 Naima Muminiy
Staff Writer It is only May, and 2016 is shaping up to be the year of remakes. Film classics, such as Ghostbusters and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, are being rebooted starring popular modern Hollywood stars. This has sparked controversy about the new films possibly ruining the sacrality of the original productions and fans of these classics are outraged. The Ghostbusters trailer currently has the most “disliked” rating on YouTube as well as a plethora of negative comments. The new Ghostbusters film will be replacing the iconic cast members Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson with female cast members Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. Ghostbusters fans have criticized this casting by calling it sexist. Danika Massey (also known as Comic Book Girl) is an internet celebrity well known for her commentary on comics, books, televisions shows and films. Massey expressed her views on the remake by saying, “You have a remake of a nearly perfect movie that you’re never gonna top in a million years, and then you just put a bunch of women in it and then everyone’s just gonna blame that and think that women suck more. That sucks. That’s not good.” Multiple film commentators have already vowed not to watch the film claiming that it is not worth doing.  McKenzie Feldman
Staff Writer It is finally that time of year when summer break is just around the corner. Summer is a time to have fun and ditch all the stress of school. However, it is hard to keep summer fun cheap. Having a great summer vacation does not have to cost a fortune. There are many fun things you can do without having to travel and pay a lot of money. Whether you do not have any big vacation plans or you just want to have a memorable summer, here are some tips on keeping yourself busy or having your summer’s worth of fun.  Ashton Baysden
Staff Writer Spring has many upsides, such as nicer weather and a break from school, but for every fan of television, it has one downside: cancellation season. Major television networks such as ABC and FOX have released a ruthless stream of TV show cancellation announcements, many of which included popular shows with dedicated fan bases. Many audiences across the country, from crime show fans to country music fans, have been devastated by the announcement that their favorite show is not coming back for another season. Now every person who is a fan of a television show is left asking the same question: “Is my show safe?” Perhaps the most shocking of the entire wave of TV show cancellations is the fact that two of ABC’s fan-favorite shows, Castle and country drama Nashville, received the axe. Despite its extensive fan base, Castle’s cancellation had been predicted by some fans, considering it had already been on for eight seasons and essential actors had already begun to leave the show. However, fans were completely blindsided when Nashville’s cancellation was announced. The show had been bringing in many viewers and was still relatively fresh to the air, consisting of only four seasons. Dedicated fans of the drama even brought the issue to Twitter, where they began trending “#BringBackNashville.” The network’s president Channing Dungey finally spoke out to defend their big decision. “The production studios in each case were looking for the best creative and financial ways to make room for new seasons,” Dungey explained. “At the end of the day, the future for us did not necessarily lie in those shows.”  Dylan Snyder
Staff Writer As a sixteen year old kid, getting your driver’s license is one of the best and most rewarding events of your teenage life. Not only does it mean you get to operate a car on your own, but it may also mean you have the thrill of driving something fun like a Jeep, truck, or fast car. For others, the thrill of being able to go anywhere you want to without relying on parents or other friends is satisfying enough. Remembering that feeling, think about what it would be like if suddenly there was not an option to drive. The feeling to go wherever one pleases still remains but the fun of driving “fun” cars is now gone. Google is changing the car world with its new self-driving car. Although it is not on the market yet, it is catching the attention of many people. There is a group of people who only think of their car as a way to get from one place to another. They are now offering $20 a week for people who are willing to test these cars. They are not finished products, but they will give the developers an idea of what it will be like. There are still aspects of how these cars will sync up with the lights and other cars on the road. If not everyone has a self-driving car, it may be hard for Google to coordinate with the traffic. Everything has to be in sync, and the people have to comply. Maybe if these tests show positive results, then it will gain more support and popularity for their product.  Naima Muminiy
Staff Writer Known at the European pop-music Olympics, Eurovision is the longest running annual international TV song competition. Eurovision was created in the 1950s during the time Europe was divided with war, but as Europe rebuilt itself, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) was created. The purpose of the EBU was to bring together the European countries of EBU through a light entertainment program. Eurovision takes place every year in the country of the previous winner. This year, Eurovision took place in Stockholm, Sweden. Måns Zelmerlöw represented Sweden in 2015 and won with the song “Heroes.” Jamala, representing Ukraine, won this year with the song “1944.”  Meenakshi Sathish
Staff Writer It has been made clear by teachers, parents, internet bloggers, and other “experts” that the best known way to succeed in life is to get into the best college possible. While this theory is not completely bogus, it is not exactly the path to lifelong prosperity either. As Ms. Odom says, while the reputation of a school does count for something, different schools have different things to offer. If a student is interested in engineering, it would be better to go to North Carolina State University than Columbia University, which excels in its law school and liberal arts. Going to a college that was not a first choice does not hinder a successful career. This is the biggest reason why most students get upset when they find out that they did not get into their dream college.  Senior Lindsey Flowers Naima Muminiy
Staff Writer A trashion show and exhibition featuring dresses made entirely of recycled materials. This idea comes to life in Rubbish 2 Runway, a month long fashion exhibition held at the FRANK (Franklin Street Arts Collective) Gallery in Chapel Hill, North Carolina from May 10 to June 5 featuring dresses made by high school and college students. Over thirty colleges and high schools in North Carolina are represented.  Ashton Baysden
Staff Writer From the battleground to the basketball courts, veterans are constantly armed with determination, and this year nearly five hundred members of the armed services have been able to display that determination at the 2016 Invictus Games. Created by Prince Harry of Wales, the Invictus Games are a multi-sport Paralympic-style event for sick, wounded, or injured members of the armed services to participate in. The name is derived from the Latin word invictus, meaning “unconquered.” The Games originated in 2014 at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, where three hundred competitors from over thirteen countries participated. After their success and profound impact across the pond, Harry decided to bring the Games to America, and after almost a year of planning, they finally arrived to Orlando, Florida at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex on May 8.  McKenzie Feldman
Staff Writer After North Carolina’s worst year on record for shark attacks last year, researchers predict even more this summer. All the ingredients are coming together for another record breaking year of shark attacks. Last year, there were ninety-eight unintentional shark attacks worldwide. This exceeded the record of eighty-eight in 2000. Of those attacks, eight were along the North Carolina coast. Researchers have been putting a lot of focus on North Carolina’s coastal safety. With similar conditions to last year, will this be another record year for shark attacks in North Carolina?  Henry McKeand
Editor-in-Chief and A&E Editor April was a particularly eventful month for popular music, with some of the industry’s biggest artists releasing albums. So far, May hasn’t been a slouch either, and there have already been a slew of major releases, but it takes some time to let critical opinions grow and change naturally. For this reason, now is a perfect time to revisit April’s standout music, both mainstream and underground. Sturgill Simpson, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth: When it comes to the current state of music, one of the most common complaints involves how “Modern country music can’t come close to the genre’s golden days,” and there is some real truth in the statement. Most of the country music that dominates the charts today sounds more like pop with a southern accent than classic country-western. Still, as is always the case when a style of music begins to decrease in quality, there is a new wave of young artists who honor the icons who came before them, and the past five years have seen a resurgence in throwback country and folk music. While most of these artists exist well below the mainstream, some are beginning to make real waves in the industry. Sturgill Simpson is perhaps the most notable of these so-called “outlaw” country artists who do not bend their sound to fit in with the latest trends. With his third album, the outstanding A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, Simpson succeeds not by harkening back to the past but by boldly pushing the envelope and bringing his own vision to the table while still remaining true to his roots. |
