Reviews

Panic! At the Disco delights with upcoming album

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Panic! At the Disco’s anticipated album, “Death of a Bachelor,” is set to release January 15. Lead singer Brendon Urie began to release individual songs off of the record in April of 2015, and each one has provided a different sound that leaves one to wonder what the album will sound like as whole.

In 2013, Urie released “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!” which consisted of a blend of alternative, pop and heavily autotuned music. The songs “This is Gospel” and “Miss Jackson” indirectly set the precedent for the album to come in 2016 with their amazing sound and consistent popularity. Other songs, such as “Casual Affair” and “Girl That You Love,” left me hoping whatever was to come would not sound as heavily auto tuned and lazy.

When the first single, “Hallelujah,” was released on April 20, 2015, the sound was similar to that of the alternative ballads on the previous album, which made my fear of a stereotypical pop sound dwindle down. At the time of the release, Urie and the rest of the band acknowledged the song very little. In comparison to the other songs released later, “Hallelujah” barely received any promotion or advertisement, and I cannot understand why.

“Hallelujah” possesses some of my favorite lyrics off the album so far, such as “I’m sitting pretty in my brand new scars, and you’ll never know if you don’t ever try again, so let’s try,” and the beats behind the lyrics instantly makes me want to dance. Urie presents the meaningful words in a way that makes the ballad sound more like a party song than a song to which you would ponder life, which is why I love this song so much.

“Death of a Bachelor” was the second song Urie choose to debut on Sept. 1, 2015. Although the release was not official as it was broadcasted on Beats 1 Radio and then not available on iTunes, Urie encouraged the download of the song even after the audio tracks on YouTube were removed for copyright reasons.

While “Hallelujah” provides me with some of my favorite lyrics, “Death of a Bachelor” possesses my favorite sound. Urie has stated he is heavily influenced by Frank Sinatra and wrote the song as a tribute to him as 2015 was the year of Sinatra’s 100th birthday. The background music, as well as Urie’s voice, has a definite Sinatra-type sound, and because I am also a fan of Sinatra’s music, I fell in love with the song.

A music video for “Death of a Bachelor” was released on Dec. 24, 2015 and also possesses the same vintage feeling the song does as the microphone looks like something out of the 1950s along with Urie’s outfit. The video consists solely of Urie singing on stage to an empty crowd in completely black and white, and the simplicity of the music video allows the music to be completely on the lyrics and sound, which is how this song deserves to be presented.

The third single, “Victorious,” was released shortly after “Death of a Bachelor” on Sept. 29, 2015, and initially, I was not sure how I felt about this song. The opening seconds consist of what sounds like children singing the chorus and then immediately jumps into fast paced lyrics filled with weird metaphors, such as “I’m a killing spree in white with eyes like broken Christmas lights.”

“Victorious” possesses a sound more alike songs played on the radio currently of which I am not an overly big fan. Really appreciating and getting into this song took me an insanely long time, and I mainly use it as a song to pump myself up or dance to while I struggle to understand the point of the metaphors.

Next in line was the Oct. 21, 2015 release of “Emperor’s New Clothes,” which came accompanied by the album announcement of which everyone was waiting, along with a really cool music video. Since the album release date came along with the song, the ballad definitely received the most promotion out of all of the singles released so far and rightfully so.

In juxtaposition with “Hallelujah,” the music video for “Emperor’s New Clothes” focused heavily on the underworld as viewers watched Urie change from a human being to a demon throughout the short song. The effects in the video were well put together, and the beginning included an interesting continuation of the “This is Gospel” video released Aug. 11, 2013.

“Emperor’s New Clothes” is the shortest on the album at a run time of 2:38, and I wish it was way longer. The lyrics in this song are amazing, and Urie’s normal experiments with his vocal range are extremely evident and really make this song pop. With words like “If it feels good, tastes good, it must be mine” and “I’m taking back the crown. I’m all dressed up and naked. I see what is mine and take it,” I immediately fell for this song almost as hard as I fell for “Hallelujah” six months prior. 

The fifth song released was “LA Devotee” on Nov. 26, 2015, and is about the love someone feels about moving to Los Angeles. Although not accompanied by an actual music video, the song came with a visualette featuring the bright and intricate colors of various places in California.

