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| Photo Credit: Den Echoes archive. |
From February 16 to 20, I had the unique opportunity to serve as a North Carolina Governor’s Page. This meant that I helped with office tasks, toured state buildings, and spoke to government officials. I loved the experience and would definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in political science or history.
My experience was drastically different from the average page’s experience, as I had the bad luck to serve during one of the coldest weeks on record in North Carolina. Inclement weather meant that I didn’t serve on Tuesday, and I only served for half of the day on Wednesday. Some of the regular page activities, such as meeting and taking a picture with Governor Pat McCrory, were cut, while others were moved to different days. Regardless of the weather, I still gained priceless knowledge about the inner workings of our government.
Here were a few of my favorite activities:
Meeting the Commissioner of Agriculture: This almost didn’t occur, as we just happened to stumble upon the commissioner as he exited his office. We had previously spoken with David Smith, who serves in the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, about what the department does and some of the challenges it is facing with the ice and freezing temperatures. On our way out, Smith introduced us to another employee, who spends much of his time in China working with officials there. As he finished speaking, we were about to leave, when the door opened and Commissioner Steve Troxler walked out. He happily invited us into his office. His outer office may have been my favorite location that we visited, because it was decorated to look like a house. It even had a front porch and stove (with an apple pie on it). It was quite interesting, and his inner office was almost as fascinating. It contained countless items and antiques, including the painting that inspired North Carolina’s seal. He spoke about the difficulties of getting elected, what his department does, and why agriculture is important to the state.
Visiting McCrory’s office: This was my second-favorite location, as McCrory actually works here occasionally. The area we toured was
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Photo Credit: Diane McClary[/caption]blocked off to the public, but, as pages, we were allowed in. McCrory had a variety of knickknacks around his office, including items signed by sports teams and (possibly--it was hard to make out the signature) Mitt Romney. I took a picture at McCrory’s desk, where he has held some of his press conferences, so I found that particularly exciting. Afterwards, we toured the Capitol Building. It isn’t used anymore as an actual legislative building--the General Assembly replaced it--so we were able to tour the old Senate and House of Representatives chambers. I also visited the library, which was larger than I expected it to be.
Visiting the Innovation Center: People often bemoan the state of our government, calling it slow and complicated. Government officials are well aware of this, and the state created the Innovation Center to try to streamline government. The center is in a modern, beautiful building, and the employees were all young and eager to help the state. Pages viewed a number of new technologies designed to make the government more accessible and more competent, such as a license renewal kiosk. This kiosk, similar in design to a Redbox kiosk, allows users to renew their driver’s license. It can be placed anywhere and is particularly useful in rural areas, where DMV wait times can be extremely high. We also tested out videoconferencing technology that focuses on a speaker’s face, which is useful during
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Photo Credit: Maddie Norwood[/caption]large meetings.
Visiting the Archives: As a history nerd, I loved this part of the program. The Archives are where all of the state’s old documents, like newspapers and court dockets, are housed. It was full of information that genealogists, journalists, and historians use regularly. The most interesting thing I learned was how to use microfilm. Some pages didn’t even know what it was, but I had seen it in movies, so I had a vague idea. Basically, it’s a long roll of film with information engraved into it. It can store documents like newspapers, and it lasts for centuries without degrading. Some argue that the internet has made this technology obsolete, but I disagree. I wish I had learned how to use it in school, as it could be invaluable for research. We also were able to tour the stacks, another area that the public isn’t allowed in, and I touched centuries-old documents.
Speaking to a Court of Appeals judge: Chris Dillon, a Court of Appeals judge, discussed the intricacies of law and what the Court of Appeals does. We met with him in a courtroom. Actually being in a courtroom was interesting--the room was beautifully furnished, but it also contained some modern technology, like a television and tablet screens. Dillon described some of the complex situations judges on the court have to deal with and how their role differs from the role of the Supreme Court and district courts. Basically, the Court of Appeals deals with appealed cases and can’t change facts established in earlier trials.
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Photo Credit: Maddie Norwood[/caption]Touring the Executive Mansion: While not as large as the Biltmore, the Executive Mansion is quite an expansive building. We were only able to tour the bottom floor, as the second floor is reserved for McCrory’s private quarters, but I loved what I saw. There’s a ballroom, gentlemen’s parlor, and ladies’ parlor, all elaborately decorated with many historic objects. However, my favorite part of the tour was seeing an area that normally isn’t part of the tour at all--the kitchen. Because the grounds were icy and dangerous, we were allowed to go behind the scenes and see both the kitchen and the door McCrory uses to access the mansion. McCrory’s cooks have to work 14 hours a day to feed all of the staff and troopers in the building. When McCrory is home, their hours are even longer, as they have to stay in the kitchen until he retires for the evening. The kitchen was a small, cramped space, so I felt sorry for them, but they assured us that they were gaining invaluable knowledge from the experience. I enjoyed hearing what food McCrory eats--he has simple tastes and loves Raisin Bran for breakfast. I’m an avid cereal lover, so we have this in common.
