December 2022

Eagle News Network

Eagle News Network is the student-run multimedia newsroom of Eden Prairie High School that meets during third hour. Eagle News Network produces the publications the Eyrie and a weekly broadcast show.

staff:

Writers

Ikran Abdi

Elizabeth Alexander

Asma Ali

Amelia Dewberry

Tamia Hassan

Margaret Holmes

Mariam Jabri

Nora Koehler

Dylan Leung

Harini Senthilkumar

Brooke Tape

Sophia Yoerks

Advisor Alex Bauer

Photographers+ Graphics

Elizabeth Alexander

Margaret Holmes

Alex Jagtap

Dylan Leung

Sophia Yoerks

Page designers

Elizabeth Alexander

Amelia Dewberry

Margaret Holmes Mariam Jabri

Dylan Leung Harini Senthilkumar

Sophia Yoerks

policies:

The Eyrie’s mission statement

The Eyrie strives to be an accurate, informative, and entertaining publication to the students and faculty of Eden Prairie High School, Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Letters

Eagle News Network encourages all students and faculty to send a letter to enneagles@gmail.com sharing their views. All letters must be signed; however, names can be withheld in certain situations. Once recieved, Eagle News Network has the right to edit for length and content.

Editorials

Editorials are staff-written and approved by a two-thrids majority of staff. All opinion pieces reflect the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication, student body, faculty or administration.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to our first issue! The lack of first-term ENN did not stop us from producing a jam-packed 36-page issue. To make up for lost time, we’re working on a quicker timeline, meaning that this year, we’ll be releasing an issue every month and a half rather than every term. So don’t worry—you’ll still be getting your Eyrie fix!.

We’re also reintroducing our sports section, covering any and all athletics at EPHS. If you have an athlete or team you want to spotlight, please DM us on our Instagram, @enneagles.

To start things things off with a bang, we’re taking a deep dive into social media. It’s ever-present in our lives and has had massive impacts on our generation. Why not analyze all of that? We’ll cover all your favorites, from Twitter to YouTube to TikTok.

And, speaking of, don’t forget to follow us—@enneagles on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok! Please reach out to any of those (or me) with any questions.

Sincerely, your editor, Elizabeth Alexander (90308973@ep-student.org)

Service, Family, and Excellence:

Interviewing New Principal of EPHS, Nate Gibbs

BY IKRAN ABDI AND TAMIA HASSAN

“If you could give advice to your 26 year old self–anything, what would it be?” asks Nate Gibbs, the new principal of Eden Prairie High School. “My belief is that like all of the wisdom that you need in life, and all of the insight and the knowledge that you need in life is actually already inside of you. And it’s just year by year it grows and changes and matures, but the core is inside of you.” Nate Gibbs was hired as the new principal in July. Gibbs Obtained his first assistant principal job at 26 and has past experience as principal of Chaska Middle School West, assistant principal at Minnetonka High School, and assistant principal at American Indian Magnet School in St. Paul, Gibbs has received impressive experience with leadership in and around the Twin Cities before deciding to finally land at Eden Prairie High School.

As a principal and person, Gibbs has his own values and principles. Stating that principal and person overlap, Gibbs says his main values are built around service, family, and excellence. “I want to serve at a high level and provide a high level of support to the people that I work with, whether it’s adults or students, but also believe service should be a two way street.” Gibbs explains, “I really expect our students, especially as they rise towards their junior and senior year, to give back to the school community and then give back to their local community.” With Gibbs’ values being enveloping service and excellence, Gibbs states, “The way I approach my day is how do I get the most out of it in terms of impact on others, and then my own learning and growth and development.” As new staff enter the building this year, Gibbs further assures that these same themes will be seen throughout their leadership team, whether that being associate principals or deans.

Gibbs further explains that his interest has always been around education: “I think I knew that I wanted to be involved in education. I just didn’t have a strong sense of what that career pathway could look like. I had a lot of mentors and a lot of really, really great leaders that I worked with that helped me imagine what my future could look like and then helped me navigate the pathway.” As Gibbs reflects on his past work in St. Paul, Gibbs confesses that he was drawn to Eden Prairie for a reason: “What I appreciate about Eden Prairie is the diversity of the school and the school community. Who we are as a high school community is reflective of the broader southwest Metro and I think it’s reflective of over

time. To be in a school community that’s reflective of that is really exciting to me.” However, though Gibbs was drawn to Eden Prairie, applying for the job itself has not been easy for him: “ Applying for the job at Eden Prairie High School was something that was really outside of my comfort zone,” Gibbs says. “There are not a ton of people that look like me that are high school principals. And then there are not a lot of people that are my age that are high school principals. When I got here, it became really clear there are high expectations from adults, high expectations from students and then high expectations from the community here. You don’t want to let people down and you don’t want to disappoint people.”

Gibbs’s two key goals for the community following the pandemic are starting to make high school feel like high school again and having consistency around communicating with each other. After getting hired in July, Gibbs has prioritized hiring new staff and investing in new and qualified teachers, “making sure that we’re getting folks in front of students that are relationship builders, that value community and value diversity and then folks that have high expectations.”

Operationally, Gibbs explains that things had to be tightened up. Because of common tardies and absences from students, Gibbs took steps to strengthen safety and supervision. “This isn’t gonna make every student enthusiastic or excited but that’s something that large high schools have to have.”

Referring to the new mandates placed this year such as closed lunch rooms, hallway passes, and the first 15 and last 15 rule, regardless of the controversy surrounding the mandates from students, Gibbs reasons why these rules are necessary: “Whenever you have lots of students in a unstructured space, you want to make sure that you have adults being able to cover that space.” Gibbs received opposition from students who had previously experienced an open campus for lunch, however says that there is no efficient way to do that without disregarding security. “From a safety perspective, it makes more sense in my view as a principal to have students in South and East Commons. I can place the supervisory staff in the south and east and have an appropriate level of coverage.” With the October shutdown occurring during a lunch hour, Gibbs says the protocol of locked lunch rooms is required for just

such a case. “We had to really quickly transition hundreds of students from a common space into secure spaces. A procedure like that matters when there is an event in the building.” Gibbs proceeded to gather student feedback on the mandates by distributing a survey. Despite mixed reactions, Gibbs says these rules will continue in the coming years as he serves as principal: “In terms of having really high expectations on safety and supervision, I don’t see myself pivoting away from that.” Gibbs says, “I’ve had to make lots of decisions in short order, which have disappointed people. Sometimes stepping out of my comfort zone is knowing I’m gonna make a decision and people aren’t going to like me because of it.”

To improve the high school, Gibbs is taking steps to get students prepared for their future. “How do we prepare students for life after high school? I really want students to, as they approach the end of their time here at Eden Prairie High School, have lots of ideas and access points, and then also be really well prepared.” Gibbs continues that he does not want students to feel as if they are pressured to go into careers their friends or family want for them. Instead, he wants to provide a space where students can learn about collegiate opportunities and career pathways.

