First, paid apps. Paid apps usually run at around $0.99 apiece, and are usually a mix of games and utilities. Lets take a look at apps in both stores that are high on the charts. Where’s My Water? is one such game that peaks at the top of the Market and App Store.

Where’s My Water? is a challenging physics-based puzzler. To be successful, you need to be clever and keep an eye out for algae, toxic ooze, triggers, and traps among other things. Android Market lists it as the top paid app; “a great and addictive game” said Sabrina. Although she also comments that “loading time has increased significantly” following the previous versions. Games on Android Market usually tend to be slower and glitchy than their counterparts on the App Store; as evidenced by Chris Aquino, who said that it was a “great game and they release new levels every other week which is great.” Aquino said that he would give the app a five out of five on the App Store, but was unable to comment on the Android Market as he does not own an Android-based device. Where’s My Water? is actively developed by Disney.

Fruit Ninja “is a juicy action game with squishy, splatty and satisfying fruit carnage!” according to the description on Android Market. Fruit Ninja is a top app in both stores and is widely played by quite a few people. Ricardo, an Android user, said that it’s a “great little game, runs fast and has great visuals” and that its a “nice way to kill time.” Fruit Ninja is an exception for the quality of games that normally appear in Android Market, as it has quite a few positive reviews and seems to escape the common display problems that other games face. App Store reviewers also give Fruit Ninja good reviews, Edmond said “Totally addicting. A fab way to kill time in any situation.” He also gave the app a five star review in the App Store.

Second, free apps. Free apps usually run at, you guessed it, the nice price of $0.00. Free apps are more commonly developed by known companies who already have a large following on other platforms such as PC’s and Mac’s. Also high in this category are games. Lets take a look at apps in both stores that are high on the free charts.

On the App Store, the top free app is ironically Temple Run. Temple Run has quickly become quite the sensation throughout the country and shows. There is now a twitter account for Temple Run that many people in this school follow. For those who don’t know, Temple Run is a game where you star as a man, running from a pack of creatures, avoiding obstacles, and attempting to reach the “treasure” before the creatures catch up to you. A person who will go by the name Contown said “I play this game everyday even in class at school.” He elected to give the app a five star rating. Unfortunately for some, this app only exists on the App Store and has yet to appear on the Android Market. Though the app does have an Android counterpart developed by someone else called Zombie Dash.

Zombie Dash, the Android version of Temple Run, is a side-scrolling game versus a first-person game like Temple Run. Although not made by the developers of Temple Run, Zombie Dash has somewhat of a following. Cameron said “I feel there is still something missing like achievements and heaps of new guns and lower price to get them a bit hard to get 9000 kills.” He also added that you should be able to “buy accessories like classes and hats and stuff [with] the coins.” Cameron elected to give the app a meager three out of five because he felt that there were several important features missing.

Big developers. Companies such as Facebook and Twitter are the defacto free apps that usually appear high in the charts on both app stores. Facebook is highly regarded as a bad app in both stores, with users complaining quite a bit. “After the new update you never really know if this app is going to allow you to actually use Facebook. Clicking on links usually just takes you to a blank Facebook error page telling you there was a problem with YOUR connection” said Andrew, an Android user. App Store users are also having problems; “I don’t like that the app crashes” said Aaron Loyd, an iOS user. Twitter seems to be getting reviews very similar to facebook; iOS user “Bichon Wheels” said “While I do like the look of the new UI, I miss being able to translate tweets in app. It doesn’t help that I can’t copy and paste them to Google Translate (or other) anymore either.” All in all, big companies usually don’t deliver on their apps to the same extent as smaller developers, much due to the fact that they prefer users going to the website instead.

Apps are the next big thing in the technology world, many platforms use them and more are developed each day. The applight is your source for the latest and greatest apps that you may or may not know about.

