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Editorials/Student Voice

The pink tax: Yet another case of everyday sexism

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By: Lila Dingmann, Serafina Zambreno, and Erin Moore

Over one lifetime, the gender wage gap adds up to $500,000. If women were paid as much as men, the female poverty rate would be cut in half. There is a 44% income gap between senior men and women. However, the wage gap is still denied by a large portion of the world.

Women experience sexism in a variety of forms in their daily lives, yet because they don’t see, understand, or relate to it, many men deny its presence. The gender wage gap is believed to be made up by roughly 50% of men according to an online poll of nearly nine thousand people.

However, it is undeniably true that women make $0.82 for every $1 a man makes and women of color only make $0.79 on that same dollar. This already sets women at a financial disadvantage, but on top of that is something even lesser known than the gender wage gap: the pink tax.

The average price on feminine products is higher in comparison to their masculine counterparts. This includes the unnecessarily expensive prices on period products, birth control, feminine hygiene products, and most items targeted toward women. Products are indirectly made for women when they are decorated with glitter, pastels, flowers, or the color pink–hence the name, “the pink tax.”

In 2010, consumer reports showed that women may pay up to 50% more than men for identical products. Women pay $1,351 more per year because of pricing, which becomes around $2,300 when adjusted for modern inflation, according to a California study in 1994. A study by the New York Department of Consumer Affairs in 2015 found that women’s products had a higher price tag 42% of the time, over double the 18% of the time that men’s products were more expensive.

Companies try to explain this increase away by the fact that women’s products are more expensive to manufacture, however, in many cases, the only difference is the item’s color.

Feminine products are priced 7% higher on average than their masculine equivalents (the smallest difference being 4% found between children’s clothing and the largest being 13% found between hygiene products). Examples of this include the following: BIC “for her” pens were double the price of a gender-neutral pack of pens, a pink wireless mouse was 39% more expensive than an identical blue mouse, a women’s pack of razors was 51% more expensive than the same men’s pack of razors, and a feminine train set costed 11% more.

Services, such as haircuts and dry cleaning also show very similar results: unequal prices.

In addition to being paid less than men, women also must spend more for the same products. This is only a small portion of the daily effects that sexist ideologies have on our everyday lives.

Some companies have recently begun making efforts to end the pink tax, which proves with enough unity and work, we can make a difference. CVS, as of February 2023, reduced the price on period products and decided to cover the sales tax for feminine products in twelve states.

This article was written to spread awareness about the pink tax, as it’s a very prominent financial issue for women, but not enough people know it exists. To combat the pink tax, you can purchase the cheapest versions of feminine products, buy masculine products instead, or speak up when you notice gender-based pricing in a store to leaders and other people in power.

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Movies/TV/Theaters

MOVIES COMING OUT IN APRIL

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BY: Hermekay Dehaney

As we step into April, there are a bunch of movies to look forward to. This includes a wide range of different genres that you can watch at the movie theater and at home on streaming apps. 

Start marking your calendars because in this article I will tell you all the movies to anticipate coming in April. 

  1. ‘The First Omen’ (April 5)

Horror/Mystery/Thriller – 2 hours 

‘The First Omen’ is released in theaters, and is a prequel to the classic horror film ‘The Omen’, released in 1976. It’s the sixth film in ‘The Omen’ franchise. 

The movie stars Nell Tiger Free who plays Margaret, Tawfeek Barho who plays Father Gabriel, Sônia Brags who plays Sister Silva , Ralph Ineson who plays Father Brennan, and Bill Nighy who plays Cardinal Lawrence. 

The storyline follows an American woman who is sent to Rome to work in a church who soon discovers a terrifying encounter with some sort of darkness that makes her question her faith, and leads her to uncover a sinister conspiracy aiming to unleash evil. 

Here is the trailer for ‘The First Omen’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmN1Op8ygno

  1. ‘Monkey Man‘ (April 5)

Action/Thriller – 2h 1m 

‘Monkey Man; is being released by Universal Pictures. The movie is directed by Dev Patel who also stars in the lead role along with Sharlto Copley who plays Tiger, Pitobash who plays Alphonso, Adithi Kalkunte who plays Neela, and Sobhita Dhulipala who plays Sita. 

The movie follows an anonymous young man who goes on a journey to take revenge on the corrupt leaders who are responsible for his mother, Neela’s, death. 

