Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence: Glassjaw defines the scene
By Iesha Ibrahim
Glassjaw, a name that would soon change the post-hardcore scene forever, is an American rock band formed in New York, 1993. From their formation date, to the year 2000, they had released several demo tapes, and EPs, but not yet a full length album. In May of 2000, after signing to Roadrunner Records, Glassjaw had finally released their debut album: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence. Since its release, many bands have been inspired by Glassjaw, making them a big influence to the scene.The album sparked new interest in underground music scenes, and heavy genres. Here, we’ll dive into some of the tracks, and let you decide for yourself if you’d like to see what Glassjaw is all about.
Starting off with the first track off the album, Pretty Lush, we’re faced with the perspective of lead singer Daryl Palumbo and his conflicts with past friends. The lyrics represent the mental turmoil he deals with, when being treated as if he were “just a phase” in somebodys life. The song puts us directly into Palumbos head, making it feel all too personal, as if we were in his shoes. It’s resentful, fierce, and the perfect opening to the record. This song was the first of two singles to be released before the full LP. The next track, Siberian Kiss, is raw. It’s dynamic, high-energy, dramatic, and striking. This song is one of the most influential songs in the underground music scene. This song is what inspired Oli Sykes, lead singer of British rock band Bring Me the Horizon, to begin his musical journey. It is my favorite song off the record, and one of my favorites ever made by the band. If somebody asked you who Glassjaw is, this is the song you would play for them. Track three gets deep. When One Eight Becomes Two Zeroes has enough symbolism in its title already. The Eight refers to an infinity symbol. When split in half, it becomes Two Zeroes. They represent lead singer Palumbo and his ex: their relationship is no longer infinite, instead they are split. Track 4, Ry Ry’s Song, is what Palumbo describes as “the angriest song on the record”. The lyrics explore themes of cheating, backstabbing, and just overall teenage angst, like many of the other songs on the record. The repetition of the lyrics, mixed with the ever increasing intensity of the guitar, bass, and drums, all contribute to the madness that is Ry Ry’s Song. This song was the second single released before the album. Lovebites and Razorlines. Im going to have to disagree with Palumbo when he says that Ry Ry’s Song is the angriest on the album. It’s this one. Right off the bat, we’re faced with extremity. When producer Ross Robinson signed Glassjaw to Roadrunner Records, this was his vision. Glassjaw was meant to be big in order to crush mainstream copy-paste artists. This song is nothing like the norm. Then again, had Glassjaw ever been one to conform? Despite the various critiques and the distaste for this new genre of music Glassjaw had brought int the world with this album, this album is one of the defining records of the decade for Nu-metal and post-hardcore genres. This record in particular was very controversial at the time it was released, due to its extremity and its obscenity. Despite its various criticisms, it can’t be denied that Glassjaw laid the foundation for the hardcore scene. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence is a must-listen album for anybody into alternative music. |
Behind the Fairy Tale: 'The Princess Bride'
By Lily Herwig
If you are looking for a classic Rom-Com with lots of adventure you might want to watch 'The Princess Bride.' This movie is an adaptation of William Goldman's ‘The Princess Bride’ written in 1973. It is about the adventures of a girl named Buttercup, who lived on her family farm and a farm boy, Wesley.
The story is set as a Grandpa decides to read his sick grandson a book named, ‘The Princess Bride.’ The story starts out with the two characters, Buttercup and Wesley falling in love and soon after we are introduced the characters are separated. The movie continues as the two find not only each other but many allies and adventures along the way. This is a movie for the whole family, rated PG. As in many fairytales, this movie shows the power of true love and how it can overcome anything. While this is not something that people can apply in their life it is definitely a movie that will lift your spirits and give you a good time. The movie has many iconic characters and quotes. The most iconic character being Inigo Montoya and his famous quote, “My name is Inigo Montoya! You killed my father! Prepare to die!” ‘The Princess Bride’ remains a beloved classic that continues to enchant audiences of all ages. Its enduring popularity speaks to its ability to transport viewers to a world of adventure, romance, and whimsy, making it a true treasure of cinematic storytelling |
Netflix’s hit show “Never Have I Ever” Review
By Rishi Hanuman
The Netflix show “Never Have I Ever” had its finale this summer, after four eventful seasons. The show ended up winning the “People’s choice awards” in back to back years (2021-2022).
Devi Vishwakumar, the spotlight of the show, goes through high school with her best friends and love interests. Devi is an Indian-American teenager, who lost her father right before high school. Devi falls for two guys Ben Gross and Paxton Hall-Yoshida. Throughout the seasons, she continues going back and forth between the two of them. Fabiola and Elanor are her best friends, but their friendship is tested throughout the seasons because of her drama. New characters such as Des, Ethan and Aneesa enter the show, causing more chaos in Devi’s life. To add to the chaos, her family is in disarray after the death of her father. At the end of the show, Devi chooses Ben Gross over all the other guys. The show was a huge success because it had a little of everything. Genres combined such as drama, comedy and romance. As someone from Indian descent, it made the show more interesting and relatable. Regardless of background, the show is amazing and you should check it out! |
Top Gun Maverick review
By Luke Gilk
Top Gun Maverick is one of my personal favorite films of all time. The story line is great and makes a lot of sense coming off of the first movie “Top Gun”. There is just the right balance of action and seriousness throughout the movie. Along with some very upbeat and fun scenes. The movie keeps you on your toes and wondering what will happen next and doesn’t bore you.
One thing I would change about the movie though is more background on the love story aspect of the movie as kind of a secondary plot. It was confusing to me what had happened with Maverick and the girl in the past as it was implied that they had history. However we don’t see the same girl in the previous movie and she just sort of randomly makes an appearance in the second one. One thing I love about this movie is the sentimental part of it between our two main characters, how their moods and feelings change towards each other from the beginning of the movie to the end of the movie. Many times in the movie you think something bad is about to happen then at the last second the scene is saved which is a very good way to keep the audience entertained. |
¨The Swimmers” Movie review
By Sierra Emery
"The Swimmers¨ is an inspiring true story about 2 sisters who live in Syria during the Syrian Civil War. Sarah and Yusra Mardini have been training for the Olympics under the coaching of their dad ever since they were little. After a bombing in their pool in the middle of a swim meet they realize that this dream will never come true in the middle of a war. The 2 girls and their cousin Nizar decide to make a long journey and immigrate to Germany. They go through many challenges during this journey including jumping out of a sinking boat in the middle of the Aegean Sea and swimming to shore to save the lives of the other people on the boat.
This is truly an incredible movie full of hardships and working to make your dreams come true. These girls really go through so much in this story and they still do everything they can to make their dreams come true. The movie truly inspires you to do the same. There are a few hard parts of watching this movie including so if it is spoken in a different language so there are parts of the movie that you will have to read subtitles. There are also parts of the movie that are hard to watch. There girls go through so much and there are a lot of things that happen that are hard to watch. Even with all of this the movie is truly incredible and if you are willing to watch it and do a bit of reading it is totally worth the watch. |
Apart of OUR world
By Allana Bates
The New LIttle Mermaid movie is a huge movie that created a lot of arguments but also made a lot of young black girls feel like princesses.
In this movie Halle Bailey portrays the iconic character Ariel, a young mermaid who dreams of exploring the human world. The story follows Ariel as she makes a deal with the sea witch Ursula to become human in order to be with the prince she loves. It's a tale of love, adventure, and the importance of staying true to oneself. When this movie came out on May 26th, 2023, people were saying that there was no reason that the movie should have been recreated because the original was already an amazing movie. Halle herself thought it was an amazing movie, but she wanted young black girls to be heard and to know that they are a vital piece of the world we live in. To know that they are princesses and are beautiful. That is exactly what she did. You see all over social media of young black girls saying “mommy she looks like me”, “mommy she is so pretty”, etc. This is why you should watch this amazing movie that changed many young girls' lives surrounding a mermaid that wanted to explore the real world that we live in. |
Ferris Bueller's day off
By Gaia Jaramillo
The movie takes place in the 1980’s suburbs of Illinoi with Ferris bueller, a clever high school student who takes the day off from school and explores chicago. He goes with his girlfriend Sloane and his gloomy friend Cameron, taking his dads convertible. Riding in style throughout the day they have an adventure doing numerous fun things.
While their principal searches for them suspecting he skipped school and determined to catch him. There are many memorable characters throughout the movie doing all sorts of things like for one setting a fundraiser for Ferris because they thought he was dying. The movie shows the thrill of breaking the rules and enjoying life in the moment as Ferris says ‘’life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around for a moment you might miss it’’. The movie is really good it's a classic 80’s comedy feel good film, entertaining, you don't know what'll happen next and it's very nostalgic portraying high school teenage life. It's a great movie for anyone looking to recapture the joy of carefree days. |
The Cloned Tyrone
By Maima Sillah
They Cloned Tyrone gets right into the action, opening up with the introduction of Ty Fontaine. We follow Fontaine’s day-to-day life and get to know his job, the people he loves lost, and those he can’t help but butt heads with. A series of insane events leads Fontaine (John Boyega), Slick Rick (Jamie Foxx), and YoYo (Teyonah Parris) down a deep dark rabbit hole where they learn about white America’s effect on their town.
The movie is Rated R but through all violence and pervasive language, I believe it conveys a very important message necessary for both teens and adults. They Cloned Tyrone uses comedy, the idea of clones, and the idea of forced assimilation to shine a light on some of the many issues in America, specifically white America’s way of taking things about Black culture only to change or “whitewash” to reap the benefits. Is it a lot easier to see the effects these days with social media, a great example being cornrows, a style loved by the black community for decades was trademarked as “boxer braids” and turned into a trend because of the Kardashians. Possessing a ‘70s and ‘90s style and aesthetic while having many modern references such as Bitcoin and President Obama, The Cloned Tyrone makes viewers wonder what time period the story is set in. The movie shows a world that feels normal and that you’d recognize but shows bits and pieces of other periods making the audience wonder. This uncertainty also helps the audience connect certain lessons to both earlier and later times in American history and realize that there hasn’t been much change in America. Something the movie did well was capturing the audience's attention with the way it was filmed. As mentioned before, the movie has a vintage ‘70s and 90’s feel but the director also uses various angles throughout the film keeping the audience at the edge of their seats. The acting in this film was also very good. Each actor completely stepped into their role and played it well. Overall, I enjoyed this film and I recommend it to anyone with a love for comedy, sci-fi, and an interest in black history. |
Suits Season One - Where Legal Drama Meets Stylish Struggles
By Jimy Quintana
Suits Season one strides into the polished halls of Pearson hardman, where the high-stakess legal battles meet the interesting duo of college dropout Mike Ross and top attorney Harvey Specter. The series attempts to create a narrative rich in legal plot as well as some unconventional mentorship but throughout this season it seems to make more and more sense.
The beginning of this season is interesting - a brilliant but unqualified first year associate who's lying his way into a prestigious law firm. I think the show fails to show the credibility of this because in what world would a major law firm let something like this happen? By having this story line I think it takes away from the overall narrative. Gabriel Macht’s portrayal of Harvey Specter interjects charisma, but his character development is very predictable and in my personal opinion lacks the depth needed for long term engagement (this show has over 9 seasons of this). On the other hand his mentorship dynamic with Mike Ross is intriguing but it could be said that it falls down the same path of easily predictable that hinders both him and Mike's personal relationship with each other. Speaking of relationships, there is a romantic subplot between Mike and paralegal Rachel Zane; their relationship often adds personal drama, which can often reach cliche territory. The complexity of these characters' relationships is often sacrificed for soap opera esk twists. Suits season one brings us only a few interesting courtroom scenes with witty banter. It struggles to deliver a consistent tone throughout, the balance between actual Legal intrigue and character development is very uneven it leads to ups and downs throughout the episodes instead of a consistent line of legal drama and looking into the lives of characters and i could see how this could be off putting to a first time viewer to the television show. In conclusion, Suits season one is a very broad television show but it falls victim to its own broadness. As the season concludes, viewers may find themselves questioning whether the legal acumen on display is as sharp as the tailoring of the characters' impeccable suits. |
Mi-Sant Banh Mi restaurant
By Lilah Plessel
When you first walk into Mi-Sant you are engulfed in the sent of flavorful meat and the warmth of fresh baked bread. Their is a drive-through and take out, so inside it is a small cozy environment. As you enter the bakery items are sitting in display cases looking delicious.
Mi-sant is a Banh Mi restaurant but also offer sandwiches, bowls, spring rolls, and an assortment of bakery croissants. Looking over the menu, you can see different combinations of meat and rice or noodles. You can look over at the people sitting down and see mostly sandwiches because they are the most common item on the menu. You can also choose from many signature drinks like boba, and blended smoothies. Lastly, when you order a bowl, sandwich, or spring roll you can choose from their 3 signature sauces. After trying all 3, they are all delicious, unique, and very flavorful. As soon as you order you can go sit down at a table of your choice. The food comes out very shortly after you sit down and is always warm and fresh. Today, I ordered the grilled pork banh mi sandwich with the Mi - Sant peanut sauce and a red guava slush which is like a blended smoothie. I also ordered their baguette to go because the fresh baked bread is amazing to have at home. The workers were all very friendly and knew all about their ingredients and combinations in the food. My food came out 5 minutes after I sat down and it all smelled amazing. The bread on my sandwich was cripy on the outside but soft on the inside. The meat was warm, tender, and had a great grilled flavor. The sandwich and all the ingreatdents blended perfectly together and maded for a great first bite. The red guava slush was cool, soft, and had amazing flavor. After I was finished I picked up my baguet from the workers and once again they were very friendly and helpful. Overall, the experience was very nice and the food tasted great. |
Does Spiderman 2 live up to the expectations?
By Blake Peter
If you are looking for a game with a great story and a bunch of action, This is the game for you. Spiderman 2 PS5 is a great game that many enjoy, the story is very heartfelt and deep and lived up to the hype the first one created.
The best part of this game is the intense story; many can connect to it. Peter Parker (Spiderman), Is a normal citizen who can’t keep a job, the story goes through ups and downs and very unexpected turns, backstabbing best friends, and an alien. Another good part is that you can choose the difficulty so you can enjoy the game even if you are less skilled, one of the best additions from the first game is more suits. Spiderman is known for his blue and red Spiderman suit, but in this game, you can choose other colors and 25 suits for each character, the amount of customization is amazing. The last good part is the combat, it is fast and very cool, you get to play as both Spidermen and experience their stories first hand. There are different finishers for each character, which are all cool. Battling the main villains is one of the best parts of the game, they are very cool. If you are looking for a great game to play, I 100% recommend Spiderman 2. |
Squid game
By James Mulbah
"Squid Game'' is an amazing series that's been blowing up screens everywhere, at an extreme pace, and for a good reason. Squid Game is Set in a dystopian world where the desperate play deadly games for a shot at unimaginable wealth, this show hooks you from the first episode and never lets go.
the protagonist of the show is Gi-hun he is a gambler who went extremely broke and had dept to pay so he was a very desperate man looking for a way to escape his problems so that's when somehow someway he receives a mysterious invitation to play children's games with a promise of a cash prize of 4.56 million dollars and other contestants also receive the same invitation who are also in really bad situations the games they play are very deadly and dangerous some of the characters form alliances to help better there chances of winning the game and the prize a lot of players die in the game and Gi-hun is striving to survive his mental insanity that He is going through while playing the games he find who the people is behind the games the sinister front frontman and what their ideas and beliefs are watching people suffer, Gi-hun goes to the finale and wins as Netflix hints as there is a part 2 of the showing which is coming out late 20-24 release |
A Review of the Hilarious Film, Anyone but You
By Jasmine Monari
“Anyone but You” is a newly released film that follows Bea and Ben’s rollercoaster love story. The journey unfolds by Bea and Ben going on an amazing first date, but then Bea ghosts Ben. They end up seeing each other on a plane to the same wedding, where both of their exes are present.
They decide to pretend they are dating to show off to their former partners and families. Bea and Ben both have egotistical personalities, which caused them to constantly find themselves arguing for most of the trip. Bea, is a hurt woman who is trying to figure out where her next chapter leads to. Ben, is a hardheaded man who is still upset about Bea ghosting him. They end up hanging out one night together and it drastically changed the atmosphere of their relationship. Recently, I have felt like the entertainment industry has not put enough effort into productions, but with this movie, I am obsessed with all around. “Anyone but You”, deserves its flowers for bringing back comedy to romance movies. The movie has a bunch of humor and emotion that creates a bunch of laughter and “Awww”. That is why people love it and watch it more than once! |
Reviewing Hodan’s Cuisine
By Birraa Mohammed
Today I’m reviewing a hala restaurant called Hodans cuisine in Minneapolis. I got the Jaycrack which is a special order that comes with fried chicken over fries, and a Mtn Dew. I really recommend the mango juice to come with your order instead of a soda. I’m also here to tell you about my experience.
First up, their customer service was great. The guy at the cashier welcomed me and my friends in with a smile on his face saying “welcome” in Somali as he was talking to my Somali friend Rayan. Even though there were only a couple other people in the restaurant he was keeping up with his positive energy, He was in an overall good mood while we were ordering and was very patient. He even gave us a first time customer discount of 10% off on our orders. He also maintained steady conversations as we were waiting for the food. Everything seemed great as we got to pick out our drinks right away and get them. Here is the best part, me trying the food. This meal was certainly worth the wait as a I took my first bite. I was already itching for more. Their fries and chicken were super crispy and had some type of adobo seasoned on it very well. Their signature sauce called Hodans sauce was amazing and went well with the entree and side, it has a sweet and tangy taste which I definitely think tastes great. Overall I really enjoyed this meal and customer service. I would rate my experience 9/10. I really didn’t see anything wrong with my experience. This was by far one of my favorite places I’ve been to this year. I definitely see myself going over there once a month or couple months. |
Should I watch Elvis or not?
By Caroline Martin
Looking for a movie to watch tonight? Well I've got a perfect one for you! 2 years ago, the Elvis movie was released. Elvis is a spectacular movie with amazing music, a great cast, and a beautiful production. The movie is based on Elvis Presleys life and deep dives into his successes and failures.
The plot is very well written. The movie keeps you hooked the whole time and never lets you lose your attention. Elvis’s story starts when he was a boy growing up in a black neighborhood and ends when he died in 1977. The actors and actresses capture the emotions of what it was really like while Elvis was performing. Their facial expression and the way they spoke about Elvis really showed how much of an impact he made on them. Elvis was played by the 32 year old Austin Butler. He was casted perfectly for this role. His voice is insane! Both his singing voice but also he nailed Elvis's iconic southern accent to the T. This film's editing was also astonishing. It faded into new scenes so smoothly and was really fun to watch. They even threw in some real clips of Elvis in the movie too. It was honestly hard to tell whether Austin or Elvis was the real Elvis. The editors really blew me away. The music was definitely appropriate for this movie. They were all songs that Elvis sang and Austin Butler sang all of them in the movie. The soundtrack included songs such as Suspicious Minds, Baby, Let's Play House, and Unchained Melody. The songs are sung with so much emotion and show the growth of Elvis’s voice and how much he matured throughout his years. If you have an appreciation for music you will absolutely love this movie. It had me in tears by the end, it's so beautifully made. |
Is Denny's Underrated or Overrated?
By Ryan Luu
When me and my friend's family arrived at denny's we had to wait for over 20 minutes just to end up seating ourselves at the booths. Once we sat down it took them a while for us to get our waters and menus, even though it was not that busy.
Everyone ordered omelets but I got a burger to try. It took them over 10 minutes to take our orders, the Denny's workers were rude to us when we started to ask about their recommendations, they started to roll their eyes, with a rude attitude during lunch hour. After they took our orders it took them a long time until we got our food. Once I got my burger it was a bit overcooked making the patty very dry with a small amount of toppings. The seasoned fries were cooked right. The outside was very crispy and the inside was the right texture, but it didn't taste any different than regular fries. I took a bite of my friend’s omelet and hash browns. The omelet was decent. It was filled with ham, cheese, peppers, and grilled onions. When I tried the hash browns they were a little too dry and a bit burnt on the outside. With small grilled onions on top. Once we were ready to pay they gave us a dessert on the house with 10% off for the inconvenience. The dessert was very well cooked, crispy outside and soft cookie. It was topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a caramel drizzle. We greatly appreciated this kind gesture but we were not happy with the way they treated us. It was a nice environment but with rude customer service, we wouldn't recommend it to anybody unless they are craving a breakfast item. DO NOT HIRE IMMATURE WORKERS!!! |
Yoga Six
By Carli Jerpseth and Amelia Schellenberg
Do you like to work out? Yoga Six provides 6 different options of hot yoga classes in the morning or afternoon, the 6 types of classes they offer go from stretching and meditation to a HIIT workout.
As we walked in, the owner was at the front desk welcoming everyone in and showing them where to put their things. The owner was very kind and interested in getting to know everyone, she showed us examples of all the classes we could sign up for in the future. The instructor personally comes up to everyone and asks names and tells us what the class will be about. The front desk lady was watching our personal items while we were in class. The studio itself was very clean and organized. As we walked into the yoga studio Yoga Six provided everything we needed. The locker room had all the amenities for self care that you would need to shower or get ready for the day. The yoga instructors are very professional. They offer different levels of difficulty in all the exercises you do, because some people aren’t able to do everything. At 6 am it might be hard for you to stay awake but, the instructors have high energy, play popular music and encourage you to keep going. Many people of all ages enjoy doing hot yoga. Our studio was filled with a wide range of ages and everyone benefits from this entertainment and exercise. While it was challenging it went by quickly because we were so engaged in the workout. We would recommend yoga six to anyone who loves a good challenge. We had an amazing experience and would give it a 10/10! |
Is The Circle a good show?
