GMHS Lasso Online

Tattoos have been around for centuries, in cultures all around the world. However, a tattoo today might have less meaning compared to a tattoo a hundred years ago. Tattoos were originally used to represent a culture, symbolize something religious, and were even once believed to have healing powers to some cultures. These days, however, a tattoo could be as meaningless and spontaneous as getting an artist’s name tattooed on your forehead.

Now, I’m not yet eighteen and I have no tattoos, but I’ve heard lots of talk about my fellow seniors who are eighteen with tattoos. Are tattoos stupid and reckless? It depends. First of all, if you’re eighteen, most of the stuff you do is going to be reckless and stupid anyways. Most importantly, the things that mean a lot to you now won’t always mean that much to you when you’re 58, but the tattoo will still be there.

Trust me, I’m not just some anti-tattoo and anti-piercings nun. A lot of people in my family have tattoos, and I’ve seen good and bad. My dad recently got a tattoo on his chest, and it took him 53 years before he decided that anything was important enough to permanently ink onto his body. I’m not saying don't get tattoos ever, I’m just saying make sure they actually mean something.

Yolo, a popular motto, is spreading across campus, but what does it mean?

So you’re sitting in English class, learning about the irony in “Macbeth” when suddenly a kid stands up and shouts “YOLO!” and then runs out of the room. Um, what just happened? What is that kid’s problem and what does yolo mean?

The term has been around for a while now, but it got its fame from Drake’s song “The Motto,” and it’s an acronym for the saying “you only live once.” You could say that “yolo” is the latest version of the saying “live a little.”

The term yolo has been sweeping the nation via Twitter and Facebook, and now kids have started using it in everyday language.

In theory it’s a great idea-- an inspiration for people to do things that might seem a little daunting otherwise. Of course, like all things in the teenage social scene, it’s totally overused and will eventually wither away into nothing important. People will hop on the bandwagon until there is no more room and then everyone will hop off the bandwagon because it got too crowded.

The saying is kind of great. Sure, it’s annoying and embarrassing to use, but the inspiration behind it is what really matters. You really do only live once, and sometimes all you need is a four letter saying to get your friend to do something they wouldn't normally have the guts to do. 

Teachers. You spend every day of the week with them, you’re in constant communication with them, and they’re responsible for teaching you the stuff you’ll need to know to get through life. So why is it that their personal lives are harder to find any information about than a needle in a haystack?

You always wonder what their lives are like when they’re not boring you to death or drowning you with homework. What do they do for fun? They can’t possibly just grade your essays all day, right? And, as said in the classic movie “Mean Girls,” “Seeing a teacher outside of school is like seeing a dog stand on its hind legs.”

In an attempt to gather information about teachers’ private lives as a way to humanize them to their students, I am setting out to document the playlists of several Mason teachers.  What’s on their iPods?  What makes them tap their toes?

First up on this trek is Mr. Will Snyder, a well-loved and appreciated math teacher. His playlist is listed below.

When asked about why he chose these songs he said “because they’re good songs.” Typical answer from Snyder, then again you can’t expect anything but dull from a math teacher. I jest!

He then continued by quoting the famous German mathematician and philosopher, Gottfried Willhelm von Leibniz- “Music is the pleasure human soul experiences from counting without being aware that it is counting.”

Here’s a glimpse into the musical life of math teacher William Snyder.

MEHMS CAFETERIA- Football mom Judy Lubnow is presented with the official Mustang Chili cook off apron and ‘Braggin’ Spoon’ after she wins the best chili, voted by senior football players and cheerleaders.

Sweaty, sore boys line up for warm chili after a back breaking and heart breaking loss to William Monroe High School last Friday. The tradition for the past few years was that the varsity seniors of the football team would be the judges of the best chili at the annual Senior Night Chili Cook Off. However, since Senior Night and Homecoming were packed into the same night this year, the loss was extra sad. And the contestants worked hard to make the chili extra comforting.

Players and cheerleaders had to choose between eight very diverse but delicious bowls of chili. The meat in the chili varied from beef, to venison, to even buffalo. Many noticed that one chili had a very Indian taste to it and one contestant used spaghetti instead of macaroni to make a very creative edition of ‘chili mac.’

