The Next Up-and-Coming Artist

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By: Beatrice Bucheli

A lot of people listen to music that makes them feel an emotion or a feeling, but a specific artist helps you learn how to feel happiness, fear, sadness, and panic. Billie Eilish is a musician and singer who has little experience in the field of music and production but has the level talent for an artist like Lana Del Ray and Taylor Swift.

I have a lot of opinions on many singers, but I only have positive feedback about Billie Eilish. One reason I like her is that she makes music for everyone. With “Bellyache”, you get a hyped-up and funk feeling, but with “Lovely”, there is a panic sense, and you feel like you need to check your surroundings.

Another reason the Billie Eilish is great is because she remains a human being, even though she has 51.4 million followers on Instagram, and is very well known. A lot of celebrities that have a big following often get washed-up and spiral down a huge “tube” of problems, but she has stated that she remains drug free and alcohol free, which is something that some young artist deal with. She believes in staying young and enjoying life with all of the blessings you have.

“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do. …” Billie Eilish makes lots of people feel better and chose yes instead of no. I personally enjoy her music, and hope that the future will be better because of her impact on society.

2020 Resolutions for Dummies

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By: Mollie Keller

Resolutions; we all make them at the beginning of the year and all think “I will keep it this year!” Well guess what? Statistically speaking, you may not. It’s a fact that many people drop their New Year’s resolutions in less than two weeks!
Tips; We all rely on them for something. It could be makeup tips, hair tips or even skateboarding tricks. This article is going to give you some resolution tips that should help you stick with those resolutions, no matter how hard it may seem.

1. Keep Your resolution reasonable. Don’t think just because your friend can exercise every morning and run 10 miles that you can or should do it too. You have to work up to a higher goal, but first maybe start with running 2 miles the first week and slowly increase it. Slowly, work your way up and don’t start on impossible levels of goals.
2. This one is extremely important. Do not stress if you maybe slip up one day, just don’t make a habit of it. For example, if your goal is proportion control and you eat too much one day, don’t decide because you broke it one day, it’s okay to keep going like that. It’ll just make your habit your trying to get rid of, come back.
3. Don’t give up!!! No matter how hard it seems. Don’t give up! You’re doing great and can do this!! Even if you think something is too hard, you can do it. Ask for support. Believe in yourself.

In conclusion, it’s not easy to keep a resolution. It’s going to take some work, but it’s important to stay dedicated. So, although people may drop resolutions all around you, these tips will help you keep yours and make your goal a reality.

Keeping Up with Señor Rosique

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By: Katarina Rendon

Gabe Rosique, to many he is just your typical Spanish teacher, to some he is a little more interesting than you may think, but to few…he is the wanderlust legend of Bush Middle School. This man is not your ordinary citizen, oh no, but a man with a life that seems to be pulled straight from an Indiana Jones movie. Throughout time, Mr. Rosique has been known to embark on extraordinary adventures and return with the most unbelievable tales of his travels, tales so remarkable even the most mature of audiences are left in absolute bewilderment. This is a curation of a few expeditions taken by Mr. Rosique in the year of 2019.

Summer, the more favorable season of the year, especially among small children and young teenagers solely because they do not attend school for around 3 months, but this time summer involved something more unexpected. Beginning to end, Mr. Rosique took many trips all over the world, as many people have, but these trips are most notably special because when someone tells you they went to Thailand, they don’t normally say they were massaged by an elephant. Excursions in Tulum sound fun and exciting, but do you typically associate this with almost being kidnapped? There’s one person who has experienced both of these things. Who you may ask? That person is none other than Mr. Rosique.

I got the chance to interview the one and only Mr. Rosique, I asked him a variety of questions about his 2019 and how it went. To my expectations he informed me about his international stay in Thailand. There he experienced more than just relaxation. “I got massaged by an elephant,” he exclaimed. “They asked for a volunteer [and] I didn’t know what I was volunteering for,” he explained to me, “….I was face down on a mat and the guy says ‘you’re going to get a massage’, I was like wow that’s pretty cool, but no an elephant comes out….and he’s the one that gave me the massage.” He then proceeded to elaborate on how the elephant was hitting him with its trunk. “He (the elephant) could’ve crushed me, but it was pretty cool.” To that I would say what a spa day.

