SparkNotesBETA

And that is the end. Of The Hills. Of this blog. Of our incredibly close online relationship. Thanks to everyone who has been reading. I had a blast writing this and reading your comments. Hopefully you will see me again...perhaps when Laguna Beach comes back? Until then, I will be here fanning myself, wiping my tears, and figuring out a way to get my hands on LC's wardrobe.

— Lauren Herskovic

During the morning of September 11, word quickly spread through schools around the country that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Within the first few minutes, I knew that the impact of that day would last for years, if not lifetimes. It was the kind of unimaginable event you never expect to happen, until you're suddenly face to face with it.

In the weeks that followed, emotions and experiences were not just felt, but also shared. Since, the aftermath has profoundly changed the way people live. It redefined our culture's heroes, brought families together, and led many to reconsider what's important to them.

I was fresh out of high school at the time and with the transition to college on my mind, I was already nervous about the future. Over the course of just a few minutes, I had even larger concerns to face. A world of possibility suddenly was confronted by darkness and sadness. With the fifth anniversary of the attacks approaching, lately I've begun to wonder how current high school students feel about September 11. As they now approach the age I was then, I wondered if they shared in my nervousness and uncertainty.

Much of what I heard from the students I spoke with surprised me. Many claimed that only now, five years later, have they reached an age where they can truly appreciate the events that unfolded. As time has passed, they say they've started to ask more questions, to read and watch the news more often, and to care about the world around them. Whether or not that is an effect of 9/11, they remain unsure.

But as they think back to that September morning, some admitted that the initial power and meaning of the day was lost on them. It's not that these students didn't care at the time, but they were just too young to understand the full impact.

"I didn't realize how big a deal it was then. Soon after, I realized the effects. I didn't know that morning that it was one of those unforgettable days," said one 18-year-old boy. A girl from California recalled watching the newscast on a television at school, which stayed open for a regular school day. "I didn't really grasp the whole situation. I wasn't thinking about it too much. It wasn't the biggest thing in the world," she told me.

These teens agreed that they would have reacted differently had they had a closer, personal connection to what occurred. However, they did say they managed to feel sympathy for those who had relatives and friends who worked in the towers.

A 16-year-old New Jersey girl said that her close proximity to the towers made her immediately scared. At school, she learned that she had a relative who was inside, but had escaped in time. Not only did 9/11 directly relate to her, but she said that it continues to affect her in small ways. She said she worries about security in America and fears the possibility of further terrorism in the nation. In contrast, the students who lived outside of the New York region said that they rarely think about the attacks today.

From speaking to these teens, I learned that there is a population of students who were alive for 9/11 and wish that it had meant more to them at the time. As we mark the fifth anniversary of the tragedy, these students are taking steps to make it matter to them.

Over and over I kept hearing them say, "It's annoying that I didn't understand what it was then."

What do you remember from the morning of September 11?
Do you think you would have reacted differently today to the attacks?
Did September 11 make you more interested in following the news?

— Daniel Groner

The sun is shining, the temperature is a perfect 75 degrees, and bikini-clad girls roam the streets. You know what that means: it's Christmas time in LA! Obviously that translates to tree decorating and extravagant gift giving for our favorite Los Angelites. Who cares if neither Jason, LC, Heidi or Jason have paying jobs? Nothing, not even black diamonds or a Chanel bag, is too expensive for these guys.

But, there seems to be a few minor problems with the Christmas/New Year's episode that I have no choice but to vent about here. The first is the fact that Heidi got a dog. Heidi can't even muster up the brainpower and responsibility to feed herself in the morning, so how is she going to care for another creature? I really think Jordan should have thought this through and eased her into caring for a dog. You know, start her off with a plant, then move on to a goldfish, etc. But just dropping a living, breathing animal in her hands and asking her to care for it? Come on! The girl can't even name the thing correctly. Bella? For a boy!?

Another problemo with this episode involves the infamous Chanel bag. Ok, ok, I agree that Jason was a really good boyfriend for getting Lauren exactly what she wanted for Christmas. My problem is actually not with Jason at all (in fact, if he needs a new girlfriend to buy bags for, I am single and ready to mingle!), but with MTV. Now, besides really bad reality TV, there are three things in life that sustain me: shoes, bags, and ice cream. Because of that, I tend to notice all three in situations when no one else does. Like in Episode One of The Hills when LC moves into her new apartment sporting a delicious Chanel bag. The same bag, in fact, that Jason got her for Christmas. How, my dear MTV, did LC have this bag before Christmas? Does she have two? Or did you switch around the order of a few things? Don't lie to me, man. I deserve the truth!