Touring the General Assembly: Although I was looking forward to seeing this building, it ended up being less exciting than I thought it would be. This tour was brief, and we were only able to view the House of Representatives and Senate chambers from their respective galleries. I was mostly disappointed because both houses were not in session--pages normally do this tour on Tuesday (when they would be in session), but we didn’t meet on Tuesday due to the weather. However, we were allowed to enter President Pro Tempore Phil Berger’s office. He had some interesting decorations and some bills splayed across his desk.
Touring the Department of Environment and Natural Resources: This was our last stop, so I was tired, but I still appreciated the efforts the department is making to increase the efficiency of the government. The DENR is housed in the same building as the Innovation Center, which makes sense, as its strict regulations and extreme efficiency point towards a bright future for the government. Employees aren’t allowed to wear or spray any products that emit a strong scent, for instance. They can also adjust the temperature of their individual cubicles, which increases productivity. Ventilation keeps carbon dioxide from collecting in the air and making workers tired. The building itself contains some recycled materials, and it is designed to consume less energy than other buildings.
"Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome." - Rosa Parks
Over 50 years after Rosa Park’s historic protest against racism and the Civil Rights Movement, racial discrimination and tension are still major issues across the country. It’s almost an everyday occurrence in the news: a white police officer kills unarmed black men, teenagers, and children.
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Photo Credit: Debra Sweet (Flickr)[/caption]On December 3, 2014, a New York grand jury decided against indicting Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who put Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who had been selling “loosies,” or loose cigarettes, without taxes (which is a misdemeanor in New York) in a chokehold. This move is prohibited for New York police officers "because it was so easy to misapply it and put pressure directly on the throat, directly choking the person, cutting off air as opposed to making them faint,” said Tom Fuentes, a CNN law enforcement analyst. The haunting video (taken by a bystander) showed a quick escalation over a very minor crime, which lead to an unnecessary death. Garner’s last words were “I can’t breathe.”
“What we have learned from the killing of Eric Garner, lest we were unaware, is you can go to the videotape, but it still might not matter,” says David A. Love to The New York Times, adding, “Body cameras could lose their effectiveness when the decision makers in the criminal justice system lack a racial justice lens, and they interpret what they see based on their racial prejudice. If a chokehold is permissible because black people are criminals, beasts, and savages, then producing the videotape of a chokehold might not make a difference to certain individuals.”
This case is one of many resulting in protests, even riots and looting, across America. Just last week, a grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri voted against indicting Darren Wilson, a white police officer, of murdering Michael Brown, another black, unarmed teenager. Brown’s case sparked outrage about police brutality and the use of force. Wide scale protesting, riots, and looting have not been seen on this scale since the case of Rodney King, a black man who was brutally attacked and beaten by the Los Angeles Police Department in 1992. The attack, which was recorded by a bystander, led to the trial and acquittal of all the officers in the case. The verdict lead to widespread looting, riots, and vandalism not only in California, but across the country, in major cities like New York and Chicago.
Photo Credit: Kārlis Dambrāns (Flickr)[/caption]Consumers looking for a new phone have two good options to choose from--the iPhone 6 and the Samsung Galaxy S5. Both are great phones for all purposes, but some differences make each phone better in its own way.
Size and Weight
The sizes of the two phones are very different. The iPhone 6 Plus has a 7.8 cm width and a 15.8 cm height as opposed to the Samsung’s 7.3 cm width and 14.2 cm height. In terms of weight, the iPhone 6 Plus is a whopping 27 g more weight than the Samsung Galaxy S5. This is proportional to the shape and size though.
Display
Both phones have crisp 1080p displays. However, the iPhone 6 appeared to have a slightly clearer screen than the Samsung. These larger phones are great for watching videos or using other high resolution entertainment features.
Water Resistance
The Samsung wins out completely in this category. It can sit under one meter (3.3 ft) of water for 30 minutes and still work completely normally. This is great if someone accidentally drops it or spills water on it. The iPhone 6 Plus has no water resistance whatsoever without spending another $70 on a waterproof case.
Cameras
The Samsung S5 has a 16mp (megapixel) camera and the iPhone 6 Plus has an 8mp camera. It looks like the Samsung has more picture quality, except its camera takes longer to boot up, making it possible to miss a good picture.
Battery Life
Although the Samsung Galaxy S5 won out in the timed contest, the iPhone 6 Plus was right up there in terms of battery life. Both of these phones are definitely hardcore power savers. The Samsung even has a power saving option so that 10 percent of the phone's battery life can last for 24 hours.
One-Handed Usage
Both phones have options for one-handed usage. The iPhone 6 had a smoother feel to the option, but the S5's keyboard could shrink.
Micro SD
The Samsung was the only phone with a micro SD card to store pictures on.
Storage, Speed, and RAM
The iPhone 6 Plus was a beast in this competition with its new A8 chip. It can run a 64-bit processor at 1.4 GHz (Gigahertz). It runs iOS 8 and can be sold with up to 128 GB (Gigabytes) of storage space.
The Samsung is very fast also with its Snapdragon 801 CPU. It can run a 32-bit processor at 2.5 GHz. It runs Android 4.4 KitKat and can be sold with up to 32 GB of storage space.
In terms of RAM, which is nothing to fret about in phones, the iPhone has 1 GB and the S5 has 2 GB.
