Category Archives: Entertainment

Movies/TV/Theaters

Bachelorette Recap

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In Season 18, Episode 2, the day begins with Michelle waking up feeling great and ready to start her journey to find love. The first date is a group date with Brandon, Romeo, Rick, PJ, Will, Olumide, Casey, Danny, LT, and Peter. The theme of this date is a teacher theme.

On this date they have to answer math questions without a calculator and spell three-syllable words.

After that date, they all went to a party with Michelle. At the party, Peter got heated with Will for making fun of him for losing. At the end of the date, Brandon J. got the group rose.

The second group date involved Joe, Clayton, Rodney, Martin, Mollique, Chris S., Chris G., Pardeep, Nate, and Spencer on the basketball court. Joe shows off his moves and got invited to the after party even though his team lost, and he also got the group date rose.

The real drama began later in the episode when rumors started about whether or not Joe and Michelle dated before the show. So, Jamie decided to tell Michelle, this turned her into an emotional wreck because Jamie lied and told her everyone was talking about it all day and that some of the contestants were questioning her character.

She then confronted the guys about it, but no one knew what she was talking about so she canceled the cocktail party and skipped right to the rose ceremony. She sent home Alec, Daniel, Pardeep, and PJ. Jamie got to stay because Michelle had no idea that he lied to her, but looking at the next week promo, it looks like it might be his last.

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Tech/Games

How social media affects self esteem in teens

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By: Liv Miller

In the past decade social media has taken the world by storm. If you ask any teenager today they will tell you that they have at least one social media app downloaded on their mobile device. Social media is a great way to connect with friends, family, and meet new people. We are now able to share videos, photos, and ideas with one another faster than ever through these platforms.

Even though the creators of the most popular social media websites created the platforms to bring people together, there is a very serious issue developing through social media, specifically affecting this generation’s teen population.

With social media comes influencers. Urban dictionary defines influencer as “a prominent figure on a social media platform whom generally exchanges financial instruments or special benefits for enforcements.” While this is correct, there is another aspect of influencers on social media. To typically become an influencer you have to fit today’s societies standard of beauty.

Instagram influencers in particular focus their brand on themselves, or their looks if you will. These influencers gain a following because of how “perfect” they appear online. When people, especially young teen girls, see these influencers they start to compare themselves.

The thought process this encourages is “If she looks like that and has 100,000 followers telling her how perfect she looks, that is what I should look like to be viewed as attractive.”

Nobody is at fault for this outcome but it is what’s formed over the years on social media. A study done by a college student at Duquesne University shows to what extent teens are affected by this. When asked if they have ever been left with low self esteem after viewing someone else’s post on Instagram, 83.3 percent said yes.

This is true for other social media platforms as well. The newest and most popular social media app right now, TikTok, has various trends that people partake in. For the most part TikTok trends are harmless, usually dancing, acting challenges, ect. but these certain trends focus on unrealistic beauty standards. An example of this would be people comparing side profiles, waist size, bust, and butt size, ect. When these trends show up on teen girls pages they start comparing themselves to everyone they see, which is not good for self esteem.

Even though social media was created for good, these new issues need to be taken care of for the sake of the mental health of our youth.

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Inception’ review

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By: Eva Olson

This movie follows the story of a spy (Dominic Cobb) who steals secrets by entering people’s dreams and extracting information. He is tasked with doing something that is nearly impossible, inception. Inception is where instead of taking something from someone’s mind, you plant an idea in someone’s mind.

This movie was very suspenseful and kept me intrigued throughout the entire movie. I loved the way the movie messed with your mind and made you question everything. I thought the pacing greatly added to the suspense and made it feel very stressful.

I thought they did a very good job with the casting and I recognized a lot of the faces. I thought the acting was also very good and made the movie feel more real.

This movie had a lot of fight scenes in it that kept me on edge the whole time. This movie definitely had a lot of scenes that used guns and knives. Although the movie was very action packed there wasn’t a lot of blood and gory violence shown up close which I liked.

The plot was very interesting and captivating. I loved how everything didn’t go exactly as planned for the characters. There were a lot of unpredictable scenes and plot twists throughout the movie.

This movie was kind of hard to follow at some points but I think that added to the anticipation of what was going to happen next. The ending of the movie was also a cliffhanger and made me wonder what would happen next if they made a sequel.

