President Obama's March On Washington Address

Football Season Off To A Shaky Start

 Story by Carla Hoppe 

   The Platteville Hillmen went into the 2013 football season with high hopes. Currently they are 1-3 and are still fighting for Hillmen pride. They started off great with a win over Darlington, traditionally a tough team.  Next up was Dodgeville. They had a great start to that game and fought like Hillmen until the end, but they lost 48-45. Senior Will Cooley comments for their next game against Dodgeville. “Next time we play Dodgeville, we need to be much more disciplined, and learn how to finish strong.”  Platteville went to Lancaster to take on our rivals, Lancaster. The Hillmen were only down by eight at halftime, but the game got away from them, 48-13.  Against River Valley, Platteville were down by six at halftime and won 39-21.  JV is 0-2 and the freshmen are 0-3.  

   Unfortunately, injuries inevitably result during football season.  In the first game against Darlington, Derek Shambow ('14) tore his MCL.  He’s still on the mend but hopes to be back before the end of the season.  Looking to the future, Shambow comments on the team as a whole. “It hasn’t started off the best, but there’s still a lot of games left, and we still have room to improve.”

   The seniors this year are playing with their hearts and a lot of hard work.  Some of the seniors have commented how proud they are to be playing next to each other; they all have great leadership, and they appreciate all the support from the fans.
   Let’s keep it up, Hillmen! Support our school and all the sports! The next home football home games at the UWP stadium are September 20th against Richland Center, October 11th against Lancaster, and October 18th, the Homecoming game, against River Valley. Good luck Hillmen!

Kick-Off

by Francesca Bisi

   The Platteville High School’s boys’ soccer team has been on the field since before school even started. The players have dedication and commitment, and their hard work shows in the form of spectacular results. Victory or loss, the players give their best until the final whistle blows.

   This year, we have both a varsity and a junior varsity squad, with many freshmen coming in to fill in the empty slots left by the seniors who graduated last spring. The team needs enough players to at least have eleven on junior varsity and eleven on varsity, who together cover the positions of goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders, and attackers. The amount and position defenders, midfielders, and attackers is decided by the coach, Brandon Pink.

   The team has high expectations for the season. “I hope that we can come out and play every game with all we've got,” responded Thomas Cramer ('16) when asked what he wanted the team to improve on this season, “and no matter what happens in the game, we still stick together as a team.”
   Soccer takes strength and devotion, but most of all, a team needs to think as one and stay one step ahead of the opponent. Platteville High School has a great reputation when it comes to dedication to the team and sportsmanship, and the boys’ soccer team is sure to have a great season!

Cross Country Team Holds T-Shirt Rally

Story by Allie Serres

On September 17th, the Platteville cross country team traveled to Lancaster for their first dual meet of the season. Platteville pulled out the win for both the girls and the guys, earning them a conference win and making them one step closer to being conference champs.

Saturday, September 21, was a weekend off from racing for the cross country team, so the coaches took the opportunity to hold the famous, annual Spider T-Shirt Rally. Everyone brings in a t-shirt and puts it in a pile; then the coaches split the cross country team up into groups of four, determined by runners’ race times so that the teams are as equal as possible. Each team member runs a different distance and hands off to his or her teammate, like a relay.  Members of the winning team get to choose a t-shirt from the pile first, second goes second, and so on. Once everyone has their shirt, it’s donut time. Everyone has a blast and loves the friendly competition.

This coming Tuesday, September 24th, Platteville hosts the second dual meet of the season against Dodgeville/Mineral Point (Dodge Point). Dodge Point is the defending conference champion team and state champion team from last year, so Tuesday’s race should be fast paced and intense.

Making A Splash

Story by Beth Gardiner

  
   The Platteville-Lancaster swim team is off to an amazing start! Things may look a little different this year with new coaching staff and members, but nothing is holding the team back from having a great season. The swimmers continue to live up to Hillmen traditions and swim hard!

