Embedded Files
Nintendo Switch 2 Comes Out after Years of Speculation
By: Damien Hamblin, Grade 11
2/3/25
Just last week on January 16th, 2025 the Nintendo of America YouTube channel dropped a bombshell on fans. After years of speculation, Nintendo finally revealed to the world the first trailer for the all new Nintendo Switch 2.
Rumored to be coming out in April 2025, fans are desperate to find out more about the new console. They are anticipating a bigger screen with a higher resolution, all to be expected from a new system, but what else should they be looking for? This console has been subject to many “leaks” while in production, so a few features are already public.
The redesigned controllers for example have been rumored for months, and now they finally show them off. Along with the revels of the console came to reveal for the next mainline entry in the Mario Kart series. This is incredible to see, especially since there hasn't been a new Mario Kart game for nearly 10 years.
Fans are expecting big things from this console. The speculated list of games is, while only envisioned by the players, has some of the most popular IP’s in the world. This could be a new best-selling console for Nintendo, directly after their most successful console ever.
It seems that this console will be on par with its other competitors the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X. Hope is high for this next generation of Nintendo games, and it seems like this could be the most impressive generation of consoles ever. Time will only tell how well the launch, and the console's first year will go.
Fans can’t wait for this new generation, and it will almost definitely be flying off the shelves at launch. The entire Nintendo community is looking forward to all the experiences that are just around the corner.
Streamer Kai Cenat Starts “Professional” Basketball League
10/2/24
By: Aryaveer Tiwari, 11
Popular streamer Kai Cenat has started his own fictional basketball league for streaming. Cenat, who has started his own basketball league, which is called the Little Basketball Association; for short, the LBA, announced he was quitting streaming 2 weeks ago due to being drafted to a professional basketball league. It turns out he was preparing this league. The majority of players are under 12 years of age. And of course, Kai Cenat is also playing in the league. Kai is known for putting a great deal of effort into making content for his fans, but this might be the biggest thing he’s done so far.
The draft for the league took place last week, and it was a hilarious event. Some of the individuals that were drafted before Cenat included Neil Armstrong, a newborn baby, a swamp monster, and Cenat’s own mother. Cenat has also declared a rivalry with Atlanta Mountains player Jacobi Jeffries.
So far in the league, it doesn’t look like Cenat has been playing that well, as the first game, Cenat’s gotten 4 fouls. As rapper Lil Yachty put it, “He sucks, he is doing terrible, but we’re gon support him whether he’s doing good or doing bad.” Despite his gameplay, Cenat and his team, The New York Skyscrapers, have won their first game.
During the after-game press conference, Cenat addressed his gameplay and criticisms that he shouldn’t have been drafted to the team. He also accused the ref ofaccused the ref for being “too soft” for giving him 4 fouls. Cenat also says that he’s going to watch a lot of highlights from LeBron JamesLebron James and Anthony Edwards before the next game. Kai’s basketball league may be the greatest content he has made so far in his career as a streamer/content creator.
Pesto the penguin who broke a World Record is becoming internet sensation
10/2/24
By Geovanny Andrade, 12
Pesto, the king penguin chick who was born in January with an abnormal size and weighs more than both of his parents combined, has been getting popular in social media. To put it in perspective, his parents Hudson and Tango both equally weigh 24 pounds, and Pesto at only 9 months weighs 49 pounds, so he is pretty big and heavy for a baby penguin. The aquarium stated that more than 1 billion people on social media knew the giant baby Pesto.
Pesto’s giant size has not only affected social media but his appetite too. The aquarium stated he ate 53 pounds of fish in the past week, which is essentially his body weight with 4 more pounds. However, it advised me to not worry since the veterinary overlooking Pesto to make sure he is growing properly states that this quantity of food is very healthy for a chick who is approaching adulthood.
His growth will have little changes as he starts entering his fledging period. The iconic baby brown feathers will transition to the black and white plumage of a young king penguin adult. In this process as well, the aquarium staff are expecting him to go down around 33 pounds in the process.
Earlier, one of the staff taking care of Pesto states that she “will miss that adorable baby fluff, but it might take him one to two months to get rid of all of it. Then he’ll be nice and sleek and streamlined.” She has hope that Pesto will still be recognizable by his fans from all over the world, he gathered from these two weeks. But for now, he is the face of many posts on social media.
Though, it will take Pesto a long time before he starts getting into adulthood, so Pesto fans still have a good bit of time to visit him while he still the biggest baby penguin in the world.
