2018 April

Panic! at the Disco review pg.22

Creek yoga club pg.6

Creek Polka Band pg.4

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Photo Courtesy of Vallejo

Photo Courtesy of Correll

Creek Rockets Club qualifies for Washington D.C. launch

By Arrington Linder Features Editor The first ever Clear Creek High School Rocket Club will be competing in Washington, D.C. May 12 at Team America Rocketry Challenge with their rocket, Cosmicam!.

The club consists of four members; Matthew Irvine, freshman; Quinn Le Boeuf, sophomore; Peyton Burlington, sophomore and Gabriel Traslavina, freshman.

“A year ago, at my middle school, they had their own rocket club and they needed an extra teammate and I was helping them build stuff with their rocket…It seemed like it would be a lot of fun. I continue to do it because it’s fun to go out there and build a rocket yourself and no one’s helping you, just you and your team,” Irvine, said.

Last school year, Le Boeuf and Burlington attempted to start the club, but they were unable to get more members to join. This year however, Irvine had a rocket club at his middle school and wanted to join the club, along with Traslavina, so Le Boeuf and Burlington filled out the paperwork to make the club official.

Kortney Field, a biology teacher, sponsors the club. Mrs. Field arranges the travel for the club, and is an overall voice and a mentor for the group.

“I chose to sponsor the club as a way to give back in honor of my husband. My

husband started a rocket club while he was in high school, which ultimately was the driving force behind his decision to change his college/career path from medical to aerospace engineering. The exposure and experience from the club help my husband

(Left to Right) Peyton Burlington, Gabe Traslavina,

land his job working $100,000 in cash Theresia Heimer and Matthew Irvine for mission control and scholarships.

Photo by Catherine Irvine at NASA (the reason The team that wins why we call Houston our home). I have Nationals will fly to Europe to participate in seen the benefits of what a rocketry club the International Rocketry Challenge. can do and I am very happy to be part “There’s one round where we all of their journey,” Mrs. Field, said. launch our rockets again and have to Roughly 5,000 students compete score for the targeted altitude and time in Team America Rocketry Challenge duration and so depending on how we (TARC) every year. During the competition, do, the top 25 of that first round with competitors must build a rocket to carry two the top 25 lowest scores move onto the

Principal of The Year

By Sierra Dickey Editor-In-Chief

Photo by Danielle Dunavant

2018 CCISD’s Secondary Principal of the Year has been awarded to Creek’s principal, Jamey Majewski. Majewski first was inspired to become a part of the educational system when he was enrolled at Deer Park ISD, where he had many teachers as influencers to him. After high school, Majewski went to college to teach Social Studies. He then started his

raw eggs and fly it within a certain range of time. Upon completing this task correctly, the teams will be judged and the top 100 teams are asked to go to Washington, D.C. to compete in the National Finals. The teams that place the highest will split over

teaching career at CCISD where he climbed the ladder of success throughout the years.

Majewski has been Creek’s principal for the past five years and hopefully more to come.

“He deserves this award because he is a servant leader, he takes care of his resources and staff. He does this for the kids and that makes the job worthwhile” Mr. David Drake, Associate Principal, said.

Everything he does for the students does not go unnoticed. Many of the Creek students look up to Majewski as a leader and aspire to be like him one day. He supports all the sports at Creek and goes to most of the games. His dedication to Clear Creek High School has affected and motivated students and teachers alike.

“Majewski has been a constant presence for the tennis team and school. He has helped me with college transcripts and admissions. I admire how good of a leader he is because he always takes advice from the student body and gets to know his students,” Micheal Raji, future Harvard attendee, said.

He was awarded this position because he puts his students and staff first before himself.

He makes connections with the students and speaks to them as young adults. His kindness and respect he shows to others at Creek reflects his amazing character and has gained him the respect of others as well. The students and staff at Creek are very proud of their principal. Congratulations Mr. Majewski!

second round where there’s a new altitude that you have to target for and then those are ranked,” Burlington, said.

Theresia Heimer is a student at Clear Horizons who has been helping the team with their rockets. Although she doesn’t attend Clear Creek, she has still been active and has been chosen to be the vice president of the club next school year.

“We would also like to thank Theresia Heimer who goes to Clear Horizons and has been helping us at our launches and will be vice president of our club next year,” Irvine, said.

To determine the schematics of the rocket, the team uses a simulator called RockSim. With RockSim, rockets can be built and one is able to do a test run on the rocket instead of having to rebuild it until it is perfect.

“We can design the fins in there and then that gives us a template we can use to build the actual fins so then we put together the rocket based on what we created on the computer,” Burlington said.

Over the summer, the club wrote a proposal for the Student Innovated Grant and were awarded 600 dollars to start the club. The money was used to purchase “much-needed rocket hardware and software supplies.” During the month of March, the club tested their rockets, with multiple successful launches.

Teacher of The Year

By Catherine Irvine Editor-In-Chief

Photo Courtesy of Kylie Kunefke

Clear Creek’s 2017-2018 Teacher of the Year has been awarded to Mrs. Kylie Kunefke. Mrs. Kunefke teaches English Language Arts and special education classes. She does everything she can to help each individual meet their full potential.

“If your down, she’ll pick you up and help you,” Spencer Plato, sophomore, said.

“I’m blessed with a great husband, kids and family that cheer me on from the bleachers every single day I wake up.

I hope each one of my students know I’d do the same for them. Knowing someone is in your corner can be a huge difference maker in their lives,” Kunefke, said.

Kunefke has taught at Creek for two years, and another thirteen at other campuses.

“I believe in the Golden Rule and doing what’s right, even if it costs you.

I believe in fighting the good fight, and I’m learning to choose my battles. Life can throw a lot at you, so you have to learn what to catch, and what to let go. I know something as small as a gesture as a smile can change someone’s mood, day and life,” Kunefke, said.

Kunefke is loved by her students and fellow staff members, and her dedication is appreciated by everyone around her.

“Coach Kunefke is really positive.

She always just motivates us to do our best and work hard, even in things outside of volleyball. She’ll try to help us be better in the classroom as well,” Temi Dada, junior, said.

All the staff and students at Creek are proud of her and appreciates all she does. Congratulations to Mrs. Kunefke for being awarded Clear Creek’s Teacher of the Year!

2

Sierra Shares: Truth of Foreign Aid

What would you do with a million dollars and why?

“I WOULD USE TH E MONEY TO HELP AD DICTED STUDENTS EARLY BEFORE IT G ETS WORSE. TWO YEAR S AGO I LOST ONE O F MY STUDENTS AN D IT AFFECTED ME A LO T.” -MRS. UNDERWOO D

“I WOU LD DO NATE IT TO HA THE C H HELP H ARITIE LF OF O S THEN MELESS YOU THAT BUY A TH AN LOT O D AND A F BOO RT BEC K S AU SUPPO RTING SE I LOVE ARTIST - ZOE S RIGSB Y (10TH .” )

“FIRST I WOULD USE THE MONEY FOR COLLEGE, THEN WHATEVER IS LEFT OVER WOULD GO TOWARDS ANIMAL RESEARCH.” -cierra Aguilera (10th)

OF IT AND “I WOULD TAKE A FOURTH THEN I’D INPUT IT INTO RETIREMENT, TO STOCKS, VEST ANOTEHR FOURTH IN ARITIES AND ANOTHER FOURTH TO CH T IN LIFE.” THE REST AS MY SAFETY NE -JENNA HEERBOTH (9TH)

“I WOULD START MY OWN FASHION COMPANY.” -ZACH FOSTER (9TH)

TO LAW O G D L ITH “I WOU THEN W ON, L O O M SCH OF THE T S E R MY THE FUND D L U O GE.” EY I W ’ COLLE S G N I A L SIB ALACAR M A C I -AMER (10TH)

What is your Favorite Spring timesport and why? tball be“I Like baske m went cause my mo for basto college always ketball. It’s family.” been in the Allen - Gabriella (10th)

Softball is m y favorite spring time sp ort because i’ ve been playing since i was th ree and love it.”

- Adri Aranzet a (10th)

“my favorite spring sport is track and field because i run hurdles.”

Kingston Griffin (11th) s sport i e t i r o ’s a “My fav ause it c e b r e socc sport ented i r o m ontea me is c a g e h g.” and t y goin a l t n a t s ril ck Phr - Derri (11th)

g prin s e t i et avor bask My f port is its a s e time becaus that i ball f mine .” joy by o hob eally en ann m r n ha a i r -da (10th)

rt ng spo i r p s e ave orit “my fav ause i h ay c e b l l a pl is baseb riends who f f ng a ton o joy supporti n and i e them.” th) abir (12 k k i s A -

“My fa vo time s rite spring port i s so ball b ecause fti’ve been p laying such a for long time and i get with m to play y -Bree a sister.” ranze (11th) ta

2017-2018

HiLife Staff Principal:

Advisor:

Editors-in-Chief:

Photo Editor:

Managing Editor:

Design Editor:

News Editor:

Online Editor:

Features Editor:

Entertainment Editor:

Sports Editor:

Around Creek Editor:

Advertising Manager: Reporters:

Briana Harris Leah Burnam DeAundrea Edwards Kadyn Chatman Nicole Alvarenga Ashleigh Lewis Sebastian Sandoval Olivia Foster

3

Editorial

Opinion

By Sierra Dickey Editor-in-Chief Foreign aid is the action of giving or lending money, food or other resources from one country to another. Within the United States specifically, only one percent of the federal budget is used for foreign aid. With more than 184 countries receiving the divided amount, each individual country only receives .0005 percent of the federal budget. That is, if all the countries evenly received aid. A study shows that 75 percent of the budget for foreign aid went to Egypt and Israel, leaving only 25 percent for the other 182 countries. With countries like Nigeria and Niger in devastating conditions with recent flooding, the amount of aid from the United States going to them is severely lacking. With such limited amounts of money from the United States being donated, and the uneven distribution of the money, certain parts of the world are in detrimental conditions. With

Danielle Dunavant Clarissa Valcoviak Erik Kouth Christifer Castillo Cece Huff

Published at Mirror Publishers in Texas City Visit us at: www.creekhilife.com or http://clearcreekhs.ccisd.net For ad rates call: (281)-284-1889

to create allies rather than enemies. Foreign aid is not the only way connections between the United States and other countries can be established. With the help of volunteers like the Peace Corps, NGO’s and non-profit or-

ates of college, to other parts of the world whether it be close like Indiana or far like India. They provide medical assistance, construction aid and teaching of other cultures, all of which help develop the area.

