January 24
Vol. 2, Issue #7
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In This Issue:
Rifle Team Wins Despite Challenges with Equipment and Funding
Rifle Team Wins Despite Challenges with Equipment and Funding
By Julia M
The Stuttgart High School Rifle Team absolutely crushed the competition at their meet last week. They won first place overall and beat Ansbach, the team they were most competitive with, by six points, putting their total score at 280 out of 300. Ansbach scored 274 out of 300. The SHS Rifle Team is in first place in all of DoDEA Europe East, and with this meet they increased their score by two points for a total score of 1138, two points more than Wiesbaden.
When asked how well she shot, Katie G said, “I think I could’ve done better with my standing position score but...I shot about as well as I expected.” She got second place for individual shooters, only a few points behind David Serna from Ansbach with a score of 289 out of 300.
She also feels that she could have shot better with proper equipment in SHS’s practice spaces. Other DoDEA rifle teams are given funding so that they do not have to use paper targets, yet our school lacks better equipment and facilities even though rifle is a varsity sport. When asked about these issues by a writer for the Stuttgart Insider, another member of the rifle team described how “compared to other schools, we have like nothing.”
While Ansbach’s team has well fitted suits, and schools such as Hohenfels MHS have been able to upgrade to the electronic Athena rifle system, Stuttgart lags behind. The student alleges that this is at least partly due to the fact that a check for $8,000 has not been approved for the team at the DoDEA Headquarters level, though this has not been confirmed.
However, the team continues to practice, and win, with what they have.
Sports
Sports
SHS Girls Basketball Continues to Amaze
SHS Girls Basketball Continues to Amaze
By Jordan R
The Stuttgart Women's Basketball Team has had a remarkable 2024-2025 season so far. With only one loss and six wins as of publishing, it is clear that the women have been putting in the work. The team has even ended games with the mercy rule, winning by 20 points or more in the last two minutes of the game, twice.
After coming back from Winter Break, the women left on that Thursday night for Lakenheath. As of Saturday afternoon, they left still holding their undefeated title- winning both games with crushing numbers.
Last week, on the 17th and 18th, the Stuttgart Women's Basketball Team went against Kaiserslautern (K-Town) at Home on Friday evening and Saturday morning. The team came out with a 10 point defeat Friday night- ending their undefeated streak. However, they made up for the loss with an outstanding performance on Saturday morning, winning by 28 points over the Raiders.
Eve H, a Stuttgart Freshman who scored a game record of 13 points, said that, “We were helping each other. We were talking. Our defense was what helped us win the game.”
This week, the Stuttgart girls defeated SHAPE 41-2 and 40-0, adding another win under their belts and getting them one step closer to the Championships.
Image of Hannah H courtesy of Matt Wagner and Stars and Stripes.
Featured Artist
Featured Artist
By Zeke B
Abigail (Abby) B is 16 years old and this issue's featured artist. Her chosen piece is a wonderful example of mixed media art. She has been making art for about four years and has been working with watercolors since the start of her art career. As described by Abby, this is a “portrait scene of a foggy graveyard with a monument with an angel statue on top, with trees and a water line.” In addition to watercolors, Abby uses pen and ink to achieve a special kind of eerie texture. This painting came about from an exploration of the dark and creepy. Abigail believes “you can communicate a lot with macabre themes because of the contrast.”
The piece was inspired by images of graveyards online and artists like Francisco Goya and Francis Bacon, who both influenced her style and subject matter. The piece was brought to completion after Abby added rain and fog to the scene to add more contrast and emotion. Abby is pretty happy with the work and wouldn't change anything about it at this point.
Her other works also continue to follow her AP exploration of the perception of events. The idea is to show that while we don't remember everything that happens to us or every event, each and every one still has a large impact on us even if it's just subconsciously. This piece in particular is trying to communicate a sense of eeriness and awe at the size and imposing nature that the stone communicates and that even though it's eerie it's still beautiful in a way.
Image courtesy of Abby B.
Politics and World Events
Politics and World Events
Short Lived US TikTok Ban had a Big Impact
Short Lived US TikTok Ban had a Big Impact
By Emily W
On January 18th, TikTok became unavailable for US users for a matter of hours before a federal ban of the application was set to go into effect. A pop up message read, “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately that means you can’t use TikTok for now.” The app also stopped being supported in US app stores.
