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Met Gala 2023

by Emma Saeedian

This year's Met Gala has been the center of many discussions. The Met Gala occurred on May 1, 2023, and the theme confused many viewers. This year, the Met Gala seemed random and needed to be cohesive. The theme this year was Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. An article from Vogue said, "This year's Costume Institute exhibition, `Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,' celebrates the full work and life of Karl Lagerfeld, so the dress code was, fittingly, "in honor of Karl." As Lagerfeld designed for many houses—including his eponymous brand, Patou, Balmain, Chloé, Fendi, and Chanel—attendees had no shortage of inspiration." And sure enough, the celebrities did not fall short in this famous event's 'inspired' aspect. 

Typically, There is a surprise performance for the Met Gala. This year, Lizzo "chose Chanel, arriving in a custom black silk crêpe dress with a glass pearls harness, inspired by a look from the 1991/92 ready-to-wear collection. She finished her ensemble with Chanel accessories, shoes, purses, and even Chanel makeup. She finished her look with a curly updo" (Caruso, 2023). For her performance, which she showed up to with her trusty flute, the 35-year-old was styled by Patti Wilson. The leading lady of this eye-catching outfit was a "Fendi coat covered in glittering mirrored paillettes, a silvery Yitty bodysuit, and over-the-knee boots from Piferi – to say nothing of her Fendi bangles, Swarovski rings, and vintage Saint Laurent earrings – delighting guests with a similarly dynamic set list." (British Vogue). Many other actors dressed in classically beautiful pieces, like Jenna Ortega dressed in Thom Browne, Marli Jewelry, and Anne Hathaway in Versace and Bulgari.

On a different note, a few actors took a different approach to the theme. Lagerfeld's 11-year-old cat, Choupette, inspires Doja Cat and Jared Leto. Doja Cat wore a jeweled Oscar De La Renta gown with cat ears and got a prosthetic cat nose. Another wore a "costume" that perfectly matched Choupette with gray whiskers and piercing blue eyes; as the portion masking the head of the celebrity was removed, it revealed Jared Leto dressed like a cat. The Met Gala is an event for expression, many take this in different directions, but it's a unique way to honor yourself and others with your dress.

Sources: vogue.com, people.com, time.com, vogue.co.uk

Vaping Is Not Cool

By Aaron Bohbot

It is a myth that vaping is not as bad as smoking cigarettes. First, vapes are made up of "water, food-grade flavoring, a choice of nicotine levels, cannabis (THC, CBD), propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerin (VG).'". Nicotine is an addictive chemical found in tobacco that "relieves your stress". Kids vape because they like the smoke created by tobacco when they exhale the chemical, and they think it is cool and will make them popular.

 Vape shop employees are starting to sell vapes to kids secretly. 14.1% of teens at high schools are being affected by vapes and E-cigarettes, and almost 68 reports of dead children and teens connected with vapes and E-cigarettes, and most "Vapes can contain the same harmful chemicals found in cleaning products, nail polish remover, weed killer and bug spray." One vape is equivalent to smoking about fifty cigarettes!  The bottom line is do not vape!

Source: Hopkinsmedicine.org

Students Should Be Able To Use Their Phone In Class When They Are Done With Work

By Ariela Tehrani

All kids want to do is be on their phones, especially in school. The problem is that teachers do not want students to have their phones, but students should be allowed to use them after completing work. 

Let students use their phones after they finish work because it can feel like your work has paid off to be able to go on your phone. This way, students can feel like they have done their work and now be “rewarded” by watching TikTok, Youtube, or other apps. 

Another reason kids should be able to go on their phones is that after much work, they can sit back and relax. After a student has just finished doing a challenging assignment or any assignment, they can sit back, relax, go on their phone, watch a movie, chat with friends online, or scroll on Tiktok.  

All students should be allowed to go on their phones after they complete work because it can motivate them. 

Addictive Gaming 

By Aaron Bohbot

"One more minute, please!" is a sentence most gamers have often said. Are video games bad for them? Video games are potentially detrimental to one's physical and mental health. However, suppose you keep track of your time playing video games. In that case, by keeping a healthy moderation of playtime, you can show others you have self-control regarding your video games, thus changing their perspective of gamers.

Many gamers say, "I am not addicted to video games." Nevertheless, they do not realize that, yes, they are, in fact, addicted to video games. People do not want to stop enjoying this addictive screen, which boosts their imagination to its peak! Study shows that the reason why video games are so addicting is that "The reward center in the brain releases dopamine in response to a pleasurable experience or hyperarousal." (Britannica, 2023)

People think that video games do not have any consequences, but they do! This does not mean that people cannot play video games; it means that playing too much can get physically and mentally unhealthy. According to britannica.com, 42% of parents think video games are bad for teens. Hence, it is difficult to play video games when someone always tells teens, "Video games are bad for you." However, parents are not completely wrong though, many studies have been tested and retried multiple times, and most of the time show the same answer, kids and teens who play video games get a tremendous amount of adrenaline while playing, which can make them energetic, wild, and have undesirable behaviors. Kids and teens get mad when they lose or die in games, resulting in anger and frustration. 

