Mainstream – March, 2023 – Full Issue PDF

Letter From the Editors

Welcome to the second print edition of Mainstream for the 20222023 school year. Since our first print issue in December, the entire Journalism team has worked day in and day out to write, edit, and create interesting and insightful content for everyone to enjoy.

This issue will take you through a number of interesting topics including whether or not PB students get enough sleep, how Tik Tok influences the music industry, why certain books are banned, and whether or not you are letting yourself get stuck in an “echo chamber.”

Some other areas for your consideration include a new entertainment section that takes a look at some new content coming to TV, what movie our editors think you should watch, and a spotlight on a new EGOT.

In our news section you can check out some inspiring news about some of our students who have been recognized for their academic achievements - including some with full scholarships - and one of our very own, Assistant Principal Ricardo Hernandez, being recognized for his outstanding achievement as an administrator.

Check out our sports page to read an inspiring piece that asks students to think about their school spirit and pride and to take a quick look at spring sports. And, of course, no 2022-23 issue of Mainstream would be complete without a puzzles page to challenge you. See if you can find all the words within the shamrock and, more importantly, see if you can beat the Bunny Escape. Thanks for reading - and hope you enjoy it!

MainstreaM

Editors-in-Chief

Jordane Branch

Fanta Dabo

Yeabsira Getachew

Andrea Gill

Naomi Kyei-Asare

Front & Back Editor

Jordane Branch

News Editor

Fanta Dabo

Features & TOC Editor

Yeabsira Getachew

Center Editor

Naomi Kyei-Asare

Opinions Editor

Andrea Gill

Entertainment Editors

Sage Suddleson

Staff Writers

Abigail Alem

Kalel Betron

Ryan Bobb

Xavier Chang

Deon Key

Sumer Elsalawi

Bethel Gedihun

Lan Huynh

Jackson Kelly

Harry Lin

Crystal Masih

Andrew Reyes

Gabriela Romero

Sania Ross

Luise Terrel

Adviser

Brian Woodward

MainstreaM Policy

The Mainstream is a public forum that is published by the students of Paint Branch High School. Every effort has been made by the staff to ensure that the news is accurate and free of bias. Letters to the editor are welcome and will be published as space allows. All letters are subject to laws governing obscenity, libel, privacy, and disruption of the school process, as are all contents of the paper. All letters should be submitted to advisor Brian Woodward in room 3301 or sent to Paint Branch High School, 14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, MD 20866.

To contact the Mainstream via e-mail send correspondence to: Mr. Woodward at: brian_woodward@mcpsmd.org

Mainstream Editors (left to right): Yeabsira, Jordane, Naomi, Sage, Fanta, and Andrea.

Panthers Earn Academic Scholarships

Fanta Dabo Co-Editor-in-Chief

As we head into the college acceptance season, it is important to highlight certain students, as their hard work stood out in the competitive field of scholarships. Four Paint Branch seniors, Jose Martinez, Kimmie Nguyen, Isaiah Douglas, Bryan Beri, and one junior, Malik Aremu, have earned academic scholarships for colleges and training programs.

Martinez and Nguyen won the QuestBridge Scholarship, a full four-year scholarship worth over $200,000 each and known for its competitiveness. This scholarship designs and builds programs for talented, low-income students to access and navigate exceptional educational and life opportunities. Martinez recently committed to the university ranked #18 in the nation, according to the U.S. News, Columbia University, while Nguyen plans to head to the #2 school among the Liberal Arts Colleges in the nation, Amherst College.

Douglas and Beri were awarded prestigious Posse Scholarships, which, according to the Posse Foundation, are awarded annually by a foundation with a primary goal to “expand the pool from which top colleges and universities can recruit outstanding young leaders from diverse backgrounds.” Sixty colleges and universities are part of the program, and each year they partner to offer fulltuition scholarships and strong cohort groups to students. Douglas was awarded a scholarship to Bucknell University, the Liberal Arts College ranked #37 in the nation, while Beri is headed to the University of the South, ranked #51 in the nation.

Finally, Cadet Aremu, a member of PB’s NJROTC program, was awarded the Naval Air Forces Aviation Scholarship, which he will take advantage of after he graduates in 2024. This scholarship consists of a fully-funded pilot training program where Aremu can

attain his private pilot’s license along with earning college credits. Out of 257 applicants from across the country, Aremu and 25 others were selected for this opportunity.

It is safe to say that congratulations are in order for these Panthers, as their hard work and dedication continues to be seen in the overwhelming period of college acceptances.

Mr. Hernandez Named Maryland Assistant Principal of the Year

Yeabsira Getachew Co-Editor-in-Chief

On February 9, 2023, one of our very own, Assistant Principal Ricardo Hernandez, was awarded the title of Assistant Principal of the Year by The Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals.