After what seemed like ages of deliberating, the varsity senior football players and cheerleaders voted on the best chili. Proud mom of star player Steven Lubnow, Judy Lubnow, came out as the winner. It is no surprise that she won this Chili Cook Off because this football mom is talented in the field of delicious things. She has even been crowned ‘Queen Of All Things Tasty’ by yours truly.

With warm chili and fabulous seven layer bean dip in their stomachs, the boys seemed to be pleased. It is amazing how food can cheer a person up. Lubnow walked away the winner, seniors walked away stuffed, and it was another bitter-sweet ending to the football season.

George Mason’s halls are filled with students rocking the red and black attire for Mason Spirit day.  Students dress up and show their pride for Homecoming.

The Mustangs are very diverse today- wearing things from a crazy outfit and face paint to a red shirt and their favorite jeans. Everyone is excited, walking around with big smiles on their faces. There are so many reasons to be excited today other than supporting your school with wild outfits.

First of all, the pep rally is today! Getting out of class to scream and yell and compete with other grades? Yes please! Also, how can we forget that today is Friday? But this weekend is not just any weekend, this weekend is Homecoming weekend.

The Homecoming football game begins at 7:30 p.m. Preceding the game will be the Senior Night ceremony.  At halftime, get ready to watch the dance team and cheerleading squad perform their routines.  Homecoming Court will also be honored during halftime.

The Homecoming Dance is Saturday beginning at 8:00 p.m. in the high school gymnasium.  Tickets are $15.00.

It is the same question every year. Why doesn’t George Mason have more school spirit? What are we not doing that other more spirited schools are? How can we get the students to have more spirit? Both students and teachers have noticed that the school spirit around campus has been dropping to an all time low, and hope of it getting higher is not in the near future either.

This subject is especially important for seniors and junior to be aware of.

Seniors- this is your school, you are at the top and it is your job to make sure everyone else in the school has just as much spirit as you do.

Juniors- it is your job to keep the spirit alive. When the seniors leave this year you will be in their place and it is up to you to pick up where they left off.

When asking seniors about the issue of school spirit, they responded ardently. Many of them have noticed the lack of spirit and fully intend on doing something about it. It seems that seniors could be our only hope. However, a high school’s school spirit cannot feed only off of the senior class. It is true that in most schools the seniors are the biggest, baddest, and loudest at games and pep rallies, but that should not be stopping you little ones.

So, underclassmen don’t leave it all up to the big kids. You are a part of this school too. School spirit is what brings a school together, and George Mason wants to be united as a whole. The lack of school spirit at George Mason has been a serious problem for the last couple of years, and it’s about time that we step it up.

Football games have been a bore, Spirit Week is barely taken seriously, and sometimes all you can hear at basketball games is the squeak of the athletes’ shoes against the court. Some of you might think that school spirit at George Mason is only slightly lacking. As someone who has been to other high school football games and seen how much spirit they have, I can definitely say that compared to them we are, I hate to say this, embarrassing.

A new school year means new classes, new teachers, new rules, and new friends. However, some traditions still remain over the course of many school years. Take Principal Ty Byrd’s hand shake or occasional high five for example. Ever since he started working here several years ago, Byrd has welcomed students coming in from the main entrance with a warm handshake every morning. It’s a great way to start the day off right.

"It always makes my morning a little bit brighter when I see Mr. Byrd outside greeting students, especially when he shakes my hand. It makes me feel important,” says senior Victoria Dalton. She is not alone in this; many students confess that getting a firm handshake from Byrd in the mornings makes them feel like he really cares.

Things change, and sometimes it gets overwhelming. So even little things like a high five or a handshake remind kids that some things stay the same. The school year has its own pace whether we like it or not, but it’s the little things that keep up on our feet.

A while back, Dr. Peter Mecca’s Block 2 biology class had to say goodbye to the trout that were swimming around in the back of the room.  A few days passed and the tank was looking empty. No more friendly sea creatures to accompany the class!

Earlier that day, freshman Brooke Strong came to school with a transparent orange juice jug filled with water and several fish swimming around franticly.  She came into class with the jug, poured the fish in the tank, and left claiming that Mecca did not even notice.

“He didn’t even notice until the middle of class, and when he did he just stopped and looked at me like ‘Brooke… why are there fish in my tank?’” Strong said.

Now the creatures live in a nice, peaceful fish tank in the back of a ninth grade biology class. They were moved from their tiny apartment of an orange juice jug, to a luxurious and spacious mansion of a fish tank.

