Arts & Culture

‘Stranger Things’ fans react to Season 5, discuss the series legacy

Editor’s Note: Proceed carefully, Stranger Things fans, as the following feature story contains spoilers.

by Shelby Keesee

On Dec. 31, 2025, at 8 p.m. EST, the highly anticipated Stranger Things series finale, written and directed by the Duffer Brothers, aired on Netflix, and later was accessible for viewers to see in select theaters.

The series ran for almost 10 years (2016-2025) and gained numerous fans through its 1980s nostalgia, references, unique plot, and most importantly, its characters.

Prior to the finale, two volumes containing episodes of the fifth season arrived on Netflix, with Volume 1 (episodes 1-4) releasing on Nov. 26, and Volume 2 (episodes 5-7) releasing on Dec. 25.

The Crawl

The first episode, entitled “The Crawl,” is set in 1987 in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. The episode begins with a flashback to Will’s vanishing in the Upside Down, which was the first event that led viewers into Stranger Things’ complex and emotional story.

“My first thought was, ‘Oh my God – they were babies. They were such little babies,’ and now they’re like, grown men and stuff,” stated Student Council sponsor Natalie Woods. “I don’t know if it did it justice – if I’ve never watched seasons one, two, three or four, and I just watched the flashback, I don’t think I would’ve been able to get the gist of what happened. So I feel like if they really wanted to do that fairly, it should’ve been an episode all on its own.”

The episode then reveals that Hawkins is under military occupation due to an “earthquake,” which leads the main cast into frequent “crawls” to look for Vecna, one of the main villains, in the Upside Down.

The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler

The second episode, entitled “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler,” contains the season’s main storyline – Holly’s vanishing, orchestrated by “Mr. Whatsit,” who is later revealed to be an alter ego of Henry Creel/Vecna.

“They focused on Holly a lot. She was definitely the main character of this season, and if they were planning on making a Stranger Things follow-up, she’s the start of the next generation of kids.” said English teacher Eric Watson.

“I loved episode 2, probably my favorite of the whole season,” stated English teacher Allison Clary.

The Turnbow Trap and Sorcerer

“The Turnbow Trap” contains Derek Turnbow’s addition into the plot, and the fourth episode, “Sorcerer,” leads viewers into a turning point – Will’s realization of his sorcerer-like powers.

“But, my next one was number four, ‘Sorcerer,’ because, of course, that was so shocking — none of us knew Will had those powers,” said Clary.

Volume 2

The second volume, containing “Shock Jock,” “Escape from Camazotz,” and “The Bridge,” gave us key events prior to the final adventure. The episodes, containing Nancy and Jonathan’s near-death experience, Max’s escape, and Will’s vulnerable moment, received mixed feelings from viewers. Critics expressed that the Duffers’ writing in the volume either lacked professionalism, was rushed, or lacked character depth.

“The part with Max was kind of confusing to me. She’s in a coma, but she’s still alive and functioning with other people who are stuck in the Upside Down,” stated history teacher Kent Porter.

“I know on the internet, a lot of people were really upset that Will had his whole coming-out scene and everything,” English teacher Holden Henderson said. “I mean, I think it’s great to give people representation – that is a very emotionally taxing moment, and so it makes sense that he would feel that way, but I do think for the story itself, I feel like they (Duffers) spent too much time on it.”

“The Rightside Up” is Stranger Things’ final episode, and it mainly focused on the group teaming up to successfully defeat Vecna.

“The thing about the final episode is the build-up for this season – all of these Demodogs and Demogorgons and all these monsters having to do with all this stuff, but when they actually go into the Upside Down, it’s not there,” said Henderson. “A couple of episodes before, when the Demodogs were fighting all the soldiers outside of the gate, like, that was a huge fight with lots of monsters and stuff – you’d think Vecna would’ve probably tried to defend himself a little bit.”

But the finale’s emotional ending has sparked a contentious question among fans; was Eleven’s sacrifice an illusion – or did she actually die?

In the debate, some believe that she didn’t perish, with an example being Woods.

“I don’t think she did. She’s too strong to have died just like that. Out of all things that poor child has gone through, that’s it? She’s gonna be whisked away with the wind?” Woods stated.

Some others believe she truly died, including Porter.

“I think she did. The way they just kind of left it there with her being in the Upside Down with everything breaking apart, I think it got her.” Porter said.

However, others have a more neutral stance, like Watson.

“I think the way they did the ending was the coward’s way out. They gave everyone a happy ending, they had a dramatic moment where like, it was a pyrrhic victory; they won, but they had lost something very valuable,” stated Watson. “And I feel like leaving the hope that Eleven is still alive undercuts that in a way that was disappointing. I would’ve been happier if they would’ve picked one.”

One of the Greatest?

Despite the common criticism over season 5, the season and the series still appeal to fans as one of the greatest they’ve seen yet.

