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.”