“All of Us are Dead” review

By JORDAN KRAMER ‘24 Staff Reporter

You’ve got six tries to come up with the fi ve-letter word of the day. Your fi rst try is unsuccessful, and no letters in the word you guessed are present in the one Wordle is looking for. Next try, you plug in a new word, and fi nally! Two of the letters in the word you guessed are correct, but the yellow boxes signify that they are not in the correct place. Onto try number three, and the green box you’ve longed to see is fi nally there, meaning the letter is in the correct spot, along with another yellow box. You’re halfway there now! While brainstorming possible words, a lightbulb goes off in your head. Typing it out and hitting enter, the journey has fi nally come to an end. All the boxes are green, indicating you’ve guessed the Wordle of the day. What even is Wordle? Wordle has been gaining popularity since November 2021, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Originally receiving most attention from Twitter, the game has found a spot on TikTok, where many accounts show their viewers tips and tricks to getting the word correct in the fastest way possible. For example, the fi rst word you guess should contain commonly used letters, to see if you need to rule them out early on, or if they are in the word. Some of these words include “early,” “irate,” and “stare.” Instagram is also on the Wordle trend, but more of the posts are of memes about the game, pulled from Twitter. Why is the game so popular? There are many aspects of the game that contribute to its continual increase in popularity. For one, there is only one word of the day, and once completed, you must wait for the new one to come out the next day. Only a short amount of attention per day is required, which is manageable for society today, where our attention span is decreasing. Having to wait a day for the new Wordle makes playing it that much more special and fun. Wordle contains no ads, which is revolutionary for many free games. I’ve downloaded games on my phone over the years, and when they play an abundance of ads, I’m often discouraged from playing, since I don’t want to wait for a 30-second ad to play every fi ve minutes. Recent purchase of Wordle At the end of January of 2022, The New York Times bought the game for around one million dollars, shocking fans. They voiced their concerns over The New York Times possibly charging them to play the game, which would turn away many people from playing. In their article about purchasing Wordle, the company states that “the game would initially remain free to new and existing players.” Regardless of this new purchase, Wordle’s popularity doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon.

Wordle is played by thousands of people daily, and its success doesn’t seem

to be slowing down. Photo by Jordan Kramer ‘24

“All of Us are Dead” takes a deep dive into humanity’s true killer

By ANTONIA ZONG ‘22 Managing Editor

Z

ombie fi lms have quite literally amassed throngs of goreloving viewers to its world of bloodshed and moral para-

doxes. South Korea is certainly no novice to this phenomenon, as award-winning fi lms of this genre have been sweeping across the entertainment industry for years. The newest one to join the family is Lee Jae Gyu’s All of Us are Dead, which gained so much international attention that the Netfl ix drama spiked to #2 on its opening day. Weeks later, it hasn’t budged from its top ten position. But what makes this drama unique from the multitude of other zombie fi lms? Are the action-packed scenes as exhilarating as The Walking Dead? Are the relationships between the characters as poignant as Train to Busan? The answer actually comes in the age of the drama’s main characters; they’re all teenagers. Not only teenagers, but high school students to be exact; an age group that’s known to be stuck on the precipice between childhood and adulthood. With some still having hope and others turning to survival, life in a zombie-infested world began to bank heavily on the choice between youth and maturity. In this case, naive hope might just win. The Jonas virus is a neurodegenerative virus created by science teacher Lee Byeong Chan in an effort to pull his high school son away from the depths of bullying. The virus fi rst targets the body’s white blood cells, and stops the heart merely seconds later. The end result: a zombie. However, this wasn’t Lee Byeong Chan’s true purpose. His virus drastically raises the body’s testosterone production, where an individual will be consumed with aggression and fury even as a corpse. In other words, fear morphs into murderous anger. Named after German philosopher, Hans Jonas, the virus is a hidden paradox hidden in the series. Hans Jonas wrote extensively on the dangers of new technologies, and the human responsibility to make these technologies according to the preservation of life. On the exterior, Jonas’s ideals and the virus could be direct antitheses of each other. However, humanity follows the laws of natural selection like any other organism; would producing a physically superior human being venture too far from “preserving” human life? This exact question came to plague the students of Hyosan High School, causing a clash of ethics and survival among teenage children. After Lee Byeong Chan kept an infected rat in the school lab, Hyosan High School became ground zero for the Jonas virus after a student was accidentally bitten. As discord cascaded over the school, there became a stark contrast in the characteristics of the remaining survivors. Take main lead Lee Cheongsan and the South Korean military for example. The former could be described as an exception to the primal instincts that overtook most of his peers. Ruled by compassion and responsibility rather than fear, Cheongsan wasn’t at all afraid to sacrifi ce his own life to protect his friends after being bitten by a zombie. Similar to him, many of the remaining students retained a crucial sense of empathy, even for their infected peers. Or perhaps it was a simple naivety that came in tandem with blissful youth. Either way, the military certainly didn’t allow for any hesitation of action after martial law was announced over the Hyosan district. What started as a rescue operation for any survivors at the high school ended with stunned countenances from the survivors, as the rescue helicopter fl ew away without any students on board. After learning of a possible mutation of the Jonas virus, the military decided to bomb the entire Hyosan district. Their mission? To eliminate any living beings within that border. What an apt way to portray the ageold law that rules over all creatures: survival of the fi ttest. So, what does it mean to be an adult? As the drama shows, adulthood can be described as the bitter struggle between morality and responsibility in times of crisis. Humanity is such a peculiar paradox within itself. To be human is to possess an unparalleled perception of ethics. Nevertheless, humans are morally the most terrifying creatures that have ever walked the Earth. So, for these teenagers who were about to enter the grandiose world of adulthood, they were handed relentless challenges unbefi tting of their brief lives. Festering injustices and social corruption catalyzed the creation of the Jonas virus. Who’s to say that it wouldn’t happen in real life?

