The Hoof Print: Spring 2024 | Issue 4

WOMEN’S SOCCER SETS SIGHTS ON PLAYOFFS

EXCLUSIVE EXCLUSIVE EXCLUSIVE photos photos photos

Hoof Print

Leadership Team

Editor-in-Chief

Peyton Miller is a senior at Middle Creek and plays soccer for the school She was born in Phoenix, Arizona Outside of school, Peyton enjoys hanging out with her family and friends After school, she plans on continuing her education at Syracuse University and hopes to study journalism

Eve DaSilva is a junior at Middle Creek High School She was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina She enjoys playing lacrosse and spending time with friends and family

Peyton Miller

Eve DaSilva Lead Designer

Leadership Team

Sophie Laine School News Editor

Sophie Laine is a 16-year-old junior at Middle Creek High School. She has two younger siblings and two cats. She enjoys hanging out with friends and working out and throws for the MCHS track team. After high school, she plans to attend college for Organizational Psychology and find a career in Human Resources.

Hadley Donnell Sports Editor

Hadley Donnell is a junior at Middle Creek High School. She was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. Hadley has one older brother. She enjoys playing tennis and she has been a member of the Middle Creek tennis team for two years. She also loves hanging out with her friends in her free time!

Noah Banta Music & Entertainment Editor

Noah Banta is a junior at Middle Creek High School. He was born in Buffalo, New York but moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, when he was very young. In his free time, he enjoys watching movies, listening to music, reading, and writing about himself in the third person for the school newspaper.

Kiley Carr Spotlights Editor

Kiley Carr is a junior at Middle Creek High School. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and has two siblings. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and dancing.

Paige Herschman National & Global News Editor

Paige Herschman is a junior at Middle Creek High School. She plays soccer, which helps her when she has to work in teams with her peers. Paige is interested in seeing what is happening around the world and what her classmates, teachers, and many other people are interested in.

Aiden Mobley Opinion Editor

Aiden Mobley is a senior at Middle Creek. He was born and raised in North Carolina and enjoys playing and watching sports, reading, and writing. He will attend college for environmental science and communication.

Szaffi Hock De Leon

Assistant Designer

Szaffi Hock De Leon is currently a 17-year-old junior at Middle Creek High School. She was born in North Carolina. She loves to snowboard, read, write, and sleep. She is currently a varsity swimmer and a lacrosse player at Middle Creek High School. After high school, she plans to attend college at NYU or NC State.

Gabriel Auger Staff Writer

Gabriel Auger is a senior at Middle Creek High School. He was born in Manchester, New Hampshire, and moved to North Carolina when he was 11. His favorite sports team is the Boston Bruins, and he likes snowboarding, which he started when he was five years old.

Liam Debrauwer Staff Writer

Liam Debrauwer is a 17-year-old junior at Middle Creek High School. He was born in Cary, North Carolina. He loves to play hockey and video games and watch Carolina Hurricanes and Carolina Panthers games. After high school, he plans to attend a four-year university to pursue a medical career.

Jalexi Huckeba Staff Writer

Jalexi Huckeba is a junior here at Middle Creek High School. She was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she currently resides. Jalexi’s family is part islander, the island being Guam, where her grandparents were born. She especially enjoys quality time with her family and friends. She is also very passionate about dance and plans on pursuing a career as a professional dancer and teacher.

Staff

Dylan Axman Staff Writer

Dylan Axman is a senior at Middle Creek High School and has been part of the men’s varsity lacrosse team for the past four years. After high school Dylan is going to attend Queens University of Charlotte to play Division 1 lacrosse.

Fabian Garcia Staff Writer

Fabian Garcia is 17 and a junior here at Middle Creek High School. He is a born and raised North Carolinian. He enjoys media-related things, whether it's music, movies, or video games in general.

Sebastian Candioti Staff Writer

Sebastian Candioti is a junior at Middle Creek High School. He was born in Ojai, California, in 2007, then in 2016 moved to North Carolina. He enjoys swimming and soccer, as well as playing the piano. In his free time, he loves to watch movies, play video games, read, and write. After graduation, he plans to attend film school and work in the movie industry.

