Category Archives: Entertainment

Movies/TV/Theaters

Fans of Netflix show ‘On My Block’ demand a recast of character

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On the Netflix show On My Block, there is a character named Olivia; a Mexican girl whose parents were deported.

There are screenshots of Ronni Hawk, Olivia’s actress, openly supporting Trump. She once tweeted “go @realDonaldTrump please bring America back!!!” In the early morning of when Trump was elected, she also tweeted two American flag emojis and one heart emoji.

Not only does she support Trump, but she also is not Mexican herself; she is white. On My Block has been praised for its near all person of color cast, but the crew still cast a white woman to play a Mexican character.

There is irony in having a Mexican character, whose parents were deported, being played by a white woman who supports Trump. Mexican people were just one of the many minorities targeted by Trump during his campaign and through his current presidency.

Many people have called for either Olivia to be killed off, or recasted, as this news about Hawk has surfaced. Not only does it play into misrepresentation, and the disadvantage minority actors face to play roles made for them, when a white person is cast instead, it also plays into this irony of such a progressive and diverse show supporting a person who believes in the oppression that Trump’s administration brings about.

Many fans have gone to Twitter to voice their opinions on the future of the character Olivia. Some want a recast, and others want her to be killed off. Many people have called for fans to stop supporting Ronni Hawk because she supports Trump and auditions for Hispanic roles as a white woman.

Since season 2 of the show has not come out yet, the fate of Olivia and Ronni Hawk has not been revealed.

Entertainment

Art

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There are many different occupations and hobbies in the world. A common occupation in the world is to be an artist. An artist is somebody that creates an artwork. The artwork can be in many different styles and techniques. Just like artists have different styles and techniques, they also have a different reasoning for why the create art. This article is going to look into why many people create art.

Many people that create art make it so they can put all of their emotions on a canvas. I interviewed an art teacher, Ms. Shomion, asking her some questions about art. When I asked her why she became an art teacher, she answered that it’s because at her college, out of all of her classes, she enjoyed, and was interested in her art class the most. I also asked her about how she feels while creating art. She answered that she feels at peace and fulfilled. I asked her if she always wanted to be an artist, and she said no, it wasn’t always her interest. When I asked her why she was interested in art, she said that her family was involved in art so she grew up around an artistic environment.

Many of the famous artists create artworks like sculptures, paintings, etc. because they want to show their feelings or opinions. Another person that I interviewed, on why they create art, responded that they feel good while creating art because she liked the thought of creating things. When I asked when, and why, she became interested in art, she replied that she has always been interested in art and when she was younger, she realized that her drawings were better than the rest of the kids so she thought she had a chance of being an artist.

Travel/Food

Our spring break

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By: Sagal, Anisa, Mariam, and Ilham

Spring break is the time of year everyone looks forward to because it’s that time of year where you can travel. Go see new places possibly meet new people. There are a lot of places to travel, like Wisconsin, California, even outside of the country. I (Ilham) traveled inside the state to Eden Prairie where I helped my cousin clean her house. I also traveled to Minneapolis to eat at a really fancy Somali restaurant; the restaurant was called Hamdi. I had the rice and chicken, and man when I tell you the food was really good, it was really good.

During spring break I (Anisa) just stayed home and caught up on my shows that I missed. Watching shows during spring break makes me feel relaxed because I don’t have to worry about anything like school work and other stressful things. Netflix, Hulu and Xfinity Stream comes in handy during spring break because you can easily binge watch all shows. I also watched hilarious YouTube videos. The pranks that they do is so hilarious. Basically, I found out you don’t have to travel to enjoy spring break.

I (Mariam) didn’t travel far during spring, the only different city I went to was Minneapolis. I went to this famous Somali restaurant in Lake Street called Qurxloy; the food there is amazing. Most of my spring break I spent at my grandmother’s house, because it’s so quiet in there and I intended to be in relax mode all spring break long. Obviously, I started watching a new show during spring break. I started watching a show called This is Us, I strongly recommend people to watch that show, because it’s filled with family drama, and healing. I also spent some time with my younger brother because we don’t really hangout a lot, except for the weekends, so it was great to spend some time with them.

