Opinion

by 0 comments on "Hologram concerts"

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Hologram Concerts

Out of curiosity I wanted to know if my peers knew what a hologram concert was, and if they did would they go see one? In case you don’t know what it is let me explain. It’s a concert but with a computer showing the image of the person dancing and singing instead of the actual artist being there in their physical form. There are some cases though that the person does not exist because the character was created as a cartoon that sings, an example of this is Miku Hatsune. If you want to see a video of her I will add a description at the end of this article.

I asked some people if they knew what it was and if they would ever pay to go to one.

Results:
People who knew what it was : 19
Who didn’t know: 10
Who would pay to go to one: 12
Who would not pay: 7
Depending on artist or didn’t know: 6
Total people: 32

To sum it up most of the people I asked did know what it was. The people who did know mostly said that they would go because it would be a fun experience, or they would go because it looks cool. The people who said they wouldn’t go told me, because they would rather see the person in real life not as a computer, so when they gave me that answer I asked them one more question which was to see if they would stick to their answer. I asked them what if the artist was dead like Selena. They said that in that case they would go because it would be nice to see them again. However, there were still some people who did not want to go at all, some thought it was just not worth it to pay for a computer and not the actual artist.

Overall though this was a fun little experiment out of curiosity and in my opinion, I would go because it seems like it’ll be fun and besides there are some artist I wish I could’ve seen in concert before they died.

Miku Hatsune video can be found with https://youtu.be/HI0mv7P_sRk

by 0 comments on "Abolish SAT-Emphasis"

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-AP Students and/or students who have taken the SAT

“It is not often that a man can make opportunities for himself.  But he can put himself into such shape that when or if opportunity comes, he is ready.” -Theodore Roosevelt

For years and years, high schools across the nation emphasize the aptitude test known as the SAT.  There are those who have the necessary funds, those who know which direction to go in life, and those who are backed with the many scholarships they have earned who may just shrug off the difficulty that comes with nothing more than another qualification for college.  For many, however, comes its blatant needlessness.  There will be those who have an interest in vocational schools, those who work straight out of high school, or those who pursued an alternate route.  Why must they receive the same emphasis if it’s not of their interest?

The SAT, in a sense, is an unnecessary test that has burrowed its way into high school life.  Perhaps it wouldn’t be needless if something like junior college was not made available as an alternate route.  Junior college, otherwise known as community college, is arguably the most efficient and helpful way to get into any four-year university.  Unlike a generalized test such as the SAT, community college can provide students with a more specific goal for when they reach any of the local Cal-States or UCs.  This is imperative to those who have yet to decide what they wish to pursue in life, what they know they’re good at, and what they’re the most comfortable with since it provides an extended two years of experience and flexibility that isn’t limited to mandatory classes in high school.

In hindsight, passing the SAT, ACT, or any form of aptitude test can prove a student’s worth in college life.  However, in today’s society, debt has become the accepted snake that crawls up and down everyone’s spine.  It almost always begins with student loan debt.  As opposed to what the SAT promotes, unless the student pursued scholarships, they are walking into the loan traps set in place by a majority of colleges.  Why must a student pay for general education classes in a four-year college?  These classes do not favor their pursuit in their occupation whatsoever, yet they are still paying the full price for courses and semesters.  Why isn’t it advertised that community college also covers general education classes?  You can complete said classes for a fraction of the cost all while figuring out what career you want to pursue.  Not to mention that transfers have a greater enrollment rate than freshmen going in straight from high school according to the statistics found on universityofcalifornia.edu.

