December Hawk Talks

Tyler Gregory Okonma, better known as "Tyler The Creator," recently released his new album called "CHROMAKOPIA,” on Oct. 28 this year. Fans were hyped and spreading the news about “CHROMAKOPIA" all over TikTok and other streaming platforms before its release. This album is significantly different than any of Tyler's music as he is raw with his emotions and shows his true self. “CHROMAKOPIA” is very emotional as it describes different segments of his life. 

    Tyler is thirty-three years old, he has been thinking about life and what his family has done for him. Some of these songs talk about how he wants to be a father. This album is a new aesthetic from Tyler; it's rich with him singing, and him rapping, it shows so much of his skill. Tyler likes to have his music tell a story. In some of his songs, he includes someone doing speaking parts; he does this as it adds a raw, spontaneous energy to the track, allowing for more creative expression and a sense of improvisation.

     Tyler’s albums “IGOR,” “Call Me if you Get Lost” and “CHROMAKOPIA,” each tell a story that piece together a bigger meaning. The first out of the three albums is called “IGOR.” It tells the story of a breakup by highlighting a love triangle between Tyler, his male crush and his male crush's female love interest. “IGOR” includes a variety of genres like Hip-Hop, Funk, Neo Soul, R&B and Pop. The songs show themes of heartbreak while still yearning for that friendship. An example of this would be the lyrics about getting rid of Igor's crush as he wants him to be his. Comedian Jerrod Carmichael has ad-libs into this album to help explain Tyler’s state of mind. IGOR is Tyler's most streamed album and portrays love and moving on.

The next album that pieces the full story together is “Call Me If You Get Lost.” It’s about newfound worldliness and his struggles in relationships. This album features characters that represent his alter egos to piece together the stories he’s trying to tell. DJ Drama (narrator) does the ad-libs and commentary, reminiscent of classic mixtape culture which adds to the album's overall vibe. The genres are Spoken Word and Hip Hop. “Call Me If You Get Lost,” talks about many things. It doesn't mean to call him when you don't know what to do, but instead call “me” when you get lost in the world doing your business finding yourself.

      The last part of this story so far, is his album “CHROMAKOPIA.” This album had his fans anxiously waiting for its release. This album is ad-libbed by his mother, Bonita Smith. He picked because it shows Tyler's struggles and growth. It shows the single parent struggles and the motherly guidance. This album talks about his insecurities and what he has been through.        

         Most of Tyler's songs were about his father because, throughout his life, he thought his dad didn't want him nor wanted to help him. Throughout his years of music, he would express his feelings about his dad only to find out in his late twenties that his mother was the sole reason he didn't have his father in his life. Self-examination and honest expression were used, including a fresh sound with a hint of his old music from “IGOR.” 

        “CHROMAKOPIA” is for the individuals who have had complicated family situations. Tyler talks about his internal struggles, his family and the idea of wanting a family but feeling it's too late. When the lyrics are analyzed, the songs gain a whole new meaning; especially if you relate. “CHROMAKOPIA” has been a big hit and is enjoyed by many people.

The recent, highly anticipated boxing match between former world heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson, and famous Youtuber and now professional boxer, Jake Paul, happened on Nov. 15 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

      The event caught the attention of fans worldwide on social media and was streamed on Netflix. From the opening bell, the atmosphere was aggressive and people were ready to see what would happen.  

     Paul has made many controversial headlines in the past years with his interest in the sport. Tyson, despite his age of 58, put up a great fight against Paul and showed his ring intelligence along with years of experience and training. 

 This fight caused a lot of uproar in the boxing community. In the first rounds, Paul showed his clear age difference but Tyson seemed to keep up and put up a good competition. After eight full rounds, Paul defeated Tyson.

 “I was a little disappointed in the action in the fight and was hoping for a younger Mike Tyson and for him to take the victory,” coach Brady Jasper said. 

     Although the fight seemed disappointing to most, on social media, Tyson announced that he took it as a bitter-sweet moment and looks back on it as a good, learning experience.

     On social media, Tyson said, "This is one of those situations when you lost but still won. I'm grateful for last night. No regrets getting in the ring one last time.”

    Like most people, I spend my time watching my comfort shows. These are shows that my mom watched when she was my age. My favorites so far have been Gilmore Girls and One Tree Hill. However, One Tree Hill has been better in my opinion because it has more suspenseful events. I think that I started watching this drama because many students at this school convinced me to start it as they are always hyping it up. 

