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By: Jackie Lyons
A new medical show has taken FOX by storm. The Resident is about a young doctor named Devon Pravesh who has just graduated Harvard Medical School and has been transported to work at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital. He remains under the supervision of Senior resident, Dr. Conrad Hawkins, played by Gilmore Girls star Matt Czuchry, who spends his time challenging the hospital’s morals and does the wrong things for the right reasons. While Hawkins is out acting like Robin Hood, Chastain’s top surgeon, Dr. Randolph Bell is facing his own issues that include accidents while in surgery. Among the numerous malpractice coverups, Chastain is being forced to go through severe budget cuts that jeopardize their ability to properly run their hospital. Medical dramas are a staple in today’s pop culture. Show such as Grey’s Anatomy and ER have left lasting impressions, and so far, The Resident seems like it’ll fit in. Each episode is jam packed with different problems the core characters have to face. Sophomore, Kelsey Flavin, says, “So far in this season, I enjoy how different each episode is and you never know how each one is going to end.” Having a new hospital show has proven to be more relatable to viewers than the hundreds of supernatural shows currently airing on TV now. Senior, Trey Hensing, says, “Hospital shows are more realistic and relatable than supernatural shows that deal with monsters, so like people understand the stresses of hospitals more easy.” Many viewers, such as Hensing, find this new medical drama refreshing compared to others shows currently being broadcasted. This day in age, cable TV shows are being cancelled left and right due to low ratings. With it’s 93% approval rating from Google users, The Resident may be the biggest hit of the year. By Sayo Jolayemi & Jacob Kersh
Epic Games’ blockbuster video game Fortnite, the unequivocal opening fad for 2018, has captivated American gamers with its free to play game mode, Battle Royale. As an amalgamation of popular video games series such as Minecraft and Left for Dead, the success of this game was inevitable. Since dropping in summer of 2017, the game has seen a sharp increase in fans as time has progressed. For those unfamiliar with the premise of Fortnite, it stems from a Hunger Games-esque style of play, pitting one-hundred individuals onto a battlefield that shrinks in size as the match continues in duration. A big part of Fortnite’s appeal is that, unlike most other console based flagships, the game is a free to play. Money is used only to unlock special aesthetic pleasures appeal to the variants of hardcore gamers. For example, Glenelg Junior Aden Boyer “got the Battle Pass” because “it was only twenty dollars and it made sense considering how much [he] plays.” What Boyer is referring to is the twenty-dollar seasonal pass Fortnite offers that is not necessary, but essentially rewards players for playing the game by dispersing prizes and virtual currency for completing in-game achievements. This package is a good deal for players of the game who play frequently, but do not want to deposit too much money right away. Also, in accordance with the newfound hype and popularity achieved by Fortnite, professional players and teams have begun to arise. YouTube and Twitch personalities such as “TheMyth” and “Ninja” have amassed a huge following due to their stupendous battle royale play, and their fanbases continue to grow in coordination with the game itself. Fortnite has attracted both avid and casual gamers nationwide. Gamers of all ages have come together to enjoy the “winner-takes-all” phenomenon in various ways, joining massive online party rooms to play in virtual squads, the game has forged strong online friendships that have also manifested into real life get-togethers for a vast number of players. The Fortnite community extends to Glenelg High School as well; there have been multiple occasions recently where Glenelg Freshman have gotten together with students from Glenwood Middle to enjoy both the game and each other’s company. One student from Glenwood Middle said “it’s cool to be able to hang out with my brother and his friends because even though they are [...] two years older than me, they still mostly treat me like they treat the people their age.” The student also mentioned that he now talks to some of the people that were there on a daily basis, so it seems as though the friendships people have developed because of Fortnite will likely last even if the game eventually dies out. Although Fortnite has brought the Howard County gaming community together in many ways, there has also been some significant competition between the high schools of the region. Tensions have arisen specifically because Fortnite players from each school claim that they are the best in the county, and because Fortnite has not implemented a private server game mode where students from