“I loved the whole series, and I overall loved season 5,” Clary said. “I know some people were disappointed with the very last episode, number 8, but I was not disappointed at all. It was a great way to wrap up everything and everybody – all the characters kind of climaxed, and I understand why Eleven had to go.”

“Season 5 I thought was very enjoyable, as far as a watching experience, I enjoyed watching it,” stated Henderson. “But, part of that was taking a step back from a cinema graphic, or a movie critic style approach, and more of just like, ‘Hey, I really like this series, I want to enjoy it.’ There were definitely some flaws, there were definitely some weaknesses, but overall, it was enjoyable.”

The Characters

Even though a percentage of the audience has not viewed season 5 yet, the characters in Stranger Things are unforgettable and complex.

“Favorite character? Either Steve – the babysitter guy, or Dustin,” stated math teacher Cory Densford, who has yet to watch the final season. “Those are definitely my favorites. I really liked Steve’s character arc. I always have a soft spot for those kind of villain characters.”

“I liked Hopper a whole lot. I’m a pretty sarcastic dude, and he delivered the most sarcasm, I think. And also, he’s just surrounded by teenagers and exhausted all the time, and that’s relatable to me,” Watson said.

“Everyone wants to say Will, because his character led up to that culminating point where he mind slayed Vecna, but I feel like it’s going to be Lucas for me,” said Woods. “He had such a role of keeping the group together. He didn’t have these main character storylines, but he was always the one that was there – if something went good, if something went bad, he really had the answers to everything.”

Because of these characters’ relatability, viewers tend to feel more of an emotional response while watching Stranger Things.

“I think maybe part of that is because it’s taken place over nearly 10 years,” stated Clary. “I’ve literally watched since the first year, so a lot of people who have strong feelings, sometimes it’s because they’ve been watching for so long.”

“I think some of it has to do with the writing style and the characters. You usually feel very realistic towards them, so when we see characters we can kind of imagine as ourselves or our friends or our loved ones, we can see similarities, and since they are more realistic, we see them going through these things, so it seems more emotionally real to us as well,” said Henderson.

“Having characters that have flaws are important in media,” Densford stated. “Nobody’s perfect, and if they’re perfect, it’s hard to relate.”

The exceptional, emotional story and character depth has led fans to share the series with their friends and family.

“I’ve heard about it because my wife’s a big fan of it,” stated English teacher David Kummer, who has not yet watched the show. “She started watching it a couple of years ago and binge watched it.”

“Honestly, my son – he was the one who recommended it, and the minute we watched it, it stuck.” Woods said.

Overall, Stranger Things has made its impact on numerous fans, and its popularity will continue to rise over the years.

The series’ versatility in multiple areas, such as its writing, unique plot, and in-depth characters makes it a historical show for viewers. Regardless of season five’s criticism, it still remains a favorite for many.

“It seems like there’s always a show every 10 years or so that becomes bigger than some of its parts,” stated Watson.

28 Jan 202628 Jan 2026 by jhshyphen

Review: ‘The Wild Robot’ brings beautiful animation to the screen

by Noah Lopez Salazar

From reading the book The Wild Robot when I was younger to finally watching it in theaters it meant a lot. The Wild Robot was turned into a film focused on nature as well as motherly love. It came out Sept. 27 2024 and I was ready to watch with the books giving me high expectations.

The movie starts off with a futuristic robot named Roz accidentally arriving on an island full of wildlife trying to do its programming and help any person in need trying to complete its task. Roz starts to understand animal language. The animals in the forest have only rude things to say about Roz just because she’s different from them. Roz tries to leave but finds a duck egg by itself.

She found a task to complete which is to care for the egg with the help of a fox who wanted to help for selfish reasons but turned soft after a while. The main conflict in the story is how to raise a duck as a robot and robots like Roz trying to take her back home from the island.

This animated film has great quality with having the animators from Puss in Boots The Last Wish. Roz was Lupita Nyong’o who did a great impression of a robotic voice. Pedro Pascal playing the fox called Fink had a great personality in his voice that was way different from him in person. Kit Connor as Bright Bill was pretty good.

The story was heartfelt, which gives you a fuzzy feeling with a whirlwind of emotions with a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with 260 reviews, 8.2/IMDb the most talked about detail was their animation and how beautifully they portrayed the book.

18 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen

Column: Guitar Hero brings both fun and nostalgia

by Kaylin Bowman

“Easy, medium, hard, and expert.”

These are the choices for what mode you want to play in a famous 2000s game called Guitar Hero. Guitar Hero was a very popular game, with its first release of Guitar Hero 1 in 2005. The game itself was originally designed for the PS2 and PS3. Still, it eventually expanded to other consoles, including the Xbox 360, Wii, PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, and even mobile devices and handhelds like the Nintendo DS.

