Here We Stand Student Site Webzine: Trends

Moses Never Had a Tablet Like This

Erik Ullestad

Excerpt: The Apple Company, makers of the iPod, iPhone and Mac computers, released it's latest gadget—the iPad—on Saturday, April 3. Some describe the iPad as an oversized iPod touch. Others think it's more like a touch-screen computer with no keyboard or mouse. iPad enthusiasts have already developed more than 150,000 applications that can be used on the new device. One of the most common uses for the iPad is reading books, magazines, or newspapers in digital form. Users can download these...

Idolizing American Idol

Erik Ullestad

Excerpt: American Idol is back with a vengence for its ninth season. After an all-time low rating in its final episode in May 2009, Idol is crushing the competition in the first few weeks of 2010. Much of their early-season success is due to the revolving door of celebrity guest hosts, Simon Cowell's announcement that this is his last season. January is devoted to the regional auditions. The judges sift through the thousands of applicants and identify a handful of budding stars that will go to...

New Moon, Old Story

Erik Ullestad

Excerpt: The latest movie in the Twilight series, New Moon, opened November 20 and made $143 million in the first weekend. Many ans of the Stephanie Meyer novels have felt that this movie was better than the book. Despite a 70% decline in box office popularity in its second week, New Moon has made more than $470 million worldwide in two weeks. New Moon explores the growing love triangle of Bella, Edward, and Jacob. The idea of two men battling for the affections of the same women is hardly...

Teens Are Showing Off Their "Curves"

Erik Ullestad

Excerpt: The Blackberry "smartphones" are hardly a new trend. The Blackberry brand is celebrating its 10th anniversary. They have been expanding their line of communication devices ever since. In 2007 Blackberry released the Curve, which featured a full QWERTY keyboard, camera, voice recorder, and ability to connect to the Internet through the cell phone signal. The Curve was designed for on-the-go business people who had a lot of money and not as much time to get their work done. The retail cost of the...

So You Think You Can Dance?

Erik Ullestad

Excerpt: The popular summer series So You Think You Can Dance is back for its fifth season. Like most reality shows, the object of the competition is to find the best amateur dancer in the country. Fans of the show enjoy watching the contestants put their own flair on styles ranging from hip-hop to ballroom. The winner of Dance will win a $250,000 cash prize. Last year's winner, Joshua Allen, was also given an offer for a featured dance role in the upcoming Adam Shankman film Step Up 3-D....