Display of guitars in the band lobby

On May 4, the Broadneck High School Music Faculty gathered many notable musicians from around the area to present the seventh annual Guitar Festival. The festival was funded by Music & Arts, Priddy Guitar Studios and RealTone Guitar & Recording studios. Activities were held from 8:30 am to 1 pm in the auditorium, band room and chorus room. The pictures below show the display of guitars in the band lobby, as well as Lee Priddy, who is the owner of the Priddy Guitar Academy in Millersville, Md. Priddy is also instructs guitar at Indian Creek Upper School. His session, called the “Groove Clinic” provided students with techniques on how to play funk, jazz, rock, latin, and reggae.

“Why wouldn’t I? How is that a question?”

The blown up photo of assistant principal Bill Eggert has been hanging in front of AP World History teacher Brian Hussey’s classroom for nearly six years. The poster was a homecoming wall decoration, which included with several other pictures of administrators. The poster immediately caught his eye. Hussey said, “I was like ‘I want the Eggert.’” Hussey decorates Eggert for several holidays including Easter and Halloween.

In a post-Harry Potter world, what is it going to take to get kids reading again? The answer may be in the form of the hit novel The Hunger Games.   This premier peace of literature was written by American television writer and novelist Suzanne Collins and was first published on September 14, 2008, by Scholastic.

This critically acclaimed novel is written in the voice of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a young adult making a living in the post-apocalyptic world in the country of Panem in what was once North America. The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, holds hegemony over the rest of the nation, routinely hosts an annual event known as The Hunger Games. In this fight to the death event, one boy and one girl, aged 12 to 18,  are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle until only one person is left.

The book has been released as a paperback and also as an audiobook and e-book. The Hunger Games had an initial print of 200,000 – twice doubled from the original 50,000. Since its initial release, the novel has been translated into 26 languages and rights of production have been sold in 38 countries. The book received mostly positive feedback from major reviewers and authors. The Hunger Games is the first novel in The Hunger Games trilogy followed, by Catching Fire and Mockingjay, published on September 1, 2009, and August 24, 2010

Chikwendiu amazed with his pictures that spanned from a “bad side of town” high school shown in a new light, to the horrific dismemberment of camels in an African village so that the village could eat that night. His pictures brought out the life in places that he visited, and you could almost feel like you were there.

 However, Chikwendiu had not always wanted to be a photojournalist, at first he wanted to be a realistic film documenter. He wanted to bring issues to life most had never even heard of, and in a way, he does that with the pictures he takes. His understanding of the principles of light, and the way he makes a camera almost like an extension of his own body, allows him to take shots of the world that he wants to protect.

Chikwendiu’s photos began to get noticed, and eventually he was offered a position to become a photojournalist for the Washington Post, where he works even today. “If you want to be trusted, go in as someone who is ‘trustworthy,’” he advised the group of students he was speaking to. There always has to be a balance between the creative and technical side of the brain, and Chikwendiu has figured out that happy medium.

 Jahi Chikwendiu still works as a photojournalist for the Washington Post and is happily married. His experiences around the world and the experiences he brought back in the images he took on his camera, and like he said to the group of students, “Record pieces of art in motion.” Don’t keep a picture held up to someone just standing up and smiling, take a picture of a world that isn’t just standing still, because then the life that you want in the picture comes out. His art shows that we all live on this planet, and no matter how much we try to separate ourselves, we are all in the same boat. With his speech over, Chikwendiu left us with a happy smile and words of wisdom, “What can we do to contribute to make ‘this rock’ a better place to live on?”

Kelsey Taylor, freshman, Broadneck JV Softball

by Taylor Hickox

Taylor is a freshman at Broadneck and is on the JV softball team. She has been playing softball for nine years – since she was six years old. Prior to playing for Broadneck, she played for a travel team called Squeeze. “I am looking to play for a Severna Park team or the Maryland Magic [in the future],” Taylor said.

