Wednesday, December 19, 2018

New generation dominates top 5 albums of 2018


Dan Flavin
Music Critic

 2018 was filled with great albums, but a few stood out. Albums like “A Love Letter to You 3” and “TA13OO” have highlighted the year, but some albums like, “Street Gossip” and “Scorpion” have been totally underwhelming. We are going to highlight our top five favorite albums of the year.

5. Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 2- Lil Peep
     The late Lil Peep’s first “Posthumous” project released on Nov. 9 was a hit. The music that all fans missed was back. Songs like ”Runaway” and “16 Lines” brought his unorthodox instrumentals and his vocal style that is not usually connected to rap music. On the album Peep talks about his struggles with drug addiction and his love life. It sold 81,000 equivalent units in the first week of its release and charted number five on Billboard Hot 100. The negatives with Peeps album is that if feels repetitive after a while of listening, but the album has lasting power because of Peep’s death. “With Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 2” most likely being Peep’s last album, it will be listened to for years to come.
4. Goodbye and Good Riddance- Juice Wrld
     Juice Wrld’s debut album combined hard hitting trap beats with a sad melodic voice and heartbroken lyrics. Juice’s ability to create intricate flows and evolving melodies to the well produced instrumental throughout the album is fabulous. Not only are the instrumentals great the songs are mixed and mastered well for a debut album. The only issues come on songs like “All Girls are the Same,” which was created before Juice was able to record in high level studios. Although the quality is a bit lower than the rest “All Girls are the Same” seems to be a definition of Juice Wrld in one song. The hard hitting 808’s in the beat complimented by the chippy melody and bouncy hi-hats were used to lift his singing and flow to a new level. The emotion in his voice makes the song much better along with the creative flow he used. “Goodbye and Good Riddance” sold 39,000 units in its first week, but has continued to glow. We still find ourselves listening to this album on a regular basis and don’t think that will change for a while.

3. Tha Carter V- Lil Wayne
     After a long legal battle with his former label Wayne was finally given the rights to release the fifth installment in his “Tha Carter” series. After years of waiting since “Carter IV,” “Carter V” was finally here. The 23-track album was great from top to bottom. Stand out tracks such as “Let it  Fly (feat. Travis Scott)” and “Don’t Cry (feat. XXXTENTATION)” were incredible and showed Wayne’s versatility to work with new artists. Those weren’t the only standout, “Dedicate” started off with a bouncy piano riff and distorted voice telling of all Lil Wayne has done for music. Wayne then comes in and spits two minutes of bars telling of not only the money he has made, but the artists he has made. He raps, “I started this s---, you just part of this s---”, telling all new rappers that he started the face tattooed “Lil” rappers. Wayne’s flaunting doesn’t stop there, the next track “Uproar” is a banger of 2018. The song will instantly turn a room from one to ten due to the upbeat instrumental produced by legend Swizz Beatz. Wayne talks about money and drugs as usual, but also weaves his classic wordplay into the song. There weren’t too many downsides to the album; the mixing was great and production was done well. The only thing I would change is I would shorten the track list down from 23. The album sold an insane 480,000 equivalent units in its first week. Proving its classic status it has definitely earned.
2. Beerbongs & Bentleys-Post Malone
     Off the release of “Stoney” Post Malone was growing rapidly. He went from unknown to one of the biggests artists in the game in a few months. Fans were expecting big things for his anticipated album, “Beerbongs & Bentleys” and he sure delivered. Post’s unique voice seems as if it can’t get old throughout the album. On the track “Better Now” he goes off with the vocals, lyrics and emotion in his voice. You can feel his first anger then sadness throughout the track. Not only are his vocals great, but the production is awesome as well. The beats range from eerie synths to distorted guitars and he kills all of them. “Over Now’s” distorted guitar, but simple drum pattern seems to fit perfectly with Posts out of style angry lyrics and style. Post Malone is known for his sad mellow lyrics, but he totally switched it up and did amazing. The flaw with the album comes with the overdone theme of heartbreak and drug abuse. However, themes and meanings of albums don’t matter to us as much as good sounding music so B&B is still very high on the list. Not only is the music great, but it did numbers. It charted number one on the Billboard Hot 100 selling 461,000 the first week. Not only were the equivalent sales massive the streaming numbers smashed records. B&B racked up 431.3 million streams in its first week of release. Those are unheard of numbers for an artist still gaining a following.
1. Astroworld- Travis Scott
     The number one album seemed to be unanimous. “Astroworld” had the theme, it had the numbers, and it had the quality. Travis Scott proved that he is one of the best artists in the game with his masterpiece. Named after a Houston Amusement Park that was closed when he was a child, he wanted to make an album that would capture the emotion of taking fun away from kids and he certainly did that. The intro track “Stargazing” has and incredible instrumental, which seems to be common on this album, and Travis’ signature highly autotuned almost distorted voice fans have come to love. He creates an atmosphere that we have never heard before. If someone turns on a song from “Astroworld” everyone immediately knows. The ominous yet upbeat tracks make the album a great listen. The only thing the album lacks is a lot of straight rapping and lyrical ideas, but it doesn’t really matter because the listeners ears always have something to listen to. There is always a new instrument being added or a humming Travis in the background. The production is just flat out amazing. It feels like Travis and his team spent months mixing and mastering the project to perfection. The track list is long enough to satisfy the two year wait, but short enough to keep you interested. Astro earned 537,000 equivalent sales it’s first week and has continued to be on the billboard chart since. It even charted number one again the week of December second rivaling 6ix9ine’s “Dummy Boy.” The breakout track “Sicko Mode” progresses through three beat switch ups that totally change the style of the song. The third beat in the song is produced by Tay Keith a producer who has proven his upbeat drums have a major effect on not only the track as a whole, but crowd reaction. Another stand out track is “Yosemite” with Gunna and Nav. Gunna opens the song on the acoustic guitar riff which sounds like a match made in heaven and Travis picks up where he left off. The song holds one of the only negatives for the album though. Right at the end when Navs verse starts his voice goes super quiet and you can barely hear it. Although it could be intentional to make the song fade out, it is likely it is a mixing mistake, the only on the album and somehow so obvious. The album was overall amazing and will be listened to for years that is why “Astroworld” is undoubtedly the album of the year.
    Roberto Escamilla and Nate Donohoe contributed to this review.