Gibbs explains the concept of Pathways, an idea that allows students to gain experience in a career of their

choice through classes that would prepare them for a career field after high school. Gibbs also intends to provide students with classroom opportunities that resemble a Senior Internship. “We want our students to have more opportunities to experience what the career field or what the workforce actually looks like, while you’re still in high school,” Gibbs says. Wanting to increase communication between students and himself, Gibbs plans to expand and grow the process of Eagle Voice. Currently, Gibbs is working on viewing and testing student submissions along with partnering with students around things that could be changed or solved: “When we’re not able to take an idea forward, the expectation is that we’re really transparent about why,” Gibbs says. The new decision to remove red graduation cords for academic excellence has also caused a vast amount of backlash from seniors. However, Gibbs states he is currently working to involve seniors’ opinions into the decision. As Gibbs plans for his following years at Eden Prairie, his values are shown through what he prioritizes and his current plans for students: “Safety and supervision is a core value for me and my leadership and something I take really seriously just given the size of our school.” Gibbs says, “We got over 3,000 people to support and 3,000 people that I feel responsible for every day and I take that really seriously.”

EPHS Drama Stuns With Mamma Mia

BY SOPHIA YOERKS

During theater performances like “Mamma Mia,” which was shown in late November at Eden Prairie High School, actors and crew members alike are working to keep the fourth wall upright. The word performance can be used for a number of different things. One is the show itself, what the audience sees behind the fourth wall. Another is the actors coming on and off, delivering lines and holding up the wall. But there is also the “crew,” people who are running through the dark continuing to build upon that wall.

I bet most of us can recognize the faces that danced across the stage. Literally, with __ dance numbers, actors and ensemble members drew audience members in by performing classic ABBA songs. “‘Mamma Mia’ was a perfect show to start off the year,” senior Vivienne Tabor, head lighting designer, shares. With everything from its humor and bubbly dances to its gut

wrenching songs and heartfelt lines, “Mamma Mia” was a memorable one.

The main character, Sophie Sheridan, was played wonderfully by junior Laura Schiveley. As a lead, holding up the fourth wall was an important task for Schiveley. In most roles like hers, it can become stressful. On the final day of performances, Schiveley reflects, “I definitely had so much fun throughout the whole rehearsal and preparation process, but I think I could have had even more fun.” She continues, “I was stressed about various things I didn’t necessarily need to be so worried or stressed about because, in the end, everything came together to form a really great show.”

In this way, actors and crew members are very similar. Nathan Anderson, Assistant Tech Director (ATD), gave his past self advice: “Chill out.” He elaborates, “I would be stressing myself out, and Andrew [Proball, Tech Director] would be like, whoa, whoa, whoa, take it easy. Pronto. And after that, it all began to feel more like an experience rather than a job.” Being an ATD is hard work, and something

not to take lightly. Along with stage managing, ATD’s need to make sure everyone is on track and that everything gets done by the time it needs to get done. “We want to avoid paint drying on set opening night,” Anderson said.

To be able to see the paint, build, and actors on any show night, you need lighting. This is when the booth steps in. The booth consists of the sound head and a sound apprentice, the lighting head and a lighting apprentice, and the stage manager. Tabor watched most of the show from the perspective of the catwalk. Every light has its own job, and it’s up to Tabor to set it up correctly. She explains some of her designs: “I love the nightmare scene (beginning of act 2) and then later the “Slipping Through my Fingers” scene. I randomly saw a gel sitting in the booth and I was like, ‘I want to do something with this gel’. So me and Leah [Quintero, sophomore] hung it. It has become one of my favorite things I’ve ever done.” Sometimes inspiration comes from the most

interesting places, in this case, the booth. In itself, the booth is an interesting and magical place. A coalition of technologies, sound and lighting, with the presence of scripts, snacks, and subtle decorations. Tabor continues to elaborate on how the accidental lighting find was put to use: “It [the lighting] becomes less intense when Donna (played by senior Edie Berggren) is getting married during the ‘I Do I Do I Do’ scene. Those subtle light changes showed that the characters are becoming more comfortable with relationships, loving and being loved. It also showed that Sophie gained the confidence to make that choice for herself.”

Throughout the show, from start to finish, everyone has been putting in their all. Crew and cast alike have rehearsed their roles to complete the performance by building up, and then holding, the fourth wall.

PHOTOS BY SOPHIA YOERKS

Asia Mall Comes to Eden Prairie

BY DYLAN LEUNG

From Asia mall’s introduction to its long awaited grand opening, the mall has many visitors excited to shop, eat, or just hang out. The mall includes groceries for people to peruse, and many Asian restaurants. Asia mall has many products specific to the mall for people to buy, such as produce like durian, persimmon, and Fuji apples. The mall also includes many snacks for sale and boasts an impressive instant ramen stash. In the freezer section you can find many drinks, and frozen foods.

Asia Mall’s restaurants are another major appeal. Although there may be humongous lines, the restaurants sell delicious foods such as mochi donuts, boba, and hot pot.

One common problem is the miniscule amount of available parking space. If you can’t find parking, be sure to check the underground parking for more opportunities.

PICTURES BY DYLAN LEUNG

School Lunch Services Undergoes Changes

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER AND MARGARET HOLMES

If you buy your lunch each day, you may have noticed a few changes from how it used to be. After lunch being free for all students last year, there is a bit of an adjustment with lunch now needing to be paid for again. Many students may have questions about why these changes went into effect. Luckily Brenda Boehm, Director of Food and Nutrition Services, was willing to give some answers.

According to Boehm, there were many people out of work during Covid and so the USDA implemented meal waivers so that school meals would be free for anyone, regardless of income status. “However,” said Boehm, “That expired on June 30. Now everything went back to paid or

reduced meals based on your income status”.

In the future Boehm can possibly see free meals coming back to the Eden Prairie School District. “There’s a lot of talk in school nutrition about lobbying with congress and the Senate to get universal free meals,” says Boehm. However this doesn’t seem likely. “It’s not necessarily something that we’ll see in real life,” she adds. Regardless, the school nutrition department is hard at work revitalizing the school lunch program.

Surprisingly, the number of people eating school lunch has not been negatively affected by the reinstatement of fees. Boehm remarks, “Our numbers are actually up and higher than they were last year” and that the number of extra purchases, for example extra sides and french fries, have also

increased in sales since previous years.

In regards to sweet potato fries, a major source of strife in previous years, much of the student body would be pleased to hear that they are now a thing of the past. The reason for sweet potato fries, Boehm explains, is the National School Lunch Program’s ‘Color Wheel’ for the vegetables offered everyday. “One day a week you have to have a starchy vegetable, a red orange, which would be sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, etc. a dark green, or something in another category, for example celery.” Boehm’s predecessor had decided to “take off fries on Monday and Thursday and substitute them with sweet potato fries and crunchy vegetables to fulfill those requirements.” This year the lunch department is offering french fries everyday in

With

PICTURE BY MARGARET HOLMES

addition to the other food colors required by the National School Lunch Program.

all of these new changes, it’s clear EPHS’ lunch services are striving to improve the program for all.