By Ishmail Ibraheem
The show “The Circle” which is featured on netflix is about contestants who all live in the same apartment building but can never meet face to face and can only talk via the social media app called the circle. How this game works is 8 contestants are entered the game and while entering they can choose to be their real self or a fake persona in hopes of becoming the most liked social media influencer on the app called “The Circle”. I like this show because it really shows you how humans act over the internet when they know there is no real consequences for what they say over a screen. What I like about this show is just seeing how people try and use their brain to manipulate others and think they are with them when in reality they could be the one getting manipulated. I think its also cool to invision yourself in these situations and see all the wrong mistakes they are making and seeing it all unfold. This reality TV show conveys how humans truly acts over the internet and how social media may not be so good for the world.
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Frozen is not a corny movie for kids
By Audrey Eikenberry
I actually remember the first time I saw Frozen when it came out in 2013. My parents took me and my siblings to our local theater to watch it. When the movie ended, I recall saying, “this is my favorite movie now!” I had good movie taste even then at 6 and a half years old, because I still believe Frozen is one of the greatest animated films of our time.
I will first cover the plot in this review. On the island of Arendelle, Princess Anna and Elsa grow up together as inseparable sisters. When Anna gets hurt in an accident involving Elsa’s magic powers, everything changes. The sisters' bond is almost completely broken. Years later, people from all over come to the island to celebrate Elsa becoming Queen. Anna and Elsa finally get to spend time together again, but the night doesn’t end on a good note. Now that I’ve covered the plot basics of the movie, I’ll move on to the characters. Anna and Elsa have very different personalities, which gets you really invested in each of them, and you try and see both of their perspectives. Then we have Kristoff and Prince Hanns, Anna’s love interests. Both are fascinating characters, and you find yourself hanging on to every word when they speak. Lastly, Olaf the talking snowman and the reindeer, Sven, add a fun and lighthearted aspect to the film. The last thing I want to talk about in this review is the music. The songs in Frozen are still iconic a decade later. I just adore them. The lyrics, the meaning, the emotion behind them when sung by the characters, is simply perfection. To conclude my review, Frozen is a great film to see at any age, and it is not one you will forget. I still love this movie years after seeing it for the first time, and you could say it’s made a mark on me. This is a movie I certainly cherish. Honorable mentions: Opening scene- Unfathomably good. The music, the imagery, the emotional impact. So good. The plot twist- Truly shook me to my core. Genius for the writer to not only put this in, but the foreshadowing and buildup to it was amazing. |
The Notebook; is it worth the watch?
By Aliyah Daves
Since 1994 when the movie came out many people have shown their love for the film and said its a must watch, but is it truly worth it the 2 hours?
The movie is based on a story that an old man named Noah is telling to his wife with dementia, Allie. He tells her about their summer romance and how they fell in love at the age of 17 although with her dementia Allie doesn’t know this story is about them. Noah took me through the hardships him and Allie faced as a young couple and it began to feel like I was in the movie with them. The way the movie switches between scenes of them as two teenagers and him telling the story to her drags the viewer in and pulls on the heart strings. The actors did a great job at portraying their characters and giving us that South Carolina charm, Ryan Gosling who played Noah and Rachel McAdams who played Allie were an excellent pair and will have you in the palm of their hands as you watch their love story. The movie overall is a charming, intimate film that is suitable for teenagers through adults and in my opinion is a must watch if you enjoy dramatic romance. |
Rocky, knock out or knocked out?
By Zach Bursheim
"Rocky" (1976) stands as an enduring classic in the sports drama genre, capturing the hearts of audiences with its gritty portrayal of an underdog boxer's journey to greatness. Sylvester Stallone's performance as Rocky Balboa is pristine, the character has a blend of vulnerability and determination that resonates deeply with the audience. The film's raw emotion and iconic training montages, set to Bill Conti's renowned soundtracks, creates an immersive experience that elevates the emotion of the audience and the hope for an underdog when he takes on the boxing ring. While "Rocky" may follow some familiar sports movie guidelines , its authenticity and heartfelt storytelling elevate it above any other underdog comeback movie. The cinematic elements of the time are far beyond what you would see in most 1970s movies, with realistic action scenes and sound effects that are nearly perfect.John G. Avildsen's direction effectively captures the vibe of Philadelphia's streets and the spirit of its inhabitants, grounding the film in a non perfect reality to enhance the idea of a longshot victory. Despite its formulaic elements, "Rocky" succeeds in delivering a powerful message of resilience and hope, making it a timeless cinematic piece that continues to inspire audiences worldwide to this day.
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Popular Food Chain, is it Worth it?
By Kyle Brooks
Last night I went to a popular food chain known as Chipotle. When I first walked into the restaurant it was quite busy and I was a little shocked to see that many people there. Chipotle is set up where you walk in and say what you want and you can choose many different combinations for what you want on your burrito, tacos, or burrito bowl. And then once you get your food you can either have it as takeout or you can sit and eat because there are plenty of places to sit down. One of my favorite things about this place though was how much food they give you, whatever you get they give you plenty of food so once you finish eating you are plenty full. Chipotle had plenty of people working and they seemed pretty organized and they were also very nice. All in all, Chipotle is a great place to eat with them giving you plenty of food that is really good, how nice the workers were, as well as how nice of an environment it was. I would very much recommend this restaurant to anyone who asks if there are any good places to eat.
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Is Dunkin Ice Coffee Under or over rated
By Deka Abduwahab
Dunkin Donuts is one of the most popular fast-food restaurants in America. It was first founded in the 1950s, but it started selling coffee in 1948
While I was ordering through the drive-thru it took them over 10 minutes to get 2 drinks done, and when we finally received our order we found out that they accidentally made us the wrong drinks. But After this little mistake, the workers seemed apologetic and quickly remade our drinks correctly. At first, the coffee tasted a little bitter-sweet, But as I continued drinking it I became more and more hooked to the faintly sweet vanilla taste. This coffee was way better than I had expected it to be despite the fact I am not a coffee drinker. But it was honestly the extremely low cost rather than the flavor that surprised me the most because coffee from companies like Starbucks cost almost 8 dollars but this drink was only 4.59 with the coupon code from the app. Overall I completely recommend trying this drink from your nearest Dunkin, and I believe it is very underrated |
Olive Garden
By Avangeline Abrahamson
My family went to Olive Garden for the night. As we walked in the table was set up really nice and neat, there was a plate for everyone at the table They had a little pot of flowers on each table with sat and pepper shakers. Everyone had a napkin. The waiter came up to the table and she was very nice, she asked us how we were and she was very respectful.
My table ordered mozzarella sticks, soup and pasta. When we first got to the table we got breadsticks. They honestly were NOT as good as usual they were slightly hard and soggy. We ended up eating those and got another plate of them and they were way better than the first one because they were soft and warm. My family got the soup and it was very good because it had the right amount of chicken and cheese. The next thing I got was the create your own pasta. I got noodles, cream and mushroom sauce and chicken. It did take longer then we expected but it was fine. The pasta was really good though the noddles and sauce tasted good but the chicken was a little over cooked but it still tasted good. It was overall and really good dinner and I would definitely go again. |
Loki Season 2 Finale Review
By Blake Frazer
In this episode Loki is faced with a choice that will change the entire fate of his friends, the TVA, and the entire Multiverse. For better or for worse Loki has lived out his “Glorious Purpose”. The acting from all the actors, especially Tom Hidilstin (Loki), and the script was nothing short of phenomenal. I was on the edge of my seat the whole episode and went to rewatch the entire show immediately after because of how amazing this finale was. In a previous review I stated that I was very intrigued by the first episode from this season but also skeptical as previous releases from marvel have left me underwhelmed. I am very excited to say that this was everything I hoped for and has regained my faith in the future of this franchise and has made Loki one of my favorite characters from the entire MCU. I would highly recommend everyone to watch this season of Loki and is the one best Marvel shows I have ever seen.
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Nemo's Awesome Adventure
By Cooper McElwain
"Finding Nemo" is a film following Marlin, a clownfish going out to find his son, Nemo. The story unfolds in the Great Barrier Reef. Marlin's protectiveness comes from losing his wife and eggs. When Nemo is captured by a diver and ends up in a dentist's fish tank, Marlin teams up with Dory, a forgetful fish. They face challenges, meeting sharks, jellyfish, and turtles while forming unexpected friendships. Meanwhile, Nemo, wants to prove he can do stuff on his own, plans an escape with his friends to meet back up with his father. The film shows themes of family, courage, and friendship. "Finding Nemo" earns praise for its amazing film, heartfelt storytelling, and memorable characters. The perfect mix of humor and emotion gets to audiences of all ages, creating a lasting impression as a heartwarming classic. Finding Nemo is a super cool movie because it tells an awesome story, looks really colorful and cool, and talks about stuff that everyone can relate to. That's why people love it and think it's a classic movie that's gonna stay awesome forever.
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Wilson A2000 gloves
By Max Janisch
Wilson is the maker of the A2000, they have made all kinds of gloves over the years. The A2000 is the newest model you can purchase, the glove in the photo above is the one that I have, I have had it for around 2 years and it has been my favorite glove ever since. Wilson makes different gloves based on what position you play. If you play catcher they have a catcher's glove for you. If you need a first base glove, an outfield glove, or an infield glove, they have that for you. They also make baseball and softball gloves, both have all sizes and colors based on preference. Wilson gloves are made with real leather and they take time to break in when brand new, you can break them in how you prefer. If you're new to softball or baseball then I would recommend a cheaper glove but once your big into playing and love the sport then you can get An A2000, they aren’t super cheap which is the one downside to the glove.
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Review on Waves.
By Hailey Rebout
The movie Waves was released in 2019 but not placed on Netflix until just recently. I heard about the movie from TikTok originally and shortly after my friends recommended it. The movie mainly circles around a teenage boy and girl who are in a serious relationship at 18, later in the story many unfortunate events continue to happen.
I really enjoyed watching this movie because of how genuinely powerful it was and how much of an impact it left on many of those who watched. A lot of the movie when serious things where happening there was little to none dialouge and just music to really catch the attention of the viewers. The movie itself was very emotional and had many emotional experiences. I will admit at some points in the movie i had to look away or skip forward because of how shocking the scenes were. I wasn't really expecting this movie to effect me in the way it did based on the trailer. I really like how it was focused on the teen boy and girl at the beginning of the movie then towards the end the boys little sister was in the spotlight. Its sad to know that even though the movie is technically fiction, things like this do happen in real life. I think id have to say this is one of my favorite movies of all time because of how moving it truly was. |
Twisted Hate Gets 5/5 Stars
By Samantha Anderson
Twisted Hate by Ana Huang is the 3rd book in the Twisted Series. This series follows a group of friends with intertwined love lives. Each book follows one friend as they take on their twisted lives and fall in love.
Twisted Hate follows the character Jules Ambrose who is trying to run from her past as she builds her life for herself to become a successful lawyer. She suddenly finds herself closer than ever with her best friend Ava’s brother, Josh, who she absolutely despises. Dealing with her shady past coming back to haunt her, and her strange new connection with Josh, Jules is spiraling. The author does a phenomenal job capturing every emotion both Jules and Josh feel. You hurt and mourn them. You rejoice for them. You worry when they worry. You feel their struggles and triumphs. And I could go on and on. I also appreciated how realistic this love story was. It wasn’t a fairy tale full of rainbows and butterflies that most people would expect to see when reading a romance novel. This series takes people with real struggles and emotions to allow the readers to feel more connected to the characters and plot. A lot of things real people experience go on in this book and I love that the author made this book so authentic. |
Is in and out really worth the hype it gets?
By Ferah Zerihun
I was in California when I remembered all the good things I've heard about in and out from my friends that live there. And I decided I might as well go there because it's not everyday that I get to go to California on a random weekend.
We didn't have lots of time so we decided to drive through. The line wasn't as long as I thought it would be. It took around 7 minutes for me to order my food. And probably another 7 to get my food which i think is pretty decent for a fast food place. I got the double double , some fries , and a coke. I took a bite of the big burger and it was super good. The fries were crispy and the meat on the burger was just right. Even their coke was really cold and had the perfect amount of ice. I would really recommend in and out to someone and I now get why my friends would say it's so good. The only thing I'd say is to not eat it in a car because it does get really messy . I also wouldnt drive all the way to a different state for it but if you are there then it wouldnt hurt to get it. But other than that i think it was a really good experience and really good food for a good price. |
A evening at PF chang’s
By Daisy Todd
Ever wondered what our P.F. Chang’s stands for? It’s actually a combination of two co-founders’ names. P.F. = Paul Fleming, and Chang’s = Philip Chiang.
I went to P.F. Chang’s with my mom on Thursday, 2/15 at around 4 pm. We were greeted by a kind hostess that took us to where we would be seated. The restaurant looked nice and was quiet. When we got to the table it was neat and clean. The table cloths were neatly folded on top of the clean plates with the silverware and chopsticks inside. To begin I ordered a strawberry lemonade and ordered the pan fried shrimp dumplings as an appetizer. For the strawberry lemonade sweet but not overwhelmingly sweet. A good drink to satisfy my sweet tooth. The dumplings were great! They came out warm with sauce that had a hint of sweetness while also having a hint of spice. They were soft and light, savory, and cooked well! overall the dumplings came out looking and tasting great! For the combo fried rice it came out hot! The fried rice was savory, the meat was well cooked, juicy and crispy; it tasted great, and the rice was well cooked and seasoned. The vegetables added a nice healthy crunch! Overall it also looked and tasted great! I had no complaints from the staff. They were kind and attentive, and also helped us with recommending what we should order! I would recommend giving this restaurant a visit! |
TOP 5 best places to eat and get food
By Caroline Martin
5.Panera
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The silent patient
By Audrey Eikenberry
After hearing about this popular book for a year, I finally decided to buy it and read it. I wanted to see if it was really worth all the hype it got, and it certainly was. I typically read about one book per week, but I finished The Silent Patient in just two days. I think that says a lot.
The book is told from the perspective of a character named Theo. Six years ago, he heard for the first time about a very odd murder case that struck the nation. Alicia Berenson, an average woman, shot her husband five times in the face after he returned home from work one day. Nobody could figure out why she did it, as nothing seemed to happen that could have possibly led to a murder, and one so gruesome. However, the strangest part of this case was not the murder. It was that Alicia had not uttered a single word since the killing. Rather than be sentenced to prison, Alicia was sent to a facility for the violent mentally ill. In the years since the murder, Theo becomes a physiotherapist. When an opportunity arises for him to get a job at the same facility Alicia is being held at, he applies for a job there. He quickly works his way into her life to try and unravel her story and her past, in order to get to the bottom of the mystery. The Silent Patient is incredibly well written and constructed, and you find yourself invested in the story as if you’re actually in it. It’s fascinating, to say the least, and you won’t be able to stop thinking about the final plot twist for weeks. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a book that I highly recommend. |
Is Grey’s anatomy a good show?
By Sydney Roth
I chose to review Grey’s anatomy, a Show that is on netflix. I would rate the show a 8/10 if you like watching stuff about doctors, and watching romance as well. I would say this show is good for 12 and up, stating it does have a lot of blood, nudity, sex. It does also have some sensitive topics like abortion, self harm, abuse, sex trafficking, ect. So a more mature audience would be best.
The show gives us a big background of how stressful it can be to work in a hospital, it also shows us that going to your local hospital or clinic can be a good thing and they can help you. You don't need to be afraid of it and can inspire kids to want to become a doctor. As you dive in deeper to the show you see all of the students and doctors grow up and become great doctors, and see the life struggles they go through daily. You get to know each student and doctor personally and learn about their past life. Every episode is something different and is always gonna make you want to watch more episodes. As I was watching more and more episodes I noticed that most episodes did have some really traumatic events that really make you sad. I do wish that some episodes didnt have such a strong emotion to them but that is also what keeps you hooked, every episode you watch something different happens and you learn something different and you can really feel the emotions that the character has. I do notice myself crying from the episodes. I also noticed the romance that goes on between the characters. You watch and see characters fall in love, see some get heart broken. That also causes a bunch of dramatic events that lead to a lot of things in the future of the episodes and keeps you dived in to want to see how those characters' love life fall into play. Overall I enjoyed watching Grey’s anatomy and definitely recommend watching it. |
Praises for Black Sunday By: Tola Rotimi Abraham
By Monica Nkwocha
Black Sunday was an amazing book. The author Tola is a very talented writer, the story goes in depth and causes the reader to feel things they’d never expect.
Something I really enjoyed about this book is the fact that we got to see each of the siblings’ point of view. The author wrote from the point of view of Peter, Andrew, Bibike, and Ariyike. They were going through all the same trials and tribulations, but each person felt and dealt with them differently. Bibike and Ariyike are twin sisters. Both of them are so similar and so different at the same time that it is intriguing. Their family as a whole goes through the most unexpected events. This book keeps you on your toes. There were multiple points in the book where I just had to close the book and think to myself “ What in the world did I just read?”. The author is so creative and her delivery of the book was unique. In my opinion this book was a solid 10/10, it’s so hard to give it’s well deserved accolades without spoiling the book, but I definitely recommend reading this book. Fun fact I finished it in 2 days! |
Vinland Saga, an Anime you won’t forget.
By Aiden Nguyen
Vinland saga is a step back in time, all the way back to the viking age. This anime is about a young man that steps through obstacles to overcome his life-long trauma. More specifically about a boy named Thorfinn. This anime is apart from many, due to its intricate dive into the feelings of the characters, it’s frustrating yet relatable. Firstly, what happens in the story? In this story it goes through the soul seeking of young Thorfinn, and how he develops among his problems. At the start he is met with a lot of hardships, the loss of his dad, and his voyage across the sea. Nevertheless, that is all I can say without spoiling it. Though, this is just the beginning of his lifelong conquest. The animation of this anime is also very mentionable, it truly allows you to dive into the world that Thorfinn is facing, and immerses you into the viking saga. But, beyond the thrilling battles, brings you the emotions. A key focus in this anime. The authenticity of these characters is unmatched, you can truly feel their emotions, and understand why they’d feel the way they do. It goes deep into the struggles, and even found in non-important side characters. This is all said because I really did like this anime, coming from a person that doesn’t watch anime a whole lot. There are not a lot of faults in the film, but it is a drastic change from vibes in S1-S2. Overall, I really did enjoy this anime, and recommend it to a lot of people due to its flexibleness.. |
A New Spin on a Tale as Old as Time
By Susu Mua
Hanna Sandvig’s Rose Gate is a refreshing retelling of the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast. Our tale takes place in a modern day setting in the small town of Pilot Bay, British Columbia. Our main Heroine is a classic Belle who enjoys reading and her time alone.
Sandvig does an incredible job of building and creating her characters. Isobel, our main character lives with her two sisters and her dad. Sandvig beautifully portrays the unique personalities of each sister. In this tale, the sisters are not portrayed as wicked. They are actually featured as main characters who find love in the next books. Sandvig also paints vivid pictures with her words so that the reader can easily imagine the scene before them. She adds her own creative aspects in this tale. She wonderfully explains the workings of the faerie world and the power of the gate. Readers will enjoy her humorous characters and the building of the romance between Isobel and Leith One aspect that I like about Hanna Sandvig’s character, Isobel, is that she has the thinking and mind-set of a modern day woman. So if you are looking for a fantasy with clean romance, then I would highly recommend Hanna Sandvig’s Rose Gate. |
Clive’s Dinner
By Olivia McMullen
If you're looking for a new restaurant to try, I would recommend Clives. This week I went to Clives with a bunch of friends and had a really good time. Walking in, you see a check-in table to your left, a bar straight in front of you, and tables to eat at to your left.
The atmosphere is very homey and warm, and there are a lot of TVs with different channels. Everyone inside seems to be laughing and having a good time while enjoying their food. It took a moment from check-in to when we were actually led to our table, but our waiter was really nice. We ordered our drinks, and they came out pretty fast. I ordered a sprite. She came back not long after, and we put our food order in. They have a popcorn machine that you can get a bowl of to snack on while you're waiting, but be careful because our popcorn was a little cold. My sister and I ordered a Caesar chicken wrap to split, with a side of tater tots and their seasoned sour cream. I definitely recommend trying this because the wrap was amazing with the perfect amount of dressing, and the chicken was still warm. My sister's friend ordered this pulled pork sandwich that looked really questionable but they ended up loving it and told us to get it next time. Our waiter checked in on us the perfect number of times, enough to be there to refill our drinks when they were empty, but not too much to bug us. |
Baldamar Review
By Adriana Hammonds
Baldamar is a very welcoming and vibey restaurant. As you walk in you go through large double doors and are welcomed with a nice message before you go in. Reservations are recommended because it’s usually bustling. If you have a reservation there's no wait time and you are then led by a nice host to your table with fresh cold water waiting for you.
The setup of the restaurant is very calm and classy. It’s not too high-end but can be spendy. The layout of the restaurant is open with very large and long tables to small 2-person tables and the lights are very dim with candles lit across the tables. You can see the chefs through the open kitchen view working tremendously hard as the smell of the food hits your nose. Baldamar is known for its steaks aged 40 days and 40 nights, but they offer a lot more. You can find tasty finger food/appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, white meats, and salads. I really enjoyed the Short Rib & Chorizo Nachos because they were loaded with meat and veggies and were flavorful overall. This restaurant attracts date nights, anniversaries, celebrations, and any other occasion. Everything from the staff to the scenery is very nice and welcoming. Baldamar has the best service which will top your experience. I recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for a nice breakfast, lunch or dinner. Enjoy :) |
Rainbow Rocks, Rocks!
