The Antlerette
Volume 99
Tik Tok Ban
January 2025 Issue 4
Mikela Laurenzi , Staff
Everyone on social media right now is raging about a potential ban of beloved app TikTok. People have made a huge fuss about this threat and have said that the government should be worrying about more important things going on in the world rather than a silly app. On January 19th, 2025, the app is rumored to be removed from all devices across America and has unfortunately left many feeling upset.
People have used this platform to communicate with one another, make income, and overall to express their life. TikTok has been around since 2019 and has been continuously loved by all generations that use it. The reason this is all happening is because the American government is worried that the Chinese government could possibly have access to Americans’ data and are saying it is “threatening our safety.” With this news, people have tried to find different apps to join to still
create content and entertainment for others. It is predicted that Instagram is going to become the new TikTok, but many say it won't be the same.
Many used this app as not only a way to kill time but to also share their experiences with one another in this world. People from all different countries have joined and made this place feel like a family, to only have it taken away. So now on Sunday January 19th, 2025, people might have to leave their goodbyes on the platform if this ban really does happen and now may only have this app as a distant memory.
Off-Shore Oil Drilling Ban
Thomas Perera, Staff
In the final weeks of Biden’s term as president, he went through with a large ban on off-shore oil drilling in American waters. The ban covers the entirety of the Atlantic Coast and Pacific Coast, the eastern Coast of the Gulf of Mexico, and most areas in the Bering Sea off the Alaskan Coast. Although done later than needed, this ban is a huge win for the fight against climate change. However Trump has promised his supporters that he will reverse this ban within his first weeks of presidency.
Through this ban Biden effectively removed one of the largest threats to marine life in more than 600 million acres of water. Biden’s last-minute decision set the US to be on track to cut all carbon emissions in half by 2030, which would finally be following the regulations of the Paris Agreement. It is our responsibility as one of the world's leading carbon polluters to set an example for other countries by limiting our carbon footprint wherever possible.
Trump not only left the Paris Agreement but is now working to overturn Biden’s ban on offshore oil drilling. We have
reached a critical point in the climate crisis, with the Paris Agreement being to keep global warming to under 1.5 degrees Celsius in the next century. With the Earth’s hottest year on record and the average temperature already risen by 1.6 degrees Celsius or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, failure of the treaty is just about secure. A failure now would mean severe heat waves for a third of the world, the rise in sea level will double, 90% of coral reefs will die off, and more unpredictable wildfires like the ones currently raging in LA.
On the brightside, Biden’s decision to halt all offshore oil drilling in US water was made through the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which only gives presidents the authority to stop drilling when they see fit, not to overturn another president’s decision. Meaning to undo Biden’s ban, Trump would most likely have to go through Congress to get it approved. Currently Republicans hold the majority in the Senate and House, but I have faith that there are still good people who will vote for the future of not just our nation but our world,
Impeachment of South Korea President, Yoon Sum Yeol
Kina Her, Content Editor
In a dramatic turn of events, Yoon Sum Yeol, a prominent political leader, faced impeachment in 2024. This event has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, raising questions about governance, accountability, and the integrity of public office. Yoon Sum Yeol, who held a significant position in the government, was accused of multiple charges, including corruption, abuse of power, and obstruction of justice. The allegations first came to light through investigative journalism and whistleblower reports, which prompted an official inquiry. The investigation uncovered substantial evidence suggesting that Yoon had engaged in unethical practices, leading to widespread public outcry and demands for accountability.
The South Korea President tragedy began with a special committee formed to investigate the charges against Yoon Sum Yeol. This committee conducted a thorough examination, gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and compiling a detailed report. The findings were then presented to the legislative body, which held the authority to decide on the impeachment.
After intense debates and careful consideration, the legislative body voted in favor of impeachment, citing the need to uphold the principles of justice and transparency. Yoon Sum Yeol’s impeachment has significant implications for the country's political system. It underscores the importance of checks and balances in preventing the concentration of power and ensuring that leaders are held accountable for their actions. The process also highlights the role of investigative journalism and public vigilance in maintaining the integrity of democratic institutions. While the political repercussions are still unfolding, the impeachment serves as a reminder that no one is above the law and that ethical governance is paramount.