Dismantling Racism In The Classroom

BY IKRAN ABDI

No student should ever have to experience alienation or unease in their own classrooms, yet for the majority of black students taking English classes, this is frequently the case. The experience of studying English classics has been had by many American students. However, many of these literary classics share the commonality of the usage of racist language. In October of 2022, a number of students brought to the notice of administration the widespread use of slurs in their English classroom. “It irritates me because no one should be permitted to use such words in a classroom setting.” One of the students on the panel, Amel Yusuf shared with us. “We made the decision to speak with the principal and the English department instructors to explain what had hap pened, how we felt, and how this was a problem in the English department since we were aware that it was a reoccurring issue.”

Saying derogatory terms in a classroom isn’t acceptable regardless of the context. Those words hold heaviness and trauma that can be detrimental to someone’s mental health. “We aren’t asking to pretend that word doesn’t exist, but it should be approached respectfully. Reading the world out loud doesn’t help anyone; We aren’t kindergarteners, we can read, we don’t need it to be said out loud for us to hear.” Mariam Galbetie told us, one of the students on the panel mentioned.

“Having conversation of the impact of the word before bringing in material that contains it would be beneficial.” Amal Yusef shared. She explains how without those conversations in the classroom, then books with such material shouldn’t be taught. “If we’re just reading books with no classroom conversations about the content, what’s the point?” Mariam Galbetie said.

Idil Nur, a junior, shared how: “Often when you are the only black student in that classroom, it’s nerve wracking to be the only one to stand up and tell your teacher you are uncomfortable.” She shares how she would often be treated as if she was over exaggerating for speaking out. “You get treated like you’re doing too much for simply explaining something. Because of this, many black students are reluctant to speak up, and then teachers use our silence as an opening to say whatever they want. After all, who else is going to call them out?”

Nate Gibbs, the new Eden Prairie High School Principal, who attended the meeting and shared what the outcome of what students can expect in their classrooms. “Under no circumstances may it be utilized or spoken aloud. It is to be referred to as the

N-Word if it is relevant to what you are learning.”

Mr. Gibbs shared. “It’s our job to make sure students feel

Upcoming ACTs: Feb 11 & EPHS Juniors March 7

Mike Holm Test Prep

Affordable ACT prep classes in Eden Prairie

WINTER CLASSES

» Jan 4 - Feb 8 Mon/Wed, 3:30 - 5pm No class Jan 16 (MLK) Course number 8266C

»

-

Mike Holm Test Prep has a 25 year history of preparing students for the ACT required by many colleges.

» 15 hours of classroom time

» Taught by current and former EPHS Math, English, and Science teachers.

» Practice with actual timed ACT tests.

“It has been exactly what we needed and a great experience for all three of my girls.” -EPHS Parent Mike is a retired 30-year EPHS English teacher. He was a finalist for 1990 MN Teacher of the Year.

The Ultimate EPHS Club Cheat Sheet

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

Ever wanted to join a club at EPHS but didn’t know where to start? To make your decision a little easier, here’s a little cheat sheet of the clubs EPHS offers that are still accepting applications. Join today and get involved!

Clubs marked with an asterisk (*) are new this year!

School-Sponsored Community & Activism

School Programs

For those who want to make your and your fellow students’ voice(s) heard throughout the school.

Dare 2 Be Real, Eagle News Network (ENN), Prom Committee, Yearbook

School Activities

Not into sports but want to join competitive teams? These might be more up your alley.

Speech Team, Robotics, Mock Trial

WANT TO JOIN?

More information can be found under the “Co-Curricular” section of EPHS’ page at edenpr.org.

Sign up today!

Student Union Clubs

Provides support and a safe environment for marginalized groups to make their voices heard.

Asian Student Union (ASU), Black Student Union (BSU), Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA), Muslim Student Union, Somali Student Association

International Culture Clubs

Learn about various world languages and cultures, no knowledge necessary.

American Sign Language (ASL), Chinese, French, German, International Cuisine, Korean, Latino, South Asian, Spanish

Clubs for a Cause

Make a difference in the community by joining these clubs!

Amnesty International, Autism Awareness, Distraction-Free Life, Environmental / Treehuggers, Friends Forever, Habitat for Humanity, International Exchange Student, Letters for Love, Listen To, Talk To, Paws for a Cause, Share the Strength, Shakthi Mental Health, UNICEF

Musical Clubs

Enhance your musical or dance talents.

K-pop Dance, Ukelele

Student Interests

Art Clubs

Create beautiful pieces of art, from food to paintings to short films.

Art, Crafts, Interior Design, International Cuisine, Student Globe, Young Filmmakers

Health Clubs

Assist middle or high school students on their academics.

PASS (CMS), TRACE (EPHS)

Social Studies Clubs

Study humanity in all its chaos and complexities.

Anthropology & Archaeology*, History

Writing Clubs

Jot your ideas down on paper and flesh them out into full stories.

Tutoring Clubs Book Clubs

Student Globe, Ink & Fable Literature

Dive into a good book with your fellow bookworms.

Ink & Fable Literature, Unbook

Pop Culture Clubs

If you’re up on the latest Internet trends and topics, these might be the clubs for you.

Anime, Podcast, Pop Culture, K-pop Dance

Gaming Clubs

For all you geniuses looking at a career in the medical field.

Future Health Professionals (HOSA), International Youth Neuroscience Association, Red Cross

Political Clubs

For the future politicians, or the ones who just want to speak about current events.

Opinionated, Young Democrats, Young Republicans, Youth in Government

Science Clubs

Take a wide look at the world and learn more about its intricacies.

Agricultural Explorers*, Botany, Chemistry, Futurist Academy, USA Computing Olympics

Religious Clubs

Provides an intersection between school and your faith.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Muslim Student Union

Business Clubs

Hone in on your entrepeneurial skills and achieve financial success. Play your favorite games with people who love them just as much.

Economics, Finance & Investing, Women in Business, Young Entrepeneurs Board Games, Chess, Dungeons & Dragons

BY NORA KOEHLER

The mental health crisis in students around the country is not a new conversation. According to the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 60% of students have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder by a professional in 2022. With new technologies and apps advancing every day, the social media epidemic has taken over, and it’s proving to only make mental health matters worse.

Some feel that social media puts on a lot of pressure to be perfect: “I see all these people portraying their perfect selves, and my brain convinces me that it’s really real,” freshman Genna Streed says. “Obviously, all of these people are beautiful in their own ways, but they’re not as perfect as how they make themselves seem.” The long lasting effects of ruined self esteem are rooted in social media’s value of perfection. The more time we spend looking at things that aren’t real, the more we tear ourselves down for not being what we see online. Sophomore Caroline Nave agrees: “There are some pros [to social media] for sure, it makes communication easier, but it also makes me feel bad about myself a lot. The amount of times I look at someone’s post, and wish I looked like that is ridiculous,” she says. Apps like Instagram and TikTok create a false sense of reality that can bleed into our everyday lives. Constantly comparing yourself to others, wondering if others are doing something more interesting or important than you–is all you can think about. And once you’re online, you’re hooked.

The numbers game that is played online often creates a constant craving for validation that isn’t even there. “Social media is mainly numbers, the likes, follows ect. It feels like a rating or amount of how much you’re liked by others. I think it’s easy to become insecure, or feel like you’re not good enough by the number of likes or followers you have. It often represents a level of popularity or likeness. In high school especially, people like to have a good reputation and be liked by others,” senior Katie Clark says. “Social media is like a rabbit hole. It’s extremely easy to get sucked into a false reality. It’s hard to change your mindset and find your way out.” Hours and hours spent on social media becomes a constant pastime for nearly all teenagers. The neverending flow of new content, flash trends and viral videos keeps users entertained for as long as they need. But even after they are taken away from their online world, it still has lasting effects on reality and mental health.

