As we draw the curtain on another year, as we wrap it up, place it carefully into a nondescript wooden crate, and forklift it to a government warehouse filled with countless similar crates so that the nazis can never uncover its sacred secrets again, we look back on the very best pieces of Art and Entertainment that 2011 had to offer. Your beloved A&E staff has compiled their favorite things, and offers their eloquently-stated opinions for your enjoyment. Don’t agree? Screw you!

I kid, I kid. If you don’t agree, share your opinion! Get off your lazy rear end and write a letter to the editor, you bum! We’ll gladly publish anything you throw at us, no matter how abusive, how cruel, how biting. Just pick up a pen and wing that sucka over to room 118! Stat!

With eternal love and respect,

Jack Dunnington
A&E Editor

Best Public Event
The Marriage of William and Kate

It should be hard to pick one single event out of an entire year… but it’s really not. The marriage of Kate Middleton and Prince William warmed the hearts over two billion people. It dominated TV, radios, magazines, and newspapers for weeks before and after the actual event.

Despite all you cold hearted loners out there shaking your head, it is absolutely undeniable that this was a moment in history. Whether you wanted to or not, witnessing at least some part of the wedding was inevitable. No one will ever forget the magic of that special day, nor the weird hats.
–AC

Best Restaurant
Pike Street Fish Fry

Did I just die of clogged arteries and go to a very fried heaven? Yes, and I love it man, I love it!

Fish Fry has brought the beachy Fish N’ Chips life to the city, putting an ultra-hipster, cheap-ish spin on it, and boy, do they make it work.

Squished into the plaid-dominated Pike Street scene, stands the scrawny little Fish Fry in all of its glory. But the robust flavors of the fried catfish, oysters, calamari and link cod would make up for any size issues, and that’s not to mention their signature fried lemon (and grilled items if you are feeling rather healthy).

Winner of Seattle Weekly’s 2011 Best Fries award, and winner of Lauren Schechter’s Most Unbelievable Restaurant of the Century, Fish Fry is the only place to go. I will see you there.
–LS

Best Album
Section.80 — Kendrick Lama

After a few memorable but scattered guest appearances, Kendrick Lamar burst onto the scene this year with an album reminiscent of the west coast 90s scene.

In Section 80, Lamar flows effortlessly, backed by simple yet powerful production. Lamar sounds like one part Kanye and two parts a strange younger brother of The Pharcyde, but never fails to bring the music into the the new decade, providing a hazy soundtrack to the mixed up world we live in today.

Kendrick Lamar isn’t trying to start a movement, he’s just a member of the new class of rap — introverted and somber, or as he says on his song “Kush and Corinthians,”  “a youngun with lack of guidance.” But he’s emerged as the clear frontrunner, the voice of our generation.
–GK

Best Movie
Contagion

The world-devestating microbe in Steven Soderburgh’s film about a worldwide pandemic holds the record for the most effective size-to-scare ratio since Leprechaun 2: Back 2 Tha Hood.

In true Soderburgh form, the film is packed full of A-list actors for no apparent reason, but each character’s five minutes of screen time put a familiar actor in an unfamiliar role, breaking the mold of Hollywood typecasting.

Contagion excells not because it is magical cinema or because the acting is always perfect but because the film has the sheer audacity to predict a devestating disease as it would appear in real life: clinical, detatched, and terrifying.

Side note: Matt Damon gained 20 pounds for his role in  Contagion, but for no real good reason (guess he just wanted an excuse to eat some poutine).

Gambino released a formal untitled EP on March 8 this year. The release was soon followed by Gambino’s first official album, Camp,  released on November 15th. After a couple listens through, my feelings are mixed.

Gambino begins Camp with the reflective “Outside,” featuring a soft organ, a big hook sung by a gospel choir, and rhymes about his childhood, which is directed at a unnamed cousin of his who wasn’t as fortunate as him and ended up on the street. The song’s concept has promise, but the intro drags on for more then a little bit too long.

From there, the pace picks up with the boisterous “Firefly,” and a trademark Gambino torrent of references to all things pop culture on “Bonfire,” the lead single. Both songs are entertaining, but they’re missing the lyrical flair he had in his past releases.

The next track is easily the strongest of the album: the majestic “All the Shine.” It starts out with a simple kick-snare drumbeat, which acts as the backdrop for the lead-in of a cascading guitar line. The song then gains life, switching to a simple hand-clap and some beautiful violins, very reminiscent of Tan Dun’s soundtrack to the Jet-Li classic “Hero.”

