By: Diego Campbell Almost six months ago, Minecraft streamed its annual Minecon Live event, revealing the newest update to the game: The Wild Update. The Wild Update promises to change the Minecraft overworld, in the most literal sense possible. New animals, new biomes, and updates to existing biomes will bring new life to the game. But the best addition to the game has no real-life counterpart. It’s a new biome, complete with mystery, treasure, and horror. It’s an entirely new world, deep beneath the dirt and stone. So deep that something is able to grow down there that you’ll never find anywhere else in the world, and for good reason. Welcome down to The Deep Dark. This is a biome that literally hit rock bottom and said, “We can go deeper.” The Deep Dark is a biome found deep underground and is covered in giant patches of a black, mysterious plant life known as Sculk. Sculk blocks have a variety of strange powers, such as being able to sense vibrations, summon the Warden, or suck the souls of your enemies to create more sculk. Not that there’s a lot of enemies to soul steal from: nothing is able to spawn in the Deep Dark. That’s because the Deep Dark is the stomping ground of a monster that monsters are afraid of. Pictures via Youtube.com The Warden is a force of nature. To date, it is the strongest and bulkiest beast in the game. It has a flat head with a dark, open maw, and blue sculk tendrils extending from the side of its head like ears. Its arms and legs are long, thick, bone and black-colored, and powerful. Its chest is made of blackened sculk, with an exposed rib cage revealing a heart made of blue lights that look like souls. It’s the first blind monster in Minecraft, but it uses its ear tendrils and sense of smell to pathfind its way to its enemies. Its tendrils can sense any vibrations made, and the more vibrations it senses the angrier it becomes. It doesn’t drop anything upon death, because this creature isn’t meant to be killed. It’s meant to be avoided, like how you’d run away from a tornado. If the Warden catches you, it can kill you in two punches. If you are too far away, it has a sonic ranged attack that can penetrate walls. Luckily, wardens don’t naturally roam the Deep Dark. They are attracted by the screams of a sculk block called the sculk shrieker. If a sculk shrieker receives a vibration or redstone signal, it lets out a shriek that lets the Warden know something’s coming. If a player activates the wail of a sculk shrieker three times, the Warden will rise out of the ground and begin its hunt. The Warden is a powerful enemy to have, so whatever you do, do not make it angry. Pictures via Minecraftfandom.com With the Deep Dark covered in sculk and sculk shriekers, the threat of the Warden is ever-present. So why would anyone venture into its shadows? Because within the harder, darker walls there is a lost secret: a ruined city made of stone, overgrown with sculk (and sculk shriekers.) The Ancient Cities only appear deep within the Deep Dark and hold secrets in their designs and their chests. The majority of the ancient cities are a maze of stone hallways with wool or carpeted floors. Wool can be used to cancel out vibrations, which makes it a safe material to walk on in a place where the walls have ears. Wooden walkways also make it possible to walk throughout the city, although they are riddled with holes after years of rotting away. Lots of other buildings are spread out behind the city’s outer walls: lookout towers, piles of wool, saunas, ancient refrigerators, and much more. Arguably, the most important building is the center building. It's a massive statue that looks like the face of a Warden: a large outline that resembles its mouth, with two rings on either side of the head. The interior of the mouth is made up of a unique block called reinforced deep slate, which has a mysterious purpose that hasn’t been added to the game at the time of writing this article. Under the bulk of the statue, there is a floor made of blue flames called soul fire. Underneath the flames and the giant platform the Statue is on, there is an ancient secret: a lost laboratory. This laboratory is a series of secret rooms that display the basics of redstone, which is basically technology in Minecraft. Why the ancients would have such a room, I couldn’t say. That’s up to the player to figure out if they make it past the Warden. Ancient Architecture and Lost Lore are cool and all, but not necessarily worth risking the Warden for. That’s what the treasure is for. Ancient Cities have chests scattered around their buildings, with some unexpected supplies. These chests can contain saddles, blocks of sculk, soul torches (like a regular torch, but with soul fire), candles, music discs, and enchanted golden apples, to name a few. But Ancient Cities also contain some unique loot as well. Picture via Youtube.com
