The CougarThe Cougar Pride Pride Embracing the Now By Rachel VanderVen The Cougar Pride May/June Living, or the ac- uncertainties and pres- that who I am today is tion of being alive, has sures, I am in no way an improvement of an infinite number of afraid of what is to who I was yesterday. definitions: to remain come. My friend Fio- The reality is that alive, to acquire an na said to me recently, my life is in no way Upcoming Events income sufficient to “I’m excited for worse than what it survive off, to live on what’s next, but I was a year ago. I’m HFL Unplugged in memory of those don’t want to wish just focusing on the (6/13) you knew, etc. One these moments away.” wrong things. If you definition of the verb Clinging onto the past base your happiness Last day of clas- ses grades 9-12 to live is to make is in no way the focus on the factors that (6/14) one’s home in a par- of this article, nor made you happy in the ticular place or with a should it be the focus past, you’ll miss out High School Final Exams (6/17– particular person. For of your life. That be- on the good in your 6/25) me, that denotation ing said, the past life at the present. So I rings true. Honeoye seems to be where have decided that it’s Falls is where my I’ve been spending the time to fully embrace home is. It’s where majority of my sub- this wonderful life that my friends and I play conscious time. I’m living. The trick is sports, learn, drive, Recently, I find to take note of all of make mistakes and myself romanticizing the little things. The plan for the rest of our memories from years first warm day of the lives. My class will past, worrying that year, the sun coming graduate in roughly a what I’m doing cur- out after a week of year. Some of my rently will never live rain, a hug from your Inside this issue: friends graduate in a up to what I have best friend, your mom Embracing the Now 1- month. This makes me achieved in the past. calling you down for 2 wonder how my defi- These thoughts set an dinner, kind words nition of living will unattainable and un- from a stranger. These Top Ten Superhero 3 change when I leave, healthy bar. This trap- are all small occur- Films and what will make ping feeling of regres- rences, but they are Summer Is in Our 3 me feel alive. sion can be suffocat- significant. It’s the lit- Midst As my days as an ing at times. We tle things that set your The 2019 Fashion 4 HF-L junior dwindle, should never try to re- life apart from others. Year so Far I am becoming in- peat our past selves. Everyone has infinite creasingly aware of The girl I was a year amounts of goodness the ticking clock that ago would feel like a in their life, but it’s counts down my high complete alien to the how you respond to it school career. Before I person I am now. My that matters. Be so in continue, I would like thoughts, values and love with the moment to clarify that while habits are all different. that you are living in the future holds many I would like to believe right now. It is a fruit- The Cougar Pride Page 2 less pursuit to live for tick. Even if you don’t for granted. I have be- tomorrow. You cannot know what it is right come accustomed to put aside your happi- now, you will. We are seeing my friends every ness now in order to se- all living for something. day. Our lives are so cure a future that may In a way, everyone has intertwined, and it’s never arrive, or at least a different definition of odd to picture a day may not look like what what “to live” is. Alt- where they no longer you expect. hough what defines it is will be. Knowing that It is a popular idea subjective, the word re- my time with them is that our lives will begin mains the same. This limited motivates me to after we graduate. I do pursuit for meaning and fully grab onto our not agree. Although it purpose is a commonal- friendship and all of the can be monotonous, the ity for everyone. It is a small things that makes growth I have experi- toxic habit of our socie- it great. The looming enced while at this ty: waiting to be happy. deadline (graduation) is school is huge. We all Don’t wait. Be happy a somewhat tangible have learned how to be now. Embrace those motivator in this specif- a good friend and even around you. Instead of ic situation. In many further, how to be a dreading that one class, other relationships, the good person. Everyone find something that end is unknown. How- “Everyone has says that the person you makes you excited to be ever, everything is sus- are in high school will there. If you look for ceptible to change at infinite change. I don’t doubt negativity and bore- any given moment in amounts of this, but why does that dom, you will always time. Value every mo- goodness in make what we do in find it. Luckily, the re- ment with your loved high school any more verse is also true, and one as if they are num- their life, but trivial? Humans change those who proactively bered, because they are. it’s how you until they die. The peo- pursue happiness will ple we are now are a become successful. respond to it product of the parents, Before you know it, that matters. ” coaches, peers, team- we will all be off to our mates and community corners of the world. I that we were raised want to make sure that with. Exposure to the I’m not taking anything world and adulthood will change us, but our core will remain the same. Saying that life begins after these four years is the easy way out. It’s a cheat. Instead of wasting your time, why wouldn’t you begin living now? Everyone has some- thing that makes them Mixed Media/Photo Transfer Piece By Zoey G. The Cougar Pride Page 3 The Top Ten Best Superhero Films Hellboy rises above the derivative nature of this particular By: Dominik Abraham genre of film. In the midst of all the Avengers pandemonium, I think we 5. X-MEN (2000) need to slow down and acknowledge what a good superhero True to the comics and chock-full of action, X-Men brings a film is. A film dealing with the life of a superhero needs to packed slate of definitive Marvel characters to the screen with show the balance or imbalance of the life the hero leads. It a gifted ensemble cast and a sharp focus on story. needs to show that being a hero has its consequences, and that 4. DEADPOOL (2016) the hero lifestyle is nothing to be glorified or joked about. Fast and funny, the fourth-wall-breaking Deadpool under- Though some of these entries are excluded from these re- mines the superhero film formula with wildly entertaining quirements because some characters are different from others, results. here are the top-ten superhero films. 3. SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (2017) 10. THE INCREDIBLES (2004) Spider-Man: Homecoming delivers a fun adventure that does Balancing both heroics and that classic Disney magic, Pixar well as a stand-alone superhero film, without being dragged manages to create a film that brings loads of wit and tons of down in Marvel Studios’ franchise building. fun to the animated superhero genre and it certainly lives up 2. THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) to its name. Dark, complex, and memorable, The Dark Knight prospers 9. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014) not just as an amusing comic book film, but also as an excit- This film is just as bold as fans of the often-crazy Marvel ing crime saga. comic would expect -- as well as funny, exhilarating, full of 1. LOGAN (2017) emotion, and bursting with visual splendor. Actor Hugh Jackman shines as Wolverine one last time in a 8. ANT-MAN (2015) violent but thoughtful superhero action film that challenges Led by a charismatic performance from Paul Rudd, Ant-Man the genre as a whole, and shows what happens when the crea- offers Marvel delights on a much smaller scale tors put heart and soul into the source material. 7. SUPERMAN (1978) Superman skillfully blends humor and seriousness, and the perfectly cast Christopher Reeve helps to create a devoted, nostalgic homage to an American pop culture icon. 6. HELLBOY (2004) With wit, hilarity and Guillermo del Toro's eccentric visuals, Summer in Our Midst By: Kara Oatman 1. Now that the school year is ending, what can I do to finish the school year right? Finally, the last few weeks of the year are upon us! For most of us, this means that finals are coming up and it is time to prepare. The first way to help yourself from stressing out is to start studying each night for the tests that you are worried about. Oftentimes, students don’t plan their schedules to include studying, then all of a sudden - BAM! – the day of the test comes and they don’t know anything.