Pop Star Adele Takes Indefinite Break
10/2/24
By: Savannah Roach, 12
Global pop star, Adele, is taking a break from music indefinitely. In Las Vegas in early September, she told the press she needed a break from performing. This won’t be the first time Adele has taken a break from music. She has taken a break before, back in 2011, due to her needing throat surgery. She also took another break in 2017, due to her wanting more time with her son, Angelo.
Adele first became famous from her album 19, which consisted of the songs “Chasing Pavements”, and “Make You Feel My Love”, and was released in 2008. She is from Great Britain, but tours the world. She made the announcement of her temporary retirement in Las Vegas a few weeks ago.
Adele announced on stage, “After that, I will not see you for an incredibly long time, and I will hold you dear in my heart for that whole length of my break.” She talked about how she loves performing but needs a break for mental health reasons, and to be able to experience her life. She has not yet said when she will be coming back, but all of her fans hope it isn’t too long.
Adele is only in her 30’s, and just like everyone else deserves to have some kind of normal life. I think many people respect her decision, even though people are sad. Adele’s break from music could last a very long time.
Jojo Siwa evolution, from icon to children everywhere, to one of the most controversial influencers currently
5/1/24
By: Haylie McPartlin, 11
Jojo Siwa has faced fire from everyone on nearly all social media platforms after she released her new song, gaining massive amounts of attention, especially when people realized she didn’t write the song like she had claimed.
Jojo Siwa grew up on a very popular reality television show, “Dance Moms.” She was featured as a young competitive dancer, balancing school work, relationships, and of course her love/hate relationship with dancing at the Abby Lee Miller Dance Company. Her bubbly personality and wholesome appearance are what originally made her so loveable to the public.
Previous to “Dance Moms”, Jojo Siwa parted less from competitive dancing on her company's stage to dancing on her stage at concerts, She became a pop sensation among children ages 4-10. She released hip music bound to make any kid dance to. Siwa became even more famous due to her fun appearance displaying her slick side pony, sparkly makeup, and of course her rainbow clothes.
But as Jojo's fans grew up, so did she. She exchanged her side pony for a mohawk, traded the rainbow clothing for a black leather jacket, and said goodbye sparkles hello eye black. Her songs held names like “boomerang” and discussed upbeat affirmations, yet her new song blatantly states she's a “bad girl” and did “some bad things.”
Jojo received lots of mentions on TikTok making fun of her new song. It started out as sarcastic skits making fun, but then people acknowledged she did not even write her song as she claimed. Some are coming to her defense, stating she was just remaking a song as an honorable act, yet she bluntly addressed that she wrote a song about her ex-girlfriend.
The jokes surrounding Jojo aren't too serious yet, but who's to say she won't remain a sore subject online. Will Jojo Siwa “come back like a boomerang”?
Las Vegas Sphere reports $100 million loss
By: Anonymous, 12
11/29/23
On November 9th 2023, Sphere Entertainment Co. announced the loss of almost $100 million following the CFO’s resignation. Following Ranji’s resignation, they needed to find a new CFO quickly. The companies senior vice president, Greg Brunner has taken the position of CFO. Ranji’s reason for resignation has been described as an “angry bout of ‘yelling and screaming’” from his billionaire boss, James Dolan.
The Sphere announced the loss of $98.4 million when the former CFO resigned. Sphere Entertainment said the operating losses were due to corporate overhead, expenses related to Sphere Studios, associated content and technology development, and costs to operate the venue. During the latest quarter, the company earned $6.7 million in event and advertisement revenue.
The revenue was part of its first quarter’s direct operating expenses, which totaled $7.8 million. The breakdown of these expenses reveals $2.8 million in venue operating costs and $2.2 million in event-related expenditures, both directly tied to the Sphere’s operational debut. Moreover, the direct operating costs encompassed $2.1 million related to advertising spending leading up to Darren Aronofsky’s October premiere of “Postcard from Earth,” the mainstay act at The Sphere Experience.
The Company said, “Sphere’s opening in Las Vegas in September represented a significant milestone, generating attention from all around the world and marking a new chapter for our company. We are building positive momentum across Sphere and remain confident that we are well positioned to drive long-term value for shareholders.
This loss is tragic for the company, but it is also very early into its release. The Sphere still has time to thrive and gain attraction from all around the world to make the money back.
