By Neale Butler, North Cross School

Chances are, it seems, if I walked down a hallway in any high school, most of the girls will be wearing a particular type of shoes: boots.

It seems as though during this winter and spring, riding boots have been the go-to shoe. They have a flat bottom and come up almost to your knee.

Another option is cowboy boots. Even though it might seem strange at first, they can look really cute being paired with jeans or a dress.

Whether its fall, winter, or just a rainy day, boots can be paired with any outfit. They can be worn with a plain pair of jeans, or with a skirt and a pair of tights.

A fun option on a rainy day is to find a colorful pair of rain boots which can be found almost anywhere. A more simple style like Hunter Wellies or L.L. Bean’s bean boots will match anything.

For everyday boots, black or brown is the most versatile color choice because it will match with almost every outfit. There are also many different styles to choose from.

Even in the summer, the right style of boots will work well with a pair of shorts or a dress.

By Jessica Wiegandt, Lord Botetourt High School

Small sounds of dings and rings are audible from smart phones and tablets may be due to a game called Ruzzle.

Ruzzle is a new application available for handheld devices that allows users to connect with their contacts, Facebook friends or random opponents to play the word game.

Ruzzle was created by MAG Interactive in March of 2012. The game seems to have since skyrocketed into popularity, and I’ve noticed  students at Lord Botetourt High School have become avid players.

The app consists of a board of letters, each contained within a small box. The player drags their finger around the screen to create words out of the letters. It’s like a jumbled up version of Boggle.

The player is on a two-minute time limit to get as many points as possible to beat the opposing player. (The longer the words, the better, and some letters can even earn a player extra points.)

The app is a game for iPhone and Android owners who are players seeking a new word game to play.

Illustration by Alexis Holland, William Byrd High School

By Jessica Wiegandt, Lord Botetourt High School

“Pitch Perfect,” a movie that came out in Nov. 2012, seems to have brought about a trend.

In the movie, a song called “Cups,” originally written by Lulu and the Lampshades, is sung as a person’s hands tap a cup in a rhythmic pattern. The singer, in this case Beca, auditions for an a cappella group with the song. She sings and keeps the cup pattern the same, a difficult task to accomplish.

Anna Kendrick, the actress playing Beca, said in an interview on the Late Show with David Letterman that the song was not originally scripted for the film, but she already knew how to do it. She said she had spent an entire day practicing and working on the song until she knew how to sing while conducting the pattern. When the directors of the movie found out, they put the song in the script.

Though Kendrick did not write the song or cup pattern, she has made it immensely popular because of it’s appearance in the movie. Since the movie’s release, teens have been attempting learn and perform, the song.

It’s common for these teens to post a video of their performance on Facebook or YouTube.

It’s a right of bragging, being able to keep the pattern straight and sing at the same time.

Anime is a form of Japanese cartoons. Illustration by Alexis Holland, William Byrd High School

By Julia Rogan, Patrick Henry High School

Anime is a form of Japanese cartoons.

And like American cartoons, it also has many genres and many plot ideas, sometimes covering more serious topics.

Characters have unusual hair and eye colors, big eyes and unrealistic behavior.

Often, anime is created with genres meant for boys, girls or businessmen.

An example of an anime series that is geared more towards girls (this is called “shoujo”) like “Ouran High School Host Club” is filled with cute boys, drama and comedy.

Anime that boys will most likely enjoy is called “shounen.” It usually involves blood, gore, and a lot of fighting.

The characters are really cute. I like a lot of the plots, and there is always some sort of comic relief.

It is kind of weird, creative and original, which is another reason I love Anime.

By Neale Butler, North Cross School

Anyone could name that one cell phone app they are constantly playing with and cannot seem to quit.

The latest iPhone and iPad app that seems to be captivating local teenagers’ attention is “What’s the Word”.

This game is a brain teaser. Four pictures are shown on the screen at a time, and there are a series of scrambled letters below.

The goal is to figure out what each of the photos have in common, and pick out the correct letters to unscramble the commonality.

