OCSA Shines In a New York State of Mind

Adriana Perez & Naomi Herthel

Though OCSA is renowned for its exceptional events and performances year-round, the pinnacle of its calendar is undeniably its annual Gala. Traditionally held in April, Gala serves as the school’s biggest fundraiser. Guests dress in black-tie attire, indulge in a multi-course meal and delight in an extravagant performance featuring OCSA’s very own singers, dancers, musicians and other talents.

Each year, the event has a unique theme. In 2023, the theme was “Sunset and Vinyl,” centered around the music of the 1970s. In 2022, “Night of a Million Dreams” celebrated OCSA’s 35th anniversary! Other past themes include “Boots and Bling” and “Let’s Get Loud!” These creative concepts have incorporated a diverse range of music styles, from rock and R&B to Motown and jazz.

This year, Gala pulled out all the stops to enter a “New York State of Mind.” Julia Rudge, an OCSA Commercial Dance alumna, ManIA Dance Crew director, Special Events Associate for the Foundation Office and current Gala choreographer, explained that this theme was particularly joyful, as it “fully [immersed] guests into New York culture, surrounding them by a fun atmosphere and lots of Broadway.” Rudge choreographed a Hip Hop set to music from the Broadway musical, “Hamilton,” and found the reimagining process very exciting.

Gala Dancers performing "Welcome to the Moulin Rouge.” Photo by Naomi Herthel.

As for the student performers, OCSA’s Montage! members showcased their talents as usual, alongside other OCSA students who auditioned specifically for Gala. One Gala dancer and two-year Montage! member, Joleane Jewell (CMD ‘25), said, “Gala is so fun because it’s our biggest event of the year and it integrates the work of so many different people.” Jewell was particularly looking forward to her performance in the “Wicked” medley, a set which will also be featured in Season Finale. Another Montage! vocalist, JJ Barton (PM ‘26), agreed, stating, “I usually don’t get to work with so many people on a project, and being in Gala makes me wish I had this opportunity more often.” A first-time Gala vocalist, Chase Cardoso (PM ‘26), explained that this experience has “helped [him] learn what it’s like to be in a choir with people more experienced than [he is], and because of that, [he’s] been able to grow as a vocalist, both mentally and physically.”

Undoubtedly, participating in Gala provided invaluable pre-professional experience for many OCSA students, contributing significantly to their artistic development. However, it is essential to remember that their hard work ultimately served a greater purpose: to inspire financial support for the school. Gala featured both live and silent auctions. The live auction presented four items starting at around $10,000, while the silent auctions ranged from $100 to $12,000. Guests could also donate money directly through the Fund-A-Dream program. All funds raised through Gala will go toward supporting OCSA’s conservatory programs, making each attendee a vital contributor to the sustainability of the school.

Gala 2024, which recently took place on Saturday, April 27th, was a resounding success. Meticulous planning and rehearsals surely paid off with an evening that left guests reveling in the spectacular performances and New York atmosphere. The spirit of Gala continues to foster a shared love for the arts and for OCSA within the community, and heartfelt gratitude is extended to anyone who contributed to the event’s success.

Open Chat About OpenAI

Gigi Kim

The rise of OpenAI has heralded a new era of artificial intelligence and revolutionized technology. OpenAI is a nonprofit artificial general intelligence research company founded by Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, Wojciech Zaremba and John Schulman in December 2015. In its early years, OpenAI conducted accelerated experimentation and research on machine learning while rapidly attracting AI researchers by offering meaningful opportunities to be at the forefront of AI advancement. Microsoft Research Vice President Peter Lee even stated that the cost of a top AI researcher exceeds the cost of a top NFL quarterback prospect. The culmination of OpenAI’s commitment to ethics, early transparency and accessible research was a leading constituent to the success of the company and its contribution to AI development.

