Album Review > The 20/20 Experience

By: Lucy Pruitt | Staff Reporter

After having dominated the late 90’s and early 2000’s with his band N’ Sync then progressing to a very successful solo career, Justin Timberlake released yet another solo album. The 20/20 Experience was released on March 15, 2013, and debuted as number one on the U.S. Billboard Top 200.

“Suit and Tie,” the radio hit single of the album so far, peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and within the top five in several countries worldwide. Though many fans and critics have given this album high praise, I have found The 20/20 Experience to be far from stellar. The occasional song that runs seven or eight minutes long is great, but the entire album consisting of songs that are averaging seven minutes is pushing the limit.

At times while listening to the album, I got the feeling that the main goal of The 20/20 Experience was to exceed normal song length. Quickly after the expected time allotment for the song elapses, it feels as if the key changes, vamps, and bridges were randomly placed in the songs just for the purpose of creating unnecessarily lengthy music. The songs will fade out in the middle, giving you the impression that it will end only to leave you disappointed in the realization that you are barely halfway through. I find myself feeling a sense of accomplishment when I listen to an entire song in one sitting.

The intros to many of the songs are very creative, and though they are oddly irrelevant and completely different in style, they started to grow on me as I became more familiar with the music. In the first song on the album “Pusher Love Girl,” the intro sounds very theatrical and would fit somewhere in a Walt Disney movie turned 1950’s Broadway production, unlike the song which is about drugs, drug pushers, and addictions.

Despite their repetition, the choruses are catchy and fun. The album was classified as “Neo Soul,” consisting of styles ranging from jazz, funk, and hip hop to pop, fusion, and African music. All of these styles are very clearly portrayed in songs such as “Don’t Hold the Wall” and “Mirrors.”

I can’t help but compliment Justin Timberlake’s voice and technique when he sings. Most of the album is sung in his trademark falsetto that does not sound strained or forced. Because of his constant high voice, the change to his natural, deeper tone sounds rich and full in comparison. Though, I was disappointed in the length and content of The 20/20 Experience, I have to say that I was generally pleased with the album.

What’s APPening?

The expense of iTunes is absurd. Cash-strapped teens do not want to pay $1.29 per song, but with the variety of music available online, teens continue to spend that money. Right before payday, though, teens wonder where their cash went. 

Music Downloader Pro is the solution to iTunes’s expenses. Although the app is $0.99, money will be saved. Every song downloaded is free. One simply searches a free music downloads site through the app. Once directed to the website, a search for any song imaginable can be conducted. Songs with higher space requirements have higher qualities. Low quality songs often skip or have bad sound quality. 

The app is slighty sketchy, but the benefits of Music Downloader Pro outweigh the virus risks.

 

Film Review > The Host

By: Morgan Guess | Staff Reporter

When reading the Stephanie Myer novel The Host, the story developed slowly and unfortunately translated just the same on the silver screen. I was eager to see this enticing Stephanie Meyer cinematic adaption; however, the movie fell flat to the hype and huge fan-base surrounding the Twilight author. This time around, the love triangle is more of a love square that includes Irish actress Saoirse Ronan as Melanie Stryder, Max Irons as Jared Howe, and Jake Abel as Ian O’Shea. Where’s the fourth member of the love square? Well, earth has been invaded by alien souls implanted in human bodies and has become a picture perfect world with no violence.

At the beginning of the film, Melanie is on the run from the “souls” to find her uncle’s hide out in the desert with her younger brother Jamie and companion Jared when she is found and tries to resist alien insertion. Melanie fails, and the aliens insert a soul named Wanderer into her body with the mission to take complete control of Melanie and move on to new everyday life in a human body. When Wanderer, later renamed Wanda, awakes in Melanie’s body, a silver ring that sets the humans apart from the aliens shines around her pupils, and Melanie’s thoughts begin to surface through voice-over.

Voice-over for almost all two hours of a film isn’t practical, and when Ronan applies a southern accent, it becomes slightly obnoxious. Flashbacks of Melanie’s family and the invasion create a close bond between Wanda and Melanie as they share thoughts and learn to coexist. Wanda becomes compassionate towards the humans and slowly starts to have the same feelings about Melanie’s loved ones.

