Pioneer Valley HS
February 22, 2017
Issue 98 vol. 2
Billboard’s Hot 100’s Top Three of the Week
Every week, Billboard Music Charts releases the top 100 most viral songs of that current week. These songs come from a variety of genres and artists, what they have in common is how frequently they have been played and purchased. In this critical article, I will be talking about my opinion and views of the top three songs on Billboard’s Hot 100.
The top three songs consist of 1.) Shape of You by Ed Sheeran, 2.) I Don’t Want to Live Forever by Taylor Swift and Zayn for the Fifty Shades Darker Soundtrack, and lastly 3.) Bad & Boujee by Migos.
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Soaring at the top of the charts within the first few days of being released, in my opinion, Shape of You was only a bop within those first few days that it was released. Now, every time I turn on the radio, the inevitability of coming in contact with this song, as well as the others from the top three is overpowering my radio waves. While I admit, I really enjoyed hearing the upbeat rhythm that came from the Shape of You when I first heard it, now I feel as though Ed Sheeran should remain acoustic throughout his next album.
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The next song on the chart is I Don’t Want to Live Forever, by Taylor Swift and Zayn. Hearing this song in the movie Fifty Shades Darker was acceptable, and I feel as though it was a great asset to the movie’s soundtrack. However, if it wasn’t for the movie showcasing this song with its hit artists, in my opinion, the song wouldn’t be the hit that it is.
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The third atrocity I have to talk about is Bad & Boujee by Migos. Going viral for its first lines, “Rain Drop, Drop Top…” these lines are the only ones that I can stand hearing throughout this song. I personally feel that the memes made for this song were better than the actual song. I am a fan of Migos, but I feel like the real banger that they dropped that should be played on the radio every other song should be Fight Night. Overall, although these songs are viewed as the peak of music in mainstream society, and are somewhat notable, I feel as though there are many other artists throughout the industry who deserve more credit than these artists have gotten.
-Jordan Gonzales
Teacher Spotlight: Mr. O'Neal
-Jonathan Hedlund
"I wanted to become a teacher because I like to help people learn new things about themselves and their world. I like to prepare them for the world as well as the future ahead of them. Some of my hobbies are that I like to read books and comics, watch movies and sports, lift weights and play music. In school, I was very quiet I sat in the back and drew most of the time.'' -Mr. O'Neal
''What makes Mr. O'Neal helpful is that he teaches us in a way we understand. Mr. O'Neal takes his time on his lessons. He also has a good attitude with his students.''
-Diane Rodriguez
''He helps us understand English better. Mr. O'Neal, gives us his time, dedication and patience.'' -Janefer Ilaban
​''He teaches me a new language. If I do say something wrong, sometimes he corrects it and lets me know. He puts humor in his teaching which doesn't make it tedious.''
-Lewis Morgan (9; right)
''Mr. O'Neal is a helpful teacher because he gives me a different perspective on English. Normally, I wouldn't like English but he helps me see what other perspectives are on the subject, which makes it more interesting. I like how relaxed and free-flowing the class is. There's never a lot of pressure to finish one assignment.'' -Phillip LeFronc (9; left)
24/7
there might as well
be an "open 24/7" sign
for my heart because
people like to walk in
and out anytime.
the sun is called a god
for a reason, when you
look up you squint, like
the day you spotted me
painting eyeball shaped
blobs of color.
this is why love doesn't
matter, the rotten smell
of it can wait, but I won't fall
into it.
-Zander Moreno
FFA Puts in Work at RHS
-H. Guerra
Pioneer Valley excels once again at another sectional FFA event. The event was hosted by Righetti high school for the entire Santa Barbara Section. It included the Parliamentary Procedure contest that FFA members compete in to showcase their knowledge of how to run a business meeting. It is a rule that defines how a particular situation is to be handled, or a particular outcome achieved, in a legislature or deliberative body. It is also known as parliamentary law. It is a very good skill to keep meetings professional and on point. It helps achieve a well conducted and successful meeting. This particular contest is a very good contest to work on student’s confidence and public speaking skills. Yesterday, six students competed in the Santa Barbara section contest. They were successful in placing third and qualifying for the regional contest which will be held in March. The team consisted of Daniel Segura, Michelle Ambriz, Citlali Pucheta, Vianney Gonzalez, Fatima Ramirez, and Judith Zavala. Best of luck at regionals competing to enter the state contest!
At the same contest Righetti also hosted Co-Ops. This is also known as the Marketing event. This competition seeks to effectively prepare the students with the practices and operations of Agricultural Cooperatives. Workers seeking careers in cooperative marketing must not only develop a high degree of knowledge and skill but they must also develop the ability to solve difficult problems. This event blends the testing of manipulative skills and knowledge required for careers in operations and marketing. The Parli-Pro team noticed that Pioneer Valley was not represented in the Co-Ops contest, so they quickly took the initiative and registered themselves and were successful by placing fourth! The team consisted of Citlali Pucheta, Daniel Segura, and Fatima Ramirez