Barcelona and Bayern Munchen are both top teams in Europe, but Barcelona had a special weapon, Lionel Messi. Unfortunately for Barcelona, Mesi recently suffered an injury and thus wasn’t in tip-top shape as usual.

Immediately, Bayern Munich set the pace of the game. During the 25th minute, Thomas Muller scored for Bayern Munich. As the game went on it seemed almost one sided, unusual from a talented Barcelona team.

Hoping to recuperate during half time, Barcelona left the field. After a short rest the game was back on, and Barcelona seemed more collected.

To Barcelona’s disappointment, right after halftime, on the 49th minute, Mario Gomez scored to increase Bayern’s lead for Bayern Munich. Down 2-0, the game was still winnable for Barcelona, and the players maintained some confidence in their ability to win.

After a while of running back and forth, Arjen Robben, Bayern Munich’s captain, extended the lead to 3-0 on the 73rd minute. With less than 20 minutes left, Barcelona acknowledged they had been defeated, their confidence was depleted and their players frustrated.

Their frustration inhibited their playing and soon led to another Bayern Munich goal on the 82nd minute by Thomas Muller. Now 4-0, Barcelona was ready to leave the field.

Although the game should’ve been close, Bayern Munich completely dominated every aspect of the game. They had more than triple the shots on target as Barcelona, Barcelona committed more fouls, and Bayern Munich had more corners.

With one more match left with Bayern Munich, Barcelona might be talented enough to come back from a 4-0 deficit. Lionel Messi will be in better shape as he recovers from his injury, and Barcelona will has the home-field advantage at the next game. The games aren’t over yet. #

The Central Library was reopened on April 9, 2012 after an extensive two-year renovation and presents a delightfully old fashioned feel with modern appeal. It serves as the perfect place to find a new book to indulge in, lounge with a friend, or get some work done.

The building has three levels, including the modern, open spaces of the first floor, new systems and services on the second, and research rooms on the third. The library includes a meeting room, a computer commons, a teen lounge, a copy center, a book club room, and essentially everything else required for a magnificent library.

Too often, people don’t realize the multitude of beautiful places that the city has to offer.

Everyone should take advantage of the new Central Library because it truly is a place where one can relax and become absorbed in a world of words. The Central Library is a beautiful, stunning space that should be used plenty and taken good care of by the public. #

Known for its stereotypical looking spy and agent-like characters, action filled fight sequences, and rotating freeze frames, “The Matrix” weaves a story of a post apocalyptic world. After a war between humans and computers, during which the humans blacked out the sky to try and cut off solar power, the computers win. They enslave most of humanity in their own minds, through a computer network connecting the collective consciousness of humanity into a fake world of the 1990s. This elaborate way to enslave humans was devised by the computers in order to use them as batteries. Much of the beginning of the movie deals with what is real and what is not, if what our minds process is just in our head or actually happening outside.

The movie itself is good, but not mind blowing. The plot is fairly straightforward, the main hero tries to save the wise older guide from the evil computers in the matrix and the traitor, falls in love with the main female and unlocks his inner powers to let him bend the matrix to his will. What really draws viewers in is the idea of a constructed world that is indistinguishable from reality when one is in it. The questions of what is reality and what is moral deepen the otherwise simple story.

The symphony’s performance to the movie was overall very good. However, the soundtrack of “The Matrix” doesn’t repeat powerful themes like in Harry Potter. The music is very textured and close to the action of the movie itself. Though the symphony played in near total synchronization with the playing movie, afterwards, the music is difficult to remember. The music blended so well with the images that it wasn’t memorable. As well as the music was played, it was truly not a good compilation for the musicians to play.

Unfortunately, my performance did have several prominent flaws. For one, at several points during the movie, the screen cut out for a moment. At first it seemed like it may have been intentional, as if alluding to the gaps of the reality of the matrix, but it became clear it was a technical problem instead. Another point of annoyance occurred at a scene close to the beginning of the intermission. During an important exposition on the nature of the matrix, the musicians began to play too loudly, so loudly that the dialogue was drowned out.

However, the movie went out with a bang. With impressive and emotional music throughout the credits, the entire audience listened until the very last note before bursting into applause. Two young soloist singers came forward to shake hands with the conductor, wearing leather coats and sunglasses like the ones from the movie, to the audience’s delight.

