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Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Mean Girls (2024) – Pros and Cons Maleah Gossai Volume 4 Issue 4 May 29, 2024 Image Provided by Elaine Ching Over the last decade, many have pointed out that Hollywood has been doing more reboots and sequels than ever before. These criticisms came out at a time of Disney live-action remakes of classic animated films and sequels upon sequels to movies that either didn’t need it or had several sequels already. These criticisms have only proven truer with this year’s release of Mean Girls , a screen adaptation of the Broadway musical based on the 2004 movie. Mean Girls (2024) hasn’t just been critiqued for being a reboot of a cult classic, however. No, the criticisms go much deeper than that. The film, despite being a musical, was not at all marketed like one, leading many to believe that it was a cheap, cash-grabby remake rather than an adaptation of a Broadway show. This, along with claims of the actors not doing the characters justice and of the film just being bad, left a sour taste in the mouths of many viewers. However, today I’ll delve deep into the pros and cons of the film, at least from my perspective, to evaluate if these complaints are justified or if people were just desperate for a reason to hate the movie. Pro : The movie brings the musical to more people. As any musical fan knows all too well, seeing shows live on Broadway is, unfortunately, expensive . Many who wish to see a show will likely not due to the high price of tickets, which can be at least a hundred dollars a person. So, the release of a film adaptation of Mean Girls the Musical provides many aspiring theater kids with the opportunity to experience the musical for a fraction of the price. While yes, movie tickets have gotten much more expensive in recent years due to inflation, many who can’t afford Broadway tickets can still afford movie tickets, and with the movie recently hitting streaming, this brings the experience of Mean Girls in the comfort of one’s home, providing those who maybe can’t fork over the hundreds of dollars for a trip to Times Square with the chance to watch the Tony-nominated musical. Con : The songs in the movie fall flat. There’s a reason the movie was marketed without any mention of the songs: it’s because they’re not exactly the best. The songs from the new movie lack the same emotion, depth, or even just the composition as the ones from the original Broadway cast recording, and it shows. Take the song “Stupid with Love” as an example. It’s a song by our main protagonist Cady Heron about how she may be intelligent but simply cannot understand love and how it works as she navigates feelings for Aaron Samuels, the movie’s love interest. In the musical, actress Erika Henningsen sings the song with emotion, matching the song’s peppy and bright instrumentals with her vocals. However, in the movie, actress Angourie Rice, while her singing is pleasant, sings with less tone variety, making her iteration of the character seem much less enthusiastic than Henningsen’s. The song “World Burn” has this issue, too. The song, sung by our main antagonist, Regina George, is meant to convey how Regina feels after she realizes she’s been conned by Cady and as she begins framing Cady for having written the infamous Burn Book. In the original cast recording, actress Taylor Louderman sings the song with rage in her voice, exactly conveying how Regina felt in the moment, and the backing vocals reading out the terrible things written in the Burn Book make the song one of the best in the musical. In the movie, actress Renee Rapp does an excellent job as Regina, but the backing vocals and instrumental fall short of doing what made the original so great. Pro : The movie incorporates more diversity through its new cast. The original Mean Girls wasn’t exactly the most diverse movie. Sure, it was the early 2000s and diversity was not as good as it is now, but it still could’ve done better. This issue is somewhat adjusted in the 2024 adaptation, with three of our main characters – Janis, Karen, and Damian – being actors of color. Karen, now Karen Shetty rather than Karen Smith, is played by Indian actress Avantika Vandanapu. Janis, now Janis Sarkisian instead of Janis Ian, is played by Hawaiian actress Auli’I Cravalho. Damian, now Damian Hubbard rather than Damian Leigh, is played by Black actor Jaquel Spivey. While sure, nothing can ever truly “fix” the original film’s diversity issue, and yes, Hollywood should be funding original films with characters of color rather than rebooting films and casting actors of color in them, this more diverse cast is a welcomed change from the original film and gives people of various backgrounds a chance to see themselves in a movie as classic as Mean Girls . Con : It’s far, far too soon to reboot a cult classic. The original Mean Girls is having its 20th anniversary this year in October. However, while 20 years is a long time (especially since this movie is older