Latest trailer for ‘Monkey Man’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqa3YTtwvaU

  1. ‘Civil War‘ (April 12)

Action/Sci-fi – 1h 49m

‘Civil War’ is set to be released by A24. The movie stars Kirsten Dunst who plays photographer Lee, Wagner Moura who plays a reporter Joel, Cailee Spaeny who plays Jessie , Stephen McKinley Henderson who plays Sammy, and Nick Offerman who plays the President. 

The movie plot is about a group of reporters that travel around the United States trying to reach Washington D.C. before it turns into a dystopian dictatorship. 

‘Civil War’ trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA4wVhs3HC0

  1. ‘Abigail’ (April 19)

Horror/Thriller 

‘Abigail’ is based on the 1936 film ‘Dracula’s Daughter’. This movie features  Angus Clouds, and this was his final acting role before his passing last July. 

This movie focuses on a group of kidnappers who kidnap Abigail, played by Alisha Weir, who is the daughter of a very powerful underworld figure for ransom. They quickly realized that this girl is not an ordinary girl but is a vampire who starts to hunt people down. 

This movie will be released in theaters by Universal Pictures. 

Trailer for ‘Abigail’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PsP8MFH8p0

  1. ‘Challengers’ (April 26) 

Sport/Romance – 2h 11m

‘Challengers’ is a movie directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes. The movie stars Zendaya who plays Tashi Donaldson, Mike Faust who plays Art Donaldson, and Josh O’Connor who plays Patrick Zweig. 

The premise of the movie is that after Art Donaldson experiences a series of losses, his Grand Slam champion wife, Tashi, enrolls him in a challenger event where he will compete against her ex lover. 

The movie will premiere in theaters. 

Trailer for ‘Challengers’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VobTTbg-te0

I hope this article gives you a little more insight to these upcoming movies, and something to look forward to in the month of April. 

Music/Concerts

REVIEW: Exploring the concept and depth of Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’

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By: Charlie St. Dennis

This year, we celebrate the 8th anniversary of ‘Lemonade’, Beyoncé’s concept album released after news broke of her husband and longtime partner, Jay-Z, cheating on her. The album explores all of the emotions she went through, and how she dealt with the circumstance. As Beyonce braces to release a new album this month, I wanted to take this opportunity to explore one of my favorite pieces of work by her, one track at a time. Here is my review of ‘Lemonade’, in formation.

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1. Pray You Catch Me – 8/10

The opening track of the album, “Pray You Catch Me” serves as a beautifully soft and gentle opening to the song. A piano-backed ballad, it finds Beyonce learning about her husband’s infidelity. The line “pray you catch me…” is a plea by Beyonce for her husband to find her snooping and to realize she knows what he’s been doing. I love this piece, and think that there’s a lot more to it than just piano and vocals.

2. Hold Up – 10/10

This song is one of my favorite songs of all time. With a beautiful instrumental, a loose sample of Andy Williams’ “Can’t Get Used To Loving You,” the song also touches on the societal standard that women who have been wronged by their partners are supposed to behave. We see this in the video, which begins with a spoken word piece with Beyonce in denial, but then once that’s done, she walks down a city street with a baseball bat, hitting every object in sight. Beyonce challenges these standards with the lyrics “What’s worse: being jealous or crazy? Or like being walked all over lately, walked all over lately?” She ends up deciding, “I’d rather be crazy!”

3. Don’t Hurt Yourself (feat. Jack White) – 7/10

Beyonce uses “Don’t Hurt Yourself” to dabble into Rock & Roll, and she succeeds. While Rock is not necessarily my thing, I have immense respect and admiration for her for stepping outside of her bubble. This also features the first guest on the album, rocker Jack White, who carries a verse in the later half of the song. Lyrically, this song is a plea for Jay-Z to recognize that he is married to one of the prettiest, most successful women in the world, and that he needs to show her more respect. The song has been likened to the late 60’s plea by Aretha Franklin, “Respect”.

4. Sorry – 8.5/10

This is definitely Beyonce’s most unapologetic song on the album. It is also the song that makes it most clear that it is about Jay-Z. She references “Big Homie,” which is the nickname Jay-Z gave himself on their duet, “Crazy In Love”. It uses some techno-R&B and dancehall influences, which I really enjoy. She also closes the song with the lyric, “you better call Becky with the good hair,” which I feel is a fun way to introduce Jay-Z’s infamous mistress.

5. 6 Inch (feat. The Weeknd) – 6/10

“6 Inch” samples Isaac Hayes’ rendition of “Walk On By” and is a power anthem of being hardworking, while also talking about Beyoncé’s own vulnerability. The feature from The Weeknd is great, but unfortunately, I feel this song is a bit forgettable.