In conclusion, the impeachment of Yoon Sum Yeol in 2024 marks a pivotal moment in the nation's history. It reflects the strength of democratic institutions and the commitment to upholding the rule of law. As the country moves forward, this event will likely influence future political dynamics and reinforce the importance of accountability in public office.
It Ends With Us in Court
Belen Gutierrez, Staff
This summer brought divided views on the new movie It Ends With Us. People all over haven’t been divided over the movie itself, but its two leading actors, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. At the time, many believed Lively was very insensitive during the promotion of this movie since it tackles serious topics, such as domestic violence. They believed she was unsympathetic, as she promoted her hair products, or told viewers to “ wear their florals” as if the movie was a silly romcom. Baldoni, on the other hand, seemed very aware of the topics and spoke out on the issues of domestic violence, where it seemed the rest of the cast did not. This seemed like it was just a summer feud that everyone soon got over, until December 20th, 2024, Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni and his production company for sexual harassment and creating a smear campaign against her.
Blake Lively claimed that on set of the movie, she allegedly experienced unwanted kissing, frequent mentions of pornography addiction, and unwanted sexual encounters in Lively’s trailer while she was nude or breastfeeding her newborn, all from Baldoni. Lively also claims Justin Baldoni
refused to hire an intimacy coordinator and hired a PR crisis team to create a smear campaign against her. All of the interviews where she treats It Ends With Us like a rom-com and promotes her products, she claims, she was under contract to do all those things and so was the rest of the cast, while Baldoni went outside of contract in his interviews to make himself seem like an advocate for women ’ s rights and domestic violence survivors.
Under Blake Lively’s claims, the alleged smear campaign worked as the majority of people turned on her and started labeling her as a “Hollywood mean girl.” The thing that solidified the turn on Lively was the infamous “little bump” interview from 2014. However, the issue with the clip is that it was posted years after it happened; it was specifically posted this summer. This could be due to the result of an alleged smear campaign Baldoni organized where this interviewer was paid to post the video of Lively’s past rude moments. After the premiere of the movie, Justin Baldoni hired a crisis PR team and fled to Sweden with his family. There would be no logical reason because there was no crisis at the time to manage unless to prevent any heat going to him by possibly redirecting it to someone else.
Since this situation has gone to court, Lively has released
several text messages that seemingly reveal that a smear campaign was what was happening to her and for a moment, people thought twice about who they supported. She had a win, but it would be short lived as Justin Baldoni has a different story to tell in his new countersuit.
Justin Baldoni is an actor most known and beloved for his role as Rafael in Jane The Virgin and as far as anyone ’ s concerned he has no complaints of any sexual harassment from anyone who’s worked with him in the past. He was brought in by Colleen Hoover to direct It Ends With Us along with his production company. It was alleged that when Blake Lively was brought in for the movie, she was very difficult to work with and tried to take over as the intimacy coordinator herself. During the press tour, it was clear that the entire cast stayed away from Baldoni and in every interview, whenever someone would ask about him, no one would give a clear positive answer. He was made to stay away, but whenever he would get an interview, his tone would be sincere and sympathetic to the people this movie was made for. Generally, most people were on his side as they saw how he was being treated and seemingly the only one who was taking the movie seriously.
Now that Blake Lively is suing, he has a countersuit of his own to tell his side of the story. His lawyers brought receipts that prove the supposed text messages of the smear campaign were altered and taken out of context. In an audio recording released to the public, he claims during the premiere that he and his loved ones were not allowed to be seen and were sent to a basement. All the alleged sexual harassments, Blake Lively instigated herself according to them.When Baldoni allegedly was in Lively’s trailer while she was breastfeeding, she allegedly invited him into her trailer to go over lines even though she was breastfeeding. Baldoni’s legal team seems adamant in exposing Blake Lively and now have brought in her husband Ryan Reynolds to the mix. Baldoni is now also suing Reynolds claiming the character of “Nicepool” is meant to be a mockery of Baldoni.
If Blake Lively was indeed a victim of sexual harassment, why would her husband make a silly skit of the man who allegedly did this to her? The video that was just released of filming a scene where Blake Lively claimed she felt severely uncomfortable by Baldoni’s “inappropriate” behavior. However in the video with clear audio, they seem to be getting along, joking around, and talking about their spouses. Both seem to be acting friendly and Lively does not seem uncomfortable at all. If she was a victim, why does she not seem uncomfortable?