There are at least 25 Guitar Hero games. From Guitar Hero (2005) to Guitar Hero Live (2015), and other games based on Guitar Hero like Rock Band, Clone Hero, and DJ Hero as well! I prefer the original, but it’s always fun to try the other games as well. Now I have Guitar Hero for the Xbox 360. Sure, there are some lag spikes here and there, but other than that, it runs smoothly, and I enjoy the game a lot.

There are different ways to play Guitar Hero, too. You can use the Guitars, Drums, Microphone, and even your console controller. I prefer to use the Guitar controller; it makes the experience more immersive and more enjoyable. Guitar Hero even has a practice mode, as well as a learning mode. Practice mode allows players to practice the songs in the game, while learning mode teaches new players how to hit the notes and strum the bar to time it perfectly. It also teaches you cool techniques you can use when playing the songs to help you understand the game’s concept.

Not many people play Guitar Hero anymore. When I’ve talked to my parents, teachers, and even other students, which sucks because, sure, it’s an older game that’s outdated, but it can still be fun to play if you actually try it out.

Should other people play it? Yes, for sure it’s not a violent game, and you battle your opponents with guitar skills instead of guns, chainsaws, knives, etc, and once you beat the game, you’ll have all the songs unlocked so you can practice your skills even more and eventually make your way to expert, which is the highest you can get.

When I’m playing Guitar Hero, I’m fully immersed in the game, from how entertaining it is, and I’ve been playing it for over a year now, and I still love the game. Even though it took me forever, I finally made it to expert, and I’m proud that I made it that far with the game.

“Jump straight to expert. It’ll be difficult at first, but it’ll get easier as you play.”

Those are words that my dad told me when I first started playing, and that’s what I did, and turns out I could do it when I thought that I couldn’t at all, and when I listened to what he told me that day, it all made sense why he said that. When I first tried it, I sucked at it because of how fast the notes were moving, but over time, I learned how to do it, and I got better at it, and that’s how I got to where I am today on Guitar Hero.

Guitar Hero even has a lot of bands in it; some bands even have their own Guitar Hero game dedicated to them. Like Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, Guitar Hero: Metallica, Guitar Hero: Van Halen, and more. Some bands that are in the main games are Nirvana, AC/DC, DragonForce, Foo Fighters, Queen, Slipknot, KISS, and so much more. Another game that a lot of rock songs are on is Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, which has a lot of rock songs that a majority of people know about.

Sadly, over time, Guitar Hero stopped due to market saturation and declining sales, which is sad, but the games that are out, you can still buy and play them. Another reason why they stopped is that Guitar Hero peripherals often did not work with new game versions, requiring further investment, and Activision officially discontinued the series and disbanded its music game division to refocus on other online and interactive entertainment. Even tho RedOctane is the original publisher of Guitar Hero, and over time they closed Guitar Hero for other new rhythm games. But will there be more games in the future?

So what will it be? “Easy, Medium, Hard, or Expert?”

18 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen

Columns: The Devil’s in the Details

Behind-the-scenes look reveals the challenge of performing and competing in marching band

Editor’s Note: Check out pages 12 and 13 of the December, 2025 print Hyphen for a photo essay on the marching band season.

by Cherish Brown

“You’re just walking, it’s not that hard.”

This is what I hear when I try to express that marching band is just as hard as a sport. I wouldn’t be too upset if people told basketball players that “you’re just throwing a ball in a hole,” or told baseball players that “you’re just hitting a ball with a stick.” But no. Instead, they get praised for their hard work, while people overlook ours. So here’s what actually goes into the halftime show that you see at football games.

The first lesson we had to learn was how to march correctly. It might look like walking to some, but it’s a little bit more than that. There’s a specific technique that we have to use going forwards and backwards. To go forwards we had to learn to walk while keeping our legs straight, and also roll stepping. Roll stepping is rolling off your foot into the next step to make it look smooth instead of robotic.

Now for backwards. We have to walk on our tippy toes, while keeping our legs straight, and we can’t look backwards. If we don’t march on our tippy toes when we go fast, we will fall.

Now that we know how to go forwards and backwards, we now have to learn how to go sideways. The weird part about it is, we can’t have our shoulders facing anywhere but forward unless we are told otherwise. So, to march sideways, our bottom half has to face sideways, but our top half is facing forwards. The only people who don’t do that are the drumline, who crabwalk, and the battery, who don’t move.

“So no, we’re not just walking. We’re working hard, competing, and most of all, performing.”

We can’t just have you watch us march, though; that would be too boring. We had to learn how to play the music. To be honest, it’s really hard music. In the first piece we all have to play 16th notes, which is four notes per beat, which means you have to be quick with the notes, even at a slow tempo. And the second piece is at 160 beats per minute, which is double the speed of the second piece. And all that is hard enough while sitting down and looking at it, but when we’re marching, we have to play off of memory.