Starting Price
Finally, the starting retail price for a new iPhone 6 Plus is $750 without a contract, and the starting price for the Samsung Galaxy S5 is $650. The price with a contract will vary based on your cell phone company.
Some information gathered from http://www.gizmag.com/iphone-6-plus-vs-galaxy-s5/34096/
Photo Credit: Den Echoes archive[/caption]Most teens in high school care about their grades. They care about getting into college, getting a good job, and being able to supply what their family needs. But can they do that if school is too stressful and they can’t get their work turned in on time? Do they fail because of their stress?
OHS freshman Maddie Fedor is 15 years old. She is a straight “A” student with plans to attend college and have a family. But, like most of the other freshmen, she struggles with getting her work done and turned in on time. She says, “My hardest class is Biology.”
Her biology teacher’s name is Andromeda Crowell. Crowell taught all honors classes first semester.
“It’s not that the content itself is hard, it's the amount of work she gives is a lot,“ Fedor says. Most kids agree that classwork and homework are both things that are hard to get finished and turned in on time. But why? Are we too busy doing other things to get it done? Or is it that we are just too lazy to actually finish it?
Some teachers have gotten rid of homework. They think that it's useless to give if kids don't even do it. If the kids don’t take the opportunity to get extra practice, then why kill the trees for paper?
Doing homework could take your attention away from studying for finals, and it could keep you up for hours. However, it's also a good way to get extra practice on what you might have been doing in class that day. When is too much homework too much?
Photo Credit: Sandy Chandler[/caption]The winter holiday concert this semester went very well. There were duets, solos, and group pieces that were different for each class. The first period intermediate class sang five songs, the second period class sang four songs, and the third period madrigals class sang five songs. All were very well performed, but some stood out against the rest.
First period intermediate chorus sang “Once Upon a December” from the movie Anastasia very well, and it stood out from the other pieces of the night. The class did four other pieces: “Bidi Bom,” “Under Winter Moon,” “Riu Riu Chiu,” and “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” This class also had a delightful men’s piece that had everyone laughing: “The Chipmunk Song.” Sophomore Paul Ruback even “crashed” his scooter, resulting in an uproar from the audience.
Although second period didn’t have a fun men’s piece, they still did well. Their best piece was “Rudolph, the Rednosed Reindeer.” The soloist of this piece was senior Emily Cecil and she was followed by Caleb Riley, who acted out the part of Rudolph.
However, the best group was the madrigals. Although they have had more practice than the rest of the groups, they take the cake for best group. They had a really interesting piece called “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies.” In this piece, the men acted as puppeteers, while the women pretended that they were dolls. Audience members were clearly impressed by the show. Cedelia Obenshain, a sister of one of the madrigal singers, said, “It was really cool. The girl on the end was the best.” Obenshain was referring to senior Tysiona Haines-Mitchell. Haines-Mitchell sang a solo that night named “Miss You Most at Christmas.” One of the concert’s sweeter songs, this solo earned the applause it received.
The concert ended with several department pieces. These pieces further displayed the talent offered by the different classes of chorus at OHS.
Photo Credit: Den Echoes archive[/caption]Reading is an amazing way to expand your mind and gain new information. It can easily distract people from the stresses of the world and from daily issues. It gives the reader a chance to take his or her mind on a vacation. Not only does it help you get away for a short while, but it can also greatly increase your smarts and your vocabulary. Reading has been shown to increase your vocabulary much more than just talking or getting taught by a teacher.
Looking For Alaska by John Green is an emotional love story that will have readers laughing hysterically on one page, and crying on the next. The book is for young adults, so there is some young adult content in the book like drinking and sex, but it is a wonderful story regardless. The book starts out with Miles, the main character, getting dropped off at Culver-Creek Preparatory High School, a school his father and uncles went to.
On the first day of school, Miles, soon to be nicknamed Pudge, meets his future best friend called The Colonel and the unforgettable, rebellious Alaska Young, whom Pudge immediately falls in love with. Her mom died when she was only eight years old, and she was there to witness it. She relies on alcohol, her friends, smoking behind the principal’s back, and reading to cope. Alaska is the school pranker, known for her famous and mischievous pranks that no one but her, with the help of her best friends, could pull off. The book takes a turn for the worse when one of Culver Creek’s most beloved students encounters a tragedy that will change the lives of the students at Culver Creek forever. Rumors say it was a car accident, but Miles doesn’t believe a word of what anyone says. Who was it? What happened? Take a look inside this wonderful novel to find out.
Have you ever thought about smoking marijuana or actually used it? The thought has most likely crossed your mind about what it feels like, or what really happens after you try it.Research has shown that there are many negative effects of marijuana use in teens. Smoking marijuana has increased tardiness and absences in teens who go to school, and an increase in accidents has occurred. Marijuana can affect your attention span, the way you think, and how you work. Studies have shown that marijuana users tend to be more likely to drop out of school and usually have lower grades.
When marijuana enters the brain, it causes the user to feel more relaxed and happy, but this false good feeling fades quickly. Once these effects wear off, it causes the user to feel depressed and/or sleepy, causing additional complications. Marijuana can cause users anxiety, fear, distrust, or panic. According to a Monitoring the Future study in 2012, approximately 43 percent of twelfth grade teens admitted to using marijuana at least once in their lifetime, and about 30 percent admitted to using it in the past 30 days.