'Barbie,' Greatest Movie Ever Made
By: Ken
9/15/23
No movie in the history of movies has ever come close to the legendary masterpiece that is Barbie. Thanks largely in part to an event called 'Barbenheimer.' On July 21, movie goers were given the impossible decision of whether to watch Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, or some movie called Oppenheimer. For weeks, even months before each movie released, the internet was in a frenzy. The idea of a film about the lovable Barbie doll and a movie about the invention of the atom bomb coming to theaters on the same exact day was hilarious.
Though Barbenheimer wasn’t the only reason Barbie rose to fame, the cast was stacked. Not only did it star Margot Robbie, a fantastic actor known for roles such as Harley Quinn and Tonya Harding. Alongside her were such titans as comedic legend Will Ferrell, Ryan Gosling, Michael Cera, Kate McKinnon, and John Cena. Not only were they brilliant actors, but they had unbridled chemistry. To strengthen their bond, Barbies would have sleepovers and the Kens would hit the gym with one another.
A movie about a kid’s toy as famous as a Barbie doll had to be a success. Movies such as the ‘Lego Movie’ had managed to make riveting stories off of such simple toys, and for an accomplished director such as Greta Gerwig, it was an easy task. In years prior, Gerwig’s released such masterpieces as ‘Little Women’ and ‘Lady Bird’ both fantastic movies with female leads, though as great they are Barbie would be ten times greater.
What really separates Barbie from its competition is the heart of the core of this movie. I was moved to tears by Barbie’s final scene, it was a perfect ending to a perfect movie. I’m not going to spoil Barbie, but just know it was beautiful. The ending wasn’t the only beautiful part of the movie, Ice Spice dropped a straight banger alongside the film's release. Not only was it beautiful, but the ending allowed for a Barbie 2, the only movie that could ever rival this masterpiece.
Barbie will go down in history as the greatest movie ever made.
Taylor Swift kicks off 27-Stop North American ‘Eras Tour’
4/13/23
By: Madison Wonsy, 10
Taylor Swift’s sold out stadium tour grabbed everyone’s attention after she kicked it off in Glendale, Arizona on March 17, 2023.
The over 3-hour set is filled with songs from every era of her music. She also surprises her fans each night with two songs that aren’t on the every-night setlist. Fans are as eager as ever for Taylor to come to their city. Every fan is anxious to find out what two special songs Taylor will sing every night, and the showstopping entertainer she is makes them even more anticipated for the concert.
The fashion of the fans in attendance is not short of Met-Gala style. Fans are dressing up as different albums, songs, and eras of the singer. There is an era for every type of “Swiftie.”
Whether you’re a mellow Taylor Swift follower, or a die-hard “Swiftie,” this concert will have an impact on you like no concert has before. The jam-packed night will leave your cheeks stained with teardrops, and your makeup running, but don’t worry, Soon You’ll Get Better.
If you are attending the Eras Tour, you are The Lucky One, and even when it’s time to go, you will be “right where Taylor left you.” So–are you …Ready For It?
Taylor Swift receives “Innovator Award” at 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards
3/30/23
By: Grace Avery, 11
Taylor Swift receives the “Innovator Award” at the 2023 iHeartRadio Awards on Monday, March 27. She gives an inspiring speech after receiving the award.
Taylor took the stage this past Monday, receiving an award she never thought she would get. Swift stated, “what I did do was try to make the right decision for me at the time, whether it had ever been successfully done before.” Taylor also talks about how she likes to do things that people have never done before.
The crowd then went wild for her when she mentioned “switching genres” and “re-recording all her old music.” Her former record label sold her back catalog, so she had no say in how the songs were being used. By re-recording the albums, she is able to have ownership of the songs. Taylor puts “Taylor’s Version” at the end of each song title or album title to show that she owns it.
Swift then went on and talked about how important dumb ideas are. She states, “the hundreds of dumb ideas I've had are what led me to my good ideas. You have to give yourself permission to fail.” Hearing that from such an inspiring person really shows how any thoughts can help you grow as a person.
Taylor ended her speech by stating, “I try as hard as I can not to fail because it's embarrassing, but I do give myself permission to, and you should too.” She helps show everyone that allowing yourself to fail, can lead to amazing things. They can even lead you to your dreams and things you never thought you could accomplish.
Taylor continues to inspire many people. She started her career as a young teenager, who dreamed of performing for people. Today, she was the first female headliner and Allegiant Stadium and will continue to prove herself in the music industry.