“I just felt like it – a little prank,” Strong said about why she did it. She said that she might as well; there was still water in the tank. The fish include about nine goldfish, two snails, and three sucker fish.  She got them at Petsmart for just 27 cents a pop. Pranks like this could just be the beginning, however. Strong could one day be the mastermind behind a spontaneous senior prank that could go down in George Mason history.

Remember that one week in May during elementary school when you would pick off a branch of your neighbor’s azalea bush and bring it to your teacher? If you are a Falls Church lifer who went to Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, then you probably remember this fond memory.

Teacher Appreciation Week is a week where students take the time to tell their teachers how much they appreciate all that they have done for them. Although it may not seem like you would want to give thanks to someone who gives you homework by the pile, unless it was sarcastic, you will want to in the long run.

Mr. Block will be in the cafeteria during all lunches this week handing out cards for you to write a message to your teacher if you are too shy to tell them in person.  All you have to do is walk up to the nice Mr. Block, already equipped with pens, and write down the name of the teacher the message is meant for, then write your message. The last and final step is a quick scan from Mr. Block to make sure no one tries to pull any jokes or insults hidden in their message.

So go out and celebrate and thank your teacher this week, because they deserve it. Whether you bring in some flowers, send them a card, or just give them a shout out, they will appreciate it.

Last Friday was the last show at George Mason for many of seniors, including hilarious emcees Daniel Fletcher and Jay Rodock. It was also the last show for heavy metal vocalist extraordinaire David Eye, the always unique Ross Wilson, talented coronet player Lewelyn Howell, and our constant source of amazement, pianist Anuraag Sensharma.

Before the magnificent show, I ran into junior Marco Vasquez, the mixer for junior Andre Hopson who would be performing a much awaited example of his mad rap skills.

“It’s a shame that they all have demerits; more of my friends could have come if they had no demerits,” Vasquez said when asked about his attempt to get all of his friends to come to the show.

It was said that many students served demerits by going to detention last week and the week before so they could attend what was said to be a killer spring show; which proved to be killer indeed.

Other than the bittersweet ending to many Mason students' journey in the shows, there was also a surplus of unexpected vocal talents.  First, senior Patrick Rhodes sang the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ popular hit, “Under The Bridge,” while sophomore Jason Kutchma played the piano beautifully.  I was surprised, knowing Rhodes since middle school; I heard many come up to him after the show saying things like, "I had no idea!"

Sophomore Alex Green, who had never sang in a George Mason performance before, blew the crowd away with a cover of "The Scientist" by Coldplay, accompanied by Jason Kutchma on the piano; may I also add that Kutchma did an absolutely spectacular job on the piano.

Sophomore Nate Cooper, who I had never seen on stage before, performed a solo act while playing his guitar. He did a beautiful rendition of "Lead Me" by Sanctus Real, which I was very pleased about.

The rest was the usual yet never disappointing acts: people like hilarious magician Jack Webster, the GMHS Jazz Band, and musician Rand Walters--who always seems to attract the ladies with his music. In fact, he used that to his advantage and asked senior Katie Breen to prom, which she willingly accepted.

It was a happy ending for all at the George Mason High School 2011 Spring Show, seniors and newcomers alike. I know I felt the love, did you?

You might have read my previous article on Britney Spears’ music video for her hit, “Hold It Against Me”; the heavy bass and dangerous electric flare of that single continues throughout her album “Femme Fatale,” released on March 29.

In her new album, Spears experiments with heavy bass and fun, edited vocals to create a new and never before heard Britney.  Just like the innocent and naive Spears disappeared after her controversial single, “I’m A Slave 4 U,” the pop-queen’s bubbly sound she is known for has disappeared with this album.

The techno-based album sounds a bit like her 2008 album, “Blackout,” but better.  It seems like “Blackout” was just an experiment and failure that led to the immense success of “Femme Fatale.” With hits like “Till the World Ends” and “Hold It Against Me,” this album is an instant dance club classic.

“Femme Fatale” could easily be Spears’ best album, but also her weirdest.  It’s a dance album full of edgy and dubstep-inspired songs that would be perfect to play at Prom, in my opinion.

Spears says she worked on this album with a “hands-on” approach, which explains the difference we see with this album and her first single “Baby, One More Time.”  Her music is less poppy and bubblegum and is now sexier and heavily influenced with “Big Fat Bass,” one of her new songs that could easily blow your car speakers if turned up too loud.