Maddie Herndon Staff Writer

Maddie Herndon is a junior at Middle Creek High School. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She is on the cheerleading and softball teams. She loves hanging out with her family and friends and spending time at the lake and beach.

Ashton Jackovich Staff Writer

Ashton Jackovich is a student at Middle Creek High School who is 18 years old. He has lived in Apex, North Carolina, his entire life. He enjoys watching the Denver Broncos and going to Carolina Hurricanes games.

Casey Jacob Staff Writer

Casey Jacob is a senior at Middle Creek High School. He was born and raised in North Carolina. He enjoys going to the beach, watching sports, and betting on 12-leg parlays that never hit. He will be attending college for psychology in hopes of becoming a therapist.

Jayce Konowitz Staff Writer

Jayce Konowitz is a junior at Middle Creek. He plays on the varsity lacrosse team and has been a part of the team for three years now. When he is not on the lacrosse field he likes to spend time with friends and family, as well as workout.

Mary Lohmeyer Staff Writer

Mary Lohmeyer is a junior at Middle Creek High School. As a player on the women's lacrosse team, she has a passion for sports along with hiking and reading. When she graduates, she wants to go to college to study wildlife management.

Mayra Rossel Staff Writer

Mayra Rossel is a sophomore at Middle Creek High School. She was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. She was a part of the school's soccer team her freshman year and in her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends and family.

Staff

Maddie Lehmkuhl Staff Writer

Maddie Lehmkuhl is a senior at Middle Creek High School. She loves to hang out with friends and family, work out, and go to the beach! She plans to attend East Carolina University and study exercise science and physiology.

Sam Moser Staff Writer

Samuel Moser is a 17-yearold writer who was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is a junior and attends Middle Creek High School. He is a fan of the Ravens and the Hornets. In the upcoming future, he is planning on learning how to finance and invest his money.

Zak Ossi Staff Writer

Zak Ossi is a senior at Middle Creek High School who has played on the Middle Creek Men's Soccer team for four years. He plans on attending a four-year university and after college wants to pursue a career in business management.

Carmen Shird Staff Writer

Carmen Shird is a senior at Middle Creek High School. She was born and raised in North Carolina. She plays varsity basketball. She loves to spend time with her friends during her free time and loves to cook, watch movies, and listen to music.

Jacob Lewis Staff Writer

Jacob Lewis is an 18-year-old student who attends Middle Creek High School. He was born and raised in Apex, North Carolina. He loves watching Ohio State football, Bengals football, and the Carolina Hurricanes. He also enjoys playing video games and hanging out with his friends. After high school, he plans to attend a four-year university as an undecided major.

Finn Rissanen Staff Writer

Finn Rissanen is an 18-yearold senior at Middle Creek High School. He was born in Cary, North Carolina, and has lived here his whole life. Finn has a passion for aviation, cars, and graphic design, and in his free time he textures 3D models for games as freelance work.

Sophia Sica Staff Writer

Sophia Sica is a junior at Middle Creek High School. She was born in Long Island, New York, and moved to North Carolina at the age of three. She loves to spend time with family and friends, go to the gym, and pet sit. She is also involved in Middle Creek Key Club and SGA.

Welcome back, Middle Creek Mustangs! I hope you all enjoyed your spring break

I used my spring break to go on my senior trip to Mexico with my friends. I had so much fun, and I'm excited to see all of you again around school!

This week at The Creek, we look into March Madness, various sports, and essential events worldwide

Stay tuned for our next issue!

By: Jalexi Huckeba

For years, women ’ s soccer at Middle Creek High School has been an awesome experience for everyone involved in the program, including coaches, players, students, parents, families, fans, and even other schools aside from Middle Creek High School The time and dedication given to this sport has been deeply appreciated and the payoff that each person brings to the table is absolutely valued and honored. Middle Creek High School should be proud to bring up these outstanding young adults. I can see the support given by each player and the competitive drive that each player brings. Each year continues to showcase the positive and encouraging environment this place and people institute.

