December 2020 The REDH AW K REVIEW From left to right, Stephanie Sanchez, Luna Moloitis, and Lillian Morrison during the Stringfest concert. (Photo by Daniel Ferland) Winter Stringfest: Virtual Edition By Virginia Su events that I look forward to the to the audiences. It’s always a joy weeks, there was no question that most. Each year, orchestra stu- to be able to play with everyone the concert would be different s December rolls around, we dents from Salish Coast Elemen- together, a delight to see our per- from previous years. are all excited that the hol- tary School, Blue Heron Middle formances bringing a smile to the Similar to the concert in the Aidays are just around the corner. School, and the Port Townsend audience’s faces. But as we saw previous spring, this year’s Winter For me, the annual Winter String- High School gather in the PTHS new cases of COVID-19 across Stringfest concert was presented fest concert is always one of the gym to perform a variety of songs Jefferson County in the last few virtually, however it ▼Continued on page 8 1 Virtual Holiday Get Together Ideas By Maggie Emery the video lagging by screen sharing. On a sweater or fuzzy socks, it’s sure to get you and computer, download the Teleparty extension others into the festive mood. You could make his holiday season is going to be a bit dif- from the Chrome Web Store and pin it to this into a “most festive outfit” contest if you ferent from years past. As we all know, your browser. Open up Disney Plus, Netflix, wanted to. Twhile COVID-19 was discovered last De- Hulu, or HBO and figure out what you want cember, the implications of this discovery to watch. Next, open up the movie and press I know for me, having many Zoom meetings were unknown. The coronavirus is still af- the Teleparty icon which you pinned to your that only consist of small talk can get a bit fecting us today. As a result of this, almost no taskbar. Now, you can share the link with tedious. Hopefully, these ideas will help make one can travel to see their families. Instead, whoever you please to watch with friends. The those Zoom meetings more festive, enjoyable, virtual Hanukkah and Christmas parties are cool thing about this is that if one person pauses and will help your loved ones connect during being planned. Most of the time when family the movie, it pauses the movie on everyone the holiday season. comes over, guests talk, play games, deco- else’s devices, so you really are watching at rate, and get into the holiday spirit. The ques- the same time. While you’re watching, you can tion is, how do you play games or get into the talk to your friends through the chat that will holiday spirit over zoom? I come to you with pop up in the movie browser. a few options. Play virtual holiday trivia! Kahoot is a great platform for this. You can also just have Decorate cookies or do other festive someone asking questions, and whoever crafts. These can be great activities to do over answers correctly first gets a point. The person Zoom while socializing with friends or family. with the most points wins! You could make up You could also make your own Hanukkah your own questions or use this link to some or Christmas wrapping paper by coloring, holiday trivia questions. painting, or potato stamping on large sheets of Participate in a virtual Secret Santa! Of paper. Making an ugly sweater, creating your course, you can always send a gift to someone own thank you cards, decorating salt dough anonymously, but there is also a website to ornaments, or making a Star of David garland help organize. Put the names of everyone in are some other ideas. the group along with their emails. The website Retell classic holiday stories or movies— then sends an email to each person, matching While Zoom is not the ideal space in which to but with a weird, obscure, or just plain them with someone to be a Secret Santa for. celebrate, connecting with loved ones virtually funny twist. You can make up whatever you You also have the option of putting in your gift is the best option for the 2020 holiday season. want! This can be a really fun way to entertain wishlist. This wishlist will then be sent to your (Photo by Maggie Emery) people, socialize, and have a good time all at secret Santa in that email. once. Dress in festive clothes that bring up the Watch a festive movie or two without holiday spirit. Whether that be your ugly A Worker’s Perspective in the Pandemic By Julia Neville work. This has opened up oppor- busser at Doc’s Marina ▼Continued on page 5 tunities for creative productivity, t is my assumption that all of yet at the same time limited the us have had some sort of sav- contact teens are having with the Iing grace over the course of this outside world they so miss. pandemic--some person or activ- A few nights a week, I smile ity that has provided us with sta- and hum along to Neil Young’s bility and given us something to distinctive falsetto voice as look forward to. For many teens Harvest Moon plays for the in this community, our jobs have umpteenth time. Others are sick been just that. We consider them of the sweet song, but I have yet to be more than merely acts of to find it repulsive or overplayed. service in exchange for monetary I bus tables, polish silverware, and value; rather, working during put away wine glasses in the bar. the pandemic has been as close All of these tasks are mundane to normalcy as one can come in and require little effort, yet I never these times. The imposition of cease to find their tangibility and the most recent lockdown has consistency rewarding. affected all in the food service I’m not alone in suffering from industry, and more specifically, withdrawals as I recollect on past Expanding on an aspect of work that he missed, Lochlan explained, “I miss has left teens temporarily out of shifts. Emma Kane, a fellow feeling like I was doing something productive, and seeing people, of course. 2 My life is more isolated now.” Picture by Julia Neville. Cinematic Review Gremlins By Finn O’Donnell Gremlins follows many bad and sometimes problematic tropes of The Mandalorian eleased in 1984, Gremlins 80s horror, but the film’s ability By Finn O’Donnell tilized eggs of an endangered Ris a classic holiday movie. to laugh at itself is what sets it species), every other episode has The story follows Billy Peltzer, apart from the other bad films isclaimer: At the time of been practically ideal: a mini-sto- a boy of unspecified age who of the decade. The gremlins are writing, season 2 of The ryline that functions well in and lives with his parents in the small poorly animated and often appear DMandalorian is incomplete. of itself, but slots neatly into an town of Kingston Falls, as he in costume or drag. There is a We’re six episodes in, with two overarching plot. The cinematog- accidentally creates an army of flasher gremlin and a flashdance more to go. At the time of publi- raphy continues to be beautiful, evil gremlins. Billy is gifted a gremlin. Sticking with an unfor- cation, the show will likely have with no expense spared on CGI. Mogwai named Gizmo, a small, tunate pattern that’s held through wrapped up. Guest roles by Ming-Na Wen, humanoid creature that looks a horror movies across the decades, Pedro Pascal’s Mandalorian Timothy Olyphant, and Amy little like Baby Yoda in a fursuit, the first person to die is a Black isn’t as stiff and lifeless as before: Sedaris all provide different by his father. With it, he’s giv- man. The film’s female characters he begins to show real attachment benefits, but keep the story inter- en three instructions: 1) Don’t are one-dimensional and are and connection to Baby Yoda esting. And it appears that the let the Mogwai have any water, written to be incapable of almost after a character you thought upcoming Chapter 15 will feature 2) Don’t expose it to sunlight: everything (besides screaming to was dead makes an appearance. Bill Burr, so perhaps we’ll get it’ll die from the exposure, and Billy for help), with the notable Additionally, it’s revealed that some more laughs out of the show. 3) Most importantly, don’t feed exception of Billy’s mother. When Baby Yoda’s name is actually The Mandalorian is the Mogwai after midnight. Of gremlins raid her kitchen, Mrs. Grogu, and that he was trained improving upon an already course, the first and third rules Peltzer uses a variety of cookware in the ways of the force on excellent show in its second are broken immediately and Bil- to kill several, even microwaving Coruscant. season. If you haven’t yet watched ly quickly turns his one Mogwai one. While we saw one it, it’s the perfect winter break into ten gremlins into a thousand Gremlins is a classic 80s filler episode in Chapter 10: The binge. Five stars. gremlins. It’s up to Billy, Gizmo, movie that’ll keep you laughing at Passenger (coincidentally, the and Billy’s love interest Kate to it and laughing with it.