Using marijuana early in life can result in a variety of things--it can affect your memory, decrease your attention span, and cause you to lose your ability to think clearly. While intoxicated, just like alcohol, it affects your balance and movement. If used during school, marijuana can negatively affect your school performance, causing increased absences, and students don't perform as well in the classroom as they would if they weren’t on drugs. IQ scores of teens who use marijuana have been shown to be lower.
Think twice before you consider using marijuana. It can affect you, your grades, and your performance in school. It can even affect others around you.
Photo Credit: Maddie Norwood[/caption]There’s a brand new hotspot for food and fun in Hillsborough, and it’s nestled in a familiar spot, hidden in plain sight. The Whistle, Hillsborough’s latest and greatest destination for coffee and other local delights, is off to a great start, serving the community and bringing smiles to customers. Located on Hillsborough’s South Nash Street--incidentally, where the old Hillsborough Depot once sat--The Whistle fills a hole in the community that was left by the closing of the once-loved Depot. Offering locally-produced food from vendors like Maple View Farms and Counter Culture Coffee, the shop provides a homey feel and a welcoming atmosphere for both outsiders and community members alike. The spacious interior boasts comfortable seating, from tables and chairs to benches and a bar, making it the perfect atmosphere for an intense study session or a catch up session with friends. Whether you order a hot chocolate (which contains an abundance of marshmallows) or sit down for a croissant, The Whistle has a treat in store for you.
For the older crowd, The Whistle’s coffee shop atmosphere transforms into a lively bar setting. It has a vibrant nightlife filled with live music and is a great community destination. As the light fades, the shop only becomes more lively, as the public pours in to gather and chat. Though the coffee continues to pour all night long, adults will enjoy this more “grown up” evening atmosphere. This bar atmosphere is unique, in that it maintains its cozy feel while still welcoming in the nightlife. In fact, The Whistle’s locomotive-inspired decor only seems more charming as the lights dim.
For those looking for a new spot to grab a bite to eat or something warm to drink, The Whistle’s versatile business practices as well as a charming aesthetic and friendly employees make it a great contender. As more and more community members discover this hidden gem of South Nash Street, the future of The Whistle seems bright and prosperous.
The Whistle is located on 250 S. Nash Street and will be open from 7 am to midnight Tuesdays through Saturdays, 8 am to 10 pm on Sundays, and 7 am to 10 pm on Mondays.
Photo Credit: Satya Murthy (Flickr)[/caption]Thanksgiving. A time to sit back, watch football, eat turkey, and think of things to tell your family you're thankful for. As soon as the clock strikes midnight, mayhem arises at stores across the country. Since Black Friday became a major thing, there have been seven deaths and 90 injuries related to or caused by falling asleep at the wheel, a shooting at a store, or being strangled to death. A crowded store, late at night, is an easy target for a shooter. This is ruining Thanksgiving.
All day, you're watching commercials attempting to persuade you to buy their stuff. For some stores, the madness starts at 8 pm on Thanksgiving. The point of Thanksgiving is to be thankful for what you already have, not anticipate future “things” you are going to have. Thanksgiving has become “Black Friday Eve.”
With all the new electronics and toys coming out each year, it is great for parents to have a discount on Christmas presents, but it shouldn't take over the holiday season itself. What’s the point of having holidays if you can’t enjoy them because people are in too much of a rush in their lives? The deals and savings are great, but are you really saving a lot? For example, someone was going to buy his kid an Xbox One and one game without the Black Friday savings. Instead the prices go down and he buys him the Xbox and three games. He may think, “Oh, I save $100,” but in reality he used that to buy two $60 games. He just lost $20 right there on the spot.
Thanksgiving is a great holiday where you can meet up with family, eat turkey, and count down the days until Christmas, but people are just staying home and counting the minutes to midnight so they can try to get to the store early enough to save a quick buck. With all the hype around Black Friday in recent years, it has truly degraded the value of Thanksgiving. People need to stop being so greedy and just stop to give thanks for what they already have.
Photo Credit: Kathryn Obenshain[/caption]Last week, the Den Echoes received a package containing memorabilia and merchandise from an emerging artist named Mary Lambert. There was also a copy of her hit song “Secrets” from her new album Heart On My Sleeve. When I began listening to it, I initially thought that it wouldn’t be well written. Surprisingly, it was exactly the opposite.
You may not have heard of Mary Lambert, but you have probably heard her music. She wrote the hook in Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ hit song, “Same Love.” She is a Seattle-based singer-songwriter. In her new song “Secrets,” she has a confessional folk feel. She has a bouncy, uplifting style to her songs. “I felt like there were a lot of songs coming out about self-empowerment and challenging beauty standards, and I wanted to write a song around the same lines, but in my voice,” said Lambert in an interview with Moxie, a company that sends music and information to schools about artists to be reviewed.
