Category Archives: Entertainment

Tech/Games

JOYSTiCK Ep. 6: ‘Kirby and the Forgotten Land’ – Turkey gizzards in the third dimension

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By: Daniel Kendle

Aw, so cute! A galliformes’ intestinal contents!

Hello and welcome once again to JOYSTiCK, the HPSH serial that enjoys reviewing and exploring video games. Our 6th game is ‘Kirby and the Forgotten Land,’ our 3rd Nintendo-exclusive title thus far. Released in March of 2022, it’s also my introduction to the series.

Kirby has always been an interesting franchise to look at from afar. Generally receiving good reviews, I’ve never been turned off to the idea of trying it. However, I generally play games I know I’ll like, or ones that I think will be an intriguing experience, even if bad. But while I think the series is cute, I’ve always left it at that; the 2D entries of great fame never really had me bursting at the veins for a chance to play.

But now, ‘Kirby and the Forgotten Land’ is the pink intestine’s leap into its first 3D platformer title, now on the shiny, relatively-new Nintendo Switch. Is this game worthy of its pristine title? Or is this one big ol’ turkey in the making? Let’s find out.

PART ONE: GAMEPLAY

This is one of the few times I won’t be able to compare a game to its older entries, because…you know. So, with all that being said, this game is pretty fun!

Out of the 5 titles I’ve reviewed thus far, ‘Kirby and the Forgotten Land’ feels the most…normal? Standard? Whatever the description, the game feels good to control and has a solid idea of what it’s doing.

Being a 3D platforming game, it obviously functions as one would expect: you have to make your way through levels through various means of mobility. This is where the game – and franchise as a whole – differs from others, due to Kirby’s 2 main abilities: floating, and…inhaling.

Let’s start with float. When you tap the jump button a second time, you puff up and enter a state of stasis in the air, slowly drifting back down if you don’t repeatedly hit the button to keep staying in the air, which means you’re able to cross large gaps and high barriers with ease. Since this has been a mainstay in the franchise since the first game ever, critiquing it can be somewhat strange due to the gameplay piece’s longevity, but overall, it’s an interesting feature. While I do like the range of freedom it grants you, I can’t help but find it painfully slow to wield, seeing as Kirby’s running speed is fairly quick, but his floating is just far too slow. I wish they could’ve upped the pace just a little bit, as what we have is an interesting ability that I used rarely in places where it wasn’t needed.

Inhaling fares much better. It pulls no punches; holding down another button has you breathe in, letting you inhale enemies, powerups and “Mouthful Mode” items, of which we’ll talk about in a minute. Anyways, inhaling an enemy has them be caught in your mouth and shot out again, defeating them. This can generally be done with most creatures, and is a decent – albeit basic – way of progressing. However, the much more diverse option of going about defeating the game’s bloodthirsty kittens and puppies is through powerups.

Power Ups consist of many different hats, each with different perks and powers, for instance, the Hammer ability gives you, what else, a hammer that lets you slap these small mammals into the ground. The Tornado ability has you be able to conjure and surround yourself in a whirlwind that gives you faster mobility and combat prowess, the Fire ability lets you breathe fire, and the Ranger ability gives you a…a gun.

Oh.

I really like these powerups, they all feel so lively and fresh. I personally like the Ranger and Tornado abilities the most, but that’s just me. The only one I’d say is subpar is the Bomb powerup, as I never found it very intuitive to control. Aside from that, power ups are great.

Finally, let’s discuss Mouthful-Mode. This feature allows you to swallow various objects, like vending machines or traffic cones, and use them with various perks. For instance, inhaling a car lets you drive around. I like these, however, I can’t help but feel as if they’re all a little under-utilized.

Pretty much every mouthful item you’re able to use is restricted to one single area. You’re never really incentivized to explore with these, or discover what else they can do. You basically get a set of obstacles for each, and that’s it. The game’s main gimmick, used so little and in so small of places…It’s pretty disappointing.

Outside of the levels, there’s also a hub world known as the Waddle-Dee Town, where you can buy items, upgrade your power ups, and do other fun activities. I like this, as it feels good to have a place to go back to after some levels in order to rest up and stuff. The fishing mini game is super cute and charming. I liked the arena and tourneys within it, and of course, the little luck-based machine that spits out little rewards and figurines! It’s neat how you’re able to unlock more series of figurines to roll for in-game.

Overall, gameplay in ‘Kirby and the Forgotten Land’ is certainly a mixed bag. While some things are great, others feel very loose and underutilized in comparison.

PART TWO: GRAPHICS

So I, as a person, am a fan of cute games. I like games that have heavy, grungy atmospheres and environments, but I’ll always have a place for chibi or cutesy styles in my heart, no matter the game.

I’d argue that what “defines” a cute artstyle is through the emotion it conveys towards the player. For instance, a video game can have a chibi look to it yet be filled with gore and violence. You can also have a fairly realistic game that has generally fun and lighthearted play. This is all, of course, subjective, though some aspects just don’t mesh well together. I mean, give an infant a gun, and it’ll look out of place, right? The same goes with video game graphics. if you drop a high-def model of a heat-guided nuclear missile into, I dunno, ‘Animal Crossing,’ it’s bound to look out of place. This isn’t something that I’d argue is opinionated; some things are just a given, and the conflicts of 2 separate medium’s graphics is an example of that.

But is this a bad thing? Now, THAT’S divisive. While the combining of multiple art styles is, almost by definition, objective, how one feels about the clash is certainly the opposite. I personally enjoy seeing multiple mediums join together, though I require certain barriers to be made in order to feel like a successful mix of several graphic designs has been made. If things feel too out of control, then the whole thing blows. Combining different game’s art styles and graphics is a delicate, yet fascinating balance of complex forms.