Why is Justin Baldoni not doing anything strange and inappropriate?
The entire situation is unique in the sense that it's difficult to be on either party’s side. Both sides are a bit murky. If there was a smear campaign against Blake Lively, then the majority of people fell for it and unknowingly supported a disgusting man. If there wasn’t and this was all because Blake Lively really is a difficult person, then the minority of people who support her will have supported a woman who lied about sexual harassment to destroy her co-worker. Most of the time people can easily decide who they support during celebrity feuds, like Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard or Brad Pitt vs. Angelina Jolie. However this will be a trial that most people will let the courts make the final judgment and go with that.
New York’s Murder Law
Adrian Bayardo, Editor-in-Chief
Murder, which is classified as the unlawful killing of another person, is a felony offense in every state. Although murder is a crime in every state, not every murder receives the same treatment under the law. The severity of the crime determines the severity of the sentencing depending on if the perpetrator of the crime is convicted of first degree murder, second degree murder, or manslaughter. Recently, the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City has exposed the rather unique requirements for charging someone with first degree murder.
For reference, in the state of California, first degree murder is defined as a willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing. This definition of first degree murder is the standard in most states, but New York is not one of those states. In New York, first degree murder is determined not on whether or not the defendant killed someone deliberately, but who that person killed and how they were killed. In order to be charged with first degree murder in New York, the prosecution must prove that the defendant either committed the murder while serving a life sentence, tortured the victim, committed the murder as a
murder for hire, murdered a peace officer (police officer, firefighter), or committed the murder as an act of terrorism. If none of these conditions are applicable, the perpetrator cannot be charged with first degree murder according to New York law. Frankly, most murders do not meet these requirements and are therefore classified as second degree murders in New York.
In the case of the killing of Brian Thompson, the prosecution has charged the defendant, Luigi Mangione, with murder in the first degree. The prosecution has not charged Mangione with felony murder (the act of committing a murder in the act of committing another felony), which both New York and California do charge defendants with first degree murder for. Instead, the prosecution has elected to charge Mangione with first degree murder, arguing that the killing of a CEO of a major healthcare company constitutes an act of terrorism. Terrorism is defined as an act committed with the intent to threaten or intimidate the government or public. The prosecution will argue that Mangione attempted to intimidate those working in the health insurance industry with the murder of Brian Thompson, while Mangione and his attorneys will argue that the killing of one person does not constitute an act of terrorism.
If Mangione had killed Brian Thompson in any other state, the prosecution wouldn’t have to take an obscure legal approach to prove an act of terrorism was committed just to get a defendant convicted of first degree murder. New York’s murder laws were written to penalize those that try to disturb the peace by killing peace officers and government officials. However, the strict requirements for first degree murder have made it significantly harder to convict defendants of first degree murder in New York.
Is Emilia Pérez Worthy of its Golden Globes?
Marvin Canaya, Staff
What defines a good movie? The actors? The story? The music? No matter what people say, many believe Emilia Pérez does not check any of these categories, or at least for the general public. During the 2025 Golden Globes in LA, Emilia Pérez was nominated for numerous awards, even taking home four awards in some categories that may be shocking, like Best Film (Comedy or Musical), Best Motion Picture (Non-English Language), Best Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldaña), and Best Song. Most of which beat the high anticipated winnings of Wicked, which disappointed many fans. Many people are mainly upset about Emilia Pérez’s winnings because of the overall lack of quality the movie has, specifically the lack of cultural authenticity as the cast is not mainly Mexican, as well as the music that may seem vulgar or weird to many audience members. One factor that may be contributing to the increased hate towards Emilia Pérez is the movie Wicked, as fans have highly anticipated Wicked to take home most of the nominations, so when they didn’t, fans were obviously upset, especially since Emilia Pérez had no popularity in the U.S., as it was a French-made movie.
When talking about the overall quality of Emilia Pérez, much of it can be seen as questionable and easily seen as causing upset amongst the audience. Since Emilia Pérez is a Frenchdirected movie, despite it being set in Mexico, it was not filmed there. Even admitted by the director, he “didn’t study much” about Mexico and despite the fact that he neither spoke English nor Spanish, his movie won a (Non-English Language/Spanish Speaking) Best Motion Picture Award. Another thing that has questioned the overall authenticity of Emilia Pérez was the Spanish pronunciation of Selena Gomez that many audience members can describe as “butchering” the language.