6. Daddy Lessons – 9/10

I *love* “Daddy Lessons”. It’s Beyonce’s first attempt at country, and boy was it successful. I love the story this song tells, and the classic Country sounds like banjo in the background. Truly a beautiful song.

7. Love Drought – 8.5

I really enjoy “Love Drought”. Lyrically well thought out, and incorporates not-frequently-heard instrumental sounds. My favorite lyric is “10 times out of 9 I know you’re lyin, but 9 times out of 10 I know you’re trying so I’m trying to be fair,” because I really think it well sums up the difficulties she is having while trying to justify her husband’s infidelity.

8. Sandcastles – 10/10

This song was quite the emotional rollercoaster, but I’m here for all of it. She begins the song discussing the “sandcastles” she built with her husband that have since washed away. She struggles with moving on, and doesn’t know why it’s so difficult for her. By the time we get to the second part of the song, she slowly has a change of heart and realizes that she is gonna try to work things out with Jay-Z.

9. Forward (feat. James Blake) – 6/10

By far the most forgettable song on the album. Sorry, not sorry! Does this mean it’s bad? No, it’s just nothing that stands out. The song is almost entirely James Blake, who has a nice, soulful voice, but we aren’t listening for him! We want Bey! I do genuinely like the song, just wish it had more Beyonce.

10. Freedom (feat. Kendrick Lamar) – 10/10

I’d say this is one of the best off the album, for both its message and its melody. The song details the struggles that black women in our country must overcome, and the mindset they need to have. It features families of victims of police brutality, who have been forced into the movement, and have to fight regardless of whether they like it or not. It also features young black figures like Zendaya, Winnie Harlow, and Quvenzhané Wallis. And of course, Kendrick Lamar has a feature, which is beautiful. The song became a protest anthem, and has been used at Black Lives Matter rallies.

11. All Night – 10/10

Two of the best on the album, back to back! The song is essentially about forgiveness, and how Beyonce has resorted to making up with her husband and moving on. It’s a really great song, and I also applaud her for her decision here, because that must’ve been hard, and it is probably not the decision I would personally go with.

12. Formation – 10/10

Oh my goodness! So many levels to this one. While not about her husband’s infidelity, this is an ode to Beyonce’s identity and the culture she was surrounded by, notably her mother’s background in Louisiana. The entirety of the video was filmed in New Orleans. The song begins with a sample of Bounce musicians Messy Mya and Big Freedia exclaiming “What happened after New Orleans?” This is said as Beyonce stands on a police car sinking into flooded waters in the Third Ward, which is supposed to symbolize how police and the government didn’t support the predominantly black city, and how the city had to stay on top by sustaining themselves. The song has been studied at universities, used at protests and marches across the world, and captured the attention of conservative commentators who called it “Anti-American.” I won’t speak to that, but I will stay that I Stand With Formation!

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You might not know it, but you will go through a “Lemonade” moment in your life. There will be a “Pray You Catch Me” moment where you long for someone to see what you’re going through. There will be a “Don’t Hurt Yourself” moment where you discover your worth and you realize that you didn’t deserve what happened. There will be a “Love Drought” moment where you get in touch with your emotions, and a “Sandcastles” moment where you make a decision of how to go forward. And of course, there will be an “All Night” moment where you move on and you thrive. These moments have happened, are happening, or will happen, and you can resort to this album for guidance.

While my calculations have my average review being 8.5/10, I would give this album a 9/10. It is Beyoncé’s first conceptual piece, and I think that it was a brilliant way to touch on different aspects of her identity: her cultural identity, marital identity, and familial identity. She remains #1 in my book.

I hope you enjoyed this review, and I implore you to check out the album and accompanying visuals. Let me know your thoughts!

Movies/TV/Theaters

Oscars summary

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By: Daniel Kendle

The Oscars is a ceremony hosted by the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences, with this year’s annual ceremony hosted on March 10, 2024. As usual, the awards were directed towards movies and the people surrounding them, making for 23 different categories. Today I’ll be looking at every win in alphabetical order, what I may have wanted instead, and some statistics about the winners overall. Let’s begin!