We are a world all connected by life, so why do we turn our heads at struggling societies? Foreign aid provides benefits to both the giver and the receiver and in turn creates a link between the nations. Volunteering allows for the integration of cultures and teaching, which stimulates education and increases the development of the area while gaining first-hand experience. Just these two things alone, if increased, can impact many countries that are in dire need of recovery.

As a human being of this world, with the belief that we, as a whole, have to work with each other to build upon one another, I feel there is an obligation to help others around me. Not only should we help the nations that have previously supported us, but nations that also need support first. In order to gain allies when needed, we first must show aid to them. This does not only apply on the national scale, but individually as well. Any small act that can be positively impactful for someone that needs support, should be attempted or fulfilled. Many people do not understand just how much people depend on others for growth, nations are the same way.

“You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality -ubuntu- you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, seperated from one another, whereas you are connectd and what you do affects the whole world.”

-Desmond Tutu ganizations, countries are able to receive aid from people that want to make a difference in these third world countries. Within the Peace Corps, many connect to other cultures and help areas recover from certain disasters. The Peace Corps is an organization that sends 18+ year old people, usually gradu-

Cat’s Chats: Environmental Expose

Jamey Majewski Wynette Jameson Catherine Irvine Sierra Dickey Katie Rodriguez Brittney Melanson Brittney Melanson Maddie Moore Lilo Shelley Arrington Linder Joana Mancia Jacob Madden Morgan Severson Brittney Melanson Photographers:

the increase of foreign aid, or even volunteer work, countries would build together and promote the stability of one another.

Along with the already low percentage of the United States federal budget going to foreign aid, polls show that the misinformed people of America believe that their country donates 25 to 27 percent of the federal budget to foreign aid and demand a cut, according to the Los Angeles Times. Due to the demands of budget cuts from the public throughout the years, the countries in need of support are, in reality, getting less than what they have gotten the previous years.

Another cut to the foreign aid budget is predicted to occur in 2019 with Donald Trump establishing an “America First” nation. With this new proposal, foreign aid will only be given to countries that have in the past supported and agreed with the United States.

Although many agree with cutting the budget, foreign aid does have some benefits for the United States as well. With aid given to other countries from America we are able

By Catherine Irvine Editor-in-Chief In order to prevent more species from going extinct, immediate action must be taken from every single person on the planet. Humans have caused the extinction of an absurd amount of species by overhunting, pollution of the earth and sea and destruction of habitats in order to drill for oil or build man-made structures.

In March, the last male northern white rhino, Sudan, died, leaving the species to eventually go extinct. Sudan spent the majority of his life in a zoo, then in 2009 was moved to a conservancy with three other northern white rhinos. The breeding programs failed, leaving only two living female northern white rhinos in the world.

The main cause of their major decline in population is from human poaching for

their horns, which are valuable in Asia.

The lack of aggressiveness of the herds led to the species being easy targets since the colonial era. Another cause of the decline was their loss of habitat. Agriculture and human settlements began taking up areas that the herds were commonly found in, forcing them to search for other resources.

Humans are 100 percent to blame for all the causes that have led to this species’ extinction.

Regulation of agriculture, settlement and an increased budget for protecting any endangered species can prevent another species from going extinct. Humans just have to put forth a greater effort and make conscious decisions towards protecting the environment.

In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was responsible for leaking 210,000,000 gallons of oil into the ocean. Approximately 82,000 birds, 6,165 sea turtles and 25,900 marine mammals were harmed or killed by the pollution from the loose oil.

Volunteers spent months cleaning oil out of beaches, and The U.S. government had

to spend billions of dollars on the clean-up process and recovery the spill required. The uncontained oil had to be manually cleaned from affected beaches and the clean-up efforts did not officially conclude until 2014.

Even afterwards, oil continued to wash up on shores, but some of it could not be cleaned

renewable energy sources such as solar power, windmills and hydroelectric power.

The environment is suffering due to human carelessness. According to a UN environmental study, an estimated 150-200 species of plants, insects, birds or mammals become extinct every 24 hours. The main causes of extinction are habitat loss caused by human settlement, poaching and global warming. All of which can be prevented by a change in human activities such as the switch to renewable resources, responsible settlement and create a more active campaign against poaching and large animal hunting.

Each individual could find small, simple solutions to follow at home to minimize their footprint on the environment.

Ways such as recycling, minimizing water use, carpooling and properly disposing of plastic packaging can reduce the influence held on the environment. Unfortunately, without everyone taking action, nothing will improve and we will live to see millions more species reach extinction.

“UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

- The Lorax because it was either unreachable or would cause further harm to the ecosystem. This oil spill is only one of several examples that shows the extreme harm drilling causes to wildlife. Less harmful alternates to oil are

4 Around Creek

Creek Polka Band advances to Texas State contest

By Morgan Severson Around Creek Editor

Creek’s Polka Band won first place in the Texas State German Contest. The band is composed of students enrolled in band and German and two of the students can be non-German students. The Polka Band was one of Creek’s only musical entries in the regional German competition.

The members of the band include Kaeli Phillips, the conductor, Joshua Oh, soprano saxophone, Everett Cunningham, trumpet, Kevin Nickl, tuba, Chloe Crepinsek, French horn, Victoria Eaton, clarinet and Cory Helton, bari saxophone.

“I enjoy learning about different cultures and this German competition was centered around music, another topic that I enjoy.

Our German program is small compared to other schools.

Being able to experience German culture through the other schools participating and the competition judges and regulators was unique. I really liked the different German dances, food and music being presented at the competitions,” Oh, junior, said.

The Polka Band traveled to San Marcos at Texas Tech University on February 24 to compete in the Texas State German Contest. The band competed against 14 other Polka Bands from around the state.

“Because I have a strong interest in music and I’m in the German class, I thought [joining the Polka Band] would be a good opportunity to make music with friends. My favorite part was getting first at state,” Cunningham, sophomore, said.

Before they advanced in state, Creek’s

Polka Band competed in Houstonfest, a regional German language and culture competition at Hogg Middle School on February 3. The band won first place again bringing home two wins for Creek.

“I joined the band to have an extracurricular activity to focus on so I’m

Houstonfest advancing her essay to state.

“The entertainment at [Houstonfest] was really funny, a band came and preformed. I learned that there is a very diverse German speaking population.

[I signed up for German] because I like German and I want to go to Germany

not bored. Getting to Photo courtesy of Kathrin Correll for graduate school,” see the Texas Tech State McCarty, senior, said. campus [was my favorite part.] It was a Founded in 1980, Houstonfest big campus. It was great [that] we had the chance to go to state,” Helton, junior, said. is a festival with 42 competitions for Other Creek students who participated German speaking students in German in Houstonfest competitions were one to German five classes. Creek was Margaret McCarty who won first place in one of the 24 schools that competed in logo design and is now being used on the Houstonfest. Some of the competitions Houstonfest website. Elida Met-Hoxha at Houstonfest include skit, culture test, competed in prose reading and won first photography, puppet show, folk dance, at Houstonfest and second at state and contemporary music and poetry reading.

“I joined the band for Houstonfest, for Morgan Penrod who competed in the something to compete in and it was fun photo essay category and placed third at

so [the band] stayed together. Performing in front of judges was nerve wracking but I learned how to get better overall and to be more expressive. We usually practice and play after school when we have time together,” Crepinsek, sophomore, said.

Houstonfest is sponsored by the German Institute for the Southwest, or the GIS and has the mission of brining German culture and language to the Southwest of the United States.

According to the GIS, their goal is, “to shape and revise the traditional image of Germany, to present contemporary German culture and to foster the German language and culture within the American educational system.

Our students learn more than a language, they learn to love and appreciate a culture.”

The band performed at the National Honor Society induction ceremony on April 12 as entertainment for the NHS inductees and their families.

“We [played] a couple of traditional polkas from all over Germany. It’s really diverse music. Before state we practiced a couple of times after school each week and once a week before the induction ceremony. I started the band sophomore year because there was an area for competition in the German contest were in.

There weren’t many good bands entered so we knew we had a lot to contribute. My favorite part of state was meeting people from other schools and eating a lot of good German food,” Phillips, junior, said.

Around Creek 5

Creek Construction Tech introduces new skills that they had to research, floor systems, wall systems, roof systems and hardware. They came back together to get a final cost. This During the years of 2016 and 2017, is the first project for this class where they the Construction Tech students have been working on improving the school courtyard. The students have added new tables to our courtyard.

Other students are pleased because they can now enjoy the nice weather during lunch and find a spot under a tree and enjoy the natural shade.

This school year they are doing something new.

Mr. Duane Sheets, the teacher of Construction Tech, has gone beyond tables for the courtyard.

He and his students have come up with a way where they can get experience in building floor systems, wall systems and roofing systems.

Before the students could face this challenge, they had to study and learn the lessons.

