The Royal News, November 2022

THE ROYAL NEWS

FOR STUDENTS, BY STUDENTS

MR. HEMERY

PHOTO BY KIRA CHEREN

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

We’ve forever been a people fascinat ed by fresh starts. The tale of the phoenix rising from its ashes has been retold in many manifesta tions throughout time. But that is what we do as a society–we start over. We begin again. For teach ers, this cycle is our “groundhog day.” We teach. We adjust. And we teach again. As the advisor for the school’s paper, this space is no different. I work with students sometimes for their entire time at NRHS, and then they head off to college or careers, and a new group emerges to build upon what the prior has established.

I’m always filled with some anxiety before our first newspaper meeting of the new year. I wonder if the students will show up. If a new group will care. If fresh voices will give this "writing thing" a try. I can confidently say that the students, indeed, showed up. We have the distinct fortune to wel come back several veteran writers from past issues

of The Royal News. But intermingled with these stories are first-time writers for the paper. Many students attended the initial meeting because they thought this would be a good space to prac tice their writing and share the stories that mat ter. They give a renewed energy to the group, and we’re beyond excited to have them all contributing to this publication.

So, let’s begin, again. Although this is my nine teenth year being involved with the paper, the stu dents make this job new and exciting every single year. I’m proud to share our first edition of the school year with you and hope you feel the same sense of newness that I do as I read these student journalists’ words.

Thanks, as always, for reading, Mr. Hemery

The Royal News Advisor

NAHS HAS NEW DIRECTION

BY KAITLYN MESSICK

What even is NAHS? is a question that has become all too familiar to Sunee Watthanaphand and Ol ivia Harding, the current NAHS President and Vice President, who are working to bring more attention to the organization as well as show off the various members' talent to the community.

The National Art Honors Society, or NAHS, is a group of students who were in vited by their art teach ers after displaying im pressive creativity and artistic ability. Each year the members of NAHS vote and select a president and vice president who will be in charge of the group’s agenda for the year and what their goals will be.

Last year Sunee and Olivia felt that NAHS needed a change. To gether they decided to run for the presidency and were elected earli er this year. The girls want ed NAHS to feel more per sonal and create a safe space for all those with the same interests. Sunee explains her motivation by saying, “I want to develop it by having a lot more meetings that are like hangouts instead of all just business.”

Some of the recent meetings include a Hal loween party with both a costume contest and a pumpkin painting activity. Sunee and Olivia are

also focusing on creative and fun ways to keep members engaged in these meetings. For example, each year NAHS helps to coordinate the High School Art Show. So when it came time to plan the meeting where members would brainstorm themes for the Art Show, they de cided to mix in some fun by having the members make slime as well. So far, many members seem satis fied with the direction theNorth Royalton National Art Honors Society is currently going. Colin Finnecy, a newer NAHS mem ber, talks about the opportunities it has given him, saying, “I really enjoyed de signing and painting backdrops for Wizard of OZ themed home coming, and I'm excit ed to make more great projects.” He also discussed how he appreciates the at mosphere, “This club really allows us members to express our creativity and unique artistic selves.”

Overall, NAHS seems to be making great strides and they have lots of potential to create both im pressive artwork and have an impact on our com munity this year. Make sure to follow @noroar tkids on Instagram to stay up to date with what they’re doing and to see some of their artwork!

NAHS members painting pumpkins at their Halloween meeting.

President Sunee Watthanaphand and Vice President Olivia Hard ing with NAHS member Colin Finnecy.

SHOTS FIRED: A RECAP OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS SOCCER SEASONS

BY: CASEY CHARLES

ith the final days of Oc tober came a heart breaking week for North Royalton High School’s boys and girls soccer teams. The playoffs brought a whirlwind of emotions, best remembered by the boys’ overtime thriller against North Olmsted and the Lady Bears’ hard-fought upset over Rocky River. Unfor tunately, the Cinderella stories were abruptly ended thanks to a wild second half in North Ridgeville, as well as a devastating district finals matchup in Brunswick. As players suddenly find more time in their schedules and turn in their uniforms, many will continue to build on their athleticism gained from this past season through indoor, club, and/or offseason training. Nonetheless, the fall season almost always holds a little bit more promi nence for these remarkable student-athletes.