With Wanda convinced, Melanie directs her to where she believes Jared and Jamie reside in a cave with her crazy Uncle Jeb. Once they discover what they think is the last band of humans in the middle of the Arizona desert, the surviving humans are conflicted whether or not they should accept the alien residing in Melanie’s body. Melanie is reunited with Jamie and Jared even though they believe that Wanda has full control. Ian, a member of the cave, is thrown into the mix and eventually falls for Wanda.

The four conflicted loves had phenomenal chemistry, but even with prestigious acting skills, no actor could repair the awkwardly fast-paced dialogue. The movie focuses centrally on the war between the humans and the aliens with the love story thrown in, whereas, the book’s central focus is on the relationships of the four. In order to save the ending, I can only say that we’re left with hope for humanity, but that the conversion from book to movie was a flop and could have been better formatted as a television show.

What’s APPening?

By: Katie Williams

Staff Reporter

In the pursuit for a new app, I came upon Ruzzle. In one hour, this game became my new addiction.

After setting up a Ruzzle account, a gamer has the option to play with Facebook friends or find a random opponent. This game has three rounds. Each round, the player is given a four-by-four square containing 16 letter tiles. During the two minutes in each round, the player tries to make as many words as possible with the letters given. Letters have the same point values that they have in Scrabble. As the gamer moves up in levels, double word value, triple word value, double letter value, and triple letter value tiles are introduced. Scores are tallied after the three rounds, and a winner is determined.

Ruzzle feeds my Scrabble obsession in speedier time. I can play this game on the go. The excessive ads would have to be my only complaint, but that problem can be solved by purchasing the paid version.

All in all, Ruzzle is worth the download, but one should be prepared for much wasted time.

Building a Bucket List

By: Elizabeth Lee

Staff Reporter

I have learned a lot during my 3.75 years here at Oak Grove High School, whether from my own mistakes or from others’. Watching people make these mistakes time and again can get frustrating, so I feel it is my duty in this column not only to tell you what you should do during high school, but also what you should not do. Here it is: a list of things not to do before you graduate, or after you graduate, or really ever at all, from a wise and experienced senior.

Do not, under any circumstances, let a parent into the student parking lot.

Don’t be fooled; yellow polo dresses are out of dress code even though yellow polos are fine. That doesn’t make sense, you say? Well it is a rule, so it doesn’t matter.

Don’t choose any hall pass other than the apple. It’s okay if you drop it.

Don’t take an AP class just to say you took an AP class. Trust me.

Don’t use A or B halls, the busiest halls, to get to your classes, if at all possible.

Don’t park in someone else’s parking spot. They will find you. They will make you sorry.

Don’t worry about dressing up every day for school; we all look basically the same in our uniforms. If you wear the same sweatshirt and khaki shorts for a week straight, no one will notice.

Don’t enter the girls’ bathroom if a “wet floor” sign is outside the door. There is a good chance that there might be a man in there.

Don’t walk barefoot in the gym, or anywhere in the school, for that matter.

Don’t pull an all-nighter doing schoolwork; it’s not worth it. Save that for college.

Don’t step on the Warrior Head. Ever.

Eaglepalooza

By: Mary Ryan Karnes

Editor

American Idol winner Phillip Phillips set to headline USM’s Eaglepalooza

Hattiesburg, much like the nature that surrounds it, is in full bloom this spring with a full social and entertainment calendar. As the weather warms up, so will a few standout music acts before they hit the Hub City. 2012 American Idol winner Phillip Phillips as well as 2012 Soul Train Awards “Best New Artist” recipient Elle Varner will headline Eaglepalooza on April 5. Eaglepalooza will be held in downtown Hattiesburg, and the event is free to the public.

Eaglepalooza, an annual music festival hosted by the University of Southern Mississippi, is traditionally hosted in the fall on Southern Miss’ campus. Annually, the concert is known to draw about 3,500 people, but last year’s event drew about 5,000. This year, the Student Government Assocation (SGA) hopes to draw even more listeners from all over Hattiesburg and the surrounding area.  2013 marks the festival’s tenth year.This year, however, the SGA at the university decided to move the concert to the spring in order to raise more funds for the event. The SGA’s Eaglepalooza committee is comprised of seven members, all of whom focus on compiling a diverse lineup of artists for the outdoor concert. The group deliberated and decided that the lineup needed to represent USM’s student body. Last year, the YouTube sensation-turned-pop duo Karmin was scheduled to play at Eaglepalooza. Karmin’s potential performance at Eaglepalooza generated much hype, but the band turned out to be a no-show. In the past, big music names like Sister Hazel, Train, Better Than Ezra, Mya, and Pat Green have headlined Eaglepalooza, but this year’s lineup may be one of the most impressive to date. Phillip Phillips, whose single “Home” is wildly popular, has appeal among the college crowd as well as among families. His debut album “The World from the Side of the Moon” peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. Elle Varner, an R&B artist, has only been popular since 2007 but is quickly gaining traction among large audiences. She was also recently nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Song. In many ways, the Eaglepalooza lineup presents relatively new artists to an eager audience. Be sure to mark Eaglepalooza on your calendar. With two hot new performers as well as a variety of local ones, this small-scale, free festival isn’t to be missed.