Her success in the music business isn’t the only thing to smile about; Spears is also happy with her two adorable boys, Preston and Jayden, and long time boyfriend.  Needless to say, she is happy with her life – when it comes to her family as well as music. So rejoice Britney fans; the queen is back and in full swing.

For those of you who haven’t been to the FCCTV studio, it is an area of decent sized rooms that hides under the very school we walk in.  To get in, you have to enter a code, knock on the door three times and then perfect the secret handshake.

Kidding, of course; the doors are by the art room back entrance and are almost always open.  The tech guy who runs the place, Michael Palmrose, was very helpful and willing to teach us TV amateurs, the staff of Lasso Online, how to perfect the art of the press conference.

It was quite an experience. The first thing I noticed when I walked in the room—besides the overwhelming amount of technology surrounding me—was how cold it is.  I soon realized, however; why the air conditioning was on full blast when I started to feel the heat of the stage lights.

Students sit in their seats with pen and notebook in hand.  Barely five minutes later, the Superintendents, both Dr. Berlin and Dr. Jones, arrive.  Next thing you know, the teleprompters are rolling and the blinding lights are front and center on seniors Eddy Marshall and Hannah Leopold.

A few questions and answers later, the camera man gives the signal and it is all over. Everyone takes a deep breath.  Journalists finish their last notes and Superintendents exchange a few light conversations.

What was the most memorable part of this Lasso adventure?

Co-news editor Allie Plata, freshman, says, “asking the questions, on TV!”

Students were most excited about the fact that they would be shown on television. Even if it is not national television, the experience is still something worth telling to grandchildren—well, maybe younger grandchildren, because no grandchildren over the age of 12 will find that very exciting.

Notice those hilarious posters with people’s names in big letters that are plastered all over the school walls?  See anybody handing out stickers and pins to students with a big, corny smile on their face? Yep, it is that time of year again: SCA elections.

This is the time of year when brave young bucks, and some does, gather themselves to write speeches on why you should elect them. Whether the speeches are hilarious, awkward, or promising, they are always memorable.

Speeches are going to occur during Mustang Block this Friday, April 1. Right after that, in third block, students will receive ballots and a few minuets to vote.

This time it is different, however. Since the changes in the SCA Constitution, there will be two elections; Friday’s, and another on April 15. The ballots will look the same except for the dates.

So, students, get ready for another wild week of GMHS SCA elections.  Juniors, take this opportunity to vote for fellow classmates as they run for President of the whole school. Eighth graders, it’s you’re first time ever voting for SCA here at George Mason! Get excited guys, these elections tend to get pretty intense.

Late last night before the gruesome episode of “Jersey Shore,” Britney Spears’ world premiere of her new music video aired, as thousands of devoted fans watched with excitement. The most exciting part of the video was the gossip of some wicked dance moves Spears was expected to bring forth.

Famous for her sweet-yet-sexy videos full of fancy dance moves and skimpy clothing, Spears goes a different route with one of her edgiest music videos yet.  Some say it might be ‘Lady Gaga-esque’ while others believe it is well thought out and has an obvious theme behind it.

The video’s setting is a massive studio filled with cameras, televisions, microphones, and speakers-- things that have been a part of Spears’ life since the beginning. This technological theme mixed with daring costumes grabs the viewer's attention.

When asked what she thought about the video, junior Sarah Sarkar responded “I really liked the theme of it; it was about the rise and fall and the rise again of Britney Spears… that explains the scene with her old music videos in the background."

The video also features an edgy fight scene between two Britneys which clearly symbolizes the battles she has fought with herself.

It is not until the very end when Britney really pumps out the impressive dance moves.  While her interestingly dressed back-up dancers did most of the work, Britney herself definitely proved that she is back into full swing.

Change sweeps over Mason, and things could get confusing since course registration has always been done on paper.  Thankfully, Principal Byrd and guidance counselors have organized informative assemblies about the online course registration during, you guessed it, Mustang Block.

Each grade will meet separately at separate times in the upper part of the auditorium.  Rising seniors will meet this week on Friday the 18, rising juniors will meet next week on Tuesday the 22, rising sophomores will meet on Thursday the 24, and rising freshmen will meet on Friday the 25.

