Media Review- Safe Haven

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks seemed to have become a nationwide sensation over night. With the release of the movie shortly after the book release Nicholas Sparks’ fans were going wild. With the highly anticipated movie release due to the casting of the beautiful Julianne Hough many fans were hoping it would reach its full potential and become one of the greatest books made into movies of all time such as The Notebook also written by Sparks had done previously.

As in all Sparks’ fashion, the story line starts off extremely slow in the book. It gives you a large amount of background information that was needed to really get a grasp on the characters and how they think and would act in certain situations.  In the book we meet Katie; a beautiful girl with blonde hair and striking blue eyes. She seems to be a mystery from the very start and as though she is in some sort of danger and it leaves the reader extremely curious. She seems rough around the edges and as though she is running; but from what?  That is unknown. In the movie, the pace is much different. The movie picks up much faster than the novel does. Although the pace is at a much more rapid pace, it leaves out a lot of information about the characters which seemed essential to the beginning story line. When you get introduced to Katie, she is much different than Katie you meet in the book. She has brown hair with the same blue eyes. But that isn't the only difference. Personality wise she is much different. She seems to be more spontaneous in the movie where as in the novel she was better thought out and every move seemed precisely made out and extremely strategic.  

But the question is why? What exactly was Katie running from? The answer is domestic violence. Katie had a husband named Kevin, who would abuse her emotionally and physically.  She would do anything possible to please him; this meant cleaning, cooking and dressing exactly how he wanted her to. Everything Kevin wished for, Katie would do. But it wasn't always that way. They used to live the “picture perfect” life style, or so it seemed from the outside. Throughout the book Sparks does a great job with a balance between showing the violence from the victim’s point of view and the assailant.  It was like you were a part of each characters brain and thought processes. In the novel, you did not find out right away what Katie was running from due to the fact that the characters switch point of views in the book. Sparks goes back and forth from leads and each storyline tells the events in different ways. But with the movie, it is harder to do so. Although you can see through facial expressions and body language what was going on with each character, there was never as much of a sense of urgency or panic among the characters as much as the book had “illustrated” on your mind. The fact that Kevin was Katie’s husband was given away entirely too fast and took away much of the suspense the book had given.

Also with the domestic violence standpoint, the book did a very good job in showing an awareness factor. It made there seem like there was hope for other females in Katie’s shoes. By making an extremely strong and intellectual female lead in the book, Sparks was able to be a voice for woman everywhere. I believe this sense of “woman power” was missing from the movie. Katie in the movie played more of a victim role rather than a woman who had control over everything and was able to fight her way through every obstacle. With this element missing, I think it takes a lot away from the story line and the general tone of the story. Within the story, Katie was very strategic with every single move she made. She plotted out every single baby step she would take in order to make sure she would have no margin of error and she could escape to find happiness. But in the movie Katie ran away without much thought or consideration, she Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks seemed to have become a nationwide sensation over night. With the release of the movie shortly after the book release Nicholas Sparks’ fans were going wild. With the highly anticipated movie release due to the casting of the beautiful Julianne Hough many fans were hoping it would reach its full potential and become one of the greatest books made into movies of all time such as The Notebook also written by Sparks had done previously.

As in all Sparks’ fashion, the story line starts off extremely slow in the book. It gives you a large amount of background information that was needed to really get a grasp on the characters and how they think and would act in certain situations.  In the book we meet Katie; a beautiful girl with blonde hair and striking blue eyes. She seems to be a mystery from the very start and as though she is in some sort of danger and it leaves the reader extremely curious. She seems rough around the edges and as though she is running; but from what?  That is unknown. In the movie, the pace is much different. The movie picks up much faster than the novel does. Although the pace is at a much more rapid pace, it leaves out a lot of information about the characters which seemed essential to the beginning story line. When you get introduced to Katie, she is much different than Katie you meet in the book. She has brown hair with the same blue eyes. But that isn't the only difference. Personality wise she is much different. She seems to be more spontaneous in the movie where as in the novel she was better thought out and every move seemed precisely made out and extremely strategic.  

But the question is why? What exactly was Katie running from? The answer is domestic violence. Katie had a husband named Kevin, who would abuse her emotionally and physically.  She would do anything possible to please him; this meant cleaning, cooking and dressing exactly how he wanted her to. Everything Kevin wished for, Katie would do. But it wasn’t always that way. They used to live the “picture perfect” life style, or so it seemed from the outside. Throughout the book Sparks does a great job with a balance between showing the violence from the victim’s point of view and the assailant.  It was like you were a part of each characters brain and thought processes. In the novel, you did not find out right away what Katie was running from due to the fact that the characters switch point of views in the book. Sparks goes back and forth from leads and each storyline tells the events in different ways. But with the movie, it is harder to do so. Although you can see through facial expressions and body language what was going on with each character, there was never as much of a sense of urgency or panic among the characters as much as the book had “illustrated” on your mind. The fact that Kevin was Katie’s husband was given away entirely too fast and took away much of the suspense the book had given.

