By Katie Stirling
There are a variety of different classes you can take here at Clarksville High School. Some are required while others are chosen. These chosen classes are electives. Many students enjoy the electives we have available already, and others wish there were more options. One of these options is a Home Economics class.
Home economics teaches students about skills needed while adulting. A lot of things change once students start to live on their own. After high school, this class could come in very handy. Home economics, or home science, deals with the interactions and relationships between individuals, families, communities, and the environment they live in.
One main topic many think of when it comes to Home Ec class is cooking. Knowing how to cook and make your own food is a very important necessity in our lifestyles. In the future, students may end up living alone at some point and will have to know how to do this. Many learn from their parents at home, but this only applies to some. If there were a class at school to offer help with this, many students would benefit. They would learn how to properly prepare their food for themselves.
Another part of home economics is budgeting. This is an area that many students lack knowledge in. There are certain classes we can take to learn about financial situations, but the Home Ec class could take it even farther in advance. Without this useful information, we tend to get confused about how to handle finances. College isn’t too far ahead from high school, and we need to be informed of these expenses.
The Home Ec class would be a great opportunity for upperclassmen to be exposed to some of the struggles of adulthood. The material could make lives easier for the better.
Friday, December 13, 2019
My Top 5 Christmas Songs
By: Cole Negen
Christmas is fast approaching. Very fast approaching; I feel like yesterday was Thanksgiving. Christmas is truly is the most wonderful time of the year. I’m a sucker for Christmas lights, old Christmas movies, and all that happy stuff. To celebrate Christmas, I thought I’d countdown my 5 favorite Christmas songs.
For #5, I’m going to go with Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! By Frank Sinatra. Frank is truly the voice of the 50s, and he has a lot of covers that could go on the list. Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, and of course how could you forget Jingle Bells. But for me, Let it Snow Has stood out to me. While the other ones are fun and cheery, Let it Snow feels cozy, like there is a blizzard roaring down outside to the point where you can’t even see the street, but you just don’t care because you’re just sipping hot chocolate by a fireplace. Frank also does a great job with his performance, making it truly unique. It’s just super easy to enjoy this song, which is why it is my #5.
For #4, I’m going to go with Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives. I don’t know Burl personally, but I almost wish I did, because by the way he sings, it’s almost like he is the voice of Santa. He has a booming voice that fills the room, and you can tell he just has a big smile when he sings. He definitely isn’t the most talented singer, but his voice has almost a feel of a brass instrument. Loud and rustic, but yet beautiful and majestic. Holly Jolly Christmas is the perfect song for Burl. A song about wishing someone a Merry Christmas, just because you feel like everyone should. Burl doesn’t just want you to have a joyful Christmas, his charisma almost forces you to drop whatever you’re doing and get in the holly jolly mood.
For #3, I’m going to go with It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams. There isn’t a ton to say here. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year is in my opinion, the mission statement of Christmas. There is no other time of the year, where everyone is happy, everyone is enjoying themselves, parties and presents are all around, and no school or work. Andy gives a loud, gleeful performance, with loud instrumentation. It isn’t quite as inviting as when Burl Ives sings, but the song is so fun and in your face that you can’t help but like it. The way it is presented, every other Christmas song is just the backdrop, and Andy gives us the main attraction. It can be a little too much, and I don’t think it is a super casual listen, which is why it isn’t higher on the list.
For #2 I chose Winter Wonderland by Bing Crosby. In this performance, Bing delivers a performance that is the right amount of powerful and cozy at the same time. At times Bing is super chill, taking in the sweet sounds and sights of Christmas. As the song progresses, Bing gets more and more animated. The song just ties up everything Christmas is to me. Sleigh bells, family, snowmen, and so much more. This song is so much fun every time I listen to it, which is why it gets my #2 spot.
For #1, I am choosing Perry Como’s It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. This song highlights those first moments of the season, when you walk into the mall to Christmas shop and you see Christmas trees and reefs, and lights are up all around town. It captures that feeling of Christmas in it’s early stages. When you have all the festivities to look forward to, but yet snow is falling, and it is time to celebrate Christmas. Not to mention Perry gives a super animated performance that just bounces from start to finish. It makes me want to make Christmas cookies or go caroling or something corny like that. The song is almost too much fun, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously, which really strikes a chord with me. It may not hit other people like it does me, but I just can’t get enough of this song, which is why it is my #1.
So there is my list. Christmas music, being that it is usually the same thing over and over again, just presented a little each time, is always going to be subjective. Everyone looks for there own thing in Christmas music, so I don’t expect most people to agree with my list, but I just hope you give these songs a try.
Christmas is fast approaching. Very fast approaching; I feel like yesterday was Thanksgiving. Christmas is truly is the most wonderful time of the year. I’m a sucker for Christmas lights, old Christmas movies, and all that happy stuff. To celebrate Christmas, I thought I’d countdown my 5 favorite Christmas songs.
For #5, I’m going to go with Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! By Frank Sinatra. Frank is truly the voice of the 50s, and he has a lot of covers that could go on the list. Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, and of course how could you forget Jingle Bells. But for me, Let it Snow Has stood out to me. While the other ones are fun and cheery, Let it Snow feels cozy, like there is a blizzard roaring down outside to the point where you can’t even see the street, but you just don’t care because you’re just sipping hot chocolate by a fireplace. Frank also does a great job with his performance, making it truly unique. It’s just super easy to enjoy this song, which is why it is my #5.
For #4, I’m going to go with Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives. I don’t know Burl personally, but I almost wish I did, because by the way he sings, it’s almost like he is the voice of Santa. He has a booming voice that fills the room, and you can tell he just has a big smile when he sings. He definitely isn’t the most talented singer, but his voice has almost a feel of a brass instrument. Loud and rustic, but yet beautiful and majestic. Holly Jolly Christmas is the perfect song for Burl. A song about wishing someone a Merry Christmas, just because you feel like everyone should. Burl doesn’t just want you to have a joyful Christmas, his charisma almost forces you to drop whatever you’re doing and get in the holly jolly mood.