Although there is no way to stop the trend of perfectionism and poor self image online, remember to be kind to yourself. Social media takes everyone’s best version of themselves for the world to see, and we can never be sure what is real and what is fake. There’s no Photoshop in real life, so always value what’s right in front of you. Who you surround yourself with in real life is what really matters.

Like writing, photography, video editing and/or storytelling?

Interested in journalism? Want to be part of a supportive and fun team?

JoinTo join, register for Intro to 21st Century Journalism (the prerequisite course) and Term 2, Term 3, and Term 4 of Advanced Broadcast Journalism - ENN. If you have already taken Intro to 21st Century Journalism, you can go straight into signing up for all four terms

the number of terms you can do.

Sign up for at least two terms, although taking a full year is recommended. Questions about signing up? Contact our advisor Alex Bauer at alex_bauer@edenpr.k12.mn.us

As part of EPHS’s journalism class, you’ll help produce the broadcast show, ENN magazine and content for our website and social media.

How Tiktok is Affecting

Gen Z

BY ASMA ALI

TikTok is one of our generation’s most prominent platforms. It consists of making videos, doing new dance trends, and lip-syncing to songs. TikTok is a great way for Generation Z to express themselves and enjoy the content others make, as well as driving them to make similar content to others and not feel afraid of showing their personality on social media. It makes sense that it has such a huge impact on the youth of today; almost 60% of Gen Z use TikTok. So how does this specifically affect our generation?

Tiktok corrupted many of generation Z and got them so addicted to just scrolling and watching videos of the endless different cotent people are making. But there are times when this app could cause many issues, such as not being socially active. Most of this generation use social media apps such as TikTok to communicate and aren’t really aware of who’s around them. Tiktok may come off as just a typical social media app, but the addictive algorithm of this app makes people stay up all night just watching videos. 58% of American teenagers between the ages of 13-17 use it. This just shows how the addiction to TikTok could be really effective and could cause other things such as lack of sleep. The addictive algorithm of this app makes people stay up all night just watching videos, the average teen should be sleeping 9 ½ hours. The app had made it really difficult for most teenagers to fall asleep because they are constantly scrolling back and forth to these videos and getting no type of sleep.

A couple of students shared their thoughts on how they feel TikTok has affected generation Z. Sumaya Osman whose a senior stated, “I go on TikTok 24/7 and it’s an app I use for entertainment, but it has really affected my screen time since I’m on it every day,” The majority of Tiktok users tend to get carried away with the amount of time they go on tiktok, some even open the app when they first get up in the morning. This app has caused most of us teens today to be addicted and get distracted from most activities and that should be something we need to fix. There are times TikTok is very useful for us, Muntaaz Cisse whose a senior here stated, “I tend to go to TikTok for help when I’m stuck on something and just use their search engine rather than going on Google,”. The app has really helped most kids find useful information on basic stuff.

TikTok can inform others about what’s happening in our world today and the issues that are happening around us. Most of us today don’t watch the news, so we aren’t aware of what’s happening around us, but Tiktok’s algorithm, where once you interact with a video containing something you watch such as the news, it tends to keep coming back on your feed. For most people, it helps them stay on top of today’s topics.

soyouwanttotalkabout: #InstagramActivism

BY HARINI SENTHILKUMAR

Instagram was once an app filled with vacation posts, picture-perfect meals, and #ThrowbackThursdays. However, a new form of media has swept teens’ feeds: the news.

Accounts like @impact and @soyouwanttotalkabout are creating colorful, concise infographics to promote activism and education about current events, with a significant proportion of consumers being teenagers. These infographics have become so widespread that in fact, for many teens, swiping through Instagram stories has become their primary or only news source.

A typical infographic includes multiple slides in one post, starting with an eye-catching cover title, transitioning to more detailed information, and ending with a few steps of action that viewers can take to contribute to the cause. The infographic below is an example, highlighting Indigenous Peoples’ Day and encouraging viewers to help restore the Chinook Indian Nation’s federal recognition by signing a #ChinookJustice petition.

This can be seen in the infographic below, illustrating the influence of elected officials on reproductive rights.

However, with Instagram’s ventures into the political realm, issues of bias have skewed users’ feeds. The vast majority of popular infographics promote far-left ideals, often promoting extreme opinions about current events. @impact, @soyouwanttotalkabout, @chnge, and @ mattxiv are arguably the most popular infographic accounts, and all of them are demonstrably far-left leaning.

Take these infographics from @impact:

Posts like this have summoned a positive form of peer pressure. Teens are conscious about staying up-to-date with what their peers are discussing and being careful about what they post on their own profiles. They are using their own privilege to contribute to societal change, however they can.

This newfound interaction has been especially impactful during elections. According to NPR, young voter turnout (ages 18-29) was the second highest in 2022 in the past three decades. This can most likely be traced to a surge of outreach and information targeted toward Millennial and Gen Z audiences. During elections, teenagers reposted infographics explaining the importance of young voices, particularly in relation to how certain political leaders could affect the issues they care about.

all of these posts are solely celebrating democratic wins, regardless of whether these political leaders support @impact’s ideals or not. These accounts have also forced far-left ideals upon users in a condescending manner, guilt-tripping them if they are not constantly politically “correct”.

The essence of social media as a news outlet itself is flawed in its brief summarization of broad issues. Failing to capture nuanced details of complex events by condensing them into a few lines on a post is bound to foster a misinformed generation of citizens and voters, especially if this is the only news source that teenagers are receiving. The motives of infographic producers could also lie elsewhere–conforming to “trendy” ideals, advocating performatively, and producing eye-catching headlines at the expense of unbiased news.

The critical events occurring in our timeline require the awareness and action of everyone, including the younger population. Educating teenagers about current news on social media is certainly a useful method to target their attention, but we must be cautious not to sacrifice the complexities, detail, and various perspectives within these events in the process.

The Truth About YouTube Fitness

BY MARGARET HOLMES

think we can all remember those early-to-mid days of Covid. We were all stuck at home with nothing to do except spend hours upon hours on our phones. There were a lot of strange trends back then, one of which was those fitness videos taking over YouTube.

One of the biggest names in that space, Chloe Ting, especially seems to be in on it solely for views. If you go on her website and select a fitness ‘program’, she will have around 5 different fitness videos that you can follow along with. These videos will be repeated numerous times throughout the 30ish-day program, with little variety. She makes sure that she gets plenty of views (and plenty of money) on each video. Pamela Reif functions in a similar way.

In the fall of 2020, I followed one of her 28-day programs. Everyday I would be on online school for 7 hours, then on my phone for several more. And then instead of getting some fresh air on a walk with my dog I would trudge down the stairs to my basement, pull up Chloe’s website, and do 45 minutes worth of her workout when I was dead tired from a long day.

