Jan. 24,2020, Golden Throne by The Bengal's Purr

Lewiston High School, 1114 9th AVE., Lewiston, ID, 83501

THE

Bengal’s Purr

Since 1927

In this issue:

Vol.92 N0. 4

Friday, Jan. 24, 2020

• Varsity player profiles, pages 10-11, 14-15 • School spirit banners, pages 8-9, 16-17 • Lewiston and Clarkston ASB join forces, pages 12-13

Friday, Jan. 24, 2020

News 3 Health department earns grant LHS feeds the hungry By Kimberly Neri Features Assistant

Christi Meyer and the LHS health and P.E. department won a grant in December for alcohol education. The grant is worth $8,000 according to Corey Williams, the athletic director, and those dollars will go to the LHS program called Empowering Youth, Empowering Choices. Funds come from the Idaho State Liquor Division. Meyer applied for the grant and she hopes it will help her department provide stateof-the-art programming for students. This will include updated curriculum, training and materials that focus on key health outcomes for students, with a focus on alcohol education and prevention. “This grant will equip us to achieve our goals and increase our effectiveness,” Meyer said. Receiving the grant was crucial to supporting the overall health and well-be-

ing of over 1,000 LHS students as well as the rest of the young population in the community, Meyer added. This grant also helps with pruchasing skills-based health curriculum that is being introduced in classes this semester, including WELNET fitness software. The technology helps with gathering and reporting data on student health and fitness. Through this research-based curriculum, members of the LHS health and PE department wish to change alcohol stereotypes for high school students, Meyer said. For eight years now, the Idaho State Liquor Division has awarded community coalitions and groups through this competitive mini-grant program. The National Alcohol Beverage Control Association supported the grants program. It provided $60,000 to the ISLD for the “development, enhancement, or expansion of effective alcohol

“This grant will equip us to achieve our goals and increase our effectiveness (with alcohol education).” -- Christi Meyer

the new campus. This includes: Lauren Bowman, Eric Holscher, Karen Lott, Jessica Fazio-Scott, Alissa Sears, Mel Syverson and Shelly Renzleman from Sacajawea Junior High. From Jenifer Junior High, Lori Brown, Chris Farnes, Leonora Freeland, Angie Goard, Hilary Gruehl-Laughrey, Tara Lumley and Dawn Melton will also be teaching at the new campus. Shelly Renzelman, Jon Schaper and Olivia Wilson are

all currently splitting their time between two different schools, but they will be joining the LHS staff full-time next fall. These big changes are due mostly to the fact that the new school will host grades 9-12 instead of grades 10-12 like the current school. This will cause the two junior highs to turn into middle schools and house grades 6-8, leaving the elementary schools with grades K-5.

By Elsa Munster Features Assistant

Christi Meyer

More staff join new campus By Abby Bower News Editor

With the new Lewiston High School scheduled to open in less than eight months, many teachers and students are eagerly preparing to make the transition. With this transition comes big changes regarding the teaching staff at LHS. When the school opens in Fall 2020, a total of 16 teachers will be joining current LHS staff at

Leonora Freeland

Tara Lumley

LHS receives generous donations. Photo courtesy of Lily VanMullem.

Hilary Gruehl-Laughrey

At the end of their annual food drive in December, LHS students over 3,000 lbs. of food to local food banks. Students donated nonperishable food items to help families in the LewistonClarkston Valley in need during the holiday season. To get more students participating, the school created donation competitions between teachers, and Principal, Kevin Driskill, agreed to to kiss a Pygmy goat if a certain weight was reached by the end. Billy Autrey has been organizing the drive, but this year members of ASB took over

most of the organizing, he said. The ASB did tasks such as contacting the Idaho Food Bank, coordinating drop-offs, picking up food from the classrooms, organizing promotional signs and getting a Pygmy goat to bring in. At the end of the drive, students donated enough to get Driskill to kiss the goat. Shannon VanBuren was the teacher who gathered the most food, followed by Autrey. Autrey said he would always love to see more people participate in the food drive. “We proved this year that we still have plenty of room to grow, and that with even more participation and organization, maybe next year we can get 4000 lbs!” he said.