By Ava Yang
Media intended for girls are commonly dismissed as shallow and plotless, but “Rainbow Rocks” is anything but that. “Rainbow Rocks”, is a sequel to 2013’s “My Little Pony: Equestria Girls”, and spinoff to the “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” TV series. “Rainbow Rocks” follows Twilight Sparkle as she once again, traverses to the other dimension, parallel to the pony world of Equestria, to help her human friends face a new threat of a trio of sirens. These sirens, who were banished from Equestria, use their mesmerizing voices to manipulate students at Canterlot High to cause discord and chaos. In response, Twilight and her friends need to harness the magic of friendship to defeat the sirens in a musical showcase, turned battle of the bands. The film “Rainbow Rocks”, brings themes of friendship, redemption, and the power of unifying music together that can inspire all audiences, regardless of age . In contrast to its prequel film “My Little Pony: Equestria Girls”, “Rainbow Rocks” successfully explores the characters' vulnerabilities, strengths and their development of friendship, doubling onto everything the prequel couldn’t in terms of characters. The “Rainbow Rocks” soundtrack and voice acting is a real standout feature in the film. The music elevated and enhanced the vibrant scenes, and what I believe, truly brought the film to life. Though the plot may seem cliche, “Rainbow Rocks” not only is entertaining and well-executed film with colorful animation and captivating soundtrack, but also stands as an outstanding example of cartoon writing at its finest. |
My experience at CRAVE restaurant at the Mall Of America
By Elena Schweitzer
Crave Restaurant is a kitchen and sushi place at the Mall of America. Even from the outside, it looks like a comfortable place to spend your lunch. As soon as I entered, I noticed that the tables and furniture in general looked neat. The waiters and all the staff were very helpful and polite. The waiter introduced himself kindly from the beginning and kept our table clean and organized.
The menu offers a broad choice of dishes of any kind. I noticed that, in addition to their already extensive menu, they have multiple options for vegans and those with gluten intolerance, which I really appreciate as a vegetarian myself. I ordered sushi, and fortunately, it didn't take too long to arrive. The presentation was good, and it looked very appetizing. For dessert, I ordered their homemade Coconut-Cream cake, and we got a very big portion to share between everyone for a very reasonable price.The food was really amazing, and you could tell that it was of good quality. The whole experience was very enjoyable, and I can say that overall, people looked very satisfied. I really would recommend you to try this place out if you go to MOA; it is worth it for sure! |
Reacher Season 2 Finale: Sloppy? Messy? Or Perfect?
By Brady Schornstein
The popular TV series “Reacher” burst onto the scene after the release of season 1. People loved it and were excited about season two. I was as well, so me and my dad sat down and watched the season together.
The last episode of season two was the big ending, with the main character Reacher beating up the bad guys, winning the fight, and returning to his extraordinary way of living. I enjoyed this series, but it was less organized and not as interesting. The first season was way better and more popular than this one and the blame goes to the finale. The finale wasn’t as action packed as we would’ve liked and didn't hold the same suspense as you would expect. I still recommend this series but if you were to only watch one season, I would watch the first one 10/10 times. Another downside is the availability of the series as it is only on prime video which requires a subscription. |
The Exorcist Believer -- in depth review
By Erik Rusu
The Exorcist Believer is a great movie to watch if you're in for a scare. I was surprised by how terrified I felt throughout the film. Not only was it scary but it had a really interesting plot with likable characters.
I believe that The Exorcist Beilver did a good job of bringing returning characters from the previous films, while also having a mix of new characters because it gave the audience a sense of nostalgia while also having original elements added to the film. Overall I felt like the cinematography was captivating. An example of this was how the cinematographer used lighting effects in the movie, it started as bright, and towards the end it was dark and gloomy. I believe that this technique was impactful because it made me feel more nervous at the end of the film. I also enjoyed their chilling use of sound throughout the film. The actor who plays the main character -- Lidya Hewett did a phenomenal job of expressing her feelings and showing emotions and how they slowly change as an event that happens changes her life. In conclusion, I thought this film offered something new to the table with an amazing cast, writer, cinematographer, and musical conductors that made the film stand out from other horror films. I recommend this film if your into horror. It is currently streaming on Peacock so if you have that service definitely go check it out at some point. |
Hot and spicy ramen- is it overrated?
By Marisa Peterson
These noodles are very affordable. For one pack it was 2 dollars total, very cheap for a whole noodle meal.
The packaging is bright and fun. It doesn't feel too cheap or feels like hard cardboard, with a sealed lid on top. The taste is good. It tastes like chicken broth with a hint of lime. The noodle texture reminds me of angel hair noodles. Compared to Cup of Noodle ramen, I prefer hot and spicy noodles. The taste is more flavourful and not over salted. I also like the bowl better as it gives me a lot more space to eat over, unlike Cup of Noodle that has a really small little bowl When I first bought this ramen I was a little worried it wouldn’t have any spice, or too much spice to it, but after eating it I was pleasantly surprised. The spice is not overwhelming, but there is a little hint of it, making it so you can enjoy it with a little kick and not die from you mouth on fire It's a very quick meal to make. You add water then put in the microwave for 3 more minutes, then let it sit for 1 miniature. So it only takes around 4 minutes to make. It is a good meal to make if you are in a rush or just don't feel like cooking. |
David’s Cookies Dessert Box Review
By Sydnie Olson
I received this tin of cookies and brownies from my Aunt for Valentine’s Day. David’s Cookies was founded in 1979 by, you guessed it, David Liederman. He opened his first store in Manhattan in 1979. In this box, I received chocolate chunk cookies, double chocolate cookies, peanut butter cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, and an assortment of brownies. I tried every cookie, and here is my consensus:
Eating a baked cookie that is freshly warm is an experience that compares to no other. Although these cookies aren’t warm, they sure are delicious! All the cookies are soft and have a great consistency. They aren’t very messy, and a good size. My personal favorite was the peanut butter cookie. Even though it wasn’t straight out of the oven, you could still taste the flaky layers of butter and the rich peanut butter. The butter made sure the cookie wasn’t dry but not too rich. Of the brownies I tasted, it was pretty mediocre. It was hard in some places, and chewy in others. I felt like the texture was inconsistent, and it was very messy and crumbly. The flavor itself was very standard, and I wasn’t impressed. The cost of the tin that I got is $39.95. There were 16 cookies and 12 brownies. For the quantity of the items, almost 40 dollars seems fairly priced, but for the quality of the brownies I don’t think that price is right. Overall, I enjoyed the cookies more than the brownie, but for going through the mail, the quality of everything is very decent. |
The smells of the African spice
By Ivy Muzambi
African food is the taste of home to our people, as you can taste every beat of the spice, flavor, heat and rhythm. African food is a testament to the continent's culinary richness.Various spices, herbs, and seasonings are used to enhance the taste of dishes.
Common spices include coriander, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and chili peppers which bring that vibrant flavor to the food.The smell alone will call you from miles away as the ingredients form the basis of many traditional dishes and are often complemented by a variety of vegetables and proteins. These dishes incorporate indigenous ingredients unique to each region. Examples include plantains, okra, tamarind, baobab fruit, and a wide variety of local greens and vegetables. Some of these dishes are seen on special occasions and some are part of our day to day such as our staple foods. These foods can also be seen on the streets, Popular street foods include grilled meats, fried snacks, and flavorful stews. African food is a celebration of diversity, history, and community. It continues to evolve, blending tradition with innovation. Behind every dish there is a meaning and that is why our food is home to us. |
RH roof top
By Isra Mussa
I've heard about RH roof top on instagram and when I seen it was in Minnesota i decided to go and check it out. You have to make a reservation for this restaurant because they don't take walk ins so i went ahead and made my reservation.
The day of the reservation came and I went. When I walked in i got greeted by the workers and already knew coming here was a good choice. I went upstairs to where the restaurant is and they gave me my seat and i waited for the waiter to come. The waiter was very kind and told me the most popularest things on their menu. He also recommended me the things he thought were nice. I went ahead and took his word for it and got their classical burger with truffle fries. I also got a sparkling water drink which was really refreshing. My burger and fries came and they were plated very nicely. The fries also came with some truffle sauce and ketchup. I ate the burger first and it was very well done no red meat at all which is exactly what i asked for. The fries were super crispy and went really well with the truffle sauce. At the end I was very pleased with the food and service that i got. Some people may say the price isn't worth the food and service but i personally think it really was and i would definitely go again. |
¨Mud¨ Is it worth it?
By Mitchell Murray
The movie "Mud" is a drama film by Jeff Nichols. Set in the backdrop of the Mississippi River, the film revolves around two teenage boys, Ellis and Neckbone, who discover a mysterious fugitive named Mud hiding on a deserted island.
As they befriend Mud, played by actor Matthew McConaughey they become entangled in his Bad past and a complex web of love, loyalty, and Running from police. This film has themes of friendship, family, and lessons between right and wrong. Mud's mysterious character adds suspense, as his romantic pursuit of Juniper, his ex-girlfriend played by Reese Witherspoon, unfolds a tense atmosphere. The narrative navigates the challenges of adolescence and the strong realities of adulthood, showing the emotional depth of the characters. Jeff Nichols, the director, shows a good landscape showing ¨how life down south is¨ infusing the film with a sense of place that plays a big part in the story. The performances, mostly McConaughey's mysterious portrayal of Mud, contribute to the movie's real life and emotional impact. "Mud" stands out as a unique movie that shows real life problems while still connecting to the watcher which makes a very connecting film. |
Dance Moms
By Bryn Kelly
Season 2 Episode 15 of Dance Moms was very entertaining. The dancing, the drama between the moms, and the competition make for such great reality TV entertainment.
The dancers are so young however they all are such incredible dancers. There were so many dances in this episode, and they all were so good and entertaining to watch. It is very clear in this episode and all the episodes all the girls love what they do and have a strong passion for it. All the choreography in this episode shows the dancer's amazing skills. They're all dancing on stage and even practicing in the studio proves how professional they are at their young age. They all are so talented and it's shown in this episode. All the drama in the show I think makes the show what it is. There is lots of drama between all the moms and the moms and Abby in this episode. Now the drama is very entertaining and I do not think that there would be a show if there was no drama. The drama makes the show such a classic reality TV show. However, the drama can become overwhelming at some point. Sometimes I wish they showed more dancing or behind the scenes of getting everything ready for competition than the constant yelling and arguing. Some moments in the episode look staged or edited. However, it is not super obvious and if you weren't looking for those very few moments you probably wouldn't notice them at all. Overall the show is super entertaining and if you're a big fan of reality TV and dance I think it's a good mix of both and would recommend it. |
My experience at AZ taco trying birria tacos and birria ramen
By Benjamin Jankovich
Birria tacos and birria ramen have become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. The traditional Mexican dish is typically made with goat meat that has been slow-cooked with a blend of spices until it becomes tender and flavorful. The meat is then shredded and used as a filling for tacos or as a topping for ramen.
At AZ Taco, the birria tacos and birria ramen are standout dishes. The tacos are served on double-layered corn tortillas and filled with tender, flavorful birria meat, diced onions, cilantro, and a sprinkle of cotija cheese. The accompanying consommé, or broth, is rich and savory, with a depth of flavor that can only be achieved through hours of simmering. The birria ramen is a unique twist on the traditional dish, combining the spicy broth of ramen with the rich, meaty flavors of birria. The ramen noodles are cooked to perfection and the dish is topped with shredded birria meat, sliced avocado, and a soft-boiled egg. The combination of the spicy broth and tender meat is a match made in heaven, and the dish is sure to satisfy any craving for comfort food. Overall, the birria tacos and birria ramen at AZ Taco are a must-try for anyone who loves bold, flavorful dishes. The attention to detail in the preparation of the meat and broth is evident in every bite, and the dishes are a testament to the skill and creativity of the chefs at this popular restaurant. |
Jetspeed Hockey sticks
By Max Janisch
I have been using jetspeed hockey sticks for a very long time. Jetspeed makes all different kinds of models. The current stick I have right now is a jetspeed ft 6 pro, the one in the picture. I have had three different kinds of jetspeeds this hockey season and I have liked all of them.
They aren’t super expensive, being around $190-$250 depending on the model that you are buying. They will last you a long time and are overall a great stick for all kinds of levels of hockey, whether it is your first time playing or you have been playing for years. You can buy a jetspeed hockey stick at almost any sporting goods store. Jetspeed has many different flexes and curves that you can choose from, you will want to base the flex off of how much you weigh, When it comes to the curve you want it is all based on personal preference. When it comes to the different models that jetspeed has they have lots to choose from. Each year they make two new models, this year was the ft 6, and the ft 6 pro. The ft 6 pro comes in two different colors, blue and red. You can still purchase sticks that were made from previous years but they might be harder to find. If you do end up finding them they would be cheaper than the newest model. |
What is the best drink at Starbucks?
By Samantha Harbaugh
Every one knows that Starbucks has a ton of drink options, but really, what is the best one? How does it taste? What is the price?
The taste. This drink is called a Strawberry Açai Refresher. Specifically, with no berries, light ice, and peach juice. It is a very sweet but refreshing drink. The main flavor you taste while drinking it is strawberry, though there are hints of peach and açaí. I would recommend this drink and I would definitely get it again. Starbucks in general has many different types of drinks. Ranging from coffee to refreshers, and they even offer food as well. So there are many things to choose from if you aren’t a fan of sweet fruity drinks. This drink tastes best in the summer, but is still very good in the winter. It is also a very popular drink, if you even look around the school you can see many people with it. The best thing to pair this drink with would be Starbucks’ pumpkin & pepita loaf. It might sound like a weird combination, but it is actually really good. The price of this drink is $6.57 for a Venti and $6.02 for a Grande. |
Is WingStop good? Or Overhyped?
By Agartu Hamza
A lot of people like Chicken Wings, specifically spicy. You probably have heard of the place that goes by the name of WingStop that is going viral over tiktok for their spicy chicken wings, and sides. There are also common places like Buffalo Wild Wings, but is it even comparable?
WingStop is known for it’s very crispy and variety of flavors for the wings. The sides are also another push factor for this fast food restaurant because they have a variety of different flavors of fries, and many other sides. Buffalo Wings has a decent variety of flavors for the wings, but it doesnt really include not spicy wings. The sides are also very common sides you can order at almost any other restaurant. Secondly, the price of WingStop is very similar to the price for Buffalo Wild Wings, and you get more from WingStop because you get more exotic flavors, and uniuqe side dishes. Buffalo Wild Wings doesnt include things like “Louisiana Vudu Fries” or “ Buffalo Ranch Fries” they only carry things like onion rings and regular fries. Overall, WingStop is the better option if you want more of a Variety for the same price. Buffalo Wild Wings isnt a bad option at all, but if you wanna try something more different, and tastier I definitely recommend WingStop because it has good quality, nice variety, and it’s unique! |
Outer Banks Season 1 Episode 2 ¨The Lucky Compass¨
By Leah Guyer
Outer Banks has been one of Netflix's most popular shows since 2020. Season 1 is one of the most well-loved seasons because of the fresh air in the teen drama department on Netflix. Season 1 Episode 2 is one of my favorite episodes because of the excitement of wanting to know how the treasure hunt is going to unravel.
The ¨Lucky Compass " is a good second episode to the series because it gives a good start to how the series will lay out without giving too many clues away. I do wish that the series went by faster. At some points, the clues and mysteries can become repetitive. Sometimes the script can be unrealistic, some would even say ¨stupid¨. But the script does a great job of making the character's personalities enjoyable to watch. OBX does a great job of keeping the audience wanting to keep watching through the mysteries and cliffhangers. The small spark of John B and Kiara´s romance in episode 2 adds a nice touch. The actors are good at playing their roles, but I believe some are too old to be playing their 16-year-old characters. The lead looks older than 16; it adds confusion at times. This film does a good job with camera angles and shots. The camera can sometimes get shaky, especially during fast or running events. I like the lighting/color tone filter the whole series has. The Outer Banks is known for having a very sunny yellow tone. It also adds a summertime/beachy feel. I also enjoy the music, when there is a thrill or suspense moment there is a song in the background that matches the scene. I also like how the series has Reggae music because I think it fits the vibe of the episode. |
How Amazing The Movie Miracle Really Is.
By Nikolas Gerassenkov
Miracle is a Walt Disney movie about hockey. Miracle stands on its own as a great movie. All of the actors played their role very well and it showed the true meaning of achieving your dreams.
This movie tells the story of Herb Brooks. Brooks works endlessly studying films and picking players to represent the United States in the Olympics. Brooks changes the way the Americans play and he teaches them the way their tough opponents play. You see what it's like to assemble a winning team. You also see Brooks getting so caught up in his work that he has no time for his family. All you want is for this guy to win. This movie is more than just a sports movie to me. It is a movie that shows dreams can come true. You watch a team of young guys bond and become a family. You see these guys win from all of their hard work and determination. Their win at the time was a miracle and even today watching this movie you get the same great feeling that these guys did the impossible. I really enjoyed watching this movie today and even when I was younger because it gave me the motivation to be the hockey player I am today. When I'm looking for inspiration about my passion for hockey I like to watch this movie. Miracle made me feel as if I was back in time witnessing the real game. The movie lets you know what's going on at the time with clips from history and it is just amazing how a film can do this. The movie is well written, well acted, and well filmed. |
Is Beach Read a Good Read?
By Avé Cortez
Don’t judge a book by its TITLE. When first seeing this book, that is exactly what I did. Although it does make a good book to read at the beach, that is not at all what it is promoting.
This book is very expressive and emotionally in depth. Written in the perspective of a 29 year old female named January, and takes place in North Bear Shores, Michigan. That is where the beach house comes in, the beach house in which she is not pleased to be staying in. To her surprise, the neighbor is an old crush from collage named Augustus. Very early in the beginning you learn the owner of the house is January’s father, who had died, but revealed the house he had been staying in while having an affair. Throughout the story, January fights with the terms of his secret life and is still struggling with his death. January is an author, as well as her neighbor. They begin to use each other as motivation to write and publish their books, while falling in love during the process. I really enjoyed Beach Read because of the way it unfolds into a story of love and healing for many characters in the book. Concerning romance, If you are a fan, I highly recommend. As for the way it was written, it does a very good job of being detailed with each event and emotion that the characters go through. Furthermore, it brings out good lessons for January and many other characters. In my opinion, there was never a dry or boring moment in the book, and made for a very captivating story. |
The Florida Project
By carolyn dull
The Florida project was a great movie in my opinion. They showed that young kids go through struggles. They showed all the ups and downs of the moms life and how the kids may be affected by it. It showed childhood poverty. The kids point of view and see everything as a positive. The 2 siblings Moonee (6) and Scooty (6), Run around day and night playing games and making trouble. They enjoy hanging out with their friends Jancy (6) and Dicky (6). Until Dicky moves away.
In my opinion they shouldn't have had Dicky move away. Or when they did they could've had the other kids have a bigger reaction. Because it seemed like they didn't care that much that their best friend was moving away. They could have also been more descriptive about the kids' life before they were 6 years old because it was a little bit confusing and took me a while to put all the dots together while watching the movie. But it was a very good movie, I think it showed a very realistic point of view on life. I liked that because a lot of movies aren't very realistic when it comes to a life perspective. Over all a very good movie and i will definitely watch it again. |
Is “Beautiful Boy” good or too extreme?
By Hailey Bebout
This movie is about a young teenage boy struggling with substance abuse. Along the timeline of the movie his family around him tries to help him overcome his addiction. The movie circles around how it is to love someone whose life has been consumed by addiction and also what it's like to live your own life consumed by addiction.
Over the past couple years since this movie was released there has been mixed reviews on if the movie is a good powerful statement or if its too extreme and unsettling. Many are saying it's a gut wrenching, heartbreaking film. While others say it was too much and they found themselves wanting to turn it off. The reason for these mixed reviews is because of a couple scenes of drug use and overdosing. I could see how that can be disturbing to many viewers but I think the movie brought light to the struggle of drug addiction. I would agree “Beautiful Boy” is extreme to some who aren't into those kinds of movies but I overall think it was an eye opening movie that carried the emotion throughout the entire film. The main character was played by Timothee Chalamet. He is a strong emotional actor who played the role very well. He had said in interviews after the movie was made that he had to lose weight and look sickly to play the character. Timothee had also talked about how even though it was a difficult character to play, he enjoyed it because of how influential the plot was. |
Is Holiday Coffee Good? Or Cheap?
By Aubrey Bryant
A lot of people like Starbucks and Caribou, but what about a small gas station drink that’s close to the school? Is it even comparable? Does it have many options? What about the price?
The taste. This morning I went to Holiday gas station and got a 20 oz cup of an iced vanilla latte. It was more sugary than a Starbucks and Caribou vanilla latte, but it was still very good. I would recommend it and drink it again. The drink is comparable. Although the actual coffee taste is different, they are all good. Unfortunately, the options are very limited unlike the coffee other places. There were two latte options. For example there was vanilla and mocha. The prices are very different compared to the other shops. It was $1.89 for a 20 oz drink whereas at Starbucks it is $4.15 and at Caribou it’s $4.29. Although the quality is less luxurious it is still very well priced. Overall Holiday coffee is good for what you are getting. It is not fantastic, but it’s not crappy. It fits its price and tastes good. |
Frozen 2
By Armonne’ Nichols
Frozen 2 opens with a flashback to the sisters' childhood, their late father telling them of an enchanted forest, created when their kingdom warred with another.
In the present, a night of strange natural calamities leads to the evacuation of Arendelle. “Frozen 2” was an overall good movie. The movie is kid friendly and everyone with older siblings could connect to the movie. The movie brings off some suspense moments with you not knowing what is going to happen next. The movie is also good because it brings individuals together to help save people and to give others a home. Finally the movie is good because it could be good motivation towards people who don't think they can help situations or that they can't do things. It sends a message of that if you set your mind to it it can be done with effort. |
Astrothunder Review
by Obi Evuleoch
Astrothunder is the 11th song on Travis Scott’s third studio album Astroworld. After listening to the whole album I came to the conclusion that it’s the best song on the album and wanted to do a review specifically about that song.
This song is something that gradually rubs off on you over time and then you begin to understand it more and the key elements to it. On the first few listens I was caught up in the lyrics and vocals of the song then soon after I began to take note of the synths and leads of the song and how they come together. What makes this song a 10/10 is due to the production, it starts out with various drum loops mixed with an outer space melody and then the synth comes in at about 0:51 to complete everything that makes the song great. Travis’s uses his autotuned voice in a calmly matter which really fits into the whole theme of the song. Listening to the song a lot it’s not hard to see that the song isn’t too complex but the transitions and construction of the song are good. As far as other opinions go just ask others who listened to the album what their top 3 songs were, I’m sure they all got a certain song in it. |
Is Love Truly Blind?
