Wednesday, December 14, 2016

How 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' performs at the box office

Riley Brennan
Features and A&E Editor
Since Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them came out this past November, millions of people have  headed to the theaters to see it. But the amount of revenue opening weekend did not live up to expectations in North America. The movie only earned $75 million, which is a small amount, considering the movie cost $180 million to make. Abroad, the movie did wonderfully, soaring to the top of the foreign box office. Internationally it has earned $132 million causing the movie to take in $473.7 million globally. Possible causes as to why the movie did not do as well as expected can be blamed upon the fact that there is no Harry Potter.
 The movie itself has gotten good reviews. At a total of two hours and thirteen minutes, the plot is rich and well developed. There was thoughtful, intricate detail when it came to describing the American wizarding world and the generation it took place in. There are the twists and turns that Potter fans should be accustomed to, and surprisingly dark moments for a movie whose plot revolves around finding lost magical creatures, or “beasts”. The movie ends with many questions left unanswered, but thankfully there will be more Fantastic Beast movies to come. According to Rowling, "We always knew that it was going to be more than one movie — we knew that from the start — so we set a trilogy as a sort of placeholder, because we knew there would be more than one movie. But we’ve now, I’ve now done the plotting properly, so we’re pretty sure it’s going to be five movies."

Get ready for the 2016 Academy Awards

Elizabeth Both
A&E Editor
It may be holiday time, filled with tacky sweaters and cookies up the wazoo, but it's also that dreadful yet exciting time for Oscar movies. The buzz always starts up at the Sundance film festival and extends to the Tribeca festival, the Toronto Film Festival, and the New York Film Festival. “The Birth of a Nation” was an extremely early frontrunner when it first was shown at Sundance earlier this year. Considering it premiered near the time 2016’s Oscar nomination were announced (all of them being white for the second consecutive year), it was praised highly at the film festival. That’s only one film, and there's plenty of others to watch out for.
 First premiering at the Cannes film festival back in the spring, then making its trek to the fall fest circuit, “Loving” directed by Jeff Nichols opens up America’s issue with race.
 “La La Land” has to be the one getting the most buzz. Directed by Damien Chazelle--director of 2014’s sleeper hit “Whiplash”-”La La Land” stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling bursting out into song. If that doesn’t sell you on the film, I truly don’t know what will.
 Natalie Portman stars as Jacqueline Kennedy in (you guessed it) “Jackie” which portrays her husband’s assassination from her point of view. “Passengers” (starring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence) could sneak into the race but it might be a tad too mainstream for the Academy voters. Another Sundance hit that is expected to make waves in the awards season is “Manchester by the Sea,” one of the most popular and reviewed movies of the year.
 The Academy Awards, which will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel will air on February 26, 2017. Here’s a little heads up on what to watch out for that night when you hear: “I never heard of that movie!” or “What are they talking about?”. Sadly, no movie of Leonardo DiCaprio eating a bison liver will be premiering this holiday season.


What to expect from Melania Trump in the way of Fashion

Riley Brennan
Features and A&E Editor

The aftermath of President-elect Donald Trump’s victory has been anything but peaceful. Many Americans have made their shock and anger present, whether it be taking to the internet, going to rallies, calling for the end of the electoral college, etc. While the country does not seem to have cooled down completely, speeches about unity and moving forward, from the current president, Barack Obama, and the democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, have helped many people around the country reach a point of acceptance with the results of the election. With the idea of moving forward in mind, a new conversation has been started, focusing on Donald Trump’s wife, Melania Trump, and what can be expected from her fashion wise, as a First Lady.
 Melania has been in the process of undergoing a subtle style change over the course of this election, becoming more professional and conservative as the election continued.
 While some elements of her style have remained, such as pastel colored clothing, she has added new elements to her style, such as shoulder robing(draping a traditionally long coat in Melania’s case, over one's shoulders). She has also taken to wearing tops with  higher necklines, knee length skirts, shift dresses, and jump suits.
 Many clothing items she has also been sporting while accompanying her husband on the campaign trail are from brands such as Michael Kors, Dolce & Gabbana, Net-A-Porter, and Chanel. One of the many differences between Melania and current first lady, Michelle Obama, would be their choice of brands. Melania sticks to shopping high end brands. In contrast, Michelle is known for mixing lower end brands into her wardrobe, such as J.Crew, H&M, and Target.

 While it does not seem likely that Trump will trade in her high-end brands, she would be smart to follow Obama’s thoughtful dressing, who is known for strategically wearing brands based in the country she is currently in(like sporting Italian brands in Italy), and sticking to mostly American brands.This would not be hard for Melania, who is already a strategic dresser, trading in her usual pastel palette for patriotic colors when attending Trump rallies, and of course the subtle change and “cleaning up” of her style over the past few months.

Monday, November 21, 2016

Entertaining yourself and others: a guide for singers

Jennifer Abele
Staff Writer

These beautiful songs are from famous Broadway Musicals and are suggested because they’re known for showing the range of an individual’s voice. These songs can be used to audition for the spring musical or chamber choir, or to sing as a hobby.