Overall, I loved the movie and it exceeded my expectations. If you are looking for an action movie that is very suspenseful and will get you thinking, I recommend this movie. I give it a 9.5/10 rating.

COVID-19, Tech/Games

How does social media affect the way people view COVID-19?

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By Ella Sutherland

Fear is a big component of COVID and social media. There is a lot of different, wrong, exaggerated, and misleading information on social media apps.

The main social media apps that became a source of that information were Twitter and TikTok. Both of the apps allow anyone to post anything on them, and a lot of the information is false. On TikTok you can make short videos, and it is mostly Gen Z. On Twitter you can make short messages called “tweets”.

Before COVID was super well known there were a lot of accusations about what COVID really was. When there was wrong information out there, it scared a lot of people, and the reason for that was that we didn’t have a lot of information from real scientists.

Social media also helped influence people in different ways on how to handle the coronavirus. Lots of people looked to popular influencers on how to handle the whole situation. Many influencers were not doing a good job of staying safe and even with them knowing that they have a big fan base that looks to them for guidance, they didn’t really seem to care. They were still going to parties and going out to eat at busy restaurants, while some of them still weren’t wearing masks.

When the COVID vaccine came out I’m guessing many of them got it, but they didn’t make that clear. However, there were a few influencers that were promoting the vaccine and making it crystal clear that they were all for it and had gotten it. Many celebrities were promoting and talking about the vaccines and masks a lot more than influencers were, which definitely increased the amount of people getting vaccines and wearing their masks. Many politicians also joined celebrities in spreading the word about masks and vaccines.

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Entertainment

Britney Spears conservatorship

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By: Musab Mohamud

In 2008, following Britney Spears’ series of public meltdowns she was placed in the care of her father through a conservatorship. Her father, Jamie, gained control of her estate, assets, and business deals. Jamie Spears ran nearly every aspect of his daughter’s life and personal assets through 2019. Britney hasn’t legally been her own person for twelve years.

Her fan base has long been concerned for her well-being. Many have participated in protests, social media movements, and have expressed their feelings about her conservatorship online. One fan illustrates fan concern through this quote, “I think it was so wrong for her father to take advantage of the conservatorship, for years she was able bodied and able minded enough to take care of herself and make her own decisions. I’m glad to finally see her free of him #freebritney.” 

Her family still exhibits concern for her, with her sister Jamie Lynn being quoted as saying, “If you deal with mental illness or care for someone dealing with mental illness, then you know how important it is to respect the situation with privacy for the person, and the family trying to protect their loved ones, no matter how it may appear to the public, and as the public we must learn to do the same.” In a rant about ‘People Magazine’ she expresses her love for her sister and shows her disdain for the tabloid that has profited off of her sister’s name for decades. 

Britney Spears lived her life in the spotlight for years as the “princess of pop”, being pestered by tabloids, paparazzi, and locked out of her own life by her father. She has emerged as a talented and strong woman. To this day, Britney seeks justice, she is not content with her freedom from conservatorship. Supported by her fans she seeks to have all parties involved in her decade long ordeal prosecuted.

Books/Art, Editorials/Student Voice

Teens and reading

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By: Marcus Lund

How long has it been since you’ve wanted to read a book? Not for English class, but for fun? For some kids, it’s been a while.

Firstly, let’s look at the numbers. According to an NAEP survey, 13 year olds who read 30 minutes or more every night, not for homework, dropped 4% from 2017 to 2019. The number officially dropped under 50%. For high schoolers, the numbers are even more daunting. Only 20% of kids report reading a newspaper, magazine, or a book daily, whereas 80% of them reported going on some sort of social media.

This is a problem. With declining numbers in daily reading, a predictable result is becoming more and more obvious: kids are getting worse at it. With reading lessening, so are reading scores. This is a nationwide phenomenon, and a disappointment to many parents. Experts say that reading, even if it’s a book like ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ or ‘Captain Underpants’, is incredibly vital to teenage brain development.

Why are teens reading less? The problem resides in something vital to teenage existence: our phones. Teens average 9 hours of entertainment media use, and pre-teens average 6. This time takes away from less passive entertainment, like reading. But I find it hard to blame the average teenager. I personally enjoy some forms of social media and talking to my friends more than I do reading a book, and this is a nationwide opinion that’s widely agreed upon.

Screens also affect the brain more negatively than reading, with frequent screen use resulting in poorer literacy skills and less ability to use expressive language. Conversely, teens who read more scored higher on cognitive tests.

