Belichick, the evil genius in a hoodie, is considered to be one of the greatest coaching minds of his era, while Coughlin is the coach who barely escaped with his job halfway through the season until the Giants finally started winning some games.

But each coach seemed to have their own ups and downs of this game, and their hopes and fears resonated with every blow of the whistle.

You could see Belichick cringe for the first time when Brady dropped back near the 4 yard line for a pass. Brady saw pressure coming from defensive tackle Justin Tuck and knew he had to act quickly to avoid a safety. But, although he was not sacked, he was charged with intentional grounding inside the end zone. The result: a safety.

Throughout the entire game, Belichick had one huge factor working against him. Giants punter Steve Weatherford was pinning the Patriots within the 5 yard line on nearly every punt. Genius that he is, Belichick’s evil schemes only work when he is at the 20 yard line. Even a coach inspired by Satan, like Belichick, can’t engineer a drive starting from his own goal line.

By the end of the second quarter, Belichick was very close to storming off the field. So he buried his face in his hands, and let Brady get to work. By the time Belichick had looked up, Brady had thrown 10 passes and 10 completions for a total of 98 yards to score a go-ahead touchdown with around a dozen seconds left.

Coughlin had a different perspective on the game than Belichick. It seemed as if he was on his heels the entire time, trying to keep up with the hoodied menace that was his nemesis.

Unlike Belichick, however, Coughlin had multiple runningbacks who could do more than block for their quarterback. Most notable of those runningbacks was Brandon Jacobs, who, coming at 6 foot 4 inches and 265 pounds, is a human battering ram, and the gate he knocked down time and time again was the Patriots front seven, who had no chance to stop Jacobs.

The Giants defense gave Coughlin the necessary breathing room that kept him from getting claustrophobic. Pierre-Paul, the defensive tackle for the Giants, was making life for Brady a nightmare. He had multiple blocks and was giving continued pressure and hits on Brady. The announcers, namely Al Michaels, eventually agreed that “he is not a normal human being.”

Coughlin’s impotence was first noted at the beginning of the second half when Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was given one-one coverage against run-defending linebacker Chase Blackburn. Hernandez made a single quick move, leaving Blackburn in the dust and himself dancing in the end zone with a football in his hand.

While Belichick was doing his secretive evil laugh, Coughlin was scratching his head while every coach in the world was saying, “Who puts a big and slow linebacker on one of the premier tight ends in the league?” The answer to that question is an idiot–also known as Tom Coughlin.

But Coughlin is no normal idiot–he is a lucky idiot. Chase Blackburn was again assigned to cover an extremely agile receiver, but this time, the Giant’s defensive line pressured Brady and his deep throw over the head of Blackburn was delayed for just enough time to allow Blackburn to get in the lane of the throw and intercept the ball. That was the first and only turnover of the game.

Coughlin’s luck continued and so did Belichick’s woes, until the final score of the game revealed the Giants as the winner of Super Bowl XLVI, by a score of 21-17. Looks like Belichick will be going back to his evil laboratory, and Brady to his cologne commercials. Congratulations to Manning and the rest of the Giants for a great season, and congratulations to Coughlin for keeping his job.

The curtains open to the porch of the Mitchell household, where the lovebirds Ann Mitchell (junior Amanda Spielman) and Kevin Fredricks (junior Tom Rigodonzo) are perplexed about letting Ann’s parents know about their relationship with each other.

In the meantime, Ann’s mother, Donna Mitchell (senior Christine Do), is quickly preparing for the arrival of her superstar mother Penny Loring (senior Anna Tahran). When Penny enters the house, she reminisces about the memories she has growing up in the Roaring Twenties and reflects on the time when she decides to make a name for herself by becoming an actress. She rejects the man she loves, Edward Garrison (junior Devan Tormey), because she has aspiring dreams. Broken Box members bring these memories to life by re-enacting them in a vivid and engaging manner.

Meanwhile, Ann pops the question to her mother, who is astonished and does not approve. She voices her side of the story by claiming that it’s too young to become committed–an action that she regrets in her own ife.

