Principal David Wright and StuCo Sponsor Dena Schimming walked up to the podium with red and black certificates in their hands. Statues and awards lined the entrance hallway, and dozens of baskets for auction stood to the the side of the decorated tables, where hundreds of seniors and parents ate the...

The Christian music industry is a sour, messy place. Theoretically, Christian music should be the best music in the world: powerful songwriting comes from good inspiration, so the most powerful music in the world would sensibly come from musicians who are playing under the direct inspiration of the creator...

The Rocket Summer, power-pop brainchild of DFW-based multi-instrumentalist Bryce Avary, has already released three albums of his sugary summertime pop with consistently wise and inspirational lyrics. The last album, 2007’s near masterpiece Do You Feel, was released by Island Def Jam Records and gave...

Michael Baker may run on the cross country team and have many friendships with the other runners, but he leaves himself out of their general conversations which usually concern dating and relationships. Baker more often engages himself in simple, casual chats about quantum physics or the science of space. "Some...

3.5 out of 5 stars The Texas acoustic gospel duo of Shane Everett and Shane Barnard produce some of the most ear-catching music in the industry.  I have noticed how Shane & Shane not only play their acoustic guitars with a very unique approach, but they sing some of the more impressive and well-written...

Weezer – Raditude  Geffen Records, Released November 3, 2009  4 out of 5 stars Long gone are the days when Weezer crafted the emo masterpiece Pinkerton .  Weezer’s albums of the 21st century have had a stronger tendency to be overly silly assortments of powerpop arrangements and tongue-in-cheek...

4.5 out of 5 stars The long-awaited feature film adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s famed children’s book Where the Wild Things Are went through a lot of hard work, money, and struggles to finally come to theatres.  It can now be seen by anyone, and I highly recommend you should take the opportunity...

Pearl Jam: “Backspacer” on Monkeywrench/Universal Records 4 out of 5 stars Pearl Jam was possibly the biggest American rock band of the 90's, and the band’s previous album, Pearl Jam, saw them fittingly returning to form.  Follow-up Backspacer takes the band to similarly strong levels, but...

Sometimes music is just pretty, but Copeland returns with their third full-length to present a delicious offering of well-written and heartfelt ballads that redefine "pretty." Copeland: "Eat Sleep Repeat" Released October 31, 2006 on The Militia Group Records 4 out of 5 stars The first thing...

Traffic flow and student safety in Mansfield received a helping hand with the addition of the new traffic light for the Ben Barber Career Tech Academy parking lot. The light assures students pass safely onto the always-busy Debbie Lane. "I wish we had the light the day this building opened," Officer...

Jordan Gallas wakes up early most Sunday mornings to help lead worship at Grace Community Church, but only late at night does the inspiration and focus come for Gallas to create and mold his own music. Finally finished with the schoolwork, youth group meetings, and family affairs that fill the daytime...

In 2008, Sanctus Real (a name which means “true holiness”) released We Need Each Other, a fantastic album mixing meaningful lyrics with flawless and eclectic pop/rock songwriting. The songs ranged from guitar-solo filled rockers to peaceful and soothing duets, with lyrics ranging from spiritual excitement...

One of the biggest surprises of the previous decade was the debut album- from Canadian root-rockers Newworldson. Released in February of 2008, the album seamlessly mashed 50’s soul, 70’s funk, 90’s jam rock, and plenty of jazzy gospel into a wholly original and fun sound. The album had comedic...

B.Reith – “Now Is Not Forever” 4 out of 5 Stars “B.Reith EP” 4.5 out of 5 Stars The main attraction of B.Reith’s The Forecast EP was the song “Go On,” a hilarious journey through a night when the singer/songwriter/rapper performs, filled with his name getting mispronounced...

The Almost – Monster Monster Tooth and Nail/Virgin Records, Released November 3, 2009 4 out of 5 stars When Christian metalcore band Underoath recorded Define the Great Line in 2006, singer/drummer Aaron Gillespie had a lot of free time.  So he made up a side project, called The Almost,...

