10 Elements of Elizabeth the Queen

Element 1: Birthplace and Date

     Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, better known to her family as Lilibet, was born on April 21, 1926 in Mayfair, London. She was her parents' first or two daughters. They had hoped for a boy, but they were not able to due to her mother's health issues. Neither Elizabeth nor her sister, Margaret, were born naturally; instead they were both born through Cesarean sections.

 

Element 2: Family Members

     Queen Elizabeth II had many cousins and relatives that she was very close to, but there were a select few who had the most prominent impact on her life. First and foremost was her father Bertie, short for Albert. He was not the original King, but once he claimed the throne he changed his name to George VI. Next was her mother who was very similar to Elizabeth in many ways even though they spent a considerable amount of time apart. Her sister, four years her junior, was also very close to Elizabeth as they grew up together. Once Lilibet got older she married Prince Phillip of Greece and had three sons and a daughter, Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward. Interestingly Phillip is Elizabeth's third cousin, but in a way they were following tradition by doing so.
 

Element 3: Childhood/ School Life

     Growing up in that time period meant that women did not go to school unless they were very intellectual. Therefore her nannies and caretakers were her most influential teachers and mentors until she was in line to be Queen at the age of ten, and her parents hired specific tutors for her.
 

     Her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated the thrown in order to marry a twice divorced American. By stepping down from his role as King, her father became an accidental king making her the heiress. Generally she'd be known as “heiress apparent” if it was certain that she would one day be Queen, but due to the slight chance of her parents having a boy she was instead known as “heiress presumptive.” As an heiress he curriculum increased significantly. Crawfie, her main nanny, remained as an important mentor for her, but several tutors were taken in to instruct on all subjects that she would need to know in order to be a queen. Sir Henry Martin, Marie-Antoinette de Bellaigue, along with other highly educated professionals helped her to learn a variety of subjects and put her through rigorous work every day. As the years passed the lessons and material to study only intensified.
 

     In the final stages of her childhood and young adulthood, she was assigned a personal assistant who scheduled out how she would spend her days. This frequently included royal meetings, dinners, trips, and political events for the main purpose of spreading her name and dominance throughout the United Kingdom and its territories. She caught on quickly to all of the politics and essential duties necessary to be a successful queen thanks to her instructors and mentors.

Element 4: Hobbies and Interests

     Growing up Elizabeth may have had a strict routine, but she was always able to find time to do what she truly loved. Her first passion was horse racing and breeding. Starting at a young age, she was was introduced to horses and the world of racing. Her father passed down his love for the equestrian hobby. Elizabeth rode her horses often for both recreation and business. There were many times where she needed to ride her horse in parades or other events; however she would have to ride sidesaddle because she preferred to be mounted naturally on the horse. With only the best at her disposal, the future queen was able to see which horses would be best to breed. After spending so many years alongside horses, Elizabeth can clearly see the traits of a quality steed. She enjoyed going to watch horse races when she found the time. Racing and breeding were not her only interests though.

     As a young adult, Elizabeth was given her first Welsh Corgi by her parents. From that day on she has developed an incredible fondness for this specific breed of dog. In her lifetime she has owned more than thirty corgis in total. Besides surrounding herself in dogs, Elizabeth was generally a quiet person. She enjoys doing crossword puzzles, reading, and photography.

 

Element 5: Anecdotes

     Elizabeth was never one to just sit back and have others do things for her. She may have been a princess, but she was far from a spoiled brat as some may have stereotyped her. When she turned eighteen she made the bold decision to join the  woman's branch of the British army and worked as both a mechanic and a truck driver. She learned a lot during her time on the force, and her favorite part was being able to know so much about cars and how they work. She was a quick study so she was doing well right off the bat. When she returned home she still put her skills to use when her cars needed fixing, and she was known to go speeding down the road when she had the chance.

