Table
OF
CONTENTS
Designed by Preston Lyon
3 4 5 6 8 9-12 13-14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21-22
Calendar School Clubs Free Tuition Gas Prices Red Cross Dynamic Dance Rockin’ Jump Teacher Spotlight Student Life THe Queen Universe Bye Bye Birdie Movies Student Photos
Calendar 2015
April
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May
VOL 6 ISSUE 3 Design by Robin Kjelstrom
Let’s Go Clubbin’
CSF, Pura Vida, Science Olympiad. Clubs create a sense of unity and camaraderie that is helpful for many students to survive high school. Downey has so many different and diverse clubs, it’s hard to keep them all straight. This map is a simple guide so you can find the club that is perfect for you. Whether you are interested in the Civil War, helping to raise Autism awareness, or just plain snow, Downey has a club for you.
Civil War Era Living History Club Classical Music Club Snow Club/ Hispanic Youth Leadership Council Science Bowl/ Science Olympiad Renaissance Club Anime Club Visual Media/ Yearbook Avid Club Drama/PHAST Club Color Guard/Instrumentalist/Band Club Environmental Club FFA- Future Farmers of America Key Club Library Club Movie Appreciation Club Pura Vida Club- Autism Awareness Service Club CSF - California Scholarship Federation
Design by Jim Sok | Written by Courtney Lehikainen
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Free Tuition: Obama’s Plan for Community College
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Obama’s proposal for free tuition may give an opportunity for higher education to millions of Americans. However, it comes with its issues. Many students leaving high school don’t have the money to go to a four year college, and two-year colleges can open many doors. Although the idea is controversial, the proposal of a tuition free community college plan is not new. The idea was first brought forth in 1947 when Harry Truman’s commission on higher education presented a report examining the roles of American colleges and universities. Prior to Obama’s plan, some individual states already had some sort of community college plan. Obama’s plan is to assist anybody seeking a higher education. “Put simply, what I’d like to do is to see the first two years of community college free for everybody who’s willing to work for it,” Obama says in a video released by the White House. “That’s right. Free for anybody who’s willing to work for it.” The objective of Obama’s free tuition plan is debatable, but it provides many opportunities for millions of Americans. Nonetheless, this plan is not limited to students coming out of high school. Obama’s free tuition plan gives a chance to all Americans seeking higher education and a better life. “Forty percent of college students chose community college,” Obama said. “Some are young and starting out. Some are older and looking for a better job. Some are veterans and single parents trying to transition back into the job market. Whoever you are, this plan is your chance to graduate ready for the new economy, without a load of debt.” Although, this plan does come with its obstacles. One predicament with people having the option of going to college for free is that the cost falls on the rest of America in the form of taxes. It is estimated that this plan could cost taxpayers $80 billion over the next decade. On top of that, community college is already, relative to four-year colleges, very cheap. Also, financial aid is already available for those who need it. Financial aid differs from Obama’s plan because Obama’s plan only covers tuition, while financial aid offers help for students’ living expenses and related costs as well. The degree of necessity of Obama’s plan is up for debate.
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A LITTLE MORE MONEY IN YOUR PIGGY BANK How much will students benefit financially from Obama’s plan? Obamas plan will save students an average of $3,347 per year.
VOL 6 ISSUE 3 Designed by Courtney Webb|Story by Josh Morton
I
GAS PRICES
t has been over half a decade since the price of gas was below three dollars per gallon. The price of gas is constantly fluctuating and jumping around. Many students drive and the price of gas affects their wallets. The price of gas per gallon recently hit a low of just over two dollars in January 2015, then started climbing back up. However there is hope; it is expected that gas prices will take a tumble again this summer. But in reality, it is anybody’s guess as to what the future will hold in the realm of gas prices.