Despite the sad endings, there was plenty for both teams to be proud of. For starters, the freshman class this year was full of talent, highlighted by stellar varsity performances by Michael Suhy and Avery Keitlen. Both teams had a number of shutout wins during the regular season thanks to their lights-out defense and goalkeep

Wing. Early on, the boys team dealt with serious challenges finding their start ing goalkeeper, but junior Brendan Ta bachnick rose to the occasion at tryouts and delivered for the team throughout the season. On the girls’ side, the duo composed of freshman Leah Prezenkowski and junior Angel Luong dominated in the box, helping the team fight their way through a handful of close showdowns on the road. Sophomores and juniors continued to do what they do best, proving their worth through skills such as their footskills, quick decision making, speed, and passing. While injuries from both the offseason and midseason left an impact on some of the results during the season, these players formed a bond with one anoth er that will, in most cases, last far beyond the confines of the field. Looking back, senior Andrew Oriold could sense the chemistry that his team had developed over the last three months. When asked about what made the boys team so special, his answer was simple. “We’ve all played with each other for so long that it made this year that much more special,” remarked Andrew.

For Andrew and so many other seniors, this fall marked the culmination of all the years that they have dedicated to the sport. Only a few students will receive

the opportunity to continue playing in college, should they decide to follow that route. According to the NCAA, only about two-percent of high school athletes are awarded athletics scholarships to compete in col lege. From the fields of Heasley to the countless weekends of travel and club soccer, many of these athletes have been playing some form of soccer for over a decade. With soccer being such a staple in their every day lives, it is highly unlikely that these players are finished with this sport after graduation. For par ents, though, see ing their children progress from the grass-picking U8 games, Silent Sun days, and muddy Lodi tournaments, to walking across the football field on Se nior Night with their son or daughter, is a truly unforgettable experience for them. It is safe to say that for almost every se nior, it is especially hard to say goodbye to their fellow team mates and coaches. For senior Keira O’ Callahan, the finish in Brunswick brought a tidal wave of feelings with it. “After the final whistle, it felt like my heart sank, and all I wanted to do was continue to play,” Keira reflected. “I will always adore all the friendships and people this sport has given me, but a part of me will always want to go back and keep playing.”

Some memories just mean that much more for se nior athletes. Whether it was “Stacy’s Mom” on the bus, the pair of clutch goals scored against Brecksville-Broad view Heights and North Olmsted, or the early-season tie against a dominant Medina program, a firmly estab lished rival of the boys program thanks to Coach Joey Valeriano, the boys team had a lot of good moments to cherish. Senior Tommy Joniec found that his favorite memory was actually a very frequent occurrence for

the team. “Looking around and seeing everyone’s faces after we scored a goal is probably what I’ll remember the most,” commented Tommy. When it came to goals scored for the boys team, there was no better night for it than Senior Night against Akron El let. Amassing an 11-0 victory, the game was full of first-time varsi ty goals for senior players including Charlie Putnam, Eli Likowski, and Tyler Darby.

The Lady Bears had their own fa vorable Senior Night, silencing the Berea-Midpark offense for a 2-0 win. In addition to all the memo ries made, there were plenty of les sons and learning opportunities for players of all class es. Senior Emily Bi alkowski touched on some of the things she learned in her final year. She said, “I would say that my senior year was main ly about learning what to do to get on the field in order to not have to worry about only play ing on Senior Night.” This was an unfortunate reality that a handful of senior players faced at the beginning of the year, but looking back, almost every one of them took full advantage of the game time they received.

Ending this joyride of a season is going to be dif ficult for the players, their parents, and the student fans. Regardless of the weather, morale, and/or officiat ing at times, our teams overcame these challenges and so much more. Without a doubt, these two programs both performed above the expectations, and hopeful ly it is only a glance at what next fall will bring. With the anticipation for our winter sports growing, there is plenty more action to get hyped up about in the coming months.

NoRo HoCo:

THE FIRST DANCE OF THE YEAR

BY BRANDON BARRETT

This year marks the last homecoming for the Class of 2023. Many seniors attended the Wizard Of Oz-themed event.

People liked the music overall, but did wish for a slightly better setlist. Dylan Rees said, “I liked most of the music but there’s some I wasn’t a fan of.” Some seniors were more critical, with one saying, “The music was pretty much the same as our past homecomings and the song selection was poor.” The music definitely evoked the most mixed opinions in the senior class.

