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Columbus East High School 230 S. Marr Rd. Columbus, IN 47201 Phone: (812) 376-4335 E-Mail: Oracle@bcsc.k12.in.usStudent Newspaper

CenterspreadA blast to the past

Features Foriegn ex-change students ready for the year

SportsCoach Gaddis will try for 200th career win

pg. 6 & 7

pg. 8

pg. 5

News2010 renovation processes update

pg. 3

Issue 2 Volume 38

The varsity vollyball team hudles up at a game agaisnt Jennings County.

2 25 September 2009 Ads

A little bit of old with the newRenovations to start January of 2010

News 25 September 2009 3

Ali SullivanStaff Writer

East is a school of character and is uniquely its own. Built in 1972, East has symbolized a welcoming, open learning atmosphere. Starting January of 2010, the school is getting revamped with new renovations. Although the school is going to deal with major changes, Principal Mark Newell is assured that the changes are keeping up with the school’s unique learning environment. “We are keeping the culture of East. It’s something we never want to lose,” Newell said.

When deciding how and what should be renovated, Newell said the success of the design is attributed to the patience and dedication of architect Jim Funk. “I think it’s a tribute to the architect and his input, refining, and willingness to work,” Newell said. Funk frequently visited on Thursdays touring the school to gather staff input. The finalized drawings are up for bid to construction companies to win the job.

Of all the renovations being done, Newell says he wants resource to be the most inspiring. “I want kids to think ‘Wow, this is where I want to be and this is where I want to learn,’ Newell said. Resource will receive new glass teacher offices that will enable students to easily access their teachers. In addition to the offices, resource will have balconies from the third floor overlooking it allowing for more natural light to flow to the third floor. “I think the improvements will enhance the learning environment,” Newell said.

One of the major renovations will be occurring with the art rooms. All of the art rooms will be relocated to the current administrative offices. In addition to being moved to a new location, the art department will receive twelve potters wheels, two kilns, LCD projectors, and a set of computers to go in the new Art History classroom. Beloved art teacher Phil Miller was a big part of the new design. “There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for kids. He wanted to generate his love of art,” said art teacher Denise Kocur. The new art department will include 3 new spacious rooms designed with ample space to fit the needs of students and their artwork. “Phil designed a lot of drawers to keep work flat and clean,” Kocur said. The updated art department will provide students with a variety and new appreciation for all kinds of art. “I think

students will see that there is more than one way to create art.”

Along with major changes in the art

department, the science department is also receiving major changes in the lab. The new lab will include much more room for storage, demos, and work space. In addition to more space, the lab will have

three smart boards located throughout the lab. Science department head Bob Kasting says that the renovations in general support East’s open learning

style. “It will enhance opportunities for kids to collaborate and find teachers,” Kasting said. Students are not the only

ones benefiting, but teachers too will reap the benefits of the revamped work space. Kasting says teachers are “gonna love it!”

Currently, the athletic building houses a wrestling space, two gyms, a weight room, locker rooms, and offices. After renovations, the weight room and wrestling room will be in their own flood-proofed space separate from the gyms. The natatorium is also being redone in addition to the athletic building. It is receiving new seating, locker rooms, offices, and two new lanes. The two lanes will create eight lanes total for the pool in addition to spectator seating expanded to fit a capacity of roughly 275 people. “It’s going to be really nice. It will hopefully draw more people,” said swim coach David Fribley.

He thinks it will also inspire to kids to have more pride. During construction, the structure of the building will stay the same while the pool, locker rooms, offices, and seating are being rebuilt.

Once construction begins, students will have to practice patience and understanding. The construction goal is “to have the least impact on student learning,” Newell said. It is going to require school wide cooperation and flexibility with the constant changes. Despite all the changes starting in January, the renovations are keeping up with the needs of students and teachers. Rest assured that these changes won’t affect the unique environment that makes the school maintain its individuality. Fribley says that designers “aren’t

about to let that happen.”

A computer generated second floor resource

A computer generated front entrance

There is a day that almost every teenager either dreads or cannot wait for: the first day of high school. There is always a little jolt in the heart when the first bell rings. Whether that jolt comes from fear or excitement is up to the student and most students manage to find their place and begin to figure things out fairly quickly. Now take the first day of high school, with all of the exploding emotions and add that to being in a foreign country far away from friends and family, surrounded by people who are speaking a different language. This can add a whole dimension of difficulty to the situation.

As scary as it might sound, there are eight students at Columbus East who have stepped up to the challenge of the foreign exchange program.

