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By: Marwan Arafa

Primary elections are preliminary elections to select candidates for general elections for the presidency, governorship, U.S. House and Senate, as well as numerous other positions. Early voting in North Carolina began on Thursday, April 28, 2022 and ended on May 14, 2022, with Election Day on May 17. Some races were covered quite often in the news over the past month, and here are the results of some of the races of this year’s primaries.

Cary Town Council At-Large District: As no candidate met the 50% threshold required to win, a runoff election will take place. Candidate Carissa Johnson was in the lead with nearly 40% of the votes, with Ken George coming in second with 38.63% of votes and Ed Yerha (Incumbent) with 21.41% of votes.

District A: Jennifer Robinson won with 75% of the vote.

District C: As no candidate met the 50% threshold required to win, a runoff election will take place. Renee Miller is in the lead with 28.54% of votes, runner up Jack Smith has 28.04%  and Amanda Murphy has 23.41% of votes. Mary Insprucker and George McDowell received a significantly lesser amount of votes.

Congressional races in North Carolina were in the limelight this time around, with much of the attention being targeted towards the Senate primaries. Former NC Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley won the Democratic primary with 81.1% of the vote. Ted Budd won the Republican nomination for the open Senate seat with 58.6% of the vote, winning against former NC governor Pat McCrory who received 24.6% of votes.

Madison Cawthorn, formerly seen as a rising star in the Republican party who has been riddled with controversy and contempt by fellow GOP congressmen, has lost his primary in the 11th district in NC. 

Cawthorn is the youngest member of Congress at 26 years old and has been flooded in controversy lately. Not too long back, Cawthorn called Ukrainian president Zelensky a “thug” and was caught driving with a revoked license twice. He was also detained for bringing a gun through an airport, as well as sexual misconduct claims from his college years. Fellow Republican lawmakers mocked Cawthorn over obscene claims he made about GOP lawmakers, which were quickly taken as unfriendly, and with that as well as his other controversies, the party pulled their support from him. 

After 30 years serving as representative, Democrat David Price will retire from Congress, and a few notable Democratic  candidates ran for the seat. The American Idol runner up in 2003, Clay Aiken, ran for the open seat in another bid for Congress and came in third place following Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam and State Senator Valerie Foushee who won the Democratic primary for the district. Nida Allam, the Bernie and AOC endorsed candidate, won the majority of votes in Durham county which represents the majority of votes in NC-4, but wasn’t enough to defeat the Foushee, who is especially popular in the other areas of the Congressional district. Foushee has come under scrutiny for taking in money from AIPAC, a Political Action Committee that funded many Republicans lawmakers who attempted to block Biden’s presidential victory. Another PAC, founded by a Crypto billionaire, has spent over $830,000 pushing for the candidate, and as a result, the Democratic Progressive Caucus of NC withdrew its blessings from Foushee after the news was revealed. Nearly $3 million was poured into the race by outside groups to combat mainly Allam, who raised nearly a million dollars in almost six months. Allam got started in politics after her friends were killed in a hate crime in the 2015 Chapel Hill shooting. 

The nominees will face off in the general election later this year, where Democrats are expected to lose seats in Congress due to President Biden’s low approval rating and that being a common trend for recent past election cycles. 

By: Marwan Arafa

On February 25, Wake County Public Schools decided to lift the COVID-19 Mask Mandate requiring all students and staff to wear face masks in order to protect against and stop the spread of the pandemic. Now, it has been two months since the mandate has been lifted, and The Page interviewed a few students and staff to hear what they had to say about the mandate. Some interviewees still wear masks, while others do not. 

Mr. Jessee is the teacher for Speech 1 and is the advisor for the Speech and Debate team at Cary High. When the mask mandate was lifted, he decided to no longer wear a mask, in part due to how much of a factor facial expressions go into subjects such as speech. When asked how he felt, Mr. Jessee said, “I missed the natural human interaction that relates from not wearing masks. But if our safety were compromised again I would definitely be happy to comply with reimposed regulation.” He goes on, stating how he thinks that “… for the students vocal projection and facial expression [it] is very important.” He also mentioned that facial expressions and vocal expression are very important to the point where the Speech and Debate team decided to compete in all of their tournaments virtually as to have the ability to express themselves in the aforementioned ways.

“I wear a mask because I don’t want to get sick and I have relatives that are immunocompromised, and a child that has a vaccine that was deemed ineffective,” says Ms. Richards, teacher for classes such as AP Psychology and AP World History Modern, when asked about why she still wears a mask. She continues by saying, “I just don’t want to be responsible for the death of others, especially my kid.”