Many critiques, other than cultural authenticity, have been marked as problems, such as the misrepresentation of the transgender community. From the script to how the main character was written, many people are upset with how transgender people are being disrespected and misrepresented, even stating that the movie is “ so cisgendered.” Although the movie focuses on the “rebirth” of an ex-cartel boss, the movie uses the sense of transitioning as a method of resolving your past negatively, rather than beginning a new life, using solutions such as threatening and revenge.
Artificial Intelligence is Bad for Students and Workers
Derrick Wright, Staff
Artificial intelligence (AI) is very bad for students and workers alike. For students it has a chance to increase laziness if they believe that they don’t have to do any work and just let AI do it for them. For workers, it increases the risk of getting fired because AI is taking over their job. This can cause people to go broke or become homeless if they lose their job. AI taking over somebody's job can possibly ruin their entire life, leaving them with nothing.
For students, if they use AI they aren't learning anything from the material and instead they let AI do the work for them.
The Stigma Against Therapy
Lana Holbrook, Staff
In recent years, therapy has been seen more as a help than a hindrance among people’s lives. However, it wasn’t always like this. Therapy used to be seen as something people go to when they are in desperate need to be “fixed.” Now, therapy is moreso seen as a way to gain insight and manage your emotions.
In TV shows and social interactions alike, “seeing a shrink” meant you were broken and it was embarrassing. This led to a stigma that if you go to therapy, it should be kept under wraps and something private. This stigma was mostly caused by a lack of understanding and misinformation. Therapy was seen as a fix for someone who is broken, when in reality, it helps you manage your emotions, get through past trauma, and heal old wounds.
While the stigma still exists, more people are engaging in therapy and find it useful to be able to talk to someone when they need it. In media, it is portrayed more and more as a useful thing. Overall, therapy is a great tool to use if you have access to it, in order to treat not only yourself, but other people better.
The Three Important Hand Stitches
Kaylyn Haley, Staff
When a person is sewing, they start their passion off with simple hand stitches. One may not know the names of the stitches they use and only know how to do them. It is important to know the three most important stitches when sewing a project to identify it to those who are willing to know. Straight stitch: a straight stitch, also known as a running stitch, is a basic type of stitch typically used for tailoring basic seams and hems. The type of stitch originated from the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt, but its origins are still widely debated within the community. Typically, it is used for patchwork and quilting to hold pieces in place. They are loosely spaced and not the strongest stitch to use when sewing two fabrics together, so it is mostly used as a dashed line for embroidery.
Back stitch: a back stitch is a basic hand stitch used for binding two pieces of fabric together securely. This stitch’s origin is also widely debated and it is uncertain where it is from, but many believe it is of English descent. It is considered
the strongest stitch when it comes to hand stitching and is popular when tailoring clothes to your body.
Ladder stitch: ladder stitch is a common hand stitch that is widely used for sewing a hole together. Many people mistake using a straight stitch over this stitch as it is similar to the straight stitch, but the straight stitch requires less steps and is easier to do than the ladder stitch. However, it is not more efficient than the ladder stitch. The ladder stitch leaves behind a nice seam that will efficiently cover any evidence of a string used, and it is handy when you do not have a matching color string.
Mother Figures
Jorden Dykes, Staff
Mothers are extremely important especially during a girl’s teenage years. Every teenage girl should have the gift of having a loving, supportive, and secure relationship with their mother. A bond between a mother and her children is supposed to be unbreakable and strong. Girls should have the opportunity to get ready for a school dance with their mom, to know the feeling of when she braids your hair, to know how it feels when she holds you while you cry about a relationship you’ll forget about in a few months, to go on outings or lunch dates together, how you feel when she reminds you how beautiful you are even when you ’ re feeling insecure, and to never second guess if her love for you is real. I believe that you can have someone in your life that fulfills these needs without being your biological mother. I’ve been through hard experiences with my own mom. But I have the privilege of having more than one mother figure in my life. It’s not exactly a replacement, more like filling up an empty space.
Even if I don’t get to go through life with my mom, I do have those mother figures that are enough. I hope everyone has the gift of love and support from some sort of mother in their life.