In addition to Eaglepalooza, Live @ Five will also draw music fans downtown this spring. Scheduled to occur every Friday during the month of April, the outdoor concert and vending event will feature a different act every week. Known to draw families and the college crowd alike, be on the lookout for additional entertainment each weekend in downtown Hattiesburg.

Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars

By: Lucy Pruitt | Staff Reporter

http://www.booksellers.penguin.com PHOTO

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green was published last year and set in modern day Indianapolis. The book is narrated by sixteen-year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster as she recounts what she calls her “Pre-Miracle Days” of past struggles with Stage Four thyroid cancer and her a fragile teenage life. Hazel has three primary best friends: her overprotective mom, highly emotional dad, and the author of her favorite book who, it should be mentioned, doesn’t even know she exists.

After her parents and doctors diagnose her with clinical depression, she is forced to attend a weekly support group for cancer kids where she meets a new acquaintance Isaac, a boy with “fantastically improbable eye cancer.” Through both Isaac and her support group, Hazel meets Augustus Waters, the adorably immature, intellectual teenage amputee. Augustus becomes infatuated with Hazel the moment she speaks to him. Hazel convinces Augustus to read her favorite book An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten (the aforementioned third best friend), and he becomes nearly as obsessed with it as she is. Thus, the story begins.

Hazel and Augustus’s relationship grows against Hazel’s will, and after a scary admittance and discharge from the hospital with yet more medical problems, Hazel learns that Augustus had saved his “Wish from the Genies” (a fictional version of the Make A Wish Foundation); he wants to use his wish with her.

As Hazel’s family and friends develop, they assure her that she is more than she sees herself to be. She is more than her cancer.

John Green created a work of art when writing The Fault in Our Stars. He can take your breath away with a single sentence or throw a beautiful plot twist that will make you question every preceding thought. The sadness in the story is often masked by humor or a bright outlook. This book is not so much a cancer book or a book that will be appreciated by a reader looking for a light-hearted story; it was written for the readers looking for deep meaning and a well written plot. With every page, we learn more about the characters and their inner struggles. From regular teenage problems to the constant, wavering threat of death hanging over their shoulders, these teens inspire each other to love without hesitation and passionately run full-force at life, tearing away from all of the IV’s and cannulas that have held them back for too long.

The Fault in Our Stars will make you laugh, cry, and appreciate your life as it is. This extraordinary and memorable book is recommended for older teens and adult readers alike.

Movie Review: Warm Bodies

By: Morgan Guess

Staff Reporter

A love story between a zombie and a human seems far from practical and a little on the silly side. Presuming Warm Bodies to be a sick spin off of Twilight, I was floored when exiting the theater. It was not a traditional Nicholas Sparks love story, but an elusive tale with a steamy corpse played by Nicholas Hault. Hault stars as the lead zombie who doesn’t remember much of his previous life besides the first letter of his name, “R.”

When on a raid with his undead brothers, R discovers Julie, a blonde beauty with a gun searching for pharmaceuticals for her colony in post-apocalyptic Montreal. During the attack, R kills Julie’s first love Perry but is conflicted during the process. This is, of course, a zombie movie so there were a few scenes of brain munching that allows the undead to connect with humanity through the victim’s memories. At the raid R falls for Julie the moment he sees her and feels the need to protect her from his dead, flesh-hungry friends. R hides his human companion in his airplane home, which is filled with random trinkets, including a record player that’s spinning, making him feel more “alive.” R’s narration added humor to the somewhat serious story and resembled the thoughts of a human teenager. R transforms as he learns to care for, protect, and love Julie, who is skittish to the kindness but eventually learns that the undead can indeed be saved. The growing love between the two leads alluded to one of the classics, Romeo and Juliet, making it hard not to enjoy the romance.  The love becomes infectious as R’s friend Marcus and the rest of the undead begin to care again. Spoiler alert: Through many adventures, the movie came to its climax when the corpses teamed up with the human colony to defeat the “bonies” or skeletal zombies too far gone to ever care again. During the chaos, Julie and R soon discover that they have sparked the cure that can bring the zombies back to life. When the undead become no longer a threat to humanity, the cement wall concealing the small colony comes crumbling down thanks to the love between R and Julie.  They all live in peaceful harmony and eventually discover that the cure for the undead was simply a human’s touch and love.