Now, we have to learn where we’re going, and how the music relates to how we march. The thing is, we aren’t just marching to random places. If you’re high enough in the stands, you can see that we make shapes with where we’re standing. We have to march to specific places, which are called our sets. And we have to learn the entire song while only marching before we can even grab our instruments.

Then we start playing. We have to go by each set (or spot we’re marching to) and learn which part of the music goes where. It takes a long time, especially because there are three different pieces we have to put together. So, we take many days of practice just learning how the music and our sets relate to each other, when we’re supposed to get where, and how big or small of steps that we have to take to make it on time.

Then, we have to make it look cool. We add what we call our choreography. It’s not actually dancing, like the color guard does with their flags. We do different things. Our choreography includes lunges, pliés, and forced arches. And we usually do those while we’re not moving, so we don’t look like we’re just awkwardly standing there. We also do these while we’re playing our music, so it has to match up with what’s happening musically.

Now we take all of this, that we started learning before school even started, and put it together for everyone’s entertainment. But there is something we do that many people don’t get to see.

We perform and represent the Jeffersonville Red Devils at our own competitions. We competitively perform in front of judges, against many bands in our district. This season our hard work led to an appearance at the state finals, where we placed 15th.

Our hard work got us there — work done over many months, and for some of us, years. I hope this season we’ve made everyone proud, especially the seniors, who have helped us all throughout this season.

So no, we’re not just walking. We’re working hard, competing, and most of all, performing.

Marching band performs its show The Devils in the Details. The Red Devils placed 15th in ISSMA state finals competition this season. Photo by Cherish Brown.

Marching band is clearly a sport

by Caitlyn Brock

Marching is a sport.

I’ve done my first season now in drumline, and it was some work. We had to learn how to march, and we stood for hours on end and didn’t get many breaks. During a typical school week, we practice for 8 1/2 hours of just practice alone, not counting all of band camp and competition days, with some Saturday rehearsals We went to scholastic prelims to qualify for finals and ended up getting 6/7 bands and went to scholastic finals, which took place in October.

Marching band is obviously a sport. First off, it requires physical exertion and skill, just like football or soccer. Next, we compete against other marching bands for a score which also can lead to finals, which other sports have, such as basketball. Finally, it’s done for entertainment, especially because of all the visuals and drill.

Initially, people would think that marching bands are laid back and easy, that all the instruments are not that big and don’t weigh that much, but that is wrong.

Drums can go from being 16 pounds all the way up to 70 pounds with gravity, which can be super difficult. Sousaphones weigh about 50 pounds, and all of those weights can be difficult depending on the person and size, with also having the marching around for 6-9 minutes (depending on the show length) while hitting all of the visuals and drill spots and playing all of the music by memory. That is a lot of expectations for high school musicians.

“Marching band is obviously a sport. First off, it requires physical exertion and skill, just like football or soccer. Next, we compete against other marching bands for a score which also can lead to finals, which other sports have, such as basketball. Finally, it’s done for entertainment, especially because of all the visuals and drill.”

Nobody talks about the demand for marching bands. We’re expected to learn music and hit the drill fairly quickly, given the limited time available, as rehearsals are often lengthy. Some days we are expected to start rehearsal as early as 6:30 a.m., going as late as 5 p.m., and marching in the heat is a whole different story.

We compete just like other sports. We have scholastic prelims — which would be called sectionals for other sports — and scholastic finals, which we get to go to. But we compete against other bands at different schools and get a score. Our scoring may be different than other sports, but we still compete.

Others may say that we don’t run around and throw around a ball or even have the same scoring as other sports, and we don’t do it for any entertainment, and that’s where they are wrong.

That comes to my final reason. Doing all of this work for one show is all for entertainment. We make the whole show look good just for the eyes of the judges and the people watching. We play music that people know for their enjoyment, too.

So that brings us back to one question. Is a marching band a sport? Yes, it is. We dedicate a lot time to it, and we march and play music for hours on end and compete for a score.

And we obviously do it for entertainment, because that is what it is all for in the end.

17 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen

Review: ‘Blue Weekend’ remains a favorite among Wolf Alice fans

by Abigail Hall

Wolf Alice, a familiar name for fans of the indie-rock genre.

The band is made up of lead vocalist Ellie Rowsell, guitarist Joff Oddie, drummer Joel Amey, and bassist Theo Ellis. They started as an acoustic duo in London around 2010, consisting of Rowsell and Oddie, but Amey and Ellis joined in 2012.

Since then, they have released four albums; their newest release, titled “The Clearing,” came out in 2025. However, one album of theirs has remained a favorite among their fans: “Blue Weekend.”

Released in 2021, the album explores themes of love, heartbreak, past experiences, and new places, all wrapped up in 11 songs lasting 40 minutes combined.