As mentioned before, unless a student has access to adequate funds and/or scholarships, the SAT should NOT be emphasized in high school life without the consultation of alternate methods.  Students should be aware and should know what they must endure if they decide to go directly into a four-year college directly from high school.

by 1 comment on "Reminiscing the Memes"

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Memes have been around for quite some time even before any of us were born, let’s start out with the memes from middle school you guys know exactly what I’m talking about. The rage faces, that was the first ever meme for me I don’t know about you guys but that’s how my preteen years went by, creating bottom text memes with rage faces trying so hard to be funny those were real good times even the comic strips were pretty funny even to this day they’re pretty funny.
Moving on, I’m pretty sure we’ve all seen the word boss when talking about something “cool”, that word went on for a while it was pretty annoying but hey that’s how us kiddos were, always following the trends, we would always use that word either in making the meme or commenting about it and now our “intelligent vocabulary” expands from there to even more interesting words.
Next, we have the adorable “doge” memes honestly I don’t know how to explain that meme it was pretty funny and the word doge should be self-explanatory for all meme lovers I thought it was a corgi but turns out it’s a shuba inu which is a breed from japan, super adorable and very lovable.
Next, do you guys remember that alien guy, on every single picture of that alien guy it would say “ayyy lmao” I didn’t think it was that funny but it sure is fun to say to friends, family, teachers, or your dogs. I would count that as a meme since it was pretty popular for quite a while.
Everyone who has social media knows about “pepe” he was everywhere! literally his face changed to every single mood that is possible it was always easily relatable, he was pretty much an ugly version of Kermit but sadly RIP to pepe the meme died down kind of fast and we then moved on from there to greater memes.
Now we have come to the present, filled with many offensive and “triggering”, basically what started this whole “edgy” phase of memes was “harambe” I despised him greatly he was only funny for a week but then everyone on social media took it too far and I was completely tired of it, so sad. From then on there are a huge variety of offensive memes that many of us find humorous but sometimes people take it way too far, well keep on enjoying the memes and keep bringing laughter to the world.

by 0 comments on "Bring Your Own Device"

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            The 2017-2018 school year will bring new freshman, new sports teams, and the beginnings of a system that will shape the classroom and make it continuously harder for poor students to keep up with the curriculum. Bring your own device (or BYOD) is the new program coming to Corona High School next year which will make every student responsible for bringing a computer or a tablet to school. While this contradicts the school’s anti-phone and anti-distraction position it has maintained for the past few years, the administration is confident that having technology and the ease that comes with it available to students will outweigh the risks involved in bringing tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of machinery to a high school.

Having every student within access of internet and programs like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel is not without its merit. The practicality of BYOD means that families would be responsible for the technology gap in public schooling, making for classes that are more efficient and engaging. And the concept leads to the possibilities of whole new avenues of learning that would not be possible before. Technology makes tasks more engaging however mundane they are, and if staff can translate that to learning then school will become the institution that it thrives to be.

However, the sad reality is that the program is doomed to fail or at the very least hurt a lot of students learning to succeed. The immediate issue that most people are familiar with is the thefts and damages that these devices insure. It won’t be very surprising when students’ laptops are stolen or broken on campus. The office has said that they will not be taking any legal or personal responsibility for these losses. Assistant Principal Jeyan Danesh states that, “We won’t take responsibility for these devices but we encourage students to report stolen property and keep the serial code on the back of the machine so we can identify lost or stolen devices.”

But the most serious issue that will arise is the aspect of the monetary strain it will put on the families of Corona High School, especially the ones will multiple students here. To expect every family to pay hundreds of dollars for a device is unrealistic and creates a gap between those who can and can’t afford high end devices leaving poorer students forced to use the increasingly substandard laptops provided by the school. This also brings up the question of bringing the aspect of paying for better learning. Although this is a common thing in society with the existence of private and charter schools it has primarily stayed vacant from public schooling.

The BYOD program opens up a pathway for wealthier students to spend more money on fancier software and machines and increase the wealth gap in schooling.  The purpose of public schooling is to create an equal learning environment for all children. But if only wealthy families have access to better technology than that creates an unfair advantage and directly goes against the point of public schooling.  “…this is a common issue with no real solution but is outweighed by the benefits of the program,” said Mr. Danesh. With no concrete answers to these pressing issues we have to ask if the school is prepared to handle a shift to technology of this scale. 