PB faculty and staff were called into the auditorium after school for a “staff meeting” that served as the ruse to surprise Mr. Hernandez. As he took his seat, little did Mr. Hernandez know that his family, the Executive Director of MASSP, Addie Kaufman, as well as Dr. Christine Handy, President of the Montgomery County Association of Principals, were waiting in the front to honor him.

Recalling his initial reaction, Mr. Hernandez stated, “It was very surprising just because I know how many great administrators there are not just in MCPS but across the state and across the nation.” Mr. Hernandez, who has been spreading his

light and leadership at PB for eight years, began his educational career as a teacher before switching to administration. As for why he moved to administration he noted, “You can impact lives on a much greater scale and I was kind of drawn to that. I loved teaching; it was great and I was just able to expand it that much more when I became an administrator.”

Mr. Hernandez was overwhelmed with gratitude and slightly teary-eyed as he accepted the award with his wife and one of his two sons by his side. As for what the award means to him, he stated, “I just think it makes me hungrier to keep doing it and do it better.” When discussing the future of his career, he noted, “Eventually, maybe I’ll be in a position to maybe run a building of my own; but until then, I’ve got a pretty big charge ahead of me and I’m gonna keep doing it.”

Bryan Beri, Jose Martinez and Kimmie Nguyen are three of the students who were recently awarded college scholarships.

Mr. Hernandez, pictured with Executive Director of MASSP, Addie Kaufman, has been an administrator at PB for eight years.

Snow, Where is it?

Sumer Elsalawi Staff Writer

During this past winter, did you miss looking out of your window on early mornings and finding the ground fully cloaked in snow? How about the excitement of seeing a 100% chance of snow on the weather app? Who can ever forget the snow days we all played in as we enjoyed and cherished a surprise day off from school.

But where is this winter wonderland now? It has been so long since we’ve had trees covered in white, houses blanketed with snow, and witnessed the beauty of the outdoors when snow illuminates it.

As we have moved past the

Changing Weather Patterns Makes “Winter” Very Different

middle of winter, communities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions seem to be confused as to why we haven’t seen much snowfall this year. This has been a surprising occurrence as cold temperatures started arriving early and have even been at single digits in December and February. In fact, in the local area just last week we were in the teens and in New England they saw some of the lowest temperatures ever recorded. You would think that these cold temperatures would’ve brought our region some snow by now, but the opposite has occurred as temperatures vary wildly and are beginning to increase, slowly preparing us for what looks like an early spring.

Students are not the only ones noticing this lack of snow and true winter weather. In Ian Livingston’s article “D.C., Philly, and New York have seen no snow this winter. What’s going on?”, he contrasts the snowfall in the Western Mountains in states such as Colorado and California to the lack of snow in the Northeast. Livingston claims, “While the western mountains are buried, much of the Northeast is in a snow drought that is creeping into historic territory.” There is no doubt that this year’s unusual absence of snow has made its mark. Several cities along the East Coast are approaching the date of their latest first accumulation and many are

poised to break these records. New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C’s first snowfall has yet to arrive as all three are running later than average, with Washington being two weeks late, and NYC and Philadelphia over a month late.

So what does all of this mean for snow lovers? Is it time to stop anticipating snow and start preparing for the arrival of spring, or should we all still cling to the hope that it will snow sometime soon? Either way, springtime is on its way and these bare, lifeless trees will soon be budding and preparing for the rest of the seasons – until we see “winter” again next year.

PB Forensics Shines in County Competition

Fanta Dabo Co-Editor-in-Chief

On Thursday, March 9, the county held their Forensics awards ceremony at PB where they honored topscoring teams and presented individual awards. During the event, PB Forensics team members Charis Foster, Melody Segal, Gladis Padilla, and Brenden Bernard all walked away with hardware celebrating their hard work; and the team celebrated their county-wide, third place finish.

According to Forensics team coordinator Ms. Perkins, “Forensics is the art of public speaking. We have started calling it the Forensics Public Speaking team to differentiate it from forensic science. Forensic science got its name because it is the science argued in court.”

For this year’s team, while acknowledgement is great, it is important to note the work that was done behind the scenes that made it all possible. A vital part of their success stems from practice, which prepares them for qualifying tournaments. This year’s tournaments took place in October, December, and January. There students performed pieces to orally interpret from books, poems, and stories,

or write pieces of their own. Being a part of the team comes with numerous benefits for the students, ranging from general experience, to exposure in the field.