In the same interview with Moxie, Lambert stated, “There is so much shame and guilt in our society, and I think it has deprived a lot of people from living fully... I wanted to point the lens at myself in hopes of inspiring others to do the same thing. In short, this song is my dirty laundry, and that’s actually really freeing.” Although she comes from a background of abuse, bipolar disorder, and other issues, she has survived. She is putting her energy into things that make her happy--performing around the country.
If you want to see her, she is currently on tour. She was at Motorco in Durham on October 24 and has many more concerts coming up.
Photo Credit: Joi Ito (Flickr)[/caption]Helpful:
By Meghan O'Shaughnessy
Cell phones—these days, it’s almost impossible to go out in public without seeing them everywhere, in the hands of both teenagers and adults alike. In fact, even some children are currently being given cell phones--and current studies show that over 166 million people in the United States own a smartphone. Advanced cellular technology means only good things for the modern age society now resides in, connecting us with information within seconds and shrinking communication barriers down to size.
Rather than making users antisocial, as is a common stereotype, cell phone users are now able to communicate with people from across the globe, making international friendships a reality for millions of people. Cell phones help to bridge the gap of communication with people here at home as well—text messaging opens up new opportunities to those who prefer textual communication as well as those who require it, such as the deaf.
Modern-day smartphones have made perhaps the largest strides in personal technological advancement in the last decade alone, developing ever faster to include yet more features that an individual can access with the touch of a screen. Most smartphones come built in with wireless internet access, allowing users to access information in seconds, wherever they are--not to mention update social media. Thanks to new developments in technology, smartphone users now have access to the weather, advanced camera and photo storage settings, large music libraries to store tunes, GPS systems to plot driving routes—even an intelligent personal assistant program to aid users (more commonly known as Siri). Smartphones allow users access to all the information they could ever dream of- all accessible within seconds.
Smartphones and cellular technology have advanced society significantly, making communication easier and information more accessible. Thanks to smartphone technology, the digital age is one of connection and conversation and has created a generation of informed, social youth. Teenagers—and even adults—who use their phones often should not be shamed; instead, the age of cellular technology as a major part of global communication should be accepted and even embraced.
Harmful:
By Sami Dickerson
Cellphone use in America is like the ultimate television screen. You get hooked onto it, enthralled by all the information it has to offer. Not only can you communicate with it, but many people find themselves putting their whole lives into one mobile device. Homework is completed on it, our health is recorded on it, all of our secrets captured by it. The question we have to ask ourselves is, “How is the essence of another human captured through this device?” How can a cellphone user substitute honest human interaction with a small screen and codes? Can we trust ourselves to not overuse this technology?
A recent survey at the Pew Research Center in Washington, DC found that over 91 percent of adults have cell phones in the United States. This is an exponential growth rate from 2005, when they were a mere 60 percent. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the same research center concluded that 78 percent of children ages 12 to 17 own and regularly use a cell phone. These numbers are at first startling, but then you can truly see that the root of the problem is the rate at which cell phone ownership has grown.
This exponential growth has been linked to social anxiety and depression in the last 10 years. In a 2008 study by leaders in social anxiety research at the University of Florida, out of 136 social anxiety patients, 36 percent of these being students, almost half linked their social anxiety causes to the ability to avoid human interaction through cell phone use.
People that own cell phones also have the availability to access the internet off of many of the phones that are sold; even the most basic models offer this feature. Over 24 percent of teens are addicted to internet use. Surprisingly enough, parents of teens have higher ratings than their teens do. During the time that these families are spending on their jobs, school, and basic necessities, how much time do they spend on their cell phones instead of interacting? One of the most viewed and discussed problems of cell phone use is the loss of honest, human-to-human interactions.
In a Gallup Poll from 2003, only 28 percent of families, including kids and parents, eat together seven nights a week. This number has drastically dropped since that study. People may ask, “Why is it so important to eat within a family unit?” Eating in any type of family unit produces higher self confidence, the ability to speak to large crowds, and the ability to form precise and intellectual reasoning, which are all attributes of skilled leaders.
Photo Credit:RyC-Behind the Lens[/caption]
When I walked into the movie theater, intending to see Big Hero Six, I was not hopeful about what the movie had to offer. Frozen, the breakout hit from Disney/Pixar in 2013, had not hit the mark for me earlier, due to the lack of explanation for character development, and I was sure the “superhero” movie would not impress me either. A big, squishy balloon… with super powers? No. I was sure it would be a mockery to superheroes everywhere, but little did I know that the movie had been adapted from a Marvel comicbook! If you are a geek and think you can handle all the emotions of an animated movie, just try. I was very unsuccessful.
Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter) and his older brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney) live with their aunt Cass (Maya Rudolph), who doubles as their guardian, after a tragic, yet unexplained, accident happens to the Hamada parents. To deal with this lack of parental understanding, Hiro builds a robot to fight with at illegal underground competitions. Tadashi, always being the big brother, realizes that this is a dangerous dream for Hiro to have and introduces him to the technical engineering college that he attends. At this school, Tadashi and his friends, Fred (TJ Miller), Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez), Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.), and Go Go (Jamie Chung), get to strut their technical genius and seriously impress Hiro. The thing that most impresses him, though, is Tadashi’s invention, Baymax (Scott Adsit), a healthcare robot.