They get their lessons from the National Center of Construction Education Research, an organization where you can have to be careful in budgeting. be certified in both safety and work in After researching the cost, Mr. Sheets construction. On the Nwebsite, the students sent a memo and got many responses from work on modules and then take a final test teachers around the school. The students at the end to evaluate their progress and now have to come up with the architectural skill. If they fail to get a 70 they have to plans and contracts for the teachers who retake the test. Some of the modules require are interested. Instead of Mr. Sheets a performance test. To complete this test having a conference with the teachers the students will have to build sheds. “one on one,” the students had to do it.

“It’s a great way to get your At first, some of the students were experience in this project! By building nervous. It was their first time to conduct a it from bottom to top.” Mr. Sheets said. meeting business with people who live in the In Construction Tech students consists real world. Before doing the presentation, of sophomores, juniors and seniors. In the Mr. Sheets told them about the three T’s. beginning, they all had to agree in what “Tell what you are going to tell they were going to build. They found a set them, tell them and tell them what you of plans for a shed with a gable roof and a just said.” Mr. Sheet advised the students.

10 x 12 area. After they ran the plans by Mr. This was a new experience for most Sheets, they were divided into four topics students and it is something that most are

By Sebastian Sandoval Reporter

going to have in hand and use for when they leave high school. For some, this class can benefit them in various ways in real-life events. Many have taken this class for years

Photo by Sebastian Sandoval and have shown that it does aid in outside skills. Their skills were put to the test when

they built Mrs. Crystal Jez a shed at her house.

During the whole month of working on the shed, the students developed teamwork, communication and handiwork. “ [ T h e students] got there early and started working right away on the deck of the shed…The teamwork of the students and how they were working together, what [they] do is just amazing.”

Mrs. Jez, said.

E v e r y student was excited to step up and put together the new shed.

“Oh man, the shed is amazing,” David Swisher, former CTE student, said.

They still are currently finishing the shed, but Mrs. Jez is really thankful and proud of Mr. Sheets and his group of students

6 Around Creek Ana Vallejo brings Yoga Club to Creek students

By Leah Burnam Reporter

Ana Vallejo, a junior at Creek, started a yoga club available to all grade levels. The club started in January and is a place where one can meditate and learn about the way meditation can improve your overall health. This club can be beneficial to those who would like to prevent injuries from sports or simply just want something fun to do after school.

Vallejo came up with the idea to start yoga club her freshman year at Creek.

However, her sophomore year is when the yoga club took off once she had the funds and people to start the club.

“I wanted to start it when I began taking yoga classes outside of school,” Vallejo, said.

Vallejo hung posters and talked to everyone she knew in order to get more people to join the club. The club has maintained their number of seven people for each class every week and she hopes to gain more people in the future. Ms. Tara Awai, a 10 grade English teacher here at Creek, helped Vallejo fund the club and even lead the classes when she heard about how passionate Vallejo was about doing yoga.

“I would never say no in supporting students in yoga and meditation - two things I feel are necessary for everyone in supporting health, happiness, and individual growth,” Ms. Awai, said.

Since the club does not have t-shirts, the funding goes to having field trips and purchasing yoga mats for each individual who joins the club. Ms. Awai, the instructor, donated some mats for use.

“Ms. Awai used to be an instructor and

has taught everyone in yoga club so much about yoga and meditating,” Vallejo said.

Becoming a yoga instructor can be quite tedious. The average time to complete training can last anywhere from three months to a year. First, an instructor must complete a 200-hour certification, and if

to a decline in the members of a club.

“My biggest difficulty is that a lot of the girls and guys that want to come to yoga have practice after school, so they can’t come unless they are in off season,” Vallejo said.

However, yoga can be very beneficial to those who participate in it. It helps with

Photo Courtesy of Ana Vallejo

ambitious to complete more, a 500-hour certification.

“I have done volunteer classes in the past for teachers at Pasadena High/ Middle school. I have done volunteer yoga classes and volunteer park classes.

I do not currently work in a studio. I am still working on getting officially certified and [I am going to India this summer to complete training],” Ms. Awai, said.

Like any club here at Creek, there are problems when it comes to getting more people to join. Students tend to have tight schedules and are trying to keep up with out of school activities, which can lead

flexibility, muscle strength, energy, cardio and circulatory health. Aside from the physical benefits, yoga can also improve mental health.

It allows you to relax the mind and be in a state of calmness and self-awareness, which can further lead to better concentration.

“The purpose of yoga is to create strength, awareness and harmony in both the mind and body,” Natalie Nevins, a board-certified osteopathic family physician and certified Kundalini Yoga instructor, said.

With yoga being a mental and physical discipline, meditation is a part of that. Once

someone has reached yoga asana, or a yoga posture, meditation is intended to follow that.

“I have done lots of research on meditation because there are so many great benefits to learn about. It has helped me physically by gaining some strength from the yoga poses and meditating has helped me a lot for concentrating and being more at peace with myself and others,” Vallejo, said.

Only three-point-one percent of children in the U.S. participate in yoga and only ninepoint-five percent of adults in the U.S. participate in yoga. Although not many people participate in yoga, this activity has increased to more than 50 percent over the last four years.

And nearly 50 percent of people in the world consider themselves to be “yogis,” which is someone who is skilled in the art of yoga.

When going into a yoga club meeting here at Creek, one might find that each class begins by stretching and end by doing headstands or crow poses. The classes are intended to be fun and relaxed and no one should ever feel nervous when stepping into a class.

“I am always wanting as many people as possible to come. I think that anyone with an open mind can come into a yoga class knowing very little about it. For people that are nervous or scared about trying yoga, doing some research could really help ease their nerves. Looking up some of their questions on Google, reading a few articles with some tips, or watching YouTube videos to do alone and at their own pace are all very helpful ways of getting started,” Vallejo, said.

If someone is interested in joining the yoga club, classes are every Monday and Wednesday from 2:45-3:30 in room D120.

Join the remind by texting @2c4d4 to 81010.

Around Creek 7 ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

Alejandra Lopez

Photo By Christifer Castillo

Garret Poston is a senior who plays on the varsity baseball team. He is a team leader and believes baseball has made him a better person. Poston got into baseball by playing tee-ball. He first played tee-ball when he was five years old.

“I’ve dedicated almost all of my time through practicing and all the extra work to get better. I have a lot of support from my family and friends. They always motivate me to become better. They show up to games and sometimes come to my practices and scrimmages,” Poston said.

Poston will be attending Alvin Community College. Baseball has let him to

excel on the baseball field and anywhere else.

“I’ve had a lot of failures, a lot of things that [have] shifted me into becoming a better athlete [and] a better player. A lot of failures like close games have motivated me to move on past them and become a better player,” Poston said.

Among being a great player he is also well liked by his teamates and freinds.

“He works harder than any athlete I’ve ever met. He’s always someone you can count on and I trust him in our games as well,” Carson Loser, varsity baseball player, said.

Garret Poston

Photo By Christifer Castillo

Alejandra Lopez is a junior on the varsity tennis team. She is one of the top girls on her team and is very dedicated to tennis. She has been playing tennis ever since she was five years old.

“She’s our number one girl on the varsity tennis team. [She] has been fighting injuries and still has managed to be the number on seeded girl going into districts,” Coach Geisie, Girls Tennis Coach, said.

Lopez is planning on playing tennis in college and is looking for scholarships.

However, she does not know what school she will be attending. Lopez says she

“owes it all” to her mother, who takes her to every game and every practice she has. Not only does Lopez play for the school’s tennis team, but she also does tournaments and club outside of school.

“I moved from Puerto Rico to the United States for more opportunities in my tennis career. After every loss, it can be really hard, you know tennis is a mental sport, but I know I can overcome those losses with more practice,” Lopez said.

Lopez’s dedication is noticed by everyone on her team and motivates them to do better as well.

8 Around Creek

Puzzles

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9

10

Features

Stephen Hawking dies after life battle with ALS lectures, skype and build sentences easily. relativity, Hawking and his partner Roger Hawking wrote several books in his Penrose theorized that “relativity implied lifetime, such as A Brief History of Time, space and time would have a beginning Dr. Stephen Hawking, a famous Black Holes and Baby Universes, A Briefer in the Big Bang and end in black holes.” theoretical physicist known for his studies History of Time, The Universe in a Nutshell Because of this, Hawking and Penrose in general relativity and black holes, passed away due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, which he was diagnosed with at the age of 21. At the time, Hawking’s doctors told him he was only expected to live two more years. However, Hawking defied those odds and lived to be 76 years old.

At age ten, Hawking attended college at Oxford University, where he studied physics and received a first-class honors degree in natural science. Ten years later, Hawking attended the University of Cambridge in order to research cosmology, the science of the origin and development of the universe. After getting his PhD, he wrote Properties of Expanding Universes, and won the Adams Prize for his essay Singularities and the Geometry of Space-DAMPT. Hawking became the Lucasian stated that “[it was] Professor of Mathematics at the University and The Theory of Everything, Photo courtesy of Flickr necessary to unify of Cambridge, a position in which which was later turned into Isaac Newton held in 1663. Hawking a film starring Eddie Redmayne and general relativity with quantum theory.” taught from 1979 until 2009, when he Felicity Jones. Redmayne won an award Hawking discovered that black holes was offered a position as the Dennis for Best Actor for his portrayal of Stephen “were not really black at all. They would Stanton Avery and Sally Tsui Wong- Hawking at the 2015 Academy Awards. eventually fizzle, leaking radiation and The Theory of Everything was centered particles, and finally explode and disappear Avery Director of Research at DAMPT. In 1997, Hawking was given a around Hawking’s early adulthood, his over the eons.” He published his thesis computer-based communication system relationship with his first wife, Jane “Black Hole Explosions?” in 1974, which sponsored by Intel Corporation. Using Hawking, the progression of his disease is considered to be the first theory that the tablet computer, Hawking was able and his career as a cosmologist. In 1973, connects gravity and quantum mechanics.