Despite some questionable musical choices, the decorations were the most universally praised out of all the aspects. Rees noted, “The décor was cool.” Similar sentiments were expressed by Joey Escano,

who said, “The Wizard of Oz décor was cool but no one stuck to the theme.” The seniors thought the theme was incredibly well-executed overall.

The energy was also a point of discussion. Rees saw the energy most positively, as he recalled, “The energy was great. Everyone just gets super into [it] when you’re deep in the mosh pit, everyone con necting having a fun time.”

The seniors, even with some reservations, en joyed the night thoroughly overall. Some even mentioned aspects that had nothing to do with the dance floor. Elaine Steel, for example, emphasized that the “candy was good.” NRHS students had a great night all in all. The next dance coming up is Winter Formal!

BAND EARNS SUPERIOR RATING AT STATES

BY JULIA KINDEL

On October 29, the band arrived at school at 7:00 AM for the last rehears al before States, but many showed up earlier to give the seniors gifts and eat breakfast. After a silent rehearsal outside (so as to not wake up the whole neighborhood), the band got on buses and headed to Hilliard Brad ley High School for their performance. At arriv al, the weather was perfect and emotions were high as many of the seniors knew they would be performing for the last time. The final perfor mance was anticipated by many, and there were large crowd reactions to the exciting aspects of the show. After the band received the rating it had been practicing for since the season began, everyone was upbeat and had the opportunity to go to Polaris Mall in Columbus as a reward for their hard work.

The band consistently made improvements

throughout October and raised its scores following each contest performance. Mistakes are some times needed in order to im prove, and the band got better in everything it lacked at the beginning of the sea son. Makayla Fulmer, this year’s trumpet section leader, said, “At points this season was rough with everyone getting used to really focusing on the show. After we got over that and really got to work, the show came together quickly and it really became something special.”

The show this year, entitled Carpe Diem!, consisted of five movements and had a run time of around ten minutes. The band first per formed the show on September 11th during the 2022 Band Fest and appeared in contest shows throughout October, with the States’ perfor mance concluding the season.

The band during states playing the emotional melody of Movement 3, which included a solo from baritone player Logan Greer.

BLACK ADAM IS THE ANTI-HERO THE DCEU NEEDED

BY PETER CARAM

After fifteen years of planning, Black Adam is finally out in theaters. The film introduces Black Adam, an an ti-hero in the DC universe, who is portrayed by none other than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in his first live-action comic book role. Black Adam is supposed to be a new start for the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) franchise, but does it live up to the hype that preceded its arrival?

The story of the film starts off with an ar chaeologist named Isis (played by Sarah Shai) and her brother Karim (played by Mohammed Amer) who are trying to find Sabacc’s crown that he wore in Roman times. Isis finds the crown and summons Black Adam to fend off a group of mer cenaries looking for the crown, which he does, enabling Isis and Karmin to escape. Black Adam wakes up in Isis’ house where her son Amon (played by Bohi Sab ongui) meets him and fanboys over the fact a superhero is in his house. Black Adam soon leaves the house due to his con fusion with the modern world after being gone for five thousand years. Black Adam’s arrival catches the attention of Amanda Waller (played by Viola Davis) who sends The Justice Society to capture Black Adam because he is seen as a threat. The lead er of the team, Hawkman (played by Aldis Hodge), and his teammates, The Atom Smasher and Cyclone, attempt to take Black Adam down. But Doctor Fate (played by Pierce Brosnan) realizes there is a bigger

threat than Black Adam out there. Black Adam and The Justice Society must team up to take down the bigger threat but can they find a way to work together?

With a forty percent on Rotten Toma toes and a ninety percent audience score, crit ics and audiences have vastly different opinions about the movie.