Through a crazy series of events, Baymax becomes Hiro’s best friend and helps him through his “pubescent years,” and he becomes the friend that you will strive to be. He is super funny, even though he is very clueless to the fact that his inhuman ignorance makes him hilarious. One of the best parts of the movie is when Hiro tries to teach Baymax to do a fist bump and when Hiro teaches Baymax the meaning of “sick” in the slang term.
Aside from just being a Disney/Pixar movie with fantastic graphics, the cast knocked my socks off. Hiro was perfectly performed by Potter. If I didn’t know that he was a nineteen-year-old Nickelodeon/Disney actor, I would have truly believed that he was a preteen. He brought such a great attitude to the character. Also, even though they are minor characters, Fred, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, and Go-Go are hilarious geeks. They are endearing and really helpful to Hiro, which makes you love them even more.
Photo Credit: Roxanna Salceda (Flickr)[/caption]As fall leaves sprinkle the ground, pumpkin-spice flavored everything fills the grocery store shelves. The market has flooded with the seasonal flavor ever since the famous pumpkin spice latte made its debut at Starbucks in 2003. The food companies of America have hit an all-time high in creating food with the pumpkin flavor, as the shelves overflow with fall-flavored food.
Pumpkin-spice Oreos, pumpkin-spice candy corn, pumpkin-spice coffee creamers; look no more as your eyes will immediately find these classic products in the local Walmart. However, this fall 2014 has offered a variety of new foods including Pumpkin Pie Spice Pringles, Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts, Rossi’s Pumpkin Spice Lasagna, and Bigelow’s Pumpkin Spice Tea. While the pumpkin-crazed fans may be all over this trend, some Americans find pumpkin-spice to be suffocating. Senior Lexi Moyer said, “I’m personally not a fan of pumpkin spice, so the pumpkin-filled grocery stores are getting annoying.”
While pumpkin spice may be an overused fad, most people have responded positively and jumped on the pumpkin-spice bandwagon. Students can have an entire day’s meal revolving around pumpkin; pumpkin-spice waffles, pumpkin-spice yogurt, pumpkin-spice bread, pumpkin-spiced lasagna, the list continues on. In addition, Meleah Travis raves over “the pumpkin-spiced pop tarts! They are a perfect fall treat for the morning and get me in the Halloween mood.”
For those who aren’t big on the pumpkin flavor, other seasonal items include Glade’s pumpkin-scented air fresheners, Trader Joe’s pumpkin flavored dog treats for your pooch, and Bath & Body Works’ sweet cinnamon pumpkin body lotion.
Overall, pumpkin-spice is dominating the market and becoming a go-to flavor for food and product companies. As people continue to buy up the seasonal trend, it is suggested that there is everything nice about pumpkin-spice.
Photo Credit: Den Echoes archive[/caption]Reading a book should allow you to escape the real world and dive into a foreign and exciting land. A study by consultant firm Mindlab International at the University of Sussex showed that “reading reduces stress” and “subjects only needed to read, silently, for six minutes to slow down the heart rate and ease tension in the muscles.” In fact, subjects of the study had lower stress levels than before they started. So, in short, reading is amazing, you just have to find the right book to get you started.
Have you ever had to read a book in class for a grade and absolutely hated it? Have you bought a book thinking that it would be a page-turner, but you can’t get past the first chapter? What if you had a few recommendations? The following two books will leave you wanting more, and you may even end up reading them multiple times.
The Lovely Bones is American author Alice Sebold's first novel. The story is narrated by Susie Salmon, a fourteen-year-old girl who has been raped and killed by her serial killer neighbor in suburban Pennsylvania. That's right, Salmon is telling her story from the afterlife. She weaves back and forth in time from the date of her death in 1973, remembering her life, peering into the mind of her killer, and watching the loved ones she left behind. It's a gruesome and horrifying story, but also one of hope and renewal.
The Best Of Me by Nicholas Sparks is a love story that will leave you in tears. Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole are from opposite sides of the tracks: she's a well-to-do girl with the world at her fingertips; he's from the feared family of sleazy, violent neighborhood thugs. Cut from different cloth than his clan, Dawson breaks free to live in the garage of an old mechanic deep in the woods. Soon Amanda and Dawson cross paths and find themselves smitten, certain they will see happily-ever-after. Reunited after decades apart, they struggle with whether to finally give in to their love or continue their current lives without each other. Despite an obvious ending, the love is so heartwarming that it doesn't seem to matter.
Photo Credit: Den Echoes archive[/caption]The grass is always greener on the other side, whether one is a lamb or a college applicant. Until recently, Hillsborough, a unique little town filled with interesting people and places, seemed like the dullest place to live in the world. I yearned to leave and go to a big city, where there would always be something going on, and I’d meet new people every day. However, the last few months have taught me the error of my ways. While cities definitely have their perks, towns like Hillsborough are just as important. True, they may not offer the constant excitement of the city lifestyle, but they provide quiet moments, like a casual stroll down the paths of Ayr Mount or free ice cream at Last Friday.