Abbey Kennedy is a senior student athlete at Middle Creek High School and is a player on the women ' s soccer team. I asked her a few questions regarding the team and her feedback was exceptionally positive. Abbey shared that the women ’ s soccer team has goals to have a winning record in the upcoming season and hopefully make it to playoffs She also mentions, “Going into this season, I want to take all the advice I have learned from the previous seniors and help some of the younger girls so that we can have a successful season ” By learning from previous experiences she is confident that she can

instill those same qualities into not only her as an athlete, but also her own teammates The Middle Creek women ’ s soccer team has a positive environment and it continues to be displayed Abbey speaks for the whole team when she says, “We are a very positive team that always supports each other, whether it is a practice or game ” Additionally, the seniors play a big part in the upbringing of the team and set an example for future players. She shares that all of the seniors are very good leaders and encouragers on our team. With that said, I asked her what message she would leave with future generations of Middle Creek High School women ’ s soccer, and she explained, “I would say to not take it for granted because time goes by fast.”

MCHS has built an impressive program for these girls to play soccer, and to be able to have such positive feedback from one of the players who has been here for about four years clearly shows how special and meaningful the program can be for future student-athletes The program is a really good way to make friends while also getting better at your sport and setting you up for success in the future Anyone remotely interested should strongly consider joining the women ’ s soccer team!

THE PWHL SKATES TOWARDS SUCCESS

BY MARY LOHMEYER

The sounds of hockey are what make the sport so special. The sound of blades crunching ice. The sound of the zamboni buzzing as it cleans the ice. The sound of the pucks hitting posts and bodies rebounding off boards after big hits. These were the sounds of women ’ s hockey before January 1st, when the PWHL, or Professional Women’s Hockey League, began its first-ever season because one more sound was added: the sound of fans in the stands

Before the PWHL, women ’ s hockey could only be found on YouTube streams, and the players, on average, made 10k a year, leading these professional athletes to get second jobs to sustain themselves and their families With this new league, these female athletes were given a chance to prove that people should care about women ’ s hockey--and they delivered

Six teams make up the 2023-2024 inaugural season, each being located in the biggest hockey towns in America and Canada, including Montreal, Toronto, New York, Boston, Ottawa, and Minneapolis–Saint Paul. Influenced by Billie Jean King and Mark Walter, the Mark Walter Group created the new league, with player contracts between $35,000 and $80,000 a season. Games are streamed on TSN, Youtube TV, CBC, and Sportsnet.

Despite the setup of this league, the question remains whether hockey fans will watch the games or show up in the stands to cheer these women on. Any skeptics of the PWHL’s success were shut down in the first PWHL game when the arena was sold out. Continuing this streak, there was a dramatic increase in attendance. At the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the attendance record was broken, with 19,285 loud fans in attendance.

A major component of the league’s success is the new rules that were put in place, allowing players to have body contact as part of the sport. This adds to the excitement of the games and draws fans to their televisions and the arenas

This new league, on top of being successful, has caused a huge impact on women ’ s hockey all around North America, but in North Carolina, too In the last few years, the number of girls playing hockey in the Triangle has increased, leading to more all-girls teams being introduced Seven years ago, there were no girl’s programs, and the opportunities to play at high levels were practically zero Now, though, having girls’ teams allows girls to experience the same type of competition as guys do, and the PWHL has only increased the number of girls registering to play this year, therefore increasing the opportunities for female hockey players.

As Allison Witte, a 17-year-old female hockey player who’s been playing hockey here in NC for years, said with a laugh, “Man, if I knew I could’ve played professionally and actually make a living off it, maybe I would’ve tried harder.” She continued to say, “I love hearing the crowds. The sound of the cheering is one part of the game that makes hockey so special.”

THE GREATEST COACHING COMEBACK

BY: CASEY JACOB

Kevin Keatts, the NC State men ’ s basketball coach, found himself and his employment status in a precarious position as the regular season came to an end, coinciding with what many believed would be the conclusion of NC State's 2024 season during the ACC Championship. The odds were stacked against them, with Keatts' NC State teams boasting a 76-28 home record in his six years as head coach but only managing three wins against top 10 teams However, the Wolfpack team defied expectations, embarking on an incredible run in the ACC tournament They pulled off a series of upsets, toppling Louisville (#15), Syracuse (#7), Duke (#2), Virginia (#3), and their archrivals UNC (#1) with a final score of 84-76.

