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Main, Opinion

Bloody Mary: A Legend

By Arianna Walbert

Bloody Mary. As kids, many of us were curious to see this spooky being in the dark bathroom mirror. Bloody Mary is a game that most of us played as kids for a good laugh. However, have you ever thought about where Bloody Mary came from? There are many stories that attempt to give Bloody Mary an origin story, sadly, none of them are confirmed. One story details how Bloody Mary could be the witch Mary Worth. In Mary’s small village, young girls started to disappear. The villagers began to suspect Mary was taking the girls as supposed sacrifices. They went to her secluded house and questioned her, though she denied knowing anything about the girls. The villagers noticed, however, that Mary, who had once looked elderly, was now more youthful looking and beautiful, but there was nothing they could do.

The second origin story of Bloody Mary is the story of Mary Tudor, who was dubbed by her people “Bloody Mary”. Mary Tudor was queen on England from 1553 until her death in 1558. She put many Protestants to death during her reign, giving her the nickname “Bloody Mary”. When she was reigning, Tudor had a pregnancy out of the blue. During the duration of the pregnancy, she went through all of the common symptoms, including belly growth. However, after the nine months were over, she did not give birth, her belly simply shrunk back to its normal size. This caused many people to believe that she faked her pregnancy. This is also why there is a version of the Bloody Mary ritual where you must say “I stole your baby” into the mirror to coax her into appearing.

The third and final theory of where this terrifying legend came from, is from Hungary in the late 1500’s. Elizabeth Bathory, also known as “The Blood Countess”, was obsessed with remaining young and beautiful. She became so obsessed that she began to kidnap young women in the kingdom. She would then kill them and completely drain them of their blood so that she could bathe in it. She would become known as the world worst female serial killer for her horrific crimes.

The ritual can be done many different ways, depending on what version of the story you have heard. In some instances you spin around three times saying “Bloody Mary” after every turn. In other forms of the ritual you must have candles in an, otherwise, completely dark bathroom, and just saying “Bloody Mary” into the mirror.

Do not be fooled by the videos and stories of people who tried to summon Bloody Mary and failed. This ritual is terrifying and could be incredibly dangerous if Mary decides to make an appearance.

Main, Media

Ariana Grande has “No Tears Left To Cry” on upcoming album “Sweetener”

By Jack Kubinec 

After spending two years away from releasing music, and performing on her Dangerous Woman Tour, Ariana Grande has officially released her debut single from her forthcoming album. No Tears Left To Cry is the jumpstart into her upcoming musical era.

Two weeks before its release, all of her friends and musical producers were seen wearing a grey crew neck, with the songs title directly across is, but in upside-down text. This sparked many rumors on what the single would entail. Due to the title, many people believed the single would be a soulful ballad that would showcase Grande’s growth over the past year of her life. Although the growth part is right, No Tears Left To Cry was the complete opposite. It’s a groovy smash hit that features a 90’s diva vibe, especially the verses preceding the chorus.

The night the song was released, the video was as well. It featured Grande in an alternate inception like universe, as the whole word was rotating upside-down. Ariana walks on walls and ceilings, before falling into an endless pit of string lights. She hangs off the side of buildings on the fire escape, as well as having a total dance break on the roof of a building, before jumping off.

She promoted the song on the Jimmy Fallon show, as she released tons of information on her upcoming album. It’s set release date is this summer, in August to be exact. The title she chose is Sweetener which describes bringing light into someone else’s life, or vise versa. It includes tracks such as Raindrops, The Light Is Coming, R.E.M., and God Is A Woman.

Aside from all the album hype, Grande is very excited about the new music. From the production on the era’s first video, to scheduling to perform the opening sequence at the Billboard Music Awards. Grande has always been very passionate about her music and is ready to promote her personal growth.