I’ve always viewed Hillsborough as a brief stop on the road to my future. I’d pass through it then go on to better things and bigger places. However, as I’ve begun counting down the months until I leave, my view of the town has changed drastically. Suddenly, certain things have become last moments. These have included ridiculous things like my last last Last Friday (they end in September, and I leave in August), as well as more sentimental moments like my last Halloween and my last first day of school. While I know when the big ones occur, what about the small ones? I rarely get chocolate at Matthew’s Chocolates, so might the next time I go be my last? The same applies to some other restaurants and businesses--Cup-A-Joe, Saratoga Grill, the Maple View store. Since each visit might be my last, I cherish it and make sure to experience it fully.
This has given me a new perspective, as I don’t just glide through life anymore. Little moments have become big moments. I imagine that all seniors go through this, although the colleges I’m planning on attending will make this transition more drastic for me than it will be for other students. I’m applying to 14 schools--three are in North Carolina, six are other states, and five are in the United Kingdom. So far, I have been accepted to the University of Manchester, a college in Great Britain. Finances are certainly an issue with regards to going overseas, but I’m at least hoping to go out of state. My newfound appreciation for my town has not changed this fact--I want to live in a big city, and few places in North Carolina are big.
Assuming that I get accepted into and choose to attend an out-of-state school, I’ll have to leave North Carolina in about nine months. This is the state that I have spent my entire life in. While it isn’t perfect by any means, it is still my home, and leaving it will be difficult. I moved to Hillsborough when I was five and have lived there ever since, so Hillsborough is basically synonymous with North Carolina to me. Both the town and state are charming and unique, and both will be sorely missed.
What makes Hillsborough different? For people like me who grew up in the town, it may not seem like that special a place. It has some cool shops and a nice atmosphere, yes, but why is it so dearly loved? It takes an outsider’s perspective to answer this question. When I was being interviewed for a job at The Chapel Hill News a few months ago, the editor of the paper said that he wished he had more coverage of Hillsborough because it’s such an interesting place. I didn’t respond negatively, as I wanted the job, but in my head I scoffed at this remark.
A few days later, when I was walking through town running an errand, I looked around and actually saw the town I had lived in for 12 years. A toddler spun around happily in a circle and fell on the grass. An elderly couple walked their dog down the street. A band played guitar and the spoons in an alleyway. Behind the courthouse, there’s a beautiful glass wall, but a few hundred feet away there are historical buildings and signs explaining Hillsborough’s past. This mixture of young and old, historic and new, is what makes the town so intriguing.
Hillsborough isn’t a bad town. It certainly isn’t perfect, but it contains many memories for me, and I’ll miss it and its inhabitants dearly.
Photo Credit: Den Echoes archive[/caption]Most people say they can’t run, won’t run, and will never run, but running girls are the exact opposite! Ask most female runners why they run, however, and they don’t have a good explanation. Orange High School runner Kayla Woodley said that she runs to keep fit. Many runners agree with Woodley--running is a great way to stay healthy.
To run well, you must buy shoes frequently--every six to twelve months. Having shoes that fit well and give you support is important to your health. This is why traveling to the store and being fitted for shoes is important. Buying shoes is a significant event in the life of a runner.
Once you have your shoes, you need to get fit. This doesn’t mean only working your legs--you have to do core too. Remember, good things happen with a good core. The most important thing is running everyday. Run one or two miles to start and then slowly ramp it up to five miles or more. While you are running, find a medium pace. This pace shouldn’t be too hard, but it shouldn’t be effortless either. Make sure you watch your pace, how many miles, and how long you run every time!
While you are racking up miles, try a timed mile. As you dive deeper into the running world, this will become very important. As you wait at the start line of a race for the pop of the gun, other runners will ask you for this. Runners mainly ask this to size themselves up to you and predict their own results. Also, you can use this to estimate race times.
Running isn’t easy. You have to train often to reach your goals, and you need to eat well. Any runner will tell you that they had to work hard to get to where they are now. Your first 5K will be your worst, and that’s okay. Many people start with around a 30-minute 5K. After that, you will continue to improve. As in anything you will do, you must start from the bottom to reach the top!
Photo Credit: Maddie Norwood[/caption]The Orange High School band took the stage for a fall performance on November 24, leaving the audience stunned and appreciative of the music provided by the students. Under the direction of band director Andy Carter, the Fall Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble both performed wonderful pieces that clearly showcased their incredible musical talents.
The Concert Band took the stage first, beginning with two movements from “Court Festival,” a piece by William P. Latham. This piece helped to start the concert on an exciting note, as the lively tempo kept the audience engaged and interested, even at slow moments. The band also shined in their slower piece, “On A Hymnsong of Philip Bliss” by David R. Holsinger. The slow, comforting tone showed off the band’s strong wind section, with senior clarinetists Morgan McCallum and Jose Ortega leading the way. A beautiful French Horn solo by sophomore Audrey Day tied the piece together, leaving the audience breathless. The Concert Band finished their performance with an energetic march, “Bonds of Unity,” by Karl L. King (arranged by James Swearingen).This march, once performed by traveling circus bands, was an enjoyable end to the Concert Band’s performance, leaving the audience with the memory of a jaunty beat and exciting trumpet fanfare.