Fears of Growing Up
Michael Coronado, Staff
Growing up can be perceived in so many different ways depending on whoever you ask. To some people it’s what they hope for most. They can’t wait to experience what an adult life has to offer them: an open world waiting to be explored only limited by what their imagination and desires are set to. Although, there are others, mostly teenagers, who fear the day they must grow up to live in and experience the world for themselves, afraid of what a new chapter in life has in store for them as they leave an old one to enter a new, unfamiliar one. They fear the wish they once made as a kid to grow up, but now, want to stay in a single moment forever, protected by their innocence and youth.
One of the things we fear most is having to see the world without our friends and family. There are a number of teenagers who wish to attend colleges that may separate them from their friends and family. Finally becoming young adults and now moving to a new place in such a huge world can be terrifying. Even if it’s for the better of reaching their dreams, it’s still difficult to leave all of the people you know and love behind. An unknown place with no friends or family means to
be on your own without anyone to lean on for help. Personally, I know a great bunch of people who share these same feelings, excited to see what the world is but too scared to step outside of their comfort zone. I too share these feelings, because at the end of the day, we ’ re scared of the world and its endless possibilities. Scared of being alone, away from everything we love. Growing up has never felt scarier now that we ’ re nearing the end of our adolescence to adulthood. The growth and development that we ’ ve worked so hard for is now coming to its finishing touches, but I don’t think I want it to end.
Teenagers of our generation have seemingly shared a universal experience. As kids we witnessed our older siblings doing things we couldn’t, things like hanging out with their friends past your own bedtime, driving a car, going places on their own, etc. We ignorantly envied them and wished to be like them, to grow up faster so we too could experience what they had. But now that we ' re here, we can’t help but regret everything we’d ever wished or said about growing up. If anything, so many wish to go back to simpler times when we were younger, times when we had little responsibility and could hangout with our neighborhood kids. When we had absolutely nothing to worry about other than being back at
home before the sun went down.
We’re older now and we still get to do those things, but now with even more freedom. Except now something is different. We lost some friends and gained some more on the way here, but that’s not what's different is it? What’s different is time. Teenagers now have a clock constantly ticking until our adolescence ends. Because this time there is no waiting to grow up. This time there isn’t anything worth envying or being excited about. This is it. We’re experiencing what we once saw our older siblings do, but for some reason we never once thought what came after and I can’t help but wonder if they too shared these same thoughts.
Teenagers can’t help but imagine what life will be like now that the same routine they’ve been repeating since we were five or six years old is over. School has always been a constant loop for us. We attend school, do the work, and get a break for three months until the cycle resets. It almost feels sorta like a dream, specifically those recurring ones we always try to remember but can’t once we wake up. Except this time we can remember our dream. It’s like a wave of them continuously rushing back at us, flooding our minds with the memories we ’ ve made. Constantly reminding us of how far we ’ ve come.
Showing us those shy little kids we once were and the teenagers we ’ ve now become. It’s honestly hard to see all of it.
The life we ’ ve lived flashing us with its most prominent memories. I never thought something like this could give so many of us such heartaches. But now we have to lead our lives by our own choices. Our parents are finally giving up control over our lives as we take over their now vacant spot. It’s something teenagers have always waited for. To be free of their restrictions and live a life we make by our own choices. It’s going to be difficult at first, but our generation will learn to adapt as our parents did before us.
At times, we sometimes wonder what our parents were like when they were teenagers. From their stories we can only imagine, but from what we ’ ve lived, I think I finally understand what adults mean when they wish to be young again. Part of me believes it's because they wish to look or sound the way they used to. Young, bright, inexperienced. But now I think there’s a different reason, that being adolescence.
Adolescence is the phase of life between childhood and adulthood, exactly where we are right now. I think teenagers have something only they could understand, something children are too young for and something adults have either
forgotten or gotten too much of. I think what they miss so much about being a teenager is their first time experiences.
Children can never understand this as what I’m referring to is too far out of their reach. Adults have already experienced what we ’ re living right now with their own friends and family. Experiences like going on road trips with friends, having fun and being loud in someone ’ s backyard, or even late night driving with your friends, like nothing else in the world matters but you guys. I think this is what adults want when they wish to be young again. To have first experiences with their friends again.