   Coach Peters is now the head coach with Coach Wunderlin as the assistant coach (and also the head boys’ coach). Coach Caccia will always be part of the team, but he accepted the job as Aquatic Director of a YMCA in Indianola, Iowa, and the Head Swimming Coach position at Simpson College. He is dearly missed by the team, but they love having Coach Peters and Coach Wunderlin leading them. Caitlin Acierno ('14) shared, “It’s hard to not have Coach Caccia for my senior year, but Coach Peters is doing an incredible job. She is a great coach and an excellent role-model for our team.”
   This year the team consists of twenty five girls including nine returning swimmers. The team enjoyed bonding this summer by going to the Kalahari in the Dells and boating with Maddie Kieler’s family. “I’m really excited for the team we have this year. Although many of the swimmers are new, I think we have a lot of potential,” quoted Maddie Kieler ('14), one of the captains. Melanie Schaefer ('15) also agrees that their team has lots offer. “We lost three state qualifiers, two of whom were all-state, so hopefully we can make up the loss of their strength with this team’s depth.”

   The new swimmers are swimming well and the experienced swimmers continue to lead the team, and so far they have a winning season. Coach Peters shared, “I’m very proud of the veteran swimmers and how they are showing the team what it means to be a Hillmen swimmer and upholding our traditions.”

Arete: Striving for Excellence

Story by Saafia Masoom

  As PHS students welcome new policies and schedules, the cross country team also ushers in the school year with a big group of first-time runners and continuing tradition of excellence by its veterans. With thirty-seven girls, including managers, and thirty boys, PHS is seeing the largest girls’ team in the history of the cross country program.

  Cross country is an endurance-based sport that involves long distance running over grass, trails, and other types of terrain. As Coach Serres puts it, “To keep it basic, it’s one foot in front of the other.” While girls’ races are approximately 2.5 miles (4K) and the boys run about 3.1 miles (5K), it’s important to mention that runners have to be prepared for any conditions. Think you have what it takes? Well, as Mattea Scanlan (‘14) describes it, “You just have to be willing to work hard and have a positive attitude.”

  In addition to the physical aspects, cross country athletes gain an immense amount of mental strength throughout the season that is applicable to real life as well. “It showed me that I can do whatever I put my mind to,” says Cullen Bryla (‘14), one of two medalists from PHS on the boys’ side at the Verona Invitational. Ben Bahr (‘14) adds that the sport “gives you good habits,” not only for other sports, but also for tough school work.

  The team broke into the season with their first meet in Verona on September 5th, a start the coaches were quite pleased with. Serres states about his fellow coach Spider Frommader, “It wouldn’t be the same without him,” while Michelle Clough (‘14) adds about both of them “They’re wonderful and supportive.”

   So, whether you’re looking for a chance to socialize and meet cool people, to get in shape, to push yourself to the limit, or just to get all of your angst out while having a great time, cross country is probably a good fit for you. As Bryla says about his sport, “It’s a great experience that you cannot truly understand until you go out and try it for yourself.”

Bump, Set, Spike

Story by Allie Serres

   Team captains Briette Updike and Ashley Budden have set up their young varsity team of mainly sophomores and juniors for a 4-0 conference record are spiking down the competition with both a first and second place tournament win so far this season. Starters this year are Ashley Budden, Briette Updike (both ’15), Jenna Phillips, Rachel Emendorfer, Maddie Carroll, and Claire Tashner (all ’16). This young team is not only very talented, but they have a lot of big goals, such as winning conference for both this year and next, and getting as far as they can in the post season games. Hard work and determination are characteristics that can be found in all team members, and this common ground makes the team close. “My teammates are great,” says Ashley Budden. “Everyone is hilarious and seriously makes me laugh all the time.”

   On the JV team, Brelynn Updike (‘17) and Lexi Budden (‘16) follow in their sisters’ footsteps as they show leadership, along with Allison Woodworth and Faye Bailie (both ’16). The JV currently holds a record of 2-2 in conference games, while this year’s fabulous freshman have started off their season with a record of 1-3. Brelynn says, “Our goal for this year is to win more games than JV has in the past. Normally JV doesn’t even win half their games, but we are hoping to change that.” Looks like they’re off to a great start considering they won their one and only tournament of the season.

50 Years Since the March on Washington

Nation Remembers Moment in History

Story by Saafia Masoom

  “The greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation” was how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., described the famous March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during his “I Have a Dream” speech. It was August 28, 1963, and the Civil Rights Movement icon was only one speaker on a program, ranging from performances by Bob Dylan and Harry Belafonte to speeches by five other “Big Six,” civil rights organization leaders.