There was something almost addicting about those workouts. I hated them, dreaded them, I would often wait until 8 at night or later to start them. But, of course, no one wants to be lazy… So I did them, reading the commiserating comments on each video, each person detailing with a devout reverence how eventually the workouts stop hurting, how after a while you can start to catch your breath again. As if that’s a healthy accomplishment.

These influencers would claim to have “new and improved” exercises. When in reality, these workouts were the same lunges, squats and pushups, changed just slightly to look fancier. And the whole video would repeat the basic rejuvenated exercises over and over again throughout the same video with little variety. There’s nothing new, nothing fitness icons like Joyce Vedrall hadn’t accomplished almost 30 years ago and, in my opinion, executed far more effectively then her imitators today.

So maybe the actual problem with YouTube workouts is how they pretend to be something they’re not. Fitness ‘coaches’ wearing their fashionista workout gear, being praised for their brand new workouts that have been around for years. And then their fans, mostly female, flock to the videos so they can look just like them! Plus, these videos ignore the hard truths of health–that if you don’t have an hourglass already, a workout is not going to help much. Or that those recipes on their websites are really not very healthy. Relying on slightly less sugar than store bought desserts and an overabundance of dairy. Or most important of all, that being fit is a lot more than spending 45 minutes a day using some random workout on YouTube.

YouTube fitness videos can be a great gateway to unlocking your ultimate fitness routine. However, they shouldn’t be treated as a one stop pitstop to base your entire workout, diet and lifestyle around.

Elon Musk’s Twitter purchase sparks chaos

BY MARIAM JABRI

In 2021, it was reported that Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, had expressed interest in buying Twitter. The news sparked a heated debate among Twitter users, with some cheering the prospect of Musk’s involvement in the social media platform and others expressing concern or outright opposition.

On one side of the debate, Musk’s supporters argued that his ownership of Twitter could bring much-needed changes to the platform. They pointed to Musk’s track record as a successful entrepreneur and innovator, and speculated that he could bring new ideas and resources to the table that could help Twitter grow and evolve. Some even suggested that Musk’s leadership could help address some of the issues that have plagued the platform in recent years, such as hate speech and misinformation.

However, others were less enthusiastic about the prospect of Musk owning Twitter. Some pointed out that Musk has a reputation for being outspoken and controversial, and expressed concern that his influence could further polarize the already divided political climate on the platform. Others argued that Musk’s business interests, particularly in the tech and energy sectors, could lead to conflicts of interest or bias in the content that is promoted on Twitter. Some even suggested that Musk’s ownership could undermine the platform’s independence and integrity.

Ultimately, whether or not Elon Musk’s potential acquisition of Twitter would be a positive or negative development is a matter of personal opinion. Some believe that his leadership could bring much-needed change and innovation to the platform, while others are concerned about the potential consequences of his involvement.

Regardless, Elon Musk is now one of twitter’s biggest shareholders, with a 9.1 percent share. Elon musk has already made some serious changes. Now, if you want a blue-check status, you’ll have to pay $8 for it. Twitter has been in shambles since.

Actor Valerie Bertinelli, previously with a verified account, impersonated Musk on Twitter and posted tweets about democratic candidates before the midterm elections. Comedians Kathy Griffin and Sarah Silverman also impersonated him and both got temporarily suspended.

It seems this leadership change for Twitter has not been welcomed swiftly. And, considering the lunatics that grace Twitter with their overtime and opinions, this is just the beginning of a shift in Twitter culture.

An abridged “Midnights”

BY MARGARET HOLMES

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! My third annual Taylor Swift album review! Sophomore year I gave you “Folklore”, junior year “Red TV”, and now, my very last year, senior year, I give you “Midnights” by Taylor Swift!

Lavender Haze: Well, okay. The first notes of Taylor’s singing are decent… Not necessarily worth waking up at 6:00 am on a weekend though. At least she has some real singing rather than that weird whispering she had in her previous albums. I’m glad she’s finally over that. As for the lyrics though, I feel like I’ve heard this same song from her 10 times now.

Maroon: Reputation music! Hallelujah! This song slaps, honestly. If “Maroon” is a rewrite/ more mature version of her song “Red”, I can definitely get behind it. However, I’m not a huge fan of artists (looking at you Olivia Rodrigo) dropping the F-bomb for no reason simply to be ‘cool’. Hearing it in the same song with a line like, ‘Carnations that you thought were roses, that’s us,’ is so funny that I can’t even take it seriously.

Anti-Hero: This song is honestly pretty crazy. It’s insane, with lyrics like ‘I have this dream my daughter in law kills me for money’ or the hilarious, ‘I stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror.’ But the music is pretty good and her singing is even better. I also like her allusions to different fairy tales and movies in this song. I highly suggest you all watch the music video, it’s very trippy.

Snow on the Beach: Uh oh… the mumbling whispering is back. Despite that though her chorus is very enjoyable which is high praise from me, who hates repetitive choruses. I was honestly pretty confused searching up the lyrics to this song after hearing it and seeing that Lana Del Rey was in it. I never would have guessed because their voices blended so well. I think Swift maybe should have given Del Rey some solo lines if she was going to make a cameo.

(Ironically, the Youngblud ad on my Spotify was the best music I have heard so far…)

You’re On Your Own, Kid: This song is pretty popular already. I don’t like the title but the verses and chorus are all really good. Really spot on lyrically and instrumentally. This song is kind of nostalgic, but it’s hopeful at the same time which I think is an interesting combination. This song is really vulnerable for Swift and, along with ‘Anti-Hero’, I think it’s one of the most meaningful songs she’s written.

Midnight Rain: I might be in the minority here, but I really don’t like this song. I don’t like that annoying auto tune voice and I personally don’t like the comparisons made in this song. I think ‘The Way I Loved You’ and ‘Don’t Blame Me’ did a much better job at conveying the theme of not wanting a ‘boring’ relationship. This one might be my least favorite on the album.

Question..?: This song has definitely grown on me. I think the chorus is kind of misleading and it’s easy to miss that this song is about Harry Styles and not a cutesy New Years’ Eve scenario. It isn’t great, but it has a good beat and I think it has better instrumentals then a lot of other songs.

Vigilante Sh*t: Well hello there Billie Eilish. Or actually, this sounds more like Melanie Martinez than Billie Eilish, which 8th grade me would be very happy about. I actually really love this song. It’s just really fun and I’m happy to hear a song resembling Reputation. I really like Taylor Swift revenge songs and you cannot tell me the bridge was not inspired by Melanie Martinez because it 100% was.

Bejeweled: Some songs you just have to laugh at. This is one of them. You actually can’t even talk about this song without watching the music video because it is ICONIC. So if you haven’t, go watch that and come back because that is an EXPERIENCE. You can’t take this song too seriously so just put it on, sing along, and have fun cause that’s pretty much all there is to it.

