Friday, December 29, 2017

What is New Hope’s Favorite Holiday Song?

Kayla Paul-Koch & Zach Meixler
Staff Writers
With the holiday season of course comes the abundance of festive music to put us in the happy and jolly spirit. Although so many songs to choose from, students at New Hope have voted for their favorite holiday song in a recent poll sent out.
 The more classic songs like "It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" and "It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" surprisingly received the lowest number of votes which shows how taste in holiday music has evolved.
 The responses indicated that the infamous and iconic song "All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey received 26.2% of the votes, winning the poll. In second place, the lesser known cover of "Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer" by DMX won 18% of the votes. And in third place, "Jingle Bell Rock" received 10.8% of the votes.
 Through this poll, it has been shown that people’s favorite holiday tunes have strayed away from the more traditional and jazzy songs and that holiday music today is evolving to become more pop.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters

Riley Brennan
Editor-In-Chief

Star Wars: The Last Jedi has released on Dec. 15, and following the release weekend, has posted 22.2 million at the international box office.
  The movie has brought in less money than Star Wars: The Force Awakens, though the circumstances are different. When The Force Awakens was released, Dec. 21, 2016, many countries were well into their holiday breaks. However, with The Last Jedi premiering on the 15, majority of countries were not in the midst of break. The Last Jedi is predicted to make up the difference throughout the holiday season.
  The film has received a score of a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, but has been received differently among critics. On the Rotten Tomatoes website, only 54% of viewers said that they liked the movie. These statistics are very representative of the buzz that has surrounded the movie, which has received mixed reviews. Senior Max Chuma felt very strongly, saying, “I hated it. They talked too much, the dialogue was corny, and not enough lightsabers. It was heartbreaking.” However, Senior Adam Sommers enjoyed the movie saying, “It set up the next movie really well, and while there wasn’t as much action as I thought there’d be, it was still really enjoyable.”
 The movie picks up where The Force Awakens leaves off, featuring both old and new characters. The Last Jedi follows a typical Star Wars movie, with the forces of good and evil at work, with the presence of plenty of spaceships and planets. There are definite twists and turns within the film, plenty of character develop, and as surprising amount of jokes and humor. The late Carrie Fisher, who stars as her iconic character Princess Leia, was given a tribute following the end of the movie, acknowledging the bittersweet experience of seeing her on screen. Fisher was also paid tribute at the premiere screening of The Last Jedi, where director and screenplay writer, Rian Johnson dedicated the night to her.
  Despite the mixed reviews, many fans are hoping for a follow up movie. There is buzz that a Star Wars IX is to come, under the guidance of J.J. Abrams, who is currently believed to serve as director, a screenwriter, and a producer of the film. The movie is predicted to be a released in 2019, as the departure of director Colin Trevorrow set production back slightly. The future of the next film, and anything beyond that, still seems to be very much in the air, but only time will tell.


Thursday, December 21, 2017

New Hope's Top 5 Albums of 2017

Stephen Prager
News Editor

Over the past week, New Hope students have been nominating and voting for their favorite albums of 2017.  We received over 50 votes encompassing over 20 very diverse albums.  Below are the five that got the most votes from New Hope students and a brief introduction to each.

5. Ed Sheeran - Divide (4 Votes): Ed Sheeran is best described as “perfectly pleasant”.  He’s almost wholly inoffensive and, under the right circumstances, offers easy-listening tracks that are exceptionally warm and comforting.  But since the inception of his role as an arena-filling torch-bearer for the Coldplays and Snow Patrols of yesteryear, his act has become rather stale.  His most recent album, Divide, reroutes his career somewhat by questioning and re-evaluating his notions of fame and success.  Its opener, “Eraser”, offers an uncharacteristically grave meta-commentary on the emptiness of stardom and gives way to several attempts by Sheeran to reinvent his tired standard sound.  For example, instead of a lead single like the sweet, but ultimately weightless “Thinking Out Loud”, Sheeran gives us “Shape of You”, a beat-heavy ode to a mysterious woman with an enthralling figure.  The album still dips into Sheeran’s seemingly bottomless well of airy acoustic tracks, which makes it hard to embrace as a full 180 degree turn.  But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the Divide tracks that diverge from the beaten path are enough to make Sheeran an act worth following up on.