The Page also asked some students about their stance on the issue. Mohamed Abdelety, a sophomore at Cary High, decided to continue to wear a mask. He mentioned that,  “coronavirus is still around. It’s not as much [as it was before] but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Luis Daniel, a sophomore, decided to still wear a mask, but for a different reason. He states that “I don’t really have a reason for it. I just wake up and put it on”, exclaiming that it has simply become a part of his day and a normal part of his routine. 

The Page interviewed a few students who decided to no longer wear face masks as well. When asked why she no longer wears a face mask, Savannah Boyd, a sophomore, stated that, “I’ve just accepted that this [COVID] is part of life now and I think I just want to move on with life as normal.” Aras Bozal, a freshman, says that, “I’m probably not going to get it [COVID-19] anyway. And if I do get Covid, it won’t be a big deal.” Both emphasized that they simply don’t want to worry much about getting the virus, and how there isn’t much likelihood that they will.

By: Colleen Bailey

Best Picture

The Power of the Dog

Belfast

CODA

West Side Story

Dune

Licorice Pizza

King Richard

Drive My Car

Don’t Look Up

Nightmare Alley

Netflix’s western drama, The Power of the Dog, is almost unchallenged in the Best Picture race. Director Jane Campion unfolds the story of a poor mother and son marrying into a wealthy ranching family which carefully follows the developing relationships between domineering rancher, Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch), his new sister-in-law (Kirsten Dunst) and nephew (Kodi Smit-McPhee).  Contending The Power of the Dog in the Best Picture category is Belfast and CODA, both of which are comforting yet conventional films produced for a broad audience. 

Best International Feature

Drive My Car

The Worst Person in the World

The Hand of God

FLEE

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom

Drive My Car, a slow burning Japanese drama, is almost guaranteed to bring home the Oscar for Best International Feature as it was also nominated for Best Picture, Director, and Adapted Screenplay. Drive My Car depicts a renowned actor learning to cope with his wife’s unexpected passing and the development of a special relationship between the recently widowed actor and his chauffeur. This year in film has been overflowing with great foreign language contenders; the record-breaking number of international films nominated outside of just the international category (8) shows this all too well. Other international nominees, The Worst Person in the World and The Hand of God are both masterful foreign films from Norway and Italy that chronicle the journey of young adults finding themselves and their way in the world.

Best Director

Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)

Kenneth Branagh (Belfast)

Steven Spielberg (West Side Story)

Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza)

Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car)

Jane Campion is expected to win the Oscar for Best Director for The Power of the Dog alongside her Best Picture win—which is completely deserved. The tense and erotic scene between Benedict Cumberbatch and Kodi Smit-McPhee set in the barn is all the convincing one would need to give Campion the Oscar. However, Spielberg’s work on West Side Story raises an argument for this to be a possible 4^th Oscar win. No scene this year can top the energy Spielberg and his ensemble brought to the “America” dance number, which once again reminds all movie-goers that Spielberg is in fact one of the greatest directors ever. 

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Power of the Dog

CODA

The Lost Daughter

Drive My Car

Dune

Jane Campion is predicted to win yet another Oscar, this time for Adapted Screenplay. She adapted the novel The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage into a quiet and uneasy film—opposite of the novel’s direct and explanatory nature. Meanwhile, renowned director Denis Villeneuve adapted the acclaimed sci-fi novel Dune by Frank Herbert. Or, rather, adapted half of the novel; Dune: Part 2 is set to be released in October of 2023. Villeneuve directed an authentic and vivid film counterpart to the famous novel which was appreciated by Herbert and Villeneuve fans alike. 

Best Original Screenplay

Licorice Pizza

Belfast

The Worst Person in the World

King Richard

Don’t Look Up

Paul Thomas Anderson’s screenplay for Licorice Pizza is currently the front-runner in the Original Screenplay category. The old-Hollywood reminiscent, coming-of-age film starring Alan Hiam (from the rock band, HIAM) and Bradley Cooper has been praised by critics but berated by casual movie-goers. Additionally, Anderson has been chastised for including racist caricatures in his screenplay. A far more worthy candidate for the Oscar is The Worst Person in the World, but the Academy consistently resists awarding international films in “above the line categories”. 

Best Leading Actor

Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog)

Will Smith (King Richard)

Andrew Garfield (tick, tick…BOOM)

Denzel Washington (Tragedy of Macbeth)

Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos)

Leading Actor is a tight race between Benedict Cumberbatch and Will Smith. Cumberbatch was nominated for his technical and intense performance in The Power of the Dog. Meanwhile, Smith has received praise for his portrayal of Venus and Serena Williams’ father in the biopic, King Richard. Cumberbatch gives an objectively more impressive performance than Smith; however, an Oscar has been in order for Will Smith since the turn of the 21^st century, and his role as Richard Williams is the Academy’s excuse to finally send him home with one. 

