Gallup High online teacher gets monthly accolade

Camille DePauli is a 21st Century teacher, breaking the mold of the stalwart instructor who stands at the front of the classroom lecturing and scribbling directives to students on a chalkboard.

DePauli, who has worked at Gallup High for nearly 30 years, was awarded “teacher of the month” by Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe. The contest allows for students of all stripes to nominate their favorite teacher or professor. From there, a committee picks the winner.

Step into DePauli’s classroom, and you’ll find students working on computers, quiet and seemingly content with the online classes the school offers. Web-based classes range in scope from financial literacy to college preparation.

Many of the students that take online classes are “gifted,” but as DePauli explained, the term gifted runs the spectrum from honor roll to students with special needs. She also helps to oversee the internship program, where students can get a taste of their dream job before they head off to college.

“It gives the kids what they can’t get in a normal class,” she said.

Nothwithstanding, many students are now on solid college and career paths, thanks to the combination of college preparation, financial literacy, and internship programs offered to students by local businesses — including  that of her son, Marc DePauli, who owns DePauli Engineering & Surveying in Gallup.

DePauli reminisced about a student who wanted to become an FBI agent, but changed his mind after the internship. The less glamorous side of typing out reports was the deciding factor for that student.

“It gives them idea of what it really involves,” she said.

DePauli continued to talk about the myriad clubs and programs that the high school has to offer students, from ROTC to music. And that there’s something for everyone.

“There’s really no excuse to be bored,” she said.

DePauli said she got her start with Gallup McKinley County Schools as a special education instructor. It was during a time when a total of four instructors traveled the district to teach at varying schools. This ended in the mid-1990s when schools started developing their own special education departments.

While she made education her career choice, she majored in music as a student at the University of New Mexico. DePauli has a passion for playing the piano, and she earned her Master’s degree from Western New Mexico University.

In addition to teaching, she heads the school’s recycling initiative. The school has nearly a dozen receptacles spread out to different classes. DePauli takes what her students collect to the local recycling center.

While the interview was supposed to be about DePauli, she would humbly steered the conversation back toward the students. When asked how she feels about receiving the monthly award, which included a gift basket of soaps and lotions, she replied, “sometimes you wonder if you’re doing a good job, but you just keep plugging along.”

To nominate your favorite teacher, head to Camille’s and fill out a short form, explaining why your teacher is awesome.

Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe: 306 S. Second St., Gallup (505) 722-5017.

By Babette Herrmann
Sun Editor

Rating: «« out of 4 stars

Running Time: 105 min.

Anyone remember the movie Cloverfield? Believe it or not, it has been eight years since that found footage science-fiction flick depicted aliens invading Manhattan. Out of the blue and completely without warning, a sequel has appeared. The follow-up is called 10 Cloverfield Lane and is set in the same world as the original, even though it focuses on a completely different group of characters.

Specifically, this story follows Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a young woman on the road. After a horrific car accident, she awakens to find herself inside a bomb shelter and chained to the wall. Howard (John Goodman) introduces himself as the person who “saved her” from the crash and explains that a chemical or nuclear attack (maybe even involving extraterrestrials) has killed all life on Earth. Also living in the shelter is Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.), a local who claims that Howard is telling the truth... well, at least that something terrible has occurred above. Of course, Michelle is suspicious of Howard’s bizarre claims and immediately works to try and free herself.

Early portions of the film are quite tense. The initial crash is excitingly captured and edited. In fact, this opening is flat out startling as the camera spins around with Michelle inside the vehicle, cutting jarringly away and back as the event unfolds. And the photography inside the small bunker is equally impressive, with old-fashioned family living room decor contrasting with the strange and eerie stories about the horrors above.

As the characters are introduced, a great deal of trepidation is generated. Goodman is clearly having a good time as the conservative farmer. There are some unexpected mood swings as he veers wildly from a calm and fatherly presence to bursts of frustration and rage. In fact, some of the movie’s most chilling moments are the quieter ones. There’s a great bit when the group attempts to play a game together. Howard gives clues in an off-kilter and overly intense manner - the scene manages to play in both humorous and chilling manner.

Yet, while the cast are excellent and the film looks great, there are a few problems. As the story develops and more information is revealed, the level of suspense begins to dip. Early on, it’s quite easy to get caught up in Michelle’s plight and be unsure of her captor’s honesty. Unfortunately, we also know that this is a sequel of sorts so viewers will ultimately be able to guess where it’s going. For a movie that begins in such a small, claustrophobic environment, it changes its tone and approach significantly in the last twenty minutes, becoming much sillier in the process. Truthfully, I would have preferred that the movie stay locked down in the bowels of the shelter.

And as well made as it all is, this is also one of those movies that feels like a mere chapter in a lengthy film series (or a television series, for that matter). Apparently, you can’t just tell a standalone story anymore. The movie doesn’t offer a great deal of closure. Yes, it promises a bigger story. Yet with all of the tangents that have already been presented in the two films, the cynic in me speculates that the next chapter may just be another tale set within the same universe that doesn’t move the central concept forward.

And other than Michelle’s simple character arc in which she eventually resolves to face her problems head on, there isn’t a whole lot more going on. It’s difficult to see a deeper theme being presented. So in some respects, one wonders what the ultimate goal of this franchise is. It seems that wherever it may be going, there is no way that it will deliver a satisfying resolution.

To be fair, on a basic level 10 Cloverfield Lane is a well-performed and effective little scare flick. It just seemed a bit slight and left me indifferent about it’s ultimate purpose - in the end, it’s hard to get all that excited about another film series that may or may not resolve itself many years and several movies down the line.