4. Pink Guy - Pink Season (5 Votes): One’s enjoyment of “Pink Guy’s” sophomore release is truly a matter of taste.  The brainchild of Youtube comedian Filthy Frank, this mixtape is packed to the brim with complete, unadulterated absurdity.  The album is purely humorous, with most of the material being derivative of the strange, puerile comedy found on Frank’s Youtube channel.  While the overtly raunchy material is largely hit or miss, the best tracks on the nearly 80-minute-long album are the ones with twisted concepts that come clean out of left field: the most notable of these are “Dog Festival Directions” and “Goofy’s Trial”.  The former is a cheery-sounding ukulele track with lyrics that provide nothing but detailed directions to a Chinese festival dedicated to the consumption of dogs.  The latter is a skit depicting Goofy, the lovable Disney character, taking the stand in court after perpetrating a mass homicide - a skit made absolutely hilarious by the deadpan seriousness of the prosecution and defense attorneys countered by Goofy nervously and insanely uttering “garsh!” and “hyuck!”.  It’s not humor that will work for everyone, and the album is assuredly not for the faint of heart, but it has some riotously funny material for fans of black comedy.

3. Harry Styles - Harry Styles (6 Votes): The eponymous debut album for the newly minted solo artist Harry Styles is impressive for a number of reasons.  For one thing, it manages to successfully shed the specter of One Direction in a way that’s believable, avoiding the trap of artificial edginess that some of his former bandmates fell into upon their first solo releases.  But it is also comfortably more mature than his One Direction outputs as well.  The album manages to survive on its own merits because, while everything fits into the box of accessible pop songs that won’t alienate the rabid 1D fandom, there is enough variety to keep the album engaging. 

2. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN (8 Votes): If nothing else DAMN. is proof that Kendrick Lamar is capable of producing more subdued tracks with roaring success.  It may not pack the raw intensity or thematic unity of its successor To Pimp a Butterfly, but DAMN. arguably has just as many high points.  Lamar is as venerable a writer as ever, as shown on dense narrative tracks like “XXX” and “DUCKWORTH”, which explore death and fate with remarkable deftness.  But on DAMN, Lamar also displays a breezier, more effortless appearance than he has in the past, and it results in anthemic tracks like “YAH” and “PRIDE” that rival the best of his career.

1. Khalid - American Teen (11 Votes): There is no better messenger to explain human connection in the information age than a person born into it.  American Teen’s creator, Khalid Robinson, is only nineteen years old, but is responsible for what might be the most insightful, relevant album of 2017.  On American Teen, Khalid explores the trials of love and loss in a way that is simultaneously original and immediately understandable in the modern age of communication.  The intimate communications he describes are complicated by a distance that is unique to the modern age - this is illustrated beautifully in the album’s breakout hit, “Location”, where he finds himself pleading with his online love interest for the barriers that are intrinsic to their internet relationship be torn down.  American Teen is a unique window into the world of the modern teenager.

Honorable Mentions:
Imagine Dragons - Evolve (4 Votes)
Lorde - Melodrama (3 Votes)
Tyler the Creator - Flower Boy (2 Votes)
Grace VanderWaal - Just the Beginning (2 Votes)
Halsey - Hopeless Fountain Kingdom (2 Votes)

NHS select choir groups perform in Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic

Victoria Siano
Editor-in-Chief

The NHS school district has a lot to be proud of, and its music programs are no exception. As early as June of last year, and continuing throughout September and November once school was back in session, the members of NHS’s select choir groups - Chamber and Madrigal Choir - practiced singing various christmas songs to prepare for their trip to Prague, Salzburg, and Munich.
  Led by the wonderful Mr. Bateman, the students had managed to perfect each song - even one that was in Czech - before leaving on Nov. 25. Once there, the group had a very busy schedule, performing in some highly regarded places such as the St. Nicholas Church in Prague, the Salzburg Cathedral (one of the oldest churches in the world), and the Silent Night Chapel in Austria (which stands on the site where the Christmas carol it is named after was first performed on Dec. 24, 1818). In addition to performing in these locations, on the last day of their trip, the group had also managed to squeeze in performing at a local nursing home, where they managed to bring a lot of joy to some of its residents and kick off their holiday season.
  Despite the exhausting demands of their performing schedule, the select choir groups still managed to have some fun and check out some of the tourist locations. In Prague they had visited the Old Town Square and saw the Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Hall, St. Vitus Cathedral, and the Old Royal Palace. While in Austria, they had toured the St. Peter Churchyard (Mozart’s birthplace), the Great Festival Hall, the Christmas market (where many did much of their Christmas shopping), Fortress Hohensalzburg, and the salt mines. Similarly, while traveling through Germany, the group had managed to visit the Neuschwanstein Castle (which inspired the design of Cinderella’s Castle in Walt Disney World) and The Marienplatz. 
  Over all, the select choir groups had a fantastic time on their trip, and are most certainly looking forward to their upcoming one to Italy in 2019.