According to Ms. Perkins, “Learning to be a strong public speaker can benefit everyone. Some of the kids come to meetings just to watch, some just to get feedback. The competitions are county wide, so they get the opportunity to see other students from all over the county presenting different things.” Students take away skills that they can carry with them beyond the classroom and into their everyday lives.

When asked about the overall goal of the team, Ms. Perkins states, “The only goal ever is for the students to learn something and have fun. Winning has been great, but I think our members who do not qualify for the Honors Tournament get just as much out of it as the students who compete in the Honors Tournament. There were definitely years where nobody on the team qualified, and it was still great!”

A full list of team members and achievements is available online at pbmainstream.com

How Tik Tok Influences the Music Industry

Kalel Betron Staff Writer

In the age of social media and technology we have lived through a time where the average person can be an arm’s length away from fame. The music industry is a great example of this as big artists and music labels who are about to drop a new song or album promote it through posting videos of their music as sounds on TikTok. A sound on TikTok is a specific clip of audio that can be used in a video. This sound can then be used by others to further promote the artists’ song or album.

But this doesn’t just apply to big artists. While the big artists are able to go viral faster, people with less fame still have the opportunity to

go viral. Any artist, whether they’re producing music out of their bedroom or even if they have a small record label, going viral on TikTok with your song is the one way ticket to fame and success for musicians. If a musician goes viral even once, even if the views fall off over time, they get something that’s invaluable, an audience that comes back for them.

One of the most successful examples of this is Lil Nas X. In 2019, his song “Old Town Road” blew up everywhere and became a phenomenon. Everyone and their mom heard the song, and Lil Nas’ career took off. After the virality of the song, Lil Nas went on to collaborate with artists such as Billie Ray Cyrus, and has made multiple songs that have cracked hundreds of millions

of views such as “Montero” and “Industry Baby”. All this success was off the back of his initial debut from uploading it on YouTube and TikTok.

In Dan Whateley’s article “How TikTok is changing the music industry” from Business Insider he states, “67% of the app’s [TikTok] users are more likely to seek out songs on music-streaming services after hearing them on TikTok, according to a November 2021 study conducted for TikTok by the music-analytics company MRC Data.” Because of statistics like this, music labels and artists alike value views on TikTok going as far as paying popular creators up to “… hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a single video where they promote an artist’s track,“ reports Whateley.

PB Takes Center Stage

Talent Show Offers Performers a Chance to Shine

On Friday February 17 the National Honors Society (NHS) and Student Government Association (SGA) collaborated to put together a talent show during LAP.

The performances, given in front of a packed house, included acting, singing, and dancing. On this particular day the show was as spectacular as it was hectic. Unfortunately, the show had to be cut short due to technical difficulties on the 17th, something that left many students,in the audience and on stage performing, disappointed. Nonetheless, the performers who were able to take the stage were well-received,the audience cheered at the top of their lungs.

Due to the unexpected issues that led to the early

ending, a second show had to be scheduled at a later date. On Friday, March 10 that date finally occurred, and were students ever excited about the continuation! While showing support for their peers, student audience members rushed the stage to cheer for performers.

From R&B singers to other musical numbers to Afrobeats, the talented Panthers who took to the stage to share their talents left those in attendance satisfied and looking forward to other opportunities to see their peers show their skills!

Big music companies can pay as much money as they want to try and promote their music using popular creators, but at the end of the day, while these companies can increase their odds of success, the TikTok algorithm is what really sets things in motion. TikTok’s algorithm curates videos that align with a user’s interest. This same algorithm can show videos that span across a multitude of different users with different interests.

With all these factors, TikTok has become the new driving force behind the success of the music industry. From factors such as their complicated algorithm to promoting through popular influencers, TikTok has definitely heavily influenced the pop music of today.

Yeabsira Getachew Co-Editor-in-Chief

Photos by: Jordane Branch and Yeabsira Getachew

Why it’s Difficult for Teensto Sleep

Bethel Gedihun Staff Writer

After a long day of homework and studying, you flop on the bed. You close your eyes for a few minutes and… are jolted by the sound of your alarm clock. You feel as though you haven’t slept for more than an hour, yet it is time for school again.

One of the most important things in life is sleep; and it is something that adolescents tend to miss out on, especially when they are in high school. All the work piling up with the due dates getting too close for comfort, activities pulling people in different directions, and family responsibilities add up to all-nighters and studying just to at least get a passing grade.

