Margaux Cattelona loves fandoms devoted to her favorite shows and books

Margaux Cattelona is in more fandoms than there are hours in a day. This is impressive, considering the massive amount of time that is typically devoted to a fandom, especially when you’re as into them as Margaux is. For the uninitiated, the kind of fandom in this blog post is an extreme love/borderline obsession with a book, TV show, movie, or even Youtube channel. It takes the dedication of sports/music fandom to exponential levels with the help of social media.

Margaux Cattelona is an unabashed fangirl who loves a lot of TV shows, even if Glee has become “SUCH AS TERRIBLE SHOW”, as she says. Photo courtesy of Margaux.

Margaux and millions of other teenagers (myself included) are on Tumblr, a still-cool-because-your-parents-aren’t-on-it microblogging site where fandoms are often based. Fans run blogs devoted to one or sometimes multiple fandoms, posting gifs, edits, fan fiction, and much more.

“My friend told me about Tumblr in middle school, and the constant exposure of fandoms and references just made my day and I loved it all. Along the way, you kind of just get into it. Netflix also helps.” Margaux said.

With the help of Tumblr as well as Twitter, Margaux has made many friends in her various fandoms. She adds that “fangirls and obsessions just make great conversation starters,” leading to possible friendships.

Some of the fandoms Margaux is in include Glee, Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Sherlock, The Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and Fall Out Boy. While some people would say that fandoms are a silly escapist waste of time, Margaux has found her dream job through fandoms. She hopes to become a screenwriter and inspire a new generation of fangirls.

“Television shows made me want to work on a set and participate in something that makes other people feel the way about a show like I do.” she said.

“I’m passionate about fandoms because they are always there for you. Even if a show ends or a book series come out with the last installment, the memories of reading, watching, [or] listening to something that gave you so many emotions and made you feel connected stays,” Margaux said. “You keep coming back for more because you care so much.”

It’s clear why fandoms appeal to so many people around the world. The love of stories is innately human, and Margaux is just one example of how fiction can affect our real lives.

Chris Christie: politics and more

Chris Christie is one of the most talked about politicians of the past few years, and for good reason. His size makes for an easy joke, as does the state he leads. But more than that, Christie is considered a frontrunner for the Republican ticket in 2016. Yesterday, he was reelected as governor of New Jersey in a landslide victory of 60% to 39%. Though he has never set foot in CHS, I started wondering… just what brings out the Beast in Governor Christie?

Chris Christie with wife Mary Pat following his reelection November 6, 2013. Photo by Kena Betancur.

One of Christie’s passions from an early age was (you guessed it) politics. He started out as a protege for former NJ governor Tom Kean when he was still in high school. From there, he worked as a freeholder in Morris County, eventually being elected governor in 2009.

Christie also loves sports. All of his kids play one or two sports and Christie himself is a former baseball catcher. He is a Mets fan as well as a Jets and Giants fan.

The Governor is a huge Bruce Springsteen fan and has been since his teenage years. He has said that he has been to 125 shows and likes The Boss even though they disagree politically.

Christie is a true Jersey boy and represents the state in everything he does or says. His passions, from politics to Bruce, are the same as tons of other New Jerseyans, making him seem likable.

Linette Reeman: poetry

Poetry is defined by Merriam-Webster as something that is very beautiful or graceful. By this definition, almost anything can be considered poetry. But it takes a certain skill to weave words together in a way that sounds lyrical and, of course, poetic.

Senior Linette Reeman has been developing that talent since 6th grade. She writes haikus, “snarky limericks”, and much more. Linette covers more than just your typical love poem. Lately, she’s been inspired by things she doesn’t fully understand, such as math, physics, and “the complexities of human nature.”

“I’ve been using the theme of the universe in a lot of my recent poems because I am both terrified and in awe of it. I am also inspired by every day actions, things, and people, mainly my close friends, and the inner workings of the human psyche.” Linette said.

Linette also now writes some poems with the intention of performing them in slam poetry tournaments and some poems solely for reading on paper. I had the lovely opportunity of seeing Linette perform one of her poems live and I was struck with the sudden realization that I wanted the exact feeling that she was describing. It’s a testament to Linette’s talent that she could convey an emotion so clearly.

“I love poetry because I’m able to communicate with people that I might not have anything in common with and I probably will never meet, simply because we feel the same shade of emotion, or have the same questions that we want answers to.” she said.

Linette, left, with girlfriend Liz Ditzel. Courtesy of Linette Reeman.

While originally Linette found the idea of performing her poetry “incredibly weird”, she now hopes to pursue a career as a professional slam poet. Winning the Regional Scholastic Gold Key Award her sophomore year is her proudest accomplishment so far.

“That was my first real, legitimate poetry competition I ever entered, and that was the highest award you could get regionally, And it was for a poem I’d scribbled out in the middle of class,” Linette says, laughing. “I was floored, and incredibly happy.”

Linette’s advice for aspiring poets is simple: “Write write write write write… always write for yourself; even if eventually it’s going to be published and a lot of people are going to see it, it has to come from the heart.”

Nick Brennan : Soccer

Sophomore Nick Brennan is a 6 foot tall ray of sunshine. He can always be found in the hallways laughing and smiling, surrounded by friends. He’s that guy, seemingly super happy all the time. Nick gives credit for his happiness to soccer.

“I feel like I’m much more happy then I would be without it because it has just become a huge part of my life that I look forward to games and I can party alongside with kids I have formed a really strong bond with.” Nick said.

Sophomore Nick Brennan with a picture of himself playing soccer as a little boy. Photo by Olivia Whitaker.

He has been playing center defensive midfield for 12 years. Currently, he plays for Middletown North and Middletown Mutiny. Nick knows exactly what draws him to soccer.