Nominations open By Lexi Lane Staff Reporter Lewiston students, school district employees, parents and the general public are encouraged to nominate someone for the Lewiston School District Educational Support Personnel (ESP) of the Year Award for 2019-2020. The award recognizes an employee who provides educational service or support, who goes above and beyond to help students reach their full potential. This nominee could

be anyone from teachers, administrative staff, counselors, instructional assistants or custodians and maintenance workers. Nomination forms are available at lewistonschools.net (keyword search “ESP of the year). Completed forms can go to Kathy Vellegas, human resources supervisor, at the district Central Services office, or by email to kvellegas@lewistonschools.net. Nominations will close Friday, March 13.

News App assists valley students in need

By Wendy Guo News Assistant Students from both the Clarkston and Lewiston school districts are now receiving help through an app called Purposity. This free app works by sending a notification once a week to its users about the Purposity needs of organizations or people locally. It has been in effect in Clarkston for a few months and in Lewiston for about a year. In just the past year, people from the Lewiston-Clarkston valley have used the app to help over 500 students receive tangible support. “It is always important to give back,” said Tina Slyter, the LHS social worker. App users receive links with stories about those in need, written by someone who works with each person, such as a school social worker or counselor. Purposity partners with nonprofits, local school systems, and other agencies to find needs from vetted and trusted sources, according to purposity.com. The requests vary from school supplies for a child in foster care, a pair of shoes for a homeless student or clothes for children in need. Each app user has control in what they want to buy, with prices clearly listed. The average cost is $30 and Purposity handles shipping costs.

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Valley businesses crumble to online shopping industry By Taysia Mendenhall Features Assistant The list of businesses closing in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley grew longer Jan. 6, with Macy’s and Rue21 both announcing their closures. Both stores are in the liquidation process with Macy’s closing its doors in March and Rue21 closing in February. Pier 1 Imports also announced Jan. 8 that it is closing up to 450 of its 942 locations, according to BusinessInsider.com. The Lewiston location may be on the list, though not yet confirmed. In the last year, nearly 10 businesses in the valley have closed or announced their closing, including Shopko and KMart, leaving several vacant retail spaces. However, it is not just large businesses that have liquidated. Locally-owned TriState Outfitters and All About

Tuxedos closed in July and October, along with the 410 Drive-In closing in December Several large businesses are falling victim to the growing

online shopping industry. As brick-and-mortar stores fail and close their doors, businesses like Amazon are thriving.

The 410 Drive-In closed its doors permanently in Clarkston in December. Photo courtesy of the Lewiston Tribune.

Friday, Jan. 24, 2020

Sports

Bengal, Bantam basketball season recaps

CHS girls keep on winning

The Lewiston Lady Bengals battle for the ball during a recent home game at Booth Hall. Photo courtesy of Logann Martin.

LHS varsity boys start season strong

The Bengal boys varsity team has an overall record of 10 wins and two losses, which means that going into Golden Throne they have the highest percentage of wins this season. This team also has a pretty young team, so the progress they have made this year will likely continue to grow even next season. • Lewiston vs. Timberlake, Bengals won 71-36 • Lewiston vs. Lapwai, Bengals won 66-48 • Lewiston vs. Shadle Park, Bengals won 66-55 • Lewiston vs. Walla Walla, Bengals lost 55-63 • Lewiston vs. Moses Lake, Bengals won 64-47 • Lewiston vs. Pendleton, Bengals lost 53-56 • Lewiston vs. Moscow, Bengals won 58-55 • Lewiston vs. Moscow, Bengals won 62-46 • Lewiston vs. Post Falls, Bengals won 52-49 • Lewiston vs. Hermiston, Bengals won 55-43 • Lewiston vs. Wenatchee, Bengals won 55-42 • Lewiston vs. Coeur d’ Alene, Bengals won 64-52