The audience follows back to another flashback as Donna reminisces about how she became committed too quickly with Tommy (senior Johnny Hendriquez), who died in the army and left her a single mother. Afraid that her daughter will be left in the situation she found herself, she denies Kevin and Ann’s love.

The audience is quick to notice the differences between the daughter and mother–while Donna believes in staying true to the past and living her life dedicated to her family, Penny believes in making a name for herself and becoming an actress. Penny goes through four divorces and travels frequently for her demanding career.

The rest of the play focuses on how Ann and Kevin decide what’s right for them and attempt to obtain the approval of Ann’s parents. It highlights the idea of compromise and responsibility, as well as the relationships between mother and daughter throughout the generations.

The Broken Box Theatre Company has done an excellent job in creating this production and bringing it to life. Broken Box teacher Nancy Moran has directed yet another superb show, while senior Annalise Tahran delivered an outstanding performance as the lavish Penny in the 70s. Senior Laura Delamare played Penny in the 20s and junior Nikki Kashani played Penny in the 50s. Both did an amazing job in painting a vivid portrait of her character and revealing the progression in attitude throughout the years.

Every member in Broken Box has put in a lot of effort in order to make this play successful. So if you want to travel back in time along with the Broken Box crew, watch “Never Mind What Happened, How Did it End?” and find yourself entertained.

Though that is not, by any stretch, to say that it was bad.

Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn), the aforementioned protagonist, appears to only be capable of approximately three facial expressions ranging between solemn to grieved, with a little bit of angry in between. Even so it has to be said that Thomas Horn uses those expressions well and, as child actors go, is capable of bringing unprecedented emotional depth to the screen.

Another thing that might explain the movie’s appallingly low 46 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, particularly considering that Mission Impossible received a 93 percent, is the ever present voice over. If you plan on seeing “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” you should brace yourself for the extensive internal monologue of an emotionally disturbed nine-year-old.

Unfortunately, it is very easy to forget that Oskar is only nine, which could make some of his decisions irritating for an audience that expects to be entertained rather than forced to empathize. The story is presented from the point of view of a child and that immersion can be a little unsettling, despite undoubtedly being deliberate.

On the bright side, this is a movie that understands the value of subtlety. There are more than a few things left unsaid, and this aspect of the film is executed brilliantly. It is a movie with a message, but what that message is might be different for different people. That depth is why it is worthy of its nomination for Best Picture.

“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” would be incredibly refreshing in its complexity, compared to the average refuse typically seen in theaters, if only it weren’t about 9/11. That is simply not an event people want refreshed, though in the end they may be better off for having witnessed the story this movie has to tell.

Overall, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” flirts with excellence, but falls slightly short. It is mildly heavy-handed in its delivery, but at the same time it is very nice to see a recent movie that strives to do more than offer vapid entertainment. Moreover, a few scenes stand out as particularly aware and insightful about the human condition, which is far more than can be said of the vast majority of stories, let alone movies.

If you can stomach the discomfort, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” is absolutely worth seeing, though it may require some intellectual and emotional effort on the part of its audience.

Because “Haywire” stars real life mixed martial arts fighter Gina Canaro as main character Mallory, the action sequences are significantly more believable and gripping. Canaro moves quickly and takes down her opponents in a myriad of imaginative ways–so instead of seeming staged and scripted, the punches and kicks feel like real fights.

The problem, however, is that while the action is impressive, dramatic fighting sequences alone aren’t enough to hold up an otherwise mediocre combination of plot and acting.

Large parts of the movie lack dialogue and development, and instead alternate between long scenes of missions and boring background music. Although this strategy for building suspense could have been effective if used sparingly and during shorter scenes, the producers overindulged and the method quickly became tiresome.

Moreover, despite Mallory’s multiple missions throughout the movie, none of them are adequately explained. Without a stable supporting plot, the jobs she’s assigned to simply devolve into one repetitive action sequence after another.

And to top it all off, Canaro’s acting often feels strained. Though very engaging when grappling with foes, her performance when it comes to dialogue and plot development is lacking. It seems as if she has trouble getting into character–an obstacle that makes it significantly harder for the audience to empathize with a protagonist who otherwise would have had great emotional potential. While Mallory’s employer’s attempts to have her murdered seem to make for a gripping storyline, Canaro’s subpar acting prevents her character from developing to the fullest.