During my spring break I (Sagal) traveled to Dallas, Texas. I went to visit family. It was really fun. The weather over there was really hot, and humid. It also rained a little while I was there. But overall, my trip was great. I did a lot of fun activities with my cousins, like go-karting, bowling, golfing, and a lot more. I will totally be going back next spring break.

Tech/Games

Self driving cars

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As soon as cars were being mass produced it didn’t take long for inventors to try and make automated cars. In 1925 Francis Houdina first introduced a radio controlled car. The car could start its engines, honk its horn, and shift gears. Fast forward to 2009; Google starts developing its self driving car project called Waymo. By the end of 2017 they drove 2,000,000 miles with their computer controlled self driving cars.

By 2020 Nissan announced that they will come out with a few self driving cars.

In 2016, the first self driving car death happened, in Florida, when a man had his Tesla in autopilot mode. The man was killed after he was hit by an 18-wheeler.

Earlier this year, a woman was killed by an Uber self driving car while she was walking across the street, and Uber temporarily stopped self driving cars on the road.

There are self driving cars being tested right now on the streets of San Francisco, Phoenix, and Pittsburgh.

There are a few questions people who aren’t ready for self driving cars are asking. Like, who will be liable for any car crashes and tickets that the car gets because nobody is driving? Also, a big question is: where will all of the funding come from? Changing all the cars we have now or making more self driving cars, and altering the roads so it will be safer for self driving cars, will cost millions.

When people were asked about if they would trust a self driving car to drive they were split 50/50. Some argue that we aren’t ready for self driving cars and the car’s technology needs to advance before we make it widespread on the roads. Others argue that most car crashes are the result of human error so it would be the next logical step to eliminate humans and let the technology to take control.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.documentarytube.com/articles/self-driving-cars-when-we-will-have-them
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/history-of-self-driving-cars-milestones/

Editorials/Student Voice, Tech/Games

Pros and cons of social media

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Everyone knows how efficient social media can be for contacting friends and family, and learning of news of all kinds. It has been momentous for creating a platform for awareness of political and social issues. Social media is also helpful for building business relationships and connecting with customers. However, social media has unfortunately become a viable platform for cyberbullying, which has increased vastly over the past decade.

Mental health issues, and lapses in focus, that come from the overuse of social media, are unknown to quite a great extent. The majority of the problem is seen in teens. With the overuse of social media comes a constant need to be on social media, and with that, a toll on one’s psychological well-being can be a side effect. Extreme, heavy use of social media has even be linked with suicidal thoughts. It may be the fact that these teens are having these thoughts because of the cyberbullying and disgusting things read on Twitter, Facebook, etc. According to Dr. Hugues Sampasa-Kanyinga of the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, “It could be that teens with mental health problems are seeking out interactions as they are feeling isolated and alone.”

More and more studies are being conducted to prove a correlation with direct evidence and data supporting the claim that these mental health issues are a result of excessive use of social media. Dr. Hugues Sampasa-Kanyinga states, “Or they would like to satisfy unmet needs for face-to-face mental health support.”

I myself know of kids that are dealing with depression, and I know two be heavy users of social media. I do think these kids, from my observation, do not have much going on in their lives, not many friends and not enough things to keep them busy, which is the main cause, but who knows. The extreme overuse of social media and constant need of attention from others through technology may feed their desperation even more so.

There would be no reason to rid humanity of social media because of all the good it does for our society, but there are definitely disadvantages that need to be paid attention to, and somehow fixed or toned down to a bearable level.

Tech/Games

The usage of Bitcoin

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Bitcoin, is a cryptocurrency created by Satoshi Nakamoto that uses no banking system for transactions, marketing, or currency. Bitcoin, enables payments to be sent between users without passing through authority, such as a bank, or payment gateway. Bitcoin can be bought by people, used as a trading/bargaining item, and can be used to buy items. Bitcoin was one of the first examples of cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin is used through the Internet and technology; it can also be transferred with a micro-chip. The micro-chip contains the Bitcoin, and it’s worth and can be traded physically. People use Bitcoin as a way to obtain money through the Internet and technology. People who own a Bitcoin can price the coin at any price, however they deem it. This is because of how Bitcoin gains interest or currency. People “mine,” and solve problems, to increase the Bitcoins price.

