Tag Archives: Jared Murray

A&E

Madonna remains relevant with MDNA

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By Jared Murray

Madonna’s twelth studio album may not be what everyone expects from the 53-year-old material girl. After delving into every genre of pop one could think, MDNA finds Madonna fully committed to the genre of danceable synth-pop, like her 2005 release Confessions on a Dance Floor. Despite this sonic territory being occupied by much younger, more relevant pop stars, the queen of pop manages to sound just as youthful as her competition, while adding the wisdom of a pop music veteran.

MDNA wastes no time getting into club mode; album opener “Girl Gone Wild” opens with a spoken word verse where Madonna speaks of regretting her sins, all backed by synthetic strings. Once finished, the song morphs into a throbbing, synth-heavy anthem calling out to girls to have some fun in the club. The lyrics may not be stimulating, but the music more than makes up for it.

Sadly, the bulk of the album rarely strays from any combination of characteristics found in “Girl Gone Wild”: playful bass lines, cliché lyrics and sedated vocals are the foundation of the album. However, Madonna and her producers are smart enough to know when this gets to repetitive; for every trite verse she sings there is an equally exciting synth flourish or guest verse; for every repetitive chorus, an interesting break down or middle eight verse comes to save the track from becoming monotonous.

Lyrically, however, the album falls short on multiple levels. One would think that after multiple decades in the business, Madonna could pen more stimulating or original lyrics. There are moments where her lyrics do shine, such as track “Falling Free” and the spoken verse found in “Girl Gone Wild,” but the majority of the tracks are subject to overdone and even reductive lyrics about love. It seems though that the material girl is more concerned with getting back into the game rather than reinventing it as she has done so many times before.

In spite of this, the final two tracks of the album are where Madonna really shines, lyrically and sonically. The first song, entitled “Masterpiece,” is a somber, midi-tempo ballad about being in love with a seemingly perfect person you can only look at. The minimalist production serves as the perfect contrast to the first part of the album, and makes the track both refreshing and enjoyable. Album closer “Falling Free” is another mid-tempo track full of refined string accents and vocal harmonies. Madonna’s vocals are light and pristine, and the lyrics are an age appropriate take on a relationship that just didn’t work. Both “Falling Free” and “Masterpiece” add much needed lyrical and emotional maturity to the album, and prevent it from becoming a generic pop album.

While not as revolutionary as one would hope, MDNA is most definitely a solid effort from an icon who certainly knows how to stay relevant.

Download: “Girl Gone Wild” “Gang Bang” “Masterpiece” “Falling Free”

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Teens take action through internet phenomenon

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By Bekah Landers and Jared Murray

A 30-minute Youtube video, tons of Twitter posts, posters, bracelets, buttons, election signs; the Kony 2012 movement is not only sweeping the nation but almost every country, thanks to word of mouth, internet posts, and celebrity promotions that reach from Oprah Winfrey to Justin Bieber.

The Invisible Children organization sponsers the KONY 2012 movement. Invisible Children is a California based non-profit organization that strives to inform the community about the stories from the African civilians in an attempt to end the longest running armed conflict in Africa. With the movement having exploded onto the internet and other media bases, some FC students are also attempting to get involved.

Junior Ted Hartog is one of those students who are trying to help raise awareness.

“The Invisible Children movement’s intentions are to send U.S. troops to aide the Ugandan army and we have yet to raise enough awareness,” said Hartog.
The movement will feature several events that intend to raise even more awareness. An upcoming event to raise awareness is called “Blanket the Night.” This will involve posting signs all over any local city on April 20. Another event is a dance marathon in late November. If one can not attend these events there are other options online readers can participate in to help the cause.
“Posting the video, tweeting #KONY2012, and visiting the website helps raise awareness,” said Hartog. “You can also buy the action kit online from the Kony 2012 website.”
With the rapid growth of this movement, criticism and controversy has arised. The Invisible Children budget plan has been heavily scrutinized, and the effectivness of the organization itself has been questioned. With the detainment of the creator of the Kony 2012 video new criticism and mocking of the Invisible Children has become more common than ever.
Despite the criticism circulating about the organization, Hartog offers advice on what to do when one makes a decision on which side of the story they believe.
“I think that anyone who supports should educate themselves on both sides. Don’t blindly follow one side of the facts,” said Hartog.
Senior Evan Pearce has a different view than Hartog.
“I don’t think America should be the world’s policemen. We’ve gone to many other countries for things like this and it never ends well,” said Pearce.
The internet has made this cause known, through a vast variety of tactics and approaches. Views on the internet takeover are differed.
“I think a lot of the people supporting it are really uneducated on the cause. Most of them don’t understand the problems our own country is going through. We’re in a huge economic recession with a skyrocketing debt and numerous social issues. The supporters are too busy worrying about problems in other countries to focus on the problem here,” said Pearce.
Needless to say, the views on the Kony 2012 movement differ. With legal allegations and a worrisome financial plan, the movement will give everyone a different view on helping out.
“America is not a perfect people or a perfect country, so it doesn’t make sense to me that we’re trying to help every other country besides ourselves,” said Pearce.
Features

Daily dose of caffeine poses hidden risks

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By Jared Murray and Gwen Galeza

To some it is a mere drink, to others it is an elixir of energy for the long day ahead. Coffee has become a regular part of many students’ and teachers’ lives, whether for good or bad.