Say Anything – Say Anything RCA Records, Released November 3, 2009 4 out of 5 stars Say Anything’s fourth album is self-titled, which normally signifies for a band an album of self-discovery, extreme change, or great accomplishment.  Say Anything fits the part well.  The famed emo band’s...

Water seeps through the walls as rain pours outside and puddles form at the feet of band members.  The autumn rain continues, making thoughts of scum and water damage cross the minds of students. The directors believe a leak has formed on the roof, but they can do nothing to fix the problem themselves. “It’s...

Monty Are I: “Break Through the Silence” on Island Records 3.5 out of 5 stars On their sophomore record, Monty Are I  attempt to "Break Through the Silence" with their Island Records debut after remaining one of rock’s best kept secrets for many years and producing an exhilarating live show...

Thrice have always been well-known for their growing ambition and creativity, but their new album Beggars sees the band attempting something new: creating groove that will make the body move before making the head start thinking, as Thrice music will always do. The music is constantly fantastic, but...

I don’t know about you, but I normally don’t hear about too many fights occurring at Legacy High School.  I can’t recall ever hearing one, and I have surely never seen one. However, today I almost saw a fight.   It happened as I was walking toward Newspaper class.  Two guys I have never...

After breaking into the stratosphere with their gold-selling debut, Boys Like Girls return with 2009's Love Drunk, an electro-infused record filled with plenty of fun and radio-ready anthems, but weighed down by reoccurring unoriginality and lackluster. Boys Like Girls: "Love Drunk" Released September...

A small group of MISD students and alumni including Mireya Martinez, Derrick Odom, Hayle Cobb, Brent West and Chase Tremaine, through both determination and force, managed to attain the coveted center spot in front of the stage. A long wait had preceded entry into the Dallas music venue called The Prophet...

For many years, animation was seen as a children's genre. With the rise of the masterful animators at Pixar in the 90's, animation became a family genre, films aimed at kids that also had enough mature jokes for adults. But in recent years, the pioneering steps of Pixar have led other animation studios...

Black tables lined the dimly lit cafeteria all the way up to a high rise stage, set up for the twenty-two jazz band players. Bookending the stage stood red and white posters of shaded men who looked curiously similar to Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. As attendees started packing into the room, tables...

On Sunday night, CBS aired the 52nd  Grammy Awards . Dozens of popular artists were recognized for their…popularity. The show has always had problems because they often spotlight artists who already receive spotlight instead of giving honorary accolades to the thousands of other artists in the music...

Nothing makes the holidays special like music. Here are some new tunes to make your season bright. Cheap:  Happy Christmas, Vol. 4 – Fourteen of today’s rock bands come together for a record full of Christmas spirit and spunk.  Imagine the drummer of Underoath and the singer of The Starting...

Ben Barber Career Tech Academy  shall contain the school within a school, Frontier High School at Ben Barber, as voted on by school board members at the November 17 meeting.  This school will begin classes next school year with a group of about 220 juniors who can start applying for acceptance into...

Fasting has always been a strange subject. For followers of religions such as Buddhism, Islam or Catholicism, fasting is a ritual - practically a rule or a command. Some people unpleased with their exterior fast as a diet in spite of the serious health problems that follow. I personally look at fasting...

If you didn’t know the Backstreet Boys were still making music, you might be very surprised to find out the now-foursome’s seventh disc is the best album of their career, not only because it contains eleven great tracks of synth-loving, harmony-laden, danceable tunes, but because it doesn’t contain...

Seasoned guitarists, new learners, and music-lovers alike find a place to express themselves in Guitar Club, which meets in Mrs. Julie Gross’ room (A-V302) every Thursday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. “I feel like Guitar Club’s more organized than it’s ever been and the members are maturing at the...

3.5 out of 5 stars If you aren’t wildly excited about the Spike Jonze’s upcoming film adaptation of the famous children’s book Where the Wild Things Are , then you must have never seen the movie trailer. Every trailer carries a strong sense of magic that is endlessly exciting millions of people....

Mew’s ambitious fifth album opens up to listeners slowly in order to show an engaging mix of densely-written indie rock and dream pop that is hard to like but worth loving if given the dedication it deserves. Mew: "No More Stories..." Released August 25, 2009 on Sony BMG 4 out of 5 stars When...