 

     The princess met Prince Philip of Greece when she was only a mere thirteen years old in 1934. Even though he was quite a few years older than her, they automatically felt a connection. They constantly exchanged letters because of him being in the British Royal Navy, and that worked to deepen their love for one another. They continued to see each other, and Phillip would often take both her and her sister Margaret out while he was there. At first no one seemed to notice, but as time went on their love for each other was obvious. There were some in the family who were skeptical about him, but for the most part they were happy for the new couple. Philip asked Elizabeth to marry him in 1946 and she said yes without ever consulting her family. Her parents approved, but on the condition that they wait to announce it until after her twenty-first birthday. On November 20^th, 1947 they got married.

Element 6: Career     

     As princess she didn't have many responsibilities. Her education came first, but as she got older she began doing more official business. Before becoming Queen, Elizabeth needed to build a relationship with her people. To do so she took many trips around her country and to many of the Britain's territories. She traveled to Africa for a few weeks specifically because they were in turmoil due to the war and economic issues. She gave incredible speeches that moved her subjects, and word quickly spread about the eloquence and sincerity in her speeches. Ironically once she was known as a born leader, her father grew ill and died, giving her the throne.

     Her life as Queen started off without a problem because of all that her father and mentors taught her. She took charge of her kingdom and became a modern monarch. She is very knowledgeable when it comes to her government, and she is very involved in political affairs. She has been through many Prime Ministers and knows exactly what she's doing when she offers advice or criticism. Elizabeth II remains highly respected and follows through on all of her various duties as Queen still.
 

Element 7: Reason for Fame

     Queen Elizabeth II is known by all as the United Kingdom's current monarch. She is also queen of sixteen territories known as the Commonwealth, but she is represented by a Governor-General in these countries. She has worked hard to hold her territories together and builds good relations with all of them. She has led the modern era as queen, and has done with even though so much has changed so quickly. One major choice that increased her popularity was allowing a Commoner to marry into the British royal family.
 

Element 8: Later Life/Old Age

      As she ages, Queen Elizabeth II isn't giving up. There were rumors spread that she would give the throne to her grandson and skip her eldest son, but she will not break tradition. She continues to rule as well as she did when she began, and her heirs are set in stone. Regretful about the time she didn't spend with her children and the problems that it caused, she invests herself into the lives of her grandchildren. She even overlooked her grandson marrying a commoner which is unheard of in the royal family. Her age is apparent to all, so there are many speculations to when she will no longer be Queen, but mentally she is as strong and brilliant as ever, and she won't be leaving her place as monarch for much longer.
 

Element 9: Death

     She is still very much alive at the age of 87. She has had some recent heath issues such as the stomach flu, but Queen Elizabeth continues to thrive. Her mother lived far past the age that she is, so it is very possible that her rule will continue for many years to come.

 

 

Pick Me, Pick Me!

     When we think of mapping out the next year of high school, we tend to think to ourselves, "I hope I get the classes I want," but it isn't just the students who have that thought cross their minds. Every school year at West Hills is different as students change classes, teachers, and activities. Students are used to that time during second semester when it is time to head up to the counseling office and choose their schedules for the upcoming year. But have you ever stopped to think about how this process effects the faculty members?

 

     As students sign up for their classes for next year they are deciding the fate of each class. Of course classes such as English and Mathematics are mandatory in order to graduate, so they obviously aren't effected right? Wrong. In fact, the box you check on your schedule as you plan out what you want and need to take the following year is the very tool used to dictate what certain instructors will be teaching. For example, Tedd Brent, an excellent part of our English department, created the unique and exciting new class known as "Writing for the World." He came up with the idea for the class and saw to it that it was made into a part of West Hills. He succeeded three years ago and has been continuing on ever since, but his new class' survival is literally in the hands of the students. If not enough young adults checked his box, any of the periods that would have been "Writing for the World" become a normal college preparatory English class. To prove that he said, "This is the first year that I have had three 'Writing for the World' classes, and depending on how many normal English classes I have changes my schedule." Although Mr. Brent isn't the only one to face challenges with the Wolf Pack's choices. Debora Heeb, an incredibly talented Spanish teacher is also greatly affected by whether or not students choose specific classes. Some years she has taught Advanced Placement fourth year Spanish, some Honors, some college preparatory, and others she has taught a combination of the three. Without a doubt the teachers in her position persuade their students to continue on into these classes, but there is no guarantee that she, or any other teacher, will be teaching the same thing next year. Supporting that point she said, "I don't  know exactly which level I will be teaching until we are coming back for summer vacation." Fortunately, all of the West Hills teachers are so intelligent and gifted that they will be ready for whatever the school throws at them.