than I am), it feels way too soon to shove the original to the side in favor of the new movie, especially one as ingrained in pop culture as Mean Girls is. The movie is a classic, there’s no denying it, and while the new movie can stand on its own as an adaptation of the musical, it just feels like a cheap attempt at making money based on existing intellectual property (IP), which, unfortunately, it is. Maybe if it had been worked on for longer, if it had been given a few more years for the original movie to become an “old movie,” it would’ve been more successful as a reboot. The original Mean Girls has never been an “irrelevant” franchise, as its sheer status as a classic 2000s teen flick has been enough to cement in the minds of adults and teens. If the movie had been pushed back a few years to a 2029 release date for the film’s 25th anniversary, maybe it could have been an excellent, critically acclaimed musical adaptation that pays respect and homage to the original. As it stands, the movie falls into the same category as Disney live-action remakes: a film created in order to capitalize on the success of the preexisting IP of a beloved franchise. That’s not to discredit the movie’s quality in any way, of course, but the film has that air of “Hollywood cash grab” to it that unfortunately can’t be canceled out by its uniqueness as a musical reboot rather than just a remake. Final Verdict: It’s a good movie; it’s just a product of Hollywood’s current state. As someone who checks all the boxes for this movie’s target audience, I can safely say I liked this movie. It’s no cult classic, of course, that status still belongs to the original, and while the music isn’t on the same level as the original musical’s, it’s still a fun, enjoyable watch. Much of the criticism was unfounded, likely caused by the fact that people couldn’t handle that they rebooted Mean Girls at all, but in most cases like this, the internet often blows things out of proportion. Sure, it’s a cash-grabby reboot greenlit by Hollywood execs in order to squeeze a quick buck out of one of the most beloved 2000s movies out there, but it’s a good cash grab that makes for a good time, especially when watched with friends or loved ones. The internet isn’t always to be trusted, and this case is no exception. Mean Girls (2024) is an entertaining movie that will surely entertain fans of original and new fans alike. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Shop: A Pop Opera By Rachel Ezeadichie Volume 2 Issue 3 January 14, 2022 Image provided by Jack Stauber Whether you are his biggest fan or have never heard of his name in your life, you have probably heard some of Jack Stauber’s music somewhere. His song “Oh Klahoma” was used in over 500k videos on TikTok during a recent Halloween trend. Another one of his songs, “Buttercup,” was used in 1.4 million TikTok videos to convey various trends. Jack Stauber has also over 100 songs and multiple albums and shorts with deeper meaning. A prime example of one of these albums is “Shop: A Pop Opera.” Shop: A Pop Opera was a mini-series that was aired on Adult Swim at midnight from March 4th-9th in 2019. The seven-video series follows a man trying to complete his shopping list, but as he continues down his list, he meets a few peculiar people who have issues relating in some way to the item he is trying to buy. It starts off with the man trying to choose between two yogurt samples. He decides to start looking for the items on his shopping list. The first item on the list is milk. While trying to find milk, he encounters an old lady who cannot reach pecan nuts and thus asks him for help. When he retrieves the pecan nuts for her, the lady claims he did not grab the pecan, while he was certain it was. Before he can pick the lady’s desired item, she disappears without a trace. As soon as she leaves, he finds the milk, but realizes it has expired. He begins to wonder what kind of milk it was. Wondering whether it had a family, if it dripped with calcium, or if it had goals and dreams. He then picks up a carton of unexpired milk and pursues the next item. He heads into the next aisle to find his next item, bread. He finds artisanal multi-grain 12 nut vitamin bread, to be exact. While wondering whether to buy the bread or not, he meets a snobby man who desires the same bread. When our main character asks whether the bread was of decent quality, the snobby man laughs and replies that it was for his dog as it was not edible enough for him. After telling our main character that he must go to a walnut auction, the snobby man leaves, and our shopper is left alone to examen the bread. He wonders if he lets his belongings define him and practically questions his sanity. He finds a normal batch of bread and looks for paper towels next. When he enters the next aisle, the man witnesses the shattering of a glass bottle by another customer. An employee comes up and asks whether he broke it, to which he says no. The employee starts to clean the mess but is cut by some of the glass. The