The term, artificial intelligence, or AI, has become increasingly prevalent in our daily lives. OpenAI has defined itself in the context of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), a subset form of artificial intelligence that allows machines to perform with the same capabilities as those of humans. OpenAI claims their mission is to ensure that AGI “benefits all of humanity,” which has sparked numerous debates on the ethics of AGI, as well as critics calling for transparency in AGI research and development. The role of AGI can be seen in many fields of work, aiding and assisting us in a variety of tasks. As the rapid permeation of AGI makes its way into our everyday functions, amidst the risks, there are numerous ways they have benefited things for the better. In the medical field, robots that operate off of AGI have helped surgeons perform more precise and risky surgeries. In the military defense, AGI has enabled the development of more efficient AI software and technology.

In early March of this year, Tesla and SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. Musk alleged that the company had breached and abandoned their original mission statement to develop AI for the benefit of humanity, instead opting to pursue profits. Musk, who had been one of the original co-founders of OpenAI, left the startup in early 2018, due to a cited conflict of interest with SpaceX and Tesla Motors, as well as disagreements over the direction OpenAI was heading. During that time, Tesla was also actively pursuing the development of AI technologies for autonomous driving systems, leading to Musk leaving OpenAI over concerns of potential conflicts.

As artificial intelligence permeates numerous aspects of our lives, taking the form of chatbots and virtual assistants, it’s essential to take into account the ethical ramifications of abuse and misuse of AI technologies. In February 2024, OpenAI announced Sora, a text-to-video AI model. Currently, Sora is not accessible to the public, but it is set to be publicly available in late 2024. Only a select group of visual artists, designers and filmmakers have access to Sora, but it has already sparked numerous debates over the ethicality of the public gaining access to producing hyperrealistic content. Artificial intelligence has already led to the proliferation of deepfake images and videos, facilitating sexual exploitation, deceptive misinformation and other forms of malicious manipulation. As we continue to garner more access to forms of AI, people are pushing for stricter regulation of AI software accessibility.

Looking Back at Arab American Month

Kayra Hidirlar

In the midst of April, holidays, such as Easter, Earth Day and April Fools, often spring to mind. However, many overlook that this month is also a time to celebrate the Arab-American population, their culture, history and contributions to the country.

The initiative to create an Arab American Heritage Month started in 2017. From there, it slowly spread throughout the country until Joe Biden officially recognized it in April 2021 through a proclamation. However, even after this presidential approval, only five states—California, Illinois, Oregon, Virginia and Indiana—permanently observe Arab American Heritage Month.

Arab immigration to the U.S. started in the late 1800s and continued into the 1900s. That was until the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act placed restrictions that prevented Arabs from entering the country. During the late 1960s, however, lots of these quotas were lifted, kick-starting waves of immigration that have contributed to approximately 3.7 million Arab Americans living in the United States today.

Arab Americans living in the US have faced a lot of discrimination, and Arab Muslims in particular have faced serious Islamophobia. With the rise of conflicts and disputes in the Middle East and North Africa throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Arab American communities in the U.S. have had to deal with negative stigmas, hate crimes, underrepresentation and misinformation being spread about their culture.

When it comes to the representation of Arab Americans, there is certainly room for improvement because Arab Americans continue to be put in a specific box that ultimately dehumanizes them. One such example of misrepresentation is in the media, as stereotypes portray them as being violent, extremely wealthy or foreign.

In addition, Arab Americans have been considered “white” for an extremely long time, according to the U.S. census—a significant issue that often goes unnoticed. This can be problematic because even though the Arabic community experiences severe discrimination, labeling them as “white” causes them to not receive the aid and resources they need.

There is also a huge misconception that all Arab-Americans are Muslim, but in reality, the Arab-American population is much more diverse than that. Although there is a significant portion of Arab-Americans in the U.S. who follow the Islamic religion, the majority of them identify as Christian—not to mention that there are many Arab Jews living throughout the country as well.

At the end of the day, whether it involves learning Arab history, trying new dishes from the Arabic region or donating to charities that support the Arab-American community, there are many ways we can celebrate Arabic culture and show appreciation for the Arabic population in the U.S. this month. What remains important is that everyone continues to educate themselves on the Arab-American community and find ways to show them the support they deserve.

