Space Jam

Has anyone else heard about this space hotel? It's called Galactic Suite, and it's planned to start accommodations in 2012. Beyond wondering how people have money to spend, from what I hear, 4.4 million for a three night stay (at least 43 do - they already reserved), I can't help but wonder how on Earth (no pun intended) they plan to get this project up and running.

And then from there, I can't help but wonder if in five or ten years I'll be sitting wondering how I ever though space travel was ridiculous. Will there ever be a time where I'm taking care of my neighbors mail because he's at the six week training session in the tropical island where the space shuttle takes off from? Or is this assumption just as crazy as when 50 years ago people thought by 2000 flying cars will be the norm. This hotel, or rather shuttle, developer may be the biggest nut of them all, or the most innovative genius.

Pounding Headache

Forgive me if this post doesn't even seem to be in English, but I have the sudden urge to blog.

I can't even think straight right now. No, it's not my usual "I'm so stressed out that I'm going to jump off the Empire State Building after devouring fifteen bags of potato chips that I don't even like." It's a mixture of that feeling and physical pain.

I have this pounding headache that will not go away. It's been here for over 24 hours now. If it's not thumping, it's making me dizzy. If it's not making me dizzy it's keeping me from functioning all together. In fact, the only reason I can even type right now is the miracle of Advil.

The only reason I even went to school today was to take a math test. A math test that I couldn't even finish the last five questions of because every time I would point my attention towards my test sheet my headache would knock, as if mocking me and the fact that I'm not doing so hot in math without the German army rolling around in my head.

This post is not supposed to be in depth or meaningful in any way, shape, or form. In fact, I even told myself NOT to writeabout my headache. I had a whole bunch of things I wanted to post about, but they all disappeared. The pounding took it's place.

This headache is like that annoying kid sitting behind you in the movie theater. No matter how hard you concentrate on the movie, and how badly you want to pay attention to it, you only notice the kid kicking the back of your chair. You find yourself counting how many times he kicks per minute, moving with the beat of his kicks, and even anticipating the exact moment where he kicks. The kid stops kicking, but you realize it's because the credits started rolling so he got up to leave. This headache is, undoubtedly, a pain in the ass.

Let The Right One In

1) How is the backstory handled?

Well for the most part there wasn't much of a backstory. You were only given the key information you needed to make sense of the story, and even when you needed backstory you got them in a subtle way. You found out Oskar's parents were divorced when you heard a moment of his mom on the phone saying "He's going to his father's next week." You knew about Oskar's strange news paper clipping fascination once he answered the police's question about how they could tell if a crime was arson, and you we're reminded of the hobby again once you saw Oskar looking through his clippings.

2) How is camera movement used?

The camera is rarely moved throughout, but when it did move it went super slowly. The movie was made mostly of quick shot changes, which once again only showed you what needed to be seen.

3) How is camera distance used?

The camera distance was always an extreme; extremely far or extremely close, there was nothing in between. When there wasn't much to a scene other then the actual character's movements or facial expressions the camera was way up close (one more time: not showing you more then you need to see). When there were scenes that were better off left to your imagination there was a lot of distance between the actual action and the camera, but there were sound effects to help spark your imagination.

4) How is the character developed other than with dialog, or how does the director develop character visually?

The one scene I really can relate to this question is the shot right after Oskar fights back, the camera is looking up at Oskar, suddenly making him seem like he's on top. Oskar is victorious and is finally no longer the one getting hit, and this jump in character was so easily portrayed just by having a camera look up at him from the ground.

5) Sound is used to incredible effect in this movie - how do the filmmakers use sound?

The filmmakers used sound to give the viewers enough for there imagination without actually showing any of the blood and guts. The sound also threw off my senses - everything seemed way too close to me.

6) Håkam - what's up with this guy?

Håkam and Eli's relationship is incredibly weird. I don't really understand why Håkam stays by her side. Håkam's actions are all fatherly though - his killing people just so the sweet Eli doesn't have to get as upset as she does after killing seems like an attempt to keep the already unhappy Eli from getting unhappier.

7) What is behind the puzzles? What do they symbolize?