Best Leading Actress

Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye)

Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter)

Kristen Stewart (Spencer)

Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos)

Penelope Cruz (Parallel Mothers)

Jessica Chastain’s portrayal of the evangelist, television personality Tammy Faye has rightfully garnered critical acclaim and Oscar buzz. Chastain ticked all the boxes needed to receive that golden statue next week—she sang, danced, cried, and did all three at the same time. Fellow nominee, Kristen Stewart delivered an arguably more profound and heart-touching performance as the infamous Princess Diana. But Stewart’s movie, Spencer, has had a rough awards season, being overlooked at almost every awards show in every category. It’s a miracle Stewart was even nominated for the Oscar despite her personal commitment to the role and the masterful artistry of everyone on set.  

You can watch the Oscars March 27 on ABC at 8:00 pm EDT.

By: Alexis Cope and Gabby LeBron

With the showing of Cary High’s 2022 musical, Little Shop of Horrors, we asked those involved with the show, both on and off the stage, to share with us a little about their experience. The last musical Cary was able to put on was The Addams Family in 2019, almost exactly two years prior. Below are some of our favorite answers from the cast and crew:

What has been your favorite part of being involved in this show?

“The best part by far has been being present for the entire set, costume, puppets, sound, and choreography’s creation. Seeing how the show’s evolved after the last couple months has been awesome.” – Liam Vaughan (Tech)

“I’ve really loved seeing my friends and the cast, having different fun character interactions, and just being a part of something as big as this.” – Sam Bryant (Seymour)

“Getting to be in a show with one of my daughters.” – Mr. Jessee (Audrey II)

“Getting to see the set and puppets slowly be created and introduced was really fun. It was always exciting to walk into the auditorium for rehearsal and noticing the new details that had been added to the set since the previous day.” – Serena Price (Doo-Wop Girl)

“Watching how much the students have grown through this process and appreciating how much work they are putting in to ensure that it is a success.” – Mr. Bryant (Audrey II)

What has been your favorite moment while rehearsing? Do you have any funny stories to share?

“Mr. Mccoullagh’s improvised lines as Audrey II are hilarious every time — they change too!” – Liam Vaughan (Tech)

“I’ve had a lot of great moments but one that sticks out is when I was first rehearsing with the plants and seeing them all nervous was super funny to me.” – Sam Bryant (Seymour)

“Being able to see everything come together…costumes, set, music. I have also loved working with all the plants and their voices, it’s so fun to see what each featured plant voice brings to the table!” – Alexis Cope (Mrs. Mushnik)

“My favorite moment rehearsing was when we first started reading the musical in the beginning and none of us knew what we were getting into and it was super enjoyable to see everyone find their character.” – Alana Barber (Doo-Wop Girl)

“Watching the plant eat people while I’m in the wings, it’s so cool to see both the show and what’s going on behind it at the same time. I also remember when we had to do a set change during “Somewhere That’s Green” we forgot to put out the tentacles but we all managed to get them set up before the curtain rose.” – Caroline Smith (Tech)

“I really liked learning how to get eaten by the plant puppet. Our tech is so above and beyond and it is mind blowing to see everything they have done for our plant puppets.” – Maddie Alger (Audrey)

“Finally being able to go through the entire show on stage. Being able to clearly experience how far we came from initially learning the material was incredible.” – Micah Kennel (Wino #1)

“My favorite moment is coordinating my speaking and singing with the students operating the puppet…how cool is that!” – Mr. Jessee (Audrey II)

What have you learned through this show?

“I have learned to cherish the time being on stage. Since it’s my senior year that means it’s my last show so I really want to make this last production extra meaningful.” – Maddie Alger (Audrey)

“It’s very hard to balance singing, dancing, and acting, but it’s really fun once you get the hang of it!” – Serena Price (Doo-Wop Girl)

“I’ve learned about how things work backstage. I’ve always been interested in theater and tech, but I haven’t had much actual experience with what goes on behind the scenes. The biggest things I’ve learned is how busy everything can be when not onstage and also how much waiting there is.” – Dalin Klebanow (Tech)

“Through this show I have learned how to find my voice. I have always been very scared to sing, but being in Little Shop has really boosted my confidence!” – Allie Ferking (Doo-Wop Girl)

“That I can do a lot more than I thought I could. I started off this show so nervous in so many ways but I feel more confident and ready to perform than ever.” – Alexis Cope (Mrs. Mushnik)

“I think I might be claustrophobic! Being in those puppets can be intense.” – Katie Broughton (Tech)

By: Marwan Arafa

The Batman has officially released in theaters on March 4 with an astounding $258 million globally on its first weekend. The movie features Robert Pattinson as Batman, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Jeffrey Wright as Captain Jim Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, and Paul Dano as the Riddler. With such an incredible cast, this film delivers great acting and a sufficient amount of emotional moments that truly tap into the character of Batman. 