Baritone:
1. “If I Were a Rich Man” from Fiddler on the Roof is a song about hope and being optimistic. I suggest this famous song because it is really beautiful and positive.
2. “Ol’ Man River” from Show Boat is an amazing song about black history and going down the Mississippi River. I suggest this song because it has a nice range for baritone singers without completely coming out of the basement.
3. “Stars” from Les Miserable is my favorite male solo. I suggest it because it’s powerful, dominant, and filled with hope.
4. “Some Enchanted Evening” from South Pacific is a well known favorite because it’s very romantic. You always need a dash of romance even if you haven’t experienced an actual relationship.
5. “If Ever I would leave you” from Camelot  is my favorite song from Camelot because it shows the love story between Lancelot and Genoveve. This song shows the upper range of a baritone, and it’s very attractive.

Tenor:
1. “Santa Fe” from Newsies is a good song for an audition because it’s about a teenage boy trying to build a life for himself, and raising money as a newspaper boy to live  in Santa Fe someday.
2. “On the Street Where you Live” from My Fair Lady is about another hopeless romantic who just met the girl of his dreams, and continues to walk in the clouds as he walks down her street.
3. “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera is a great piece because Andrew Lloyd creates such beautifully written art while showing off the higher range of your voice.
4. “Younger than Springtime” from South Pacific is overwhelmingly romantic for singers who have experienced long distant relationships, and it’s perfect for showing your upper range.
5.“Something’s coming” from West Side Story is very beautiful and hopeful that something out of today will be great even if this moment isn’t so great.

Alto:
1.“What I did for love” from A Chorus Line  is suggested because it shows acceptance of putting past relationships behind ourselves which is always difficult.  It’s also important to cherish the memories that were shared between one another because they were very special.
2. “Broadway Baby” from Follies is suggested because the song has a perfect range for an alto without becoming uncomfortable.
3. “There are worse things I could do” from Grease this is suggested as a well known alto piece that shows off their voice while still being comfortable.
4. “As Long As He Needs Me” from Oliver is suggested as the ultimate alto songs because it’s a very beautiful story with a perfect range.
5. “The Trolley Song”  from Meet me in St. Louis is suggested as a beautiful piece that is your element of fun with a bubbly personality.

Mezzo Soprano:
1. “I Cain’t Say No”  from Oklahoma is suggested for an audition for innocent naive romantics.
2. “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret is suggested as an audition for jazz and is very hopeful for a long lasting relationship. It tells the story of previously very rocky relationships that didn’t work out, or ended badly.
3. “On My Own” from Les Miserables is suggested as a personal favorite for showing off your range as well as your comfort.
4. “Someone Like you” from Jekyll and Hyde is suggested as a personal favorite that as scum of the earth you’re reminded by him that you’re able to find the one by being yourself.
5. “Don’t Cry for me Argentina” from Evita continues to be a famous classic for auditioning because Evita is very well spoken, and powerful.

Soprano:
1. “Falling in love with love” from The Boys From Syracuse is suggested for girls who have been unlucky with love. Also girls who feel that love isn’t real for all the “Negative Nancys” out there.
2. “Glitter and be Gay” from Cunegonde is suggested for people who love to be overly dramatic. This song is perfect for girls showcasing all their high notes, and girls who love their jewelry.
3. “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” from Sound of Music is suggested as a beautiful song to the iconic show “The Sound of Music” to always remain hopeful and optimistic.
4. “Something Wonderful” from The King and I is suggested for ladies who are very loyal, romantic, and dedicated in their relationship.
5. “Til There Was You” from The Music Man is suggested for sopranos who have protected themselves from falling in love before, have dropped their defenses, and have fallen in love.

These songs allow every voice part to shine in their own way. Don’t forget to bow and break a leg because there’s no business like show business.

Leonard Cohen, musician, 1934-2016

Jennifer Abele
Staff Writer

The famous Canadian writer, poet, and songwriter Leonard Cohen passed away peacefully on Nov. 7, 2016 at 82 years old. He died peacefully in his sleep after falling in his Los Angeles home earlier in the day. He was surrounded by his family at his Los Angeles home. He requested to be buried in Montreal in his family plot surrounded by his ancestors. He also requested to have a traditional Jewish funeral and be buried in a casket because cremation is forbidden. Flowers are usually reserved for heroes’ and statesmen’ in a traditional Jewish funeral. His last requests were obeyed. His 15 closest friends and family showed up for the funeral in Montreal.
  Cohen started his writing career in the 1950s, writing poetry and novels for two decades. He launched his music career in 1967. Then he picked up his notebook and pen in 2001, releasing another album in 2004. His tours from 2008 to 2010 were very successful, He also released two albums. His last album was You Want it Darker in 2016. Leonard Cohen is most well-known for his famous song Hallelujah, written and recorded in 1984. It became famous by Jeff Buckley’s cover, which was released in 1994.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Less is more in Battlefield 1

