News & Features

News & Features March 1, 2017

Zenkaikon 2017 Preview

Hey everybody, Luke here with Jacob, and we will be previewing Zenkaikon! Zenkaikon is a convention for manga, anime, comics, sci-fi, and games. Find more at https://zenkaikon.com. Registration, Location, and Dates The 11th annual Zenkaikon will be held from April 28-30 at the Lancaster County Convention Center. Sadly, the times of the convention are TBD. Remember to sign up by April 17. To come all 3 days will be $60, Saturday and Sunday only will be $50, and just Sunday will be $25. Events At Zenkaikon, there is a variety of events to participate in. Read more at https://zenkaikon.com/events. AMV (Anime music video) Create and submit your AMV by March 26. AMVs are projects in which you take a popular song and add anime clips to the beat. Rules and requirements are on the website. Cosplay A fan favorite, cosplay is a popular trend that features dressing up as your…

News & Features February 22, 2017

The March for Science

We all are aware of the recent protests following the inauguration of Donald Trump, such as the international Women’s March and protests of the travel ban at various airports. The next organized protest is the March for Science, which will also be international. This march will take place on Earth Day; April 22, 2017, and its slogan is “Science, not Silence” (1). Some scientists feel marginalized by the beliefs of our president, as well as some policy changes such as the Dakota Access and Keystone XL Pipelines. He even asked agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency to decrease their publicity. This has outraged some people, so they decided that they would make their voices heard. However, organizers of the March for Science aim to not make the march anti-Trump to make it unbiased. One test-rally has already occurred, so there is an idea of what it will be like….

News & Features, Television February 22, 2017

Recap: Sherlock, Season 4

Disclaimer: If you have NOT watched Sherlock yet, please leave and do so. Preferably not in school. Or without parental permission. Or without legal permission. The point is, watch it while being good. Hey, friends! Marcus and Dev here, and we’re gonna spoil everything about the new season of Sherlock! Sherlock is a BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) original series. It’s a spinoff of the original Sherlock Holmes series, including key characters like Mycroft Holmes and the great Moriarity. They cover almost all the original Sherlock Holmes stories, but normally each one comes with a little twist. For instance, “A Study in Scarlet” becomes “A Study in Pink”. “The Hound of the Baskervilles” becomes “The Hounds of Baskerville,” and more. If you’re looking for something new, don’t worry. As I said before, each story follows certain Arthur Doyle guidelines, but with a refreshing twist of story and plot, the latter new…

News & Features February 22, 2017

Looking Ahead: Upcoming Movie Casts & Crews

So, wow! The past week has revealed a lot of “news” about what is happening in Hollywood, and of course we’re here to fill you in. Here are four things that were announced in Hollywood recently! The Coen Brothers are officially writing the Scarface reboot’s script First of all, the Coen brothers are signed on to write the script for the reboot of the 1983 classic thriller film Scarface. I’m case you aren’t familiar with the work of these brilliant screenwriters and directors, they have directed and written amazing movies such as Fargo, No Country for Old Men, Raising Arizona, O Brother Where Art Thou, The Big Lebowski, and quite a few more. They have shown massive range, making one of the best comedies of all time, The Big Lebowski, to a chilling drama that set the tone for modern mobster films, No Country for Old Men. Fans of the original Scarface…

News & Features February 15, 2017

What’s Happening in the White House?: The Last Two Weeks

Hi, I’m Dylan with Riley here and these are the things President Trump has done in the past two weeks. He has greenlighted the Dakota Access Pipeline, started planning how to build the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, and started to dismantle Obamacare. Michael Flynn’s resignation and the Trump campaign’s contact with Russian intelligence during the election have been in the news this week. Last Week Trump signed three executive orders to benefit oil pipelines and remove Obama’s environmental protections. The Dakota Access bill says that the pipeline is “90 percent complete,” and only needs to get the permits and government approval to “construct and operate the DAPL, including easements or rights-of-way to cross federal areas.” Trump also signed an order demanding that the Secretary of Commerce make a plan ensuring all pipelines are make of U.S. iron and steel. There are “yuge” questions about what the orders will actually mean,…