 

     Who will be the ones throwing these classes at them though? The answer lies just above our library. The counselors work tirelessly during that second semester and even over the summer to make sure that students have been given the classes that meet their wants and needs. They first focus on whether or not each student has a schedule that will help them fulfill the requirements for graduation, and then they try their best to get each student into classes that they feel best suits them. Giving insight on the whole operation, Mrs. Bean said, "We try to make sure that all of the students are where they need to be and get classes that they want as well." Once all of those specifications have been ironed out is when critical decisions have to be made. The counselors advise and guidance has placed the West Hills attendees where they need to be, and based on that the teachers' classes are decided on. Some of the classes may be cut, a few students may be moved around, but once all is said and done the teachers just have to hope they got the classes that they had been hoping for.

 

     Year after year the faculty goes through this continuing cycle of change and uncertainty, fighting for the classes that they yearn to teach. It's a toss up every time classes are chosen, but no matter the outcome the West Hills faculty is prepared to enrich and enlighten their students in any of the classes they are given to instruct. They may have personal preferences, but they always find a way to make every class they teach feel unique and exciting.

Your Guide to the Finance Office

The Grass Isn't Always Greener On the Other Side: Corline Movie Review

     We must always be careful of what we wish for. In the stop-animation film, Coraline, the director, Henry Selic, shows viewers what it means to get exactly what you ask for. Coraline, a young, colorful girl, played by Dakota Fanning, is forced to live in a jejune, grey community full of unusual neighbors like Miss April Spink, played by Jennifer Saunders, by her parents Mr. and Mrs. Jones, played by Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman. She seems to be thrown into a world drained of life and energy. Fog rolls through the looming, dark hills that she explores. Even the house she moved into fades into the boring background along with everything else. She is just a kid looking for some type of adventure and warmth in her cold, uneventful life. Coraline just wants someone to care about what she thinks she needs, and she goes to great lengths to make her wishes come true.

     Little Coraline spends her dreary days looking for an escape from her terribly unexciting reality once her parents moved her into the Pink Palace, a muted, empty house. She begins by passing time going from one room to the next in the large home, meeting neighbors, and walking around in the acres of land around it. After she's done just about everything she could to make her time more interesting, she stumbles on a small door behind the wallpaper. Unfortunately the hope of the ultimate adventure was crushed when she found nothing but a brick wall in front of her. Coraline loses interest and meets a kid her age named Wybourne, played by Robert Bailey Jr.,  who is just as awkward and creepy as the rest of the people she meets. Hour to hour she yearns for some sort of way to satisfy her hunger for having fun, but she is constantly denied by the barren landscape and neglecting parents. To her surprise, one night she is awoken by mice who lead her to that same door, but this time it has transformed into a mystifying portal to an unknown world. Of course she jumps, or better yet crawls, at the opportunity to leave her old life behind. Once she's passed through she see discovers a world the same as her own but enhanced in every way. The other mother pays attention to her and loves her unconditionally, and the neighbors are similar but the perfect version of those in her true life. Everything is finally starting to turn out like she wanted and more.

     Coraline has finally achieved what she has been asking for from the beginning, a new life full of adventure and love. However there is one flaw in this alternate universe, everyone in it has buttons rather than eyes. That factor didn't seem to matter to her until they asked her to stay forever, with the catch being that she'd have to have buttons sown onto her own eyes. In the blink of an eye everything seemed to change; this near perfect world was not everything she had hoped for. Bit by bit this incredible dream goes through an awful metamorphosis into a frightening nightmare. Coraline is trapped and must use her bravery and cleverness to get back to the life that she had left behind. It takes hard work and determination, but Coraline pulls it off and ends up right back where she started. She realizes that what she wished for wasn't what she really wanted; it is her real life that she truly loves and enjoys. It took patience and a near death experience to come to the conclusion, but Coraline finally figured out that what she already had is all she ever wanted.