The first city-exclusive treasure is an enchantment called Swift Sneak. Enchantments are magic enhancements you can place on armor or tools that will make them stronger or magical. In this case, Swift Sneak is a magical enchantment for leggings only, which makes sense because you sneak on your legs. The enchantment makes it so that if you are sneaking around, which would normally make you go much slower, you could still move at a speed similar to walking. This is an incredible enchantment to hide in the Deep Dark because sneaking doesn't activate vibrations. The enchantment can make it easier to move around without alerting the sculk shriekers or the warden. The second mysterious treasure are the echo shards. Echo shards are objects that resemble crystals, but are covered in sculk. Alone, echo crystals are useless. But if you put eight echo shards around a compass on a crafting table, you can craft the Recovery Compass. The Recovery Compass is a compass that looks covered in sculk, from the exterior to the spinning dial. Unlike regular compasses, this device locks onto the last place you died, allowing you to find your way back and recover your stuff. Minecraft updates always change the game in a big way. The Deep Dark is one of the best cases. It adds a haunted new biome to the game, where every step is a matter of life and death if it risks spawning in a Warden. But it’s worth braving the sculk covered caverns if it means finding the lost Ancient Cities. The purpose of these old cities is lost to time, but it makes a sweet new base for any player who can clear all the sculk out. It’s a rewarding experience, too, if you can snatch the treasure that’s exclusive to the cities, including Swift Sneak enchanted pants and Echo Shards. The Deep Dark is an evil place, but its challenges, mysteries, and rewards make it one of the best features to be added into the game.
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![]() By: Mya Starks Award shows are popular shows that reward celebrities for their accomplishments. The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical excellence in the film industry. They’re regarded by a lot of people as the most prestigious award in the industry of entertainment worldwide. The Oscars are presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The first ceremony was May 16, 1929, 92 years ago. The 94th Oscars were held on March 27, 2022 and a very memorable incident occurred. Many people know of the Chris Rock and Will Smith situation. The story begins with American actor, LeVar Burton cracking a joke while introducing a presenter, who was going to be the American comedian Chris Rock, at the 94th Annual Oscars Awards' pre-televised ceremony. "I want to warn you all that our next presenter is a comedian," Burton said. "If you know what I mean. So I need to caution everybody: Remain in your seats and keep your hands to yourself. Alright?" But Smith had hit Rock while he was presenting the award for Best Documentary of the Oscars. His motive for slapping Rock was because he had joked about Pinkett Smith's close-cut hairstyle. She suffers from alopecia, which is hair loss that can be caused by an autoimmune response. After he slapped Rock, Smith proceeded back to his seat and yelled that the comedian should keep his wife’s, Jada Pinkett Smith's, name out of his mouth. A week later, Trevor Noah even joked at the beginning of the Grammy's, "We're going to be keeping people's names out of our mouths." Picture via Newyorktimes.com Another popular award show are the Grammy Awards. They are a series of awards presented each year. It’s presented by the Recording Academy, which is a music recording company. Its headquarters are in Santa Monica, California, and it was founded in 1957. The Grammys are meant to recognize “Outstanding Achievement artists' work in the music industry.” The Grammys have been shown on different networks throughout the years. In 1959 to 1970, they were streamed on NBC. From 1971 to 1972, it was ABC. But from 1973 to now, it has been shown on CBS. The first Grammy Awards ceremony was on May 4, 1959. It was to honor the musical accomplishments of performers for the year 1958. Picture via Vanityfair.com
By: Jacob Pelayo Picture via Imdb.com On March 4th 2022, one of the best movies of all time came out: "The Batman." In this movie, the main character is obviously Batman. The villain that he is going against the whole movie is the Riddler. Bruce Wayne is a millionaire who owns his own company. He is a businessman during the day, and at night he is Batman. No one knows this huge secret. Batman watches over the city of Gotham. He protects and does what is right. His iconic saying in this movie is “I am vengeance.” Batman fights for the people and will always sacrifice everything that he has without thinking twice. He is a very dark character, and he lives in the shadows, as people say. He keeps to himself and is straight to the business with everything. The actor who plays Batman in this movie is Robert Pattinson. He is best known for being in other movies such as "Harry Potter" and "Twilight." In my opinion, he does a really good job in playing this part. He had to train for months to get the perfect physique and the perfect mindset for this film. Picture via Dynamicsartsin.com