News & Features, Opinions February 7, 2017

Oscar Nominations and Reflections

So, it’s official! The Oscar nominations have been released, and there are some huge surprises. It’s mostly how I expected (many are indie dramas) but there are some nominations and lack thereof that took me by surprise. Here is the official list of Oscar nominations: Best Picture Arrival Fences Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Hidden Figures La La Land Lion Manchester by the Sea Moonlight Best Animated Feature Film Kubo and the Two Strings Moana My Life as a Zucchini The Red Turtle Zootopia Best Actor in a Leading Role Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge Ryan Gosling, La La Land Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic Denzel Washington, Fences Best Actor in a Supporting Role Mahershala Ali, Moonlight Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea Dev Patel, Lion Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals Best Actress in a Leading Role Isabelle Huppert, Elle Ruth…

News & Features, Opinions February 1, 2017

Perspectives from the Women’s March

Hey guys, gals and everyone else out there, it’s Riley and Calvin here to interview some members of the Friends’ Central community who attended the Women’s March. If you don’t know, the Women’s March was an event where people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities gathered to protest many issues, but mainly women’s rights and president Trump. Millions of people attended these marches all across the world and there was even a march in Antarctica. So today, we share interviews of some people from the FCS community who attended the march. Interview #1: Mrs. Quinn Q: So, what’s your name? A: Alexa Quinn Q: Who did you vote for? A: I’d prefer not to say. Q: Why were you at the Women’s March? A: Because I felt that it was important to stand alongside other women to give voice to our concerns about being treated equally, paid equally, and respected equally. Q: Did you…

News & Features February 1, 2017

What’s Happening in the White House?: Weekend Order and Supreme Court Nominee

Hi, I’m Dylan and I am starting a column on what President Trump has been been doing in the White House during the past week. Two things that Trump has done in the past week have been his nomination of a Supreme Court Justice to fill Justice Scalia’s vacated position and his Executive Order on immigration.     Yesterday, January 31, President Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court Justice position. Gorsuch is known for his firm conservative views, and he could tip the court’s balance on hot-button issues like abortion, voting rights and religious freedom. Gorsuch is 49 years old, making him the youngest Supreme Court nominee in 25 years. He was among a group of federal judges reported in recent weeks to be on Trump’s shortlist.  Gorsuch, a Colorado native, is popular among most Republicans. This past weekend, President Trump has jumped right into controversy with an Executive Order on immigration and refugees. He…

News & Features February 1, 2017

The FCS Plague

Today, as January draws to a close while February arrives, a violent outbreak of sickness has arrived throughout the FCS middle school. This sickness has now been commonly called “The Plague.” “I’m sad to see that so many kids are out sick, but we’re hoping parents will keep children home as to not spread germs,” said Mrs. Petrarca, when I asked her about the plague. “We sanitized the school over the weekend, and hopefully this will prevent more germs being spread around the school.” This infection began on Monday morning, where around 25 kids were declared absent, while yesterday 46 kids were absent. Luckily, only 37 kids were absent today, so it appears as if the plague is weakening. School nurse Mrs. Rosenblum said that symptoms included fever, malaise, fatigue, runny nose, coughing, and body aches. There are many ways to prevent the plague. It is a good idea to still…

News & Features February 1, 2017

Struggling with Math?

Struggling with Math? Many math students say they don’t like math. It’s confusing, overwhelming, and something a lot of people struggle with. Often certain people react better to different explanations, and most people learn and solve problems at a different pace. However, math doesn’t have to be a source of worry. Most students don’t hate math, they just struggle with it. “How many different steps you have to do confuse me.” “It’s boring.” “I zone out during class, and then I don’t know how to do it later.” Sometimes, explanations just don’t click with students. Math can be hard, especially if you don’t understand a concept and the class starts moving forward without you. It’s overwhelming and a little scary. The worst thing to happen is when you are out sick, come back, and don’t understand anything. “I missed so much school, I came back and there was a test…

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