Tuesday, November 20, 2018

How to Survive Black Friday 2018

Devon Beacham
Staff Writer

With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, all are excited for the meals they are going to share with their families. But, with Thanksgiving comes Black Friday! Black Friday is the day that every shopper and sale connoisseur looks forward to each year. It’s the perfect time to buy a new video game, pair of designer shoes, flat screen TV, and so much more. However, this holiday definitely brings stress and excitement, due to the craziness that the malls across America endure. To survive Black Friday, you’ve got to be prepared! Here are some ways to help you and whomever, have a safe and successful holiday this 2018.
  Firstly, know what you want. Start creating a list of things you want to buy for yourself, whether that requires the main idea of the type of products you want, or if you know exactly what you’ve got your eye on. A way to do that is getting some research in! Look at some of your favorite stores online and see if they have started to promote their deals ahead of time. If you want to go the extra mile, write type in your notes on your phone the stores you want to go to and the deals they’re having. Of course, traditionally, Black Friday is the commencement of the Holiday shopping for your loved ones, so take advantage of that and get a good idea of who you are shopping for and what you want to purchase, so you're not running around last minute.
Next, go with friends or family. Carpooling is great for the environment plus you only have to find one parking spot! You don’t want to be wasting precious shopping time looking for a parking spot, so either carpool or have someone drop you and whomever off to avoid the process entirely! Also, traffic is typically hectic, so make sure you leave at a time that works with your party, plan out your route and times.
If you have been saving up for this event, go buck wild, spend the money you saved specifically for this and spend it well! But, for those who haven’t and want to follow a strict budget, a good way to prevent yourself from being impulsive after you have reached your max limit is by just bringing your max limit in cash! This is a perfect way to discipline your spending to keep you from splurging, which you may regret. Something about using cash just makes you feel more guilty, when you bring a credit/debit card, you just swipe, swipe, swipe!
As the day gets near, a good idea would be to get a map of the mall you will be attending and plan your mission. Figure out exactly what stores you want to visit and those you are going with as well. After you get to all your desired destinations, definitely casually visit some other stores, because you never know what you might find, especially on Black Friday.
Finally, when the day arrives, make sure you have a charged phone. This tip is very important, especially if you are with a group. With deal-hungry people causing chaos in the mall, being alone can be scary! So, make sure you have a charged device in case you get removed from your group so you can quickly locate them. Although, sometimes the service is poor in highly concentrated areas, such as a mall on Black Friday, so create a designated meeting point every few stores if necessary! Another thing: wear comfortable and loose clothing. This way you can go in and out of the dressing rooms without wasting any time.
All in all, creating a game plan and arriving prepared to Black Friday is a very wise choice. Hopefully, your Black Friday is successful and as stress-free as possible! If you don’t get the opportunity to purchase all that you wanted to, don't forget about Cyber Monday!