  This summer commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the day when nearly 250,000 demonstrators gathered in our nation’s capital to demand legislation on civil rights, minimum wages of $2 an hour, an end to segregation in public schools, and nondiscrimination for hiring, among other things.  

  As the veteran marchers led the 1.6 mile route past special rally spots such as the Department of Justice on August 28th this summer, discussion continued over whether we have yet to achieve Dr. King’s dream. Also a point of conversation throughout the day was our nation’s unemployment rate, due to the fact that this march was originally for jobs as well as equality.

  A packed agenda featured speeches from Oprah Winfrey, former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, various members of Congress, and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, and performances by Mindless Behavior and LeAnn Rimes. The program was crowned by President Obama’s address to the thousands gathered before the very spot where Dr. King stood facing the National Mall. Mr. Obama spoke on progress since 1963 stating, “To dismiss that little has changed dishonors the courage and sacrifice for those who paid the price for freedom.”

  Whether the fight for freedom, jobs, and all that we hold dearly is over or still continues to this day, we stand in a remarkably different place from fifty years ago. From a day where one man in particular opened the door for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to an early morning lighting of the Washington Monument beginning a celebration, we are left to wonder what will go down in history next. But, we do know one thing that Rep. John Lewis reminded us when he spoke for a second time in Washington, “The country is a different country, and we’re better people.”

Order in the Court

Supreme Court Decides Major Cases

Story by Sumaia Masoom

   New Kids On The Block once said "I think about you in the summertime..."--and it appears the Supreme Court really does. In the last few days of June, starting on June 23, the SCOTUS "settled" a number of cases involving various issues throughout the week.

    On Monday, the Court tackled affirmative action. The case, Fisher v. University of Texas, involved a white woman who had been rejected from the University of Texas at Austin in 2008. She argued that although she was not in the top 10% of her class (as the majority of those who were admitted to the university were), she had the other credentials that were examined before the university began taking race into account. It's a complex and confusing situation, just like affirmative action is in and of itself. In the end, the case was decided in a 7-1 decision with Justice Elena Kagan "recusing" or removing herself from the voting. The justices argued that the 5th Court of Appeals had not examined the case in full, vacated said court's decision, and sent the case back to be re-examined. However, much to the relief of many civil rights activists, affirmative action was not overturned completely. Rather, the ruling served as a warning to schools everywhere: in the words of the Court, to avoid problems, schools must make sure that "each applicant is evaluated as an individual and not in a way that makes an applicant's race or ethnicity the defining feature of his or her application."

    Next up was a historic ruling in the case Shelby County v. Holder on the constitutionality of two vital sections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Section 4b of the Act created a formula that determined whether or not anyone one of nine specific states has enough discrimination in its history to warrant preclearance by the federal government before it makes any changes in voting policy, and Section 5 enforced this preclearance. In a shocking turn of events, the SCOTUS ruled 5-4 to strike down Section 4b (and as a result, Section 5), effectively invalidating the civil rights legislation, arguing that racism no longer runs rampant in the United States, so the federal government has no need to oversee voting policies. Interestingly, not even two hours after the decision was announced, the Texas state legislature passed the most stringent voting ID laws in the nation. Voters will be allowed to carry expired concealed gun licenses with them to the polls, but not student IDs.

    Finally, Wednesday was the biggest day of all: the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in two cases (United States v. Windsor and Hollingsworth v. Perry) that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California’s Proposition 8 (which banned same-sex marriage) were both unconstitutional as they violated the 5th Amendment and the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection clause. As a result, the federal government will now officially recognize members of same-sex couples as spouses for all federal purposes. California has resumed same-sex marriage ceremonies, and a number of states have taken up legislation to legalize same-sex marriage within the next year. However, the battle for equality isn’t over yet; among other things, Texas refuses to grant divorces to couples married in other states.

For more information on any of these cases, or to find out which cases will be decided in the Supreme Court's following term (beginning October 7th), check out SCOTUSblog.com.