Max Charney
Arts & Entertainment Editor

Battlefield 1 (BF1) has gone back to the beginning of all out warfare, and if there is one thing that BF1 has proven so far, it is that less is more. BF1 has proven itself to be a tremendous shift, and a fresh taste for the first person shooter franchise.
 This fresh, “less is more,” feeling comes from The Great War’s antique weaponry, and the boots on the ground feel. Coming from Battlefield 4, and other modern day military shooters, the combat is coming from both vertical and horizontal. Helicopters, jets, AC130’s, heat seeking missiles, lock on rockets, even wall running, the combat comes at you from all sides and it can be a bit much at time. Now, I’m not saying that the combat doesn’t come from everywhere in BF1, but much of the vertical game play has been taken away. Yes, there are zeppelins, bombers and biplanes, but the gameplay relies more on player skill than ever before, everything is analog, there is no lock on’s doing the work for you, you are the one aiming and shooting more than before. The multiplayer lives up to what we saw in the beta and better, it feels familiar yet new at the same time. It doesn’t feel like a Battlefield 4 or Battlefield 3 game just with a WWI skin on top. There are new game mechanics, new ways of fighting that come from the new weaponry. It’s the fresh taste, with the “less is more” feeling.
 Yet, even the great must have weaknesses, and it comes from EA’s selfish and greedy production style. What I mean by this is the lack of content, for some reason EA has decided to hold back certain game modes. Custom matches, hardcore mode, and air superiority are missing; however, they are displayed in the menu system as Coming Soon. It just seems odd that they would hold back these game modes for later dates, and will probably make you pay for it. Now that does not mean that there isn’t anything to do at all in the game, and in no time will you get really truly bored. Also, the French and Russian armies are not yet playable. That’s right, two of the biggest countries that contributed to the War to End All Wars are not available. But they will be later on as DLC. That to me is insulting to Russian and French fans of the series. (It should be noted that DICE is not an American company, they work out of Stockholm Sweden and EA is an American-based company.) WWI had, and still has, such a big cultural and historical impact on their country that to make fans pay upwards of $20 to play as their country to me feels wrong. Now the British, American, German, and Ottoman Empire’s armies are playable. I would have liked to have seen a role switch: make the Americans and Ottomans DLC. Somehow, that seems more fitting.
 However, BF1’s biggest surprise comes from its single-player story mode, something that has not been well received in past Battlefield games. This is just one more thing that makes  Battlefield 1 such a game changer. The community was more than eager to see if DICE could finally give fans a good story mode. They delivered.

 The story mode is broken up five separate War Stories, as they are called. WWI spanned the globe, and so do these stories. From the French Alps as an Italian special unit volunteer, to the skies over France and London as a lying, cheating American Pilot, and as a tank gunner, BF1’s War Stories cover it all. Even Lawrence of Arabia shows up. These War Stories are like a small anthology of the war. BF1 definitely has a solid campaign for a game that is heavily centered around the multiplayer aspect. There is a gravity to these War Stories. They tell great stories from real battles and events, with the protagonist’s not being directly taken from real life (except for Lawrence of Arabia). However, they are inspired by real people and what it was like to be involved in the war. War Stories tackles the social dynamic change of WWI, with the collide of old vs. new that was heavily present in real life. However, you just do not as feel invested as you should in these characters, primarily because of how short their actual stories are. Most of the War Stories only last about two to four missions long, and the entire campaign is only five hours, which is incredibly short. It would be nice to see a campaign that is much longer, somewhere around ten to fifteen hours long would be great,something where players got to get connect just a little bit more to the characters. It feels like DICE fell short of what they were ultimately trying to reach. But this does not ignore the fact that there is in fact a solid campaign here, with great stories to be heard. In short, this is the Battlefield the community has been waiting for.

New to Netflix: Haters Back Off

Riley Brennan
Features and A&E Editor

With the addition of new shows and movies to Netflix, YouTube sensation Colleen Ballinger plays her fictional character, Miranda Sings, on her new show, which has recently been added to Netflix. Ballinger created her character in 2008, when she started posting videos of the comically talentless, self-absorbed, quirky character. In her videos, Miranda Sings, shares her very confused ideas and misconceptions, gives tutorials, discusses her day to day life, collaborates with other YouTubers, and fires back at her haters by reading hate comments, which she responds to with her slogan and the fitting name of her new Netflix series: “Haters back off!”.
 Over the past eight years the Miranda Sings Youtube channel has raked in over 1.1 billion views, seven million subscribers, and five million Instagram followers. She’s one of the most watched channels on Youtube, and rightfully so. Ballinger is able to transform herself into a completely different person with nothing more than some red lipstick, hair pins, a blue pinstriped shirt, animated facial expressions, and a different tone of voice. Viewers find entertainment in Miranda’s inability to correctly pronounce words, her emotional instability, singing voice, and her overall persona.
 Miranda fans had high hopes for the series, anticipating the same quirky humor they had come accustomed to, but the show has received mixed reviews since its debut on Oct. 14. Most complaints with the eight-episode series center on the supporting cast, not Miranda herself. The series doesn’t so much as feature other characters, but follows them just as much as Miranda herself. By including these other characters to the extent the show does, the series has a heavier plot, which at times can end up being more awkwardly upsetting than humorous. The cast of characters and their own stories make the series less comical and more downcast than Miranda’s YouTube videos. This might be because the season features Miranda’s rise to fame and building her YouTube channel, whereas on her channel she is already “famous.” Regardless, what the show lost in humor, it gained in awkwardly portrayed sadness.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