In a quick little recap of the movie, Batman discovers through the Riddler that the whole government is corrupt. He finds out what really takes place in Gotham City. The Riddler gives Batman hints through the whole movie to help Batman find him. When he finally does and puts him in jail, the Riddler's plan already worked, and all of Gotham is destroyed. At the end of the movie, we see Batman starting to rebuild the city with everyone. Compared to all the other Batman movies, I really liked this one. I feel that it really shows the true Batman and how he feels about everything in life. This movie is one of the best in my opinion. The only thing is the time of the movie. It is 3-hours in total. But, every minute is worth watching, and I highly recommend it. By: Mya Starks April 1 is a day filled with mischievous schemes. Whether you are a television host, comedian, student, or associate, you’ll definitely have something coming your way. Many silly pranks have taken place that have tricked celebrity individuals and large audiences through the internet and everyday interactions worldwide. A funny prank pulled on Kevin Hart by Nick Cannon adds to their ongoing prank war. He executes it by wrapping a picture of himself onto Hart’s private jet. He uses a picture that promotes his talk show. To add a kick, he added the description “Kevin Rides The Cannon” on it. Cannon later posted this picture captioned “Gotcha Back! #PrankWars” on his Instagram. Picture via Instagram Previously to this prank, Nick Cannon, 40 also pulled another prank on Kevin Hart, 42 for Hart’s birthday when he gave him a llama for his special day. Hart called this “childish” as he showed off the message Cannon gave with the gift which read, “Since I’m having all these new kids, I thought I would bless you with a new one as well. Save the drama for your llama. Happy birthday.” As payback for the llama drama, Hart, the "Fatherhood" actor, got a billboard in Los Angeles saying, “For any advice on fatherhood? Call my best friend Nick Cannon Hey guys! here [sic] is his cell # 323-509-0988” with a picture of Hart and his llama to the side. Hart posted this picture tagging Cannon, where he said he also put billboards in Atlanta and New York. Cannon reacted to this on his Instagram story where he appeared to be taking calls from the strangers who did dial the number. He wrote that his phone would not stop ringing and that he hates Hart for it. Picture via Instagram
With that synopsis of Cannon’s and Hart’s #PrankWar, The Halo wishes you a llama-free April Fools' Day! By: Prescious Kyles
I grew up with my parents reading me stories before bedtime. They were always nice ones depicting images of princesses being saved by knights in shining armor. Or perhaps a villain being stopped by a hero and saving the world. When I grew up and was deemed too old to be read bedtime stories (by my parents), I started to read them on my own. After awhile, the stories started to become repetitive and dull. I didn’t enjoy them as much as I did when I was younger, which made sense; I was growing up. That’s when I got my hands on a Brothers Grimm story. At first, I was apprehensive about the book, it seemed like any other story I’ve read. I opened it up to Snow White and expected it to be the same plot. Snow White is born and is beautiful, the Evil Queen sends her away because of jealousy, she meets the dwarfs, eats a poison apple, falls asleep, the prince comes and kisses her, she wakes up, and they live happily ever after. It’s the same thing over and over again. Except for this time it wasn’t. Firstly the Evil Queen wants Snow White’s liver so she can eat it. Of course, this doesn’t happen, and Snow White lives to meet the Seven Dwarfs. She lives with them for a while and then the Evil Queen tries multiple times to kill her but doesn’t succeed until Snow White eats the poison apple. The dwarfs come back and are sad, so they throw a funeral and have her in a glass casket. The prince comes by and is so captivated by her beauty decides to take her dead body home to cherish her. On the way there, the casket is tousled, and it dislodges the piece of apple that was actually killing her. She then wakes up, gets married to the prince, and when she recognizes the Evil Queen at her wedding, she tells the prince. The prince then forces the Evil Queen to dance in iron shoes filled with hot coal until she dies. To say I was shocked is an understatement. I did not expect it to take such a sudden and dark turn. Curious about how the other stories