Fortunately, although Canaro’s acting isn’t what one would expect from a main character, the supporting cast has a lot more to offer. Michael Angarano, who is cast as a man whom Mallory kidnaps and steals from, does an amazing job juggling anxiety and confusion (while at the same time providing much needed comic relief).

On the other hand, Bill Paxton, who plays Mallory’s father, performs strongly in one of the more complicated and developed roles. He seems clearly supportive of his daughter and wants her to succeed, but is scared, as any father would be, for her safety. He wants to help Mallory succeed in escaping those chasing after her, but at the same time is all too aware that she could easily get caught and be in serious trouble. Paxton walks this fine line wonderfully and is believable as a well-meaning, albeit concerned, parent.

While the fight sequences are truly superb and the supporting cast is strong, the lack of a convincing main character makes the movie fall short. The one major silver lining is that because “Haywire” lasts only around an hour and a half, most of its short time is spent showcasing Canaro’s impressive fighting skills–a major plus for a movie that otherwise doesn’t stand out.

“I have heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online piracy,” chief author of SOPA, House of Representative Lamar Smith (R-Texas) said in a official Congressional statement. “It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products.”

During the blackout, participating websites posted links or information about SOPA/PIPA on their home pages and urged visitors to contact their respective local representative. According to a tweet from Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), the surge in visitors attempting to support the anti-SOPA/PIPA movement forced the Senate website to temporarily shut down.

In response to the blackout, many Senators and House of Representatives withdrew their support for SOPA/PIPA. This list included House of Represetatives Ben Quayle (R-Arizona), Dennis Ross (R-Florida) and Lee Terry (R-Nebraska) and Senators Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Roy Blunt (R-Missouri).

In the House, Smith announced the indefinite postponement of SOPA while in the Senate, chief author of PIPA, Senator Harry Reid (D-Nevada) called for changes to PIPA before the voting process.

“I understand and respect Majority Leader Reid’s decision,” PIPA/SOPA supporter Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) said. “But the day will come when the Senators who forced this move will look back and realize they made a knee-jerk reaction to a monumental problem.”

For Wyden’s Tweet, see here.

For Smith’s Statement, see here.

For Reid’s Statement, see here

For Leahy’s Statement, see here.

“The Iron Lady” humanizes someone who is most often seen only as a political figurehead.

The movie follows the life of Margret Thatcher (Meryl Streep), England’s first female prime minister. The first time Thatcher is shown onscreen is as an elderly woman, after her years as Prime Minister and after the death of her husband. From there, the rest of her life is shown through longer and longer segments of memory.

Because the story is told from different points in her timeline, it becomes simultaneously a story about a grieving woman losing her mind, and a story of a strong young woman gaining political power. It is revealed in the opening of the movie, that Thatcher still believes that she interacts daily with her husband who has been dead for over a year. Her descent into what seems like insanity contrasts harshly to the younger Thatcher, whose clear vision and motivation allowed her to gain her political success.

Despite the creative storytelling, the movie could have become a painfully cliche story about a woman in a man’s world and the struggles she faced. However, “The Iron Lady” manages to overcome this. The movie incorporates this idea through cinematically tastefully shots of her high heels among row after row of shiny oxfords, but it doesn’t focus excessively on it.

Thatcher, like many politicians, is often viewed as a vessel for her policies instead of a real person, but Streep’s performance does the opposite. Instead of concentrating on the choices she made as prime minister, the movie chooses instead to present a story of her as a person, and covers the difficulties that come with being a controversial prime minister. Meryl Streep embodies her completely and is absolutely mesmerizing–it’s impossible to take your eyes off of her.

“The Iron Lady” not only consistently employs beautiful cinematography, but also mixes in real video footage of important political events in with the material filmed for the movie. This serves to make the movie feel more real, and the intermixed gritty footage of the Falklands war gives viewers a sense of detachment between Thatcher as prime minister and the people of her country.

While Meryl Streep’s performance is captivating and mysterious, the supporting cast have equally brilliant performances. Through Margret’s interactions with her husband Denis (Jim Broadbent) and her fellow Parliament member Geoffrey (Anthony Head), the differences between her personal and professional life are revealed, and to some extent, these characters act as foils to bring out Margret’s large flaws.