     This stop-animation movie is very well made and is inspired by a hit children's book, however this movie does not seem to be made for children. For one, the score throughout the film keeps a generally consistent tone of creepy and frightening sounds, but it does help add effect to the dull colors of real life and the dramatic colors of the new life. The actors who created the motion of the puppets did a phenomenal job getting the characters to match the emotions of the actors' voices in the dialogue in order to create realistic scenes matching expression to tone. The filmmakers seemed to aim fir a more suspenseful, creepy movie, and they achieved that, in part, through their use of camera angles and scene length. For example, as Coraline fights back against the evils in the new world it gets close up so that the viewer feels like they are a part of the struggle. Something that really sets this movie apart is its use of unique character and costume design. Each character was not only unique in the way they looked physically, but they all also had their own wardrobes. Another big reason why this film is a hit is because of the decision to use almost all real effects rather than CGI. For instance, the fog that rolled through the hills and around Coraline was smoke from dry ice that they recorded and layered into the scenes. All in all they used various different elements for all audiences to enjoy.

     Overall, this average length film did very well keeping my attention from beginning to end. It was creepy and at times even awkward or racy, but there was never a moment when I drifted off into boredom. Due to the fact that it has puppets it draws in the younger audiences, but it also has much deeper, more meaningful parts that an older audience can relate to as well. This movie does more than tell an interesting story; it relays strong messages and themes like being careful what you wish for and being grateful for what you already have. On the other hand, this film does have its downfalls. The most prominent mistake that I can see is the odd scenes where they chose to have the old ladies almost entirely naked and the Russian man with the hairy, bulging stomach almost getting stabbed in the groin. Other than those moments I believe that this movie was a great success. I rate it with four and a half out of five stars, and I recommend this movie to all audiences ranging anywhere from kids to adults.   

Sing Like No One's Watching

     The Voice is back for its third season and better than ever! With its new premier in fall this year, it’s ready for some serious talent. The four spinning chairs, phenomenal coaches, and humorous bickering over incredible singers are back yet again. This season promises to be exciting, talented, and full of new twists and surprises. With two great seasons under its belt, this show is ready to soar to all new heights.

      Produced by Mark Burnett, The Voice follows a simple set of rules. There are four coaches with the potential to add a strong singer onto their sixteen person teams, and all they have to do is press the big red button that sits tauntingly in front of them. All four chairs face away from the stage so that the coaches can hear the voices without seeing the contestant. Once they’ve hit their button, the floor tiles in front of them explode with a bright white light as their chair spins to face the contestant. If only one coach turns around then that singer is automatically placed on their team; however, if another coach spins at any point before the end of the song, then the singer gets to choose which team to be on after hearing each argument from the coaches. On the other hand, if no one turns around by the end of the song, that contestant does not get placed on any team, but the coaches still give them feedback before they leave the stage. 

    The coaches remain the same this season and for good reason. First off, Christina Aguilera, a sensational pop and soul artist, has been singing since she started at twelve on the Mickey Mouse Club House. Not to mention she’s won four Grammys, and one Latin Grammy! Next is, of course, Adam Levine, a high-pitched rock artist and lead singer of Maroon 5. He originally started as Kara's Flowers when he was younger, but has since blossomed into the well known group, Maroon 5. He and his band have earned themselves three Grammys so far. Then there is our third coach, Blake Shelton, a very well known country star and good friend of Adams. This six feet tall country singer has had quite a few hits, as well as winning three Country Music Awards along with various other awards. Last, but not least, is Cee Lo Green, a successful song writer, singer, and rapper. He’s most well known for his hit single “F**k You,” but he has done so much more, including creating the group known as the Goodie Mob until he left a few years later to pursue a solo career.  Each coach is unique allowing for a more diverse range of talents.

