are constantly battled but never heard. Wars such as discrimination, racism, sexism, religion, identity, self-acceptance, etc. can all be turned into love, forgiveness, resolution, understanding and even peace through the awakening words of another. The beauty of literature resides within one's own interpretation. I believe the way we choose to interpret a certain work speaks volumes about our character and willingness to open our minds to these new ideas. The right piece of literature does not only influence one's life but inspires one to live it openly and fully, and it does not just shape one's character but it also reveals it. A sword could not accomplish such deep resolve within a human being, but a pen most definitely could.