Taylor likes softball because of fielding, and also because it’s not as popular as other sports. “It’s fun to be the underdog and show what we’re able to do,” she said. She thinks softball is challenging, as well as fun, because a softball player has to have hand-eye coordination to swing and catch the ball, speed to run the bases, and logic to be able to know what to do in-field and make plays.

Taylor and her teammates tried out for all positions. “[The coaches] see what your strengths are and put you there,” she said. Taylor plays Left Field, Center Field, and Third Base. Each of her positions require different skills, such as speed, a “strong arm,” the ability to squat and bend, and being able to “attract the ball” (see it, guess where it’s going to land, and then get underneath it).

Taylor said that she plans to try out for the team next year, as well. “I just enjoy the sport so much that I can’t see myself not playing,” she said.

Some of Taylor’s goals for this season include making plays and scoring runs. “[My goals are] to do the best that I can do — for myself personally and for my team, to make as many plays as I can and to score at least four home runs.”

Her teammates are encouraging and Taylor enjoys them. She thinks that Broadneck’s JV is a strong team and said, “I think we can do very well as a team.”

After some opening announcements, the lights dimmed and the curtains opened. Dancers from BHS dance classes, Junior Dance Company and Dance Company; Severn and Magothy River middle schools; Broadneck and Arnold Elementary schools; and Essenza Dance Company (not part of Broadneck) wowed the crowds. The last part of the show even featured several male Broadneck students!

The show began with an exciting dance from the Dance Company. Fourteen dances in total completed Act I. One of these was a spy-related dance, “Dance Spies,” from Severn River; even though their music quit in the middle of the dance, the girls rallied, came back out on stage and finished their performance with a bang (pun intended). An adorable and impressive clown dance titled “Be a Clown” from Broadneck Elementary came later, which included gymnastics, fun choreography and crazy costumes. Broadneck’s Dance Company returned after a couple more performances and rocked the stage with edgy choreography and props and great lighting effects in a dance called “Beggin.” Another memorable performance for many was “Beiber Fever,” for obvious reasons, which was choreographed by Carley Dizon. This dance was a mix of several of Justin Beiber’s songs that featured cool moves and funny lip-synched rapping full of attitude that was done by the dancers. A ten minute intermission followed, giving everyone a chance to stretch their legs, use the restroom, reflect on what they had seen, and/or get some refreshments.

Act II started off with a touching slide show titled “What Makes You Beautiful” that conveyed that “This Family Is Forever.” In it were pictures of the Dance Company’s seniors and their fellow underclassmen dancers. The seniors also had creative posters with pictures and notes from each other hanging outside of the auditorium that showed the audience a little bit about them. Some of the dances in this part of the show included a black-and-white outfitted dance to piano music, “Chopsticks,” choreographed by junior Victoria Sames; “Masquerade,” a dance by Essenza featuring long, flowing dresses and masks; and “‘Till the World Ends,” with music by Britney Spears and moves from the Junior Dance Company.

The show finished with “¡Fiesta Latina!” a very rousing performance by the Dance Company and several of Broadneck’s male students. During the performance, the girls and boys paired up and danced to salsa music. (The boys practiced after school with the girls to get their steps right before the big show).

Dance instructor and choreographer Melissa Bell said, “My favorite performance that I choreographed would have to be “Fiesta Latina” (our finale number with the boys). While it was a challenge getting 22 boys who’ve never danced before to learn and perfect a dance in just a few weeks, it was a huge success. We’ve never done a dance with that many people on stage at once, let alone with that many boys, and I think it was fun for the Dance Company girls to have that experience. I know the boys that were in the dance were really excited about being in the show and were really proud of their performance as well.”

Everyone enjoyed this dance, as it was unique and silly. Junior Nick Rossetti, one of the male dancers, said, “I thought it was really good. It was really fun.” Rossetti’s favorite part of the dance was the ending, when he and junior Tyler Stickler Tebowed.

Rossetti said that he liked performing with the girls because “my partner, Tina Kulp (a.k.a. CRUZ), was amazing and without her, I wouldn’t have done as well.”

