![With the AISD rank and GPA discrepancies, some students had significant changes to their stats. College and career counselor Camille Nix worked with students to appeal their college decisions if they got rejected from schools depending on their previous stats before getting updated. Students worked with Nix to update schools on their new stats in order to fully get their appropriate decisions. “Those who already were accepted [won’t be affected], but it could factor in if a student appeals their initial decision,” Principal Andy Baxa said.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/53674616658_18d367e00f_o-1200x676.jpg)
![Junior Mia Milicevic practices her forehand at tennis practice with the WJ girls tennis team. “Sometimes I don’t like [tennis] because you’re alone but most of the time, I do like it for that reason because it really is just you out there. I do experience being part of a team at WJ but in tournaments and when I’m playing outside of school, I like that rush when I win a point because I did it all by myself, Milicevic said. (Courtesy Mia Milicevic)](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/c54807e1-6ab6-4b0b-9c65-bfa256bc7587.jpg)
![The Jaguar student section sits down while the girls basketball team plays in the Great Eight game at the Denver Coliseum against Valor Christian High School Feb. 29. Many students who participated in the boys basketball student section prior to the girls basketball game left before half-time. I think it [the student section] plays a huge role because we actually had a decent crowd at a ranch game. I think that was the only time we had like a student section. And the energy was just awesome, varsity pointing and shooting guard Brooke Harding ‘25 said. I dont expect much from them [the Golden Boys] at all. But the fact that they left at the Elite Eight game when they were already there is honestly mind blowing to me.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_7517-e1716250578550-900x1200.jpeg)
![BACKGROUND IN THE BUSINESS: Dressed by junior designer Kaitlyn Gerrie, senior Chamila Muñoz took to the “Dreamland” runway this past weekend. While it was her first time participating in the McCallum fashion show, Muñoz isn’t new to the modeling world.
I modeled here and there when I was a lot younger, maybe five or six [years old] for some jewelry brands and small businesses, but not much in recent years,” Muñoz said.
Muñoz had hoped to participate in last year’s show but couldn’t due to scheduling conflicts. For her senior year, though, she couldn’t let the opportunity pass her by.
“It’s [modeling] something I haven’t done in a while so I was excited to step out of my comfort zone in a way,” Muñoz said. “I always love trying new things and being able to show off designs of my schoolmates is such an honor.”
The preparation process for the show was hectic, leaving the final reveal of Gerrie’s design until days before the show, but the moment Muñoz tried on the outfit, all the stress for both designer and model melted away.
“I didn’t get to try on my outfit until the day before, but the look on Kaitlyn’s face when she saw what she had worked so hard to make actually on a model was just so special,” Muñoz said. “I know it meant so much to her. But then she handed me a blindfold and told me I’d be walking with it on, so that was pretty wild.”
Caption by Francie Wilhelm.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/53535098892_130167352f_o-1200x800.jpg)
Hit Me Hard and Soft, today’s addition to Billie Eilish’s album catalog, stands as a landmark for modern music.
As the name suggests, Hit Me Hard and Soft takes listeners through a complex journey, with some parts mellow and soothing, while others are deep and jarring. Altogether, the album creates a beautiful blend portraying the inconsistency of life.
This motif is developed through the album’s tracks, including “Bittersuite,” which is true to its title, as it undergoes many beat and tempo changes, while still creating a fluid and masterful melody.
Due to the storytelling flow of the album, Hit Me Hard and Soft is meant to be consumed as one cohesive piece of media, similar to an art exhibition.
The album is one of Eilish’s most symbolic works, not only through her metaphorical lyrics, but also her vocals. Eilish is known for having a breathy, wispy sound, but in Hit Me Hard and Soft, each track beautifully portrays her musical growth, with deep, chilling belts.
Her music has discussed harsh topics surrounding body image, identity, abuse, and celebrity culture.”
Her vocals are most profoundly displayed in tracks such as “Chihiro” and “The Diner,” both of which convey her dismission of submission, and her path towards reclaiming her voice and her life.
Eilish mentions “opening up a door” in “Chihiro,” “Blue,” and other songs as well, which shows her maturity. The recurring metaphor of opening up a door represents her change in song topics and the maturity in her vocals.
Another aspect of Eilish’s career that sets her apart from other artists is her transparency. Eilish began releasing music when she was only 13 with her track “Ocean Eyes”, and her writing has openly discussed and portrayed her life ever since.
Her music has discussed harsh topics surrounding body image, identity, abuse, and celebrity culture, all of which are enhanced by her passionate and emotional voice. Her life is an open book, written through her art, and in Hit Me Hard and Soft, her growth and ability to “open up a door” is evident.
“Lunch” taps into Eilish’s exploration of her identity, while offering an unsuspecting and catchy beat. Following this trend, “Wildflower” revisits her struggles with sexuality, but in a much darker and reflective tone, giving the listener time to feel her whole struggle.
Some of these darker undertones are portrayed through lyrics such as “But I see her in the back of my mind all the time / Like a fever, like I’m burning alive, like a sign / Did I cross the line?”
Her life is an open book, written through her art.
The last track on Hit Me Hard and Soft is “Blue” which was highly anticipated by fans as it was previously teased years before the album was released. “Blue” features Eilish’s heartbreaking take on sadness in the lives of music artists.
She sings, “In the back of my mind, I’m still overseas / A bird in a cage, thought you were made for me,” encapsulating one of the more grief-filled moments on the album.
In the literal sense, having “Blue” as the closing track on Hit Me Hard and Soft is symbolic in closing this chapter of Eilish’s life, since it has already been heard by many fans.
This story was originally published on Purbalite on May 17, 2024.