Once a feeling is made there are times when that spark can be lit again and burn even brighter, but other times life and its responsibilities sway them away from ever lighting it again. They want to be relinquished from their adult responsibilities. To be a teenager again. A time where they didn’t have to worry about rent, tonight’s shift, bills, groceries, anything that made them stress. To go back to an easier time. When the most stressful thing was tonight’s homework or Thursday's English test. When the world’s limits suddenly felt limitless as long as you had your friends by your side. To be in the phase of adolescence means for everything to be your first.
Growing older means to no longer have those first experiences.
To me, that’s what teenagers fear. No longer having those first experiences means they’ve gotten older. They’ve lived a life and have seen what the world offers them. Now, they just wish to live it all over again for the first time, to return to their adolescence.
To be inexperienced means to be a teenager. Drive, emotions, thoughts; these are all things that Teenagers experience for the first time. It’s also what's most powerful to us since it’s all we ’ ve got. Drive is what leads us to dedicate ourselves to being better and advancing to places we never thought we could reach. Emotion is what helps teenagers feel and express themselves. It’s something that allows us to live our adolescence however we choose it to be. Thoughts are what let teenagers imagine anything they desire. Thoughts let us see the different paths we hope for ourselves, the different choices we make, the versions of ourselves we one day want to reach. Fear allows teenagers to appreciate. It gives us the opportunity to be scared of what the future has in store for us.
By forcing teenagers to live and appreciate the moment, we ’ re able to live recklessly because we know this time in our lives will end. Our adolescence isn’t forever and it scares half of us to death knowing it’s reaching the end. But teenagers have
learned to accept this reality, whether it’s willing or unwilling doesn’t matter. We’ve accepted this chapter in life is something we have to face, and most importantly, leave behind. I’ve had so many fears in my own life ranging from things like spiders, heights, clowns, etc. But still, nothing compares to the fear of growing up. It’s horrifying to know this chapter of life will reach its end and I’m even more terrified to know that I'm not prepared for it. What I do know is I appreciate all that adolescence has given me, and I’ve learned what it means to be a teenager. To be a teenager is to see, to feel, to experience for the first time, and to fear what will come after.
nihility
Azriel Ezra Hu, Copy Editor
TRIGGER WARNING: suicide,
drug abuse
She wants to die. She has already tried too many times to die, but the world won’t let her.
First she scrounges through her parents’ cabinets for slim orange bottles of pills. She finds four and a half-full bottle of cough syrup in the medicine drawer. That night, the moon a crescent outside her window, she washes down each handful of pills with a mouthful of cough syrup. The fake-cherry taste is too strong, heady and sickly sweet. She brushes her teeth, and the mint of her toothpaste only makes it worse. That is the taste she goes to bed with - and when she wakes up in the morning, that is the taste in her mouth when she wakes up, a reddish puddle of vomit studded with half-digested pills on the carpet next to her bed. She drives to the bridge over the bay after that. She parks her car in the parking lot of a Walmart, walking the rest of the way. The sun is setting, casting the sky orange. The water is a dark blue, small and polite waves rolling underneath her and the bridge. She exhales, first, throwing her keys over the side.
Then she jumps after. It hurts when she impacts with the water, and she opens her mouth for the water. It rushes into her like a hungry thing. But instead of choking she swallows and swallows and swallows, her chest heaving with water. When her feet touch down on the bottom of the bay, the bay is gone, the water uncomfortably heavy in her stomach. Her keys are on the ground beside her feet, tangled in a collapsed line of kelp.
A week later, when her parents are out at a conference, she takes the kitchen knife to the bathroom. She undresses, putting her clothes in the laundry hamper, before stepping over the lip of the bathtub. She cuts the inside of her wrists, blood spilling out jaggedly. It pools on the tile floor, creeping towards the walls. Her body starts feeling heavy, her head dizzy. She doesn’t remember passing out, but when she wakes up there is no blood. The tiles of the bathroom are stained and no longer white. Her body is tacky with dried blood, and there are no cuts on her wrists. There are only thick, gnarled scars.