Getting into this program is not easy. Any student that even wants a shot at the program has to be an A or B student (preferably A), and they also have to go through a very intricate and intense application process. Visas have to be obtained, and several legal forms have been added to the process since 9/11.

On top of all that, several English and Academic screenings are conducted before and after the students arrive in their country. If the student happens to be coming to East, they are given an English proficiency exam to see how capable they would be on their own (as far as language is concerned). After that, they are basically set free into the school. But while this process can be very difficult, the prospect of going to school in a new country is just too exciting to many.

With the opportunity to travel abroad for school, many people have asked the question: “Of all the places in the world, why Columbus?”

The answer is fairly simple. The students chose to come here. In the application process, students write down preferences

about where they would like to go. Some might write down that they would like to be somewhere in the Midwest or maybe in a coastal area. They also can write down the size of the town or city that they would prefer. The students that are qualified for the program have their preferences re-viewed by different agencies in the States at

a national level. These preferences are then sorted out to regional agencies and then to states, local, etc. Exchange students are not forced to come here, they choose to come to an area like Columbus.

While the main purpose of the exchange program is to give foreign students the experience, there are others that this program will benefit. “This is really an experience for East students as well,” says Dr. Moore, coordinator of the foreign ex-change program at East. Not only will the exchange students benefit from the pro-gram, but East students as well. East stu-dents now have the chance to learn about other cultures from firsthand sources and build international friendships. It is truly a unique experience for the students here.

All of the eight foreign exchange stu-dents at East come from very different and unique backgrounds, but all seem to agree that the challenges are the about the same. All agree that the culture is very different from their own, but this difference is a good thing. “You can do what you want and go your own way,” says Radka Hlaven-

kova an exchange student from Slovakia. One of the students, Sarah Bielinska from Poland, said one of the challenges for her was coming from the biggest city in Poland and adapting to the smaller city and school in Columbus.

All of the students have also been speaking English from anywhere from four to five years, but the language is still a challenge to get used to. When asked if the English was hard to understand or work with, Florence Pispisa, an exchange student from France, said, “The accent here is hard to understand sometimes.”

Daniel Nesje, an exchange student from Norway, said one of the harder challenges

was adapting to the way the school itself is run. The European students described the block scheduling system that their schools used, where they don’t have the same classes two days in a row. Yui Tsub-ota from Japan explained, “In Japan the teachers switch classes...there is a 10 to 15 minute break in between.”

But not all of the changes in lifestyles are necessarily bad. Ivana Zarkovic (Ser-bia), commented on how nice her host family is, bringing in nods of agreement from the other students.

Making all of these transitions may not be easy, but all of the students agree that Columbus is a great place to be. Yui, com-menting on Columbus, said, “It’s beautiful. There is lots of nature. I like this area.”

4 25 September 2009 FeatureWhen in Columbus...The Foreign Exchange Program at East Eric Lykins Staff Writer

Foreign Exchange students from left to right: Danile Nesje, Sarah Bielinska, Florence Pispisa, Ivana Zarkovic, Radka Hlavenkova and Yui Tsubota.

Callum MorrisStaff Writer

Every day, thousands of Americans find their way into hospitals and doctors offices all over the country, but many of them will be turned away when they are found un-able to pay their bills. These Americans go without the necessary treatments and health care basics because they have no insurance. The issue has been on the table for decades yet very little progress has been made as it has proved an unpopular issue for presi-dents. It has become the rally cry for the relatively new Obama administration. On the other hand many American’s fear the damage that government controlled health care could do to the free market. Others fear a possible socialization of the health care industry could lead to socialization in other industries. Obama’s plans are extensive yet Americans remain divided and confused about the issue.

Theodore Roosevelt was the first Ameri-can politician to call for health care reform nearly a century ago, but little progress had been made. In the early 1960s, Senator Ed-ward Kennedy called for health care reform again in America. He met early success with President Lyndon Johnson’s medicare and medicaid bills which were passed as part of his Great Society. His next four decades in office led to multiple reforms in the health care program. Kennedy basically wrote the legislation for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), which provides coverage for American workers who lose their health benefits. With his passing, it has become the crusade of the Obama administration as a final tribute to “the lion of the democratic party,” as he often been known by members of his party and the media.

The Obama administration has been making progress though as the Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act provides health care to 11 million children. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act protects health care for 7 million job-less Americans, provides $19 million for computerizing medical records, and $2.6 billion for general health care improvement such as treatment improvement and medi-cal education.