“Not since Albert Einstein has a to check emails, use the internet, give using Albert Einstein’s general theory of

By Maddie Moore News Editor

scientist so captured the public imagination and endeared himself to tens of millions of people around the world,” Michio Kaku, a professor of theoretical physics at the University of New York, said.

Despite his disease, Hawking was able to travel the world, including Antarctica, take part in a zero-gravity plane ride and has guest starred on television shows such as The Big Bang Theory, The Simpsons, and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Though Hawking was an atheist, his family decided to have his funeral at St Mary the Great Church in Cambridge, London since he was the founder of the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at Cambridge University and led the General Relativity group for over 30 years.

Citizens lined the streets despite not being able to attend the private service. 500 guests were invited to the service, including Redmayne and Martin Rees, Britain’s Astronomer Royal. Both Redmayne and Rees gave a reading and Robert, Hawking’s oldest son, and former student turned physicist, Fay Dowker eulogized Hawking.

Since Hawking’s funeral was the day before Easter Sunday, his family donated money toward an Easter lunch for those in poverty in Cambridge.

“They wanted to do something to support people going through a tough time,” Alex Collis, who works for the charity FoodCycle, said.

Lunch was served to 50 guests, and was called “Stephen’s final gift.”

Brown vs. Board of Education rights figure passes away

By Lilo Shelley Online Editor

Linda Brown, who played a major role in the U.S. Supreme Court case that was against racial segregation in American schools, died Sunday afternoon on, March 25 in Topeka, Kansas. She was born February 20, 1942 in Topeka, Kansas and was 76 when she died. Cheryl Brown Henderson, her sister, confirmed the death to The Topeka Capital Journal.

The U.S. Supreme Court case in 1954, Brown v. Board of Education, started when the family got a registration form in 1952, allegedly by mistake. Brown’s father, Oliver, attempted to enroll her when she was nine at the Sumner School, an all-white elementary school in Topeka.

Several other families were involved, all trying to fight decades of federal education laws that allowed segregated schools for African American and white students. The school district had four elementary schools for African American children. Compared to 18 schools for the white children.

The school board forbade the Brown from enrolling. To catch the bus, Brown and her sisters had to walk through railroad yards and across a busy avenue.

To be shipped two miles across town to attend school. This enraged Mr. Brown, an assistant pastor at St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church and welder.

He partnered with the NAACP and numerous other plaintiffs to file a lawsuit against the Topeka Board of Education in 1950. Because Brown was the first name alphabetically on the plaintiff’s list, the case was named Brown v. Board of Education.

“I remember the walk as being very long at that time and then when wintertime came, it was a very cold walk. I remember

that. I remember walking, tears freezing up said. The other students did not believe her. on my face because I began to cry because “Linda Brown’s life reminds us that it was so cold, and many times I had to sometimes the most unlikely people can have turn around and run back home.” Linda an incredible impact and that by serving our Brown said in 1985. community Two years we can truly later the court change the unanimously ruled w o r l d . ” to strike down the Jeff Colyer. doctrine of “separate K a n s a s but equal.” The Government, judges complied that t w e e t . it denied the 14th Brown Amendment of the was never U.S Constitution, able to enroll which states that no in Sumner. citizen can be denied By the time equal protection of the ruling under the law. because she The ruling was in junior overturned Plessy high, that v. Ferguson, which grade level established the being already separate but equal integrated doctrine that outlined before the the legal basis for 1954 court Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons the Jim Crow laws. ruling. But The court instructed schools to the younger daughters desegregate “with all deliberate speed,” but it was unsuccessful on constructing a direct timetable on doing so.

The day Brown heard the news and amued name she saw her father in tears.

“Little did he know years ago, when he stepped off the witness stand, he stepped into the pages of history,” Linda Brown, his daughter said.

On the first day of school in September, 1954, photographers crowded her classroom. Brown said her classmates thought it “was very funny” that they were taking pictures of her, when she explained to them her role in the court case, she

attended integrated schools, one of them becoming a teacher within the Topeka school district. During the extensive case, the family had moved to Springfield, Missouri, in 1959 because Mr. Brown was offered a position at an AME church. Two years later, after the death of Linda Brown’s father, his widow moved the girls back to Topeka.

When Brown was asked about her part in the historic case she told NPR that her father deserved the credit but added, “I am very proud that this happened to me and my family and I think it has helped minorities everywhere.”

“While her name will forever be a part of American civil rights history, her contributions to the community after the case are part of her legacy, too,” longtime friend Carolyn Campbell said.

Campbell regularly went to St. Mark’s African Methodist Episcopal Church, where Brown taught and played the piano to the children. The church dedicated the piano to her before her death. She also read books to children because she was always about education.

NEWS

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Fortnite releases video game on a smartphone app

year, it’s the first game we’ve seen since “Playing it feels fun rather than intense, Minecraft that’s had this kind of appeal. and I like that there are no dark corners or The upside potential is astronomical,” Mat creepy shadows people can pop out of. For A mix between Minecraft and a Piscatella, analyst at NPD Research, said. the most part, it’s just 100 animated superMost users of the game are also athletes running around a beautiful island shooting game has surfaced and has become the new phenomenon. Fortnite, attracting surprised it is free. Fortnite is said to be on a sunny day. They just happen to be millions to the game, has become a video game sensation with the introduction of the battle royale section of the game. The attention of the world is not only credited to the addition of the Battle Royale, but also the conversion of the game on mobile. However, the amount of people that actually play the game is lower than the people that watch it. Many fans of Fortnite watch streamings of others playing it like Twitch, Amazon. com and YouTube Gaming.

The mobile app has increased the value of the game substantially as well. The app, released in March, rose to the top of the iTunes charts worldwide within 12 hours. However, with Fortnite only being effective on the iPhones IOS, the game is still not as high as what it soon is expected Photo Courtesy of Flickr carrying automatic be. The launch of the Android version of graphically appealing and weapons,” Avery the game is to be released and with it, the more advanced than most increase in Fortnite hits. Not only will the other free games. The graphics of the Hartmans, fan of Fortnite, said.

The differentiation of the audience is introduction of the Android version boost game are somewhat cartoonish so that the the rating of Fortnite, but also the change in content of the killing is not too violent apparent and ages range from 14 to 40 year conditions of the game. The mobile version for the wide range of the audience. Along olds. Due to the increasing involvement of was an invite-only game up until April with the decrease in violence, Fortnite the youth, many parents and adults in the first, when the new conditions allowed also adds updates, twists and cultural education system are becoming worried that for the game to be available not only by references like dances from Scrubs, a the game is a distraction. Many teachers invitation. Because of the change, the game 2000 TV show. Because of this, the game have reported that the introduction of is expected to exceed its original ratings. attracts all ages and allows for supplies Fortnite to children was a mistake and the “It’s not just the biggest game of the to be bought on the game if wanted. attention of the students is now on the game

By Sierra Dickey Editor-In-Chief

rather than learning. Parents also have noticed that the game is highly addictive and causes disruption within their household. The game, loved by the gamers of the world, is hated by parents and other adults alike. Although the original game was less addictive because there was limited access, the mobile app is increasingly hard to separate from teens worldwide.

The original game, launched in July 2017, was only on the console and PC until the steady rise of popularity due to introduction of new playing modes. Both on the mobile app and on the PC game, the Battle Royale consists of a massive 100-person fight to the death. The Battle Royale allows the landscape to give supplies to the players along with more supplies when one of the players is killed. At the end of the round, only one player remains. Due to the popularity of the Battle Royale, it was released as a separate game in September of 2017. The introduction of the Battle Royale on the console version first paved the way to the mobile app’s success.

Fortnite also has thanks to Drake, who played the game with Tyler Blevins, a professional gamer and streaming star.

The rapper and Blevins streamed their game on Twitch, a game streaming website, on March 14 and received over 628,000 views. With the record breaking numbers, the game was officially introduced to the world. Over the past few months, the ratings have sky rocketed and are expected to keep rising with the release of the Android app and new forms of the game being added.

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Music

15

News

Last male northern white rhino dies at sanctuary

as a seminal moment for conservationists attempts. At the Conservancy he had his worldwide.” Richard Vigne, Ol Pejeta own team of veterinarians, armed guards Sudan, the last male northern white Conservancy chief executive, said and conservationists. The cause for their Since 2009, Sudan had been under inevitable extinction has nothing to do with rhinoceros, has died at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, leaving his species to inevitably go extinct. Sudan was euthanized in March at the age of 45 after caretakers realized he had an infection in his back leg that prevented him from being able to walk. The only ones left of his species are his daughter, Najin, and granddaughter, Fatu.

“We at Ol Pejeta are all saddened by Sudan’s death. He was an amazing rhino, a great ambassador for his species, and will be remembered for the work he did to raise awareness globally of the plight facing not Photo Courtesy of Flickr only rhinos, but also the many thousands natural selection, of other species facing extinction as a 24-hour protection from armed guards, but poaching for result of unsustainable human activity. and cut off his horns to prevent poaching their horns, which are sold in China for One day, his demise will hopefully be seen

By Catherine Irvine Editor-In-Chief

medicines and crafts, and were concentrated in countries which were at war, which meant they were killed for money, meat or arms.

“This is a creature that didn’t fail in evolution. It’s in this situation because of us,” Thomas Hildebrandt, head of reproduction management at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, said.

Sudan’s life has brought attention to the problems wildlife are facing because of human development, urging people to not allow the rapid extinction of species. to continue.

Although Sudan is gone, scientists have stored genetic material from him and several other northern white rhinos in hopes of breeding another through in vitro fertilization.

They would take the egg and sperm of the northern white rhinos, then transfer them into the surrogate of a southern white rhino.