For #3, I’m going to go with It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams. There isn’t a ton to say here. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year is in my opinion, the mission statement of Christmas. There is no other time of the year, where everyone is happy, everyone is enjoying themselves, parties and presents are all around, and no school or work. Andy gives a loud, gleeful performance, with loud instrumentation. It isn’t quite as inviting as when Burl Ives sings, but the song is so fun and in your face that you can’t help but like it. The way it is presented, every other Christmas song is just the backdrop, and Andy gives us the main attraction. It can be a little too much, and I don’t think it is a super casual listen, which is why it isn’t higher on the list.
For #2 I chose Winter Wonderland by Bing Crosby. In this performance, Bing delivers a performance that is the right amount of powerful and cozy at the same time. At times Bing is super chill, taking in the sweet sounds and sights of Christmas. As the song progresses, Bing gets more and more animated. The song just ties up everything Christmas is to me. Sleigh bells, family, snowmen, and so much more. This song is so much fun every time I listen to it, which is why it gets my #2 spot.
For #1, I am choosing Perry Como’s It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. This song highlights those first moments of the season, when you walk into the mall to Christmas shop and you see Christmas trees and reefs, and lights are up all around town. It captures that feeling of Christmas in it’s early stages. When you have all the festivities to look forward to, but yet snow is falling, and it is time to celebrate Christmas. Not to mention Perry gives a super animated performance that just bounces from start to finish. It makes me want to make Christmas cookies or go caroling or something corny like that. The song is almost too much fun, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously, which really strikes a chord with me. It may not hit other people like it does me, but I just can’t get enough of this song, which is why it is my #1.
So there is my list. Christmas music, being that it is usually the same thing over and over again, just presented a little each time, is always going to be subjective. Everyone looks for there own thing in Christmas music, so I don’t expect most people to agree with my list, but I just hope you give these songs a try.
Christmas Break Anticipation
By: Grace Litterer
For this week’s blog, I figured I would step away from another “Types of” blog. Now, considering that there are two weeks left of school, it’s time to describe what it’s like when Christmas is coming, or at least Christmas break. It’s a time everyone looks forward to. Kids love it because it means no school and no homework. Teachers love it because it means no papers to grade and kids to deal with. Even parents love it because it means that they don’t have a morning rush to get the kids dressed and lunches made. Yes, it’s a time of giving, family time, and a great break from the normal everyday life. For the next two weeks, everyone is talking about Christmas.
Now there are a few things that happen often in school before Christmas break. Firstly, you hear Christmas music everywhere. In PE, you can hear all of the Pentatonix songs you like. You can listen to Jingle Bells while writing your English paper. You can even hear the faint sounds of We Wish You a Merry Christmas while learning new theorems in Geometry. Yes, it’s a lovely time of cheer and constant mention of a Christmas Countdown. I mean, let’s face it. Every single classroom has a Christmas Countdown. You can practically hear the children cheer as the countdown is changed from 10 to 9. (Of course, we were all looking forward to single digits.)
Another thing exclusive to the Christmas season is the time spent on Amazon. Instead of spending their extra study hall time on Youtube just waiting for the bell to ring, everyone spends their time on Amazon, searching for the ultimate deals on gifts for anyone and everyone they can think of. I mean, honestly, except for maybe gas money, there is no other reason to have a job other than to buy gifts during Christmas time. It is the season of giving after all.
Of course, the holidays are an important time in high school. They are the mid-school year break. Something that everyone looks forward to. In fact, you can see some classrooms starting their countdowns in October. So, if you are ever wondering why each and every high school student has a little extra glee on their face in December, just look to the holidays.
For this week’s blog, I figured I would step away from another “Types of” blog. Now, considering that there are two weeks left of school, it’s time to describe what it’s like when Christmas is coming, or at least Christmas break. It’s a time everyone looks forward to. Kids love it because it means no school and no homework. Teachers love it because it means no papers to grade and kids to deal with. Even parents love it because it means that they don’t have a morning rush to get the kids dressed and lunches made. Yes, it’s a time of giving, family time, and a great break from the normal everyday life. For the next two weeks, everyone is talking about Christmas.
Now there are a few things that happen often in school before Christmas break. Firstly, you hear Christmas music everywhere. In PE, you can hear all of the Pentatonix songs you like. You can listen to Jingle Bells while writing your English paper. You can even hear the faint sounds of We Wish You a Merry Christmas while learning new theorems in Geometry. Yes, it’s a lovely time of cheer and constant mention of a Christmas Countdown. I mean, let’s face it. Every single classroom has a Christmas Countdown. You can practically hear the children cheer as the countdown is changed from 10 to 9. (Of course, we were all looking forward to single digits.)
Another thing exclusive to the Christmas season is the time spent on Amazon. Instead of spending their extra study hall time on Youtube just waiting for the bell to ring, everyone spends their time on Amazon, searching for the ultimate deals on gifts for anyone and everyone they can think of. I mean, honestly, except for maybe gas money, there is no other reason to have a job other than to buy gifts during Christmas time. It is the season of giving after all.
Of course, the holidays are an important time in high school. They are the mid-school year break. Something that everyone looks forward to. In fact, you can see some classrooms starting their countdowns in October. So, if you are ever wondering why each and every high school student has a little extra glee on their face in December, just look to the holidays.
The Fight For the Liberties of Diverse Minorities
By: Tess Lampe
From the beginning of time, many groups throughout the ages have been discriminated against because they differed from a social or religious norm. From this discrimination, people have risen up against those who disrespect them, like Rosa Parks and Henry Gerber. Rosa Parks supporting African-Americans and Henry Gerber supporting LGBTQ+. These leaders, the punishments their people endured, and their attempts at freedom that occurred during the movements towards claiming their rights may have differed, however, they were quite alike in their overall goal.