It opens with Track 1 named “The Beach.” The song begins with a faint guitar solo and references Shakespeare’s Macbeth, which sets a tone of impending drama and questions like “When will we meet again?”

The song then gradually fades into a verse voicing Rowsell’s frustration with inconsistent relationships that involve a push-and-pull trope, speaking of her experiences with trying to keep her friendships without ego. “We don’t need to battle, and we both shall win.”

Following right after is Track 2: “Delicious Things.” This song features heavy themes involving the disillusionment of fame and the feeling of being alone in a big city such as Los Angeles, describing Rowsell’s experiences with trying to fit in with the superficial crowd while also wondering where she truly belongs. “I don’t belong here, though it really is quite fun here.”

The band covers the heavy themes with a catchy beat, featuring a lot of building drums and dreamy bass guitar, accompanied by Rowsell’s ethereally wistful vocalizing.

The track fades out with a hazy, pensive repetition of a lyric describing the underlying theme, filling listeners with a sense of existential dread. “Don’t lose sight.”

One of the most meaningful songs on the record is Track 6, a heartfelt plea for happiness, titled “How Can I Make It Ok?”

The song features lyrics about trying to heal ourselves and the people closest to us, using a memorable rhythm and beat to get the point across. The whole album has an underlying sense of love, whether platonic or romantic, but especially this song. The music slowly builds from an anxious-sounding introduction to an almost desperate, angry ending, which symbolizes the growth of a selfless love.

With lyrics such as “How can I make it okay? Nothing else is as important as that to me.” and “How do we sell you the world?” the band makes it clear that they are so desperate for a close friend or significant other’s happiness that they would do just about anything, something that can resonate with people all over the world.

The album closes out with “The Beach II,” a sort of sequel to the opening number, which ties the record together in a perfect ending.

The track opens with a contrasting introduction to its predecessor, a breezy, lighthearted combination of string instruments. Unlike the themes of anxiety in previous songs from the album, “The Beach II” focuses more on closure and acceptance of the life we’re living. Through the lyrics and the softer melodies, it offers a sense of peace and solace in our friendships, rather than trying to keep hold of the stressful, contradicting experiences going on around us.

With the final lyrics being “Happy ever after” and “It’s okay,” the song closes out the album on a lighter, happier note, giving the listener a respite from the heavy heartedness laced in all the tracks.

Wolf Alice, the band as a whole, leaves listeners with a sense of fulfillment after ending the record. Their distinct, memorable style influences their fans greatly, whether they realize it or not.

Don’t lose sight.

17 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen

Winter Fantasy brings holiday music to Jeffersonville

Musical arts groups will perform again tonight

All photos by Magdalene Conrad and Malachi Conrad. To view the gallery, click on the photographs below.

Junior Gabriel Collins sings in unison with the choir at Winter Fantasy on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Photo by Malachi Conrad.

11 Dec 202511 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen

Review: Inspiring message makes ‘The Greatest Showman’ a musical must-see

by Sanae Ittu

“The Greatest Showman” is a musical about P.T. Barnum, a man who wants to build a life bigger than what he was born into. He creates a circus that gives people who feel left out, a place where they finally belong. The story focuses on following our dreams, even when others think we can’t. It also shows how success can be exciting, but it can create new problems, too.

The main character, Barnum, has a huge imagination and is always chasing something bigger. One character I really respect and admire is Barnum’s wife, Charity. She stands by her husband from the very beginning when he has nothing. She gives up her comfortable life to be right by him and support his dream. She believes in his dream from the very beginning, and that loyalty makes her stand out to me.

The cast of this movie really stands out, especially the people who bring performances to life. Out of all actors, Hugh Jackman as Barnum stood out the most to me. He brings so much emotion into his character that it’s easy to believe his character wants to make a difference. He also handles the singing and dancing so effortlessly.

Zendaya and Zac Efron also add to the movie, especially the chemistry in the scenes they share as Anne Wheeler and Phillip Carlyle, but Jackman definitely carries the whole story.

The music is a huge part of why this movie stands out. Every song has emotion behind it and helps tell the story. “Rewrite The Stars” is my personal favorite because the lyrics and harmony goes together, and every part of the song feels smooth. The soundtrack adds excitement and heart to every scene. The circus itself looks colorful and full of energy, making us wish we could see that in real life.

Even though some people say musicals can feel cheesy, I think the songs in this movie make the message even stronger. And while I didn’t like one specific choice a character makes, it reminds us that nobody is perfect, even the people that seem like they have everything. That honestly makes the movie more real.

What I like most is how everyone in the circus sticks together and lifts each other up when the world tries to bring them down. It shows how family can be people who accept us and support us no matter what. The message of confidence and belonging hits hard.