Urie sings the lyrics just as rapidly as he does in “Victorious,” but the imagery and comparisons in “LA Devotee” are way easier to understand and appreciate. The song sounds like a mixture of their 2013 album along with various other songs from albums released in the early 2000s, which hold some of the best songs of Panic! At the Disco’s entire career.

My favorite part of the song is definitely the way the lyrics, “I wouldn’t change you. I wouldn’t ever try to make you leave,” sound all around. The background music changes to a pleasing deep trombone/tuba sound that immediately puts me in a better mood. In fact, the entire song is a mood-lifter and every time it appears on my Spotify or phone shuffle, I want to stop everything I am doing and just lose myself in the music.

“Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time” was the sixth song released on Dec. 31, 2015 and is probably the song that sounds the most different compared to the others. Fast-paced lyrics seem to be the way Urie wants to present the words because yet again, I am left trying to figure out what the entire verse said in 45 seconds.

Unlike the others on the album, this song does not have a music video or a visualette to go along with it. This makes sense to me as I am not completely sure how you could design a video for this song, considering it holds the same type of message as “Victorious,” which already has a music video. I do like this song more than I liked “Victorious,” though as it holds more of a rock type sound I am not used to hearing from Panic! At the Disco.

Lyrics, “I’m not as think as you drunk I am,” define the song completely and have become the most popular set of words I have seen edited onto pictures or used in “memes” on social media the past week and a half. They also define the partying lifestyle Urie portrays himself living quite often along with bringing up past events he has broadcasted such as the “Drunk History of Fall Out Boy” video that debuted on YouTube in 2013.

Panic! At the Disco has managed to release six of the 11 songs on the new album coming out next week, leaving many to believe the album may debut a few days earlier than Jan. 15. The sound and subject of lyrics coming from Urie and the rest of the band is changing slowly but surely, and I am excited to see what is to come for the remaining five songs and any records to come.

Entertainment, Reviews

Divergent movie series disappoints fans

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“One choice can transform you. One choice can destroy you. One choice will define you” encompasses an entire series of books in three simple sentences.

Veronica Roth’s Divergent series has been popular since her first book, Divergent, came out in 2011. This New York Times Bestselling Author continued on the legacy of the main character Tris Prior with two other books: Insurgent in 2012 and Allegiant in 2013.

This famous series drew in many teens and adults with its dystopian world, action-packed moments and a love story unlike any other. The premise surrounds a futuristic Chicago in which society is divided into five factions. As each person enters adulthood, he/she must choose a faction and commit to that group for life.

This was the first complete series I have ever read in its entirety, and I did so in a matter of months. I was so intrigued with the storyline and identified with Tris while reading. Since the first two books are narrated by Tris, I was able to make a personal connection to her struggles to find her true identity and her growing love for Four.

Allegiant, the last book, is very unique: the narration switches from Tris to Four, also known as Tobias, from chapter to chapter. Alternating the narration allows the reader to see inside Tobias’ mind, see what he sees and truly get a true sense of how he feels about Tris.

With the creation of this captivating series, Hollywood soon grabbed a hold of the books and ran.

The first book’s movie was released in 2014. Shailene Woodley plays Tris in the film, and I think she fits the role perfectly. Each actor that played the characters from the books seemed to be picked well; however, the film did not do the novels justice.

Divergent the movie is closer to the complete storyline of the first book than is the second movie, Insurgent, to its original book. The first film left out a few main characters that are key to advancing the plot in the other books. I believe one of the major book characters, Uriah, made a quick cameo in the films, but maybe the actor just fit the description in the book because I do not recollect hearing his name on screen.

The films make the situation seem like writers never read the other two books before making the first movie. They neglected to realize the whole story line would need to change completely if they left certain roles out. The ending to Divergent was altered as well, meaning the entirety of the second and third films would not match their books.

Although the alterations have enraged many fans, the movies are exceptionally well done on their own. Each movie is nicely developed, and the acting is up to par. The movie writers exploited the romance bit of the novels which did make the movies more appealing to a wide audience.  

As March 10 approaches, many people may be rushing to finish the exhilarating Divergent book series. On this date, the last book’s movie Allegiant will be released. There is no doubt the movie will not match its book. No rush is needed. 

Although I would suggest seeing both the movies or the books, I do not advise rushing the read the series just to see the movies: disappointment is sure to trump the preconceived excitement. The best advice I can give to someone who is intrigued by both media forms is to watch the movies first then read the books; however, choosing one form over the other will preserve the authenticity of the love for the series, for whichever version of the series one chooses.

News

El Nino provides nationwide climate changes

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By Victoria Riggs

Ohio is in the middle of December and are experiencing record temperatures. Last weekend, temperatures peaked in the mid 60s. The 2015 El Niño, or “little boy,” is hitting the country strong and could drastically affect weather patterns across the country going into next year.

El Niño is a set of major weather changes. This term was originally used by fisherman to refer to a warm ocean current that usually appears around Christmas time and could last for several months. During the time of warm water intervals, fish are less abundant, the fisherman spend less time fishing and would often work on repairing equipment or spend more time with their families.

Over the years, the term “El Niño” has come to be reserved for these unusually strong warm water intervals that not only disrupt the normal lives of fisherman but also bring heavy rain.

El Niño is caused by changing wind patterns over the Pacific Ocean that push unusually warm seawater eastward towards America. The warmth of the water shifts the flow of heat and moisture around the planet.

In El Niño conditions, the trade winds are weak and may even blow in the opposite direction from normal. When this happens, warm surface water piles up near the west coast of South America and colder water remains deep in the ocean causing more surface clouds to form over the warmer surface water.

This phenomenon affects weather patterns all over the world. Areas that typically see drought conditions experience extreme amounts of rain. Unusual temperatures changes, like Ohio saw last weekend, are seen throughout the country.

El Niño events occur every three to five years. This year, the weather changes were noticed in March, and is the first event experienced since 2010. Scientists predict this could be one of the strongest seen in decades. It has a 90 percent chance of lasting through the entire winter and an 80 percent chance of carrying into the spring.

If the 2015 El Niño proves to be long lasting, the major weather shifts could bring global changes. The western Gulf Coast of the US will probably see record rainfall. This could mean a lot of extra rain for the southern California region which is typically impacted by droughts.

El Niño may change storm activity, causing stronger hurricanes in the Pacific and quieter hurricanes in the Atlantic. The strongest effects are experienced in the winter season. Countries in the Southern Hemisphere, such as Brazil, have seen less rain. For the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, winter may be drier than usual, meaning a milder winter season. The temperatures are forecasted to be 40 percent above­ normal the first three months of 2016. There is also a 40 percent chance there will be less than normal precipitation or snowfall during this time. If El Niño keeps getting stronger as it is expected to, 2016 could be one of the hottest years on record.

If one was looking for a white Christmas this year, unfortunately it was not likely. The latest forecast from the Climate Center are showed Ohio had a 90 percent chance of seeing temperatures above normal on Christmas Day.

Editorials

Cheating is an increasing problem amongst students

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Everyone has heard “Class, keep your eyes on your own paper.” It is a favorite line by teachers when suspecting cheating during a test. Now cheating is no longer just during tests and has progressively become as big a part of students school routine as lunch.

The Educational Testing Service defines academic cheating as “representing someone else’s work as your own. It can take many forms, including sharing another’s work, purchasing a term paper or test questions in advance, paying another to do the work for you.”

They also claim that 73% of all test takers, including prospective graduate students and teachers, most students do cheat at some point. 86% of high school students agreed.

Struggling students are not the only ones who are cheating on a test, but it is also students of all shapes, sizes, and type. The scary thing is it may be the 4.0 honors student who is doing the most amount of cheating.

The main reason for all of this academic dishonesty is the never ending desire for students to get the best grade possible. If students did not feel so pressured to get the highest grade they can, there would be no reason to cheat.

If they came into school every single day excited to learn instead of shuddering at the thought of the next unit test, there would be no cheating. Sadly, this is just fantasy.

High school is no longer about learning, gaining knowledge or expanding your mind. All that seems to matters now is getting a higher grade.

Students no longer learn, they memorize. They study over their assignments to cram the information into their brain, but after the test it is all forgotten.

The grading system needs to change. If students began to go to school for knowledge instead of just a passing grade, the amount of cheating would drop.

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