Arts & Entertainment

So next year, be sure to stop by and enjoy the hard work of our theatre students, or better yet, you could be up on stage singing your heart out.

“The Teen Experience Through Poetry” is a recurring column that focuses on various aspects of teenage life and gives the power and voices back to the students. This column has a variety of student-written poems centered around different themes for each issue.

This issue’s theme is Reflections [on self]. Each of the poems below describes the authors in relation to the world around them and the gruesome negotiation that it can be.

The Black Woman Blues by Ororo Taylor

2 eggs, a little bit of sugar, and butter and that is how I was created,

I sit in the center of the table as they begin to feast.

They bite at my carcass and suck the meat off my bones,

I have given them all I have, they take my bones and make soup, yet they make comments about me “the breast was dry” and “is it done”.

They took the meat off of my bones and left my carcass with nothing but the saliva of their tongues and yet they belittle me,

they talk amongst themselves describing my shortcomings,

they serve my liver, heart, head, breast, skin, and stomach and then they describe their displeasure...not enough to be enjoyed but enough to fill your hunger,

enough to give you my all, until I have nothing left but the plate I’m on and the decorative tablecloth you put me on, to decorate your guilt and yet you belittle me,

I’ve given my all like nothing else, like no one else and you belittle me, without a head, stomach, breast, or heart...this is The Black Woman Blues

Breathe by Naveen Rimah

5,4,3,2,1

zero

breathe.

I count the seconds before I can open my eyes once more

analyzing my surroundings kindly. focus on the task before me not the wandering looks of others, distant whispers, and stares- silently judging every part of me I decided to bring out of the closet today.

I cannot choose to not bring my body with me to school

my mind, nor my soul

my mind hosts a daily replay of its worst memories as my anxious thoughts get comfy on the couch with popcorn, ready and waiting

they enjoy the show

5,4,3,2,1

zero

breathe.

I exhale a shaky breath, tracing circles on my palms- I bite my fingernails because of this

but

it's a double-edged sword

I can’t dig them into my skin anymore

every inhale seems like a disease is spreading throughout my body

breathe

“what if they notice I’m not looking my best”

breathe

“what if they remember what I said freshman year”

breathe

“what if they see my lace”

breathe

“what if they notice my acne scars, I should’ve used more foundation”

breathe

“they’re laughing, is it about me?”

suddenly I’m losing my breath again, I chase after it daily

why

when I step foot into this building I lose my breath

and lose myself too.

The Promise of The Cackling Mirror by Ororo Taylor

Mockingly it calls me ugly, the mirror grows a mouth, eyes, and legs, it stands in front of me and dances the waltz called “The Fool” every 4th count it reminds me of my physical shortcomings, it retracts itself and stares at me as I lay in bed, it tells me bedtime stories that give me nightmares about loneliness and how no one else will love me, the mirror cackles into a million pieces on the floor. My reflection lay still without life, it can no longer mock me, but the nightmares still come, like a promise between myself and the cackling mirror.

When the rain falls how shall I dry my tears? By Karina Josephitis

Seeking shelter under the awning,

When the rain falls how shall I dry my tears?

Hiding the only sense of security I’ve had for years.

The sound is so calming.

The flooding leaves only the sense of wanting,

Feelings I didn’t know I had finally appear,

Unmasking all of my fears,

While deep inside I feel every part of myself embalming.

Someday the rain will wash away my imperfections,

Rather than coat my skin like a rash,

When will the sky clear and the ground dry?

Only am I appreciated in small affections,

Then is when my thoughts clashed,

When will I appear and cease to cry?

List of mistakes by Karina Josephitis

The curves are too curvy.

Nothing is symmetrical besides the lines I’ve drawn in red.

It isn’t skinny, and honestly a bit wide.

The sides become concave, and as it lowers it becomes convex.

The collision before me is confusing and messy.

It’s imperfect.

Although, that’s okay.

This isn’t geometry.

It’s me, and nothing is perfect but a square.