were, I started to read the rest of them. Each story had its dark twist that captured my attention and kept it until the end. I’m not afraid to say that I enjoyed the stories. I’ve always liked the darker side when it came to books. Of course, I know that everyone doesn’t share the same opinion as me, so I went around to ask people for their opinions. Do they prefer the sweetness of regular bedtime stories or did they prefer the bitterness the Grimm Brothers offered in their take on the stories? Jesus Cazares, a senior, said that he preferred the darker versions of stories that the Brothers Grimm wrote: “It’s not something you see in stories or movies but it’s better overall as an ending of the story that is being told.” Naomi Perez, another senior, said that same thing: “I like it because it’s different, and I also love true crime so it just feels homey.” Genny McGlynn, who is also a senior, said that she also prefers the Grimm versions: “They’re a lot more intricate and dark, which makes it generally more hard-hitting and interesting.” While I enjoyed the answers from my classmates, I wanted to expand my responses by asking other people outside of my school. Justin Donate, a freshman at Long Beach City College, said that he also enjoys the darker version of fairy tales: “Not everything is a happy ending and it teaches the harsh reality of life.” Sasha Laurens, a senior at Poly High School, actually dislikes the Brothers Grimm’s versions: “When I think of fairy tales, I think of happiness, not bad things. I read them to make me feel better, not to become sad. I respect that others may like them, but they're not for me.” I wasn’t shocked by the responses I got. As we grow older we start to lose the wonder and innocence we once had. So it doesn’t surprise me if it’s the same for the classic fairy tales we read as children. Sure it’s nice to think that a happily-ever-after is true and that everyone will get one, but deep down we know it’s nothing more than hope. I hope you enjoyed my article about whether or not people enjoy fairy tales and their sweetness or if they prefer a more bitter story. Do you have a favorite Brothers Grimm version of a fairy tale? Let me know in the comments below! By: Diego Campbell Top of the morning to you lads and lassies! Just recently, we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day, the day of leprechauns and rainbows. It's a colorful (and by colorful I mean green) celebration in the middle of March that gives the Irish a time to shine. A lot of Irish traditions spring up around St. Patrick’s Day, but Ireland has so much history and culture that it can’t all be packed into one day. So, I attempted to stuff some of it into one article. Here are a few pieces of Irish history that you may or may not have heard of this St. Patrick’s Day. Leprechauns The mascot of St. Patrick’s Day, these short, little, and green redheads are part of the heart and soul of Ireland. As it turns out, leprechauns are responsible for a lot of Irish traditions. The whole pinching-people-who-aren’t-green thing is their fault, but I'll touch on that later. Their hobbies include shoe-making and protecting their pots of gold. If you want a loan, be warned: these guys are tricksters, and will demand you do some impossible task, like running to the end of the rainbow in order to get a shilling. Allegedly, if you capture a leprechaun, they will have to grant you three wishes, in which case you could just wish for the gold pot instead. But they won't make it easy for you. We don’t love leprechauns because they are good fairy creatures with selfless hearts. They aren’t. We love leprechauns because they are a challenge, with all of their trickery and pranks. Leprechauns are stories you hear in Irish bars and gossip circles. Leprechauns are get-rich-quick schemes and characters you read in St. Patrick's Day best-selling books. Leprechauns are villains in terrible 1990s horror movies. But most of all, leprechauns are pure, Irish magic, and give the country a unique flavor that is rarely duplicated anywhere else in the world. Pinching the Green-less Picture this: You are part of an old-fashioned Irish family, and you just woke up for breakfast. You hurry downstairs to the kitchen, where your traditional breakfast of potatoes, tomatoes, and mushrooms are waiting. You sit down at the table when suddenly something pinches you from under the table. A small figure runs out from under the table and stays out of view as they run out of the kitchen. You assume it’s your five-year old brother up to his mischievous tricks and promise yourself to pummel him later. However, half-way through your hash browns, you hear the sound of your brother’s door opening upstairs, and his big yawn that tells the world “I woke up. I'm hungry.” At that moment you realize your brother wasn’t the pest that pinched you; it was a leprechaun. Our good friends the