With the ACC Tournament Championship, Keatts automatically got a two-year contract extension. It also generated a $100,000 bonus for the ACC tournament win and a $400,000 raise that begins during the 2024-25 season. This raised his annual salary from $2.7 million to $3.1 million per season.

The Cinderella Wolfpack team made it through the NCAA tournament (March Madness) in an unexpected finish. Kevin Keatts led his Wolfpack team to the final four, upsetting Marquette (#2) and Duke again (#4). Sadly, Kevin Keatts and his Pack lost to the unstoppable 7’4" Zach Edey and one-seed Purdue in the Final Four NC State basketball should be very proud of their performance this year, especially considering it's their best year since 1983 It's a testament to the hard work and dedication of the players and Kevin Keatts, who persevered through a super intense season with so much pressure on their backs There is strong evidence that Keatts and his team will be back ready to grab that championship next season.

BY: MADDIE HERNDON

BY: Gabriel Auger

The NHL playoffs start on the 22nd of April, and so far, eleven teams have clinched playoff positions The teams that have secured spots in the playoffs are the Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Toronto Maple Leafs of the Atlantic division; the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes of the Metropolitan division; the Dallas Stars, Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, and Colorado Avalanche of the Central division; and the Vancouver Canucks along with the Edmonton Oilers of the Pacific division. Teams that are likely to clinch the playoffs in the next few days include the LA Kings and Vegas Golden Knights. Currently, in the East, there are five teams that are fighting to secure the two remaining playoff spots. Right now, the teams fighting for the positions are the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals, and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Expected Matchups currently in the East are the New York Rangers v. the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Boston Bruins v. the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Carolina Hurricanes v. the New York Islanders, and the Florida Panthers v. Toronto Maple Leafs. The first matchup is the Rangers against the Penguins. The Rangers have home ice; they are 1st in the Metro and the entire league and have a record of 53-23-4, while the Penguins are ranked 4th in the Metro and have a record of 37-30-12. In the Boston and Tampa matchup, Boston has home ice; they are ranked first in the Atlantic and have a record of 46-18-15, while Tampa's record is 44-27-8 and is 4th in the Atlantic. In the Carolina and Islanders matchup, the Canes have home ice and are 2nd in the Metro. Currently, the Canes have a record of 50-22-7, while the Islanders have a record of 36-27-15 and are ranked 3rd in the Metro The last match-up of the Eastern Conference is the Florida Panthers against Toronto Maple Leafs The Panthers are 2nd in the Atlantic with a record of 50-24-6, while the Maple Leafs are 3rd in the Atlantic with a record of 46-24-9 Currently, Florida has a home-ice advantage, but that could change in the next few games

Expected matchups in the West are the Dallas Stars vs the Vegas Golden Knights, the Vancouver Canucks vs the LA Kings, the Colorado Avalanche vs. the Nashville Predators, and the Winnipeg Jets vs. the Edmonton Oilers. In the West's first matchup, Dallas against Vegas, the Stars have home ice, and they are 1st in the Central with a record of 50-21-9, while last year ' s Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, are 4th in the Pacific with a record of 42-28-8. In the Vancouver and LA matchup, the Canucks have home ice and are 1st in the Pacific with a record of 48-22-9, while the Kings are 3rd in the Pacific and have a record of 4226-11. In the Colorado and Nashville matchup, the Avalanche have home ice, and they are 2nd in the Central with a record of 49-24-6, while Nashville is 4th in the Central with a record of 45-29-5. In the Winnipeg and Edmonton matchup, Winnipeg has home ice. The Jets are tied with the Avalanche in 2nd place for the Central currently, and the matchups could change in the next couple of days. The Winnipeg Jets have a record of 49-24-6, while the Oilers are 2nd in the Pacific with a record of 48-24-5.

TRAGEDY IN BALTIMORE

By: Mayra Rossel

At 1:30 a m on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, tragedy struck at Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. A 985-foot-long Dali cargo ship reported a mayday call moments before crashing into one of the bridge support pillars. The crash caused the entire span of the bridge to collapse and fall into the water.

