Spring Awakening

El despertar de la primavera

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor Content warning: this article contains spoilers Written in 1891 and adapted to Broadway as a rock musical in 2006, “Spring Awakening” is a story that is still relevant today. The musical goes back and forth between modern alternative rock and themes from the 19th century. The WOU Theatre Department took on this multidimensional musical and worked to create something special with it. Every single show was ASL interpreted. There was a reason for this — the interpreters interacted with the actors, adding a unique dynamic to the production. Parts of the songs were signed by the actors themselves, which gave the story more depth and emotion, as well as accessibility. “Spring Awakening” is not a story to be taken lightly. Topics such as suicide, sex and abortion can make the play uncomfortable for some, but it is still a crucial story to tell. Today, the main themes of the musical continue to resonate with audiences. Jacob Fritts and Kelsey Wallace brought maximum energy to the stage as Melchior and Wendla. They captured the audience’s attention both together and apart. The dynamics of each character made the story intriguing and relatable. Moritz, a tormented young man, was played by Frank Kern, a second-year at Western. “Spring Awakening is themed heavily around how we raise our kids today, how we teach and support them… I feel it is important to recognize the impact that my performance might have on the audience, particularly my peers… audience members see the character of Moritz through the lens of me, a transgender actor, which inherently added a level...

The rise of physical media

El auge de los soportes físicos

Written by: Lili Minato | Freelancer In 2023, Best Buy announced that they were going to stop selling DVDs in 2024. DVD sales have also been declining for the past 16 years, but with the rise of fan culture, especially on social media, DVDs and other forms of physical media have the chance to make a comeback. Social media has allowed people from around the world to build connections with one another, especially when it comes to the shared love of media like film and music. Within these communities, there is a presence of commercialism. Artists make merchandise to sell to adoring fans, and people post about their purchases such as the discovery of new or vintage items relating to the media. It’s a large part of the culture.  The urge to buy merchandise from favorite artists allows businesses like The Criterion Collection to rise in sales. Criterion is a company that makes special editions of classic and contemporary films. They sell DVDs with new covers and designs; their DVDs usually house exclusive commentary, merchandise and scenes from the director, which is a big selling point for fans.  Even with new companies like Criterion, the purchasing of brand-new DVDs is still on the decline; this may be because many fans are giving thrifted and vintage DVDs a new life. The more obscure the merchandise is, the better it is for enthusiastic devotees. It is also very cost-effective, considering many DVDs only cost a couple of dollars at a thrift store. Still, some may find the purchasing of DVDs to be a waste of money because of the accessibility of...

It’s a smash

Es un éxito

Written by: Sophie Taylor | Designer “F—–g Your Culture” — $uicideboy$ “I duckinf hatw u” — Ghostemane “Floor 555” — XXXTENTACION “CtrlAltDelete” — BONES “G WALKIN’ ON YO COFFIN, Pt. 1” — Lil Boodang “GENOCIDE” — Lil Darkie “Memoirs of a Gorilla” — $uicideboy$ “Aftershock” — Pouya “HDMI” — BONES “Nightmare on the Northside” — Scrim “Psycho Pass” — Xavier Wulf “MARCELINE” — Lil God Dan “Y’all Want A Single” — Korn “Two Twelve Subwoofer” — 99zed, Saliva Grey “Sacrilege” — Ghostemane “You’re Now Tuning into 66.6 FM with DJ Rapture” — $uicideboy$ “AWKWARD CAR DRIVE” — Germ, $uicideboy$ “Heroin As a Recreational Activity” — DUCKBOY “The 9th Circle” — MAKAVELIGODD “Flesh” — Ghostemane “4Peat” — XXXTENTACION, Ski Mask The Slump God “Deadboy98” — REDZED Contact the author at...

