Summer 2018 Spotlight Edition

SPOTLIGHT South Hadley High School’s student-run newspaper since 1919

SPOTLIGHT

Inside this issue Volume 98, Issue 4 | Summer 2018

3 Fortnite Spotlight, currently in its 98th year, is South Hadley High School’s student-run, open forum publication. Students create all content and make all editorial decisions.

4 & 5 Movie and Album Reviews

Spotlight staff Kyle Pease Erin Marx Michael Senecal Abby Broyles Victor Omojola Kenzie Roman

Advisor Mr. B-G

Front cover

Members of the Class of 2018 throw their hats in the air after graduating at the Richard Glenn Gettell Amphitheater at Mount Holyoke College on June 1st.

Photo by Abby Broyles.

Contact us Facebook: @spotlight153 Twitter: @spotlight153 Sports: @Jungleblogsh Instagram: @spotlight153 Snapchat: @spotlight1919 Email: spotlight153@gmail.com Web: spotlight153.com Phone: (413) 538-5063 Ext. 3512 Address: Spotlight Newspaper South Hadley High School 153 Newton Street South Hadley, MA 01075

2 ABOUT | Spotlight | Summer 2018

6 Summer reading

8 Class of 2018 Graduation

A note from the staff We are pleased to bring you the 2017-2018 summer edition of Spotlight. This is our final print edition of the school year.

As always, you can get regular updates from the Spotlight social media, listed on the left. Our Snapchat account, @Spotlight1919, is our newest social media offering, and is updated with pictures from school events and sports games.

Spotlight would love to publish your work, so if you’re interested in writing stories, please let any Spotlight staff member or Mr. B-G know. We welcome

opinion pieces, reviews, poetry, artwork, comics, photography - whatever your talent or interest is, we want to give it an audience.

We’re also happy to help you write a news or feature story if you’d like to attend a sport event, concert, or other performance. We also welcome reader feedback and editorial letters, which may be sent to spotlight153@ gmail.com.

A special thanks goes out to our advertisers and Easthampton Savings Bank for their ongoing support of scholastic journalism.

Fortnite Battle Royale gains loyal following

Fortnight screen capture by Epic Games

By Evan Levrault Fortnite Battle Royale has emerged as one of the most popular video games in history. Across all platforms (PC, Xbox, PS4), there are over 40 million players.

So what is it about Fortnite that makes it so popular?

Fortnite is a PvP (player vs player) with 100 players in each game.

It offers three game modes: solos, duos, or squads. This allows players to either play alone, in pairs, or with up to three friends.

The game starts off with all of the players packed into a battle bus that flies over the map. You must then coordinate with your squad where to land once you jump out. Each player has a glider that helps them safely touch down after the jump.

The map has many different locations in which the melees take place.

Some of the most popular ones which are “Tilted Towers,” “Retail Row,” and “Pleasant Park.” The objective of the game once you land is to find weapons, shield potions, and health supplies, which will help you fight

and eliminate other players. It is also crucial to collect building materials as the game goes on. The three materials in the game are wood, brick, and metal, with wood obviously being the weakest and metal the strongest.

Building is very helpful to block shots coming your way from other players, and to build big bases with your friends late in games.

The biggest enemy in the game, however, is the storm. The storm is a circle of toxic gas that slowly engulfs the map and forces players to move in on each other. The storm does different amounts of damage to your character depending on how late in the game it is. It can vary anywhere from 1 HP per second all the way up to 10 HP per second.

Fortnite has become the most talked about game of 2018, and many popular social media outlets such as Barstool Sports and Worldstar have been using clips from the game on their pages.

The game has also made some people very popular, such as Twitch

streamer Tyler Blevins, better known by his screen name “Ninja.” He streams for many hours each day and is very skilled at the game. Between his Twitch prime subscribers, YouTube channel, sponsors, and Twitch donations, Ninja is making upwards of $500k per month simply by playing Fortnite. Other streamers such as TSM_Myth, and CDNThe3rd have seen an explosive amount of growth on their channels.

Although there is currently no professional competitive scene for Fortnite, there are teams that are already being formed for when the competitive scene is developed.

I think that the most important factor in the popularity of Fortnite is that it is a free game, so anyone can download it. They also offer in-game purchases that include skins, dances, gestures, and emotes that players can buy to customize their character.

The Fortnite hype is continuing to grow rapidly, and I don’t see it slowing down any time soon.

Summer 2018 | Spotlight | NEWS 3

This summer, take the advice of these Spotlight alumni and enjoy a classic film or album Experience the powerful majesty of ‘Led Zeppelin’ Animated dinosaurs terrify in 1993’s ‘Jurassic Park’ ‘Man With No Name Trilogy’ is quintessential Clint Eastwood

Led Zeppelin album cover by Atlanmtic Records

By Kate Blanchard Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, and John Bonham formed what many say is the greatest rock and roll band ever, Led Zeppelin. With Page’s layered guitar work, Jones’ watery bass, Plants’ high-pitched vocals, and Bonham’s thundering drums, it’s no wonder that their first album sold 20.2 million since 1990 alone.