Friday, December 8, 2017

New Hope Can Die of Laughter Thanks to the Mask and Zany Production of Candide

Jen Abele
Features Editor

Mask and Zany’s Production of Candide, directed by Mrs. Pittner, enjoyed a successful run from Nov. 9-11. The bawdy, chaotic, nature of the adaption made the show very entertaining.
 The show’s title character, Candide, played by Ben Dupont, is the illegitimate nephew of a German Baron, Blake Poulsen. He grows up in Baron’s castle, taught by the scholar Pangloss, deftly handled by Daniel Scanlon. Candide falls in love with the Baron’s daughter Cunégonde (Hope King). When the Baron catches the pair kissing, he banishes Candide from his kingdom. Candide is then drafted into the Bulgar army, flogged repeatedly, and does everything in his power to be united with Cunégonde while being accompanied by Cacambo (Phoebe Liucci), Dr. Pangloss, sheep, and others.
 Freshman Katelyn Cowen played Ben Franklin, Surgeon, and Slave Bladder. Freshman Sophia Danis played Unlucky Beggar, Revolutionary number two, and Mademoiselle YouYou. Freshman Caleb Ferraez played Bulgarian Soldier number one, Don Fernando, Don Issachar, and Sheep. Freshman Logan Palau Woman Soldier, Sexy Woman number one, and Ensemble. Freshman Anna Prager played Rattoli and Ensemble. Freshman Blake Poulsen played Baron Thunder-Ten-Tronckh, Grand Inquisitor, and Martin the Hyper-Active Pessimist. Freshman Meghan Siano played Lucky Nun, Mademoiselle MiMi, and Revolutionary number one. Freshman Jonah Silberman Heinrich Thunder-Ten-Tronckh, Biscayan, and Sheep.
  Junior Aidan Lear played Executioner number one and Sexy Woman number two. Junior Lola Dardzinski played Paquette, Cunégonde’s chambermaid. Junior Lauren Adler played the Amazonian Queen, Drill Sergeant, and Sheep number three. Junior Jaya Batra played the Bulgarian Deserter, Hot Grandmother, Woman Soldier, Amazonian Princess, and Sheep. Junior Tara Chumbley played Viceroy of Inquisition. Junior Sarah Harrison played Inspector General, Voltaire, and Sheep number two. Junior Grace Leister played as Woman Soldier, Horse number two, Bulgarian Soldier, and Ensemble. Junior Zach Meixler was part of the ensemble.
 Senior Sophia Carroll played the Baroness Thunder-Ten-Tronckh, woman soldier, Madame, Amazonian Princess, and Horse #1. Senior Isabella Mailer played Executioner number one, Sheep, and slave auctioneer. Senior Grace Zander played The old woman with only one buttock.
 The stage crew featured a collections of extremely talented people.  The set design was done by Morgan M. Manfredi; lighting design was created by Michael Howell; Tyler Horn served as the technical director; choreography was crafted by Bernadette Del Prado; properties artisan was Emma Repasy; Ryan Keating was the stage manager; Quinn Reinert was ASM; Michael Howell served as the light board operator, and  sound operation board was handled by Bryan Houlton. Technical Consulting was provided by McAfee Madding, art by Grace Leister, and Ms. Mary Dupont was the volunteer coordinator. T-shirts were provided by Kampus Klothes, and  videography services were provided by Mr. and Mrs. Giorgi and Alex DiGena. Amy Parker did the production photography and the snack stand was managed by Ms. Mary Dupont.
 Lola Dardzinski and Hope King were both in charge of the Marquee board. The carpenters who built the set were Tyler Horn, Michael Howell, Henry Chouteau, and Jerry Sun. Costumers were Amy Parker, Wendy Meckes, Parker Miele, and Sophia Borzilleri. The electricians were Michael Howell, McAfee Madding, and Henry Chouteau. The Run Crew were Deanna Bock, Sophia Borzilleri, Joey Buck, Henry Chouteau, Alex DiGena, Chloe Elias, Christian Keating, Matthew Lieber, Kaylee Lynch, and Jerry Sun. McAfee Madding Jr., was also in charge of sound design.
 Mask and Zany’s Candide was comical from beginning to end. It was a strong start to the year for Mask and Zany. This spring Mask and Zany will be performing Pippin.
  Those interested in seeing Candide should see Mrs. Pittner for a DVD.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Harvey Weinstein has been expelled from the television academy

Victoria Siano
Co-Editor-in-Chief

On Nov. 7, 2017, Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was banned for life from the Television Academy as a result of his sexual harassment and assault accusations from a number of women.
 The news of Mr. Weinstein’s charges had raised questions regarding his future in the nonprofit organization. In a hearing last month is was decided that the organization would take disciplinary action against him, the decision of which would be made after a hearing, which took place on Monday, Nov. 6, and the Television Academy’s governance voted to expel him from the Academy for life.
 The organization issued a statement to Variety magazine: “The Academy supports those speaking out against harassment in all forms and stands behind those who have been affected by this issue.”Due to this, the Academy has found the accusations made about Weinstein to be deeply disturbing and horrific, and as a means of better preventing such people from taking part in the organization, has been accelerating a process to review a potential membership code of conduct it had been reviewing before this information was discovered.”
 In a response to this issues, the company has released a statement claiming: “We are determined to play a role in protecting all television professionals from predatory harassment, ensuring they are able to practice their craft in a safe environment.”