Orange High School’s esteemed Jazz Ensemble performed next, featuring jazz-style instrumentation and an exciting, contemporary sound. The band began their performance with “Stro’s Place” by Carl Strommen, easily capturing their audience’s attention with a fast, engaging beat. The band then slowed down a bit with “Just Before Sunset” by Paul Clark, a rich, beautiful, jazz piece with an outstanding solo performance by junior trumpetist Ross Parham. The band finished off the night with “The Judge,” an engaging piece by Paul Cook that had the audience cheering, and “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag,” a challenging piece that allowed the band to show off all their hard work throughout the fall semester.
The fall band concert was another success for the always-excellent Orange High band. With engaging, beautiful music and a fun, lively atmosphere, the concert foreshadowed only good things to come from this year’s crop of musicians. With even more performances to come in December, from the Hillsborough Holiday Parade on December 6 to a school-wide presentation with the choral department on December 17, Orange High’s band program is off to a great start to their busiest performance season yet.
Photo Credit: Mia Frenduto[/caption]OHS Theatre’s A Christmas Carol opened on November 20 without a hitch and swept the audience away with its miraculous and touching storyline. A Christmas Carol has been performed for over 100 years, but only the ability of great actors like the actors at OHS can really bring this story of redemption to life. With a new perspective, a bigger stage production, and a mesh of C.W. Stanford and OHS student actors, this play is unmatched by any previous production. A Christmas Carol will be showing on November 21 and November 22 at 7 pm and November 23 at 2 pm. It is highly recommended that everyone in the community attend.
A Christmas Carol was originally a book by Charles Dickens, published in 1843, that was adapted into a play later in the nineteenth century. The story follows a grumpy, greedy, money-driven old miser named Scrooge (Luke Taylor), who is visited by his former business partner, Jacob Marley (Miriam Carr), and three spirits of Christmas--the Ghost of Christmas Past (Erin Burgner), Christmas Present (Hunter Moser), and Christmas Future (Maleke Moore). Through them, Scrooge learns that money has cost him more than it is worth and living life to the fullest means receiving and giving the love of others. Attached to this, there is a smaller, but just as significant, plot where Scrooge learns that the man who works for him, Bob Cratchit (Robert Piscitelli), and his family are in need because Tiny Tim (Brenna Mehl), their youngest son, is sickly. This drastically changes Scrooge’s demeanor as well.
All of the lead actors did extremely well in bringing their characters to life. Taylor plays a wonderfully grumpy Scrooge and will truly make you hope that Scrooge can see the error of his ways. Alongside of him, Piscitelli will bring you to tears in some parts of the production and was probably the most powerful onstage presence. Other minor roles were very powerful as well, especially the middle school actors that were lent to the OHS stage for this production. Mehl as Tiny Tim moved the story in a more positive direction towards the end of the play. Three of the funniest actors on stage were Moser, playing Christmas Present, Tyler Rubio, playing Fezziwig, a former employer of Scrooge, and Mrs. Fezziwig, played by Nunna Noe. They had the audience rolling in their seats, gasping for air.
The set and production values were also incredible, thanks to the OHS theatre department’s backstage crew. The efforts of the crew and manager Molly Burke were represented very well in the show. There were various parts of the play that highlighted the abilities of the stage crew. For example, there is a scene in the beginning of the play where the ghost of Marley finds Scrooge in his bedroom. This is accomplished through eerie noises, fog, perfect lighting, and glow-in-the-dark effects. There is also a scene where Christmas Future, a huge, dark puppet built by the FFA department, is introduced to the stage. This, the most powerful and frightening scene of the whole play, is accomplished through an intricate system of fog machines, blue LED lights, and interesting sound effects. This scene requires the whole theater to be pitch black and will rock the audience to their core.
Photo Credit: Quinn Dombrowski (Flickr)[/caption]Most kids don’t want to stay in high school for the whole four years. People want to drop out because they don’t feel like getting up early or doing homework. They don’t care about going to college or getting a good job. In this century, you have to at least have a high school diploma to be considered at a fast food restaurant. It would be hard to provide for yourself, much less a family, without a high school diploma. So, why drop out?
“A high school dropout will earn approximately $300,000 less over a lifetime than a high school graduate. An individual that does not possess a high school diploma is more likely to be unemployed because they are not as marketable. In fact, it is estimated that at least half of all welfare recipients do not possess a high school diploma,” said a New Mexico University representative. So, why would you want to live your life without a high school diploma?
If you drop out of high school, you miss out on many memories and opportunities. You don’t get to go to prom, you lose your friends, you don’t go on field trips or learn about life in general. You lose all of these achievements, because you didn’t want to get up early.
If you expect your children to stay in school and get their high school diploma, you might just have to eat your words and practice what you preach. “Children are observational learners, meaning they learn from watching you and others around them. Be a good influence for your children if you want to see them to succeed in their high school career,” said the representative.
A popular reason that teens drop out are friends and peer pressure from other high school dropouts. “Family or other outside relationships can influence teens to drop out of school," the representative stated. This also goes for the teens that choose to drop out to join a gang or to be accepted in other teen groups and street communities all over the country and world.
So why would you risk your financial support, your future, and lose your friends for drugs, peer pressure, and to sleep an extra few hours?