This class conversation is mandatory! No matter how much you dislike that it is during Mustang Block, you must show up.

After students have been to the class conversation, they will have the ability to choose their courses through Access GM from any computer with internet. Things are not that different; however, you will still receive a Program of Studies booklet and a sheet to record the classes you would like to take. The Program of Studies booklet is provided so you can get course numbers, check out prerequisites, and course descriptions.

Your parents and teachers will still have to sign the sheet of your courses after you have printed it out. The only thing that is really changing about all this is that you no longer have to flip through the booklet to find the English section to choose your classes, or squeeze those long course names like “IB Anthropology” into the space given on the sheet. Also, this way it will be easier and less stressful for teachers and administrators to place students into the courses they choose.

If you have any questions or have trouble with the process, counselors will be available to help during Mustang Block in the A and D labs on Friday, February 28, March 1, 3, and 4.  The forms are due to turn in by March 4, so please start thinking about the classes you want to take during the 2011-2012 school year.

School spirit meters are hanging dangerously low, and it all starts with the lack of spirit in the younger grades.

Maybe the lack of school spirit is contagious and George Mason caught the disease from the middle school next door, because there seems to be a serious lack of spirit around here.  A school full of busy and apathetic students do not have time to dress up as something ridiculous for spirit week; we should all forget about revive week, right?

Wrong. How are students supposed to cheer on Mason’s fabulous sports teams without any spirit? The teams need us, especially the boys and girl basketball teams who destroyed our Strasburg opponents this week.

There seems to be a missing link in this school-- school spirit.  Students have the dedication and energy as seen in the sports teams, and the SAT scores show that students definitely have the smarts to think of interesting themes and outfits for spirit week.  So the question is, where did we go wrong?

It might start with the kids at the middle school.  At the beginning of January, FCCPS organized an event where students from MEH were encouraged to go to a George Mason Lady Mustangs basketball game. It was going to be called “MEH Husky night” and the fifth, sixth, and seventh graders would get in for $1. However, it was reported that hardly anyone showed up.

The diagnosis for middle school students’ lack in spirit is unknown, but as for the high school kids, there are plenty of reasons for this lack: the workload is intense and at times stressful, so it is understandable that student do not bother to take the time to plan out their wardrobe for spirit week or rebound week.

Another factor is communication.  I can honestly say that I rarely listen to the announcements, take time to read advertisements taped all over the school halls, or even attend the class conversations during Mustang Block.

Taking a look at the revive week spirit meter, the gr8s are right behind the seniors, with 2000 points versus 2500. I think it is fair to say that gr8’s have lots of school spirit because they have less homework, much less pressure and more time than upperclassmen. Also, they are new at the high school and still feel the excitement of a new school and new experiences that wear out by the time junior or even sophomore year come around.

That explains why they have such little spirit in the middle school; by the time students are in seventh grade-- just like older students here-- they are tired of it, explaining the lack of attendance at the “MEH Husky night” for the girls basketball game a while back.

“Look at the seniors, they’ve been here the longest and they’re winning spirit week!” you might say.  Well of course, they are seniors, and although some may still be feeling the pressure of college essays, admissions and IB work, others have already gotten into the groove of the second semester senior’s “chill” attitude.

As for the grades between seniors and gr8s, we have got some work to do.  The juniors are in dead last with only 1200 points for revive week, making them the least spirited of all. In the juniors’ defense, however, junior year is crucial to a student’s future in college. This should not be a surprise though; in the past years, the class of 2012 has not been very spirited—the hall decorating attempts prove this.

To say the least, school spirit is pretty lame in this school.  Whether it is the schoolwork, the communication, or if it starts way back in middle school, something is missing in the spirit. We seem to get more and more indifferent as we get older, with the exception of seniors of course. Is there a cure to this lack of school spirit that roams the halls?

If you like excitement, suspense and music so loud that you feel it vibrating your seat, then go see “Tron: Legacy” in IMAX 3D as soon as you can.  The movie was totally worth the ridiculous fee of $17.50 that I spent on it.

In 1982, Disney came out with an exciting new sci-fi movie called “Tron” where computer genius Kevin Flynn gets zapped into a virtual world and must find a way to escape. Now, Disney continues the story with “TRON: Legacy” where Kevin’s now 27-year-old son, Sam, goes into the same digital world to find his long lost father.