The group formed in 1968, producing their first album, through Atlantic records, “Led Zeppelin” in 1969. When heard, “Led Zeppelin” can be described as majestic and powerful. The sound was something new that no one had ever heard before or could ever possibly fathom to create. It was hit after hit song, beginning with “Good Times Bad Times” and wrapping up with “How Many More Times.”

“Communication Breakdown” had a nonpareil and attractive sound to the young buyers in 1969, which seems to still stand today. “Dazed and Confused” begins with the line, “Been dazed and confused for so long it’s not true,” and has a psychedelic trippy sound to it with echoing vocals. There is a nice catchy bass line at the start and is prominent throughout, while Page uses a bow on his guitar. It is filled with sudden transitions, which the band goes from playing fast paced to very slow, and the timing of these transitions match the lyrics perfectly.

“Led Zeppelin” was recorded over 4 REVIEWS | Spotlight | Summer 2018

Jurassic Park screenshot by Universal Pictures

30 hours, which seems to be incomprehensible compared with the music that had been created during that time. It is an extraordinary fusion of blues and rock that gives the music a nostalgic presence.

Opening with the line, “In the days of my youth, I was told what it means to be a man,” “Good Times Bad Times” is one of the album’s more popular songs. It gives a great first impression and starts out with a catchy guitar riff and bass line. It is a short, harmonious song but keeps you drawn in for 2:48.

In 2007, the band reunited for a one-off memorial concert in honor of their late record boss. Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun died after seven weeks in a coma following a fall at a Rolling Stones concert. Page, Plant, and Jones returned, but not Bonham, who died in 1980 from alcohol poisoning.

His son Jason played in his place.

Although Led Zeppelin has produced many successful records, “Led Zeppelin” launched their success from the get-go. The fantastic chemistry from the beginning creatively covered and invented raw and powerful songs. From their silky mellow ballads to their screaming rock songs, Led Zeppelin is the most influential and successful heavy-metal pioneer. The band cannot be compared to anything else because it is of its own sound. Their music should continue to inspire and last forever.

By Timothy LaRoche Very few modern action movies can compare with the cleverness, realistic special effects and convincing acting of 1993’s Jurassic Park. Without having to rely on current computer-generated special effects and other cheap gimmicks, “Jurassic Park” - based off Michael Crichton’s 1990 novel of the same name - uses a solid plot and expert directing to display a cautionary tale about the dangers of tampering with nature.

This classic film takes place in an amusement park where scientists have cloned and controlled real dinosaurs. Though the science behind the film may not be entirely accurate, the story easily compensates for that fact when the power is shut off in the park and the dinosaurs escape from their restraints.

The cast - which was nominated for five Saturn awards - has to survive in a hostile environment while being hunted by the newly-released, prehistoric residents of the park.

The plot alone provides enough thrills to entertain viewers, but, even more intriguing, are the special effects that drive the intense action sequences to a level approaching realism.

Opting out of using computer generated graphics, a team of highly-skilled engineers and artists created the animatronics for the dinosaurs that are shown throughout the film. Some of the robotic antagonists are up to 20-feet-tall and 40-feet-long.

In one of the climactic chase scenes of

the movie, involving the main characters being pursued in a Jeep by an escaped Tyrannosaurus, the animatronics and actors interact so well that viewers can sense the fear that the cast is trying to convey.

One of the main points of the book that was carried over into the film version is the idea that human tampering with nature can have unintended side-effects.

The theme resonates even stronger in this decade than when it originally came out with the growing concerns over the environment.

Though there are currently no dinosaurs laying waste to the modern world, the message that humans can be the cause of their own downfall is more evident than ever before.

Though newer science-fiction uses larger budgets and more hi-tech equipment during filming, “Jurassic Park” can still be enjoyed today for its exceptional production quality, acting and storyline.

“Jurassic Park” is one of the few science fiction adventure movies that can still scare viewers, make them think deeply about modern technology and the way they live and still hold up to modern titles from the genre. Though it was made in the early 90’s, potential viewers should consider investing a few hours in watching this film.

By Brett Reardon When one thinks of the word “cowboy,” the only name that could ever come to mind is Clint Eastwood. The three Spaghetti Western movies that Eastwood has starred in are some of the best cowboy movies of their time.

The three films are “A fistful of Dollars,” “For a Few Dollars More,” and “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. “ Now the films don’t necessarily follow each other in any linear order, but one thing that remains constant is Clint Eastwood’s portrayal of his famous character “The man with no name”.

The ever famous “man with no name” has kept the same appearance and mannerisms throughout the movies - with his green poncho, hand rolled cigars, quick wit, fast trigger and the classic Clint Eastwood scowl that can make any man shake in his boots.