       

      Now with all four ready to go, they needed a way to start the season off right, so to kick off the night they pumped up the crowd with “Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones. After the performance, they all sat down and relaxed in their big red chairs to begin. The first performance of this season came from a Scottish rocker, Terry McDermott, who got Cee Lo, Blake, and Adam to all turn around, and he eventually went with Blake as his coach. Next up was De’Borah, a soulful, colorful artist who sang “Hey Soul Sister” by Train and in the end chose Christina as her coach. Off to a great start, the coaches spun around once again just before Gracia Harrison walked off the stage. This bubbly blonde belted, “I Want to be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart” by Patsy Montana, and got all but Christina to turn around with her powerful yodeling. Blake and Adam battled it out trying to sway her onto their teams, and after hearing all of the arguments, she chose Blake for his southern charm and expertise. Sixteen-year-old Garrett Garcher was next to go up, but unfortunately no one turned around due to a lack of control in his voice. Afterwards was Devyn Delora who dared to sing Christina’s song “Ain’t No Other Man,” and said that singing this coaches song was, “Suicidal.” Fortunately, her voice was strong enough to bring the audience to life and left the coaches reeling to turn their chairs around first. Blown away by their reactions, she had a moment to stand in awe just before she chose to join team Christina. Hoping for a second chance, Daniel Rosa returned with “Someone That I Used to Know” by Gotye, and this time he got to join team Cee Lo after shedding a few tears and getting a hug from Adam. The night continued with a sweet girl from Jamaica, Anita Antoinette, who failed to get any of the coaches to turn around with “No Woman, No Cry” by Bob Marley. However, she did make them regret their decisions after she sang a more meaningful version a cappella. Moments later, Joe Kirkland, a college band backup singer, came out singing “Gives You Hell” by The All American Rejects and ended up with his fellow rocker Adam. The next segment of the show featured three more competitors who didn’t have what it took for the coaches to hit their buttons. To finish up the first night with a bang, Trevin Hunte, an eighteen-year-old powerhouse who grew up with people saying that he’d never amount to anything, walked nervously out on stage. As the music started and he began to sing his incredible version of “Listen” by Beyonce, not only did he prove all of them wrong, but he also made the coaches scramble to spin around. Stunned of what effect his voice had on the audience and judges, Trevin took a moment before he joined team Cee Lo. By the end of the night each coach had filled two spots on their sixteen person teams. 

      Overall, a lot of elements work well with this show. The part that makes the show a hit is having the chairs facing away from the stage. It’s simple, yet powerful; it takes away all potential bias and allows for all of the hopefuls to have a fair chance to be judges solely on their voice. Allowing the contestants to choose their coach, if more than one turns around, adds some suspense to the show that gets the viewer excited and invested. Structurally the show is very orderly and can begin to lean towards boring, but the creators were smart to choose the outgoing coaches to help with that. Because of the coaches being able to argue and bicker with each other, it makes the show a lot more comical and helps the viewer to see the comments made when there are no restrictions. Another great part of the show is the back-story it gives before each singer walks out on stage. It creates an emotional attachment between the viewer and the performer, which makes the viewer want to continue watching to see how far they make it in the competition. Even though there is so much of The Voice that is good and well thought out, there are some areas that could use improvement. 

      The greatest flaw is when the show allows professional singers, or at least were professionals at some point, to go on stage and compete. This gives them an unfair advantage over the others, and it would benefit the show to have contestants that have very little to no professional experience. Another minor error is the back-story. It’s necessary to have, but when it drags on for so long it loses the viewers’ interests and will at the very least make them think about watching something else. The last piece that can be repaired is the length of time it takes for a contestant to choose a coach. It starts out dramatic and gets the viewers guessing which coach they’ll choose, but then it continues to the point where they begin, if not completely, lose interest. 

     All in all I think this is a fantastic show that works with what the people watching want to see. It deserves to last many more seasons, and I believe it will continue to be a hit for as long as it airs. This show receives a ranking of four and a half out of five stars from me, and has definitely become one of my all time favorites.

First Post!!

Hey!! It's Kevin and this is my first post! Hope you enjoy my blog!