Though the performance was not perfect, and the music not best suited to a live performance, the St. Louis Symphony’s showing of “The Matrix” was as enjoyable as the live movie performances done before, and will hopefully pave the way for future performances of the same type. #

AP Studio Art teacher Dan Raedeke organized the event.

“It’s a professional gallery, and a friend of mine owns it and he’s kind enough to allow us to rent it out for a weekend,” said Raedeke.

The commercial gallery is often used to exhibit local artists. Although it usually holds contemporary works, the space is available for rental for special events, such as Ladue’s art displays.

“It’s all the AP Studio Art kids, and we all submitted some of our best artwork,” senior Grant Sachs said.

Students have been dedicating time to their art since the start of the year. Once the students felt that their art was ready to be displayed, they could submit it into the exhibition, to be viewed by the open public.

The exhibition featured many mediums for expression, including wood, ceramic, burlap, plexiglas and video stills. Regardless of the way that the ideas were presented, each artist had to go through their own a creative process.

“I started making these little twig figures, and actually stuck to them, and I got really inspired by the idea of flames,” senior Emma Riordan said. “Although there’s no red in the actual art, I find it very flame-like in just the shapes and the texture.”

Although the beginnings of her work were uncertain, Riordan is proud of her final masterpiece. Riordan titled her work “Gathering Twigs.”
After her long but rewarding process, junior Ashley Turner was similarly thrilled to see her work in a professional gallery and not in the works in an art studio. Turner titled her mixed media work on a panel, depicting another girl in the art class, “Beats”.

“The main objective of the show is to facilitate the experience of a professional gallery exhibit,” Raedeke said. “As part of that experience students are able to, if they wish, have their works for sale.”

In the real world the gallery usually takes half the profit. However, Ladue artists received all of the earnings.

Raedeke organizes an off-campus exhibit for students once every two years, meaning the next gallery is set for 2015. #

I looked in and it was packed. I don’t think I have ever seen such a crowded, little restaraunt. I went in to make a reservation. 20 minutes later, my family and I took our seats.

As I explored the restaurant more closely, I realized that the restaurant was actually huge. There was even a second floor. It might’ve been the largest restaurant I’ve been to.

Soon enough, our waiter arrived to take our orders. Probably the best aspect of the restaurant was the variety of foods. It’s menu was full of different options, with many different drinks and desserts.

I ordered a veggie burger and so did my sister. My dad insisted we share one because he had been there before and knew how big the burgers were. I insisted I could finish my own.

After we decided on what we would eat, our waiter greeted us and took our orders. The service was amazing, and all the waiters had smiles on their faces. The waiters were also very patient, as my little brother changed his mind on what to eat, at least five times.

I expected the meals to be there in an hour, judging on how many people there were, but our meals arrived quickly. When meals came, I realized that my dad was right. The burgers were huge, surrounded by a ton of french fries.

Nevertheless, I finished my veggie burger, which tasted like an actual burger. The veggie burger was crisp and well cooked, and the vegetables tasted very fresh.
My little brother wanted dessert, so we ordered a root beer float for him. It had three scoops of vanilla ice cream and a full, huge cup, of root beer. I left Fitz’s extremely satisfied. I was definitely not eating anything any time soon.

If you want a satisfying, delicious meal with good service, I would suggest Fitz’s, but I warn you, watch how much you eat. #

The Ladue French Club has been around for at least 20 years, and continues to provide a venue for exploration of French culture. Every other Wednesday students gather in Room 135 at 2:30 p.m. to enjoy themselbes while surrounding themselves in the culture and language of France. Cemohn Sevier, sponsor of French Club, believes it is important for students to educate themselves about the world around them.

“I think that living in a global society, speaking another language will give students an advantage over people who don’t,” Sevier said. “Speaking another language also allows one to connect to people and cultures that you can’t learn from a book.”

Sophomore Yi Fan Zhou, president of French Club, started to organize the meetings this year. She comes prepared and ready to go every meeting.

“I find French fascinating,” Zhou said. “Because it’s so globalized, I feel the importance to learn it.”

The meetings usually last around an hour. Sevier hopes that everyone who comes to French Club will learn something about French culture that they didn’t know before. She hopes to promote French language and culture throughout the community.