A new generation of wizards is set to hit screens this November

Riley Brennan
Features and A&E Editor

2016 has been a good year for fans of the beloved Harry Potter series. Not only did the author, J.K. Rowling, release a screenplay based off of the books (featuring Harry Potter as an adult) this summer, but now a movie she wrote, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, is set to hit theaters Nov. 18.
 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was originally a book. Written by Rowling in 2001, it took the form of a “textbook” which was intended to look like something Hogwarts students, specifically characters from the Harry Potter series, would have studied. Despite the overlap of time which is created by the book version of Fantastic Beasts, and Rowling intending it to serve as something Harry would have studied from at school (the Harry Potter series is speculated to be in set in the 1990’s, meaning Harry was in school during that time.), the movie version is set in 1926, around 70 years prior, with no apparent connection to Harry.
 The movie features the wizarding world before Harry Potter, and introduces a new character: Newt Scamander. Newt has recently been traveling the world, documenting magical creatures, and the movie follows him around during his stop in New York City and all the trouble he gets himself into. The issues start when he encounters American “muggles” (non-magical beings), who have been coined as “No-Majs”(the American term for non-magical beings).
 Fantastic Beasts is the first movie to come from a five-film franchise for which Rowling will write all five screenplays.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

The Girl on the Train who isn’t Gone

Elizabeth Both
A&E Editor

“Where’d she go? Is she gone? Murdered?” This was basically what all the headlines and marketing for the 2014 mystery thriller “Gone Girl” sounded like. Personally, it is one of my favorites films of all time; however, it became the “Most Terrible Date movie,” (If you’ve seen it, then you definitely know why). Two years later, what’s back in the theaters? Another mystery thriller based on a best selling novel: “The Girl on the Train.”
 “The Girl on the Train” seems like Gone Girl from the outside, but the two books are quite different. Train’s protagonist is Rachel. Each day on her way to work she takes the train and watches one particular house. She becomes obsessed with this couple from that house and looks forward to seeing them. It even gets to the point that she nicknames them Jason and Jess. Rachel feels envious towards them, since they seem to have a happy life that she always wanted, especially with her ex-husband Tom who happens to live on the same street.
 Rachel is a terrible alcoholic and her behavior got her fired from her job in London. Jess is actually Megan, while Jason is actually Scott. Megan isn’t content in the marriage she has with Scott and sleeps with her therapist. Megan is undeniably bored and soon disappears.
 Rachel feels as if she needs to go to the police with the information she has seen from the train, but her drunken manner is not taken seriously by the cops. Rachel knows something happened that night but her memories are blurred together, and she thinks she could’ve committed a murder.
 The movie got mixed reviews, with most critics hammering it for the changed location-London to New York. Emily Blunt who plays Rachel in the adaption is perfect, but knowing that the film is set in New York City and not London changes the whole dynamic of the movie. It captured the eerie sense of the novel but did it really capture fans of the book? I enjoyed the film, but it wasn’t a cultural revelation like its sister film, “Gone Girl.” Was it the directing? Possibly. Was it the screenplay? Probably. Believe me, it’s still an enjoyable movie. It captures an autumnal presence with the wet leaves and fall colors in different shots. The performances are well done and it’s always fun to see a bestseller come to life on the big screen, but to put it simply it was no “Gone Girl.”