I'm unsure about how to answer this question, but it basically seems like there are puzzles throughout Oskar and Eli's relationship. There's the Rubiks Cube that initiates the relationship, there's the morse code that is their own way of communicating, and I'm not sure but I think the egg that Oskar tapped was a puzzle Eli completed. Beyond the actual games, I think their relationship was a bit of a puzzle at first since Eli had a mystery about her after telling Oskar they can't be friends. Also, all of Oskar's news clippings seemed to end in mystery (since none of the crimes were solved) and Eli was actually the answer to all the deaths Oskar would read about.

8) Plot point one is?

I think plot point one is when Oskar hits the bully. This was the first time Oskar fought back, and he had a liberated look on his face once it was done. A part of Oskar's personality had changed after he took Eli's advice.

9) Plot point two is?

Plot point two is when Oskar "invites Eli in" after he saw her dying. After this point you knew that no matter what Eli was, vampire, human, boy, or girl, Oskar still cared about her. After the hug it was evident that the fact that Eli was a vampire became just a small detail in their relationship.

10) Is this a happy ending?

It's not a happy ending, Eli's still something she doesn't want to be and Oskar doesn't seem to be completely satisfied with his life, but it's not unhappy either. It's not a happy ending but it's happier then what there life was like previous to their meeting each other. They've been alone in the world, and now they can be alone together.

On another note:

Let The Right One In Trailer

I absolutely loved how fitting this trailer was. There was a total of three lines of dialogue in the whole thing, but it managed to get to me anyway. For me, the scariest parts of the trailer was when the loud and close to you sound effects kicked in and that first moment with the bully, which is incredibly close to the movies effect on me.

Lina Leandersson Interview

After I clicked on Lina Leanderson's IMDB profile and realized that she had no professional work before Let The Right One In I was intrigued. I found this interview where she says that she found out that they were casting online, and asked her mom if she could go to an audition. Out of the large casting Lina, a girl whose only previous experience was acting classes that got cancelled because not many people in the town had signed up for them, got the role of Eli.

last screenwriting workshop

We only went over three scripts today in the workshop, but I still got a few pieces of advice that I think will really help my writing now and in the future. In regards to Zach's piece, Steve mentioned that if your writing a story based off true events that happened in your life you shouldn't rewrite every detail of the event as it happened if it doesn't work for your story. If you can manage to portray the same meaning in a much easier and more effective way, do it - don't be focused on keeping the unnecessary details true to what really happened.

At the end of the workshop Steve urged us to make the best films we possibly can, avoiding all the classic high school film mistakes. At first I was unsure of my capability to even make something as good as a crappy high school film, but after creating my storyboard I think that I am closer to bringing this film to come out exactly as I imagined while writing it. Hopefully I can be as creative and innovative as possible during filming my script.

screenwriting three

Since the idea of filming my screenplay scares me out of my mind, todays workshop was extremely helpful. I've never wrote a screenplay before this one, let alone made a film. Although I have ideas for how I want each scene to look, everything film-making-wise is still completely foreign to me. I now have crisper ideas of what I want when shooting. Steve gave me really helpful advice and thoughts; How to portray a person is at their end or beginning, how to make a scene feel really carefree or filled with tension, etc. I now have tons of thoughts on things to make my film better, plenty of thanks to Steve and Cassie who gave me the best ideas. Now I just have to get all my thoughts in order. But, I'm still plenty scared. It's hard not to be when doing something new.

life and art

I, undoubtedly, live many lives. In a way it makes me feel sneaky, and unwilling to admit. But honestly, doesn't everyone live different lives? Even the president wears different hats for every job he has.

I'm almost positive that you treat your best friend differently then you treat your buddy in math class. You save all your sacrilegious jokes and nasty comments for some one you that know won't judge you. Because if your neighbor in class happens to be in the Christian fellowship club and is best friends with that shady looking guy you wouldn't feel to hot after letting your mouth spill.

My dad has constantly told me to stop living a double life. He says I'm one person with my friends and one person with my family. It's wrong, I know, but I can't help it. Although he isn't completely right (there are some quirks you can't hide no matter how hard you try) I don't think I am completely capable of "being myself", or even knowing who "myself" is, all the time. It's not that my parents are abnormally unfair or are completely unsympathetic with their fifteen year old daughter, it's just more of a personal issue for me. Basically it's not them, it's me.