leprechauns are pranksters as well as tricksters, and one of their favorite little pranks is going around and pinching people. When they set their sights on a target, you can’t stop the coming "pinchening." Unless, of course, you are wearing your traditional green St. Patrick’s Day clothing. According to legend, leprechauns can’t see you if you are wearing green clothing. Why are leprechauns blinded by green clothing? Maybe they've been looking at shamrocks for too long and got sick of the sight of green. In any case, wearing green makes you pinch proof, not just to leprechauns but to Irish parents and siblings. The tradition of pinching has been passed down so that now, on St. Patrick's Day, normal humans will pinch the green-less along with the leprechauns. It isn’t the nicest tradition, but it keeps you on your toes (which comes in handy when it comes to Irish step dancing). Picture via Wikipedia.org
Irish Step Dancing Every country loves flexing its national pride. Whether it be in some world famous athletics competition or some equally famous talent show, everyone wants to prove they’re the best. One piece of that puzzle is dancing. The Japanese have the dance-drama, Kabuki. The Cubans made the party favorite, the Conga Line. And the Irish have Irish Step Dancing. Irish Step Dancing is a performance where the dancer wears specific shoes that clack to the rhythm of the music. The dancer could fly solo, but they could also form even-numbered teams if they wanted to. The dancers legs will gracefully flow while the feet click their shoes against the floor. The bottoms of the shoes will be fitted with blocks, usually made of wood, to make the clacking sound. I interviewed local Irish dancer Katie Sweeney, a sophomore, to ask her about her thoughts on Irish Step Dancing, and she had this to say: “It's nice to be able to appreciate my culture. I’ve been doing this sport for a long time. It's really fun because it's not like anything anyone else does and also I’ve made a lot of friends in competitions. While it is a competition, a lot of it is still a friendly competition. Everyone’s really nice, and it's always just been a really fun experience.” Irish Step Dancing picked up global recognition and popularity in a Eurovision Song Contest in 1994, when the Riverdance show, consisting of traditional Irish music and dance, hit the stage. After captivating audiences in Dublin and other European countries that were tuning in that day, Riverdance had helped bring Irish dancing global popularity and recognition. Through skill and publicity, Irish Step Dancing has made a name for itself, knock on wood. St. Patrick’s Day wouldn’t be what it is today without Irish traditions. They have helped mold the holiday into what it is today. So I hope that when you wear your green socks this St. Patrick’s Day and you realize you haven’t been nipped, you can thank the Irish for this pinch-proof information. And, you know, for the rest of the holiday. Happy Saint Patrick's Day! ![]() picture by: Natalia Pena By: Natalia Pena Love on Tour is the second headlining tour by Harry Styles, launched in support of his second studio album, Fine Line. After being postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour began on September 4, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada, consisting of 39 announced dates in total. It became one of the first full-capacity, indoor-arena concerts to happen in the United States during the pandemic. Onto my personal experience, my show was set to start at eight at the Forum in Inglewood, California. As my excitement for the show kicked in, I had a sudden urge to arrive at the venue a bit earlier to stand in line for merchandise and to take lots of pictures to document my experience. I arrived at six and parked in the Forum's very packed parking lot, so many fans had the same idea as me. I stood in line for merchandise, which only meant I spent way more money than I had intended to . . . Once the red Forum doors opened, a crowd of Harry Styles fans stormed into the venue to find their seats and to buy drinks. Styles played music from other artists prior to starting the show, and fans sang loudly to songs such as “Olivia,” by One Direction and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” by Queen. The vibes were quite immaculate. Suddenly the lights go off, and we see the opening act of the talent Jenny Lewis, who sung her amazing and super underrated songs, “Silver Lining” being my favorite song of hers from the night! Jenny Lewis sure knows how to put on a show. The entertainment and communication with the crowd felt super personal, and I can say Jenny Lewis was one of the best concert openers I’ve ever witnessed. Only minutes after Jenny Lewis' opening act, the lights turn off again, and we hear an opening intro of a poem named “Style,” by Charles Bukowski. The poem reads, in part, “Style is the answer to