The ban caused backlash, particularly from young people, beginning even before it was enacted. Responses to questions in Instagram notes about peoples feelings ranged from the more dismissive, such as shrug emojis (🤷♀️) and "Yall TikTok is just an app there are others like it," to the seemingly distraught, complete with crying (😭) and mourning over lost accounts. US peers of the reporter counted how long the platform had been lost ("10:04 pm: it’s been almost two hours without TikTok"), and grieved ("WORST OUTCOME," "my edit acc😭💔," "My like everything 😭").
Yet the app returned. Users were greeted with another pop up that included, “As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!,” Just as teens had reacted to the initial ban, many reacted to this as a sign of an effort from the newly inaugurated president to appeal to their demographic. A former SHS student took to her Instagram story, stating, "i’m cooking the next person who says 'TRUMP SAVED US'...that’s what he wants you to think. The app was never going away. They would’ve wiped all of our data...He wants yall to think he saved it so they turned the app on and off again and yall fell for that."
The sentiment that the President created, and then solved, a problem has not been lost on adults, either. In 2020, Trump had joined in the crusade against the app that continues even today, with the Associated Press recounting that "President Donald Trump [said he was] considering banning TikTok as retaliation for China’s alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic." However, at some point, it seems the President shifted gears. One example of this was his choice to join the app over the summer to post campaign-related content. Trump has been leading efforts to sell the app to allow it to remain, even posting on Truth Social, "SAVE TIKTOK!" Political strategist Geoff Garin was quoted in the New York Times as saying that "It is hard to believe that Trump’s TikTok flip-flop is about anything much more than the influence of a billionaire donor and Trump’s reluctance to give up his access to his followers on the platform," though this is speculative.
Even now, discussions and negotiations over the purchasing of the app continue. With it having not been determined who will purchase the app, or even if it will be partially government owned, as President Trump has insinuated, the future of the ever popular social media app remains murky at best.
Image courtesy of @theclapperapp on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Donald Trump Sworn in as the 47th President of the United States
Donald Trump Sworn in as the 47th President of the United States
By Jordan R
On Monday, January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States of America. Trump is the second U.S President to be sworn in for non-consecutive terms and the first felon to be sworn into office.
The event itself also made history as the first inauguration to be attended by foreign leaders. It was also held inside for the first time in 40 years because of “dangerously cold weather,” with a high of 23 degrees. The inauguration took place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
In addition, big controversies have arisen after Trump went on social media and stated that he believed that the American flag should be raised to full mast on his inauguration day. After 39th U.S President Jimmy Carter's death on December 29th, 2024, standard protocol said that American flags of Government buildings and establishments were to be set to half mast to indicate mourning for the month after a president's death. This time period overlapped with Trump's inauguration- placing Trump's inauguration in a time of mourning. Some said that we should follow protocol and keep the flag at half-mast to mourn the death of Jimmy Carter. Others stated that we shouldn't associate Trump's inauguration day with mourning, and flags were supposed to be a full mast for the inauguration day.
President Trump made several promises for his 4 years in office in his inaugural address, focusing on the economy and immigration as well as vowing to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in government.
Former President Jimmy Carter and his Legacy
Former President Jimmy Carter and his Legacy
By Tadek N
Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, passed away on December 29, 2024, at his home in Plains, Georgia, at the age of 100. Born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Carter rose from a humble background as a peanut farmer to serve as Governor of Georgia before his presidency from 1977 to 1981.
One notable feature of his presidency was promoting renewable energy, installing solar panels on the White House in 1979. His tenure was also marked by significant achievements such as the Camp David Accords, which brokered peace between Israel and Egypt.
After leaving office, Carter dedicated himself to humanitarian efforts, founding the Carter Center in 1982 to promote human rights and alleviate suffering worldwide. His work in global health and conflict resolution earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Carter's commitment to service extended to his involvement with Habitat for Humanity, where he and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, helped build and repair thousands of homes. Carter is survived by his four children, as well as multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Official portrait of Jimmy Carter courtesy of the White House and the National Archives and Records Administration.
