Our first category is Salty Snacks, and the nominees are:

1) Chex Mix
2) Peanuts
3) BBQ Lays
4) Cheese Crackers

And the winner is… Chex Mix! You can find Chex Mix in most of the vending machines around school. A couple of locations are at the Lower Gym Lobby and at the Band Hall. Not many people are fans of peanuts because of allergies and the fact that they always get stuck in your teeth. BBQ Lays are delicious but have a very strong BBQ flavor which not many people like. And Cheese Crackers are not well liked because half of the cracker always ends up on you. So if you like salty snacks that are full variety, make sure you go to get yourself a bag of Chex Mix, the number one salty snack.

Our second category is Cheesy Snacks, and the nominees are:

1) Cheetos
2) Cheese-Its
3) Cheese Crackers
4) Nacho Cheese Doritos

And the winner is… Nacho Cheese Doritos! This cheesy snack is found at the Band Hall, Lower Gym Lobby, and at the end of the 130-134 hallway. Cheetos are a very cheesy snack, but not many students are fans of staining their fingers a bright orange color. Cheese-Its are good but some store brand “Cheese-Its” have more flavor to them. And Cheese Crackers once again always end up on your clothes. Doritos are little triangles packed with flavor, so if you want a chip that can fill you up get yourself a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos, the number one cheesy snack.

Our third category is Breakfast Food, and the nominees are:

1) Cinnamon Bun
2) Donut Stick
3) Honey Bun
4) Pop-Tart

And the winner is… Pop-Tarts! This breakfast food has been around since kids have been waking up late for school and comes in many different flavors. Pop-Tarts are found at the end of the 130-134 hallway and are only available in frosted strawberry. The Cinnamon Bun can be too large for some people and can keep some students from eating lunch. Donut Sticks are good when you have a cup of coffee with you, but if you don’t prepare to eat what feels like a dried piece of bread. And Honey Buns have the same problem as the Cinnamon Buns, the size is too large. If you wake up late and didn’t get breakfast, Pop-tarts are your best friend so get yourself a Pop-Tart, the number one breakfast food.

Our fourth category is Candy, and the nominees are:

1) M&M’s
2) Skittles
3) Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
4) Milky Way

And the winner is…. M&M’s! “Melts in your mouth, not your hand.” These famous words, spoken by Forrest Mars Sr., perfectly describe these bite-sized candies. M&M’s are found at the Band Hall, Lower Gym Lobby, Counselors Lobby, and the end of the 130-134 hallway in original and peanut. Skittles are great, but if you’re not a fan of painting your tongue like a rainbow they are not for you. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are good peanut butter snacks, but sometimes give you a gritty peanut butter taste in your mouth. And Milky Ways are delicious if you like caramel, but can be hard to chew and can get stuck in braces easily. If you want a chocolate candy that can withstand Texas heat, get a bag of M&M’s, the number one candy.

Now the moment we have all been waiting for, your nominees for the Best Snack are:

1) Chex Mix
2) Cheese-Its
3) Cinnamon Bun
4) Skittles

And the winner, for the Best Snack, is…. Chex Mix! Congrats to the winner of the best salty snack and the best snack! Seems to me that Chex Mix cleaned up on today’s awards show. The choice is clear if you need a snack that will fill you up and that tastes good, go get yourself a bag of Chex Mix, the number one snack of all.

Thank you for joining us for the first inaugural Vendy Awards! Congrats to all the nominees and all of the winners.

What they have in common? Both suffer from massive hype. “Tha Carter IV” is the next entry into Wayne’s critically acclaimed “Tha Carter” series and “Watch The Throne” is the long-awaited collaboration album between Jay-Z and Kanye West, both of whom are longtime friends and a force to be reckoned with (they refer to themselves as “The Throne” on this CD).

What else? Both have suffered difficulties in the recent years – Lil Wayne’s hated attempt at rock music “Rebirth,” Jay-Z’s recent economic difficulties, and don’t forget West’s stunt on the ’09 VMA’s. However, these are where the similarities end. Both of these CDs document how each side has dealt and reacted to these challenges, but in extremely different ways.

“Whether I’m a rapper or not, I’m interesting,” Wayne said. “And that’s what my album’s gonna be about: me and how interesting I am.”

Wayne’s confidence is noble, but while “Watch The Throne” was released to almost universal acclaim, “Tha Carter IV” received a less-than stellar reception with many notable critics calling it “the greatest disappointment of 2011.” Now you wonder, what makes “Watch The Throne” the superior album?

These five reasons play a major factor and may give a clue as to why Weezy still has much to learn from the greats.

1. Better production value – While “Tha Carter IV” has decent production value, West has been making his own beats and instrumentals since high school and was a highly-sought after producer long before he started rapping. “Watch The Throne” simply sounds as if more hard work, time and love was put into it as a result.

2. More intensity – Maybe it’s because he has become comfortable with his life at the top, or maybe it’s because he’s no longer 18, but Wayne’s rhymes have suffered from a dry spell. While he has clever rhymes, he delivers them in a dreary, relaxed manner on many of the songs, almost as if he is preparing to go to sleep once the track is finished. In contrast, Jay-Z and Kanye’s distinct style manages to contrast perfectly; Jay-Z’s precise rhymes blending together with West’s unadulterated punchlines.