So much for (2our) dust…

So much for (2our) dust…

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor On Feb. 28, Fall Out Boy kicked off the second North American leg of their “So Much for (2our) Dust…” tour in a sold-out show at the Moda Center in Portland. I had the opportunity to attend this show, something I have wanted to do since middle school.  Fall Out Boy was opened by Daisy Grenade, The Main and Jimmy Eat World. Even though Jimmy Eat World was an opener, Fall Out Boy, Daisy Grenade and The Main are all influenced by Jimmy Eat World, which was a cool experience for everyone. Starting at 6 p.m., each opening artist had 45 minutes to perform onstage, with Jimmy Eat World finishing their set at 8:45 p.m. While waiting for Fall Out Boy to come on stage, the sound tech played various popular alternative songs, including “Dear Maria Count Me In” and “Dial Drunk,” before they capped it off with Fall Out Boy’s modern “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Immediately after, the intro played and out they came. After playing “Love From the Other Side,” guitarist Pete Wentz gave a brief introduction and they launched into their set. Many of the songs were accompanied by pyrotechnics, smoke screens, fireworks and a fire-covered guitar, played by Wentz.  During the portion of the show where they played “Sugar We’re Going Down,” “Uma Thurman” and “A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More ‘Touch Me’,” the band had a puppeteered snail on stage, along with inflatable cacti and a crew member wearing a white rabbit suit. The rabbit vibed along with the music onstage, ultimately ending up...

Flashback to the 90s

Regreso a los años 90

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor Songs that take you back to the time before iPods and Spotify. This is the playlist everyone’s parents listened to in their college dorms, filled to the brim with songs that defined the decade. “Tubthumping” — Chumbawamba “Mambo No. 5 (a Little Bit of…)” — Lou Bega “Slam” — Onyx “Break Stuff” — Limp Bizkit “End of the Road” — Boyz II Men “Zombie” — The Cranberries “What’s My Age Again?” — Blink-182 “You Oughta Know” — Alanis Morissette “Basket Case” — Green Day “Ironic” — Alanis Morisette “Semi-Charmed Life” — Third Eye Blind “My Name Is” — Eminem “No Diggity” — Blackstreet, Dr. Dre, Queen Pen “No Scrubs” — TLC “Genie in a Bottle” — Christina Aguilera “What a Girl Wants” — Christina Aguilera “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” — JAY-Z “(You Drive Me) Crazy” — Britney Spears “Tonight, Tonight” — The Smashing Pumpkins “Say It Ain’t So” — Weezer Contact the author at...

Autores negros en el Mes de la Historia Negra

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor As Black History Month comes to an end, here is a list of books written by Black authors to expand one’s reading portfolio. With a mix of thrillers, memoirs and historical fiction, everyone is sure to find something to enjoy.  “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker — This Pulitzer prize winning novel depicts the lives of African American women living in twentieth-century rural Georgia. Though separated while they were young, sisters Celie and Nettie stay loyal to each other across time through a series of letters. “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett — From the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, racial identities and communities are explored. One twin sister remains in the southern town she once tried to escape, while the other hides her past from her white husband. “Ace of Spades” by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé — At Niveus Private Academy, the wealthy students strive for nothing less than perfection. When the anonymous texter, “Aces,” brings two students’ secrets to light, everything turns upside down. “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas — Starr Carter exists in two worlds — the poor neighborhood where she lives and the suburban prep school she attends. The shaky balance between her two worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the shooting of her best friend. “Becoming” by Michelle Obama — The first African-American First Lady shares her experiences advocating for young women, creating inclusivity in the White House and changing the ways families pursue the topic of health in her memoir.  “Right Where I Left You” by Julian Winters — Isaac Martin...

Excessive amounts of biopics

Excessive amounts of biopics

Written by: Lili Minato | Freelancer In the past year alone, 17 biopics were released in movie theaters and on major streaming services. The most notable of them is, “Oppenheimer,” which is currently nominated for 13 Oscars. Now, in 2024, new biopics are playing in theaters, including: “Bob Marley: One Love,” as well as the trailer for, “Back to Black,” a film about the life of Amy Winehouse.  Many of the upcoming blockbuster films fall under the category of biographical movies, including a recently announced four-film series about The Beatles. Theaters everywhere are currently being overrun with these biographical retellings.  Biopics are a genre that attracts a very specific audience. Most films during this day and age attempt to appeal to all viewers, which can cause the movie to fall flat. Biographical films attract an audience that is interested in the people, or person, that the film is about; rather than having to worry about reaching a large audience, the directors only need to worry about making a mediocre film and disappointing the fans.  By making a film about a subject with adoring and intrigued fans, directors are almost guaranteed a box office hit. They simply have to hire the right actors and writers to depict an accurate story. There is little creativity needed to share the life of another person.  Biopics are easier to make compared to an original story with an original script and there is less risk. Even if the film doesn’t end up being well-loved, most people will still go to theaters to see their favorite historical figure on the big screen.  This is the...