Opinions about health care reform varies from person to person. Many place their support firmly behind President Obama and his plan to fix the system. “Something must be done and people are scared over noth-ing, junior Michael Caldie said. “People are scared about socializing our health care and that’s not what’s happening.” USA Today recently reported that 53% of Americans feel that Obama can fix the health care problem.

There are many students who feel that the government could meet in the middle on the issue. “It (Health care reform) is necessary be-cause it is very expensive and a lot of people are cheated by pre-existing conditions, but I don’t believe it should be government run. I support free market,” senior Jenny Colvill said. This represents a figurative middle ground on the issue with acceptance of a need to reform, but a skepticism of the governments need to interfere with the free market.

There are many opposed to the new reform, however, with 84% of Republicans saying they do not support complete health care reform. Many support health care re-form for Americans, but do not like the way the government is handling the situation. “It should be free market, with some govern-ment involvement, but not completely con-trolled,” senior Austin Smith said. There are multiple views on how the system should be handled and should not be handled.

Tensions run high on the issue with temper flaring in newspapers, websites, and even the floor of Con-

gress. Republican Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina yelled “You lie!” at President Obama while he gave a speech on health care reform on the floor of the House of Representatives. Congress did approve a resolution of disapproval on September 15. The resolution was not passed for the slight to Obama, instead it was approved because of his refusal to apologize to his colleagues in the House of Representatives.

All across the board tensions run high either for or against health care in one form or another. Many say the government is not doing enough, but others say the govern-ment is trying to do too much. In essence, it comes down to what one’s individual view on what government responsibility is for the people versus too much government control of the free market. The issue has bounced around the American political since the first decade of the 20th century and may still persist for years to come.

525 September 2009FeatureIs the doctor in?Looking at the possible overhaul of US health care

http://scienceblogs.com/seed/health

In the fall of 1972, Columbus East High School officially opened. The first trailblazing teachers of the school included Linda Young, Bob Kasting, David Fribley and Phil Miller.

Young came to East without any real expecta-tions. “I was just living in the moment,” Young said, “I was only 22.”

The building was still being constructed and teachers were excited. “The building was beautiful and we had everything,” Young said. Although the building contained all necessities, some furniture was on backorder. Young was temporarily without a desk and brought a card table and chair from home.

Kasting, 28 at the time, wanted to come to East to teach because of the planetarium. “[It was] exciting to try something new,” Kasting

said. Originally at Columbus High School, Kasting is happy to have been teaching at East for so long. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Kasting said.

When Fribley first started at East, “It was very hard to adjust from being involved in a ‘teacher centered’ classroom to what I like to call a ‘teacher-student-equal classroom’,” he said, “I thought the small group-large group program they had was kinda’ like something from an-other planet,” Fribley said, “It was an unbeliev-able program.”

The school was different from anything else the teachers had seen before and it was “hard to find anything else like it,” according to Fribley. “It was laid out on the idea of a college format,” Fribley said. He thought that this concept was

“really neat” but also “hard to get used to.”“The people who came were the people who

thought it would be a wonderful thing to try: to try something new,” Young said. “There was an air of excitement and anticipation like we were on an adventure.”

“I loved East and it was an incredible place to learn to teach,” Young said. Young had just recently graduated from college (in only three and a half years) and was working at South-side when she was transferred to teach at East. “There’s no better way (to learn),” she added.

After over 35 years, the school has ultimately changed. The teachers agree that the school has less financial support. “We’ve had to economize in some ways,” Kasting said. He also feels that there are more restrictions and “students don’t

6 25 September 2009 Centerspread

Along with Mr. Miller, physics teacher Mr. Kasting first taught at Columbus High School before it split in two [as East and North]. (Photo from the 1975 Columbus East High School Yearbook.)

Mr. Fribley is pictured sitting in his carrel. All carrels, along with the tables found in Mr. Fribley’s social studies classroom, are original furniture pieces from the start of the school. (Photo from the 1975 Columbus East High School Yearbook.)

Columbus East Since ‘72

“really neat” but also “hard to get used to.”“The people who came were the people who

thought it would be a wonderful thing to try: to try something new,” Young said. “There was an air of excitement and anticipation like we were on an adventure.”

“I loved East and it was an incredible place to learn to teach,” Young said. Young had just recently graduated from college (in only three and a half years) and was working at South-side when she was transferred to teach at East. “There’s no better way (to learn),” she added.