Also with the domestic violence standpoint, the book did a very good job in showing an awareness factor. It made there seem like there was hope for other females in Katie’s shoes. By making an extremely strong and intellectual female lead in the book, Sparks was able to be a voice for woman everywhere. I believe this sense of “woman power” was missing from the movie. Katie in the movie played more of a victim role rather than a woman who had control over everything and was able to fight her way through every obstacle. With this element missing, I think it takes a lot away from the storyline and the general tone of the story. Within the story, Katie was very strategic with every single move she made. She plotted out every single baby step she would take in order to make sure she would have no margin of error and she could escape to find happiness. But in the movie Katie ran away without much thought or consideration, she didn’t have any mindset other than to leave. But why did she not call the police?  Kevin was the police, and a very good detective.

This is where the story became complicated. Katie begins her journey and finds a small town where she doesn’t ever think she will be found. Along her journey she meets this man named Alex. He has two kids and owns a small convenient store right on the lake in North Carolina. They meet under coincidental circumstances and are of course drawn to each other. As the movie trailers give away, Alex is a widower and seems to find a hard time balancing being both a mother and a father figure to his children. He tries to be everything he can for them but there seems to be something missing and that is where Katie comes in. This part of the story and the movie is extremely similar and I think it did a good job in the way it was presented in each. There are a few minor differences in the story lines. For instance in the movie Alex and Katie seem to fall hopelessly in love right away in the movie then bam it all seems to go wrong so quickly and unexpectedly fast when Katie’s past seems to creep up on her. But in the novel it all goes slowly almost as to protect the children and not make any sudden movements in order to make sure it would all go according to plan. The contrast between the novel and the book in this aspect make them seem completely different and the events that go on from here continue in the same fashion, not very similar to each other at all. They have the same basic concepts and end in a very similar way, but the details in between are lacking similarity.

Without giving away many spoilers it is almost impossible to compare and contrast both of these media’s. But I do think people who are die hard Nicholas fans books may be disappointed in the outcome of the movie. By reading many of its reviews I have found that people are far from excited about the outcome of the movie. Although there seemed to have more of an action movie and suspense tone. The tone of the movie made the screenplay more inviting to other audiences other than teenage girls and woman such as the novel did. The movie made it so that men could enjoy the movie as well which I believe was the director’s goal due to the fact that it would be released on Valentine’s Day. Overall I do believe both were well written and had enough similarities to make them both reach out to many people. Hopefully the message for domestic violence can reach many people and awareness can be spread.

 have any mindset other than to leave. But why did she not call the police?  Kevin was the police, and a very good detective.

This is where the story became complicated. Katie begins her journey and finds a small town where she doesn't ever think she will be found. Along her journey she meets this man named Alex. He has two kids and owns a small convenient store right on the lake in North Carolina. They meet under coincidental circumstances and are of course drawn to each other. As the movie trailers give away, Alex is a widower and seems to find a hard time balancing being both a mother and a father figure to his children. He tries to be everything he can for them but there seems to be something missing and that is where Katie comes in. This part of the story and the movie is extremely similar and I think it did a good job in the way it was presented in each. There are a few minor differences in the story lines. For instance in the movie Alex and Katie seem to fall hopelessly in love right away in the movie then bam it all seems to go wrong so quickly and unexpectedly fast when Katie’s past seems to creep up on her. But in the novel it all goes slowly almost as to protect the children and not make any sudden movements in order to make sure it would all go according to plan. The contrast between the novel and the book in this aspect make them seem completely different and the events that go on from here continue in the same fashion, not very similar to each other at all. They have the same basic concepts and end in a very similar way, but the details in between are lacking similarity.

Without giving away many spoilers it is almost impossible to compare and contrast both of these media’s. But I do think people who are die hard Nicholas fans books may be disappointed in the outcome of the movie. By reading many of its reviews I have found that people are far from excited about the outcome of the movie. Although there seemed to have more of an action movie and suspense tone. The tone of the movie made the screenplay more inviting to other audiences other than teenage girls and woman such as the novel did. The movie made it so that men could enjoy the movie as well which I believe was the director’s goal due to the fact that it would be released on Valentine’s Day. Overall I do believe both were well written and had enough similarities to make them both reach out to many people. Hopefully the message for domestic violence can reach many people and awareness can be spread.     

Onondaga Lake- proposal

During the early 1900's and into the 1930’s, Onondaga Lake in Syracuse, New York was flourishing. During this time period, businesses were booming, tourists were coming in from everywhere just to enjoy the glorious lake. An amusement park filled the shore line with a carousel, roller coaster and other rides and fun attractions. Life seemed simple then. During this time the businesses were booming. There were salt mines everywhere and factories were just starting to develop into major economy boosters. Syracuse was the place for fine china and was known for its hospitality.