3. Lyrical content and complexity remains unmatched – Both albums contain the usual songs that tell of money, cars and power. But what “Watch The Throne” has that “Tha Carter IV” misses is enough lyrical depth to make up for the more shallow lines. In “New Day,” both rap about their unborn sons, and how they refuse to let them succumb to the greed, temptation, and corruption that comes with fame. To be fair, Lil Wayne tries his best on “How To Love,” but his attempt at an acoustic love ballad comes off on more of the corny side.
“Sorry Junior, I already ruined ya. ‘Cause you ain’t even alive, paparazzi pursuin’ ya” -”New Day”, Jay-Z

4. Diversity – I’ll give Weezy a break; he was brave to try something new with his acoustic love ballad, but there is just something about listening to The Throne spitting over a dubstep beat on “Who Gon Stop Me” (which samples Flux Pavilion, for you dubstep enthusiasts) that knocks their game up a notch. This, and many of the other songs on this album just cement West’s position as the king of sampling. Wayne just can’t compete.

5. Two words. Frank Ocean – Wayne’s featured artists are relatively typical, Drake, Rick Ross, T-Pain. The inclusion of John Legend and the newcomer Cory Gunz (on “6 Foot 7 Foot”) serve as a real treat. In contrast, The Throne implements significantly fewer collaborators, but the one featured artist they include may be enough to equal Wayne’s multiple ones. Frank Ocean, of Odd Future (who includes Tyler The Creator), is featured on two songs on the album, “No Church In The Wild” and “Made In America.” His crooning on the former contrasts the raw, primal beat and cements the song as one of the best opening songs on an album ever. The Throne’s decision to choose an up-and-coming newcomer versus a big name artist is a brave one, and also proves that quality trumps quantity.

“Tha Carter IV” is by no means a terrible album, but when looking back at Lil Wayne’s older days, you can’t help but feel that Wayne has so much more potential. While “Watch The Throne” may not have been West and Jay-Z’s best work, their raw talent is still very prevalent. “Watch The Throne” just contains that extra dimension to it that pushes it far ahead of “Tha Carter IV.” Well Weezy, there’s always next year.

Season of the Witch takes place during the 14th century, a time ripe with conflict. Along with the crusades, there is plague and, of course, witch hunts.

Claire Foy plays the role of “the girl” aka the witch. She does this brilliantly. Foy combines utter creepiness with complete innocence and up until the climax of the movie, she’s the glue holding it together. The mind game aspect of her relationship with Cage’s character, Behmen, is very intriguing. Needless to say, Foy will be receiving more roles after this movie.

The script, as written by Bragi F. Schut, avoids any and all cliches surrounding the time period. Especially concerning the background of two major characters in this film: knights. Schut casts off the Disney stereotype of the faithful knight and takes a much more realistic approach. The knights become three dimensional characters which can easily be related to.

The plot, however, is lacking. The first half of the movie is somewhat entertaining and still leaves many questions to be answered. Over the climax, that adventurous and somewhat playful air vanishes and leaves gaping plot holes in its wake.

Cage has had bigger and better roles and this one hasn’t helped his career. His character is solid and pretty convincing in the beginning, but as the plot moves on, it starts to fall apart. Whether that is the writer’s fault or his own, it still has damaged his career. It’s a shame, but I’m afraid the name Nicholas Cage has become synonymous with “bad movie”.

Season of the Witch seemed like it had the potential to be a decent action thriller, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment. If you must see this movie, rent it. Otherwise, don’t waste your time.

Mean Girls-Best High school Takeover

First step: infiltration. Second: reconnaissance. Third: the take down. That is Cady’s mission, to take down the Plastics. Cady, the new girl, is thrown into this new environment of public high school. After seeing Cady get noticed by the Plastics, Janis, Cady’s new friend, becomes the mastermind of the infiltration. Not only is this movie very popular and hilarious, it’s also a decent film. The humor hits the right points without going too far, the movie has a good plot structure, and getting back at the popular “mean girls” is always a blast. The end has got some cheese, but it’s not completely cheesy. So here’s to you Mean Girls, a shiny award to add to the lacrosse, athlete and talent show trophies.

John Tucker Must Die-Best Attempt

A genre in chick flicks that every girl loves: the ex-girlfriend getting back at her ex. Now while these girls do pranks to get back at Tucker, did they really get back at him? Granted, they did get him to change how he treated his girlfriends and such, but wasn’t the goal to destroy him? Yes, yes most revenge movies don’t really pan out in the revenge, but it seemed they got even less. Tucker was always able to thwart their plans somehow.  So for those attempts and creativity that came with them we here by give this movie the Best Attempt Award.