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the amount of sleep hours a person needs is based on their age. Ages 6 to 12 should sleep from 9 to 12 hours per night. While ages 13 to 18 years should get 8 to 10 hours. So the younger you are, the more hours you need, which explains why babies – who it is recommended sleep for 14 to 17 hours – sleep for long periods of time. While significant sleep is required, evidence shows that teens, in particular, do not get the

Sania Ross Staff Writer

Born in the 1950s in Darlington, South Carolina, Paint Branch paraeducator Ms. Denise Ross is the youngest of five children. Now in her eighth year at PB, Ms. Ross credits her love for education to her family ties, especially her aunt and sisters. Ms. Ross’ teaching career began at Banneker Middle School, and then at Stonegate Elementary School, before landing at PB. According to Ms. Ross, her favorite part about being a paraeducator is,

sleep they need. In a national sample, 7 out of 10 high school students do not get enough sleep. Concerningly, that is more than 50 percent, which could explain the mental pain kids often feel when going to school after a lack of sufficient sleep.

So why do adolescents lose sleep hours? There’s more than one reason why; but the main reasons, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, are the stress of assignment deadlines and the overuse of technology. The interest of social media, mobile games, fanfictions, and other online distractions tend to cause teenagers to overlook the need for sleep. It’s quite common to stay up late on the phone to see the latest trends on TikTok or Instagram. It also takes attention away from important tasks such as chores and assignments, and, to an extent, explains why teens don’t usually do their homework until it’s almost due.

Theresa Kabasela, a junior at Paint Branch, says that her phone has impacted her sleep and that this, in turn has affected her class time ¨It’s hard to focus and honestly I space out easily,¨ she notes.

According to Busra Elkatmis‘s article “Spend a lot of time online? It may affect your sleep”

for Sciworthy, “overuse of the internet can cause impaired sleep quality and shortened sleep duration. Internet overuse can also cause prolonged sleep latency, which is the period of time between being awake and sleeping.¨ Late assignments with nearing deadlines also play a part in this. Projects and assignments that are important to someone’s grade can push a person to their limits.

Rosa Guzman, a sophomore at PB says she has a difficult time going to sleep early and staying awake in class. ¨There aren’t many times when I’ve had to stay up late for an assignment; but when it does happen, it tends to make me wake up late and it affects my activeness in the classroom.¨

It’s clear to see how academic stress and internet overuse affect a teenager’s circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep–wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. In easier words, it’s the cycle of your sleeping and waking up time in a day. This is very important for adolescents, whose circadian rhythms run contrary to school start times.

According to the Department of Psychiatry from the University of Pittsburgh, in teens ¨Circadian

rhythms naturally become delayed, leading to later sleep and wake times; the drive to sleep that accumulates during periods of wakefulness takes longer to build; and sensitivity to the phase-shifting effects of light increases.¨

Maryanne Agyei-Obese, another junior at PB, may be an example of one who has been impacted by this circadian rhythm shift. Maryanne says that she has a difficult time staying up in class and adds, ¨I don’t feel like I have a lot of energy. I feel so tired that I just wanna fall asleep in class and I don’t wanna do any work.¨

The University of Pittsburgh also states that ¨teenagers experience environmental changes such as greater exposure to light from electronic devices at night and earlier school start times, as well as social pressures to stay up later.¨ All of this combines to cause teenagers to have their sleep schedules quite messy. However, there are ways for better sleep like eliminating electronics from the bedroom, not procrastinating on big tasks (like homework and big projects), sticking to sleepfriendly routines, and using natural supplements like melatonin to aid in sleep.

Meet One of the Phenomenal Paraeducators at PB

“working with the students.”

Of course, with all things where there is a favorite, there must be a least favorite part, right? Not for Ms. Ross who says, “ I don’t have a least favorite part when it comes to being a paraeducator.” While Ms. Ross enjoys working at PB, retirement is on her mind at least a little. As for what she plans to do after she retires from Paint Branch she says, “travel the world.”

One thing on Ms. Ross’s bucket list that she wants to achieve is

“Getting her master’s degree or her doctorate.” This is surprising to most people because of her love of working in education. One thing Ms. Ross says most people don’t know about her is that she has a grown son. When asked about her life motto, she says she has two: “Be yourself” and “You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.”

Ms. Ross has a heart of gold and is the epitome of a hardworking woman who loves her job. She loves what she does

and the people she works with. Whatever she does, she does it well; that’s who Ms. Denise Ross is.

Caution: Spring Break

Over the first days of spring break do you plan to:

a: Sleep, Sleep, Sleep!

b: Hang with Friends

c: Study/Catch Up on Work

d: Take a Trip!

If You Could Go Anywhere for Spring Break, Where Would it Be?

a) Miami

b) New York

c) Venice, Italy

d) Nowhere, I like it Here

Dream Spring Break House?

A C

Highlight of Spring Break?

B D

a.Finally having time to myself

b: Family Time

c: Traveling

d.Partying

What Would You Do? Friendship Edition

Fanta Dabo - Co-Editors-in-Chief - Andrea Gill

Two Mainstream writers take on the concept of “What would you do?” and offer their unique thinking on a number of questions that test how they see the world.