After over 35 years, the school has ultimately changed. The teachers agree that the school has less financial support. “We’ve had to economize in some ways,” Kasting said. He also feels that there are more restrictions and “students don’t

have as much open time in their schedule as they used to,” Kasting said.

“[The school is] incredibly different,” Young said. She also said there have been some improvements but mostly there is “way less money, which wasn’t an issue when we started.”

“We’ve had to modify our original goals but we are still achieving them,” Fribley said, although he feels that “the small group contact with students has obviously been lost.”

With the renovations to be completed within the next few years, the school as a whole should improve. “We have kept the essence of what we originally had,” Kasting said. “We’ve kept the resource center.” Kasting feels that the renova-tions will improve people’s outlook. “It will make better what we are now doing,” he said.

“I think the renovation plans have been made with the philosophy and atmosphere of East in mind,” Young said. The unique resource floor of East has been a key aspect of the school since its start. “The resource floor is still going to be there, which is the heart and soul of the school.”

25 September 2009 7Centerspread

Page created by: Amber Schadenfroh

Mrs. Young has been teaching math for almost 38 years and is pictured here with several stu-dents. (Photo from the 1974 Columbus East High School Yearbook.)

Stayin’ AliveColumbus East Since ‘72

8 25 September 2009 Sports200: The magic numberCoach Gaddis is on to victoryBen BrownStaff Writer

As the years go on, the victories add up. Athletic director and head football coach Bob Gaddis will have reached his 200th win with a victory tonight. This game in which he could reach this milestone is against Floyd Central.The Olympians have home field advantage for this game, so that could be beneficial to the team.

Gaddis’s 199 victories have not just come from East. He has been at several schools in his illustrious career. Including this year, he has been coaching for 31 years. He first began his coaching career at the young age of 24. The last nine years of his career have been spent at East.

Gaddis first began coaching at Tri-County High School. He spent two years at the Tri-County job. He then moved on to South Putnam where he coached for three years. Next, Gaddis stayed in South Putnam’s conference, but coached a different school. This new school was Danville. He spent two years there before moving on to Pike for another two. Then, before he came to East he coached Evansville Ritez. A job where it looked like he would stay, Gaddis left after ten years.

“I have not really thought about the upcoming 200th win,” Gaddis said. He thinks it would be a nice milestone, however, the team’s success is more important to him. With success comes wins though, so Gaddis will be seeing 200 very soon.

Not only is the milestone reachable, but

it is also the homecoming game. The home field advantage is something Gaddis is happy about. “It is always nice playing at home,” Gaddis said. “You do not have to travel. You practice everyday on the turf so it helps, and the fan support is great.” It

will not be different from any other game for him. Gaddis knows that Floyd Central will be a tough opponent. So far in the season Floyd Central is undefeated.

“Every year is a new team,” Gaddis said. Every year the seniors leave and voids are left in starting jobs. What might have made last year special are some of the guys who left last year. Eight of the seniors who left last year are playing college football this year. “I am happy for them and it leaves behind a legacy here at

East,” Gaddis said. The players this year had a lot of roles to fill. Gaddis said, “We are very fortunate to have good players and you always hope someone can fill their shoes.” The Lucas Oil game eased the worry losing all those seniors. He mentioned it as being an unforgettable experience with a great crowd. It was a great opportunity for both teams in the game. Peyton Manning had said in a conference before the game, “It is like everyone is a pro for the day.”

Football may have its season, but it is really a never-ending sport. For the players there is not a break in between seasons. Training starts in December for the next season. The players will work on conditioning, not as much on skills. Then, most or all go for strength and

speed workouts. There are also football camps to attend. This may seem like a lot of stuff, but it really helps in the long run. “They come into the season physically and mentally prepared,” Gaddis said. “I do not think you can have success unless you are committed.”

East’s team, like any other team, has goals for the season. The goals are usually presented at the beginning of the season. Gaddis’s goals are set for years to come. One of his biggest goals may be beating North. One of the others was winning the first two games. These games are both non-conference, but they help build confidence. East is on a decent conference streak as well. For five years in a row now, East has been conference champions. The goal for this year is to make it number six.

The seven conference games are what will make this feat possible. The last goal is for all the players to be healthy and playing their best football when the time comes where it is win or go home.

The players on the team are proud

of Gaddis. Gaddis on the other hand gives credit to all his

players and his coaches for his success. East player Andrew Wilson said, “It is cool how he is a good coach and could do this.” Tyson Moore agreed by saying, “It is pretty cool.” Not only will this be good for coach Gaddis but it will leave history at the school.