Critically Endangered Animals 2017-2018:

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1. Amur Leopard

5. Darwin’s Fox

13. South China Tiger

17. Sumatran Tiger

2. Black Rhino

6. Eastern Lowland Gorilla 10. Mountain Gorilla

14. Sumatran Elephant

18. Vaguita

3. Bornean Orangutan

7. Hawksbill Turtle

11. Orangutan

15. Sumatran Orangutan

19. Lowland Gorilla

4. Cross River Gorilla

8. Javan Rhino

12. Saola

16. Sumatran Rhino

20. Yangtze Porpoise

9. Malayan Tiger

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“Enough is enough”

By Arrington Linder Features Editor

The March for Our Lives in Washington D.C. had about 800,000 people in attendance, making it the second largest march in U.S. history compared to The Million Man March in 1995. The March for Our Lives Houston had an estimated 15,000 marchers and some of those marchers were a part of the League City chapter of High School Democrats. The Creek members of the club who attended the march on March 24 were the club’s President, Anna Alves, Shelbi Woodard, Gisselle Mirales, Catherine Bradley, America Malacara and Molly Akin.

“It was amazing to see this massive gathering of likeminded individuals with a common goal of decreasing gun violence and making our schools safer. The March for Our Lives further ignited the passion I have for bringing forth change and I am so fortunate to have been able to attend the march alongside the High School Democrats,” Alves, sophomore, said.

The mission of the march is to have “not one more” mass shooting in the United States.

Popular slogans at the march were, “not one more,” “enough is enough,” and “never again.”

“I believe in gun control reform and that more restrictions should be implemented on fire arms. By the floods of people participating in the marches, the world is able to see how many Americans desire gun control. I went to the march because I want my voice as a student to be heard and I also want to be a source for people who want to get politically involved. I feel outrageously passionate about politics and how I can enable change.

My favorite part [of attending the march] would have to be celebrating my first amendment right and putting the democracy I live under into practice,” Bradley said.

According to marchforourlives.com, the specific goals the march is working towards are comprehensive background checks before buying guns, bringing the ATF, or Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, database of firearms searchable, more funds towards the Center for Disease and Control to research America’s gun violence epidemic and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

“I’ve never been used to having many people around me who are as progressive as me or truly cared about politics. Politics doesn’t just become part of our lives the day we turn 18, but it’s integrated into everything we do, so teens should definitely be given the opportunity to speak about politics,” Woodard, junior, said.

The League City chapter of High School Democrats was started by Alves at the end on 2017. The League City chapter is just one of the hundreds of chapters in the nation. The club is directly associated with the Democratic Party and High School Democrats of America. It gives high school students a voice in politics that they could not express before.

“I joined the Democrat Club because I think it’s good that democrats in high school unite together to educate ourselves more and participate in in events in our community,” Malacara, sophomore, said.

The club meets every other Wednesday at the Starbucks across the street from Creek at 6:30 pm. Activities at the meeting include writing letters to state representatives, discussing legislation and current issues, attending marches and rallies, holding voter registration drives and volunteering for Democratic candidates.

News Students march for all in Houston

By Morgan Severson Around Creek Editor

After the harrowing shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the students decided action needed to be taken. The March for Our Lives was started by Never Again MSD, an organization dedicated to tighten gun laws and prevent gun violence. Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, Jaclyn Corin, Alex Wind and Cameron Kasky are the key people in the organization. These five are also pictured on the April 2 issue of Time Magazine.

“The measures include a three-day waiting period on all firearms purchases, raising the age limit for gun sales to 21 and letting law enforcement temporarily confiscate weapons from anyone deemed a threat to themselves or to others,” The Houston NPR Radio Station, [on Florida’s new laws,] said.

The main march was held in Washington D.C, the nation’s capital. Around the world, over 800 “sister marches” were held in cities such as New York, Chicago, Dallas and Houston. With there being more than just the main march, many parents, students and teachers were able to attend. These marches were held to demand gun regulations and for action to be taken.

“All of a sudden they have $400 million to pay for teachers to get trained to arm themselves? Really? If the teacher dies [and] a student who’s a good student is able to get the gun, are they now held responsible to shoot the student who’s

come into the door? I’m not happy about that,” Emma Gonzalez, MSD activist, said.

Many students wore price tags around their wrists at the march. The tag had a price of $1.05 on it, symbolizing how much each student in the state of Florida is “worth.”

“This here is a dollar and five cents.

When you take 3,140,167, the number of students enrolled in Florida schools, and divide by $3,303,355, it comes out to a dollar and five cents,” Sarah Chadwick, Stoneman Douglas student, said.

“This is their moment. Not just for themselves, but for all of us,” Lin-Manuel Miranda, said.

An estimated 800,000 people attended the march in D.C., making it the largest one-day protest in history. The students of Stoneman Douglas were able to put on this march in a matter of six weeks with the help of celebrity donations such as Oprah, George Clooney, Stephen Spielberg and Ellen. With the money raised, half of the money will be for paying for the march and the other half will be provided to the families of the victims.

“In the wake of Parkland, I was awestruck by the strength and leadership of the students and their ability to speak truth to power. In the midst of their grief, they mobilized the youth of our nation and created a movement. This is their moment. Not just for themselves, but for all of us. This

song is my way of helping to raise funds and awareness for their efforts and to say Thank You, and that we are with you so let’s keep fighting, together,” Lin- Manuel Miranda, creator of Found/Tonight, said.

Found/Tonight is a song created by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt to raise money for the march. The song was released March 19 and was performed at the protest in honor of the victims. A portion of the profits made from the song are going to be donated to the cause as well.

“Better gun control is something that all Americans should be passionate about.

These students are paving the way for the future generations and it’s so inspiring to see young people standing up for what is probably the most important cause right now in this country, and demanding action. I hope that this song can play some small part in bringing about real change, Platt said.

In downtown Houston, over 15,000 people attended the march. The participants in the march protested on the streets near City Hall and at Tranquility Park chanting, “What do we want? Gun Control. When do we want it? Now.” “No one said we should take away our guns. What people are talking about is we are not doing as much as we can as a nation in a pragmatic manner to pass laws that will do more to keep firearms in the hands of law-abiding Americans,” Art Acevedo, Houston police Chief, said.

A school walkout was held on March 14 in which students and teachers walked out of their school for 17 minutes, symbolizing the 17 people killed in the Florida shooting, although many people walked out for longer.

Parkland faces tragedy of shooting

By Morgan Severson Around Creek Editor

While most people were enjoying Valentine’s Day, the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School in Parkland, Florida endured one of the largest school shooting in U. S. history.

The gunman, Nikolas Cruz, was a 19-yearold former student of the school who was expelled for fighting prior to the shooting.

Cruz easily entered the school’s Freshmen building a couple minutes before dismissal due to the school opening its exit gates at the end of the day. He had an AR-15 and magazines, which are ammunition accessories for the gun that allows continuous shooting. He pulled the fire alarm, filled the hallways and shot at the innocent students and faculty, killing 17 people and injuring 15 others.

The victims of the shooting include Alyssa Alhadeff, 14; Martin Duque Anguiano, 14; Jaime Guttenberg, 14; Cara Loughran, 14; Gina Montalto, 14; Alaina Petty, 14; Alex Schachter, 14; Luke Hoyer, 15; Peter Wang, 15; Carmen Schentrup, 16; Nicholas Dworet, 17; Joaquin Oliver, 17; Helena Ramsay, 17; Meadow Pollack, 18; Scott Beigel, 35; Aaron Feis, 37 and Chris Hixon, 49. A total of 14 students and 3 faculty members passed.

Based on reports from Cruz’s former classmates and people who knew him, this was not unexpected behavior. Cruz was reported to the FBI about a comment he made on YouTube that read, “I’m going to be a professional school shooter.”

Cruz had a background of abusing and stalking girls. While attending school, Cruz was banned from bringing a backpack because he had a history of bringing knives and ammunition to school. His Instagram

page was profuse with pictures of him and his guns and ammunition. At the age of 18, he bought the AR-15 that he used at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School.

His neighbors were afraid of him because Cruz would peek into their windows and kill their livestock, damage their cars and attack their animals. The 19-year-old also joined a white nationalist group and stopped taking his mental health medication.

“Since he was in middle school, it was no surprise to anyone who knew him to hear that he was the shooter. Those talking about how we should have not ostracized him, you didn’t know this kid. Okay, we did. We know that they are claiming mental health issues, and I am not a psychologist, but we need to pay attention to the fact that this was not just a mental health issue,” Emma Gonzalez, a former classmate of Cruz, said.

Florida’s president of School Administrators Association warned Florida schools that after the many school shootings in the U.S. alone this year, Florida schools were lacking security.

“Security was not adequate. We know we can get around the singlepoint front door entrance, and it’s a problem,” Angela Burrafato, a mother of a student at MSDHS, said.

Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High were outraged and devastated that the shooting happened. A group of students formed a movement called #NeverAgain, as they want it to be the last school shooting. The group of student activists include Cameron Kasky, the movements’ founder, Jaclyn Corin, Alex Wind, David Hogg and Emma Gonzalez.

“We are going to be the kids you read about in textbooks. Not because we’re going to be another statistic about mass shooting in America, but because, just as

David [Hogg] said, we are going to be the last mass shooting,” Gonzalez, said.

The students also worked on organizing a march called March For Our Lives that was on March 24 in Washington D.C..

Supporters for the march include George and Amal Clooney who donated 500,000 dollars, initially funding the march.

Then Oprah Winfrey, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg matched the Clooneys’ donation of 500,000 dollars.

Since the shooting, there have been protests for gun control allround the nation from students, teachers and concerned parents.

Florida’s lawmakers made changes to their gun laws and many gun control activists hope that other states follow.