Real Genius-Best Nerd Revenge

What is this movie? This is most likely the first thought to go through the teenage mind, but anyone who loves 80s movies will most likely be familiar with it. It is about a group of teenage geniuses who are building a laser and find out it’s true purpose: a weapon. So now these geniuses plan to get back and destroy the laser. Many steps are involved and hilarity is inbound as you watch them unfold. All the plans end in a big pop and laughter. So for the 80s, which held many nerd revenges – Revenge of the Nerds series anyone? – and the fact that the ending was tested by Mythbusters, this movie is thereby given an award.

17 Again-Best Single Scene

Disney doesn’t really mess with the revenge genre, unless you count pretty much all of the villains’ motives, but 17 Again does have a single scene that has the best verbal fight we’ve seen in a high school setting. Mike O’Donnell has many regrets with his marriage and his children. In a fit of nostalgia, Mike wanders through the halls of his high school, gazing at his old basketball memorabilia. A weird old janitor shows up turns Mike back into his 17-year-old self. While the movie is okay in terms of plot and life lessons, the scene in which teenage Mike stands up to his son’s bully and his daughter’s boyfriend is pure genius. Using his older intellect, Mike puts down the bully rationally. After his list of three reasons why the thug is a thug, the entire cafeteria cheers. For this single, but memorable scene, Mike can now add this award on the shelf next to his basketball trophy.

Big Fat Liar-Best Underdog Revenge

In fear of this work being stolen by anyone – coughMartyWolfcough – we here by copyright our story. Shepherd, not Jack sorry but Jason, is a pathological liar who gets his story stolen by movie producer Marty Wolf. Now, being a pathological liar means that you aren’t often believed. So to prove his honesty he plans to get the story back through a series of unfortunate pranks. However, these pranks instead fuel Wolf’s rage and gives him more motivation to make Jason’s story into a movie. Reaching the final straw, Jason directs a multi-stage plan to humiliate Wolf and get back the rights to his story. Although it is for kids, the movie still holds humor for teens. The pranks have multiple results that end in laughter. So for the smurf looks, clown catastrophe, a hostaged monkey, and over-the-top productions, we hearby give you this award.

Having originated from a 1930′s radio show, the Hornet has gone off to spawn numerous film serials, comic books, and a beloved 60′s television series that featured the legendary Bruce Lee as Kato. What set the Hornet apart from the typical cape-donning hero was the fact that he is meant to be the villain in the eyes of the people. Maintaining this infamous reputation as a menace, he is able to infiltrate and cap the real bad guys.

Now with Seth Rogen behind the mask, the latest and greatest cinematic gadgets, and a supporting cast that features the likes of Cameron Diaz and Christoph Waltz, does this adaptation pack the sting of its predecessors?

The film starts off rather rushed, as Britt is introduced as the very lazy, irresponsible, 28 year-old son of James Reid, the publisher for The Daily Sentinel, who is known for being the only writer brave enough to show the true colors of LA’s underworld. The relationship between the two is shown as rather strained, as James is disappointed with Britt’s refusal to make something of himself. However, James is found dead from an allergic reaction to a bee sting, and Britt suddenly changes and chooses to become responsible. From there, joined by Kato (played by Jay Chou), Britt becomes inspired by saving a young couple’s life from a gang of thugs and becomes the Green Hornet, ending the first act of the film. My main complaint stems from the fact that all this happens within (what seems like) the first thirty minutes of the movie.

As we reach the middle, we are introduced to one of the main villains, Benjamin Chudnofsky (Waltz), an aging gangster who constantly tries to regain his once ruthless and feared reputation. While his attempts to become “hip” with the younger criminals are amusing, Waltz’s role never becomes as memorable as his role as SS Colonel Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds. The middle is alright, neither bad nor good, but forgettable. Consisting of the Hornet’s attempts at gaining the fear of the people and the respect of the criminals, the film falls into a trance, where enough is happening to keep you from leaving your seat, but not enough to keep you truly enthralled.

However, what truly shines throughout the film is the chemistry between Rogen and Chou. The funniest moments in the movie stem from their love-hate relationship; one moment they are laughing heartily together, then suddenly, they’re intent on killing each other. While many believed that Lee’s classic role as Kato could never be topped, Chou does a marvelous job taking up the challenge.

What truly saves this film from dropping into the bargain bin of average superhero movies is the end. The last act was by far the best part of the film. While the beginning and the middle only showcased tidbits of the film’s potential, the ending made use of everything that had been done right up to that point. Though the twist was expected (I won’t spoil anything for those who have yet to watch it), the comedic timing and outlandish mishaps more then make up for it. Here, Rogen’s true prowess as an actor can be seen, proving to the world that he can be more then just the “chubby, lovable, and relatable average joe” from a Judd Apatow film.

Overall, The Green Hornet delivered relatively well. The rushed beginning and monotone middle are effectively balanced out by the solid acting and the explosive finale. While it didn’t set out to captivate the audience on an emotional level as The Dark Knight, nor did it aim to overly-bludgeon them with offbeat humor as Kick-A**; it is what it is, a decent superhero comedy meant to entertain the audience, something which has been lost as superhero movies nowadays are too busy trying to recreate and outdo the competition.

While it is by no means Oscar-worthy, The Green Hornet is great fun, and a good cinematic start to the year.