And with all that being said…

…‘Kirby and the Forgotten Land’ looks really, REALLY good.

Nintendo, as a company, has proven they’re the masters of simplistic, appealing art and animation. ‘Super Mario Odyssey,’ ‘Pikmin 2,’ ‘Animal Crossing: Wild World,’ frickin’ ‘Pokémon Black & White,’ if you really wanna dig deep. So, this game looking great is practically second nature to us consumers.

To summarize, the game mixes semi-realistic environments with more cutesy characters. I mean, Kirby’s literally just a round ball with knobs at the ends; there’s really nothing too drastic here. I think this mix looks quite nice, as it could’ve come across much worse. I’ve seen these videos of people putting cartoony game characters into hyper-realistic environments, and while I may be in the minority, I’ve always thought that they look really ugly, personally. Meanwhile, while the background environments look semi-realistic, they never feel too out of place.

The only bad part is that the UI (user interface) sucks! Everything is so small; I have to squint to see my health bar.

Overall, the game looks great. Animations are solid, everything is super cute, and it feels like yet another great ‘Nintendo’ showcase of art. The UI is kinda lousy, but it’s just a minor issue on my part.

PART THREE: BOSSES AND ENEMIES

We haven’t done this in a while, no?

I say this because the last time we covered the bosses in a video game was ‘Metroid Dread,’ otherwise known as the first review we’ve done. So I thought it would be fun to bring that back. Plus, they’re the last big part of the game I feel the need to cover, and I want this issue to exceed 2,000 words.

While ‘Metroid Dread’ has very grungy, metal bosses, ‘Kirby and the Forgotten Land’ has more cute creatures to fight. Literally EVERY enemy is cute, and I couldn’t help but go “awww…” before caving in their skulls. Also, like I said, you get power ups primarily from inhaling enemies, and most creatures have this functionality. The enemy’s theming also helps you know what they’ll give you: for instance, the bomb-bouncing seal gives you the bomb ability.

But moving onto the actual bosses, they’re pretty solid! Not as good as previous JOYSTiCK entries, but nonetheless quality enemies.

The first bout is with Gorimondo, this big ol’ gorilla thing. As someone who has a phobia of chimpanzees, I always thought that this thing’s design looked…off. Like, its feet were super tiny compared to this titanic bod. And the fight itself, while decent, isn’t very memorable. Babies could beat this thing, honestly.

The big palm tree Tropical Woods came next, and I quite liked this one in comparison. It has these roots that surround you and the stage, puffs of smoke that it can blow out in waves, and can summon large iron barricades to protect itself from harm. Overall, a pretty neat fight.

Then…we have a fight. Between a cat. That stands on 2 legs. Who is somewhat anthropomorphized. Everyone, I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but what we have here…

…is a furry.

Clawroline is honestly a fine battle; the designers used some interesting ideas, like having the arena be part of some of her attacks. However, her design, like Gorimondo’s, is just so weird. Her legs…like, huh? Maybe I just don’t like anthro characters that much due to how they make me uncomfortable, but still. The fights are fine enough but the leopard we have to face is just creepy-looking.

I do like King Dede, however. He’s been a character within the franchise since the beginning, and while the boss fight isn’t super memorable, it’s still good and fun. I’d say that it’s the most interesting character, seeing as he’s a returning favorite.

Sillydillo is an armadillo who…is silly. (Who’da thunk it?) In reality, the fight is cool, though some of his attacks, like trapping you in a giant cage or rolling after you, are somewhat buggy and unpolished-looking. Like, they have very strange hit boxes, and I never really got used to them. Nothing feels very well-choreographed, and I think it could’ve done with some work.

Finally, there’s like, 3 final bosses, for whatever reason. I’ve decided to talk about the first, but I won’t spoil the last for story-related reasons. Leogar, this lion dude, is interesting, though his actual fight is very underwhelming. Again, there are 2 other fights after this, but for a final boss, he’s very weak. And honestly, that’s an issue I have with most bosses in this game: they’re just not very memorable. I’d still call them “good,” but that’s just not enough for a 3D Nintendo platformer.

PART FOUR: CONCLUSION

‘Kirby and the Forgotten Land’…isn’t perfect.

The UI is stinky, the bosses, while good, aren’t memorable. The movement is janky at times, and the Mouthful-Mode items are generally limited in scope for a gimmick. These all keep it back from being one of Nintendo’s classics.

Of course, I had loads of fun with this game! The levels are fun, the town is great, the animation is lovely, and I definitely wouldn’t call this a rush job. More just that it didn’t exactly meet all of my standards.

I’m giving ‘Kirby and the Forgotten Land’ a 7.5 out of 10. That can always change in the future; for example, I’ve raised ‘Pokémon Legends Arceus’ from a 7.5 to an 8.5. This could be the same for this game, which, while fun, has some personal issues.

And that’s all for this episode of JOYSTiCK! See you next time.

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Ginny and Georgia’ review and summary

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By: Ayamei Her

Note: In both season 1 and season 2, it mentions some sensitive topics such as: eating disorders, body dysmorphia, depression, self harm, abuse, sexual abuse, racism, and drug abuse. 

If you don’t know what ‘Ginny and Georgia’ is, it is Netflix’s current #1 show and it is full of drama and intensity. In season one, the show introduces a mother with her kids in a car together, on their way to a new town to live in. Georgia (the mom) has moved her two kids (Ginny and Austin) around through many cities and towns. Georgia wanted to settle, and she wanted stability, so she decided on the small town of Wellsbury.