By Julia Dixon
In the three week event on Netflix called Love is Blind, people go on the show looking for love through an experiment. The experiment is to truly test the question “Is love blind” and is it possible for people to fall in love or have feelings for someone solely based on the emotional connection the individuals may share? But there is a twist on it, the couple can't see each other until they are engaged! Individuals in the show speed date with the opposite gender until they really feel a connection with someone. So they go into these little rooms called “the pods” and talk to multiple guys until they find someone who they share a connection with through their emotions. Once they find someone they can propose to the other person, and after the man proposes to his future wife they can finally see each other. If things continue to workout they will go on a honeymoon, and then transform their lives together and move in. The most wanted outcome in this experiment with love is to get married to another person. I personally love this show, and I would highly recommend it! It has a lot of unexpected outcomes and it also is full of drama that is very interesting. It is also very interesting to see the connection the couples build on an emotional level without even seeing each other! Overall I would definitely rate this show a solid 9/10 and I recommend people to watch it! |
Greatest drink places
By Jordan Smith, Ella Bichler and Bella Schneider
Starbucks is hands down the best coffee shop around. They have the best coffee no question, And it only takes 5 mins to get your coffee of choice.
We recommend Starbucks because they have so many options unlike Caribou. Caribou has only coffee Starbucks on the other hand has teas, smoothies, frappuccinos, and much more! Starbucks is located in a perfect spot in Champlin right next to food places if your hungry. Like Chipotle, Leeann Chins. Starbucks definitely has a five star rating from us!! |
What is it like at Kobe’s?
By Hannah G and Morgan P
Kobe’s is very welcoming, Once you walk in, you have two options; they can make the food in front of you or you can have your food just be brought to you.
Kobe’s is a Japanese restaurant that offers a lot of seafood options that other restaurants don’t, such as calamari, kobe beef hot rock, scallops, fried oyster, edamame, shogayaki, all those plus more for an appetizer. The making of the food in front is interesting. The cooks play games and toss stuff in the air to make the experience more enjoyable to make you want to come back. A lot of people around prom or homecoming time fill up the place. The staff are super nice and offer you a ton. On birthdays you get deep fried ice cream. The food there is very good they give a huge variety to choose from with a lot of extras to come with that you don’t even have to ask for. |
Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil
By Macey Ellingson, Lacie Lemma and Eric Ryan
Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil is a great movie to watch with the family, if you need a good family friendly to watch I highly suggest Maleficent. Throughout the movie it’s filled with action and kept you at the edge of your seat the whole time, there wasn’t a moment in the movie that was dull.
This movie brings action and romance it has a great story behind it. The love between Maleficent and Aurora is the main focus in the story that love can overcome all. The movie also showed friendship between all creatures and humans that everyone is equal and the power of love bonded them together. The special effects in the movie was outstanding with all the beautiful colors and details they put into the movie. They created creatures that looked majestic and real. All the details they put into the landscape really made the movie come to life. It made you wish you could live where they did and play in the fields with all the fairy’s. One thing they did extremely well in the movie was choosing the perfect actors to play the roles in Maleficent. Each and every person did extremely well with their acting, it made the story real and gave more emotion and connection for the audience to understand the roles of the characters. I would really recommend this movie to families and if you love disney productions. I would definitely give this movie a solid 10/10. |
Professional Rapper by Lil Dicky album review
By Kaden Vinar, Cullen McSweeney and Piper Otto
Lil Dicky’s “Professional Rapper” is the greatest hip-hop/rap album of all time. Lil Dicky AKA David Burd released this album on July 31st, 2015. Hit tracks included: “Professional Rapper (feat. Snoopdogg),” “Lemme Freak,” “Molly (feat. Brandon Urie of Panic at the Disco),” and “Save Dat Money (feat. Fetty Wap & Rich Homie Quan).”
Don’t let those four legendary tracks fool you; there are many deep tracks to enjoy as well. Some of our favorite deep tracks include: “Bruh…, “Oh Well (feat. Jace),” “Pillow Talking (feat. Brain),” “The Antagonist,” and “Truman.” “Professional Rapper” has a total of 20 tracks, with a total time of 1 hour and 29 minutes, 3 out of the 20 songs are interludes. Overall, we would rate “Professional Rapper” 10/10. Production is incredible, great featuring artists, and the most creative song ideas. If you like hip-hop/rap music, we highly suggest this album. Lil Dicky may not be one of the best like Drake or Kanye, but this album is very good. |
Gameface training
By Emmit Tutt
This Training facility is one of the best in Minnesota, comes with experienced trainers and athletes to teach you what they were taught and some of the best tools and inventions to train with. They have everything you need at GameFace this place is highly recommended to teenagers trying to get better in their game, this place is coming in with a 4. 5 stars and very little complaints, other than the work you too hard. I’ve been going here for the past 3 weeks now and they started me off with agility to work on my speed and then end with weight lifting and they pack it all in about 1 hour and 30 mins a night, this place is the top of the top bringing in people I’ve only heard of. People in college d1 schools with a stop in to visit or maybe even NFL retired guys and others and that just football as I know of, you can see the results in the people that made it big time and that goes to show that GameFace training is the top of the top. In conclusion, I highly recommend this place to all of the teenagers in Minnesota looking to get worked and get pushed to the limit to get better, I’ve only been at this place for a little over 3 weeks and can only say good about it, this is the place to be, stay “hungry and humble”. |
Mcdonalds drive-thru
By Emmit Tutt
Mcdonalds is by far my number one pick for drive thru food a lot of people may argue this or agree but there is much reason why you should eat here and why this should be your number one drive thru place just like me.
A lot of people have a love-hate for this place because they think of how they make their food and what they use to make it, and they think of it as nasty or disgusting well when you’re going to a fast food place don’t expect it's gonna be cooked with time and precision. It's gonna be fast and taste good, and the taste and flavor of this place put it at the top drive thru, from there chicken nuggets to their burgers My first time eating here I got the classic cheeseburger meal and I started plain and original to test out what this place is like, my first bit it was like heavenly tasting juicy flavor and just overall a perfect tasting burger. It had me coming back over and over again, to try more and more, this food has definitely changed my life in the best way possible, try it, love it, and go back for more. This is why you should eat at McDonald’s. |
Southside Shorty
By Angie R. and Hannah G.
I like this book because it's not something someone made up its a true story. One thing I like about this story is the authors detail on how Yummy started in the gang. I also liked how the illustrator drew out the graphic novel using black an white. Another thing I also liked was this book is a graphic novel. Having pictures with words made this a great story to read. I rate this book a 10/10.
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The history behind the song “History”
By Cassandra Thao, Jordan Volstad and Hailey Thao
In 2015, the song “History” by One Direction was released. Since then it has been able to rack in over 360 million views on Youtube.
The group of four consists of Harry Styles (26), Louis Tomlinson (28), Niall Horan (26) and Liam Payne (26). Although, the group used to have five, with Zayn Malik (27) leaving in 2015. The band announced a 13 week hiatus in August of 2015, but they have yet to reform the band, focusing on solo careers. History was released January 26th of 2016, being the bands last song all together, it focuses on their “history” together as a group. Showing how close all the members became over the years. Rumors have been spread around, leading people to believe that the members had a rivalry between the four. Many believe the main cause of it was because of Zayn's abrupt need to leave the group, although a guaranteed cause has not been verified. Over the years, many of the members have stated that they are planning a reunion, or would love to have one. Yet, many fans are losing hope because it has yet to happen. The song itself has been enjoyed by many of the fans. Showing the dedication of the fans themselves. The song is very pop inspired, with a catchy beat. Yet, the lyrics carry a deeper message that has been sent to everyone who enjoys their music. Overall, it’s a rather catchy song that many people can enjoy. |
A Movie that’ll touch your heart
By Nneka Egbujor
Amazing.
I can’t think of a better word to explain a film of this caliber. I was absolutely captivated by the way the movie played out. I believe it completely captured the way the right person can open up your heart, and single handedly build your confidence back up. My favorite thing about this movie was how realistic it was. It displayed love, and the effect on the heart, but it also showed us the reality of self will. A lot of people would disagree with the structure of the movie, but I wholeheartedly agree. ‘Me Before You’ is a movie that touches on a topic that most of us don't even know about. It speaks on the ‘death with dignity’ campaign , and shows how a sudden disability can ruin and alter someone’s confidence. Overall I am 100 percent satisfied with the tone, the emotion, and the relevance of this movie. If you are a complete romantic, who is able to indulge himself completely in a character, but also doesn't mind a bit of heartbreak at the end; this move is for you. You will not regret investing your time in ‘Me Before you’. |
The best fast food meal. Ever.
By Oliver Milton, Logan Ottinger, Jordan Ronn and Sydney Cahalan
Taco John’s doesn't attract a huge crowd like other Mexican fast food restaurants such as Chipotle or Taco Bell. But it definitely should, with all the delicious meals containing amazing tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and others.
Even though Taco John’s doesn't attract a huge amount of customers, usually the food that is drawing in most customers is the potato olés and the queso that comes with the combos and meals. Walking into Taco John’s, there is one thing wrong. No one is eating the stuffed grilled taco, which is the best thing to eat at Taco John’s, with potato olés and a large soda. All coming in at a price of $5.63. This taco evolution features a crispy taco shell stuffed with 100% American beef, three cheeses, nacho cheese, hot sauce, sour cream, and crunchy tortilla chips. Then they wrap and grill it in a flour tortilla. Taking a bite out of it is like taking a bite out of heaven. Every time we want fast food, we want a stuffed grilled taco with hot sauce, potato olés with queso, and a coke. |
Best Pasta
By Kevin Caballero
I attended a family gathering at Olive Garden this past Saturday and was blown away by the outstanding food that was served.
My sister and I both ordered the chicken alfredo with chicken gnocchi soup with bread sticks on the side. (I recommend dipping the bread sticks into the soup, add some cheese if you’re feeling hungry.) The chicken gnocchi soup was to die for and the pasta was like no other, not to mention the breadsticks were scrumptious. The customer service was outstanding and very professional. I would 100% recommend Olive Garden to a friend because of the amazing quality of food and great service |
Goodbye and Good Riddance: Best rap album of all time?
By Charles Prin
Perhaps one of the best and most influential rappers of the last few decades; Juice WRLD has created thousands of songs and collections.
His best album by far is his first; Goodbye and Good Riddance. This album has so many songs that hit hard and make you escape reality. Songs like “Lucid Dreams,” “All Girls are the same”, “Armed and Dangerous”, and “Lean Wit Me” stand out from the rest. In my opinion, “Lean Wit Me” is the best rap song of all time and no other song will ever pass it. It is a song about Juice’s battle with drugs and it is a must listen for any rap fan. This is an album for when you are relaxed or when you’re hyped. Unfortunately on December 8, 2019, Juice WRLD died of a drug overdose at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, IL. Many people around the world, including myself, mourned his death. This just made this album a more popular thing to listen to for people. “Goodbye and Good Riddance” will be remembered and listened to for all time. It gets a 9.5/10. |
The perfect pasta is found
By Kaitlyn Olson
Noodles and company deserve the hype, especially their delicious Wisconsin Mac and Cheese.
Even its presentation is phenomenal. If you’re ever in the mood for something ooey-gooey I highly recommend Noodles and Company’s Wisconsin Mac and Cheese. It seriously deserves the hype. Their mac and cheese is by far the best i’ve ever tasted. If you’re ever in the mood for some good ole’ American comfort food visit your closest Noodles and Company, order their mac and cheese whether it’s with your friends or alone, and enjoy! I’d also recommend adding the chicken. The chicken added into the creamy and cheesy dish makes a great meal. Five stars from me!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. |
The most gross thing we have ever tasted
By Kaitlyn Kiffmeyer and Lucy Gauthier
At Applebee’s we got seated at a very clean booth. We asked the waiter what we should order and she recommended the classic broccoli chicken alfredo and the apple salad with chicken . Kaitlyn does not like broccoli so she ordered it without broccoli.
The food looked amazing and our waiter was very nice and caring. She checked up on us every couple minutes and was always refilling our drinks. We both drank raspberry lemonade and it had a very strong flavor. We complimented the waiter on how good the lemonade was and she went into detail about how everybody enjoys it and its made with real fruit unlike how most restaurants make theirs. The other waiters serving other tables looked tired and a little bit drowsy, they made it obvious they didn't want to be there. The food wasn't that good either. Kaitlyn’s was plain and had a bland flavor, the noodles almost tasted like rubber. The chicken was undercooked and cold. Lucy’s salad was alright but she said the chicken also tastes gross. There were a lot of people at the restaurant eating lunch for how bad the food was. Mostly the whole restaurant was filled and there were no spots left at the bar. Applebee’s has a comfortable environment and decent service but we wouldn't recommend it to anybody who's really hungry. |
“Joker” taking the cinematic world by storm
By Roxlyn Mielke
The movie “Joker” put an extreme twist on illusions and reality. It keeps the watcher intrigued and on their toes the whole time.
The first couple scenes give an introduction to the life of “Arther Fleck '' a man in his 20’s living and taking care of his sick mother. He works as a clown and goes to his social worker weekly for his disorders. The actor Joaquin Phoenix who plays the main character Joker,did an amazing job on showing the emotions and thoughts of his character. Throughout the movie he keeps it well portrayed on how Arther Fleck/Joker’s personality changes and adapts to everything around him. The writers and directors of the movie clearly put a lot of thought into the making of this movie. For starters, throughout the movie there are a few small scenes that make the viewer question the reality of what's real or not. They also put many unexpected twists in the story that lead to Arther Fleck becoming Joker and create many opportunities for the viewer to really think about what Arther Fleck/Joker is going through. Overall,the movie really only focuses on Joker and doesn't go over the story of the people around him. I think the writers could have tried to tell more about other people than just the main character. Through all of the thought that was put into this movie, I would give it an honest rating if 8/10. |
Quarry Park and Nature Preserve: a place to make memories
By Grace Rogge
Picture this: you are up next up to jump off the tallest cliff, and everything stops, suddenly all eyes are on you when you step off and splash into the cool blue water.
That place is the Quarry Park and Nature Preserve in Waite Park, Minnesota, a place to visit in the summer when you just want to have a fun day. The park is owned by Stearns County and opened on January 1, 1998. It is also on the list of one of the top 10 swimming holes in the United States in 2016. When my friend, Emma Husom, and I went to the Quarries we felt so alive and had one the best days of our lives. The Quarries is a great hangout place for many highschoolers and college students who just want to let loose and relax before going back to school. It is more family-friendly at the first quarry where there is a sand bar and shallow water. The other quarry with deeper water and taller cliffs is where the older kids may want to hang out. The park it is located in is open year-round, so you can fish, swim and hike all you want! I would definitely recommend visiting this place for anyone who loves nature, adventure and thrills. |
One of the best movies ever!!
By Yogie Sheriff
This movie “A Fall From Grace” is about a woman named Grace confesses to killing her new husband.
This movie is a really good movie. I highly recommend it. I’ll give this movie a 10/10. I was on Snapchat and Instagram and I saw people post this, and at first I wasn’t so sure. I was indecisive whether I should waste two hours of my time just to watch this movie or sleep. And so I finally made up my mind, and watched it. “A Fall From Grace” shocked me, and how everything turned out. The fact that Grace’s husband, who is named Shannon, is her best friend named Lucy's son. The one thing that made me mad was when Shannon cheated on Grace in her bed, and tried lying to the girl that he did it with saying Grace was his mother and that got to me. Also, he stole $300,000 and made her lose her job!!! This movie really taught me a lesson. The ending of this movie will surprise you. I highly recommend it. |
Champlin Starbucks, yay or nay?
By Ava Seidel
Starbucks as a business itself has a large variety of hot, iced, and blended drinks with and without espresso added, and lots of healthy food and bakery items available for a quick grab and go.
This exact Starbucks is currently my favorite local coffee shop to go to, as it is so close and has the option of a drive-thru, which is wonderful in the cold months. The staff is ALWAYS so polite and is willing to answer any questions you have, or even mix custom and complicated drinks that you ask for. I decided to order one hot drink, one iced drink, and one blended drink/frappuccino. For the first drink, I ordered a hot drink. I ordered a chai latte, which does not have espresso but you could absolutely add espresso shots to turn it into a “Dirty Chai”. The drink was piping hot, but absolutely delicious and I would give it a 4.5/5 stars. I just wish it wasn’t as hot so I didn’t have to wait to drink it. The second drink I ordered was a “pink drink”. The pink drink is a strawberry acai refresher with coconut milk added. This drink was very fruity and had a really beautiful presentation with actual strawberries added into the drink. This drink is so smooth and creamy, it just makes me think of summer. 5/5 stars for sure. The last drink I ordered was one of their most well known blended drinks, the caramel frappuccino. This drink has a small amount of espresso but is so sweet and rich. I wish it had a little bit more espresso, but you can also customize that and add more if you would like. This drink is so easy to sip on whether you're doing homework or driving and it was gone before I even noticed I was close to being finished with it. Overall I would give this drink a 4.5/5 stars, as I would add more espresso next time just as a personal preference. Overall this starbucks was wonderful. They are very polite and efficient. They get you what you need quickly, without lacking in the presentation department. The ambiance is relaxing and they play quiet music which is great when studying. The staff seems to be good friends with one another and they all seem the really enjoy their job. The outdoor seating area is also a really nice touch for the warmer months as well. This venue itself would receive 5/5 stars from me. The staff makes it obvious that they want your business, they don’t just want you to hurry up and leave. |
Don't buy this game
By Eric Ryan, Lacie Lemma, Homan Biramo and Macie Ellingson
If you're looking for a fun game to play, then don't buy this game. NBA 2K20 is supposed to be a fun multiplayer basketball experience but ended up being a worse version of the last game NBA 2K19.
The issue with the game is new “realistic features” which were supposed to make the game play more like real basketball but instead the new system was abused and made the play unfair by making some play styles like dribbling by defenders impossible. Another issue with the “realistic features” is the shooting, which in the previous games were fine, but now it is nearly impossible to make open shots decreasing the skill gap and making it more a game of luck. Last and most impactful issue in the game is the servers for the online mypark mode where you get to play against other teams with your friends. This is the biggest issue because the poor servers sometimes make the game unplayable by not allowing you to move your player making you lose the game. You may think they might fix the issue concerning the servers, but this problem has arisen almost every NBA 2K game.
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The best snack food ever
By Cade Albers
Cheez Its are the best snack food ever.
They are the perfect combination of crunchy and salty. They are small, so they work great wherever you want to eat them. They are affordable and there are a lot for their price. The standard box size is 12.4 oz which is a great amount to last you a couple of days. Every person I know that has had Cheez Its before has liked them. You can eat them with any drink of your choice and at any time of the day, or night. I would personally recommend the next time you go grocery shopping to pick up Cheez Its for a snack. If you’re hungry, go get some Cheez Its. You won't regret it. |
The Best Show On Netflix
By Feenet Emiru
“On My Block” is a netflix original show that had millions of people wanting more. When the show had first came out, it was a big hit with everyone on netflix.
The show started in March of 2017 and it is still running. Matter a fact the third season is on its way, coming out on March 11,2020. The actors were fairly new because I hadn’t really seen any of them in anything major prior to the release of the show, but it definitely does not show because their acting was very very good. And on top of that fantastic acting, the plot and the setting were great too. It really got into what life is potentially like in east LA and how gang life can affect your day to day life. I 100% recommend this show. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. |
Healthy Chicken Salad
By Tsahye Davis
Ingredients:
Step 1: I started off cooking the chicken. I took a few pieces because they are pretty big and you also have to pull it apart. So first you heat up the pan for about 2 or 3 mins. Place your pieces of chicken in there. And while the chicken is cooking you can slowly pull the chicken apart. The chicken should only take 5 to 7 mins to cook. Towards the end add your seasonings, the italian and onion and pepper and once the chicken is done you can set it off to the side, and turn off the stove. Step 2: Then you're gonna take your lettuce or spinach and take how much you want and wash it off. Also if you want to add vegetables I recommend corn or beans and and tomatoes it can really makes your salad taste way better Step 3: Lastly your gonna put everything together your gonna put the lettuce or spinach first and then add ur chicken. Once that's done add the colby jack cheese and the vegetables if you want. And then add the french and buttermilk dressing and you're done enjoy! |
How to make Yogie’s famous homemade french toast
By Yogie Sheriff
Have you ever made french toast before? Well I have and it is delicious. I think you should try my recipe on how to make my very own homemade french toast.
Ingredients:
Directions: Step 1: You get as many eggs as you want. I prefer two if I’m making it just for myself. Step 2: You crack the eggs in a bowl. Step 3: I added in chicken flavor seasoning and black pepper. It’s your choice if you want to add in seasoning or not. Step 4: You stir the eggs together Step 5: ⅓ cup of milk Step 6: Combine everything together Step 7: Add in the bread Step 8: Take out the Vegetable oil or you could use butter if you want Step 9: Spread it all over the frying pan Step 10: Take out the bread from the eggs and milk bowl Step 11: Put it in the frying pan Step 12: Check it every second so it won’t burn. Step 13: If it’s brown on both side, then it’s done Step 14: Grab a plate and utensils. Add in syrup. ENJOY. |
The best chocolate cake you will ever have!
By Grace Rogge
This recipe was put together by my Nana, Susan Rogge. She is one of the best bakers and cooks I have ever met. She has come up with the best chocolate cake recipes ever.