            

Ten years pass and the year is 1930, although the amusement park was still up and running, it was doing more harm than good. The economy was booming, the small businesses and large factories around the city were flourishing. But all the hustle and bustle was taking a toll on Onondaga Lake. Companies such as Solvay Press Company at which my Great Grandfather worked, were one of the main causes of the pollution. This company alone was responsible for dumping soda ash and millions of pounds of miscellaneous waste into the lake. That is when swimming became prohibited.

By the 1940’s the scene is completely different. Everything is torn down. No more amusement parks and entertainment. The water was deemed so polluted from the factories and waste products that the lake was deemed unfit for fishing. The factories were using the lake as a giant waste dump. Mercury was one of the main components produced at these giant factories and was one of the main causes of ruining the aquatic life in Onondaga Lake.

During the next few decades, Onondaga Lake was at a standstill. Although there were some small efforts to clean up the lake, the people of Syracuse were not willing to drop their industrialist life style. Times were still changing and people were still adjusting to the factory life. But these few acts were a start. It started with sewage policies that eliminated some of the dumping and continued with factories where the amount of mercury was reduced. 

Beginning at the end of the 20^th century and the beginning of the 21^st century, pollution reduction projects has begun to pick up. The chemical pollution decreased steadily, along with the sewage and other waste products, but it is still not enough. In the picture below you can see the water has cleared up since the 1960’s and into the 1970’s. It has even been declared safe enough to fish in.

Now current day, there is a fifteen year plan now installed to slowly clean the lake in stages. But the people of Onondaga county question, will this be enough? Still ranked as one of the polluted lakes in all of the United States this is one of the people of Syracuse, New York’s major concerns. With the smell ruining daily outdoor activities around Onondaga Lake and the boaters complain about the inability to swim and truly enjoy the pleasures of having a boat on a lake with the potential to be really beautiful.

This is where my proposal comes in. I propose to Onondaga County an idea that can speed along the process of cleaning out the lake. The first step is to remove all of the boats, jet skis and other motorized vehicles from Onondaga Lake. By doing this you are getting rid of harmful gases that get omitted into the lake and causes further pollution. Also with boating comes the fecal matter and other waste products that need to be removed from the lake.  If you eliminate these factors while the cleanup is in process, there will be less pollution going into the water and you will see better results faster. But that is when the real plan comes in action. It is time that Onondaga county invest in what is known as floating islands. These islands which can be pricey with the smallest island costing approximately six hundred dollars are made to help with aquatic life and more. Once they are installed they reduce harmful gases by filtering them through there sponge like materials. They can get rid of excess carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are omitted into the water due to the factories and other environmental factors.  They are known to have cleared up small lakes with only a few of them installed, but with a lake the size of Onondaga, there would need to be quite a few. This seems extremely pricey and non-beneficial but in the long run the county will benefit tremendously. If the lake were clean, outdoor activity in and around the lake can resume which will attract more tourists and the once glorious lake can return to its golden days. The more tourists that arrive the more money will enter the local economy because they will fund small businesses and in return eventually pay for themselves. Not only do these islands clean the water, but they are made of one hundred percent renewable resources and are safe for the environment. They also help by giving fish and other aquatic life safe homes under them. Floating islands on top of the fifteen year plan can only be a benefit to Onondaga County and especially to the lake which was once the most polluted lake in all of the United States. By incorporating these small ideas I previously stated, the lake can return to its beautiful state once again.

My ANGELica
narrative essay

Imagine, you're a third grade student. You just found out that your best friend just committed suicide. Many thoughts are running through your mind. At that age can you really grasp what suicide is? At the age of eight I had to experience this awful tragedy. To this day I still cant quite understand why, why would a beautiful young girl with her whole life ahead of her do such a horrific thing. Why couldn't I help her? with so many "whys" and "what ifs" that cross my mind, I am left confused. But by doing some research of my own I was able to find facts that can better help people going through this. Maybe by presenting facts and warning signs people can help other people who feel lost and alone.

Maybe it's time you hear her story:

  Angelica Gutierrez: age 8 



Become involved. Here is a closer look at... 

                                                                   Suicide Awareness

Every 14.2 seconds a Suicide is committed.

One of the leading causes of deaths in Teenagers.

Depression increases ones risk of suicide.

Warning signs of suicide:

> Feeling of helplessness

> Decrease of being with family and friends

> Dramatic mood swings

> Drug and alcohol abuse

> Lost of interest in activities

> For more information visit Warning signs:    

Many celebraties such as Demi Lovato (pictured above) have joined an anti-bullying and suicide awareness campaign that emphasises the slogan " Love is louder that the pressure to be perfect." With the help of Seventeen Magazine, this slogan and this "movement" was able to shared world wide. I think it is important that as many people as possible take a closer look into the JED movement and help spread the word. You don't need to be a major celebrity in order to share your story, or to help others.

 please take a closer look : Love is louder