Also, I was originally going to list the nominees individually as well, but due to time and them making the article skyrocket in size, I had to dial it down to just listing winners. Here they are:

  • Cillian Murphy won for Best Actor in ‘Oppenheimer,’ and I think it was well-deserved. I would’ve also liked it if Colman Domingo won, but this was a pretty obvious pick that made sense.
  • Robert Downey Jr. won Best Supporting Actor, also for ‘Oppenheimer.’ This was also a deserved win, though I was also partial to Robert De Niro. Still, a good victory.
  • Arguably the most controversial win of the night was Emma Stone for Best Actress in ‘Poor Things.’ A lot of people really wanted Lily Gladstone to win for her role in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ as did I after watching the film. However, I think both actresses did well in each of their roles; Emma Stone may have been my 2nd choice for the award, but she still did a great job in her respective film. I don’t really like getting up-in-arms over this subject, as I find it weird to be so heated over real people; it’s a bit cruel.
  • Finally last for the Acting category, Da’Vine Joy Randolph won Best Supporting Actress for her role in ‘The Holdovers.’ This was another easy pick, but again, a deserving choice.

Now that we’ve talked about the 4 actor awards, we can finally get into the bulk of the winners.

  • ‘The Boy and the Heron’ won for Best Animated Feature, which was my favorite out of the nominees. I was sure that the ‘Spiderman’ movie from June was going to win, but I’m glad it didn’t. My 2nd choice for the win was ‘Robot Dreams,’ actually.
  • ‘Oppenheimer’ won for cinematography, which was alright. I preferred ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’s’ staging, but this was alright.
  • ‘Poor Things’ got Costume Design, which is pretty cool. I don’t have a dramatic opinion on this category compared to others, so this was just a nice win.
  • Best Director went to Christopher Nolan, also for ‘Oppenheimer.’ I’m happy with this; he hasn’t won the award yet despite multiple past nominations, so this was cool to see. My runner-up was Jonathan Glazer for ‘The Zone of Interest,’ however.
  • Documentary Feature Film was given to ‘20 Days in Mariupol.’ I haven’t seen it, but I’m sure it was deserved.
  • To follow that up, ‘The Last Repair Shop’ won for Documentary Short Film. I also haven’t seen this, and my 2nd choice was ‘Nai Nai and Wai Po,’ which I watched prior to the ceremony.
  • Film Editing went to ‘Oppenheimer,’ which was alright. Similar to Cinematography, I preferred ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’s’ editing, but it’s whatever.
  • ‘The Zone of Interest’ won the award for International Feature Film. It’s a bit annoying how obvious it was; it’s the only nominee to be up for Best Picture; of course it was going to win. That’s nothing against it, but just a stray thought.
  • Makeup and Hairstyling is another category I don’t care too much about. The award went to ‘Poor Things’ which was deserved.
  • ‘Oppenheimer’ won the award for Original Score, which was a great choice. A bit of an easy pick, but if there’s one category ‘Oppenheimer’ should’ve won over any other, it’s this one.
  • ‘What Was I Made For?’ By Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell got Original Song, which was a fine choice. I liked ‘I’m Just Ken’ and ‘Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)’ more, but this was an obvious win.
  • ‘Poor Things’ won for Production Design, which was a good win. ‘Barbie’ had my vote, but this was alright.
  • I haven’t seen any films in the Animated Shorts category, so I can’t say much on that front. The winner was ‘War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko.’
  • ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’ got the pick for Live Action Short Film, which was awesome. This is Wes Anderson’s first win at the Oscars, which was great. It was my pick for the award and I was so happy to see it win.
  • Another awesome win was ‘The Zone of Interest’ getting the award for Best Sound. I love ‘Oppenheimer,’ and I was so sure it was winning this category, so seeing a surprise victory for a lesser-known film was cool. My 2nd choice was ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.’
  • The last of this trio for awesome wins was ‘Godzilla Minus One’ for Visual Effects. This was the franchise’s first nomination at the Oscars, so it was nice to see them win, too.
  • For the 2 screenplay awards, ‘American Fiction’ won the award for Adapted Screenplay, and ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ for Original Screenplay. Both deserving picks, especially for the latter.

Finally, ‘Oppenheimer’ won Best Picture, cementing it the biggest winner of the night, with 7 wins. ‘Poor Things’ came next with 4 awards, and ‘The Zone of Interest’ in 3rd place with 2. Some widely-acclaimed films went home with no awards, including ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ ‘Maestro,’ ‘Past Lives,’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,’ ‘Napoleon’ and ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

The ceremony had a lot of good picks overall, and was fun to watch.