Finally, the Assistant Principal goes on to say, “…We and District are still in the planning phase of the program, and that there is a lot of careful planning going into it.” Most information is not set in stone but it will most likely start with just 9th grade and then expand to more grades. So prepare for the new program as well as the benefits and challenges that come with it.

by 0 comments on "Another Star Born in the Television Universe"

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   Lee Daniels, the producer of the drama-based hit Empire, has teamed up with veteran crime television producer Tom Donaghy to create another TV show known as Star. Star is based on Daniels’ life when he was striving for fame. It is an American musical drama series about three teenage girls that go through obstacles in order to become the singer that they have always wanted to be.

Within a month and a half of airing, the show has been rated 6 out of 10. One critique has said that “Star is a throw away show and the acting is rough but the foundation is there” while another commented “Star is a dour melodrama that predominates”. No matter what others say and no matter what the  ratings are, this article is here to say Star is one of the many attractions 2017 has to offer.

It is personally believed that this show is an attraction because of the drama and the music that Star brings. As a person that loves music and television drama, people would definitely love the thought of  these two combined into one. The television series keeps you on the edge of your seat during every episode from beginning to end and keeps you wanting more all through the week. Benjamin Bratton – who happens to play Jahil Riverab in the show – described Star perfectly when he said “it is the movies Dream Girls and Precious rolled into one. It’s a TV series that some people can relate to when it comes to the family drama and the ambition all of the characters have.

Despite the rating now after only 4 showings Star will definitely become a hit that most people are already dying to see according to the 6.71 million views Star is receiving already.

by 0 comments on "Donald Trump: Does it Even Matter?"

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trump_gestures

Think of the greatest President there ever was. The first one that comes to mind might be Lincoln, Roosevelt, Washington – any of those on Mount Rushmore, or printed the currency you handover so frequently. Those great statesmen live on in green.

How about President Jackson? Did he come to mind? If you’re a true American — with American meaning the generic blissful American, Jackson is not even on your top ten list.

Why?

Go look at the Wikipedia page for Andrew Jackson, specifically the fifth paragraph, and it will tell you all you need to know about the man by 2016 standards. In case you didn’t go look it up, I’ll give you bullet points:

  • He was proud of representing the “common man” and not big bankers
  • He revolutionized the meaning of the Presidential Veto by simply using it without reason
  • He gave cabinet level positions to his friends
  • Forcibly removed Indians from the land which they were living, relocating them to Oklahoma

This is a striking parallel to a few of the things that Donald Drumpf would like to see happen.

If you’re saying to yourself, “you can’t compare Indians who were already here, to immigrants!” then why are you so flustered when Donald Drumpf wants to remove illegal immigrants from this country and build a wall to ensure that no further illegal immigration occurs?

  • He wants to bring back jobs to the United States, from China and Mexico
  • He would like to use veto power excessively
  • He has a lot of friends who are itching to run the government

Oh, the illegal immigrants…

For the longest time, people some saying that it doesn’t even matter if we have a President Drumpf; congress has the ultimate say, and if all else fails the Supreme Court can step in and stop anything they don’t like. The problem: Andrew Jackson wasn’t stopped by the court. In the case Worcester v. Georgia, the court did in fact rule that the act prohibiting Indians on Non-Indian land was unconstitutional.

It is widely believed, though, that Andrew Jackson said the following:

“[The Chief Justice,] John Marshall has made his decision. Now let him enforce it.”

If that doesn’t sound like something Donald Drumpf would say, then you better start paying attention.

There’s still also The Congress of the United States, which usually reflects public opinion. The last time a President was impeached Bill Clinton, and now his wife is running for office. But that’s a different story for a different day.

It’s entirely possible that the entire government is built on nothing but a house of cards, as featured in the Netflix original series House of Cards; Kevin Spacey has already made the connection himself to his character in the show Francis Underwood, saying “he’d kill him.”

In all seriousness, the Supreme Court gave themselves the power of judicial review… Congress likes to pass laws that can be considered unconstitutional, and the President can really do anything they want and use executive privilege as an avenue to do illegal, and shady things.