Wingstop Review

Molly Jenkins

Looking Through the Medicine Cabinet: OC’s Rising Music Promoter

Brian Resendiz

Graphic courtesy of Medicine Cabinet Media

There is no shortage of concerts in Orange County. Not only are there popular, talented artists who choose to tour in OC venues, but there are just as many indie bands who play constantly in local punk scenes (several of whom originated from our own Popular Music conservatory). There is, however, an organization that enjoys taking an alternative spin on the traditional indie concert.

Introducing The Medicine Cabinet, a booking label co-founded by Hudson Garcia (DM ‘24) and his cousin, Collin O’Connor. These musicians are more widely recognized for founding the experimental duo, The Pain, Killers, (pronounced the-pain-comma-killers). Although they began with the intentions of only serving their own music, Medicine Cabinet Media has branched out to serve other bands by hosting independent concerts. Such shows typically take place in unconventional locations and display the nuance of an alternative sense of humor.

One of their latest concerts was advertised under the name, “The Kingdom 2,” which took place on the balcony of a Newport Beach condo that overlooked the ocean. The show held luxuries such as a “potion bar,” a television that played episodes of the South-Korean animated show “Larva,” and live music from bands such as The Hemogoblins, Casset Juno and O’Connors other band, Antibiotics. Intermissions consisted of a narrative stage play in spirit of the kingdom aesthetic and an after-party featuring The Pain, Killers.

“The Kingdom 2” is just one of many shows of the same nature. A Pain, Killers concert featuring Bubble Buddies was held back in January and took place in what a flier claimed was “the spooky forest.” The concert was in fact held in the middle of the woods of Fairview Park in Costa Mesa, back before The Medicine Cabinet was booking shows for other bands. Another show, titled “Mulch and Mole Madness,” was held in Mission Viejo. The show took stage on top of a mulch pile and consisted of improvised humor in replacing one of the band members with a double when the original couldn’t make it. Another The Medicine Cabinet show was planned for April 13th in Downtown Los Angeles, during OCSA’s Prom Night. Although the venue ultimately canceled, it was perhaps a deliberate brilliant move from the Medicine Cabinet, placing many OCSA fans in a dilemma to either attend the most anticipated night of their high school careers, or… well Prom.

The Medicine Cabinet has been responsible for holding a plethora of concerts of this nature, and it seems like they will not be slowing down any time soon.When asked about being interviewed, one of the members of The Medicine Cabinet anonymously stated, “We only conduct BUSINESS in person.” No personal insight was given from The Medicine Cabinet, although OCSA student Alex Wolff (FTV ‘24) has plenty to understand, as he produces an independent documentary surrounding The Medicine Cabinet. While it may be a conundrum for many to accept the unique vision,holding a name such as The Medicine Cabinet undoubtedly requires immense effort and planning and it would be no surprise if it is simply the beginning of a new movement for musical events.

Let’s Talk About Colored Noise.

Sofie Dooley & Angie Kidder

Have you ever found yourself sitting before your homework, wondering what music to play to accompany your studying? Classical feels too intense, but everything with lyrics is too distracting. What if you could listen to silence… but louder? This is the phenomenon of colored noises, which are becoming more popular for sleeping and studying, with a quick YouTube search resulting in a rainbow of hour long noise videos. But what exactly are these noises and where do they come from?

The concept of colored noises came from 19th-century studies of signal patterns. During the Cold War, countries were trying to find discreet ways to induce harm to enemy forces. In France, the “infrasonic generator” was established as a deadly weapon with such claims later being shut down by French authorities. 20th-century scientists discovered that the different radio frequencies were due to white noise and that the clarity of the radio audio could be improved with its presence.

But there still is the question, what really are these noises in the first place? Black noise is a term coined in telecommunications consisting of the near absence of frequencies with the exception of a few random frequencies lying at the top range of our hearing abilities. Gray noise has equal loudness, white noise has equal power and violet noise is the same as white but sits at a higher audio frequency. Pink noise was made in an attempt to correct the meaning of true equality, as the equality of loudness for the listener depends on both what the noise is being emitted from and the original hearing ability of the listener. It is said that the best noises for sleeping are white and pink. Brown and red noise often leave listeners feeling a sense of grounding paired with the absence of thought. Blue noise is a scientific term that is defined by the increasing of power at specific rates often heard in nuclear processes.