To make this cake you will need a mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons, and a greased 9x13 cake pan. To start off, you will need to whisk 1 ½ cup of flour, 1 ½ cup of sugar, ¾ cup of cocoa, 1 ½ tsp. of baking soda, and ¾ tsp. of baking powder in a large bowl. After the dry ingredients are all whisked together, you will need to add 2 eggs, ¼ cup of vegetable oil, ¾ cup of buttermilk, and ¾ cup of “hot” water. Mix all of these ingredients together but make sure not to overmix, just until it is incorporated. Next, pour the mixture into the greased pan and put it into your preheated oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes. My nana says to make sure to check it around 10 minutes. To know when the cake is done you can stick a toothpick in it, and if it comes out clean then your cake is done. Now enjoy your scrumptious cake and share this recipe with your friends! |
Starbucks is probably the most popular coffee shop there is
By Kayla Dinh
If you didn’t know Starbucks is probably the biggest coffee chain. Starbucks offers either hot or cold coffee or tea, and if you don’t like those you should try their refreshers they come in different varieties, they also offer bakery items and other types of snacks.
Starbucks has many types of drinks. They have a lot of varieties starting from ice coffees to hot coffees,hot or iced tea, and they have something called Frappuccinos which is typically just a blended drink with ice in it and they have refreshers which are pretty well-known. Some people prefer Caribou over Starbucks but I prefer to go Starbucks over Caribou any day because Starbucks has more different types of drinks compared to Caribou. The prices of their drinks are usually different, like it varies on the size cause like a grande Frappuccino could cost as much as a Venti refresher. The prices are on different sizes of drinks and what type of drink you’re getting usually ice drinks from or cheaper than blended drinks and like how coffee is cheaper than cold coffee. One thing Starbucks could definitely change is their service and how they talk to customers, but other than that, I definitely recommend going to Starbucks. |
Why “Home Alone 2: Lost In New York” is the best Christmas comedy ever
By Jack Jiracek
“Home Alone 2: Lost In New York” is a great Christmas comedy movie for the whole family to enjoy, it even has some suspenseful/scary parts. In the first movie Kevin, the main character, gets left at home while his family takes a holiday trip to France. While he is alone two thieves, Marv and Harry, break into his house while he cleverly sets up traps all around the house to stop them.
“Home Alone 2: Lost In New York” is similar in many ways, it's another comedy with the same characters involved. In this movie, Kevin's family takes another holiday trip, this time to Florida. Unlike last time, Kevin manages to make it to the airport with his family, but something goes wrong and he boards a plane to New York. When he gets there he runs into some unexpected guests and once again has to use his wits to escape Marv and Harry. This movie will have everyone laughing, and also impressed with young Kevins creativity and smarts. It's a hilarious, enjoyable movie and you won’t regret watching it. The acting in this movie is phenomenal, the actors, specifically Macaulay Culkin (Kevin), who was only 12 at the time, did an excellent job. Next time you and your family are looking for a good Christmas movie, watch “Home Alone 2: Lost In New York”, it is by far the best Christmas comedy ever. |
Review on Disney Pixar’s film - "Cars"
By Thomas Goff
Just to start off good, this movie was a bomb. I’ve probably watched this movie 100 times throughout my life so far. This will be a positive review just because there is absolutely nothing wrong with this movie.
The plot, animation, and voice overs are just too perfect in my opinion. But there are parts of the movie that I just think are too good. So I’m going to list them. In the beginning of the movie, Lightning McQueen slips out of his trailer on his way to his next big race. His trailer, Mack, doesn't notice that he fell out. McQueen later wakes up and is very confused on where he is. Later he finds himself on route 66 where the story begins to take place. He meets his soon to be best friend, Mater, who is a rusty worn down tow truck. McQueen tells him his story and Mater wants to help him so badly. They go through many adventures together. But one day everything changes. One day on route 66, Mack finds McQueen and the place floods with news cars and reporters on how they finally found him. They force him to leave and McQueen clearly shows that he has bonded with everyone there. He doesn’t even get to say goodbye. On the way to his next race McQueen realises that those were his first real friends he has made. He regrets his decision of leaving but has to finish his last nig race. On the start line he sees everyone he made friends with! He finds out that they are his new pit crew! I think this movie was so well put together because of the message Pixar was trying to get to people. If someone wants to help you out and try to be your friend, don’t leave them, see what they have in store. I showed this to my friend and he said this looks really good. I know there may be too many words but I love the final outcome. |
Subjective Humor
By Moyin Osibodu
“The Boondocks” is an animated series that ran from 2005 to 2014. After many complaints, the show was cancelled due to “cultural sensitivities.” The show was scheduled to make a comeback this fall, but was delayed due to Covid.
Many people considered the show offensive, while others enjoyed it. “‘The Boondocks” is about Riley and Huey Freeman living with their grandfather Robert Freeman. It's a comedy show about them going through their everyday lives with their neighbors Tom, Sarah, and Jazmine Dubois. There were many episodes including celebrities, and drama that they have had over the years. There were many episodes based on touchy subjects which caused many to have a large dislike of the show. I believe that humor is subjective, meaning that some find it funny, but others find it disrespectful. I personally found it funny, and I believe that it's worth the watch. |
Hot Pink
By Emeke Okuchuku
Hot Pink is Doja Cat's second studio album that has sold over 500,000 units in the USA is the highest selling female rap album of 2020. It was released on November 7th 2019.
Following the album's release it debuted at number 93 on the US billboard 200 with one day sales of 7900 copies. This album contained genres that vary from pop-funk and contemporary R&B. The album received generally favorable reviews from music credits it debuted at 93 on the US billboard 200 after one day of tracking the next week hot pink rose to number 19 later the album reached a new peak of number 9 on the chart becoming her first top 10 entry on the chart. The album produced 6 singles “juicy” featuring Tyga, “Bottom b*tch”, “Rules”, “Cyber sex”, “Say so” and “Like that”. In an interview Doja described her album in the following words “ I named the album “Hot pink” because I wanted people to feel that before they got into the music that it felt passionate, warm and welcoming” she said in a statement. She continued on to say “I think that's the color hot pink describes those things the most. It's my favorite color and has been for my whole life. So for my second project where I found myself and I'm more refined, I felt this title was the best choice. |
Are the McDonald’s spicy nuggets worth the wait? By Marcia McBorrough
Driving in the long line of the Mcdonald’s drive through, I was excited to try these spicy nuggets.
I got a 10 piece so me and my sister could both try it. As I opened the box I noticed that I had 11 nuggets; I wasn't upset at all though. For my sauce I choose sweet and sour sauce because I had a feeling it would taste amazing because the nuggets are supposed to be spicy and the sauce is sweet. I dipped my nugget into the sauce and took a bite and was kind of disappointed. It wasn't spicy at all; it just had more flavor than the regular nuggets. I then thought to myself, maybe the nuggets would be spicy to another person. It might not be spicy to me since I am of African descent and eat spicy food 24/7. In all, I rate the spicy nuggets a solid 8 out of 10? and I would recommend it to another person. |
Mount of the Holy Cross: A great adventure
By Nolan Kluempke
Mount of the Holy Cross, located near Minturn, CO in the Sawatch mountain range, is a very strenuous hike/climb.
This mountain has an elevation of 14,005 feet and is one of the 53 illustrious “Fourteeners” in the state of Colorado. The North Ridge is the recommended route for this mountain and is about 12 miles long round trip. This mountain can be completed in a day hike or you can camp on the mountain and split the hike between 2 days. There are only 10 spots for camping, so if that is your plan, you need to get to the trailhead early in the evening. Expect the hike from the trailhead to the camping spots to take about 3 hours at a moderate pace. Once you are on the final ridge heading up to the summit, it becomes very difficult to stay on the trail, and turns into a steep rock scramble. Caution should be used on this section due to rocks not being completely stable. This is a very tough hike to complete, but the scenery and views are incredible. This hike will take some training and preparation, but is definitely worth the work. |
How one Manga/Anime explored the art of volleyball
By Kayla Xiong
Do you consider yourself an anime fan and a sports lover? Well, look no further! Haikyuu is a great show to watch as it tackles sports, more specifically volleyball. Hinata Shoyo, the protagonist of Haikyuu, is passionate about volleyball but is not naturally gifted at the sport. As he had only begun playing in his last year of middle school, he fell short of talent compared to those who had been playing longer than him. To this struggle he declares he will defeat his sworn rival, Kageyama, as Kageyama’s middle school team had defeated him. Imagine the surprise they had when they had both enrolled at Karasuno High! Besides just playing on the court, both its manga and anime adaptation put an emphasis on character development, character skill growth, backstories, and letting them experience failure. All these factors help make the storytelling incredibly dynamic and intense, keeping you on the edge of your seat as you become conflicted for who to root for. As it’s known, the manga version of Haikyuu was officially completed on July 20th 2020, 8 years after its initial release. Although the manga is finished, the anime still has a long while to catch up and is still running! Its most recent season is Haikyuu!! TO THE TOP, a season purely focused on national games. Consider watching if you prefer visuals over reading! Haikyuu has an amazing cast of characters, it wouldn’t be a surprise if you had a hard time picking a favorite as there’s just so many to appreciate! |
Exploring the bustling world of BANANA FISH
By Kayla Xiong
Are you bored and wish to watch something packed with intense and action packed scenes?
Look no further, BANANA FISH is the perfect solution! Originally a manga series created by Akimi Yoshida in the 80s, BANANA FISH was given a fresher and more modern look for its anime adaptation in 2018. Since the original setting took place in the 80s, many of the politics and technology were modernized to accommodate the current times and audiences. The world of BANANA FISH takes place in New York and builds on the idea of gangs and the mafia, which then sets the ground for how the two main characters, Eiji Okumura and Ash Lynx, meet. The story explores the idea of how two completely different worlds and individuals collide, trying to expose the inner corruption happening within New York, but also the entire world. Besides the action packed sequences, this show also tackles LGBTQ+ relationships and the idea that a relationship does not necessarily need to have intimacy to show how two people can deeply love one another. In the show, Ash and Eiji’s relationship is not particularly intimate but their relationship is described as “connected to each other, soul to soul” in the manga. There are many contributing factors that make BANANA FISH worth its watch, so make sure you find yourself some time to enjoy it thoroughly! |
Want a refreshing starbucks drink but don't like coffee?
By Allie Larson
Want a refreshing starbucks drink but don’t like coffee? Let me help you out.
When you go starbucks there are many options to choose from when it comes to drinks and some people just don’t prefer ones with coffee. One of these drinks is the Iced chai Tea latte. It is a drink that consists of lots of sweeteners and milk but the nice part is that it is not too sweet. Ice is also added and that keeps it cool which also makes it more refreshing for me at least. Overall this drink is a great way to start your morning, evening, or night. It is just one of Starbucks coffee free drinks that taste amazing and also are very popular. |
Amazing movie
By Maya Jackson
I’ve watched this movie SO MANY TIMES, and let me just say, it is one of the best, well-written Christian movies I have ever seen! God really worked through the producers to make such an inspirational and spirit-filled movie. You can feel the Holy Spirit in this movie flowing through the actors. I cried SO much it just really touched my heart and reminded me how much God loves us all and has a plan and purpose for us, and it really touches base on identity. With me turning 15 in a few months here soon, this helped me see how blessed I am and that I'm never alone as I grow older and face challenges up ahead, but this movie reminds you that God is with you every step of the way and makes all things work for the good of those who trust in Him as it says in Scripture I highly recommend this movie; it opens your eyes more than no matter what you face, you're not alone and you can rise up and overcome any obstacle through Christ. We are all Davids in the midst of Goliaths. But overall the main point of this movie is that you will succeed at something if you do try harder. |
The best coffee shop there is
By Tierra Harrison
Starbucks is a popular coffee shop that not only serves coffee but also serves teas, frappuccinos, food, and their very popular refreshers.
Walking into Starbucks I was greeted immediately by the staff. It was quiet with soft music playing, which makes it a great place to get some studying or homework done while you enjoy a drink. I noticed that they had many staff there on duty working the drive through and front counter which made for no line at all. They have so much to choose from on the menu from iced coffees to fruity refreshers to specialty drinks during the holidays which didn’t make it easy to choose. They even have puppuccinos for your pups! Most of their drinks range from $4 to $7 depending on what you get and what size you get. When you finally decide what you want the ordering process is quick and easy and they got my order out to me fairly quick. The place is very clean and well put together. During this time with Covid they have every other table X off and have signs they flip over to let you know if this table has been cleaned recently or not to ensure everyone stays 6 feet apart and safe. Overall my experience at Starbucks was good. I felt very welcomed from the start. They serve amazing drinks and very delicious breakfast and bakery items. I definitely recommend Starbucks. |
"Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse"
By Lynn Thuy
I have positive thoughts for the movie, Spider Man: Into the Spider Verse, which is a movie set in the Marvel universe.
I personally really liked the graphics of this film, the animation was phenomenal. I was super impressed by the animation of this film, the style was unique but still had that cartoonish feel (which wasn’t offputting). The characters were very relatable and likeable, and the soundtrack was easy on my ears. I liked the choice of music chosen for this movie, I thought it suited the plot well. I have good reviews for this movie; but there are cons, too, that need to be addressed. For one, I felt like the movie was moving too fast? Development between characters and relationships were too fast, I didn’t have enough time and information to digest all of the events taking place. There’s also some plot holes that could’ve been overlooked if it weren’t for my attentive nature, but I doubt it’ll be a problem for many. Overall, I enjoyed this movie a whole lot and would recommend this movie to people of all ages, with parental guidance of course, this movie includes violence and death. That is all for my review. |
Cafe Zupas: The best place to eat healthy food
By Kayla Dinh
Cafe Zupas is a pretty popular place for anyone of any age to enjoy a nice healthy meal. Cafe Zupas offers soups, salads and sandwiches and desserts. When you walk in their restaurant you lineup and get ready to order. You can have a choice of either sandwiches and soup, sandwiches and salad or salad and soup.
They have different varieties of soups salads and sandwiches you can choose from, and when you’re done ordering they ask you if you want a complementary bread roll and chocolate covered strawberry. The drinks offered are either soft drinks or infusion water, which is personally my favorite. Each meal costs about $10-$12 which isn’t bad, and when you’re done eating you dump the tray by yourself. I would prefer Café Zupas over fast food because it offers you different healthy Options that can be for vegetarians and not for vegetarians so I think Café Zupas offers vegetarian and a vegetarian items other than just having non-vegetarian items. One thing I would change is there service to customers because sometimes I can be a little moody and rude when they take your order and you feel like they just ruined your day, but other than that they offer delicious food. |
The best Chipotle meal there is
By Maya Wood, Allie Kopp & Hogan Sinjem
Chipotle is one of the most popular food chains, and now we know why.
Walking into Chipotle was great. The line wasn’t too long, so we had just enough time to decide what we want to order. The menu consisted of different options to put on whatever kind of course you chose. We decided on a burrito bowls. We had white rice, chicken, sour cream, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. At the end of the ordering process they covered our meals securely with a lid to keep it fresh and warm. The price was reasonable for my burrito bowl, since it didn’t leave me hungry. We found a spot in chipotle to dine. The area was clean and organized for the most part so it was comfortable to eat there. We sat down and ate our bowls, loving every bite. The mixture of all the food items we picked was great and we loved how they prepared our food. I ended up very satisfied with my meal there. All of us ended up having a great experience at Chipotle and want to head back soon. |
Potbelly is one of the best sandwich shops around
By Olivia Eckes
Potbelly is an amazing sandwich shop that serves excellent sandwiches, shakes, soups, salads and more.
Every sandwich at Potbelly is warmed up, which I love. It makes it unique from other sandwich shops such as Subway and Jimmy Johns. I would think the warmness would ruin it, but it is just the meat and bread that is warmed, everything else is fresh. Their shakes are also amazing. I always get the chocolate one. I usually go to the Maple Grove location, and almost every time I go there, someone is performing music, the restaurant has a really good vibe, and the staff is very sweet. The prices are fairly good. Everything on their menu is about between $2 and $9, so not very expensive. Their menu has a decent variety of sandwiches, but you can add or choose different food items you like. I forgot to mention they also cut the sandwiches in half, which is nice because you get the best bites first. I could say one thing is that, the tables could be wiped off more often and the floors could be a little cleaner, but other than that, everything is very good. I definitely recommend Potbelly. |
Big food, Big Marina
By Abdirahman Adan
Big Marinas Grill and Deli is located in Columbia Heights, MN.
This restaurant is a buffet with an amazing variety of food. It specializes in Mediterranean Food but also has Mac and cheese. It has seafood, meats of all kind and tons of veggies too. If you aren't the buffet kind of person, there is also a menu that you can order from. The staff there is nice and can give you some tongue exploding combinations of the food. The restaurant is always clean. It is an amazing place to eat out. Enjoy! |
Everything you need to know about Panera
By Camdyn McSween
Panera is food as it should be.
Panera Bread is a chain restaurant that sells a variety of healthy foods and baked goods. Thay have over 2,000 locations and are considered a fast casual restaurant. Their menu consists of soups, salads, and sandwiches. They also have sides like chips, apples, and baguettes along with a variety of pastries and deserts. Most of their main dishes are relatively affordable ranging from $9 to $10. I went to the Maple Grove location, and I really enjoyed it. I got the Bacon Tomato Grilled Cheese which contains country rustic bread, smoked bacon, tomatoes, and a four cheese blend. It was very delicious, and I would definitely order it again! The service was also wonderful. You order at a counter right when you walk in. You then seat yourself, and the food is brought to your table a few minutes latter. The workers were very polite and made me feel welcome. Panera is also in the process of remodeling some of their restaurants. The Maple Grove location just finished remodeling, and it looks super nice! The restaurant was very inviting and clean. I have had some great experiences at Panera, and I would rate it a 9.5/10. I would definitely recommend that you try out Panera Bread the next time you have a chance. |
The Office: funny or simply offensive?
By Audrey Melson
“The Office” is a popular sitcom about the antics of a crazy boss in an office in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The employees are fairly normal, but enjoy playing into their boss’s amusing behavior. We follow these employees through their crazy days in the office, amusing viewers everywhere.
But, many people ask, is the humor in this show really acceptable, or is it too offensive? I really enjoyed the show, though the humor is right on the edge of funny and uncomfortable. But, bad bosses and inappropriate bosses are a hilariously relatable problem for many people. I think it is a daring take on daily American offices. The variety of character personalities makes it especially funny. Not only do you have the offensive boss, but you have a suck up, a prankster, etc. Overall, I think “The Office” is a funny show full of discomfort and giggles, and is definitely worth the watch. |
New coconut drinks from Caribou: Worth the wait?
By Justina Palmer
I love caribou. I love their iced teas, their perks system, and that they actually listen when you tell them light ice.
There is one thing that I didn’t like about Caribou though: their lack of coconut milk. As someone who is dairy free, this is something I had complained about for awhile. Starbucks had coconut milk, so why not Caribou? Well recently they brought coconut milk, and four new drinks, to their menu. I ordered the Iced Pomegranate Acai Tea Latte. It sounded good to me, but a few ingredients such as beetroot and rose-hips had me wondering the taste was really that delicious. The drink surprised me though. It was sweet, but not too sweet, and reminded me of the Starbucks pink drink. I also really liked this drink because I am not a fan of coffee or hot drinks. I think this drink will be especially nice in the summer when you are looking for a nice refreshing drink on those hot days. I would definitely recommend this drink to anyone who like sweeter and refreshing drinks. But if you are not a fan of coconut I would say don’t get it, as it has a strong coconut taste. |
90’s horror at its best
By Brooke Murray
Do you like scary movies? Well, then log into your Netflix account because I’ve got a must see.
“The Sixth Sense” does not disappoint the endless sea of 90’s horror movies. And like many, it has it’s iconic line, “I see dead people.” The plot of this movie is that a child psychologist, Dr. Martin Crowe, is trying to figure out what makes Cole Sear different, and how his parents separation has affected him. But what Dr. Crowe didn’t see coming was Cole’s “paranormal experiences”- which isn’t just a lie. “The Sixth Sense” is a great movie if you’re in a horror movie mood. But out of many the types of horror movies, “The Sixth Sense” is pretty slow. It takes a while before you actually see any ghosts, and of the ghosts that you see, some are pretty disturbing. But aside from that, Cole goes through some major issues, that make this movie very entertaining… not to mention the plot twist at the end. |
Cane’s chicken is the best
By Dom Witt, Matt Graba & Ray Hanson
Cane’s chicken is the best chicken restaurant there is in the Champlin area, as their locations are Maple Grove and Coon Rapids.
They have great customer service, great food, and great prices. Very rarely do you find all three in one place. The Caniac combo, in our opinion, is the best value meal on the menu. You get six pieces of chicken, 2 pieces of toast, fries, a drink, and the special Cane’s sauce. The Cane’s sauce is what sets them apart from all of their competitors. You pair the sauce with the chicken and it is one of the best meals we’ve ever had. One of the best parts about Cane’s is that since they are growing. They are building more and more restaurants around you so they are very convenient to get to. For me, there are 2 locations, Maple Grove and Coon Rapids, that are both about 10 minutes away and easy to get to. Cane’s chicken, without a doubt, gets a 5 star rating from us. |
An iPhone bigger than the size of your hand: Worth the buy
By Ella Centola
Technology these days is advancing like crazy. With the iPhone 8 and 8+ on the market, is it really a good choice?
Every iPhone looks very similar to one another, so is spending at least $600 on a slightly new model is really bizarre, so unless you’re trying to go broke, then the new 2017 model is not for you. Once newly purchased, the phone promises new and better battery life along with a better camera. I personally own it, and I have noticed that after only one year of using it my battery health has gone down significantly, and my regular camera oftenly goes out of focus while I’m trying to take pictures. But that’s with every phone, right? Not every part of this innovation is a flaw though. The newly developed portrait mode on the 8 pluses does capture pretty amazing photos to say the least. There’s five different lighting modes that go along with it, and they’re all pretty neat. Overall, anyone who is looking for a spendy-but-cool phone to ask for a birthday, Christmas, or even just out of nowhere, should consider getting the iPhone 8+. You won’t regret the fact you have one in the end. |
Review: 'While You Were Sleeping'
By Leah Tverberg
The first time I watched “While You Were Sleeping” was a couple years ago. I watched it with my family because my mom likes this movie.