I say, it doesn’t really matter. Elect Donald Drumpf. What’s the worst that can happen?

by 0 comments on "Pokemon GO"

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The three teams a player can join in Pokemon GO
The three teams a player can join in Pokemon GO

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, chances are you’ve heard about Pokémon GO. But what exactly is it? Pokémon GO is a free to play app that allows you to play the popular video game of the same name in the real world. Created by Niantic, who is known for their previous game, Ingress, the app uses your phone’s camera to show you the Pokémon in the real world. It also uses GPS and real world locations to help you get items in the form of Poke-stops and show off team pride in the form of Pokémon gyms. Once a player gets to level 5, they get the chance to join one of three teams: Team Mystic, Team Valor, or Team Instinct. The team you choose is permanent and others can see what team you joined and is the cause for a lot of rivalry among players.

With all this talk about Pokémon, Pokestops, and gyms, one might be wondering “What exactly are these things?

What a player sees while playing the game
What a player sees while playing the game

” A Pokémon is a creature that is found in the game. They have types which are effective against some and weak to others. A pokeball is a capsule device used by the player in all the games that is used to capture the Pokémon. In Pokémon GO, it is used by swiping it towards the Pokémon on the screen. Pokestops are found at real world locations like important land marks. You see them on the screen and when you get in range of them, you can tap on them then swipe left or right in order to get important items, like pokeballs. Finally the gyms are what you use to show team pride and are typically bigger landmarks or important places. Gyms are controlled by one of the three teams. When you want to take over a gym, you walk in range then tap on it. You select your Pokémon start the battle with the defending Pokémon. You tap to attack and swipe left or right to dodge. You lower a gym’s reputation with each victory and when it reaches zero, you can take control for your team and leave one of your own Pokémon to defend the gym.

Within the first week of its release, it became the #1 most downloaded app on the Google Play Store. With so many downloads, the question was how much do people like it? A survey of over 100 students revealed something surprising:  66% of the students surveyed said they disliked or outright hated the app with the remaining 34% saying they liked the app. When asked why, most people that disliked the app were worried about the number of accidents while the ones that liked it praised the fact that it encourages you to go outside. You can form your own opinion by going on to the Google Playstore or the Apple Appstore and download it for yourself.

by 0 comments on "Jason Bourne Review"

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Amazing chase scenes, incredible awe-inspiring  storyline this summers Jason Bourne blew us away with ts amazing depth and sheer excitement. The movie casts Matt Damon again in a role he hasn’t played in almost a decade, yet he manages to fit right into character. Once again the CIA is after him with deadly intent and an agent who has a thirst for vengeance after being supposedly betrayed by Bourne. In this chapter of the series Bourne finds out more about his past that drives him to go after the CIA later in the film.

The movie takes place in four main locations, Central Greece, Berlin, London, and Las Vegas in that order. All of these locations filmed excellently in such a way that we can feel where they are without context. The characters all have depth, however I do feel that the agent after Bourne is a somewhat cliche character. The chase scene that ensued in the Las Vegas strip was fast paced, destructive but very familiar and similar to the previous movies. However exciting it did lack originality even as part of a series.

Overall I rate this movie an 8/10 with a great soundtrack, excellent action, an ending to die for, and an overly similar dialogue and chase scene to the previous movies. This movies main fault is that it isn’t original enough. I didnt feel as if it brought anything particularly new to the table. However, the movie itself was very enjoyable.

Image courtesy of themoderatevoice.com

by 0 comments on "Ask Addy- “What Your Friends Won’t Tell You”"