The Bantam girls’ varsity team has an overall record of nine wins and three losses. They have the second-best record out of all four teams, and finished third at state-level competition last year. All five of last year’s starters, plus four players from the bench, are still on the team. • Clarkston vs. East Valley, Bantams lost 47-50 • Clarkston vs. Pullman, Bantams won 32-76 • Clarkston vs. East Valley, Bantams lost 63-65 • Clarkston vs. Lewiston, Bantams won 67-33 • Clarkston vs. Walla Walla, Bantams lost 54-64 • Clarkston vs. Moscow, Bantams won 58-20 • Clarkston vs. Pullman, Bantams won 74-49 • Clarkston vs. Post Falls, Bantams won 54-48 • Clarkston vs. Cheney, Bantams won 48-42 • Clarkston vs. Moscow, Bantams won 51-21 • Clarkston vs. Freeman, Bantams won 62-50 • Clarkston vs. Hanford, Bantams won 87-25

CHS varsity boys prepare

The Bantams boys’ varsity team has a current record of eight wins and four losses. No further information was available at press time. • Clarkston vs. Hanford, Bantams won 51-36 • Clarkston vs. Moscow, Bantams won 65-49 • Clarkston vs. Freeman, Bantams won 55-43 • Clarkston vs. Cheney, Bantams won 48-42 • Clarkston vs. Post Falls, Bantams lost 50-52 • Clarkston vs. Pullman, Bantams won 56-44 • Clarkston vs. Moscow, Bantams won 58-55 • Clarkston vs. Walla Walla, Bantams lost 53-54 (OT) • Clarkston vs. Lapwai, Bantams lost 54-59 • Clarkston vs. East Valley, Bantams won 65-46 • Clarkston vs. Pullman, Bantams lost 50-55 • Clarkston vs. East Valley, Bantams won 70-44

LHS girls team rebuilds The Bengal girls’ varsity team has an overall record of two wins and 13 losses, and is the first of the LHS and CHS teams to start 2020 with 15 games played. Though they do have the least percentage of wins, recent changes to the team line-up could gear them up for more success. • Lewiston vs. Mountain View, Bengals lost 23-66 • Lewiston vs. Boise, Bengals lost 41-50 • Lewiston vs. Timberlake, Bengals lost 42-51 • Lewiston vs. Moscow, Bengals won 28-23 • Lewiston vs. Timberlake, Bengals lost 38-63 • Lewiston vs. Shadle Park, Bengals lost 44-47 • Lewiston vs. Pendleton, Bengals lost 44-58 • Lewiston vs. Lake City, Bengals lost 46-60 • Lewiston vs. Hermiston, Bengals lost 51-77 • Lewiston vs. Wenatchee, Bengals won 67-65 • Lewiston vs. Post Falls, Bengals lost 41-57 • Lewiston vs. Clarkston, Bengals lost 33-67 • Lewiston vs. Post Falls, Bengals lost 39-57 • Lewiston vs. Lake City, Bengals lost 38-56 • Lewiston vs. Coeur d’Alene, Bengals lost 50-70

THE BENGAL’S PURR

Features

Five charities chosen for 2020 Golden Throne By Skylar Raymond Features Editor Five local charities will receive donations from money raised through Golden Throne activities this year. The executive members of Lewiston High School and Clarkston High School ASB chose these local charities based on their applications: • The Willow Center: A rehabilitation and counselling center with free services for grieving families. willow-center.org • Homes of Hope: Helps foster children and foster families. homesofhopeproject.org • Backpacks for Kids: Donates backpacks and school supplies for children in need across the Lewiston-Clarkston valley. • Rock Steady Boxing: Provides boxing classes and also donations for Parkinson’s Disease research. lcvalley.rsbaffiliate.com • The Green Apple Project: Brings awareness and support to children with autism. Community events include sensory-friendly movies with dimmed lights and quieter sound for children with autism. thegreenappleproject.org Giving back to the community, members of LHS Leadership visit the Idaho State Veterans Home Nov. 21. Photo by Skylar Raymond.

Proud to Support Our Community

208.798.0245 • 2612 Nez Perce Dr., Lewiston, ID 83501 509.552.4595 • 330 Diagonal St., Clarkston, WA 99403

2612 Nez Perce Drive | Lewiston, ID 83501 | 208.798.0245 | inlandcellular.com

LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GO

BENGALS!