Badminton, Golf, Lacrosse, Scoreboard/Schedule, Softball, Tennis

Sports schedule for: Apr 1-6

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  ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: APRIL 1 – APRIL 6  
MONDAYAPRIL 1 
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
  Boys / Girls Lacrosse BeginsCentral High School
4:00pm Badminton vs. CentralHOME
TUESDAYAPRIL 2
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
V – 3:00pm Boys Golf vs. TartanOak Marsh Golf Course
4:00pm3:10pm | 7:30pmVarsity Badminton InviteEdina High School
WEDNESDAYAPRIL 3
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
THURSDAYAPRIL 4
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
V – 3:00pm Boys Golf vs. SPA & TartanHighland National GC
4:00pm Badminton vs. Como ParkHOME
V – 4:00pm JV – 4:00pm Boys Tennis vs. Cretin-Derham HallV: CDH JV: HOME
4:30pm V/JV Softball Scrimmage  vs. VisitationVisitation School
FRIDAYAPRIL 5
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
V – 4:00pm JV – 4:00pm Boys Tennis vs. RosevilleV: HOME JV: Roseville High School
SATURDAYAPRIL 6
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
Movies/TV/Theaters

My thoughts on the live action ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’

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By: Julia Yang

I had just recently watched season 1 of the new live action ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ (ATLA), and I have some things to say about it.

Some things were odd, and some things were really good. For reference, I had already watched the original ATLA a long time ago, and it’s outstanding. When I heard that it was going to get a live action, I was ecstatic; it was one of the most exciting things I was waiting for. When I watched the live action, I was a little dissatisfied with some changes they made, but at the same time, it was a fun experience. I’m here to tell you my thoughts.

One of the larger things I’m confused about is why they decided to make all of the past avatars extremely hard on Aang about having friends, especially Aang’s best childhood friend Bumi.

In the cartoon when Aang and Bumi meet up after 100 years, Bumi is dangerous, fun, and playful. In the live action, he’s just dangerous, cocky, and apathetic. I heavily disliked this change— because Bumi was a fun-loving soul and was changed to having Aang choose between killing him or himself.

Back to the past avatar reincarnations: they’re so mean and hard on Aang. I get the past avatars were working alone and that’s all they know to do, but that’s not at all what happened in the cartoon. In fact, if I remember correctly, Aang didn’t even meet all of the past avatars.

I don’t know, I just find it weird how Bumi and all of the avatars are basically saying “Abandon your friends, or allow the world to be destroyed.”

One thing I love is the fact that they casted actual children/teenagers that aligned with the cartoon characters’ ages. This is something that people tend to complain about when they’re talking about their issues with the live action ATLA, but I find it super fitting. Visually and verbally seeing that Aang’s actor was actually 12 when they were filming is a really nice touch.

Another maybe smaller thing I didn’t really like, is that the Face Stealer (Koh) doesn’t steal peoples’ faces when they show emotion.
That’s a really weird change?? That’s like Koh’s whole schtick. When he sees you make an emotion, he takes your face, otherwise he can’t (emotions is what allows him to take a face).

Alternatively, in the live action, he makes you hallucinate then takes you for later? What does he do with them? Why doesn’t he just take their faces now? Does he have a cooldown or something? Is he picky?

One of the things I loved the most about the live action was Zuko’s actor: Dallas Liu. Throughout the live action ATLA, Dallas was one of the few people that really delivered lines. He showed body language, he said lines with much emotion, and his acting overall was really good. Another reason why I like him is because of the sass he puts into his character.

Some people may deny this, but Zuko was a real baby in the first season of the original ATLA: yelling at Uncle Iroh about the avatar, constantly talking about his honor, always in a bad mood, wanting to chase the avatar no matter the circumstances— it’s pretty crazy, and Dallas delivers it flawlessly.

I’m not trying to put down any of the other actors, but you can’t deny that Dallas stands out.

I believe the live action ATLA will be one of the most grand adaptations of an animated series, but as of right now, there is progress to be made. I’m okay with the current season as they were most likely figuring out how they want to plan out the plot, so I don’t find that there’s anything truly wrong with the live action.

With my personal experience with the live action and original show, I’d rate the live action a solid 8/10. Obviously, you won’t feel the same about the live action ATLA as I do; to me, there are slight imperfections, but most can be ignored.

I highly recommend watching both versions for the full experience, and because they’re both incredible in their own ways.

You can watch both on Netflix.

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Bob Marley: One Love’ review

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By: Hermekay Dehaney

‘Bob Marley: One Love’ is a biopic film released on February 14 that tells the life and legacy of the iconic Jamaican reggae musician, Bob Marley. The movie aims to show us more about his journey, impact, and his legacy on the world.

