by Saber Slate | Mar 28, 2018 | Opinion & Reviews
There are many different ways people watch modern award ceremonies, with some choosing to not open it at all. There’s an anticipation of which nominee will win whichever award, or who will have the best speech. After watching for awhile, people often begin to notice something. The same names are often repeated over and over. It’s at this point many come to realize that there isn’t really a whole lot of variety in the nominees. Not only that, but almost all of the categories seem extremely similar. If all the awards are focused on a select group of categories and nominees, then the event loses its purpose. So what is really accounted for?
Take the Grammy’s for example. When you watch the Grammy’s it seems like it’s long enough of a show, looking like they hand out about 20 awards. What you don’t know is that there are actually 84 total categories. Furthermore, who ever knew there was an award for best opera recording, best surround sound album, or best historical album. So where are all of these awards? There is a ceremony before the full televised extravaganza announcing nearly ⅔ of the winners. Therefore, there are categories that are reserved for the big show. This is understandable as categories are far more popular than others, but there is a bit of unevenness in the reserved categories. For example, Bruno Mars was part of 6 winning awards, Kendrick Lamar won 4 categories and Chris Stapleton for 3 categories. How did these artists win so much? This is because of an endless list of subcategories. For example, Kendrick Lamar won best rap performance, best rap/sung performance, best rap song, and best rap album. Essentially this can be cut in half as they essentially go hand in hand. Instead of filling spots with subcategories that are the same category, many believe awards shows should present a more diverse selection of awards. There was a time when rock music was the center of attention in music, but now the rock category was not even included in the main award show.
Award shows today are based on exemplary work or popularity. Some of the most contemporary and brilliant works of the year will not even reach the light of day. Maybe it is the fact that people’s interests are ever changing and nothing stays popular forever. In a day and age where there are so many different genres and artists, it is very difficult to find a compromise in music, therefore only a select few categories are presented in award shows. To conclude when viewing awards it may be best to keep an open mind and focus on whatever award you favorite categories win.
by Saber Slate | Feb 14, 2018 | Opinion & Reviews
It is the best of days, it is the worst of days. It is the brightest of days, it is the darkest of days. It is, of course: Valentine’s Day. A day for those in relationships to spend quality time with their “special someone.” For the rest, however, it is a day for all that are single to be put through the tortures of PDA and relentless posting on social media. Whether it be on Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, or MySpace, no user is safe from Valentine’s Day. It doesn’t have to be dreary, however. You can use this time to improve yourself, or to just kick back and enjoy your solitary self. In that case, here are some of my tips on how to survive Valentine’s Day: (Note: This is in no way a factual “you-must-do-this-or-you-will-be-unhappy” list, it is all based on what I thought would help people to stay positive during this holiday.)
1) Take a day off of social media. The only thing you’re going to get from social media on Valentine’s Day is the same thing you’ll see through the hallways: Unnecessary PDA (which is to say, any PDA).
2) Go out with some of your single friends. Take a note out of Leslie Knope of Parks and Rec fame’s book and have a Gal-entine’s Day with some of your friends to celebrate your solidarity together.
3) Catch up on MemBean. I know I have to.
4) Read through some of the latest or past articles on the Saber Slate!
5) Buy all of the heart-shaped chocolate-filled boxes for yourself because you deserve them!
6) Going off of #5, enjoy yourself! Do what you want to do because you’re strong and independant and I believe in you!
I understand some people will wish I added/took out some examples, however this is only a short list of the possible ways to enjoy Valentine’s Day alone. It is in no way a must-do, it is all opinion and simple gestures I thought would help people get through this holiday. The only criteria there is for what you do to make the best of V-Day is to make sure whatever you do is constructive and helps you make it through the day while maintaining a positive attitude.
So to all you singles out there who are perfectly happy being just that, and to those of us still wishing somebody would find us somebody to love: raise your metaphorical glasses on February 15th in celebration of surviving another solo Valentine’s Day. After the metaphorical glass is lowered, remember this: you don’t need anybody else to be happy, you are in control of whether or not you’re happy. It’s alright to feel bummed out by Valentine’s Day, you have a right to be. Just don’t let that negativity weigh you down for more than that day. You’ve always got next year and the next year and the year after that, and I believe in you.
by Saber Slate | Feb 5, 2018 | Opinion & Reviews
Computer Programming is considered by many to be complex, confusing, and complicated. However, programming is one of the main reasons we are able to stay connected today. The works of many famous programmers such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs caused you to be able to read this online article at the Saber Slate, or get off track during class at coolmath-games.com. It’s important that everyone at least understands how computers and websites work.
There’s one path of classes involving computer programming here at Franklin High School, and all three are single-handedly taught by Mr. Missiaen. I have personally taken the Intro course, and I am currently in Year 1 programming. It is pretty easy, if you focus well on the topic, and have a good understanding of math.
If you are interested in taking a programming related course and lack experience, I personally recommend taking the semester-long “Intro to Programming” course. If you’re still interested in it after that, you can take the year-long classes “Computer Programming Year 1” and “Year 2” where you learn more about the “Basic” programming language and more during year two. If you have any questions about these classes, contact me or Mr. Missiaen.
by Saber Slate | Jan 18, 2018 | Opinion & Reviews
Originally Published November 16th, 2015 by thenextbigthing
Alright kiddos,
As the author of the article “How to Escape the Friendzone”, I fear that I may have led readers into a trap. The friendzone exists for a reason. I am telling you: DON’T try to get out! There are a lot of reasons why dating a friend can be an exciting idea. You know their interests, secrets, and the people they hang out with. So basically, you don’t have to worry about whether they’ll leave you upon the discovery that you watch Attack on Titan; they already know-and decided to stick around to boot. While it could be an interesting thing to try, dating a friend is often just a recipe for disaster. Here are some reasons why.