“The measures include a threeday waiting period on all firearms purchases, raising the age limit for gun sales to 21 and letting law enforcement temporarily confiscate weapons from anyone deemed a threat to themselves or to others,” The Houston NPR Radio Station, on Florida’s new laws, said.

Stores and businesses are also taking a stand and demanding gun control.

Amazon, Apple, Dick’s Sporting Goods, REI Mountain Equipment, FedEx and more, all cut their business affiliation with the NRA, National Rifle Association and/or stopped selling their equipment.

CNN called the teens who started the #NeverAgain movement, “the NRA’s worst nightmare.” So far, teen activists have been able to accomplish more gun control in the United States than most adults. With the current status of the protests, the marches will continue to motivate others to speak against the government.

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Entertainment

A Quiet place

By Maddie Moore News Editor

Starring and directed by John Krasinski and his wife, Emily Blunt, A Quiet Place is not only a post-apocalyptic thriller, but a film about the lengths parents would go to for their children. A Quiet Place follows a family living in complete silence in attempt to survive in a world where creatures hunt through sound. By communicating through light signals and sign language, walking only on sand paths and converting their barn into a livable space, the Abbott family is able to live in almost complete silence.

The film was rated a 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and opened with $50 million in ticket sales, the second largest film in 2018 behind Black Panther.

Staying true to its name, A Quiet Place has virtually no audible dialogue, and is considered “a new horror classic” by Rolling Stone.

In many ways, A Quiet Place is a family film just as much as it is a horror film.

“The scares were secondary to how powerful this could be as an allegory or metaphor for parenthood. For me, this is all about parenthood,” Krasinski, said.

Krasinski insisted that the Abbott’s daughter be played by Millicent Simmonds, known for her performance in the critically acclaimed film Wonderstruck.

“We always had a deaf character in the script, but John really pushed for

them to hire Millicent,” Scott Beck, co-writer for A Quiet Place, said. “She came to set and taught everyone sign language. It was really amazing and brought an extra depth to the film.”

Above all, the element of family is what convinced Blunt to star in A Quiet Place as well. Known for her roles in

Blunt’s husband, had not planned on telling Blunt about the script for A Quiet Place at all, as he didn’t want to risk mixing his home life with his work life.

“I think we were nervous about it because in some ways you’re sort of a different person at work… [But] when I read his version, I was like, ‘You need

to call her and tell Photo Courtesy of IMDb The Girl on the Train her that I want and The Devil Wears do it.”

Blunt, said.

Prada, Blunt originally suggested that a to Several people had also told the couple friend of hers to play Evelyn Abbott in his film. Having just had a second child and they’d likely want a divorce during the starring in upcoming film Mary Poppins two years they spent working on the film, during A Quiet Place’s preproduction, she however Krasinski strongly disagreed.

“It was without a doubt the best was hesitant to take the job offer. Krasinski,

collaboration I’ve ever had,” Krasinski, said. “I think it brought us closer.”

Though Krasinski is best known for his role as Jim Halpert on the U.S. adaption of comedy series The Office, his performance in A Quiet Place showcased his diverse acting abilities and left the audience feeling as if they were a part of that cinematic universe.

A Quiet Place has recently become known as the movie “[that] poses a problem for lovers of movie-theatre popcorn.” Because the film was so silent, the audience felt as if they had to be as well.

“It’s a quiet film rather than a silent film, and that’s a really interesting distinction because there is a lot of sound, but the characters themselves aren’t allowed to make any.

It’s been really nice to see how quickly the audience becomes very much like the family in the film.” Krasinski, said.

Both Krasinski and Blunt’s performances left audiences holding their breath, unable to eat, and afraid to make any sound during and even after the film had ended. At the end of A Quiet Place’s premiere in Austin, Texas, “people actually jumped out of their seats and stood up and screamed.”

“I don’t think I’ll have a better experience in my career.

I’ll never get to relive this moment. And that’s okay.’” Krasinski, said.

Despite being a horror movie, A Quiet Place proved itself to be equally as heart wrenching as it is terrifying.

More than anything else, Krasinski’s film depicts the extremes parents would go to in order to protect their family, and is worth watching for that reason alone.

Entertainment I Can Only Imagine surprises viewers

By Jacob Madden Reporter

chased some stupid dream this whole time.” Dennis Quaid, as Arthur, said.

This movie has 67 percent on rotten I Can Only Imagine is a film that no one tomatoes and 97 percent of google users expected to be as well rated as it was. Based also liked this movie. This film was on a true-life story, the main character, Bart Millard, is a 45-year singer who was raised in an abusive household and was never allowed to be the man he wanted to be.

When he realized the one thing his father cared about, he aspired to do it. Bart begins a football career to please his dad, but an injury sidelines him so he can’t play ever again. Later, when he walks in to the movie theatre a teacher accidentally hears him singing, and immediately casts him in the lead role of Curley in the school production of Oklahoma!

“I’m gonna teach you something Bart, dreams don’t pay the bills. Nothing good comes from them. All it does is keep you from all this, from knowing what’s all real.” Dennis Quaid, as Arthur, said.

The movie I Can Only Imagine is Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons based upon a man named Bart Millard who grew up in Greenville, Texas with his directed by Andrew and Jon Erwin. mom and his dad, who made his family The main actors are Dennis Quaid, life unpleasant at times. During the movie, Madeline Carroll, and J. Michael Finley.

Arthur found out he could sing and was This show has crushed early box office determined to achieve his dream. I Can forecasts with a surprisingly strong Only Imagine is a song written by the group $17.1 million at 1,629 locations in North MercyMe and is the inspiration of the songs America opening weekend. The original they wrote. Bart’s mother left him and estimates for this film were two to eight his father when he was ten years old and million, but as you can see it exceeded from then on it was just him and his dad. that. Budgeted at just seven million “No you can’t, and you gon’ blink dollars, Bart Millard, leader of Christian your eyes and you gon’ realize that life rock group MercyMe, is part of the has gotten you nowhere because you best-selling Christian single of all time.

“A monster was living inside of my dad and I saw God transform him into a different man. I didn’t think God could do that so I wrote this song for both of them.”

Michael J. Finley, as Bart Millard, said.

Throughout the movie, Millard talks about how bad of a father and husband he was and how he would never change. He tried anything and everything to please his father but somehow wasn’t ever good enough. He hated football but knew it was the only thing his dad wanted him to do, so he did it. After a crucial injury, which put him in a wheel chair for months, he suddenly went back to the same image his dad had for him. But as he left and went to college and found his song he became closer to God. However, so did his father and when he came back to see him he was not the same man as when he left. Bart saw God through his dad and nothing made him think that it would ever happen.

“This is an amazing song, it didn’t take you ten minutes to write it took you your entire lifetime.”

Amy Grant, said when talking about Bart’s hit song I Can Only Imagine.

This story is filled with laughs and tears which is the perfect combination for a Sunday night show with the family.

Most likely, this was the greatest film the Erwin brothers have ever directed.

Finley is the perfect combination of determination, courage and confidence and he plays the perfect role as Bart Millard.

This is definitely a movie that everyone needs to see when they feel down or need to be inspired to follow their dreams.

By Briana Harris Reporter

Gertler, Shawn Mendes’ manager, said.

In 2014, Mendes made his album debut with Islands Records title, The Shawn Mendes EP. The album included only four songs and reached number five on the Billboard charts. On April 14, 2015, Mendes released his full- length debut studio album with a total of 12 songs title, Handwritten. The album was number one on Billboard’s United States and Canada chart for 122 weeks straight. The song Stitches was the album’s biggest hit.

Landing the top spot in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Germany Billboards. Mendes even opened up some of Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour and Camila Cabello, with their collaborated song I Know What You Did Last Summer.

“Taylor Swift to me is the coolest tour I could possibly be on ever. It was almost like as a kid when you try out for a rec soccer team or hockey team and you get the call like you made the team. I had that same exact feeling,” Mendes, said.

Shawn Mendes’ sophomore album, Illuminate, was released on September 23, 2016. Treat You Better and Mercy were the biggest track on the album. This was the first time he helped write every song off the album. The album debuted at the number one spot of the United States and Canada music charts, also achieving platinum status. He also held the Illuminate World Tour from April 27 through December 18, 2017.

He had 60 shows in total, 21 in Europe, 5 in Oceania, 30 in North America, 1 in Latin America and 4 in Asia. The concert tour made over $35 million in box office.

The release of the two current songs are making way for Shawn Mendes’ third studio album, which is rumored to be release sometime later this year.

Shawn Mendes releases a new style

Canadian singer song writer Shawn Mendes has been dropping new music in preparation for a new album release, which has not been announced yet. This is his first release of new songs since his 2016’s Illuminate album, which gained enormous success.

Mendes has been dropping teaser campaigns of little snippets of his brandnew single In My Blood on Instagram over a course of days. The song shows his inner turmoil and his battle to fight it. The song was released on the morning of March 22, 2018. It debuted at number 72 on Billboard Hot 100, just 24 hours after streaming and sales. The single received over two million United States streams along with 27,000 downloads on the day of its release. Also 19 million radio listeners tuned in to the song.

“I just wanted to write this note before the song comes out tonight and say how excited I am for you all to hear it. I know I have been pretty quiet during the album process and just wanted to thank you with all of my heart for being there and supporting me the entire time. This song is the closest song to my heart that I have ever written and I hope you guys love it all the new music coming your way. I love and appreciate you all so much! Thank you! Loves,” Shawn Mendes, singer songwriter, said.

Just four days after releasing In My Blood, Mendes dropped another song titled Lost in Japan. This song has a feel good and frisky tone like an R&B track, replacing the usual playfulness and romantic vibes from Mendes’ other songs. The song has had critical acclaim and Mendes was praised for his bold choice in genre selection. The songs are the newest music to be

release by Mendes since his chart- toping song There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back, which was released back in April of 2017.