Bob Marley is played by the British Actor, Kingsley Ben-Adir who is known for  playing Malcolm X in ‘One Night in Miami.’ There have been lots of discussions online of people being skeptical as to why they chose a British actor instead of a Jamaican actor. I was also skeptical as well because the Jamaican accent is complex to non-native speakers.

However, it’s important to note that actors are trained professionals who have the time, and the ability to practice different accents so that they can immerse themselves into who they’re playing. Kingsley has also said that he had a language team of 7-8 people on set at all times, he also had friends and family of Bob Marley who were able to help him. That much commitment to a role is very noteworthy, and I think he did a decent job portraying the accent.

A unique feature I love about this movie is that it tells the story of Bob Marley through three years of his life from 1976 to 1978 instead of the typical birth-to-death type movies that a lot of other biopics like to portray. During those 3 years, we saw an important part of Bob Marley’s life, from when he got shot in 1976 to the time he spent recording his album.

The movie does show a little bit of random flashbacks of Bob Marley from the past which I didn’t like as much because it felt a little bit unnecessary in my opinion.

During the movie, we saw a brief appearance of Cindy Breakspeare played by Umi Myers, the Canadian-Jamaican beauty queen who Bob Marley had an affair with. They didn’t give it a storyline, the only time we see her was when Bob Marley was in London calling his wife Rita Marley, played by Lashanda Lynch, where we got a little close-up glimpse of her.

They made it seem like it was some sort of little thing which is shocking because their “relationship” lasted from 1976 to his death in 1981; they even have a son together, Damian Marley. I understand that the movie’s primary focus was to show his music, and his message of peace and love, but if you’re going to add that, make it an actual storyline where people who might have not known about that point in his life have a little context to understand.

His family was also a big part of making this movie, so they were probably trying to protect his legacy by not adding too much information on his personal life. I felt that might’ve limited the movie from reaching its full potential.

One thing they did get right was the music, and the impact it had on Jamaica and around the world. I do think this movie is a perfect homage to Bob Marley music wise, but for the other things? Not so much.

I would give this movie a 6/10. You can see it in theaters.

Music/Concerts

Melanie Martinez ‘PORTALS’ album review

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By: Fletcher Pike

The official album cover for ‘PORTALS’

Melanie Martínez is a popular artist known for her unique and creative sense of style. She most recently released an album titled ‘PORTALS’ last year on March 31st. Melanie’s trilogy of albums, ‘Crybaby’, ‘K12’, and ‘PORTALS’, all follow a tale of her character Crybaby.

Melanie incorporates both story and depth within her songs, which is found throughout her albums. In this new album, ‘PORTALS’, Melanie enters a creative new era and her character Crybaby has been reincarnated into a pink, alien-like creature in a magical forest. This album contains 13 songs in total along with an additional 3 included in the deluxe version of the album.

TRACK 1: DEATH

The first song on this album, “DEATH” represents the reincarnation of the character Crybaby, and her return to the world in a new form. The song starts out with a short interlude that evolves into a catchy rhythm that features a heavy guitar, bass, and drums with interesting lyrics that really follow the theme that the song represents. I think this is a great opening to an album and I rate it a 10/10.

TRACK 2: VOID

“VOID” is the first song that Melanie produced on her own for this album, and the first thing she wrote was the bass line featured in the song. I really enjoyed the vocals, lyrics, and drums that were in this song. I will rate this song a 9.5/10 because I do think it was a little bit repetitive.

TRACK 3: TUNNEL VISION

“TUNNEL VISION” was the very first song that was teased to Melanie Martinez’s fans through the trailer promoting the new album, making it quite popular. It starts off with a brief vocal segment that was included in the trailer followed by a unique beat featuring drums and a high pitched guitar. This is a great song and I rate it a 10/10.

TRACK 4: FAIREE SOIRÉE

The fourth song on her album, and probably the most upbeat, “FAIREE SOIRÉE” is a bright and vibrant song with a joyful melody and rhythm. It has a pop-like beat with a guitar melody over it as well as some great vocals. Recently, on February 9th, a music video was released for this song featuring Melanie and her backup dancers dressed as fairies with amazing choreography and costume design. This is a fantastic song and personally one of my favorites, so I give this song a 10/10.

TRACK 5: LIGHT SHOWER

“LIGHT SHOWER” is actually the very first song that Melanie wrote for this album, where she wrote it as a love song with her guitar. This song is beautifully written and composed and has a bit of a somber and slower tone to it. It features only a guitar along with Melanie’s vocals. I think this song is very beautiful and I rate it a 10/10.