The character of Batman, is portrayed as a dark, depressed, and ruthless character right from the start of the movie. He is a character who is broken inside and aims to rid the streets of criminals by using fear as a tool. As soon as Batman fans hear the beginning monologue, they realize that the director, Matt Reeves, truly understands the character of Batman. He understands that Batman does what he does because he doesn’t want what happened to him as a child—his family being murdered in front of his own eyes—doesn’t happen to any other child. He does what he does to improve his city because he believes that it can be saved. Using fear as a tool is exactly what Batman does, and fans will be glad that this movie understands that. From a character standpoint, this movie nails it incredibly well. However, many regard Robert Pattinson as unfit to be Batman due to his rather slim physique. His acting skills however, have proven himself as a worthy actor to carry the torch of Batman. 

The other characters in this feature are also portrayed well by their respective actors, as well as understood well by the scriptwriters. The Riddler, in contrast to Batman Forever’s campy and comical version of the character, is portrayed in a very realistic way in The Batman. He is a ruthless, psychotic serial killer who plans on murdering Gotham’s elite who he sees as a cancer to the city who do no good and only corrupt the city. 

The Riddler is portrayed in an incredibly menacing manner by Paul Dano. Dano is no stranger to portraying psychologically suffering characters and villains. He has portrayed these kinda of characters before in many movies, such as Prisoners and There Will Be Blood. Dano himself stated that he had to research a lot about serial killers for his portrayal as the Riddler, and he became very uncomfortable to the point where he had trouble sleeping. 

Catwoman, a tormented yet slick and feisty young woman in search for her friend, which brings her path to cross with Batman’s, is portrayed well by Zoe Kravitz. Batman works with Catwoman throughout the film, and develops a close relationship with her. He also works, more closely than in other portrayals of the character, with Jim Gordon as well as the Gotham police force. It is emphasized again that Batman trusts Gordon and calls him a good cop, amidst all the corruption in the police force and the city. Alfred however, did not work well as a character in the film, for the most part. The character appeared in only a few scenes, yet, when he did appear he gave Bruce some good sage-like advice that he needs. 

The plot of the film mainly revolves around the Riddler’s murders of prominent Gotham city politicians and other officials, who were all connected in a way which Batman has to solve, showing off the detective side of the character, much more than previous movie adaptations have. Executed in a brilliant way, the movie makes the audience try to understand the connection very well. The plot is great, but some may find the last act a little unfitting for the tone of the film as it is on a larger scale than the rest of the movie which makes it feel quite inconsistent tonally. But, after all, this is a superhero film, and a Batman film at that, so the big last act is fitting for a villain such as The Batman’s Riddler. 

While the plot is incredibly intriguing, not everyone will be awake to watch the final scene of the film as the picture’s runtime is an astounding 2 hours and 56 minutes. Usually, if a film is well paced and doesn’t have a color scheme that mostly consists of dark reds and black, it will be fine. But unfortunately that is not the case for The Batman. This should not dissuade you, however; watching a Batman film in movie theaters isn’t something that happens every year. It should be noted that the movie is visually stunning, breathtaking, and surreal, all due to the incredible work of cinematographer Greig Fraser, who also shot Dune and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The beauty of the film is aided by the incredibly moving music of Michael Giacchino, composer of Up, Ratatouille, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, who is able to encapsulate the tragedy and hope of the character of Batman incredibly well. 

In conclusion, The Batman delivers exceptionally well, and general audiences and fans will be enthralled by everything this movie has to offer. From incredible action sequences and car chases to emotional, intimate moments that deepen and capture the character of Batman, this movie has what it takes to make audiences’ movie going experiences memorable. Does it compare to the iconic 2008 blockbuster The Dark Knight? Many will say no, but with at least one sequel and a few spin-off shows on the way, many people may reconsider and become convinced. Overall, The Batman understands the character of Bruce Wayne, and his alter ego, Batman. Following the trend of being fairly realistic—set by Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy—The Batman does not fail in bringing to life an accurate adaptation of a young and tormented amateur Batman who has not been doing vigilante work for that long. An incredible film, and one worth the three years wait.

