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VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1 October 8, 2021 "EXOMOON" ARTICLES A Recommendation of Brahms: Op. 39, Sixteen Waltzes By William Mullin Entertainment & Media Read More Border Crisis: The Reasons Behind the Surge By Everton Prospere Editorial Read More Cool Creatures Episode 1: Water Bears By Matteo Somma Science & Technology Read More First Day of School Traditions Around the World By Carolina Grace Figueroa Art & Culture Read More Hispanic Heritage Month By Disha Bhalla Art & Culture Read More Inspiration 4: A New Precedent for Space Exploration By Elyas Layachi Science & Technology Read More Meet VSN’s New Principal: Dr. Robin Small By Craig Papajohn-Shaw News Read More NCOD By Eva Grace Martinez News Read More Signs for Wellness By Aleeza Dhillon News Read More The Monsters in Us By Saniyah Corbin Polaris Read More Welcome Back: A Short Guide to the Beginning of the Year at North By Ala Paruch Advice Read More “Once On This Island” is coming soon! By Rachel Ezeadichie News Read More A Tribute to Selena By Christina Ossa Feature Read More Celebrating Lin-Manuel Miranda By Alicja Paruch Feature Read More Deltarune: A Game Review By Rachel Ezeadichie Entertainment & Media Read More Flower Lady; A Sky Children of the Light Shore By Catherine Duong Polaris Read More In the Heights: A Tale of Love, Culture, and Hair By Lucy Wu Art & Culture Read More Marvel’s Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: Cultural Identity Done Right By Alain Deen Entertainment & Media Read More Mixed Feelings Regarding the Covid-19 Vaccine By Ismaela Andre Editorial Read More One Year of India’s Farmers’ Protest By Shinedip Kundlas News Read More The Golden Tragedy By Catherine Duong Polaris Read More The Removal of the Minute Bell By Cody Sung News Read More Without Her Face 2 By Nora Chery Polaris Read More CONTEMPLATION LOAD MORE

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections The First Black Congresswoman By Shinedip Kundlas Volume 2 Issue 5 March 28, 2022 Image provided by Associated Press During her seven terms in the House of Representatives, Shirley Anita Chisholm, the first African American woman to serve in Congress and the first African American to seek a presidential nomination in the United States, has been outspoken in her advocacy for women and minorities. Born and raised in New York, Shirley Chisholm was born the oldest of four daughters to immigrant parents from Guyana and Barbados. While her parents worked to settle their family in Bedford-Stuyvesant during the Great Depression, Chisolm spent part of her childhood living on her maternal grandparents' farm in Barbados. She received a British education during this time. However, Chisholm returned to the states to finish high school and graduated top of her class. On a scholarship, she attended Brooklyn College and graduated with a Bachelor of sociology in 1946. Before starting her political career, Chisholm worked as a nursery school teacher from 1946 to 1953. At Columbia University, Shirley Chisholm obtained an M.A. in early childhood education three years later. From 1959 to 1964, she served for New York City's Division of Day Care as an educational consultant. Chisholm became involved in several campus and community groups throughout her training to become a teacher. Politics became her interest and her skills of organizing and fundraising developed from there. Her deep resentment towards the treatment of women originated from the role women played in local politics at that time, which consisted mainly of staying in the background and serving as an afterthought to their male counterparts. Chisholm found a way to express her opinions about economic and social structures in a rapidly changing nation through campus politics and her membership in the NAACP, an organization fighting for equal rights for African Americans since 1909. A second African American woman was elected to Albany's legislature in 1964 when Shirley Anita Chisholm was elected to the New York state assembly. Chisholm continued her service in the state assembly until 1968, when she ran for the U.S. Congress. She was elected and began serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1969 to 1982. In 1972, Chisholm ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, claiming the other candidates did not represent the concerns of black and minority voters and the poor. The campaign for Chisholm's Democratic Party presidential nomination in 1972 was marked by discrimination. After pursuing legal action, she was allowed to make just one speech after being barred from participating in televised primary debates. Across the nation, women, minorities, and students flocked to the "Chisholm Trail." Despite severe under-funding and disagreements with the primarily male Congressional Black Caucus, she won 12 primaries and 152 delegates' votes. However, she did not win the Democratic nomination, yet the nation still admired Chisholm. In January 1983, Chisholm left Congress and co-founded the National Political Congress of Black Women. She campaigned for Jesse Jackson's presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988. Shirley Anita Chisholm made history as America's first black presidential candidate and first black congresswoman. Upon leaving Washington, Shirley Chisholm said she did not want to be remembered as "the nation's first black congresswoman" or, as she put it, "the first black congresswoman." Instead, she stated, "I'd like them to say that Shirley Chisholm had guts". Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm will continue to inspire generations of women of color to run for office, and her legacy will never be forgotten. "I want history to remember me not just as the first black woman to be elected to Congress, not as the first black woman to have made a bid for the presidency of the United States, but as a black woman who lived in the 20th century and dared to be herself. " - Shirley Chisholm BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Advice Back to Sections Ask Ala: Pride By Ala Paruch Volume 1 Issue 8 June 8, 2021 Image provided by TED Ideas Hello dear readers! With the PRIDE month here, we want to celebrate our LGBTQ+ community and show them how much we care for them. As an ally myself, I encourage everyone to support and listen to your friends, not only during pride month but every day. Here is some advice for the LGBTQ+ community from the Alliance Club: From Grace So, you've decided to come out. First things first, I'm proud of you! Coming out is a big step, and it requires tremendous amounts of effort to reach that level of comfort with yourself. However, coming out can be tricky, and while we have made progress on LGBTQ+ rights and protections, it's important to know that you know your situation best. Your safety is the biggest priority when coming out. If you feel that coming out may create threats to your safety (whether that is physical, mental, financial, or otherwise) ‒ then it is probably not the right time to come out. I know it can be painful to hide such a large part of yourself from people you love, your identity is a big part of you! It's something to be celebrated, not shunned. Nonetheless, until you feel 100% sure that it won't impact your safety, it may be best to lay low. Of course, as I said before, you know your situation best, but remember ‒ safety should be your #1 priority. From Anonymous Coming to terms with your sexuality or gender can be an incredibly difficult process, from acknowledging who you are, trying to figure yourself out and then finally accepting yourself, it can be a process filled with immense inner turmoil. First and foremost, you have to stop making up excuses and start telling yourself it’s okay to question and explore. Trying to repress your feelings only makes the struggle worse, learn to accept the fact that the feelings you have are normal and valid. Then you can try to gain a deeper understanding of those feelings. Go and research, ask others questions and take your time thinking about it! (There’s always someone in The Alliance who’d be willing to talk to you!) However, it is important to remember that you never need to label yourself if you don’t want to. This is all about what you feel, and so you decide what you get to do with those feelings. Lastly, you have to accept yourself. Besides allowing yourself to feel your true feelings, you also have to accept yourself and therefore those feelings too. Find beauty and strength in your experiences and live them out to the fullest! After going through these struggles, you deserve it! I am so proud of you for being here and for trying your best! You will find happiness, and it does get better. From Cairo “Coming out” is usually seen as this huge, one time, make it or break it event; but honestly, it’s really not. As a queer person, you’ll have to come out for the. rest. of. your. entire. life . That was a bit of an exaggeration, but the point still stands. Although you don’t owe anyone an explanation about your identity, you’ll most likely have to “come out” to new people you meet for the rest of your life; not to mention that sometimes your identities change, so you might “re-come out.” Being able to come out in the first place while keeping calm is something that takes time and practice. But if you want to make it easier on yourself, try writing some kind of script and memorizing it. So, when the time comes, it’ll be easier to explain your identity. Also try to keep track of common questions people ask so you’ll be better prepared to address them if someone happens to ask. From Joseph [Excerpt from Being a Good Ally ] First, be calm. Reacting with a surprised tone can come off as negative or demeaning during this experience. Second, be kind. From what I previously said, it's very tough and scary for someone to come out to you, so make sure that they know how much you care about them. An example of this is showing them that you still love and support them, and show them that you will stick up for them. Third, be proud. This will contribute to the aspect of being kind. By fully and openly supporting your friend shows them how proud you are of them, who they are, and the courage it took them. An example of this is how all of my friends took me to the Pride parade in NYC in 2019 to show their support. Finally, be understanding. Someone who is doing all of this is going through a lot of trauma, and they might be frustrated with other people's reactions or just the stress of coming out. So if they might be struggling at being a good friend or whatever it is, understand that they are going through something that not many people experience, and they are just struggling. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Celebrating Lin-Manuel Miranda By Alicja Paruch Volume 2 Issue 1 October 8, 2021 No Image available at this time Lin-Manuel Miranda: actor, singer, writer, and composer. Even though he was born in New York, his parents are from Puerto Rico. He is primarily famous for the musicals In the Heights and Hamilton ; however, he has accomplished much more. Born on the 16th of January of 1980, Lin attended school in Manhattan, but he often traveled to Puerto Rico to spend time with his grandparents, which is why he became so close to the Latino culture. In 1998 he started Wesleyan College and majored in theater. After graduating in 2002, he appeared in a few movies, such as “Looking for Maria Sanchez” or “The Polar Bears.” During college, he also started his freestyle hip hop group - Freestyle Love Supreme . In 2005, Lin published his first musical - In the Heights . It’s a story about the Latino community of Washington Heights trying to improve their lives. In contrast, the business owner tries to achieve his sueñito (little dream) and learn about his true dreams. Lin attempted to convey the realities he observed of the Latino community he grew up within New York while sharing themes of love, family, community, and hope. Besides the stage being filled with Spanish words and phrases and Latino flags, the Latino songs bring everyone closer to the character’s thoughts, struggles, victories, culture, and lives. After the success of his first musical, he composed 21 Chump Street , a 14-minute musical about high school students and the responsibility they carry, but his previous achievement kept growing, and he eventually won 3 Drama Desk Awards, 4 Tony Awards, a Grammy Award, and 3 Oliver Laurence Awards and gained immense popularity. He then started composing the revolutionary musical Hamilton , and due to his already existing fame, he got to give a preview of it at the White House for President Obama. After his work with Alex Lacomoire, a pianist and conductor, Paul Tazewell, the costume designer, and Andy Blankenbuehler, the choreographer, in 2015, Lin released the long-awaited musical Hamilton; he was inspired while reading Alexander Hamilton , the biography by Ron Chernow. With a few of his friends from Freestyle Love Supreme and some new cast and crew members, the musical debuted and became an instant hit. Seats were sold out months in advance and cost hundreds of dollars. However, with all of his even increased fame, he didn’t just take the money and give himself a happy and peaceful life away from people. He did the opposite and became an activist. Notably, he raised funds for the victims of Hurricane Maria and helped actors and Broadway performers after the hit of the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, Lin composed the soundtrack for Disney’s Moana and got to work with famous actors such as Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock, and Auli'i Cravalho. He is continuing his work with Disney and is now composing music for the upcoming movie Encanto , a story about a supernatural family’s life in Colombia. With his many accomplishments and philanthropic actions, Lin-Manuel Miranda should be seen as an example and strive not to be corrupted by fame but help those in need; providing the help so many children like him desperately needed to succeed. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections A Valentine's Short Story By Catherine Duong Volume 3 Issue 3 February 24, 2023 Original artwork by Catherine Duong Author’s note: This short story is a fanfiction based on a game called Sky: Children of the Light (Sky: COTL) made by the TGC company. In addition, this story is focused on Valentine’s Day, showing how that someone doesn’t have to be your significant other, it can be a friend. Key words: Daylight Prairie – The second realm in Sky: COTL. This place is typically packed with tons of players, especially ones who are new to the game. It is a perfect place for those who are social butterflies! “They love me, they love me not...,” she mumbled to herself, gently plucking the rose petals and letting them fall on the ground. After the last petal fell to the ground, she sighed in defeat, letting the green stem fall as well. “Looks like I won’t be finding someone special this year. Maybe next year I’ll try again.” She said quietly, aware that today was Valentine’s Day, a day