Summer of the Spy: Edward Snowden vs. The NSA

Mass-Leaking of Government Agency's Documents Leads to Controversy

Story by Sumaia Masoom

   On May 1, Edward Snowden and his girlfriend silently moved out of their home in Hawaii after which Snowden alone fled to Hong Kong. The next few steps of his master plan didn't take place until a few weeks later on June 5, when the first of a series of revelations about the NSA's surveillance program PRISM occurred. Over the next few weeks, outcry over the federal government "spying" on its citizens grew exponentially as it was revealed that the program went deeper than just telephone calls, for it consisted of email surveillance as well. However, although many Americans were (and continue to be) outraged, there remains a visible split over how the country as a whole feels about this. A significant number of people hail Snowden as a hero, an unfairly persecuted whistle-blower. On the other hand, Snowden is also being portrayed as, in the words of Speaker of the House John Boehner (R), a "traitor" and a spy himself. Snowden, it seemed, didn't really care how he's branded--he just doesn't want to be found, and he's made that clear by starting a worldwide goose-chase, from the U.S. to Hong Kong to Moscow to potentially Cuba or even Ecuador, where Wikileaks founder and perpetrator Julian Assange looked to for help. He finally settled down in August when Russia offered him asylum for one year after he had lived in the Moscow airport for a month. Since then, Snowden has disappeared once more to an undisclosed location in Russia.

   There's enough blame to go around on both sides--not of the aisle this time, but between both the government and the whistleblower. While the government is clearly violating the 4th Amendment with its often unwarranted investigations of its citizens, it could make the "probable cause" argument and say that it was only doing all of this for our safety. And Edward Snowden made a serious breach of trust when he began leaking the information he was privy too.

    But, the other side also has a fair point as well: our citizens should be allowed to know if we're being spied on--and it could be argued that we shouldn’t be spied on at all in the first place . By making this such a clandestine operation, the government pretty much ravaged the little trust that it had regained from the public since Watergate in the '70s. Now, the main question is this: is our safety worth the infringement of our rights, and should there even be a question about how much it's really safe for the common citizen to know?

Ben Bahr

PHS Student Becomes Eagle Scout

Story by Max Frommelt

 On August 19th, 2013, Benjamin Raphael Bahr became an Eagle Scout at St. Mary’s Church, Platteville, WI. The Eagle Scout Award is the highest possible award to be earned in Boy Scouts. Here is a fun fact: for every 100 scouts, only two will receive the Eagle Scout Award. Why are there so few? To earn the Eagle Scout Award, you must earn 21 merit badges, you must lead and create a service project that is over 180 hours, and you must have a leadership position within your Troop for six Months. This is more than a small achievement. Ben made map and trail signs at Badger Camp to help out the campers. Well known Eagle Scouts include John W. Creighton, Jr., CEO of Weyerhaeuser and United Airlines, Chuck Smith, President and CEO of AT&T West; Sam Walton, Founder of Wal-Mart and Sam's Club; and Garrett Jones, Platteville High School’s very own social studies teacher.

Party In The U.S.A.

   

An Assessment of Miley Cyrus's Performance at the VMAs

by E.J. Kruser

  Miley Cyrus. Adorable child star gone ratchet or an inspiration to all of us? For those of you who don’t care enough to stay in the Hollywood social media loop, first of all, good for you, and second, OMG I can’t believe you haven’t been watching and waiting for stars to make embarrassing mistakes so you can talk about that instead of worrying about your own insecurities and cosmetic flaws! By the way, you-know-who, yes, we did notice your fake tan, and no, it’s not as unnaturally preposterous as Snooki from the Jersey Shore. Congrats! While we’re doling out kudos, let’s mention our appreciation for the unveiling of Miley Cyrus’s newest music video for her new hit single “Wrecking Ball.” Congratulations, Miley! It takes a lot of courage to release such a depthless erotic video onto the world-wide web, especially proceeding the backlash and insatiable buzz following the controversial VMA performance with Robin Thicke and giant teddy bear strippers.

   For those of you who haven’t viewed the viral video of Ms. Cyrus twerking, gyrating, and sexualizing inanimate objects, I cannot, in good conscience, recommend doing so, as all of my previously fond recollections of the young sensation carrying on with her goofily innocent antics and switching between outfits so her date wouldn’t find out that she’s actually Hannah Montana have been tainted and voided of all value in my memory for life. R.I.P. My fond memories. R.I.P American morality and decency.

“It’s nice that Miley’s comfortable with herself.” Tweets esteemed funnyman Judd Apatow.