The lyrics showcase Glover’s clever wordplay and introspective slant, with Glover dropping gems like “I ain’t Curren$y/ but if there ain’t money in my name please murder me” throughout, coupled with a stadium filling chorus for a song very reminiscent of “All of the Lights” in its grandeur.

Unfortunately, after “All the Shine,” the magic ends for Gambino. A few of the remaining songs are passable, with the “Monster”-like larger than life braggadocio of “Backpackers” and the almost offensive wit of “You got me,” which is eerily reminiscent of Jay-Z and Kanye’s “Niggas in Paris.”

I think that’s the main problem. Gambino has gained such a cult following because he’s not afraid to admit he’s not exactly what you’d imagine as a popular rapper. But those statements seem hollow here, because they’re juxtaposed next to bouts of boasting, giving the whole album a hypocritical irony. To be great, he needs to find an identity, something I previously thought he had down pat.

I have to admit, I was very excited for this album, which may be why it disappointed me so much. Most of the old Gambino I know and love is absent, which cuts into a lot of his charm. I would be lying if I said I won’t listen to it again, I’ll just do it halfheartedly.

For those who number among his ranks of fans, keep faith. Many indie artists struggle in the jump to an actual label. I have confidence that Glover will fix his mistakes and live up to his full potential.

But for now, I’m not impressed just yet.

Baby it’s Cold Outside — Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Jordan
This is probably the classiest pick up attempt you will ever witness. If you find yourself needing a reminder of the pluses to cold winter weather, give this a spin.

Christmas Is — Run DMC
This classic Christmas jingle will appeal to all generations. It has the similar heart warming effect as sharing warm cider by the fire with your loved ones. The eloquent lyrics include my personal favorite, “give up the dough, give up the dough, give up the dough on Christmas, yo!”

How Do You Spell Channukkah? — LeeVees
I have dealt with this problem so many times… It’s nice to know I am not alone. This upbeat account is a refreshing break from the bajillion Christmas songs played everywhere, everyday, all day.

Blue Christmas — Elvis Presley
Listening to Elvis’s sexy voice is like a Christmas present of its own. While he is crooning about a rather sad circumstance, I can’t help but smile every time I hear this song.

Winter Wonderland — John Legend
And here is another man with a beautiful voice. Legend’s crystal clear vocals add the perfect touch to his jazzy take on a classic.

All I Want For Christmas — Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Karen Oh is insane. This is reflected in all of her music, but especially in this jem. Only a loony could come up with this tangled mess of fluctuating vocals and echoing guitar. It’s great.

Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah — Erran Baron Cohen Feat. Jules Brookes
What do you get when you combine classic Middle Eastern instruments with some Jews who have a whole lotta swag? This crazy song. The funky clarinet is great, but the Hebrew/Yiddish rapping is what seals the deal.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus — Amy Winehouse
Winehouse’s soulful voice eliminates my original annoyance with this song. Her classic style adds just enough flair to make me forget to be horrified by the subject matter.

But hey, who says you have to buy all of those presents? Lucky for you, I have paired up with professional craftmaster Isabelle Marshall to bring you a few homemade gift options that just might prevent you from breaking your bank this holiday season.

Car Scenter

This festive and natural take on those nasty air fresheners is something any car owner will enjoy. This could also double as a nice ornament for your mommy.

Materials:
– 1 satsuma, or small orange
– a jar of cloves (you’ll need a lot)
– 20 gage wire, about 5 inches
– wire cutters
– 1 pair of pliers
– 1 bead, medium to big, glass or wood
– around 10 inches of ribbon

Time: 10–20 minutes
Stick cloves into the tangerine. You can create any pattern you like, or you can just cover the entire thing. We chose to make a spiral, but faces are a great choice too!

Stick wire into the bottom of the tangerine, all the way through, and out the top.

String a bead onto the bottom of the wire. Use pliers to fold wire over bead.

Bend wire on the top of the tangerine into a loop.

String ribbon through wire loop. Tie a bow on the top, leaving a loop so that you can hang your tangerine on the rear view mirror.  You can curl the ends of the ribbon for extra flair.

Votives

Candles are relaxing, great smelling, and sexy. Who wouldn’t want to get one this holiday?

Materials:
– clear glass jar, small (like for jam or baby food)
– Modge Podge (if you don’t have any you can mix a little water with Elmer’s glue)
– tissue paper
– hot glue gun (optional)
– rhinestones, beads, glitter (optional)

Time: 30 minutes
Paint a coat of Modge Podge over a small part of the jar. Place a small piece of tissue over it. Paint another coat of Modge Podge on top.