Confidence In The Form Of Flowers by Naveen Rimah

the days, weeks, and years i spent perfecting each petal to stand correctly, be the right color, the right shape

so they look upon the outer layer of my true self

and think it's beautiful

deem me, worthy, of love and affection and attention

it's not the views of others that make a garden grow but the work within

because of the lack of water, my garden of self esteem started to die

the flowers of pride

roots of confidence

each individual leaf full of hope

falling to the ground as the melancholy clouds drift above blinding me from seeing

beauty

in the flaws of the universe that i hold within me

every curve, every line, every mark and fold of the skin im in created and nurtured by mother earth

she passed the job onto me

now, it is my turn to cultivate the ground needed to take root and bloom

What if you had the chance to change your life? To leave this world for a new one, where everyone has the opportunity to rise to the top. Would you take it? Netflix’s new hit series from South Korea, Squid Game, explores just this. Having debuted on September 17, 2021, this fast-paced thriller skyrocketed in popularity over these recent weeks. It has become the highest viewed show in over 90 countries and according to data recorded by Whip Media, it’s growing faster than any other original series from Netflix. Squid Game is set to become bigger than the streaming service’s hard hitters like Bridgerton and Stranger Things. It’s overnight popularity has even led to South Korean internet service provider SK Broadband to sue Netflix for the large spike in bandwidth usage and streaming service’ s content. It’s safe to say that fans have quickly fallen in love with Squid Game’s premise, cast, and narrative. When pulling it apart, however, we can see that the show follows the standard structure of a death game.

A “death game” or “deadly game” in media is a narrative trope in horror and sometimes science fiction that’s characterized by large amounts of violence that are framed as spectacles for an eager audience. It’s usually chock-filled with elaborate puzzles and games and outlandish executions for the unlucky losers, the more gory the better. There’s almost always a masked game “host” and many pieces of media in this genre dedicate whole plotlines to characters uncovering the identity of this masked enforcer. Social commentary is often woven into these narratives; critiques on wealth like in The Hunger Games and Animal World, insight into what the justice system should truly mean like in Deadman Wonderland and Judge, and humanity’s natural instinct towards survival, even if it means harming others that’s shown in media like Alice in Borderland, and Circle. Death games are usually highly entertaining and keep their audiences (both fictional and real) wanting more after every episode.

One flaw of death games in general is that they’re extremely formulaic. While no piece of fiction is truly original, the confines of this trope allows for some repetitive media, since there’s only so much you can do. Competitors are selected, they compete in challenges where the winners get to live and the losers are killed, the game ends with few or no survivors. Squid Game is no exception to this conventional structure, nor is it the only death game to feature challenges based on childhood games: the premise of participants being forced to play deadly versions of children’s games has been done by manga and film As The Gods Will and the two narratives have nearly identical first challenges.

So what sets Squid Game apart from the rest? An important part of any television series is the “look.” Streaming shows is a visual experience, so any audience would want something engaging to look at as they stare at their screen for hours. Squid Game never fails to deliver with its vibrant and almost otherworldly physical sets, reminiscent of various scenes from childhood. Set production designer Chae Kyoung-sun packed the scenery chalk full with Korean cultural references and helped breathe life into the fictional world of Squid Game. The Escher inspired color-block staircase that escorted players from challenge to challenge invokes imagery of a spiraling maze and truly channels the absurdity of the circumstances.

Going hand-in-hand with the intricate sets is the haunting score created by South Korean music composer Jung Jae-il who never fails to keep audiences engaged. Jae-il, who’s also the man behind the soundtrack for the Oscar-winning movie Parasite, created songs that feel unique to Squid Game but always succeeds in amping up the tension in each scene. Jae-il’s sharp attention to detail, like the usage of the melody of the Dies Irae in his iconic track “Pink Soldiers” as a signifier for death and impending doom (pointed out by Tiktok account @dissectpodcast), allows viewers to be sucked into this world of brutality. Even the lull of the robot’s ‘Red Light, Green Light” chant from the first challenge never fails to send a shiver down my spine.

The care that is used when handling characters also helps Squid Game stand out from the crowd. Death games are repetitive, the audience is going to come into the show expecting death. Any good story needs characters you can root for, and it’s especially important for death games. The true horror of these pieces doesn’t come from watching a man get his face burned off by acid; it comes from seeing a struggling mother die without being able to see her child again or a man sacrificing himself so his friend can live. A work in the horror genre that solely relies on shock value is a weak one. Squid Game gives audiences several characters to connect to and follow through their narratives: well-meaning but flawed protagonist Gi-Hun who wants a better relationship with his daughter and dying mother, his cunning but desperate best friend Sangwoo who’s running from police, and elusive and intelligent Kang Sae-byuk, a North Korean refugee who’s desperately trying to save her and her brother from poverty, and Ali Abdul a migrant worker who’s mistreatment from his boss has landed him in severe debt. We feel for these people and want, almost just as much as they do, for them to be able to reach their goals and make it out of these games alive.

