Gavin Baker - Staff Reporter
From utopia to Zootopia: The animated sequel now taking over Oswego screens
Fans at OH and across the Oswego community returned to the bustling, anthropomorphic city of Zootopia when Disney’s Zootopia 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 2016 blockbuster, released on Nov. 26, promising new adventures, fresh characters, and an expanded look at the city where anyone—from a timid bunny to a sly fox—can be anything. According to IMDB, the original Zootopia became a global phenomenon for its humor, stunning animation, and clever approach to social themes. Directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore, it paired rookie cop rabbit Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) with fox con‑artist Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) as they uncovered a city‑wide mystery. The original film was a hit: it grossed over $1 billion worldwide and earned Disney its 55th Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. For many local fans, the sequel represents a chance to revisit the dynamic duo. “It was way better in my opinion,” said Traughber Junior High eighth grader Jonathan Baker, reflecting the excitement among students preparing to see the film. The sequel is expected to explore Judy and Nick’s evolving roles as officers navigating a more complex and unpredictable Zootopia, introducing new districts, cultural zones, and mysteries.
Misunderstood: Survival of Dek the Predator
According to American author and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, "To be great is to be misunderstood." Perhaps no one knows this more than Dek, the predator, in Predator: Badlands. Portrayed as an aggressive, angry creature with a thirst to prove himself and be more elite, audiences now see Dek alone and without friends or allies. Ultimately, Dek gains a more open mind and shows compassion to his friends. Released on Nov. 7, Predator: Badlands is the ninth film in the Predator series and the first of its kind. All of its predecessors were based around human and predator interaction, while this new movie focused on the predator himself and the clan/family of which he is a part.
Breaking News: OH set to debut new gym floor after damage due to flood
Students and staff at OH are stepping into a new era of school pride with the completion of a renovated main gym floor designed with input from the entire OH community. The replacement became necessary after severe water damage ruined the old floor and made it unusable. OH Athletic Director Daniel Arntzen said the project prioritized collaboration with students and staff. “We wanted something that honors the history of the orange and blue court we had before," Artzen said. "Student input was honestly the deciding factor.”
New Hoco movie night event a success
Imagine being covered in a blanket and surrounded by your friends while watching a fun movie. This is exactly what OH’s Student Council hosted after announcing Mr. Oswego. This was a new, great way to start off the week of Homecoming on Sept. 29. “I have never been to a movie night before,” said OH sophomore Laycie Cherry. “I came because it sounded fun.” The movie shown, “10 Things I Hate About You," is a comedy-romance movie based off the Shakespeare play "Taming of the Shrew" was created in the 90’s. The movie is about two sisters with totally different lives at school.
Black Ops 7: A first look at a new release in an underwhelming gaming series
From the first release of Call of Duty, many amazing games have come out. However, as of late, lots of players have stopped playing and Activision is slowly receiving a bad reputation. Their most recent title is the introduction of Black Ops 7, published by Activision and developed by both Treyarch and Raven Software. Starting with the first impressions on the release of Black Ops 7, OHS student Malachi Curtis who is a senior explained that “[[Activision]] should work on BO6 before trying to release 7 … There are so many bugs in the game and so many different things that are going wrong with things like hackers.”