“Without CRUZ, I am nothing,” Rossetti said. He was referencing Christina Kulp, a freshman in the school’s Dance Company.

Margaret Brown, a sophomore in the school’s Junior Dance Company, personally said, “My favorite part about the show was our ‘Till the World Ends’ dance as well as all the backstage rituals and mishaps!” Brown also echoed how both the dancers and the audience felt about the show. She said, “I think it went fantastic! We all did really well and if you didn’t go you definitely missed a good show.”

Bell agreed, saying, “I think the show was fabulous! We had a couple small mishaps on the Friday concert, but all in all the show was great. I couldn’t be prouder of the Dance Company and Junior Dance Company on a fabulous job. Their energy, drive, and commitment to making the show a success was evident. I was also really pleased with the dance classes and how their performances went. While a lot of them were really nervous, you could see that they were all trying to do their best and all wanted their performance to go well.”

“I do think that the audience enjoyed the show. We try to present a diverse and entertaining mix of dances, also trying to appeal to different audiences and age ranges, and I think we accomplished just that. I heard a lot of comments from parents on how entertaining the show was and that they really enjoyed it,” Bell said.

The dancers definitely accomplished those goals. The show was very entertaining and overall a huge success.

AnnapolisParoleCenter.Pablo Escobosa

                Where do you go when you want to have fun? For most Annapolis locals, the inclination is to say the Annapolis mall or out to a nice restaurant. But what is quickly becoming the answer to this question is the newly built Annapolis Towne Center.

                Built on what was initially a vacant lot, the Annapolis Towne Center has brought a new sense of neatness and aesthetic pleasure to the once-barren center of town. Constructed in part by Anne Arundel County employees, the Parole Center is designed to create a strip of cityscape in the center of the city-suburb of Annapolis, and allow its patrons and tourists the opportunity to enjoy their shopping and dining in a comfortable, open setting.

                Boasting several gourmet restaurants, unique shops, and even a 24-hour gym, the Annapolis Parole Center also includes a rather unusual feature — permanent housing. With a dense economic hotspot like that of the Towne Center, it’s much more typical to see apartment or hotel accommodations for those working, or simply wishing to live, in the area.

Built and managed by Sturbridge Homes, this new housing development takes up a bit more than a third of the building space at within the Towne Center limits, allowing for easy access to the “cityscape” for its residents.  This means that, should one purchase a mortgage on one of said homes, it would be possible to simply walk downstairs, walk to the grocery store, walk to dinner, walk to desert, see live music all through the summer; it would be like living at a resort.

Hageman on the field at the March 23 game against Annapolis High School. Photo courtesy of BroadneckAtheletics.com

For the current baseball season, Hageman has a 0.282 batting average, 0.378 on base percentage and a 0.385 slugging percentage, according to MaxPreps.com. “The most intense game so far was the Glen Burnie game where they came back in the last inning but then we won on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the last half of the inning,” Hageman said. The team is currently eight wins, nine losses and one tie.

Saint Mary’s is a small school about the size of Broadneck High School, with about 2,000 students. Saint Mary’s is located in Saint Mary’s City, about a two hour drive from Broadneck.  It is a liberal arts public honors college. The college offers 22 majors including the unique design your own major. It is a division III school for most atheletics. However, the sailing team competes at the division I level. They also offer over 100 student-run clubs. It is an environmentally friendly school.

Saint Mary’s has some fun traditions such as Pondings and the Great Cardboard Race. Pondings is the tradition that you get thrown in the pond on your birthday and if you’re birthday isn’t during the school year-watch out-they do half birthdays for you. The Great Cardboard Race is a race where students, staff, and alumni make cardboard boats using nothing but cardboard, duct tape, wood, and plastic.

It’s a great school for someone that wants a small school with individualized attention in the classroom. It’s far enough away where your parents can’t drop in every day, but close enough to home that you can come back to Annapolis for the weekend.