Ginny was upset about the move, she always felt like Georgia was always disrupting her life once she felt as if she had settled in, although Ginny was worried about fitting in and making friends, she made friends quickly with Maxine, and her twin brother Marcus, who lived across the street from Ginny and her family.

At her new school, Maxine introduces Ginny to her friends Abby and Nora, and they become a friend group and combine their initials together to make a name for the group which is “MANG”. 

The first complication is that Ginny develops feelings for her best friend’s twin brother Marcus. Despite those feelings, Ginny starts dating a boy name Hunter. Ginny sneaks Marcus into her room nearly every night though, keeping him close and exploring her feelings for him. Eventually, she cheats on Hunter with Marcus, but inevitably, with time, everyone finds out about Ginny and Marcus’s secret affair. 

Now, with Georgia, she is one of my favorite characters because her back story is just so deep; her character does so well with hiding it. She is clever, playing mind games with people, while most of all trying to be the best mother she can be for her kids. Georgia has a very rough past and decided to hide it from her kids to protect them, she ran away from her abusive home and joined a dangerous biker gang who protected her while she was pregnant with Ginny, raising her alone at the age of 16.

Georgia has done some unspeakable things such as kill people who she felt she had to protect her kids from. She says from time and time again that she does everything for her kids and to protect her kids. 

A private investigator was sent to see into Georgia’s past to see who she really was. He finds out that she has been through a life of crime and pain and tells Ginny that he knows about her mother’s life, and that he doesn’t want someone with a past like Georgia’s to be around Ginny and her brother Austin. After Ginny was told, she put the pieces together and left home with her brother, and that’s how they ended season 1. 

Season 2 starts with showing that Ginny and Austin went and stayed with her father for awhile, and it shows that her mother is angry at Ginny, but misses her kids very much and still has no idea that Ginny knows of the crime Georgia committed. Soon, Ginny tells her father about her self harm, but begs him to not tell her mother, so he secretly puts Ginny in therapy so she can get the professional help she needs.  

During this, Ginny moves back to her mom’s and starts the angsty teen rebel phase where she starts to skip school, smoke, and spontaneously dyes her hair. 

While Ginny starts to seriously date Marcus, Maxine and Nora continue not being friends with Abby and Ginny, but Abby and Ginny start to become friends.

During Ginny and Marcus’s relationship, everything was going great and they seemed to be perfect for each other. But Marcus starts to have a depressive episode and feels like his happiness is only coming from Ginny. He says that it’s not fair to have his happiness depend on one person, and he can’t love her if he can’t love himself, so he decides to break up with Ginny.

Ginny and Abby decide to reconnect with Maxine and Nora, and they all become friends again. During Maxine’s show, that she was acting in for school, Marcus takes Ginny out in the hall and they break up which leaves Ginny heartbroken. 

I won’t spoil the ending of season 2 in case you haven’t watched it, but I would recommend watching the show if you like a roller coaster of emotions and tons of new surprises.

Clubs and Activities, Movies/TV/Theaters

HP Theatre Arts proudly presents: ‘The One Act Plays’

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By: Erin Moore

This winter, Highland Park’s theatre club has been working tirelessly to put together five one act plays, to be performed one after another this coming weekend. Whether it be costumes, sets, props, lights, sound, mics, acting, stage managing, or our hard-working directors, lots of hours and effort have been put into these productions. 

If you’ve seen the signs up all throughout the hallways of  Highland Park Senior High, it’s likely you’re aware of the five winter one acts to be performed this coming weekend. “Call Me Stan,”  “Put a Ring On It,” “Clowns with Guns,” “Speed Date,” and “The Bifrost Incident.” Each one act is directed by our very own HPSH seniors including James Nins, Evan Nelson, Ryan Terry, Julia Williamson, Liv Knafla, Max Nutter, Bella Schmitt, and Spike McIlrath. 

The following synopses are spoiler-free and are from the HPSH Thespian Society Schoology group.

“’Call Me Stan’ [is] a dark comedy about parents meeting their daughter, Brittany’s, boyfriend, but something’s not quite right about him. He’s too old, too rich and even red!” 

“In ‘Put a Ring On It,’ Allison tests the limits of just how chaotic a family dinner can get as she is willing to do whatever it takes to get her boyfriend to propose to her.”

“’Clowns with Guns’ takes a theatrical and absurd look at the repeated and seemingly endless cycle of school [gun] violence. It happens, everyone is terribly upset, things continue on as normal, it happens again.” Note: due to the violent content of this one act, people are free to leave at intermission if the feel necessary.

“It’s Valentine’s Day and the pressure is on. Seventeen crazy characters search for love in a round-robin game of ‘Speed Date.’ Everyone’s in on the action: a hopeless people-pleaser, a Frenchman, a guy hung up on his previous girlfriends, an art therapist, a clown, and more. They’re desperate, chatty, needy, strange–and the clock is ticking. Will they find love before time runs out?”

“A mix of Greek tragedy and Norse mythology set in the far future, where the old gods and trains through space exist. ‘The Bifrost Incident’ is the story of the end of the world told by a criminal investigator slowly going mad from cosmic forces.” Note: this one act is not well suited for children, it is more PG-13 than G. Audience members may also leave at intermission if the choose

Tickets will cost $10 for adults and $5 for students. Cash, card, and check are accepted. Performances will be in the Highland Park auditorium on January 20th @ 7 and January 21st @ 2 & 7. Concessions will be available during intermission. 

If you’re interested in viewing these stories, want to come watch friends/family, or want to support the arts at Highland, be sure to come watch! 