Further into the interview, he had a sort of epiphany moment when I had asked if he did anything else involving action and drama. “Oh, I almost got kidnapped,” he stated with realization, “They (the kidnappers) called me while I was in Mexico, Tulum.” At this point I was shocked that he said that, but he continued. “…this guy calls me and says that he needs 3000 pesos, which I felt insulted by the way I’m worth a lot more than 3000”, he pointed out while laughing. “…I hung up and they called again, now I have to pay 9000, which is better for my ego but still not enough…if I don’t pay him he’s going to kill me,” both Mr. Rosique and I paused for a moment to giggle at how absurd the situation sounded, “…I thought this had to be a prank or something, but no they sent me a picture of me at the airport AND my present location…at that moment in time, I put everything in my bag, deactivated my phone, called a cab, and at 1o’clock in the morning I flew out of Tulum …basically I was running away.” At this point he couldn’t stop laughing, even when I asked him if he would ever go back to which he replied, “No! I would never go back.” Wow, what a way to wrap up a summer vacation. It’s safe to say flying to Tulum won’t be on Mr. Rosique’ s to do list any time soon.
Overall, it was very evident that Mr. Rosique enjoyed his 2019 stating, “There were good times, there were bad times… But that’s life.” He made it clear to me that even though the year had ended, his international fun wouldn’t. For Mr. Rosique, the year of 2020 will not only be filled with more adventure, but more experiences yet to be had. Many people tend to consider the end of the year also ends their fun, but for people like Mr. Rosique… it is only the beginning.

Traveling Back and Moving Forward: Focusing in on Clara Dolan

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By: Karina Varela

The politics, jokes, our personal achievements: 2019 was a time of change and self-improvement. All of our trials and tribulations collected into a singular year. But today we’re discussing the successes and growth of Clara Dolan, a 13-year-old Bush Middle School student, who’s laughter and sweet smiles light up a room in an instant.

On Friday, January 10, I had the opportunity to interview Clara about the past decade and what she wishes to do in light of the new year. To begin, I asked about the past term. She discussed that in 2019, her greatest accomplishment was “making friends”. It was the first year she actually had a friend group and also happened to be a time where she was more sure of herself than ever. She had finally seen that beyond having friends, she instead, had a second family. Furthermore, I asked Clara what she wished she could’ve changed in the previous year. She replied, “I wish I would’ve been more productive.” The distractions of the world hinder us from doing what we hoped to have done but never manage to attain, most find this frustrating and as for Clara, this also holds true. She has faith that this year she can amend, what she believes to be her past mistakes.

Transitioning into 2020, Clara plans on finishing her first Youtube video. Though she is at a young age, her goals are as big as her spirit. According to her, she hopes to create a commentary or animation video as her first upload. Unfortunately, with school and her habit of procrastination, she was unable to achieve her goal in the last decade. But this year she is assured that she will be able to. In this year, Clara has claimed that she wants to improve on her overall grades and quick-thinking in regards to school work. Especially considering that in the next few months she will move onto high school. But for the moment, middle school is her time to find room for improvement.
We know what last year had done to us, or even, for us. But now we need to prepare for these coming years because just like Clara, there is always a need for development. 2020 is a new year, a new decade, so: Bring it on.

A Coach’s Calling

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By: Katarina Rendon and Karina Varela

Coach Griffin, a well-mannered and remarkable teacher who is a mentor to a handful of students. To the public eye, he comes off as tall and intimidating, but in truth, he is affable and comedic. Truly enthusiastic about enlightening students in the world of history and moreover open to speaking about his personal interests. Upon speaking to him, one would uncover that he harbors a great amount of insight. Despite his young age, Mr. Griffin speaks with integrity and confidence, along with a sense of expertise in life. On December 5, 2019, Elle Rendon, took a trip into the sixth-grade hallway to speak with our very own Coach Griffin. Entering the conversation, she was expecting to talk about basketball and topics concerning the sport, but to her surprise, the interview derailed into a discussion about the deeper meaning in everyday situations.

It is not uncommon for basketball to be a prominent sport throughout middle school and high school for adolescents. But who inspires these young athletes? For Coach Griffin, it was his dad, and former Spurs player, Paul Griffin. “He inspired me by just understanding that with hard work and dedication you can be really good at something that you set your heart out to believe in,” says Mr. Griffin when asked how his father implemented basketball in his life. Paul first sparked his interest at a young age, so when Coach Griffin was offered the opportunity he jumped at it. Paul rubbed off his expertise in basketball on Mr. Griffin. This is when his career took off, in middle school. Knowing that he was good at the sport, Coach Griffin realized his potential which would end up to be the key to unlocking a prosperous new chapter in his basketball career.