Finally she drives out past the city limits in her car. She drives past the vineyards and the orchards until she parks on the side of the road. A field of grass stretches out to the horizon on either side of her, the long grass tinted by the setting sun. She leaves her keys on the hood of her car, walking to stand in the
center of the road. Earlier she had put a cigarette lighter in her pocket, stolen from a drawer of the living room shelf; she takes it out now, flicking it until the little wavering flame appears. She holds the flame up to the edge of her shirt until it catches. It crawls up her clothes until she’s on fire, the heat burning away her skin. Everything sloughs off her. When the fire burns itself out ‘she’ is born anew, nothing of ‘her’ old self left. Yet ‘she’ still has to walk back to ‘her’ car and drive away.
When she opens her eyes the nurse is back, checking her vitals. She smiles at her. “How’re you feeling, honey?”
She fumbles for her morphine clicker. “Put me back under.”
Story Time with Ethen 3
Ethen Rico Villa, Staff
Hello, and welcome back to another thoughtless story with yours truly, Ethen. This is just going to be a short story and some things I did over the break that I found to be funny or just notable. So I just for the most part stayed at home and chilled for most of the break but I did some things like cooking, sleeping, playing games, and catching up on some TV shows that I haven’t been able to watch recently.
Besides that I have been opening and collecting cards and also been just collecting things in general, and also mostly just been with family. Something that happened though is that we found out that I can make a pretty good spam musubi; I sold some and earned myself a good quick buck and obviously had some myself. Sure it may be bad to take some of your own product, but it’s never bad to see what you are selling your customers and give it a little try yourself.
After that I just mostly again, caught up with some TV and talked to friends and saw what they were doing at the time. Another thing that also happened was I found out there was a Pokémon card game on iPhone, so I got that and I’ve been
enjoying that with my free time. I have been playing for a little bit now and I have been trying to get some new cards so I can update my deck or team and it has definitely taken up some time, way too much of my time, but hey I signed up for this so I can’t “fully” complain. This does take me back to when I used to collect them with my little brother, that was fun. But besides that this has also been fun for me at least because I actually learned how to play the game, and yes I didn’t know how to play the actual card game and I don’t know if the iPhone game and the actual card game are played the same, but hey I can now say I know how to play at least one of them. But that was mostly my break. Of course, this has been Ethen and have a good day.
Movie Review: Sonic 3
Maya Buqeileh, Design Editor
Premiering on December 20, 2024, the long-awaited third installment of the Sonic movie franchise was a massive success, earning a total of $385 million worldwide in less than a month. This movie was a spectacular blend of beloved characters, incredible actors, and references to the original games for Sonic fans to enjoy.
It would be wrong not to begin with the latest character addition to the franchise, Shadow the Hedgehog. Shadow is a beloved character with a devastating backstory. I believe that Shadow’s portrayal in the movie is a great representation of his character. His dark, mysterious personality is complimented perfectly with the voice of Keanu Reeves. The directors included multiple scenes of Shadow and the character Maria growing a strong sibling-like bond, all before their relationship was ripped away by the end of the movie.
In my opinion, the highlight of the movie was the amount of references to previous Sonic the Hedgehog media. Many Sonic fans are familiar with Snapcube Sonic game dubs, which are hilarious videos of people voicing over Sonic games in order to
make it seem like the Sonic characters are saying ridiculous things. The movie makes multiple references to these dubs including Sonic saying “talk about low budget flights, no food or movies… I’m outta here” and calling Shadow “Hot Topic.” While these references were subtle, others were more obvious. Most of the plot surrounding Gerald Robotnik and Shadow’s backstory as well as the music (Live and Learn by Crush 40) comes directly from the game Sonic Adventure 2, which was released in 2001.
The Sonic movie franchise is known for its humorous qualities, and the humor did not disappoint in Sonic 3. Jim Carrey must have had the time of his life with his two characters, Ivo Robotnik and Gerald Robotnik. In this movie, Carrey had the opportunity to enjoy his final acting performance before his retirement. The Robotnik duo served as a reminder that these movies are in fact made for children’s entertainment. I admit, this character duo was silly, but with the amount of serious scenes in the movie, some lighthearted fun is appreciated.
Professor Stone’s role in the movie struck me emotionally.
