Have you ever wondered where our Halloween traditions came from? Or why we even have the holiday in the first place? Halloween originated as a Celtic tradition during the festival of Samhain. From October 31st to November 1st, the Celtic people celebrated their harvests and welcomed the “Dark half of the year.” During Samhain, the Celts believed the barrier between the human and spirit world was down, or unavailable to them. To make the visiting spirits happy, people sacrifi

To some it's a marketing scheme, to others a devil’s celebration, and to others a period of connection. Halloween is one of the most significant holidays of the year. To many Americans, Halloween is all about candy, costumes, and trick or treating. One can’t say they’ve lived a Halloween until they’ve walked into a bustling Walmart and seen the giant aisles overflowing with candy packs and costumes. To Americans, Halloween goes something like this: adults buy, teens gather, a

Every year, students and fans look forward to this game. Whether it’s football or basketball, it always brings out the biggest crowd of the season. But how much is it really a rivalry? Let’s take a look at the facts: in football, over the past three seasons (dating back to 2022), Hoggard has beaten Hanover each time, and often by large margins. This year, Hoggard shut out Hanover 34–0, yet the stands were still packed. Students from both sides of town came together to show o

Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl , released October 3, 2025, marks an aggressive tonal pivot from her last two albums of gray-scale confessionalism in The Tortured Poets Department , and the dreamy, nocturnal solitude of Midnights . Where those albums lingered in melancholy and self-analysis, Showgirl explodes in technicolor. It’s theatrical, knowingly campy, and full of unrestrained joy. The result is a glittering, uneven, but compelling exploration of fame, femininity,

At John T. Hoggard High School, the question of when students can leave class—whether for the bathroom, water, or to visit another teacher—varies depending on who’s teaching. While every educator has their own system, one thing is clear: Balancing trust, responsibility, and classroom management is tricky. When asked about their bathroom policies, teachers offered a wide range of answers. One math teacher keeps things simple: students may go if they see the pass is available,

Everyone has a specific taste in music, whether it’s a song you always have on repeat, an artist you relate to, or a genre that you love. But have you ever thought about what your individual playlists actually say about you?  Music is more than just a song we put on our playlist. It can express relatable or inspiring topics of our generation, such as mental health, love, and life experiences. These feelings allow others to feel understood from the lyrics or the melody. Accor

As October rolls around, leaves start to fall, temperatures begin to plummet (well, at least, they’re supposed to), and Wilmington comes alive with scary thrills, tours, and festive fun all month long! Whether you’re searching for the place to score the best pumpkin for carving, a place to test your endurance for outrunning the undead, or suspenseful tours on the story-filled streets of downtown, I’ve got you covered! Join me as we explore and as we mark our calendars for the