Friday, October 28, 2016

The League of Friendship on stage and off

Jen Abele
Staff Writer

 “Always a Bridesmaid” is about four friends making a vow at their senior prom to attend each other’s weddings as bridesmaids. They kept their tight woven promise for over 30 years by being their bridesmaids at all of their weddings. Deedra must figure out what to wear to Monette’s third wedding after being robbed. She must also decide whether she’ll remarry her cheating ex husband or her fiancé. Charlie has to decide whether or not to marry Fletcher the exterminator. Sedalia continues to persuade and fight with the bride to prevent her from becoming a runaway bride.
  Libby Ruth has the typical healthy marriage with a big heart who is played by Anne Chapin, Charlie the environmental rainbow played by Fiona Male, Monette the flashy vivacious spirit played by Marissa Miller, Deedra the stubborn headstrong personality that discovers her husband’s cheating ways played by Shaelyn Parker, Kari the sweet and loving daughter of Libby Ruth played by Flo Minniti, and Sedalia the crazy humorous wedding planner who hasn’t had a single bride leave with cold feet played by Grace Zander.   
 The production of “Always a Bridesmaid” was directed by Katie Yandle,  a senior who has been in five Mask and Zany Productions. Anne Chapin, who  is also senior who has been in five Mask and Zany productions, and continues to shine through her spotlight. Fiona Male is a senior who has had the honor to become president of the Mask and Zany club. Flo Minniti is a senior who has been in seven Mask and Zany productions. Marissa Miller is a senior who has been in six Mask and Zany productions, and dreams of continuing her theater career in the future. Shaelyn Parks is a senior who has had the honor to become the Vice President of Mask and Zany.Grace Zander is a junior who just joined Mask and Zany this year.   
 The stage crew has also brought “Always a Bridesmaid” to life behind the scenes.The lighting design was by Morgan M. Manfredi, technical director was by Ed Young, Light board operator was Michael Howell, volunteer coordinator was Ginny Brennan, Videography was by Mr. and Mrs. Giorgi, Photography was by Amy Parker, Marketing was by Jackie Searle, Video Advertising was by Bernie Del Prado, Snack stand was by Ginny Brennan, and Marquee board was by Katie Yandle. As well as the running crew listed as follows; Sam Renson, Quinn Kirlew, Sophia Borzilleri, Quinn Reinert, Charlotte Bramich, Emily Walton, Christina Hochberger, Will Renson, Justine Schauble, Ben Dupont, and Kaylee Lynch. Katie Yandle and Lola Dardzinski were in charge of costumes, and Katie was also in charge of set design. Carol Yandle, Tali Natan, and Sophia Carroll also created art. The sound board operators were McAfee Madding, Henry Chouteau, and  Russell Mercatanti.
 Mask and Zany welcomes Bernie Del Prado into Mask and Zany. Mask and Zany also recognizes the seniors; Amanda Hipple, Quinn Kirlew, Fiona Male, Anne Chapin, Katie Yandle, Marissa Miller, Flo Minniti, Shaelyn Parker, Tali Natan, and Samantha Renson. Break a leg!  

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Celebrating the 20th Season of South Park

Nathan Newman & Lear Asplundh
Staff Writers

With a new fall season upon us comes yet another new season of South Park. For years, Matt Stone and Trey Parker have been churning out episodes of the comedy. South Park is a satirical comedy that has been commended for its ability to add perspective to the latest current events every week. In this way, the show is extremely unique. The 20th season of the show debuted on Sept. 14, and has covered many controversial topics such as Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem and the 2016 presidential election.
 One reason why Stone and Parker are so successful at creating such contemporary shows is the process by which they make it. Episodes premiere every Wednesday night at 10 p.m. on Comedy Central; however, each show isn’t sent to the network until four hours prior to air. The entire show is written, recorded, and animated in six days. Stone and Parker usually spend about two days writing the show, while the animators begin to create the basic storyboard. Then the voice acting is recorded, and the show comes together as a whole.

 The South Park series was not just a successful television show. The South Park movie was a turning point for their franchise. With over $83 million worldwide box office growth is impressive especially for an animated film. A fun fact of the movie is it has the most cursing for an animated film totaling 399 words. This film was the highest grossing animated film with an R rating until Sausage Party outgrossed it in 2016. The movie was a success receiving a rating of 81% by Rotten Tomatoes. Another fun fact, in the movie, is that it is the first time Kenny is seen without his hood on. South Park also created a videogame called “The Stick Of Truth,” which came out in 2014. It earned a success rating of 10 out of 10 by Steam. The “Stick of Truth” has sold more than 1.6 million copies since 2014.

Friday, October 21, 2016

Kanye finishes set early due to family emergency

Liz Donahue
Staff Writer

The first ever Meadows music festival, created by the founders of the popular festival Governor's Ball, took place on Oct. 1 and 2 at Citifield in Queens, New York. Kanye West, The Weeknd, The 1975, Chance the Rapper, J. Cole, Cage the Elephant and more were all set to perform, however The Weeknd cancelled due to a scheduling conflict and performed on Saturday Night Live on October 1.
 Kanye’s set was scheduled to be the last for the night, creating anticipation for the crowd. People waited in hour-long lines both days of the festival to get his merchandise and waited for multiple hours in the crowd to get a good spot. Sunday night, West was performing when he got news about an emergency involving his wife Kim Kardashian. West was a little less than an hour into his set while performing his song ‘Heartless’ when he stopped and said: “I'm sorry. There's a family emergency. I have to stop the show.”
 Fans and other festival goers were confused, but not long after, the news of Kim Kardashian’s robbery at gunpoint was released to the public.
 The Entertainment stated: "Due to a family emergency, Kanye West was forced to end his performance towards the end of his set. We appreciate the great show he put on for fans to close out the inaugural Meadows Festival. Our thoughts are with West and his family."

 Despite Kanye’s early departure, fans still enjoyed the festival. However, no refunds are being given due to the shortened show. The festival is set to happen for its second year in 2017.