As noise enjoyers ourselves, we will now analyze a few of the most popular noises:

Red Noise: It’s like traveling on a road trip as a little kid, and you just had too much McDonald’s. You’re in the back seat on your iPad playing Stack The States while trees surround you. Overall, it’s relaxing but just a little bit uncomfortable.

White noise: Sounds like your ears before they pop at the end of a flight while you are looking down at land getting closer and closer. Calming, but also a little bit sad. Maybe a little melancholy like a trip coming to an end but happy to be coming home.

Black noise: A very scary noise. Reminds me of a failed space mission, being ejected from the spaceship and floating in space all alone with an unknown fate.

Brown noise: At the bottom of the pool at night, where you are sitting trying to hold your breath. Maybe even the sound of being buried alive after a very fulfilling, peacefully lived life.

Pink noise: Sounds like heavy winds on top of a mountain that are so loud you can’t talk to anyone next to you. Very annoying, not a fan.

Green noise: Little bit of bias from the name, but this sounds like trees in a forest brushing against each other.

Standing in the Corner at Prom

Samuel You

Ah, prom. The glamorous dream of every high school senior, one of the most anticipated events in a student’s youth. Most of the time.

For those unfortunate enough not to have a date on this special night, let’s take a look at some of the popular strategies, and the effectiveness of making the best out of a bad situation.

The Weather / Calendar App(s)

It’s important to keep at least four locations on hand to scroll at any given moment. The more, the better. I like to keep New York, Santa Ana, Chicago and Las Vegas on quick access. Picking relevant locations is crucial as it adds to the ethos of your scrolling in the corner of the room. In a pinch, you can start adding non-existent events to your calendar to appear busy. If asked, it’s an “emergency” and you “really need to schedule this fast.”

Overall, I’d say that this was a 6/10 strategy. Too overdone, and looking back, this was one of the weaker options.

Camping around the Drinks

The refreshments are there for a reason. Using this to your advantage is crucial. Camping around the drinks gives you not only something to do, but more importantly, you look busy. Mastering the intervals in which you visit is an articulate craft, but done perfectly, shows not only skill, but also kills time exceptionally well.

Overall, it's hard to rate this one. However, I’m going to give this an 8/10. Although only mastered with intense attention to detail and acquired skill, done right, it is probably the most efficient strategy.

Endgame

You’re at the end of the line. You’ve run out of apps to open and close and/or your phone died. Joining in on the dance floor in a meaningful way isn’t hard, but it’s best to drain all your other options first. It’s important to familiarize yourself with music likely to be played. Staying on the outskirts of the dance floor with your fellow bachelors can not only be effective at making you look busy, it can also be enjoyable in its own right.

Congratulations! You’re all war-hardened professionals going into next year’s event.

Exorcising Elvis

Sophia Kang

When Elvis died on the porcelain throne, his soul danced away from his body and housed itself in the curtains of Graceland. But, on August 17, 1991, the original Vegas muse emerged from the dusty drapes of the mansion and deposited itself in the body of a pale, shriveled (I imagine) baby. That baby was Austin Robert Butler.

Growing up, Butler and Elvis’ ghost never had any personal encounters. In fact, Butler didn’t even know about his companion at all. Until the day he got the call. The call to end all calls and my will to live. The Elvis call. (The following events are entirely made up, and none are factual). “We want you to be Elvis! You are the perfect man for the job!” a man’s voice rang through the other line. As soon as these words were spoken, the King of Rock and Roll’s spirit burst from the shadows. He had met—nay, he was the King.