I would definitely recommend “The Greatest Showman” because it has powerful music, stunning visuals, and a story that makes us think about chasing our dreams. It leaves us feeling emotional and inspired. It reminds us to never forget where we come from and to keep going after our dreams. The message stays with us after the movie ends.

Movie Review Chart

Title: The Greatest Showman

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Michelle Williams

Director: Michael Gracey

Writer: Jenny Bicks, Bill Condon

Rated: PG

8 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen

Review: One Direction’s final album says ‘goodbye’ to fans

by Journey Savage

One Direction hits the charts again with their fifth & final studio album, Made in the A.M, with the album only being released for one week. The number one hit was “Drag Me Down,” a lead number one single before the album was released. Fans all around the world are excited for another album by One Direction. Made in the A.M was an album that was similar to their other albums, but also had a goodbye sort of tone to the album and the lyrics being said.

In 2010, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Liam Payne all tried out for the X Factor. They didn’t know who anyone was. They were all strangers to each other. At the end of auditions, the judges paired up the boys together, and they sort of just went off from there with their success. They named themselves “One Direction.”

After the X-Factor auditions and they formed their boyband, they wrote and published their first single, “What Makes You Beautiful,” on September 11, 2011, getting over 1.7 billion streams as of November 2024. From there, the success just sort of took off. They released their first album, ‘Up All Night,’ in November 2011. From that point forward, they released an album every single year, following a tour.

One Direction never really got a break. They would either be writing music, or be on the road touring, or even sometimes both. This led to mental health declines in some of the members, specifically Zayn Malik. In March of 2015, Malik released a statement saying he was no longer a part of the band. It wasn’t anything with the band; he was just struggling mentally with the fact that he never really had a break. He was always doing something. Malik also had really bad anxiety at the time. He had been producing music with the boys since 2011 at the age of roughly 18. He was mentally tired. This led to a hiatus after the rest of the band finished the ‘On the Road Again’ Tour and released Made in the A.M.

Made in the A.M was One Direction’s final album, with the remaining four members, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Liam Payne. They open with a beautiful song labeled “Hey Angel.” This song has the most beautiful chorus in it, and really pushes their vocals to the limit, creating a masterpiece of a song.

The final song on the album is “History.” To me, this song is really like a goodbye piece, not only to Zayn, who left the band, but to the fans. All the songs in between “Hey Angel” and “History” are sort of like goodbye songs in a way. They aren’t saying goodbye to the fans themselves; they are also saying goodbye to the memories they made along the way and the last time they will be all together as a band. Every song in the album is like a goodbye song to me. They are saying goodbye to the only part of life they ever knew together. There would be no more tours together, and no more songwriting together ever again.

One of my personal favorites on the album is a song called “Infinity.’’ The lyrics just go together so perfectly. My favorite lyric in the entire part is, “How many nights does it take you to count the stars, that’s the time it would take to fix my heart.” To me, those lyrics are saying something so deep and personal, almost as if they are trying to fix a void in their hearts they are missing. They’re trying to fix a broken piece that is no longer there through song lyrics. At the time, I don’t think One Direction knew it was officially the end of the band and an amazing chapter in their lives, but I think they were ready for their solo careers, which they followed a couple of years after the band had gone on hiatus. One Direction never officially announced a “breakup,” they called it more of an “18-month hiatus.” I guess it is safe to say, One Direction hasn’t come back, and if they still did, it would break the internet worldwide extremely fast.

RIP Liam Payne August 1993 – October 2024

8 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen

Review: Phoebe Bridgers ‘Stranger In the Alps’ debut blends important themes with wistful sound

by Abigail Hall

“I went with you up to the place you grew up in.”

Phoebe Bridgers opens her debut album, Stranger In The Alps, with this lyric from “Smoke Signals.” The album, released Sept. 22, 2017, explores themes such as nostalgia and childhood relationships, combining them with a wistful and melancholic sound.

Bridgers herself was born on August 17, 1994, in Pasadena, California. She wrote her first song at the age of 11, and she was in multiple bands, including Sloppy Jane, throughout her years in high school. Prior to releasing Stranger In The Alps, affectionately known to fans by the acronym SITA, Bridgers released an EP titled The Killer EP, featuring songs like “Georgia” and “Steamroller.”

Bridgers and her fanbase, known commonly as “Pharbs,” excitedly listened to Stranger In The Alps on its release day eight years ago.

It opens with a song called “Smoke Signals.” The song starts with an instrumental opening, a mixture of bass and violin. Bridgers writes about meeting someone, a partner or significant other, and learning of their past, as well as finding out they have struggled through some of the same things, which made it seem like they were looking for each other subconsciously.

In the last verse of the track, she includes the lyric, “I buried a hatchet; it’s coming up lavender.” This symbolizes a past resentment for her situation that has grown into calm and a sense of peace, presumably with the help of the aforementioned partner. “Smoke Signals” fades out with an instrumental closing, focused on bass and bells.