I really liked it the first time I watched it, but then I watched it again, and it was amazing! If you like romantic comedies, you will really like this movie. It is super cute and sweet. It makes me smile whenever I watch it. I feel like the message is: sometimes some things don’t turn out how you would expect them to, but even better than expected. The main character Lucy likes this guy, Peter and he gets hurt. So she takes him to the hospital and now he's in a coma. The nurse tells Peter’s family that Peter’s fiance is Lucy, and that's not true because she has not ever met Peter. She meets his family and falls in love with all of them but especially Peter’s brother, Jack but everyone thinks that she is engaged to Peter. Overall I would definitely recommend “While You Were Sleeping.” It is family friendly and one of my favorite movies for sure. I am so glad my parents showed my siblings and I this amazing movie! |
'Saturday Night' by Khalid is worth the listen
By Haleyna Young
Khalid’s song named “Saturday Nights” is one song that I have seen in my playlist for a while but I haven’t given a fair listen until now.
When I heard the intro of the song for the first time, it was opposite of what I was expecting. A few seconds into the song, Khalid got right to the catch. Throughout the song you can can pick out the importance of being there for someone and how hurtful heartbreak can really be. You can get an insight on how emotional Khalid is about these topics through his lyrics. One of my favorite lyrics in “The Bridge” is when he sings, “ I guess there’s certain dreams that you gotta keep, ‘Cause they only know what you let em’ see.” Even though Khalid is a popular pop artist, “Saturday Nights” is one song that you don’t want to overlook. |
Best Mexican food around
By Dillon Osberg
If you’re looking for a good place to eat with some good authentic Mexican food with a multiple page menu that has everything you can think to eat, then look no further because El toro is the place to go.
I would rate El toro a 4.5/5 because all of the food they serve there is delicious, always cooked to perfection, plus it gives you the feeling that you are really in Mexico. The servers there are also really friendly and are always coming to your table to check up on you and make sure you are alright.
In addition to having great food and wonderful service, you get unlimited chips with salsa and ranch or you can buy melted cheese for an additional price. Who can say no to all you can eat chips?
So if you're looking for a place with real authentic Mexican food that doesn't drain your bank account, that I would recommend you try out El toro in Champlin, Minnesota.
I would rate El toro a 4.5/5 because all of the food they serve there is delicious, always cooked to perfection, plus it gives you the feeling that you are really in Mexico. The servers there are also really friendly and are always coming to your table to check up on you and make sure you are alright.
In addition to having great food and wonderful service, you get unlimited chips with salsa and ranch or you can buy melted cheese for an additional price. Who can say no to all you can eat chips?
So if you're looking for a place with real authentic Mexican food that doesn't drain your bank account, that I would recommend you try out El toro in Champlin, Minnesota.
The best hockey stick in the world
By Roy Johnson
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/4/3/104338495/capture_67_orig.jpg)
Cheating is the closest thing to this Bauer Supreme 2S Pro stick when the goal of the stick is to give you the hardest shot possible. Using the mid-kick technology it is easy to get hard shots off even if your hands are not low enough.
I would rate this stick 8/10 because the grip on the stick is fantastic. With griptac and ridges on the bottom corners of the shaft, you will never experience your hands slipping, but the durability in the blade and shaft could be better for its weight.
Another major downfall is the price, at $279, you should expect to get a great product. I think if you are willing to spend that much for a stick, this is the stick you should get.
Overall, I would recommend this stick to players looking for a competitive edge over their opponents. It is lightweight, durable, and looks great.
I would rate this stick 8/10 because the grip on the stick is fantastic. With griptac and ridges on the bottom corners of the shaft, you will never experience your hands slipping, but the durability in the blade and shaft could be better for its weight.
Another major downfall is the price, at $279, you should expect to get a great product. I think if you are willing to spend that much for a stick, this is the stick you should get.
Overall, I would recommend this stick to players looking for a competitive edge over their opponents. It is lightweight, durable, and looks great.
'Ready Player One' review
By Brett Loughrey
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/4/3/104338495/capture_66.jpg?250)
This is personally one of my favorite movies.
It’s a good mix of action, comedy, and science fiction.
Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cook star as Parzival and Art3mis. They live in a future where virtual reality is more of a reality than real life. They call this virtual world, the Oasis. They are searching for the 3 “easter eggs” left behind by the creator of the Oasis. They must complete elaborate challenges in order to obtain these eggs.
If they find them before anyone else they become the sole owner of the entire virtual world.
This is movie is extremely action packed and will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time.
It is also funny and very interesting. The actors are great as well as the special effects. I would recommend it to everyone.
This is personally one of my favorite movies.
It’s a good mix of action, comedy, and science fiction.
Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cook star as Parzival and Art3mis. They live in a future where virtual reality is more of a reality than real life. They call this virtual world, the Oasis. They are searching for the 3 “easter eggs” left behind by the creator of the Oasis. They must complete elaborate challenges in order to obtain these eggs.
If they find them before anyone else they become the sole owner of the entire virtual world.
This is movie is extremely action packed and will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time.
It is also funny and very interesting. The actors are great as well as the special effects. I would recommend it to everyone.
'Aquaman'
By Lyda Her
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/4/3/104338495/capture_63_orig.jpg)
Aquaman takes you on an emotional ride with its great plot and characters. What I enjoyed most was how you see the becoming of Aquaman and how empowering it is.
The little things that bothered me was the soundtrack. The music didn’t seem like it fit in with the scene or within the moment. Other than that, this movie was nicely put together.
I really recommend this movie for its nice twist of heroic, romantic and comedy scenes that many people will enjoy. So go watch Aquaman!
The best drink at Starbucks
By Nyjah Fleming, Khadijah Fofana & Cassidy Clements
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/4/3/104338495/capture_62_orig.jpg)
What is your favorite drink at starbucks?
Ours is the Strawberry Acai refresher, and sometimes we do three pumps of raspberry to give it more flavor but it is also good without.
Can’t forget to add the lemonade; there is a choice of getting it with water.
Also Starbucks tends to give more ice then drink, so we get light ice so it can still be cold but not water down so fast.
We leave the freeze-dry strawberries with the ice once we’re done. Those don’t taste so well.
Plus, Khadijah is not a big fan of regular strawberries let alone the ones that come with the drink.
We get it mostly during the week like Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Not so much on the weekends.
We normally get Ventis but if we won’t have time to drink it all we get smalls.
Sizing and Prices-
Ours is the Strawberry Acai refresher, and sometimes we do three pumps of raspberry to give it more flavor but it is also good without.
Can’t forget to add the lemonade; there is a choice of getting it with water.
Also Starbucks tends to give more ice then drink, so we get light ice so it can still be cold but not water down so fast.
We leave the freeze-dry strawberries with the ice once we’re done. Those don’t taste so well.
Plus, Khadijah is not a big fan of regular strawberries let alone the ones that come with the drink.
We get it mostly during the week like Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Not so much on the weekends.
We normally get Ventis but if we won’t have time to drink it all we get smalls.
Sizing and Prices-
- Tall/Small- $3.99
- Grande/Medium- $4.99
- Venti/Large- $4.99
- Trenta- $5.29
'Aquaman': one of the greatest films of December 2018
Jack Potter & Ryker Grant
Is it always sunny in Philadelphia?
By Noah Juergens, Westin schmitz & Keegan Walton
“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is a show about five delusional, narcissistic, borderline-psychotic idiot friends who own a failing bar named Patty's Pub in Philadelphia. The show follows the lives of Dee, Dennis, Mac, Charlie and Frank and how they get by on a day to day basis alive somehow.
This show is not for the light hearted or the dislikers of dark humor, although extremely funny if you like find shows like South Park funny. The cast writes and produces the show to keep it true to its roots, and they work together flawlessly together even though each character has extremely different personalities which leads to a lot of hilarious disagreements. Another great aspect of this show is there is almost no timeline, you could start watching seven seasons in and you would be fine, you just wouldn't understand a few references from previous seasons but it won't affect the plot of the episode. This allows for new comers to easily pick up on the show which is hard for a lot of tv shows. |
The great taste of Buffalo Wild Wings
By Charlize Ongeri
Buffalo Wild Wings. You walk in and smell the delicious food of wings, burgers, and more.
Next, the friendly staff at the desk greets you, and put you at a comfortable seat where you’d enjoy your food. The lighting is mediocre, but it’s a pretty nice setting. Of course, the special orders at this restaurant are wings. Although that’s not the only thing you can order. There are tacos, burgers, mac and cheese, nachos, and lots more. You may order deserts, mostly favorites like ice cream and cake. Even mouthwatering appetizers like nachos, mini corn dogs, and mozzarella sticks. Eating at Buffalo Wild Wings can be a blast; it’s clean, the food is cooked all the way, and is more appetizing because of it’s warm cooked meals. If you have a complaint, the staff will help, maybe not as fast as you’d want them too, but they are very hard working staff. The restaurant is full of pleasure and joy. People are smiling and laughing. Also it fills up really quickly, sometimes it feels congested, but you get used to it. The workers are very friendly. My favorite food at Buffalo Wild Wings is the honey barbecue wings. They are not intended to be spicy but are very delicious. |
Action, comedy and gore lovers must see
By Alexis Piatt
The movie “Slice,” is about a pizza place that has a mysterious background.
The character Dax and Astrid are total opposites and strong headed, but when they work together, their power is unbelievable. Dax is half man and half werewolf with a dark secret he wants to put to rest. Astrid is a pizza delivery girl with a vengeance to ride her lover’s killer. So, the pizza shop is the replacement of a Chinese restaurant that had a gruesome disappearance of the workers. This movie takes a interesting turn when the people of the town find out who the real bad guy is. Keeping things low key aren't something Astrid does lightly. Jack is the pizza shop owner; he's very naive to what's really going on in his town and his shop. Most people would run away from danger but not this pizza shop they are determined to fight back. I think this movie is cool how they have the living separated from the dead as they both live in separate towns. Both the action and suspense make the movie like a puzzle or a maze: you have to figure some things out. I love that one of my favorite actors, Chance The Rapper, is in this movie playing Dax. I think that the movie shows teamwork from two opposite groups that come together and stand as one. This movie is funny and gorey. I think that they made the deaths a mystery and also in a funny way so that it wasn't so serious. |
True love and Christmas miracles: A must see for romantics
By Alexis Piatt
The movie “The Holiday Calendar” is about a magical calendar where wishes come to life.
The characters, Abby and Josh, have been best friends ever since their childhood. Abby loves photography and mostly staying in her comfort zone. On the other hand, Josh just got back from traveling the world along with finding new things out about himself. So, the suspected “magical” house shaped calendar has little Christmas themed pieces in a new box each day leading up to Christmas day. This movie is interesting and unique because their best friends and they think they know everything about each other, but this calendar really tests that and their friendship. As everyone knows, we all wish for things on Christmas and the movie shows if you just believe and never give up, your wishes will come true. I think the movie was good and had some good cliff hangers that made me want to keep watching. I think one of the best parts about this movie is when their friendship was tested, but true love found its way to each other through anything. I love the actors; they are in some really good shows and movies that I’m a fan of. When I saw this movie, I was so excited to see both of them in it. I like the way they made me think the story was going to end one way and I was kind of upset. I was taken by surprise when they switched the storyline. I definitely think that the ending is the best. So watch the movie until the very end to find out what happens. |
Review of the CCM Trigger 2
By Alex Lee & Jason Reil
The CCM Trigger 2 with the Crosby curve and 70 flex is by far the best stick on the market right now. This stick has a very quick but powerful shot release allowing for crisp hard shots when trying to get the puck off in a hurry.
Although this stick is the best out right now, there is one minor downfall to this stick, the price. This stick costs $270.00. If you’re willing to spend this amount of money on a hockey stick, this is definitely a great purchase. We would rate this stick 4.5 out of 5. This is because the curve is excellent for shooting and stickhandling and the stick is very well put together. This allows for the quick shot release mentioned earlier. If you are willing to spend money on a nice, new hockey stick, we would highly suggest investing in the CCM Trigger 2. |
Here lives the world’s best malts
Aleia Wilbur
If you had been a student a the U of M in the 1920’s, you probably would have spent your weekend dancing in the ballroom. In 1980 that changed; the building was turned into Annie's Parlour, a burger joint.
Annie’s Parlour has many affordable parking options around it within a short walking distance. Once you arrive though, you have to climb a rather intimidating set of stairs, deeming it not handicap accessible. We did not have a long wait time, around 10 minutes, and were then seated at a booth. The restaurant does have indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating is very nice for the summer and has a good view of the surrounding area, beware of bees though. Inside, it was very clean with tables constantly being bussed. The wood floors, tables, and many windows give it a rustic look making you feel like you are in the days of drive-ins and diners. The staff was young and friendly. They did not seem rushed when helping us and were helpful in making suggestions. The one downfall was that they did not stop back at the table often enough to refill our drinks, so we had to wave them down a few times. The food is very American. There are wonderful hamburgers (and veggie burgers), salads, fries, onion rings, and malts. All the hamburgers are fresh and handmade. The fries come in generous portions, so I suggest sharing, but they are perfectly salted and delicious. The onion rings were also out of this world. The malts are artisan and poured for you at your table from a frosty steel malt cup. There are over 15 flavors to choose from, my favorite being hot fudge. The large malts will fill your glass cup twice. The malts are my favorite part of Annie’s Parlour and are what keeps me coming back. Definitely a must have if you go. Overall, Annie’s Parlor is a relaxed, fun, and casual place for a meal with family or friends. The location and food are amazing, the atmosphere is charming and there is a great value. So next time you’re thinking of going to Johnny Rockets, 5 Guys, or Freddys, take the extra drive and go to Annie's Parlour instead. It’s worth it, even if it's just for the malts. |
Taco Bell’s chicken quesadillas are the delicious quesadillas for people on the go
By Shreya Bika
Whenever you are on the go or do not have time to eat a proper lunch, stop by Taco Bell to order their chicken quesadilla.
Taco Bell’s chicken quesadillas are flour tortillas filled with grilled chicken, cheese, and creamy jalapeno sauce. It’s quick Mexican meal that you can eat in 10 minutes. If you would like, you can get sauces as well. Taco Bell offers many sauces such as spicy ranch, salsa, reduced fat sour cream, guacamole, nacho cheese sauce, and more. The options are endless. I would personally recommend ordering the chicken quesadilla the next time you are at Taco Bell. Whenever I have a short lunch break and don’t have time to eat a proper meal, I can always rely on the chicken quesadilla to fill me up. It takes less than 10 minutes to eat, and on top of that, it is a delicious quesadilla to order. |
Is 'Sherlock' worth watching even though each episode is as long as a movie?
By Samira Harbieh
The show “Sherlock” on Netflix is based on the original book series Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. One of the great things about this series is that you don’t have to read any of the books to understand what goes on in the show.
Most people skip over the show because there’s only three episodes per season, but every episode is just like a movie. Most episodes are an hour and a half long, with a complex storyline filled with mystery and suspense that will have you on the edge of your seat, just like a movie. The cast is also extremely well rounded, with actors and actresses such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, and Louise Brealey. With such a detailed and extensive script, “Sherlock” truly allows these actors and actresses to perform their best. One of the most amazing things about this show is the detail they put into the set. When you’re watching the show it feels more like your watching a documentary and not a scripted episode, because everything seems to be completely realistic and lifelike. Overall, anybody who likes to watch anything with crime, mystery, and action, should try watching “Sherlock” because it will keep you intrigued and wanting more after every episode. |
Everyone loves music, but you can never be sure just how good an album is… until now
By Alana Thomas
Khalid’s “Suncity” gives listeners a diverse variation of music. His songs tell stories about being caught up in love, feeling disconnected, and showing appreciation to his hometown.
When I first heard that he was releasing a new album, I was counting down the days until it was on Apple Music. He does a wonderful job transforming relatable messages into head bobbing music. “Suncity” made me fall in love with his voice even more. The very first song on the album is titled, “9.13.” It is a one minute audio clip of Khalid's hometown mayor granting him the key to the city. I was really impressed with how much he incorporates his city, El Paso, into his music. This shows how Khalid as a person is humble and remains grounded even after becoming a world renowned artist. As I continued listening, I really tried to pay attention to the lyrics and was specifically drawn to “Saturday Nights.” The song describes the importance of being there for people during tough times. With a total of seven songs, he captures many topics that his young listeners can connect to. In “Salem's Interlude” we hear a young girl’s voice describing the feeling of being less than or not good enough. Lyrics like, “I’m fearful of failure, I’m fearful of being embarrassed,” show off the truth behind Khalid’s music. Overall, whether or not you enjoy Khalid as an artist, he has passion in what he does. His music is something that everyone can relate to at some point in their life. |
How good is the Disney movie 'Coco'?
By Melanie Hanson
When I first decided I was going to watch this movie, I had no idea what to expect. I knew since it was a Disney movie it was going to be good but I still was unsure. After I watched this movie I realized how amazing it actually was.
If you’re looking for a family friendly movie with some adventure and a plot twist at the end, then I recommend this movie. It has a great message about family and the importance of it. It’s also about the Mexican culture and the holiday they celebrate “Dia de los Muertos” which is very important. I recommend the movie “Coco.” It is very good and probably the best movie I’ve seen in awhile. |
The BAUER Supreme stick
By Alex Lee & Jason Reil
The 170 Supreme Bauer stick with the Kane edge and we like this stick because it is a strong stick with bridge core blade so it is easier to move on the ice.
We would rate this stick 4 out of 5 because it can flex a lot and get you that extra kick to the puck so it goes faster. The problem we have with the stick is that the grip on the shaft rubs off after about a week or two and we don't think there is a way to fix it after it get worn away, but its still a quality stick over all. This stick is made with triple reinforced carbon fiber. That is why it can stand all of the stress from someone and still be in one piece. In conclusion this stick is a good quality stick that we would recommend to everyone that is looking for a new stick. |
'Miss Congeniality': a film where heels are required
By Audrey Whitman
Miss Congeniality is one of those movies that you can’t get enough of. If you love comedy, action, and empowering women movies- this is a must watch.
In this film, Sandra Bullock plays the character of Gracie Hart. Gracie is a kick-butt FBI agent who would probably rather partake in a pig wrestling competition more than wearing heels. Unfortunately for Agent Hart, wearing heels became a reality as she has to participate in a beauty pageant for an undercover mission which forces her to embrace becoming a girl. What I really like about this movie is that it does not use inappropriate language, but never fails to make you laugh with slapstick comedy and sarcastic comments. The one problem that this movie has is that there is very little romance. This is not the usual movie where the girl falls for the boy. This can be seen as a good or negative trait-depending on the audience. The romance starts to come into view in the middle between Eric Matthews (a fellow FBI agent) and Gracie. The part that bothered me was that Eric didn’t seem interested in Gracie before until she was “changed” to fit the image of american beauty standards. Although, the movie plays it as Gracie not wanting to like any guys until she starts to become “soft.” Agent Hart brings a feeling of women empowerment by showing the world she doesn’t need a man to protect her and that she can finish the job herself. Gracie Hart’s confidence, outspokenness, and reliable character come alive by Sandra Bullock. The other actors also did their job very well by reacting without looking cheesy and how they carried themselves when playing their roles. Heather Burns did a phenomenal job at playing the character, Cheryl Frasier. Cheryl is an unconfident and innocent young girl who becomes best friends with Gracie during the pageant and plays a crucial role in making Gracie a little more soft towards other women throughout the film. The soundtrack and the lighting even changes to make Hart look more fair skinned when she has her “glo-up” instead of looking like a ghost like she did before the make-over. All in all, “Miss Congeniality” is very well done and definitely deserves to be on my all time favorite movie list. |
The truth about Chipotle
By Elisah Ratajczyk
If you are looking for a quick and affordable place to eat, Chipotle is the way to go. Chipotle has a wide variety of options and they continuously switch out the food to keep it fresh.
Chipotle has a great community staff, and they know how to treat their customers. When you arrive at chipotle they have a great way of keeping the line of customers out of the way of the ones trying to have peaceful lunch. The customers wrap around the building and it creates a smooth way to get your food. Chipotle also has multiple choices to make you feel satisfied with the way you like to eat Mexican food such as a burrito, bowl, nachos, tacos etc. Most people get concerned with how much fast food chains cost, however, chipotle only charges for meat, guacamole, and queso, every other option comes with the cost of the meal itself. Overall, I think chipotle is a great option for people who don’t want to spend time in the kitchen but is still affordable. Go and try it out; it won’t disappoint. |
Bowlero: what you should know before you go
By Jack Mackeben
Bowling is one of the most interesting sports. If you enjoy bowling, you can spend hours doing it, one place to do so is Bowlero. I recently visited their location in Brooklyn Park to inform you to my opinions on whether or not to you should visit Bowlero.
Bowlero is a typical bowling experience with an average selection of bowling balls to use, however, if all of the lanes were filled it would likely be very hard to get a ball that is a good fit for you. During the time spent bowling, a singular problem noticed with one machine after roughly three hours of bowling, this issue was immediately resolved by the staff. Now that's a well-oiled machine. Finally, something to note is Bowlero was recently rebranded from Brunswick Zone. This was noticed in the animations that are played, some balls, and a few other things that aren't rebranded. While this does not affect the fun of the game, it still reflects badly on the company for not doing a thorough job. Overall it was a good bowling experience, and the time I spent there was worth it. Especially since I had brought friends, I would recommend this place especially if you plan to not take the game too seriously and plan to have a good time. |
'Bohemian Rhapsody' will rock you
By Dane Germany
“Bohemian Rhapsody” is a great tribute piece to not just Freddy Mercury, but also the band itself. However, if you are looking for a story, you are in the wrong place.