Scenario: Your friend invites you to eat out for the 3rd time this month. Even though you’ve paid for the previous dinners, they seem reluctant to pay for this one. What would you do?

Fanta: In this situation, I would nicely ask the friend why they invited me out if they couldn’t even pay for themselves. If they genuinely cannot pay for it, I would pay this time, but would tell them that I am not going out with them again if they continue to depend on me.

Andrea: I would take the pattern of this behavior as a sign of disrespect in our friendship. If we are as close as I thought, they could talk to me about any struggles they have. We didn’t have to always eat out if money was an issue and could have engaged in other activities. Until they notice their fault, our relationship will slowly become distant.

Scenario: Your two best friends are dating each other. You find out one of them is cheating on the other. What would you do?

Fanta: In this situation, I would confront the cheater, and tell the friend that is being cheated on. I have loyalty to both, so I owe them both the truth, regardless of the outcome of their relationship. If I was in this position, I’d want to know the truth, so I would respect them enough to tell them, as well.

Andrea: I would have not mentioned anything even if it’s hard to close my mouth. Though my best friends are dating, I’m not part of the relationship between them. I would be extremely disappointed in the person who cheated and lose trust in them, but I would leave it up to them to tell the truth. If I did confess, I would be included in the problem that I was never in.

Scenario: Your friend expresses their passion for becoming a rapper. They truly believe they will become successful, but it is the worst music you’ve ever heard. What would you do?

Fanta: In this situation, I would try my hardest to push them in another direction for their career. I would advise them to rap as a hobby, but not as a career. It would be gentle, but I would let them know that their music is not it, so they should start thinking about plan B for their future.

Andrea: I would tell them the truth straight up. If they are an important person to me than their future is also something I care about. Even if the truth will hurt them, I would have to admit that their music is horrible and that the stability of a career in becoming a rapper will be lacking. They can be good at many other things.

Scenario: Your sibling invites their friend over, and you quickly find out they lack manners. They jump on furniture, speak very loud, and leave messes everywhere. What would you do?

Fanta: In this situation, I would speak directly to the friend and let them know that they either act correctly, or they can see themselves out of my house. They aren’t my friend, so I don’t need to sugarcoat what I say to them. Having manners at people’s houses is the bare minimum, so if they can’t do that, then they don’t need to be out at all, and I would let my sibling know that they won’t be coming back.

Debate with Friends

Andrea: I would talk to my sibling first before anything else. It’s my sibling’s job to deal with the guests they have brought over to the house. Also, my sibling can’t start any arguments with me about disrespecting their friend when I’ve asked them first to handle the situation.

Staff Writer

hat is a book? For most, books represent something between a form of entertainment, an escape from reality, a form of expression, or something you’re forced to read for school. You’ve all encountered a set of written words one way or another in our lives, and no matter how or when we’ve seen or used a book, it may have indirectly shaped your perspective on the world around you.

However, across the nation in recent years, leaders have taken the extreme step of banning certain books in schools. The primary focus of these bans has been books that involve content about racism, history, assault and domestic violence, and LGBTQ+ issues or characters.

The idea that banning books is “protecting” or “sheltering” innocent minds of students from large and heavy topics such as racial oppression is false. Removing these topics from the library shelf or the classroom is only silencing the stories of those who have gone through struggles unimaginable to most. Students become more naive the more they are unaware of the differences and disparities in the lives around them.

As schools remove and cut down on book content, students miss out on not only possible social enrichment but also opportunity. Books can teach us, starting from a young age, about differences in our communities; books are a pathway to learning about cultures, differences in lives, and real-life experiences.

In Barbara VanDenburgh’s article “Book bans are on the rise. What are the most banned books and why?” she notes that, “In 2021, the ALA recorded 729 book challenges targeting 1,597

titles. That’s more than double 2020’s figures and the highest number since the organization began recording data in 2000.”

With the number of banned books increasing, students become blinded to the real world and the issues are seen every day. VanDenrugh also lists some of the most commonly banned books in school systems across the nation, which reveals that some of the top bans have been for some of the most renowned books in school curriculums including “To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger, and The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck.”

It is important that we keep the discussion active about these issues, even if they are a lot to unpack, and books are a way to do so. Students gain a different level of knowledge the more they read. Students can gauge a different perspective the more they read, and it can introduce them to diverse groups of people and cultures.

The more people read, especially adolescents, it helps adolescents overcome systemic barriers. By reading these banned books, students will grow to be understanding and welcoming to people from all backgrounds and walks of life. The ban on books for secondary schools (middle and high schools) needs to be lifted in order for stories to still be told and the truth to never be forgotten.