  While it is nice that the singer/songwriter/actor has found her confidence, the performance was less than pleasant for the majority of Americans viewing it. One Youtube video alone has over 3 million views with a 4:1 ratio of thumbs down to thumbs up. It would appear America disapproves. But who is America to judge? Consider this scenario: a teenage boy has a “crush” on a girl in his school, but he lacks the confidence to ask her out because of his low social status in the community and high score of 82,690 in Minecraft, which is getting higher daily. One day, the boy decides to put himself out there and ask his crush out on a date to The Olive Garden on Dodge Street in Dubuque, now offering the Never Ending Pasta Bowl™ for just $9.99! The young lady turns him down and is disgusted with the video game habits he takes so much pride in. Miley Cyrus is that poor, acne-ridden boy. She put herself out there and was shot down on a much larger scale. Surely he was devastated and lived a depressing hermit lifestyle until his final lonely days. Surely America feels compassion for this poor soul, but why then does America react with such animosity to a person like Miley in a near parallel situation? Ms. Cyrus doesn’t let it get to her.

"They're overthinking it … You're thinking about it more than I thought about it when I did it. Like, I didn't even think about it 'cause that's just me." Ms. Cyrus is quoted in an interview following the media’s uproar over her VMA performance of “We Can’t Stop”/”Blurred Lines.”

  Perhaps, we should praise Miley’s spirit rather than ridiculing her risque attire and unnecessarily sexualized social media. Miley is a strong, brave young woman who is able to admit fault. "I have so many...issues," Cyrus tells a reporter while discussing the public’s reaction to her performance. "I don't have a normal life … I take a hiatus every now and again, but I'm not good at that." We need to look deep within our hearts and find some empathy for this filthy-rich 20-year-old pop sensation. She’s just trying to find herself and having fun doing it. The moral of the story is this: Open judgement is cruel and stymieing. We need to be unafraid of this inevitable judgement, as Ms. Cyrus exemplifies, and just do whatever we want for our own personal pleasure. Over the weekend, this reporter put this philosophy into action. I put my hands up; they were playing my song. The butterflies flew away. I said, “Hey! It’s a party in the USA!” And you all know what that means. Freedom. And do you know what that means? E’r’body gettin’ ther’ twerk on without regret and criticism. Because this is America. And our parties compete with each other to form a more perfect union.

   

Arianna Day

Day Receives National Recognition
Story by Beth Gardiner

  Summer is a great time to relax with friends and create memories, but can also be a chance to experience amazing opportunities. This summer Arianna Day ('14) was accepted into the Kids from Wisconsin ensemble and the Open Jar Institute in the heart of New York City.
   Kids from Wisconsin is the music ambassadors that performs about fifty shows a summer throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. Day auditioned in February and later found out that she was given the camp alternate position. Right after school got out, Day headed to a seventeen day camp where she had four hour sessions of singing, dancing, and combined rehearsals, along with extra practices. Day’s job was to learn the show and be prepared if she was needed to replace one of the twenty singers and dancers. Day shared, “I loved how everyone was so supportive. You worked together like a family which was awesome to be around.” Impressed by her time with the Kids from Wisconsin, Day is planning on auditioning again next year. 
   After Kids, Day continued her summer of experiences in July through an institute in New York. The Open Jar Institute is a competitive actor intensive training that one thousand high school students audition for each year. From those auditions, sixty students are chosen. Day had the opportunity to work with people from Broadway, attend acting and singing classes with casting agents and Broadway royalties, and experience life in New York City. Along with the training, Day went to four Broadway productions, showcased her skills, and attended a pent house party on the eightieth floor right by Central Park. 
   Day worked extremely hard to qualify for these opportunities and shared some wisdom she gained. “The biggest thing I was told was you should always try your hardest because the worse thing anyone can say is no.”

School District Purchases iPads

An Educational Investment
by Max Frommelt

  The school entered a new era of education as iPads were issued to each freshman student this fall. Since iPads are for educational purposes, each one is full of educational apps, such as EBackpack, which lists all of the students’ assignments and indicates if it has been graded or not.  The other app that is commonly used is the Scan app. This allows teachers to make QR codes for use in the classroom. The student scans the QR code which brings up different web sites or activities for the student to do. The goal of this project is introduce technology into the classroom to give the students a more hands on experience. Many students and teachers are excited to begin this next generation of learning.