Every battle always has a person or people who help define or lead the fight. Rosa Parks, Claudette Colvin, and James Farmer all progressed their fight for civil rights while Henry Gerber and Craig Rodwell were doing the same for the Gay Rights Movement. The one thing they all have in common, as they were treated like they were monsters, they continued to fight on for their equality for decades. Many things Rosa Parks and James Farmer did had to do with equal transportation, service, etc (Biography.com Editors). Henry Gerber created the Society for Human Rights that helped protect the rights of homosexuals. Craig Rodwell created the first gay bookstore and a very important march that is now known as Gay Pride Week. These things helped the gays to be able to show their real selves in public. Nonetheless, everything these people did for their rights drastically progressed and improved the Civil Rights and Gay Rights Movement.
Even with all of the effort people put in to gain their rights, a large majority of people disregarded these efforts by punishing protesters every chance they got. These punishments were also applied to anyone who protected or helped the two groups. It began as authorities invading their free spaces, like the Stonewall Inn or African-American homes/meeting places. Likewise, many were forcibly humiliated and abused as well. However, homosexuals, especially those who were in the military or army, were frequently questioned to find any other gay person who may have joined the military to find those like them. If the victim refused to tell the questioner, they were beaten or threatened to be outed (Kuhn 25). Similarly, hundreds of people in the government were fired if anyone was suspicious of them being gay because others thought gays communists. On the other hand, African-Americans could not hide who they were, and therefore were not questioned or threatened to bring out their true selves. Instead, they endured the segregation of water fountains, bathrooms, buses, and job opportunities/equal charge. If they started to show any resistance, they were turned in and accused of wrongful things. In the same way, groups of African-Americans were abused and provoked by groups of white people in public.
Despite what both groups were unwillingly put through, many refused to give up the fight for freedom. Bus segregation was a large problem for the majority of African-Americans. In 1955, Rosa Parks and the NAACP organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a protest against bus segregation (Parks/Haskins 126-132). Pamphlets were sent out to many African-Americans to notify them not to ride the buses in response to Rosa Parks’ arrest. This occurred for nearly a year until the federal court ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional. This became a large victory for the African-American community, as they could now get to work, school, and their homes without being treated poorly and separated from others. Meanwhile, as the fight for gay rights had many ups and downs, its most important victory took place less than five years ago. On June 26 of 2015, former President Barack Obama officially legalized gay marriage in all U.S. states (Ariane de Vogue & Jeremy Diamond, CNN). This was the most important because not only were people of the LGBTQ+ community recognized, they were finally able to marry the one they loved without repercussions like everyone else could. These major victories differ because the Montgomery Bus Boycott was indeed important, but only a stepping stone of the other battles African-Americans had yet to win. However, gay marriage being legalized was the victory that the community has been waiting for since they were first discriminated upon; it was, as of now, the last legal win for gay people. In the end, the most important thing in common between these victories is that they greatly progressed the fight for equal rights for both communities.
In conclusion, both the African-American and LGBTQ+ communities have long fought for their liberties and endured the punishments forced upon them. Nonetheless, every single person involved overcame the obstacles thrown at them. Today, both communities still struggle with public acceptance, but it may be believed that their most difficult battles are over. Tragic occurrences also take place today, like the Pulse Shooting and police brutality, but this is a time where history repeating itself when it comes to winning battles may be what some people need.
Bibliography
Parks, Rosa & Haskins, Jim. Rosa Parks: My Story. New York: Dial Books, Puffin Books, 1992. Print.
Kuhn, Betsy. Gay Power! Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-First Century Books, 2011. Print.
Vogue, A. & Diamond, J. (2015, June 27). Supreme Court rules in favor of same-sex marriage nationwide. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2015/06/26/politics/supreme-court-same-sex-marriage-ruling/index.html
The Biography.com website. (2014, April 2). James Farmer Biography. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/james-farmer-21349629
Bayard Rustin - leader for social movements such as civil rights, socialism, nonviolence, and gay rights.
Monday, November 25, 2019
Thanksgiving Dinner
By: Kori Wedeking
As Thanksgiving approaches, there is lots that needs to be done in order to achieve the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving can put a lot of pressure on those who have to host and cook the meal. The Food Network has several tips for planning a stress-free Thanksgiving.
About three weeks prior to the dinner, you should prepare and finalize a guest list. After doing so, you will be able to find out if any guests have allergies or dietary needs. These allergies and needs could alter the meal you want to prepare. Finally, you should make sure you have enough tables, chairs, plates, and silverware for the event. If you do not, you should begin to make plans to borrow or rent what you will need.
When Thanksgiving is two weeks away, you should decide on your final menu and collect all the recipes you will need. You should also assign any cooking projects to family members willing to help. Assigning the non-cooking family members to bring the drinks is a smart option. Along with this, you should buy your turkey and non-perishable items for the meal.
Once Thanksgiving is three days away, you should take your turkey out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator to defrost. Find all your pans, serving dishes, and roasters that you might need for the meal. It would also be a good idea to clean your house at this time. You can begin to shop for perishable items if you have time.
Two days before Thanksgiving, you can make your pumpkin pies. You may also make soups, cranberry sauce, and any other dishes that are able to sit in the fridge for a couple of days. Assembling your casseroles is also something you can do. The more you are able to get done before the day of the meal, the better.
The day before the meal, set up your tables so you do not have to worry about it on Thanksgiving. You should buy any food items you have not bought yet. You should also calculate your cooking time before the big meal.
Thanksgiving day has arrived. If you followed the tips listed above, you have put yourself in a position to host a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving day will still be hectic, as you have to cook the turkey, make the stuffing, make potatoes, and prepare any other dishes, but it will be less stressful if you prepared. Hopefully, the Food Network’s tips can make your Thanksgiving dinner special.