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Clarence Thomas vs. Brett Kavanaugh

Krupa Shah
Editor in Chief

Twenty seven years ago a young walked into the Hearing Room of the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify against her harasser. Coincidentally, the same events unfolded in the hearings for Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. It was once Anita Hill and now its Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and both deserve to have their stories told.

In 1991, Anita Hill upended Clarence Thomas’s confirmation hearing. She accused him of sexually harassing her after she denied his previous advancements to date. Obviously, then Supreme Court-nominee Clarence Thomas vehemently denied the allegations stating, “ [this hearing is] a high-tech lynching for uppity Blacks,” referring to the idea that Hill’s purpose in testifying was to prevent him from entering a public position so she could further herself. These allegations were the first of their kind and left a deep mark on the confirmation hearings.

Sitting before and all white male panel of senators that made up the Senate Judiciary Committee, Anita Hill was grilled on her relationship with and the alleged actions of then Judge Clarence Thomas. Hill’s testimony alleges that Thomas sexually harassed her through discussion of sexual acts and other types of pornographic content, much of which was extremely salacious and was never deemed acceptable to discuss on the bench until now. Over and Over, she was, essentially, forced to repeat graphically, embarrassing details that would forever go down as one of the most brutal yet uncomfortable questioning in history. In the end, Clarence Thomas would be confirmed.

The echoes of Anita Hill’s testimony emanated from each of the words spoken by Dr. Ford in the September 27, 2018 hearing, proving that this hearing would be no different from the one that occured in 1991. Dr. Ford’s allegations of assault still caused shockwaves all throughout DC and the rest of country in terms of detailing Kavanaugh’s alleged actions towards her at that high school party 36 years ago. Furthermore, the account being detailed all these years later describes the “reluctance of someone to come forward demonstrates that even in the #MeToo era, it remains incredibly difficult to report harassment, abuse or assault by people in power,” explains Hill when discussing the parallels between the cases in 1991 and now.

The parallels between both of the cases are strikingly similar as both women are educators who accused people whom they had worked with and went a party with, respectively, as well as sitting before a predominantly white, male panel discussing the graphic details of each incident. Furthermore, both of their alleged perpetrators were eventually confirmed to the Supreme Court and have vehemently denied all of the allegations. However, this denial should not and does not discount both of these women’s stories.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

The woods are "haunted" in October

Laney Hefelfinger and Lucie MacGillvray
Staff Writers

Happy Halloween! The Haunted Woods, organized by student volunteers at New Hope Solebury High School, will be taking place in the woods at the school on Oct. 25th-27th to celebrate the exciting and spooky Halloween! Students have been seen donning Haunted Woods shirts.The anticipation is extremely high.
   “We’re super excited! We’ve already started making the decorations! This year is going to be the scariest Haunted Woods yet!” exclaimed an ecstatic student.
   Another student claimed that the Haunted Woods is scarier than any other scary attraction. Why go to a haunted hayride when you could go the Haunted Woods?
  In the past, the Haunted Woods have been scare-your-socks-off horrifying, but this year, those involved have promised to deliver the most eerie event yet.
   Trick-or-treating may be fun, but nothing compares to the absolute fright of walking through the dark woods at night. If you aren’t spooked by cheesy and unrealistic costumes and decorations, then skip the trick-or-treating, and head to the woods instead.
   Instead of tuning into a Halloween Movie, feel like you’re in one. Face the horrors provided by student volunteers. The talented actors with realistic and scary costumes are actually your peers, whom have devoted lots of their time towards establishing their routes and actions. Come out and support these hard-working individuals by sharing a scream and a scare. These amazing students will knock your socks off!
  Don’t be a bore, coming to the Haunted Woods will be a score.

Monday, October 15, 2018

As the seasons change it's time to get excited about upcoming events!