What Bush Athletes Do to Lead Go Team To Victory

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By: Dhruvi Desai & Rahul Ramadugu
The athletes of the Bush Middle School basketball team work extremely hard to achieve their goal of winning a game. Their efforts are often overlooked by the audience, who may only see the surface of the game (simply swishing an orange ball into a net) instead of the complex system of the game that requires a team of players with strength, compassion, and a sense of synergy. Here, get an inside look at the efforts Bush athletes make to lead their team to victory.

On December 11, 2019, the Bush Bulldogs competed with the fierce Bradley Bears and won by two points in the tenacious competition, and one of the team members, Rahul Ramadugu credits the win to the learning opportunities provided from the previous game which helps the players incorporate the effective strategies from the previous game into this one. When asked whether the shortcomings of the last game allowed for growth in this one, Rahul responded with yes, “We usually learn from our mistakes.” Rahul also values teamwork, stating that he “usually feels important” during a game because he is able to help his team. “They (my teammates) help me notice what I am doing wrong.” Rahul adds that he is dedicated to the sport, not only practicing in the Bulldog Gym, but practicing at home as well.

An Outlet for the Lost

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By: Karina Varela and Beatrice Bucheli

UIL, an outlet for distinguished students to express themselves in their heightened academic skills. For many, it seems like a deadly competition between individuals who have a lot of free time on their hands, but the startling reality is that these students feel a need to prove themselves, or more ideally cherish their variety of talents. Today, Beatrice Bucheli and I had the opportunity to interview three talented students who’ve very proudly brought home a medal from the past UIL competition on Saturday, October 19, 2019.

Ben Lyon, a sixth grader, earned his second place spot in UIL Spelling. He said that even though “Spelling isn’t a subject taught in school”, he was able to partake in it and learn more then he would’ve in the very limited time that we as a whole, focus on the English language. Though shaky at first, he was able to convey that UIL is more for the fun of it rather than the competitiveness.

We then jumped over to an eighth grade student, Daniel Ha, a math whiz, taking his spot in UIL Number sense and Math, unlike Ben, he thoroughly enjoys the competitive aspect of UIL, which is an admirable trait for the headstrong. It comes as no surprise that Daniel does so well in these categories being such a quick thinker, which he could only improve upon in UIL.

Lastly, we ventured into the 6th grade hallway to question our final recipient, Parnijali Datar. She too, took a spot in Number Sense as the 2nd place winner! It seems as though she had shared many of the same thoughts as Ben and Daniel alike, although she did think to mention that even an A-role student, such as herself, can make just as many mistakes as anyone. Through UIL, she was able to learn from those mistakes and improve upon it.

The majority of those who are too nervous or look over an opportunity such as this should really rethink before crossing off UIL. Despite what it may seem, not everyone in UIL started off as a genius or a chess champion. More accurately, they came into UIL looking for a new hobby or the cherry on top of their college resume. Whatever it may be, no matter their expectations, these students found something to be passionate about. They found new friends and a new family. In UIL, they have grown to be better people on the inside and out.

 

Love the Earth

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By: Audrey Gonzalez
Do you care about the animals and plants on the earth? Do you care about your own life and living it? Do you care that all these things won’t exist without the planet that we live on? Do you care that because of us earth and all the things on it are going to go extinct if we don’t start loving and taking care of this lovely planet we get to live on? Because you should. Earth provides all the things we need to have to be able to be alive. Earth is one of the few things we can leave behind for future generations, and we might not even be able to have those generations because we might not have an earth. Earth is a living thing and it doesn’t deserve to die. Earth loves you, you should love it back.

Earth is one of the few things we can leave behind for future generations. Earth is like one very big family heirloom, and we wouldn’t want to lose such an important thing. Losing earth means losing future generations and their possible geniuses. If we start loving and taking care of earth now then future generations have the chance to, not only be alive, but to be the generation of technology and cures.

Earth is a living thing and doesn’t deserve to die. Earth, just like you, is alive and would like to stay that way, treat earth the way you would want to be treated. Don’t throw your trash on the floor like it’s no big deal, because it is. Not only is littering illegal, but it is also bad for the environment. Don’t pollute the air by smoking or vaping. Not only is smoking/vaping bad for the earth because of air pollution, but it is bad for the person doing it and the people around said person.

Earth provides all the things we need to have to be able to be alive. Earth provides the food we eat, the air we breathe, the materials for the clothing we wear, and the houses we live in. Earth is a mother to all people and things. Without earth we will be non-existent. Earth just wants to be loved and live, and she wants you to live too. Earth cares for us we should return the favor, so next time you see trash pick it up and throw it away, do anything, even the little things count. The earth loves you, you should love her back.