Pop Culture
Pop Culture
Recap of the Golden Globes
Recap of the Golden Globes
By Gabby F
The Golden Globes, an award show initially launched in 1944, recognize the work and talent of the film and television industry in the eyes of experienced entertainment journalists. Currently, 27 categories recognize performances, achievements, and the best series or motion pictures in different genres. The winners are voted by over 300 journalists representing 85 different countries. This year's show was filled with many memorable moments with big winners such as “The Brutalist,” “Emilia Pérez,” and “Shōgun.”
The 82nd annual Golden Globes show premiered on January 5th and hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser, notable for her recent appearance in “The Roast of Tom Brady.” This was the first time a woman had ever solo hosted the awards. “Emilia Pérez,” a Spanish musical thriller, won the most awards of the night. The film's four awards included Zoe Saldana's win for Best Supporting Actress and Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. The film has sparked some controversy over its unusual songs, unfamiliar themes, and use of artificial intelligence, or AI, to increase the vocal range of a character. The Brutalist, another multi-winner of the night, is also facing controversy for using AI to adjust the Hungarian accents spoken by lead actors Adrien Brody and actress Felicity Jones. The usage of AI in both films begs questions of artistic integrity, how AI influences the film industry, and whether it is ethical to use this technology.
Beyond just the awards, many emotional moments occurred, such as Demi Moore’s first-ever award win in her career. Many family-oriented moments also happened, such as when the director of “The Brutalist,” Brady Corbet, shouted out his young daughter, who was crying during his speech. However, one of the most iconic moments of the night happened even before the awards started, with Zendaya debuting her new engagement ring. Though initially it was just rumors of her engagement that spread online, the truth was later confirmed by the dad of her new fiance, Tom Holland.
The Golden Globes mark the beginning of the 2025 award show season, leaving room for many more unforgettable moments. The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, will be held on March 3rd, with the nominations announced on Thursday, January 23rd. With award campaigns, such as Timothee Chalamets's run for A Complete Unknown, in full swing, it’s only a matter of time before even more awards are won.
Opinion: Flow’s Surprise Win at the Golden Globes is a Triumph for Indie Animation
Opinion: Flow’s Surprise Win at the Golden Globes is a Triumph for Indie Animation
By Sophia B
The Golden Globes. The night when the worlds of Television and Cinema unite, and this year in particular gave us an unexpected win in the Animated Feature category. Flow, an independent Latvian film Directed by Gints Zilbalodis, was entirely made in the open-source modeling software Blender, and is void of any dialogue. It stands as a unique film, free from any corporate demands.
Indie animation as a whole has been gaining popularity, especially online. On YouTube, creators have been able to create high-quality shows with engaging serialized stories for varied audiences. The most successful of these series have been able to put their shows on streaming services with the independent creatives still in charge. The most notable example is Hazbin Hotel by Vivianne Medrano, which released its pilot on YouTube, which was then picked up by the popular up-and-coming studio A24, then having the distribution rights given to Amazon Prime as its streaming home. There’s also The Amazing Digital Circus by Gooseworx and Glitch Productions, where the episodes are released both on YouTube and Netflix; this is the first time that a show has dropped episodes on both social media and a streaming platform at the same time. In turn, this leads to more exposure and a wider demographic watching.
Now, back to the Golden Globes. Indie animation has been making big strides in recent years, and now that an indie film has won a major cinematic award in front of millions of people, and Hollywood elites, this means that more people will likely be more inclined to support independent projects. The academies behind major awards are no longer just defaulting to the major studios, but taking a look at these smaller productions and seeing what they have to offer. Now, it’s officially award season, and the nominations for the biggest night in cinema are soon to be announced. The Oscars are infamous for their disrespect of animation (such as the speech by the castings for the live-action Disney Princess in 2021) and the academy almost always defaults to Disney Studios, even if their film was objectively not the best option on the nominee list. Plus, the category of Best Animated Feature was basically made to compensate for Shrek’s success in 2001 and to keep animation out of all the other categories.
We don’t know if Flow will be nominated, but just this one win is a true triumph for indie and international animated media. I personally think that The Wild Robot will win in its respective category, and Inside Out 2, Moana 2, and Transformers One will all be nominees. But who knows? Maybe a film that I haven’t even heard of will be on the shortlist (It will most likely be an eastern production). Flow’s win at the Golden Globes is a milestone for indie animation, and will serve as a stepping stone for other independent films to get the high praise and recognition they deserve.
Information, particularly regarding Oscar nominations, may have changed since publication.
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