Police officers had under two minutes to stop traffic over the bridge from both directions. However, on the bridge, there were still eight construction crew workers from Central America filling potholes. All eight workers fell into the water; two were rescued, and tragically, six were presumed missing and later considered dead. A search for the rest of the bodies is still underway.

The crash appeared to be an accident because the ship had a loss of power and steering capability. Authorities are still trying to figure out exactly how the crash happened. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate how the ship was built and its structure The collapse of this bridge is causing major disruptions to the city of Baltimore and to the port Several cargo ships are trapped within the port, and other cargo ships are being rerouted to different ports

It's too soon to figure out how long it will take to clear the bridge from the channel, and it will take years to build a new bridge. The federal government has stated that it will cover the cost of rebuilding the bridge.

TREATS & TRADITION: APRIL HOLIDAY FOODS

BY FINN RISSANEN

With Easter passing us by and more holidays in April to look forward to, one can only wonder how other countries and religions around the world honor their own traditions. This year, Easter was on the last day of March, the 31st, which is celebrated by 95 countries. Typical Easter foods in the United States include the deviled egg, any and all ham, and greenery of some sort. Many people also make cakes for Easter, the most frequent being the carrot cake. This year I had a lemon cake!

How about outside North America? In Italy, Easter is a major holiday, and they fancy a lot of pasta for their tradition With pasta variants diversifying from the north and south portions of the country, an Italian Easter can include lasagna, ravioli, risotto, baked pasta, and much more Besides pasta, the Italian Easter plate features pies with assorted meat and cheese

The tradition of the Easter Bunny comes from Germany, originating in 1682, and has since become a staple worldwide tradition (excluding Australia, where the rabbit is considered a pest) It has been said that early Germanic cultures believed that Spring came from rabbits laying colored eggs This tradition caught on to other places around the world, which expanded to include chocolates and jelly beans among others.

On the evening of April 9th, Muslims worldwide will celebrate Eid, the end of Ramadan fasting. It is sometimes known as “Sweet Eid” due to the amount of sweet food consumed on that day. A sweet pudding called Boeber is made (it can also be considered as a sweet milk of sorts). This is also served on the 15th day of Ramadan, to mark the halfway point of the fast.

To learn more about Ramadan foods first-hand, I consulted one of my friends from the region. They say one can find a food called sambusa. Normally, sambusa includes cheese and eggs, or meat (but you do not mix meat with the other two), which is rolled into a triangular shape and fried. Shorba is also eaten during Ramadan, a soup which consists of onion, garlic, cumin seeds, and a black lemon inside the bowl for flavor, amongst other things.

While there is no exact special Eid dish, breakfast normally involves honey with cheese, and dinner usually involves a camel with the family, a goat, or some other sort of livestock sacrifice They also noted that bread tends to be the staple of breakfast year-round, and that is especially the case with Eid Everyone buys bread before Eid, as well as crackers, nuts, and other light foods to celebrate the dawn of Eid (before the breakfast) In addition, chocolate is consumed a lot during Eid, among other sweet foods

Every man should periodically be compelled to listen to opinions which are infuriating to him. To hear nothing but what is pleasing to one is to make a pillow of the mind.

-St. John Ervine

Taste Taste Buds Buds

Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes fell short in the national title game for the second straight year, sparking a debate about whether she is the greatest women ’ s college basketball player of all time without a national title. Many give the distinction to Breanna Stewart, who won four titles in four years at UConn from 2012-2016, including Dawn Staley, head coach of South Carolina, the team that ended Iowa’s title hopes.

While the argument about Clark’s claim to GOAT status may be hotly contested, there is no doubt that she is the most impactful women ’ s college basketball player of all time.

That’s a great honor, but let’s go further. Caitlin Clark might be the most influential sports figure of this century. Sure, she broke records like she was playing a video game, but she also broke the barrier between women ’ s basketball and mainstream sports and inspired the next generation of young stars that otherwise wouldn’t have been

March Madness has long been synonymous with memorable upsets and enthralling storylines, from NC State in the Final Four to St Peters in the Elite Eight two years ago But these dazzling stories all have one thing in common: They’re all from the men ’ s side Women’s basketball has always taken the backseat

Until the emergence of one Catilin Clark.