My conclusion to this is I think this might be apart of the reason why art appeals to me so much. My work may be the only place where all my lives merge into one, because no matter how small that role of yours may seem in your life it will always have some sort of an effect on you. Those effects on me throughout the day are what changes my thoughts and brings me new ideas, allowing me to create.

The fact that my art may be a merging of all my lives may just be the reason I don't like people reading a lot of my work. Am I ready to show the whole world the real me all at once? Well, all the real "mes".

screenwriting two

INT. BEDROOM - DAY

JULIA and KAITLYN are sitting on a bed gossiping and squealing. They're whispering and are clearly giddy over what was just said. The two begin laughing.

JuLIA

I can't believe he finally asked you out!

KAITLYN

I know! It's tomorrow too I have no time to get ready.

mom

(yells)

JULIA! Can you go run to the store quickly and pick up some more cranberry sauce?

Julia

OK, you wait here, and after I get back from the store I'll pick out an outfit and everything for you.

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

JULIA runs down the stairs and approaches her mom.

JULIA

CHRIS ate another whole can?

MOM

Yes, I don't know what to do with him! It's all he's been eating for the past two weeks.

JULIA

Alright. I'll go now.

INT./EXT. FRONT HALL - DAY

JULIA grabs her bag and keys off a table near the front door and runs outside. She then waves to CHRIS who is bike riding.

JULIA

Hey kiddo. You really ate another whole jar of the red stuff?

(smilingly)

CHRIS

Yep!

JULIA smiles and walks to her car. She opens the driver's door and sits inside. She ignites her car and glances back through the back window. She pulls back until she hears a loud scream andshe immediately stops the car. She opens the door to see CHRIS' bike rolling down the sidewalk.

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

It's three months later. JULIA is sitting nervously in a chair, biting her nails and playing with her feet. Her AUNT JANE is cooking Thanksgiving dinner.

JULIA

AUNT JANE?

aunt jane

Yes?

JULIA

I haven't really spoken to KAITLYN since, uhm, it happened.

AUNT JANE

Why do you think that is?

JULIA

She thinks I'm a murderer.

(thinking, pause)

I wouldn't even speak to me.

AUNT JANE

Honey, I think she knows you're not a murderer. I think she just misses your brother, and she needs some one to blame.

JULIA

I miss him too.

AUNT JANE

She probably knows that too. I mean think about it for a second sweetie. She wants to be able to take out her frustration somehow, and if she takes a second to think about how this might be even harder on you then it would be difficult for her to take it out on you.

(pause)

Has she even attempted to start speaking to you?

JULIA

No.

AUNT JANE

Give it time, she'll come around. You are sisters, after all.

JULIA nods and looks down at her hands.

INT./EXT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

JULIA walks into the kitchen as KAITLYN is picking up a dish of mixed vegetables. The two look at each other uncomfortably until KAITLYN walks out of the kitchen herself. Julia looks at the kitchen counter to see what is left to bring to the table and sees that only the cranberry sauce is left. JULIA freezes and stares at the bowl, as if debating picking it up or not. KAITLYN walks into the room and stops dead in her tracks when she sees JULIA and what she is staring at. KAITLYN slowly walks to the bowl herself and places one hand on the side. She then gestures to JULIA to come pick up the other side. Julia walks slowly towards the bowl, not looking away from it for a moment. Once she reaches the bowl she looks up at her sister, and KAITLYN gives a small smile. The two then carry the bowl out of the kitchen together.

I got a lot of great and really helpful feedback on this script today. I think the best suggestion I was given was to change the second to last scene with Aunt Jane around a little. It would start off with Kaitlyn walking into the kitchen as Julia and Aunt Jane are preparing the dishes to get ready to be taken outside. Julia and Kaitlyn would have this awkward tension between them for a moment, and then Kaitlyn picks up some dishes and goes outside. Aunt Jane would be watching the whole encounter between the two knowingly, and once Kaitlyn leaves the room Julia would start off the conversation with Aunt Jane about how she no longer speaks to Kaitlyn. I love starting that scene like this because it really allows another peak at that tension between the sisters even before the final scene. Another idea of shooting the last scene with multiple endings (Julia begins to pick up the bowl and Kaitlyn stops her, Julia and Kaitlyn both refrain from picking up the bowl but Aunt Jane comes and picks it up, etc.) is helpful because after seeing all the different possible ways in film it would definitely be easier to pick the best one. I'm genuinely excited for rewriting, filming, and seeing the end product.

screenwriting

I've wanted to take a screenwriting class for about three years now, so naturally I was excited when I heard about the workshop. I'm only two classes in and I already feel like I've learned so much. The actual screenplay formating was my first challenge. Even with CeltX to help I felt so lost. I don't think that every part of it is 100% correct, but I think that it's right overall.