What makes this drama unique from the multitude of other zombie fi lms?

Heading into the ultimate matchup of the 2021-22 NFL season, we had been treated to perhaps the most exciting set of playoff games in league history. Almost every game had plenty of tension, high-level play, and last-minute drama. At times, it felt as if the matchups were being scripted by paid writers for the NFL. They couldn’t quite bring it home with Super Bowl LVI. Until the final seven or so minutes of the Los Angeles Rams’ 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, there wasn’t much to write home about for this year’s title game. The game was close throughout, but there just wasn’t the elevated sense of excitement and intensity that should come with the championship game, especially after the outstanding games that came before it. To start the game, the Bengals won the coin toss, and elected to defer. The two teams were locked in a defensive battle for the better part of the first quarter, until star Rams WR Odell Beckham Jr. caught a 17-yard touchdown from QB Matthew Stafford with 6:22 remaining. The Bengals drove down the field leading into the end of the quarter, but had to settle for a 29-yard field goal from rookie sensation Evan McPherson to make the score 7-3 Rams. The Rams quickly marched down the field to start the second quarter, and Stafford connected with Offensive Player of the Year WR Cooper Kupp in the back of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown. However, the hold for the extra point was botched by punter Johnny Hekker, and the ensuing two-point desperation throw was no-good. This kept the game at 13-3 Rams, and the missed point would later come back to give the Rams a major scare. During the early part of the game, neither team could establish an effective running game, leading both to rely on their passing attacks to drive the offense. The Bengals got tricky in this aspect, unleashing a trick play that had RB Joe Mixon throwing a 6-yard touchdown to WR Tee Higgins with 5:47 left in the half. This brought the score up to 13-10 Rams. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, their second-best receiver in Beckham Jr. left the game not too long after, suffering a non-contact injury to his left knee. It was devastating to see him fall victim to injury after playing so well in the first half of the game. Going into halftime, where Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar headlined a solid show, it seemed that the Bengals had the advantage, although they trailed by three points. Beckham Jr. was out for the game, the Bengals offensive line had done a great job of protecting QB Joe Burrow, and the referees had barely interfered with the game. However, this was about to change. After only producing one sack in the first half, the Rams’ defensive front headlined by Von Miller racked up six more in the second half of the game. The notorious “refball” also made an appearance as well, when Higgins illegally grabbed Rams CB Jalen Ramsey’s facemask during a 75-yard touchdown completion; there was no flag thrown. The score now read 17-13 Bengals, and after a costly interception throw by Stafford on a short field, McPherson tacked on another field goal, this time from 38 yards, to give his team a one score lead at 20-13. On the next possession, the Rams tried to replicate the Eagles’ famous “Philly Special” trick play from Super Bowl LII, but Kupp’s throw sailed over the head of Stafford. The Rams settled for a field goal, and kicker Matt Gay converted from 41 yards out to make the score 20-16 Bengals. At this point, the game was underwhelming. Neither quarterbacks were playing up to their potential, and the running backs couldn’t find any openings to cut through. The Rams defensive linemen were quickly becoming the stars of the game, as Burrow began to take a beating. “Joe Shiesty,” as he is becoming known, couldn’t withstand sack after brutal sack, and his face showed it. However, as the game began to wind down, it got a bit more interesting. With around six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Bengals WR Tyler Boyd dropped a pass on a critical third down that forced them to punt the ball. If he held on, he more than likely would have picked up the first down. The Rams took over, and proceeded to methodically drive down the field, relying on Kupp to get them to the promised land. After dominating all season long, he scored the game-winning touchdown on a catch in the right side of the end zone with 1:25 left in the game to launch the Rams back in front, 23-20. Eastern alum CB Eli Apple was the defender in coverage. The Bengals got the ball back for one more possession, but a poor decision to throw the ball on fourth-and-short ended their Super Bowl dreams. The Rams emerged victorious, taking home their first Lombardi since 1999. As a whole, I wasn’t completely satisfied with Super Bowl LVI. It had enough scoring to be interesting, but the player performances weren’t compelling until very late in the game. The playoff magic that we’ve seen all winter long just simply wasn’t there on Sunday night.

