January 2023

Local & National News

McCarthy's House Hustle And Its Implications

On January 7th, Kevin McCarthy was elected Speaker of the House after 15 ballots, marking the longest Speaker election since 1859. McCarthy had been a prominent leader in the Republican Party for years, a catalyst in creating the House Republican Economic Recovery Working Group along with Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor. The trio also . . .

|  By Bela Kumar

Opinion

“You Like That? But it’s ‘Just for Kids’!”

“Just for kids” is a phrase that everyone has heard at some point or another. It’s often used to dismiss the quality of a piece of content that’s considered “immature” or “inferior” just because it can be watched by people of all ages. Personally, I’m reminded of this phenomenon every time I try to watch classic Christmas movies, like . . .

|  By Olivier Therien

Entertainment & Media

A Preview of NHS Theatre's 9 to 5

Not many empowering shows also include kidnapping and fantasies of murder. 9 to 5, however, strikes that balance perfectly. From its feminist messaging to its well-thought-out acting, choreography, music, and set to its opportunities for growth, Natick High School Theatre’s production of 9 to 5 promises to be spectacular . . .

|  By Ella Stern, Editor-In-Chief

Entertainment & Media

Top Two Video Games

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an open-world fantasy role-playing game (RPG) that came out in 2011 and is still popular to this day. Having sold over three million copies and receiving multiple Game of the Year awards, Skyrim is undeniably a classic. The player takes on the role of the Dragonborn, a mortal with a dragon soul who is prophesied . . .

|  By Leo Margil, Head of Graphic Design & Illustration

Entertainment & Media

'Beartown': A Review

“If you are honest, people may deceive you. Be honest anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfishness. Be kind anyway. All the good you do today will be forgotten by others tomorrow. Do good anyway.” Beartown was written in 2016 by Swedish author Fredrik Backman. Originally published in Swedish under the title Björnstad . . .

|  By Sarah Cochi

Sports

Predictions for the New Year

As 2022 comes to a close, it is time to look on to 2023 and on to a new year of sports, entertainment, and drama. In this article, I will be throwing out some of my predictions for various major events that will be taking place this year. Call me biased and uncreative all you want, but I don't really care. This is a prediction that I don’t only think . . .

|  By Anthony Bilis-Gruson, Assistant Head of Graphic Design & Illustration

Sports

Big Shoes To Fill: A Natick High Wrestling Preview

The Natick Redhawks Wrestling Program has become a dynasty over the past 25+ years and, last season, they showed no signs of slowing down. The Hawks went 17-1, winning their 26th Bay State Conference championship since 1994 as well as a Division 1 Sectional Championship in the Central/West division. Some of the more impressive . . .

|  By Matt Schultz

Satire

Judging Books by Their Covers

For this article, we committed a heinous crime. We ignored everything we have been told since preschool, and we judged books by their covers. Our process: We used the New York Times’s top five books of 2022. Knowing nothing about any of them, we guessed what they’re about based only on their cover. We then ranked them according to . . .

|  By Ella Stern, Editor-In-Chief, and Nathan Moldover, Editor