Rihanna Gains Backlash After Superbowl Performance
2/28/23
By: Leah Foley, 11
On Sunday, February 12th, Rihanna performed at the Superbowl 57 Halftime show, in Arizona. She performed some of her most popular songs. This included “Only Girl (in the world),” “We Found Love,” and “Umbrella.”
Rihanna came out and started performing on floating platforms. She was wearing a red jumpsuit, which made her stand out. Her background dancers were also on the floating platforms, wearing white. Rihanna sang twelve different songs.
After her performance, she got a lot of backlash. Many people thought that her dance moves were not appropriate for a family friendly show. Others thought that she should have performed different songs. Some even argued that her halftime show was boring because it did not contain much movement, or feature a special guest.
When performing, fans began to wonder if the pop star was pregnant again. After the show, Rihanna announced that she was expecting her second child. This was posted and reposted on many different social media platforms.
Even with all the critics, Rihanna’s halftime performance was one to remember.
Wednesday on Netflix
12/1/22
By: Lainey Berry, 10
Wednesday may be one of the best shows Netflix has ever made. According to MotionPictures.org, Wednesday had broken the title of most hours viewed during the week of release. Prior to this, Stranger Things season 4 had held this title with 335.01 views, but Wednesday had beaten it with 341.2 million hours viewed.
The Netflix show Wednesday is based off of the daughter Wednesday in the hit classic, The Addams Family. This series contains 8 episodes, and they last about 50 minutes each. This show is a mix of both Comedy and Horror, and is very entertaining and mysterious.
Wednesday is a very iconic character. She only wears black, she rarely smiles, and she almost always has her hair in pigtail braids, but this is what makes her stand out and makes her different from everybody else. The story is set with her in high school. Wednesday doesn’t seem to fit into any school she’s been to, but after attending this one high school, she slowly finds her group and who she fits in. The viewer watches her go through crazy scenarios, but she still finds a way to relate to at least one person. For most high schoolers, this show can feel, very relatable, despite the character going through very of the ordinary events. The end of season 1 left everyone with a cliffhanger, which makes people want a season 2 immediately! Let's see if Netflix decides to renew this new cult classic.
Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley Sentenced for Fraud
12/1/22
By: Kylie Keenan, 11
Reality TV star Todd Chrisley got sentenced to twelve years in prison after being convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion early this year. His wife, Julie Chrisley, got sentenced to seven years. After serving their sentence, they both will have to serve three years of supervised release and have to pay restitution. They gained their fame from their reality TV show "Chrisley Knows Best". This show follows the different members of the Chrisley family and was not shy to show their extremely lavish lifestyle. While they were flaunting their lifestyle on television, they were avoiding tax authorities. Both the Chrisley’s were convicted of bank fraud, tax evasion, and conspiring against the IRS back in June. Julie Chrisley was also additionally convicted of wire fraud and obstruction of justice.
It has been revealed that the Chrisleys submitted false documents to banks in order to get over 30 million dollars in loans. Then, after they could not pay the banks back, the Chrisley family filed for bankruptcy. Later, they began filming their show "Chrisley Knows Best" and hid their earnings from the show from the IRS. While they were committing multiple pyramid schemes, they were smiling for the camera and making millions from their TV show. Turns out, Chrisley doesn't know best.
Marvel Releases ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Trailer
12/1/22
By: Tim Armand, 10
On December 2nd, Marvel released the trailer for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’. The trailer opens with the guardians in their new dark blue and red suits, which pay homage to the original Guardians of the Galaxy comics made by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. Next, we see a comedic scene featuring Drax the Destroyer. The guardians movies are often light-hearted and comedic, however this was the only scene with a comedic aspect in the trailer, so fans are expecting a darker tone for the movie. The next shot we see is of Star Lord standing on a bridge, Mantis says to him, “Don't forget where you came from.” Then, we see Nebula carrying an unconscious Star Lord. Next, we see shots of a young Rocket Raccoon, followed by Star Lord saying, “We’ve been running our whole lives,” Rocket Raccoon responds, “Pete… I’m done running.” After that, we get introduced to the villain of the movie, the High Evolutionary. The High Evolutionary is being played by Chukwudi Iwuji. In the comics, he is a mad scientist who is responsible for Rocket Raccoons creation. The scene after we get introduced to the High Evolutionary shows Rocket Raccoon lying on the ground wounded, he says, “We’ll all fly away together. One last time. Into the forever… that beautiful sky.” This trailer sets up a tragic end for Rocket, but has fans incredibly excited for the end of the Guardians’ trilogy.
