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As of recently, Brown's biggest topic of discussion seems to be about the large machines at the entrance of the school. But what are they? These large pieces of technology are weapon detectors. These AI machines are going to be used to limit weapons and acts of violence in schools around the nation. The start date was originally set to be the Wednesday students came back to school from spring break, but was canceled because of a scheduling conflict. May 14th is now our date for the machines to go live.

Installing these machines within JCPS schools has caused a lot of mixed reactions among the student body. Some students, parents, and staff feel the increased security measure was necessary, while others have concerns of the impact they will have on the school's atmosphere and schedule. The schedule will, of course, be affected the first couple times, but this shouldn't be any concern because other schools have had the same problem.  “Every school that has implemented these has had a pretty rough start,” states Curtis Moss, school safety administrator. Once students and staff get used to the machines, it will begin to run smoother. Moss says that “The master schedule for the school will remain the same”. Something that will change is that counselors will no longer be available in the morning because they will be running the weapon detectors. 

Moss recommends students use their lockers for anything that doesn't need to go home, like binders. BLUE (Binders, Laptops, Umbrellas, and Eyeglass Cases) is the acronym used for what will need to be taken out of students' backpacks because these items have been found to set off the system. 

There are some pros and cons that come with this addition. With the increase of security measures, anxious students could put some worries to rest that there is a lesser chance of anything dangerous occurring during school hours. Some other pros are the major decrease in violent acts in schools, as students will get caught with a weapon before any situation escalates. The Brown School, being well prepared and having this policy in place, will provide a positive response from the community as the school is taking a proactive approach to the violence that has been shown across the nation. 

But of course there will be some cons/drawbacks. Some of these include the cost. These machines were very pricey for JCPS (Jefferson County Public Schools), and this money could’ve gone to underpaid teachers, bus drivers, more nutritious lunches, and schools in poverty-stricken areas. Because the technology is new, the machines are prone to experience some false alarms. The weapon detectors have been shown to mistake several things for a weapon and may waste time for a search that isn’t necessary. Some students might feel these machines are intrusive because of the screening process that takes place. One concern that might not be thought of much is the impact this will have on students, especially the younger ones. The weapon detectors might cause a very intimidating and tense environment. 

With any questions or concerns, feel free to go to Curtis or email him curtis.moss@jefferson.kyschools.us.

The Louisville City soccer season started on March 16, with an away game against El Paso. Our soccer team, founded in 2015, has quickly become a source of pride and community in Louisville. The team is part of the United Soccer League, or the USL, which was founded in 1986 and is made up of over twenty teams across the U.S. In only eight years, they’ve become a dominant force in the league with their high stats and record-breaking history. 

Aside from frequent high scores (5-0 against Birmingham and 6-0 against Hartford, both this season), being ranked second best out of all 12 eastern teams, and a +16 goal difference, City broke USL record in 2017 and 2018 by winning the championship two years in a row. We remain the only team with any consecutive wins.

We have had some bad seasons, for example last year in which we had a less than 50 percent win rate and only 47 goals in 34 games- for reference this season we’ve had twenty three goals in only seven games. 

Part of our success is attributed to our selection of new players, most already having scored goals. One player that has been crucial is number 14, Wilson Harris. Last season he was tied for most goals overall (9) with Cameron Lancaster, another prolific player in our history. This season he already has eight goals, leaving him in second place for the most goals in 24’ out of the entire USL. 

Harris, besides almost beating his personal record, made Louisville City history in our game against Charleston Battery on April eighth by scoring his first ever hat trick (a hat trick is when a player scores three goals in one game), becoming the fifth ever player in all of our history to achieve it.

Although it’s not as popular as our men’s team, Louisville does have a women's team: Racing Louisville FC, part of the Nation Women’s Soccer Team, or the NSL. Their low acclaim is partly because it was announced in 2019, starting their first season in 2021. That’s not to say they don’t pull in dense and lively crowds, only that less people are aware of the team. 

Sadly, Racing isn’t doing quite as well as City, ranked at 10 out of 14 women’s teams. Throughout their history they have stayed fairly low on national rankings, holding their spot as 9/12 in 2022 and 2023. 

Their luck hasn’t shifted yet this season, ending most games in draws. Having so far had two losses, five draws, and only one win.

Thousands of fans in Louisville are watching closely to see how the '24 soccer season turns out, hoping for City’s continued success and a turn of luck for racing.

As the end of the school year approaches, many high schools around the world are having their prom events. Prom is a school dance typically for junior and senior students and plus ones that many look forward to. A huge part of prom is the dressing up, and it sometimes can even get competitive. This year, a debate over wearing Easter brunch dresses to prom has caused a big internet debate.

  The famous social media platform TikTok is a place for people to post and express themselves. As prom season approaches, many are filming videos in their prom dresses with their dates or friend group. Many of these videos feature girls who are wearing shorter dresses that would typically be worn to Easter celebrations or brunches.

A video went viral by user Ellie_Gonzalez featuring her and her friends' prom dresses. The comment section was filled with people making remarks on the dresses. Brown School Sophomore Leyla Taylor states that “Prom is a big thing that mostly everyone looks forward to. It’s a night where you can go all out and have fun. I think the Easter dresses are just not prom at all.”