10 Sports

THE BENGAL’S PURR

Lewiston Varsity Girls 2020

Tai Bausch

Emily Collins

Ameilia Foss

Anika Grogan

“Tai”

“Em”

“Amelia”

Grade:12 Position: Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for...the crowd My team would describe me as: A beast

Grade: 12 Position: Point Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for. . . the crowd Pre-game ritual: Going out to dinner with my team

Grade:10 Position: Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for… the energy in the gym and having a fun experience with my teammates What’s your secret weapon: My speed on the court

Grade: 11 Position: Wing/Post For Golden Throne I am most excited for... the support of the crowd My favorite thing about Lewiston is: The feeling of family within my team

Emma Hill

Gabby Johnson

Jenika Ortiz

“Eema”

“Gabs”

“Jen”

Grade: 11 Position:Wing For Golden Throne I am most excited for…cheering for my team When the season ends I will miss... The bus rides and laughing with my team

Grade:12 Position: Post For Golden Throne I am most excited for…..the roaring crowd and the feeling when you’re playing My secret weapon is: Cait

Kendall Teichmer

Jordyn Wilkins

Grade: 11 Position: Guard/Wing For Golden Throne I am most excited for…the support and opportunity to play When the season ends I will miss: My seniors

“On”

Karli Taylor

“Karl”

Grade:10 Position: Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for... the spirit and the atmosphere Who inspires you the most: My dad

Seniors Sammi Grant and Cait Richardson could not be reached for comment. “Tish”

Grade: 12 Position: Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for...playing with my teammates and the atmosphere My team would describe me as: Feisty

“Jo”

Grade: 12 Position: Post For Golden Throne I am most excited for...the crowd My team would describe me as: A hustler

Joining the team on the court for Golden Throne are sophomores Taryn Barney and Eliza Bursch, with freshmen Dilynn Albright, Savannah Burke and Katy Wessels.

Friday, Jan. 24, 2020

Player Profiles 11

Lewiston Varsity Boys 2020 Chanse Eke #1 Brayden Forsman #34

Alec Eckert #33

“Young Killa Eck”

“PAUL”

“Brandon”

George Forsmann #34

“Big Red”

Grade: 11 Position: Center For Golden Throne I am most excited for...watching George yam that piece on someone’s face Pre-game ritual: Accidentally kneeing one of my teammates

Grade: 10 Position: Point Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for...coming out with the dub Pre-game ritual: Bop in the car

Grade: 10 Position: All For Golden Throne I am most excited for...eatin’ some chicken Pre-game ritual: Eating 10 mozzarella sticks before games

Grade: 11 Position: Center Nickname: Big Red For Golden Throne I am most excited for… beating Clarkston When the season ends I will miss...Alec fouling me all practice

Cruz Hepburn #24

Aiden Hottinger #13

Kash Lang #15

Jace Mckarcher #9

“Horsey Hep”

Grade: 10 Position: Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for... all the energy and the hype Pre-game ritual: Talking over possible situations in the game

“Blue Lagoon”

Grade: 11 Position: Forward For Golden Throne I am most excited for... the fat heads My team would describe me as...fun

“Kash Money”

Grade: 11 Position: Point Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for... the energy and adrenaline rush Pre-game ritual: Eating Eggo waffles

“Curly Head”

Grade: 11 Position: Point Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for...the atmosphere and the excitement My team would describe me as...shooter and a curly head

Joel Mullikin #21

“Mr. Feltgood”

Grade: 11 Position: Forward For Golden Throne I am most excited for...the fatheads in the stands My favorite thing about Lewiston is...gettin’ dubs

#GT2020

Behind the scenes of Golden Throne 2020

By Josie Hafer Editor-in-Chief

LEWISTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT LEADERSHIP, listed alphabetically: Benjamin Birdsell, Karson Bottens, Paige Boudreaux, Jennah Carpenter, Selah Chavez, Alec Eckert, Arielle Feucht, Tia Flaig, Ally Frazier, Jacob Hale, Shelby Hobbs, Logan Hunt, Allison Jacks, Laura Kokernak, Kash Lang, Nathan Littlejohn, Lillie Manyon, Logann Martin, Breanna Nine, Kit Pancheri, Audrey Parkey, Andujar Perez, Alexis Poxleitner, Skylar Raymond, Harrison Smith, L E Swanson, Kendall Teichmer, Eli Thomas, Gabby Trigsted, Annella Tucker, Lily Van Mullem, Elle Wagner Uhling, Devin Zagelow. Advisers: Emmett Dougherty. Photo by Josie Hafer.

