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Show er I On The cmzmnmia - The news page written by and for ? httpwww.standard.net WeberDavis teens txstandard.net -- Phone: 625-421- 776-495- 4 1 7 , ! Thursday, June 4, 1998 AKgn lCOVERTO -- "1 . J' COVER' Book: Horse Whisperer disappoints By JENNIFFER WARDELL IX correspondent eath, destruction -and blood on ;the road. And thats just the beginning. - Nicholas Evans book, The Horse "Whisperer (which was the basis for the movie by the same name starring Robert Rcdford), is, at least part of the time, an interesting story of pain, redemption and I J' life. Most of the characters are interesting as well. Theres Grace Maclean, a girl wounded in both body and spirit. Her father Robert, a quiet and gentle man who loves his little girl deeply. Annie Graves, her mother, is the one i'who finds the whisperer in the first place. And then theres Tom Booker, the horse whisperer, an cowboy whose first love will always be his horses. t Together, theyre capable of making magic. Moments like Graces first ride, .the horse clinic and Tom with Pilgrim, Graces equally damaged hprse, are almost enough to make the book worth reading. Almost Though the book starts well and has some wonderful moments, it eventually becomes just another Bridges of Madison County. It almost entirely forgets about Grace, 'Pilgrim and Robert, and instead focuses on Annie, her affair with Tom, and how much freer and more alive she feels without her family. Focus could have been brought back by using the other characters more, especially Robert For being the father, Evans certainly doesnt have him around much. "" Less detail would have helped as well. At times, such as when the accident "occurs, details help make it more real for the reader. Often, though, it just clutters up, adding about 50 more pages to ' things the book than needed. The sexual language could be cut out as well. It crops up in the most ' inappropriate places and is often graphic. Basically, unless youre a fan of Bridges of Madison County" and similar books, "The Horse Whisperer is ; a disappointment. Jennifer Worth'll, a junior a I Clearfield f High School, loves reading, writing, art and her family. . . ! i per- -, feet place for teenagers to schmooze. Or smooch - at least virtually. Use the image files to send lips, coffee cups, broken hearts and other graphics along with your online chat messages. 7 Jump in any time, 24 hours a day, Or Arena. Chat the use to a days week, show up at 8 p.m. each Wednesday to chat with our TX. mystery moderator. Go to http:www.standard.ncL Next weeks topic: Schools out! What are you going to do? Tho Cotton: ync. The original story from Tales of 1001 Arabian Nights begins, Aladdin was a Chinese boy. Jkwe )R COPY little t i LARRY What effect does the media have on you? CHAT. KISS, CHAT StandardNLTs chat rooms are a 4 Many teens are offended by these types of shows, including Griffin Brock, TX correspondent a sophomore at Bonneville I ligh School, turn on the who said this about South Park," a controversial cartoon show, when asked and how he thought it affected Americans: what do you find? I think its a horrible cartoon and it Many worthless be a cartoon because it attracts shouldnt shows that millions of little children, Brock said. I watched it Americans spend because I thought it would be a funny countless hours show, but its just sick violence and watching. disgusting. I definitely think it should be Media is banned. everywhere around Brock is a teenager who realizes that us. We arc affected by it, but its up to us TV is not always all that its cracked up to determine how much. to be, and hes not alone in his belief. Spending quality time with our Many teenagers choose not to watch families nowadays may mean sitting and TV at all. watching the weekly episode of who Cody McGany, a senior at knows what. It used to be playing a fun said, I personally would Bonneville, game of Monopoly, softball or anything read a book than watch TV. rather else that involves human interaction. When TV producers are making Media can be good but too much of it they arc subtly directing the cartoons, is not good - in fart, it can be show toward youth. People may argue devastating. If TV is taking the place of that shows such as The Simpsons and the parents role in the house and if thats Bcavis and Bullhead are targeted where the children learn about values toward adults, but children are the ones and the real world, theres a problem and who, when flipping the channels, are we have a scary future ahead of us. attracted by the cartoon characters and shows. Numerous television shows today arc watch the adult-humquestionable, especially shows that Ken Bragdon, a senior at Bonneville center around violence, drug use, SeeVlOLENCE4 irresponsible sex, and the list goes on. By JENNIFER SMITH You - t STtlPHENSStafxJard-Cxamtfw- r Seeking your thoughts . . . Although national studies state that the number of violent Incidents in schools Is dropping, media reports have described a number of shootings In schools recently. On May 21 in Springfield, Ore., an expelled student returned to school with a semiautomatic rifle arid opened fire in the cafeteria, killing two people and critically wounding seven others. Police later found two adults, his parents, dead in the suspects home. Seventeen others also were hurt boy carrying a Also on May 21 in Onalaska, Wash., a went to his off and then his took his school on girlfriend bus, gun got home and shot himself in the head as her father tried to break down the xx. On May 1 9, a high school senior shot and killed a student m a hool parking lot in Fayetteville, Tenn., three days before they were to aduate. On April 24, a 1 boy opened fire at an eighth-grad- e aduation dance in Edinboro, Pa, killing a teacher and slightly ounding two students and another teacher. friend On March 24, an 1 1 year-old boy and his 1 in Jonesboro, Ark. Four pupils and a teacher Dened fire on classmates ere killed and 10 people wounded. entered the cafeteria at Syracuse Junior On Feb. 4, a 1 fired into the ceiling and took several in Utah, School Syracuse, igh udents hostage. No one was injured. student in Pearl, Miss., killed his mother, On Oct. 1 , a 1 ld -- Has tho recent rash of shootings made you fear for your safety at school? TX. with your answer at txstandard.net E-m- ail |