Throughout the movie, a deeper connection was formed between Stone and Eggman (Robotnik) that had been developing over the past three movies. For too long, Stone was an underappreciated henchman to Eggman, instead of the two
characters being friends. Eggman often disregarded Stone and didn’t seem to appreciate him.. However, in his final moments before sacrificing himself, Eggman finally admits to Stone just how much Stone really meant to him. This scene had plenty of references to previous Sonic movies which only further emphasized how Eggman really cared about the moments he had with Stone.
Sonic fans can look forward to Sonic 4 on March 19, 2027 when two more characters will make their grand appearance. In the end credits scene of Sonic 3, Amy Rose and Metal Sonic make their very first appearance. These are both major characters in Sonic media, so the important question for Sega now is how will these beloved characters be portrayed in the next movie?
Arcane Review
Colin Metcalf, Staff
The widely acclaimed Netflix show Arcane recently ended its second and final season, a truly exhilarating and bittersweet ending. With Riot Games, the creators of Arcane, hinting at future series exploring the other stories of Runeterra, the fictional world of League of Legends, the game Arcane is based around, now is a perfect time to look back and touch on what made Arcane such a breakout success as well as some areas where I feel it fell short. Don’t worry, this will be spoiler free, but if you haven’t watched it yet, I would highly recommend doing so.
The visual style of Arcane is a staple of the show, being immediately recognizable and a standout aspect, blending hand-painted textures and effects with fluid and stylistic 3D animation, courtesy of Fortiche, the animation studio in charge of the show. Every frame truly feels like a painting, and in many cases, they are. Most of the backgrounds seen in the show are fully drawn rather than 3D modeled, a fact that becomes particularly impressive when taking in the sweeping wide shots of entire regions. Each area feels real and alive, from the gritty streets of the Undercity to the luxurious and
wealthy heights of Piltover, immersing the viewer and drawing them into the story. Every moment becomes more impactful and every scene more personal. The show is riddled with incredibly subtle visual details and nuances that go unnoticed on a first watch but become that much more intriguing on subsequent viewings.
Beyond the aesthetics, the storytelling is masterful, balancing action, emotional depth, and character development. Characters never make decisions that feel out of line or don’t make sense, and every motivation, action, and perspective is carefully crafted and considered. Many characters are deeply flawed yet remain relatable, and their personal relationships are filled with tension and emotion. Viewers are left questioning exactly who they are meant to be rooting for, oftentimes with no exact answer ever being provided. Arcane’s story excels in its ability to go into complex topics such as class disparity, familial bonds, and the pursuit of power. These themes, along with the aforementioned characters, create a story that feels both personal and epic.
However, Arcane is not without its shortcomings. At many times in season two, the pacing felt inconsistent. The story ran at a breakneck pace and you could really feel it in some areas. There were moments where plot points or character arcs
seemed to be lacking the depth they deserved, leaving us without some important context. I was left wishing we had more time, even just one more episode exploring the motivations behind certain characters and actions.
Despite this, Arcane is still a modern staple of storytelling and animation. Its ability to appeal to complete newcomers and long-time League of Legends fans speaks volumes to the effort put into the show. Arcane has carved its own pedestal, becoming one of the few adaptations to truly transcend its source material.
My Grandparents House
Bailynn Heu, Staff
A place that means a lot to me is my grandparents’ house. It's where my family comes to celebrate holidays together, it's my second home rather than my actual home, and it's where my childhood memories were spent.
It feels like a warm hug everytime I enter the house because of the welcoming energy that radiates. My grandparents never raise their voices to me or order me to do stuff around the house. When I offer them help, they are so hardworking and caring that they don’t want me to be putting myself out by doing housework. So, I end up doing my own thing while I’m there when I sleep over. I usually watch television or just go on my phone, and all I do is just chill and eat.
Holidays are spent at my grandparents’ house. Every Christmas, Thanksgiving, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, and birthdays are held at the house. It's not held at the house because of fancy decorations that are put up; it’s held at the house because of the love that my grandparents host in the house. For holidays, the family stands or sits in a chair, around
a circle, and we talk about how life is going on. We first say a couple of words and then continue on with the party.
My childhood was basically my grandparents' house. That was where I could be free from home and run around while my parents were at work. My cousins would also come over and we would hang out to play with toys, watch TV, or even sometimes sleepover. It was so many loving memories that were spent with my cousins because of the joy we would have. My grandparents' house was the core of my childhood memories. Overall, a place that means a lot to me is my grandparents’ house.