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««  out of 4 stars

You will notice quite early in the new Disney cartoon movie Zootopia that it is doesn’t play much like a Disney cartoon movie at all. The Forever Used Disney Formula is pretty much gone; at least the songs are nixed and there isn’t a single princess to be found. Of course if you look deep enough the film still follows the 4 step template of: 1)Once upon a Time 2)The Plot Thickens 3)Time is Running Out and 4) They lived Happily Ever After- but so does just about every movie. Following the different beats set down by the last Disney Animation Studios film, Big Hero 6, Zootopia signifies a shift that is pretty profound.

But is it a good thing, this change? Is “different” to be mistaken with “better”? In this case Zootopia is refreshing but flawed and in need of some tightening. Too contemporary for its own good, the film will not be considered a classic. And classics are what the Forever Used Disney Formula usually guarantees. That’s why they’ve used it forever.

Zootopia focuses on a young bunny named Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), who wants to be a cop more than anything. But you see in this world the “difficult” jobs are reserved for the lions and polar bears, the predators, and she must overcome prejudices and stereotypes to prove herself. There are some very pleasant positive messages for the kiddies here as the film really drives home the point that we can all be what we want to be. Work hard. Don’t let people tell you something is impossible. Acceptance. Coexist. Um…be nice to bunnies?   Good stuff. Standard stuff. But then there is another thematic element that is sure to cock an eyebrow or two.

Judy is put on a case regarding a missing otter. She seeks the help of a sly fox to crack the case as she undercovers a conspiracy. You see, predators are reverting to their animal instincts, getting on all fours and attacking the innocent “prey” around them. They are, for some unknown reason, behaving like “savages” and causing terror. Of course the natural thing to do is to persecute all predators. Blame them all for the acts of a few. Get rid of the entire lot of them.

It does not take a very astute mind to see the parallels intended here. Replace the word “predator” with the word “Muslim” and you have a very interesting moral to the story. It’s a charged topic that feels very out of place in a movie leaning heavily on human-like sloths telling each other jokes. Regardless of personal view, this element is too heavy-handed in execution and really pulls the movie down in the third act.

There is also the issue of pace. The film meanders and losses urgency about half way through. At an hour and forty eight minutes some cuts should have been made.

Genuine laughs are tucked away in some bright spots of the film and the characters are likable enough. I’m interested in how the kids are going to react to a film that doesn’t seem to know its audience. Maybe eight to twelve year olds will enjoy it? The little ones will get bored, to be sure.

It’s nice to see Disney pushing the boundaries and not relying on formula to make the millions.

But deviating from the sure thing will naturally result in some misfires.

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By David Pinson

For the Sun

Rating: ««« out of 4 stars

Running Time: 115 min.

Director John Hillcoat has a resume that includes plenty of rough and tumble films like The Proposition, The Road, and most recently, Lawless. His latest effort is no exception. Triple 9 is full of scowling, mean characters that would shoot you just as soon as look at you. This heist story is a bit sillier and less thoughtful than his other efforts, but if you’re in the mood for a simple, tough guy action flick, you could do worse.

Set in Atlanta, the plot follows ex-militia man Michael (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his team (which includes plenty of crooked cops) as they attempt to pull off a heist for a Russian mobster’s wife, Irina (Kate Winslet). Michael’s motivation is the hope of having his son returned to him. However, he is quickly informed that more is required of him. It’s an impossible task, but when team member Marcus (Anthony Mackie) is partnered with an idealistic beat cop Chris (Casey Affleck), the group realize that the murder of a fellow officer might create a long enough distraction to complete the complicated job.

There’s nothing unfamiliar or unique about the story or the general theme – crime doesn’t pay. With the exception of Chris, the lead characters will certainly turn off many viewers. Despite being cops, they’re mean, duplicitous and will stop at nothing to get what they want - even when it involves killing their own. This is a violent film with a couple of strong, wince-inducing moments and most of these people eventually come to an unpleasant end.

At least the impressive cast (which also includes Clifton Collins Jr., Aaron Paul, Norman Reedus and Woody Harrelson) is having a lot of fun with the material, milking every hard-boiled line and situation with gusto. One highlight includes a scene in which an investigator arrests a woman on narcotics charges, and then openly ingests the illegal drug and grills the detainee while high.

Personally, I enjoyed seeing Winslet cast against type as a cold and cruel mob boss who carries bodies around in her car trunk and torments everyone she interacts with. Between her surprising actions, the numerous confrontations between crooked cops, some, well and colorful turns of phrase and plenty of long, hard stare-downs, it becomes quite a bit of pulpy fun.

The photography captures the city at its ugliest. There’s a lot of dark, dim lighting and soft haze that seems to further emphasize the distrust and moral ambiguity between the groups of people. Additionally, the film boasts some impressively staged action scenes that also help to heighten the tension. The crosscutting during the climax is particularly effective, combining an attempted assassination, a car hurtling down a roadway to a location along with the big, final heist. This final act is genuinely exciting.

Of course, there are a few strange elements. Ejiofor is compelling as Michael, but his motivations are odd. While he is a clever robber, it is curious that the character would go through with this incredibly dangerous scenario - it’s obvious that he’s unlikely to get what he wants and this viewer couldn’t help but wonder if he might have been better off taking a different tact against the mob. And as previously mentioned, there isn’t much subtext to the proceedings. In essence, it’s a more conventional action movie from the director and lacks bigger thematic aspirations.

In the end, Triple 9 isn’t nearly as strong as some of the director’s previous efforts. However, it’s an entertainingly mean and gritty little thriller that benefits from a very game cast. I’ve seen hundreds of heist movies just like this, but at least this effort is lively and enjoyable to watch as it takes its characters down a particularly dark and ugly path. It’s flawed and something of a guilty pleasure, but it gets the job done.

By Glenn Kay

For the Sun

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