Fatality Wrapped in Paper

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By: Katarina Rendon
At just fifty years old, being alive for half a century should be celebrated with family and friends, maybe catching a bite to eat at a nice restaurant. This is not where my uncle found himself. Instead of chowing down on fine cuisine, he was bed ridden, sick with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, otherwise known as COPD. All of this because of a simple nicotine addiction that started when he was just fifteen. All of this because tobacco companies insist on continuing to sell cancerous products wrapped in paper. A cigarette is known to many, however, those same people may not know about the severe and almost deadly consequences of smoking. Tobacco has committed repeated offences against the whole of humanity by poisoning our lungs, by continuously being made to be addictive, and by absolutely destroying a smokers hopes for a healthy future. This logic calls for the need to completely eradicate tobacco, and forever rid of its evil doings on planet earth.

Cigarettes have been known as a controversial item because many people know that the smoke exhausted from the cigarette is very harmful and can permit you to become terminally ill. However, the tobacco companies refuses to admit to their faults. This is the main reason many smokers learn misinformation about the harsh smog. Because of this, chronic smokers are pushed by the poisonous fog into the open arms of sickness and death. All the while, big tobacco companies are running away with the unfortunate smoker’s coin.

Big Tobacco companies have been found at the center of many accusations concerning the levels of addictiveness present in their products. These products have been shown to be loaded with chemical compounds that literally make it easier for someone to get addicted quicker. Different types of chemicals such as bronchodilators have been added so that the smoke has an easier passageway to the lungs. One might think that tobacco and other “unknown” chemicals might be the only thing composing the cigarettes. However, sugars, flavors, and menthol levels increased in order to dull the sting of smoke and make it easier to inhale.

The demand for tobacco started in the 1840’s, people wouldn’t shop for brand, just for quality. But, the first nicotine advertisement for people in the United States was placed in the New York daily paper in 1789. This created the spiral of competition for brand names such as Philip Morris International and Marlboro. Ever since the number of hospital admissions because of complications with the lungs and teeth have increased ten-fold. Now in our modern society, ads showcasing real survivors of addiction to cigarettes shows the long term side effects it can have. From lung cancer to having to speak through an electro larynx, these things and turnouts are real and very dangerous. Smoking can leave you with a massive scar that will not shy away from damaging your mental and physical state.

It is not a big secret that anti-smoking ads are EVERYWHERE. However, it’s also no big secret that many chronic smokers completely ignore these warnings and continue to bring harm to themselves through this pernicious product manufactured and sold by big tobacco companies. Usually, being in a hospital is not a good experience for anyone. Hospitals generate a distressed emotion in many and rarely bring good news. Having been in the hospital twice for the same reason ought to be a huge warning for health risks. Unfortunately for my uncle, this was not the case. Still, he continues to corrupt his lungs for a short “fix” of the virulent poison that comes from tobacco. In a perfect world, tobacco wouldn’t spread havoc, practically suffocating humanity with a single puff of smog. All the problems that have arose because of tobacco, would cease to exist, therefore pushing us just a bit closer to a euphoric society.

JOKER: Calling Out Today’s Society

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By: Kariña Varela
A cinematic masterpiece, with words leaping off the page onto the big screen for the world to be in awe of. Joker. A one of a kind film shown to the best of us, created for the worst of us. No amount of words can describe the emotional and psychological impact that a film such as this had around the globe. Joker, is written to perfection, shot beautifully, and infuses real-world problems we would otherwise shy away from.
The screenplay for this film, which was written by Todd Phillips and Scott Silver, is absolutely fascinating. The cinematography alone tells of the tragic story but the dialogue adds a whole new layer to the characters. A single sentence could spark a million conversations; we think differently and due to that, we are more aware.
But words can only say so much, and that is where visual representation takes its course. Describing the physical beauty of this film in a few words would be as much of a crime as choosing the favorite child. Joker succeeds in bringing us back to simpler, yet dark time period where respect and kindness cease to exist, a theme that is crucial to the movie’s plot.
We are always told to be kind to one another, but how many times does a person truly act upon this request? Sadly, only a few ever do. In Joker, the main character, Arthur, is met with a series of unfortunate events that many can relate to in modern day circumstances. The realistic aspect of Joker hits close to home to those who feel a lack of representation or ill will towards another. And that is a powerful force many have failed to push upon their audience.
People have said that Joker left them depressed and afraid of today’s politics, but while that may seem dreadful, it is exactly the type of mark that this movie wants to leave in our heads. Today’s society fails to acknowledge our wrongful actions taken towards each other, but Joker addresses it in such a way through such a defining character that we cannot do anything but listen. Then again isn’t that the problem? We never listen.

“Is it just me or is it getting crazier out there?”
~ Arthur