As Thanksgiving approaches, there is lots that needs to be done in order to achieve the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving can put a lot of pressure on those who have to host and cook the meal. The Food Network has several tips for planning a stress-free Thanksgiving.
About three weeks prior to the dinner, you should prepare and finalize a guest list. After doing so, you will be able to find out if any guests have allergies or dietary needs. These allergies and needs could alter the meal you want to prepare. Finally, you should make sure you have enough tables, chairs, plates, and silverware for the event. If you do not, you should begin to make plans to borrow or rent what you will need.
When Thanksgiving is two weeks away, you should decide on your final menu and collect all the recipes you will need. You should also assign any cooking projects to family members willing to help. Assigning the non-cooking family members to bring the drinks is a smart option. Along with this, you should buy your turkey and non-perishable items for the meal.
Once Thanksgiving is three days away, you should take your turkey out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator to defrost. Find all your pans, serving dishes, and roasters that you might need for the meal. It would also be a good idea to clean your house at this time. You can begin to shop for perishable items if you have time.
Two days before Thanksgiving, you can make your pumpkin pies. You may also make soups, cranberry sauce, and any other dishes that are able to sit in the fridge for a couple of days. Assembling your casseroles is also something you can do. The more you are able to get done before the day of the meal, the better.
The day before the meal, set up your tables so you do not have to worry about it on Thanksgiving. You should buy any food items you have not bought yet. You should also calculate your cooking time before the big meal.
Thanksgiving day has arrived. If you followed the tips listed above, you have put yourself in a position to host a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving day will still be hectic, as you have to cook the turkey, make the stuffing, make potatoes, and prepare any other dishes, but it will be less stressful if you prepared. Hopefully, the Food Network’s tips can make your Thanksgiving dinner special.
My Thoughts on the 2020 Grammy Nominations
By: Cole Negen
The annual Grammy nominations came out Wednesday morning. As I write this there hasn’t been much in terms of public reaction yet, but I wanted to express my opinion on some of the topics. Now before I start, it’s important to point out that the Grammy’s are favored towards records that sell a lot. They are very pop-centric, so it isn’t really a measure of how good a song or album is, it’s pretty much just a selection of “what’s gonna get the least amount of backlash. So all of these nominations either get a lot of radio play, or are otherwise widely enjoyed across genre listening groups. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of these categories.
Record of the year
Hey Ma - Bon Iver
Bad Guy - Billie Eilish
7 Rings - Ariana Grande
Hard Place - H.E.R
Talk - Khalid
Old Town Road - Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
Truth Hurts - Lizzo
Sunflower - Swae Lee & Post Malone
This is the general field, or all together. It’s important to note the difference between record of the year and Song of the Year. The record of the year goes to the entire staff that worked on the project, while song just goes to the songwriters. This category is definitely in favor of pop artists and albums. Not all of them are distinctly “pop”, but they all have a lot of pop qualities. My pick out of the group would definitely have to be Old Town Road. Yes, it’s heavily over-played, but I still can’t deny that it is a catchy, fun song, and a unique one at that. It is for sure the best song in the bunch. I think that it will probably end up going to Old Town Road as well, just because of how that song just completely ruled this entire year. I could see it going to Billie, I could see it going to Lizzo, but I just doubt it will. I don’t see how the Academy can deny Lil Nas X.
Album of the Year
I, I - Bon Iver
Norman ******* Rockwell - Lana Del Rey
When We All Fall Asleep, Where do We Go? - Billie Eilish
Thank U, Next - Ariana Grande
I Used to Know Her - H.E.R
7 - Lil Nas X
Cuz I Love You - Lizzo
Father of the Bride - Vampire Weekend
In my complete and honest opinion, these nominations suck. It seems as though Bon Iver made it because he is Bon Iver. Lana Del Rey’s album is probably the best of the bunch, however it isn’t really my cup of tea, and more than likely it probably won’t win. Billie Eilish’s album is most likely to win, but I just see that album as too scant, and too dumbed down. When she isn’t being over-dramatic she is boring me to death, and even though I’m not a Billie Eilish fan, I know of people who follow her that were disappointed with this release. Thank U, Next… it’s just not for me. Lil Nas X’s album was way too spotty to even deserve a nomination. I liked the EP, and I think Lil Nas X showed a ton of potential, but overall he was just too inexperienced and naive to make a cohesive project. Nothing against him, that’s just the way it turned out. The rest I haven’t really listened too or don’t know much about, but overall there is some album’s that I feel like way deserved the nomination. Specifically, Igor by Tyler, the Creator.
Best New Artist
Black Pumas
Billie Eislish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Maggie Rogers
Rosalia
Tank and the Bangas
Yola
Don’t have much to say on this, despite just how clueless this award is. Every year they nominate artist for this award that have been in the music industry for years. The only reason they are considered “new” is because they just finally had a record make it onto the charts. Like Lizzo has already been a figure in hip hop for a little while now. Billie already had an EP drop, which you could argue she made her “big studio album debut” here, but then why is Lil Nas X on the list? It’s just weird, probably gonna go to Billie.
Best Rap Performance
Middle Child - J Cole
Suge - DaBaby
Down Bad - Dreamville
Racks in the Middle - Nipsey Hussle feat. Roddy Rich & Hit Boy
Clout - Offset feat. Cardi B
This is best rap performance. So it doesn’t go to the best song, but rather who performed the best on each track. Personally, I would give it to Dreamville, just because of how crazy everyone goes on that song. I think it is very easily the most eccentric and best performance of the bunch. If I had to guess, I would probably say this will go to J Cole, or the committee, could decide to give it to Nipsey as a sort of memoir.