But, despite the impending puppy death and the mystery surrounding the purse, my biggest issue is that I actually grew to like Heidi a little bit. I have a sick feeling in my stomach just admitting it, but Heidi really grew on me when she left the New Year's party with LC I consider myself a really good friend, but even I won't leave a party on New Year's! Heidi may be loud, annoying, obnoxious, and dumb, but she is a good friend to LC and I respect that. Especially because Jason sucks…aside from his taste in Christmas gifts, of course.

But let us not get caught up in my personal problems with the show. Let us instead turn our attention to LC and Jason. Does anyone think they are a cute couple? I mean, they look good together, but Jason is so mean to LC. He is controlling, he says dumb things, and then he always comes back to fix it with some grand gesture. And LC always accepts! Her birthday really made me crazy. Jason sends her flowers and plans this amazingly romantic evening that gave me chills. Then, they sit down to dinner and this is how the conversation goes:

Yo, Jason, I think she just wants to stay home! You are ruining this awesomely romantic dinner by asking dumb questions over and over. Actually, now that I think about it, your conversations with LC on dates are usually really dumb. I think sitting down to dinner with you would be about as exciting as sitting down to dinner with a dead plant. Heidi's dead plant. The one she killed before she got her dog. Well, that or Audrina—she's just dumb.

— Lauren Herskovic

I know that I usually put together mixes for this column, but my new favorite album makes mixes obsolete! In fact, Night Ripper, the second album by Pittsburgh DJ Greg Gillis (aka Girl Talk), makes your entire CD collection seem redundant. On one 40-minute disc, he has blended more than 150 samples of bits 'n pieces of your favorite songs (from Missy Elliott and Kanye West, to the Waitresses and the Breeders) for something that is too epic to be simply called a "mash-up record," but too loose and celebratory to be labeled as "post-modern pop."

"What exactly does that sound like?" you might ask. The answer: Freakin' awesome!

Boston's elaborate organ and bass intro for "More Than A Feeling" is layered under Ludacris' "Pimping All Over The World," which flows effortlessly into the Yin Yang Twins "Whisper Song" come-ons over The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony" strings. And that's just in the first minute and a half of Night Ripper's opening track! Since the whole of the album is greater than the sum of its parts,(which is to say, the excellent new song made from smooshing Neutral Milk Hotel's "Holland, 1945" up against Juelz Santana's "There It Go (The Whistle Song)" is way better than either already excellent individual tracks) the record's best moments are when genre lines are crossed. (Who among you hasn't thought that Brit pop favorites like Oasis and Elastica were sorely lacking booty shakin' bass?) Biggie lends some street cred to "Tiny Dancer." (Or does Elton John make "Juicy" more poignant?) The detached cool of the Pixies guitar on "Where Is My Mind" gets gritty and hard under Nas' "Hate Me Now" rhymes. And Billy Squier's "The Stroke" stops seeming silly and actually seems lewd with Dr. Dre's G-funk synths slithering underneath his sped up vocals.

Indie rock's Best In Show—M.I.A., Pavement, LCD Soundsystem—are represented here, rubbing up against some of the most popular artists of eras past (James Taylor, Steve Winwood, Fleetwood Mac) and present (Gwen Stefani, Eminem, Fall Out Boy). But the real stars here are the hip-hop rhymes and beats that manage to make even embarrassing hits by Paula Abdul and Technotronic seem like relevant dance-floor staples. And by just using the best part of a song—Weezer's weeping guitar solo from "Say It Ain't So," Britney's babydoll coos on "I'm A Slave 4 U," Phantom Planet's exuberantly twinkling piano intro to "California"—these overstuffed tunes seem positively lean and essential.

Yes, half the fun of listening to Gillis' masterpiece is trying to figure out where he's cribbed that beat or that bassline from—Is that Michael McDonald's keyboards under Mike Jones and the Ying Yang Twins' "Badd?"—but if you can stop the guessing game for a second and give yourself over to it, you won't be sorry. After all, the summer months are supposed to be the time for party jams and this album makes for a perfect soundtrack.

Now, I should mention that Gillis hasn't exactly cleared the samples for these songs, which means these artists haven't given permission (or been paid) for their songs to be used in this way. So buying this disk won't be easy, as you can't just walk into your local retailer and throw down your $10. (Hint: buy it from Illegal Art's website and you'll get a high-quality download, as well as the CD.) Do hurry though because, with all of the excellent notices the album has been garnering, it is only a matter of time before the killjoy lawyers get hip to the possible copyright infringement. Don't you worry about it though. Let the professionals sort out the legalities of the disc and just concentrate on getting your hands on a copy. You won't be sorry.

— Rebecca Raber