This soccer season was a rough one for the Imps. But there was plenty of action. Throughout the season there were plenty of goals, fouls, and winning, but not enough to go to the playoffs this year. The varsity team had a bumpy start in the conference, losing their first 6 games, but they bounced back throughout the rest of the season ending with a record of 4-4 within the conference. The season ended with a loss to Middle Creek, had they won the game they may have made the playoffs.
Led by Coach Kerrigan, the varsity team had a great second half of the season. Kerrigan had led the men’s varsity team to a conference championship in the 2019-2020 season and also coached at the collegiate level for 11 years at NC State. Kerrigan states, “The last 4 weeks we went 4-4 in the conference, and if we had done that the whole season we would have made the playoffs.” This team was clearly capable of making it to the playoffs, and unfortunately, their record did not show it.
This season the varsity team was primarily made up of seniors, the team had 13 seniors overall. That is an extremely high amount of seniors and during the season you could really see that players trusted the seniors to be there for them. For example, both captains were seniors. They provided great leadership to the players. In addition, the team had a strong defense made of almost all seniors, three out of the four players on the defensive line were seniors.
Next season there is a lot of hope for the varsity team. There may be 13 players leaving the team due to graduation but there’s still plenty of talent on this team. The JV team had a fantastic season this past year. Hopefully some of that talent can transfer onto the varsity squad and hopefully, the returning varsity players will lead the team to victory. For example, Hudson Stevens and Santiago Escobar, probably some of the rising stars from this past season will be coming back for another shot at making the playoffs. Kerrigan said that some of her goals were “To have as many guys as possible to come to voluntary training in the summer.” She is hoping to get a look at all the players and learn more about the players well before the season officially begins. Additionally, she is hoping this will help her choose the correct team for the season. It can also help the team itself build chemistry for the season.
In spite of all the strength the team had this season, they still did have some struggles, Kerrigan stated that a big issue was that many players didn’t join the team till August-“We had different guys out at different times, and that hurt us in terms of developing a team rhythm.” Many players this season had personal issues or just came late into the season. Many injuries affected the team’s rhythm. The starting lineup was always changing for the first month due to these sudden changes. Kerrigan said that this was a huge hurdle for them.
This team has so much potential and hopefully, they will have more success next season. It was a very fun and entertaining season. All the games were aggressive and we always gave it our all. This coming season as Kerrigan said, we would love to see more people at the summer training. It can help the coaches get to know you and see how you play, and it also helps the team’s chemistry. The bonding between the players is an essential aspect of the game. So if you can come to some training sessions this summer for the team that would be great! It might be just what we need to win next season. Go Imps!
At Cary High School, we have so many traditions and inside jokes that contribute to our school culture! At our club meeting on October 26, our members brainstormed a Cary Student Bucket List to get the full student experience!
Attend a PTA evening event
Attend a performing arts concert (Musical, Improve, Green Tie Gala)
Get posted on the Cary High Instagram page
Get involved in spirit parade
Start a new club
Get Free cafeteria pizza
Step in Goose poop
Paint the bus
Participate in a pep rally
Donate to a fundraising drive
Finish Drivers Ed!
Get a free item from the Church
Buying their class t-shirt
Engage in the student section!
Receive a Singing Valentine or Santagram
Volunteer in a community service project
Participate in spirit days
And of course, most importantly,
Take a swim in the pool on top of the 2000 building
Never before seen floods have affected the south Asian nation of Pakistan, which is hit, along with many other Asian nations, with annual monsoons that bring in seasonal rain and flooding. However, this year, with effects brought on by Climate Change, Pakistan is suffering from an amount of floods that have never been recorded in history which has nearly a third of the country underwater. With 33 million people affected in the country of 220 million and nearly 7.9 million displaced according to Reuters. These events will not only cause short term, but also long term effects on the nation. It is predicted by Rescue.org that Pakistan will suffer an economic loss of $12.5 billion as a direct result of the destruction caused by the flooding.
Furthermore, western media does not cover the Pakistani deluge as well as it covers topics such as the Russia-Ukraine war. The connections between the massive floods and global warming has been rarely reported on and the amount of limited coverage only brings up the thought of there being an agenda of the media, to cover a topic such as the war raging in Eastern Russia every day, consistently and without stop, and not cover properly massive flooding that has impacted more than 30 million citizens, displaced millions, killed thousands, and submerged a third of the nation underwater.
While the suffering of the Ukrainian people in the continuing war is no less important, the dichotomy of the reporting of the flooding in Pakistan and the war in Ukraine is hard to doubt and adds to the case of the Ukrainian war overshadowing a major event such as that in Pakistan.