Kanye West gets locked out off Twitter, Instagram after antisemitic posts
10/21/22
By: Audri Furness, 9
Rapper Kanye “Ye” West is facing a large amount of backlash and lack of support after posting anti-Semitic to social media platforms Instagram and Twitter. Last Friday, on Instagram, he posted, stating musician Sean Combs was “controlled by Jewish people”. Making such claims is a very common anti-Semitic tactic that has been around for many years. Hours later, the post was taken down, and he was locked out of his account. He then moved to Twitter, where Elon Musk welcomed him. Soon after, he posted a tweet spreading hurtful propaganda about Jewish people. This tweet got him locked out of both his Twitter and Instagram.
This is not the first time Kanye has been involved in controversy. Kanye has been facing on-and-off backlash from scandals for nearly his entire career. Just to name a few, he has feuded with Taylor Swift, joked about Queen Elizabeth's death, and lastly, his public disputes and divorce with his former wife, Kim Kardashian. It's safe to say he is always in the limelight, and it's almost never for the right reasons.
‘Love on Tour’ Outfits Do Not Disappoint
9/19/22
By: Shannon Cyr, 12
Harry Styles has been touring his new album ‘Harry’s House’ since September 14, 2022 and the outfits to come out of ‘Love on Tour’ have definitely not been disappointing. Those who venture to Madison Square Garden all come dressed to impress with the notion in mind that everyone else will being doing the same.
It’s sort of an unspoken rule that Styles’ concerts are a complete judgement free zone, so everyone can dress as out-of-the-norm as possible without the fear of criticism. The hashtag #HSLOTOutfit has been floating around twitter and instagram for months and has over 200 million Tik Tok views. This hashtag is filled to the brim with feathers, boas, and sequins galore. Many fans spend hours upon end sewing and glueing their apparel for Love on Tour, trying their best to craft something completely unique from the rest that makes them feel good. The sheer dedication put into these looks is inspiring and motivating all at once.
As for the man of the hour, Mr. Styles sports some incredible outfits during his shows as well. Although, his looks usually are not crocheted or knitted like his fans’. Styles can typically be found wearing Gucci ensembles at his concerts that fall between a retro and extremely colorful style full of amazing jumpsuits and jackets containing bright and unique patterns. He truly exudes the characteristics of his last name.
Although Harry’s fans absolutely adore Styles and his exuberant looks, that is not the case for everyone. Styles has been bullied and criticized by sexists and haters all over the internet because he wears dresses and skirts. They use the phrase “Bring back manly men” to harp on him because they’re insecure with their own sexuality and identity and think that attacking Styles will help them feel better in their own skin. Nonetheless, Styles does not let this get to him and continues to wear whatever he wants.
Everyday, Styles inspires millions of individuals around the world to be themselves despite what others may think. Though some people may just see a celebrity in some interesting outfits, his fans see a legend who goes against societal standards to support what he believes in.
Ubisoft Announces New Assassin's Creed Games
9/20/22
By: Tim Armand, 10
The popular gaming company Ubisoft announced two new Assassin's Creed games on September 10th. Ubisoft held a digital conference announcing their upcoming games, Assassin's Creed: Mirage, and Assassin's Creed: Codename Red. These two new games will bring the franchise back to its roots, focusing more on storytelling and less on exploration.
Assassin's Creed: Mirage takes place in Baghdad, 861. You will play as Basim Ibn Ishaq, who appeared in the most recent Assassin's Creed game, Valhalla. Mirage will take place 20 years before Valhalla, and focuses on Basim’s early life. Many fans did not like how big the maps were in the previous two entries, Valhalla and Odyssey. Mirage aims to fix that by having four explorable districts in Baghdad. The player will start out as a common street thief who gets spotted and saved by Roshan, a Persian ex-slave. He will serve as your mentor during the game.
Ubisoft also announced they are working on an Assassins Creed game set in Japan. As of right now, it is called Codename Red, but this will most likely change in the future. We don’t have much information about the game currently, but Ubisoft did show a teaser video. In this teaser, we see what looks to be our main character. They are dressed in all-black assassin robes and wielding a one-handed Kitana. Codename Red will be the next major installment in the Assassin's Creed franchise.
Ubisoft has taken some of the biggest criticisms of the previous two installments and tried their best to fix them. Old and new fans alike should be excited for the future of Assassin's Creed.