For example: Photos of a stack of cards, cruise ship, game of poker, and the deck of a ship show up on the cell phone screen. The correct answer to this particular puzzle is “deck.”

With each puzzle solved, the player is rewarded two coins. Those will come into play later.

The puzzles become more challenging as the player advances in the game, and in some cases, they seem completely impossible.

But, here are some ways to get past this issue.

Remember those coins I mentioned earlier? These coins, which add up over time, can be used to buy a hint.

As a last resort, the player can always search Google for the phrase, “What’s the Word answers.” Photos will appear, along with the answers to each puzzle.

It’s important to know that this game can become very addicting. But at the same time, it encourages the player to use their brain, which is always a good thing.

By Jessica Ross, Lord Botetourt High School

It’s simple: life is better if you watch “The Walking Dead.”

“The Walking Dead” is an hour-long television show that is aired Sundays on AMC. It’s about a group of people that are trying to survive after the “zombie apocalypse.”

If you don’t enjoy “The Walking Dead,” then it’s probably a good idea to avoid Twitter Sunday nights when the show comes on.

Mondays, the halls of Lord Botetourt High School are filled with conversations about the show: “How excited are you for this Sunday?” “Are you ready for The Walking Dead?”

The show will return for the second half of the third season on Sunday, Feb. 10.

PLUG INTO is a bi-weekly column that touches on the latest trends with teens in the Valley.

By Drew Luther, Hidden Valley High School

In this day and age, it seems like everyone is using social media.

Teens especially, it seems, are particularly fond of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Social media is simple. All that’s needed is a phone or computer with internet access. A person can be just about anywhere and be able to catch up with their family halfway across the world, or plan a party with friends.

One thing that people use social media for is to play games with each other. Facebook has lots of games which are all integrated into the social experience.

Social media can also be beneficial to the user. It allows the user to market themselves or their work, and gain inspiration from seeing the work of others.

PLUG INTO is a bi-weekly column that touches on the latest trends with teens in the Valley.

By Mitchell Alexander, Northside High School

Pop ballads, rap tracks and an occasional country music tune, can often be found topping today’s charts. But recently, small groups and artists are peeking out from under the radar and plunging into the mainstream.

The Lumineers, a small folk group hailing from Denver, seemed to infiltrate the world of teenage playlists with their quaint, feel-good hit, “Ho Hey.” The harmonizing melodies and hum-able chorus  made it easy for teens and adults to fall in love with the catchy tune that shot the trio into mega stardom. According to billboard.com, the song hit #3 on the Hot 100 list on Dec. 29. Their self-titled debut album, “The Lumineers,” is a refreshing change from the typical bluegrass and folk-rock hits.

The British band Mumford & Sons  has had much success recently with the drop of their latest album, “Babel.” Perhaps a sign that today’s teens are dabbling with a more diverse and contemporary taste in music choice, the band has gained a cult following with many teens and twenty-somethings who allow for the English group’s tracks to coexist with their library of pop, rap, or even recently popular genres such as dubstep. Boasting excellent vocals and instrumental use, it’s hard to pick a favorite track.

Read more »

By Jessica Wiegandt, Lord Botetourt High School

It’s all about style.

A person’s surroundings can have an effect on the style of clothes they wear. At Lord Botetourt High School, outdoor clothing — loose and comfortable — has become the new thing.

Students wear running shorts, mesh shorts, outdoor shoes (such as toe shoes, Tevas, Chacos) and sports shirts. Some students even have Camelbak backpacks, a backpack used for easy water carrying while doing outdoor activity.

When walking through the halls at Lord Botetourt, it looks like the student body is ready to go on a school-wide hike.

“It’s what we’re comfortable in, we go outdoors a lot so we might as well wear it [outdoors clothing] to school,” said sophomore Macey O’Neill.

The outdoors trend is growing, and more students have begun to wear their outdoor apparel to school.

These comfortable, movable clothes allow students to be ready for activity, no matter what the weather.

PLUG INTO is a bi-weekly column that touches on the latest trends with teens in the Valley.