“I like coffee because it is warm and it tastes good,” said sophomore Sharon Jecker.

While students drink coffee for different reasons, they all agreed on one thing: the possible negative side effects do not matter.

“There are no negative side effects,” joked senior Ryan Clark.

According to medical website WebMD.com, caffeinated coffee, while a stimulant, is safe for most adults in moderation. Drinking multiple cups a day, however, may cause nervousness, anxiety or even caffeine addiction.

Even though senior Shelby Stephens loves coffee, she feels the side effects of coffee depend on the person and their drinking habits.

“Sometimes when I drink too much coffee after 3 p.m. it’s difficult for me to fall asleep at a decent hour, but it does ensure enough energy to get school work done,” she added.

Many teachers also enjoy coffee themselves, but some go beyond the recommended amount daily.

“I have drink coffee multiple times a day,” said social studies teacher Trent McNeeley, who has been known for drinking coffee since high school. McNeeley said he enjoys the flavor of coffee and that caffeine does not effect him like it used to.

Science teacher Beth Fitzgerald also mentioned that caffeine is not as potent to her as it once was, despite drinking “throughout the day.” Fitzgerald, who has been drinking coffee since she was 14, said that coffee is a family affair, with it being a part of family meals.

While some may find refuge in the thought of decaffeinated coffee, it still has its risks. Steadyhealth.com reports decaffeinated coffee is highly acidic and can aggravate pre-existing health problems like ulcers or heartburn.

The side effects of coffee are well known to both students and adults, but neither seem to care as long as it tastes good.

“Teenagers have different metabolisms than adults. It is more impactful on
younger people,” said McNeeley, who feels that coffee effects high schoolers differently than it affects adults

“Coffee can be bad for any age group if it is consumed irresponsibly, but I find it to be a safe way to stay motivated throughout the day, especially when you have a lot on your plate,” concluded Stephens.

A&E, Alyssa Book

Weekly playlist honors fallen superstar

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By Jared Murray and Alyssa Book

This week A&E is honoring the late Whitney Houston with a playlist centering on her classic records that have lasted through generations. Houston, who has sold over 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide, is most well-known for her powerful, multi-octave voice.

1) “I Will Always Love You”
2) “Greatest Love Of All”
3) “How Will I Know”
4) “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)”
5) “Saving All My Love For You”
6) “So Emotional”
7) “Where Do Broken Hearts Go?”
8) “How Will I Know”

News

Regional busing changes raises local questions

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By Jared Murray and Paige Thompson

This past fall Franklin Township Community School Corporation in Indiana made a controversial move by outsourcing their busing services in an effort to save money. The real controversy, however, came when the school corporation added that it wanted to charge students for using these services, with the yearly cost being over $400 per child. While the outsourcing of bus services itself is allowed, the act of charging for these newly outsourced services is unconstitutional.

The situation in Franklin Township is being closely watched by many other school districts, but for different reasons. Some districts that have been considering outsourcing their services themselves are watching to see how things work out, while others, like the New Albany-Floyd Country Public School Corporation are watching to ensure that it does not happen in their district.  “[We] empathize with them. We constantly monitor our budget,” said chief business officer/ treasurer Fred McWhorter II, who said there are no plans to outsource busing services in NA-FC schools.

McWhorter said school officials are doing everything they can to preserve the busing system as it currently is while being financially responsible.  “We’ve instituted GPS technology to optimize our routes to reduce time. We use what is called Versatrans, our transportation routing software.  We also have started to buy our diesel fuel in bulk,” said McWhorter.

The school system has also started to become more self sufficient with transportation.  “[We] will be able to provide all of our own fuel, [with a new] fuel tank in the lower parking lot behind Galena [Elementary],” said McWhorter. With the building of the proposed fuel tank, the busing fleet will eventually be able to avoid filling up at gas stations completely, therefore saving money on the fuel.

“Because the budget comes from state funds, you have to go where that takes you,” said principal Janie Whaley.  Because of this, it is important that the corporation has a self-sufficient transportation system, to prevent a situation like that of Franklin Township. And for those who are worried about the possibility of no more transportation, don’t worry. “Right now we’re going to continue with our own transportation,” added Whaley.