man worries for the employee but asks where the paper towels are located but was promptly interrupted by the employee monologuing about how entities can be easily broken but may take much longer to fix. The employee then tells him the towels reside in the next aisle. The employees’ monologue sparks curiosity within the man. He starts thinking to a universal level, noticing that nothing is reversible. Therefore, it is not worth trying to solve the issue or problem. These quirky interactions continue throughout the shorts. For instance, one finds the relationship between coffee and necessity, while another binds cheese and the concept of acceptance together. The underlying themes are up for interpretation, as they are not set in stone. If you look in the comment section of the video, there are various theories which explain the meaning of this series. If interested, I would totally check it out. The next time you head to the supermarket, look at your shopping list at an introspective level. You may produce something to change the world, develop an artistic outlook, or create a better understanding of life. In contrast, you may just figure out what flavor of yogurt you desire. It really depends on the person. Shop: A Pop Opera Link- SHOP: A Pop Opera | adult swim smalls - YouTube BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Prism Back to Sections Kaylan Peters - Prism By Kaylan Peters November 24, 2020 Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Artwork Pop Art Back to Sections Doodlee Louis - Pop Art By Doodlee Louis January 14, 2022 Acrylic Volume 2 Issue 3

Back to Articles Advice Back to Sections Ask Ala: Other Questions By Ala Paruch Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 Image provided by Getty Images Q. Dear Ala, I feel like I have issues with writer's block, and sometimes do not know what to write in my story. Sometimes when I am writing a story, it takes me a half an hour to find a topic sentence. Furthermore, I get bored when I have to write something really long and time consuming. Finally, I have to read through my writing to make sure I did not make any spelling mistakes or grammar errors. What makes looking for errors in your writing hard is when you don’t know whether to put a comma or period after a word. Conclusion writing, I find, can be very hard and confusing for me. If you have any advice for me to help me be more efficient with my writing, then it would be much appreciated! Thanks! Sincerely, Writer’s Block A. Hello and thank you for the relatable question! Writer’s block is such a relatable issue for a lot of people, so I’m glad I get to answer your question. Inspiration is hard to find, so for the instances when you can’t find the topic sentence, I would just focus on the rest of the text or write something just to be there, knowing it is not going to be perfect. You can always come back to it and see what fits or edit it, so it works with the rest of your writing. To conquer long parts of the text planning everything out and dividing it into chunks could help. Let’s say the longer paragraph has 4 main points. Just do one at a time and take small breaks to refresh your mind a little bit. Proof-reading your own work can get pretty boring sometimes; I absolutely agree. To make the process more bearable, listen to some music. Be sure to listen to something that you enjoy, but doesn’t take up all your attention, so you can still focus on editing your paper. Looking for errors such as commas is quite tricky. You will learn more about them in English as you go along, though right now using a program such as Grammarly.com can help. Microsoft Word also has Grammar Check settings. I hope this helps and enjoy writing! Q. Dear Ala, Why do coronavirus cases get bigger in the cold weather? My mom told me it goes down in the summer because the heat kills the virus, but she also said it goes up in the cold weather, how does this work? -RonaQuestion A. Hello and thank you for the interesting question! Everything depends on the type of pathogen you are dealing with. Seasonality’s causes are something the science community is still not entirely sure about. So far, studies show that it is not so much that cases go down in the summer, but with coronavirus specifically, cases increased for the winter since people started gathering indoors where the virus spreads much more easily. Additionally, people are more likely to get sick during the winter as well, because your immune system is not as effective in the wintertime. Coronavirus does not seem to be affected by heat or cold, it’s more about what people are doing and where they do it. I hope this answers your question! BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Black American Artists Back to Sections Into Bondage By Aaron Douglas February 12, 2021 Volume 1 Issue 5 Medium: Oil on Canvas, Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Back to Articles Advice Back to Sections Ask Ala: Schoolwork, Scheduling, and Stress By Ala Paruch Volume 1 Issue 2 November 24, 2020 Image provided by The Journal Q. How do I better manage my time? A. Everyone is different and not every method might work for you; however, you have to try and find out. Regarding time management, making a “to-do-list” using the agenda book usually works for me. You can add your homework as you go through the day in addition to your personal activities. There are obviously other ways to manage your time. You can try setting a routine for yourself. For example, ‘start homework at 5:00 pm,’ or ‘start chores at 6:30pm.’ Routines help you make sure you stay on track. Another important part of managing your time would include knowing your limits. If you feel tired or know that you have other events planned, it is okay to say “no” and not accept someone’s offer. Additionally, plenty of time-management apps exist that you can download on your phone, if you find that you use your phone more often than the traditional pen and paper. Q. How can I manage my stress? A. Similar to time management, stress affects everyone differently and can be caused by different stressors. Firstly, you have to try to identify your stressors. It might seem unnecessary; however, it will prove to be crucial. Often, in high school, overload of work can cause stress. In that case, I would advise you to try to make a schedule to make your workload more organized. If tests bring you stress, meditation could help, either right before the test, or every morning. It helps to relax and calm down, as well as has many scientifically proven benefits. If stress often seems to be too much for you to handle, speak up and talk to someone about it. You can turn to your friends or a trusted adult. Q. How can I improve my grades? A. Improving your grades starts with the will to improve your grades. This might be the most difficult step, but motivation proves crucial here. Improving your grades will be a gradual process. They won’t go from seventies to high nineties in a matter of one test. You will have to set up a system for yourself to always do your homework, as it is good practice and helps you remember information better and always study before tests. When you have questions about material covered in class, don’t hesitate to go to extra help, ask your friends or even use sites such as Khan academy. It is important to understand the concepts presented in class and apply them with some practice such as homework (as annoying as it may seem). Additionally, if you understand the concepts, you’ll find yourself not having to painfully memorize as much information and you will remember it better. Hope that helps and see you next time! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections Cross Country Wraps Up the Season By Aleeza Dhillion Volume 2 Issue 2 November 19, 2021 Original photography by Elyas Layachi North's Cross-Country team had their last meet of 2021 at Bethpage State Park on Saturday, November 6. The boys' team ranked fourth at state-qualifiers, with senior Captain Craig Papajohn-Shaw, Jack Schwabe, David Pinos, Elyas Layachi, and Matteo Somma running. Senior Captain Samantha Szabo, Melissa Innocent, and Emily Dahl represented North in the girls’ race. It was the last race of the season for everyone, except junior Melissa Innocent, who qualified for the State Championships after placing fourth in her class. This meet was an exciting and emotional one with it being the last cross-country race for the seniors on the team. Our beloved seniors for the season were Craig Papajohn-Shaw, Samantha Szabo, Jack Schwabe, and David Pinos. Craig and Samantha were the outstanding captains this year; they confidently led the team all season, pushing everyone to do their best to improve. Here is what Craig and Samantha had to say in a joint statement about their experiences as members and captains of North's Cross-Country team: Q: How long have you been on the team? A: We have been a part of the team since our freshman year. Q: What is your favorite memory from this cross-country season? A: One of our favorite memories from this cross-country season was the North Shore v. South Shore 4K Invitational. With personal best times all around, it was a moment when we could clearly appreciate the results of our daily hard work. The moment of pride, for not only our own achievement but that of the underclassmen as well, bonded us as a team. Q: What are you going to miss the most about North's cross-country team? A: We greatly appreciate being challenged both physically and mentally and will miss this most about our team and sport. The lessons we learned carry over into various aspects of life and help us become strong, well-rounded individuals. Furthermore, our intensive training has taught us how to push through any adversity. As senior captains, it has been our pleasure to guide the underclassmen to reaching their fullest potential and instilling in them the lessons we have learned through our coaching, past captains, and experience. Q: What was the best part of being on this team? A: The best part about being on this cross-country team