Disney+ releases its first teaser for Percy Jackson and the Olympians
9/19/22
By: Sarah Engstrom, 12
On September 11, 2022, Disney+ released their first teaser trailer for the new Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV show at the D23 Expo. Since filming began in June, this is our first look at the new show set to premiere sometime in 2024. Fans have been patiently waiting for news on the show and they finally got what they were looking for. The trailer plays a monologue of Percy Jackson narrating the first few paragraphs of the original book by Rick Riordan. Also shown is a series of clips from various parts of the show, prominently featuring their classic bright orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirts and Poseidon’s Cabin 3.
The three protagonists, Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood, will be played by Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri, respectively. Fans are excited to see how this trio will battle their way through the series.
There are a ton of high expectations for this show as it is seen as a redemption for the two movies made in 2010 and 2013. Luckily this time, the creators decided to bring along the books’ author, Rick Riordan, who also hated the movies. It shouldn’t be too hard for this series to outshine movies that both the fans and the author hated.
Amber Heard Was Examined For Her Truthfulness
5/18/22
By: Ryan Brady, 12
On Tuesday, Johnny Depp's lawyers questioned how truthful Amber Heard’s accusations were. Amber is currently being sued by Depp from an op-ed article she wrote back in 2018. In this article she wrote that she was, “A public figure representing domestic abuse.” Depp’s lawyers argue that this article lost him a lot of fame. The questioning towards Amber this week has mainly been around a fight between the two in March of 2015 while Johnny was filming a Pirates of The Caribbean movie in Australia. It was during that fight that Heard claims she was Assaulted by him. While Depp has a completely different story saying he was the one who got assaulted by her in Australia. He says she threw a glass vodka bottle at him and it cut the tip of his finger off. Amber was asked if she was the one who threw the bottle and she said that she did not assault him that night, nor has she ever. She claims that her feet were bleeding from the attack, yet she never sought out medical attention. Even though she felt “attacked” by the incident she still wrote him a series of love letters in the months after the incident. Both of their evidence is confusing since they both have very different versions of this story. Depp’s lawyers have been able to question Amber a lot but when her lawyer Elaine asks him questions almost everything gets objected. This trial has currently been going on for five weeks and there's currently no end in sight. The Judge has asked each side of lawyers to speed up the process because when the time runs out for the trial, then it is over no matter what.
Meet the 52 Year Old Elephant That Might Granted Human Rights
5/18/22
By: Jake Brady, 12
Happy is a 52 year old Asian elephant who has caught the attention of New York’s highest court. The elephant's unusual awareness has caused debate over whether she deserves human rights or not. Happy has lived in the Bronx Zoo since the late 70s. In 2005, she became the first elephant to pass a self-awareness indicator test. This was done by putting a white x on her forehead. Happy repeatedly touched this X when put in front of a mirror. Giving her human rights would mean she is an imprisoned person. The Bronx Zoo has voiced that they don’t feel she should be given human rights. The zoo has also expressed that giving Happy human rights will open the door to other legal actions taken against animals in zoos. However, members of the Nonhuman Rights Project feel differently. If these advocates win the case, animals in zoos across the world might have to be released. They would either be set loose, or sent to certain facilities. The court will not have a decision for a couple months. However, animal rights advocates are suggesting that one court's decision will not affect all zoos in the world.
The Met Gala Returns
4/29/22
By: Rachel Silva, 12
After two years of the Met Gala being thrown off track due to covid, it is finally back to its original date. The Met Gala, usually being held on the first Monday in May every year, is a fundraising event where many celebrities dress in their best fashion. Celebrity and public figures go all out to dress in the most complex and different clothing they can. Each year there is a different theme to the ball to indicate the fashion being worn. This year the theme is ‘Gilded Glamor and white tie’, referencing the lavish era of American fashion in the last decades of the 19th century. The event will be held in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, specifically in the American Wing period rooms that showcase American architecture and furnishings spanning from the 17th to 20th centuries and give a glimpse into these time periods. This means there will be no shortage of corsets and poofy gowns on the carpet this year. For the upcoming Met, it is reported that around 600 people will be attending. The first Met Gala was held in 1948. In all these years some of the best dressed, according to many, have been Madonna in Versace(1997), Diana Ross in Tom Ford(2003), Scarlett Johansson in Calvin-Klein(2004), Blake Lively in Burberry(2016), and Zendaya in Dolce & Gabbana(2017). Overall this year and it’s theme should be very good, make sure to tune in May 2nd at 6:00pm.