What really gives Squid Game a wholly unique feel is the false sense of consent that is repeatedly fed to the audience through the storyline. A lot of time in death games, players are dragged into the events of the story against their will. Squid Game takes a key part of the death game and turns it on it’s head. We’re told right from the start that these players want to be here, from willing to get slapped over and over again in the chance of winning enough money to pay off a day’s worth of debt to agreeing to meet at a suspicious location to participate in children’s games to possibly pull themselves out of poverty. What’s truly horrifying about this situation is that despite what we are told, the players don’t want to be there. They need to be there. Squid Game serves as an unflinching critique of capitalism by showing us what these players have left to go home to: large sums of debt, money-brokers out for their blood, and no promise of food for the night. They stay in the games because risking their life for the slightest promise of money seems better than spending a life in the brutal outside world.

So if you decide to watch Squid Game, get comfortable, huddle up with a friend, get some snacks and ask yourself: What if you had the chance to change your life? To leave this world for a new one, where everyone has the opportunity to rise to the top. Would you take it?

You might be thinking, “‘K dog I'm not a natural born chef like you, I will never be able to cook a five star meal that Gordon Ramsay would slop up.” All I'm saying is that you don't need to be naturally gifted or have a natural talent to do anything so why not start cheffing it up?

To be honest here, I really don't know what else to write when it comes to being super cool and awesome because it comes so naturally to me, so I’m gonna switch lanes completely and talk about epic rap battles of history.

Epic Rap Battles of History or ERB for short is a youtube channel formed in the early 2010’s. They pit people or fictional characters from history together in some very dope rap battles. My favorite line is from when Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein had their battle it goes,

“There are ten Million million million million million million million Million million particles in the universe that we can observe

“Your mama took the ugly ones and put them into one nerd”

I honestly don't understand how Albert E. came back from that one. It was so insanely brutal that I would probably quit mathematics (and maybe life) if out of all the particles that exist I am the ugliest combo of them. Stephen Hawking's flow throughout is exquisite and he might just be the rapper of a generation.

With its action, elegance, and sprinkle of comedy, Shang Chi and the Ten Rings brings the audience into a world merging Chinese and American cultures. According to various news websites, such as LATimes and BBC, Shang Chi is Marvel Studios’ first Asian-led superhero film. The characters, with their Chinese and American backgrounds, bring additional diversity to the MCU’s catalog of superheroes.

Despite the many stereotypes towards Asians, and the often skewed portrayals in several American TV shows and films, the main characters Shang Chi and Katy are representations of ‘not-so-normal’ Asians in the eyes of these standards. In the movie, Shang Chi and Katy are given lively personalities while avoiding the typical stereotypes of meekness and submissiveness. Even their jobs as valets deviate from the typical job one might associate with Asians. This sheds light on how a fair portion of Asians don’t always fit into these clichés; they can be Americanized and still embrace their Asian cultures.

From the perspective of a Taiwanese-American, it is a refreshing sight to see Asians receive the limelight in Hollywood and headline a blockbuster movie through a major movie studio such as Marvel. The movie represents a continued push for Asian representation on the big screen such as Minari and Parasite which have garnered positive widespread recognition. Although Shang Chi is more fantasy than reality, the characters do not perpetuate the typical Asian stereotypes, but their behaviors and vocations are more relatable to the average Asian American.

After over a year without any Central Drama productions, the Drama Program is returning with a new Cabaret in October. Although this isn’t a full-scale production from the Central Drama department, it will still be filled with favorites from new shows and older ones. Since remaining relatively dormant for the past school year, the students and faculty are excited to show off the program to a new audience.

“I feel like we got a touch of that (feeling) with acting class last year, and it was great to have everybody back together, but it still wasn’t the same to have a full live audience and I’m really looking forward to the energy you get from the audience when you’re performing,” said Ms. Wilson, the drama director and instructor.

Students in the program will be dancing, singing, and acting for an audience that hasn’t seen them perform since their production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame in February, 2020. The 2021 Central Cabaret will be in the Centennial Auditorium on October 28th and 29th at 7:00, for $5 a ticket.

