**February**: Chappell
Roan’s “HOT TO
GO!” dance went
viral on social media
thanks to the song’s
catchy beats and
Roan’s musical riffs.

**April**: Jojo Siwa’s new song
“Karma” blew up on the
internet. Her silly costumes
and dances pushed her
up to number one on the
internet’s hate list.

**April**: A video
of teenage boys
dancing at a party
to “Carnival” by
Kanye West brought
an insane amount of
psychological analysis
 to their friend
group

**May**: The feud
between Drake and
Kendrick Lamar
came to a head,
leading to the
release of multiple
diss tracks such as
Lamar’s “euphoria”
and Drake’s
“Family Matters.”

**June**: The release of
Charli XCX’s album
“Brat” took the world
by storm, giving rise
to new TikTok trends
such as the “Apple”
dance.

**August**: The “very
mindful, very
demure” TikTok
trend quickly went
viral. Was it used in
the wrong context
half the time? Yes,
but it was very catchy
nonetheless.

**August**: The
2024 Olympics
featured a variety
of pop culture
moments: the
cardboard beds,
the gymnastics
“superman”
Stephen
Nedoroscik, and
the Australian
breakdancer.

**September**: Season 33
of “Dancing with the
Stars” had some iconic
moments, from the
controversy over Anna
Delvey’s placement
to the showmance
between Brooks and
Gleb.

Recapping 2024: best pop culture moments of the year

### "A Christmas Story" - Suroor Menai

“A Christmas Story,” directed by
Juha Wuolijoki in 2007, is a perfect
family movie for the holidays. Filmed in
Finland, this movie incorporates some
of Finland’s holiday
traditions, setting itself
apart from traditional
American Christmas
movies.

The film tells the
story of a boy named
Nikolas, who was
orphaned when he was
young. A village took
him in, and each year
on Christmas day, he
moved to a different
family’s house in the
community. The movie
follows his childhood as
he eventually becomes
Santa Claus.

The plot of the movie
intertwines feelings
of sadness and hope,
which was one of the
things I loved about it.
For instance, Nikolas’
sister, Aada, died along with their parents.
Later in the movie, a character is named
after her, symbolizing her importance in
Nikolas’s happy ending and reminding
him of her absence. The ups and downs
throughout the entire movie made it
unpredictable, which
I find to be one of the
key aspects in any good
movie.

I also really
appreciated the
character development
in the movie’s key
figures, because it gives
the movie structure
and really draws the
viewer into the movie.
One such figure was
a character named
Isaac, who was initially
portrayed as mean and
bitter, but developed
with each passing
scene, and began
showing more of his
true personality, which
was much less hostile.

This is a fantastic
entertaining holiday
movie to watch with friends and family,
while also being captivating and meaningful.

### "Santa & Cie" - Maeve Walsh

 “Santa & Cie,” directed by Alain Chabat,
is a French film released in 2017 about
Santa’s journey through the real world in
hopes of curing his elves of a mysterious
disease. Landing in
France, Santa is desperate
to find a remedy for his
elves and get back to
the North Pole in time
for Christmas. As time
is running out, Santa is
arrested after ransacking
a pharmacy. His lawyer,
Thomas, soon realizes
Santa’s true identity and
allows Santa to stay at
his family’s apartment
as he helps him acquire
the cure for the elves.
Thomas and his family
must now work together
to get enough medicine
before Christmas Eve.

Throughout Santa’s
adventure in the beautiful city of Paris,
he sees people’s stress around the holiday
season. Considering the elves’ sickness is
the only problem he’s faced in hundreds of
years, Santa is confused when he sees that
Thomas and his wife Amélie have to deal
with many challenges. Especially around
the holidays, it appears that everyone is
in a hurry, socializing becomes tiresome,
basic chores seem impossible to get
done, and people are often
short on money. All these
difficulties portrayed in
the film are accurate
depictions of what many
people experience during
the holiday season.

Even though there
is a deeper meaning
to the plot, there are
also many lighthearted
moments throughout the
film. Amusingly, Santa
is quite the comedian,
constantly teasing his
reindeer and making witty
comments to Thomas and
Amélie, who reciprocate
Santa’s sense of humor.
Combined with fantastic
visual effects, the storyline
is entertaining and makes for a great family
movie that would appeal to all. Although
I had to read the English subtitles, I think
this will become a seasonal classic for my
family and me.