With prolific performances and mind-boggling stat lines, she pushed women ’ s basketball to the forefront of American sports, leaving people who had never seen a minute of women ’ s college basketball awestruck and craving more. She didn’t do it alone (Dawn Staley’s unbeatable South Carolina teams and LSU’s Kim Mulkey and Angel Reese have also attracted ample attention), but it couldn’t have been done, at least to this extent, without her.

The three most-watched women ’ s college basketball games of all time?

1) Iowa vs. South Carolina, 2024 (18.9 million avg)

2) Iowa vs. UConn, 2024 (14.2 million avg)

3) Iowa vs. LSU, 2024 (12.3 million avg)

Iowa vs. South Carolina was the most viewed college basketball game, men ’ s or women ’ s, since 2019, outperforming this year ' s men ’ s final by an average of 4 1 million viewers

This is unprecedented It seems unfathomable that one person can impact an entire sport to this degree But Caitlin Clark is also unprecedented, and her prowess on and off the court has permanently altered the basketball world in a way that no other can boast

AP EXAM PREPARATION

BY MADDIE LEHMKUHL

AP exams take place at Middle Creek in the early weeks of May. Many students tend to stress over this big test, fearing the unknown. Not knowing how to prepare is one of the most common problems for students partaking in an AP exam in the spring

Kasey Durrant is a junior here at Middle Creek and has taken four AP classes This includes AP Seminar, AP Research, AP U S History, and AP Lang As Kasey prepares herself for her exams in the spring, she suggests to other students, “Use flash cards and go to the study sessions the teacher offers to get any help you need ” She also recommends the strategy of “studying over a period of time not too long each day, instead of cramming it in a couple days before the exam ” She would like to give a big thanks to Mr. Prelaske and Mr. Williams for teaching her these tips and helping her prepare to do her best on these exams she is taking in the spring.

Brandon Ihle is a senior, as well as the senior class president. Over the course of four years, Brandon has taken nine AP classes. He is currently enrolled in two more AP classes for his last semester of high school. His best piece of advice to give to any students taking the AP exams in the spring is to “take thorough notes in class leading up to the exams, and look over YouTube videos ton any content you may not understand.” Brandon is a two-sport student-athlete but takes his grades very seriously. He also stated, “Do not stress over the exam, it is not a make or break leading up to college. Don’t lose sleep over the exam and if you pay attention during the semester, you will do great on the exam. ” Brandon would like to thank Mr. Wasdell, Mrs. Wagoner, and Mr. Prelaske for all the tips they have given him to pass the AP exams.

Mr. Taylor is the AP Psychology and AP US History teacher and has been a part of the Mustang program for about 20 years He has guided students through the rigorous courses to prepare them for the AP exam in the spring Mr Taylor always has students' best interests in mind and does the best he can to help them succeed in the courses, as well as the exam Mr Taylor's best advice to give students preparing for the exam is to “break it down by content and what you remember and start earlier than you think you need so you do not stress yourself out ” Sleep the night before the exam is also a key factor Mr Taylor stated, “Eat a good breakfast in the morning, allowing yourself to be fueled and ready to take the exam ”

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

This world is but a canvas to our imagination.

-Henry David Thoreau

2024 SPRING BREAK RECAP

BY SOPHIA SICA

As we all return to Middle Creek from a whole week of no school work and plenty of time to ourselves, I thought it would be interesting to hear what everyone spent their time doing, if they traveled anywhere, and their overall review of their destination.

The first person I spoke with was Hannah Alala, a junior here at Middle Creek, who went to the Montego Bay area in Jamaica over spring break. When asked what her favorite part of Montego Bay was, Hannah said, “Definitely the views and the crystal clear water when I went snorkeling. It was absolutely beautiful and super cool to see the workers there and their culture and how they live their daily lives ” Hannah rated her trip a 9 out of 10, with the only reason it not receiving a ten out of ten was because the plane ride there was very bumpy and had a lot of turbulence Other than that, she said, “The experience was amazing and I would absolutely go again ”

Volleyball state champion Natalie Spence spent her time on Spring Break in Kure Beach, North Carolina. When asked what her favorite part of the trip was, she said, “Getting acai bowls at Malama Cafe right by the ocean and driving the golf cart around, seeing all the unique beach houses.” She also said, “I am glad I went to the beach, it wasn’t too far and I enjoyed it because I am familiar with the environment.” She also mentioned that she knows all of the good stores to shop at and stayed at her Grandma's house where it felt like home.