Best Rap Song
Bad Idea - YBN Cordae feat. Chance the Rapper
Gold Roses - Rick Ross feat. Drake
A Lot - 21 Savage feat. J Cole
Racks in the Middle - Nipsey Hussle feat. Roddy Rich & Hit Boy
Suge - DaBaby
I’m so glad Cordae got a nomination here. I love that song and I love that album. But personally I would have to give it to 21 Savage. The song is just so sticky and well performed and well written and it just stands out. I would guess that would probably win the award as well. Also a shoutout to DaBaby, I really liked that song and I could see him walking away with the award.
Best Rap Album
Revenge of the Dreamers III - Dreamville
Championships - Meek Mill
I am > I was - 21 Savage
Igor - Tyler, the Creator
The Lost Boy - YBN Cordae
Once again, I love seeing Cordae on here. Revenge was an alright album, nothing much to say about it. Meek Mill’s album was ok, probably wouldn’t have gotten a nomination from me but I know there are people who like the album. I am > I was was very well liked, despite it not being one of my personal favorites. Look, there is absolutely no way you can’t give it to Igor. The uniqueness, the strangeness of it, but yet it’s so catchy. It’s so boundary pushing, it’s one of the best albums of the decade and I don’t see how you couldn’t choose Tyler here.
The annual Grammy nominations came out Wednesday morning. As I write this there hasn’t been much in terms of public reaction yet, but I wanted to express my opinion on some of the topics. Now before I start, it’s important to point out that the Grammy’s are favored towards records that sell a lot. They are very pop-centric, so it isn’t really a measure of how good a song or album is, it’s pretty much just a selection of “what’s gonna get the least amount of backlash. So all of these nominations either get a lot of radio play, or are otherwise widely enjoyed across genre listening groups. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of these categories.
Record of the year
Hey Ma - Bon Iver
Bad Guy - Billie Eilish
7 Rings - Ariana Grande
Hard Place - H.E.R
Talk - Khalid
Old Town Road - Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
Truth Hurts - Lizzo
Sunflower - Swae Lee & Post Malone
This is the general field, or all together. It’s important to note the difference between record of the year and Song of the Year. The record of the year goes to the entire staff that worked on the project, while song just goes to the songwriters. This category is definitely in favor of pop artists and albums. Not all of them are distinctly “pop”, but they all have a lot of pop qualities. My pick out of the group would definitely have to be Old Town Road. Yes, it’s heavily over-played, but I still can’t deny that it is a catchy, fun song, and a unique one at that. It is for sure the best song in the bunch. I think that it will probably end up going to Old Town Road as well, just because of how that song just completely ruled this entire year. I could see it going to Billie, I could see it going to Lizzo, but I just doubt it will. I don’t see how the Academy can deny Lil Nas X.
Album of the Year
I, I - Bon Iver
Norman ******* Rockwell - Lana Del Rey
When We All Fall Asleep, Where do We Go? - Billie Eilish
Thank U, Next - Ariana Grande
I Used to Know Her - H.E.R
7 - Lil Nas X
Cuz I Love You - Lizzo
Father of the Bride - Vampire Weekend
In my complete and honest opinion, these nominations suck. It seems as though Bon Iver made it because he is Bon Iver. Lana Del Rey’s album is probably the best of the bunch, however it isn’t really my cup of tea, and more than likely it probably won’t win. Billie Eilish’s album is most likely to win, but I just see that album as too scant, and too dumbed down. When she isn’t being over-dramatic she is boring me to death, and even though I’m not a Billie Eilish fan, I know of people who follow her that were disappointed with this release. Thank U, Next… it’s just not for me. Lil Nas X’s album was way too spotty to even deserve a nomination. I liked the EP, and I think Lil Nas X showed a ton of potential, but overall he was just too inexperienced and naive to make a cohesive project. Nothing against him, that’s just the way it turned out. The rest I haven’t really listened too or don’t know much about, but overall there is some album’s that I feel like way deserved the nomination. Specifically, Igor by Tyler, the Creator.
Best New Artist
Black Pumas
Billie Eislish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Maggie Rogers
Rosalia
Tank and the Bangas
Yola
Don’t have much to say on this, despite just how clueless this award is. Every year they nominate artist for this award that have been in the music industry for years. The only reason they are considered “new” is because they just finally had a record make it onto the charts. Like Lizzo has already been a figure in hip hop for a little while now. Billie already had an EP drop, which you could argue she made her “big studio album debut” here, but then why is Lil Nas X on the list? It’s just weird, probably gonna go to Billie.
Best Rap Performance
Middle Child - J Cole
Suge - DaBaby
Down Bad - Dreamville
Racks in the Middle - Nipsey Hussle feat. Roddy Rich & Hit Boy
Clout - Offset feat. Cardi B
This is best rap performance. So it doesn’t go to the best song, but rather who performed the best on each track. Personally, I would give it to Dreamville, just because of how crazy everyone goes on that song. I think it is very easily the most eccentric and best performance of the bunch. If I had to guess, I would probably say this will go to J Cole, or the committee, could decide to give it to Nipsey as a sort of memoir.
Best Rap Song
Bad Idea - YBN Cordae feat. Chance the Rapper
Gold Roses - Rick Ross feat. Drake
A Lot - 21 Savage feat. J Cole
Racks in the Middle - Nipsey Hussle feat. Roddy Rich & Hit Boy
Suge - DaBaby
I’m so glad Cordae got a nomination here. I love that song and I love that album. But personally I would have to give it to 21 Savage. The song is just so sticky and well performed and well written and it just stands out. I would guess that would probably win the award as well. Also a shoutout to DaBaby, I really liked that song and I could see him walking away with the award.
Best Rap Album
Revenge of the Dreamers III - Dreamville
Championships - Meek Mill
I am > I was - 21 Savage
Igor - Tyler, the Creator
The Lost Boy - YBN Cordae
Once again, I love seeing Cordae on here. Revenge was an alright album, nothing much to say about it. Meek Mill’s album was ok, probably wouldn’t have gotten a nomination from me but I know there are people who like the album. I am > I was was very well liked, despite it not being one of my personal favorites. Look, there is absolutely no way you can’t give it to Igor. The uniqueness, the strangeness of it, but yet it’s so catchy. It’s so boundary pushing, it’s one of the best albums of the decade and I don’t see how you couldn’t choose Tyler here.