  The majority of people believe that they think that the dresses aren't appropriate for prom. “I think they are pretty and everything, I just don’t think they fit prom. If I saw someone in a dress like that I would think they were going to a birthday brunch,” Brown School freshman Cora Cash says. Prom dress code is typically thought of as formal and many think the “Easter dresses” do not apply to that.

   The other side of the debate are those who wear the “Easter dresses” to prom and those who support the idea. Prom is not a cheap event. Many tend to go all out, since it is an event that is looked forward to and one of the last big events of their high school years. Prom dresses, on average, are between $350-$500. People like to go all out for prom, but some don’t have the funding to do so. So, while the Easter dresses may be less extravagant, they may be a better option for some. Ella Kozoll, freshman at Brown says “I think people should just wear what they want. You obviously can’t please everyone. Tik Tok is just a very judgmental place in general.” Besides, some may just not want to go all out. 

This debate has moved from just Tik Tok to other platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and even news platforms. At Brown, we have our own opinions on the topic, the most common being that the Easter dresses just do not suit prom. Considering this year's prom attendees and their outfits, they went all out and took it seriously. Some may not, or just prefer the style of Easter dresses. 

World famous artist Billie Eilish recently announced her new album Hit Me Hard and Soft is being released on May 17th, 2024. Soon after, she announced she will be doing another world tour. Her fanbase is very excited and has some firm opinions.

Hit Me Hard and Soft is Eilish’s third studio album. There are a total of 10 tracks, titled Skinny, Lunch, Chihiro, Birds of a Feather, Wildflower, The Greatest, L’amour De Ma Vie, The Diner, Bittersuite, and Blue. Blue is a song that bits and pieces of had been leaked in the past but is now set to be released. Based on her past album Happier Than Ever and the track titles, fans are predicting that this album will discuss deep issues and emotions. Eilish is partly known for the fact that she expresses serious topics and personal experiences in her songs. Brown School freshman Nico Greenwell says “I relate to a lot of her music, I think it’s great to have an artist like that.”

Eillish has been on 6 tours, including the 1 by 1 tour, Don’t Smile at Me tour, Happier Than Ever world tour, When We All Fall Asleep tour, Where Do We Go? world tour, Where's my Mind tour. She just announced her 81-date Hit Me Hard and Soft tour which will mark her 7th tour overall, and her 3rd world tour. Eillish’s last tour commenced on April 2nd, 2023, so it's been over a year. Eilish’s fans are ecstatic to be able to see her since they may not have had the chance prior to this. Greenwell says, “I went to her last tour and I was in the nosebleeds. Ever since they ended that night, I have told myself I'm going to her next tour and I am going to be as close as possible.”

The tour was announced on April 29th, 2024, and presale for American Express cardholders started on April 30th and ran through May 1st. The day presale opened, many logged on to view ticket pricing and seats. “I was really surprised about the tickets. They were nowhere near the price I thought they would be. I’m really happy with the seats I got for the price,” Greenwell says. Students across JCPS were even asking teachers to log in to presale. Tickets are now available for everyone to buy. 

Although the album has not yet been released, many are looking forward to it. Billie is known to have amazing live vocals and performing skills. Kali Chowdhury, Brown School 8th grader, says, “It was the best concert I've been to. Everything from the sets to the actual singing and background music was so good.” This album and tour is highly anticipated in the Billie Eilish fan base, and is something that many are looking forward to.

HBO Max released a documentary titled, “Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion” on March 11, 2024. It was directed by Eva Orner, an Academy Award winning filmmaker and producer. This documentary “exposes a system of exploitation within Brandy Melville Land the global fashion industry — from the fast fashion brand's impossible beauty standards to the far-reaching consequences of cheap, mass-produced clothing,” reads the summary on HBO.com.

Most people know this clothing company for being "one size fits all" and using social media to market and advertise. Brandy is a popular store that attracts mostly young girls from ages 12-20. They opened their doors in 2009 in the USA after having successful stores in Italy. 

Many scandals have arisen due to the popularity of this brand. Young girls disagree with their "one size fits all" clothing, as well as their unethical business motto. Previous employees have come forward saying that the managers at Brandy would push Black workers to the stock rooms or anywhere else out of the public eye. 

HBO released this documentary detailing each step of fast fashion production, focusing mostly on the corruption within a ‘small’ brand, Brandy Melville. This film has something more to say, aside from the cult of fast fashion that targets young girls. Fast fashion is filled with unethical labor and exploitation at each level. Worldwide 80 billion pieces of clothing are consumed every year, a 400% increase from only twenty years ago, says GW university in a scholarly article written by Emma Ross. She goes on to say, “The fast fashion industry employs approximately 75 million factory workers worldwide. Of those workers it is estimated that less than 2% of them make a living wage.”

Hayden Mathis, a senior at the J. Graham Brown School, owns multiple garments from Brandy and recently watched the HBO documentary. She says, “that's how it started for me… I saw girls wearing Brandy and thought they were so cool and popular.” She adds, “I was so surprised to see how the employees were treated and all the racism involved.”

Mathis says, “Their Instagram is just a bunch of tall skinny white girls."  Hayden also says she believes “people are still going to shop at Brandy because it's a staple in teenage girl wardrobe.”