The acting throughout the movie is stellar. Rami Malek delivers a gut wrenching performance of Freddie’s struggle through being gay and, eventually, AIDS. Although, the plot line makes the viewer lose interest over time. Filled with extraneous details that don’t deal with the central conflict, we are subjected to an hour and a half of meaningless dialogue before we actually get into the main plot line. If the creators intended it to be a more biographical piece, then it was off center. Many details through the story are not only out of order, but also completely made up. The main redeeming quality of the story is the feeling of completion at the end and the music. Because of this, I would definitely recommend seeing this movie if you are interested in the band itself or the music. However, if one is looking for a more historical or love story piece, look elsewhere. |
Beyond good, beyond evil, beyond 'Infinity War’s' death toll
By Ben Dittrich
* Major Spoilers for a thirty year-old kids movie
With Infinity War out and everyone talking about how shocked they are with certain characters dying, I’m reminded of a movie that not only did this 30 years ago, but did it much more brutally and had no chance for resurrection. That movie is Transformers: The Movie. This movie, when it was released in 1986, shocked and traumatized kids by brutally and viscerally killing off characters who they had come to grow attached to and enjoy watching (i.e. Ironhide’s head is blown up). The story focuses on an all-new cast of Robots in Disguise (with series-favorite Dinobots) working to save their home planet of Cybertron from the monster-planet Unicron, who has upgraded series villain Megatron into Galvatron and given him the mission of destroying the Matrix of Leadership, the one thing that can kill him. What follows is a rock-and-roll sci-fi epic, spanning Earth, Cybertron, and many other planets. One thing this movie gets right is the voice cast. Everyone picked for the role is arguably the definitive voice for the character. They even got Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron and Orson Welles in his final role as Unicron. In fact, a few of these actors have come back to voice their characters in later shows, such as Judd Nelson and Susan Blu. The animation is also on point, and even the eventual animation errors help to boost the movie’s charm in my eyes. The soundtrack, which was mostly tunes from various rock bands, is still fantastic to listen to today, and really helps bring certain scenes. But back to the deaths, as this movie doesn’t pull back. Unlike Infinity War, where most deaths are likely to be undone by the end of Avengers 4, this movie only resurrected 2 characters for the show’s third season, and one of them was as a ghost. Every death in this has an air of finality to it, and this is made evident by the fact that even Optimus Prime dies before the first third of the movie is over! But that doesn’t detract from the movie, in fact, it makes it even better, showing that it didn’t pull any punches. With all this in consideration, I give Transformers: The Movie a 10/10. All in all, this is one of my favorite animated movies of all time and I’d say this is a quintessential Transformers story any fan should watch |
A refreshing drink that will brighten your day!
By Alayna Proctor
The Mountain Dew Baja Blast Freeze from Taco Bell is a great drink for a hot summer day.
The Mountain Dew Baja Blast Freeze is a “Tropical Lime” soda, and is an aquamarine color. This drink comes in two different sizes, regular or large at the cost of $2.39. I personally give this drink a 4.5 out of 5 stars because I think it's very good and refreshing! If you like a tropical lime tasting drink you should try the Mountain Dew Baja Blast Freeze from Taco Bell! |
'Turtles All The Way Down' - A must read for your summer
By Viktoria Wiegelmann
If you are looking for a book that is not only entertaining but also makes you think deeper and could inspire you to write yourself, I would highly recommend the book Turtles All The Way Down by John Green.
The story is about Aza and her best friend Daisy who try to solve a mystery around the disappeared billionaire Russell Pickett. Initially they just try to get the $ 100,000 reward, but the story ends up to be about much more than just finding Russell Pickett, especially when Russell Pickett’s son, Davis, appears and romantic feelings arise between him and Aza. The characters in the book are very relatable and I personally had the feeling of growing with the main protagonist Aza throughout the story. The story is touching on many levels and made more than one tear roll down my cheek because it is so incredibly real and close to what a lot of teenagers might be going through. The most important part about the book is that it inspired me to start my own thought process about the world and the reason of existence. I think that everyone who doesn’t want to get stuck in their same thought patterns over and over again should try to read this book and let it take you further into the depth of your mind on the journey of your life. |
'Infinity War' the Best Yet
By Jack Karges
Infinity War is about the main villain, Thanos, attempting to find all of the Infinity Stones while the Avengers try to stop him. The movie shifts from important plot scene to important plot scene as the movie winds down to its gigantic ending. This movie is a culmination of every Marvel movie made, so those need to be watched first to understand the plot behind this movie.
Infinity War is the most entertaining and thought-provoking Marvel movie up to date. Every second of this masterpiece is spent wondering what is going to happen and next and how it will happen. The huge fights along with plot points that involve each character’s personal movies make this one full of action and suspense. It is an extremely long movie, but the final hour of it will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. Marvel has made a very successful franchise of movies over the years and this movie was a celebration of that. The graphics were well-dissolved into the real-life shots, causing the movie to flow smoothly. This movie will certainly have many iconic lines in it like the others. The ending leaves an endless amount of possibilities for the next movie, leaving fans to wonder what’s next. |
Five West Restaurant
By Hannah Prasky & Aubree Leste
Five West restaurant from the outside is gorgeous with beautiful architecture and decorating.
The interior design is very clean and modern. With anything from burgers, soup, sandwiches, and delicious desserts Five West is the place to go. Every meal is made with perfectly cooked meats or veggies and is laid out on your plate so well. When I went there I had the blackened chicken and avocado melt. The chicken was well cooked with a little spice, warmed tomatoes over top, freshly sliced avocado, and a garlic aioli sauce over it all on toast to complete the sandwich. It is highly recommended and rated with four and a half stars on google. So if you find yourself in Rochester, and looking for a sit down nice dinner, head on over to the beautiful Five West Restaurant; it’s worth the trip! |
'Men in Black' review
By Trevor Wagner
This is personally one of my favorite movies. It’s a good mix of action, comedy, Sci-Fi.
Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith star as Agent K and Agent J. Agent K needs to recruit New York Police Officer Jay Edwards to become Agent J and save the Earth from an giant alien cockroach that ha a massive inferiority complex and loves death and destruction. I give this a 10/10 because after recently watching all the effects still hold up except the Bug at the end otherwise everything looks nice. The camera work is also very nice with hardly any shaky camera so you can see everything without it being blurry. |
Best movie on Netflix
By Ashley Vicary & Izzy Quick
Netflix just recently put on the movie “The Kissing Booth” This movie is one of the best movies we have ever seen.
The movie has many plot twists and brings up a lot of emotions from happy to sad. The script written for this movie was very good and the actors executed the script perfectly. A lot of movies on Netflix are not the best, but this movie is very good, and it's blowing up, Everyone is talking about it. If you haven't seen “The Kissing Booth” yet, you need to go watch it. |
'Boss Baby' Review
By Trevor Lovaas
The Boss Baby is not what it looks like. On the surface, it looks like a lame, boring movie that should’ve been scrapped as an idea. However, The Boss Baby is kilometers deeper than it looks. When I first saw this movie I had no expectations for it. In fact I watched it off Netflix only because I had nothing else to do. Now I’ve watched The Boss Baby more times than I can count, and I’ve enjoyed it every time.\
The Boss Baby has it all. Humor, drama, uplifts, and heartbreaks. You can go from laughing to crying in a matter of minutes. The script is perfectly acted out, and it makes me laugh every time to think that Alec Baldwin plays the baby. The Boss Baby is a film that reminds us what unconditional love is, and it leaves you in a better mood than when you started, guaranteed. |
'Ghostbusters' Review
By Trevor Wagner
I don’t think that this movie will ever be able to be redone. Everything happened at the right time and right place. Bill Murray, Harold ramis, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson play Peter Venkman , Egon spengler , Ray Stantz , and Winston Zeddemore.
This movie takes place in New York with these paranormal investigators that must stop a ghost invasion with nothing but their smarts and unlicensed nuclear accelerators strapped to their backs. The proton packs and and the car look really good. When you hear that noise from their car you know the Ghostbusters are on their way. One thing that has not held up as well over the years the ghosts and the other special effects. Otherwise, this is still a great movie. This is a 10/10 because who else you gonna call? |
Escaping the Bergens
By Julia Sullivan
The trolls were happy and they sang and danced all the time. The Bergens were always jealous of how happy they were, so they started eating them on one day a year called Trollstest. One day the Trolls escaped and went to live in the woods by themselves for 20 years until they were found again. The chef finds them and captures some of them and Branch and Poppy go to Bergentown to rescue them.
It’s a big adventure, and they couldn’t do it without each other. The characters are very cheesy and cute, and I think that it can make anybody happy and joyful. They almost die along the way but also befriend one of the Bergens, Bridget. She helps them on their journey and risk her life to save them all. Throughout the journey, Branch rediscovers himself and learns that no matter what he’ll always have people who love him. Watch the movie to find out if the Bergens and Trolls found a way to get along. |
Noodles doesn’t disappoint
By Jack Karges
When you first walk in to the restaurant, you get in line to order your food at the front. It’s meant to be a kind of fast food restaurant, but it doesn’t feel like one. After ordering your food, you bring the number card to your empty table. The restaurant has a very modern look to it.
I ordered the pesto cavatappi. The presentation was very clean and simple. The food was fresh so it was warm and cooked to perfection. The staff doesn’t seem to know about the specific ingredients, but they have detailed suggestions. People seem to enjoy themselves whenever I go to this restaurant. There tends to be a large amount of people coming in and out of the restaurant on a daily basis, especially during lunch hours. The pesto cavatappi was delicious. It was seasoned very nicely and I ordered it with pork which enhanced the flavor even further. I have been to this restaurant many times and I believe that this is the best item on the menu. A close second would be the buttered noodles or the Wisconsin mac and cheese. This restaurant never disappoints. |
Red Lobster Review
By Jessica Belous
Red Lobster is quite the seafood fanatics place to be.
As you enter the restaurant, it's quite dark, and red is incorporated greatly into restaurant. In the beginning, you’re greeted by a server and shown to your spot. The restaurant has a strong, terrible fish smell. After being seated, the waiter takes your order and brings you water and bread during the wait. The tables are very clean and are set nicely throughout the whole restaurant. They don't have many food options, but enough for you to decide. It takes a while for your food to come but once it does, it’s fresh and smells divine. Overall, people seem to enjoy themselves and have a great time. The restaurant is clean and has polite waiters and the food is very delicious with great flavors after being cooked just right. |
Caribou’s new drink: Does it live up to the hype?
By Erin Reardon & Emma Berge
Caribou is known for its rejuvenating coffee and delicious bakery items, but their new raspberry green tea with bubbles is a little out of their wheelhouse, so the question is, is it really as good as they claim?
Walking into the Brooklyn Park Caribou, like we do almost weekly, the usual smell of coffee hits our noses and business people typing on their laptops comes into view. Most days we would walk up to the counter and order our usual caramel cooler, but today we were trying something different: Caribou’s new raspberry green tea with bubbles. The drink consists of a tropical green iced tea, raspberry flavor, milk, bubbles, with coconut flavored jellies. As usual, the staff was efficient and very polite, our drinks was ready in less than a minute, and once we got the drinks we took our first sips and were surprised by the sweetness of the drink. At first the sweetness was reasonable and the bubbles tasted good, but as we continued to drink the tea, the sweetness was too much for us to handle. We had to share with our friend because our medium teas were too sweet to drink ourselves. Along with the sweetness, there were also more bubbles than needed, we had finished the tea, but there was still a large pile of bubbles that went to waste. So unless you have a very strong sweet tooth and enjoy lots of bubbles in your tea, we would not recommend Caribou’s new raspberry green tea with bubbles. |
An undersea adventure!
By Eli Ekegren
Disney Pixar’s Finding Nemo is one of the most popular movies ever made by the notorious artists of animation, and is a fan favorite for families everywhere. This film is very good because even though it is targeted for younger children, adults and the children’s parents can also enjoy watching the movie with their kids.
The story pulls the audience in with a heartbreaking scene just seconds into the film and doesn’t fail to keep their eyes locked onto the screen for an entire 1 hour and 40 minutes. If you’re ever looking for a movie to watch with your family, this movie is highly recommended by many including myself. Disney Pixar’s Finding Nemo is a family friendly film that can be appreciated and loved by people of all ages. |
Delicious served all day and all night
By Alyssa Stommel & Ella Carlson
Whether it’s six am on your way to school or work or 12 am for a midnight snack, Perkins is the place to go.
When you walk in a friendly staff meets you to lead you to your table where you have to decide if you want to eat a lot or just a snack. You could go with a build-a-breakfast where you’ll be full after your first bite or just order a slice of pie or cinnamon roll to munch on. Personally, my favorite is their pancakes. You can never go wrong with them because you can eat them all alone or get all you can eat and share them with your friends. One thing that could bug someone is how some seats are worn in, but it can easily be forgotten once you eat. |
Cane’s: worth the hype
By Hannah Prasky
Cane’s restaurant is a great eating option. You can order take out or choose to dine inside. Although there is limited picking on their menu, their options are fantastic!
One of the most popular things people order off the menu is their three finger combo that comes with three of their best chicken fingers, fries, a roll of bread, a drink, and their secret Cane’s sauce. With a price of only $6.38, you get a whole meal that will keep you satisfied. They have plenty of other great options as well, all including their famous chicken. Another cool thing about Cane’s, is that they also cater events or tailgates. One thing we noticed inside the restaurant is the constant smell of their famous chicken. The meals always come out looking very colorful and smelling delicious. The food is always hot and fresh right out of the fryer. The staff are always super nice. You get a very warm feeling walking into the restaurant. Cane’s is a great restaurant, that in our opinion, certainly lived up to the hype and is worth going to. |
'Avengers Infinity War': total flop?
By Taylor kemp, Natalie Crandall & Bella Lundgren
Everyone’s been talking about the new Avengers movie, but is it worth all the hype? If you’re a fan, yes but if not, no. When you’ve seen past Marvel movies, and understand backstories it’s an exciting new addition to the Marvel cinematic universe.
If you haven’t seen any of the past movies, then this movie and its characters would be hard to relate to. Past Marvel fans were excited about the return of some of their favorite characters, but others were left feeling confused and unengaged with the plot. With a cliffhanger ending, it left us and others wanting to see more. We feel like it was very well written and had just the right amount of comedy. They did a good job connecting all the characters. Overall we very much enjoyed the movie and would recommend it. Whether you connected with the story or not, you will be left wanting more. |
Buffalo Wild Wings review
By Ian Schull
When you walk in, the first thing you notice is all of the big TV’s. You are greeted and sat down at a table/booth almost immediately, so that is nice. It took about five minutes to be waited on. While I was waiting for the waitress to come by, I noticed the place was decently clean. Once the waitress came, she seemed to know what the menu was pretty well and what you could change.
It took the food about 15-20 mins to come out after I ordered it, so that wasn't bad for how busy it was. I got the chicken quesadillas. You aren't going to eat the fanciest things, so the presentation was pretty good for a sports bar. The food itself was pretty good: it was warm and cooked properly and they didn't mess it up. Overall, it is a pretty good restaurant if you want to go out on a Friday night with friends, it is not the fanciest place so if you are to just get food and a drink it would cost $10-$20 per person. I give it a 4 out of 5. |
Taco Bell Fries Review
By Grant Jansen
Taco Bell has decided to jump into the fry game this year, but they’re putting their own spin on them.
These thick cut fries are covered in a zingy nacho powder, which pairs nicely with the creamy queso. It is very easy to clean up afterwards, even for messy eaters. At just $.99, this item is a great addition to the dollar menu at Taco Bell. Overall, this menu item is panning out to be a major success! |
Farewell to the Flames of Rebellion
By Ben Dittrich
What a ride. “Star Wars Rebels” started as a fun little series focusing on a small group of Rebels fighting to survive with a few cameos from movie characters but quickly began to become a story full of heart, strife, and hope.
The finale is no exception. “A Fool’s Hope” and “Family Reunion and Farewells” was an excellent send-off with several sad, hilarious, and heroic moments. The episode follows all the major characters we’ve met across the series (with some exceptions) fight to free Lothal, the planet they’ve been fighting for the past four seasons to do just that. While “A Fool’s Hope” is just a fun action scene from start to finish, “Family Reunion and Farewells” is where it hits its stride, with the Rebels fighting through an Imperial base to finally get the Empire off Lothal while the main character, Ezra, finds himself aboard a Star Destroyer, being tempted by the Dark Side. This finale ties everything from the series together with a neat little bow, and it even proves that every episode served a purpose. Every character serves the episode in some way, whether as a death or as a strategist. Honestly, I can’t explain why I love this episode so much without spoiling it. You just need to see this episode, and “Star Wars Rebels” to see why I give this finale a 10/10. Series creator Dave Filoni says he's working on another "Star Wars" series. I can't wait. |
Texas RoadHouse
By Jack Bovy & Kevin Arthur
As we walked into the restaurant it was filled with people, that can be a good or bad thing. It's either bad service, or it's amazing. As we sat in my both the table and seats were clean, along with the surrounding areas.
Our waitress was very kind and was willing to give us hints and examples for our menu. The service she provided was excellent. She put the time to see how we were doing and seeing if we needed more. As our food arrived, the colors were brilliant. Along with the presentation was great the meat and potatoes where put in just the right spot to give it just a wonderful sight. The smell of our food made our mouths water, as it arrived to the table. The taste of our food was wonderful. It had just right amount of seasoning and the meat was cooked perfectly. We were pleased with the overall presentation and services of Texas Roadhouse. |
Chipotle Review
By Destiny Shanahan & Ann Bui
You may have heard of Chipotle, a Mexican influenced fast food restaurant. It is, personally, our favorite fast food restaurant.
When you first walk into the restaurant there are several things that stand out to us. First of all the design of the restaurant is very futuristic and rustic. Then you approach the line where you can design your own bowl, burrito, or taco with your own personal toppings. The quality of the food is very good and fresh and the customer service is always great. At around $7 per meal, Chipotle isn’t the most affordable fast food restaurant, but you can’t beat the unique food and experience. |
Review on Starbucks
by Andrea Moldan
Starbucks is the world’s largest coffee company, with over 27,000 locations and more than 238,000 employees.
On my way through the drive thru I was greeted by the Starbucks’ employee and asked what I would like today. I ordered the strawberry acai refresher with no ice; they asked if that was all I wanted and offered me a breakfast sandwich. I didn’t like that they asked me that, because I feel as if they were pressuring me to buy something I didn’t want in the first place. The line was short and only took about 2 minutes to get to the window. When I got to the window I paid $4.50 which I think is a little much for a drink that’s mostly water, but we paid, and they said have a nice day. Over all I think starbucks has great tasty drinks that can be a little overpriced, but can be worth it in the end depending on what you get. |
Dairy Queen: Fast Food or Trash Food?
By Hanna Lee & Annika Erickson
“Fan Food, not fast food.” That is Dairy Queen’s slogan. A midwest native fast food joint, its menu includes an extensive list of soft serve ice cream, and also french fries, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and chicken strips.
Their signature item is the Blizzard, it contains ice cream which is mechanically blended and mixed with candy, cheesecake, cookies, etc. There are many different categories of Blizzards: fan favorites, classic creations, and royal, which is a Blizzard with a creamy filling in the middle. We ordered two $5 Buck Lunch specials, along with a royal New York cheesecake blizzard and a chocolate dipped strawberry blizzard. One was the Deluxe Cheeseburger Lunch, and the other was the three-piece chicken strip lunch. The person taking our order was pleasant, our table was clean, and our food was delivered to us in under five minutes. The presentation of the deluxe cheeseburger was beautifully done. Unlike some other fast food places, their advertised picture is nothing like what you ordered. However, at DQ, the bun was fluffy, the patty was thick, and the toppings were stacked perfectly. On the burger was tomatoes, onions, lettuce, pickles, and ketchup. The burger was perfectly cooked, and all the toppings added to the tastiness. Despite how good it was, on their website it is said to be served with mayo, and I didn’t receive any mayonaise on my burger. Overall though, I would order it again. It is said that you can rate a fast food place on how their fries taste. DQ’s french fries are, without doubt, delicious. They were warm, and the outside was lightly toasted when the inside was perfectly soft. If DQ was rated on their fries alone, it would get a perfect rating. The Royal NY Cheesecake Blizzard also did not disappoint. It had chunks of cheesecake mixed in and a strawberry filling. It tasted like strawberries, the texture was creamy, and there was no wonder why these Blizzards are called royal: because they taste like luxury. The $5 chicken strip basket was delicious, and it’s a good amount of food for the price. The chicken was crisped to perfection and the fry amount was just enough. The chocolate dipped strawberry blizzard’s blend of strawberry and chocolate was great. With that blizzard, I couldn’t eat anymore. Overall, we enjoyed our Dairy Queen experience. The booth where we sat was comfortable, the aura felt calming, and we were served with many smiles. |
So, did 'Going in Style' really go in style?
By Aaron Kilyun
(Caution: Spoilers!)
“Going in Style” is a movie that is not only a hilarious comedy but has a deeper message: that everyone should “have a piece of the pie” when it comes to wealth, not only the elite. The PG-13 movie features a star-studded cast, from the incredible Morgan Freeman to the infamous Christopher Lloyd (“Back to the Future”). It centers on the stories of the three main characters, Albert, Willie, and Joe, who are all retired and are looking to provide money for their families and themselves through government pensions. They decided to rob the very bank that threatens to take their money and take it for themselves and deserving others. The story makes sense in that the idea to rob a bank is plausible and the main characters do accomplish that, yet the fact they do not get caught and prove themselves innocent in every situation is a bit absurd. For example, when the men invade the bank, a young girl saw Willie’s face after pulling off his mask. Later, when the crew were caught, Willie was ordered to stand in a “lineup.” The young girl was ironically brought in to identify the crook. Though clearly seeing Willie and knowing of his guilt, she said she did not see the robber. Another instance is where the lead detective in the case confronts Willie at the end of the movie. Anticipating a deal with Jesus, the man who helped him in the planning of the robbery, the old man has a dog carrier beside him with the money he stole from the bank hidden in the top. The dog in it just happens to nip the detectives hand as he glances into the crate. This is yet another situation where a potential “crime bust” could have occured. Some of the cases where the men are “saved” from being caught or guilt by a crazy coincidence would just not be probible in real life. Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Alan Arkin fit their roles perfectly, and they evoke a lot of emotion from the viewer. Christopher Lloyd seemed a bit out of place with outlandish comments and random appearances throughout the movie, yet definitely added the the humor of the movie as he was a hilarious character. The cinematography truly adds to the movie. The camera angles, lighting, and picture capture the movie in the best way possible. The addition of light songs in the background add to the “fluffiness” of the movie and gives it a simple feel. Overall, despite some unusual plot sequences and situations, the movie was phenomenal and carries a great message in the undertones of it. |
Wakanda forever
By Ben Dittrich
I’m going to be honest. This wasn’t a good movie.