Friday, September 30, 2016

Waiting another year for Mr. Robot

Elizabeth Both
Editor

In the summer of 2015 a show about computer hackers on the small TV network USA became the most unexpected hit of the summer TV season.
 Mr. Robot is a drama-thriller starring Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer and hacker who suffers from what one may call  “Fight Club” syndrome. For those who have not seen Fight Club, most of its themes rotate around one man’s alter ego--he is basically embodying two different personalities. Elliot doesn’t remember what he does more than half of the time, whether he’s embodying his alter ego or not. His thought process is highly influenced by paranoia and delusion. Without giving too much detail away, season one ends with an insanely intense cliffhanger that made it extremely difficult to wait 11 months for the second season.
 After a painful year, season two premiered this past July. The show’s creator, Sam Esmail directed each episode with such articulated camera shots that you find yourself thinking, Is this really a show on cable television? It may sound like a simple show about computer hacking, codes and servers but its slow burning pace makes it such an intriguing show. Labeled to many as the #1 show of 2015, it holds a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's a tricky show to follow and may seem boring due to all the hacking lingo, but with so many diverse characters it keeps the viewers on their toes.

 With the second season finale airing on Sept. 21, many (including myself) are back to square one: waiting another year for answers. I don’t know what’s worse, waiting a year for a show you can’t binge watch on network television or waiting for a year on Netflix. Recently at the Emmy Awards (the Oscars for television), Malek won the award for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Drama Series for Mr. Robot beating out Kevin Spacey’s manipulative Frank Underwood. Even though Malek has been in the industry for more than a decade, he’s still a fresh face to many. This win means a lot for the USA network and officially guarantees upcoming seasons. Mr. Robot is full of hacker lingo, but it makes you double think about government surveillance and what is actually happening in the cyber-security world. The good reviews are only a plus.

New shows and movies join Netflix library

Morgan Amberson
Staff Writer

Netflix is an outlet for those who wish to escape from reality. Whether you are watching The Office for a laugh on a glum day or American Horror Story when you are in the mood for terror, Netflix is the place to be.
 New movies and television shows have been added to Netflix this month, sparking much excitement. This month there have been new additions to Netflix that have gotten people talking. Ranging from movies to television shows, the newly added shows have sparked much excitement. New to Netflix is a series called Shameless. This dramatic addition is a comedic British series and centers around a dysfunctional Chicago family who try to cope with their alcoholic father. Since most of the children in the series are in high school, the show will present a different side of high school life. Other television shows that have been added to Netflix are: Narcos, Prison Break, Once Upon a Time, Blue Bloods, Z Nation and Blacklist. Prison Break and Once Upon a Time are most likely to be enjoyed by the students.

 Also new to Netflix are several movies that people have been eagerly awaiting. One of which is The Finest Hours. This action packed film is about a ship that is caught in a terrible storm, which causes the ship to break in half and trap 30 sailors in the sinking stern. It is up to the engineer, who voluntarily took the role in organizing an escape, to save the sailors. If you are looking for suspense, The Finest Hours is for you. Other movies that have been added to the site are: Saving Private Ryan, Joyful Noise, Deadset, We Need to Talk, and more.  

Friday, September 23, 2016

Technology makes Fashion Week accessible to all

Riley Brennan
Staff Writer

Fall is arguably the best season of the year for numerous reasons, a major one being Fashion Week, which features Spring/Summer collections for 2017.
 The shows go on for approximately three or four weeks, the first week of shows starting in New York City and then heading abroad. New York Fashion Week starts things off with the first week of shows running from Sept. 7 to 15. The shows in London commence on Sept. 16,and end on Sept. 20.
 Milan Fashion Week follows, starting the day after on Sept. 21. The last of Milan Fashion Week and the start of the last round of shows in Paris overlap, both being scheduled on Sept. 27. Popular upcoming shows and designers to watch this season range from musicians-gone- designers such as  Kanye West, and Rihanna, who is expected to release her collection at Paris Fashion Week, to classic household names who are presenting ready-to-wear collections, such as  Ralph Lauren, Jeremy Scott, Alexander McQueen, Derek Lam, Michael Kors, and more. We will also see some other alternative route designers this season, like Gigi Hadid, a model, who has collaborated with Tommy Hilfiger on a collection which is set to be displayed at New York Fashion Week, where she will also walk the runway.
For those who are not lucky enough to travel to the shows, live streams have been set up to broadcast on Vogue.com, and many designers will also be livestreaming their shows on their own websites. Vogue will also be posting each individual look of every collection if you’re not able to catch the live stream.. Junior Charlotte Taylor was surprised when she learned she could see any collection after it had debuted, “I don’t usually have enough time to dedicate to an entire livestream, so it’s nice that if need be I can easily access new collections.” Thanks to technology, everyone can experience fashion week.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Battlefield 1 Open Beta is a success