After I came up with an idea and actually wrote the screenplay the next challenge was taking the screenplay apart. I constantly was revising and even completely changing my piece. That helped me learn a lot on my own because it gave me a sense of what worked and didn't work.

And although I didn't get to go over mine in yesterday's workshop, I learned so much just from listening to responses to other peoples screenplays. I got tons of thoughts on what makes and doesn't make a good screenplay. The responses that were given to the screenplays that were read helped me figure out what's really important in the recipe for a good film.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED IN TWO MONTHS

When I first heard the question “What did you learn in STAC so far?” I thought that nothing major could have happened to me because of this class yet. I mean, it’s only been two months, how much could my outlook on life change? STAC has challenged me in ways that no class has before, and it most definitely broadened my horizons, but I was skeptical to believe that I now have a different outlook today then I did in September. Once I reflected I realized that two months in STAC did change my outlook on life drastically. Before STAC I knew what I liked. After two months in STAC I find myself figuring out exactly why I like it. Nothing is “I love this show” anymore. It’s “I love the subtle wit in the writing, quirky actors, and good cuts.” It’s a part of seeing and hearing everything piece by piece, and not as a whole.

I wish I could say I was still a master of this, since figuring out what does and doesn’t work would help my own artistic pursuits, but I’m far from it. I only notice things when I want to notice them. I don’t notice anything out of the ordinary until I go searching for it, but when I do I notice things that kind of blow my mind. My hardwood floors are no longer brown, but they’re now a biegish-brownish-tannish color with a slight undertone of reddish-purplish. It’s almost impossible to explain. I guess now I can notice the not only seemingly unnoticeable, but the inexplicable.

So STAC taught me how to see with my eyes, and not my brain. I no longer am forced to see things for what they are, but instead I now see things for what they’re made up of. Not only things like films, paintings, or songs can be broken up. I even find myself seeing regular household objects as the different shapes they’re made up of. I’m now capable of seeing the little things in everything. If this much changes by the end of one quarter, I’m both a little scared and excited to see how much I grow by the end of the year.

PHOTO

I finally got the DSLR camera I've waned for a while now, and I obviously couldn't wait to use it. I got home about an hour ago and instead of working on the numerous things I have due tomorrow I played around with the camera. I've always loved photography, and I've always wanted to get into it myself. Here are some shots that I took playing around with different lenses and filters.

As hard as it is for me to stop taking random pictures right now, I'm going to have to control myself in order to finish this italiano take home test!

KONTROLL

Kontroll was just as amazing the second time seeing it as the first. It felt so much shorter the second time, and less heavy since I already had an idea of what I thought everything meant. I mean, the feeling that I've been living in the subway system for a week still made me go crazy, but it was less crazy since I've felt it once before. I'm beginning to believe my own theory of who the pusher is more and more, that the pusher is the pain growing inside each person. That pain is what grows into the pusher that makes them jump. The only two things that keep me from fully backing this theory up is the fact that on tape Bootsie was obviously pushed and that a lot of the people being pushed looked so shocked by the pushing. They didn't look like they've had this thing growing in them for so long that it's grown strong enough to push them into their death. What I love so much about trying to figure this movie out is that I have thought of so many theories for each piece of symbolism myself, and I can seem to back up most of them somehow. Then on top of that I can back up and understand all the other theories people have been giving out. I love that after backing up one theory and finally thinking I've got it, another one comes up and all my thoughts unravel again and I have to put everything back together again. There are so many ways of looking at Kontroll, and beyond beautiful cinematography, funny lines, and great acting, that is what is so amazing about this film.