Venezuela has the lowest average at
$0.05/gallon
$2.44 ¢ 6 26
Norway has the highest average at
Is the national gas price*
Gas prices are at a
$9.26/ gallon
The average gas price has dropped from Dec. to Jan.
year low
* 3/30/15 eia.gov
2008 saw the highest average U.S. price of gas/gallon at Sources: International Business Times
$4.09
Designed by Tyran Daniels|Written by Josh Morton
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Remember those Great Plays
Basketball
Baseball Football
Tennis
Wrestling
Golf
Track & Field
Golf
Track & Field
Golf
Track & Field
Golf
Track & Field
Volleyball
Wrestling
Volleyball
Wrestling
Volleyball
Volleyball
Wrestling
Soccer
Tennis
Soccer
Tennis
Soccer
Tennis
Soccer
Tennis
Soccer
Wrestling Volleyball
Golf
Track & Field
Reasonably prices photos at http://danharris.photoreflect.com
Cross-Country
Football
Baseball
Cross-Country
Basketball
Football
Baseball
Cross-Country
Basketball
Football
Baseball
Cross-Country
Basketball
Baseball Cross-Country
Purchase for high quality photo
er ty p o r P of Dan is Har r
Purchase for high quality photo
er ty p o r P of Dan is Har r
Purchase for high quality photo Purchase for high quality photo
er ty p o r P of Dan is Har r
Purchase for high quality photo
er ty p o r P of Dan is Har r
Basketball
of your High School Days!
American Red Cross
Downey Makes a Differenceby Doug Ward
On a cloudy Tuesday in February, a faces when you finally give them to them,” club group of Thomas Downey High School student member Taylor Coburn said. The program is a volunteers arrive at a small school in Ripon with reminder of the good things that high schools pillowcases full of emergency supplies and oth- kids are capable of. The project has been very er necessities. Colony Oak Elementary School is successful so far and the American Red Cross a school with about 400 kids, some of which will at Downey Club hopes to expand to a military receive much needed emergency supplies from personnel based project next year. The club the volunteers on this given was started by physical edday. The volunteers represent ucation teacher Jill Hardin“I am so glad I a new club at Downey known Pope and senior Jennica as the American Red Cross at joined the American Jansen, who serves as the Downey. The project they are club’s president. Senior club Red Cross Club.” carrying out is called the Pilmember Mikayla Hillar finds low Project, a project that the the program rewarding. “I am - Mikayla Hillar club has brought to multiple so glad I joined the Ameridifferent Ripon schools and can Red Cross Club,” Hillar plans to expand to other elementary schools in said. “It has been such a rewarding experience the area. and I would recommend it to any other student The purpose of Pillow Project is to fill at Downey who is interested.” For anyone interpillowcases with many different important emer- ested in joining, all you have to do is fill out the gency supplies for different situations and have club form with Pope, in the Girl’s PE Office, as the elementary school children keep these pil- well as the Red Cross volunteer form. Then you lowcases under their beds. “It’s really fun putting can start making a real difference in your together the pillowcases and seeing the kids community.
Photos by Taylor Coburn Designed by Jim Sok and Robin Kjelstrom
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DYNAMICdanceRS
THE BACKSTAGE TRUTH BEHIND THE ONSTAGE PERFECTION Story by Desiree Baroni
Josie Jaggers, Bailey Coleman, Sarah Hinton, Sam Gerber, and Nikaela Harris. What do they all have in common? Well, for starters they are all Downey students involved in dance. But more than that, they all started dancing not long after they could walk. “I saw my sister dancing and I begged my mom to sign me up,” said junior Nikaela Harris who has been dancing since she was 3. “So, my mom signed me up, and I stuck with it because I love it and it makes me feel good.” According to these dancers, though, it’s so much more than just a fun hobby. Most of these dancers are not only involved in dance here at Downey but also commit many hours to dancing outside of school. In fact, junior Sarah Hinton dances at Juline School of Dance six days a week. “It’s really stressful at times, and I always think about quitting and not being involved as heavily in classes,” said Hinton. “But after a performance, it’s like, ‘that was great, I love performing, I love dance.’ I think it’s performing that keeps me in.” All of these dancers are in agreement that dance can be stressful. Many hours go into learning a dance or entire show. At Downey, dancers start preparing for their spring show in January and the show isn’t until April. “All this work goes into knowing the choreography,” said senior Bailey Coleman. “Being able to learn it up to the point that you can perform it for other people and not make any mistakes so that the show can be a good experience for the audience.” Many Downey students know the work involved in committing to a sport, but for those who have never danced, it may be difficult to understand the discipline required. The two are quite different, but both require a fairly large amount of discipline. “In dance,” said Harris, “you have to push yourself to get better otherwise you’re going to look like you don’t care on stage and that doesn’t make for a good show. They’re both really tough, but with