Why We Need to Study
By: Ainsley Lovrien
Studying is important becasue it is essential for a person to develop a complete education and provides students with the opportunity to develop time management skills, study habits, and self discipline.
Studying aids in the student’s ability to learn providing the student with knowledge that they can use throughout their life regardless of the career path that they choose.
Homework is a form of studying that helps students learn even if they don’t like it. There are typically three types of homework that require studying by students. First is practice homework, which helps to increase the student’s ability to comprehend the material. The second is preparation for an in class assignment or project. This type of homework is generally researched based or in the form of a brainstorming exercise. The third is extension homework, which is typically a paper or a project and is a long term assignment. These require the most independent work outside of the classroom.
Studying also takes place in studying for tests, quizzes, or final exams. Students need to study in order to learn the material and pass the test, quiz, or exam. Studies show that the two best forms of studying are practice testing and studying evenly over the course of a semester or nine weeks.
In conclusion, studying helps students prepare themselves for upcoming tests, quizzes, and or final exams. There are many ways to study. Some of the ways include, practice homework, preparation for an in class assignment or project, and extension homework. I for one dislike studying a lot, but it does help me with tests, quizzes, and final exams. I think that studying is very important, even if some people dislike it. I think each and every student should study.
Studying is important becasue it is essential for a person to develop a complete education and provides students with the opportunity to develop time management skills, study habits, and self discipline.
Studying aids in the student’s ability to learn providing the student with knowledge that they can use throughout their life regardless of the career path that they choose.
Homework is a form of studying that helps students learn even if they don’t like it. There are typically three types of homework that require studying by students. First is practice homework, which helps to increase the student’s ability to comprehend the material. The second is preparation for an in class assignment or project. This type of homework is generally researched based or in the form of a brainstorming exercise. The third is extension homework, which is typically a paper or a project and is a long term assignment. These require the most independent work outside of the classroom.
Studying also takes place in studying for tests, quizzes, or final exams. Students need to study in order to learn the material and pass the test, quiz, or exam. Studies show that the two best forms of studying are practice testing and studying evenly over the course of a semester or nine weeks.
In conclusion, studying helps students prepare themselves for upcoming tests, quizzes, and or final exams. There are many ways to study. Some of the ways include, practice homework, preparation for an in class assignment or project, and extension homework. I for one dislike studying a lot, but it does help me with tests, quizzes, and final exams. I think that studying is very important, even if some people dislike it. I think each and every student should study.
Types of People on a Roadtrip (Part 2)
By: Grace Litterer
It’s time for the sequel. Yes. We are back with another list of road-tripping people. Of course, in the first article, we talked about the driver and the passenger. As I wrote, these are the most patient people in the world. The front-seaters are definitely blessings, but, now, it’s time to talk about the back-seaters. Oh, the back seaters. They are not the most patient people you will ever meet. Far from it, actually. The back-seaters are far from blessings, but they have just as important roles.
The first back-seater I would like to talk about is the kid. Now, the kid doesn’t actually have to be a kid, but, most of the time, it is. The kid fulfills the very important role of conversation. The kid will talk about anything and everything that is passing by. One prime example of kid-conversation is, “Oh look! A cow! Look at him! Wow!” The kid loves to point out the obvious. “We’ve been stuck in traffic forever. Ugh.” Now, you have probably guessed already but the primary role of the kid is to ask the dreaded question. “Are we there yet?” or “When will we be there?” Oh man. I could not tell you how many times I’ve been on a road trip with a kid. And yes, they are important to the trip, but sometimes, you just want to tell the kid the shut up. (In my experience, it’s best if you tell them you want to play the Quiet Game. It usually works.) To all the kids out there, please stop asking how long it will be until we get there. Just subtract 5 minutes from what I told you last time.
There is one more all-important role that I must mention before I conclude the series -- The snack distributor. Sometimes, the snack distributor is also the passenger, but usually, the snack distributor is in the back seat. That way, they can reach the snacks. The snack distributor has a very important role in the car. Even though you’ve probably already guessed, I have to say it anyway. The snack distributor distributes the snacks. Yes, this is the person that gets everyone through the ride. The snack distributor knows what everyone wants. The kid, of course, gets the biggest snack. (It shuts them up for longer.) The passenger, who is often a mom, get something healthy (like some baby carrots or something). The driver gets something with easy access, due to the fact that they need to watch the road. And the snack distributor, gets whatever they want, whenever they want it. Speaking from experience, being the snack distributor is the best job on the road trip.
Of course, there are so many more roles that one can take on during a road trip. The sleeper, the spiller, and the cranky one to name a few, but the series has to come to an end at some point. I suppose that I could go on to make the third part, but then you would have to wait yet another week to hear my newest idea for a “types of people” list. And, of course, we can’t have you waiting that long, so, as sad as it may be, the series must come to an end. I have to say goodbye and farewell for this week.
It’s time for the sequel. Yes. We are back with another list of road-tripping people. Of course, in the first article, we talked about the driver and the passenger. As I wrote, these are the most patient people in the world. The front-seaters are definitely blessings, but, now, it’s time to talk about the back-seaters. Oh, the back seaters. They are not the most patient people you will ever meet. Far from it, actually. The back-seaters are far from blessings, but they have just as important roles.