Max Charney

The long awaited Battlefield 1 Open Beta (BF1 Open Beta) was finally released for PC, PS4 and Xbox One on Aug. 31. Battlefield Insider members, who were able to sign up for the beta since this year's E3, were able to play a day early, August 30. For the Battlefield Insiders members, the first day of launch was no problem;, connection speeds were was fine. But on Aug. 31, the beta was released to the public, and things took a turn for the worst. Reports of connectivity issues began flooding EA support. EA tweeted that BF1 Open Beta was experiencing server outages, and that they working to resolve the problem as soon as possible. However, later in the day, EA claimed that it had been hit by a DDOS attack (a type of DOS attack where multiple compromised systems, often infected with a computer virus known as a Trojan, are used to target a single system causing a Denial of Service). Although the EA support team did not and has not revealed the official cause of the issue, the online hacking group Poodlecorp later took the responsibility for the DDOS attack. Saying in a tweet: “We are responsible for the downtime of EA & Battlefield.” Poodlecorp was also responsible for DDOSing League of Legends and Pokemon Go!, along with many other big YouTubers.
 Although Battlefield fans had nothing but disappointment for the first day, by the second day things were up and running smoothly - Except for a bug that was later discovered. Players were unable to level up, and progress their classes. Melee weapons, gun attachments, and gadgets were unable to be unlocked. Even if you had the correct number of war bounds (the game's currency earned through leveling up your rank). This made gameplay stagnant for some, some did not mind, and for some the glitch did not affect them. For me, I was affected by this, it did make the game boring for me at times. But on the last day of the beta, EA unlocked everything in a patch allowing players of all levels to use every attachment, gadget and all the melee weapons.
 Besides the DDOS attack, the glitches and bugs that come to be expected with any open beta, the game received great feedback from the community. The menu screen is sleek and clean, the game itself looks nothing less than beautiful. They resemble a lot of how Star Wars: Battlefront looks. The game sounds very realistic as well, the screams and cries sound authentic and really brings you into the game. The Sinai Desert map is an absolutely terrible map and was an awful decision to make it the only playable map for the open beta. It is the biggest Battlefield map ever made, but that doesn’t make it the best. The map is too open, a majority of the map is open desert nobody goes too, and it is a sniper's paradise and does work well with vehicle gameplay. The map lacks good infantry gameplay, and it does not have a good balance. A few vehicles and weapons need to buffed and nerfed, and excusing the connection problems,  the bugs and glitches that come with an open beta. I would personally say, and from what I’ve been reading and hearing, the BF1 Open Beta was a success. The game is still scheduled to release on Oct. 21 for all platforms.   
 Or so EA may have you think. Battlefield 1 may be the first game in history to have three release dates. The standard edition will come out on Oct. 21; this is the game's official release date. If you pre-order the game for an extra $20, you’ll receive the Battlefield 1 Early Enlisted Deluxe Edition and be able to play it three days earlier on the Oct. 18. The deluxe edition will get you get a few DLC packs, some skins and Battlepacks. But if you are dying to play Battlefield even sooner than that, ironically, you don’t even need to pay for the game at all. All you need is a $5 subscription to EA Access, also known as Origin Accesses. But this is only available on PC and Xbox One. This subscription will grant users a 10 hour trial to Battlefield 1 starting on Oct. 13. Ten hours may not seem like a lot, but your progress should be saved and it will allow you to preload the game for when the full game becomes available to you. Depending on which version of the game you bought.

Monday, June 6, 2016

Tagpro is Taking Over

Shargo, TLups, and JSharks
Staff Writers

Throughout the last month of school, Tagpro has taken the school by storm. What is Tagpro? That is the question on virtually every non MLTP (Major League TagPro) player’s mind. Tagpro is an online capture the flag game that you can play with friends. Students throughout NHS have been teaming up and battling each other almost everyday, creating rivalries, dream teams, and bitter debates as to who is atop of the league. John Sharkey, an avid fan of Tagpro and Captain of the Dream Team, states that “Tagpro left us for a while, but you know what they say ‘if you love something let it go, and if it truly loves you back it will come back in your life’.”   
 Some may be asking, “What is the dream team?” or “Who is on the Dream Team?” Well the dream team is the most dominating Tagpro team in the scene since the rebirthing process, after the collapse of previous server (KoalaBeast, RIP). The team runs a 2-3 with Barnacle Boy (Josh Elefante), Jsharks (John Sharkey), and TLups (Tommy Lupo) manning the defensive side of the flag. As for offense, Shargo (Clay Asplundh), and 2iH (Sam Lombardi) who man the attack. Teamwork is key in this strategic capture the flag game. One player can’t make the difference, but a few strategic players can.
 The game itself is a simple minded game but the competitive nature of the players is what makes each match so intense. Players across NHS face off in matches looking to prove who is the best of the best and take home bragging rights. With the year winding down TagPro has been the focus of many students. Mainly the sophomores and juniors, who also have a budding rivalry. As of late many games have featured the two sides facing off against one another with the juniors always on top. As the talent for the sophomores continues to lessen, the juniors are looking for challenges elsewhere. Officials of the JTPS (Junior Tagpro Squad) have reached out to high-ranking officials in the tagpro community looking for solid competition, but nobody has been found. Clearly the juniors outmatch every opponent and don’t see a loss coming towards them anytime soon. Hopefully in the near future the juniors will be able to find somebody that can give them a close game.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Jenner kids start it all: The trend of big lips and no aging