Lost in Japan is refreshingly spacious. The arrangement is generous and surprising, like in the counterintuitive synth wobble that accents the bass, or the shakers in the background that pave the way for the acoustic guitars that give the song a nice mix of textures. Mendes sings the song gracefully. He sells romantic tension and sounds natural reaching into his falsetto as the song nears its conclusion,” Jordan Sargent, reporter for Spin, said.

Before his successful music career, Shawn Peter Raul Mendes was born on August eighth of 1998 in Toronto, Canada. He grew up in Pickering, Ontario with his parents Karen and Manuel, along with his younger sister Aaliyah.

Mendes started to gain media attention when he joined Vine; a service that let users post six seconds long video clips.

When the service first launched, Mendes posted a video of him singing a cover of Justin Bieber’s song As Long as You Love Me. He gained over 10,000 likes and thousands of followers. Mendes continued to post videos of him singing through Vine, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. He would later gain the attention of manager, Andrew Gertler, who signed him to Island Records.

“He is grown immensely in the last years. His musical abilities have grown.

But I’ve seen him go from the kid who is playing an acoustic guitar to an amazing front man with a band and, to me, a modern- day version of a rock star. He has a unique way of framing things from a perspective that I think not a lot of people can. He really has a unique perspective, and he is really a great role model,”

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Dragon Ball series ends

By Sierra Dickey Editor-in-Chief

The 28 successful years of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball series is coming to an unfortunate end with the last season Dragon Ball Super. The series, first introduced in 1986 with Dragon Ball, had gained the attention of millions and currently has sold over 240 million copies of the 42 volume manga series. Manga, if not known, is the written version of most animes and are Japanese comic books and graphic novels.

With the coming end of the series, many of the viewers that grew up with the show are disappointed and emotional about the end because of the attachment to the series.

“I started watching the show when I was around ten and have grown up with it throughout my life. The show was a big part of my teen years and I sometimes go back and re-watch some episodes from the original seasons today just because they are that good. With the series finally ending it’s a little bitter sweet, I’m disappointed it’s ending but Dragon Ball has had a good run.

It was an inspiration to most other animes.”

Angelica Dickey, a fan of the series, said.

The complete manga series only includes Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball SD and Dragon Ball Super.

When turned into an anime they added in Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Kai, which is a remake of Dragon Ball Z that consists of shorter plots within each episode and has better graphics. However, the creators of the anime, Toei Animations, stopped making the series with Dragon Ball GT in 1997.

Because of this, many of the fans thought GT was the end to the animated version of the Dragon Ball series. Until 2015, when Dragon Ball Super was released in the series.

“A few years ago, we fans would’ve never thought that we would’ve got another Dragon Ball series. But that just goes to show that us fans were able to show Dragon Ball’s creator that we are still in love with what may be the greatest anime and manga in history.” Troylon Griffin, a fan that grew up watching the anime, said.

With the news of the legitimate end to the show, there has been other news circulating the Dragon Ball world. A new movie, revolved around Dragon Ball Super, will be gifted to the fans on December 14, 2018. The movie will also revolve around the “origins of Goku’s power” and the back story of the first Super Saiyan God. It will be the first movie to continue with the DBS series and have new content the fans have never seen, causing excitement in fans worldwide.

“The movie is a gift from the producers and the creators of Dragon Ball. After the end of the series, they gave us a little something else for some closure. The creators did an amazing job giving us what we had desired and it truly was a gift.” Griffin, said.

With the end to the Dragon Ball series and the movie coming out in December, Akio Ikoyu, director of the Dragon Ball unit at Shueisha, shared some hope with the fans.

“The world of Dragon Ball will not end, so look forward to more content!” Akio Ikoyu, director, said.

Along with more promised movies, the creators are releasing video games such as Dragon Ball FighterZ and Dragon Ball Legends. The world of Dragon Ball will continue in the future with many other contributions to the series and Akira Toriyama may even jump start another series in a few years, as he did with Dragon Ball Super.

20 Entertainment

Ready Player One lacks appeal compared to the book

By Briana Harris Reporter

The motion picture, Ready Player One, is an out of body dystopia. Director Stephen Spielberg captured the essence of the OASIS, but did fail to include the important features from the novel to the film. Although key parts of the novel were not included, the film is a sweet 1980s nostalgic thrill ride that brings the adventures of the OASIS to life.

Beware of spoilers ahead. Ready Player One is about a dystopia worldwide virtual reality game that transforms its players to the world of the OASIS. The OASIS has billions of different planets and activities for its player to do. MiddleEarth, Narnia, Emerald City, Star Wars Galaxy, Hogwarts, Mystic Falls, Azeroth, Gotham City, anywhere you can think of. Anyone can be and do whatever they please, it’s basically any pop culture enthusiast’s dream. The rules of the OASIS are simple, never reveal personal identities that involves, their real name, address, gender and age for security reasons.

Everything is fine and well until the creator died, changing the OASIS dramatically. The founder of Gregarious Games and the sole creator of the OASIS, James Donovan Halliday, dies from an illness that no ever knew he had. He was born and raised in Middletown, Ohio, and was the son of a hairdresser and television salesman. In high school, Halliday met Ogden Morrow and the two became friends over their love of classic video games, comic books and movies. The two spent most of their high school days in Morrow’s basement playing video games. After graduating from high school, Halliday

started to program his own video game.

Morrow and Halliday established their own videogame company titled, Gregarious Simulation Systems. Due to his family being very poor, Halliday could not afford to buy a floppy disk drive so he had opted to store his game codes onto cassette tapes.

Halliday designed the game, while Morrow marketed it. It was then that their first game, Anorak’s Quest, became a national bestseller. In 1990, the two sold their games through the basement, then bought a small dusty office in their local mall. After years of working and isolation, the company transformed to be worth over $500 billion dollars, with the creation of the OASIS. The two friends were instant celebrities and the richest people in the world. Morrow was always in the spotlight, while Halliday was always behind the scenes. No one really knew anything personal about Halliday except Morrow. Halliday’s life is an important part of the hunt since it’s his own personal game. The Gunters, people who hunt for the egg, must study Halliday’s entire life to find answers to any clues. Halliday did however hint to the Gunters that all three keys has something involved with his experience growing up in the 1980s.

When Halliday suddenly died, he sent a video to every single OASIS user, beyond the grave. The video titled, Anoraks Almanac, shows Halliday who uses the platform to display his will and testimony.

The video was quite simple. Halliday has been preparing for the hunt up till the day he died. To be short, Halliday hid three well- hidden visual keys inside the OASIS, each key opens a secret gate. In the order copper, jade then crystal clear. Halliday hid his very own Easter egg. Whoever is the

first one to find all three keys and unlock all gates will have gained the egg. Ownership of the egg will gain absolute control of the OASIS and entitled to 500 billion dollars. However, the hunt is extremely difficult since it has lasted for over five years with no one locating the first key.

The one major problem I had with this film was how Stephen Spielberg, changed every location of the keys. The book did an amazing job at describing the unique structures, and never gave away a clue on where to find the copper key. Unlike the film, which basically told the gunters that to get to the copper key the players have to complete a race, that is almost impossible with famous, King Kong, guarding the road to the gate. The book was a true mystery on where the keys were. The reader had to connect everything about Halliday’s teen years to find the key. It is such a sensational moment, when the first key was found, that the movie’s adaptation was ineffective.

Wade Owen Watts, is the main character and a gunter taking part in the hunt for Halliday’s Easter egg, with the username Parzival. He lives in the poor part of Columbus, Ohio in a brokendown trailer park, the stacks. Stacks are all over the world, in attempt for federal governments to save money and housing space where they stack trailers on top of each other, some ranging to 20 trailers tall.

Wade is anti-social, out of shape, poor and lives in his trailer with his abusive aunt and 15 other residents. His aunt basically only allows him to stay because she collects his social security checks. Plus, he is forced to sleep on top of the washer and dryer machines. Every day Wade goes out the window to an abandon trailer, where Wade stores all his information about pop

culture, old dumpster consoles and where he enters the OASIS. In the OASIS, Wade along with his online best friend Aech, both hunt for the egg as single competitors.

One huge problem with the hunt is the IOI. IOI, stands for Innovative Online Industries, a global telecommunications conglomerate that is the largest internet service provider.

The IOI charges OASIS users for internet access which are impossible to pay unless individuals are rich. If they are unable to pay, IOI security arrest the user and sell all their personal belongings that can reduce their fee. The user would be transported to IOI headquarters and would be enslaved to work as an sixer. Sixers or as Gunters call them suxerz, work for the IOI as egg hunters. Each has a six- digit serial username and wear the same uniform. The reason every Gunter hates the sixers is because the IOI wants to take over and monetize the OASIS, along with charge monthly expenses for its users, which goes against Halliday’s original game.

When Wade is the first user to find the copper key, he soon finds his life in danger when the IOI hunts him down to take Parzival out of the competition. Wade and his team of gunters must race against time to find all the keys. The hunt goes from a fun competitive game for a cash prize to stopping IOI from destroying the OASIS. The film was extraordinary. It was a fantastic adaptation from the Ernest Cline’s brilliant written novel. Reading the novel or catching up on 80s pop culture would help with understanding most of the references because a lot of the dialogue is perplexing. I encourage everyone to see this film because Steven Spielberg has captured the ‘80s’ nostalgias’ in this action-packed adventure. This film will make you see video games not as a narrative, but as art.

Anouncements

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Entertainment

Love, Simon receives positive reviews from critics

guy in a lot of different ways. He is someone ti] and hearing his vision of the project, who has had to live with this secret his and the potential, [that] was also a mawhole life. He does not want anyone jor reason to sign on,” Robinson, said.