Around the world in winter: international holiday films 

Pollution, climate change, and overpopulation are just
a few of the major global issues that are yet to be solved.
Posts about these issues are omnipresent on social media,
along with comments sections full of people exclaiming
that humanity is doomed. This nihilistic content is
extremely harmful, particularly for teenagers, as they spend
significant time on social media. Moreover, while it is true
that these major global issues have yet to be solved, adopting
a mindset that states these problems are insurmountable
achieves nothing. The constant stream of pessimism
can make people feel
hopeless, deteriorating
their mental well-being
and decreasing their
motivation to enact
change. 

With teenagers’
dependability on
social media comes
the increased risk
of being exposed to
misinformation or
biased content, making
it nearly impossible to
discern what is true
from false. A 2022
study conducted by the
Common Sense Media
found that on average,
teenagers spend around
eight and a half hours on social media platforms each day. Moreover, reports
from the World Press Institute in 2022, found that about
50 percent of teenagers use Facebook or YouTube over
credible news sources to obtain their news. As a result of
engaging with such distorted and inaccurate content, teens
often feel overwhelmed by the negativity, and they see this
feeling reflected in the “doomer,” an internet character
that depicts a man living a life of helplessness and despair.

While it may be convenient to indulge in this doomer
mindset, the more effective approach to combating personal
and global issues
is by embracing
positivity, which
can improve one’s
mental health
as well as their
problem-solving
skills. Focusing
on positivity helps
lower stress levels
and anxiety, which is
important for both
emotional wellbeing and physical
health. For instance,
a study done by
Kansas University
in 2012 found that
smiling and fake
smiling both reduce
heart rate and blood pressure in stressful situations. 

Importantly, students who remain optimistic, rather
than pessimistic, are more confident and creative when
approaching problems, as they’re better at handling their
emotions. Research done by Edward Chang of Oxford
University in 2013 also revealed that individuals exposed
to optimistic thoughts demonstrated significantly better
problem solving skills than those exposed to neutral or
negative thoughts. This means that promoting critical
thinking and problem solving skills starting as teenagers
will take us towards a solution for our global problems
much more effectively.

It is essential to identify what PHS can do to help embrace
optimism. One way to spread positivity is by incorporating
it into our daily lives. The school can recognize and
reward efforts to build a more positive environment, not
just achievements, to build morale. For example, in PHS
Principal Cecilia Birge’s weekly newsletters, there could
be a section dedicated to sharing motivational stories
or uplifting quotes. In a world where negativity is more
prevalent than ever, building a positive mindset is the most
crucial step towards solving our global problems. 

The importance of positivity

On the morning of December 4, Brian Thompson,
the CEO of health insurance giant UnitedHealthcare
(UHC), was fatally shot on the sidewalk next to midtown
Manhattan’s Hilton Hotel. Thompson led one of America’s
most reviled insurance companies.

Since becoming CEO in 2021, he has presided over
140,000 employees and fostered record yearly profits.
Critics have purported, however, that these profits came
at the expense of insurees in need. In his tenure,
UHC denied almost 20 percent of claims filed
while charging deductibles that many find
unaffordable. In the wake of his murder, social
media sites were inundated with people voicing
displeasure with the late CEO by telling their
stories of high prices, outrageous denied claims,
and quips such as “the claim for my condolences
has been denied.”

After a six day manhunt, the alleged murderer
was identified at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. An
outpouring of public support ensued for Luigi Mangione,
the prime suspect, including calls for an acquittal.
Mangione was even more deified after his motives became
clear; his manifesto villainized Thompson as a “parasite”
who, along with others in his corporate class, deserved a
comeuppance because he’s “simply gotten too powerful,”
and “[continues] to abuse [the people of the United States]
for immense profit.”

Praises for Mangione, however, are only a part of
“vigilante justice” movements in the past year. In February,
New York-based vigilante group the Guardian Angels
boasted to have “taken down one of those migrant guys”
following an altercation. In July, Thomas Matthew Crooks
came inches from assassinating Donald Trump in Butler,
Pennsylvania.

This politically motivated violence is ultimately an
outlet for a surge in ire toward a government
perceived as serving corporations rather than
the people it represents. A rising number view
the U.S. legislature as in the pocket of corporate
lobbyists, including health insurance companies
like UHC.

However, by using violence to foster political
change, we risk undermining the democratic
principles that allow us to have a representative
voice in the first place. Violent means circumvent
our fundamental rights to advocate change through
the polls. Moreover, bypassing advocacy by traditional
democratic means risks creating a spiral of violence, with
instability and autocracy as the bottom. We, as young
people, must engage with our political system in productive
means, like peaceful advocacy, protest, and voting. In this
way, we can make meaningful progress toward reforming
a deeply-flawed governmental institution so it is truly for
the people.