“It’s really what sports should be: fun but not easy, physical but not dangerous, physically demanding but not impossible.” Nick thinks that people should “give soccer a chance” because not only is it fun to play, it’s fun to watch.

Soccer has also brought Nick and his father closer together. They would practice before games and on weekends in their backyard. When asked his favorite soccer memory, he remembers “playing with my dad in the backyard, and then going and playing a rec[reation] game and scoring.”

Nick is far from alone in having played childhood soccer. Slate recently named youth soccer the unofficial sport of New Jersey.

Nick hopes that he can continue to play in the future.

“Realistically, I probably won’t be able to play for college, but I will try and keep up with it as much as I can.”

Sierra Romulus: guitar

Soft spoken Sierra Romulus is multi-talented, though most people know her solely as an artist. Sierra, who is in the Design Academy, loves art in all forms, including music. She has been playing guitar since May 2012; she discovered her passion playing Rock Band with her brothers.

Sierra likes both electric and acoustic guitar and cites JRA, a contestant on Season 3 of The Voice, and Jason Mraz as inspirations.

“I mostly do covers… I sing, but no one really knows that.” I told her she should perform at CHS Friday Night Lineup but she laughed it off. None of her friends have heard her play, either.

“I haven’t heard it yet, but I can imagine from who Sierra is that it’s beautiful and wondrous.” said Violet Hoagland, Sierra’s friend and fellow Design Academy student.

Photo by Feliciano Guimarães

Some of her favorite accomplishments in guitar include playing fast paced songs and “actually being able to keep up with it” as well as learning Communion Cups and Someone’s Coat by Iron and Wine.

As passionate as Sierra is about guitar, she says it’s “kind of a side thing”. She hopes to pursue a career in graphic design in the future.

When asked why she loves guitar, Sierra had a simple answer: “I just love the way it sounds, and how you can kind of portray your emotions through music.”

Amelia Henning: baking

Amelia Henning is, by all accounts, sweet. Described by friends as “sympathetic”, “helpful”, and a “cupcake-master”, Amelia can often be found in the kitchen of her Monmouth Beach home, baking delicious sweet treats. Amelia is a 16 year old junior and has been a baker since February of her sophomore year, making everything from blueberry muffins to triple layer cakes.

Amelia’s family and friends benefit from her passion. At school during lunch, her table always seems to have a box of cookies or cupcakes. If one of her friends is upset over a bad grade or a breakup, they can expect a special treat over the next few days.

 

Amelia’s most recent accomplishment was a double layer all chocolate cake

 

“I have to plan when I bake around how much homework I have. But I always try to bake for occasions like friends’ birthdays and school events.” Amelia said.

 

Still, Amelia finds time for her hobby. Sometimes that means baking at 10 p.m. when there’s still physics homework. She’s also taken cake decorating classes with her mom and makes pretty icing flowers that look just as good as any bakery. During that class Amelia would test out her new skills on a cake after every class, resulting in a ton of cake to be eaten. So, she brought one into school for her friends to share. Instead, junior Jake Van Brunt ended up eating it all. He finished in under 10 minutes.

“It wasn’t as hard as you’d think. I was really hungry and it was really good,” Jake said. He said that Amelia is going to make him another cake so he can try to beat his time. “I just asked for less icing this time.”

“With baking, I love the precision and how if you follow the recipe, the product is guaranteed to turn out perfect.” Amelia said when asked why she does what she does. “I think it’s more of a hobby than a career path, but it’s still fun and I really love it.”

About CHS Beast Mode

The Beast behind CHS Beast Mode, junior Olivia Whitaker. Courtesy of Alex Burke.

CHS Beast Mode aims to dig deeper into the lives of CHS students and teachers to see what brings out the Beast in you. I love the unique interests and unwavering passions of CHS students; I really think working and learning in such a passionate place is one of the best parts of CHS. Simply put, I want to get to know all of you a little bit more. And if I were to write a post on myself, I might choose football, reading, or feminism. Those things bring out the Beast in me and make me who I am. If you’d like to be featured on the blog, contact me on Twitter (@chs_beastmode), Facebook (www.facebook.com/chsbeastmode), or email me (owhitaker@ctemc.org).

Mass Media

Media has always been a huge part of my life. I think I grew up in a generation where new technology was everywhere. My relationship with the eight types of mass media have changed in some ways, and in other ways, I’m sure they’ll stay the same.

Books have  shaped who I am. I’ve been a reader ever since I can remember. Books can make you laugh and cry, terrify you and comfort you. C.S. Lewis once said “We read to know we are not alone”, and I think this is very true. The connections I’ve felt with characters and stories over the years have taught me a lot about myself.

In my opinion, newspapers represent journalism at its purest. I like reading the local papers, as well as big publications like the New York Times. They’re the traditional way to get news and that’s something that I think makes them worth reading.

I love magazines because they’re easy to digest and can be a quick way of getting the news, especially for those who prefer fluffy pieces and lots of feature type news. I choose magazines when I want quick entertainment.

Watching movies is one of my favorite things to do. I have countless favorite movies and all of them can instantly lift my mood, which shows how powerful the medium is. I watch movies once or twice a week, typically.

I listen to the radio almost every day. I’ve always enjoyed talk radio and sports radio, and more recently I’ve gotten into NPR.

Television is my favorite type of media. I want to pursue a career in TV one day. I love TV because there is so much variety. There’s always something on. The idea of live TV is very exciting to me as well.

And lastly, the internet. Simply put, the Internet has enriched and shaped my life to the point where I really don’t know who I’d be without it. So many of my interests can be tied to the internet. Social media is also a huge part of my life, and I get a lot of my news from internet sources.

Media is tied to who I am. It’s part of nearly every memory I have. Mass media is what my life is all about.