 This banishment is just the most recent in a series of professional condemnations brought on by the recent accusations about his mistreatment towards women, with some of the other punishments consisting of being kicked out of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Producers Guild of America, BAFTA, and being fired from the Weinstein Company - a company which he had co-founded. The forced departure from TWC has resulted in Weinstein suing to gain access to his personnel files and company email account.

Friday, October 13, 2017

Saturday Night Live Returns

Riley Brennan
Co-Editor In Chief

As September came to a close, and an abnormally hot fall persisted, Saturday Night Live returned for Season 43. The comedy sketch show, which recently dominated at the Emmy’s, the show and actresses/actors alike winning multiple awards, started the season off strong with host Ryan Gosling, and musical performance by Jay-Z. The show’s cold open featured Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump, with appearances by Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders (played by Aidy Bryant), and Attorney General Jeff Sessions (played by Kate McKinnon). The three tackled current events, which was a reoccurring theme throughout the show. During the Weekend Update segment, anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che covered topics such as President Trump and his actions towards the hurricane in Puerto Rico, where Che’s strong word choices towards the president earned him a healthy amount of criticism and backlash. SNL however, is known for the strong opinions and stances they take on politics, which this season premiere was not lacking. During Jay-Z’s performance on the show, he made his own political statement by wearing a Colin Kaepernick jersey.
 Politics aside, the show had numerous funny and random sketches and bits. Ryan Gosling reprised some of his roles from his last appearance on the show, and occasionally struggled to hold in laughter. This included his monologue, which revolved around his role in the movie La La Land, featuring a surprise appearance from his co-star, Emma Stone, where the two joked about “saving” the jazz music genre.
 The premiere also featured three new additions to the cast, including comedians Heidi Gardner, Luke Null, and Chris Reed. The three replace ex cast members Bobby Moynihan, Vanessa Bayer, and Sasheer Zamata, all who left at the end of last season.

Overall, Season 43 shows promise, which is a good thing seeing as it has big shoes to fill after last year’s season, earning the title of the most watched season in 23 years.

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Construction Plows On

Amanda Horak & Parker Miele
Staff Writers

  It is year two of construction at the New Hope-Solebury High School and some major pieces of the project are complete and already being used by students. The office has been completely redone, and has even moved to a new location. The lobby area around the office has a high ceiling with big windows above the front doors. The old office now is the new home of the Guidance Department, yet it still looks the same as before.
  The biggest change that affects the students is the new hallway, which  features work created by the art students and new glass-front cases where the school can put its trophies. Many students don’t feel the hallway is big enough for the traffic in the halls, but some staff claim that once the senior hallway is opened the halls will become less crowded. Some people say that it is difficult to just have one hallway, but the students and staff are still managing.
  A 12th grader, Olivia Keenan, said: “The school is moving in a positive direction, but it is impacting my education.”
  There are multiple places in our school that are still under construction too, like the high school gym, locker rooms, and the fitness center. The high school gym has boards up and around it along with the fitness center, which means no one can see outside the windows.
  Teacher Mr. O’Hara said ironically the “glass behind the walls [makes him] feel insignificant.”
  Mr. Sherman, one of our Physical Education teachers, said that the new fitness center is to open on Oct. 19 if everything goes as planned. The machines should be delivered by Oct. 18 and the floors are being installed Oct. 9, 10, and 11. Many students, like those in Fitness for Life, are very excited.
   This is a very exciting time for our school with all the new and improved classrooms, gym, and lunch rooms we have been given. Many students are thrilled about all the new upcoming gyms and classrooms we will receive, but we still have a little bit of time to wait!