Is Tik Tok Being Banned?
3/9/22
By: Morgan Tiro, 12
The popular app, TikTok is currently under investigation for it’s detrimental effects on kids and teen’s health in the U.S. The investigation was announced on Wednesday, March 2nd and is taking place in various states. It has been found that TikTok has been harming young user’s physical and mental health. Users typically spend hours at a time laying in bed or sitting on the couch scrolling through this app. Parents have become extremely concerned by this regarding their children’s physical health. There has been an uprise in obesity since the app first “blew up” in 2019. Yet, the company says it has tools in place, such as screen-time management, to help young people and parents moderate how long children spend on the app and what they see. The mental health of users has also seen a great decline too. Teens are constantly comparing themselves to what they see on their screens and tend to then feel badly about themselves. There has also been an ongoing concern of privacy on the app too. Parents and guardians are afraid that predators could have access to their young children’s videos and may be able to “direct message” them too. This is actually a very scary thought. How do we solve these issues? Should Tik Tok only be allowed for people over a certain age or should the app be banned completely?
Paramore Receives Writing Credits on Olivia Rodrigo's “Good 4 U”
3/7/22
By: Anonymous, 12
In mid 2021 Olivia Rodrigo's hit single “Good 4 U” on her album “Sour” struck up a lot of talk when listeners said it sounded familiar. It was being compared to Paramore's “Misery Business” released in 2007. This seemed to have upset Hayley Williams, the lead singer of Paramore, as her team asked for writing credits to the song. This became successful around August of 2021. Paramore reportedly received around $2.4 million in royalties. This unfortunately wasn’t the only time Olivia was in the spotlight for referencing a song. She gave Taylor Swift writing credits on 2 other songs from her album “Sour”. The piano chords in “1 step forward, 3 steps back” are very similar to those of Taylor's “New Years Day”. Rodrigo admitted in an interview on the Zach Sang Show that she wrote her song “1 Step forward, 3 steps back” while listening to the Piano Chords of “New Year's Day”. Once again her song “deja Vu” resembled Taylor Swift's “Cruel Summer”. In total she gave Swift over half a million dollars in royalties. With all this Rodrigo has still been very successful and is on the rise to be the next big pop star.
Wordle: The traveling trend
2/16/22
By: Beth Pennington, 12
Wordle has become the new fan favorite game. Founder, Josh Wardle created Wordle as a small computer game for his partner because she loved word games. On the first day the game came out there were 90 players and now there are about 300,000 users worldwide!
As of recently, The New York Times ended up buying Wordle. This has been bringing up new controversies from player streaks that have been removed. Worlde is now it's the 241st word. "Now the words seem a bit harder" says common Wordle players as more uncommon words bring the challenge level up to users.
This classic game has become the new fascination. People enjoy the suspense of trying to figure out if their letters will be in the right spot or even have correct letters. Another common thing world players do is try to beat themselves in how many tries they get the word in. It has been shared on Facebook which keeps the trend spreading the common phenomenon.
What gets people is that they can only play one word a day which makes the game so important because they only have 6 tries to get the word. While the daily classic word is the most common there are also a couple of spin games such as Nerdle and Taylordle which address math skills and even a Taylor Swift theme of the game. While it is hard for some to accept the fact of one word a day they could always get their practice in with a word. For now this game will continue to be a fun brain challenge that will have many common back for the fun but simple word challenge of the day.
Taylor Swift’s re-released album and new vault songs
11/19/21
By: Natalie West, 10
Red (Taylors Version) contains some of Taylor’s best music. On November 12 2021 Taylor Swift re-released her album Red. Fans have been looking forward to this for a while. Taylor finally has ownership of this album again after she lost it to her record company. When the clock hit midnight and fans rushed to try and get a listen to her new album they broke Spotify. Nothing would load because so many people were trying to listen to it. The album consisted of 30 songs, 14 of the original tracks and 16 new tracks. 27 out of the 30 songs are in Apple Music's top 100 songs and this album broke Spotify's first-day streaming record. Taylor Swift is also the top artist on Spotify this week.
Out of all the songs on Red TV fans were most excited for All Too Well (Taylor’s Version) (10 minute Version). This song was originally written for her first version of Red, but a 10 minute song wasn't a normal thing in 2012, so she cut it down to about a 5 minute song. On The Late Night Show with Jimmy Fallon Taylor shared with her fans that she wrote the 10-minute version almost out of the blue. She said she just started singing about how she was feeling and then her band started to join in. I know that this song was the first song I listened to and I loved it. You could tell how much passion was put into this song and I think it made all listeners feel something whether it was anger, happiness, or sadness.