The first back-seater I would like to talk about is the kid. Now, the kid doesn’t actually have to be a kid, but, most of the time, it is. The kid fulfills the very important role of conversation. The kid will talk about anything and everything that is passing by. One prime example of kid-conversation is, “Oh look! A cow! Look at him! Wow!” The kid loves to point out the obvious. “We’ve been stuck in traffic forever. Ugh.” Now, you have probably guessed already but the primary role of the kid is to ask the dreaded question. “Are we there yet?” or “When will we be there?” Oh man. I could not tell you how many times I’ve been on a road trip with a kid. And yes, they are important to the trip, but sometimes, you just want to tell the kid the shut up. (In my experience, it’s best if you tell them you want to play the Quiet Game. It usually works.) To all the kids out there, please stop asking how long it will be until we get there. Just subtract 5 minutes from what I told you last time.
There is one more all-important role that I must mention before I conclude the series -- The snack distributor. Sometimes, the snack distributor is also the passenger, but usually, the snack distributor is in the back seat. That way, they can reach the snacks. The snack distributor has a very important role in the car. Even though you’ve probably already guessed, I have to say it anyway. The snack distributor distributes the snacks. Yes, this is the person that gets everyone through the ride. The snack distributor knows what everyone wants. The kid, of course, gets the biggest snack. (It shuts them up for longer.) The passenger, who is often a mom, get something healthy (like some baby carrots or something). The driver gets something with easy access, due to the fact that they need to watch the road. And the snack distributor, gets whatever they want, whenever they want it. Speaking from experience, being the snack distributor is the best job on the road trip.
Of course, there are so many more roles that one can take on during a road trip. The sleeper, the spiller, and the cranky one to name a few, but the series has to come to an end at some point. I suppose that I could go on to make the third part, but then you would have to wait yet another week to hear my newest idea for a “types of people” list. And, of course, we can’t have you waiting that long, so, as sad as it may be, the series must come to an end. I have to say goodbye and farewell for this week.
The Black Death - Has It Returned?
By: Tess Lampe
“All the citizens did little except to carry dead bodies to be buried [...] At every church they dug deep pits down to the water-table; and thus those who were poor who died during the night were bundled up quickly and thrown into the pit. In the morning when a large number of bodies were found in the pit, they took some earth and shovelled it down on top of them; and later others were placed on top of them and then another layer of earth, just as one makes lasagne with layers of pasta and cheese.” This is exactly what those living in Europe from 1346 - 1353 often saw or experienced with the disease known as the Black Death. This specific excerpt came from a chronicle (letter) written by a person in Florence, Italy.
The person who wrote this chronicle was trying to relate to another, a Renaissance poet by the name of Petrarch, describing their experiences and what he knew people saw often living in Italy. The words of Petrarch tells how he thought that nobody else would believe the terror that became reality to himself and the people around him, “O happy posterity, who will not experience such abysmal woe and will look upon our testimony as a fable.” Another chronicler by the name of Agnolo di Tura from Tuscany, Italy related by saying, “... in many places in Siena [Italy] great pits were dug and piled deep with the multitude of death [...] And there were also those who were so sparsely covered with earth that the dogs dragged them forth and devoured many bodies throughout the city.”
The Black Death (bubonic plague) ended up killing about 50 million people, which was approximately 60% of Europe’s entire population at the time. From the years 2010 - 2015, there were hundreds to thousands of reports of plague. However, the Black Death is something that we know the effect of from history with these statistics. With that information, many scientists and authorities in China have become worried of a possible repetition of history - another outbreak of the plague. The bubonic plague has been found in the third person in the past week from around Beijing. Even though the disease remains very rare, that is what is causing people to panic. The original cases were two people from Mongolia who were diagnosed with pneumonic plague, which is caused by the same bacterium as the bubonic plague. The third person, identified as a 55-year-old man, was also diagnosed with the bubonic plague in the same area as the previous patients - Beijing. Authorities said that the man caught the disease by “eating wild rabbit meat.”
During the time of the Black Plague in the mid 1300s, over half of the people living in Florence and Siena died. It quickly became an epidemic (a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time; outbreak) of the bubonic plague. When researched scientifically, is was found that the plague is a disease caused by a bacterium known as Yersinia Pestis. This bacteria is often around areas where many large rodents live called a “plague focus.” Whenever a black rat (house rat) comes into contact with a human’s habitat (their house most likely), that person has a high risk of becoming infected because the rodent is carrying a disease dangerously close to the human. Whenever rats have this disease for a certain amount of time, the fleas on them start to bite humans, causing the humans a large bubo or swelling on their lymph nodes, hence the name “bubonic plague.” In eighty percent of cases of the plague, the patients die due to the disease making them ill quickly, taking the person about 23 days to die.
Despite the heavy worry and panic caused by the supposed return of the Black Death plague, the people who were diagnosed with it and all of those whom they have interacted with have been quarantined and treated. Scientists from all over the world, mainly China, are hoping that yet another outbreak is able to be stopped before it could potentially do horrible damage like it did in Europe all of those centuries ago.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1206331/black-plague-news-china-bubonic-plague-latest-cases-plague-outbreak-map
https://www.historytoday.com/archive/black-death-greatest-catastrophe-ever
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1203947/plague-news-China-pneumonic-plague-cases-plague-symptoms-black-death
“All the citizens did little except to carry dead bodies to be buried [...] At every church they dug deep pits down to the water-table; and thus those who were poor who died during the night were bundled up quickly and thrown into the pit. In the morning when a large number of bodies were found in the pit, they took some earth and shovelled it down on top of them; and later others were placed on top of them and then another layer of earth, just as one makes lasagne with layers of pasta and cheese.” This is exactly what those living in Europe from 1346 - 1353 often saw or experienced with the disease known as the Black Death. This specific excerpt came from a chronicle (letter) written by a person in Florence, Italy.
The person who wrote this chronicle was trying to relate to another, a Renaissance poet by the name of Petrarch, describing their experiences and what he knew people saw often living in Italy. The words of Petrarch tells how he thought that nobody else would believe the terror that became reality to himself and the people around him, “O happy posterity, who will not experience such abysmal woe and will look upon our testimony as a fable.” Another chronicler by the name of Agnolo di Tura from Tuscany, Italy related by saying, “... in many places in Siena [Italy] great pits were dug and piled deep with the multitude of death [...] And there were also those who were so sparsely covered with earth that the dogs dragged them forth and devoured many bodies throughout the city.”