The World Cup, which will be held in Qatar, is coming up. The tournament is set to start on the 20th of November, and just the past week we had the last international break- when club teams take an extended break for national teams to play matches, usually friendlies- before the World Cup. There have been many injuries, losses and wins during this two week span. Some things have been surprising while others have been more or less normal. In this article the biggest surprises of this past international break and which teams are looking the strongest coming into the World Cup will be reported on.
The Strong Teams:
Belgium: They have been in the top 10 for the past 4-6 years. They have some of the best players on their squad and this world cup will most likely be that last for many of them. Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, and Thibaut Courtois are the stars of the team. They will be the leaders for this wonderful team. However this past international break has not been so great. Lukaku has been out with an injury so he did not play and they only won one out of the two games. They lost to the Netherlands in their final game of the break. They are still a strong team and if they can get Lukaku back, they will probably still be a favorite to win. Many players will be putting everything they got in this world cup because it will most likely be their last.
Brazil: Many say this could be their sixth world cup win. With the team they have this year, I don’t doubt it. They have an amazing attack starting with Neymar and Vinicius and Richarlison. But that isn’t all, they have plenty others who can do damage to the opposing team. Their defense is led by Thiago Silva and Marquinhos who are both very strong defenders and their midfield is led by Casemiro. Those are just the headline players but the whole starting eleven is scary to look at, they have a very strong team that could easily go all the way. This past international break has really shown that they are a favorite, with their last friendly being a 5-1 win vs Tunisia, it is hard not to choose them to win the world cup.
Argentina: They are always a favorite and especially this year. This coming World Cup will most likely be Lionel Messi’s last world cup. He will be giving it his all to win it for his country, but that isn’t the only thing Argentina has. They have many other stars including Lautaro Martinez, Rodrigo De Paul, Paulo Dybala, and Lisandro Martinez. This past international break really showed it too, their record keeps on going as they have a 35 game unbeaten streak going into the world cup and they took two wins in the friendlies. They beat Jamaica and Honduras. Both games they won 3-0. They may have been simple games but they did look really good and ready for this coming World Cup.
Germany: Germany is always a frightful team to come against in any game. They always have great players and a great team. They just came off a decent international break with a tie and a loss. They weren’t the best results but they did show against England that they can be a great team. This coming World Cup will be tough for them with a young squad, but hopefully their veterans can help them get to where they want to be. Their last world cup did not go as planned but they want to avenge their performance in this coming World Cup, so they will be hoping to get to the knockout stage at least.
The Interesting Teams:
Uruguay: Uruguay are not a favorite to win the world cup but they will definitely put on a fight for whoever comes across them. They do have a strong team but it won’t be enough. They have a very strong attack with Luis Suarez and Darwin Núñez, their midfield is a little weak but aggressive which helps them quite a bit. But they do lose possession quite a bit, their star is Valverde in the midfield but he plays more wide so in the middle they have trouble. Defensively, they are pretty strong in the central possession but now with an injury to Ronald Araujo everything can change and the backs are good but not great, they lack confidence and don’t have much experience. They are coming off a big win against Canada but they also lost to Iran, which was not very good. They will be in a tough group so they will have to give it their all to make it to the knockout stage this coming World Cup.
Denmark: Denmark is a tough team, they have a great spirit when they play and they are known for some heroic runs in tournaments. Now, with Christian Eriksen back they could be making another huge run in this world cup. They are not a favorite to win it but they can win some big games and make it far into the knockout stage. They don’t have the best squad in the world but they have good leadership and they will do anything to win. They put it all on the field. This past international break they looked very good. They won a huge game against France, but then they lost to Croatia as well. So they could potentially make a big run in this coming World Cup.
Netherlands: Netherlands are known for being a great team and almost winning it all . The Netherlands have the most final appearances (3) without winning a world cup. This world cup will not be different. They have a strong team especially on defense with Van Dijk and De Ligt in the center. Then they have Memphis Depay in the attack and if Frenkie De Jong comes back from injury they will have him in the midfield. Sadly Georginio Wijnaldum will not be able to participate in this coming world cup due to injury so they will have to rely on De Jong. They are coming off a very good International break. They beat Belgium and Poland. They are looking like a strong team but it is known that they have trouble winning the big tournaments so this coming World Cup they will try and bring the glory home and prove the doubters wrong.
Spain: Spain is a favorite to win the world cup but many people have their doubts about them. They had a sketchy few games this past break with a loss to Switzerland (but they did beat Portugal). They do look like a strong team with Alvora Morata and Ferran Torres in the attack. The midfield is really their strength where they have Pedri, Rodri and Sergio Busquets. On the defense they are quite weak. They are missing many of their stars including Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique from the last world cup. Both of them are older and most likely wouldn’t be able to lead them. They are missing players, they don’t have much depth on defense or attack. They must control the midfield if they want to win this World Cup.