Above: Gaddis adresses the team in the locker room

Above: Gaddis gives orders to the team on the sidelines.

Sports 25 September 2009 9Taking it all the waySectional soccer games

As October’s soccer sectional tourna-ments draw nearer for the men’s and wom-en’s teams, the practices get harder, the fitness levels are raised and the intensity level gets fierce. Players have been waiting for these games all season. “I am anxious to get started, with a little bit of nerve, but not much,” sophomore George Macy said. “ I’m just ready to get there early so we can get ready mentally and physically.” These are no ordi-nary games for these players. “In sectionals, there is a whole lot more pressure to win, because when you lose, your season is over,” senior Kelsey White said. For senior Ellen Henderson, “the nerves and the crowd” are another factor that make these games dif-ferent. Though these games do differentiate from the rest, some of the feelings the players have are the same. “Yes, I do feel a little bit different about this game but I try to bring the same intensity to every game,” Macy said. Emotions for the teams are run-ning high because for some, these will be the last games they will play for East. “A lot of different emo-tions run through this game, especially for the seniors, because this is the last time we can play together as a team,” Macy said. As the teams prepare for the competition at sectionals, the players are hoping to beat their biggest competitor. “Our own team is our biggest competitor because only we decide how well we play,” senior Annika Jordan said. Similar to Jordan’s statement, White takes it a step further citing an inner battle. “I always have to make sure that I am men-tally focused and have the passion to win,” White said. The guys look to others as their biggest competition. Seniors Chris Wallace and Matt Bennett both have similar sentiments that North is their biggest and toughest competitor. “No question,” Bennett said.

The coaches agree with the players, “Our biggest competition I believe for sectionals would be Columbus North and it’s always a good battle to compete against your arch-rival,” men’s soccer coach Brad Barber said. The coaches are just as excited as the players, “Clearly the boys and myself are a little more amped up compared to a regu-lar game, but we have a lot of conference games leading up to sectionals. So hope-

fully that will help us in getting prepared for sectional matches,” Barber said. Along the lines of preparing, the coaches also want the players to remember their team motto or creed. “Passion, play the game with passion, play the game with in-tensity and leave it all on the field,” Barber said. The coaches motto’s do have a big impact on the girls and guys playing, but the play-ers also have their own words they use to get “pumped up”. “I like to listen to anything by Sean Paul. It gets me pumped,” White said. “I listen to the song ‘I feel like dying’ by lil Wayne,” Henderson said. While some like to listen to hip-hop and rap music, others prefer the “smooth tunes”.

Bennett listens to ‘You are my Fire’ by the Backstreet Boys. Motivation is a huge component to play-ing the sport. Some choose to think about words that give an extra boost when they want to give up. “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog,” White said. Then, there are those who use memo-

ries of the past. “Man up” is what Bennet says in memory of a past coach Brandon Trapp. However, no matter where the words came from they are all used for the same reason, inspiration. Some seniors will move on and play in college like Jordan who (when asked if she was going to play in college) responded, “Heck Yeah!” For others such as senior Ashleigh Schneckenberger, “the outlooks not so good.” For the coaches, losing the seniors seems to be a tough break. “When we lose our seniors it will be difficult, we predict, to re-coop the defensive efforts we have for

them right now, but yeah, we aren’t even thinking about that right now,” Barber said.

No matter if they are moving on to col-lege soccer or if these games are their last, they all will have the memories of their previous year playing soccer and how they began. Some began just by seeing it and being in-terested. “I liked the grass stains,” Hender-son said. “I really wanted to try it and just loved it from the first minute,” Jordan said. Some of them got interested through their role models. “My oldest brother played and I really looked up to him,” Ben-nett said. “I wanted to play soccer after I saw my dad,” White said. “I absolutely loved the game.”

Varsity Captain Chris Wallace works on his juggling during a soccer practice. Photo by Annie Chapman

Lauren KnorrStaff Writer

10 25 September 2009 OpinionMail time OpinionsPolicy

Opinions expressed in columns or editorials may or may not be those of The Oracle staff or faculty of the Columbus school community. Letters to the editor are encour-aged. However, any letter submitted must be verifi-able and the name will be published. The editors reserve the right to edit the letters for length, gram-mar, invasion of privacy, obscenity or potential libel. Letters or ideas may be sent by E-mail to either Lydia Vieth or Tristen Dull at 10viethl@bcsc.k12.in.us or 10dullt@bcsc.k12.in.us, respectively.