An immediate bass guitar strum introduces the next song, “Motion Sickness.” Her theme of past resentment and nostalgia continues with the first lyric: “I hate you for what you did, and I miss you like a little kid.” Bridgers mentions having “emotional motion sickness” and sings about her experiences with an older person, implying her experience with being groomed.

Bridgers uses vague lyrics that could relate to many people, yet they still hold personal meaning to her. For example, one of the most iconic lyrics in the song: “You were in a band when I was born.” Reading between the lines, listeners can infer that the person she was involved with was old enough, likely an adult, to have a band while Bridgers was a baby. The words hold weight, drawing in many listeners who share similar experiences. The entire song builds up to the bridge, where her tone takes on something more angry when she sings, “You said when you met me you were bored.” The chords on the guitar gradually fade out into something more wistful.

A seemingly string ensemble transitions into the next song, “Funeral.” A heavier theme belongs to this song, as Bridgers sings about her guilt: “Wishing I was someone else, feeling sorry for myself, when I remember someone’s kid is dead.” Again, she draws in listeners with her relatable emotions, allowing people to feel less alone when they tune in. Though it seems to be about a funeral, this track is more about Bridgers and her awareness of being self-absorbed in depression, making it hard to think much about how others are feeling. She ends the song with a heavy lyric, summing up the whole song and implementing the feeling of guilt and dread all in one. “And it’s 4 a.m. again; And I’m doing nothing again.”

Skipping ahead to arguably the most notable song on the album and perhaps in Bridgers’ entire discography, “Scott Street.”

“Scott Street” begins with a soft guitar solo that completely encapsulates the feeling of nostalgia, which is the aching theme throughout the lyrics. Bridgers puts the feeling of going back to your childhood home in words, her powerful words making your heart sink with memories. A well-renowned lyric, one of the most well-known on the record, is “Do you feel ashamed when you hear my name?” Paired with the heartbreaking guitar, bicycle bells from her childhood, and train whistles in the background, Bridgers has your chest aching. Before you have time to recover, whether from her lyricism or from the memories she’d dug up, she hits you with one of the most heart-wrenching and nostalgia-ridden lyrics ever written: “Anyway, don’t be a stranger.”

While Bridgers has since released another solo album, Punisher, and multiple solo projects with bands like boygenius, Stranger In The Alps remains in the heart of many fans. Her lyricism, experiences, haunting instrumentals, and her somber voice invoke a sense of longing and sentiment in her listeners. Regardless of whether you consider yourself a “pharb” or not, this album will stick sweetly with you.

“Don’t be a stranger.”

8 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen

Review: ‘The Breakfast Club’ offers more than just Saturday detention

by Kori Washington

He wrote it in two days.

This is how long it took filmmaker and producer John Hughes to write the script for the 80s classic “The Breakfast Club.” He had been inspired by an early draft of the script, which was discovered years later, after the movie premiered.

Fun fact. The film’s title was inspired by the name of a detention program at his friend’s son’s school. This is important because the title’s symbolic meaning lies in showing the unlikely “club” of outcasts from different social cliques.

This leads me into the plot of the story. The story begins on one morning when five students of different social groups are all put together for Saturday detention. Once all students are in the building, the vice principal, Richard Vernon, assigns them to write a 1,000-word essay with the prompt “Who you think you are?”

But as the day goes on, the students realize they have more in common than they thought.

The film was great. I love how Hughes made every character different, with totally different lives, but in the end, they all had problems. Throughout the movie, the characters slowly start to warm up to each other, which leads them to reveal the reason they ended up in detention in one big circle.

This is my favorite part of the movie because this scene shows so much emotion and passion.

And the person who really stuck out to me in this scene was Anthony Michael Hall, who plays Brian Johnson in the film. He really stood out to me because he was talking about the stress of trying to be this perfect kid who also gets straight A’s on everything, and during this scene, I could really relate to him.

During this scene, I also loved seeing each character share their story and tell everyone about all the trouble they have in their lives, which I think was very healing for each of them to share what they had bottled up for so long.

Overall, I think “The Breakfast Club” was an amazing movie because it shows how different people can come together and really understand each other. It teaches that everyone has their own struggles, and sometimes all it takes is opening up to realize we’re not that different after all.

8 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen

Review: ‘Coco’ teaches about the importance of family

by Ameerah Gbadamosi

“Seize your moment” is a quote from “Coco” that always stuck with me when I finished watching and re-watching the movie.

The movie “Coco” follows a young boy with love and passion for music, wanting to be a musician just like his idol, Ernesto De la Cruz, but his family’s generational ban on music makes it impossible. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the colorful land of the dead in order to get Ernestro De la Cruz’s blessing. He meets a charming trickster named Hector, and the two friends embark on a journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.