 

Main, Media

Post-Weinstein Universe

By Lindsey Diamond

Tensions in Hollywood are high as sexual assault allegations are more apparent than ever. In October 2017, Harvey Weinstein was first accused of sexual harassment by two actresses, Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd. Resulting in the sexual allegations, Weinstein was terminated from his company. Many other women built the confidence and came forward with their stories of harassment and assault regarding Weinstein. After the Weinstein scandal, above 50 workers in Hollywood have been terminated due to sexual misconduct accusations, such as Matt Lauer, Kevin Spacey, and Danny Masterson. Since then, many topics of discussions arose about women coming forward with assault, what punishment is appropriate for those who commit these crimes, and if one can still support an actor’s work without necessarily supporting the actor. Continue reading “Post-Weinstein Universe” →

Culture, Featured, Main

Love Advice: What to do if you’re single on Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day could be the most dreadful holiday if you’re single. It reminds you that being in love is so pleasant because couples go all out on this day; buying gifts for each other and going on dates. What Valentine’s Day does not stress is that it is okay to be independent and alone on this holiday. Continue reading “Love Advice: What to do if you’re single on Valentine’s Day?” →

Main, Student Life

2018-2019 Course Selection

By Abigail Christman

It’s that time of the year where current juniors, sophomores, and freshmen must pick their courses for the 2018-2019 school year! To access the course selection form students must login to the STSD community portal. All of the required courses are listed at the top of the form (english, math, social studies, science, and world languages), which are recommended by your current teacher. If students do not agree with their teachers recommendation they can click on “Special Request” and enter their concern or request. When the students are done choosing their core classes they can choose a physical education or health course. Students are required to graduate with two physical education courses and one health course, and students can only take one physical education class per year. After students are done choosing  their physical education courses they select their elective courses. Elective courses are listed by department and they will appear when you click on the specific department. To request primary courses you must click the box on the left, to choose the course as an alternative you must click the box on the right. Falcon Periods have no credits, students may choose up to five falcon periods per cycle. Falcon periods are scheduled study halls. Full day Salisbury High School students must have a total of 8 credits and SHS/LCTI students must have a total of 7 credits. In addition to having 8 credits you must choose 4-6 alternative courses. When students have completed course selection they click save and print 2 copies for their parent or guardian to sign. Students should hand in the paper when they meet with their guidance counselor. Continue reading “2018-2019 Course Selection” →

Main, Student Life

Mock Auditions

By Jack Kubinec

This past week, Salisbury Theatre offered a mock audition for students interested in auditioning for the spring musical. It allowed students to become aware of the process, perform with peers, and grow comfortable with each other. The directors of the Theatre program, Will Erwin and Nina Elias, wanted to be familiar with new students who may of not been apart of any shows in the past. They chose to have both boys and girls learn 2-3 songs they felt comfortable with performing by themselves. This mock audition prepared students for the future audition so they’ll have experience under their belt.

A senior who attended the audition, Sophia Ravenelle, stated it was a way for people, especially new students, to get used to how the real audition will be/how to prepare and what to expect. She also said it was very fun for her especially because it was her first time at a mock audition, and since it is her last musical production it was cool to see so many news faces. A very bittersweet moment to perform in your last show, while meeting new students who may be performing for the first time.

Choosing to do a mock audition this year was a great decision, given it gave students an opportunity which was not offered before. Hopefully it because a recurring event in Salisbury’s future.

Main, Student Life

Poetry Out Loud Competition

by Rylee Yerkes

 

The Poetry Out Loud competition was held December 12th in room 006 during Falcon Period. During this competition, students recited poems by memory and were judged by all of the teachers in the English department. The winner of this in-school competition will advance to the next level of competition: the state finals. The location has yet to be decided for the state finals, but it will be hosted on March 5. There, contestants will recite three poems with the rest of the champions from Pennsylvania. Finally, the winners of the state competitions will participate in the national semifinals on April 24 at the Lisner Auditorium in Washington D.C. This competition will be broadcasted live. Finally, on April 25, the national finals will occur. The semifinals and finals at the Lisner Auditorium are free to attend and open to the public.  Making it to the national finals is a huge accomplishment; the best competitors in all of America will attend. Continue reading “Poetry Out Loud Competition” →