- If you have to try to escape the friendzone, you’re already starting out caring more for the other party more than they do you. This kind of imbalance is can be disastrous in even the most advanced relationships, and it’s definitely not advisable to build a relationship on an uneven foundation.
- It can be hard to adjust. Yesterday you were playfully making jokes and now you’re holding his/her hand and obsessively eating breath-mints in the hopes of getting a smooch. There’s a lot of places where this can go wrong. Awkwardness is definitely initially a major part of the transition, but it is an even greater part of the transition back to friendship when something goes wrong.
- When you break up, things will never be the same. It doesn’t matter who started the argument or initiated the breakup or even if it was mutual. Even if you went to great lengths to ensure that things were okay between the two of you they’ll never be the same. This is largely because everyone has a natural tendency to victimize themselves after a breakup-even when the other party didn’t do anything wrong. Ultimately, this can be more exaggerated with friends. Even if you knew someone for five years before you started dating your friendship will never fully recover.
- Things can get BAD. It’s never fun when your ex (friend and girl/boyfriend) tries to start drama. It’s even worse when she/he tries to start drama with your friends. They might even try to play the game of “who likes who more?” among the friends both of you have shared for years. Perhaps the worst part of dating a friend is that they’ve seen you hurt…and they know exactly how to hurt you. In more bitter breakups this can inevitably cause undue emotional distress for one or both parties.
- You’ve got other options, bruh. There are a ton of people out there you won’t have to see or speak too every day if things go wrong. It sounds brash, but you have to think about whether you’d be okay seeing your crush as an enemy before proceeding.
Hopefully this article has thrown a punch in the stomach to your plans to Houdini your way out of the friendzone. Either listen to my experienced words or learn for yourself. Either way, only 2% of high school relationships last so more likely than not your current crush will be a faded memory a few years down the line. Have fun kids!
by Saber Slate | Jan 18, 2018 | Opinion & Reviews
Originally Published January 8th, 2014 by thenextbigthing
Hey guys (and if you are reading this article for advice you probably are a guy),
In this article I will (attempt) to teach you who are stuck in the gloomy, heartbreaking prison known as the “friendzone” to pull a Houdini and escape. Keep in mind, readers, that this is what has worked with me, and not every step may be applicable to your situation. If that is the case then I have shared the links to a couple other sources at the bottom of this article. Here are my 5 ways to escape the friendzone.
1. Find out what they like. You should talk to your potential significant other often and find out what they are interested in. In my case it turned out that we had a lot in common. For example, you may both enjoy reading, hunting, sports, or even hardcore game cube gaming. If it turns out that you don’t have much in common, or that she/he hates things that you love with a passion, such as your favorite sports team, your favorite activities, or *gasp* your large collection of mint condition action figures from the 60s,then you probably should rethink your quest to escape the friendzone. If you don’t have much in common than you are likely just physically attracted to the person, which is not a good base for a long term relationship to build off. However, if you do, in fact, have things in common you should jokingly say something along the lines of “You like watching TV, eating ice cream, and crying because you’re alone too? That’s pretty cool! Not too many girls are into that stuff.” (At this point I asked if she liked football, because I knew she did, and when she said yes, I said “Wow you’re perfect! Why aren’t we dating?” (jokingly). She’ll probably laugh at this point, but don’t be discouraged. Next you should say “In all seriousness though, I wish there were more girls like you.” This is where you pay attention to the response. If she/he says something like “Yeah, I wish there were more guys like you” then you should go for it. If you say “Hey, we’ve never really given “us” a try.” It may work. You’ve just used logic to try to get out of the friendzone. Why isn’t that used more often???
2. Remind them of the things you’ve done together. If you haven’t known this person for long and have somehow been placed in the friendzone then this may not apply to you. If you get her/him thinking about all the good times you’ve had together, or even challenges you’ve gone through together, it creates a kind of bond between the two of you. If you really wanted to you could say “Every time I see you it makes my day 71.333% better.” Or say that you’d like to spend more time together. Possibly both.
3. Give them compliments. This one is fairly easy. Tell her that she’s special and that you’ve never met anybody like her. Tell him that he makes you laugh. Tell her that she’s pretty (Etc.). I’d recommend trying this in combination with any of the other strategies listed.
4. Come out and tell the person you like her/him and that you want to be more than friends. Say she/he has all the characteristics of the ideal girlfriend or boyfriend, but those are also the characteristics of a good friend. Ask them out. Just do it. This way, the person will notice that you have confidence, a very attractive trait. It also shows that you have good self-esteem, as you are not afraid of rejection (back to gta v, soda, and a bag of chips), or that you have confidence that they will say yes. If you really want to you can always go with my favorite excuses if this fails- “my friend took my phone” or “I got dared to ask you out”, which can take you out of the embarrassment spotlight if in public.
5. Finally, if none of these work, just find your own way out, or accept that this person may not be right for you. You’re wasting your time trying to get someone who just isn’t that in to you. Face it- many high school relationships don’t last that long anyway, and even if you escaped the friendzone this person would most likely just be a faint memory in the back of your head once you go to college, or get a job, or immediately pack your bags and leave Wisconsin forever upon graduating. You could stop talking to the person, and maybe they’d come back to you when they realized that you were the one that had been there for them before and now they couldn’t live without you. Alternatively, you could just enjoy your friendship as it is.
In conclusion: As somebody who has been on both sides of the friendzone, I can tell you that a combination of the first four will likely bring you the most success. I know this because they have worked for me, granted, I am a pretty attractive guy (my mommy told me so), so it was easy for me. Until next time, stay classy Franklin High School.
