![Throwing the ball, sophomore shortstop and third baseman Hudson Cuevas completes a play to first base at the scrimmage against Round Rock on Feb. 4. Installation of new turf on the fields has relocatedthe team to practicing on the grass fields and at a batting cage center off of Lakeline called D-Bat. “Our players have attacked this challenge,” Head Coach Ben Huffman said. “We’re just having to shift locations from a day to day basis. [But], the boys come out and wherever and whatever we’re doing they just try to get better every day.” Photo by Alyssa Fox](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Hudson-1200x800.jpg)
![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)
Pop and R&B artist Abel Tesfaye, professionally known as The Weeknd, released his sixth studio album, “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” on Jan. 31. This album brings the story of the character of The Weeknd, which started in the artist’s first mixtape, “House of Balloons,” to a close. The singer-songwriter stated that this album would be his last release under the moniker of The Weeknd.
“Hurry Up Tomorrow” is The Weeknd’s most varied album yet. Primarily an R&B and synth-pop album, the project includes songs from many other genres, including trap and hip-hop. This bold genre-blending allows for experimenting with different sounds and influences while maintaining The Weeknd’s atmospheric vibe. A great example of this experimentation is the fourth track, “São Paulo,” which blends an almost harsh, electronic Brazilian funk style with The Weeknd’s smooth vocals. This album demonstrates the artist’s versatility and a departure from his typical style.
The production of “Hurry Up Tomorrow” is exceptional, perfectly complementing The Weeknd’s bold experimentation with different genres. The project was mainly produced by The Weeknd himself, Mike Dean, Sage Skolfield, Oneohtrix Point Never, Nathan Salon, and guest producers. Dean’s notable synthesizer-heavy instrumentation and OPN’s experimental production style can be heard throughout the album. Samples across genres and eras are utilized in many songs, giving the tracks a sense of nostalgia and fresh energy. My favorite use of a sample is Nina Simone‘s “Wild is the Wind,” being sampled for “Given Up on Me,” the 11th track. Simone’s slowed-down vocals perfectly set the way for self-deprecating lyricism.
The features on “Hurry Up Tomorrow” add another layer of depth to the album, with each artist bringing their unique style and energy to the project. The feature list includes Anitta, Travis Scott, Future, Playboi Carti, Lana Del Rey, and others. The guest features serve as a dynamic contrast, further enriching the diverse moods and textures that make the album so captivating.
“Hurry Up Tomorrow” explores themes of death, redemption and rebirth. The album describes a “mental breakdown” the singer had after losing his voice at a concert in 2022, an event directly referred to in the third track, “I Can’t F****** Sing,” and how he recuperated from and reflected on that incident. According to The Weeknd, this project closes out a trilogy that includes earlier albums “After Hours” and “Dawn FM.” A prominent fan theory suggests that this trilogy takes inspiration from Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy,” with the albums representing a trip through Hell in “After Hours,” Purgatory in “Dawn FM,” and Paradise in “Hurry Up Tomorrow.” Interestingly, the final track of the album, also called “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” perfectly loops back into the first track of the singer’s first project, cycling the story of The Weeknd.
“Hurry Up Tomorrow” yet again cements The Weeknd as one of the greatest singers and storytellers of the century. This album is one of his best and perfectly ends Abel Tesfaye’s time as The Weeknd. Although this is his last album that will be released under his alter ego, Tesfaye will continue releasing music, perhaps as himself or another character. It’s unknown when Tesfaye will next release music, but fans will not have to wait long for a new project from the artist. A movie of the same name as the new album will be released on May 16 about a fictionalized version of Tesfaye. Until then, however, fans will be able to enjoy The Weeknd’s latest masterpiece.
This story was originally published on Eagle Nation Online on February 13, 2025.