“French Club is the perfect vehicle to accomplish [spreading culture] because we are able to draw students in with fun activities that are educational as well,” Sevier said.

The number of attendees at French Club varies from week to week, according to Sevier. On days that the club has special events, such as crepe making or movie viewing, many students attend. On the second Wednesday of April, April 10, the club will be making quiche lorraine, which both Sevier and Zhou expect to be a big hit.

If you are interested in the language and culture of French, then this club is the perfect opportunity to let your inner Parisian shine. The next meeting is April 10.

To find out more about French Club,contact Sevier (csevier@ladueschools.net) or Yi Fan Zhou (yzhou86@ladueschools.net). #

The audience is first introduced to Mike Banning, a Secret Service agent who heads the Presidential security detail. He is very friendly with President Benjamin Asher, his wife Margaret, and their son Connor. However, on a drive from Camp David to a Christmas party, the car transporting the president and his wife crashes, and Banning is unable to save Margaret.

Eighteen months later, Banning now works in the Treasury Department, but wants to return to his previous position in the White House. He gets his chance when a simultaneous ground and air attack by North Korean terrorists succeeds in the capture of the White House, the president, and many members of his staff. The North Koreans are led by Kang Yeonsak, a man who wishes to force the United States to withdraw their troops from Korea. He later viciously tortures the President and his remaining officials in part of a plan to obtain access codes to Cerberus, a system that would allow him to detonate all the nuclear weapons in the United States.

Banning notices the ground attack on the White House and manages to get into the building without getting noticed by any of the surviving terrorists. He then begins a solo assault against the remaining terrorists, eventually culminating in his victory over Yeonsak and his redemption in the eyes of President Asher.

It is impossible to deny that this movie was filled with action; Banner engages in several well-coordinated attacks against the equally skilled terrorists and the initial assault on the White House was an incredibly tense firefight between the defending Secret Service agents and the North Korean attackers. The film also did a fairly decent job, for an action movie, in developing Banner and his desire to correct his past mistakes. And Connor, the son of the president, did an excellent job of being terrified, but not taking his emotions over the top.

However, this movie was far too similar to “Die Hard” to prove itself as an original action film. Like Bruce Willis in “Die Hard,” Banner is alone inside an isolated location trying to defeat the villain. Not only that, he is hampered by the decisions of Speaker of the House Allan Trumbull and General Edward Clegg, just as Willis was by outside police forces in the 1988 movie. As the final straw, both Willis and Banner mistook bad guys for good guys and almost die because of them. In short, “Olympus has Fallen” can best be summarized as “Die Hard” in the White House.

To be clear, I liked “Olympus has Fallen.” The plot was surprisingly developed for an action movie, the action itself was exciting, and the tension between North and South Korea early in the film was strikingly similar to the real-life situation today. However, anyone expecting an original film will be sadly disappointed. You’ll be entertained, but this movie doesn’t break any new ground. #

Anyone who eats there will definitely agree with the slogan from their website, “Not prim. Not proper. Just bloody good tea.” Bloody good might even be an understatement. The wide array of tea selections offered, ranging from Mango to Lavender Earl Grey to English Breakfast, is sure to satisfy anyone with an open mind. Every flavor of tea is absolutely fantastic. One will feel quite “British” when sipping this delicious tea. You might even adapt an accent if you aren’t careful!

And in order to enjoy their tea, patrons should order an entree to go with it. The London Tea Room’s menu includes funny, witty descriptions about each item. For example, in the blurb about the soups, the menu says, “Ask for our daily selections. Ask nicely and use your inside voice.” These original, humorous descriptions offer significant information presented in a fun way for each and every item. Some favorites among the guests are the Creamy Tomato Soup, the Apple and Brie Sandwich, and the Strawberry Salad. The Tomato Soup is served in an adorable little cup, and is known for its incredible taste as well as its stellar presentation. The Apple and Brie Sandwich is absolutely delicious, holding the perfect apple to cheese ratio. And all of the salads at the London Tea Room are simply delightful. Any menu item that one chooses is sure to be a big hit.

The setting at the London Tea Room is bloody charming. Inspired by the tearooms all across England, the warm and dainty aesthetic puts customers in the perfect British frame of mind. At the quaint little white marble tables and fancy chairs, customers will probably feel as if they have traveled all the way to Britain when in reality they have only driven downtown.