different schools would be able to face off in head-to-head combat, there is no way to prove who reigns supreme. However, most schools refuse to let up. Many have even resorted to using social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter to post clips consisting of impressive gameplay from students at their specific school only, thus “proving” their gaming abilities to the rest of the county. These accounts have actually garnered fairly substantial followings over the past month, and Glenelg’s page currently sits at about 200 followers. Nevertheless, even with some competition arising in the county, Fortnite is and always will be a consumer game that most users play to relieve stress and have fun. In fact, one of the owners of Glenelg’s profile said that “there’s nothing bad about a little friendly competition” and that “we all are just honestly looking to sit down and play some Fortnite.” So even though Glenelg is undoubtedly the best at Fortnite in the county, enjoying the game is definitely the more important. But let’s just be perfectly clear here—we really are the best! By Mason Steinberg
Commercials are normally a time to get a snack or to go on your phone. However on Superbowl Sunday, viewers around the country stay glued to their TVs during the commercial break. The broadcasting companies charge more than five Million dollars for a thirty second ad. In the past, popular commercials such as Budweiser’s clydesdales, E-trades baby commercials, and the Old Spice Man have stolen the show. This year, a junior at Glenelg said, “ I thought the funniest commercial was the Alexa commercial from Amazon because all the celebrities being substituted for Alexa had me laughing so hard it hurt.” Here are the top five commercials this year according to a poll of randomly selected Glenelg students. 1. Giants Dirty Dancing: In the most popular commercial this year, Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Quarterback Eli Manning reenacted the Dirty Dancing scene. This commercial drew a mixed response while most found it hilarious, some found it strange. The usually boring Manning stepped well out of his comfort zone by performing a ballet routine with Beckham Jr. It was both funny and strange seeing Manning acting like this. 2. Alexa Loses Her Voice: In this commercial, Amazon’s digital assistant loses the ability to talk and the replacements are Rebel Wilson, Gordon Ramsay, Cardi B and Anthony Hopkins. They hilariously scold the users of Alexa for their questions and leave the users wondering what is going on with their Alexa’s. 3. The Bud Knight: Bud Light’s “Dilly Dilly” campaign is the most polarizing ad series today. Many find the catchphrase humorous and constantly repeat it. However, others are annoyed by it and think that the commercials are cheesy. In the ad aired during the Super Bowl, the Bud Knight comes to save the day, but instead jokes that he has to get to a party. At the end of the commercial the Bud Knight ends up saving the day and everyone yells Dilly Dilly! 4. Doritos and Mountain Dew Rap Battle: Doritos has consistently had popular Super Bowl ads recently. This year, they teamed up with Mountain Dew in a “fire vs. ice” rap battle. Two of the most talented actors today, Morgan Freeman and Peter Dinklage, channeled their inner Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliot respectively. The speed of the lip syncing along with their serious facial expressions gave the commercial a humorous vibe. 5. Avocados From Mexico: In this commercial, the people are living inside of a dome. All of citizens are enjoying avocados when someone notices that chips are sitting just outside the dome. Chaos occurs while the leader frantically reminds people that avocados are also good on toast, which is referring to the current joke about millennials being obsessed with avocado toast. At the end of the commercial, people have calmed down, but the wifi shuts off which causes everyone to go crazy again. Commercials in general are designed to get mass amounts of people to buy the companies product. The most effective commercials get stuck in the viewer’s heads. While most try to accomplish this with something strange or funny, some go with a more serious tone. Companies such as Budweiser and Stella Artois focused their campaigns on helping people. 2017 was a tough year for America, much of the country was divided, and major natural disasters caused massive amounts of damage. Budweiser showed its employees passing out water to victims of Hurricane Harvey and the California wildfires. Stella Artois and Matt Damon teamed up to advocate for selling water to third-world countries. The Super Bowl and it’s commercials provide time for everyone to come together and forget about their problems for three hours. Hopefully by the time next year's Superbowl comes around, the country will be more united. |
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October 2024
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