For more information, visit @hptheatrearts on Instagram, look for the posters in the hallways, or ask anyone you know involved in the one acts. 

Alpine Skiing, Travel/Food

Reviewing different ski hills in Minnesota

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By: Ann McMullen

Although Minnesota does not have any true mountains, the hilly terrain of primarily the east half of the state makes for great alpine skiing. These hills, combined with the massive amount of snow we get that seems to last for half the year, make skiing a popular winter activity. In fact, there are so many ski hills in the state that it can be hard to choose one to go to. If you’re wondering where you should ski…look no further than this article.

The closest major hill to the Cities is probably Buck Hill, located in Burnsville. There isn’t much variety in their runs, and it’s all condensed into quite a small area. That being said, a huge amount of olympic medalists grew up skiing at Buck Hill, so they must be doing something right! I’d say Buck is a great place to try out skiing, and if you enjoy it, you can eventually go to a bigger, steeper hill.

Afton Alps is arguably the most popular ski hill in the state, located about half an hour east of the Twin Cities. It’s definitely popular for a reason. It’s in a pretty area, has 17 chairlifts, and even a hilltop chalet! However, Afton can get really, really busy. It’s good skiing, for sure, but you’ll probably spend more time waiting in lift lines than actually going down the hill.

Lutsen Mountains is the closest thing to a real mountain skiing experience that the state offers. This resort is located in the town of Lutsen on beautiful Lake Superior, about twenty minutes south of Grand Marais. There are four unique “mountains” with different types of terrain, allowing anyone from beginners to experts to find something they can enjoy. In addition to the great skiing, Lutsen offers a variety of fun activities in the off-season. Their gondola still runs in the summer to provide beautiful tours of the mountains, and an alpine slide is available to ride down the steepest of their four hills.

If you’re looking for beautiful views like those in Lutsen but don’t want to drive the four hours, look no further than Spirit Mountain in Duluth — essentially halfway between the Cities and Lutsen. At Spirit, you can expect to see Lake Superior, as well as cool views of Duluth itself. The only real downside of Spirit is how small it is. If size is what you’re looking for, I wouldn’t recommend it. Otherwise, it’s great! I also feel inclined to share that they have an alpine roller coaster open in the summer, that winds through a forest and provides beautiful views of the lake. And, get this — you can even control your speed!

And finally, my personal favorite: Welch Village. I may be a bit biased because I grew up coming here nearly every winter weekend, but this hill — just under an hour south of the Cities — has a lot to offer. I wouldn’t call Welch a “hidden gem,” but it’s definitely overshadowed by Afton. That being said, Welch isn’t nearly as busy as Afton — there are rarely long lines for the lifts and you’re sure to be able to find a spot to sit in one of their two chalets.

I hope this helped you see how much downhill skiing Minnesota has to offer. See you on the hill!

Tech/Games

A review on the game ‘Stardew Valley’

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By: McKenzie Welch

Video games come in many different formats and genres, and people all over the world enjoy these technological creations. ‘Stardew Valley’ is considered a farming simulation, and it allows people to choose their own story and design their farms in the ways that they choose, which is a big part of what makes the game so appealing.

‘Stardew Valley’ is an indie game created by Eric Barone, under the developer ConcernedApe. It was released on February 26, 2016 and has been growing ever since. People have even made many different modifications that you can install to make the game more personable, which also helps hold people’s interest in the game more often.

From my personal experience, ‘Stardew Valley’ is a calming
game that is fun to play on your own and with friends. When playing by
yourself, you are able to make your own decisions regarding your farm
and you have total control. Your actions are the only things affecting the
way your story goes.

When playing with friends, you have someone to talk to and split activities with, and you get to make a farm that reflects all of the players. ‘Stardew Valley’ has connected many people.

There are many different activities in ‘Stardew Valley’ to participate in, which keeps the game interesting. There is farming, mining, talking to townspeople, and fishing. This is another reason that it’s great to play with friends, as there are always activities people like and activities that people dislike when it comes to ‘Stardew Valley’.

All in all, I rate the game a 10/10. It is incredibly personable to different types of people and the things they enjoy, whether that is referring to the storyline they choose, the in-game activities they enjoy, or the modifications they add to the game. Whatever the case, it is a calming game with many positive qualities that I enjoy immensely.

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Advice/How To, Entertainment

Free or low-cost winter activities

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By: Emilia Moberg

Do you ever find yourself thinking, “I really want to go out today, but it’s 1) very cold and 2) I don’t have that much money to spend”? As Minnesotans, most of us are used to the cold weather and are prepared for snowy weather conditions. People still go out and live their lives, especially to help curb seasonal depression during these dark months.

However, it can be difficult to find things to do and places to go when you’re a student with limited funds. Despite being prepared for the cold, it is a lot easier to plan activities for a whole day during the summer and spring without spending any money.

I have experienced this problem first hand many times, so I have compiled a list of some of my favorite things to do/places to go during the winter that are free or have a low cost.

1. Museums
Museums are a great way to spend some time during the winter because they are inside and heated, and offer a lot to see. There are a lot of great museums in the Twin Cities that offer free admission to people under 18.

The Minneapolis Institute of Art is an art museum with three floors and over 90,000 artworks. It has a variety of African, Asian, European and modern art, ranging from paintings to sculptures to architecture. The MIA also has a cafe with seating.

The Walker Art Center is another art museum that offers free admission to under 18 visitors. The Walker is more focused on modern art and cycles out exhibits relatively regularly, as well as having a permanent collection on display.

One downside of both of these museums is that you have to pay for ramp parking, and there is limited street parking.