Labyrinth: This song sounds a little too much like ‘Mirrorball’ for me to love. I’ve said this repeatedly, but I don’t like the whispering. And why is there autotune? Why would you need to autotune whispering? Nothing about this song makes sense. I guess the lyrics are kind of good but it gets lost with the weird autotune voice (serious what is that) and the whispering. I do like how she has some lines from her NYU speech though.

review

Karma: I am of the opinion that calling karma her boyfriend when she has a REAL boyfriend is a bit disrespectful to Joe Alwyn. But at least this song has a good beat and some actual music and singing rather than random mumbling. This song is pretty fun. (Reminiscent of the lone Youngblud ad…)

Sweet Nothing: I have to be honest, by track 12, I’m a little tired of Taylor basically whispering. She has good vocals, she has GREAT vocals. Why isn’t she using them? This is her third album in a row relying on the whispering and I had hoped she would get into something fresh. At least Folklore had ‘Betty’ and Evermore had ‘No Body, No Crime’. Where is the life, Taylor? But aside from all that, I DO like the lyrics even though they are a little repetitive for my taste.

Mastermind: The lyrics are pretty cute in this song. I’m honestly so relieved to hear anything resembling “1989”. I love both the chorus and verses, which is pretty unusual for me when listening to music. My only complaints are that the music is kind of boring and the line ‘no one wanted to play with me as a little kid’ is pretty strange to put in this song.

Swift bedazzles in the “Bejeweled” music video

Swift portraying her past self in the “AntiHero” music video

Top 3 water fountains

BY MARIAM JABRI

location: next to the choir rooms

rating: 4/5

reasoning: The button is easy to press. The water rises pretty high so your mouth doesn’t touch the tip. It’s also really cold and refreshing. I don’t like how much water pours out though. It’s just a little too much. Oh and you might walk by when the choir kids are singing so it does give you a better experience overall. If you look at it that way. I just heard them sing and they sounded great, improved my mood overall.

location: next to the german/chinese room

rating: 5/5

reasoning: The water rises pretty high so you’re not really touching the tip of the water fountain. Because that’s just gross. The button is good. It’s like loose, easy to press. There’s an area to fill up your water botlle. The water is cold and refreshing. That’s the most important factor of a water fountain. I’d say. The location is a bit far from most classes, but this right here is a reliable water fountain. The filter status is almost always green, and the water is always cold. It never disappoints. If it was a person, I would propose.

location: across from the volunteer baord, near a school entrance rating: 4/5

reasoning: The water for this fountain is cold, which is good. The status is green. The water rises pretty high so you’re not touching the mouth of the fountain. The location is convenient if you just came home from school or leaving. It’s pretty out in the open, easy to recognize. Not bad for a school water fountain. I’m getting pretty good vibes from this fountain, too. Although I’m eating a cookie right now so maybe that’s why. Great water fountain.

Worst 3 water fountains

location: next to the science rooms on the 3rd floor rating: 2/5

reasoning: I mean, the water is usually cold. So if you’re looking for something refreshing, you’ve definitely found it. But it isn’t reliable. Sometimes the water gets warm, and that’s not ok. The button is hard to press and it doesn’t lift up the water. So you could accidentally touch the fountain tip with your mouth and that’s just gross. There is a trash can next to it. I guess that’s a perk if you have trash to throw away, but also kind of disgusting because you’re looking at trash. You could just look in the mirror for that. I’m sorry. That’s was uncalled for. Anyways, it’s a good spot to fill up your water bottle. But what really brings this water fountain down is the location. It’s pushed off to the side in the science area and who wants to go there? Honestly, it’s giving me PTSD. I don’t like this environment. I remember taking physics here. totally ruined me. I don’t appreciate the negative emotions that I’m getting right now because of this water fountain.

location: next to the student publications room rating: 1/5

reasoning: I almost missed this one. The water is warm. There isn’t a place for your water bottle. It’s also really dirty, too. There’s like some pink stuffon it. Don’t like it. The button is okay. The water rises at a good level, but it’s warm and gross. Horrible water fountain overall. Not a good experience.

location: near the library rating: 1/5

reasoning: I don’t like this one. The water for the water bottles and the foutian tip are both extremely warm. I don’t like that. The button is easy to press though. The filter status is usually green. I asked someone while reviewing this fountain what they thought. They agreed it’s meh. So that’s just further proof this water fountain is terrible. It looks really dirty, too. I also don’t like that there’s a lot of people walking past me #socialanxiety. I’m getting triggered just standing by this fountain. Overall, I would never drink here again.

Fantasy Book Reviews

BY SOPHIA YOERKS

teams of two. Margaret is a sharp shooter, and the best one in town at that, but she needs a alchemist to be able to enter.

Weston Winters hasn’t trained to be an alchemist… yet. Margaret knows that she will need him to enter the hunt, so she begrudgingly allows him to stay at her home, Welty Manor. This standalone fantasy novel contains self-discorvery, extraordinary adventure, and thrilling romance.

Memorable Quotes:

“When she looks like this, flushed and hazy and haloed by the moon, he truly can believe God exists, and her name is Margaret Welty.”

- Allison Saft, A Far Wilder Magic

“She can understand the complicated feelings that come from forsaking your heritage.”

- Allison Saft, A Far Wilder Magic

Are you a fan of Harry Potter? Are you itching for a self-sufficient female protagonist? Well, if you liked the magic and adventures in Harry Potter, I can assure you that you will like the fantasy and challenges of A Far Wilder Magic. It’s enticing from the beginning, and the characters suck you into a place you never thought you’d call home, a magical version of the Pacific Northwest.

Margaret Welty is a fierce, independent, and yet still fragile, teenage girl. To get her mother to return to the house she has been keeping up since her departure for power in the alchemist society, Margret plans to kill the hala once and for all.

The hala is the last living mythical creature. If you manage to kill the terrorizing beast, you get the most important things to alchemists: fame, riches, and ancient secrets.

However, in order to join the Halfmoon Hunt, there must be

“No matter what paltry justice this town levies, it won’t save their chances at winning, and it won’t make them safe. The hala isn’t the only monster in these woods. Humans are far worse. The hunt has never been for him and Margaret. It’s never been about protecting this town or about money or safety or glory. It’s not even about God. It’s about the poison at the heart of this country.”

- Allison Saft, A Far Wilder Magic

ARE YOU WANTING TO ESCAPE FROM A ROUGH AND DREARY WINTER? DIVE INTO SOME MAGICAL READS THAT WILL TRANSPORT YOU TO ANOTHER UNIVERSE!

Are you ready to be thrilled, confused, disgusted, and astounded?

…Yes? Well then, you’ve come to the right place (or flipped to the right page).

Bunny by Mona Awad is a bizarre and gripping tale about Samantha Heather Mackey, an outcast in her small and selective MFA program at New England’s Warren University. Samantha cannot stand the group of unbearably feminine rich girls who call each other “Bunny”. Most want to be a part of that ever binding circle, but Samantha wants nothing more than to stay in her dark imagination.

This all evaporates when Samantha receives an invitation to one of the Bunny’s “Salons”. Upon venturing into the unbearably feminine house to perform ritual sacrifices, Samantha ditches her only friend, Ava.

She soon gets deeper and deeper into their cult, following nothing but the sound of their voices and flicks of blonde hair. The deeper she gets, the more reality and fantasy get intertwined with the conjurings of their creations. However, it becomes all too real when the Bunnies collide with Ava, and time begins to unravel.

Memorable Quotes:

“Why do you lie so much? And about the weirdest little things?”, my mother always asked me. “I don’t know”, I always said. But I did know. It was very simple. Because it was a better story.”