Echo Chambers and Their Potential Dangers

Harry Lan Staff Writer

It feels nice for someone to agree with you. As social animals, we get some sense of nice feelings when this happens to us.

However, having too much of one thing will almost always turn out to be a bad thing. Such a case is having an overabundance of people that agree with each other and reject criticism, otherwise known as an echo chamber.

Echo chambers isn’t a literal term, but rather one used to describe an environment where people will continuously regurgitate the same opinion or opinions with each other. This has

been normalized on the internet as its extensive reach allows echo chambers to form much easier as similar people gravitate to similar topics. Phrased this way, it sort of sounds like just another group. However, it is not.

To identify a place as a healthy community one must find a situation where the people within the community work to build it up, to encourage communication.

On the other hand, in a community that is an echo chamber, one finds a space that is detrimental to communication and new things.

Echo chambers can

easily lead people to believe misleading or false information, as they will stop questioning things because they have come to trust those in a leading position within the group. Also, their alliance within this type of group gives them more leniency; and if no one questions it, they may come to believe almost anything and even spread it.

What I’m saying is that: it is somewhat hard to notice an echo chamber from the inside of it, and you should take care to observe before joining any group.

I do have personal experience with being a group that I feel represented an

echo chamber and the rather close-mindedness that came with it. As such, I urge you to check the current groups you are a part of and, perhaps, cut yourself off from any that reveal themselves to be this way before you come to be completely subservient to them.

Abigail Alem

Echo chambers can easily lead people to believe misleading or false information...

Percy Jackson Casting Completed!

Sage Suddleson Entertainment Editor

The final two cast members of Percy Jackson and the Olympians have just been revealed, and they are just as impressive as the gods they are portraying!

Lance Reddick (Bosch, The Wire, John Wick) plays Zeus, the King of the Gods. On his website, author Rick Riordan had this to say about Reddick: “ In all his roles, Lance projects an aura of authority and power that makes him perfect for the king of Olympus.”

Toby Stevens (Lost In Space, Black Sails) will be the series’ Poseidon, joining several other former Black Sails castmates in the production. Regarding Stevens’ performance, Riordan stated: “When he delivered some of Poseidon’s iconic lines, I got chills. And seeing him and Walker [Walker

Street Fighter 6 Coming

Andrea Gill Opinions Editor

The anticipated release of Street Fighter 6 is getting closer as we move toward June 2nd. Publisher and developer Capcom are adding new experiences with their fighter game series. The new game adds a modern twist to the classic Japanese game design.

Soon

Scobell, who plays Percy] together, you can absolutely believe they are father and son.”

With these talented additions to the already star-studded cast of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, viewers are sure to be immersed in the story when the show is released sometime in 2024.

Capcom is transitioning the Street Fighter series to RE Engine, a video game graphic design they created, that allows realistic graphics and player movement. This contrasts with the first Street fighter retro arcade game which debuted in 1987. The game will be available on multiple platforms including PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. The same lovable characters like

Viola Davis Gains EGOT Status

Andrew Reyes Staff writer

On Sunday night, February 5th, the Grammys, an award show recognizing the year’s best recordings and compositions, was broadcast all over American television. With artists like Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and Lizzo in attendance and vying for the show’s biggest awards, most of the attention was on the biggest names in music.

However, while Beyonce took home a record thirty second Grammy, and Lizzo surprised by taking home record of the year, one award winner outshone them all: Viola Davis. Davis’ Grammy for best spoken-word recording was all but overlooked. Davis, who is best known for her acting work, took home the Grammy for the audio recording of her memoir, Finding Me.

After her name was called as the winner, Davis took to the stage to give a heartfelt speech. “I just EGOT!” she exclaimed to the crowd, a reference to the lofty status she achieved with the Grammy win. EGOT stands for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony–the four major entertainment awards. Achieving EGOT status has been referred to as the “grand slam” of show business. As of 2023, only eighteen people have reached this milestone, with composer Richard Ridgers being the first to achieve it in 1962. while Five others have also earned the distinction with honorary or special awards.

So what makes Viola Davis’ win so important? Well, she is just the fifth-ever African American to achieve this legendary status, and the third African American woman to earn the title. Davis achieving this milestone is very important because in a business that has mostly been dominated by white people, specifically white men, this win solidifies her success and impact, which has been built from decades of hard work and dedication. It shows that no matter who you are, where you come from, or the obstacles that stand in your way, with hard work and dedication you can achieve anything.

