Headlight Written by the students of Marblehead High School for our school and community www.mhsheadlight.weebly.com A Late End Memorial Day

Shanna Smith end tends to be more negative. a commitment that would has been pushed back further “The snow days were nice, but have been possible before the and further as a result of holi- Maddy Van Dussen, Junior Reporter in the Field, Junior they are really taking a toll on five snow days. However, with days and snow days. Some have Student Affairs my summer,” an anonymous school now ending on June 27, suggested ways to limit snow Many students jumped up and source says. Like this student, Drooks is forced to balance days’ effects on summer. “I Memorial Day is a federal holiday, as- down out of excitement after many did not consider that school and her job. “I obviously would rather make up the snow signed to the last Monday of every May. receiving the much-desired lengthening their time to enjoy can’t make finals,” she says. “I days on weekends instead of This day is dedicated to men and wom- Snow Day phone call. However, winter would shorten their time am going to have to take some having them cut into our sum- en who have died while in service of what these students forgot in to enjoy summer. Everyone of my finals early and miss some mer,” a student says. This is the United States Military. Up until the that moment was the loves sleeping in, having an of my orientation.” Drooks and controversial in that it may be twentieth century, the date was called consequence of snow days: extra day to finish homework, or many others show their dedica- equally inconvenient for stu- Decoration Day, in commemoration of public schools must make them even simply enjoying the snow. tion to both school and their jobs dents to attend school on week- Confederate and Union soldiers who up. After reaching the maximum But as many students complain, by finding a way to commit to ends. However, it deserves con- died in the American Civil War only. amount of snow days this year, after the snow day is over, it both obligations; she is official- sideration. The truth is there is Today, Memorial Day honors all those an immense amount of public usually is not worth it. ly leaving for her job on June no good way to deal with the who have died while in the military. high schools do not end their By the fifth snow day this 25, six days later than previous- snow day situation; no matter People honor the dead soldiers in a va- studies until the last week of year, students who had previ- ly planned. what, the solution is going to be riety of ways. In old tradition, flags are June. Students are starting to ously expressed excitement and Situations like Drooks’s are inconvenient for at least one raised to full staff, then lowered to mid realize how their five days of fun passion for snow days changed difficult because there is no one group of people. The weather in staff until noon, after which it is raised will affect their summer. This sides. Many started to realize to blame except Mother Nature. New England is not the most to full staff for the rest of the holiday. leads to a question: were the that summer activities would be Finding a summer job can be an severe in the world, but there are Graves are often visited by family, friends snow days worth the late end? held off by an entire week, and incredibly tricky and time-con- still days when it is nearly or loved ones. They may adorn the graves There is a fair share of stu- some grew tired of the snow. suming task, so once students impossible for some students to with flowers and other sentimental para- dents who would argue in the Sleeping in a few hours and pro- earn such a job, they must do drive down their street, let alone phernalia, hence why the holiday was positive. Students are given a crastinating homework a little whatever they can to keep it. drive to school. Thus, snow days once named “Decoration Day.” More pub- week and a half of winter vaca- longer no longer seemed worth School is also a top priority, and are necessary measures taken lic festivities are also held. Memorial Day tion and two months of summer the effect it would have on sum- finals are essential to passing a when Massachusetts is hit with parades are common in which a commu- vacation. So, it is nice when stu- mer vacation. class, so students must exert an severe weather; however, the nity comes together to celebrate the brav- dents are allotted more time to Marblehead High School extra effort to try to finish their majority of the student body ery and sacrifice given that allow us to do winter activities, such as junior Jessica Drooks earned a finals early. In a situation like would much rather have a long have and maintain freedom. Oftentimes, sledding, skiing, or simply summer job as counselor at her this, snow days do much more summer. current service men and women march walking in the snow. overnight camp, Camp Tevya. harm than good. in these parades and are also honored. However, the majority of the Her job requires all counselors In the past few years, it seems Speeches are given, commending the buzz about school’s late to attend orientation on June 19, like the end of the school year character of both the living and the dead. When I think about Christmas, I think presents. When I think about the Fourth of July, I think fireworks. The same goes A Musical Review for Memorial Day. I think of a three day weekend, barbeques, and the start of summer. I admit that the word “honor” eclectic list of guests on RAM goes along does not initially come to mind. It may Daft Punk: Random Access Memories. with the wow factor of the album, with the Liam Reilly not come to mind at all. I am guilty of, likes of legendary guitarist Nile Rogers, hip- and I am sure others are too, of the all too Entertainment Editor, Sophomore After a six-year hiatus, the dance/elec- hop powerhouse Pharrell Williams, and common undermining of a federal holi- tronic giant that is Daft Punk has completed Julian Casablancas of The Strokes. Oh, and day. Many use the holiday as an excuse its fourth studio album, and not a moment if you are looking for old-fashioned dance/ to hold barbeques, use face paint, and pull The following are two music reviews too soon. RAM will be released on Tuesday, electronic music, Daft Punk supplies that as out their summer wardrobe, just as many based on specific albums. May 21, but has been available for stream- well. Songs like “Contact” will remind you use the day the United States adopted the ing online for the last few days. After listen- of dance/electronic of the earlier days of Declaration of Independence as a reason Demi Lovato: Demi ing to the complete sonic odyssey (74 min- Daft Punk, with plenty of synth and drums. to light fireworks. The parades, speech- utes of audio), RAM does not disappoint. RAM in my eyes is an early contender for es, and grave visitings are all important There is some good and bad news that One of the great qualities of Daft Punk is Album of the Year, and reminds the rest of in remembering our soldiers. Yet in this comes with the release of Demi, the fourth that they refuse to conform. Rather, the the world who the giants of the dance/elec- day and age, it is easy to forget about the studio album of Demi Lovato. The good French duo strives to innovate. This allows tronic genre really are. (9.25/10) Key Tracks: core meaning of things and to lose sight news is that it seems as though Demi has for the group to create music that comes out “Instant Crush (feat. Julian Casablancas),” of what the real importance of something managed to recover from the personal issues of left field, and yet is made with such con- “Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams),” and is. In 1968, the Uniform Monday Holiday that have hindered her career as of late. The viction that one has to be impressed. Having "Doin’ It Right (feat. Panda Bear).” Act was passed, moving Memorial Day bad news is that Demi Lovato is still under already revolutionized the dance/electronic from its original date of May 3, to the last the firm grip of Disney, the corporation that genre over the last fifteen years, Daft Punk Monday of every May. This ensured that gave her career a jumpstart. Now, Demi does so again on RAM. The first thing one there would be a three day weekend. Many must work to shake the Disney image, a should notice when listening to RAM is that, people vacation on Memorial Day week- daunting task which her predecessors (Miley with the exception of the hit single “Get end because of the extra day off. I believe Cyrus, Selena Gomez) have struggled to Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams),” the vocals this leads to a further disconnect between achieve. of every song on the album are recorded the actual holiday and the celebrations that The album begins with a bang, with the with a vocodor, a device used to give vocals occur. Why are people celebrating if they chart-favorite “Heart Attack.” However, the a robotic and auto-tuned sound. While the don't know what they are celebrating for? rest of the album fails in supporting the use of a vocodor usually causes vocals to (Pictured above are both albums featured This Memorial Day, I challenge you strong sound of “Heart Attack”..Rather, the sound less human, the vocals on RAM are on Google.com) to take time out of your long week- majority of the other songs, while showing filled with emotion, giving each song a sig- end to truly appreciate those who died off the immense capability of Demi’s voice, nature Daft Punk futuristic/robotic, and yet for us. Those who cannot be with us, have a juvenile and Disney essence to them, very human sound. The second thing one but have allowed us to have the privi- an unfortunate side effect of Demi’s previ- should notice when listening to RAM is that leges and liberties that we have today. ous career choices. Although generally lack- although characterized as a dance/electronic ing in big-ticket pop songs, Demi shows the album, many of the songs on the album do growing maturity of Lovato, and is a step in not match that description, and sound more the right direction. If she is able to shake the like rock influenced disco songs than any- grip of Disney, Demi’s musical future seems thing else. In fact, the four or five pop/rock Interested in Writing? bright (5.5/10).Key Tracks: “Heart Attack,” songs on RAM are better than most of the and “Really Don’t Care (feat. Cher Lloyd).” pop/rock genre currently, which is not even Is writing your passion? the targeted genre of the album. The rather If so, Join Headlight! We are Marblehead High School's very own HEADLIGHT STAFF school newspaper. We meet on Mondays in room A303 at 2:45 p.m. 2012-13 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Dan Rosenberg and Grace Perry Have something to say? REPORTERS IN THE FIELD: Shanna Smith and Peirce Law Do you have a piece of writing? 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