The Black Death (bubonic plague) ended up killing about 50 million people, which was approximately 60% of Europe’s entire population at the time. From the years 2010 - 2015, there were hundreds to thousands of reports of plague. However, the Black Death is something that we know the effect of from history with these statistics. With that information, many scientists and authorities in China have become worried of a possible repetition of history - another outbreak of the plague. The bubonic plague has been found in the third person in the past week from around Beijing. Even though the disease remains very rare, that is what is causing people to panic. The original cases were two people from Mongolia who were diagnosed with pneumonic plague, which is caused by the same bacterium as the bubonic plague. The third person, identified as a 55-year-old man, was also diagnosed with the bubonic plague in the same area as the previous patients - Beijing. Authorities said that the man caught the disease by “eating wild rabbit meat.”
During the time of the Black Plague in the mid 1300s, over half of the people living in Florence and Siena died. It quickly became an epidemic (a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time; outbreak) of the bubonic plague. When researched scientifically, is was found that the plague is a disease caused by a bacterium known as Yersinia Pestis. This bacteria is often around areas where many large rodents live called a “plague focus.” Whenever a black rat (house rat) comes into contact with a human’s habitat (their house most likely), that person has a high risk of becoming infected because the rodent is carrying a disease dangerously close to the human. Whenever rats have this disease for a certain amount of time, the fleas on them start to bite humans, causing the humans a large bubo or swelling on their lymph nodes, hence the name “bubonic plague.” In eighty percent of cases of the plague, the patients die due to the disease making them ill quickly, taking the person about 23 days to die.
Despite the heavy worry and panic caused by the supposed return of the Black Death plague, the people who were diagnosed with it and all of those whom they have interacted with have been quarantined and treated. Scientists from all over the world, mainly China, are hoping that yet another outbreak is able to be stopped before it could potentially do horrible damage like it did in Europe all of those centuries ago.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1206331/black-plague-news-china-bubonic-plague-latest-cases-plague-outbreak-map
https://www.historytoday.com/archive/black-death-greatest-catastrophe-ever
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1203947/plague-news-China-pneumonic-plague-cases-plague-symptoms-black-death
Prom
By: Jaelynn Lampe
Thanksgiving and Christmas Break
By: Lilly Cobb
So… Get your grades up! Have fun! And try your best.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Scrabble
By: Ashten Elliott
Everyone knows about Scrabble it’s a classic game that involves making words to score points with the winner of the game being the person with the most points. The game was made in 1938 by Alfred Mosher and published by Hasbro. The game has had multiple variations over the years but the one we’ll be talking about today is a game called Up-Words. Up-Words is different from traditional scrabble because it has a smaller board, a different scoring system, and you can put letters on top of others in order to add to or create new words. The game offers a system in which you have to think ahead more than you would in regular Scrabble as you have a lot more than you can do to make words in this game. In this game, you don’t score points by playing certain tiles that give more points when they are part of the word. In this game, you get two points for every tile placed on the board and one point for every letter placed on top of another.
Everyone knows about Scrabble it’s a classic game that involves making words to score points with the winner of the game being the person with the most points. The game was made in 1938 by Alfred Mosher and published by Hasbro. The game has had multiple variations over the years but the one we’ll be talking about today is a game called Up-Words. Up-Words is different from traditional scrabble because it has a smaller board, a different scoring system, and you can put letters on top of others in order to add to or create new words. The game offers a system in which you have to think ahead more than you would in regular Scrabble as you have a lot more than you can do to make words in this game. In this game, you don’t score points by playing certain tiles that give more points when they are part of the word. In this game, you get two points for every tile placed on the board and one point for every letter placed on top of another.
What it's like Having Cauliflower Ear
By: Cole Negen
“Harvard Medical School.” Harvard Medical School, Getty Images.
It’s a very common problem amongst wrestlers past and present. Cauliflower ear is, in my own description, a build-up of cartilage, blood, and puss in the ear because of repeated trauma, causing deformity. Many people deal with it, some in both ears. Luckily I have only ever dealt with it in my right ear. In wrestling practice, I used to never wear my headgear. No one ever did, it was kind of just something you could do if you wanted, but most people didn’t because of how hot it can get in the wrestling room, and having your headgear on just kind of adds to that heat. Initially, when I got it, I thought it was just a zit in my ear. I tried popping it but that just caused a lot of pain. It was very small at the time. As practices went on, it got bigger, and bigger, to the point where it was hard to ignore. My Dad was the first to spot it. It was on the inner part of my ear, and just looks like sac of blood bulging out of your ear at first. The first time we drained it, I was anxious. I didn’t know how much it would hurt or how long it would take to drain it. It turns out, when it was as puffed up and large as it was, it was pretty painless. I didn’t even feel the needle break my skin. My Mom drained a whole needle full, and there was still some to spare. When it was a lot smaller, it hurt quite a bit when it was put back in. So we did this process probably upwards of 10 times throughout last wrestling season. Before the season ended, it just stopped filling up. That was a huge relief. Finally I could stop taking time to worry about my stupid cauliflower ear. So now for the rest of my life I will have a deformed, ugly ear. I’m not ashamed of it though. It’s kind of like a right of passage that I can share with people who have also wrestled. People can look at it and in a way they can kind of get a small glimpse of who I am, which I think is pretty cool. It is very unique as well. No one else has an ear that looks like mine, and unlike most other wrestlers, I only got it in one ear. So I have one “stupid” ear, as I like to say, and one normal ear. Of course I would not suggest getting cauliflower ear, because it is just unpleasant and inconvenient, but having a weird looking ear for the rest of my life is alright with me.
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