      One Tree Hill is an American drama created by Mark Schwan in 2003. This drama features half-brothers from the same biological father whose lives revolve around basketball. These brothers are rivals to begin with but then they end up hanging out with the same crowd. This show demonstrates the real life struggles between family and friends. This show is for people that enjoy the extra drama and tension. 

      The stars of this show are Nathan and Lucas Scott, Peyton Sawyer, Haley James, and Brooke Davis. There are many more prominent characters throughout the series but normally most episodes revolve around these five characters. 

      Although I just started watching not that long ago and I am only on season two I have already formed some strong opinions on the series. When I first started watching the series I thought it was going to be extremely boring because it was just a stereotypical teenage drama. At first I was struggling to keep watching but by the third episode I was fully invested. In this show one of the main things I noticed right off the bat (and is my favorite part of this show) is that the characters change my opinion from episode to episode. Most of the characters in this show have strong character development. 

       One of these characters is Nathan Scott. At the beginning of the series I could not stand Nathan because he was portrayed as this intolerable jerk jock. He would act like a spoiled brat and treat his former girlfriend, Peyton, badly. He would also treat his biological brother, Lucas terribly and make snarky remarks about how their father did not want him. After finding out some secrets about his family he realizes he does not want to be like his father. After this realization Nathan changes into a better human. He treats his new girlfriend, Haley, better than he treated his ex. He also mends his relationship with his brother. After watching this part of the show I no longer felt anger towards Nathan but rather sorrow. 

Another character that I think develops throughout the show is Dan Scott. My opinion on him may change once I finish the series but right now I think he has developed immensely. At the beginning of the show he was extremely aggressive towards his son Nathan and he would often compare his skills to Nathans and always try to one up him in basketball. In the beginning he seemed merely selfish and like a jerk. He had no relationship with his other son Lucas and only tore him down when around him. He would often tell him he was not wanted. Later in the show Dan ends up saving his son Lucas from a car wreck unexpectedly. Another main event that changed my perspective on Dan is that after his heart attack he tried to mend his relationship with Lucas before it was too late. He also tries to mend his relationship with Nathan after their fall out. 

      Another thing I noticed right after starting to watch this show is the plot is very well thought out. There is always more suspense after calm moments. I enjoy shows like these because I want to find out what happens next so I keep watching. 

      After watching the show to this point, I can confidently say that my favorite character is Peyton. Peyton is very determined and full of opinions. I also feel that Peyton has a real experience of teenagers because she handles peer pressure and depression throughout the show. I think that I like Peyton so much because she has had a rough life and she makes the best of it. 

      I would recommend watching this show to anyone that enjoys dramas such as this. There are nine seasons and 187 episodes meaning people in the past have enjoyed watching this just as much as me. People may not like this show though because the characters can be pretty annoying and there is substance abuse/other intense topics discussed in the show. Overall I would rate this show an eight out of ten because I enjoy the extra drama; however, it can get annoying. 

Despite the risk of sounding superficial, as a teenage girl there are three things I love. My hair, lip gloss, and Rafe Cameron from Outer Banks (OBX). Outer Banks is a teenage drama and as a teenage girl, there’s nothing I love more than drama. 

    This series follows a group of working-class teenagers called ‘Pogues’ who live in the Outer Banks, NC. The four friends, John B, Kiara, JJ, and Pope come across clues that lead to an old shipwreck full of gold near their beach. Over the course of four seasons, the teens find the gold and run from dangerous people who want to steal the gold from them. People like Rafe Cameron. Since the release of OBX season four, it seems like every TikTok on my friends and my feed is about Rafe Cameron. While Rafe is one of the main antagonists in the show, his violent actions and outbursts are often overlooked by viewers because of his good looks. 

           “I think Rafe Cameron is very misunderstood, and that I could fix him. I think he does have good in his soul, deep down,” said Bella Hedrick when asked about him. So let's look back on some of his not-so-redeemable moments.

            In season one Rafe is usually seen golfing with his rich buddies or messing with one of the Pogues. He comes from a very privileged life but feels unloved by his father and family. He doesn’t pose much of a threat to the Pogues and their treasure hunt, that is of course until he shot and killed Sheriff Peterkin to keep his father from getting arrested. He tells the police that it was the Pogues who killed Peterkin and gets off easily. 

          In season two, we see Rafe trying to live his upper-class life while also grappling with his mental health. He struggles with a drug addiction, and an incessant need to please his father. 

Later in the season, Rafe tries to kill the Pogues for trying to tell the cops that he was the one who killed Sheriff Peterkin. He beats Pope with a golf club, chokes Kiara for calling him a murderer, and tries to drown his sister for not siding with him.