sports, once you’ve got the hang of it you’ve got it. With dance, you’re always learning more.” The discipline aspect of being involved in dance combined with the effortless appearance dancers work so hard to portray at a performance may be daunting for anyone wishing to be involved at Downey or elsewhere. By the time you reach high school, it may seem like it’s too late to learn, but if you ask the dancers, they seem to be in agreement that it’s never too late to learn. “We have people in dance production that started dancing in Ms. Sharp’s beginning dance class here at Downey,” said sophomore Sam Gerber. “It’s all about work ethic. You’ll improve by how much you put into it and by how much you try and don’t give up on yourself.” As far as dancing in high school goes, Downey has a program designed specifically for just about everyone, whether you have been dancing your entire life or have never even learned basic rhythm. “Ms. Sharp is a great teacher,” said Hinton, “Dance 1-2 is very basic. You can go in there not knowing a single thing and by the end of the year, you can know terms of dance, how to count music, and you can even choreograph certain things.” In fact, it’s universality is the thing that Junior Josie Jaggers loves the most about dance. “You get the same feel whether you’re just starting or you’ve been dancing your entire life.” When it comes down to it, these dancers invest extensive amounts of time and energy to dancing and performing because they truly love it. They love the feeling they get from performing as well as the seemingly liberating nature of dance. “Dancing isn’t just a kick, a leap and a turn,” said Gerber, “It’s the movement of your body that makes the art. Seeing other people do the exact same choreography that you’re doing, but doing it a totally different way, is really powerful and really cool.” Design by Preston Lyon | Photos by Celene Talavera
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Bailey Coleman -How long she has been dancing: since she was 5 -Styles of dance she has done: hip-hop, jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical, contemporary. -Favorite style: hip-hop
Sam Gerber -How long he has been dancing: since he was 2 -Styles of dance he has done: tap, jazz, hip-hop, ballet, contemporary, musical theatre. -Favorite style: musical theatre
Josie Jaggers -How long she has been dancing: since she was 3 -Styles of dance she has done: jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical, contemporary, hip-hop, and tap. -Favorite style: lyrical
Sarah Hinton -How long she has been dancing: since she was 3 -Styles of dance she has done: ballet, hip-hop, jazz, tap, and modern -Favorite style: contemporary ballet
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When I first entered Rockin’ Jump, I had expected to be greeted by dozens of children running around and screaming, a lobby filled with exhausted parents, and stressed employees. All of my expectations were surpassed in a few minutes. While there were kids playing, there were separate play areas for the older customers and the younger children. The parents were allowed to wait in a separate waiting room, where they could sit back and relax while still being able to monitor their kids. The employees were all friendly and many of them were Downey students. Another main concern was over the safety in jumping on trampolines, as that involves both the chance of the trampoline ripping open and dumping them onto the floor, or faltering and landing on the metal springs. Rockin’ Jump did a great job at ensuring the safety of its customers by padding the hard sides and installing safety nets underneath the trampolines, which are routinely checked
to make sure they stay up to standard. Besides the main attraction of the trampolines, there’s also other areas, such as the Foam Pit, and the Rockin’ Dodge Ball Arena. There’s also a Rockin’ Gourmet Café, so if the customers get hungry, there’s food available for purchase. The cleanliness of the place was also quite surprising. The facility was relatively clean, as that is one of their top priorities. Their system consists of a deep cleaning system, provided by Bay Area Fogging Technologies, which is run daily to keep the amount of bacteria to a minimum. Finally, the cost for having fun at Rockin’ Jump was quite low for the amount of services provided. The cost for one hour of jumping is $10. Each additional hour is another $4. Rockin’ Jump also requires customers to wear a pair of Jump Socks, sold for $2, as the socks reduce slipping and friction burns.