The Hungry and the Homeless

After having a conversation about Thanksgiving in STAC I haven't been able to stop thinking about a way to help or raise awareness for all the homeless people in NYC that don't have a turkey to eat for a night, let alone the leftovers that can last some families for weeks. I love the idea of helping out at a soup kitchen, but how does that help the other 1,500 kids at Herricks understand the battle of homelessness. Having STAC dress up as homeless people themselves may work, but I can already see the kids that would see the whole thing as a dumb joke. I liked Jillians idea of having the pictures starving people hung up around school. What I think would make more of an effect then that would be having a picture of something that most kids do today, going to the mall, being at a party, hanging out with there friends, and having all the people in the pictures seem happy. Then you should be able to lift this picture up to see some one suffering at the same time, a picture of some one begging outside the mall, a group of homeless people sitting in the city together huddling for warmth, or maybe just a group of homeless people begging together. I hope to make an impact so people actually give thanks on Thanksgiving for things other then having off from school for an extra two days.

Be Kind, Rewind

What I loved most about making a movie Michel Gondry style is how free it was. There was no set script, no redos, and no editing. The movies were all far from perfection, but they were all still great. Some groups were better then others, but all the films had at least one good moment that had the whole room laughing. They were equally as fun to watch as they were to do.

And although I don't have much film experience, I think shooting them chronologically really worked well. There were certain lines or scenes that we thought would work, until we actually got to shooting it. By doing everything in order we really got to see what did and didn't work. And it also helped us think of new lines or parts that would work. Not having everything so planned out from the beginning was important because it forced us to think about each scene as we were doing it, instead of just following a script. I think this allowed for new ideas to come out constantly right as filming, and many of these ideas were brilliant. Filming with the Be Kind, Rewind protocol was effective, easy, and fun. I also feel that I got a lot out of it, even as a first time film-maker. Granted, the groups with more experience seem to have better reasons for why things work, but I seemed to have grasped what does and doesn't work.

Magazine Ideas

So I've been thinking about what to write for the magazine and here are a few things I've come up with:

• A list of gift ideas for each kind of recipient. For example, there would be things to get for your boss and things to get for your mom. Ideas would vary for each relationship you have with a person.
• Outfits for each kind of holiday party.
• Things to know how to do, especially in the winter. For example: How to find the right length coat, how to find the perfect winter boots, what's a good winter color scheme, etc.
• Cost effective things to do in NYC/Long Island in the winter. (I'd have to do more research on this one)

Claude Monet

Monet was a French painter in the late 17th century to the early 18th century. He was an early founder of the French impressionist movement, along with Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Frèdèric Brazille. His paintings we're often landscapes and portraits. His "Haystacks" series revolve around stacks of hay found in a field after the land has been harvested. In this series Monet makes a distinct difference in the perception of light for each season, time of day, and weather.

The Freedom in Sight Restriction

Ironically enough, the blind tour made me see life through the eyes of a child. Everything in the world seems so new when it's all pitch black. I never realized how cold door handles are, how smooth tile can be, or even how empty some hallways are. I've always been familiar with the Community Center, but all the little details I felt without seeing made some parts feel completely foreign. That scared me a little. Knowing that a place you've visited hundreds of times in your life can become so unfamiliar in a matter of moments is unsettling. Almost as unsettling of being completely guided around the pitch black nothingness by someone your unfamiliar with as well. Megan is so funny and nice, but having your safety in the hands of some one you've said maybe two words to in your life brings up issues. Trust issues to be exact. I've never been the kind of girl that spills out her life story to someone she just met on the grocery line. What helped me cope was being able to lead Megan first. Although I've never been particularly close to Megan, I didn't want her in harms way when she was in my care. Once I was blindfolded I had a feeling Megan would do the same for me. I still was unsure of following her lead at times because I was just so certain there was a staircase there. But after I would take the plunge I'd realize I was completely safe. Then there was freedom in being able to trust, freedom in seeing (or not seeing) the world, and freedom in walking around in nothingness.

The Day Freedom Rang

Alone in her village,

she tries hard not to shine.

She fails and she sparkles.

Unsure of the attention.

Does she like it or not?

She decides she does not.

But then she sees that it's fine,

or rather, it doesn't matter.

There is no time to ponder.

It is what it is.

So she let freedom ring,

in the form of a

little red dress.