It was a great movie, and perhaps one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s greatest triumphs. “Black Panther” takes place not long after “Captain America: Civil War”, with T’challa (Chadwick Boseman) about to take over as king of Wakanda after his father’s demise in that movie, but when Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) and Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) emerge, T’challa must become the Black Panther once more to save Wakanda. With this being a Marvel movie, you can expect the usual star-studded cast, with Lupita Nyong'o, Forest Whitaker, Martin Freeman, and many others giving exceptionally strong performances. One great triumph of this film is the world it builds. With other Marvel movies, they’re set in real-life setting, but this movie is set nearly entirely in Wakanda, and the country feels alive, and by the end it will have you wishing Wakanda was real. This movie also brings in perhaps Marvel’s best villain in Killmonger, whose motives are so sympathetic and relatable, that if some small changes were made to the narrative, he’d be the hero. However, if I do have one small gripe with the film, it’s that some effects in the third act are kind of poor. But all in all, this movie is a cultural triumph for anyone who wants more blockbusters with more than white men in the main role, and a definite 9/10. This is one branch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe everyone should visit at least once. |
Lightning strikes again
By Ben Dittrich
The CW has struck gold with their DC Comics TV shows, introducing audiences to characters like Green Arrow, Supergirl, and dozens of others and treating them with respect and giving them great stories.
This rings true with their new drama, Black Lightning. While the other shows start their story along with the hero, Black Lightning starts after Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) exchanges his vigilante costume for a three-piece suit and job as the principal at a high school, using diplomacy, not violence to solve problems. The thing that makes this set-up so great is how, as stated above, the other shows start with their hero and we watch them grow. With Black Lightning, we see him trying to avoid using his powers throughout the premiere, but when he does suit up, it is all kinds of awesome. Another thing that makes this so great is how this isn’t your typical DC show. There’s no quirky tech-guy, forced love interest, and not even that much comedy. This is en lieu of police brutality, racism, and other socially relevant issues to the U.S. today. But if I do have one small complaint, it’s that Tobias Whale (Marvin ‘Krodon’ Jones III), the season’s villain, doesn’t appear that much in this episode, and when he does, he’s not that threatening. His henchman, Lala (William Catlett) is much more threatening. I’ll give Black Lightning a 9/10. But with this being the first episode, we’ll just have to wait and see if it keeps this thunderous forward momentum going, or if it will fizzle out. |
Avatar: Master of the moral grey
By Ben Dittrich
Avatar: The Last Airbender premiered in 2005, and by the time it ended in 2007, it had cemented its reputation as one of Nickelodeon’s best shows, featuring unique characters, brilliant anime-esque animation, dazzling fights, and a world brimming with life.
It tells the story of Aang, the titular character, traveling with his friends to master the elements of Air, Water, Earth, and Fire to defeat the Fire Lord and save the world. It’s simple plot on paper, but it evolves along the way. One thing I noticed while rewatching it was how it explored the moral grey areas of war. While there are genuinely heroic and villainous characters in the show, many characters also lay in the grey area of being on the heroes side but doing evil things. Beware of spoilers in the examples listed below, but then again, this show is thirteen years old. The first great example of this is in the episode “Jet,” where the group meets a freedom fighter named Jet who seems to be a good ally to the protagonists. Eventually shows his villainous side by trying to destroy a village just to kill a small contingent of the Fire Lord’s troops, not caring for the innocents who would get killed in the crossfire. Another example of this is in the last quarter of season two when the heroes make it to the capital city of the Fire Lord’s main enemy, the Earth Kingdom, and they meet Long Feng. While in this city, they realize something is not quite right. Their qualms are proven right when it’s revealed that Long Feng and his personal guard have been keeping the war between the Fire Lord and the rest of the world a secret from the Earth King by kidnapping anyone who knows about the war and brainwash them into forgetting about the war. While this is effective in keeping the peace, it is decidedly unheroic. I could keep going on other examples of Avatar showing moral grey areas of war, but this would soon turn into multiple articles. If you want to see these examples and many more, I’d highly recommend watching the complete series on a streaming service or on DVD and Blu-Ray. |
I see dead people
Izzy Ashburn
A life changing experience that you’ll wish you could watch for the first time, every time.
Although “The Sixth Sense” isn’t considered a new movie today, it is one that I believe everyone needs to see at some point. This is a classic movie that truly is life changing. Every time I watch this incredible movie I find something new that shocks me, but I do wish I could watch it for the first time again. If you didn’t know, there is a huge twist in the end, so pay attention throughout the full movie to see if you can guess what it’s going to be. There is only one part of this movie that I do not enjoy watching. This is the scary part where the dead people are walking around the house. Personally I’m not a fan of scary movies, but if you are you will love the whole movie. It has a good balance of smiles, heartfelt moments, and a quick jump every now and then. This movie is by far one of my favorites. One piece of advice is to really enjoy your first experience watching it and realize that once you know the twist you don’t get to forget it. |
From athlete to author?
Evan Schulte
Hall of fame quarterback Steve Young's life story is all about overcoming obstacles. In October of 2016 Young shared his story through the autobiography “Steve Young: My Life Behind the Spiral”.
Young details his life from childhood through the end of his football career. He explains how his life was defined by crippling anxiety that almost prevented him from realizing his dream. The book follows his struggles and successes in overcoming his mental demons. When famous people, especially athletes, write memoirs, there is an expectation that the writing will be less than stellar. This is not the case with Steve Young’s book. With help from his ghostwriter Jeff Benedict, Young crafts a well written, entertaining story. He accomplishes this while also giving an insightful glimpse into the mind of someone dealing with emotional distress. “Steve Young: My Life Behind the Spiral” is a fantastic book that will appeal to all, not just those who followed his career. |
Dairy Queen brought back its amazing '5 Buck Lunch'
Kylee Peterson
Dairy Queen Brought Back Its Amazing 5 Buck Lunch! This lunch allows you to all your favorite things about Dairy Queen without breaking the bank.
The recently added lunch has 3 main course options to choose from, a regular cheese burger, a bacon cheeseburger, and chicken strips. I went I went for a classic chicken strip meal. Overall the meal was pretty good , but if you are not a fan of fast food i would not get this cause it was a little on the greasy side. The chicken strips are pretty comparable in size to most fast food chicken strips.The breading had a good flavor while having the perfect amount of crunch.The chicken inside was reasonably juicy.The chicken, was a perfect start to the meal. The fries were crispy and the Slice of bread was nicely buttered. For my ice cream I went with a hot fudge sundae, but if you want you can upgrade to a blizzard for a small fee. The ice cream in the sundae was creamy and of course had the little DQ curl on top Pairing cold ice cream with warm hot fudge can never be beat. This meal was very delicious,and I would definitely order it again. I 9/10 recommend . |
Marvel's 'Thor Ragnarok'
Peter Claflin
"Thor Ragnarok" is the newest addition to the Marvel comic movie universe and is without a doubt the best Thor movie yet. Thor is a lighthearted version of the past two other Thor films. Much like “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Iron Man” it provides an extremely entertaining movie with lots of comedy. This results in a not too serious, but very rewatchable movie that is family friendly.
"Thor Ragnarok" explores the comic storyline of Hela the sister of Thor. Hela who is also called the “Goddess of Death” wants to destroy the family which includes Thor's father Odin, and his brother Loki. Hela takes control and then viewers see the progression of how Thor makes a team of Loki, Hulk, and Valkyrie to take back their homeland from Hela. With Taika Waititi directing this film he truly has made one of his best ever. Taika creates likable new characters such as Korg and many more who add greatly to the overall feel of the film. Taika takes a very less serious approach to this film unlike the past two Thor movies which were definitely not as good as this one. Without the overall depressing feel of the past films this one thrives and under its new direction fans are very excited to see what where Thor will be going in the future. |
Bentleyville “Tour of Lights”
Kaile Cosman
Bentleyville is a an outdoor tour of lights show in Duluth, Minnesota. Coming from one who loves Christmas, the Tour of Lights show in 2017 was really good.
Bentleyville is kept very clean, and you don’t find trash on the ground. Bentleyville is very family friendly and offers you free hot chocolate, coffee, cookies, popcorn, and marshmallows. They provide small fire pits for you to warm up and to make s’mores. The show is put on by volunteers and is free to get into unless you would like to give them donations. They have a section of lights that honors people who have served and are still serving our country today. There was music to enjoy as you walked the tour, and it was amazing that all of the lights were working. The Tour of Lights at Bentleyville was really good, and I highly recommend everyone to go see it. |
'Thor Ragnarok' the best movie in the Thor series?
Jasmine Johnson
“Thor Ragnarok” The newest installment in the “Thor” franchise. I recently had the chance to go and see this movie.
My opinion on “Thor Ragnarok” is that it was actually good. I usually don't like superhero movies, but this is one superhero movie you don't want to miss out on. The movie kept me entertained with the mix of comedy and action it made me not want to take my eyes off the screen. The actors helped a lot with keeping me entertained they played their roles very well. I was really impressed with The Hulks actor Mark Ruffalo for playing his part in the movie very well. I would also like to add that the action/ fighting scenes were put together really well making them seem really realistic which I don't really see a lot of in most action movies. One thing I think they could've done better is making it less confusing because in some scenes something would happen and it would be confusing, but other than that this movie was actually really good. In conclusion I would rate this movie an 8/10 because it was better than what I expected, but it didn't have everything to really impress me. Other than that this movie was great and I recommend that you go see it for yourself. I promise it won't disappoint. |
Who doesn’t love a Will Ferrell movie?
Izzy Ashburn
“Elf” is the best Christmas movie in film history. This story of Will Ferrell, being the only human to grow up in the North Pole as an elf working for Santa, is full of laughs and Christmas spirit.
This movie is great for all ages and families of all kinds. Buddy the Elf (played by Will Ferrell) has the opportunity to meet his birth father, but in order to do this he has to travel to the real world, specifically NYC, for the first time. He goes through so many changes that we would never even consider because we live through these things every day. For example, he eats gum that people stuck under the railing, he doesn’t understand how to use the escalator so he almost does the splits as he jumps aboard, and he sprays perfume in his own mouth. Although it is full of laughs and memorable quotes, people can learn from this movie too. Buddy is one man, but he is capable of so much. He is determined to encourage people to believe in Christmas spirit, and he doesn’t give up when the hard times occur. He does all this and goes through so much simply to help others. Without even knowing, people can learn so many great happy qualities form Buddy. Overall this movie is a great holiday classic for all ages and is definitely worth watching more than once. |
'Back to The Future' review
Will Skinner
Robert Zemeckis’s 1980 sci-fi classic “Back to The Future” stars Michael J. Fox as the protagonist Marty Mcfly. As the audience we follow Marty throughout the movie where he gets sent back to the 50’s by his friend Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd). Traveling back in time from a modified Delorean car, Marty discovers past versions of his parents in high school and must make sure they fall in love so his existence in 1985 will remain. Even after Marty achieves this he has to return to his own timeline and save the life of Doc Brown.
I enjoyed watching this film for the first time with my dad since it's one of his favorite movies. Right away I became attached to the protagonist Marty Mcfly and his personality. I feel that Michael J. Fox was the right actor to play Marty in this movie and the following two sequels afterwards. The sci-fi genre never seems to disappear from the viewer with the use of time travel and Doc Brown who plays a big part in the movie. Overall I love the iconic story that Robert Zemeckis creates with Marty and Doc using a Delorean car to travel back in time to save Marty’s existence. |
'It' is a hit
Jake VanderMeeden
The movie “It”, based on Stephen King’s book “It”, was one of the best horror movies that I’ve seen in years.
It had the “it” factor; the actors, setting, plot, and effects were top notch. This movie was not only a horror, but also a thriller; the viewer never knew when the next jump-scare was going to happen. The attention to detail really linked this new movie to the original. The overall plot of the movie and the action that came with it was very cool and there were never any times where the viewer lost interest or got bored. Overall, “It” is a very good film that kept the viewer on the edge of their seat until the very end. |
The greatness of "Big Bowl"
Blessed Thomas
Does a family member of yours have a birthday coming up soon or perhaps maybe you and you don't know what to do? Well I have an suggestion: go to Big Bowl in Rosedale, especially if the birthday person loves Chinese, and Thai food. As a kid, I would hate going to Big Bowl because my mom always made me eat their fried vegetables.
Now that I’m older, I’ve learned that there's more to just vegetables being served at this restaurant. About three years ago, I ended up going to Big Bowl for my father's birthday and ended up getting the thai basil fragrant beef, which is a noodle dish that has a lot of heat to it. Right up my ally. The workers are very polite and sweet. Some of the staff who have been around for awhile know my appetizer order and some know me by name. Despite how busy it is, the workers always have smiles on their face and greet everyone that walks in. They all seem to love their job by the way they greet customers. The food here is incredibly good. Yes, even the vegetables. They have a stir fry bar where you can pick your own vegetables, sauce, protein and noodles/rice. Their menu is big so you have options to choose from. Most of the dishes there are healthy and the menu also includes a gluten free option menu which are also tasty. When you enter the restaurant, you can tell that the workers make it their duty to keep the tables, and the floors spotless and clean. There’s always someone walking around checking to see what needs to be done/clean. It’s impressive, if you ask me. Also, the bathroom at Big Bowl is clean. The toilets are not disgusting looking, there are no paper towels on the ground, and you can perfectly see yourself in the mirror because of how clean it is. Overall, this is one of my favorite restaurants. I go here a lot and highly recommend it. I hope you take my advice and try this restaurant; I promise you won’t be disappointed. |
Maverick’s Wood Grill: serving quality food since 2009
Hannah Lysne
Maverick’s is conveniently located off of West River Road in Champlin, specializing in festive drinks, and home styled cooking on a wood fire grill.
Maverick’s has four dining areas, the bar, lounge, dinning room and outdoor patio. The outdoor patio makes for perfect date nights in the summer, with string lights hung and fireplaces lit. The bar has a fun atmosphere with live music and trivia nights weekly. The servers have unique personalities and a good attitude that makes Maverick’s a friendly local hotspot. Maverick’s has many great food items on the menu including their Thai-chili wings, burgers and their special ribeye. Along with house made favorites they feature a daily fresh catch and what they call the chef's revenge; the chef's revenge is a special treat were the chef prepares whatever they want with three rules, no requests, no complaints and it won't be an item already on the menu. This adventurous choice is a family favorite that has never disappointed. Mavericks is a go to for fresh homemade cooking at a reasonable price. |
Crash and burn
Leah Jones
“Cars 2” is a fast paced sequel to the original throwback out west movie "Cars" by Pixar. "Cars 2" is a complex modern day version.
Although the box office sales were up to 119 million dollars in the first few days of the movie premiering, this movie is very complex for the age range it is supposedly catering to. The age range is from ages 4-9. On the other hand of entertainment, “Cars 2” is just a let down. After the first original of the old time, laid back small town of Route 66 goes to bigtime Los Angeles is very exciting. A huge jump from laid back, family friendly to violence and guns within a “children's” movie was a disappointment. The characters are exposing children to be sneaky and violent to resolve social issues with others, but also to change themselves to be manipulative. The movie is telling kids that lying is okay, as long as no one finds out. The morals of the movie are not very valuable. I do not think this movie should be rated “G”. Many factors of the second movie in the series have been going downhill. Overall "Cars 2" is a disappointment from the Pixar company. |
Welcome to delicious
Julia Ingram
Culver’s is a fast food chain that is famous for their custard ice cream and butterburgers. Culver’s is a very family friendly place with food for everyone. There is a huge selection of food from a kids grilled cheese to a Caesar salad or chicken tenders and more, and to top it off, tons of different desserts such as concrete mixers and sundaes.
Their service is exceptional.They are always ready for you to order and just a few minutes after you sit down, your food is served hot. Culver’s is always clean and organized. My personal favorite is the kid’s grilled cheese with french fries or sometimes the Wisconsin cheese curds. For my drink, I get a chocolate milk and then a free scoop to top it all off. The cost is never too much and you always get more than what you pay for. I give Culver’s 5/5 stars for service, food, and cleanliness. I totally recommend trying Culver’s; it's a great place to eat for any occasion, and it never takes too long. |
Don’t miss season 2 of 'This is Us'
Anna Kaltved & Greta Bahe
“This is Us” is a heartfelt, emotional, and impactful TV series on NBC.
The director of the TV series is Dan Fogelman. It stars Milo Ventimiglia (Jack), Mandy Moore (Rebecca), Sterling K. Brown (Randall), Chris Sullivan (Toby), Chrissy Metz (Kate), Ron Cephas Jones (William), Susan Kelechi Watson (Beth), Alexandra Breckenridge (Sophie), and Justin Hartley (Kevin). The show switches between the past and present with Jack, Rebecca, and the triplets. While in present day Kate, Kevin, and Randall discover the deeper meaning of life. They go through hardships and happiness together as a family. “This is Us” has a review of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.8/10 on IMDb. |
Pros and cons of Cullens
Megan Roberts
Ever wanted to try a unique and delicious ice cream, candy, and soda flavors? Well at Cullens you can. Cullens is an ice cream, candy, and soda shop. It is a family owned business and was only opened a few years ago. They have one location that is in Champlin.
Cullens has a wide variety of candy, sodas, and ice cream. Some of their ice cream flavors are Superman, Pirate's Booty, Deep Space, Snowflake, and Muddy Martian. They also have different varieties of sodas with very unique names for example one of the names of their soda is Bug Barf. Also they have a wide variety of candy and sweet treats which I like because Cullens offers so many different flavors. At Cullens I tried one of their ice creams that was called Pirate’s Booty. Pirate’s booty had chocolate ice cream, caramel, M&M’s, and Oreos. Pirate’s Booty was very good and chocolate lovers would love it. I really liked that before I got my ice cream, they let me sample flavors to make sure I liked the flavor that I was getting. But I did have a few problems with Cullens. One of the problems is that Cullens is smaller ice cream shop so there isn’t a lot of room for people. So sometimes when it is busy, not everyone can go into Cullens and have to wait outside. Also it gets very crowded and busy when school is over a lot of kids love to get ice cream. One other problem is that Cullen’s isn’t open all year round. It closes at the beginning of November and then it opens back up in March. I highly recommend going to Cullens to try their ice cream, soda, and candy, but I wouldn’t recommend going when kids get out of school. |
Reviewing Bruegger's Bagels Authentic New York Style bagels
Keara Kelleher
I recently went to the Bruegger's Bagels in St. Louis Park. Once I was inside, I was a little disappointed with the design. It was clean but a little old school, with a fall color scheme, and many stripes.
At 11:30 there was almost no line so I got to order fairly quickly. The woman taking my order, however, did not seem happy. She was quick to take my order and get me out of line. I got a build-your-own sandwich with an Asiago cheese bagel, chicken, mayonnaise, and tomato. My dad got an everything bagel with original cream cheese. Once we sat down, the seats (although ugly) were comfortable, and even though the view of the highway out our window wasn’t the greatest, the location was nice. After my first bite, I realized the sandwich was not going to stay together, the chicken breast slid out of the sandwich, and it was hard to take a bite. However, after a few bites, I realized how amazing their bagels are. They are perfectly cooked, and the Asiago cheese bagel was so flavorful. My dad’s bagel was amazing too: the cream cheese was fresh and delicious. Before leaving I asked one of the staff members how bagels are made. Did you know they are boiled? Overall, my experience at Bruegger's Bagels was pretty good, and the food is fantastic. I definitely recommend eating there. |
Is 'Jigsaw' really all the hype?
Jasmine Johnson
The “Saw” movie franchise has been very popular since 2004, ending with “Saw The Final Chapter” in 2010, but this October it is back seven years later with “Jigsaw”.
This movie is highly anticipated since Saw movies are very popular. The movie won weekend box office with $16.2M. So after knowing all this I went to find out if anyone has seen the movie yet. Luckily I found Marisa Johnson. Here is her input on this highly anticipated movie. “It was a really good movie. It was interesting how they used a flashback during most of the movie.” Marisa said she would recommend that you go see this movie if you like gore and if you don't know what that means i'll explain it's like really bloody stuff dealing with guts and stuff. After that I asked Marisa what she would rate the movie. Marisa said she would rate “9/10 because it wasn't bloody enough like how the other ones were.” But other than that she liked the whole movie. I also went and saw the Jigsaw movie and personally that the best “Saw” movie. The movie was too short and confusing at the end so make sure you pay attention. I also would like to include that this movie is not worth the watch but that is just my opinion. In conclusion if you are not doing anything exciting, go see the new “Jigsaw” movie and get your scare on. |
A revolutionary turn of events
Ben Dittrich
To say that IDW’s Revolution crossover had a lot going against it would be an understatement. It combined several franchises, such as their Transformers and G.I. Joe comics into one shared universe, many of the properties had a small fanbase, teetering on irrelevancy.
But against all the odds, Revolution was a blast from start to finish. The story is rather simple, but it works. The Transformers are trying to save Earth from an alien invasion with a new ally, but a cadre of villains have other plans. That’s the most I’m saying without giving too much away. The comic’s three other strengths include the art, which is fantastic to look at, the humor, which comes from unexpected places, and the sparse but entertaining action scenes. However, there are some problems. The villains all have their unique problems, and not the good kind. Some of the tie-in comics should’ve been part of the main story and an overflow of characters that even forced a main character to only appear in the start and finish of the story. Despite these problems, Revolution is still an entertaining read, and a solid 8.5/10. |