Story by Robyn Graham
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Briakin' Employee Roc
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Did you Know You Can Jump For as little as $6 an Hour?
ROCKIN' MEMBERSHIPS For $30 You Get: -4 Free Hours of Jump Time-Exclusive Discounts & Events-$2 Off of Your First Hour of Jump Time-Packages As Low As $6 Per Hour-
Alec Mcguffey Rockin' Employee
le g g a W Colby ee mploy
E Rockin'
Design by Brian Escarcega
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Teaching Knight Spotlight: Getting to know Mr. Schmidt
was my foreign language, and also because they were given the opportunity to travel to Germany. But now looking back, I really regret taking German and wished I would’ve taken Spanish because I’m probably never going to really use German ever again,” said Mr. Schmidt. Schmidt traveled to two small towns in Slovakia called Uranov and Puchov to teach at a summer camp. This year will be his 7th year going when he will spend 3-8 weeks over summer break. During his first couple years in the program, he taught English classes to students in junior high and high school. He describes that he is basically the principal of the camps now. He arranges the housing, transportation, and the activities the students do at the camp. “My favorite part definitely has to be the fact that they are all there because they want to learn English and other cool things we do here in America,” Schmidt said. “I just love to see the students really eager to learn.” Schmidt absolutely loves his job and definitely favors teaching high school students over any other grade level. “I like that high school students are smart and funny,” Schmidt said. “They think of things that you never thought of, but most importantly they get and accept my weirdness.”
Why did you want to become a teacher?
&A Q
Room 113 houses a band nerd that adores the Elizabethan Era and things related to William Shakespeare, and he’s always clothed in a dress suit and tie. Phillip Schmidt is a freshman English and ALD teacher. He dressed up in an Elizabethan Era costume when his classes started to read Romeo and Juliet. He has traveled to Europe to teach children the English language, and he likes to jam out to all types of music, especially rock music, but he has a strong hatred towards country music. He has many hobbies that mainly consist of music, like teaching himself how to play the guitar, going to concerts, keeping up with playing the trumpet, and oddly without shame, he enjoys singing karaoke when out with his friends. He also enjoys helping out with his church’s youth group, and going out to help our community through charity work. Mr. Schmidt is a Beyer high graduate and was very involved in his school’s different band groups. He was a trumpet player in Beyer’s marching band, wind ensemble, and pep band. “I definitely consider myself a big band nerd back in high school.” “But I did wish I was in the German club at Beyer since German
“I had a couple teachers in my family, but I just knew I wanted a job where I can help others. Back in college and high school, I was always helping my fellow students with their homework.”
What is one of your biggest pet peeves that you see a student do in your class? “Not understanding what to do after having the instructions on the front white board after about seven years.”
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Written by: Madeline Provins | Designed by: Tyran Daniels
Student Life 37%
How many hours a night do you 1 hour a night actually study?
What time on average do you finish your homework?
34% 16%
ch or eat in
th e
72%
ca f
ma
n lun
ny
How
ri n
w ro
Bring Lunch
8 PM
18%
es a tim
week do y
32%
ou e
a
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ub
9-10
PM
to
once a week
Do yo
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42%
3 hours
a? eri et
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2 hours
4pm 16% 7pm 74%
What time do you start working on your homework?
2%
28%
seven times a week
Cafeteria
How many hours of sleep do you get on a school night?
24% 7 6 Hours
21%
Hours
32% 24% 12 pm Design by Brian Escarcega
11 pm
30% 10 pm REALM
What is your average bedtime?
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A New Planet?
