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.

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.

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.