Bitcoin was made as an easier way to make money through technology, and asa way for people to make money using their skills and intelligence with technology. Anyone can use it, and people who are interested with the stock market, trade business, and other goods that can be affected by Bitcoin, such as purchasing stocks with Bitcoin, paying certain bills, items, etc. with Bitcoin use it for transactions.

Music/Concerts

NCT album

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The group NCT relesed a new album called empathy, with a total of 14 songs distributed between 3 groups within NCT. The track list is:

INTRO: Neo Got My Back
BOSS – NCT U
Baby Don’t Stop – NCT U
GO – NCT DREAM
TOUCH – NCT 127
YESTODAY – NCT U
Black on Black
Timeless (텐데…) – NCT U
The 7th Sense (일곱 번째 감각 (第七感)) – NCT U
WITHOUT YOU – NCT U
WITHOUT YOU (Chinese Ver.) – NCT U
Dream In A Dream (梦中梦 (몽중몽)) – NCT U / Ten
OUTRO: VISION
YESTODAY (Extended Ver.) (Bonus Track)

A few of the songs were released early with music videos, those being: “The 7th Sense” by NCT U, “Boss” by NCT U, and “Baby Don’t Stop” sung by Ten and Taeyong. This comeback also introduced 3 new members Jungwoo, Kun, and Lucas, making the member total 18. They will continuously add members as NCT is a constantly expanding group. They are still releasing music videos for the songs they have already put out.

Because the group is always expanding, they have multiple groups within the group, these include: NCT 127, NCT U, and NCT Dream.

They put out the music video “Touch,” by NCT 127, with a very different concept than what NCT usually goes for, so it was surprising. NCT most of the time goes for an edgy concept, but this time it was really soft with them playing tug-at-war and smiling a lot! The music video “Go” for NCT Dream was also a different concept, making this a very good album because of all the changes. They have made NCT Dream more mature and adventurous. Another song they made was “Yestoday,” mainly sang by Taeyong, but this music video is really new and not a lot of information has been released by them about it.

The album is released for sale, and it includes 2 different versions, Reality and Dream version. These different versions basically give more options to the fans; a lot of groups do this so fans don’t have to just have one option. These albums provide a lot of content for fans, and they come with a poster, photo book, cd, photo card or multiple photo cards, etc.

Travel/Food

Places to travel in the summer

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According to the U.S News Travel, these 10 top attractions are right for you and your family, and they include many fun activities and entertainment.

New York City, US
New York City is a popular place to go to because it includes arts, food, and fashion. Broadway is a popular place in New York, especially the shows and performances. NYCs main attractions are the Statue of Liberty and the museum about 9/11.

Paris, France
For first time visitors, the Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum are great places to go to when going to France. Also, they have nice malls and restaurants like Forum des Halles and Carrousel du Louvre, and restaurants like Pierre Gagnaire and Ze Kitchen Galerie.

Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam has famous museums like the Van Gogh and the Rijksmuseum. They have places for families like Vondelpark and NEMO science museum. Leidseplein has night clubs, movie theaters, and concerts.

Florence, Italy
Florence’s attractions include art like visual art and architect. There are works hung in the Uffizi and Galleria dell’Accademia, and also Duomo and the Palazzo Pitti. Also, they have Boboli Gardens which is a big attraction that includes arts and a huge garden.

Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona has many unique art and architecture and has museums, churches, and parks. Some include: Casa Batllo, La Sagrada Familia, and Parc Güell. The main attraction is La Barceloneta beach and the FC Barcelona’s headquarters.

Singapore, Malaysia
In Singapore, they have both urban and natural attractions which include Orchard Road and Little India showcase. They also have Gardens by the Bay,  and the Singapore Botanic Gardens that provide fresh air. They have a huge playground for adults and children including Sentosa and Merlion Park.

Kauai, Hawaii
This island has so many outdoor activities including: hiking, kayaking, swimming, or just relaxing at the beach. The most popular attraction is Napali Coast which includes hiking and adventure. It is known as number 2, in the Best Romantic Getaways in the U.S. Also, Tunnels Beach is considered as one of the best places to go snorkeling.