Repeat as many times as necessary until the jar is fully covered by tissue. It’s fine to layer the tissue, but try to keep it thin so that the candlelight can shine through. You can also stick tissue over the lip of the jar to keep it neat.

Paint one more coat of Modge Podge over the entire jar.

Once Modge Podge is dry you may use hot glue to attach beads, glitter, etc.

Feather Earrings

Feather earrings would be a great gift for a fashionista. Buuuut, the cost can range from 10 to 25 dollars. Why not just make them, for much less, on your own?

Materials:
– 2 earring hooks
– 6 foldover crimps
– 6 feathers
– about 20 inches of a narrow chain (we used silver for all metals, but you can use gold)
– 6 small jump rings
– 2 large jump rings
– 1 pair of scissors
– 1 pair of needle-nose pliers (optional)
– 1 pair of pliers
– 1 pair wire cutters

Time: about 30 minutes
Cut down all six feathers to the size you want, make sure that the stem is narrow

Place feather inside of fold over crimp. Use pliers to fold over the metal tab on one side of the crimp, and squish it down. Fold over the other tab of the crimp; squish it on top so that the feather is caught in between the crimp’s layers.

Take one of the small jump rings, open it slightly with the needle-nose pliers, and slip the crimped feather onto the jump ring through the opening. Cut the chain into a 2–3 inch section. Slide one ring from the chain onto the jump ring as well. Close it with the pliers.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the rest of the feathers. If you would like to, you can vary the length of the chains for each individual feather.

Open up a big jump ring. Choose three different feathers (that go well together) and slip their chains on. Slip on the earring hook. Use pliers to squeeze the jump ring closed. Repeat using the second big jump ring and remaining feathers.

A house across the street from Garfield has been inhabited by Occupy Seattle participants and is being used as a temporary home and  billboard to spread word of their beliefs. Calling themselves Turritopsis Nutricula, a type of jellyfish that is in theory immortal, 9–10 people, many of whom met through Occupy Seattle, spend their nights and much of their day at this house with no electricity, heat, or running water.

“We wanted to symbolically show that there are buildings empty while people are forced to sleep on the street,” says one squatter, all of whom declined to give their names.

The Occupiers said their movement started “accidentally.”

“We thought police were going to kick us out, but they didn’t,” says one member of Turritopsis Nutricula.

The member declined to name the current owner of the house but said that “it looks like it’s owned by someone who doesn’t care about it anymore.”

According to the Seattle Times and the Central District News, the foreclosed house was owned by a couple who had a multimillion dollar house located on Mercer Island foreclosed on them and owns other properties in the area; Mr. Denmark West purchased it for $425,000 in 2006.

But Garfield’s administration does not seem the least bit worried about it.

“No, I don’t even know what it is over there. I have no idea and was never concerned about it,” said Mr. Howard. “They have a right to assemble, but they can’t come on to school and district property.”

“Some anarchists were part of that group and police were concerned, so I sent some stuff off out to parents just to be on the safe side,” says Howard. “I have to set all my political views aside.”

Calls to police weren’t returned.

Turritopsis Nutricula members attest and relate with the Occupy Seattle message that the current sociopolitical system is broken.

“People took our land, resources, time, and lives. That’s why you get stuff like poverty and hunger,” said one member. “People need to learn to fight back. That’s what we’re doing here, and encourage others to do,” added another.

However, the squatters were quick to distance themselves from their Occupy Seattle counterparts.

“We don’t want to completely dissociate ourselves from Occupy Seattle,” said one squatter. “But at the same time, we don’t want to say that we are a facet of occupy Seattle, because we aren’t.”

“Solidarity is when you have different tactics, goals, desires, but you find the ways that you can work together and you support one another,” said another. “I want to be in solidarity with Occupy Seattle.”

They stressed the need for diversity and differing opinions within their movement.

“If everyone’s thinking the exact same thing then you’re not going to be able to react and act in accordance with this really divergent set of circumstances we call reality,” said one member.

“It’s unrealistic to pretend that everyone is going to be on our side, because some people do support the system that we’re fighting against,” said another member.

They encourage students to have a dialogue with them as they look towards the future of their Occupation of 23rd Avenue.

“Stand up for yourselves. The examples that your actions set are much more powerful than [just] asking nicely,” said one squatter. “It’s surprising no one’s been over here from the high school.”

Seattle Public Schools and many other high schools around the nation promote frequently-banned books on their syllabi, including The Great Gatsby, Slaughterhouse Five, and To Kill a Mockingbird.  More commonly read books such as The Lord of the Rings, the Harry Potter series, and Goosebumps have also been banned in some areas, but are still found in school libraries.