        For the next two seasons, he stays fairly calm, focusing on running his father’s company instead. But his mental stability is tested frequently by the Pogues, often yelling or lashing out when he doesn’t get his way. 

          But, in season four, we saw a strangely wholesome redemption arc from Rafe. He’s now in a relationship with a Pogue girl named Sophia and he finds himself helping his estranged sister and the pogues on their way to Morocco. He sails the group there, helps them find Blackbeard's crown, and offers them his protection. Fans were surprised but happy at Rafe’s change of heart towards the Pogues and were quick to accept him to the good side. 

       This still leads me to an important question: If Rafe wasn’t played by the ethereal man that is Drew Starkey, and instead by a regular guy, would people be so quick to forgive his past mistakes? I think the answer is no. Drew Starkey plays Rafe perfectly, effectively scaring viewers at times, and bringing a character full of rage to life. But truthfully, if he weren’t drop-dead gorgeous I wouldn’t forgive him either.

 By Maddie Keller, News

With the election of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States, certain parts of democracy are being questioned. Many people in the United States are concerned about the passing of Project 2025 and Trump’s ties to it.

      Trump has stated that he has no connection to Project 2025, but this has since been proven false. According to www.usatoday.com, a whopping 31 out of the 38 authors and editors responsible for the creation of Project 2025 are connected to Trump in some way. A large number of them previously served in Trump’s cabinet during his first term of presidency. As Trump releases the names of his cabinet members, further fear of Project 2025 sets in. Trump’s FCC pick Brendan Carr was a co-author for Project 2025. 

      According to www.aclu.com, Project 2025 is an agenda that completely restructures how the United States government will run. Project 2025 was authored and published by The Heritage Foundation, which is a well-known conservative foundation that strongly opposes reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ rights, amongst many other liberties of the American People. If passed, Project 2025 will effectively change every part of the American government to push a conservative agenda. 

      As opposed to Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance is open about his close ties with the Heritage Foundation. According to www.forbes.com, Vance was quoted as saying that the Heritage Foundation was the “most influential engine of ideas for Republicans from Ronald Raegen to Donald Trump.” Vance having these close ties with Project 2025 further fuels the fear American people have about this proposal passing.

      One of the largest proposals that come with Project 2025 is gutting abortion access. The FDA’s approval of Mifepristone, a drug used in medical abortions, may be reversed. The Comstock Act could be revived, which would effectively ban any abortion medication, equipment, or materials from being sent through the United States Postal Service. 

Another community mainly affected by Project 2025 would be the immigrant population. Project 2025 outlines plans for mass deportation. This means that the government will deport millions of immigrants from the United States. It is outlined in the plan to end birthright citizenship, this means that people born on American soil no longer have citizenship purely based on their place of birth. If this plan passes, the United States will no longer have an asylum system. This will affect millions of people in the United States.

      Project 2025 would allow the government to punish and use force on protestors. This will impact all American citizens and their First Amendment right to protest and speak out about things they do not agree with. The government will use law enforcement to limit protestors from using their First Amendment rights.

      Severe voter suppression is another fear that will come with Project 2025. Different parts of the voting process will be criminalized, making it so that many will no longer be able to vote. This will damage fair representation in the United States.

      Project 2025 also plans to censor discussions in classrooms based on race, gender, and systemic oppression. This will prevent students from being able to see things from the perspective of someone else.

      “I think that people who agree with Project 2025 have not done enough research because it will affect everyone negatively. I think a lot of only good things are showcased,” HHS student Taryn Keller said. 

      Keller said that Project 2025 is dangerous for the United States. She does not think this policy is going to help anyone.

      Trump’s ties to Project 2025 have not been confirmed, and the bill has yet to be proposed. Americans will wait and see what will happen.

By Isabel Burnos, Opinion

Photo courtesy of Youtube.com

“Mouthwashing” was released onto the online videogame platform Steam on Sept. 26. 2024 and took the internet by storm, with countless fanarts, let’s plays and even memes made for the game. 

“Mouthwashing” was created by the independent team Wrong Organ and published by Critical Reflex. The game takes place on a spaceship called the Tulpar, where the workers’ task is to deliver cargo across the galaxy. Unfortunately, the freighter was driven purposefully into an asteroid, now the staff waits slowly for rescue as their supplies run low. The main cast consists of Ayna the medic, Daisuke the young intern, Swansea the mechanic, Jimmy who was once the co-pilot and is now the leader and Curly, the previous captain left permanently scarred. 