The whole album is 2 hours and 10 minutes long. There is not one song that you would skip! Each song has a different emotion attached to it that brings out listeners' feelings. You can clearly hear the growth in her voice when you compare the two albums. Taylor has matured as an artist in these past few years. Overall this album is a 4.5 out of 5 because of the amazing new songs and how she sounds while singing.
More than just Ho-Yeon Jung’s beautiful face
10/12/21
By Molly Fay, 12
If you haven’t heard of Squid Game (or Ojing-eo Geim in its Korean romanization) you must be living under a rock. The Netflix Korean drama that was released on September 17th is taking the world by storm. The nine-episode survival series is gaining fans at an exponential rate, getting men and women alike to swoon for its leading lady Ho-Yeon Jung, and is quickly becoming the highest viewed Netflix series of all time, which seems like it will even pass the incredibly successful and loved Stranger Things in the near future. That being said, the beautiful cast and noteworthy plot are not the only things that make this show stick out on a global scale. The show also brings Korean media to a broader audience than ever before, challenging the previous standards of Netflix, an American company whose English-speaking media has stood out to a larger audience. That is, until the release of Squid Game.
The show not only highlights the importance of the appreciation of multilingualism but also exposes the dark underbelly of life in South Korea (and many other developed nations in the world) that operate on capitalism. It is seen by those who benefit from it as ideal, yet all of those who do not fit into that top percent can end up making deals with the devil by indebting themselves for the rest of their lives just to stay afloat, which is highlighted in many of the characters in their respective arcs and reasons as to why they even ended up at the mysterious game in the first place. While playing children’s games with a deadly twist may seem far off and disturbing that could only occur in a fictional world, if actually given the opportunity to win millions, anyone would play the Korean rendition of Red Light Green Light just to get a small taste of the effortless life enjoyed by the top one percent.
Britney Spears is Finally Free
10/4/21
By: Amanda Murphy, 12
For the past 13 years, “Free Britney,” has been the saying, and now she finally is. Britney Jean Spears, a 39-year-old American singer, songwriter, has been involved in conservatorship under her father’s ruling for the past thirteen years. The Conservatorship was created in 2008, after Mr. Spears- “Jamie Spears”, sought control over his pop-star daughter’s life and business. He claimed that she could not deal with it all, along with her mental health struggles and substance abuse and that is why he took control. This situation had fans, and a lot of people worried for Britney. She was not looking healthy, seemed to be sending mixed signals to her peers and promoters, and was as some would say, “Going off the deep end.” Britney described her situation as, “abusive”, in the public testimony over the summer. The #FreeBritney campaign gained momentum as well as a crowd. Social media all over the world was booming with this hashtag. The question was if she was being taken advantage of or this was only supposed to be a temporary arrangement. On July 2nd, 2021, in the city of Los Angeles California, Britney along with her Dad and jurors, met in court. This ordeal had to be dealt with. On this date, the judge ruled that Jamie Spears should be suspended as her conservator; that will not set her on her path to freedom for the first time since the year 2008. Britney Spears is finally free!
Celebrities boycott a popular high fashion brand
9/27/21
By: Madison Wosny, 9
Social media has been a major aspect for celebrities to get the message across about not supporting this troubled brand. The major high fashion brand we are all familiar with has been bombarded with backlash ever since their controversial campaign in 2018. The ad was a Chinese model struggling to eat Italian food with chopsticks, while a Chinese voice over was saying vulgar and inappropriate things to her. The model stated that she felt “guilty, and ashamed” while shooting this campaign. Many people were offended by this and started to bash the couple on social media. Ever since this time, D&G sales have plummeted down, and fewer and fewer celebrities are seen wearing their designs.
Even though most of their criticism circulated around this time, the pair gets constant hate to this day. Recently, on their personal Instagram accounts, they have slandered the female models who wear their clothing. Celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Elton John, and Courtney Love have spread their hate to the couple using social media, explaining to fans that there is no reason they should be supporting this brand, and how the clothes they have from them feel “useless” now.
After countless accusations of racism, sexism, and even homophobia, despite being an openly gay couple, they are still fighting to revive their brand. However, celebrities and activists are not happy with them and do not see themselves forgiving them in the future.
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