Beyoncé takes on country

Beyoncé takes on country

Written by: Libby Thoma | Staff Writer Beyoncé has announced the second part of her “Renaissance” album, which is a three-act installment. However, this album takes a different approach than her previous ones because it classifies as country; it is said to come out on March 29. Fans are referring to the album as “Renaissance Act II” or “Act II,” although the name of the album remains unknown. The news was dropped during the Super Bowl halftime show and confirmed to be country. Beyoncé also starred in a Super Bowl commercial with Tony Hail by acting as ‘firsts,’ such as the first female president. The commercial ended with a voiceover stating, “ok, they ready, drop the new music.” Later on the same Super Bowl Sunday, the songs “Texas Hold ‘Em’” and “Act II,” both country, were released and posted to her Instagram.   However, Beyoncé’s new country album did not come without controversy. A country station, KYKC 100.1, refused to play Beyoncé’s new country music on their station, and Roger Harris, the owner of the station, stated they get a high volume of calls to play Beyoncé’s new songs, which on other stations, played up to eight times a week.  The release of “Texas Hold ‘Em’” and “Act II” has been met with backlash from country listeners who don’t consider her music ‘real country.’ This has led to many stations facing the problem of receiving hundreds of calls or sticking to more traditional country music.  Bobby Bone, along with many other Beyoncé fanatics, finds it interesting that there has not been much controversy surrounding Post Malone’s upcoming country album despite...

Spicy book recs for the single and the curious couples

Spicy book recs for the single and the curious couples

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor, Salyna Woods | Freelancer This selection of romance and smut books was created for those who may be lonely or for couples looking for new things to try in the bedroom. Fluff — plot oriented, light spice “Ice Breaker,” “Maple Hills Series” Book One by Hannah Grace — When the hockey and figure skating teams at Maple Hills University are forced to share the same rink — and Anastasia Allen’s skating partner gets hurt in the aftermath — hockey player Nathan Hills finds himself trading his stick for tights. “The Deal,” “Off-Campus Series” Book One by Elle Kennedy — Hannah Wells would do anything to get her crush’s attention — even tutor the cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date. All Garret Graham wants to do is play professional hockey, but his dropping GPA is threatening everything. If fake dating a girl to help make some guy jealous will help him secure a position on the team, so be it.  Spicy — less plot oriented, medium spice “Twisted Love,” “Twisted Series” Book One by Anna Huang — Alex Volkov is a devil blessed with the face of an angel and a cursed past; Ava Chen is a free spirit trapped by nightmares of a childhood she can’t remember. Their love is one that was never supposed to happen, but when it does, it unleashes secrets that could destroy them both and everything they love. “Things I Wanted to Say But Never Did,” “The Lancaster Prep Series” Book One by Monica Murphy — Whit Lancaster is a menace...

Upcoming Frankenstein films

Upcoming Frankenstein films

Written by: Lili Minato | Freelancer Content warning: this article contains mentions of suicide The iconic story of “Frankenstein” has been retold upwards of 114 times through the artistic media of film, the first recorded example being a movie by the same name made in 1910. Now, there are two new “Frankenstein” adaptations coming to the big screen in the upcoming year and a “Frankenstein”-inspired film that is up for an Academy Award.  These three movies all follow the general themes and plot of “Frankenstein,” while also bringing their own original ideas to the table. From original stories to stylistic elements and cinematography, the classic story continues to spark new life in these adaptations.  “Poor Things” is an artistic blockbuster that premiered in December of 2023. The story, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, follows a suicidal pregnant woman — played by Emma Stone — who is resurrected with her brain switched with the underdeveloped brain of her unborn child. She then goes on to explore the world through those new set of eyes.  While not technically a publicized reproduction of the original story, it takes many elements from the stereotypical depictions of “Frankenstein” — a mad scientist and the resurrection of a new organic creature as well as the exploration and the understanding of society by said creature. The connections to the original Mary Shelley novel are abundant.  The upcoming film, “Lisa Frankenstein,” takes a different approach to the generic recurring plot points of past “Frankenstein” adaptations. Described as a “coming of rage love story” by IMDb, the plot consists of a teenager in the 80s bringing a corpse — who...