2. Coffee shops
Going to a coffee shop during the winter might seem like an obvious choice, but some coffee shops are definitely better than others, in terms of price and atmosphere.

JS Bean Factory in St. Paul is one of my favorites to do homework at. There is usually always a place to sit, and drinks and food is relatively inexpensive. You can get a 16oz tea for around $3.50 and coffee for around $4.

Another one of my favorites is Caffetto Coffee House in Minneapolis. It has a really unique, grungy but cozy atmosphere, along with inexpensive tea, coffee and food. Caffetto is a great place for late night studying or hanging out, as it stays open until 1am.

3. Thrifting
Thrifting is a fun activity for all seasons, but similarly to the museums, it’s great for winter because thrift stores are a warm, indoor space you can spend a lot of time in.

I think the Salvation Army/Goodwill bins specifically are good places to go because of how frequent clothes are cycled in and out. Many people typically spend multiple hours searching through the bins and waiting for new bins to be available to look through. Further, since clothes at the bins are priced by weight, you can purchase a lot of items for very cheap.

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Call the Midwife’: History with heart

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By: Julia Sikorski Roehsner

In 2002, an English woman named Jennifer Worth published a book of memoirs titled ‘Call the Midwife,’ telling the story of her life as a young midwife working in London’s East End beginning in the 1950s. The book was later reissued as ‘Call the Midwife: A True Story of the East End in the 1950’ and became a bestseller.

Worth published several other books, including ‘Shadows of the Workhouse’ and ‘Farewell to the East End’ to complete the Midwife trilogy, before her death in 2011.

‘Call the Midwife,’ the television drama series, premiered its first episode to the United Kingdom via BBC One on January 15, 2012. Since then, the show has expanded to eleven seasons with over 90 episodes, and is currently in the midst of its twelfth season. The series was created by Heidi Thomas, who is also the show’s writer and executive producer (along with Pippa Harris), and is inspired by, and partially based on, the memoirs by Jennifer Worth. Past and present stars include Jessica Raine, Jenny Agutter, Miranda Hart, Helen George, Laura Main, Stephen McGann, and Leonie Elliott.

Season one follows the story of midwife Jenny Lee (the character based on Worth), who arrives at Nonnatus House—run by the Order of St. Raymond Nonnatus, an order of nursing nuns—unprepared for the poverty and terrible living conditions of London’s East End, in a neighborhood called ‘Poplar.’ Unprepared, too, however, is she for the warmth and sense of community she feels from both her colleagues and those they care for.

At Nonnatus, Jenny meets the diversely-characterized group of midwives and nuns, who despite coming from various socio-economic and geographic backgrounds, and having extremely different personality types, all have one thing in common—the desire to do the best they can for their patients.

Jenny departs at the end of season three to pursue work at a cancer hospice, but ‘Call the Midwife’ continues. We learn about the trials and tribulations of nurse-midwives such as Trixie, Cynthia, Phyllis, Barbara, Sister Julienne, Sister Monica Joan, and Shelagh. There are also the outside forces of Dr. Turner and Fred Buckle, who aid Nonnatus House in whatever ways they can.

And, of course, there are the patients. As the show’s name suggests, Nonnatus mainly serves the pregnant women of Poplar, helping them from conception to birth. They also provide care for outbreaks of disease, mysterious illnesses, and complex injuries. The community trusts them, often more than they do any hospital.

Nonnatus House’s occupants are constantly changing, welcoming new nurses and bidding others goodbye. As the cast changes, so do the times; the series progresses through times of thalidomide, tuberculosis, and the novelty of the contraceptive pill.

‘Call the Midwife’ is not afraid to show the gritty parts of childbirth, nor does it shy away from difficult and even controversial topics. We see women who suffer domestic violence, as well as those who desperately seek abortions despite the dangers and illegality. Racism, discrimination, and homophobia are all portrayed. Characters struggle with matters of adoption, addiction, and crises of faith.

‘Call the Midwife’ is not a grim show by any means, but it does not gloss over the realities of those who lived during the times.

I have been a fan of ‘Call the Midwife’ for many years; I’m not sure what it is that draws me in. Perhaps it’s because I find the characters vibrant or the dialogue realistic. Maybe it’s because, as Heidi Thomas put it, “[‘Call the Midwife’ is] telling stories about the human condition, and you can really engage with that, not just matters of society or medicine, but matters of human existence, life, death and birth.” Whatever the case, I would highly recommend the series.

You can watch ‘Call the Midwife’ on Netflix and PBS.

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Editorials/Student Voice, Tech/Games

Our place in the dawn of AI

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By: Reed Morris

Prompt: photoreal robot looking over beautiful landscape with a lord of the rings style city on the side of a mountain in the distance 

What is OpenAI?

Open AI is an artificial intelligence (AI) research lab created by a consortium of leading technology companies, including Tesla, Microsoft, and Alphabet’s Google. The lab was founded in December 2015, although its precursor, OpenAI LP, was established in August 2015. The main goal of OpenAI is to advance the state of artificial intelligence by researching AI safety and general artificial intelligence that benefits humanity. The research efforts focus on ensuring that AI does not take over the world, instead working to achieve a more equitable sharing of the contribution of AI strategically and broadly. 

Prompt: Photoreal image of the founders of OpenAI

The formation of Open AI was prompted by a number of critical developments in the field of AI. One of the main motivations was the 2015 paper by professor Stuart Russell, titled “The Need for More Powerful AI Aligned With Human Interests and Values.” This paper made a compelling argument for the need for measures to ensure the safety of artificial intelligence, by closely monitoring and limiting its autonomy, with the authors emphasizing the importance of controlling the growth of artificial intelligence. 