My thoughts on this film are mostly positive. I en joyed this film, but it falls short of the “great est comic book film ever made marketing effort” that supports it. Dwayne Johnson's performance as Black Adam fully inhabits the character, and Pierce Brosnan did a great job as Doctor Fate, occasionally threatening to steal the film. The cinematogra phy is great, the action is amazing, perhaps the best action since The Man Of Steel. But there are mo ments when the side char acters, specifically Isis and her family, steal too much of the show. Although I love Hawkman, I feel like his character in the film is simply there to butt heads with Black Adam, and Cy clone and Adam Smasher feel irrelevant. Perhaps worst of all, the villain in the film is the most for gettable in the DCEU. Overall I’d give this film a 8/10. The film is certainly far from perfect, but for a come back film in the DCEU, it is promising and it restores my faith in the DCEU after Warner Bros. made some questionable decisions that jeopardized the franchise. Black Adam is in theaters now, and be sure to stay for the end credit scene - it’s super worth it!

BY OLIVIA HARDING

MEET ME AT MIDNIGHT: A T-SWIFT REVIEW

Since 2019, fans of Taylor Swift have been fed six al bums, which is over 113 songs, and are licking their lips in anticipation over her newly released album, Midnights. Swift dedicates this collection of thir teen songs to those moments in life that keep a person up at night, tossing and turning.

“Lavender Haze,” a phrase commonly used in the 50s to describe a relationship that has a perfect, never-end ing honeymoon phase, is the first track on the album. Instantly, the listener is met with an upbeat, poppy feel, something that her fans haven't heard since her seventh studio album, Lover, in 2019. Swift explains to fans that this is the first album that she and her producer, Jack Antonoff, have completely worked on together. They first met back in 2013 to create some songs for her first pop album, 1989, and have been friends and coworkers ever since. Jack’s 80’s synth-pop influence from his very own, one-man band, Bleachers, is extremely prominent and is shown from just the first track. “Lavender Haze” continues Swift’s common motif of “my romance against the world,” something that she has expressed since her sixth studio album, Reputation.

In contrast to the first track on the album, “Maroon” can give the readers a sense of growing up; it almost ex plains that perfect 1950’s relationship that is sung about in “Lavender Haze,” but with a dose of reality. It shows the ups and downs of being in love with someone, and how you can still continue to love them, even after it all. The shade of red is a common comparison in Swift's dis cography; she views it as a powerful love and infatuation with a person, but with a strong infatuation can bring

jealousy and frustration. She describes her perspective of wanting back a toxic relation ship because she can only seem to remember the good moments. Swift perfectly describes their miscommunication and their ability to not see how imperfect they are for each other, singing, “Carnations you had thought were roses, that’s us.”

Swift carries her feelings of inferiority and self-per ception with the third track, “Anti-Hero.” Being her first single on the album, “Anti-Hero” is both simultaneously catchy, but still has those deep lyrics that can hit you where it hurts. This song seems to be a list of reasons why she doesn’t like herself, and hints at ideas of self-destruction, like “I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror, it must be exhausting always rooting for the Anti-Hero.”

Arguably the most anticipated track on the album, track four, “Snow on the Beach” (Featuring Lana Del Ray) brings a light and airy feel to the album. Fans of both Tay lor and Lana were both excited for their collaboration, es pecially because of the early easter-egg posted by Lana in April of 2022 with Taylor and Jack. While this song broke records like “The Biggest Streaming Week for a female collab in Spotify,” it has also caused a minor amount of criticism due to the fact that Lana is presented as a feature in the song, but only sings background vocals for Taylor.

In the Taylor Swift world, everyone and their mother knows the importance of the fifth track on her album, which, in this case happens to be “You're On Your Own, Kid.” She explains in her documentary, Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions on Disney+ that track five is a very emotional and introspective song, and this song

is the epitome of just that. While still keeping it upbeat, Swift emphasizes the importance of finding internal hap piness instead of relying solely on others for it.

Track 6, “Midnight Rain,” conveys that same idea, ex pressing that Swift and her significant other arent on the same page and want different things out of the relation ship; he wanted her to settle down and get married while she wanted to make her own name, and continue doing what she loved to do and what she was successful in.

The next track is called “Question..?” and it is just ex actly that; a series of questions about a previous relation ship in hopes that they are thinking about each other. Songs like this one, as well as “Blank Space” and “The Ar cher” show Swift’s genuine ability to express her strong emotion to the listener. She is able to channel that feeling of hopelessness or longing for an an swer in her songs, a crucial aspect for a performer.