However, the one thing that the London Tea Room lacks in is efficiency. The wait staff tends to be very small, and the service is not the best it could be. The food takes a little while to prepare. However, this does indeed provide more time for relaxation and conversation at the table. If one is going to this restaurant, they should certainly be prepared to stay for longer than normally expected. Then again, an extra long lunch break never hurt anyone.

Despite minor flaws, the London Tea Room is definitely a one-of-a-kind place, and anyone who ventures downtown to check it out and enjoy some tea will be sure to agree. #

Born in Buenos Aires in 1936, Bergoglio, 76, was 40 when Argentina’s military overthrow the government of Isabel Peron and instigated what became known as the “Dirty War,” during which as many as 30,000 people, most of them accused of being leftists, “disappeared.” Like many priests his age, he has been accused of not doing enough to protest the carnage.

In 2005, Argentine author Horacio Verbitzsky, whose books have detailed what he said was the church’s involvement in the Dirty War, accused Bergoglio of failing to protect two fellow Jesuits who’d opposed the military junta. The two Jesuits vanished and were presumed to have been killed by security forces. Bergoglio was never charged in subsequent years, nor has any hard evidence emerged of his involvement. But the charge has lingered largely because of Verbitzsky’s prominence in Argentina.

More recently, Bergoglio has been known for his confrontations with Argentina’s last two presidents, the husband and wife team of Nestor and Cristina Kirchner.

“He was always very kind to the poor and the drug addicts, I hope he can keep those qualities in the Vatican,” said Roberto D’Abbraccio Varela, 63, a Buenos Aires security guard and Roman Catholic. “There are some doubts with him about what he did during the military dictatorship but you can never know the truth and since he was never judged we have to presume he’s innocent.”

Nestor Kirchner, who died in 2010, famously accused then-Cardinal Bergoglio of being “the true leader of the opposition.” During Argentina’s financial meltdown in 2001 and 2002, Bergoglio was a constant voice for the poor. He later famously lamented the rising poverty in Buenos Aires, noting that residents there “take better care of a dog than a brother.”

Bergoglio also was cool to Kirchner’s efforts to annul amnesty laws that protected those accused of crimes during the Dirty War. Among the first people to be tried after the laws were abolished was a Catholic police chaplain. Christian von Wernich was convicted and sentenced in 2007 by a federal court for participating in a series of crimes it said were “akin to genocide.” At that time of the trial, Bergoglio headed Argentina’s Conference of Bishops.

A common theme during the trial was the church’s inaction. One witness during the trial, the Rev. Ruben Capitanio, told the courtroom, “I say this with pain. Until the church recognizes its errors, we will be an unfaithful church.”

He closed his testimony by telling family members of the victims that “I apologize for still not being the church that we must be, on the side of the crucified and not the crucifiers.”

In a cable to Washington dated Oct. 11, 2007, Tony Wayne, then the U.S. ambassador to Argentina, noted the heavy political content of the case and the possible effect on Cardinal Bergoglio’s ability to oppose Kirchner’s policies.

“Many on the political left allege the church was complicit with atrocities committed by the state and believe the church has failed to account or atone for its actions,” the cable said. “The church has not yet disciplined nor defrocked Von Wernich but has sought to distance itself from the unauthorized, maverick operations of rogue priests. Nonetheless, at a time when some observers consider Roman Catholic primate Cardinal Bergoglio to be a leader of the opposition to the Kirchner administration . . . the Von Wernich case could also have the effect, some believe, of undermining the church’s (and, by extension, Cardinal Bergoglio’s) moral authority.”

In an earlier cable, dated May 10, 2007, the embassy noted that Bergoglio had actively opposed Kirchner initiatives despite having said “that the church would not get involved in politics.”

“The government appears irritated at the cardinal’s apparent preference for the opposition in this electoral year,” the cable said.

Relations with Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who succeeded her husband, remain tense, largely over Fernandez’s championing of same-sex marriage, which Bergoglio vehemently opposes. #
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(Tim Johnson in Mexico City contributed. Politi and Sreeharsha are McClatchy special correspondents. Politi reported from Buenos Aires, Sreeharsha from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Hall from Washington.)
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