Pearls and Curls
The Life of Queen Elizabeth II
Bagpipes wake her every morning and she paid for her wedding dress by saving up ration coupons. She is eighty-eight years old, her name is Queen Elizabeth II and she is about to become the longest reigning monarch in the entirety of British history. Born the twenty-first of April in 1926, she was not originally destined for the throne. Only after the abdication of her Uncle did she become heir. She grew up during war torn Britain, and served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service in World War II. She is one of the only female royals to have done so. She met her future husband Philip at the age of thirteen and married him at the age of twenty. She was crowned Queen in 1953 in Westminster Abbey and has reigned ever since. Throughout her reign, she has had four kids and reigned through twelve U.S. Presidents, six Popes, and twelve Prime Ministers. Despite being sometimes mistaken for mysterious, pompous or stern, Queen Elizabeth has defied the gravity of her position and flourished despite intense pressure and expectations.
Why Isn’t the Queen’s Husband the King?
Prince Philip has been married to the Queen since 1947, so why isn’t he the King? Titles in Britain are tricky. In order to inherit a title by marriage, it has to be your husband’s, and he has to have a higher title than you. When Queen Elizabeth and Philip married, he was the Duke of Edinburgh, so she became the Duchess of Edinburgh. But when Queen Elizabeth was crowned Queen in 1953, her husband didn’t become King because a man can’t inherit a higher title from his wife.
What do you know about Queen Elizabeth II?
“Maybe she should just give up her reign. I feel like, older people are more close-minded.” – Jenn Stark, British citizen. “She’s from England.” – Haley Viscovich “Nothing. Isn’t she like the Queen of England? Back in the day? Or now?” – Tyler Foote “Who? What about her?” - Addie Walsh “She probably has tea on a regular basis.” - Ryan de los Santos “She’s old and she wears a lot of pearls.” – Samantha Penueles
Little Known Facts about Queen Elizabeth II
Once a teenager tried to assassinate her. #notevenfazed One time a stalker broke into her bedroom. #creeper Her husband is her distant cousin. #what Although her real birthday is in April, the country celebrates it in June. #doublethepresents
Design by Robin Kjelstrom
Story by Courtney Lehikainen
Exploring the Universe The Realm Delves Into New Discoveries, World Issues, and Exciting Innovations Japan Shoots for the Moon Pocari Sweat Launches Ad into space.
P
ocari Sweat is a Japanese drink similar to Gatorade. It is also going to the moon sometime next year. The Japanese based company is sending up a private capsule engraved with written hopes and dreams of children from across Asia. Also going up will be a citrus flavored powdered version of
their Pocari Sweat drink and a model of their signature Pocari Sweat can. The children will be given ‘dream rings’ that open the dream capsule. Once opened, the drink powder can be rehydrated with some of the moon’s own newly discovered water. Find out more: lunar-dream.com
PH1D (White Dwarf) PH1B (.41 x Sun)
Suns, Stars, and a Sweltering Planet
Planet PH1
Yale Students Discover New Solar System
A
new planet was discovered by a group of amateur astronomers in a Yale led program called Planet Hunters. Planet PH1 (named after Planet Hunters first confirmed planet) is a gas giant that is roughly 6.2 times the size of Earth. The two stars in the center are circumbinary planets (a planet that orbits two stars). They orbit each other every 20 days and the planet goes around them every 138
days. The temperature ranges from 484 degrees Fahrenheit to 644 degrees Fahrenheit. The system is roughly 5,000 light years from Earth. There have been six circumbinary planets discovered. The Kepler satellite discovered the six planets and a seventh has been found, but not confirmed. Planet PH1 is the first quadruple star system found in the universe.
Not drawn to scale.
PH1L (Similar to our sun)
Star PH1A (Mother Star at 1.5 x Sun
Head for Higher Ground A Word on Global Warming
What is the first word you think of when you hear global warming? Heat. -Daniela Medina Atlantis.-Gabby Rodriquez Ice.-Andrew Raspo Polar-bears.- Taryn Fernandez Pollution.- Kaylee Smith What?- Taylor Chavez Cans.- Jasson Tapia Dirty.- Samantha Penueles wwEnvironmentalism.- Andrew Stuart
Story by Kevin Schuurman
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The Real Consequences of Global Warming
lobal warming is a topic that has somehow become synonymous with the boogeyman and a bit of a joke in our society. It’s a beast that is vaguely bad, widely complicated, but altogether in the backs of our minds. “I really don’t think about it on a daily basis,” said sophomore Kayla Kamstra. For the people of the Carteret Islands and other islands and atolls in the South Pacific, however, global warming is very real. The rising waters have destroyed
Story by Courtney Lehikainen
their crops by either washing them away or contaminating them with salt and are expected to completely swallow the island sometime this year. Those who live on the islands are being forced to evacuate, leaving their old lives and homes behind. These some 2,000 former residents of the Carteret Islands have won the unwanted title of the first people displaced due to global warming, and likely won’t be the last. So remember to reduce, reuse, recycle… or you may have to relocate.
