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WINTER PARK HIGH SCHOOL'S INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE STUDENT NEWSPAPER
By Ashton Corddry
Before I had embarked on the journey of listening to my first podcast, I was a bit skeptical. Isn’t it just a radio show? Why are they suddenly so popular? As I quickly found out, podcasts are so much more than radio; they are an audial expression of self.
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First of all, there are too many types of podcasts out there to count! There is at least one, if not more, dedicated to every single branch of humanity imaginable. One can find a multitude of podcasts that are interesting and informative.
The podcast I chose to explore is called Part-Time Genius. The beauty of this podcast was that every episode is about a completely different topic. I picked an episode about underrated comic book characters; but, these same hosts also discussed video games, religion, and even history, each an enticing narrative.
Although the episode topic may not apply to the real world, it was entirely entertaining. The co-hosts, Will and Mango, discussed a variety of heroes such as the Red Bee (the crime-fighting stinger), Captain Tootsie (a Tootsie Pop-themed advertisement hero), and Black Condor (a child who fights crime with his self-taught flying abilities). In my opinion, this was a great distraction from the stress of high school.
Will and Mango are hilarious and relatable, precisely the kind of adults kids would want to listen to. The episodes are incredibly captivating; they are fast-paced and diverse. In fact, most of the episodes are about twenty-five minutes, meaning I can listen to a full segment on the way to and from school! The listeners feel like part of the podcast family. Fans of Part-Time Genius get to meet the sound crew, discuss whose birthday is coming up next, all while keeping the listener enthralled.
After my first experience with a podcast, I think that they are very similar to music because the experience of listening can be almost therapeutic. I often caught myself closing my eyes and envisioning the silly supers in their ridiculous uniforms or imagining the storylines detailing the special powers the characters had. Escaping reality for a moment and just letting myself daydream is something that I believe more people could use in their lives.
For this reason and many others, I recommend listening to a podcast, any podcast at all, but I encourage you to take half an hour and relax.
Sky High: A Childhood Classic
By Jaedyn Lister
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The cinematic masterpiece, Sky High,
was released on July 29th, 2005. The
film has gained a rating of 73% on
Rotten Tomatoes. However, I beg
to differ that its artistic brilliance
deserves much more praise.
Sky High details the adventures of
teenage superheroes, as they
attempt to balance everything from young love to evil supervillains. These superheroes in training attend the school Sky High, an academy amidst the clouds that helps prepare them for a life of fighting crime. The movie begins with an introduction to the main characters: The Commander, his wife Jetstream, and their son Will Stronghold. The audience learns that the Commander and Jetstream are the most powerful and well-known heroes of all time, creating immense pressure for Will to follow in their legacy.
Within 10 minutes of the movie, it is revealed that Will does not have any powers and is too embarrassed to tell anyone because of his family’s and friend’s expectations. Without spoiling too much, I will say this, the movie ends up taking a shocking turn and ends happily ever after, with Will saving the school from destruction.
Now, onto the review. Every child has wished that they were a superhero at one point in their life, and that very dream inspires this film. Not only is the basis of this movie idealistic, but the message that Sky High portrays relates to modern-day issues. This movie delves into the fact that our talents or social rankings should not separate us. Though some people may have “cooler” superpowers, they should not divide society.
Not only is this concept explored within the high school as they rank students as “sidekicks” and “heroes,” but Will’s best friend Layla also contributes to this overarching theme. She looks down upon the ranking of children and therefore refuses to show her powers in school if they are not used for the greater good. In addition, the film’s script and characters are incredibly relatable. In fact, in one of his more notable quotes, Will Stronghold says, “Yeah, well, if life were to suddenly get fair, I doubt it would happen in high school.” Then again, he is also quoted saying, “Oh my God, I made out with an old lady.”, so his words of wisdom should be taken with a grain of salt.
Overall, I do suggest that you should watch this movie if you have not yet seen it. Sky High can be streamed on Disney+ or rented on Amazon Prime Video. The message is inspirational, and the movie is a must-see.
Outliers: The Story of Success
By Christian Arnold
To succeed is to give effort. To fail is to fall into stagnation. You can achieve all you desire through work, determination, and will. If society leaves you behind, you could have worked harder. If you succeed, your tireless preparation is the driving force behind your achievement. Success is an indicator of ability and skill. Naturally, you feel proud when you are successful.
Don’t.
Well, don’t be too proud. In his book, Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell shatters our perspective of what it means to achieve. According to Gladwell, successful people are “products of history and community.”
Gladwell introduces us to this new interpretation through an investigation of Canadian hockey. Forty percent of professional hockey players are born in the first three months of the year. If hard work was the only explanation for success, January, February, and March would only hold about twenty-five percent of professional hockey birthdays. What could have given a small set of children a drastically higher chance of landing a spot on a professional team? It turns out, people born in January, February, and March are simply more driven than those born in the rest of the year. Case closed.
Due to recent complaints, it seems we will have to reevaluate our claim. In fact, Gladwell offers a simple explanation. The cut-off birthdate to join a youth Canadian hockey league is January 1st. Additionally, scouts for elite teams begin filtering athletes before the age of 10. At this age, a few months of growth can be critical to developing the size needed to play this physical game. Therefore, Gladwell claims, the children born earliest were most likely to develop a superior size. Those children were then favored in selection for elite leagues, where they received the training necessary to move up to professional hockey.
This is just one example of many. Gladwell delves deeper into this phenomenon of success; he links his idea to plane crashes, the southern culture, Bill Gates, and many more fascinating cases that minimize the impact of work and maximize the impact of surroundings.
This book is a must read. Gladwell is an expert in communication. He consistently shocks, engages, and intrigues his audience. Gladwell composes his book to build into a great transformative crescendo, only to suddenly halt, leaving the reader longing for more.