Directed by Adrian Molina and Lee Unkrich, the animation style of “Coco” has a very vibrant and colourful aesthetic with thorough details that are presented both in the living world and in the Land of the Dead, with every single character having unique designs, and with the designs being culturally important and respectful.

Other films by Molina and Unkrich include “Toy Story 3,” “Monsters, Inc.” and “Finding Nemo,” in which everything except “Monsters, Inc.” are my personal favorites because similar to “Coco,” the characters are relatable in their own way.

The songs of the movie were my favourite part of the whole movie, mainly “Remember Me.,” Thethe song was very heartfelt, beautiful and inspiring, especially knowing the backstory of why the song was written; it talks about Hector missing his family, wanting to be with them, but also wanting his daughter not to forget him when he left.

“Un Poco Loco” was my favorite song in “Coco,” sung by Miguel and Hector during a music contest in the Land of the Dead. The lyrics talk about a woman driving a man crazy, written by Hector for his love for Imelda, because of all the nonsense she responds to when he asks her questions about her life.

The voice casts for the characters in “Coco” were perfect, as each role fit how the character would act. The voice actor for Miguel, Anthony Gonzalez, really captured the characterization, from how he acted to how he portrayed his feelings about not being able to play music.

Other movies Gonzalez has starred in are “I Believe,” “Bogota,” “Call Me Luke,” and “Dead Lion.” I haven’t watched any of those movies yet, but I’ve heard great reviews about him.

The voice actress for Mana Imelda, Alanna Ubach, did an amazing job on portraying her character well. Other movies she has been in are “Legally Blonde 1, 2, 3”; “Venom: The Last Dance,” “Rango,” “Ted,” and “Scooby-doo and the Ghoul School” and many other famous movies.

In conclusion, Coco is a really good movie that teaches people about being cultural appropriation; the settings and the holidays were portrayed very well, though I wish they had gone more in depth in each of the characters background, especially Hector’s and Ernesto De la Cruz’s, because I really wanted to know more about their childhoods, how they became friends and why they became friends.

TV Show Report Card

Movie Title: Coco (2017)

Acting: A-

Direction: A+

Writing: B

My Grade: A-

8 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen

Review: ‘Twilight’ saga is a dark love story with mystery and danger

by Breslyn Dozal

The Twilight saga extends beyond just a story and characters. It also marked a significant moment in film marketing and fan engagement. The franchise utilized social media and fan events to build a strong community around the movies, encouraging fans to connect with each other and share their passion. This approach helped maintain excitement between film releases and created a sense of belonging among fans, many of whom felt deeply connected to the characters and themes.

Each movie in the series brought new elements to the screen, with increasing visual effects to depict the supernatural abilities of vampires and werewolves. For example, the sparkling skin of the Cullens under sunlight became an iconic visual trademark, while the werewolves’ transformations were portrayed with intense CGI to emphasize their powers and primal natures. These effects contributed to the immersive experience and helped distinguish the saga from other fantasy stories.

The actors’ performances evolved over the course of the series, with Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner growing into their roles and developing chemistry that fans appreciated. Behind the scenes, the production faced challenges such as tight schedules and the need to stay faithful to the source material while adapting it for film. Despite these problems, the team delivered a cohesive narrative that satisfied many fans and kept the story’s spirit alive.

The Twilight Saga also striked discussions about its themes, such as the portrayal of romantic relationships, gender roles, and the balance between independence and devotion. Critics and fans debated character choices and the nature of certain character’s love life, which opened up broader conversations about love, identity, and empowerment in young adult fiction. This dialogue added depth to the series’ cultural footprint, showing that it resonated on multiple levels.

For me, this movie really opened my eyes to fiction movies and the supernatural. It changed my perception of certain emotions such as love. Even though the love stories are made up, it really showed me that if we try, life can work out. No matter how hard it might be, it can always end up good.

Another part is acting for me. Most movies based in the 2000s have “cringy” or “awkward” acting. The character Bella Swan, played by Stewart, has some real cringy scenes. She tends to bite her lips a lot or use excessive breathing and blinking. Most scenes like the fight scenes are well thought out and make audiences feel like we’re actually there. And the way the story progresses and more characters are added really brings more life and audience to the films.

Moreover, the franchise’s success led to spin-offs and expanded universe projects, including the “Twilight” book “Midnight Sun,” which retells the story from Edward’s perspective, and the “Twilight” musical adaptations and fan-created content. These extensions kept the world alive and allowed fans to explore different facets of the story and characters.

The Twilight saga is more than just a series of vampire romance films; it’s a cultural phenomenon that influenced entertainment, fandom culture, and the young adult genre. Its legacy is seen in how it brought supernatural romance to mainstream audiences, fostered a passionate community, and sparked ongoing conversations about love and identity in popular media.

8 Dec 20259 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen