Category: Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture

Which is Better: Spotify or Apple Music?

Spotify and Apple Music. Both are extremely popular music streaming services that function on a similar basis of pay-to access, granting the entire world of music for a monthly price. There’s been a significant increase in discussion about the two streaming services, given the Spotify Wrapped and Apple Replay. Both of these streaming services have obvious benefits to them, being in demand access to music … Continue reading Which is Better: Spotify or Apple Music?

Unknown's avatarWyatt Potter
Arts & Culture

“Midnights” Conceals More Than It Reveals

Taylor Swift is not known for being a master of subtlety. Much of her charm lies in her audacity, her refusal to let anything go. She transforms the details of her past relationships into devastating digs at her exes. But part of what made folklore and evermore, Swift’s indie-folk pandemic releases, so wonderful, was their nuance and introspection. Instead of lashing out, she looked in.  … Continue reading “Midnights” Conceals More Than It Reveals

Unknown's avatarFrances Brogan
Arts & Culture

Transcending the Joke Status: Bladee and the Power of Online Music

In a hazily shot YouTube video, Brandon MaCartney sits at a table after shooting footage for an upcoming project. “My music is love, man”, he says to the camera, as two scantily clad women duck in and out of the room. The music video for “Wonton Soup” may have been recorded over 10 years ago, but it is an important example. It reminds us that … Continue reading Transcending the Joke Status: Bladee and the Power of Online Music

Unknown's avatarWyatt Potter
Arts & Culture

The Impact of Black Representation in Cartoons

As a young child, I only enjoyed watching television shows with characters that weren’t human – Yo Gabba Gabba, SpongeBob, etc.  I was never able to really watch shows with humans, as I could never relate to the characters. It was always a mainly white cast with one or two stereotypical black characters: either a black female of a lighter skin tone, or a black … Continue reading The Impact of Black Representation in Cartoons

Unknown's avatarLayla Morales
Arts & Culture, Opinion

Classist Tactics in the Gaming Industry

This article was written by Staff Writer Angel Quintana. Activision Blizzard the kings of video game industry controversy, they’re always messing something up in the worst way possible, but what makes what they’ve done now different before? They’ve started what is most likely the most predatory and classist tactic when it comes to the video game industry to date, they’re asking for your phone number.  … Continue reading Classist Tactics in the Gaming Industry

Unknown's avatarEditorial Staff
Arts & Culture, Opinion

How Orville Peck is Reinventing Country Music

For the past three decades, country music has been a genre plagued by mediocrity. Perhaps not just mediocrity, but consistent themes of bigoted messaging and cringeworthy dogwhistles are simply the norm. Of course, this is referring strictly to the watered down, tired, and dull stereotypes of pop/bro country, as the roots of outlaw and alternative country continue to thrive, even today. The unfortunate lull that … Continue reading How Orville Peck is Reinventing Country Music

Unknown's avatarWyatt PotterLeave a comment
Arts & Culture, Campus Life

3…2…1… Second Time’s the Charm!

Image Credit: Gabrielle Mappone “Listen to the scientists, climate change is real, and you can do anything when you put your mind to it.” That’s the basic gist of the 2022 McCaskey Spring Children’s play, as McCaskey senior Tacura Tobler puts it. The play, titled 3…2…1…. Second To None!, is set in the slowly converging worlds of Planet Zoe and Planet Earth in the year … Continue reading 3…2…1… Second Time’s the Charm!