Reading is good for you, which probably isn’t a surprise. What is a surprise is the amount that teens are skipping out on it. Personally, I know that I’m going to start reading more. Will you?

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Travel/Food

What is spice?

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By: Isaac Lund

Chances are, you’ve tried something spicy before. Be it a spicy potato chip or a ghost pepper, any spicy treat is bound to leave that delicious heat in your mouth. But, have you ever thought about what causes that pain so signature of all hot food? Do you know the science behind what makes something spicy?

Cuisines all over the world—India, Mexico, China, have used the art of implementing spice into food to captivate millions, no, billions of people around the globe. Those who first practiced this culinary technique were putting science to work, whether they knew it or not.

Capsaicin, an organic chemical produced within peppers, is the culprit behind the madness. Pepper plants produce this compound to turn away predators planning on eating their fruit, a deterrent that has completely backfired over the course of history. As soon as the pepper touches your tongue, Capsaicin molecules seek out pain receptors, called VR1s, in your taste buds, and latch on. Your brain is signaled, and the burning ensues. Although it may feel like you will end up shriveled and burnt, no physical damage is really dealt to your mouth and tongue.

While many like to boast about their “spice tolerance”, the heat becomes too much for everyone at a certain point. Oh no! Better get a cool glass of water! Not. Capsaicin, in the form it attacks you in, at least, is an oil. Water and oil don’t mix, and the spice will only be spread around your poor mouth. Grab a glass of milk or some ice cream instead: the oils and fats here will dissolve clingy capsaicin and carry it down your throat.

And anyways, tolerance is no excuse for having an aversion to spice. Although some scaredy-cats may argue that others have built a tolerance for spice through repetitive exposure, this is actually impossible; your VR1s will forever react to capsaicin in the exact same way. So, how do some handle the heat so well? They’ve simply come to enjoy the burn.

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  • sciencenewsforstudents.org
Books/Art

A poet’s language

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By: Parker Rowen           

Language is something that many people take for granted. Language has spent hundreds of years evolving, becoming a complex system for us to describe our world. Words have spent hundreds of years becoming more specific and accurate toward what we experience, with language a medium for these observations.

The communication of ideas is an essential part of human growth, without our peers we would not be able accomplish feats which once seemed impossible.

Language and its specificity create a new medium for an artist, that being poetry. Poetry exists to show the view of the world through an artist’s perspective. Poetry is a medium in which you use linguistic specificity in order to express an emotion, or world view to another. Language makes poetry special.

Paintings aren’t something everyone makes, drawing isn’t either, but everyone uses language to communicate, by default; other art forms create a disconnect in that sense. People can understand poetry much easier than paintings or drawings, because language is something everyone uses.

To be accessible isn’t the point of art, though. Some art can be challenging, others not so much. The use of language is interesting, because as specific as language is, and can be, there are words with double, or more than one meaning. This can give poetry some more challenge, adding to the layers in which an artist can give to their art. 

Poetry uses language, and its uniqueness to create something which expresses an artists’ vision in a relatable, and simplistic way. Using language techniques to create different environments is one way in which the poet expresses their world. Techniques like alliteration, visualization, and metaphors make the poetry feel natural, like things you would naturally come to through the use of these techniques within your own life.

Poetry creates a unique art form, which creates more relatabilty compared to others. Poetry has plenty of variations of phrases, making things more descriptive or accurate to the poet’s vision.

Entertainment

Trendy Halloween costumes this 2021

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By: Fatima Mohamud & Sumaya Noor

With Halloween right around the corner, there’s been a surge in Halloween costume searching. From ‘Squid Game’ to Britney Spears, and D.C. characters, 2021 has brought fresh ideas for this year’s spooky season.

The most popular demand for 2021 is the familiar ‘Squid Game’ uniforms, from the Korean drama show that took the world by storm this fall. Featuring insanely famous characters like Kang Sae-byeok and Seong Gi-hun, fans have scrambled for their numbered outfits. The iconic pink jumpsuit with shaped masks and green jumpsuit will be a game changer this Halloween season.

Following close by is Britney Spears, the popular pop singer that has been dominating celebrity news. “Free Britney”, the movement that’s been all over social media has caused her to spike in Halloween Costume searches. Costumes inspired by her will be from past and iconic music video looks. “Toxic” Britney’s outfit is in high demand, as well as “Baby One More Time”, “Oops! I did it again”, and “Slave 4 U”, all of which have been deemed classics in the Pop industry.