The movie also does something that very few films do these days: it allows the audience to form their own opinions about the characters. Margret Thatcher is a very controversial political figure, and the film, instead of taking one side on her political issues, focuses on her as a person, allowing viewers to understand and evaluate her as a person instead of just as a politician. While the story overall isn’t anything extraordinary, Streep’s Golden Globe winning performance makes the movie totally worth the time.

The El Monte Blockbuster is not alone, as the recent economy has hit the the now obsolete video renting market especially hard. In 2010, Blockbuster announced its bankruptcy and in April of 2011, it was bought by Dish Network.

Ever since then, many Blockbusters nationwide have locked their doors and have been replaced by other stores. Out of desperation, one can even purchase a book shelf from Blockbuster–if it wasn’t already clear that the age of the video store is over. But why is that?

There are many alternatives to Blockbuster, and the major competitor is online streaming networks. Netflix, which has recently increased its prices by about 60 percent, is the number one network when it comes to online streaming. With an account, users can be hook up their Netflix Instant Queue onto their XBox or Playstation 3 (or even your Roku) to play movies on your TV. All of this along with the most popular moive mail service to date.

HuluPlus also streams movies and TV shows at a low flat rate. Many people use Hulu to catch up on missed episodes of their favorite TV shows. Though Blockbuster also has an online streaming network, it isn’t as well known as Netflix or HuluPlus.

When I watch movies, I watch them online or through a online streaming network. Who wants to drive all the way to a local store when all the movies that you want are available at the press of a button? And while Blockbuster offers only a limited number of movies, on any online streaming network you can get the movie without the hassle of worrying that it won’t be there–to some degree, of course.

Netflix does leave some newly released movies unavailable for direct streaming and only accesible via the mail service, but, for the most part, online streaming is a quick and easy alternative to the typical video store. DVDs usually come into the market four months after the movie has been released in the theatres. VuDu, another online streaming network, allows movies to be watched right after they stop playing at the theatres.

Regardless, Blockbuster, like the current American press, must try and keep up with an ever-expanding online market that practically takes the whole point of having stores entirely pointless.

So as the doors of Blockbuster close, so do the doors of renting movies from stores. The Internet and online streaming of Netflix have proved to be more convenient and appropriate for our demanding (and lazy) society.

There are always those cliché moments in life when an adult will say: “You are going to remember this moment for the rest of your life; where you were, what you were doing, how you felt. This is going to change your life forever.”

VE Day, VJ Day, the assassinations of Kennedy and MLK, the moon landing, September 11, 2001. Our lives are dotted with unforgettable events, the kinds of things that you see in textbooks as landmarks of history. To be a part of them is to be a part of what makes the world what it has grown to be.

But if that is true, then it appears to be that an integral part of my life is missing.

In truth, I struggle to feel anything when it comes to the subject of 9/11. I feel remorse for those who lost loved ones, and I am saddened by the loss of nearly 3,000 lives, but there is an immense disconnect, a giant chasm between me and that day.

I was six and had just started the second grade. There is a faint memory of driving in the car with my mother, knowing that she was worried and in almost constant contact with my grandmother in Queens, a 45-minute subway ride from the World Trade Center.

Other than that, my mind is a blank. I have been told in later years that my grandfather had been in the Financial District at the time. Looking out the window, he saw fluttering papers and thought that someone had decided to throw a parade. He was forced to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge in order to get home safely. I have never asked him to tell me personally.

Why? Why is it that I haven’t been more curious? And, in some ways more importantly, why can I remember almost nothing?

Every time that I visit New York, I take either the E or the F train into the city. The E’s last stop is Chambers Street – World Trade Center. World Trade Center. I hear that name on a regular basis, so much so that I fear that I have been desensitized. I fear that I will never be curious.

I have no reminders, no losses, no hurts. 9/11, for me, is a date. It is some far away and very important event that I did not experience.

I struggle with the gap in my memory, especially as so much of America is now coming together to commemorate the 10 year anniversary. So many images, so many people, so many lives that have been changed forever.