Lastly, I interviewed Avery Scoggins, another volleyball state champion who is a senior here at Middle Creek. Avery traveled to Nebraska over spring break with her mom and also went to New Orleans for a volleyball tournament. Avery said, “New Orleans was super fun, there were a lot of good parts about it, but Bourbon Street was overhyped ” She also said gambling is very big there, which her dad really enjoyed Avery rated her trip four out of five stars She stated, “I would definitely go back again because the food there was amazing, I had a beignet but they were kind of overhyped too because it tasted just like a funnel cake but shaped differently ” Avery rated her Nebraska trip a three out of five stars because she went to a farm She stated, “My Grandpa lives on a farm, but I got to see my cousins and family which was great and I also went shopping which is always a plus.” Avery’s cousin is a photographer, so she also spent her time getting most of her senior pictures done.

After reviewing all of these different trips, I hope this gives you some insight into some fun potential travel destinations!

DUNE PART 2 RAISES THE STANDARD OF MODERN BLOCKBUSTERS

BY SEBASTIAN CANDIOTI

The sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s Oscar-nominated science fiction film Dune, based on Frank Herbert’s novel of the same name, was released on March 1st, 2024. Upon its release, the film received positive reviews from both audiences and critics and enjoyed massive success at the box office, making $494.7 million at the time of writing. The film has been lauded for its effective adaptation of the source material, impressive special effects, and outstanding performances from its cast, which includes starring roles played by Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, and Austin Butler.

But beyond its surface-level success, the release of Dune Part 2 has stirred up a deeper conversation surrounding large-budget movies as a whole. Against a backdrop of recent blockbuster flops, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Part 2 seems to completely outclass its competition in almost every way. Many have compared the film and its predecessor to Peter Jackson’s original Lord of the Rings trilogy, which is heralded as one of the greatest blockbuster series of all time, often regarded as lightning-in-a-bottle that would never be captured again Why is this film, in particular, sparking such conversation? And most of all, why do most modern blockbusters fail to meet the expectations set by films released over two decades ago?

The question becomes even more confusing when you take into account Dune Part 2’s budget when compared to other blockbuster films Most Disney-produced Marvel films released since the late 2010s had budgets in the range of $200-$300 million, with Avengers Endgame even reaching a budget of $400 million. Despite these large production values, several recent Marvel films have been criticized for poor special effects and lackluster storytelling. However, Dune Part 2, a film that has been praised for surpassing the visual spectacle and storytelling capability of other recent blockbusters, only had a budget of $190 million, less than any of the 8 Marvel films released since 2021. This comparison goes beyond Marvel films alone, with other large films seeing ballooning budgets and deflating returns at the box office. So why is Dune Part 2 an exception?

To answer this question we must look beyond budgets and reviews and examine the actual content and production process behind these movies Over the past ten years, most large blockbuster films have begun to exhibit a formulaic approach to structure and storytelling. This formulaic approach makes sense for large studios like Disney, as films with such massive budgets pose large financial risks, which can be mitigated by using a tried and tested formula. But, as evidenced by the recent performance of many such films, this approach has grown stale and has begun to alienate audiences. With the excess and overproduction of franchises like Marvel and DC and the inundation of spinoffs and remakes of existing properties already bled dry, people have begun to desire uniqueness and originality.

This formulaic strategy is often enforced by studio executives or producers, whose decisions can preside over the director of the film. Oftentimes, due to the risks associated with large budgets, studio executives or producers will attempt to change aspects of films in order to mitigate risk, often going against the director’s original vision and sometimes compromising aspects that would have made the film better. Compare this approach to that of a film like Dune Part 2, in which the director, writers, and crew were given creative control to express their vision in a way that would tell a compelling, unique story and honor the source material. On top of this, the film was given ample time to be planned and produced, with an almost three year gap between the first and second installments This stands in stark contrast to the seeming quantity-over-quality approach being used in other large franchises In giving time and freedom to the team behind the film, Legendary Pictures allowed Denis Villeneuve to fully express his compelling, otherworldly ideas on screen and craft his vision into a transportative experience that would grab audiences and leave them thinking long after the film ended