In the weeks leading up to Golden Throne 2020, both Lewiston and Clarkston high schools' student ladership teams have been hard at work. These groups of students are in charge of creating spirit days, recruiting sponsors, organizing assemblies and so much more. Both schools participate in a spirit link fundraiser that collects money for five chosen non-profit recipients in the LewistonClarkston valley. This year, LHS and CHS have decided to donate to Willow Center, Homes of Hope, Backpacks for Kids, Rock Steady Boxing and The Green Apple Project. The amount of money that is raised by both schools is announced at the game and counts towards one school winning the prize of the coveted Golden Throne. Leadership members are also responsible for making spirit days for their respective schools. This year, CHS chose to extend their spirit week to begin Friday, Jan. 17, to make up for the shortened school week before Golden Throne. Their spirit days included Sun vs. Snow Day, Teacher Look-a-like Day, Class Color Day, Soccer Mom vs. Barbeque Dad Day, and Bantam Pride Day. Abby Vance, a senior at CHS, said she was most looking forward to Soccer Mom vs. Barbeque Dad Day. LHS spirit days included Music Genre Day, Dynamic Duo Day, College Gear Day and Bengal Pride day. Selah Chavez, a junior at LHS, said, "Music genre day was my favorite day. I borrowed a John Lennon shirt because he's one of my favorite Beatles." “The best part about being on Leadership is taking other people's ideas who aren't on Leadership and creating something really fun and fresh [with them],” said Molly Williams, a junior at CHS. Williams serves as Public Relations Manager on the Leadership Executive Board. "I like putting my ideas and others' ideas into action. When people are excited about things, it's nice to be the one that gets to be like, 'OK, let's do this!' and then just roll with it," said Annella Tucker, ASB Vice President at LHS.

CLARKSTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT LEADERSHIP, listed alphabetically: Ben Bonin, Owen Borenson, Aaron Bunce, Lakota Chimburas, Gabriel Clifton, Madeline Dowd, Hans Duman, Christin Fisbeck, Madison Fisbeck, Kaedan Frazier, Marah Gustafson, Zoey Hall, Jordan Hein, Nakoah Hein, Karmen Johnson, Katie Kaufman, Asia McFarland, Paige McKenzie, Aliyah McMillan, Nicholas Noland, Erika Pickett, Christian Robbins, Reese Roueche, Brayden Schultz, Airyl Sobotta, Michael St. Marie, Mark Tadzhimatov, Kerington Tenwick, Abby Vance, Reese Washington, Molly Williams. Advisers: Debbie Lynch, Lynn Carey, Margie Denton, Ryan Newhouse, Chandler Jones. Photo courtesy of Debbie Lynch.

2020 Golden Throne Sponsors

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Player Profiles

Clarkston Varsity Girls 2020

Samantha Chatfield #33

“Sam”

Grade:11 Position: Forward For Golden Throne I am most excited for… the amazing atmosphere What’s your secret weapon:

Can’t say, it’s a secret

Lauren Johnson #24

“LJ”

Grade: 12 Position: Guard/Forward For Golden Throne I am most excited for...the crowd and the atmosphere Secret Weapon: My team

Ashlyn Wallace #3

“Ash”

Grade:11 Position: Point Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for... the atmosphere Pre-game ritual: Skittles

Auah Griner #12

“Big Boonny”

Jalena Henry #32

“Jay”

Grade: 11 Position: Post For Golden Throne I am most excited for… the experience What’s your favorite thing about Clarkston: The culture

Grade: 12 Position: Forward For Golden Throne I am most excited for...being involved during my last year

Maggie Ogden #11

Erika Pickett #14

“Mags”