At first, everything seems pretty straightforward. The game starts off with the player in the cockpit turning off autopilot, allowing the ship to hit the planetoid. Then it cuts to the crewmates sitting in the main lounge area, two months after the collision, in which Jimmy blames Curly for. The audience believes everything that Jimmy is saying because in the beginning, Jimmy holds the narrative.

However, the most interesting thing to note about the story in “Mouthwashing” is that the plot lines are not placed in chronological order. The game often shifts perspectives from two primary characters, Jimmy and Curly. From Curly’s point of view, everything that the player sees happened before the disaster. Meanwhile, Jimmy’s view is happening after the calamity. This is not only a unique game mechanic but also clever foreshadowing to the real truth of the day the Tulpar crashed. 

As the spectators drive deeper, the story is not as surface level as it seems. The game tragically shows what happens when a person cannot accept their own faults. From Jimmy being responsible for the deaths of Ayna, Daisuke, Swansea, and even himself because Jimmy couldn’t accept what he truly was: a monster. Jimmy was the one who forcefully impregnated Ayna. Jimmy attempted to take down the Turlpar, to escape facing the situation on Earth. When Curly tried to take action, it was already too late.

This is what makes “Mouthwashing” a beautiful masterpiece. A sci-fi horror that doesn’t focus on made-up alien creatures but rather the real freaks within society. The message of “Mouthwashing” is about taking accountability and responsibility. When people fail to do both, the consequences affect everyone around them.

“The most unpredictable, darkest video game out there,” said senior Lilly Haws.

“Mouthwashing” deserves the score of 5/5 stars for all the hard work the team put into and its gut-wrenching twists.

By Bella Hedrick, Opinion

Hey Blab-squad, I am here to help you be a good gift giver. There are some important things to think about when gift-giving. Be a snoop, if you are in your friend’s, boyfriend’s, or girlfriend's room you need to check items they use like perfume, candles, lotion, etc. If you want to get them something like jewelry, I would be paying attention to what jewelry they are wearing. Another great approach is to see what jewelry they have in their room. I like to keep on my notes app a list of things my friends like or what they have been talking about recently. For example, if my friend Allera is talking about the new Tyler the Creator album and loves it, I would put that in my notes app that she loves records. I think of simple things like these to put in the notes app: Favorite color, Favorite candy/snack, Favorite fast food, Scent, and Where they like to shop. PAY ATTENTION when they are talking. Most gifts I have gotten for my friends have been things they tell me they like.

      Staple gifts for when you have no time to shop, or you are stumped, are gift cards, money, and candy are always the way to go. I would plead with you that you plan so you can put a bit more thought into it, but if you are on a time crunch those are a good idea. Some last-minute gifts I have given are a dozen pink sugar cookies, a giant gummy bear, or a $25 gift card to Sephora. 

      Leveling up your current gift-giving game is simple, let’s say you got your friend a blanket and a candle, you can easily turn that into a brrr basket. All you have to do is buy a basket, candy, drinks, and some small gifts like lip gloss, comb, lip balm, etc. Make it something they can use and think of you- Bonus points if you make it themed, spa basket, movie basket, salty basket, etc. The ideas are limitless, and trust me if you are a guy and you need an extra gift for your girlfriend make her a brrr basket. 

This is a hard time for girls with boyfriends, as boys are so hard/annoying to get gifts for. What I do is look at average items. I know my boyfriend needs this, this, and this. I would get my boyfriend, socks, shorts, and a new hoodie. I know those are things he has been needing. If you want to do something more for his hobbies that is easy too. For example, if your boyfriend likes gaming, a controller, game, headset, keyboard mat, etc. If your boyfriend likes sports, maybe surprise him with tickets to a ball game or merchandise of his favorite team. 

      If you cannot afford a nice gift, wrapping nicely will get you bonus points in the gift receiver’s eyes. Surely you can remember a nicely wrapped gift and then one not so nicely wrapped. You automatically like the nice-looking gift more because you can tell the person tried to make it look nice. I have mastered the gift-wrapping skill. I like to take things that are not perfectly rectangular or square and put them either in a box, or a bag. Now if you are new to gift wrapping, the first thing you should know is wrapping a square or rectangle. A good idea is to count the squares on the inside of the wrapping paper, by doing so you can have a more precise measurement. Next, I would slide the gift to where you can measure half up the side of the gift with the wrapping paper. Finally, Count the squares on the other side to make it even and cut. Then you will have a nice, pretty, and tightly wrapped present.  

      Reminder: when you get people gifts, some love it, and some hate it. It is important to communicate with your people and see how they feel about gifts. I show love through gift-giving, so I like to do a lot. If you don't, that's okay. I am here to help you be prepared for this holiday season. See you next year Blab-Squad!