Bell Schedules One Semester Review, PG vs R-Rated

Flex Reflex Flex Reflex

With the changes between last semester and this semester, the fewer flex spots and the bells back, adjusting can be a bit of a stuggle.

written by: Alison Engelage

There has been talk about how everyone feels about flex spaces being taken away and the bells being added back. At the beginning of the year the bells were taken away so students could get the college experience and do better with time management. The bells did end up coming back in semester and everyone has their own opinion about it. Personally, I like that the bells have come back. For the most part I do think the bells help students and teachers out so they’re not looking at the clock every five minutes. The only thing about the whole situation that I do not like is that we had to go a whole semester getting used to the bells being gone, and now we have to adjust to them being back again. In addition to the bell changes, flex is new to the school this year and personally, I think it’s working out great. Giving students a free hour to work on homework, study for a test, leave to go get food or whatever the student wants to do during their flex hour they get to do. There are different flex spaces students are allowed to go to and sit, but through the year flex areas were taken away. Some flex hours have more students in them than others so areas seem to get crowded. As of now they’re only three flex spaces left, but before there were five spaces.The only ones remaining are the library, cafeteria, and the learning stairs. The library and learning stairs are more of a quiet space, a place for you to work on anything you need to work on in a quiet area so you’re able to focus. The cafeteria is considered the “social zone” , the space that’s provided for students to be more social with their friends without disturbing other students. The two spaces that were taken away were the eagles nest and eagle point. Those were the most popular spaces to be used, the spaces with the most freedom to talk and move around.

PG vs Rated R PG vs Rated R

Students opinion on whether Disney channel, the childhood shows, and Euphoria being the realilities of the world.

Euphoria

Euphoria is one of the biggest TV shows in the media, and rightfully so. With amazing actors, an etheral soundtrack featuring a collection of songs by Labrinth, stunning videography, and award winning story lines, this show has taken the world by storm. Euphoria’s mature topics have caused quite the controversy, but I believe it is a masterpiece. The creators weren’t afraid to show the disturbing realities of modern teenhood, drinking, doing drugs, having sex and partying, which we rarely see in mainstream media. We’re used to High School Musical, and Victorious. But the world has changed, and teens along with it; those shows just aren’t realistic anymore. Sure, no one goes to school dressed like Maddy, but teens all over the media have related to Euphoria and its characters, and feel validated by their experiences and character devleopment. Although Euphoria is made for mature audiences, the meaning behind Euphoria isn’t just about the sex, drugs and drama, but as Zendaya said: “It’s a raw and honest portrait of addiction, anxiety and the difficulties of navigating life today.”

Ava Powers Violet Richards

photo by: Rorey France

Disney Channel

If I had to pick, I’d choose Disney Channel for one reason: campy fun. Euphoria’s gritty and coarse worldbuilding, tense and at times pugnacious subject matter works well as an unfiltered look at the reality of high schools today. Even the soundtrack brings an underlying sense of tense paranoia leading to full anxiety ridden mania as the story rides through epic highs and fathomless, carnivorous lows . But like the much maligned 13 Reasons Why, it sometimes glamorizes the harsh realities of these very real issues for the sake of episodic drama. At times, it uses these issues solely to advance the romance and shallow angst, instead of as the tragedies they are. While Disney is cheesy and predictable, enough young kids can see what they want to see. After watching three movies/shows for this piece, they have a very campy, ridiculous nostalgic sort of backwards charm. In a Disney channel original, literally anything can happen, unlike Euphoria’s tired story beats. Teenage Zendya cackling as she mind controls hormonal acne-stricken man-boys with dog collars? Check. Programming a military murder robot into the perfect prom date and general cinnamon roll? Check. Female-centric storylines with heroines as the main plot progressors? Check. And… prepubescent Jake Paul. Nevermind. Oh, and you’re watching the Disney Channel.

photo by: Rorey France