Grade:10 Position: Wing For Golden Throne I am most excited for...pretending I’m a celebrity Who inspires you the most: Marielena

“Big Hawk”

Grade: 10 Position: Post/ Center For Golden Throne I am most excited for… Lauren and Max’s B-day party My team would describe me as: Filthy

Jayce Hernandez #10

“Jacey Jett”

Grade: 11 Position: Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for… the atmosphere and winning Who inspires you the most: Lauren Johnson

Marielena Ronquillo #20

“Marl”

Grade:11 Position: Forward For Golden Throne I am most excited for… the bright lights My team would describe me as: Tough

Mickala Jackson #5

“Mick”

Grade: 12 Position: Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for… playing with AJ and Ash for the last time

AJ Sobotta #23

“AJ”

Grade:12 Position: Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for...snacks in the locker room Who inspires you the most: Chun Chun

#GT2020

Friday, Jan. 24, 2020

Player Profiles

Clarkston Varsity Boys 2020

Tru Allen #1

Wyatt Chatfield #33

“Sweetfeet01” Grade: 12 Position: Point Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for…doing what we do best What’s your secret weapon: My hair

Grade: 11 Position: Post For Golden Throne I am most excited for… the game and the energy Who inspires you the most: My second oldest brother

Grade:12 Position: Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for… the crowd Pre-game ritual: Push-ups

Grade: 12 Position: Forward For Golden Throne I am most excited for… getting to play one last rivalry game with my brothers When the season ends I will miss...all the fun things we do on a daily basis

Gus Hagstead #13

Jayden Hopkins #20

Alessandro Italia #2

Max Johnson #23

“GusBus”

“Big Man”

“Jay Hop”

Trey Dreadfulwater #5

“MarineTrey”

“Lil’ SanJ”

Kaeden Frazier #12

“KKFraz”

“McNutty”

Grade: 12 Position: Forward For Golden Throne I am most excited for… the energy Who inspires you the most: MarineTrey

Grade: 12 Position: Shooting Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for… the energy! Pre-game ritual: Dancing around and getting hype

Grade: 12 Position: Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for… my dad coming up from California to watch Who inspires you the most: My momma

Grade: 12 Position: Shooting Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for… My birthday My favorite thing about Clarkston is… the Hoops!

Dawson Packwood #40

Misael Perez #0

Andrew Reeder #10

Christian Robbins #5

“Dpack”

Grade: 11 Position: Forward For Golden Throne I am most excited for… the big game When the season ends I will miss… the team

“Mis”

Grade: 11 Position: Point Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for… playing in front of my family What is your secret weapon: getting teammates open

“Dontae with a 3”

Grade: 12 Position: Forward For Golden Throne I am most excited for… the energy from the crowd What’s your secret weapon: My 2k skills

“C. rob”

Grade: 12 Position: Shooting Guard For Golden Throne I am most excited for… the crowd ‘n’ the hype! When the season ends I will miss… my brothas

LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GO

BANTAMS!

18 Entertainment

THE BENGAL’S PURR

Bircher’s Grill provides enjoyable atmosphere By Sophie Hunter Entertainment Assistant

Bircher’s Grill offers a Club sandwich. Photo by Sophie Hunter.

Bircher's Grill is a new familystyle restaurant on Main Street in downtown Lewiston. Their menu offers mostly American-style dishes along with surf-and-turf. The items discussed in this review are the Club sandwich, mac and cheese, chicken noodle soup, bite-size steak and Cajun shrimp. Upon entering, it's hard to pinpoint its theme. There are winery signs, old car signs and modern canvases. Although it isn't inherently unpleasant, it feels thrown-together and doesn't provide an immersive experience. Given the long rectangular shape of the space at Bircher's, seating is open and does not offer much for privacy or opportunities to seat large parties. But almost all the seats have excellent TV views for a variety of games and events. During a recent visit, the music was fitting for the environment and provided a throwback feel. Excellent customer service quickly overshadows any