The Problematic Teams:
United States: They are not looking good. They have come off a terrible display against Japan and Saudi Arabia where overall they only had 2 shots on target and both of those shots came against Saudi Arabia. They lost to Japan 2-0 and tied to Saudi Arabia 0-0. They lack depth in their squad. They will not go very far in the World Cup. They will most likely make it to the knockout stage but they will probably be out quickly. Giovanni Reyna is injury prone, he is always injured and doesn’t stay healthy. They have Christian Pulisic but he is very inconsistent and Weston Mckinnie and Ricardo Pepi just are on and off as well. They have plenty of other youngsters like Brenden Aaronson that have no experience so you can’t really trust them. It’s a very young team that won’t live up to the hope. They will be out early and they will have to hope for the next one in 2026.
England: They are supposed to be one of the favorites but this past international break they did so poorly that they were dropped to Nations league B. They have not been playing well and the thing that is killing them is the lineup Gareth Southgate ( He is the manager for the England national team) is choosing. He is starting players by pretty much his relationship with them. He has chosen Kieran Trippier over Trent Alexander-Arnold and he keeps starting Harry Maguire which hasn’t been working either. England has many problems and their main problem is that they are not choosing the right lineup. They have to make a lot of changes and doing it in the world cup is not smart. But when they are in a situation like this, they may have to.
Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t the answer anymore. They need to find someone they can rely on day in and day out. Portugal is having trouble on the attacking end because they rely on Ronaldo too much. He isn’t the player he used to be. He is still a great player but they need someone else. They may sometimes get a good game from Joao Felix or Bruno Fernandes but they are inconsistent. They have a strong midfield and defense that can hold them to a certain point but then they need options up top, which at the moment they don’t have. They need someone fast. This World Cup will be a tough one for them.
Mexico: Mexico is a very young team, they are sort of like the United States but a little better. They overall want it more and they may be able to make it to the knockout stage and get an upset. But, overall they don’t have much on their team. They don’t have much talent in their attack, and their defense and midfield isn’t what it used to be. Diego Lainez and Raul Jimenez are their star players, they have to really step it up if they want to win a couple of games. They will be very nervous coming into the world cup and it will be tough for them to adjust. They will have to play big teams as well which may give them quite a bit of trouble in the World Cup.
Other Teams:
Senegal: They have a strong team and are coming off a big tournament win in the African cup of Nations. They are considered the best African team at the moment. They also have many top players. For example, Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy. All these players are currently playing in Europe. Mendy and Koulibaly are on the same team in Chelsea, while Sadio Mane is in Germany with Bayern. This is a very strong team that is very courageous. They have a great bond with each other. They are always happy as well and if they stay together and work hard it is possible that they can make it to the knockout stage.
South Korea: South Korea is a strong team but they have a very tough group. They have their star player in Son Heung-Min, who is a very good player and is always in top form. The team is very cheerful and they did have a huge upset against Germany in the last world cup to knock them out. This year they will be hoping to make it farther than the knockout stage. This team is now more experienced and they will be hoping to make a better run.
This World Cup will bring out a lot of glory and pain. Many teams will succeed and many teams will not. This World Cup will not be the same as usual, but it will still have the competitive spirit from the teams and there will still be blood, sweat and tears every game. Each team will give it their all, making this World Cup one to remember.
The highly publicized war between Ukraine and Russia, which began on February 24 of this year, has been raging for about seven months now. Vladimir Putin has recently sent out a draft that will add 300,000 people to the Russian army. Firstly, what is a draft? Usa.gov states that a draft is “The mandatory enrollment of individuals into the armed forces.” This draft came as a surprise, causing many Russians to resist their government. The draft was originally put off because of potential backlash, but Putin was pressured by pro-war supporters. The pro-war Russians are not pleased with the way that Putin is implementing the draft because they feel that the draftees lack proper military training.
The draft is affecting more indigenous Russian groups like the Yukaghirs and the Sakha’s. The main problem in these areas is the numbers of which these men are being drafted. The New York Times stated, “And even a member of the Russian parliament who represents the region, Sardana V. Avksentiev wrote on social media on Thursday that she had heard of a 300 person village in which 47 men were called up.” (Troianovski,10) This is leading to a sense of panic for the smaller communities. In another statement made by the New York Times, “Kirill Shamiev, who studies Russian civil-military relations at the Central European University in Vienna, said that it was because remote areas and marginalized groups were seen as less likely to protest.” (Trioanovski,15)
The draft has also caused a state of fear among the Russian people. Massive amounts of people are leaving Russia. New York Times wrote, “Protests have erupted in far- flung cities, recruitment centers have been the target of arson, and thousand of military-age men have packed planes and vehicles to flee across Russia’s borders.”(Hopkins, Bengali, Yuhas, 3) It is now estimated that over 260,000 men have left Russia because of the draft. Russian men are crossing the border into Mongolia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Finland. Now the amount of Russians entering Georgia has doubled since the implementation of this draft. The president of Kazakhstan, Kassym Jomart Tokayev said, “ In recent days, many people from Russia have been coming to us. Most forced to leave the country because of the current hopeless situation. We must take care of them and ensure their safety. This is a political and humanitarian issue.” Kazakhstan also is not sending any refugees back that are coming from Russia. There are also rumors that Russia will close their borders to Military aged men. In a region called North Ossetia they are setting up draft offices at the border so they can hand people draft papers forcing them to stay in the country.
