HMportfolio

LM I U V S E I

OPEN 24/7 C

Harmony’s Portfolio

“Summer, summer, summertime, Time to sit back and unwind…” Summer is so close that students can almost taste it. If someone got the hold of recent attendance records, some students are acting like it is already here.

But summer itself means more than just a break from school. It’s a time for soon to be college freshman to get acquainted with college life, for those still in high school to prep for the SAT, and to veg out with music (and some friends) until August 14th.

We have decided to create a playlist of songs that should be on any dog days playlist. In the words of The Fresh Prince, “…put your car on cruise and lay back cause this is summertime.”

1) “DNA.” by Kendrick Lamar “From the flawless hard-hitting beat, and Kendrick’s amazing, socially conscious lyrics, “DNA.” has everything needed to be the song of the summer,” senior Jorge Rivera said.

The second single off of K-Dot’s most recent album, “DNA.” packs a lyrical punch about multiple viewpoints, including celebrating and embracing his black culture and heritage. The song debuted at the number 4 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. This put Lamar in the Top 10, along with having all 14 songs off of DAMN. chart. As if to build a Kung-Fu Kenny hierarchy up to his top single, “HUMBLE.” 2) “On The Level” by Mac DeMarco Three is a magic number, and this brings truth for the third single off of the upcoming third studio album for DeMarco, This Old Dog. From the beginning to the end, the relaxed, loping vibe that drips from the song hits the listener with ease. “On The Level” is the quiet yet intriguing older brother of “Chamber of Reflection”, and is the male-encapsulated version of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “All That”.

3) “Passionfruit” by Drake It is not a summer playlist without Drizzy. Complete with parallels to “Marvin’s Room”, “Passionfruit” tells the tale of Drake dealing with the struggles of being in a long-distance relationship. The mellow beat of the song has that dancehall vibe that makes its appearance in many other hits such as “Hotline Bling” and “One Dance”.

4) “Love Galore” by SZA (ft. Travis Scott) SZA has been relatively quiet on the lead up to her new LP, CTRL, despite releasing two singles. “Love Galore” is a song for the ages; a modern love story about her longing for the past, and it leaving her in a cold despair. Combined with the talented mind of Travis Scott, it’s 4 and ½ minutes of pure smoothness.

5) “J-Boy” By Phoenix The first song the band has released in about four years, Phoenix makes their return with this fizzy and electric single. Ti Amo, their upcoming album, comes out June 9th. “Just because of you…” lead singer Thomas Mars sings, caped by the synth fans all deserve.

6) “Hard Times” by Paramore

1

“Misery Business” was, and still is, the song everyone can scream (and possibly mosh) to. But, it doesn’t take much for long-term Paramore fans to realize that “Hard Times” is different. Not to mention, lead singer Hayley Williams is even sporting a brand new hair color. Is it different in a bad way? Not at all. This single has the qualities to be a great song for any type of event.

“It doesn’t feel like the original Paramore everyone’s come to know and love,” senior Lucy Ayala said, “but I really enjoy this pop vibe that Hard Times has.”

7) “Scared Money” by NxWorries Despite the fact that Yes Lawd! is a fall album (released Oct 21, 2016), the recent music video, which pays homage to the film Paid In Full, gives the euphonious duo a place on the playlist. “Scared Money” is truly an anthem, and the listener is almost guaranteed to bounce their shoulders with the beat. It is surely another triumph for Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge.

8) “Pleaser” by Wallows “I think this song is the perfect soundtrack for high school” sophomore Paige Christiensen said, “And the guitarist is pretty cool, too.”

In only the first four months of 2017, Dylan Minnette has had quite the year. From his portrayal of main character “Clay” in the Netflix original 13 Reasons Why, to being the guitarist of Wallows while in the midst of releasing their debut single. The song starts slow, until it fully crescendos at the :33 second mark. Wallows are the band the performs at prom in your favorite teen movie. Except, you know, real.

REVIEW A) To begin, one thing I am proud of is the range of music that I have on this list. Some of these songs are ones I had never listened to until this article was assigned to me. This task of having to find a song and then write about it made me feel as if I was working on a more professional level. I also love some of my descriptions for the songs, such as the blurb I wrote for “On the Level” by Mac DeMarco. Me and Savannah have this fun game we play where we characterize and personify songs (which are usually by The Orwells) based on how they sound, and in the sentence, “On The Level” is the quiet yet intriguing older brother of “Chamber of Reflection”, and is the male-encapsulated version of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “All That”,” I brought that aspect out a lot, and I just love this sentence as well.

B) I believe this article demonstrates good journalism through its style simply be cause, in spite of its different structure from a regular article I have written in the past, it works well for this type of piece. It also brings importance to a matter that I’m sure a lot of students are thinking of in these final days until summer break.

C) To make this article stronger, I would try to use more quotes. This is an article I want people to read and be truly influenced to listen to this music, and more people are inclined to listen to things when 1) it is something their peers listen to and 2) it is surrounded by other songs that they have heard before.