Overall Score: 9.3/10

By: Colleen Bailey

Putin has assembled enough military personnel and equipment to undertake the largest military operation on land in Europe since 1945, according to US officials. Over 130,000 Russian troops, military hospitals, communication units, tanks, and air power are currently stationed along the Ukrainian-Russian border, Belarus, and the Crimean Peninsula. Putin’s spokesperson stated on February 1^st, “Russia is not going to attack anyone”, but added that Russia remains “deeply concerned about provocative actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the line of contact.” 

Nonetheless, the Biden Administration is readying for an attack by deploying 2,000 troops from Fort Bragg, North Carolina as well as transferring 1,000 soldiers currently stationed in Germany to Romania. Across the Atlantic, Western Europe cannot settle on a unified response. Germany prefers to remain uninvolved, Britain favors supporting Ukraine by providing extensive military assistance, while France is attempting to have separate peace talks with Russia. These opposing operations are weakening each respective nations efforts and have not deescalated the tension in Eastern Europe to any degree. 

Ukraine and Russia share a long history beginning in the 9^th century when the present day Ukrainian capital, Kiev, served as the political and economic center of the ancient state, Rus. In modern times, Russia and Ukraine were united within the Soviet Union. During this period, Russian and Ukrainian cultures blurred and evolved together. Upon the Soviet Union’s dissolution, Russia and Ukraine divided into independent nations. In the last decade, Ukraine has developed close alliances with Western nations to the displeasure of Russia. This development motivated Putin to demand that Ukraine not be admitted into NATO as part of recent peace talks. Putin has also been quoted in recent years saying Russians and Ukrainians are so closely historically and culturally aligned that they are essentially one people. This rationale led to Russia annexing the previous Ukrainian territory of the Crimea Peninsula in 2014. Relations between Ukraine and Russia have continued to sour since 2014—building up to the current crisis at their common border. 

If Putin decides to invade Ukraine, US officials have estimated that up to 50,000 civilians could die. But many international affairs experts doubt Putin is planning on war. Rather, he is deliberately raising tensions throughout Europe and creating a divide between NATO members. Through these divisions Putin can advance Russian trade deals and treaties. How Putin proceeds from here could lead to an international war, resource shortages, and political disputes. 

By: Alexis Cope

Since 1999, the United States Mint has released large sets of themed quarters with commemorative tails sides depicting many aspects of America. Released annually in sets of five, several years group together under one common theme. From 1999-2008, fifty quarters were released, each engraved with icons of every state. In 2009, the US territories were honored. Most recently (2010-2021), the national parks of every state and territory were illustrated. 

Now, from 2022 through to 2025, influential American women will be portrayed as the reverse of Washington. The women on the 2022 set of quarters were recently announced, including four women of color; previously, Sacagewea was the only woman of color on any U.S. currency.

Maya Angelou

Celebrated for her books I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and And I Still Rise — among many others  — writer, poet, and civil rights activist Angelou is depicted with her arms outstretched in front of a soaring bird and rising sun. 

Sally Ride

Physicist, educator, first American woman in space and third woman worldwide, Sally Ride will be shown opposite a space shuttle window overlooking Earth and the United States. This choice was inspired by what Ride said she would do in her free time: “…when I wasn’t working, I was usually at a window looking down at Earth.”

Wilma Mankiller

In 1985, Mankiller became the first woman elected to serve as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. During her 10 year tenure in the position, the population of the Cherokee Nation more than doubled. Mankiller was also an influential activist for Native Americans and women’s rights. On her quarter, Mankiller wears a traditional shawl and the words “Cherokee Nation” are written in Cherokee syllabary.

Nina Otero-Warren

An influential leader in New Mexico’s suffrage movement, particularly among Hispanic women, Otero-Warren was also extremely passionate about education. In 1917, she became the first woman to be appointed superintendent of Santa Fe’s public schools. She was also the first Hispanic woman to run for U.S. Congress. Otero-Warren will be shown with three yucca flowers, the state flower of New Mexico, as well as the slogan “VOTO PARA LA MUJER” (VOTES FOR WOMEN).

Anna May Wong

As the first Chinese-American to become a Hollywood movie star and receive international recognition, Wong broke many barriers for women and women of color in popular culture at the time. She starred in many films of note including Shanghai Express, Piccadilly, and The Thief of Baghdad. Wong is portrayed with her name literally in lights, as marquee lights surround both her and her name.