Central provides students with a vast selection of clubs and activities to participate in. One of the largest ones is our award-winning music program. Here, students from all backgrounds and all interests come together and share the power of making music. The program offers many groups, such as concert and jazz bands, orchestras, choir, marching band, and guitar class. Throughout the school year, groups have multiple opportunities to perform for their friends, family, and peers at one of the school concerts; the latest of which was the Pops Concert on October 12th. Central’s concert bands and orchestras performed selections from various popular films and franchises such as Skyfall from James Bond, music from Captain Marvel, and Jedi Steps from Star Wars. “It was so cool to finally play in front of a live audience again,” said Juniors Norah Kopolow and Mackenzie Wranovics. Ready for students to play in person again, the program is taking all the steps they can to have safe, enjoyable performances.

The month of November brings with it many exciting opportunities for students in the music program. The next event on the calendar is a performance by the jazz bands and combos on Monday, November 1st at Jupiter’s at the Crossing. The concert lasts from 6:00-8:30pm, and a buffet will be offered at a cost of $10 per person from 5:30-7:30pm. So if you’re in the mood for some tasty food, and some terrific tunes, stop by and support our jazz bands.

In the following two weekends to come, a select group of Central’s musicians will be attending and performing at the ILMEA district jazz and concert festivals on Nov. 6th and Nov.13th respectively. At the beginning of October, interested students from around the area had to submit a video of themselves playing the audition pieces to the district. Judges then selected those with the best submissions to attend the district festivals. This year, Central will be represented by 25 of its outstanding student musicians. Some (such as Seniors Connor Branch and Shaffer Bauer) are participating in both jazz and concert festivals. These day-long events give students an opportunity to work and play with other high school musicians from the region, and to be conducted by a guest director. Those who attend the district festival also have a chance to be selected for the All-State festival in January. Best of luck to all participating students on this exciting occasion.

With auditions held at the end of August, jazz band hit the ground running this year. Compared to last school year, this season yields high hopes of normality once again. Both directors and students alike are excited to be able to have a consistent jazz schedule. “Being able to be back in-person and have full length rehearsals has been really nice because I feel like we can actually accomplish something.” says Junior, Norah Kopolow. Jazz rehearsals are held every morning, at the church across from Central. “I’m honestly just excited to be able to have an entire rehearsal time once again, and to be able to meet with the band regularly.” says Mr Schulze, director of the Stage Band.

Though jazz rehearsals were able to be held last year, there were a lot of challenges and restrictions to overcome. “I think we gave it our best attempt, but having jazz band was very difficult because we were required to all have on face masks and be socially distanced. Covid restrictions also shortened rehearsal lengths, taking away time that we already had so little of.” recounts Schulze. The bindings of the pandemic protocols limited what was possible to achieve. Jazz band was forced to stop last winter as Covid cases rose alarmingly, and all in-person activities were banned by Unit 4. Eventually, the bands were allowed to reunite the following semester and got the chance to host an outdoor concert at the end of the year. Our most prestigious band, Central’s Jazz Ensemble, was even able to get together outside of the scheduled rehearsal times and record their audition for the national Essentially Ellington competition. The competition, held in New York City each year, had to be virtual due to the pandemic. However, Mr. Currey and members of the band were no less excited when they found out Central was accepted.

The season was able to end on a high note, even despite everything the bands faced. “This year, now that we have more time, and we are able to rehearse closer together, it makes things a lot easier. I have time to go in depth about the different styles of jazz, which is something I love to do. Rehearsals also feel much more relaxed and I think the students are able to have more fun playing jazz this year.” says Schulze. So, with jazz band well under way, members of the program are looking forward to hopefully getting a chance to perform live sometime soon.

Central’s Band Directors are John Currey, Jennifer Currey, and Nicholas Schulze, who many believe to have worked assiduously to make this year’s marching band and competitions happen. A fellow student wants to thank them dearly for all their leadership and consistency all throughout this process. Here are some quotes from your fellow students in marching band:

"I have learned so much from the Currey’s specifically. They truly care for every one of their students and I can’t say enough good things about them."

"Mr. Currey helped to bring up the energy all throughout band camp in 100 degree weather. He always expresses the importance of class and being the best group of people we can be."