Although many may regard Warm Bodies as just another abnormal love story, there are many underlying themes that make this romantic comedy a hit.

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com PHOTO

Help wanted: Warriors in the workforce

By: Mary Ryan Karnes

Editor

High school is full of academic and social

WILL WORK FOR COFFEE
Junior Field Bennett mixes speciality drinks at Java Moe’s drive-thru coffee shop.

opportunities. Many students, however, take on more responsibility in their
high school careers by working. Having a job can improve a student’s work
ethic, dependability, and understanding of money. In the United States, 26 percent of teenagers 16-19 had jobs in 2011. This year, Oak Grove boasts a number of students with jobs. The food, childcare, and retail industries are all popular areas of employment for Warriors in the workforce.

Senior Kim Franklin got a job as a waitress at Two Brothers Grill at the beginning of the school year as well as a job at the Largesse gift shop in Turtle Creek Mall. “Juggling school and two jobs may be difficult at times, but it’s worth it end in the end because I know that I am only dependent on myself,”
Franklin said. Junior Field Bennet also works in the food industry; he mixes specialty drinks at Java Moe’s, a drive-through coffee shop in Oak Grove. “I really like working at Java Moe’s,” Bennet said. “They work with my schedule, and I always have extra spending money.”

Seniors Hayley Higgason and Olivia Sanguinetti both work in the Kids’ Zone at Anatomies gym. “I love working with the kids, and the parents are really
sweet, too.” Higgason said. “And honestly, it’s nice to have extra spending money.”

Senior Mallory Jennings has been working at Aeropostale at the Turtle Creek Mall since June 2011. Her duties at the store include straightening the clothes
on the floor, filling in clothes where some are missing, helping customers, and working the cash register.  “My job has taught me responsibility and independence, and having a little money that I’ve earned on my own is always nice,” Jennings said. She plans to work in college, depending on her class schedule and how much time she has to spare.

These students have learned to balance their academic, social, and financial priorities by seeking and gaining employment. Having a job is a beneficial aspect of the high school experience; it rewards students by giving them financial freedom and skills they will use throughout their adult lives.

Order Your Yearbook

By: Elizabeth Lee

Staff Reporter

The OGHS yearbook staff has been working tirelessly to create a yearbook that will capture high school memories in a way that is more innovative than ever before.

Last year’s award-winning yearbook will be hard to top, but the staff is already on track to do just that. The most cutting-edge feature of the 2012-2013 yearbook will be the QR codes, barcodes that can link a page in the yearbook to videos and bonus photos when smartphones scan them. The biggest problem with the yearbook every year is that it excludes several significant spring semester events, like spring sports, prom, and graduation, because of deadlines. This year, thanks to the QR codes, these can all be included, along with slideshows commemorating the year for each individual grade.

The staff has not only been working on putting the yearbook together; they have been working on promoting and selling it all semester. Some of the promotions have included the famous “Call Me Maybe” parody video in which several teams and groups at Oak Grove were featured, encouraging students to buy their yearbooks; the schoolwide assembly featuring the premiere of the “Call Me Maybe” video, a slideshow with celebrities’ and a few teachers’ high school yearbook photos, and Ms. Welch sharing her 28 Oak Grove High School yearbooks—one for every year of teaching—as well as the memories she has kept because of her own high school yearbooks; and the iPad drawing that only includes the names of students who have already purchased their yearbooks.

Not ordering a yearbook means missing out on one of the very few mementos a student will keep from all four high school years, so every student should be sure to order one, especially seniors. There are only a few days left to reserve them, and extras will not be ordered. The deadline to order a yearbook is December 21, and the price is still $70. They can be purchased at lunch, in G104 any time, or at http://www.balfour.com.