The day would be remembered.

It was the day that

freedom had rang.

Where Did I Go Wrong?

That's not me in the picture, but those are my shoes. Me and my friend Jayne have had this project to stud our converse for a few months now, and we finally did it. I can't say I'm completely happy with the way they came out, so honest opinions are wanted. I can't even tell if if I ruined a perfectly good pair of new shoes or not.

These are Jayne's shoes by the way:

Opinions about both please please please! They both might not be completely done if we figure out a way to make them better.

Super Sister!

Today was hectic to say the least. I overslept until 7:00, ten minutes before my ride picks me up. I got on whatever I could and even had a good thirty seconds to spare before my ride texted me, letting me know she was at my house. The rest of the day was same old same old. There was a major headache I got towards the end, but my day didn't seem to go as bad as my morning set it up to go.

Then I got a call from my mom saying she wouldn't be home soon since my dad took my little brother Aaron to the hospital since he couldn't breathe. I panicked. This was the third time in the past five months that Aaron was rushed off to the emergency room. The first time was bad food poisoning, and by bad, I mean bad. Like "throw up just one more time and we'll have to get your stomach pumped" bad. The second time was for bronchitis, landing Aaron a week long date with an inhaler and two heavy duty prescriptions. This being the third, I couldn't help but freak out. He's my only sibling, and I know at times I deserve less then the perfect sister award, but I can't help but to worry. Especially since his hardcore bronchitis was only about three weeks prior. My biggest worry was the thought that his bronchitis had struck him hard, in the form of pneumonia .

It was the bronchitis that struck Aaron so hard, but thankfully it stayed in the form of bronchitis. A stronger version then before, but still bronchitis. Something that if kept controlled and properly taken care of will have little to no effect on my little brother in the long-run.

If I was put in the same situation as Aaron would I worry nearly as much about myself than I did for him? Would he worry at all about me? I see Aaron as my kid sibling. At seven years old he still seems like four to me. I can't help but worry about him, especially with our large eight year age gap. I find myself almost neurotic to a point, even when he has play dates I want to make sure he doesn't get hurt. And for that reason, why should he worry about me? I'm his big sister. I protect him, not the other way around. I'm strong and fifteen years old. As I heard one of his friends say to him on the playground "You're sister's in high school? Thats so... old!" With such a large age gap he can't help but think that I'm invincible, a tough teenager, nothing can harm me. I'm super sister.

I wonder if I can ever get to the point with Aaron where I can watch him do something stupid, but let him make the decision because he's old enough. Will my eight years matter when I'm 48 and he's 40? I think not, but I think the emotional attachment to being super sister won't ever go away. Aaron definitely doesn't see me as a mother but I see similarities between our relationship that I can see in a child-parent relationship. My constant protecting him, his image of me being so superhuman, my incapability to let him make a decision.

I always like being super sister, but sometimes I just wish he was my own age so I could have the same sister-brother relationship that a lot of my peers have.

"To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else."

Only a week in and I haven't wrote anything for this blog except for my delish recipe for Julianna. It's not because I'm lazy or just hate blogging, it's because I've managed to overcommit myself to everything I can. I manage to get myself in the same situation every year. The situation where I do every sport I like, join every club I see, and ace every class there is. It sounds impossible. I've learned, the hard way I might add, that it is impossible. I can't do everything I want to do. It's just not reasonable, and after a certain point it's just selfish to keep trying.

Freshman year was a big kick in the ass. The days of easy A's and laid back practices we're over. Everything I wanted, I had to work for. And I had to work hard. I ended middle school with a 3.8 average and a spot on Junior National Honor Society. I ended freshman year with a 3.5. I didn't play lacrosse last year because I realized a sport that needs that much commitment (especially as the goalie) wouldn't work out with a hectic dance schedule. I didn't get to spend every moment out and about enjoying myself because I had to do school work to maintain that 3.5 and be able to have time to focus on dance and cheerleading.

I realize it's not going to get easier from here. It's just going to get harder (until I finally kick back and relax in my condo in Florida at age 60). Junior year is inching up, getting closer and closer to me by the second. Then senior year, filled with pre-college stress and post-graduation goodbyes. I expect college to kick my ass as well. Then comes years of work work work as my reward.