In short, now that gamers know that video games can get nasty, marketers understand how to make video games healthy and welcoming for teens. 

Source: britannica.com

Met Gala 2023

By Ana Fertig

The Met Gala occurred on Monday, May 1st, in New York City. The Gala celebrated the opening of the Karl Lagerfeld costume exhibition for his line “A Line of Beauty.” The 2023 Met Gala dress code was to dress in honor of Karl. Although this year’s runway showcased many remarkable looks, one of the most show-stopping and iconic looks was worn by Nicole Kidman. Kidman wore a pink Chanel couture gown that Karl Lagerfeld designed for her in 2004. This dress was made for her when featured in a Chanel No 5 commercial. This elegant look perfectly encapsulated the theme and was absolutely stunning. Another set of best-dressed A-list celebrities was Rihanna and ASAP Rocky. Rihanna wore an all-white Valentino Haute Couture dress with a floral cape, while ASAP Rocky showed up in a full Gucci suit with bedazzled jeans. Additionally, Pedro Pascal made a show-stopping appearance in his vibrant red, long, Valentino coat, paired with a red shirt and a skirt. This red-and-black look was a bold statement and was the center of many conversations. While many celebrities truly came dressed to impress, these looks were some of the most memorable from the night.

The Reason Kids Can Still Access Gaming Sites at School

By Aaron Bohbot

When COVID became a problem, schools gave out computers to kids. 

After the school computers were handed out and we returned to in-school learning, schools blocked students from accessing game sites or downloading files. Some clever people made game websites cloaked as Google Sites and Google Classroom. 

As a result, the administration could not block all gaming sites or sites with the Google domain because if they blocked the Google sites, they would be blocking every single Google Suite product. Those are the main sites needed in school, so to this day, schools have not been able to block game sites with Google-categorized domains.

Summer Fun Activities

By Miah Jackson

Did you know that summer officially starts on June 21st? Since most schools finish classes before then, you will need something to do leading up to summer fun! One thing you can do is eat fruit that is in season. The best fruit to pick is strawberries because they are ripe and juicy this time of year. Other fruit includes watermelons, grapes, berries, cantaloupes, and even star fruit. 

Another thing you can do during summer is go to amusement parks. One of the best amusement parks is Six Flags Magic Mountain. This is mainly because it has both a water park and roller coasters. You can also visit Disneyland, Universal Studios, Legoland, and Knott's Berry Farm. While at the amusement park, you should enjoy a refreshing treat like ice cream and fried foods like funnel cakes! 

Since many people are prone to boredom during summer, spending time with family could be an easy solution. With them, you can go outside and barbeque, go swimming, go to the beach, make smores, or host a bonfire. 

Another great thing you can do is do a random act of kindness. That can be going to an animal shelter and helping out for the day or donating food, shoes, or clothes to others in need. 

There are fun things to do over the summer, like creating a playlist, having a water balloon fight, and even making T-Dye shirts! 

Now my absolute favorite thing you can do is go watch the sunrise or sunset at the beach, watch fireworks, and sleep under the stars!

Source: bucketlistjourney.net 

Reasons Why You Should Get a Pet

By Ana Fertig

Pets are like people- they provide a presence that can help you if you are feeling down or have a bad day. I recommend getting a cat or dog, preferably from a shelter. If that is too much of a time commitment, you could get a rabbit, hamster, guinea pig, mouse, or fish. How to figure out which animal you want to go with all depends on what kind of person you are. If you are chill and stay home most of the time, you should get a cat or a bunny because neither needs to be walked. However, both are soft and cuddly. Dogs are the best if you are active and like running or walking. You have to walk them once or twice a day. Guinea pigs stay in a cage all day, so when you get home late, they will be fine, meaning you will not need to give them much attention throughout the day. I can guarantee that whichever animal you choose will be your new best friend!

Teenage Advice on Rejection

By Isabella Miller

Now that we are in middle school, kids are developing crushes and gaining the strength to ask out their crushes.  

There are many types of rejections, like college rejections or finding teammates in sports. So in this article, some high schoolers talk about their experiences with rejection. A lot of the high schoolers are saying that the rejection just made them stronger. A lot of teens have a fear of rejection and anxiety. 

Having a fear of rejection is understandable, and kids can be hurt by getting rejected, and this fear can prevent them from doing so many things. I think the best way to overcome ejection is to speak with a trusted adult. Even though rejection is hard and the sadness will take a while to go away, it does go away, and it will just make you stronger in the future and less fearful than before to ask for the help you need. 

Rejection is something that happens to everyone, and it is not embarrassing because everybody has been rejected for several different reasons, not just their crushes. Teens from schools, sports teams, and even their own families.  Rejection does hurt, but I hope this article helped!

Source: nytimes.com