Devon Beacham
Staff Writer

It is officially fall and though summer is dearly missed, there are so many reasons to look forward to this season! Although summer is fantastic, it’s hard to not look forward to fall!
Junior Kel MacDowell says, “I had an awesome summer break, and it’s been hard to see it go, but I'm looking forward to all the fun and beauty fall brings this year!” Nature’s colors are changing to beautiful hues of orange, yellow, green, red, brown, and more! It’s finally time to go outside and be able to wear warm clothing, such as sweatshirts, jackets, or jeans and be comforted in not worrying about being completely hot or freezing. It's “sweater weather.”
It’s now certainly valid to begin diving into the Halloween spirit. One of the best ways to immerse yourself - aside from putting in an effort to find a Halloween costume that isn’t offensive - is to rev up with Halloween movies and TV specials, especially if you’ve grown out of some of the more traditional outdoor holiday activities such as trick-or-treating. Everyone loves a good Halloween film, whether it is a thriller or family friendly. During the week, pondering creative costume ideas and bringing them to life can be a great preparation for the spooky October event.
Don’t know what to do on a nice fall weekend? Grab some friends on a Friday or Saturday night and go to a nearby haunted attraction our area has to offer to enjoy hayrides, haunted houses, mazes, bonfires (s'mores of course), live music, good food, warm drinks, and more, such as Shady Brook Farm, Sleepy Hollow, and more. A nice way to finish off your weekend of fall festivities could be going apple or pumpkin picking with friends or family and ending the night with carving, creating new apple recipes, chatting, and enjoying it all outside by the fire or inside with music!
But, before Halloween is Homecoming! With Homecoming comes choosing a stylish outfit, and the themed days all week leading up: the home football game on Saturday at 12:30 p.m., Fall Fest on Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the field next to the stadium and the semi-formal dance on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 7:00 p.m. in the gym with your peers.
Our area offers some of the finest outdoor fall activities in the world, such as walking around town and getting a meal with your friends and family or going for a bike ride on the scenic Delaware River Canal. If you go visit Bowman's Tower, you can use the student discount for tickets to head up to see the naturally gorgeous view of the river and the fall colored trees.
Peddler’s Village is known for the many festivals they hold. Throughout the fall, you can view the scarecrows that are on display for the annual scarecrow competition. The OctoberFEAST and Halloween Spooktacular have passed, but you can still look forward to the Apple Festival on November 3-4, Kick Off to the Holidays Festival on Nov. 9, and the famous Grand Illumination on Nov. 16. Peddler’s Village does a nice job at keeping the season lively and festive.
All these reasons should have you excited and festive for the joyful season ahead and hopefully make the transition from summer to fall feel a little more smooth. 

Monday, June 18, 2018

Apple announces macOS Mojave

Colin Morton
Staff Writer

Along with the new iOS 12 software updates, Apple has also announced that they will be bringing new features to all computers using macOS.  Some of these changes are cosmetic, for example the Mac lock screen will have a larger font and profile picture. However, there are quite a few new apps that will be readily available when the macOS 10.14 update comes out.  Apple created a new, more user friendly version of their DVD player app, and it only runs on 64-bit systems. Apple decided to make that change because they dropped all support for 32-bit systems.
    The name of the new macOS software is “Mojave.”  Mojave provides a “dark mode” to the user, and it automatically adjusts the brightness throughout the day.  It also allows the user to stack applications, using a feature called Stacks, on their desktop to organize files without creating folders.  Apple made it so their quick look is a photo editor too! The photo editor took some cues from Google Photos in that it will now create stylized photos and clips for you. Without opening some application to edit photos, you can just draw on the picture in a quick view of it!
    Apple is fourth largest computer company in the world. A leader in hardware and software, they are making sure that they stay that way with these new software updates.

Revolutionary new 3D printer

Colin Morton
Staff Writer

Hewlett-Packard, more known as HP, is a widely known technology company that focuses on bettering the software in PCs.  However, recently there has been word that they are constructing a 3D printer that will revolutionize the world of 3D printing.  This printer is still a work in progress, and its engineers are located at the HP Innovation Center of Barcelona. This printer, in its earliest stages, can fully produce a cost-effective, light, durable biking helmet!
   Rob Enderle, of Tech News World, believes that what HP is doing is, “Just short of magic.”  These advances utilize HP’s imaging tech with their new printing abilities to produce virtually anything.  The products of HP’s 3D printer create these objects that cost one-tenth of what other companies can. This could be the future of quickly mass producing cars and other typically expensive items.  If HP can truly master what they’re working on, it could change the way production is handled.
   It’s assumed that this device won’t be available until 2020.  HP wants to get the new printing technology out to larger corporations before it reaches the open public.  Even when it becomes fully accessible to the public, it will still be a rare item to own. These products will cost between $100,000 - $300,000, price ranges differ according to size.  If students here at NHS had access to this technology, they could make more intricate products to be used in fundraisers. It also connects to career and college readiness and to allow students to better learn what it is like to be a real engineer creating products.