- Mona Awad, Bunny

“We never joke about bunnies, Bunny.”

― Mona Awad, Bunny

never really not written, never not had another world of my own making to escape to, never known how to be in this world without most of my soul dreaming up and living in another.”

―

―

I THINK IT’S TIME TO CHANNEL YOUR FEMEMINE RAGE...

“I’ve

Mona Awad, Bunny

“I look at all of my dreams and nightmares distilled into one man-shaped shape. All the love and hate I have in my heart plus one fucking bunny.”

Mona Awad, Bunny

It’s common sense to not walk up to someone and insult them to their face. Everyone agrees: it’s bad, it’s mean, it’s wrong. But on the Internet, the lines get a little blurrier. Sure, we know it’s still wrong. Yet when we’re behind a screen and a username, it’s so easy to let those insults fly. Consequences don’t exist. Sympathy is impossible–without truly knowing the person, how can we possibly consider their feelings?

And so we insult. We harass and spew hatred. People see the likes the offender earned and dogpile on top of them. LMAOs and LOLs flood comments, usually in response to a cruel joke. Users are chased offline due to all the torment. And it’s all because of some benign reason– slightly controversial musical taste, an embarrassing typo, an imperfect body. It’s a sad sight and an even worse experience.

Maybe it’s thanks to apps like Twitter and TikTok. Maybe it’s a result of our COVID isolation. Or maybe we’ve just always been this nasty. Either way, online harassment is worse than ever. According to Pew Research, 40% of adults have said they have been cyberbullied in the past. That number skyrockets to 75% for students. And it’s genuinely harmful to victims: 41% reported some form of social anxiety as a result of the bullying, 37% developed depression, and 24% left social media entirely.

One thing is clear: it’s well past time to tone it down. You don’t look “cool” calling someone ugly online; you just look like a jerk. And it really isn’t funny. The person on the other side of the screen would most certainly agree.

The best rule of thumb for the Internet: if it’s not hurting anyone, just mind your own business and carry on with your day. Or, better yet: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. The world is already scary and mean as is. Don’t let your negativity ruin someone else’s day.

Spotify vs. Apple music

It’s now turned into common practice for people to use music streaming platforms as ways to characterize personalities. For example, Spotify users can be “classified” as social. Apple users can be “classified” as minimalistic, and the list goes on.

Many people also personalize these streaming platforms, so it becomes more than a place where you can just listen to music or podcasts. Because of this, now it’s not just music defining someone, it’s also how they present it.

Before we get too in depth about stereotypes and other assumptions about the people who use these platforms, lets get into the knitty gritty. As a Spotify user, it pains me to admit that without Spotify’s ‘HiFi’, Apple Music takes the cake on sound quality and availability. Apple music has better bitrate and resolution than Spotify, and supports higher resolution streaming. Along with that, Apple music has diverse spacial audio and other higher-tech capabilities than Spotify does.

You can also argue that Apple Music’s free trial has a better deal than Spotify, but I am conflicted on this point. There is a free trial available for Apple Music listening, letting the user explore the site freely for an allotted amount of time. While Spotify has unlimited listening with the exception of ads that are played around every 15 minutes, or 3 songs.

However, music, like many other artforms, is inherently social. As someone who almost always is listening to music, I love sharing it with people who I care about. Sometimes songs can put across meanings, feelings, and words better than I can. Both streaming platforms have aspects of sharing and socializing, but Spotify takes the cake as the “social site”. Some even say it’s another social media and honestly, I agree. You can follow friends, create playlists, and stylize what you listen to. For most, that’s very important.

With most platforms and sites these days, it also comes down to aesthetic. If you’re more into a lighter, cleaner, and more minimalistic vibe, Apple Music fits right up your alley. If youre more into darker, more creative freedom and social aspects, with organized clutter, Spotify is probably going to be your jam!

At the end of the day, music is music, and how we present ourselves virtually is not the end of the world. All that matters is that you can listen to the music you like.

The gap

BY DYLAN LEUNG

Pedophiles are often thrown into the spotlight and are constantly being called out by the media. As more and more talk about pedofiles surface, talking about pedofiles has become much more common, and in my opinion, desensitized. Sometimes the topic of pedofiles is thrown around as a joke like, “Your mustache makes you look like a pedo!” But at a highschool where a few years separate most people, what age groups should be allowed to date and who? In a survey sent to students in EPHS a majority of students agreed that high schoolers should be dating people that are either in their grade or one grade higher or lower. Interestingly, a trend among the answers given showed that most students believed that age gap matters less and less as people age, supporting an idea online called the ½ age + 7 rule. The rule basically states that the youngest you should date is half your age, with 7 added to it.

The effect of gossip

BY BROOKE TAPE

Gossip is something people don’t go around saying they participate in, but more people than you would think do it all the time without thinking of the consequences. It might be something small or meaningless like talking about someone’s outfit that you don’t like. It could also be something as big as criminal accusations. Sophomore Aadya Pandey says, “Gossip has always been there, but it became more prominent and more serious as I got older. I feel like when you’re younger, it was a lot about sharing toys and food and books, but when you get older, relationships happen, and people involve themselves in more serious real world stuff. Which creates more serious rumors that go around.”

Gossip is very prominent in high school culture. Have you ever wondered why? Insecurity is a big reason people might gossip. If you feel good about yourself and are happy you probably wouldn’t feel the need to bring other people down. Lydia Schwieters, senior, mentioned the saying ‘Hurt people hurt people’. Schwieters also said that she thinks a lot of people gossip because they want to be accepted and be popular, or they just want revenge and are jealous. Gossiping has become so normalized that some people don’t even think about how

badly they could be affecting others. You can ruin someone’s reputation or career with one rumor. Maybe a person gets lucky and nobody remembers the rumor, but do you think the person whose name was tarnished does? Rumors can live with people forever.

Gossip could severely affect mental health. Imagine you go on your phone to find a Snapchat going around saying that you did this, or you did that, when it is completely false. Schwieters said, “There are some things that have been said about me that make me not want to leave the house after.” It’s that sense of helplessness you get when you feel like you are in a hole and everyone is miles away, and you can’t even climb up and help yourself. You might also feel like you’re drowning. You can’t catch your breath, and you just want to take a deep breath, but the waves are too strong. Those waves and that hole might not be so bad if kids’ ideal version of themselves wasn’t so involved with other people’s opinions.

An overwhelming amount of people have said that they like gossip. They have said it gives them something to do, it’s interesting, and without gossip, life would be boring. That’s just the surface, though. If

you actually dig deeper, you would hear about all the negative impacts of gossip, and why you shouldn’t participate in the spreading of gossip. Lydia Schwieters had a realization mid sentence, “Literally I just backtracked my whole thought. I’m like oh yeah I love gossip, and I’m like yeah I’ve been deeply depressed by gossip that’s been spread about me before.”

Next time, before spreading gossip around, just think about the effect it has on people’s lives. Think about how rumors have made you feel before. Think about why it’s so important to spread something harmful about someone when it might not even be accurate. How does that benefit anyone?