“Vigilante Sh*t,” her eighth track on the album, uses heavy synths re verberating, a sound she hasn't re ciprocated since her sixth album, Reputation. The album was Taylor’s communication to the world after hiding from the public for over a year, due to an excessive amount of hate from public disputes between Taylor and other celebrities. While Reputation is about finding love in all of the noise, this track is about the opposite: a woman’s road to revenge on her former lover.

The ninth and most confident song on the album, “Bejeweled,” still keeps that airy-pop sort of style like “Snow on the Beach,” but with the lyr ics of “Vigilante Sh*t”. Fans have pointed out similarities between this song and the sixth track off of her eighth studio album, Folklore, called “Mirrorball.” “Mirrorball” is Taylor’s comparison of herself to a shin ing disco ball, something that is merely just reflecting the emotions and personalities of others and something that is only looked at for their entertainment rather than the pure enjoyment of her just being there. “Bejeweled” is al most Swift’s way of breaking through that idea of herself, stating “I made you my world. Have you heard? I can reclaim the land. And I miss you, but I miss sparkling.” Swift redefines her original meaning of shining, rather than for others, she does it for herself.

The “Bejeweled” music video not only emphasizes that motif of independence, but it also is filled with easter eggs, hinting for Taylor’s next re-recording album release. Throughout the entire video, she makes references to her third studio album, Speak Now. Some references are as big as playing the instrumentals to songs on the album, to as small as an actress in the music video, Laura Dern, telling Taylor to “stop talking” by saying “Speak not.”

“Labyrinth,” the tenth song on the album, goes through Taylor’s uncertainty to fall in love after recov ering from a serious heartbreak. Her confidence in “Be jeweled” is nowhere to be found, along with the certainty in her voice that was just extremely relevant. Through her soft and relaxed tone, it almost sounds as if she is too

scared to let go and be vulnerable, but by the end of the song, she comes to terms with what she will inev itably do. She seems to be making life feel like a huge, endless cycle, stating, “I thought the plane was goin’ down, How’d you turn it right around?”

“Karma,” a theme that has been hinted through out Taylor’s lyrics for a very long time, is the eleventh song on the album. Fans of Taylor, for years, have speculated that Karma was an album she was going to release (between 1989 and Reputation), but never did due to the controversy that led to Reputation. While there are tons of theories that explain it in depth, “Karma,” the song is almost the biggest proof to the speculations. The song sounds as if it is straight off of her fifth studio album, 1989, with its poppy and declaratory sayings, while also with the certainty of Reputation’s lyrics.

The twelfth track, and the only track written with William Bow ery, a pen name for Joe Alwyn, Swift’s boyfriend of six years, is called “Sweet Nothing.” This track is almost a way to thank her sig nificant other, not only for being there for her, but also for keeping her life simple in the best way pos sible. She emphasizes how the ex pectations that have been put on her by the public are and were dif ficult to endure, but in the end, if she has his reassurance, then that’s all she needs. At first, this song can definitely be perceived as simple, but the lyrics show a lot of small details about their relationship that mean a lot to Swift, such as the lyrics starting in the second verse, stating, “On the way home, I wrote a poem, you say, ‘What a mind’, this happens all the time.”

Finally, the thirteenth and last track of the album is “Mastermind,” a song written to reveal the secret of how Taylor met her boyfriend and how their not-so accidental relationship started. Throughout the song, she sounds almost nervous to let her lover know what she planned, but by the end of the song, she states, “You knew that I’m a Mastermind, and now you're mine. Yea, all you did was smile, ‘cause I’m a Master mind.” That strong shift of confidence in Swift’s words not only represents that in their relationship, but pos sibly in her entire life. Her life that she would once stay up at night being upset or obsessively thinking about is now in her control.

Overall, this album shows ideas and thoughts that are so unique to Taylor, but also relatable on a differ ent level to her fans, something that she has always been so easily capable of doing. With its upbeat feel, it can get people dancing to her worst experiences, something that can be almost healing to the singer and their audience. Going back to the pop genre after years of re-recording and writing folk songs is some thing that Swift expressed anxiety about, but in the end, her twelfth studio album, Midnights deserves a 13/10.

THE RIGHT TIME TO WORRY, DARLING

BY: OLIVIA HARDING

Whether it was with the dra ma or the incredibly ded icated fan bases of both Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, Don't Worry Darling, the new psy chological thriller directed by Olivia Wilde, is finally here.