It is clear that a massive shift is beginning to occur in the film industry, with studios like Disney expressing a desire to change their approaches. Audiences are more and more beginning to desire unique, surprising stories that challenge their preconceptions about what a film should be and take them to worlds which they have never seen before. Dune Part 2’s success shows that this desire for originality extends beyond lower-budget art films and extends into the realm of large-budget entertainment. As of April 12th, 2023, Legendary Pictures has confirmed an adaptation of the sequel to the original Dune novel by Frank Herbert, Dune Messiah, a third film installment that could cement Denis Villeneueve’s Dune as a classic to be remembered for decades to come.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: VALERII DUDAR

BY MADELYN HERNDON

Valerii Dudar is a sophomore here at Middle Creek High School. Valerii likes to lift weights and hang out with his friends and family in his free time. He recently moved to the US. Valerii has had a great time here at Middle Creek for the time being and says, “I love Middle Creek High School a lot! I met a lot of great teachers and kind students here and I am really grateful to study there!”

Valerii moved to the United States in 2022. He moved from Ukraine with his brother and mother He says, “It was not safe to live in Ukraine due to Russian bomb attacks, constant sirens (every time that Russian bombing plane gets ready to bomb our cities and power plants, we hear sirens that mean ’ you got to go to the shelter’) Because of Russian attacks on Ukrainian power plants, we have no electricity in some cities. We have really cold winters in Ukraine, so it sucks when you have no electricity in the winter and you simply can't get your house warm so you have to sit in two blankets just to get warmer. Also, our school system was affected. Due to problems with electricity, online schools are not the most optimal way to study, and due to bombing, offline schools are also not the best way to study! So, my family moving to the US was a huge opportunity for a safer life, better education and good future in general!” Since he has been in the US, he says he likes it a lot. “It's a beautiful country with welcoming and supportive people!”

Mr. Prelaske is one of Valerii’s teachers. He describes Valerii by saying, “Valerii is an exceptional young man who has lived through exceptionally tough circumstances Yet despite Valerii's hardships, he maintains a positive attitude and focuses on continual self-improvement Seriously, he is one of my heroes ” He says that Valerii is very kind and thoughtful

Valerii is a very hard-working student who always puts in effort. He is truly a Leading Galloping Mustang!

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: XAVIER SAMPLE

BY SOPHIE LAINE

Meet Xavier Sample, a senior here at Middle Creek High School! Xavier is very interested in writing and history, claiming his favorite classes are English, History, and African American Literature. He even won an award for a poem he wrote in an Apex writing contest. Mr. Scialdone teaches his African American Literature class and is Xavier’s favorite teacher, and he talks to just about everyone here at Middle Creek! He loves talking to people, as they are his favorite part about being at Middle Creek Xavier says, “People make the experience ”

Mr Scialdone, who nominated Xavier for a student spotlight, said, “Xavier Sample is an incredibly creative, empathetic, and mature young man His poetry has consistently blown me away ”

Mr Scialdone recalls, “Long before I taught Xavier for the first time as a senior, I knew him as the guy who held the door for EVERYONE during fire drills. Filing out and filing back in, Xavier posted up and held that door for everyone. That sums him up he's the guy who sees what needs to be done to help his community and he quietly sets about making positive change happen.” Xavier is dedicated to making everyone feel cared for and included.

When asked what advice he would like to give to students at this school, especially younger students, he says, “Don’t focus primarily on grades, you should focus on building connections and strengthening bonds with people.” However, he does feel that grades are important and finding a balance between the two is important

Xavier plans to go to Wake Tech when he graduates and study either computer science or writing When asked who his role models are, he stated that he looks up to teachers he respects and important Civil Rights leaders like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Junior He is very passionate about race and gender equality and claims, “Even though there’s been a strong drive for equality in gender and race, most of it doesn’t get talked about.”

If you see Xavier in the hallways, don’t hesitate to say Hi! He loves to mingle. We are wishing good luck to Xavier in all of his future endeavors!