Pottermore, since its release in early April, has been generally well received by die-hard fans and casual readers alike. It boasts several features and generally covers the bases (in respect to book details and such), but it does contain some flaws. Exploring the Book(s)- Though the experience is...

The Shins, releasing their fourth studio album, balance a nice blend of styles lyrically and musically. Five years after releasing their last album, they still create an inspiring arrangements of songs to captivate many people. Using different themes and variations in structure, the band provides an...

Recording artist and guitar virtuoso, Buckethead, released his 35th studio album “Electric Sea”,  which continues and expands on the style of his 2002 album “Electric Tears”. With a blend of mellow guitar and a minimalistic sound, Buckethead creates a remarkable instrumental auditory experience...

Quickly becoming a phenomenon across the nation, “flipping classrooms” has been hailed by many principals as the place education is headed. Using videos at home to learn the lesson at hand, being able to work problems and possibly even homework in class allows teachers to give the students a more...

The day began as the Legacy Magic Show Choir shuffled onto their charter bus. “Geez, even for a school day this feels early,” junior Julia Gassiot said as she placed her zebra pillow pet to her side and began playing Lady Gaga from her iPad. “Oh! Can I play Temple Run on your iPad?” asked...

Arriving at the TCC campus, sophomore Henry Jones and his debate team prepare for another UIL tournament. The tournament would be smaller than most, including only 11 Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debaters, and Jones felt ready to go. “I thought I was going to win, but the tournament was really unorganized,”...

Many different students graduate Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, but the ones that may not have received the focus are the ones that truly are the best. The top five X-Men may not have been seen in the movies much, but it just shows that something better always lies behind the movies....

Legos- Quite possibly the greatest toy brand. Until you step on one, that is. Created by a Danish carpenter in 1949, the plastic construction toys have since taken many different forms from standard buildings to dinosaurs and Harry Potter to outer space. Legos appeal to both boys and girls in the 5 to...

In the past few months, fellow seniors and I forced ourselves to partake in a yearly event which consumes the lives of anyone so unfortunate to participate. Unlike our contemporary Asher Roth, we do not love college. Well, not the application process. Overly complex and detailed, asking for every...

Releasing their fifth studio album Mylo Xyloto, British pop band Coldplay returns with a new approach to their music. With 14 tracks, this album provides seamless transitions and gives new life to Coldplay, maintaining their popular appeal while still experimenting with different sounds. Sound/Style Starting...

Beginning her fourth year as a sports trainer, senior Tionna Days stands on the sideline waiting for her fellow Broncos to come off the field for halftime. “I wanted to join something when I first got to high school, so I joined training,” Days said. “Afterwards I stayed because I really liked...

Senior James Copeland sat in art class working on his next project. Art teacher Mr. Mason walked to Copeland and told him he won the art contest in the Mansfield Music Festival. Copeland felt shocked, but not just because he won the contest. “I didn’t know I was going to be in it [the contest],”...

Parent-Teacher Association president Sheri St.John approaches the cookie table. Striking up conversation with another PTA member, they begin to discuss the PTA reflections contest. Mrs. St.John feels excited about the contest and the opportunity it presents to students.  “I think it [the contest]...

Arriving at Bryon Nelson High School on August 27, debate coach Howard Ritz walks into the school with his team. Feeling confident as the team prepares, Mr.Ritz reflects on the all the work they had done over the summer. “We did a lot of research,” Mr. Ritz said. “We went to Cameron debate camp...

Jumping into mainstream media with their hit single, “Pumped Up Kicks” Foster the People formed in Los Angeles, California as an indie pop band. Consisting of a solid 10 tracks, their debut album Torches brings a strong start into their music career with a unique sound and style.  Sound/Style Foster...

The Diablo franchise started with the release of Diablo on Dec. 31, 1996. The dungeon-crawling action RPG met with immediate success in mainstream gaming. However, after the release of Diablo 2’s expansion on June 29, 2001 absolutely no knowledge as to the future of Diablo had been hinted. Rumors of...

A commonly held belief between debaters and philosophers alike relates to the following phrase: “everything is debatable”. Within that logic, everything about the universe is subjective. However, science, religion and everything in between have created absolutes about the reality in which we live....

Skrillex, LMFAO, Ke$ha (key-dollar sign-ha), Katy Perry, Foster the People, Deadmau5 (which should be pronounced like the number five, as “5” is neither the proper letter s or an eszett) and Cobra Starship. These frequently heard groups/people all have something very obvious, and some what alarming,...

The invention of the social networking website Facebook has no doubt been one of the greatest innovations of the past decade. Its formation created a user-friendly system which allowed social information to be shared quickly and on a larger scale than ever before. However, every time a user presses the...

Sitting with his fellow euphoniums, freshman Justin Lum lubricates his valves and raises his instrument to his mouth. With music on stand, he prepares to play a concert F as Mr. Wilson stands on the podium to start warm-ups. “Band's fun,” Lum stated. “There are plenty of trips and you make connections...

Every year, Valentine’s Day produces a myriad of star-struck lovers becoming acquainted with each others faces’ in side hallways and a collection of semi-bitter guys and gals hanging out with their unshackled friends. Worry not my fellow singles, I have a few things that shouldn’t leave your lips...

SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) is a proposed House bill that would help end the online piracy problem, fighting counterfeit products and the trafficking of copyrighted intellectual properties. The passage of the bill would allow the Department of Justice to seek court orders against websites that are...