> "We, as young
people, must
engage with our
political system
in productive
means."

A fatal shot to our democracy

Sports video games, whether you love them or hate
them, have undeniably been entrenched in youth culture
for decades. Announcements of new FIFA games are
met with months of anticipation, even if the new release
is a near replica of the previous version. Professional
athletes play as themselves in their sports games and
livestream to millions of fans. The rise of the sports
video game industry has been rapid and astronomically
lucrative ever since the first late 1950’s. But why?

Part of the answer stems from the wide variety that
sports video games have to offer. Some involve physical
interaction and allow for exercise, while others are
more laid back and oriented around relaxing through
sports. Active games include popular classics such
as Just Dance and Wii Sports, where you have to
physically move to earn points and win. These games
also allow you to play with friends in-person and
compete, promoting exercise and overall health while
also creating friendly competition between peers.

Tarquin Wood ’25 loves this aspect of sports video
games and calls himself a devoted fan. He also knows
the value of video games that promote physical
health, especially during a time where many youth
increasingly spend more time inside or at a chair.

“What makes Wii really successful is that it combines
the good things about video games with the good things
about sports,” said Wood. “It can help you exercise,
burn calories, and stay fit, and that’s really good for
kids who play the games. They’ll be taught that early
and instill it into their lifestyles as they grow up.”

Wood also loves the social aspect of these types
of video games, sharing personal stories about how
the game impacted his connections with others.

“I remember I went to my friend’s house a lot,
and he introduced me to Wii Tennis,” said Wood.
“I grew closer to my friend because he taught me
something that became really important to me
later, so it really solidified my friendship with him.”

The other, more sedentary, type of sports video
games include popular modern games such as
MADDEN, FIFA, NBA2K, and MLB The Show. These
games are licensed by professional sports leagues
and teams, allowing players to have a realistic and
fun experience by involving their favorite teams and
players in real life. This is a more relaxing experience
as there is no real physical activity involved.

For many, watching professional athletes play as
themselves in the video games is a primary source
for the genre’s boost in popularity. Many athletes
grew up playing these video games, and when they
become professional athletes, it only increases the
game’s popularity. Certain game modes put the players
in critical situations where they feel that they are in
more control such, as a career as a player or coach.

Similarly to active games, these types of video
games also allow players to have fun with peers and
compete in person, but also online against other users
of similar skill levels, testing the user’s skills against
people from around the world. Overall, although this
type of sports video game lacks exercise, it is still an
enjoyable experience in its own unique ways.

Max Mazo ’25 has been playing FIFA for the
past four years, and has found that it is a great
way for him to wind down after a long day.

“I started playing FIFA in freshman year because
my friends had it, and because I enjoyed playing
soccer so it seemed like a fun thing to do,” said
Mazo. “Additionally, if I have a friend that lives
in another state, I can still play with them.”

For Mazo, the best part about playing games
like FIFA is that the player can replicate the
feeling of being in control of a team and compete
with friends to see who can make the best teams.

“I play [FIFA] Pro Clubs with my friends. I used to
play by myself but now I play with [my] friends on the
soccer team. It’s fun because we all yell at each other,
which relieves stress when you play together,” said
Mazo. “You can play against the computer, such as in
FIFA ultimate team, but you can also play single player.”

Both types of games have a strong impact on not only
PHS students, but on the rest of the world. Although both
have unrelenting fanbases who claim that their game style
is better, they appeal to different audiences under different
circumstances. As players browse the game shelves, it’s
almost guaranteed they will find the perfect video game to
immerse themselves in both the sport and the game itself.

The impact of sports video games

This season, the PHS girls
volleyball team had a 24-1
winning streak. They won
most of their games two
sets to none.

Players like Naomi
Lygas ’26, Kaelin
Bobetich ’26, and
Charlotte Woods
’26 (pictured right)
have racked up an
immense number of
kills, contributing
significantly to the
team’s 818 number
kill season total.

Naomi Lygas ’26: “Last year, we were
the underdogs in most
of our games, and the
roles have definitely
reversed this year.
We go into every
game with a target
on our backs. That’s
when we found that
having a lot of energy
helps us win over the
teams that bring large
crowds or are super
inspired to beat us.”

Lois Matsukawa ’25: “[Playing at the
Williamstown
tournament] was the
best memory because we
had worked so hard the
past couple of years to
finally come out on top.
Also, this year being my
last season playing high
school volleyball, it felt
so good to bring the first
place trophy home.”

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