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Head Hunters: The Impact of Hancock’s Album 44 Years Later

Jeremy Pether
Staff Writer

As time goes on, most music is largely forgotten, with only a small selection of popular songs and albums continuing to have a spot as culture evolves. But just because it’s remembered, doesn’t mean it stands the test of time. Is that the case with Herbie Hancock’s 1973 album, “Head Hunters”? As “Head Hunters” approaches its 44th anniversary, it’s a good time to look back and consider its impact. Exerting a notable influence on jazz, funk, soul, and even hip-hop, it has left its mark on the music world. In 2013, Rolling Stone ranked it 498 on their Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and in 2007 it was placed in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, a collection of “culturally, historically, or aesthetically important”.
 For this album, only one member from Hancock’s previous group returned, as Hancock was looking to take his sound in a new direction. He ditched guitars entirely for the clavinet, and assembled a more R&B focused group. On Hancock’s sleeve notes of the 1997 reissue, he wrote "I began to feel that I had been spending so much time exploring the upper atmosphere of music and the more ethereal kind of far-out spacey stuff. Now there was this need to take some more of the earth and to feel a little more tethered; a connection to the earth....I was beginning to feel that we were playing this heavy kind of music, and I was tired of everything being heavy. I wanted to play something lighter." The album has a calm but groovy sound that appeals to a larger audience than some of his earlier records, and it’s considered to have paved the way for the jazz-fusion movement.
 The album consists of four tracks. “Chameleon”, “Watermelon Man”, “Sly”, and “Vein Melter”. It’s a small number of tracks, but they’re all lengthy, ranging from six and a half minutes on “Watermelon Man” to nearly 16 minutes for “Chameleon”. All the tracks are original for this album except for “Watermelon Man”, which was on his first album, “Takin’ Off”, but was reworked for the album. “Chameleon” opens the album, with a strong bassline leading it off on a funky beat. It’s an engaging, well executed song that at a 15-minute run time stays surprisingly fresh. The track starts with the bassline and then plays around with what meshes well with it. It stays interesting and flows well. “Watermelon Man” is probably the most memorable track, for the opening alone. The intro is comprised of the sound of blowing into a beer bottle to simulate the hindewhu, a style of singing / whistling in Pygmy music. It then breaks into a simple but rhythmic groove that hooks you in. “Sly” is up next, starting with a relaxed intro then hitting breakneck pace in a crazy, chaotic song. Finally, “Vein Melter” (despite it’s title) has a much slower, more relaxed pace, while still having a great sound.

 “Head Hunters” turns 44 on Oct. 13 of this year, and it’s very much an incredible album. It’s influences can be seen in many genres, and it deserves the classic status it holds. “Head Hunters” is far from overhyped, and has left a solid mark on the music world, including spearheading the jazz fusion movement. It’s at least a solid 90 out of 100, with my only gripe being songs get dangerously close to dragging on. It’s available for purchase on iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon, or you can stream it from Spotify.