when two people spend some quality time with each other, preferably with someone they loved the most. To Kalifa, she has been searching for that special someone for a long, long time and unfortunately, that special someone she desires is far from her reach. “Ah, it’s Ms. Hopeless Romantic again. No luck this time?” The person who called out to Kalifa was her childhood friend, Thea. The two met when they were born, almost like they were stepsisters. She wore a bull-shaped mask, representing one of her family traditions, like Kalifa’s family where they wore a weasel mask. Before she replied, Thea sat down across from her, admiring the rose that was encased in glass and glancing at the fallen petals and dried stems surrounding it. “You know the deal,” Kalifa simply replied. “I ask someone, and they reject, like usual. At this point, I’m questioning what the meaning of Valentine’s Day is. Isn’t it a day to spend time with your loved one?” As Thea was given a question, she replied, “Yes, that is true, however...” She paused, carefully lifting the glass covering and taking out the rose, placing it in her hand. “It doesn’t have to be someone you love romantically. Sure, it breaks the stereotype of Valentine’s Day, but I believe that it’s a day where you hang out with someone you care about the most. It can be a friend, a family member, the list goes on!” She then paused once more, placing her right hand on Kalifa’s shoulder. “All I’m saying is that you don’t need to go looking for a romantic date, that’s it. Now, I think it’s time for you to rest on the quest for looking for a girl to date because of this romantic day, all right?” Kalifa nodded; a bit embarrassed that Thea mentioned her “hopeless romantic” part. “Well, how about this,” she said, finding another flower around the Daylight Prairie field (1) and then returning to her spot. “If it is a day to also spend time with the closest friend, then... Would you be my Valentine?” After she asked, Thea had a small smile on her face, simply saying, “Of course.” BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Jensen McRae: An Unsung Lyricist Noa Cordova Volume 5 Issue 4 April 8, 2025 “I read your fortune… I saw the mother-wound.” I happened to scroll to Jensen McRae singing about her third date with someone: my introduction to her profound lyricism and my favorite artist.  Instantly impressed, I turned to Spotify to find her only official album, Are You Happy Now? released in 2022. Naturally, I deemed it my favorite album. I would consider the album a sung story about maturing and personal discovery through her perspective as a woman of color. One House Down From the Girl Next Door Following her across media platforms, I’ve learned about her journey as a musician and as a person as she openly shares her experiences through social media and most notably, her music. Born in Los Angeles, she cherishes her Californian roots and currently uses her platform to bring awareness to the wildfires through song. She shared that although accepted to Harvard University, she chose to pursue music at the University of Southern California’s Thorton School of Music. The twenty-seven-year-old songwriter nicknames herself the girl one house down from the girl next door, highlighting her disconnection to the American female archetype. This Love Letter Begins: Are You Happy Now? Top 5 Tracks Are You Happy Now? rightfully earns the title of a “no-skip” album, with each track telling a compelling story independently of the others. Her two debut singles included in the album, “Wolves” and “White Boy” powerfully showcase her experiences as a woman of color. “Wolves” metaphorically describes losing your innocent worldview and keeping your guard up as a woman after threatening experiences with seemingly friendly men. “Wolves” precisely details an experience that women too frequently face and can fully appreciate through her song without McRae explicitly stating it. “White Boy” encapsulates her self-given nickname and her tacit competition with “white” girls in romantic relationships as a woman of color as she writes, “white girl arrives, I turn invisible.”   With a strong identity crisis theme, “My Ego Dies At The End” remains her top song on Spotify. Singing about a dream, she illustrates the surreal feeling of losing soul-searching and desperately trying to define yourself; we can all relate to thinking we’ve lost ourselves, explaining the nineteen million Spotify streams. “Machines” flows like a poem with a simple but pivotal moment in each stanza working together to tell a coming-of-age narrative. Her lyricism sticks with you as she opens her poetic mind and shares that she outgrew superpowers, met God, drank for the first time, and learned the cost of growing up. Lastly, inspiring the subheading, I consider “Adam’s Ribs” a masterpiece. Written as a biblical allusion, “Adam’s Ribs” McRae sings from Eve’s perspective, “to Adam, from your ribs.” While it speaks keenly to Christians as a novel, religious take on a love song, anyone familiar with Genesis can appreciate