negative factors. The staff are quick and friendly and make visitors feel at home. Everything is clean, and tables are quickly cleared off after patrons leave. For the chicken noodle soup. the flavor is incredible and strong, but the noodles fall short. During this visit, they were soggy and felt as though they had been reheated and sat for a while before being served. The soup was still enjoyable but it could have been fresher. The same goes for the mac and cheese. Although it’s good, it feels like the ingredients are not fresh -- possibly made from boxed and bagged ingredients. But Bircher's shines when it comes to the sub sandwich. The number of ingredients and ratios all work well together. It is nicely grilled and not soggy at all. It comes with a basket of fries that are similar to flat jojos. Everything here has good flavor without being too salty in an attempt to overcompensate. There are no complaints when it comes to the bite-size special. It comes with bite-size steak, Cajun shrimp, mashed

potatoes and gravy, broccoli and au jus. For this meal, the steak was cooked medium as ordered. It was tender, properly seasoned, and had an excellent flavor. Drenched in a buttery sauce with a hint of Cajun spice, the frozen shrimp do not disappoint. For the price, one would expect larger portions, but the quality makes up for it. The mashed potatoes and gravy come in the potato peel, which serves as the bowl. This is the perfect medium for its flavor profile and goes well with the main components of the dish. Overall, the experience at Bircher's is very enjoyable, but it doesn't provide a lot to stand out from other similar establishments in the valley. For these reasons, Bircher's Grill gets a 7/10.

Knives Out proves to be classic mystery movie By Ellie Hafer Entertainment Editor

On Nov. 27, director Rian Johnson released his comedic crime-drama, Knives Out. The story follows a classic whodunit path as a family tries to determine who murdered their patriarch, Harlan Thrombey, on the night of his birthday. A star-studded cast supports the film with Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Shannon. The movie has an engaging story, outstanding enough to earn three Golden Globe nominations, one Academy Award nomination, and multiple other nominations.

Knives Out is a refreshing mystery in this day and age. The plot is exceptionally wellwritten, with intricate details that are all revealed at the end. Everything falls right into place, and there are no plot holes or missing links. It is incredibly satisfying to watch justice served to everyone in the family who deserves it. Another element that makes this movie so good is the acting. Acting by both de Armas and Craig received Golden Globe nominations. De Armas is a powerhouse playing Marta Cabrera, the nurse for Thrombey. Ultimately, she is the main reason for the case being solved. Craig plays Detective Benoit Blanc, who aids

Cabrera in the mystery. Overall, Knives Out is a refreshingly well-done movie. Critics at IMDb gave it an 8/10, and Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 97% as of Jan. 14. The story well-crafted and phenomenal acting supports. For these reasons, Knives Out deserves a 9/10.

Chris Evans stares sullenly while he plays Ransom Thrombey, the black sheep of the Thrombey family. Photo courtesy of IMDB.com.

Friday, Jan. 24, 2020

Entertainment

Cats becomes popular for all the wrong reasons By Sophie Hunter Entertainment Assistant Released Dec. 20, 2019, Cats is a celebrity-packed musical based off the Broadway production under the same name. With a $95 million budget, expectations for this movie in all areas were high. Disappointingly, the movie only made about $6.5 million during its domestic debut. According to the Star Tribune, the film is expected to lose at least $70 million. After the release of its teaser trailer, the movie gained much buzz on social media, but for all the wrong reasons. Many claimed that the animation and editing looked unfinished and that something seemed off about the characters. Even after watching the trailer, it was still hard to guess what the movie could be about. The trailer itself is more enjoyable and fulfilling than the entirety of the film. Cats follows the story of a cat that gets thrown into an alley with other cats. They each introduce themselves with a series of songs, then compete for the chance to go to heaven. It takes a long time to even pick up on the fact that the cats are competing to die, and that still doesn’t make the movie any better or easier to understand. Just looking at the production itself, something about the cats looks wrong. The cats have human faces, feet and hands, but have fur, a tail and cat ears. They move in a smooth, seductive manner that leaves one feeling uncomfortable at best. All of the cats get in each other’s personal space, and they all look like they are in heat. The animation and overall production of the film look rushed and unfinished. Throughout the movie, the cats change size in a sense. In some scenes, they appear to be the size of humans com-