Sure, some might consider these books to be offensive. but as the American Library Association states, “banned books week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information and while drawing attention to the harms of censorship.” This is something that should be celebrated. What shouldn’t be happening, however, is the restriction of access to education-related materials on the internet in school.

While administrators from Seattle Public Schools celebrate banned books, many internet websites are blocked because they are distractions to a learning environment.

Seattle Public Schools pledges “to prevent access to obscene, racist, hateful, or violent material.”  However, the Seattle School District’s internet filters go far beyond this basic prevention by blocking material that can be used for educational purposes.

Now  that the internet is becoming the main medium for communication and scholarly learning, students take advantage of the free software from Google, Microsoft, and other companies to store schoolwork online.

Currently, “[the district] doesn’t support email for students,” says Angie Martinez, a technology expert from Seattle Public Schools.  “We just don’t have a way to control it.”

Using electronic media cuts out paper use, costs, and creates hassle for both students and teachers, but isn’t a plausible alternative unless the technology experts at Seattle Public Schools redesign the filters to allow access to online applications such as Google Docs and Dropbox.

While these applications are sometimes allowed, it is often very difficult to access them.

Online email accounts shouldn’t be blocked either, because they can also be tools to supplement educations.

Emails are not supported by Seattle Public Schools because they can be used for “communication with external people outside the district,” says Martinez.

However, students can use these accounts to contact experts and organize their work in ways that textbooks can’t provide.  Taking the initiative to contact an expert shouldn’t be shunned by Seattle Public Schools, but celebrated.  The current policy is too restrictive to allow students to go above and beyond.

While caution is necessary when navigating online information sources, the web can provide more up-to-date information than teachers and textbooks can offer.

Garfield celebrates Banned Book Week as a symbol of rejecting the practice of limiting information.  While many banned books contain racially and  religiously offensive themes, we celebrate these novels as a part of our nation’s literary history.

If we celebrate open access to information, we shouldn’t be limiting that access to educational materials online.

Even though it was published a lengthy twelve years ago, Chbosky’s well crafted tale has found its way back into the spotlight, this time in the form of a screen adaptationion scheduled to be released sometime in 2012.

The book is a series of letters, written by a boy named Charlie to a stranger he decides to trust with all of his inner thoughts and feelings. As he goes through his first year of high school, he deals with way more problems than any kid should have to.

Just before the letters begin, Charlie’s best and only friend commits suicide. This leaves him completely alone to deal with the scariness of high school. He stumbles through the year as an avid observer. He is, as the title states, a wallflower. Charlie is a witness to life. His never ending mental commentary and naive questions hold up a magnifying glass to the flaws of society. He inadvertently reveals just how terrible the world actually is.

When two seniors take Charlie under their wings, and his language arts teacher tells him to try to “participate,” he begins his attempts at what we would consider a normal life. He goes to football games and  dances, and even occasionally tries to talk to people.

Charlie immediately falls in love with one of his new mentors, Sam, and his guilt, prompted by his unbelievable innocence, leads him to reveal to her his exact feelings. This type of behavior becomes his signature as he goes through the ups, and tremendous downs of freshman year. His problems go much deeper than unrequited love. I can’t even begin to grasp what he went through during that single year of his life, let alone the 15 years before.

On top of  dealing with high school, Charlie faces his extremely dysfunctional family,  and most of all, the crushing grief of the loss of his beloved aunt. The effect of this grief is evident throughout the tale.  It haunts him every second of every day.

Charlie sees the world through eyes so open and so untainted, it’s almost painful to behold. He doesn’t judge; he doesn’t attempt to alter or hide what he sees. He is, essentially, the perfect wallflower. But no one can live that way.  This book is the story about what makes a wallflower and how one learns to live.

I can’t go into any more detail without ruining the essence of the book. I will tell you, though, I cried three times while reading it, and I read over half of it in one day. It is amazing.

With the film’s release drawing nearer and nearer, I am terrified that it will turn out to be some quirky, light, Junoesque take, completely destroying the book’s dark, painful truth. My only solace is that Chbosky wrote the screenplay, as well as directed the film.

Please, please, read the book before you watch it. It’s worth every second.

With 8 million Americans suffering from eating disorders according to the State Department of Mental Health, Seth and Eva Matlin decided it was time to take action.

As founders of the Off Our Chests magazine and fashion label for women, the Matlins are trying to pass their new Self-Esteem Act in congress.

If passed, this act would require that all images of models in digital or magazine media be accompanied by a disclaimer if the image is significantly altered. Just a simple statement telling the reader that the image was edited.