her artistic approach to highlighting her experience as a female in relationships. Beyond the Album: Are You Happy Now? While McRae only released one album in 2022, she continues posting her songwriting across social media platforms for her followers and recently announced her sophomore album I Don’t Know How but They Found Me coming out in April. Unsurprisingly, her unreleased songs astound me as much as her released album tracks. I would consider Jensen McRae a growing, but critically underrated artist worthy of recognition. Her masterful songwriting, pure voice, and fitting background instrumentals make her songs wise additions to a playlist. I encourage you to listen to the tracks I nominated top five, but know you have another ten album tracks to add to the ranking or you could pick from her entire discography. I hope you’re happy now. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Martin Luther King Jr. Day Leah Ally Volume 5 Issue 4 April 8, 2025 Every year on the third Monday of January we celebrate a special holiday, commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. This federal holiday allows for MLK’s life and contributions to be recognized and honored by the country. While he is considered a well-known name, not many understand the significance of his work, particularly in the Civil Rights Movement and in the fight against racial discrimination. His inspiring leadership has shaped our society for the better as signs of his impact have remained present in our communities, schools, and workplaces. To fully understand the impact of Martin Luther King Jr.’s work, it is important to learn about the Civil Rights Movement. It was a movement prominent during the 1950s and 60s that fought back against the commonplace mistreatment of African Americans in the United States. African Americans were often systematically excluded from society had to endure segregation that negatively impacted the quality of the education they received, job opportunities, and access to public services. This was especially prevalent in the South, where laws known as Jim Crow laws explicitly permitted the segregation of public services and private businesses. Beyond systematic oppression, Black Americans also faced physical violence and other hate crimes such as harassment and arson. The Civil Rights Movement was born from a desire to bring these issues to the forefront and end the legal protection of these inequalities. This movement was marked by significant events and efforts to challenge and overturn systemic racism and inequality. One of the earliest milestones was the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision in 1954, which declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. This was followed by the Montgomery Bus Boycott from 1955 to 1956, sparked by Rosa Parks’s refusal to give up her seat to a white person, which symbolized resistance and led to the desegregation of many bus systems. The movement gained further momentum with the formation of organizations like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). These organizations used protests, sit-ins, and freedom rides in order to bring awareness and make a statement about the unequal treatment they faced. These milestones, among many others achieved during this time, are proof of the significant power that this movement had and the sweeping changes that it brought. Martin Luther King Jr was a prominent figure in the movement, proving himself to be a pivotal figure as his leadership and vision for a better world were instrumental in the struggle for racial equality and justice. His importance lay not only in his ability to inspire but also his commitment to nonviolent protests and civil disobedience to achieve social change. In 1957, he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, quicky expressing his worthiness of the position. He achieved this through hundreds of speeches around the country as he traveled extensively to make his voice heard. At the same time, he would go on to publish a variety of articles and books documenting the injustice faced by African Americans. Perhaps his most iconic action was during the March on Washington in 1963, where he would deliver his iconic address known as the “I Have a Dream” speech to the 250,000 people participating in the march and the thousands more who watched or listened to it as it was broadcasted. In it, he envisioned a future where people would be judged by the content of their character instead of their appearance, especially the color of their skin. This speech changed the Civil Rights Movement as it drew millions of people to fully understand the impacts of racial discrimination and inequality. Eventually, his hard work in improving the lives of Black Americans would pay off as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 would be created. These laws were significant victories as equal employment, less voting restrictions, and unsegregated public facilities for African Americans were established. All in all, with Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 