New adaptations are their own thing

BY MARIAM JABRI

Book-to-movie and TV adaptations have always been a popular way for studios to bring beloved stories to a broader audience. Whether it’s a classic novel, a young adult bestseller, or a graphic novel, there are countless examples of successful adaptations that have captured the imagination of audiences around the world.

For example, the Harry Potter series of movies introduced millions of people to the world of Hogwarts and helped to create a whole new generation of readers. Similarly, the Game of Thrones TV show introduced a massive audience to the complex and immersive world of Westeros, leading to a surge in sales of original novels.

However, as with any adaptation, there will always be changes and alterations to the original source material. Sometimes these changes are necessary to make the story work on screen, while others are made to appeal to a wider audience or streamline the plot.

As a fan of both books and movies, I understand the frustration that can come with seeing your favorite story altered in any way. But at the same time, I also believe that adaptations can be a great way to introduce new audiences to a story and bring fresh perspectives to the material.

Take Wednesday, the latest hit Netflix show based on the film The Addam’s Family. I never watched the movie prior to watching the show. I didn’t know what I was expecting going in, but I enjoyed the show and loved Jenna Ortega as Wednesday. I immediately went on TikTok after I binged the whole show in one sitting. The audience reviews were split in half. Some people loved it, while others were disappointed. To them, it strayed too far from the original Addams family and their expectations weren’t met.

They have every right to express their disappointment, especially if they were huge fans of the movies beforehand. I just think it’s important we understand that adaptations of original books and movies will be different. The director is different. The writers are different. The actors are different. It’s a whole new take on the original, and we should welcome change instead of expecting a close replica of the original.

Done with the ticket monopoly!

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

The true “Great War” Taylor Swift laments over on Midnights was not World War One; rather, it was the bloody chaos of a Ticketmaster sale gone horribly wrong. What should have been a (relatively) simple presale ended with glitchy 5-hour queues, questionable pricing, and hordes of disappointed Swifties. Ticketmaster blames this all on “unprecedented demand.” But is that really it?

Taylor Swift is a global superstar. Of course demand would be huge. Did they not see this coming? Anyone with a brain would have expected that, but apparently no one at Ticketmaster HQ has a brain. And even if she were a smaller artist, the reason millions of people flooded (and then crashed) the site was because they had presale codes that Ticketmaster handed out. They knew how many codes there were! They knew millions would be on the website! So why are they turning around and blaming us?

But, glitches and gaslighting aside, the biggest problem at hand is the scalpers. Obviously, not everyone was able to snag a ticket. Never failing to miss an opportunity to scam desperate fans out of their hard-earned money, thousands of scalpers still managed to bypass Ticketmaster’s paper-thin security system and stole tickets out of people’s carts. Then they ran to StubHub and jacked up the price to beyond-illegal levels. What were once $300 floor tickets (at the low end—many fans spent the same on nosebleed tickets despite Swift’s request to not let that happen) are now up for $100,000 in some stadiums. I saw one for a non-Minneapolis show that was around $100… but it was a mile away from the venue. This is highly questionable at best and extremely illegal at worst. So why is Ticketmaster letting them do this? Are they trying to help them? These are questions only they have the answers to.

Ticketmaster is awful, that’s clear. But they’re also a monopoly. As in, they’ve either bought their competitors or the competitors are incomparable to the original. Monopolies are technically illegal, but for some reason (money), Congress doesn’t do anything about it. It’s ridiculous. Our country’s economy was built on the words of Adam Smith, a man who emphasized the importance of competition. Yet they let these massive companies commit this nonsense! They have the power to break up monopolies and have in the past, so how has Ticketmaster managed to get away with it for so long?

Luckily, change might be coming. After the horrors of November 15th, it was revealed that Ticketmaster was under investigation by the Department of Justice for its monopolistic nature. Swift’s fans, the ever-feared Swifties, also began a class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster and their shady ways.

I don’t know what change, if any, will arise from this. But at least Taylor Swift has shown that the cracks in this ticket monopoly are more obvious than ever.

Swimmer, skier, defenseman Interview with Maya Bond

BY AMELIA DEWBERRY

For multisport athletes, some sports, like cross country and track, or gymnastics and diving, naturally complement each other. But for senior Maya Bond, it’s an unlikely trio: swimming, Nordic skiing, and lacrosse.

Bond swam competitively year-round for 12 years but started to feel burnt out, prompting her to join other sports. She started skiing and playing lacrosse during her sophomore year to stay busy. Although skills from her different sports don’t translate well, that’s part of what Bond likes about it. “It is definitely nice to have a break. That’s one of the reasons I do three totally different sports,” explained Bond. Switching gears to something totally different every season keeps her excited to play.

For Bond, sports are just about fun and having a good time. “I really love the atmosphere of our swim team,” replied Bond on the best part of high school sports. She admitted, “I don’t even like swimming that much anymore. I just like the team.” Her advice to other multisport athletes is to prioritize mental health. Many coaches and athletes emphasize perfecting their sport, but Bond reminds people that while that’s important, it’s also not that serious: “I really do my sports to be enjoyable.”

Sports have been essential to Bond’s high school experience. When reflecting on the past four years, the only thing she would have done differently is “started all the sports sooner”.

Photos submitted by Maya Bond

A fresh start for girls hockey

BY AMELIA DEWBERRY

Girls hockey has seen a refresh this season, led by an entirely new coaching staff and a young roster. Senior captains Annabel Mehta and Paige Holt are optimistic that the changes will lead them to a more successful season. “I think that we are a lot better this year so I’m just excited to be successful,” stated Mehta.

Four new varsity coaches have joined the team, led by head coach Steve Persian. Persian joins the Eagles after most recently coaching at Breck. The players feel the most notable change is that the new coaches care about them as people more. Mehta is relieved that they understand that “mistakes are made and life happens.” Holt agrees: “It’s been the best yet. And it’s only been like two weeks.”

The Eagles’ roster includes 10 underclassmen who are also bringing new energy to the team. Mehta noted that the younger players have “really been hitting their stride” and are excited for their future. The new makeup of the team has shifted the Eagles toward a more positive team dynamic. Holt jokingly describes it as “organized chaos,” but everyone is “very happy to be there.” The girls are confident that their new attitudes, excitement, and willingness to work hard and support each other will carry them toward success.

The Eagles were recently outfitted with a new locker

room to fire them up for games and practices. Features include all-new flooring, higher ceilings, shower stalls, an ice machine, and wooden lockers to replace the existing metal ones. It’s completely branded with Eden Prairie logos and a large Eagles Hockey logo drop-down from the ceiling.

The girls aim to win state and have outlined smaller steps along the way. They plan to score three goals every game. Holt explains, “That’s important to us because [. . .] when you score goals, you win games.” During practice, the team expects mutual respect and consistency. Every player committed to these goals by signing a paper that is framed and hung in the locker room.

Eagles hockey currently stands at 3-5, with two big wins over Marshall and Chaska/Chanhassen, winning 4-1 and 9-1, respectively. They head into some big matchups in January, hoping to defeat Lake Conference rival Minnetonka and Holy Family on the path to state. Sophomore Lauren Pottinger leads the team in scoring with 10 points on the season.

As the season begins, the combination of new leadership and young potential is reenergizing the Eagles.

Photo by Lydia Schwieters

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