Although I am very happy for Priscilla Presley’s reincarnated knock-off, I will be the first to propose that Austin Butler consider receiving an exorcism for the possession he has grown so fond of. Recently, I saw an interview with him at the “Dune 2” premiere red carpet. Some of the cast were asked the simple question, “What was your favorite childhood movie?” Timid little Timmy Chalamet answered in a brief but perfectly respectable sentence, “Toy Story.” Butler, on the other hand, squinted his eyes deviously, looked at the man, leaned into the microphone and said, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” which sounded more like “Thuh good, thuh bed end thuh uglay.” “Dune 2” has provided Austin Butler with yet another platform to terrorize me with. Mindlessly, I scroll on TikTok with the intent of seeing a comedic video or two. I’ll happen upon a “Dune 2” press video and be pleasantly surprised by the sight of a smiling cheerful Florence Pugh, Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet. Suddenly, the camera pans and there he is. My worst enemy. He holds up a peace sign and utters those horrible words. “And Austin.” I shudder at that voice. His Elvis voice.

Since the Elvis movie graced our screens, fans have been coming to Butler’s defense. “That’s just his voice!” “He’s always sounded like that.” And to that I say, “Jailhouse Rock”? No, just jail. You belong in a prison. A simple Google search will tell you that “the King” was born in Anaheim. Residents of Anaheim do not sound like they are constantly on the verge of moaning and coughing simultaneously. Austin Butler himself has said that he has hired a dialect coach to help him lose the “Elvis Voice.” Additionally, any cultured fan of “Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure,” “Zoey 101,” or the “Carrie Diaries” will tell you that he did not sound like that before his two years of prep for the biopic.

So, Elvis ghost, if you’re listening, I compel you—no, BEG YOU to free the soul of Austin Butler. I don’t think he can open his eyes any bigger than a squint or pose without gyrating and standing on his toes. Please free this man from your rock and roll shackles so that he may speak without mumbling or choking on his own words.

Sincerely,

A frequent Anaheim visitor

Predicting The Future with Jeri Stein

Jeri Stein

The future is unpredictable so many things can happen, but alas I will try and predict the future. Here are four things that Jeri Stein thinks will happen in 2030.

Season three of “Euphoria” will finally start filming. Get ready people, “Euphoria” Sundays are coming back! It will follow the characters as they navigate through the social hierarchy of their nursing homes. Maddie will be 76 still strutting it in a crop top and stilettos at nine in the morning. Nate Jacobs will have 40 biological children, the youngest being six years old. Make sure to tune in, this season will not be one you want to miss.

Medical history will be made! They will finally find a cure for that weird ringing in your ear you hear occasionally and have no explanation for, but you can't really do anything about it because it's not that big a problem. But also you don't want to sound crazy saying “Hey, does anyone else hear that weird ringing?” and then everyone else says “yeah I don't hear it,” and for a minute you feel a little crazy. Then you start thinking about the matrix and you're like “what if this is a glitch in the matrix and my chip or whatever is becoming loose.”Then it stops and you're good again. Yeah, they’re going to cure that.

To everyone’s delight, Blink-182 will stop releasing music and send out an apology letter for even making music in the first place. Some may think this is biased due to my last article where I stated I hate Blink-182, but I promise you this has nothing to do with that—it's just the future, I don't know what to tell you.

Jeri Stein will cure world hunger. I don't have much to say about this prediction, just that wow, she's a real good guy.

Now I know some people may be skeptical about my predictions, but I can assure you they are a 100 percent going to happen. So prepare yourself.

Tower Floors Ranked

Samuel Parigela

Everyone knows that the Tower is the most iconic building on campus, owing to its size and the fact that most academic classes are located there. But if you were ever under the impression that all the Tower floors are the same, I’m here to correct that notion. There is, however, a specific hierarchy of floors in this goofy orange building. Here are the seven floors of the Tower, ranked.

7. Floor 6

It could seem harsh to place the sixth floor at the bottom of this list, but trust me, it’s deserved. The sixth floor is almost the seventh floor, but it’s not. You climb all those stairs but without that unique sense of completion. There might be lots of nice things about this floor, but for the purpose of this list, we’ll ignore those.