20th, it is a time for reflection and commemoration. After all, his work in resolving racial issues has allowed us to enjoy the same rights and access to the same luxuries which will continually improve lives for the future. Sources: Civil Rights Movement: Timeline, Key Events & Leaders | HISTORY Civil Rights Timeline - Truman Library Institute Martin Luther King Jr. – Biography - NobelPrize.org BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections VSN Drama’s Production of The Addams Family By Lia Frederique Volume 3 Issue 3 February 24, 2023 Image provided by Vanity Fair With the second semester underway, Valley Stream North’s Drama Club has begun preparing their production of The Addams Family musical. The release of Netflix’s Wednesday brought attention to the Drama Club and influenced the decision of the VSN Spring musical. The new directors, Kyra Lamberti and Anya Hixon, are looking forward to their first musical in a unique fashion. Specifically, the directors are implementing dynamic choreography, engaging dialogue, and nuanced crowd-interaction to create an ambient environment for the seniors’ last show. Additionally, new props will be employ, underscoring a captivating production. While casting, the directors carefully chose the correct actors for roles which best suited their vocal range and acting ability. In terms of leads, Alain Deen and Marco Alvarez are dually cast as Gomez. Gianna Perlaza will play Morticia, with supporting roles such as Quinn O’Connor as Wednesday, Augustine Magapan as Lucas Beineke, and Rachel Ezeadichie and Isabella Mascetti dually cast as Uncle Fester. The Addams Family is the first musical since Once On This Island held here at North. In contrast to the last musical , The Addams Family presents a more macabre, ghastly vibe. Buy tickets for the show being performed here at North on March 31st and April 1st. The tickets are available on MySchoolBucks from opening night to the final performance. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections North's Snowball By Rachel Ezeadichie Volume 3 Issue 3 February 24, 2023 Image provided by North Student On January 27th, 2023, North High School hosted its first Snowball catered to its 7th, 8th, and 9th graders. Located in the school cafetorium, the night consisted of food, drinks, and plenty of dancing. Multiple contests, such as dancing and joke competitions, were held throughout the night. Prizes included gift cards from different food chains such as Dunkin Donuts. The cafetorium was expertly decorated by students and members of our extracurriculars, including the National Junior Honor Society, who decorated, watched, and helped clean up after the dance. The Snowball was a massive success among the underclassmen of North. It being the first official dance for underclassmen made it very popular among the 7th and 8th graders, with some 9th graders enjoying it as well. Even outside the school-sanctioned parts of the dance, people still managed to create their own fun. Multiple dance circles were formed, which allowed different students to step out of their comfort zones and dance the night away. The event also created opportunities for underclassmen to meet and socialize outside school hours. Many are busy during the school week and on the weekends, so an event that prioritized the socialization of the underclassmen was highly appreciated. With a total of over 120 students attending, the Snowball has definitely engraved itself into the mind of many underclassmen and has changed the way we view school events forever. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Spiral of Ants by Lemon Demon By Stephy Varughese Volume 1 Issue 6 March 18, 2021 Image provided by Onedio Spiral of Ants - YouTube Over and over The pheromones, the overwhelming harmony Consuming the colony The Circle rules your life Chop, chop! Don't want to be late Lift up and carry your weight You've got no choice but to dance in a spiral of ants True bugs might laugh in your face Don't fret, you're leading the race Don't let the bastards step on your hands in a spiral of ants You can't remember where you came from (In a spiral of ants) You can't remember where you're going (In a spiral of ants) You can't remember knowing You are one ant Over, it's over The pheromones, the self-avoiding odyssey Consuming the colony The Circle rules your life Now, now! Don't run out of breath Don't feel surrounded by death, no Take the wheel, this could be your chance, in a spiral of ants False bugs, you'll soon be alone See how they drop like a stone You're free now forever to dance in a spiral of ants. Now you remember where you came from (From a spiral of ants) Now you remember where you're going (To a spiral of ants) You've got to keep it flowing. You are one ant (Over, over, over) Over and over The pheromones, the overwhelming harmony Consuming the colony Creating its own gravity Before we knew it, we became a hurricane. And the bugs who laughed got blown away. As we proclaimed: The Circle rules your life _______________________________________ Lemon Demon is a band made by internet star Neil Cicirega. Cicirega had been on the internet making funny videos like “The Harry Potter Puppet Pals,” Ultimate Showdown, random skits, and of course, Lemon Demon, since the late 2000’s and as a teenager. The song “Spiral of Ants” comes from one of his more recent albums, Spirit Phone , which focuses on strange phenomena in history, mixed with a story. I highly recommend listening to his music if you like weird indie songs and overall randomness with upbeat tunes. Spirit Phone is a great starter album if you are interested. The title “Spiral Ants” is a natural phenomenon that happens in real life to a certain species of ant. There are ants called Army Ants who, unlike other species of ant, are completely blind. This is because of their compound eyes that are used to sense light activity instead of sight. However, because of this, these army ants have a tough time sensing each other out. The solution to this problem is releasing specific pheromones so that the ant before them can sense their pheromone and vice versa. When the scent of the last ant gets lost, the ant before that ant gets confused and get cut off from the main pack. The ants then look over and over, following the wrong trail which makes them walk in a never-ending spiral. Because they aren’t aware that they are walking this spiral, they keep walking thinking that they are reaching their destination. This leads to them walking till they eventually die. This is called the Death Spiral or, in this case, the Spiral of Ants. The speaker is never mentioned in the song, but we can assume that the speaker is a high being or just a disembodied figure. This is proven by the speaker speaking directly about you especially in line 20 “Now, now! Don't run out of breath” and the constant use of “you’re” in the chorus. Repeatedly in the song, the speaker tells “you” which is to assume is the listener. Also, in the song, they refer to the listener as “one ant”. This would mean that we are considered “ants.” The tone of the song sounds repetitive, mysterious, and collected in the beginning then goes into a very upbeat tune while still keeping the same unsettling vibe. “Before we knew it, we became a hurricane” is a metaphor that compares ants to a hurricane. This whole song in itself however is a metaphor in itself because it's comparing us people the spiral of ants. The song’s theme or the message is that despite living in and endless death loop, you’ll always be part of society. What I mean by this is that the “spiral” represents society, and the ant, you. The song starts you off with an omen-type tone as if you were not there at all, yet everything is still in shape. In lines five though eleven, the song hurries you up as if to say, “Come on, it's time to start your life!” Everything in the tone feels like you are new, unfazed by death or harm. This is supported in the lines when “you can’t remember where you are going” or “you don’t know where you came from.” This proves that at this stage, you simply are naïve about how the “spiral” is. Like how they, “you are one ant” like, you are only just a person existing. Then when it says “true bugs might laugh in your face”, they are referring to people outside of your life or people who try to weigh you down. This is confirmed later in the song where it says, “And the bugs who laughed got blown away.” This shows that despite people weighing you down and making fun of status, they aren’t in a worse situation as you. This also shows the change you felt before about the outside bugs changed when you got more engulfed into the spiral for in the beginning, these bugs were called “true bugs” while later in the song, these true bugs were now called “fake bugs.” By the second verse, the sudden realization that you are being controlled by society kicks in. Especially when the speaker says, “don’t feel surrounded by death.” You are now realizing the reality of it all, yet you try to get ahold of yourself and be a leader since “it could be your chance in the Spiral of Ants.” Later on, as stated previously, all the true bugs become false bugs as you realize that the true bugs you looked up to aren’t the same bugs anymore. The chorus of the song, however, brings this statement farther up by saying that you know where you are going and doing yet all in all, you are still just an ant. Yet you work and work to keep that spiral going. Then the repetitiveness of “over” really hits hard on this sad outcome of life. Then reaching the last chorus, we see the noticeability of the destruction of life. The overwhelming harmony of society that “consumes” the colony still goes on and on from the moment you were born till now. The remaining lines reflect how chaotic and crazy everything is to you as even society makes “its own gravity.” Everything is swirling around like a hurricane and all scattered in a mess. However, in the last two lines, it shows that despite it all, the circle still rules your life and repeats itself over and over again. BACK TO TOP