But has mine been changed? Is it possible to be so affected by something that I don’t even remember? For many, 9/11 reverberates more harshly in their minds than almost any other event that has occurred in the 21st century so far. It is, as well, one of the most tragic for the American people.

And yet, it has been the source for much inspiration. I hear more of the heroes of 9/11 than I do of the heroes of those serving in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, even now after so much time has passed.

For 10 years I have grown up under a shadow of an event that I still have yet to understand.

Do I even want to remember?

In truth, I have no idea. I regret not being able to tell you, the reader, that 9/11 has affected me in a way that has inspired me to do something great, as it has done for many people.

What I do not regret is being able to observe how it has affected others. I do not regret being able to see America come together to celebrate heroes that represent the best of us and mourn the loss of many a soul who never had the chance to show that heroism.

As we move forward, the world will never forget that 9/11 happened. Pictures, videos, stories, they all ring true. But as younger generations grow older, it will become harder and harder to commemorate the date.

It is our job, therefore, to preserve as much as we can of the emotions and connections that 9/11 has coaxed from our society. Without those memories, 9/11 grows farther and farther away from us, cementing itself in our minds as a distant, detached event.

I am only the start of what I fear may be a losing battle of terrible magnitude.

Today, I spent three hours at a graduation cap decorating party amidst cardinal red and golden glitter paints. Yesterday, I spent all day at the senior picnic squelched onto rollercoasters and watching giddy friends bury unfortunate friends in the sand.

And tomorrow, I’ll be graduating.

It’s a little bit overwhelming, a little bit scary, a little bit exciting—well it would be, if that final swell of graduation sentiment had hit me yet. I know I’m not the only senior who finds the official end of high school surreal. Even during those moments in which the end seems imminent, there lacks a sense of finality.

But I guess high school really will be the “olden days” in about 18 hours. So while I’m still a part of The Talon, and the current web editor is able to post this, I’ll share a couple tidbits that I’ve learned in the past four years.

Freshman Year

You know you’ve been in high school far too long when you can’t remember anything more from freshman year than your teachers’ names and the hunky, too-cool upperclassmen you wish would Facebook friend you. That first year of high school, I was a little wide-eyed Quiet Asian Girl. All I knew how to do was sign up for too many clubs on club day and attend as many meetings as I could.

Turns out, signing up for 15 clubs is a bit excessive, and sign ups with no follow through irritate club officers. (Thanks to the 20 out of 103 members of Interact who actually come to meetings.) But even though you may overwhelm yourself and slightly irritate others by biting off way more than you can chew, trying out a bunch of things that seem appealing is the only way you’re going to know whether you like something or not. So freshmen, dip into all your options if you get the chance.

Sophomore Year

Sophomore year, I thought I had hit rock bottom when I struggled through tough math and science classes while partaking in the school musical. Though freshman year I explored multiple paths, it was sophomore year that taught me to put my energy into the couple activities I really enjoyed rather than the too many things I kind of enjoyed. I didn’t manage my time well, and it cost both my grade and my health—I can thank sophomore year for permanent eye bags.

I also got my first taste of—ha!—senioritis. So please, sophomores, don’t do what I did. Avoid sophomore slump, even though it’s tough, and actually go in on your own time to talk to your teachers if you don’t understand chemical formulas or logarithms. Avoid burning yourself out two years early by picking one or two things you really love and giving those activities the time and effort they deserve. Also, don’t be melodramatic about your workload, and get some sleep—you’ll need it.

Junior Year

Without a doubt, junior year taught me a lot about growing up. It was the year I started taking on larger roles in Interact Club, The Talon and class council. It was the year I took on some responsibility. But the most meaningful experience I had last year can be credited to my English AP class. In creating my tapestry project, a compilation of creative writing that English AP students must complete, I analyzed and reenacted my experiences, then found a common theme among my pieces that defined one aspect of my life. I better understood my heritage, my family’s expectations and my relationship with my dad.

I learned that it’s ok to cry, and that sometimes, if something is meaningful enough to make you cry, writing about it can create the best work. My best tapestry piece turned out to be one I wrote in two hours the night before the project was due. It ended up being a college essay and an inspiration for my senior valediction.