In this digital world called ‘The Grid’ that Kevin Flynn has created, Sam runs into trouble and easily makes enemies.  He must fight with technology he has never seen before to keep himself alive in this entirely new world.

Although I was at times confused by all the tech-talk, the movie kept me on the edge of my seat and biting my fingernails the whole time. With an intense motorcycle scene and plenty of combat scenes, it was perfect for an action fan like me.

As for the soundtrack, I absolutely loved it.  The whole soundtrack to the movie was done by techno group Daft Punk. The electronic sounds matched up perfectly with the electronic atmosphere of the setting in the movie.  The music was loud and caught my attention and described the situation of the movie well.

However, my favorite part of the movie was no doubt hottie Garrett Hedlund, who plays Sam Flynn.  I was really very pleased with his acting performance and of course his gorgeous face. This was really the first movie where Hedlund played the leading role and he took the center stage like a pro.

Academy Award winning actor Jeff Bridges, who plays the older Kevin Flynn, stole the scene whenever he appeared.  The cool thing about Jeff Bridges in this movie is that he played Kevin Flynn in the 1982 “Tron,” and now 27 years later he’s back playing Kevin Flynn once more.

Over all, the movie really just blew me away. The IMAX: 3D experience added to the excitement already superbly installed in the film. At moments my jaw dropped, my heart raced, and by the end I was nearly shaking with shock from such and electrifying movie.

Last night, while most Mustang boys and girls were sleeping, all the stargazers and insomniacs stayed up late, or should I say early, to watch the lunar eclipse.  The eclipse started at around 12 o’clock midnight and reached totality between 1:30 and 3:00 in the morning, depending on where one was in the world.

There are several cool things about this particular eclipse. One is that this eclipse is best seen in North America, lucky us! The really cool thing about this eclipse is that it happens to also fall on the same day as the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.

You might think that only a bunch of science geeks with telescopes would care about such a thing, but what if I told you that this only happens every 372 years? The last time a lunar eclipse and winter solstice fell on the same day was in 1638.

It doesn’t stop there, not only was there a lunar eclipse on the winter solstice, but last night meteor showers were expected to come along with the eclipse.  Now, since Falls Church is a city with lots of street lights to ruin all the fun, we only saw it as a few shooting stars.

The only bad news about this historical night is that the weather forecast expected clouds to roll in just in time to dim the eclipse in its totality. Tonight, sure enough I watched as the clouds rumbled in to nearly spoil what was the most memorable lunar eclipse I’ve ever witnessed.

If you feel like you missed out, no worries! Although you missed the ‘lunar eclipse umbra’ which is when the lunar eclipse falls on the same day as the winter solstice, another lunar eclipse is going to happen in November of 2012.  Then you can just pretend that it’s a winter solstice because it will be cold anyways.

Disney released a fun, animated take on classic bedtime story Rapunzel last month called “Tangled.” The movie features the voices of Zachary Levi (Flynn Ryder) and well-known pop singer Mandy Moore (Rapunzel).

It starts off with the story of a young girl with beautiful, long, blonde hair who was captured from her original home in the kingdom when she was just a baby.  Now she is all grown up and lives in a tall tower with the evil woman who captured her, Mother Ethel.

The unknown princess, Rapunzel, spends her whole life in the tower dreaming of what might be outside.  On her eighteenth birthday, she wishes to leave the tower and explore the world around her. Only one problem: there’s no way Mother Ethel will let Rapunzel out in public with such valuable hair that keeps her looking young forever.

When Mother Ethel is out shopping, Rapunzel finds herself face to face with a handsome bandit named Flynn Ryder, who stumbles into her isolated tower while running away from angry townspeople.  Rapunzel and Flynn finally escape from the tower and that’s when the adventure begins.

It’s in theatres now in both regular and 3-D, though I suggest it in 3-D because the effects are amazingly enchanting in this movie. The characters were really great too, mostly the animal ones.  The hilarious horse, Pegasus, which belongs to the kingdom guard, had laugh out loud expressions and actions that really made the character come to life.

Rolling Stone gives it three stars, I give it four, but I just may be a sucker for animated Disney-Pixar movies.  In all honesty, it’s probably the cutest and most enjoyable animated movie I’ve ever seen. Even though it beat the mind-blowing “Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One,” which I’m still resentful about, I would definitely go see it a second time.