Baseball vs Lacrosse: Which is more of a sport?

John Devaney
Staff Writer

One of the biggest debates in our school this year, which kids sometimes bring up at lunch, is a sports debate. The question is simple: Which is more of a sport, baseball or lacrosse?
     Usually what happens is the baseball players take their side and the lacrosse players take the other. The argument usually just goes off the rails, with both sides asking: “How many hours do you play?” and “Do you even have to practice for your sport?” Anyone who does not play either sport pretty much has no say in the argument, unfortunately, so they tend to just try and keep the table as civilized as possible, which never seems to work. So, with all the drama circulating around this debate, we might as well break the argument down and understand both sides.
     First, we must define what a sport is. Everyone has a different definition, some even consider Esports and golf sports even though they involve almost no physical struggle. The easiest way to settle this is by just taking the dictionary definition: “An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.'' This would at least cancel out Esports, but still both lacrosse and baseball match the definition.
     So, what are the arguments for either side? Lacrosse usually brings up how baseball players can just “sit in the outfield and do nothing the whole game,” and baseball players wisely comeback with a universally acknowledged truth: “There is nothing harder to do in sports than hit a 90 mph fastball with a stick.” And the argument just goes back and forth. But in conclusion, it is important to keep an open mind for the opposing side, and consider which sport matches the definition more accurately.

Dissecting my disappointment with the finale of Games of Thrones

Cooper Hendricks

Staff Writer

(Warning! This article contains Game of Thrones spoilers!)

Game of Thrones was a legendary show and was full of violence, magic, dragons, and twists and turns that made the world of fantasy seem much closer to home. Its final episode which aired on Sunday, May 19.

    Now, granted, I haven’t watched every episode of the series, but I’ve learned about as much as I could have about George R.R. Martin’s vast world. Having learned as much as I possibly can about his writing style and way that he does things in his stories, and the ending to the show made absolutely no sense.

      I strongly disliked the story decisions by the writers D.B Weiss and David Benioff in this season because it was more of just finishing off characters rather than giving them worthwhile endings to their story arcs.

     Even some of the actors, Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) and Kit Harrington (Jon Snow) have expressed their unhappiness with the final season. They openly criticized it, albeit jokingly, but they expressed their criticism nonetheless. Not only the actors, but over a million people signed an online petition demanding that HBO remake the final season.

    First off, the most glaring and undeniably questionable choice in the series is Bran Stark. They made Bran, the Three-Eyed Raven, the character who has almost one line per episode, the King of the “6 Kingdoms” because of course, the North is now it’s own free land. Bran is an extremely powerful magic user. He can warg, which is the ability to move one’s consciousness to an animal, as well as see images of the future and see the past in clear unfractured visions. To be fair, Bran is extremely intelligent and would have served a more useful position on the Small Council in King’s Landing. Him being the King of the seven kingdoms is just lazy and makes little to no sense.

    Then, of course, comes the death of Daenerys Targaryen. I’ve loved Dany’s story, mainly because of the fact that it took place in Essos instead of Westeros. (Essos being the other major land continent in Game of Thrones.) Dany always had this powerful figure to her, she stood for freedom from the millennia-old Slavers in southeastern Essos. But for some great reason, they decided that her character should now burn residents of King’s landing to nothing more than piles of ash and bone. All because her friend Missandei was killed by Cersei. So, of course, everyone’s new favorite Targaryen, Jon Snow is told by several people to kill Dany. Which makes sense, but what doesn’t is Dany’s instantaneous change from “Breaker of Chains” to crazed dragon lady. She’s lost much more before the final battle at King's Landing. Her former husband Khal Drogo died, most of her close followers were killed early on. I just don’t think that the deaths of Jorah and Missandei really pushed her over the edge to insanity. Dany’s storyline was just disappointing in the end.

Spotify vs. Apple Part 2: Spotify streams most of our tunes

By Kennedy Fisher

Staff Writer

Whether you're listening through Airpods or classic headphones everyone streams music. I wanted to see how New Hope students streamed theirs. I sent out a poll with options such as Apple music, Spotify, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, YouTube, iTunes, the radio and a space to share other venues (which got a response of Clash Royale, which I had never heard of).