So I guess there are two lessons here. One, the most powerful writing can come out of the most unfavorable circumstances. And two, when you have the opportunity to make a school assignment meaningful to you, take advantage of it. You’ll be proud (and may even hit three birds with one stone like I did).

Senior Year

Despite popular opinion, senior year was my toughest year—second semester included. It was also the most memorable. I’ll never forget those college app days or those stressful newspaper production nights. But once senior year rolls around, you’ve got high school down.

It’s when your activities start taking priority over your academics (at least for me, Talon did), and it’s when post-high-school plans trump your activities. There’s not much advice I can give to seniors, and quite frankly, not many seniors at this point who will care. So all I can say is cherish these last few moments, even if you still feel like you’ll get another chance to do everything over again.

Be proud of what you’ve accomplished, what your peers have accomplished, and take everything you’ve learned with you to college. Don’t ever forget those experiences, whether they’re documented in photos or videos you’re tagged in, Tumblr blog posts, on lahstalon.org (because we cover everything, you know it) or just in your memory.

That’s that, then. There goes high school in a nutshell, with way too many generalizations. All that advice probably comes off as pretty cliché. Even I’m cringing as I read it over again. But it’s also true, and there’s a reason a cliché is what it is. I hope seniors reading this can reflect on their defining high school moments, and students bound for another year of high school keep an eye out for those moments and document them.

Today, I spent three hours at a graduation cap decorating party, thinking about the past four years of high school. Tomorrow, I’ll be leaving those years behind. And in two and a half months, I’ll be starting a new chapter of my life with the rest of the 2011 seniors. It’s a little bit overwhelming, a little bit scary, a little bit exciting, but it’s happening right now. Oh, goodness.

Time till graduation: T-minus 18 hours.

El Dia del Maestro, or Day of the Teacher, is an annual tradition originating from San Luis Potosi, Mexico which recognizes the hard work and dedication of teachers. The practice eventually spread throughout Mexico and, in California, became an official part of its legislation at the request of the AMAE.

“Dia del Maestro is a day to honor and support the man individuals who accept the challenge of educating today’s youth,” former State AMAE president Magdalena Mellen said.

Many local chapters of AMAE host their own Dia del Maestro throughout May; however, this year will serve as the birthplace of the Silicon Valley chapter’s Dia del Maestro. A total of 10 educators throughout the valley, including Pasallo, were honored along with the awarding of 10 student scholarships.

“I feel it’s really great to be recognized; I think that’s important, but I’m a worker, I’m just happy doing the job,” Pasallo said. “And I enjoy being with kids so much … the [award], it’s nice, it’s really nice, but do I feel any different? No, not really.”

Pasallo has been in education for the past 13 years and has been working with the youth community much longer. Her career began, not as an educator, but as a therapist.

“I always wanted to do counseling of young people,” Pasallo said. “So I originally wanted to be a therapist for young folks.”

In her earlier years, Pasallo worked on many court-mandated counseling, especially gang-related cases involving youths. It gave her the chance to work with and help the younger generation.

“However you can’t be as connected with students [by doing this therapy],” Pasallo said. “You have this professional relationship and you can’t pass that boundary.”

Feeling limited by the court therapy cases, Pasallo decided to come to LAHS as a student counselor. She felt this would be her chance to work much more closely with the younger generation.

“I was doing a little bit of psychology counseling but this was going to be hands-on,” Pasallo said.

This was when Pasallo began her work to help the Latino community at LAHS. Latin Student Union (LSU), before Pasallo, lacked leadership and unity.

“Before it was a couple of little groups here and there; we just couldn’t make it work,” Pasallo said.

LSU, now in its sixth year, is no longer a group of students. It is the largest club on campus with solid leadership and organization.

“[The award] just fuels the fire a little bit more, to do more,” Pasallo said. “It’s a great feeling, but it just makes me want to do more because I got to meet so many other people who were doing others things.”

At the ceremony, Pasallo was given the chance to meet the other nine recipients and hear their ideas. From these meetings, she was able to set her own goals for the future.

“I would like to have the parents be much more involved,” Pasallo said. “I think that’s a longer road but I think that would be my goal, is that any parent can come here and be like ‘we’re one and all together and we’re united.’”