Sicily, Italy
Sicily has so many attractions and adventures which include the Valley of the Temples, and the Segesta Temple. It has a Volcano, called Mount Etna, which has top activities such as hiking and a tour around the mountain. They also have the Valley of the Temples which includes Ancient Roman temples.

Savannah, Georgia
Savannah has historic areas which include Mercer Williams House, and the home of Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scout Cookies. They have Bonaventure Cemetery and the City Market. They also have Tybee Island which includes a huge Light station, and a Marine Science Center.

Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh is known for their museums and castles. Some include: the Edinburgh Castle, Arthur’s Seat, the Museum of Scotland, and more. If you visit Holyroodhouse Palace then you’ll see Arthur’s Seat and Calton Hill. They have annual festivals like Military Tatto, the Fringe festival, and the Edinburgh festival.

Travel/Food

Best spring break experiences

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By: Riley Lumpkin and Gabe Mattick

Spring break this year was great; we both had amazing experiences on our vacations. Gabe went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and I went to the Big Island, Hawaii. These are our best experiences.

In Mexico I had a great time, I traveled with my family and we did lots of fun activities. My top two favorite things from spring break were the food and swimming in the ocean. The whole trip, I never had a bad meal, I also ordered something different every time we went out. One of my favorite meals was at Joe Jacks in Old Town, I had fish on top of rice and beans.

My second favorite meal was at a fancier restaurant. I had sea bass on top of rice with shrimp, mussels, and calamari. This was on Easter, so the restaurant was packed with tourists.

My second favorite experience was swimming in the ocean. It was great because we could go whenever we wanted. Every day we were there, it was warm and sunny; perfect for swimming. We found a beach with waves that were great for boogie boarding. Other than swimming, we woke up to beautiful sunrises and dolphins in the morning, and sunsets at night.

My spring break vacation, to Hawaii, was my favorite trip I’ve been on. I have never been to a more beautiful state. My two favorite experiences were going on a helicopter tour and going to a luau.

The helicopter tour was my favorite for many reasons. First, because I have never been on one before and it is fun to try new things. Secondly, because we were able to see parts of the Island you can’t see by foot. From the helicopter we saw many waterfalls; my whole family lost count. We also saw the jungle where the wild pigs live. On the North West side, there was a sharp drop, that was from land that fell off the island because of an earthquake. The pilot was also very nice; he was a former pilot for the Airforce. Although I did many fun things, the helicopter tour was definitely the best.

My second favorite experience was the luau. Luau translates to “feast.” In the Hawaiian culture, families put on luaus to acknowledge and celebrate their past. There was hula dancing, which was very entertaining, and really good food. We went to a luau at the Fairmont Orchid, apparently, this was the best luau in the area. My favorite part about it was watching the dancers. They tell a story from their past through dancing; it is very clear what the message and story are even though they weren’t talking. Unfortunately, I was not able to take pictures of the dancers. I did take a picture of a little message written out in dry coral on top of lava rock.  

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Veronica’ review

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Veronica is a new horror movie that was released on Netflix. There is a rumor that it is the scariest movie ever made. It is based on a true story, and it is said that only 1 out of 100 people can watch the whole movie. Experts are saying that it can kill weak hearted people. It is in the genre of “found footage” horror movies, and is doing pretty well right now.

During the eclipse, Veronica and two of her friends decide to play with a Ouija board. That was a serious mistake that they all will regret. The Ouija board opened a door for a dangerous spirit/monster/demon to come through. Veronica was the last one touching the cup, so she was the one who got possessed. Her friends stopped talking to her and Veronica didn’t know why.

While their mom works at a bar all day, Veronica is mostly at home with the kids, and that is usually when the spirit likes to strike. It was disguised as their dad, but soon the kids seen the sinister side of the monster. Multiple times, Veronica tried to ward it off and was successful but in the end she dies protecting her family.

Veronica is based on a true story about a unsolved case of a young girl in Madrid, in 1992, named Estefania Gutierrez Lazaro, who mysteriously died after using a Ouija board. Police were never able to crack their investigation. This made the movie a little bit more scary because you can’t shake it off and say it was fake; it was something that really happened.

While watching the movie, it was creepy, it wasn’t scary, it was just really weird. And the song they used n it, had nothing to do with it, which just made me laugh while watching the movie so Veronica wasn’t scary.