2

Zayn Malik had revealed recently about an eating disorder he had back in the days of 1D in his new autobiography “ZAYN”, which was released on Nov 1st. Malik, who we all recognize as an ex-member of the currently resting boyband One Direction, only continues to individualize himself from the foursome with this brave gesture.

“Something I’ve never talked about in public before, but which I have come to terms with since leaving the band, is that I was suffering from an eating disorder,” Malik writes in his book, “It wasn’t as though I had any concerns about my weight or anything like that. I’d just go for days — sometimes two or three days straight — without eating anything at all.”

Malik had also admitted online to his fans that he suffers from anxiety, which has kept him from performing live, and had caused the eating disorder. Though he failed to recognize it for what it was back then, he is able to come to terms with it now.

So what does this mean to anyone, more specifically men, who suffer from eating disorders? One would hope that through his level of celebrity, this would bring some good and more consciousness for the disorder. However, others might not think it could ripple as much.

“I don’t think Zayn is pushing as hard for it anywhere outside of the publication of the book,” Junior Amber Nejjari said, “Though I do hope that anyone who hears about this can seek some help just as he had gotten for himself.”

Let’s talk about the importance of this. In just the U.S. alone, there are 30 million people with some branch of an eating disorder, 10 million of those are men. Additionally, according to the National Association for Men with Eating Disorders (NAMED), prevalence of eating disorders in males is most likely greater than what is estimated because men are often too stigmatized to seek treatment for what is seen as “women’s problems.”

“Many people think that others are just doing it because they want attention, which isn’t right,” Senior Jessy Mendez said. This seems to be a common misconception among people of all ages, and this dangerous outlook can cause people to not seek the help they truly need.

This is not some random claim. In fact, 73 percent of University High School students believe that there is work that needs to be done.

So will there actually come a day when our people can unite to aid and recognize, not only just those with eating disorders, but people of all ages, races, sexualities and religions with a mental illness?

“While I don’t think that there is a lot that people understand as of now, I do think they will one day,” Senior Kenneth Irizarry said, “Especially for adolescents, having more knowledge of this can help them not only identify it, but help others get the treatment they need.”

3

REVIEW A) In this article, I felt it necessary to not keep attaching Zayn to One Direction considering that was what a lot of media outlets kept doing despite his departure.

I addressed this in my lead where I say, “who we all recognize as an ex-member of the currently resting boyband One Direction” as if tell those other outlets, “we get it, but he left so stop making him sound like he is still a part of the group.” I also liked how I ended it with a kicker quote because it fit well with the story and just seemed to complete the circle.

B) This article demonstrates good journalism most definitely through importance. When I write my articles, I usually address things that are not always spoken about as often as they should be. The awareness is essential to high school, being that it is a place where kids are capable of being their most vulnerable and scared.

C) One thing I would improve on is getting quotes from more freshmen and sophomores. This isn’t not just a critique for this single article because this is something I lacked in most of my articles. I didn’t know a lot of freshmen or sophomores (besides those in theatre and friends of my younger brother), and I should have been more upfront with people, even if I had never approached them previously

4

A swastika painted on a local playground, in a bathroom stall, on a student’s locker. Words such as “Go Home” and “Trump” are plastered on the clothes, hats, and signs in the high school halls. Racial slurs spewed from the mouths of peers, and violence creeping around every corner. This is the America we are now seeing since the election.

Violence acts out of hatred, inspired by President-elect Donald Trump, have not just been happening in high schools, but everyday situations. The affect Donald trump has had on the American people equates to nothing but discrimination and neo-nazism (otherwise known as “white nationalism”), along with millions of people scared for what the future will bring.

“It’s terrifying. Hate crimes have spiked simply because of a new president,” senior Emily Diaz said, “Trump has spread these racist ideologies and behavior.”

These actions vary from bathroom vandalism, such as harmful graffiti of messages, to chanting at high school sport games, to passing around “deportation” slips to fellow students who are minorities. The madness only continues to snowball.

However, attacks have not been just from Trump supporters. Some from the other side have attacked Trump supporters, but the cases of this do not compare to countless reports of Pro-white attacks.

“I can only speak for myself when I say this, but violence has never been the answer and never will be,” senior Kiaira Manuel, “the violence will only increasingly get worse because people feel they need to protect themselves before they become a target as well.”

The support of this man has become so normalized that a student who wears Trump merchandise does not get a glance from school administration, but anyone who supports the movement BlackLivesMatter brings more tendency to result in discipline. An event similar to this occurred at Pine Ridge high school.

A group of kids holding a poster in support of the BLM movement had gotten suspended, meanwhile a group of girls wearing Trump shirts had not been stopped by administration. The obvious double standards in this case and in many cases has become a constant reality.

“This shows that we didn’t just elect a President, we elected a mindset,” freshman Dena Nguyen said, “bending what needed to be bent in order to win.” Nguyen puts it best; the U.S. has not just elected a dangerous man, but it has adopted the concept of pure racism and xenophobia being acceptable when it should be intolerable.