For most people, there has always been some ambiguity to what exactly a hipster is. However, if one thing is true about the hipster culture, it is that they are almost universally hated by everyone. The further I read into the culture of hipsters, the more it confuses me. Some see hipsters as those...

102.1 The Edge put on its annual show, “How The Edge Stole Christmas,” at the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie on Dec. 2. The show boasted a strong line up of newly popular bands leading up to the final performance of headlining band Rise Against. The show built up a lot of hype in the weeks preceding...

Going into the first round of playoffs against Richland, senior Ashley Pursley and her team prepared themselves for a good game. After three close games, Richland rose as the victor, stopping the Broncos in their tracks for advancement. “One thing about postseason is that it’s one [loss] and you’re...

Each year, schools in the Mansfield Independent School District receive renovations. Such renovations include a district-wide technology upgrade and the building of Lake Ridge High School. In Aug. 2011, the Mansfield ISD Board of Trustees proposed a $198,530,000 school bond. The bond package would affect...

Playing from venue to venue after high school, pop artist Nick McCord hoped he would be noticed by any music studio to jumpstart his dream career. Since his signing with GProductions in 2010, McCord has toured across the U.S. and Europe.  “It took a lot of work,” McCord said. “It was completely...

Students in America today have plenty of opportunities to become educated. However, according to BoostUp, the current dropout rate for Texas has reached 35%, with the United States as a whole averaging at 31%. Dallas Morning News has found the amount of money Texas spends per student, which adds up to...

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, American alternative rock band They Might Be Giants (TMBG), best known for “Boss of Me” which served as the theme song for the hit show Malcolm in the Middle, recently released a new album entitled Join Us. This album marks the first time that the band has produced...

As a student, walking into school after a long summer brings to mind several varying thoughts. The hallways, desks and people are all reminiscent of the newly arrived school year. Getting excited for the new school year can be a challenge for most students, but there are some simple ways to get involved...

It isn’t a common misconception that teenagers are oblivious to news and events currently streaming the headlines. One of the most propaganda-laden videos the world has ever seen changes this status quo. This 29 minute, 56 second video pulls the attention of both the younger and older demographics...

Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen is at it again with his latest release, “Wrecking Ball.” His 17th studio album is just that, a wrecking ball; a force to be reckoned with. With all of the elements one could expect from a Springsteen album, including the famous E Street Band and the late Clarence...

Swedish Game Designer Markus “Notch” Persson released the alpha to Minecraft, a game which would change views on gaming forever, on May 17, 2009. Notch created his first person sandbox building game after Infiniminer, a game of similar design, had its source code leaked onto internet. Using this...

End of Course (EOC) exams will replace the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) exams for the 2011-2012 freshman and classes to come. Graduating high school for these classes now depends upon passing the Algebra II and English III EOC exams, instead of the broadened versions of the subjects...

Nearly 13 years after its initial release, Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace hit the box office as the latest victim of the 3D beast that has reared its ugly head lately. As soon as I heard this was happening, I refused to see it. I felt as though it would ruin the integrity of the series in...

Ever since the 1960’s, gaming on the computer has been important and influential to computer use everywhere. From games a simple as Tetris to complex games like The Elder Scrolls or the Call of Duty series, computer gaming has entertained and affected millions. In 2010, a new influence on this culture...

Lined up in the stands, senior Jean-Michael Diaz and the rest of the members drumline prepared to play. The game was imminent and they were without their uniforms. The hot weather prevented them from wearing their uniforms but this didn’t affect Diaz. “I enjoy drumline because of my friends,”...

Sitting at his computer, senior Alex Nurnberg logs into his battle.net account, goes to his account page and cancels his World of Warcraft subscription. “I started playing at launch in 2004 and just recently quit,” said Nurnberg. “It’s just not the same anymore.” Opened in 1991, Blizzard...

Chocolate Senior Zachary Cobb sits in the cafeteria. A friend approaches carrying a bag of chocolate cookies from the PTA table. Cobb chokes at the smell. Ever since he was three, Cobb has hated every aspect of chocolate. “I liked [chocolate] as a baby,” Cobb said. “It was only once I was...

Marching bands around the nation recently reached the end of their season. From August to November, members of marching bands prepare themselves to entertain at football games and parades and to outperform other bands at competitions. Their practices range between one to two hours a week up to two or...

Going into the first round of playoffs against Richland, senior Ashley Pursley and her team prepared themselves for a good game. After three close games, Richland rose as the victor, stopping the team in their tracks for advancement.“One thing about postseason is that it’s one [loss] and you’re...

Senior and varsity tennis player Elena Chudoba gives high fives as she and her fellow athletes prepare for the tennis match. Playing against Timberview, this game will decide whether the varsity tennis team participates in the district playoffs. “I feel that this year’s team is fresh,” Chudoba...

Filling the stage, eleven Improv Troupe members prepare the next three and a half hours after school to learn what they can from former student, Hunter Canedy. Canedy has traveled across the country, teaching Improv workshops, while also getting new ideas for the troupe he started at college, Oklahoma...

Toward the closing of their freshman year, students gain a wide variety of choices when picking classes for the following year. Among these choices are Advanced Placement (AP) and dual credit courses from Tarrant County College (TCC).Though TCC and AP are the best choices, AP classes make for a better...