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Sabrina Carpenter’s New Album Divides Fans
Sabrina Carpenter’s New Album Divides Fans
Haylee Downing
Pop singer Sabrina Carpenter has released her newest album, Man’s Best Friend, and it has left many fans and critics online extremely divided.
On one hand, many people (including myself!) are loving the album. It captures all the feelings of lust, hatred, loneliness, and all the other troubles that arise when it comes to love. The songs fall heavily into the pop genre, with upbeat instrumentals and lyrics that make you want to dance all around your house. Some fans on Tik Tok have even compared one song on the album, “House Tour,” to Barbie. Carpenter even expressed her love and satisfaction on the album in an instagram post. “I don’t think I’ve had greater memories making something before,” she writes. “It’s laughing at yourself and your poor choices as everything is falling apart, it’s wondering how loyalty and love always gets you back to third wheeling, spoken sarcastically like a true 25 year old !”
On the other hand, many people are not a fan of this project. Some argue that the songs are very similar to Carpenter’s previous album, Short n’ Sweet. That album also contained many songs dealing with heartbreak, and some of the instrumentals sound similar. There was also lots of controversy in the beginning when the album was first announced. The cover art includes Carpenter being dragged by her hair by a man, replicating a dog. People online have argued that Carpenter is going against feminism; depicting her art as women being treated like dogs. It has made people uncomfortable and disgusted, despite Carpenter’s defense that the album is purely for fun and wasn’t meant to be sexist.
Whether or not you’re a big Sabrina Carpenter fan or you absolutely cannot stand her, I believe that you should take a chance to listen to the album for yourself. Personally, I don’t think the album is meant to be sexist or “set women back 50 years” as some people have claimed online. It’s a pop album meant for fun and dancing, written with clever lyrics. You don’t have to be a die-hard fan, but I suggest just giving the album a try. Like they say, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.
OHS Volleyball: On the Path to Victory
OHS Volleyball: On the Path to Victory
Allyssa Peterson
The Orion volleyball season started with a loss to Erie-Prophetstown, but after that game the team learned what it needed to do to improve. The team bounced back with two wins at home in week 2. Since the first game they have improved and came out stronger.
There was a lot of battle and back and forth points in the game against EP. Claire Haars had seven kills and two aces. Delaney Tapscott had six digs, and Khloe Nelson had 13 assists.Ellie Knupp had a stand out performance on the offense side of the game, scoring three kills and two aces and on the defensive side with two blocks and six digs. with three kills and two aces. This game was a good game with lots of good things, but from this game on it only got better. Although the Chargers didn't end this game the way they planned to, you can’t win every game.
The team's last home game was against MerCo on September 2. They clinched the win with a 25-19 victory in two sets. The team played so well during the whole game and pushed through whether they were down 8-13 or up by 19-13. During this game they had a lot of good things happening. Ellie Knupp and Claire Haars were both on fire again during this game. Ellie Knupp ended with 16 kills, and Claire Haars with 6 kills. Khloe Nelson ended up having 25 assists during this game. Delaney Tapscott was also doing really amazing with 3 aces and 10 digs. Sadie Appel had 2 blocks. Allyssa Peterson and Kendyl Filler both had 6 digs. The team looked and felt electric and fed off one another's energy well throughout.
Back to Back Drownings at The Lake of the Ozarks
Back to Back Drownings at The Lake of the Ozarks
Kadence Hammer
When you think of Lake of the Ozarks, you probably think about the fun lake days and the hot summer days and just relaxing. Unfortunately, some families might not leave feeling that way. In August alone, two children under five years old drown in the Lake of the Ozarks. According to KLTV, on August 17 a 2-year-old girl wandered away from her home on the lake. She was reported missing around 10:30 that morning. There aren’t many details on how she got down to the lake but troopers had investigated the entire area before looking into the lake just to see the child face-up in the body of water. To try and save her, she was taken to the hospital but the attempts failed and she was pronounced dead.
A couple days later, a 3-year-old boy drown after falling off his family's pontoon boat, according to KMBC. Reporters have said the boat was anchored on one of the nearby docks and the child fell off the back and did not resurface. Officials can’t tell if the boy fell off the the boat by accident or was intentionally pushed. When the body was found it was taken to a funeral home and respects were paid.
These occurrences are sobering reminders for families planning a vacation to be mindful of toddlers when they are near water.
Gray Matters Recognizes Suicide Awareness Month
Gray Matters Recognizes Suicide Awareness Month
Haley Ruser
In honor of September being the National Suicide Prevention Month, the Orion Gray Matters chapter’s meeting on September 3rd covered the main topics of suicide awareness.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Although suicide is a widely known topic, not many people are educated on the signs of someone who is suicidal. These signs in yourself or someone else include but are not limited to:
Giving away cherished possessions
Isolating from other people
Extreme feelings of depression, rage, or anxiety
Saying goodbye to loved ones
Talking about having no reason to live or plans of suicide
Not getting enough sleep
Increased substance abuse
Making risky decisions
Whether these signs look familiar or not, it is best to educate yourself on how to help you and others who are experiencing suicidal thoughts or other mental health issues, especially if an emergency arises. Some methods for helping others include:
Listen and validate emotions
Reach out frequently
Encourage seeking treatment
Respect boundaries
Experiencing mental illness in yourself can be especially difficult for finding the courage to reach out for help. However, it is important to acknowledge feelings of mental illness early on to prevent more major issues in the future. Some methods for helping yourself include:
Talk to a trusted adult about your feelings, such as a parent, school counselor, or therapist
Acknowledge that your feelings are temporary
Surround yourself with people who support you unconditionally
If in the case of an emergency in yourself or others, don’t be afraid to call 911 or the 988 help line. The purpose of the Orion Gray Matters chapter is to stop the stigma surrounding mental health, and getting these points across is a huge step in making mental illnesses known in communities across the world.
Rehearsals Begin for Fall Drama Production
Rehearsals Begin for Fall Drama Production
Abby Versluys
The Drama Department has begun rehearsals for the fall play, Alice in Wonderland. There are different events going on with the Drama Department.
Parent Performance (11/6/25) at 6:30 pm
Opening Night (11/7/25) at 7:00 pm
Tea Party Fundraiser (11/8/25) at 5:30-6:30 pm
Saturday Show (11/8/25) at 7:00 pm
Closing Show (11/9/25) at 2:00 pm
The whole cast is super excited about the play this year. There are more students joining the crew, and we have students helping with Front of House.
Front of House: The Front of House has people who will work concessions/doors and will help with selling raffle tickets. They must audition.
Crew: The crew help with props backstage, sound, or lights. They also help set up everything to prepare for the show. The crew is only there for the last two weeks. They must audition.
Cast: For Alice in Wonderland, there are only 25 people total in the cast. The people in the play are grades 7th-12th grade. They must audition.
If any of this interests you, there will be auditions next semester for a musical. If you have any more questions you can contact Tyler Wilburn at tylerwilburn@orionschools.us.
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