"Mrs. Currey’s hard work doesn't go unnoticed and makes everyone feel super comfortable and cared for. Mr. Schulze is sure to get a smile on your face and is the metronome master!"

Inspiration was vital when it came to this year’s season. David Ho is known to greet everyone with an elbow bump. Even simply bringing up David’s name brought a smile to students Lizzie and Maaike’s face. They expressed David's positivity in everything. However, David Ho was certainly not the sole source of motivation. This year’s drum majors (Adele Miller, Lizzie Johnson, and Vy Nguyen) set the standard for great leadership and motivation in marching band. These student leaders are so vital to Central’s Marching Band program. They are not only fellow classmates and bandmates, but also huge supporters of everything we do.

All members of the band have worked vigorously to put together this year’s show, It’s About Time, by J.R. Trimpe. The show includes musical pieces Tick Tock, The Hourglass, and Chronos, performed by all marching band students and conducted diligently by our drum majors. Instruments included are clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, piccolo, tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone, mellophone, drumline, and pit. The show was most recently performed at our first competition at Washington, Illinois, on September 11. Competing with over 20 other bands, Champaign Central ended in 6th place!

The marching band has worked through many challenges, including weather, location, and even the recent rise in gun violence around Centennial, causing a relocation of practices. These challenges have not affected the show, they have only served to have the marching band work towards a common goal. Marching band season lasts through October, where they will perform at all home games for our Maroon football team. There has been so much support towards the marching band, and we hope you can continue to support us through our first home football game at 6:00 pm on October 1st. Future game dates can be found on the Central Website. Way to go Central Marching Maroons!

Have you ever looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize the thing staring back at you? Well perhaps assuming it was the Candyman might be a bit of a stretch. Or is it? If you’re not used to pondering this much skepticism, then perhaps Candyman is not the movie for you. A sequel to the 1994 movie of the same name, this new movie ensures that the mysticism surrounding this infamous legend stays undeniably exciting, classically horrific, and even hypnotizing in some respects. With Jordan Peele as writer and producer, actors such as Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Teyonah Parris, and Nia DaCosta as director (a relatively new director in the movie industry), Candyman had a lot of suspense during its rollout. Not only was it delayed more than a YEAR because of the COVID pandemic, but nobody knew what to expect with DaCosta’s direction. However, it is undeniable that the elements within the movie are applicable and even observable in everyday life. In contrast to the first Candyman, DaCosta’s leadership grew the movie into a flowering commentary of police brutality and the history of the oppression of black people in America. Especially within the context of recent protests and activism against police brutality and the unfair treatment of minorities, this only makes the movie all the more active in our societal dialogue.

Unfortunately, simply watching this movie to see elements of social commentary will most likely only lead to confusion. As already mentioned, this is a sequel to the original 1992 Candyman, and knowing its story as well as the very unique and specific uses of psychological horror is important if you wish to see this newest thriller. In contrast to the original, this new feature is much less of an art film, and is much more direct than the 1992 film, which was largely open to interpretation and thought. However, it is the similarities between the two that give Candyman its strength. Much like the first, it's as if the movie itself is trying to get inside your head and leave you in a state of skeptic confusion. Is Candyman even real, or are all the characters just crazy? Is he a legend that only exists if people choose to believe? Or a horrifying ghost that haunts the rundown projects of Cabrini-Green, Chicago? Unfortunately, it is these strong similarities between the 2021 and 1992 movies that often make this new feature somewhat predictable. Nonetheless, it still rings with uniqueness as far as underlying themes go.

The plot follows Anthony McCoy, a young, black artist (played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who learns of the legend of Candyman. Desperate for artistic inspiration, he goes down the rabbit hole as he explores and investigates the history of Candyman. Slowly, he is drawn into a desperate obsession with the myth, which leads to a spree of bloody murders throughout Chicago, all of which begin with one thing in common: “If you say his name 5 times in the mirror, he comes for you”. However, this movie is far from the classification of a “slasher”, and neither is it trying to be one. Its emphasis on mirrors and reflection literally and figuratively leaves the audience staring back at themselves at the end of the movie, a strong metaphor that forces us to ask “do our worst nightmares live inside us?”. With such deep thought already seen as normal within psychological horror, it is amazing that Candyman can do it on such a different and unique level. Overall, Candyman receives a total rating of…

93/100