The cats dance as they introduce themselves. Photo courtesy of IMDb.com

pared to things in the room, but in the next, they look like ants. It feels like no extra time or thought went into making sure every part of the movie was complete or looked seamlessly edited. The dancing looks awkward and unnatural, especially paired with the lazy choreography. Although the film is jampacked with celebrity actors and singers -- including Taylor Swift, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, James Cordon and Rebel Wilson -- they can’t compensate for the quality of the film at all. The actors just don’t fit into their roles, and it seems like they are included only so people might watch watch the movie for a celeb’s cameo. The songs themselves are subpar, but the singing is fair considering the material. At times it feels like the actors don’t know what role they are playing, just going with the lines.

This fever dream of a movie is not worth the watch. It’s upsetting that this movie had to flop so hard because it really could have been something. They had the music, the celebrities, everything they needed, and somehow, it just didn’t pull through. In a nutshell, this movie is hard to watch. It doesn’t hold the viewer’s attention; it’s hard to follow, hard to understand and impossible to enjoy. For these reasons, Cats deserves a 2/10.

THE BENGAL’S PURR

20 Entertainment

Posthumous Circles sadly underwhelms

By Eli Thomas Co-Entertainment Editor Pittsburgh rapper Malcolm McCormick -- better known as Mac Miller -- had his first posthumous album, titled Circles, released Jan. 17. This comes after Miller tragically died from a drug overdose in his California home in September of 2018. The announcement of this album came as a surprise to many, as it was kept very lowkey for the 16 months since Mac’s passing. It was also announced that this album was originally supposed to be a counterpart or sequel to his 2018 album Swimming, which came out just a month before his passing. That album and its context trigger haunting and surreal yet beautiful feelings, making many fans anxious to hear what sort of sound this album would have. But when comparing Swimming and Circles, it is sort of like comparing a beautiful, carefully composed painting with a sketch that someone does in their notebook when they are bored in class. They are just not in the same league. One can definitely see the artistic similarities between the two, but Circles simply does not sound as well thought-out as Swimming. This makes sense considering the fact that this album was not completely finished at the time of Mac’s death. Even if this album were not a sequel or related to its predecessor in any way, it would still be an underwhelming listen on its own. The album opens with the title track, which makes Mac out to be less of a rapper and more of a lead singer for some generic indie rock band. His vocals are not awful, just average at best. The opener does a good job setting the very toned-down aesthetic of the album, with “Good News” being the one and only single that foreshadowed the album. It is puzzling how this song

was chosen as the single to release for Circles because it is one of the most boring and dragged-out songs amongst the 12. The first half of the album has songs that are much better than this one, such as “I Can See.” “Blue World” features a very cool vocal sample and bright, optimistic lyrics from Mac. The rapping on this track is also a refreshing change of pace from his singing. “That’s on Me” is perhaps another contender for best song on the record, with its beautiful hand-picked guitar. Mac’s singing here is actually a highlight, too, surprisingly enough. This song is also a high point for the album’s second half, which is where Circles really starts to falter and overstay its welcome. Mac’s blend of synth-infused funk and borderline alternative music gets predictable and boring very quickly. The lyrics are also pretty predictable and run-of-themill. There are no lyrics on this album that are even worth discussing and none even come close to the ones in songs like “2009” and “Dunno” off of Swimming. The track “Everybody” features predictable and unfocused lyrics from Mac . The instrumental is reminiscent of a demo that a thousand different indie bands could have come up with. “Hand Me Downs” and “Surf” could also fit the same description. The latter of the two also drags on forever -- an instrumental this boring should not have a 2-min. outro. As for the closing track, “Once a Day” does a great job matching the lackluster nature of the album, and that is about all it has to offer. Like most other songs on Circles, it features instrumentation that sounds like it has already been done better by many artists in the past. This album could have hopefully sounded better if Mac

were alive to finish it. Some tracks sound like rough drafts or works in progress. Nevertheless, if this were not the case, then the album is still a disappointing follow-up to Swimming, which was emotionally potent and tear-jerking. Circles gets a 3/10.

Producers released Circles Jan. 17 for the late Mac Miller. Album art courtesy of sohh.com.