Unknown's avatarRose Carlson
Arts & Culture, Campus Life

Burning Glass: A Word from the Editor

Early this year, Mrs. Brumbach, Mr. Coonan, and a rag tag group of students scrambled to get a poster up for the club fair, hoping to revive an old McCaskey magazine to its full potential. With nothing more than an idea of what they wanted, they tackled the task of creating a literary and art magazine from scratch. In a few days, Fig Industries and … Continue reading Burning Glass: A Word from the Editor

Unknown's avatarThùy Nguyễn
Arts & Culture

The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads: The Greatest Shoegaze Album of All Time

The music underground of the 90’s was defined mainly by the whim of teenagers everywhere. The almost compulsive pull away from the glam rock and hair metal aesthetics of the 80’s created some of the oddest and most ambitious genre mixings to date. The creation of shoegaze fusing sweet, melodic dream-pop and post-rock walls of harsh guitar sound with emotional, lovesick lyrics was a force … Continue reading The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads: The Greatest Shoegaze Album of All Time

Unknown's avatarWyatt Potter
Arts & Culture, Opinion

“The Giver” reminds us of everything that makes life worth living

Philip Noyce’s 2014 film adaptation of Lois Lowry’s The Giver is a rush of color, beauty, and sound. It is both a depiction of pain and a celebration of life. The Giver takes place in a society devoid of color, emotion, and inequality—conditions which are put in place in order to create maximum human comfort and efficiency for its people. There are no wars, no … Continue reading “The Giver” reminds us of everything that makes life worth living

Unknown's avatarRose Carlson
Arts & Culture

“Encanto” Presents a New Kind of Children’s Movie

“The stars don’t shine, they burn,” Mirabel Madrigal sings to her family, the sweet melody juxtaposing her family’s once magical home in shambles in front of her. Framing Mirabel’s figure is the beautiful Colombian forest with her Abuela standing next to her, who, moments before, Mirabel had embraced tightly by the river where Abuela first received the miracle that made the now broken house magical … Continue reading “Encanto” Presents a New Kind of Children’s Movie

Unknown's avatarHannah Geiser
Arts & Culture, Campus Life

“SWEAT,” by Lynn Nottage, Through My Eyes

I was given the opportunity to watch the Fulton Theatre’s rendition of Sweat, a play written by Lynn Nottage. Although we weren’t presented with the original cast, the Fulton’s production was able to portray the character’ thoughts and feelings in a way that captivated the audience.    Ms. Gregory and Mr. White invited students from their American Literature classes to see the play with them … Continue reading “SWEAT,” by Lynn Nottage, Through My Eyes

Unknown's avatarMike Dones
Arts & Culture, Campus Life

Jadyn Torres on Music and the Strength of the McCaskey Community

Left to right: Julio Morales, Diego David, and Jadyn Torres before a performance of Newsies. (Image credit: Rose Carlson) The hundreds of community members who came to see McCaskey’s production of Newsies gave it nothing but glowing reviews. After two years of upheaval and pandemic-induced cancellations, the show was a jubilant symbol of our celebrated music program’s rebirth. Everyone was captivated by the performance of … Continue reading Jadyn Torres on Music and the Strength of the McCaskey Community

Unknown's avatarFrances Brogan
Arts & Culture, Campus Life

Melissa Blessing-Hartley, Caretaker of the JP IMC Safe Haven

Image credit: Rose Carlson For some, spending all day working in the library might be boring, but Ms. Blessing-Hartley, known to many simply as Ms. Blessing, loves her job. She is one of several friendly faces at the front desk of JP’s IMC.  Although many initially assume that she is a librarian, Ms. Blessing describes her role as the library’s para-professional. “The librarians are the … Continue reading Melissa Blessing-Hartley, Caretaker of the JP IMC Safe Haven

Unknown's avatarJanessa Reitz
Arts & Culture, Campus Life

No Place Like Home: Angel Gonzalez’s Inevitable Return to McCaskey

Image credit: Tim Mercandetti When he was a senior at JP McCaskey High School, Angel Gonzalez made a promise to himself. “I said, ‘you know what, the goal is not to come back, it’s to go off to something else.’” Angel shared. “And then I came right back – and I think it was perfect.” Angel’s biggest dream in high school was to become a … Continue reading No Place Like Home: Angel Gonzalez’s Inevitable Return to McCaskey

Unknown's avatarRose Carlson