     I was shocked to see that so many people choose Spotify over the clearly better option, Apple Music! Apple Music really just hits different. People can try to change my mind all they want but ultimately we all know Apple Music is superior to Spotify. They cost the same but unlike Spotify which didn't have Beyoncé's Lemonade album that came out in 2016 until 2018, you get new music right when it comes out. Another problem with Spotify, SoundCloud and Amazon Music is that they tend to have missing songs, albums, and artists in their catalogs where Apple music is careful to have all the favorites.  This basically comes down to numbers. Apple Music has over 45 million songs in its catalogue compared to Spotify’s 30 million+ song catalog.

   So if you want ALL your favorites songs when they come out you guys need to get rid of whatever app you're using and get on Apple Music.

Spotify vs. Apple Music Part 1

By: Gretchen Newman

and Meghan Miller

Staff Writers

One of the biggest debates now a days is which music app do individuals use more. Do you think that Apple music is better or Spotify music? Both apps are $9.99 a month. Some positives on having Spotify music is it comes with Hulu. It also is cheaper to do a family plan when having Spotify. On the other hand, with not having a family plan, only one person can be on Spotify at a time.  

     Up to six people can access the services using a personal account for each family member. Apple Music members can also share iTunes purchases in addition to catalog content. Apple Music does, however, require all family members to use the same credit card for App Store purchases. This is a downfall if your family would argue about who is paying.

   A review on macrumors.com stated “I tried Apple Music a couple of times, but it doesn't even come close to Spotify in my opinion. Spotify has far better-curated playlists. They are great at finding music I prefer. I usually listen to a ton of Indie. Too much corporate stuff pushed by Apple Music and all the "New" stuff they display are same old stuff. When I go to Spotify my "Discover Weekly" playlist is filled with good stuff and hidden gems. I have yet to see Apple make a decent playlist towards my tastes.”

     If you're just looking for a free music streaming app and you don't mind ads than Spotify limited version would be highly recommended. Over the years of 2015 and 2018, Spotify has 100 million subscribers while Apple Music is only 40 million. Overall, Spotify gives more of an option.

We reflect on the best day of the school year from years past: please bring back Field Day

John Devaney and Garrett Hoffman
Staff Writers

Field Day. The day we all used to think of for the last few months of school. It was almost as if the whole school year led up to that one day, like Heaven on Earth.
    We would get on the bus for school, the smell of sunscreen in the air as the weather would always be perfect that day. Not a schoolbag in sight, only drawstring day packs with lunch and a water. The thoughts of schoolwork and agonizing tests were left behind at home because today was different. The buses would enter the drop off line. The other kids staring out the windows at the bouncy houses inflating, like castles divulging from the ground.
    Homeroom would pass by quickly, smiles on everyone’s faces as they were smothered with colors and bandanas. Then the teacher would announce it was time to go, and like a river the kids would flood out of the room and right to the door to the activities. 
Eventually though, those days ended. Children became teenagers and parents and teachers thought enough was enough. “They can’t have too much fun” they told each other in agreement. (OK, maybe that last sentence didn’t really happen, but doesn’t it feel like it did sometimes?) And with that, there was no longer any fun in high school, just notes and busy work, leading up to more notes and more busy work.
    Which is why we need to bring it back. We all know the last few weeks of school are pretty much a waste of time since we are pretty much done with standardized tests and CBA exams. So, why don’t we just have at least one day of fun? We would have all the students and teachers come together and connect after a stressful year, putting all their differences aside. It would bring back childhood memories and make new memories at the same time. We don’t need all of the fancy things that the little kids have like bouncy houses and slides, obviously those would not work for us now that we are taller and heavier.
    All the students want are just a few backyard games. Maybe some cornhole, four square, and ladder toss. Just a little something to wrap up the year and bring everyone back together before moving on to summer.

Why Victoria's Secret sales figures are lower than ever

Lauren Adler

Staff Writer

The well known and adored brand Victoria's Secret has been dominating the fashion world for decades and its annual televised fantasy show brings in millions and millions of views and sales each year.

     The show was first put on in 1995, with no broadcast and only a live audience. It was a very typical fashion show and the exact opposite of the exquisite performance type show it has evolved into today.

     This all changed for the brand in 2001, when the show aired for the first time on channel ABC and reached over 12.4 million viewers, something unheard of at the time for a fashion show.

     After that exposure, the company continued to market this fantasy show every year and not only gain more viewers but more sales.