What makes these films so fun to watch, besides watching Clint Eastwood give superb performances, is just how un-graphically violent they are. In each film about every 10 minutes some poor chump is getting

Clint Eastwood image by United Artists

shot, but the funniest part is that you never see a drop of blood the whole time - just the gun being fired and then the victim being thrown back and tumbling to the ground from being shot.

Most movies have that clean cut typical cliched good guy character played by the leading role, but not Clint Eastwood’s films. “The man with no name” is seen as a good character, but he acts according to his own will, only doing things to help himself, like turning in bandits to collect the reward money rather than for the safety of others. He may have an obscure sense of justice, but it’s still justice.

Tragically, movies such as Spaghetti Westerns have become a lost art. With an audience that wants more visual effects and less character development, it seems as if it’s curtains for the cowboys. That doesn’t mean the classics should be ignored though. Watch Clint Eastwood’s Spaghetti Westerns for some good ole’ fashion Italian violence, or the man with no name will find you and shoot you quicker than you can whistle “Dixie.”

‘Spaghetti Westerns have become a lost art.’

Summer 2018 | Spotlight | REVIEWS 5

Spotlight Shines On is a segment where the Spotlight Media Group as a whole voices opinions about topics relevant to the high school community. These views are shared by the majority of Spotlight editors, and are selected for publication because of their timeliness and importance. We hope they help foster thought and discussion. Spotlight encourages readers to share their opinions on these or any other issues at spotlight153@gmail.com.

The many benefits of summer reading All students should have to read over the summer. Because let’s face it: although summer is pegged to be a time you spend outdoors, people spend a lot of time inside anyway. So why don’t they do something productive with their free time? While inside in the summer, people may watch television, play video games, or spend copious amounts of time on various social media sites. Instead of wasting all of their time inside doing things like that, they should read.

Reading has shown to be very beneficial to all people.

Reading books can expand one’s mind and increase the use of imagination and creative thinking they are capable of. And what’s great about reading is that you can chose whatever kind of book you want. There are millions and millions of books, thousands of which can be found for free at your public library.

Reading for an hour keeps the mind more active than watching television or staring off into space. Using the mind makes it stronger and makes a person more keen on what’s happening around them.

With reading comes thinking, and with thinking comes better comprehension both inside and outside of school.

Being able to comprehend what is

going on around a person can help that person process what is necessary to do in any given situation, make a plan, and execute that plan well. Being able to execute a plan well is a necessary skill for all people, whether they are high school students or adults.

Reading can take the reader to a place where they could never have

that comes along with high school.

A high school student’s summer reading assignment is their first English grade of the year, which is the best incentive for students to do the assignment.

However, requiring students to read a ton of books over the summer that may not interest them isn’t right. Students should be given certain books they should read, and then be able to choose one or two from a reading list or on their own to read for school.

On the other hand, reading is not the only thing people should do over the summer vacation, especially if they’re forced to read books they really do not enjoy at all.

Students should spend time outside and hang out with their friends and family. They shouldn’t just sit inside all day with their nose buried in a book. That’s not what summer vacation is truly designed for. Students should be able to go outside and enjoy nature by taking a hike, going to the beach, or even just walking down the street and around the corner, but they still must keep their mind active and functioning well in order to prepare themselves for their next year in school.

‘A person who reads over the summer has a jump start on those students who disregard literature.’

6 SHINE ON | Spotlight | Summer 2018

gone. If you’re yearning for a summer trip to Italy that just isn’t going to happen, the next best thing is to read up on the country.

Also, if the brain stays active throughout the summer, it’s easier to get back into school at the end of summer vacation. A person who reads over the summer has a jump start on those students who disregarded literature. Reading throughout the summer prevents your brain from feeling like mush when you go back to school in the fall and must throw yourself back into all the work

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“Freedom of expression shall include without limitation, the rights and responsibilities of students, collectively and individually, (a) to express their views through speech and symbols, (b) to write, publish, and disseminate their views, (c) to assemble peacefully on school property for the purpose of expressing their opinions. No expression made by students in the exercise of such rights shall be deemed to be an expression of school policy and no school officials shall be held responsible in any civil or criminal action for any expression made or published by the students.�

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Contact us: spotlight153@gmail.com or 413-538-5063 x4512

[ ThinkGreen[

Here is what you can do:

Start a recycling program at your school l Car pool l Use public transportation l Use e-mail instead of paper correspondence l

Change incandescent bulbs to fluorescent bulbs l Use both sides of the paper l Plant a tree l Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently l

If every person takes one small step toward being more conscientious of the environ ment, the collective effort will change the planet.

Summer 2018 | Spotlight | 7

Photo collage by Spotlight staff

Class of 2018 Graduation

MOVING ON UP : The South Hadley High School Class of 2018’s graduation ceremony took place at the Richard Glenn Gettell Amphitheater at Mount Holyoke College on June 1.