TRACK 6: SPIDER WEB

“SPIDER WEB” starts off with an echoey harp that progresses throughout the entire song that evolves into a catchy beat with some really interesting lyrics that I enjoyed. I really liked Melanie’s vocals in this song. I think that “SPIDER WEB” was a fantastic song and I rate it a 10/10.

TRACK 7: LEECHES

“LEECHES” is a slower and more somber song, with a guitar melody and flowing vocals that I found to be very ambient and nice. I also enjoyed the string instruments that were present in this song. I thought it was a beautiful song and I rate this song a 9/10.

TRACK 8: BATTLE OF THE LARYNX

“BATTLE OF THE LARYNX” starts off with a guitar melody with a bit softer vocals that ascends into a really nice drum beat that I liked listening to. I think this song is a solid 9/10 since it did get repetitive at times but it was overall nice to listen to.

TRACK 9: THE CONTORTIONIST

The 9th track, “THE CONTORTIONIST”, starts off with a quiet string sound with softer vocals from Melanie that I really liked. Throughout the song, there is a snap-like sound representing a bone breaking due to the name and vibe of the song, which I found very creative. “THE CONTORTIONIST” is a really great song and I rate it a 9.5/10

TRACK 10: MOON CYCLE

“MOON CYCLE” starts off with an echoey guitar that ascends into a beat with slight drums and bass. I thought that overall this song was good, but I thought it lacked a bit of depth in contrast to the other songs on the album. I think this song is an 8/10.

TRACK 11: NYMPHOLOGY

“NYMPHOLOGY” is a really great song. It starts off with string instruments and a guitar that shifts into a really catchy beat with amazing lyrics. The lyrics in this song focus on themes of feminism and gender classification. I thought it was a beautiful song and I would rate it a 10/10.

Around the last minute of “NYMPHOLOGY”, there is a brief interlude that Melanie has confirmed to be named “Amulet”. This interlude might be short, but it is very catchy and I really liked listening to it. It has a beat that is reminiscent of “FAERIE SOIRÉE”, and interesting lyrics. I loved both “NYMPHOLOGY” and “Amulet” and I rate both a 10/10.

TRACK 12: EVIL

“EVIL” features a darker tone in contrast to the other songs on this album. It has a low heavy guitar melody that is very similar to the melody found in “BATTLE OF THE LARYNX” that really adds to the tone of the song. I enjoyed the rhythm and the instruments used in this song and I rate “EVIL” a 10/10.

TRACK 13: WOMB

The final track for this album, “WOMB” is a mainly guitar composed song that I found to be very nice. I thought it sounded upbeat with the guitar melody. At the main chorus, it switches into a segment with a heavy guitar and drums. Overall, it is a pretty good finish to an album, and I rate it a 10/10.

DELUXE TRACK 1: POWDER

“POWDER” is the first song included in the deluxe version of ‘PORTALS’. It features a more echoey tone with Melanie’s vocals having some sort of pitched down vocal effect, which I didn’t care for that much. It has a pop style beat with a low guitar under it. I thought that this song was pretty okay, so I rate it a 8/10.

DELUXE TRACK 2: PLUTO

“PLUTO” starts off with a waltz-like flute melody with a really nice drum beat over it. I loved the vocals and melody in this song and the lyrics were pretty good, with brass instruments included in some sections in the song. I rate this song a 10/10.

DELUXE TRACK 3: MILK OF THE SIREN

The final deluxe track for this album is titled “MILK OF THE SIREN” and features a slower tempo compared to most other tracks on this album. This song starts off with Melanie’s vocals that evolves into a slow waltz-like beat with solemn drums. At some parts it shifts into a heavy drum part with an interesting chorus. I think this is a pretty good song overall, but I thought that it was a bit repetitive to listen to. I will rate this song a 8/10.

Overall, ‘PORTALS’ is a wonderful and creative album that is a fantastic start to Melanie’s new era. It is clear that much thought and creativity has gone into the creation of this album. I am anticipating any further albums Melanie might release in the near future, which might be a while since Melanie’s albums usually have a 4-5 year gap between them. This was a great album, which leads me to rate it a 9.5/10.

Football

Caleb Williams or Justin Fields?

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By: Calla Fragassi

Image generated by: deepia.org

The arguably biggest debate in the Bears community and the NFL as a whole: Was Justin Fields the one? Or did the Bears make the right decision by trading him to then draft Caleb Williams.

There are many different factors that go into this decision. For starters, what do the Bears players want? The locker room is in favor of keeping Fields based on recent reports from different sport news outlets stating that the team wants Justin Fields as their QB1. One anonymous veteran staunchly announced his criticism if the Bears do indeed move on from Fields:

“It’s like, if you get rid of him (Fields), what are we doing?” 