Chun-Li, Rye, and Ken will continue to be featured, as well as many new ones like Jamie, Dee Jay, and Kimberly. Most characters were unknown to the public until the roster designs were leaked on Twitter. Capcom responded to the Street Fighter leak by tweeting, “As residents of Metro City, we’ve all seen things we weren’t supposed to see, but we’re all in this together. We appreciate all the positive reactions. Thank you for the support.”

The game designers have kept the original martial arts fighting style that fans have enjoyed for years. There will be three playing styles, so that more people can get involved with the game. Fighting Ground is the classic player vs player mode that lets you acquire any character of your choice and helps you gain skill at the fighting controls. The World Tour is one of the biggest changes happening for players. In this mode players are able to create their own character and interact with the open world, a virtual environment where the player can go anywhere with no forced objectives. Capcom informs that in the open world “You’ll face a number of trials and challenges. You’ll come across opportunities to prove yourself in street fights, meet legendary figures, forge bonds, and improve your abilities.” Lastly, the Battle Hub will give players the chance to fight online battles with players around the nation.

Jony Teklemariyam, a senior who has played games for years, thinks that these new options will “make the game exciting” and notes that he enjoyed watching the videos that the Street Fighter YouTube channel put out. He also said the new graphics are “a little cartoony” compared to the classics.

Capcom leaves with a word of advice on their website to those intrigued with the upcoming game and states, “No one starts off as a champion. You get there step by step, punch by punch. Take up the challenge and bring your game to the next level.

Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson) stands with Lance Reddick (Zeus) & Toby Stevens (Poseidon)

Photo by: Disney/David Bukach

“Here Comes a New Challenger!”

Students Reveal Their All-Time Favorite Songs

Lan Huynh Staff Writer

The bell rings and class is over. You put on your headphones, shuffle your playlist, and the first song begins. You turn up the volume and smile…

Most students find comfort in music. Whether it’s for listening while they work, simply passing time, or, perhaps most importantly, how they feel emotionally, music holds a special space in people’s hearts. Students who have an emotional connection to the melody and lyrics usually find songs to be the most influential part in their daily routine.

From making small changes such as taking a different route to class, to making a big impact such as talking to their high school crush or friends, music becomes your crutch to take you out of your comfort zone. Music can be the most influential thing in your life and the perfect stress reliever.

People are often asked the common questions related to their favorite genre or artist,

but one question stands above these: Do you have a favorite song?

For the Paint Branch students who responded to the question, a diverse range of genres were revealed.

From the genre of Ethiopian Pop, senior Tasneem Ibrahim chose “Mar Eske Tuwaf” by Teddy Afro. She particularly likes this song not only because of the melody or the lyrics, but also because it reminds her of an “Ethiopian Romeo and Juliet.” As the song is in Amharic, Tasneem has been able to form a cultural connection to it.

Senior Kimmie Nguyen, confidently states that ”Black Sheep” by Metric and “Flutter” by julie are her favorite songs. “They’re like angsty love songs and I like them!”

Senior Rakeb Dereje swiftly identifies “Softly” by Clario as her favorite, because “It’s chill and I like to vibe to chill music.”

Senior Bianca Adolfo happily states that her favorite song is “I’m Not In Love” by 10cc.“It

makes me feel like i’m in a movie!”

Senior Nicole Birch’s favorite is “Good To Sea” by Pinback. “It reminds me of the 2000s…The intro always gets me when I listen to it”

Senior Tammy Nguyen, after researching her playlist intensely chooses “DICE” by NMIXX as her favorite before adding, “It has really good tunes and I like all the vocals mixing.”

Junior Sofia Pineda’s go to song is “Hey” by We Are King. “It sounds really pretty!”

Junior Micah Williams calmly identifies “Location” by Playboi Carti as her favorite. She says it is her favorite,“because it gets me in a chill mood.”

Sophomore Ruth Kim says her top song is, “Nothing” by Bruno Major.“ It reminds me to not take small, precious moments for granted and always to be thankful for my family,.” she passionately states.

Current Student Member of The Board of Education

Arvin Kim, a junior at Walt Whitman High School, singles out “Wabash” by Cannonball Adderley as his favorite noting, “It’s really fun to listen to so if anyone wants to get into jazz,

What

movie would you recommend that Mainstream readers watch?

Breaking Jordane Branch Entergalactic Naomi Kyei-Asare

The Joker Andrea Gill

Titanic Yeabsira Getachew

Top Gun: Maverick Fanta Dabo

Looking for “the Ghost of School Spirit”

Yeabsira Getachew co-Editor-in-Chief

When was the last time you went to a sports game? Can you recall the last time you participated in the entirety of spirit week? Do you own anything with Paint Branch, PB, or the panther on it?

I’m sure many of us can’t remember the last time we were a full participant here at PB. The lack of school spirit is growing immensely and impacting our experience. Growing up, I always thought high school would finally be a time where repping your school was no longer embarrassing. Turns out I was wrong.