Lydia ViethCo Editor in Chief

Hot

Not

- Kanye West at the VMAs

- Beyonce giving Taylor Swift her moment

- Leggings...they are NOT pants

- Opaque tights with high waisted skirts

-Making excuses

- Getting homework done the night before it’s due...not five minutes before it’s due

- Concert going- The fact that Columbus hardly ever has concerts to attend

Colleges and universities spend thousands of dollars per year on postage alone. Letters of interest, invitations to upcoming visitation days and applications are all sent on paper via post office. With the lovely invention of a little thing called e-mail, it seems incredibly unnecessary and excessive to send tons of postage.

Personally, I receive some sort of mail from universities almost every day. Usually it comes from the same five schools and each new letter tells the same as the last. I get around half the amount of college information through e-mail though each school that sends paper mail has e-mailed me at least once. Clearly, it is not a lack of my personal information that is causing this problem.

Sure it’s nice to know that a school thinks highly enough of students to send them personal letters, but when the same “We hope you take time to look at our school” is sent five times it becomes waste. It’s a waste of paper and ultimately of money that could be spent wisely elsewhere.

Let’s say that at a minimum universities spend five dollars a month on post sent to individual students. Considering the fact that most of the booklets and pamphlets are in color and high gloss, five dollars would be the very low end of spending. Also, at a minimum, these colleges send this mail to around 20,000 students. Right there is $100,000 gone (and who knows how many trees).

So much could be saved by clicking the “Send” button on an e-mail. Maybe tuition would even be less because there would be no postage costs to cover. The schools could renovate buildings and provide more scholarships.

It would make so much more sense for schools to use the online mailing method. For high school students being on the computer is almost a daily routine. E-mail is sent on computers and high school students have access to computers. Online mail seems like a fool proof way to save money and more importantly help students start making choices about their futures.

What’s Hot, What’s Not

1125 September 2009Ads

OraclestaffEditors in Chief:Tristen DullLydia Vieth

Staff Writers: Ben Brown, Lauren Knorr, Eric Lykins, Callum Morris, Amber Schadenfroh, Evie Schultz, Ali Sullivan, Shelby Woodard

Photographers:Annie ChapmanCourtney Cozad

Ads:Colton Lewis

Adviser:Megan Whitehead

12 25 September 2009 Entertainment Movie Review: Love Happens

Joel WilliamsFreshman

April WoodsonSenior

Megan AgnewSenior

Nascar.

stay home.

I don’t know.

Harry Potter.

My favorite thing about fall is...

Over fall break I am going to...

If I were a super-hero I would be...

If I could be a character from any book, I would be...

the leaves changing colors.

stay home.

I don’t know.

Hermione from Harry Potter.

the cold so that you get to wear layers.

Chicago

Wonder Woman

Vanessa Abrahms from the Gossip Girl series

Lydia ViethCo Editor in Chief

Culture Grid

As a self-help motivational speaker and author, Burke Ryan (Aaron Eckhart), helps people overcome the pain of losing loved ones. Knowing how these people feel, as he lost his wife in a car accident three years earlier, he travels the country giving seminars that bring people back to their lives. He gives them hope and purpose.

On a business trip to Seattle, the city of his wife’s death, Burke meets Eloise Chandler (Jennifer Anniston), a florist. She has recently left her cheating boyfriend and is working on a productive career. Burke runs into Eloise in the hotel where his self-help seminar is being held. Even though he is afraid of confronting his own fears and problems, Burke is immediately interested in Eloise. She on the other hand, could care less about him.

Soon after though, they meet again and she sees straight through the outgoing psychiatrist front. Eloise understands that

while he may be helping others cope, he isn’t doing the same for himself. She forces him to do things that he has put off for three years, like talking to his father-in-law, though all he really does is steal Rocky the parrot (it was his wife’s wish that he be set free).

Burke is clearly struggling emotionally with his own loss, but he never lets that affect how he helps others. Walter (John Caroll Lynch) is a former contractor who lose his twelve year old son in a construction accident. Burke is able to bring Walter, who can’t even walk into a hardware store without hating himself, to an entire new stage in his life. He gives him the state of mind to continue life even after he thought he’d lost everything.

The movie certainly isn’t all happy and perfect, it is about coping with death after all, but the cute romance side is enough to make it an equally balanced movie. A little

Seattle rain and lots of unexpected feelings apparently mean that “Love Happens”.

Photos on this page are from Google Images