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Imagine walking down the halls of Corona High and turn the corner to BAMB, your wonderful best friends boyfriend is making out with some random girl, what do you do? I’m here to help break it down and give some honest truth with the help of other panther students on what to do next. To be honest no one wants to see couples making out in the hallways, its a common complaint, but now you’ve got to deal with this. Your first thoughts and next move are crucial to keep your best friends feelings from getting hurt as much as possible because this is going to be rough. Majority of students asked what they would do next said they would go straight to the friend getting cheated on to do some damage control before the caught cheater comes and spins a web of lies. Being a good friend and going straight there cuts out any middle man. Key note too, DONT tell any one else what you saw but the friend, getting cheated on hurts enough without everyone whispering as you walk down the hall. For warning this is going to be very hard knowing you will be delivering  hard news but I promise its so worth it. Here’s what other corona kids had to say: Junior Katie Garwood would go straight to the person and threaten if they don’t tell their best friend she would, her friend Maggie Stated after the comment, ” if you actually respect your friend you would tell them.” Seniors Anjalee Gonzalez, Rosanna Pasveer and Keyanna Kautz all agreeed that going to them as soon asw possible was the most logical thing to do in this situation. Another senior Sarina Patel felt she had to add, “He would die.” to express her intensity of concern towards the seriousness of her friends feelings. Wondering if guys would maybe be different and a little less confrontational towards the sensitive subject surprisingly had the same response. Brenden Beck and Toby Lawrence (seniors) both agreed to just telling their “bro” the news would be easiest. Its a hard move to make and can be difficult on both ends but your best friend is important remember sisters before misters ad bros before hoes. join me next week for the new topic of… What to do when your best friend is the cheater and you don’t agree?

by 0 comments on "Ghostbusters (2016) Review"

If there’s something strange
In your neighborhood
Who you gonna call?
Ghostbusters!

     Hearing that old Ray Parker song would normally invoke an image of Bill Murray in the 80s fighting off a huge marshmallow while wearing a jumpsuit; now, that image has changed. Today we picture four modern day women fighting off ghosts that are scarier than ever thanks to more advanced animation.
     This new Ghostbusters is not a continuation of the classic either, but a complete remake. However, the film does pay homage to the original in a few ways. Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, and Dan Aykroyd and a few other Ghostbuster veterans play minor roles, although they
don’t play the same characters they once did. You can’t have a Ghostbuster’s movie without the classic theme song, and while it did make an appearance in the very beginning, the song was recreated to fit this modern film.
     As scores and soundtracks for films go, this one was excellent. Fall Out Boy, a popular pop punk band, and Missy Elliot, a hip hop artist, got together to make the new theme song and gave it a fresh modern beat with some new lyrics to boot. As a fan of the band I waited eagerly in the movie theatre just itching to hear the new song, and I was not disappointed. The score itself was very fitting and appropriate.
     It’s hard to make a film violent yet humorous, just ask the Sharknado series. Ghostbusters does just that. Going in, I was expecting to be pelted with raunchy humor from
Melissa McCarthy specifically, since it’s usually the role she plays in other movies. I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the jokes were innocently funny, and could appeal to all ages.
     It’s always interesting to see popular actors play in roles they aren’t usually in, which is just the case with Chris Hemsworth. I’m used to seeing him as Thor, the demigod from Asgard in the Marvel franchise. He branches out to play a dumb-yet attractive-secretary for our four
leading ladies. Practically every scene with him is a funny one.
     Fighting ghosts requires some heavy duty equipment. This film provides an ample amount of new homemade weapons, and it feels like the engineer of the group, Jillian
Holtzmann played by Kate McKinnon, is constantly making more. Cool weapons always make heroes about ten times cooler, too, and that’s exactly what these ones do.
     One critique I have for this movie is more of a general pet peeve than an issue with the actual film. The original Ghostbuster films were excellent. I understand and love all the changes made for this remake, and it has earned high praise. However, the idea of a remake causes me to feel like there are no more good ideas for movies out there, as if the movie industry must rely on old ideas just to make a profit. If millions of dollars are going to be spent on the production of a movie, it seems better to have it be something new and fresh rather than something old with a
new twist. When one simply considers this film as a single entity, there are no major critiques to be made.
     I would definitely recommend this movie for a PG-13 audience, as per intended. It was funny, graphic, and had excellent actors with a fitting soundtrack. Definitely watch the first original Ghostbusters if you want to catch any Easter Eggs hidden in the remake. Happy watching!

 

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