Wait, what am I doing all this for?

That condo in Boca isn't looking too hot anymore.

Juliana Parmigiana

Juliana Parmigiana

Season Juliana with salt, to balance out her naturally sweet flavor. Cook over stove until a dark brown (don't be fooled she may already be a golden tan from the Ecuadorian sun). Place parmigiana cheese over her, then bake in oven until cheese is melted. Top with sweet peppers and tomato sauce. Take photo of finished meal, and use the photo for table decor. Serve hot.

Suggestions: Serve chocolate for dessert, and send Juliana on a trip before cooking to boost happiness.

“If we're growing, we're always going to be out of our comfort zone.”

In my first day of STAC the newbies (that would be me!) and the oldies would trade off taking pictures of each other. Easy enough? Well, we also had to interview the person we we're taking pictures of. Although it was nerve-wracking for me to be center of the attention on my first day ever of STAC (even if it was only for a few minutes)

it was still fun in the end. These are my favorite photos of each STACie taken that day.

I think Nicole looks silly, but in a daring way. Something about how hard she's squinting makes a classic "funny face" look like she's carefree.

What I've noticed about Dina is that she has an amazing style that just looks effortless, and I think that this picture really captures that about her.
Jillian's eyes have a certain shine to them here, and to me her facial expression looks like an innocent child who just found something about the world and is trying to question it.
What I like about this picture of Ilana is that she has a smile on her face, but for some reason she looks a little pissed off too. I don't think she was angry at the time though, maybe she was just thinking of a witty response?
I think this is probably one of my favorite photos out of everyones. Michelle's confusion in how to answer the given question was captured perfectly in this picture.
Molly looks like she's getting really into the story about her necklace. It was a really cool necklace. (=
Hilary looks like she's really thinking in this photo, but she has a smile on her face nevertheless.
Keren looks like she's trying to hold in a laugh in this photo. Let it out!
I just think this photo of Nick is hilarious, and I think it's more because of the memory of Nick making people feel uncomfortable then the actual picture.
Zack's squint in this photo makes it look like there's some kind of evil plan unraveling in his head.
Nina looks kind of embarrassed in this picture. I was the one taking it so I know I didn't ask anything embarrassment-worthy, but I love the picture nonetheless.
You can tell that I'm fully aware of the camera and room full of people watching me in this photo. I can't decide if I looked or felt more nervous at that time.
Unlike me in my photo, Jessica looks like she's really relaxed in this photo. She looks oblivious to the fact that there's a room full of people watching her get her pictures taken while being interviewed.
This picture of Bobby looks like he's trying to be modest.
I absolutely adore how hard Juliana is laughing in this picture. I think it's one of the only laughing pictures that looks like the person's about to tear from how funny something is.
I love how sincere Mariad's smile looks here.
Whatever question was asked during this picture seemed to have gotten a great face out of Megan. Her face looks like a mix between disgust and confusion.
This picture of Jesse makes me wonder what he was trying to describe. Whatever it was it looks like it was funny.
Whenever I see Jack he has a straight face on, no matter what. I like this picture because he looks like he's genuinely laughing and having a good time.
I like this picture of Matt because the way he's squinting makes it look like he's challenging you.
I chose this picture of Doug as the one I like the most because he looks like he just heard some really shocking news while this picture was being taken.
I chose this picture of Alex as the one I like the most for no other reason then the great smile that's in it.
I love this picture of Cassie because it's one of those pictures that makes you wonder what was so funny because you want to be able to laugh that hard too.
The way Leah's whole face is straight and doesn't show any emotion in this picture is one thing on its own, but when you add that with the position her mouth is in I think it just makes a winning combo.
Lizzy looks like she's trying to get an answer out of the photographer in this one.
Whenever I see Becky she's always full of energy, and I think this picture captures just that about her.
Oh Bari, are you confused? This picture just makes me wonder what question was asked that made her put on this "I'm uncomfortable" thinking face.
This picture of Ashley is great because of how genuine her laugh looks here.

What I like about this picture of Kalli is how incredibly goofy she's acting, which is nice to see since she seems really shy alot of times.

I love this picture of Leah because she has this "how you doin'?" face on, totally unintentionally, and that gives this picture the right amount of silliness.