REVIEW: Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

Stephen Prager
Staff Writer

At the abrupt conclusion of “Mortal Man”, the closer to Kendrick Lamar’s likely career-defining album, To Pimp a Butterfly, there’s a sense of terrifying closure.  The album is a whirlwind of emotions, featuring Lamar projecting his self-loathing onto the world around him and sharing his rawest and most honest thoughts about the state of his home and his country at large.  
 In the final moments of the album’s epic finale, “Mortal Man,” Lamar shares the album’s central metaphor, the metamorphosis of a butterfly surrounded and institutionalized by a “mad city”, with the ghost of his idol, the late, great Tupac Shakur.  The music swells, and Lamar finds himself frantically calling Tupac’s name, to no answer – the final sound we hear is a pain-stricken “Pac?!” indicating that Lamar’s guiding voice left as quickly as it was resurrected.
 This scene comes at the end of an album of a truly dense piece of artistry that displays so much volatility, mistrust, and anger that it seems at points like a shocking Janis Joplin-like death or Jeff Mangum-like disappearance is looming for Lamar.  It’s the double-edged sword of pouring your heart and soul into a piece of art – what is there left to give when you’ve laid all of your thoughts and demons on the line?
 Of course, Kendrick Lamar did come back, and his fourth LP, DAMN., is about the most logical comedown possible following his magnum opus.  It picks up in the aftermath of Lamar’s meteoric rise to a life of fame, something unimaginable for someone who grew up in an environment as unforgiving as Compton.
Despite its aggressive title, DAMN. is fairly restrained in comparison to its predecessor.  It maintains some of the same quirky production value, with time signature changes, spoken word poetry, and news soundbites that represent Kendrick’s current disillusionment with the world around him.  Yet Lamar raps with an unfamiliar detachment that seems to have manifested in the shadow of his greatest achievement.
 DAMN. simply doesn’t have the energy that was synonymous with To Pimp a Butterfly.  Nowhere on the album is there a song with the swagger of “King Kunta” or the infectious artlessness of “i.”  DAMN. is more of a character study of Kendrick Lamar himself instead of the chaos that surrounds him, and it is by nature a less chaotic album.  Instead of the dense fusion of traditional hip-hop with elements of soul, big band jazz, and rock that made To Pimp a Butterfly appear gritty and representative of the diversity of the city, DAMN. sounds slick, as if it was produced to put Lamar’s voice back at center stage.  “DNA.” is a fine example of this - with a repetitive backing track that sounds like something an amateur freestyler might rip from Youtube, the song can turn its focus to Lamar’s questioning of whether he is defined by the “loyalty and royalty” or the “poison and pain” inside his DNA.  It a fine choice for Lamar to re-calibrate himself and make a more straightforward rap album, especially considering that the subject matter really isn’t conducive to the disorienting bombast that To Pimp a Butterfly mastered.
 If this sounds like an overly safe or cowardly choice for an artist of Lamar’s caliber, it assuredly is not.  The album’s orientation towards minimalism is actually fairly risky because forces his voice and lyrics to carry the weight of the album, to mixed results.  It works on “YAH.”, for example, because Lamar’s slightly slurred vocals meld perfectly with the dreamy keyboard effects that dominate the song.  “GOD.” also uses minimalism to its advantage, as the quiet synthesizers in the backing tracks create a feeling of isolation as Lamar pleads with God to not be judged for his sins.  However, it works less effectively on “HUMBLE.” which encompasses Lamar’s troubled childhood in ways that feel derivative of better songs like “Hood Politics” or “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst.”  And then there’s “LOYALTY.”, which flat-out wastes Rihanna’s talents on hackneyed lines like “on your pulse like it’s EDM” and “gas in the b*tch like it’s premium”.
 As is a general principle with Kendrick Lamar, his best songs are the ones in which he leaves his blood, sweat, and tears on the track and swings for the fences creatively.  DAMN. does have its fair share of songs that break the album’s status-quo.  The best song on the album is “PRIDE.”, a sweeping anthem that features Lamar’s admittedly idealistic and impossible vision of a world that he’s saved by putting aside his pride and greed to truly help the poor and struggling.  “DUCKWORTH.” is a similarly impressive track, telling the story of how one small moment of mercy from a notorious criminal to Kendrick’s father sets off a butterfly effect that allows the criminal to avoid life and prison and allows Kendrick to grow up with his father and eventually find prosperity, instead of dying “in a gun fight” like so many others from his home.  Lamar is not nearly as politically outspoken here as he was on To Pimp a Butterfly either, but DAMN’s “XXX.” at least deals with some of his shock and terror following the election of Donald Trump – with lines like “You overnight the big rifles, then tell Fox to be scared of us” that suggest that Lamar is resigned to the fate of the nation and has no desire to change it, only to weather whatever storm may come.
 That’s a key difference between DAMN. and Lamar’s previous work – it doesn’t have the fighting spirit that defined To Pimp a Butterfly or even good kid, m.A.A.d. city.  Instead, it’s like a one man show where Lamar plays both the hero and the villain.  It actually seems somewhat unusual to have a Kendrick Lamar album that doesn’t feel genre-defining or genre-defying, especially considering the deification he receives from many people who want to see genres getting redefined through experimentation.  But DAMN. is best looked at as an inoffensive transition album more bent on concluding what surely will be looked at as a classic era of Lamar’s music defined by its daring verve. It’s not jaw-dropping or apocalyptic like To Pimp a Butterfly, but nobody is likely to leave expecting DAMN. to drive Lamar off the deep end either.  Instead, it leaves the listener looking ahead at a future era that once again defies every limit aside from Lamar’s ambition.

Grade: B

The Rise of Street Style during Fashion Week

Riley Brennan
Co-Editor In Chief

At the beginning of every September, for most people the school year begins, and for New York City, Fashion Week runs rampant. The season of shows came in a blur of designers, models,  and show stealing street style looks.
 While the motivation for this September’s fashion week was the designer’s display of their Spring/Summer 2018 collections, the people who attend the shows often stole the spotlight. It’s no secret that those lucky enough to frequent the shows throughout the week, dress to impress. Often times the looks the audience shows up in gain more attention than the actual work on display. Vogue magazine’s website even has an entire tab, featured on their homepage, dedicated to street style. In fact, there’s an article with a total of 223 photos, solely made up of “The Best Street Style from New York Fashion Week Spring’ 18.” Among the photos were common themes, warm toned colors, loose fitting jeans and trousers, flare pants, skinny stripes, plaid, pencil skirts, ruffled blouses, denim (x5), draped dresses and jackets, and a variety of fun patterns.
 Photographers line the street outside of show venues to snap photos of the attendees. This is one of the ways press is able to interact with fashion week, as not everyone will be invited to attend the shows. However, this whole concept of focusing on what the guests are wearing rather than what the models are wearing is troublesome. The concept of caring about what attendees wear to a fashion show is expected, but the line between caring and overshadowing is very blurry.