6. Floor 1

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that this floor exists, and that, in itself, puts this floor on the lower end of the scale.The lobby is nice, sure, but the transition from the warm brown floor and walls to the cold white of the lockers and classrooms is sudden and somewhat uncanny too. If you were to walk into the lobby for the first time, you likely wouldn’t expect to see a portal to another world. Unless-

5. Floor 2

It might be appalling to see the second floor ranked so low. But the truth is that apart from the cafeteria, the garden, the balcony, the computer lab, and the microwave (okay, maybe this one’s important), this floor as a whole doesn’t offer much. And no, just because you can get your OCSA cookie here doesn’t guarantee this floor a spot at the top.

4. Floor 5

The fifth floor makes the very middle of this list. And when you think about it, it makes perfect sense—there’s nothing terrible about this floor, and really, there’s nothing particularly special either.

3. Floor 4

In all honesty, the same can be said about the fourth floor. The only reason the fifth floor ranks lower is because you have to climb an extra flight of stairs to get up there. That might sound like a lame reason, but you have to draw the line somewhere!

2. Floor 7

Placing the highest floor at second probably seems crazy—it is often the most feared floor on students’ schedules. But remember that sense of completion I mentioned earlier? This is where it comes into play. Instead of being tired by the time you reach the seventh floor, maybe try feeling some pride and soaking in the splendor of reaching the top of the Tower.

1. Floor 3

The third floor is easily the best floor, by a distance (definitely no creative writing bias). It simply has a certain aura that emits infinitely good energy, not to mention the fact that you expend zero energy getting to this floor on the stairs. And how can the floor with the Journalism class on it not be at the top of this list, anyways?

There you have it—the official, definitive, and only correct ranking of the Tower’s floors. It is expected that all opinions henceforth conform to the list above.

청춘 (Youth) K-dramas

Kate Um and Isabelle Ng

Visual Arts and Design & Media Senior Show

Melody Wu

What to Wear This Spring

Ava Park

It's April and that can only mean one thing: a floral print renaissance. But besides this yearly revival, I’m confident that this spring will bring unique fashion trends which I hope will bloom on our campus.

Before diving into my spring fashion predictions, I wanted to dedicate a moment to the 2023 winter trends. Our feets were crowned in loafers, Mary Janes, cowboy and/or biker boots and ornate sneakers. We all ended up with a new pair of baggy jeans and at least considered committing to the purchase of a long denim skirt. Our shirts became off-the-shoulders in the blink of an eye, and there were too many trapper hats to count. I will definitely miss having an excuse to wear baggy hoodies and sweatpants on a daily basis, but I’m also excited to see what spring will offer in the following months.

The first spring trend I’m predicting is muted nude colors. Think… a sad-beige baby’s nursery room. This spring will mark a shift to minimalist styles. And according to “Vogue,” icy blues will make a comeback. This will pair well with the typical revival of white clothes during spring time.

Molly Jenkins (IA '24) agreed with the notion that minimalism is making a comeback. She predicts a “laid back minimalistic style” for the spring season. We’re looking at jean shorts, cute t-shirts and elegant floral dresses.

Furthering Molly’s prediction, Bella Chiodo (VA ’25) explained that we are moving into a season of the “low-rise mini jean shorts.” So if there is one thing you can expect in the next few months, let it be jean shorts. A style tip from Chiodo is to pair them with a good tube top.

“We have come a long way from winter coats and UGGs. And as we continue into Spring, I hope we will see these trends, and others, blossom.”

An unexpected trend prediction I found was fringes. I haven’t seen it around OCSA, but I think this is a move in the right direction for fashion.

I also predict that people will opt for their light wash denim and say their farewells to the reign of dark wash jeans which ruled fall and winter. This shift is important in solidifying our presence in spring. Plus, I’m sure most people are ready to get into a bright and springy spirit, but maybe not Gigi Kim (VA ‘25). Kim explained that she predicts that off-the-shoulder clothing and burgundy colors will continue to thrive in the spring. And hey! I’m not complaining.

However, one thing is for sure—mini mini miniskirts are back. In the words of the Cosmopolitan: skirts will be small “as in postage-stamp-sized.” Maybe this trend won’t be as prevalent on our campus (dress codes and all) but just know, the miniskirt is on the prowl.