Another important development that led to the formation of Open AI was the ethical challenges pictured by advances in AI technologies. In April 2015, the MIT Technology Review published an article titled “The Artificial Intelligence Revolution:The Road to Super Intelligence,” which raised a number of ethical issues that needed to be addressed as the technology continued to develop. 

The third factor was the abundance of hype surrounding the AI revolution. Despite the potential for significant future benefits, the exaggeration of the potential of AI risked raising public expectations and fears far out of proportion with reality. This posed the dual risk of annoying the public with premature and exaggerated reports of AI capabilities and creating a backlash against the technology that could set it back and delay the actualization of its full potential. 

Open AI was created in an effort to bring together leading technology companies to address the challenges presented by advanced artificial intelligence. Its mission is to ensure the development of AI benefits humanity and to prevent any risks or harms caused by unchecked AI development. Open AI is a non-profit research lab with an open source research agenda, and hence its research is made freely available to all. By making the research available to all, Open AI has removed the traditional barriers to collaboration.

At the start of the organization, Open AI’s founders pledged $1 billion in funding from key tech players. This investment is managed by a board of directors that includes some of the most prominent thought leaders in AI—such as Tesla’s Elon Musk, Apple’s Jeff Dean, and Google’s Vint Cerf.

Since its inception, Open AI has grown exponentially, from a few core research staff to a network of more than 300 researchers working in a wide variety of areas, ranging from robotics/AI, to healthcare, to nanotech and beyond. Open AI also puts on numerous workshops and conferences to facilitate knowledge-sharing and collaboration between its researchers and the wider community. 

Open AI has already established itself as one of the most innovative, impactful, and influential research labs in the world. Its mission to ensure AI safety and safety in general has resulted in a new approach to artificial intelligence development, with a focus on collaboration, sharing, and openness that is perhaps unrivaled in any other research arena. As it continues to grow and as its research continues to advance, OpenAI stands to bring immense innovation and economic benefit to humanity.

What IS AI?

Prompt: Photoreal image of a cyborg brain representing AI

At its core, AI is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of tasks and problems. The core algorithm of AI is a set of instructions, usually written in a programming language, that enables a computer system to act intelligently. This algorithm is then applied to different problems and tasks, such as task automation, game playing, data mining, language understanding, and vision capabilities. 

An AI system processes data to understand its environment and then makes decisions and takes actions to accomplish a task or a goal. This process involves using algorithms that identify patterns in data, as well as machine learning which teaches the system to learn from its experience and improve performance. 

AI systems are also able to reason and deduce logical conclusions from data. For example, a system may use past performance data and a set of rules to determine how best to accomplish a task or goal. This kind of reasoning may not be perfect, but it can be effective when applied to complex problems. 

Ultimately, AI is designed to simulate that of the human brain when it comes to problem solving. AI is becoming increasingly sophisticated at solving problems and performing tasks that were once thought impossible. As more data becomes available, machine learning and AI will continue to improve and become more capable.

What really is ChatGPT? 

Prompt: Photoreal robot waving at the camera on an alien planet

Chatbot GPT-3 (or ChatGPT) is a natural language processing (NLP) chatbot powered by the latest deep learning algorithm, GPT-3 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer), developed by OpenAI. GPT-3 is an advanced text-generating Artificial Intelligence (AI) system that uses deep learning to generate relevant and meaningful text in response to natural language input. 

ChatGPT works by understanding context, which means it is capable of understanding user input and creating an appropriate response based on that input. To do this, the AI utilizes large datasets that contain the structure and context of the English language. Using these datasets, ChatGPT is able to understand nuances of language that are often missed with traditional computer algorithms. Additionally, GPT-3 has an improved ability to understand user context and generate sophisticated responses, allowing for more natural, human-like conversations. 

Compared to earlier open-source chatbot systems, ChatGPT is more accurate, sophisticated, and reliable. This is because GPT-3’s text-generating algorithm is based on the same architecture used in advanced natural-language processing tasks in major technology companies. GPT-3 recognizes contextual meaning in conversations and can respond in more sophisticated and meaningful ways. 

As a result, ChatGPT is becoming increasingly popular with businesses and organizations who are looking for a more efficient and reliable way to engage with customers in the form of natural language conversations.

What will the future of AI look like?

Prompt: AI being used in cybersecurity

The future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an exciting prospect, one which promises not only convenience and accuracy in many aspects of our lives, but also great potential for a new wave of advancements. Artificial intelligence has seen a massive boom in recent years, and its effects are quickly becoming integrated into many areas of our lives. Autonomous vehicles, personal assistants, and ‘smart’ home devices, show us that the use of AI has the potential to greatly improve our lives. 

The next wave of AI technology is likely to be more widely integrated with our lives, and it’s predicted to open up possibilities for many new advancements. Key aspects of this technology are already being focused on, such as deep learning, which influences machines to mimic our own knowledge and capacity to make decisions. 

It is forecast that in the near future, AI-powered machines and systems will be used in processes such as medical diagnostics, real-time decision-making, and cyber-security. Connected homes, known as the internet of things (IoT), will further develop to become an essential part of life. Smart home devices, thermostats, temperature sensors and power saving appliances will become commonplace and their operation and optimization can be handled with Artificial Intelligence. 

Facial recognition technology, which was developed to monitor and protect public areas, is predicted to become more sophisticated, while also moving into arenas such as healthcare and public safety. An increased reliance on AI to handle various tasks will also create many opportunities for robots to enter our lives. Unmanned vehicles, such as drones and automated cars, will be further developed, offering convenience and accuracy. 