Lead Roles: Conrad Birdie: August Eppler Kim: Bella Marselene Albert: Sam Gerber Mr. Mac: Micheal Nelson Mrs. Mac: Sydney Rodosevich Rosie: Alyssa Rivera Hugo: Levi Aaronson Mae Peterson: Norelle Norris
Photos by Amelia LUND
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Design by Jim Sok
Bye Bye BIRDIE “Bye Bye Birdie is a fun goofy old chestnut that’s just fun for the whole family,” the drama and leadership teacher, Mr. Johnson said. Downey’s theater opened its doors in 1962 and one year later Downey’s drama department performed the brand new musical Bye Bye Birdie on their newly built stage. “I think this will be the third time Downey has put on this musical,” Johnson said. There are many struggles and difficulties in order to put on a musical at Downey. “Well, the set building is usually always a struggle because Bye Bye Birdie itself has sixteen different scenes,” Johnson said. “Another conflict is that kids are so busy with sports, the orthodontist, grandma’s birthday or just other school activities, it’s really hard to work around all of that.” But there are many plus sides to all the hard work that’s put into the musicals. His favorite part about putting on a musical is “the applause and good ticket receipts, but for me, the more important thing would be seeing the kids finally get it; when they translate all that hard work to the final product and they know they’ve done a good job. Also just seeing the kids learn to work well with others and create new friendships,” Johnson said. For the performing of the musical, Mr. Johnson states, “For every one minute an actor is on stage that’s about an hour to an hour and a half of rehearsal time. So as you can see there’s hundreds and hundreds of hours of rehearsal the kids in the play have to go through.” People also don’t realize how expensive a show can be. Just to get the rights for a play costs
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about $3,000. They also need to rent the materials, which is another thousand dollars. “Every set we build, we like to try and recycle some of it so we can use it for other years and other upcoming musicals,” Johnson said. The stage crew has big and important jobs for the musical too. One involvies them in having to move all of the sets and props in a matter of seconds while the musical is going on . Some of the actors also help out with that, but the stage crew does have to use the ropes and “fly everything out and fly the scenery in and out,” as Mr. Johnson likes to describe it. A couple other things the stage crew has to do are to work with and perfecting the lighting, curtains and sound. In building the stage sets, a lot of the actors, some custodians and one of Johnson’s close friends helps out with building them along with just anyone interested in building stagecraft. There is a specific class called “Stage Craft Practicum” and it’s just all about building the sets. The class is considered a ninth period and works by appointment only. For next fall’s play, Mr. Johnson has been thinking about putting on Our Town written by Thornton Wilder. Mr. Johnson says, “I really only like to put on plays and musicals that have quite a few roles so more students can be involved in the different performances, and Our Town is one of those plays.”
From the Big Screen to Your Screen
Star Wars: Episode VII (2015)
Jurrasic World (2015)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Inside Out (2015)
No matter if you’re watching a movie on Netflix or in the theater, this chart can help you find the comedy, fairytale, or sci-fi you’ve been looking for.
Tomorrowland (2015)
Cinderella (2015)
Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)
T H E A T E R
Blade Runner (1982)
Godzilla (2014)
Mad Max: (1979)
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
B L u -
The Fifth Element (1997)
Godzilla (1956)
Hunger Games (2013)
Explorers (1985)
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
Ender’s Game (2013)
Malificent (2014)
Pitch Perfect (2012)
r a y
Meet the Robinsons (2007)
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
Ever After (1998)
Mean Girls (2004)
N E T f l I X Design by Samuel Gibson
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