In terms of accessories, you can expect bags with “big ol’ buckles” and a lot of slouch. Some materials you can expect are chiffon, tulle and mesh. I don’t know which form these will take (shirts, bags, dresses), but I'm sure it’ll be popular this season.

We have come a long way from winter coats and UGGs. And as we continue into Spring, I hope we will see these trends, and others, blossom.

Spotify Corecore

Lacole Yang

When Spotify announced the release of Niche Mixes, they were described as “tens of thousands of Mixes unique to [each listener] based on, well, almost anything they can think of . . . no matter what you’re doing or what you enjoy, if you can think of it, there may very well be a Mix of it.” There are also plenty of Mixes that exist even without listeners thinking of them.

Take, for example, Pirate Metal Shanty, which is for when you want to explore the seas but also crave to hear eardrum-bursting guitar riffs. One of the songs on my mix is “Diggy Diggy Hole,” about dwarfs digging a diggy hole. This is essentially the opposite of pirates, but it is metal, so I’ll give the mix a 50 percent accuracy rating. The mix Extreme Pirate is similar but even less pirate-y.

My personalized Spooky Valentine’s Day playlist mostly consists of supernatural-themed songs from Will Wood and Jhariah. Alternatively, Chill Spooky is made of Hozier and a lot of synthesizers. The Strange mix centers on Mitski and other indie rock artists, though I was expecting it to sound more like Witchcore, with its alluring vocals and slow rhythm. For some reason, there is a separate Witchy playlist with different songs. The latter mix is almost identical to Goblincore and Vampiric. I find Princesscore to be one of the most enjoyable playlists; peaceful lyrics blend into delicate harp melodies, supported by the occasional Barbie song.

There are also playlists that blur the line between Niche Mixes and normal Genre Mixes. Egg Punk is a subgenre characterized by its ironic attitude, light mixing and use of synths. Most songs in the mix are punk, but it’s very loose about what qualifies as “egg.” Additionally, Farm Emo is a blend of angsty pop-punk tunes.

One of the most confusing playlists is Whale Song. There are no whale sounds. At first, I thought there was a consistent theme due to the songs “White Whale” by Shadow Academy and “Whales” by flipturn. This theory was torn apart by the Taylor Swift songs scattered throughout the mix. Perhaps there is a secret pattern that remains unknown to me. In contrast, Angry Whistling is much more straightforward—the songs are aggressive and do contain whistling. The other playlists made of simple feelings—Escapism, Cathartic, Pensive, Introspective—consist of almost the same few songs. They seem to be a collection of the artists users play the most, with no strong theme.

Moving on to the happier side of these songs, Lit Shower recommends pop songs that are topping the charts. Feel Good Cooking sounds casual and content, but it’s not as upbeat as Feel Good Happy. Island Vibes Tropical includes both “Squidward’s Tiki Land” and “Honolulu March.” I am disappointed that “California Gurls” isn’t in Beach Music, but the mix is still cheerful enough to feel like sunbathing at the beach, if a little disjointed.

I’m sure there are plenty of bizarre mixes that I was unable to discover, so I hope you use this list as inspiration to discover more esoteric genres.

TV Prom Moments vs. OCSA

Sophie Bradecich

OCSA seniors have finally experienced their last prom. It is probably healthier to move on and let go. Look towards a future filled with college parties and sorority formals. But, with senioritis comes nostalgia, so let’s compare our experiences with the Prom moments from film and TV that set our expectations so high.

Movie prom moments. Collage by Maya Ferchaw.

One of the first and most memorable Prom moments I saw was an older pick. “Grease”’s Prom scene did exactly what a Prom scene should. The dancers on the cast made Prom look much more like a professional ballroom competition, filled with drama, man-stealing and jealousy. Though the choreography gave a more flash mob-y quality to the movie, the skilled dancers don’t stray far from OCSA’s reality. Although experiencing school dances alongside insanely talented CMD, BCD, BF and BR students has been extremely humbling for “strong” movers like myself, it does give our proms more of that movie-like quality.