everything, / A fresh way to approach a dull or dangerous thing, / To do a dull thing with style is preferable to doing a dangerous thing without it, / To do a dangerous thing with style is what I call art.” Then the magical moment happened . . . Harry Styles appears on stage singing his song “Golden,” from his album “Fine Line.” The rest of the concert continued with Styles performing songs. He even sang “What Makes You Beautiful,” from his previous boy band “One Direction.” With lots of singing and dancing coming to an end, Styles closes the show saying “I’m gonna leave and disappear for a bit and work on some new songs for you”. So that leaves speculation for a Harry Styles third studio album. Harry Styles was recently confirmed as one of the headliners for Coachella 2022, sparking rumors that new music may be closer than we thought. It was reported in September 2021, according to Capital FM tabloid, that Harry is set to surprise fans with an imminent release of HS3. It wasn't long after he was announced as a headliner for the festival that the pop star was spotted filming a "top-secret" music video. Recently, Styles was seen in an oversized bed that was being trailed around the streets outside Buckingham Palace as a crew filmed him and his band. Overall the concert was the best night of my life, and I cannot wait for Harry Styles to drop some new music soon! By: Diego Campbell When you think of someone being lucky, you’d imagine people living a rich sitcom life with tons of drama that makes them internet famous. You think of winning the lottery or falling in love. You think of entering the bathroom without witnessing a devious lick in progress. You generally wouldn’t think of chopped-off body parts, colored rocks, or math. And yet, there are some odd traditions of superstitions out there in this world. In this article, we will go over some of the stranger good luck charms out there and why you’d be lucky to see them. If you’ve ever gone to a wilderness gift shop, you’ve probably been offered the chance to buy your very own detached animal limb. I’m talking about the incredible, iconic, not-all-icky, rabbit's foot! The reason why rabbits' feet are lucky changes depending on who you ask. According to Celtic tradition, rabbits spent so much time underground because they had a hotline to the gods down there, so a piece of divinity must have rubbed off. One tribe may or may not have believed that they descended from a magic hare and used rabbit feet as totems to honor them. You’d think it wouldn’t matter which foot was used, but the tribal shamans must have been picky when it was time to choose the village's next good luck charm. The left rear foot of the rabbit officially became the luckiest part of the rabbit. If you weren’t satisfied with a casual rabbit's foot, you could take the foot of a rabbit killed in a cemetery at midnight, which was considered much more lucky. No matter how you cut it, this good luck charm is always bad luck for the rabbits. Picture via History.com
Maybe you’ve been to a fancy restaurant, and you’ve seen someone throwing salt over their shoulder. Don’t worry; they aren’t littering for the heck of it. They are warding off evil spirits to keep them from taking their souls. You see, for hundreds of years, the act of spilling salt has been considered bad luck, partly because it was so valuable. This action was so terrible that it was said that the devil himself saw it as an invitation to cause some mischief. Luckily, the ancient Sumerians were masters of devil-repellant making. According to them, tossing salt over your left shoulder will nullify the bad luck and bless you with good fortune. The trend caught on with the other ancient civilizations, and it’s gone on to become the number one restaurant good luck charm, as well as the bane of all restaurant cleaners. You’d think after the rabbit thing we’d be over making animal parts symbols of hope. Then people started thinking that ivory horns could make a magical healing powder, and suddenly it was Rhino Season in the savanna. After that disaster, we figured that maybe it’s better to make the whole animal lucky instead of just an essential limb. In Native America, Asian, and European cultures, crickets are a symbol of good luck. In indigenous cultures, crickets are said to offer the power to leap over difficult situations. Crickets are even lucky enough to star in a Charles Dickens story, “The Cricket on the Hearth,” where they are kept as household pets. Personally, I don’t see how keeping a chirping cricket as a pet would be lucky, especially when you are trying to sleep, but to each their own. Bees are also seen as good luck. They represent a lot of positive traits, such as diligence, wealth, and love. If you have a bee in your house, it’s considered good luck. If you hurt the bee, the following bad luck will really sting. One of the most famous bad luck