A Possible Cure for AIDS

Stem Cell Research Leads to a Breakthrough
by Rachel Lueder

   New information has recently been discovered on the path for the cure for AIDS.  Two HIV positive men who received stem-cell transplants to treat their cancers have no sign of the virus, even after the treatment ceased.  Dr. Timothy Henrich, an associate physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said the men are currently off all of their AIDS medications.  The first patient has been off his treatments for fifteen weeks, and the other has been off his for seven weeks.  Both the men were diagnosed with blood cancer lymphoma, and both received the stem-cell transplants shortly after being diagnosed with the cancer.  This isn’t the first time the transplants have been successful.  A man named Timothy Ray Brown, who had the HIV virus along with leukemia, also received a stem-cell transplant from a person with a genetic mutation.
   The genetic mutation, called delta 32, made the person HIV-resistant.  A question frequently asked is “Why can’t people living with the AIDS virus just get a stem-cell transplant to cure them?” It isn’t that easy.  It’s a very risky procedure, and it isn’t a realistic treatment option for most people.  It is quite expensive, and stem-cell transplants are usually only performed on patients likely to die from cancer.  Any transplant requires a weakened immune system, which puts the patient at a fifteen to twenty percent risk of death. Further research is being done, so keep your ears peeled for more information in the near future.

Hot Flicks

Summer 2013 Blockbusters
by Carla Hoppe

   Some of the best past time during the summer can be spent watching a movie,  especially on the those hot summer days when the inside provides cool air and an iced drink.  A variety of films were out during the summer of 2013.  Superheroes, zombies, psychopathic killers, snails, animated monsters, and little minions.  
   One of the most common themes this summer was the sequels.  Robert Downey, Jr., filled our screens again in the third Iron Man.  The Wolverine continued the series of the X-Men with lead Hugh Jackman.   Boy, is that man talented: Jackman can sing and is totally ripped.  Some oldies that came back included Superman in the movie Man of Steel with Henry Cavill and Amy Adams, and for the Trekkies, Star Trek Into Darkness.  Family friendly movies had a great summer.  These will probably turn into the greats: Monsters University and Despicable Me 2.  Who wouldn’t want to watch little animated monsters act so adorably and so fluffy?
   Of course, the action/thriller movie fans had several choices as well this summer.  Some big stars appearing were Matt Damon in Elysium, and Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx in White House Down.  Brad Pitt also made an appearance in World War Z (who can go a season without a zombie apocalypse?).  To keep the brain sharp, Now You See Me was a great sci-fi thriller.
   Some other hits included The Conjuring, which scared people out of their seats, and in other cases pants.  For the comedy fan, The Heat with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy didn’t disappoint.
   What was your favorite?  Let us know!  Miss any of these?  Don’t worry.  These will come out soon on DVD, Redbox, Netflix, or anything else that has speakers and a screen.  Wisconsin winters are a great time to catch up on summer flicks, so pop in one of these blockbusters and snuggle up.

Songs of the Summer

The Tunes That Defined Summer 2013
by Adam Roberts

  Whether or not we would like to admit it, summer is over, and with the end of summer comes the end of summer hits.  Seeing as there is usually a wide selection of summer music, I will be reviewing my five favorite hits songs from this summer.

  “Treasure”, by Bruno Mars, was a good tune for the summer.  The ‘80’s retro feel is very Micheal Jackson-esque and is good for a hot summer’s day.  

  “Get Lucky”, by Daft Punk, was also a retro-inspired song with a ‘70’s feel.  It is a very groovy song, and easy to dance and sing along to.

  “Come On”, by Dreamz, is a song from a self-proclaimed boy band.  It's a little cheesy, but it's a fun song for the summer.

  “Bring me the Night”, by Sam Tsui featuring Kina Grannis, is next on the list.  While as a slow, ballad-type song it isn't in line with the fun, poppy style of my other picks, but it still was a favorite and deserves recognition.

  “Brave”, by Sara Bareilles, from her album The Blessed Unrest, is one of the many gems from the album, not to mention her entire career.  It’s a nice, feel-good song to listen to.

  The laid back, carefree sounds of the Summer may be in the past, but but new music is always on the way.  Find new favorites, and make the most of your new school year.

