![Adding a tray of canned corn to the pile, junior Michael Collop assists in transporting donations for the Holiday Food Drive. The event, hosted schoolwide from Dec. 10-17, raised over 5,000 food items to deliver to the Parkway Food Pantry, helping several families in need. [The drive] is a great thing for us to do because you're giving to those who are less fortunate, and it helps provide for people who can't provide for themselves. [The] competition is always fun, too. It was fun to be in [social studies teacher Jess] Chazen’s class, because he always gets worked up over [the competition]. He made it exciting, and was always convincing us to turn in cans for the drive,” Collop said.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/feature-photo-unsung-2.png)
![NEW CHALLENGE, NEW TEAM MEMBERS: Every season, VEX creates a new game that robotics team members are faced with and have to build a robot to compete in. This year’s game forces students to create a robot that is able to stack rings onto mobile goals in order to score points. The change in games each season is something that robotics teacher Audrea Moyers appreciates.
“One of the things that I like about VEX is that they have a new problem to solve every year,” she said. ¨Even though the equipment’s the same, they have to analyze the game, and they have to come up with solutions that are unique that year. They are using their knowledge from prior years, but they have to kind of redesign a problem.”
As returning teams were faced a new game, some new teams and members had to adapt to a uncommon playing field and game.
“Three of our four teams were competing for the first time this year, and they had very different experiences match to match, so I think they learned a lot,¨ she said. ¨It’s hard just watching a video online to know how it’s actually going to be in person, so they all learned a lot about what gameplay is like, how to work with an alliance partner [and] how to adapt during the day to changes.”](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_9283-1-1200x800.jpg)
When it comes to music streaming services, Spotify has long been the king of the hill. According to CNN, Spotify is the most popular streaming platform, with 350 million users and 150 million subscribers. If you have already enjoyed their top-notch features such as “Spotify Wrapped” and “Daily Mix,” you will be excited to know that Spotify has added a brand-new feature to its mobile app.
“Get Ready With Music” curates a playlist of songs based on the listener’s mood, the occasion and current vibe. The new feature launched Sept. 22 and partnered with insanely popular fashion influencers, Dixie and Charli D’Amelio. The feature was inspired by the “Get Ready With Me,” also known as the “GRWM” trend, that has been present on social media since 2018. The hashtag has 52.7 billion views on TikTok and one million posts on Instagram.
Spotify’s “Get Ready With Music” feature requires the listener to complete a three-part questionnaire, which determines the user’s style and creates a personalized playlist in accordance with the results.
My first impression of the “Get Ready With Music” feature was generally positive. I thought it was an innovative, fun way to interact that is different from features on other apps. Music is motivating and listening to a song in the morning puts me in a good mood before I even walk out the door. Subsequently, I would love to receive a curated playlist in the morning that sets the mood for the start of my day.
Further, this feature won me over for its satisfying intuitiveness and interactive nature. The questionnaire is user-friendly and has an eye-catching carousel where the listener can scroll through options. The prompts were fun, with textured illustrations and matching fonts. Considering all the different kinds of music available to stream, this is a great way to explore new genres and artists.
In addition, the system makes choosing music easy. However, it does require some time to sit down, take the quiz and finally create the playlist. If you are someone who rushes to leave the house in the morning, it might be too time-consuming. Nonetheless, for those who have a slower routine in the morning and are interested in exploring different music choices for your current mood, this playlist is perfect for you.
I was, however, disappointed with the results of my playlist. Most of the songs chosen were too mainstream, which was counterintuitive to my expectation of being introduced to different types of music.
Even so, I have enjoyed that “Getting Ready With Music” seems to adhere to the current season and can provide tunes in line with the time of year. The playlists now contain winter-inspired songs that encompass this mood, which was pleasantly surprising.
Overall, the “Get Ready With Music” feature is a little complicated but ultimately fun to use. I do not know if I would use this feature on a daily basis, but it is a new option for Spotify users who need something to get them in the spirit for the day.
This story was originally published on The Standard on December 5, 2022.