Protecting students: Concussion awareness meetings test athletes to kickoff fall sports

Sydney Luff, Ethan Apparies, and Rachel Saxton
Staff writers

The meeting to kick of fall sports for the 2018-2019 school occurred on Tuesday, June 5. The Athletic Director, Kris Foulke, kicked off the presentation with an enthusiastic start as he warmly welcomed a guest speaker. The presentation consisted of a TED talk as well as several instructions on taking the ImPACT test (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing).
    Student athletes are required to take the ImPACT test no matter what sport they are playing. This test is the most popular concussion test taken in high schools.
     The ImPACT test is not meant to measure intelligence. It is supposed to serve as a reference, to understand whether or not someone has a concussion. Due to the sometimes extreme conditions of playing sports, coaches will require an athlete to take the ImPACT test again after a player has hit their head. If the score of the first test varies widely from the second test, the athlete should immediately stop playing their sport and seek medical attention.
    The ImPACT test is providing a safer environment for students.
     Hopefully this helpful tool will prevent diseases like CTE. CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), is a degenerative  disease often found in athletes who have suffered repetitive brain traumas.
     CTE is so common it was found in 110 of 111 deceased NFL Football players. It is extremely important to implement a tool like the ImPACT test to further prevent ourselves from extreme head injuries.

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Common sense tips you should take for the AP exam season


Vanessa & Charlotte
Staff Writers
As we move into May, the dreaded Advanced Placement (AP) exams are a major source of concern. The AP exams take place through the first two to three weeks of May, and each test can take anywhere from one to four hours. Many New Hope students will be taking one or more exams in the coming weeks, so here are some things to help you prepare.
  • If the class you are taking the exam in is offering any type of study session or practice exam- take it. This will help you get a sense of what the real test will be like, and is an extra way to study.
  • Make sure to not cram all materials into the night before. Spread out little bits of studying over the next few weeks or days to not overwhelm yourself and your brain.
  • Get a good night's sleep the night before. There is no need to study that night, just relax and mentally prepare.
  • Eat a healthy breakfast. The test is long and there are not many breaks, if any. Eat a full meal.
  • Leave your phone at home, it is not allowed. Make sure you have any materials, such as a calculator or pen, with you.
Most importantly, try not to stress too much! These tests do not affect your current school grades, so just try your best!

Monday, April 23, 2018

Sponsored Content aims to be bad

Thomas Detlefsen
Staff Writer

One morning, a couple weeks ago, I was scrolling through a news article when I hit the bottom of the page where the sponsored content resides. What I saw there was an ad disguised as a news article titled “New Hope Woman Was Playing On This Free Slot Machine App When All Of A Sudden This Happened.” I looked at it for a second and I wondered, who would click on this in belief that it was an actual news article? So I decided to visit the page and lo and behold, it was a blatant advertisement for an online casino app. Once the article names the app, outlines specific features, and gives only positive comments on the about the app, you realize that it is an ad. It begs the question though, why don’t the people who do this try harder? Why don’t they try to disguise their ad so that people believe that it is a real story?
  The reason functions the same way the classic Nigerian Prince scam email works. A poorly written email narrows down the people who respond to only the most gullible, or the people most likely to send money. The same is true for apps like the one described earlier. The people who download the app are the most gullible and are most likely to make some kind of in app purchase when others would not spend any money.
  The idea is counterintuitive, but effective.This idea is why $1.45 billion was reported lost to scams in 2016 by the internet crime complaint center.

Meet Legislative Correspondent Jeff Finegan

Jen Abele
Editor

Jeff Finegan joined as one of the 50 full-time staffers under Senator Hatch on Nov. 13,2017. He graduated from Lafayette College dual majoring in Political Science and German. There are three people between him and his boss. Senator Hatch will be retiring after this year’s term.

What is it like to be a Legislative Correspondent?
 The LA, Legislative Assistant, are the individuals that are responsible for policy formulation in different issue areas. So, in our office, for example, we have an LA that does health care, taxes, social security, budget issues, and military/foreign affairs. You can see that the issues are sort of grouped together. Then what LAs have are the LC, Legislative Correspondent, the job of the Legislative Correspondent is to make sure that constituents from the state who write in about any issue that falls in that portfolio gets an appropriate response. So, if you’re sitting in your house right now and you want to know what Pat Toomey’s position is on something related to the recently passed tax bill, say a provision in the tax bill, you call up the office or email and say. “Senator Toomey I’d like to know how you voted on this or what your opinion is, say on section 104 of the tax bill.”
 The LC is going to get that message, and they’re going to make sure that they formulate a response to you that answers your question. I’m the person in our office who makes sure that the LC gets that message. I check our website, or the track. The track is a correspondent’s system where I can see what issue areas are getting messages from our constituents. I will group those messages to make sure they get to the appropriate staffer.
  It’s also my job to make sure the LC is doing their work. Our office policy is; if you write to Senator Hatch, you will get a response within 14 days. So, what I must do is look at what we have that’s called a ‘queue’. I can go into someone’s queue, see how much correspondence they have assigned to them and look at the date when it was received.
 It’s more of an administrative position. It’s not really a policy creation position, but I got really lucky because it’s my first full time job. I had enough previous internship experiences that when I applied for it and interviewed for this role I got it.