AI is revolutionizing the way that businesses operate, and its use is expected to expand even further. Companies are already using AI to help automate tasks, guide customers through their journey, and prioritize customer service requests. It is also increasingly being used in marketing and digital advertising campaigns, to identify target audiences and help increase conversions. 

In the future, AI will be an essential part of daily life, transforming aspects of our lives into a more secure, efficient, and convenient form. To ensure that the use of AI is advancing in the right direction, ethical considerations will increasingly be a factor in any developments. Risk models will be part of the use of AI, helping to identify and mitigate issues such as bias, and machines with the ability to explain their decisions are more likely to be trusted and taken as reliable.

Final thoughts

This is supposed to be the conclusion portion of the article, and usually is. However, the title of this section is kind of misleading. While this IS the closing section of the article, I can’t in good faith say that these are my final thoughts. Now usually that would mean I’ll be following up with this, but not this time. This time, my “Final thoughts” are really my first, and only thoughts. Confusing right? 

See, up until the header “Final thoughts”, I, Reed Morris, have done nothing. Everything up until this point, including all text, paragraph structure, and even the images, is the completely unedited and unadulterated output of a publicly available Artificial Intelligence. By simply entering a handful of prompts (the headers of each section) into the latest version of ChatGPT-3 (Dall-E for images), I created a full, and publishing-worthy article.

How might AI affect us in MY mind?

Talking about ChatGPT to adults who were around before the idea of the internet existed is very interesting. Some compare AI directly to the splendor and excitement of the dawn of the internet age, but some simply call it magic. It is undeniable that the internet made human lives infinitely easier. We have all the world’s information at the tip of our fingers, it is just our job to organize it and turn the jumble of information into something useful. 

The internet got rid of the need for us to dig through stacks and stacks of books at the library. Now, AI such as ChatGPT-3 have gotten rid of the need for us to dig through endless pages of customized search results, and instead, they organize exactly what is asked for in seconds. By simply entering a prompt into the AI’s input, you can get tailored and accurate information, as well as all of the sources it used to gather the information it gives you. 

One of the best and more ethical ways that I myself use this AI day to day is by asking it for the information I want as well as the sources it used to provide that information. From there, instead of copying and pasting what it gave me, I use the sources it provides. GPT3 has access to billions of web pages, therefore making it easy to find useful information in hard to reach corners of the internet. I use it as a shovel more than I use it as a pen. 

Anyways, speaking of ethics…

Let’s talk ethics

Now that the air is clear, we must talk about the ethics of this. While using AI to solve complicated problems and help push forward human discovery is most definitely necessary, using it in day to day life dips into a gray area. I don’t want to put my ideas into anyone’s mind, so I’ll just give basic factual information and you can form your own educated opinion. 

  1. AI makes our daily lives infinitely easier in a similar way to the internet.
  2. Because the AI is designed to act like a human brain, it gathers information from billions of web pages and organizes what it finds. This means that AI written text is not recognizable through plagiarism scanning software.
  3. Schools around the country (and I assume the world) are already blocking AI access on district devices. This is a choice that was made pretty swiftly. It’s something they seem afraid of, and don’t understand, so they decide to hide it away. 
  4. The fact that AI has been blocked on school devices creates an economic barrier. For example, I could not create this article if I used my school iPad, however, I am fortunate enough to have my own PC setup at home, allowing me to use the AI, whereas a student who is less fortunate, does not have the same access, and therefore has less of an advantage compared to me. This seems unfair. 
  5. AI is a useful tool that can make our lives easier, however, it can also make us lazy and subject to falling out of strong work habits. Think how you’d’ve written a book report before the internet. You’d have needed to read the book. Then, after the internet, you could find everything you need online. Now, that book report can be written in seconds at the push of a button (granted AI is not at the point where it can write very emotion or imagery heavy reports)
  6. AI is here, and it’s here to stay. There is no turning back now. It will continue to grow and become more and more intelligent. Is it even worth fighting its inevitable global use?
  7. It’s NOT going to take over the world. AIs are designed to be a tool, not a consciousness. As it is only a tool, it can only do what is asked. Nothing on its own. Until humans create true Artificial Consciousness, we have absolutely nothing to worry about. 

Now that all of that information has been dumped on you, I hope you can come to your own conclusions, and act on those conclusions. I know I said I didn’t want to share my opinion, but there is one point I will be acting on. I strongly believe that while this tool can be used as a shortcut, it should be available to everyone, not just those that have access to personal devices. 

All in all, AI is not a distant future. It’s here, and it’s here to stay. We just need to find a way to adapt to it and utilize it to its full potential. It is not something to be feared, it is a tool. It will teach us new things, and create new paths of discovery in tirelessly explored fields. As a wise man once said, “With great power must come great responsibility,” and that applies here. Maybe someday we’ll have something to worry about, but for now, all we need to do is explore.

Travel/Food

Spicy chicken sandwich reviews

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By: Mia David and Emilia Moberg

The school year is about halfway done now, and we have been able to try a wide variety of lunches this year. We have seen a few new meals introduced and some classics returning.

One significant difference in lunches this year is the glaring lack of spicy chicken patties. What was once a meal that appeared almost once a week has unfortunately slowly been seen less and less in the lunch room. Further, when this meal does occur, there are many times when the school only serves the regular chicken sandwich, and not the spicy one.

To remedy this problem, we have both tried multiple types of spicy chicken sandwiches from different restaurants. Hopefully, the following reviews of these sandwiches, that we have written, will help decide where you will get your next spicy chicken patty.