 An increasing interest in what the celebrities and bloggers are wearing to the shows seems to stem from social media, and the theory that anyone can be a celebrity in today’s pop culture. None of this is inherently bad, but with more and more focus going to the people at the fashion show, rather than the actual work on display, the fashion industry has the potential to evolve into one that is purely driven by social media stunts, instead of the artistic vision and talent. As always, it’s the masses that determine the future.

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Musing on the Morning News

Marc Verwiel
Copy editor

Max started counting down, Mr. Giorgi asked the room to be quiet, Jacob shuffled the papers, and Chloe sipped her coffee. That's how every day started with the morning announcements. Max counted, Mr. Giorgi asked, Jacob shuffled, and Chloe sipped.
 The first time I joined the morning announcements I was just there to promote the Homecoming dance. However, after the dance came and went, I still found myself walking to the journalism room every morning during homeroom. It just became part of my morning routine to share terrible ideas with Jacob and Max while Chloe looked on with a disappointed look on her face. We tried to come up with the most obscure questions just to see the frustrated replies come across the Socrative. The show followed nearly the same format every homeroom while I was there, only disturbed when the network wouldn't let us stream.
 But in our last week no ideas were thrown out. We laughed constantly about taking the show to random locations or having Max come on the show just to yell at us. We tried to do weirder and more random things as our time on the show came to a close, although some of our ideas were shut down (full day show, broadcast from the roof). Regardless about how it all appeared to you, faithful viewer, I truly loved my time on the morning announcements and hope that the next broadcasting team has as much fun as we did.

NHS Students take on Summer 2017

Parker Miele and Amanda Horak
Staff Writers
NHS Students Take on Summer 2017

While the New Hope-Solebury High School doesn’t have a large amount of students, summer plans are different for everyone. The majority of those polled (38.5%) said that they were going on vacation with their family. The next biggest choice was that they surveyed students were hanging out with their friends (30.8%). Staying home to relax is the smallest category with only 5.1% of students picking this option. The other 25.6% have other plans that weren’t one of the options. Regardless of plans the students of New Hope-Solebury are planning on a great summer and are so excited to see how their plans turn out!

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Nativism invades New Hope Stage in 'The Foreigner'

Jacob McCloskey
Staff Writer

Over the weekend of April 28, a studio performance of the Larry Shue play “The Foreigner,” took place, directed by senior Josh Searle. Taking place in rural Georgia, the play follows a very shy man from Britain - played by Jake Perkins - who, after being extremely timid and quiet around the house, gets the excuse of being a foreigner, a man from an exotic foreign country, by the aid of Phoebe Liucci’s character. While this excuse makes it easier to socialize as little as possible with people, not all are pleased. Towards the end of the play, it becomes apparent that Josh Elefante’s character is not too tolerant of foreigners, as the KKK gets involved. Charlie (Jake Perkin’s character), uses a trick to scare off the Klan, and the conflict ultimately resolves.
 The studio performance put on by Mask & Zany was nothing less than exceptional. As a student director, Josh Searle is responsible for overseeing just about everything: directing actors, stage design, costuming, character development, blocking, and more. The final product was impressive in every realm, as the actors came to life while a large draw attended the play on Saturday’s matinee.
 The crowd reacted very positively upon seeing Josh Elefante’s character, Owen, as a Southern accent in combination with a timberland/jeans/flannel/baseball cap brought the character to life. Ben Dupont’s character, David, plays a well dressed family man, finding out that his wife, Catherine, played by Christina Hochberger, is pregnant. Over the course of the play we watch Christina’s character go through many flawlessly-executed crises and towards the end we find that David has actually been an affiliate of the KKK this whole time. Flo Minniti’s character is Betty, a hospitable extroverted southern widow who takes care of the house, with a delivery more accurate and impeccable than anyone in the crowd would have expected. Each actor brought a unique personality to their characters, and together it created something great.

 The play was performed in a manner which exceeded all expectations. The play opened as something humorous, and evolved into something more akin to a historical thriller while keeping a funny and charming tone. The audience left the auditorium shocked and fascinated, but laughing at the same time.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Ode to Chuck Berry: A rock legend passes away at age 90