The Kremlin is taking into account that there are problems with the draft, but they are placing blame on local officials for trying to mobilize resistant citizens. Some other regions are taking matters into their own hands and are trying to fix the problems. Citizens of Russia are retaliating because of the draft order. In Irkutsk there was a shooting at a draft office and 18 arson attempts at draft offices and government buildings across the country. As we watch from the other side of the war, we shall witness if this draft is successful or if Putin’s military plans will be impacted by a lack of new personnel.
Don’t Worry Darling was once the most anticipated movie of the year but has recently become the topic of cheap gossip columns. From a director-actor affair to the casting of an alleged abuser to a spitting incident, the heated drama overshadows the film itself. But what of the movie, lost amidst rumors and Hollywood speculation?
Don’t Worry Darling aimed to be a profound social commentary on patriarchal society but lands closer to an entertaining yet inconsequential psychological thriller. The film is set in a utopian 1950’s community located in sunny California. Every day, men drive to work in their shiny Chevy convertibles leaving the women to cook, clean, and drink at home. Every house is nearly identical with a painted white façade, a perfectly trimmed yard, and pastel mid-century modern furniture within. Every evening, dinner parties are hosted, and exorbitant amounts of alcohol are consumed. And every day the cycle repeats.
The downfall of this film can be attributed to the screenplay and Harry Styles’ performance. The overarching concept of the film is intriguing, even thought-provoking, but the screenplay fails to deliver. For a thriller banking on build-up and surprise, the film is incredibly repetitive especially in the middle third. Some would argue “that’s the whole point” —to highlight the perfect, routine life everyone leads. But eventually, the time comes to let the action rise but instead the plot waits undeveloped for another 20 minutes. Yet worse than awkward pacing is overwriting. The script’s lack of nuance cannot be overstated. Nothing is left to interpretation or assumption (To those who have seen Don’t Worry Darling, please ask yourself: how does the airplane tie into the plot? My case and point).
. Too much is said and too little is meant. In the endless potential of Don’t Worry Darling, not one original revelation or theme is presented.
Now, to the unavoidable, terrible truth—Harry Styles can’t act. He can sing, he can dance, but he cannot act. Styles’ presence on screen was strangely flat despite being a flamboyant global superstar. His line delivery was bland, and he often exited scenes unnoticed. But nothing was worse than his attempts at intense emotion. At the climax of the film, Styles grabs the steering wheel of his vintage convertible, jerks his body violently, then screams at the top of his lungs—could anything be more cliché? We love you Harry—just not as an actor.
But this is not to discredit the movie as a whole. For one, Florence Pugh gave yet another incredible performance, as did Chris Pine. And second, the visual appearance of the film is truly breathtaking. Pugh and Pine acted circles around Styles and the rest of the ensemble. Pugh was mesmerizing and emotionally persuasive, while Pine was creepy yet charismatic. Frankly, they prevented this movie from entering into corny, meaningless dystopia. But more astonishing than Pugh and Pine are the cinematography and production design departments. The cinematography by Matthew Libatique is gorgeous and engulfing; movie-goers can feel the warm, hazy California sun seep through the screen into their chilly, dark theater. And still the set and costume design are equally magnificent, from the Kauffman-inspired architecture of each house to the dangling, gaudy earrings on every wife. The outfits, backdrops, and props in each and every scene coordinate flawlessly and elevate the movie from mediocre to decent.
With all things considered, Don’t Worry Darling deserves 3 out of 5 stars. Was the film enjoyable? Yes. But does the film truly say anything that hasn’t been said before? No, not really. And does Harry Styles need to leave Hollywood? Absolutely.
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.
Representative Cawthorn at a Trump presidential campaign rally (Allison Joyce/Getty Images)
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.
Pictured below, Diego Ortiz (left) and Luis Daniel (right) attend school without and with a mask, respectively.
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.
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 4th 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.
BestOriginal 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 21st century, and his role as Richard Williams is the Academy’s excuse to finally send him home with one.
BestLeading 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.
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)
Evan Szypulski (Orin Scrivello D.D.S.) and the Doo-Wop Girls in “Be a Dentist”.
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)
Sam Bryant and cast in “Git It”.
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)
Sam Bryant, Mattia Buckmier (Mrs. Luce), andcast in “The Meek Shall Inherit”.
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