Fall TV Preview: The Blacklist

James Spader Stars In New NBC Thriller
by E.J. Kruser

  In NBC’s newest drama/thriller series The Blacklist, James Spader stars as Raymond “Red” Reddington, one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives, who turns himself in and offers his expertise to help take down various crime lords, but of course, there’s a catch: he will only work with one female agent who has yet to even start her job. As far as expectations go, watching will ensue Sherlock Holmes-style detective work (i.e. fast-speaking Brits smoking pipes and eating crumpets), Mad Men-style class and composure (sexy people in suits swimming in pools of one-hundred dollar bills), Dark Knight-style suspense (Nananananananana…dynamic use of camera angles!), Vin Diesel-style explosions [Fast, furious, and lady-killing (note use of double entendre, winky face)] M. Night Shyamalan-style plot twists (Bruce Willis is a ghost the whole time, plants are evil, etc.), and Fifty Shades of Grey-style romance. Wow, is anyone else feeling a little lightheaded? Because this show sounds awesome. Can’t even use full sentences now. Anticipation.

Show airs Sept. 23 @ 10/9c on NBC

Fall TV Preview: Community

School's Back in Session: Community Returns
by Justin Phillips

  NBC is set to air popular television sitcom Community in its fifth and possibly final season this fall. The show takes place at Greendale Community College and follows a study group getting into self-centered antics based around flawed personalities. Using meta-humor and pop culture references, the television show has acquired a cult following and acclaim from critics. In 2012, Entertainment Weekly ranked Community #15 out of 25 Best Cult TV Shows from the last 25 years. It has been nominated for Best New TV Show and a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.

  Community’s 4th season ended with a “Modern Warfare” finale. The entire college campus was taken over in a massive paintball war. It was also the final on-screen appearance of Chevy Chase. Furthermore, actor Donald Glover, who portrays beloved character Troy Barnes, will only be returning part-time, appearing in only five of the thirty episodes.The actor/hip-hop artist states he wants to focus more on his rap career as Childish Gambino. Although many fans are broken-up by his decision, they will be compensated by Glover’s new music.

  Dan Harmon announced he would return as the showrunner, replacing season four showrunners Moses Port and David Guarascio, with former writer Chris McKenna returning as executive producer. Viewers should have high expectations for the fifth and final season of Community.

Fall TV Review: Breaking Bad

Bad Has Never Been So Good 
by Neil Perry

  Mr. White is no Mr. Molle- that’s for sure! What am I talking about? In a sad twist of fate, Walter White (actor Bryan Cranston), a high school chem teacher develops terminal lung cancer and is faced with the fact that he has no way to pay for his cancer treatment, let alone leave something behind to help his family if the inevitable happens to him.  He has to find a way to make cash flow and so he makes a hard choice.  Walter White turns to cooking crystal meth and recruits Jesse Pinkman (actor Aaron Paul), one of his old drop-out high school students to help him.  It is in the development of his meth that Mr. White discovers his true gift—his knowledge of chemistry enables him to produce some of the purest crystal meth ever seen and it is given the street name “Blue Sky.”  Walter’s product is so valuable, it attracts many of the kingpin drug lords to want his stuff.

  We are  now in the second half of the 5th season of this incredible series called Breaking Bad that will reach its conclusion in just a couple of short weeks.  When I started watching this captivating series three years ago, I couldn’t stop binge watching it.  In viewing this series from the beginning, you could never imagine the twists and turns and character development that have been in play from the onset of this action-packed series.  When you see who Mr. White becomes and pit him against his D.E.A. brother-in-law Hank Schrader (actor Dean Norris), the plot gets very tangled and deep to say the least. If you have some spare time on your hands and are looking for a suspense-drama that will keep you on the edge of your couch, this one’s for you!

Advice for Underclassmen

FRESHMEN

 by Anna Musarra

   Freshmen, it is very important to start off your high school career at a high level, because remember: you generally won’t be able to change your transcript once you get started. In addition, freshman year is the only year you have a clean slate. Use this clean record to your advantage, and get a good start to high school!

   Along with your academic slate, your social slate is also clean at the beginning of your freshman year, at least with the upperclassmen and faculty. Respect them! Even if you’re scared of high school, really the only reason freshmen ever get picked on for being freshmen is by other freshmen (and in most instances, it's just your friends being stupid).

   Over all, it is imperative to have good habits, for they will stay with you for the rest of your life. Make good habits, and try to break the ones that will hold you back. Only you can change your work ethic, studying time, behavior, and attitude.