“The Self-Esteem Act isn’t about judging, it’s about clarifying. If you’re not comfortable declaring it, don’t do it,” said Seth Matlin in a Huffington Post Article.

Sophomore Murphy Mathers agrees that photoshopped pictures should include a disclaimer, but  does not feel personally attacked by the media.

“I look at pictures and think ‘man that girl is photoshpped.’”

Though Mathers understands that media is edited, many girls aspire to these false images of perfection.Nevertheless, she admits that sometimes she too compares herself to the models she sees.

“It’s hard not to,” says Mathers.

The bill would not prohibit photo-shopping, butit would require a disclaimer stating it had been changed.

“It would remind people that you don’t have to be photoshopped to look beautiful,” said Garfield junior Maddie Canty-Gill.

Prior to the Matlins’ action in the U.S, two L’Oreal ads were pulled from the British Media because they were deemed overly photoshopped. Julia Roberts’s face had been so airbrushed that the ad campaign was cited as promoting a negative body image.

“You see a picture like that and you get an idea of what you are supposed to look like,” said Canty-Gill of the L’Oreal campaign.

The Self Esteem Act was created in response to the staggering amounts of insecurity and low self-esteem among females in the U.S. According to the Self-Esteem petition, 50 percent of 13 year old girls in the U.S. are unhappy with their bodies, and by high school, approximately 70 percent are unsatisfied. By 17, this number reaches nearly 80 percent.

According to the Dove Self Esteem Bill, it doesn’t end with teenage years, as 80 percent of women in the U.S reportedly felt worse about themselves after viewing unrealistic media. Media that is meant to entertain is actually leading to depression and eating disorders.

Though not exclusively, most female cosmetic ads highlight inadequacies, while ads for male viewers tend to emphasize enhancement. Women are bombarded daily with messages that tell them they are not good enough in American media.

“You constantly see what perfection looks like, and so you ask yourself why you don’t look like that,” said Canty-Gill.

As a result of my failures (if you can even really call them that), I have become well-versed in the stages of heart break. Thus, I feel it is my duty to share them with you, so that you might learn to avoid them.

Stage 1: The Collision

This is when your hopes and dreams of a romantic future collide with her disinterest in you. To be honest, you probably should have picked up on it the first time she stopped replying to your texts. Or when she ignored those three or four phone calls. Or maybe when she started passive-aggressively tweeting at you (“Omg dis boi won’t leave me alone #stalker”). By the time she left you that Formspring (“Hey, so… you should probably stop talking to me.”) things were already done for, and you know it.

Stage 2: Denial

But did you really know it? After all, she was (and still is) sending you mixed messages. She did like that one profile picture of you from back in middle school. Oh, and just yesterday, she texted you that winky face! Sure, she might have been talking about some other boy but, he’s not the one who got sent the winky face, is he? You know what, I think she’s just playing hard to get.

Stage 3: False Hopes Dashed

Nope, she wasn’t playing hard to get. She genuinely doesn’t want to talk to you. But c’mon, did she really have to delete you on Facebook? She has 800 friends, for Gods sake. You can’t be one of them? That’s just mean. So mean, in fact, it makes you feel bad for yourself. Why does this always have to happen to  you, of all people?

Stage 4: Self-Pity

Why don’t any of these girls ever give you a chance? After all, I’d say you’re quite the bachelor. You did get an “above average” score on that one online IQ test. And there was that time, right after midnight, when you had the world’s highest score of the day in Jetman. Oh, and you can even make your own eggs! So let’s add ‘em up: you’re smart, you’re a world-class Jetman-er, and you can cook. That’s gotta mean something, right? You know what, I think your problem is that you’re too nice a guy. As the saying goes„ nice guys finish last. As a matter of fact, you must be the nicest guy ever because you always finish last. Hey, that’s pretty good. You should tweet that. Maybe Tumbl it too.

Stage 5: Isolation

Who do they think they are„ unfollowing you?!? Those tweets were media genius. You know what? You don’t need them. Any of them. Screw Facebook, screw Twitter, and most of all, screw Tumblr (Somebody call the exterminator! We have a histper infestation.) They don’t deserve to witness your genius. You should just deactivate all of it. Yeah, that’s a good idea.

So, ever heard of World of Warcraft?

Stage 6: Repeat

You’ve been fighting mountain rats for so long, you can’t even remember why you started in the first place. Maybe you were trying to get away from a girl or something? Naw, that’s not important.

Ah, Facebook. Good old Facebook. How I missed you. What’s this, a new friend request? Ooooh, this girl is pretty cute. Love at first sight? I think so. You should hit her up and try to get her number. I can definitely see this going somewhere.