Month: October 2022

For many decades, horror movies have been popular. There are many character types from films that are highly referenced and parodied in today’s culture.

Classic horror films like Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street, which are often considered the most influential to the genre, all popularized different types of characters in horror films. Their influence shows in the horror genre even today.

Recent horror films like It, Don’t Breathe, and the 2018 Halloween sequel of the same name, Halloween, continue using character tropes established by preceding horror films, but usually do them in more self-aware ways. Some horror films, such as Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and The Cabin in the Woods, reference and make fun of how the characters act while still using them to tell its story.

The “final girl” is a character type and possibly the most popular trope in the genre. They are often the last character left at the end and are the ones who notice something is not right throughout. There is sometimes a “final boy,” who is either with the “final girl” or substitutes for the “final girl.” It is typically a single woman in the role. One of the most famous examples is Laurie Strode from the Halloween franchise.

Another popular character type are non-believers. They are typically in supernatural horror movies and are infuriating to audiences. They make explanations for weird occurrences and choose not to focus on what is actually going on and condemn the other characters as crazy. They eventually learn their lessons when it is too late. Two popular non-believer characters are the parents of final girl Nancy Thompson in the 1984 film A Nightmare On Elm Street.

A popular character type, is the harbinger of doom. They are perceived as crazy but are actually warning the characters of real danger. Their warnings are ignored and not taken seriously. This type of character became popular in the original Friday the 13th all the way back in 198o, with a character known as “Crazy Ralph.”

Other types of characters include the the red herring, which can be shared with multiple characters, an older authority figure, and, in more self-aware horror movies, a character that points out horror tropes. These characters make up most horror films. When done correctly, it creates a truly great film. When having a horror movie marathon this year, pay attention to the characters tropes.

FBLA and FCCLA “skipped” school this week for a field trip to Nissan Stadium! The stadium holds an event annually known as “Titans Learning Lab.” Many clubs and organizations attend this eventful day to learn about how the stadium and team is run day-by-day. East Hickman students who attended this trip talked to various employees, starting with the social media team and ending with a tour of The Tennessee Titans’ mascot, T-Rac’s, dressing room.

After interviewing a few students, I figured out what interested them the most. Gavin Parrish, FBLA’s Vice President, said that he enjoyed seeing the VIP suites around the stadium. Anna Breece got to meet a group sales manager that she had previously contacted for a FBLA project that was presented at state and national conferences. Although Tyler Allen found the experience very enthralling, her favorite part was the coffee at a local coffee shop in Bellevue. The clubs had a fantastic time and can’t wait to do it all again next year.

One of our sophomore students at EHHS, Jacob Scheuring, just recently achieved the rank of Eagle Scout within the Boy Scouts of America. Previously, during the summer, Ryan Strawser, also from Troop 237 out of Lyles, gained this rank.

When Jacob relates what inspired him to become an Eagle Scout, he replied, ¨I just wanted to be like my brother [Christian Scheuring, 2022 graduate]. But then I wanted to be better. And so it was like a chain reaction that I was like, wait, I can be better than you. So I did that.¨  He has also developed many skills in the process. Jacob replies, ¨Definitely leadership survival outdoors. Gotta love not dying. Can’t forget not dying. I mean, yeah. Communication skills. Tying [knots], leadership, [and] outdoors. Basic stuff.¨ These are definitely some important skills. 

Every candidate for Eagle Scout must complete a service project. Jacob built birdhouses, Christian built benches in the park and along the trail, and Ryan built picnic tables for the Buford McCord Memorial Park. Because of these service projects, and the other requirements, they were rewarded with the rank of Eagle Scout.

At the end of the day, the role of Eagle Scout is a great feat to accomplish. If you see either of the new Eagle Scouts in the halls, congratulate them! They went over many mountains to get this feat.