Jay MacDowell
Staff Writer

The world has recently lost a rock legend. Chuck Berry, born on October 18, 1926 in St. Louis, Missouri, passed away at 90 of natural causes on March 18, 2017.
  Chuck Berry, or the Father of Rock and Roll, was born at a time when St. Louis was an extremely segregated area. Trying to escape the racial issues, Berry, like his 5 siblings, pursued hobbies. His music career started at just six years old when he joined the local church choir. When Berry entered his high school talent show with a friend, he quickly became addicted to the emotion that he experienced performing for a crowd. This was what sparked his interest in guitar. He began taking guitar lessons soon thereafter.
  After dropping out of high school, he and his friends made a few impulse choices and ended up in jail for robbing a few small stores. After being released in 1947, seven years early for good behavior, he returned to St. Louis to work for his father’s construction business, be a part time photographer, and act as a janitor at a local auto plant.
  Four years after his return, a former high school classmate, Tommy Stevens, asked Berry to join his band. The band played at local black nightclubs and Berry quickly gained a good reputation for his lively showmanship. A year passed and Berry joined Sir John’s Trio. This band played at upscale black nightclub and began to draw in a white crowd. By 1955 Berry began his search for a record contract in Chicago.
  Legendary blues musician Muddy Water met with Berry and encourage him to speak with Chess Records. A few weeks after their first meeting, Berry wrote “Maybellene.” He brought the song back to Chess Records, and they immediately signed him. Within a month Berry’s song “Maybellene” hit the number 1 spot on the R&B charts and the number 5 spot on the Pop charts. While reforming the music world with a combination of a blues beats, country licks, and stories, Berry quickly constructed many other unique singles. As he was influencing the rock world, he was also influencing the community. People of all races got together in harmony to enjoy Berry’s music and he spoke to the youth with his stories. In 1959 he was charged and later convicted of transporting a young woman for “immoral purposes” under the Mann Act and imprisoned for 20 months. He came out a new man and produced some of his most famous pieces like “Nadine” and “Promise Land.” Instead of being his easy going self he was more of a businessman. He had changed into a serious and distant person towards the end of his career. Berry released his last album called Rock It, in 1979. He continued to play into the 1990’s but lost some of his stage personality and popularity.
  Chuck Berry is one of the most influential rockers of all time. His playing style and bad boy personality inspired many current blues and rock players. He formulated many different playing styles into one. His contributions to the rock world will always be remembered.

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

SNL finds a spicy groove in satirizing the Trump administration

Riley Brennan
Features and A&E editor

On the SNL episode that aired on February 4, actress and comedian Melissa Mccarthy, portrayed President Trump’s Press Secretary Sean Spicer in a skit. The skit was then posted to the show’s Youtube account, where it has raked in over 23 million views, and counting. Despite the abrasive character Mccarthy plays, Spicer’s response was more lighthearted than one would expect after seeing the temperament of Mccarthy’s Spicer. When E News asked Spicer what he thought of the skit, he responded, “I think Melissa Mccarthy needs to slow down on the gum chewing...way too many pieces in there.”

 Due to the success of the skit, Melissa came back as a guest star to open the show the following Saturday, once again playing Sean Spicer. Alec Baldwin hosted the show, who has been a guest star on the show quite often, starting months before the actual election, playing Donald Trump. Thanks to Baldwin and Mccarthy, the episode was full of political skits, “featuring” the president, Vladimir Putin, Kellyanne Conway, Sean Spicer, and more. SNL has always featured political skits and sketches, though Donald Trump does not appreciate the ones that feature him, having tweeted many insults aimed at the show. This past January, following an SNL skit featuring him, tweeting, @NBCNews is bad but Saturday Night Live is the worst of NBC. Not funny, cast is terrible, always a complete hit job. Really bad television!”. The backlash has yet to cause SNL to stop using Trump as a character on the show.

Thursday, January 19, 2017

La La Land's record breaking win at the Golden Globes

Riley Brennan
Features and A&E editor

In the aftermath of the Golden Globes, everyone is reporting on Meryl Streep’s speech, which was in directed towards President-Elect Donald Trump; however, La La Land won all seven awards it was nominated for, a record breaking achievement.
 The film, which is a musical set in present day Los Angeles, follows Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone playing a struggling musician and actress whose paths cross. La La Land was released worldwide on Dec. 25, 2016, though the production received eight Critic’s Choice Awards, at the Critic’s Choice Awards, over a week before it was released.
 Expectations for La La Land were high prior to the Golden Globes, and it did not disappoint. The film won awards for best motion picture, musical or comedy, best screenplay, best director, best score, and best song. Emma Stone won best actress in a motion picture-musical or comedy, and Ryan Gosling won best actor in a motion picture-musical or comedy. Through winning seven awards, La La Land surpassed the previous records of sixth golden globes held by the films “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” and “Midnight Express,” both of which respectively have six awards. Damien Chazelle won for directing and writing the screenplay for the movie. He originally made his debut with the musical “Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench.”
 Jimmy Fallon hosted the award show, making his entrance with a five-minute musical number, most of which was a parody of La La Land, including some of the most popular scenes from the movie. His opening number featured many celebrities, such as; Nicole Kidman, Amy Adams, Evan Rachel Wood, Sarah Paulson , Ryan Reynolds, Justin Timberlake, and the children from the Netflix original series, Stranger Things.