What has Senator Hatch taught you that you have found valuable?
 He’s been in the Senate for 42 years, and he’s been there for quite some time. The one thing truthfully that I can say in an objective manner as possible is you sometimes in the general sense do not agree with him, but he has done a tremendous service to the State of Utah and to his constituents. I think he exhibits statesmanship, [he] has worked across the aisle with Democrats, and [he] has done a lot for the good of the country and the State of Utah.

What’s the best way to get your foot in the door on Capitol Hill?
  That depends on what you want to do. If you want to work on Capitol Hill in legislative processes the best thing is an internship. To put this into perspective usually ten Capitol Hill staffers have nine who have interned on the Hill at least once. Another beautiful part about being on the Hill is that there are all kinds of things present in D.C. like Government Agencies, Big Tax, Non-Profit, Advocacy Networks, and all kinds of different things nearby as well that are important to look into. One good thing that is a common thread, if you will, in D.C. is Hill experience. So you might want to intern at a very very small tight knit non-profit in D.C., but if you’ve interned at Capitol Hill that would likely help you get a career on the Hill. Everyone kinda knows what goes on there, the importance of being there[in D.C. and the Hill], and knowing how the system works.
   Then once you’re on Capitol Hill you can make all sorts of connections and become part of many networks. So, each person sort of takes a different path. The best option is if you genuinely are interested is to pursue your local Representatives. Your Congressmen is Brian Fitzpatrick, if you decide you want to be a political science major you could start laying down the foundation of an internship this summer for next year.
 The one thing too is there are two types of people who go to the Hill: work horses and show horses. Most people I think go there for the right reasons because people do genuinely want to have a positive impact. They’re also usually very interested in at least one issue. They know that’s the only way to have an impact. The single greatest thing that you can do on the Hill is to do everything that’s asked of you, to do more, and to be on top of what’s happening.
  Another part of it is that you want to show your superiors that you take your role very seriously and you’re not a clock watcher. You’re there to get a job done, and if you do those things there’s no way that you will not get recognized. Capitol Hill is one of the fewest instances where if you do a good job, you will get recognized.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

After prom events can be even more fun than the main event

Vanessa Northrup & Charlotte Taylor
Staff Writers

While prom is one of the biggest events of the year for many high school students, the events that take place after prom can be very fun and exciting for students as well. Many students take the weekend to spend time with friends and relax from all the craziness of school. In past years students have gone to the beach for the weekend, had sleepovers at friends' houses, and even went to amusement parks for the day. Since prom is on a Friday, everyone has the entire weekend to do as they please.
  In an interview with Laura Nagg, she told us that she will be going to Long Beach Island for the weekend with some of her friends and that she can’t wait to go! In another interview, Parker Miele is planning on going to his friend's Pocono house with a group.  Amanda Horak says she and her boyfriend Kyle, of three years, will be going to the Jersey shore to celebrate her friend's birthday.
  While doing something after prom is not a requirement, it is a favored tradition for many students that has been going on for years. There is a reminder for everyone to be safe and make smart decisions over this weekend for everyone to have a good time.


Does She Have My Dress?

Vanessa Northrup & Charlotte Taylor
Staff Writers

As Prom 2018 approaches, girls throughout the high school are currently picking out  dresses. Prom dress shopping is a big deal and can take a lot of time. With only a few more weeks until April 13 and hemming possibly needing to be done, time is ticking. After a few interviews, many girls had some well known dress place recommendations for any girls who are still looking.. Some of the most popular were: Golden Asp in Bensalem, Party Girls in Newtown, XO in Oxford Valley, Marisa Boutique in Newtown, and Lulu’s and Prom Girl online.
  Since it is VERY important that every girl has her own individual dress, keeping up with the Prom group chat on Instagram is a necessity. If anyone still needs to add themselves into the page, follow: @nhsprom2018 To add your dress, simply direct message a picture of your dress to the account and they will post it for everyone to see. Happy prom shopping!

