All posts by Matthew Brennan
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Thanksgiving to the Band Mannequins
Veteran’s Recognized in Cyrus Irish Auditorium
Lowell, MA- LHS Reserve Officer Training Corps recognizes military Veterans today in the Cyrus Irish Auditorium in observance of the Veteran’s Day national holiday tomorrow Friday, November 11.
Mock Election in Murphy Cafeteria Today
Lowell, MA- Decisions, Decisions. Vote today, Friday. Results Monday.
Students and Staff can cast a vote for President of the United States and 3rd Congressional District candidates as part of the Mock Election 2016 in the Murphy Cafeteria, in Freshman Advisory and at the Faculty offices.
School voters have the chance to cast votes for Democratic Nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton, Republican Nominee Donald J. Trump, Libertarian Nominee Gary Johnson and Green Party Nominee Jill Stein.
Student Council plans to announce the results on Monday, November 6 at lunch and over the LHS public announcement system.
According to Student Council announcements, the votes will be tallied by each candidate’s total and also total votes cast for each candidate from each student class year.
Voting takes place throughout the day in the Murphy Cafeteria at all lunches, in the Main office for faculty and staff, in the Freshman Academy Main Office and in Freshman Advisories.
The Student Council organizes the Mock Election each year as a way for the school to model civic action prior to the November election.
Voters can also cast a vote for the 3rd Congressional District candidates of Democratic Incumbent Nicki Tsongas and Republican nominee Ann Wofford.
The Social Studies Department website has offered resources for community, student, and staff use prior to the election: http://lhs-social-studies.weebly.com/2016-election-resources.html
Mass Poets Really ‘Louder Than a Bomb!’
By Haley Tran
Dorchester, MA-“Listen to the poem!” Dissatisfaction roars throughout the crowd at every slam… if they don’t like the judgement of a performance.
Louder Than a Bomb, held this year on May 6, 2016, is the biggest poetry slam and festival in Massachusetts, as well as the US. Louder Than a Bomb was founded in Chicago, but has progressively spread across the nation.
A poetry slam offers a forum for poets to share the spoken word genre, a public forum for free verse.
The audience claps, snaps, and yells out support when they hear a line that really touches them.
In the past month, Louder Than a Bomb has gathered together 42 schools in the region with around 300 young voices to share their story.
On May 6th, four teams were the spotlight in Strand Theatre: Freeverse!, Codman Academy, Urban Ego, and Indigo Poets Society took the Finals Stage by storm.
Each team was competing for the opportunity to be able to be put on a team for the international slam, Brave New Voices in Washington, D.C. on July 12-16. http://youthspeaks.org/bravenewvoices/
Other than that, Louder Than A Bomb is a large showcase of the best of the best slam teams in Massachusetts this year.
From fourth to first place: Freeverse!, Codman, Indigo Poet Society, and Urban Ego. Every poet was fantastic and unique in their own way despite their ranks in the competition.
The scores and numbers aren’t the point; the point is the poetry!
Slams are often criticized for harsh scrutiny and possible discouragement by the possibility of low scores, but we clearly emphasize how important poetry is and not the points.
Louder Than a Bomb is an amazing experience to be a part of regardless of your status as a writer or not.
Poets in this field are innovative and not just writers, but performers and advocates for a fresh outlet to share stories.
We are more than just talented people who can form a metaphor: we are a tight-knit community built upon love and support. There is no community more welcoming and radiant than the ones found within spoken word.
Anyone who is even the slightest bit interested should take no hesitation in attending a local slam or open mic. Even if you can’t write, it is a wonderful sight to witness.
Poems of Politics, Performance at ‘Louder than a Bomb’
By Haley Tran
Lowell, Massachusetts- Two in the world of spoken word, the groups Codman and Freeverse, performed poems soaked with undertones of suffering and emotion on May 6 at the biggest poetry slam and festival in Massachusetts called Louder Than a Bomb.
Freeverse took the personas of mothers from the Holocaust and Syrian refugee crisis and used them to convey the genocidal tones experienced by Syrians today.
The performance was something like the emotional side of political science.
Codman created a catchy chant and spoke on racist undertones given off by federal and authoritarian positions.
The poems were not exclusively political.
Spoken word is an artistic expression open to such a broad audience that anybody could enjoy watching a slam.
One poet from the group Urban Ego used body movement and personalities in his slam.
Urban Ego’s rep had a rather interesting and entertaining poem to watch, incorporating dance and various personas of the people around him.
My favorite pieces of the night were group pieces by Codman and Freeverse as well as by Urban Ego.
Freeverse took the personas of mothers from the Holocaust and Syrian refugee crisis and used them to convey the genocidal tones given to Syrians today.
Summer Concert Survival Guide
By Willow Kelley
Lowell, MA – The summer concert season returns this month, and here are reminders to help the more experienced fan thrive and the less experienced concert goer survive.
Almost everyone on the face of the earth enjoys live music. A live music concert experience has no comparison. However, not everyone understands how much planning is actually necessary for the ultimate concert experience. Avid concert goers, like myself, have learned to take every precaution, know every venue. Shows Not to Miss at Local Venues
The entire process starts way before the day of the concert in question. Buying tickets is an important step to reduce anxiety as the day approaches. The sooner, the better. No one wants a feeling of helplessness that comes with not knowing if you can get a last minute ticket at a reasonable price. If you know your favorite musician is going on tour, try your best to save the money for a ticket. You’ll feel better knowing you have your tickets in advance. Read More
Shows Not to Miss at Local Venues
SUMMER VENUES AND SHOWS
Compiled by Willow Kelley
Shows in New England this summer that you may want to apply my ideas and tips to include:
- PVRIS North American Tour on June 9th and 10th at Royale in Boston, MA
- PVRIS Free Show at City Hall Plaza on July 21st in Boston, MA.
- Twenty One Pilots Emotional Roadshow June 14th and 15th at the Agganis Arena in Brookline, MA
- The Neighbourhood US Tour June 14th at the Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, RI
- Pierce the Veil Misadventures Tour on June 14th at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA.
- Halsey Badlands Tour June 18th at the Agganis Arena in Brookline, MA
- Warped Tour 2016 July 13th at Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA.
Civics Day results in LHS successes
By ONYEAMAECHI ONYENWE AND Tommy Machado
<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/171074700″>Generation Citizen 2016</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/user48151229″>Matthew Brennan</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>
LHS students present their civics projects at the State House for Generation Citizen and Civics Day.
Help for Depression in High School
High School Students Commonly Encounter Depressive Symptoms
Written By Esther Kimani
Narrated by Andrea Muriuki and Esther Kimani
One LHS reporter describes symptoms of depression with the help of an LHS social worker. See more about peer mentoring and support at the following link, www.LHSPals.weebly.com
lhsdigitalnewspaper.wordpress.com 