Love, Simon is a movie for people Three years after Simon vs. the Homo to know that he is gay, so he is built his Sapiens Agenda hit bookshelves every- whole life protecting that idea. And I think of all ages. The movie combines teen rowhere, Love, Simon was released.

Love, Simon is a film based off of the book Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. The film was released on March 16 by 20th Century Fox and Temple Hill Productions.

Beware of spoilers ahead. Love, Simon follows the life of 17-yearold, high school senior, Simon Spier, played by Nick Robinson. Simon has a mostly, totally normal life and a family he actually likes, as stated in the trailer, except he has one big secret: he’s gay. Simon hasn’t told anyone he’s gay but when an anonymous user makes a post on the school blog, Simon reaches out. The user makes a post talking about how he is gay but no one knows.

Simon emails Blue, the anonymous user’s persona, and they instantly connect. Simon writes to Blue under the name Jacques and they email back and forth throughout the entire movie.

Photo courtest of Wiki Commons Simon and Blue keep their identimance with comedy ties a secret until the very end of the movie. it is kind of an interesting Simon has many theories during the mov- character arc, to see what happens when and some mystery. The romance mysie about who Blue is, but they all seem to his perfectly manicured life gets turned on tery keeps viewers on the edge of their be dead ends. Simon narrates part of the its head. He all of the sudden has to very seats. The audience gets a lot of surprismovie, as does Blue. Simon’s best friends, quickly readapt in the new circumstances es as the movie continues, some good Leah, played by Katherine Langford, Nick, . He is been so self-conscious for his and some bad but in the end, everyone played by Jorge Lendeborg Jr. and Abby, whole life, he is been very aware, and he gets the happy ending that is deserved.

“I’m super proud to be involved in a played by Alexandra Shipp are kept in the is been suppressing his personality. And dark about his secret until it is revealed. so how that manifests itself is interesting. film like this. Overall, I think the LGBT “I think Simon is kind of a fascinating And talking with [director Greg Berlan- community is very underrepresented in

By Arrington Linder Features Editor

the media. There have been some great progressions in terms of showing those relationships on TV, but not so much in film. We’ve had a few great films, like Carol and Call Me by Your Name, but this really is the first major studio that is telling a coming-ofage love story about a gay teenage protagonist. And I think, although it’s not representative of all LGBTQ people or their stories or experiences, I think it’s a good starting point, and hopefully will promote discussion.” Langford said.

Love, Simon has received a score of 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, four out of five on Common Sense Media and 7.7 out of ten on IMDb. Critics are calling the film “a funny, heartfelt, and truly touching teen romantic comedy that instantly becomes a modern classic for today’s generation.” During opening weekend, Love, Simon grossed over 11.5 million dollars. The movie was made and produced with a 17-million-dollar budget.

“Greg Berlanti’s groundbreaking gay romcom is an exuberant gift, a John Hughes movie for audiences who just got woke and the first mainstream studio release to put a closeted teen front and center.” Peter Travers, Rolling Stone, said.

Becky Albertalli, author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, is releasing the final book of the Simon verse trilogy titled Leah on the Offbeat. The novel is focusing on Leah Burke, Simon Spier’s best friend.

The book is to be released on April 24 of this year. The second book, The Upside of Unrequited was published April 11 of last year. No information about the last two books in the trilogy becoming movies has been released.

Panic! at the Disco prepares for release of album

By Leah Burnam Reporter

Panic! at the Disco recently announced their new album, Pray for the Wicked, which is a homage to their fans. The album is set to release later this year, on June 22. However, two songs off the album, Silver Lining and Say Amen, have already been released to the public. The album was announced two days after a surprise showing in Cleveland, which many fans suspected was intended to be a performance of a song off of the new album.

Eleven songs are set to be on the album, including the two that have already been released. Other songs include, Hey Look Ma, I Made it, High Hopes, Roaring 20s, Dancing’s Not a Crime, One of the Drunks, The Overpass, King of the Clouds, Old Fashioned and Dying in LA. Silver Lining includes many hooks bringing a hip-hop and electronica feeling. Say Amen is intended to serve as a prequel to Panic!’s previous singles This is Gospel and Emperor’s New Clothes.

Both of the new songs bring different musical techniques together than ever

before heard in previous albums. Rolling Stone is calling it a “dizzying swirl of synthstrings and pitch-shifted vocal samples.”

“After being away in New York for months doing Kinky Boots, I just wanted to

Urie, lead vocalist of Panic! at the Disco, said.

Pray for the Wicked is currently available for pre-order and those that purchased their tickets before March 29 would have early access to tickets for Panic!’s upcoming tour.

Photo by Wikipedia Commons

hang out at home when I got back to LA. I was so revved up that I asked some friends to come over to my home studio to help me write about all the incredible things I’ve experienced the last couple of years. Pray for the Wicked is my ‘thank you’ to our fans and the most fun I’ve ever had making an album,” Brendon

Tickets were available for pre-sale on March 20 at nine am, before tickets went live at 12 pm The U.S. tour was announced the same day as the album release, March 21. The tour is set to begin in early July, and Panic! will be visiting many cities with openers such as, ARIZONA and Hayley Kiyoko. Some of the major cities

Panic! will be visiting in July are Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Detroit, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Toronto, New York, Boston and Philadelphia.

Other major cities Panic! will be performing at in August are Houston, Dallas, Tulsa, Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, San Jose, Los Angeles, Glendale and Las Vegas.

Days before the album was announced, Brendon Urie teased fans over Instagram stories about potential new music. Fans saw in the background of the story with Urie brushing his teeth that the clock stayed at 3:19 for over a minute.

Many suspected that this meant a new album would be announced on March 19.

Urie continued to tease fans up until the actual album announcement on March 21.

The two new songs debuted have been very successful like many of Panic!’s previous albums.

Death of a Bachelor was released by Panic! back in 2016 debuting in the Billboard 200 charts. The album earned the band nearly $1.5 million, selling 724,000 albums to date. Jake Sinclair, a Grammynominated record producer, helped produce the band’s latest album Pray for the Wicked. The album is a great representation of past music released by the band and their producers.

Entertainment

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Midnight Sun gives audience a predictable romance having a good time, Katie struggles with of Katie and her family around her suffertelling Charlie about her chronic condi- ing. Later, when her condition worsens that tion because she wants to be seen as just Katie is only shown as sick and pale. The Tales of doomed romance have be- a girl and not as her disease. This be- plot as a whole, written by Erik Kirsten, come widely popular, just like The Fault comes a larger problem when their spe- tries too hard and ends up confusing.

“The storytelling is so soft-centered in Our Stars, The Space Between Us and cial date night becomes an all-night adEverything, Everything.

Midnight Sun follows the tale of a sick teen, Katie, played by Bella Thorne, who forms a romance with Charlie, played by Patrick Schwarzenegger.

Midnight Sun, directed by Scott Speer, features 17-year-old Katie who suffers from a rare recessive autosomal genetic disorder of DNA, called xeroderma pigmentosum.

A person’s DNA with this disease can be damaged

by UV rays from the sun and toxic chemicals found in cigarettes.

Meaning that Katie is severely hypersensitive to the sun and has to be inside for the majority of her Photo courtesy of Muse that it has melted life and shielded with tinted windows. With venture and she becomes into mush long beKatie living an excluded life from the out- anxious that she will not doors, she spends a quiet life with her dad, make it back home before sunrise. fore Katie is exposed to those lethal sun portrayed by Rob Riggle and her close friend The film lacks in originality but Mid- rays.” Geoffrey Macnab, critique, said.

One conflict that the audience strugMorgan, portrayed by Quinn Shephard. night Sun does not lack in mushiness. The Beware of spoilers ahead. When big melodramatic decision they have to gles with is that there is more chemistry daylight falls down, Katie ventures out to make at the end of romances is present between Katie and her dad rather than a train station and plays the guitar while as well. Along with that, the movie strug- her and Charlie. Schwarzenegger has singing her written songs. However, gles to stay on track with the plot and the perfect look with sandy hair and a one of those nights Charlie approaches leads the audiences to being confused. tall muscular frame, but there is no chaKatie, shocking her. The duo eventualMidnight Sun is a sloppy, shameful, risma animated through his eyes when ly builds a relationship together, mostly tearjerker and the sloppiest film of the year portraying Charlie. Schwarzenegger deby the help of her quirky friend Morgan. so far. The movie is supposed to be about an livers Charlie as stoic and numb making Although her and Charlie seem to be illness and death, but it lacks showing signs it lose its chemistry in the relationship.

By Joana Mancia Entertainment Editor

“It tanks across from Schwarzenegger, who is so stoic and wooden he seems to be carved from lumber. In these slapsticky moments, you can tell she’s working overtime to spark something, anything, but nothing catches fire in this Midnight Sun.” Katie Walsh, Winnipeg Free Press, critique, said.

Thorne is no better than Schwarzenegger. Thorne delivers Katie as socially awkward and bumbling.

While Charlie is come to be seen as the chivalrous man that has swept the girl off her feet and tries to save the girl from dying, or at least make her last moments last. It’s more of an over-thetop style and it makes it feel out of place in the thick melodrama film.

“A preposterous film so insufferably adorable and frightfully melodramatic that viewers will find themselves confused as to which reflex to stifle: The urge to howl, or the one to hurl.” Brad Wheeler, critic, said.

Midnight Sun is more of an uncomfortable and unrelatable film that resembles the 2017 film Everything, Everything. The film is cheesy and, shamefully, overcomplicates the narrative. It tries to get the audience to feel a gut-wrenching heartbreak but the director seems to be trying too hard, degrading the film and extinguishing the hopeful flame in the audience.

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