I guess the question is: What has caused the tragic death of school pride? I’ve heard from upperclassmen and recent graduates that in the past couple of years the school spirit was starting to decline. Less creative class councils; Less people in the student section; Less participation in events. Then, the pandemic hit, closing in-person high school for a year and a half.

My theory is that once students returned, they had completely lost any spirit filled upperclassmen to influence them. Though physically high schoolers, inside they were still embarrassed tweens from middle school, with the misconception that refusing to participate in events earned them cool points.

Our school’s student spirit used to be off the charts. Photos from the early 2010s on the school’s student section Instagram account

exhibits this clearly. The student section at football games used to make up half of the bleachers, now it barely fills a quarter. Students not only participated in spirit days, but would go full out. From head to toe in neons on 80s day, to full superhero costumes on Marvel vs DC day. A look back at Mainstream coverage of spirit week from that era and you see the spirit jumping off the pages.

Flash to today and although many clubs, organizations, and even administration try to plan fun days, no one seems to be interested.

I believe the lack of school spirit has led to less enjoyment in our educational environment. Most kids go from school to home, living the same uneventful day every day. There is no fun anymore because anything that used to be fun is considered embarrassing by many students. Forced to conform to their peers’ opinions, kids are deprived of their right to enjoy their last years as kids in school. The desire for social acceptability has completely ruined students´ high school experiences.

So the next time you want to join the student section, pop out on a spirit day, or perform at the talent show, do it! Don’t waste your days as a silly teenager being worried about what insecure people have to say about you. Let yourself have fun. There´s nothing to lose and endless memories to gain.

Spring Sports Off and Running

Deon Key Staff Writer

Spring is a time with warmer weather and longer days, which may be why it seems that everybody wants to join a sport at this time of year.

All spring sports kicked off on March 1, and each team held workouts and practices to get ready. Spring sports include baseball, softball, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, boys’ and girls’ tennis, track & field, boys’ volleyball, and coed volleyball.

Track sprinter Nick Spikes, a junior, has high expectations for himself and others. Nick, who runs both indoor and outdoor

track, raced in nationals in the winter despite coming off a stress fracture injury. His ultimate goal for the spring season is to beat the 200M school record of 21.2 seconds, which means improving from his best of 21.7. He notes, “I want to start to get noticed by colleges and I want my team to, of course, win the state title this year.”

Another junior track athlete, Faith Akinlami, wants to continue to improve and go as far as she can. Faith, who earned a 4th place finish at counties and qualified for states in the relay during winter, thinks that the outdoor team “has a lot of potential this

season.” She adds, “I’m excited to see how the season plays out.” Her personal goals are very specific: “making it to states and nationals individually, and run sub 60 in the 400M.” As for her team, she expects to “medal at Penn relays, make it to states and regionals with as many people as possible.”

Girls’ lacrosse player Emily Dinh, another junior, wants the best for herself and the team. Her main goals for her team are to “win as many games as possible and be a very well-connected team working together to be the best we can.” A goal most athletes have is to do better in

some part of their game and Emily is no exception, stating that she “hopes to improve on getting more goals this season.”

Boys’ lacrosse player Michael Quartey, also a junior, loses no sleep thinking about the potential of his team. Quartey, who plays offensive midfielder, states, “We’re doing really good with a lot of talent and potential but we got some kinks to work out, and when we do, we’ll be untouchable.” His personal goals for this season are to improve on his dodging and scoring.

The Maroon Platoon was in full effect back in 2015 when PB took on rival Blake in football. (photo by: Tim Ho Photography, 2015)

Bunny

Games and Puzzles

Birds Clouds

Flowers

Grass

Green

Rain Showers

Spring

Sunshine

Thaw

Umbrella

Wind

Karli Tresvant

How is your school year going so far?

Great. I’ve been very busy with college applications, being on Poms, and keeping up my postion as VicePresident of K-pop club.

What are your post-graduation plans? Go to a 4-year college where I plan to major in business and minor in dance.

Any goals or big plans for next year? I will a professional contorionist and open up my own dance studio.

Iean Emanuel

How is your school year going so far? Highly successful. I’m very focused on college and I am eager to further my education.

What are your post-graduation plans?

Have a fun summer with friends and keep a college mindset.

Any goals or big plans for next year?

Becoming more proficient in the engineering field, specifically civil engineering.

Word in the hall

What’s your favorite springtime activity?

“Grab ice cream with friends.” - Senior, Ahja Y.

“Throwing day parties.”

-Senior, Josh M.

“Working on my car in the warmth.”

-Senior, Lan H.

Page Content by: Jordane Branch