This film, based on a story by Carey Van Dyke, Shane Van Dyke, and Silberman, opens to the first scene with a house party. Alice Chambers (played by Florence Pugh) as well as her friends Peg and Bunny (played by Kate Berlant and Olivia Wilde) are attempting to balance glasses on top of their heads, while their husbands are drinking and debating on who will drop theirs first. In just the first five minutes of the movie, it feels like an ab solute paradise; with frequent parties and very few worries, their life is one where Alice, and her husband, Jack (played by Harry Styles), have no plans to change.

As the story digresses, the au dience learns that Jack, as well as all of the other husbands, work for some sort of experimental company, who create “progressive materials” for their community, Victory. The women in this mov ie are often shown to gossip about what the men are actually doing at ballet class or shopping at the mall, but there is no one who can actually confirm their rumors, and the men just deny talking about it.

In the meantime, Alice stays at home and keeps the house clean, cooks full-course meals, and read ily awaits for when Jack arrives. While she is mak ing dinner, she goes to grab a carton full of eggs. As she picks one up out of the container, she notices

something different. The weight has shift ed. She holds the egg up to her face and it cracks, but nothing comes out. It’s not that big of a deal; she decides to grab another egg. The dinner is made, set and ready for Jack to arrive home.

She goes outside to grab the dried laundry, and notices her neighbor, Marga ret (played by Kiki Layne). Margaret is standing straight up, with her eyes closed, holding a red, toy airplane. Alice doesn't seem to want to bother her, but that’s strange right? It’s okay though, because Jack has just arrived home, and everything feels right again.

Olivia Wildes’ femenist vision for this 1950s movie is very prominent from the beginning. The ques tion of “Shouldn't the women be doing more?” is inspired just by simply watching how Alice is so hes itant to take a hold of the wheel and drive her own car in the second scene of the movie. Even though Pugh’s char acter witnessed so many questionable events, her tangent of questions and “insanity” didn't start until it was initiated by some one else; she was asked by her friend, Peg, “What do you really think they are doing out there?”

After that moment, there is almost a snap in Alice and her perspective. She began to rethink her entire thinking process. It was then brought up lat er, at the dinner scene, when she states that, “There are so many different stories that we are told. We’re told what we remember. Until, we try to remember things that they want us to forget.” The message of this movie was for the audience to notice that motif, but to also keep them thinking about it, pos

sibly even questioning if they, themselves are truly free thinkers.

The artwork used in this movie is absolute ly stunning, from the focus of symmetry, to the soundtrack, to the extravagant dinner party scene with Dita Von Teese. The entire society is built to be perfect, all equidistant and circling Frank, the founder of the “Victory Project” and Shelley’s House (played by Chris Pine and Gemma Chan). Throughout the movie, Alice is seeing glimpses of dancers, moving in a circling position, and an eye that is repeatedly dilating. While this artwork is also very crucial to the plot, it is also visual ly appealing to the audience. It shows that Alice is almost haunted by this idea of symmetry and perfection, something that she hears Frank preach about in the community.

Before the audience can even see an opening scene, their ears are met with the classic “The Right Time” by Ray Charles, setting the tone for the entire theme of an idealistic couple living in a not-so modern society. Songs like “The Oogum Boogum Song” by Brenton Wood and “Sh-Boom” by The Cords are layered with romanticized scenes of women cleaning or relaxing with their friends by the pool, while Alice is hallucinating and hear ing “With You All The Time,” a song written and performed by Alice.

These perfect, upbeat songs contrast the darker, sad songs, creating that idea that she probably doesn't belong in this perfect world. Pugh has played similar characters in the past, the most prominent being director Ari Aster’s Midsommar in 2019, where Pugh played Dani Arbor, a girl who became a victim of a vicious cult in Sweden. The emotions that she portrays in both movies, especially that feeling of being completely alone, is prominent in both movies, and it is something that Pugh can illustrate per fectly.

As expressed, I believe that Don’t Worry Dar ling is a fun, captivating psychological thriller. It is fun enough to watch without being disturbed and it leaves the audience with different questions and a new perspective every time.

PHOTO BY KIRA CHEREN

PHOTO BY KIRA CHEREN