On November 22nd, 2025, Cape Fear Community College staged Let the Right One In  at the Wilson Center Studio Theater in Wilmington, North Carolina. Jack Thorne’s adaptation of John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel merges adolescent coming-of-age with horror, which felt especially immediate in the small black box setting. Since this production leaned heavily on a tight ensemble and flexible staging, the choices made by the cast and designers carried a lot of weight. Overall, I believe

Clash Royale has been a staple mobile game in schools all around the world for quite some time. When Clash launched in March 2016, it became one of the most influential mobile games ever released. People have loved the strategic and logical aspects as well as the streamers that promote it. Former Rainbow 6 Siege streamer Jynxi has recently been playing it and raising awareness for the beloved game. However, recent updates to the game have been decreasing player counts and lea

Have you ever been to a place where it smells like you’re at a carnival and Tractor Supply at once? Where there’s fresh air among a crowd? Rodeos are some of the most entertaining experiences in the world. It’s all about experiencing the country life and its morals and values. Every rodeo starts with the national anthem and a prayer, sportsmanship is a consistent theme. As a crowd member, you have the freedom to hoot and holler as you please. There are many ways to conduct yo

Before Santa Claus was cruising the night sky every Christmas Eve with his 9 magical reindeer and classic red getup, he was a kind man whose good deeds inspired a plethora of stories we tell every holiday season. Long before the North Pole workshops, red suit, and his reindeer-led sleigh we all know and love, the story of Santa began with a humble saint whose generosity lit the first spark of wonder. As time marched forward, people added their own twists to his story, reshapi

Our Hoggard football team is known for its amazing, well-rounded players, but also for its wonderful coaching staff, led by Coach Underwood. This is Coach Underwood’s nineteenth year of coaching and his eleventh year as head coach. When asked about this season, he said, “This is one of the top seasons to date. This is a really fun team to coach—they enjoy playing together. We start in February, and they never get tired of it; they just have fun together. Fun is the root of su

November 20th, 2025 is a day that will forever be remembered in Hoggard history, but especially by our soccer fans. With a 2-0 win against West Forsyth, our Varsity Men’s Soccer team took the State Championship title for the first time ever. After a lengthy 4 hour drive to Greensboro, the players competed with grit and determination, ultimately earning the title of State Champions. I had the opportunity to interview with some of the members of our winning team to get their in

Every year, more than 700 million users of Spotify anxiously await its Spotify Wrapped service. It is usually released around the last few days of November or during the first week of December. This year's released on December 3rd. The service, launched in 2016, typically features each listener’s top artists, songs, and genres of the year. In years prior, Spotify seemed to heavily rely on the usage of Artificial Intelligence to make the summaries feel more interactive and uni

It’s the holiday season! You know the season is here once the streets are decorated with Christmas lights, holiday shopping is on the to-do list, and family and friends come to visit. Luckily, Wilmington offers a variety of fun things to do–solo or with family and friends–to get into the holiday spirit and make the most of the holiday season. Here are five Holiday things to do and see in Wilmington this winter: Watch a local Christmas show A classic winter-themed activity is

Christmas is the best time of year: hot chocolate steaming, snuggled under blankets, and matching pjs galore. It’s time to hang out with family and friends. And what makes the perfect hangout? A good movie! Christmas movies are the highlight of the season. Whether it be a cheesy Hallmark movie or a nostalgic classic, there’s a little something for everyone! Recently, I watched The Holiday  for the first time, and it is the perfect holiday film. Here’s why you should immediate

As football season comes to a close, we are diving straight into basketball season. Last year, the women's basketball team reached the state playoffs' final four, but eventually lost to Wakefield, playing at Wake Forest University. As the 25-26 season begins, with five wins so far, the question of another State appearance looms. I sat down with some of our Lady Vikes to talk about the upcoming season: Sophomores Airlie Altman and Lily Voth.  Interview: How would you describe

The debate over authentic vs artificial Christmas trees comes up every year. While artificial trees are easier and cheaper in the long run, the tradition, aesthetic, and environmental benefits that come with picking out a real tree are priceless. The timeless tradition of picking out the perfect tree and bringing it home each year is unmatched. From walking through the rows of a family-owned tree farm and hauling it home to decorating with family and friends, the experience

Christopher Garner has been teaching at John T. Hoggard High School for over 25 years. For 20 of those years, he coached our cheerleading team before switching to our girls’ volleyball team. Garner is the kind of teacher who genuinely wants students to enjoy learning. When asked what he hopes students take away from his class, he said, “Learning doesn’t have to be hard. It should be something you enjoy and keep doing for the rest of your life. The moment you stop learning, yo

People celebrate Thanksgiving in many different ways. Whether it’s running in a turkey trot, having fun at a fall festival, or just eating tacos for dinner, the holiday of giving and sharing brings people together. Thanksgiving is a time of new and old memories. Sometimes we may think of it as the day where families experience conflict or argue, but it can also be a time of joy and excitement for what is to come. To some, this holiday may be considered mundane or pointless. B

The holidays are right around the corner, and that means one thing: gift shopping! But if your wallet’s feeling a little light this season, don’t worry. You don’t need to spend a fortune to give something meaningful. There are plenty of awesome gifts under $20 that can make someone’s holiday season special! Looking for the perfect gift for your boyfriend or girlfriend? For her, try making a “burr basket.” It’s cozy, personal, and super easy to put together. Most burr baskets

The holiday season is right at our fingertips, which means Christmas gifts are entering the forefront of our minds. The best part of the shopping madness? Black Friday deals!  But which ones are really worth your money? To start with some bigger brands, Target is offering up to 40% off  all sweatshirts and sweatpants for both men and women. And for those of us with younger siblings, toys can be found for up to 50% off  in stores and online. For online shoppers, Amazon is off

As we approach the end of fall and transition into early winter, our playlists and song choices shift too. With dropping temperatures and shorter days, nothing’s better than curling up indoors with a blanket, a warm drink, and the perfect music ambiance. Some albums seem like they were made to capture these moments. Whether it’s acoustic harmonies that pair ideally with fireside conversations, or mellow jazz that hums softly in the background, cozy albums hold the power of tr

With this new season of the NBA now in full swing, new contenders have risen and early favorites have fallen. With what we saw last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder being a dominant team and taking the championship in that fashion, you might expect to see a dominant squad arise.  Let's take a look at three teams to watch this winter: The Champs: OKC Thunder The Thunder were one of the dominant teams last season. They ended that year with a record of 68-14, the best in th

If you’ve ever wondered what a Mexican New Wave film might look like, Güeros  is a near-perfect example. Directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios, this black-and-white indie blends humor, politics, and sharp self-awareness to explore growing up, identity, and the search for meaning in contemporary Mexico. The story follows Tomás, a rebellious teenager sent from Veracruz to live with his older brother Sombra and Sombra’s roommate, Santos, in Mexico City. The two college students are t

Let’s settle this once and for all: the Christmas season should not  begin in early November. It shouldn’t start when Halloween candy is still on sale or when stores rush to swap pumpkins for candy canes overnight. The Christmas season officially begins the day after Thanksgiving , and starting it any earlier takes away from what makes it special. Don’t get me wrong—I love Christmas as much as anyone. The music, the lights, and especially the hot chocolate that brings in the

POV: It's 2017, and you’re watching the news. PFAS has been dumped into the Cape Fear River–our main source of drinking water–and has been contaminating the water for over 40 years. Although the headlines eventually subsided, recent studies have revealed alarmingly high levels of PFAS in the blood of Wilmington residents. PFAS is a harmful chemical, often described as a “forever chemical,” that can be linked to various long-term health and environmental problems for not only