“High School Musical” is a similar case to “Grease.” Though their “Prom moment” is a performance rather than an actual dance, it feels neglectful not to include the movie that produced the best Prom song of all time. “A Night To Remember” should be added to DJ Josh Kim’s rotation—chock-full of all the perfect cliches, I feel it does an especially good job at capturing the overwhelming nature of all the prom necessities: corsages, unique but trendy dress, sharing a bathroom with siblings or friends also frantically getting ready and more.

One of my personal least favorites is the “Mean Girls” Spring Fling. It may be because I am more partial to watching Proms that create drama instead of solving them. We don’t see a whole lot of the dance itself, but many seniors this year may have been able to relate to Cady’s dash from her Mathlete competition to Prom, as many seniors came from college Welcome Days which, of course, were all planned for the same day.

A Prom moment I hope nobody relates to or tries to recreate is the final scene from “Twilight.” Bella shows up with a broken foot after being attacked by another vampire and attempts to get Edward to turn her into a vampire as well. They do go outside and awkwardly slow dance to “Iron & Wine” in a gazebo, which I hear Prom this year had as well. Maybe there would have been more “Twilight” re-enactments had the weather permitted.

Though each OCSA student has their own experience with Prom, these were the movies that filled me with both excitement and fear. Now that I am officially done with school dances, I will have to cling to these movies to relive the best and worst moments of high school. Some other honorable mentions for great Prom scenes are from “Glee,” “Ladybird” and “10 Things I Hate About You.”

Senioritis

Brie Samaniego

I've been reading senioritis for four years now, waiting for this opportunity, and yet here I am, graduating in less than two months, and I still don't feel “senior” enough to be writing this. And what can I say about senior year that hasn't been already heard a million times? We’ll miss the live bands on 10th Street, the performances, going to Fourth Street—it's bittersweet, we all know.

It's pretty common for people to joke about having senioritis since freshman year. And yeah, we've all been burnt out and exhausted for quite some time now, but what makes “sophomoritis” or “junioritis” different from the real “senioritis”?

Besides the obvious fact that graduation seems to be the only thing we can think of (for better or for worse), what even is senioritis anyways? For me, it's beyond not being able to show up to school on time or turn in assignments when they are actually due, especially because I happen to be moving across the country. I've gone from wishing away every day to constantly thinking “my life is never going to be like this again.”

I think senioritis is constant contradiction.

“If oversharing in the senioritis section of the school newspaper doesn’t make me a senior, I honestly don’t know what does.”

It's fighting your way through every day of school while trying to be happy and create lifelong memories. It's staying on top of finals, projects and AP tests while trying to celebrate your “lasts” of high school. It's longing for a fresh start while being terrified of leaving everything behind. While senioritis may make you feel like procrastinating, there is no procrastinating this anymore. That final date in the calendar is nearing, and there’s no extensions on this one, like it or not.

In my opinion, senioritis is clinical. It should be researched, studied, written about in textbooks. It's hard to imagine anyone survives this without being permanently changed. Maybe that's just part of “the journey” or whatever you wanna call it, but this is way worse than your standard growing pains. I'm surprised and a little disappointed that there hasn't been government funded research for a cure. Maybe I'm dramatic but there are few (if any) things that are quite like being a graduating high school senior.

The way that I personally have been coping with this vague sad/nostalgic-ish feeling is pulling my phone out every five seconds to make a “vlog” on Snapchat. I picked this up thanks to a friend who encouraged me to download the app for this very reason and honestly, I'm addicted. I've never been very good with “being present” or “staying in the moment” but with vlogs, it doesn't matter how fleeting moments were. I can watch them back and remember almost exactly what I was feeling.

Sometimes I find myself listening to “Ribs” by Lorde on repeat or putting on “Lady Bird” for the third time this week and I think of how surreal it all is. I've been preparing myself for this for the past four years but now that it's here, I feel woefully unprepared.

It's gotten to the point where it doesn't matter if I feel senior enough or not. If oversharing in the senioritis section of the school newspaper doesn’t make me a senior, I honestly don't know what does.

May Horoscopes

Lauren Kim

Illustrations from Pinterest.

Message from the author: Not to generalize, but May is a difficult month for many students. I hope my words can help even just a little bit.

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