superstitions is Friday the 13th. Thirteen is acknowledged in some circles as the unluckiest number. Its complete opposite is the number “7.” It may seem like an odd choice, but it’s actually had a special significance since the beginning of time. God took a week to make the Earth; six days to make everything, the seventh day to relax. We took God's little vacation to mean that "7" stood for perfection and completeness. The Bible isn’t the only place where God's vacation day is called out: "7" is also important to other religions, such as Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism. Even if we don’t understand why it’s lucky, good and bad luck can come in mysterious forms. Maybe enough good things happened around a hunter with a rabbit foot in his or her pocket. Maybe someone skipped the plague because they had a beehive in their house. Maybe someone tried seven McDonalds before finding one with an ice cream machine that works. There are just so many different things that mean good or bad luck, so it’s hard to keep track of them all. So it’s important to remember that we make our own luck. We decide what goes in this world, so let’s kiss our lucky horseshoe, jump over the cracks, and seize the day. See you out there. Good luck, world. Photo By: Caroline “Chuck” Grant / Lana Del Reys Sister
By: Natalia Peña Lana Del Rey's music is raw and passionate, with a lot of nostalgia for America's past. Del Rey first performed under her real name of Lizzy Grant but found fame as Lana Del Rey in 2011 with a homemade music video for the song "Video Games." Her early life is summed up as, Del Rey was born as Elizabeth Woolridge Grant on June 21, 1985, in New York City. As a teenager in the small community of Lake Placid, Del Rey started drinking heavily. She'd attended Catholic school, but her parents sent her to Kent School, a boarding school in Connecticut, because of her drinking. Her early career consisted of being still known as Lizzy Grant, and she started her career with open mic nights and club gigs. In 2006, she entered a songwriting competition. She didn't win, but a judge on the panel helped her create a demo, which led to her signing with the indie label 5 Points. With the $10,000 she earned for this deal, Lana Del Rey moved into a New Jersey trailer park. Further into her career, she’s now released eight albums in her discography: “AKA Lizzy Grant,” “Born To Die,” “Ultraviolence,” “Honeymoon,” “Lust For Life,” “Norman Rockwell!,” “Chemtrails Over the Country Club,” and her latest album “Blue Banisters.” We hope to have more future albums in her career! Lana Del Rey has had a lot of success while she has taken over the music industry, as Del Rey has received six Grammy Award nominations. “Lust for Life” was nominated as Best Pop Vocal Album. Del Rey collaborated on a song for The Weeknd's “Beauty Behind The Madness,” which was given a Grammy nod for Album of the Year. Del Rey's “Paradise” EP was nominated as Best Pop Vocal Album, while her song "Young And Beautiful," for the 2013 movie "The Great Gatsby," was nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media. She also picked up two more nominations in late 2019, with “Norman Rockwell!” earning a nod for Album of the Year and the title track landing in the Song of the Year category. ![]() Photo (left) via scholastic.com By: Natalia Peña When it comes to celebrating Valentine's Day, we all aim to make the day extra-special for our loved ones. That may mean the traditional romantic dinner and exchange of Valentine's Day gifts, But nothing can beat watching a romantic-comedy classic. The Halo interviewed a handful of SA students and asked “What is your favorite Rom-Com?” to gain some insight as well as movie future movie recommendations to watch on Valentine’s Day. A personal recommendation would have to be “10 Things I Hate About You.” This movie contains one of my favorite love stories of all time due to its “opposites attract” energy based around it. From the Shakespeare references to hearing Heath Ledger sing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” this romantic-comedy is truly timeless. The Halo interviewed senior Journey Meggerson as she added, “My favorite rom-com is ’Crazy Rich Asians’ because it shows a love story of their own personal preferences aside from their parents." The Halo also interviewed senior Destiny Avilia, who said, "'50 First Dates' is my favorite romantic-comedy because it’s showing the audience a comedic perspective of love on screen. Adam Sandler is also my favorite actor so I would also recommend whichever movie he stars in.” Senior Brendianne Ramirez added, “My all time favorite rom-com is ‘A Cinderella Story.’ The love story between characters Sam and Austin highlighted through the movie. The plot of the evil step mom was executed perfectly and the love story was priceless.” |
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