First up, we have Culver’s spicy chicken sandwich. This sandwich is simple, with tomato, lettuce, and pickle. There are only specific sauces on the sandwich if asked for. The spice level is relatively low, and there isn’t a massive difference between the regular and spicy patty. Overall, the sandwich is quite similar to the school lunch sandwich, and we would rate it an 8/10.

Our next sandwich comes from Buffalo Wild Wings, which they call the saucy chicken sandwich. This sandwich only comes with pickles on it and could use some lettuce or tomato. Unlike the Culver’s and school lunch sandwiches, this chicken has a more flakey sort of breading, and instead of the breading being spicy, there is a buffalo sauce drizzled on top. This adds a strong spice level to the sandwich but makes it quite messy, and the bun gets soggy quickly. Overall, we would say this sandwich is very different from the school sandwich but is still good, and we would give it a 6/10.

Next up are the spicy chicken sandwiches from McDonalds. At McDonald’s, there are two different options when it comes to spicy chicken sandwiches – the regular sandwich and the deluxe. The regular sandwich comes with spicy sauce and pickles, whereas the deluxe sandwich includes lettuce and tomato as well. We would say that the regular sandwich gives the closest resemblance to the school chicken patty, but both are good options to try. The greatest difference between these two sandwiches and the school chicken patty is, like the sandwich from Buffalo Wild Wings, the McDonalds sandwiches are spicy because of the sauce, and school chicken patties are spicy because of the breading. Overall, the spice level is relatively low, but still noticeable. These sandwiches get a 7.5/10.

Popeyes also has a spicy chicken sandwich that is worth checking out. Similarly to the regular McDonalds sandwich, this sandwich includes spicy sauce and pickles. There is also a notably good ratio of the bun and the chicken to balance the spice from the sauce. The chicken itself, however, is much crunchier and flakier than the McDonalds sandwich and school patty. This creates a much different eating experience than the school chicken patty, but still provides much of the same flavor. Overall, the Popeyes sandwich gets an 8/10.

Hopefully, the school spicy chicken patty will soon make its way back into the lunch room. Until then though, if you are someone who has been missing the spicy chicken patty or never got the chance to try it, this list gives you a starting point to try to introduce some more spicy chicken sandwiches into your life.

Music/Concerts

Top 5 most influential rappers of 2022

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By: Dylan Moore      

2022 was a phenomenal year for the genre of rap. Long awaited albums dropped, new artists exploded on the scene, while long standing titans of the industry proved once again why they have staying power with amazing features and singles. For clarifications sake, this album will be based off of music these artists released in 2022, along with the impact of artists they have co-signed (if they own a record label).

5. 21 Savage

An artist who has very rapidly climbed the food chain since his 2015 debut, he grew exponentially in 2022. Known for being the best feature artist in the genre, 21 started the year by hopping on a remix of King Von’s popular song “Don’t Play That”.

Following a few less successful verses on remixes, he had a verse on Pharell Williams “Cash In Cash Out” along with Tyler, The Creator.

Later into the year, he managed to secure a spot on DJ Khaled’s star studded album ‘God Did’ with a feature on “Way Past Luck”.

Towards the very end of the year, he dropped a collaboration album with Drake, the undisputed biggest artist in the industry. While he only rapped about 30% of the total lyrics on ‘Her Loss’, the album absolutely blew up. Following the smash hit that was “Knife Talk”, the biggest and best couldn’t deny 21 his chance for the collab album with Drake, and we can no longer deny his place among some of the best in the game. 

4. Gunna 

In and out of the industry, it has been a whirlwind of a year for Gunna. The year started with ‘DS4EVER’ on January 7, which easily became the 6th most streamed album of the year (and 4th most streamed new release) when it was all said and done. With a loaded deluxe album and massive successful single in “Pushin P”, you would think he would take that momentum and roll with it, but sadly not.

After another quite successful single in “Banking On Me”, Gunna had quite a rough rest of 2022. He was arrested along with Young Thug for racketeering charges, a very serious case ensued for the rest of the year. This case kept Gunna in the spotlight, and his plea deal and subsequent release in December 2022 has kept him a big deal throughout the year. It’s safe to say that Gunna’s brand has grown in 2022, although certainly not in the way he wanted it to. 

3. Future 

Future had a phenomenal 2022 to say the least. Following a slow start (for his standards) with a few unsuccessful features, he dropped the phenomenal ‘I NEVER LIKED YOU’ in late April. The album was a massive success, ending the year as the 3rd most streamed 2022 rap album.

After that success, he also had a great feature on DJ Khaled’s ‘God Did’, and ended the year with a smash hit in “Superhero” off of Metro Boomin’s ‘HEROES & VILLAINS’, one of his 5 features on the late year success that was that album. 

2. Kendrick Lamar

When it comes to most influential artists, Kendrick Lamar and the #1 artist on this list has been battling it out for our entire generation. This year Kendrick re-kindled the debate with his long-awaited album ‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers”’ His first album in 5 years was an obvious success, and while not as critically-acclaimed as some other albums on his phenomenal discography, you can’t argue with the success it had. 

Along with going triple platinum, the second-most streamed album of the year had a top 5 single, won an AMA, BET, and People’s Choice award, along with being up for 2 Grammys. This along with another smash hit single “The Heart Part 5”, released just before the album, made 2022 a big comeback for Kendrick. 

  1. Drake

Unfortunately, for everyone else on this list, Drake exists.

Not only did the Canadian have the most streams of any rapper, he had 3 top 10 most streamed albums, and continued to shatter streaming and billboard records previously held by some of the greatest artists of all time. It’s not much of a debate for who the most successful artist of our generation is, and it also isn’t a debate for who the most influential artist of the year was. Drake takes the top spot with ease,