     With the success of previous years, this company seemed to have a bright future, but their recent sales and views on their once beloved show are now saying otherwise. In 2018, the companies sales went from a whopping $120 million in previous years, to only $14.2 million, leading to over 100 stores being closed across the country. As for the show, in 2018 the total worldwide view count was only 3.2 million and now the question on everyone's mind is “Why?”

     A huge theory on why the sales are plummeting so fast for Victoria’s Secret is that their luxury brand is no longer desired by the new generations. Victoria’s Secret has been infamously known for creating undergarments that aren't the most comfortable, but now we’ve seen from other companies that you can be beautiful and comfortable all at the same time. A big well-loved endorser of this idea is the company Arie, who is praised for not only their comfort but for their representation of all women. People are done with the perfect facade companies like Victoria’s Secret use to market their brand, and would rather instead see women who look more like them. So to a certain degree, the plummet in sales could be a political statement, or maybe it’s because they dropped they're well-beloved swim line in 2016, which they’re now making an attempt to bring back in order to increase sales. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what the future holds for this once cherished brand.

Top movies of the ‘18-’19 school year

Lila Datz and Rylie Hepp

Staff Writers

This school year was full of great films that generated huge amounts of buzz and took over the internet when they hit theatres. Crazy Rich Asians was a must-see movie during the beginning of the 2018 school year after making it to theatres in late summer. The romantic comedy was an exciting watch that gave insight into the lives of Singapore's elite, while also giving viewers the love story they wanted to see. Almost all the reviews of Crazy Rich Asians were outstanding, which is a tough feat to accomplish. Next to see theatres was the film, A Star Is Born. This movie had fans obsessed with everything about it, and even had some students singing the soundtrack in the hallway. This drama/love story tugged at the heartstrings and guaranteed that you would run out of tissues by the time the film was over. The next big hit in the theatre was the film, Bohemian Rhapsody.

    The Netflix original film, Birdbox, definitely started the year off with a bang. The internet raved about the thrilling plot and had everyone sharing accounts so they were able to watch. This edge of your seat film blew up the internet with jokes and reviews that set the bar quite high for the rest of movies that were being released in 2019. Lastly, is the film that fans of the Marvel Universe had been waiting forever. Avengers Endgame blew away all the superhero fanatics in a comedic and thrilling way. The collection of every avenger coming together to defeat the one and only Thanos sums up the end to many stories in a bittersweet manner while still making any viewer laugh. This action film may dethrone the movie, Avatar, in the world’s highest grossing films of all time.

    Last, but certainly not least, Bohemian Rhapsody leaves everyone crying while simultaneously listening to some of the best rock n’ roll songs you will ever come across. This portrayal of the British band Queen shows the growth of the band throughout the years while highlighting The lead singer, Freddy Mercury’s, ups and downs. The soundtrack to this movie gives feelings of nostalgia, excitement, and heartbreak to viewers of all ages. Although some critics say that the true, gritty life of these rockstars is washed over, however, this concept makes the film a plot that all families and friends can watch.

Which Do You Prefer… Spotify or Apple Music?

Gretchen Newman and Meghan Miller

One of the biggest debates now a days is which music app do individuals use more. Do you think that Apple music is better or Spotify music? Both apps are $9.99 a month. Some positives on having spotify music is it comes with hulu. It also is cheaper to do a family plan when having Spotify. On the other hand, with not having a family plan, only one person can be on spotify at a time. 
     Up to six people can access the services using a personal account for each family member. Apple Music members can also share iTunes purchases in addition to catalog content. Apple Music does, however, require all family members to use the same credit card for App Store purchases. This is a downfall if your family would argue about who is paying.
     A review on macrumor.com stated “I tried Apple Music a couple of times, but it doesn't even come close to Spotify in my opinion. Spotify has far better-curated playlists. They are great at finding music I prefer. I usually listen to a ton of Indie. Too much corporate stuff pushed by Apple Music and all the "New" stuff they display are same old stuff. When I go to Spotify my "Discover Weekly" playlist is filled with good stuff and hidden gems. I have yet to see Apple make a decent playlist towards my tastes.”
     If you're just looking for a free music streaming app and you don't mind ads than Spotify limited version would be highly recommended. Over the years of 2015 and 2018, Spotify has 83 millions subscribers while Apple Music is only 40 million. Overall, Spotify gives more of an option