Will this pass? Can this spike of hate crimes ever go down, or can this nation do anything to terminate it?

“I think people should learn to be able to openly talk about politics and should most definitely work together to find common ground.

Most people will pick their side and refuse to see things any different.” said Diaz.

5

REVIEW A) The part I’m most proud of with this article is my lede. After all the visuals I had given in the beginning it helped paint a picture in my mind of the true nature of the political situation in the United States during this time. I also liked my relay to the event that happened at Pine Ridge, which helped make the story all the more bona fide.

B) This article displays good journalism through both style and importance.

Firstly, the way my article is set up is great at following the proper guidelines that my grade is based off of. Additionally, there was so much importance in this article that needed to be addressed that when the opportunity came around, I knew I had to take it.

C) Most definitely, I needed to improve on displaying which side I was on. I think although I took this article because of what it would consist of, but I had still some apprehensiveness from it all because of how close and frequents these hate crimes were. If I could go back, I would make my opinion on the matter much more prevalent.

6

PERSONAL ESSAY

“Harmony!” my mom calls from her spot on the couch, wine glass in hand and relaxation mode fully engaged. She asks me that she needs something from the store and if I can go and grab it for her. Accepting her mission, she gives me the money to cover the expense and I head into my room to put on my shoes. I get together the items I take with me everywhere: my phone, my wallet, and my keys. I get her car key out of her purse, and walk out the door. The air of the night hits me as I place my finger over the unlock pushbutton.

Call me a millennial, but it is absolutely necessary for me to have my phone with me wherever I go. In my hand, in my back pocket, or in my purse, as long as it is there, I am set. My phone has become so much of a sine qua non that in the brief moments where I forget that it is with me, my brain begins to panic. My heart beats out of my chest until my fingers find that familiar smoothness of my plastic case. The feeling is worse when my phone is in the hands of someone else. During the SAT, I have had too many freakouts over the idea of my phone being the one to make a noise and ultimately cancel my test score. Even after watching it turn off. When I see it in the hands of a peer or friend, I have a sinking sensation I cannot ever shake. I do not have anything to hide, honestly.

But there is something about watching this device of mine being seen for more than I will allow by someone else that drives me up the wall. My necessity becomes my kryptonite. The reality of my obsession kicks in, but the cycle only continues.

7

You probably think there is not much of an explanation needed to tell you why I bring my wallet with me. Money has the capability to be necessary in a lot of ways. “We live in a capitalistic society and I’m almost legally considered an adult.” “I may need to buy something in the instance an event were to occur, and it can only be fixed with the spare change that collects in there.” You are not wrong. But my wallet is also a reflection of my childhood. I mean, when a someone sees the Lion King cover, it is not hard to spot why . This movie has been my favorite Disney movie ever since I was a little.

It sparked my juvenile fascination with lions. But this movie represents more than a classic film to me. Scar, the villain named after the mark on his eye, is the people and events in my life that have deceived me. Mufasa, the mighty King of Pride Rock, is my dying innocence while my final days as a senior in high school take place. Taken away completely in an instant much like how it was for young Simba, and how it will be for me when I walk across that stage at graduation. Timon and Pumba are the friendship I

always dreamed of having, and now have thanks to Savannah. The Lion King has more value than money. It is a reminder of the innocence and youth I had, and to live out the rest of my days with the innocence and youth I have left. Money has value, but you cannot put a price tag on the memories that will last with me through my life.

Much like a wallet, my keys are very important to me. First and foremost, those front doors are not going to lock and unlock themselves. Considering I go back and forth from house to house each week, I need these keys to be prepared for either house.

My keys have plenty of key chains to sheathe the memories of going to certain places across the country. The big key is from Mount Vernon, one of the many places I went to on my 8th grade Washington D.C. trip. It is also the first ever key chain I added to my keys. I also have chains from the trips I went on with my family to memorialize our destinations. Pikes Peak, a mountain in Colorado, and Stone Mountain, the park in Georgia where my brother, Dad, and I climbed a 1,043ft high elevation only on foot. I also have both chains from both the times I had attended prom, both flash drives from each year of me being a member of UHS Press, and a small rescuer in case I ever have to manually free myself after being trapped in a car. As my keys grew bigger, more and more people’s eyes would widen at the sight of them. More questions would be asked, and the jingle that was created would grow louder and a little more different with each piece creating another clink to add to my little pocket symphony. It gives me power in the way that a teen observes and feels themselves inevitably becoming the responsible person that was always within them. I guess you could say they play a key role in my transition to adulthood.

I have these items with me at all times for the same reasons. For all three, it’s about safety. For my keys and wallet, it’s the memories. For my phone, privacy. On these adventures into the night for toilet paper or eggs, I need all these to keep myself afloat and full functioning. I keep a checklist in my mind just to make sure that I have put all of them in my purse. Believe me when I say that I have left the house without my license plenty of times. The memories and safety that comes with these are all a precaution for the rest of my life

8

9