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Anyone (or Anything) Can Cook

Colin Morton
Staff Writer

Flippy the burger-flipping robot displays skills that nobody would have thought was possible ten or more years ago. At Caliburger in Pasadena, Flippy shows off its skill by flipping burgers for hungry customers. Although burger-flipping may not seem like such an amazing feat, this is just the beginning for what lies in the future for robots. Is this invention beneficial though? Burger flippers, or fry cooks, provide many people around the world with jobs, and these robots could take them away.
 According to Digital Trends Media, “Flippy can flip up to 300 burgers an hour...each one is flipped ‘perfectly and consistently.’” This value may not seem too grand, but this is compared to the minimal 100 burgers that an average human can flip per hour. On top of that, Flippy never gets tired. Flipping burgers doesn’t seem like it would be so complicated, but it really is. Flippy does what it does by utilizing 3D, thermal, and regular cameras to keep watch on the burgers while they’re cooking. Once the burger is done cooking, Flippy uses its six-axis robotic arm with a spatula attached to the end to flip the burger.
Miso Robotics is the company behind Flippy, and they are very happy with how the robot turned out. This robot made CaliBurger one of the highest rated burger joints in all of California.

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Last year's prom venue is back and better than ever

Stella Kelley and Chloe Miller
Staff Writers

Last year, juniors and seniors travelled to the Cairnwood Estate in Bryn Athyn to have their 2017 prom. The Cairnwood Estate consists of a main house, adjacent courtyard, garden house, and formal gardens. The estate was built in 1892 and has been preserved since then.
In the days after prom last year, many students voiced concerns about two main issues; the food and the layout of the venue. The menu last year consisted of salad, chicken, pasta, and a sushi bar. Although the sushi bar got mostly rave reviews, students claimed the chicken was dry and unflavorful, and that the salad had an odd taste.
Students were also concerned with the layout of the venue. The Cairnwood Estate has multiple rooms where tables were placed, which often made people feel isolated and far from their friends on a night that is all about being with people you enjoy being around. Many students are hoping that this year, there will be more flow and connectivity throughout the venue to make everyone feel more comfortable.
While last year’s theme of Fairytale made for a perfectly decorated venue with delicate lights, pastel colors, relaxing candles, and beautiful tulips, this year’s Gatsby theme will ensure that the “same old venue” is completely different. Many of the decorations and ideas for bringing this Gatsby party to life are currently confidential to the junior class officers and prom committee, however Junior Class President Larissa Borys states, “We are going back to the ‘Roaring 20’s’, which is exciting because most students have read The Great Gatsby and now they get to experience it too.” Additionally, there will be a photo booth, with theme-fitting photo booth wear and accessories. The layout of the prom will be very different from last year’s and the officers have guaranteed “plenty of gold, glitter, feathers, and jazzy music.” This year’s prom seems like it will definitely be the “party of the century”!


Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Independent Studies have much to offer

Thomas Detlefsen
Staff Writer

Although New Hope-Solebury High School provides many courses for a variety of different interests, each individual is unique and combined, each student has more different niche hobbies than any one school could ever provide classes for. Something as specific as script-writing or jazz recording would not have enough students to qualify as a class on its own. This is where the idea of an independent study comes in.
  An independent study is a course a student can take under the supervision of a teacher if their interest is not covered by a class in the school. It allows students to have a bit of freedom from the traditional class structure and tests their ability to work productively and meet deadlines on their own. Most importantly, the independent study allows students to explore a topic that is truly captivating to them.
  Ryan Keating, a senior, is taking an independent study called Study of Screenwriting. This course requires him to write a full length screenplay to learn about good storytelling practices and what it takes to write a full story. On why he requested the independent study, Ryan said: “I like movies and I have always wanted to create one for myself.” He also said that he will probably continue to write in college, but it will not be his career choice.
  Ryan’s experience provides a great example of the benefits of an independent study. He has explored something that he is interested in, but is not offered regularly. It is really important to encourage students to pursue things they are interested in, and that is what the independent study does.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Winter Weather Brings Regretful Fun to New Hope

Frank Spadavecchia and Devin Bock
Staff Writers

Before this winter began, many had predicted we would have a warm, wet winter. Gladly, they were wrong. Our area has already received a few different snow storms with one that even left four-five inches. This was a big surprise to many, proving the original predictions wrong. Along with the periods of snowfall, we have had to bear through weeks of well-below freezing temperatures. These periods of cold, along with the precipitation have created some extremely icy conditions and have made it very dangerous to travel some days. This has caused schools to shut down, leaving every student in the area ecstatic. New Hope Solebury has already had two snow days, two delayed openings, and one early dismissal.
  This leaves plenty of time for people to enjoy winter activities:sledding, skiing, snowball fights or, the least enjoyable of the bunch, shoveling. Many students within New Hope-Solebury have used these snow days to visit their favorite mountains to shred the slopes. With our snow days being used up, however, consequences are arising. The school has already used up its two built in snow days meaning that the next day off will result in the loss of one day of Spring Break. Then from that point on all snow days will then move back graduation. With all of this in mind many students are left wondering whether or not the sight of glistening snow flakes falling from the sky is a beautiful sight or one that they soon will dread.


Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Snow days prove to be a student’s favorite news item

Kayla Paul-Koch
Staff Writer

After 10 days away from school for winter break, students grudgingly went back to school on Jan. 2. As if almost two weeks away wasn’t enough, when students heard about the possible snow storm hitting New Hope they prayed for a snow day.
  To the students’ joy there were two snow days in a row resulting in a four day weekend. And if that wasn’t enough for students, the next week there was an early dismissal on Monday and a two hour delay on Tuesday.
  “I was excited because we didn’t have school and I didn’t have to do any work!” said sophomore Sarah Block.
  On the contrary, Freshman Kevin O’Brien said “I was excited in the moment, but now I’m frustrated with the amount of makeup work I have to do from the days we had off.”
 The end of the second marking period is creeping up on Jan. 26, creating extra stress for students and teachers to makeup the time lost. Students have been dealing with a heavy load of new information to get in before the start of a new quarter.

The Roaring Corner: Episode 3

Amanda Horak & Parker Miele
Staff Writers

One question we sent out in a survey before holiday break was “what is stressing you out about the New Year?” Some of the options we listed were college, homework, family, and work. According to our responses, the majority said college was the thing that stressed them out the most.
  Both being seniors, we know how stressful the college application and waiting period is. Waiting to hear back from your top schools is the most stressful thing ever! However, we all just have to wait. There is nothing to stress about because we are all going to go to the place we are meant to be at!
   “I was very excited to be accepted to two of my top schools, which are Notre Dame and Georgetown University,” Max Chuma, who is also a senior, said.
  Besides college, another popular choice was homework. Lately, we have been receiving a lot of homework because we’re approaching the end to the second marking period. Again, it is nothing to stress about. Just make sure you start your homework ahead of time and don’t worry about it!
  Let’s have a great start to the new year by just relaxing and not stressing out about things like college and homework!

Explore a smarter way to keep your resolutions

Devon Beacham and Justin Horak
Staff Writers 

The New Year is behind us, resolutions have already been established, and maybe even surrendered by now, and if not now, then probably sometime soon. New Year's resolutions seem to always last temporarily. Of course it is nice to think of improvement and act on it, but the unfortunate truth is not everyone can always follow through with those intentions! Some cliché resolutions usually are regarding one’s health, such as eating healthier and finally joining the gym. Why are New Year's resolutions yearly? Because they never follow through the entire year! Individuals can maintain their goals and overall create a better lifestyle for themselves. But, what is the difference between the successful goals and those that often ultimately lead to failure?
 It seems the most efficient and achievable resolutions are by making measurable ones. Rather than creating a goal such as “being more active,” one could make their resolution “exercise for one hour everyday.” Instead of saying “make healthier choices,” have a goal of “eating at least one vegetable at every meal.” Instead of “lose weight,” one could plan to “lose 10 pounds.” By setting a target that people can make sure they can achieve, it is simpler for them to push themselves to complete it and mentally check it off when they’re done and further their goals after the first are achieved. If someone is trying to structure a goal that they are able to accomplish, the best choice, is to make it measurable. A goal that one can look back on after many days have passed and know for sure whether or not he or she has fulfilled is more likely to end in success.



The Year of Billion Dollar Disasters

Cooper Hendricks
Staff Writers

2017 was an expensive year in disaster costs for the US at $306 million. It is estimated to be the third most expensive year in the 123 years of records. It comes after 2014 and 2012 in disaster costs. With a total of 3 hurricanes, 8 severe storms, 1 wildfire and 2 floods, 2017 left a sizable dent in disaster costs.
  Some places in Florida and even Texas are still recovering from the damage done by Harvey, Irma, and Maria, granted some people haven't recovered from Hurricane Sandy back in 2012 so we will probably hear about this for years to come. Not to mention these hurricanes were some of the costliest disasters over the year.
  Each disaster costed more than a billion each. Which is quite shocking when you think about it. Some people have supported the idea of proper training and prevention for later disasters.