Another highly demanded cosplay is Harley Quinn from D.C. Comics. Featured as The Joker’s henchwoman and wife, she has also influenced google searches for Halloween costumes. Adorned with her crazy makeup, signature bat and colorful pigtails, Harley is selling out on popular websites such as Amazon. People are now also choosing to go out as couples, dressing as both Harley Quinn and The Joker. Either way, she’s a fun choice to dress up as, and there are plenty versions of her classic outfit to choose from.

Following close by is the iconic angel and devil duo. Often coordinated with red and black for the devil, and white, yellow and pale blue for the angel. This costume has been a hit for years and you’re bound to see others participating in this popular duo. Although the wings, horns, and trident can get expensive, many people are creative enough to make it themselves.

Many stores have been sold out of this big hit game ‘Among us’. A popular space influenced game talked much among kids has been all over news, stores, and even social media sites. Brands have made kids toys, such as Pop-it’s and figures. This idea makes a great costume for young ones, though the price may be high. The shape may also cause a problem if you want to be accurate. This costume is very fragile if you’re going for the correct size, it usually is inflatable and built with soft skin for breathing easier.

All over the world the big hit star Ariana Grande released the song “7 rings”. Fans around the world were obsessed and had a plan set for what their costume was going to look like. Grab your sparkly necklaces, hair accessories, and a silver dress, tie your hair up in a tall ponytail and you’re set for the best song related costume. Although this may not be appropriate for younger children, this is the perfect outfit to show up to a party with.

Pennywise, the iconic clown from the movie ‘IT’, had many fans intrigued for how people would spend their Halloween deciding what to dress up as. This movie was a great horror and really fit the ideal for scaring your friends or neighbors. Although this costume has many downsides, such as complexity and looking at yourself in the mirror to put on the make-up, this costume is sure to get your friends spooked for Halloween this year.

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Movies/TV/Theaters

Season premiere of ‘The Bachelorette’

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Season 18 of ‘The Bachelorette’, which has Michelle Young, premiered on ABC on October 19, 2021. Helping her along her journey to find love are returning host, and former Bachelorette’s, Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe. The two hosts hosted Katie Thurston from last season, who got engaged in the finale to Blake Moynes. Both Katie and Michelle were from Matt James’ season of ‘The Bachelor’, with Michelle finishing as the runner-up.

Michelle is a 28-year-old teacher, and former Division I basketball player, from Edina, Minnesota. In ‘After the Final Rose’ both her and Katie were announced as The Bachelorette, with Katie going first, so that Michelle could film during the summer when she was not teaching.

On night one she was introduced to 30 men who would be competing for her heart: Alec Thompson, Garett Aida, JoMarri Gable, Nayte Olukoya, Olumide Onajide, Pardeep Singh, Clayton Echard, Mollique Johnson, Chris Sutton, Casey Woods, Ryan Fox, PJ Henderson, Bryan Witzmann, Brandon J., Brandon Kieffer, Christopher Gallant, Daniel Tully, Edward Naranjo, Jamie Skaar, Joe Coleman, Jack Russell, Leroy Arthur, LT Murray IV, Martin Gelbspan, Peter Izzo, Rick Leach, Rodney Mathews, Romeo Alexander, Spencer Williams, and Will Urena.

In an effort to impress her, one of her constants showed up in a school bus, another dressed in an apple, and one gave her Mardi Gras beads, plus one guy showed up with his head on a literal platter for her. But she could only give out one first impression rose which went to Nayte Olukoya from Austin, Texas, who won her heart over by talking to her about wanting to create a loving household with his future wife.

And of course, this wouldn’t be a reality TV show without drama. One of the contestants, Ryan Fox, who showed up in an ice cream truck, brought a playbook of how to get more screen time on the show and how not be a villain. Michelle sat him down to talk about it, but he made a lot of excuses and Michelle sent him home right away before the Rose Ceremony even started.

After that drama, it was time for the Rose Ceremony; she sent six guys home leaving 23 remaining. These men were Brandon Kieffer, JoMarri Gable, Edward Naranjo, Garrett Aida, Bryan Witzmann, and Jack Russel.

Another twist of the night, was that Michelle knew one of the contestants, Joe Coleman, they had been messaging each other for a while until he ghosted her but Michelle decided to give him another chance and gave her final Rose to him.

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