Cited from nbcsportschicago.com

It’s evident that Fields has made an impact on the Chicago Bears team and its fans, while proving to be a leader both on and off the field. 

The Bears had a lot of reasons to keep Fields. He’s young, 24 years old and entering his 4th year in the NFL. He’s also one of the most versatile quarterbacks in the league, as well as being a strong and fast runner.

Although his time in Chicago hasn’t been filled with the most wins, his playing wasn’t the true root of the problem. With a mediocre wide receivers and a poor offensive line, Fields shouldn’t take all the blame. While he may partially be at fault (just like everyone else on the team), he isn’t what’s holding them back.

The Bears game was strong in their last 6ish game stretch, with big wins against the Lions and the Vikings. Unfortunately, these flashes of good quarterback play for a guy in his 3rd year calls for some concern and questions about how high his skill level really is. 

Another main part of this decision is the uncertainty that comes with drafting a quarterback. Drafting Caleb Williams comes with the risk of not knowing how his skills may potentially pan out in the NFL. While it is likely that he’ll be successful, there have been many instances in the past of No.1 picks not being what they were sold to be.

So, with all that being said, why did the Bears get rid of Fields? Well the short answer is, he just hasn’t been producing like he’s expected to. With constant losing seasons, Bears fans want to pin the blame on someone and it’s hard to believe that Fields isn’t the problem.

Williams capped off his college football career with a bang. He threw for 8,170 yards and 72 touchdowns while only having 10 interceptions in his past 2 seasons at USC, and also won the Heisman Trophy in 2022. His potential was just too good to pass on. Williams is also the cheaper option, and putting him on a rookie contract would save them the big pay day they owe to Justin Fields if he wasn’t traded, especially with recent quarterback contracts consisting of $40million a year.

All in all, Caleb Williams is a rare talent and potential franchise quarterback that just might be the missing piece for the Bears.

The Bear’s decision to trade Fields came with mixed emotions. Some were upset and truly did believe he was the QB1 the Bears needed. Some were happy and excited for a new and very talented QB.

Regardless of how Bears fans felt about the trade, it certainly wasn’t what people were expecting. Justin Fields was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers on March 16 to be the backup quarterback to Russel Wilson. Most people definitely did believe that Fields was deserving of a starter spot, but just not for the Bears. Chicago received a 2025 conditional 6th round pick that can become a fourth rounder if he plays more than half of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps this season. So essentially, the Steelers won this trade. The Bears are set to draft Caleb Williams on April 25th.

Tennis

“The Big Three” tennis players of all time

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By: Hyde Moua

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“The Big Three” tennis players of all time are Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal. The term “The Big Three” is a common term referring to Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal which began in 2003 after the Wimbledon Championships. This trio has dominated the men’s singles, winning up to 83% of the male Grand Slam titles. They have kept the top 3 positions of the male ATP rankings eight times in a row from 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2018, and 2019.

Roger Federer was born in Switzerland in 1981. According to an article on Shecodes.io “He is widely regarded as the best tennis player of all time and the king of grass courts”, and has had a remarkable career. He has won 20 men’s singles Grand Slam titles, and has reached each major grand slam at least 5 times. He was the number 1 player from 2004 – 2008, with a world record of being the number 1 tennis player for around 310 weeks. Unfortunately, he retired in the year 2022.

Rafael Nadal was born in Spain and is the current number 652 tennis player. As mentioned on Shecodes.io “He is regarded as the king of clay courts and one of the best tennis competitors of all time”. He has had a total of 22 men’s singles Grand Slam titles, with a total of 13 of them being the French Open championships. Rafael Nadal is the only left-handed member of “The Big Three”. He also has an Olympic gold medal in both men’s singles and doubles. Rafael Nadal is planning to have the 2024 season as his final season and will retire after the 2024 season which will end around September.

Novak Djokovic was born in Serbia and is the current number 1 men’s singles player. Shecodes.io says that “He is regarded as one of the greatest professional tennis players ever and the king of hard courts“. He has won a total of 24 Grand Slam titles, which include an all-time record of 8 Australian Open titles. He is also the ONLY tennis player to complete the career of the Gold Masters (Gold Masters is when a player wins all 9 Masters 1000 titles).

Personally, of the three, Roger Federer is my favorite. He’s the person that changed tennis in the early 2000s by playing at a much higher level which forced the others to play better to compete.