Summer Friendships

For a teacher, summers are very interesting. Summer is the escape from the normal routine that we follow everyday for ten months of the year. There are no weekends. Everyday is a weekend. Even when you have a summer job, it's still not school. Because of this, the summers of a teacher tend to be their own entity. We enter not knowing what will happen and then we leave with the assumption that it will be forgotten, at least until the following June. However, what happens when a special summer approaches and we don't want to forget? Is it just inevitable? Are we supposed to simply place it in the file called "summer" and move on with our lives? It's ironic that teachers are seen as the leaders of children, yet when it comes to summer, our lives and attitudes are very similar to the ones we teach.

This summer, for me, has gone beyond that. I met four people this summer. We work together at a camp, a very popular place for teachers to work over the summer. Our ages range from 18 to 25. I am the second oldest and the only male of the group. My relationship with each is different. Each of us bring a unique quality to the group, which is why I think we work so well as a team.

As I enter the last week of camp, I find myself very sad. I'm fine with camp ending. It was a stressful summer where I realized more than ever that the camp environment is not one for me. Though at the same time, I feel a sadness coming over me. Does the bond that I have formed with these people end when the job ends? We say we will keep in touch, but is it true? Just how strong does the friendship have to be in order to surpass the label "summer"?

This summer has reminded me how important our relationships really are. We can't take people for granted because each person that comes into our lives is there to teach us something - about life, about ourselves, and about the world. These four girls will forever be in my heart and I will cherish the relationship I have with each one of them. They've reminded me that the old cliche is true: "everything happens for a reason."

What's Next?

One of the many interesting things about Christopher Nolan’s two “Batman” films is how he ends them. Each has such amazing closure, yet leaves you anticipating the next chapter of the story. Batman Begins ends with the question of escalation and the famous Joker card, and The Dark Knight leaves you with Commissioner Gordon having to hunt Batman in order to save the face – no pun intended – of Harvey Dent. But is this all that lies ahead for the Caped Crusader? What is next? Who is next? What villain will be the next to test Batman’s limits?

First, let’s look at the possible plot line. My prediction is that it will have something to do with the media. I think there is more to see from Anthony Michael Hall’s character, Michael Engel. It was underplayed and left with a lot of question. How desperate is Engel to get the story of the Batman? What is he willing to do? This seems like a perfect opportunity for Nolan to ask how far is too far when the media is concerned. This also seems like an ideal time to introduce Bruce Wayne’s next love interest, photojournalist Vicki Vale (previous portrayed by Kim Bassinger in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman). But how would a Vicki Vale created by Chris Nolan react towards Batman. Would she be a fan or a cynic?

While love interests are wonderful, the important news would be who would be the next villain for Batman to fight. Rumors are flying all around the internet as to who could take over for Heath Ledger. It seems Johnny Depp is the number one contender. My answer: NO ONE! Leave the Joker in Arkham Asylum where he belongs. An actor trying to continue what Mr. Ledger began would be criticized and would take the attention away from the movie. While Johnny Depp is a very talented actor, he is not right for the Joker (at least not the Joker created by Ledger). However, I do think Mr. Depp could portray another Batman villain terrifically – and one that I feel would be great in the Gotham that Nolan has set up for us: The Riddler.

Batman has spent the last two movies testing out his physical strength, it is about time someone tested his intellect. Depp’s Riddler would be funny and hideous at the same time, stepping away from the Riddler created by the brilliant Frank Gorshin (and continued by the talented, but not-as-talented Jim Carrey). The Riddler of this world needs to be someone who has spent their whole life being teased for not being strong and ignored despite his intelligence. Batman will be the perfect opponent for the Riddler and the Riddler needs to feel right now as the right time to attack!

The Dark Knight actually set up a good character to continue on as the Riddler. The Wayne employee known as Mr. Eeyes – get it? Mysteries? – seemed like a great character to become the Riddler. There are only two problems with that. First, would Nolan upset the comic book fans by changing the Riddler’s real name from Edward Nygma? Secondly, would Nolan cast a no-name actor in an important role such as the Riddler? It would be risky, but the type of chance that Nolan would probably take. He took a similar chance casting Heath Ledger as the Joker. Though Ledger was a name, he was not the type of actor anyone expected to play the Joker. Look how that paid off!

A few web sites have already predicted Catwoman as the next villain. I did enjoy the clever moment in the movie when Lucius Fox remarks that Batman’s new costumes would protect him against cats. Oh, Mr. Nolan, you are so clever! Is this line enough to make Catwoman the next villain for Batman to deal with? Probably not. Further, the criminals that Nolan chooses seem to be big players. Joker, Scarecrow, and RaJa Ghoul all have goals of destroying Gotham and its inhabitants. Catwoman is a cat burglar. That’s all. Granted, she is dangerous enough that Commissioner Gordon does call on Batman to foil her plots, but she would be a letdown compared to the Joker. Perhaps having her team up with another criminal would help, but it has not really worked in the past.

There are villains we have seen in any franchise yet. The Mad Hatter is a subtle villain, but a treacherous one. The question is whether or not the public would enjoy a criminal based on a literary character. Would they get the literary jokes? I think they may. In 2008, one of the hottest shows on television is LOST, which constantly makes literary references. This may be the perfect time for Nolan to introduce this character. Plus, Gotham City is constantly having their minds played with. Mad Hatter would be able to take that a step further and literally control their minds.

Many have argued that the Penguin is too “fictional” for the world that Nolan has set up and I would agree. However, Nolan has brought back the mob aspect of Gotham very well. In Christopher Nolan’s world, Oswald Cobblepot could be a wannabe gangster who tries to infiltrate the mob. When that fails, he becomes the Penguin. Just a thought, but I still think the Riddler would be a better villain.

Of course, Two-Face had a short reign and he still could come back to get revenge on Commissioner Gordon and Gotham City for turning their backs on him. Nolan could also play more on the tension between one man fighting good against evil. It would be a great correlation with Batman, who is trying to prove he is good when Gotham thinks he is bad.

By now, it doesn’t really matter what is in store for the next villain. If Batman Begins did not earn Nolan the trust of the fans, The Dark Knight clinched it! But it is fun to predict. Who do you think is the next Batman villain?