This year’s Super Bowl was a letdown, compared to the magic this season’s playoffs has brought. Photo by Pixabay/Tiffany and Co

Tom Brady’s retirement marks the end of an era in the NFL

By TIMUR MARKOWITZ ‘24 and KYLE GOLDSTEIN ‘24 Staff Reporters

Tom Brady, well-known as arguably the greatest football player of all time, has officially announced his retirement, marking the end of an era. Over his spectacular twenty-two season career in the NFL, he has earned more money than any other player, just shy of $293,000. Furthermore, he has won seven Super Bowls, not only the most of any player in NFL history, but also more than any single franchise. Six came with the New England Patriots (2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017, 2019), leading the Pats to all six of their Super Bowl wins and one with the Buccaneers (2021). That one is especially notable as Brady helped turn Tampa Bay into a NFC juggernaut; his arrival in free agency saw them immediately win a title, their first since they beat the Oakland Raiders in 2002. In a Tweet made on February 1, he remarked that his decision to relinquish his competitive commitment has little to do with injuries or age but rather that it was “now time to focus [his] time and energy on other things that require [his] attention.” Looking back at more of Tom Brady’s accomplishments, has won the award of

Most Valuable Player three separate times, and is deservedly considered one of the most skillful and famous players to ever step foot on the field. This additionally causes possible doubts when it comes to whether the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be able to maintain their longevity after Brady’s absence. In fact, he is technically still under contract with the Bucs through the 2022 season after signing a one year extension last March. However, Tom Brady is still likely to work around the financial situation with Tampa Bay, which could look slightly different depending on whether he wants to uphold the option of a future comeback, which could happen. However, Tom has stated that forty-five was the desired age to reach a conclusion, which he will turn next August, so this will most likely be the last we see of the dominating figure. Whether fans of Tom Brady’s retirement from the NFL football supported sees the most decorated quarterback in or despised Tom the sport’s history hang up his cleats. Brady and the teams Photo by Wikimedia Commons he played for, he undoubtedly created endless entertainment and inspired many across the nation. His presence in the NFL has been unmatched, with few quarterbacks ever having or being able to reach the level of his excellent and extraordinary nature. Tom Brady’s impact is undeniable and he will be remembered as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the entire history of the sport and will unquestionably become a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Simmons-Harden trade could be season-defining for the 76ers

By DAWN BETNER ‘23 Staff Reporter

Sometime in January of last year, Philadelphia 76ers PG Ben Simmons’ name began being tossed around in James Harden trade talk. This rubbed him the wrong way, because what player wants to hear that their team is thinking of trading them? With this mindset, Simmons began to perform poorly on the court. It began with the inability to shoot from the foul line. He shot 10 for 28 over the span of five playoff games, and this poor form continued throughout the postseason. After the end of the season. Simmons’ agent met with the 76ers to discuss Simmons’ future. The summary of the meeting was that the Sixers saw Simmons as a key part of the team. Later in June, Simmons withdrew from playing on the Australian team for the Olympics. He mentioned that it was to focus on personal development. In mid-July, the 76ers opened up trade talks for Simmons, with a high asking price. These discussions slowed down in August with no viable offers for the Sixers. Simmons began to stir things up when he requested a trade and said that he wouldn’t attend training camp until he got traded. He continued with this behavior into media day, where the main topic was his absence. Simmons stuck by his word and did not attend a single day of training

camp. Tensions thickened when the 76ers withheld $8.25 million that Simmons was supposed to receive a quarter into his contract. It all continued into the preseason when Simmons missed the first two games. He was fined $227,613 and finally returned to Philly in early October, however he missed the rest of the team’s preseason games. In the midst of his return, Simmons was also kicked out of practice because he did not want to “play nice” being suspended for one game. The 76ers opened up the regular season without him. In late October, Simmons claimed to not be “mentally ready” to play. The Sixers stopped fining him and tried to get him help, but when he refused, they resumed fining him. It had The Simmons/Harden trade could define been quiet for the outcome of this season for both teams. a while up until Photo by allprophotos/Flickr this past week when rumors began to spread about a Ben Simmons and James Harden trade. This became reality on February 10th, when Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first round picks were traded to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for James Harden and Paul Millsap. The 76ers have a lot to look forward to with star duo Joel Embiid and James Harden. The Nets also have a bright future with Simmons and superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The highly anticipated game between these two teams will be in Philly, March 10th. Both players should play in that game, which will be the biggest for both teams this season.