is easily the family we have built. We are a close-knit group who are always genuinely there for one another. Cross-country is an exceedingly difficult sport that requires immense amounts of dedication and hard work; however, it is all worth it when you have your family to support you every step of the way. Not only are we co-captains and teammates, but more importantly, best friends because of the four years on this team. Our bonding with Coach Boyens has led us to appreciate his motivational speeches and guidance; from teaching us about "cerebral fortitude" to perseverance, his speeches shaped us from young freshmen into the All-County and All-Conference athletes and individuals we are today. As a team, we have all spent an extreme amount of time together during the best and most difficult experiences alike, which is a testament that being a team is by chance, but being a family is our choice. Not only were the senior captains motivational, but so were the senior team members. They were supportive and looked out for the newer runners to the sport, making sure everyone was included and safe. Here is what senior teammate Jack Schwabe had to say about his experiences on the team: Q: How long have you been on the team? A: 3 years. Q: What is your favorite memory from this cross-country season? A: My favorite memory from this cross-country season would have to be the County meet. The rain, the mud, and the overall horrible weather conditions made it a race of strength and determination to overcome adversity and succeed. Q: What are you going to miss the most about North's cross-country team? A: I will miss my coach, Mr. Boyens, and all the hard work he puts into the team. I also will miss the family that is the Cross-Country team. The team is small, so everyone gets close to one another, and it becomes more than just running. Q: What was the best part of being on this team? A: The best part of being on the team was my fellow teammates through the years. If cross-country were just running and practicing on your own, I would have never thought of doing it. The friends and memories I have made on the team will be ones that I will never forget. The team will miss the seniors and their leadership next year but wishes them the best of luck in their futures. Coach Boyens and the seniors have shaped amazing runners on the team for the future team. Whether someone was the fastest runner or joined to stay in shape, Mr. Boyens and our seniors helped them not only achieve their goals but set new ones for the future. Although the seniors are leaving next year, their impact on this team will remain long after they are gone. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Nostalgic Musings Back to Sections Shehar Bano - Nostalgic Musings - 1 By Shehar Bano February 10, 2022 Photography Volume 2 Issue 4

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Home for the Holidays By Sumaiya Ramsaroop Volume 1 Issue 3 December 16, 2020 Original image provided by Getty Images As the holidays roll in and we inch closer to our upcoming break, the reality of our situation has grown more apparent and yet, more unbelievable. Somehow the days we’ve spent yearning for a sense of “normalcy” have accumulated to nearly nine months; time feels nonexistent, and I think we can all agree – this year has been hard, to say the least. The holidays are seen as a period of reflection––a time to look back on the year and wrap yourself in moments with those you love. However, the pandemic has built some very elaborate barriers to blockade us from continuing these traditions. Maybe you can’t see your cousins on Christmas Eve or exchange gifts with your friends over a piping hot pizza. Maybe you can no longer ring in the New Year with both of your parents or light the menorah or kinara with your grandparents. Or maybe this holiday season feels no different from the rest because you’re simply used to staying in. Either way, we’re literally home for the holidays, and after the year we’ve had, we all deserve a little celebration. Whatever you’re celebrating, whether it be the holidays, a two-week break from work/school, here are some ways you can embrace the spirit of togetherness, wherever you may be. Virtual gingerbread house contest Virtual paint night Virtual holiday movie marathon (Software: Zoom, Gaze, Netflix Party Chrome extension) Secret Santa virtual card exchange Virtual ugly sweater contest Virtual bake off If the holidays are too much for you, here are some self-care activities you can do by yourself, to celebrate you and all your resiliency. Tap into your artistic abilities and create! Start journaling Watch your favorite holiday movies Bake your favorite holiday treats Read a book...for fun! Listen to your favorite music Use these two weeks to catch up on some much-needed rest, to spend time with your loved ones, and to let go of your stress! Grab a blanket, make some hot cocoa, and turn on one of those 12-hour loops of a burning fireplace crackling because we’re...home for the holidays. BACK TO TOP