Eliana Slater
Staff Writer
 
In today’s world, Fillers, Juvederm, and Botox use are the new normal.
  The trend of changing yourself to look a certain way came about when Kylie Jenner came out about her lip injections. After denying getting lip fillers for several months, she decided that it would be right to come out and stop lying to her fans.
  The cost of lip fillers can range from $500 to $2,000 depending on the doctor and where you live. Juvederm can cost $450 to $600 per syringe. Per unit of Botox costs $12, but it  per vial it costs $15. For each treatment area where Botox is injected, the cost can be anywhere from $450 to $800. Fillers aren’t permanent and can easily be erased, but if you want your lips and face to look plump and age free forever, you would have to go to a plastic surgeon every 3-6 months to get them refilled.
  Bruising and bleeding are common issues that occur after receiving fillers. Juvederm is a soft tissue filler and helps with facial volume loss and aging. The doctors can numb the area with an anesthetic or numbing cream but the creams and anesthetics wear off after about 15 minutes. Lip fillers usually take about 15-20 minutes, but you can see results instantly. There is no set time for Botox to take, but results don’t show up until around 48 hours later and bruising and swelling can occur where the needle goes into the face.
  Everybody wants to be beautiful and age free ever since the Kardashian/Jenner family have been put on E! network for their reality TV show. Possessing medically enhanced looks has become the newest form of beauty. Girls these days feel the pressure of not looking like Kylie even though she has enhanced herself to look more beautiful.
  Kendall, who is tall and skinny, sets the norm for beauty.
  Both girls flaunt an unrealistic ideal of what beauty should be and look like.
  Everywhere you look, girls are wearing Kendall and Kylie clothing lines, Kylie cosmetic lipsticks, and many attempts to do their makeup like them. Women and girls feel the need to change the way their bodies and faces look because the two Jenner girls are what the definition of beauty is by most of the adolescent world.
  It’s a hard world to live in for teenage girls everywhere who are feeling stressed that their bodies aren’t perfect and the judgment of having their Instagram pictures not liked 100 times because they’re not beautiful enough.

Fey strikes gold again: The inimitable joys of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Elizabeth Both
Opinions Editor

After waiting a very long, sad year of no 90’s references, season two of the sleeper hit Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is back! It started streaming on April 15 and had critics once again writing fantastic reviews. For those of you who have never heard of the show, it’s Tina Fey produced and stars Ellie Kemper (played a key role in the Office). The series follows 29-year-old Kimmy Schmidt (Kemper) as she adjusts to life in the Big Apple after she was rescued from a doomsday cult in Indiana. She and three other women were held in a bunker by Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne (Jon Hamm) for 15 years.
  With a slightly worrisome setup like that, the show would seem that it can’t be funny at all, but soon Kimmy befriends a street-wise landlady Lillian (Carol Kane) and finds a roommate of a struggling Broadway actor Titus (Tituss Burgess). Season 2 picks up exactly where season 1 left off. Kemper’s Kimmy is full of positivity and energy despite being locked away for 15 years. Kimmy wants to move as far away from her past as fast as possible. It’s hard not to like Kimmy with her optimistic attitude and wide-eyed take on New York City.
  “What’s your deal?” Someone asks Kimmy this season. “You’re like a cartoon person.”
  The goofiness that everyone fell in love with from the first season is back, and might be even more over the top as well.
  The first season’s cliffhanger (SPOILER ALERT but c’mon it’s been a year if you wanna watch then you should’ve watched it back in 2015!) was who was the Reverend that kidnapped the girls? Only Tina Fey could’ve gotten Jon Hamm to play the weirdo and it worked. The show’s full of fun cameos with Fred Armisen portraying the creepy Robert Durst (that serial killer from the HBO show The Jinx), Anna Camp delivers a snarky, stellar performance as a foe to Kimmy’s employer (30 Rock’s Jane Krakowski) Jacqueline Voorhees. The absurdity of this show is way over the top but it’s so absurd is that it works.
  The episodes seem to go by so quick among its half-hour show run, so bingeing through it all (it’s on Netflix) doesn’t knock off five years of your life. The craziness and flamboyancy are back and just makes you mad that it’s gonna be another year to see all the shenanigans that go down.

MTV hosts 23rd annual movie awards show

Jane Weinseimer
Staff Writer

  The MTV Movie Awards was a very successful event that showcased some of the biggest stars.  The ceremony was held at the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California and was quite the show. The 23rd annual MTV Movie Awards was hosted by Kevin Hart and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson who opened the night with an impressive Mad Max: Fury Road tribute, and the show only got more exciting from there. Music guests consisted of Ariana Grande and Halsey who performed their newest hit songs.
  Star Wars: The Force Awakens took the Movie of the Year award. Jennifer Lawrence's performance in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2 won the Best Hero award, the only woman nominated in the category. The Best Kiss award went to Rebel Wilson and Adam DeVine for their scene in Pitch Perfect.
  Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island performed a comedic musical tribute to Smith that included  the “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” theme song. This performance was a great throwback to lighten up the night.
  Melissa McCarthy, whose new film “The Boss” opened number one at the box office last month, also received a special honor: the Comedic Genius award.
  To close out the night, a big win went to Will Smith who received the MTV Generation award.