The Forest: Destruction

Carver Lawson, Special Projects Manager

The lumberjack visited my forest often,

I’d see him sweetly swing that axe

and for miles you could hear the thundering whack. 

I’d always admire

how he could chop down

any earthy spire

and I thought “what dedication he had to show up everyday”

but it was only when it was too late

that I saw the price I would pay.

I noticed a wicked grin

as he cut my greenery paper thin 

and he got bold, no longer taking one tree at a time but thirty-three

—that day he brought a whole damn machine to decimate me.

and how could I not have seen these callously cruel crimes 

in all those traitorous times

he’d take and take 

until I had nothing left to give

his fortune was always at my sake,

to him my prosperity had to die for his to live.

How could I not see it

in the way he’d cut to my forests core

removing thickets meant to keep him at bay, all for him to ensure I had nothing more.

But since him I’ve regrown,

as nature always does,

and I’ve been shown

visions of infectious insects 

that swarm his mind

eating away at stolen solace

and now I can finally find

the justice in all of this

Imagine Dragons Newest Album Shows Different Meanings in Music

Schuyler Kropp, Staff Writer

Music is everywhere. We listen to it for many reasons, including focusing or calming our minds. By listening to music, you allow rhythms to flow into your ears while jamming out. Songs and albums are meant to have hidden meanings and messages. Anyone can listen to the lyrics of a song and process them in many ways. Songwriters try to have a hidden message in their songs or albums by saying what they truly mean in a more creative way. It is common that these messages get jumbled up causing misinterpretation. Trying to coax out information or meanings is hard to do, but it allows your brain to understand other ways to look at things. This also helps you find what songs are your jam. 

The band Imagine Dragons is a good example of putting meanings into their music. Imagine Dragons is an American rock band formed in 2008, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is headed by lead singer, Dan Reynolds. The band has mostly upbeat and some mild to slow songs, often changing their pace in many different ways. They write songs that grab people’s attention. If the song is short and mournful, then people might feel sad singing along to the song. But, if the song is long and cheerful, people might feel happy and exuberated. 

Imagine Dragons often disguise messages in the songs that they write and play. Their songs sound like they are happy, but in reality they are often not. Dan Reynolds often hides his cry out for help in his songs or lyrics. He sings about things that are a part of his life story and communicates that sometimes, people who are supposed to be happy with their life, really aren’t that happy. Anyone in the world can feel hidden emotions in their life, just like how the meaning of songs can be hidden. His newest album Loom is a perfect example of this.

Dan Reynolds often talks in his lyrics about being lonely, despite his fame. In his song “Fire In These Hills,” Dan Reynolds sings about feeling trapped, alone, tired, and scared while he does not want to open up to anyone. Despite the song being upbeat, he sings that “the more we try and the more we fail,”. This tells his audience that people can have high standards, and when you meet them they can lose interest or pull away. This is how people can become lonely. 

In another line, he sings, “I’m so tired, can I please come home?”. This line communicates that high expectations can cause you to become tired and want to disconnect from the outside world. Many people expect Dan Reynolds and Imagine Dragons to be the best, putting pressure on him to constantly perform well. In his song “Gods Don’t Pray”, he says that “fortune is unfortunately volatile” and talks about how fame or fortune can be taken away from you, because of how high the expectations are. Reynolds is widely popular, but still feels like he has to constantly outdo himself to meet up to these high expectations. This can cause him to second think himself, and live in fear of being judged. 

In these songs, Reynolds often talks about heartbreak and abandonment. In the song “Nice to Meet You”, Reynolds talks about wanting to talk to someone, but there is a divide between them. With this song, he tries to say that you need approval from yourself before others. Having approval from yourself means that you know that you are moving forward and taking your own advice to things. This is important in life because it allows you to be more independent. 

In the song “Wake Up”, Reynolds talks about struggling on the inside and not showing it. In this song, he feels like he is “spinnin’-in-in’” and in the chaos of life, you struggle and feel like you can break apart from people or relationships. The song “In Your Corner” Reynolds talks about loyalty despite abandonment. An example of that is in the lyric “Gonna burn this down, every sober day,”. Reynolds shows that he  is turning to substance abuse to cope with feeling abandoned by the people in his past and present life. 

In the song “Take Me to the Beach”, Reynolds talks about independence, blocking out the world, relaxing, and doing his own things. He says that on this “people-pleasing' planet…you can have the mountains. I’ll take the beach,”. Reynolds wants to be independent and do his own relaxing, away from the expectations of the world. 

In the song “Eyes Closed” Reynolds talks about independence and following what you believe by ignoring the expectations of everyone else. He sings, “I will spend these days as an island. Alone and far away,”. He wants to turn away and be alone in his life. In order to achieve this solidarity, he cuts himself off from his friends and family. This is his solution to getting away from the pressure of others. He also talks about wanting to change his mindset. 

In the song “Kid”, Dan is talking about keeping your motivation up, despite facing struggles, and tells people to “take your losses as a win”. In that lyric he is stating that even if you lose at first, you can still find a way back to win later. The bottom line is that you have to keep fostering your motivation, despite the inevitable challenges you will face in life. 

This album by Imagine Dragons is an example of how important it is to interpret more than one meaning in music. Everyone can interpret it in many ways, but I feel like the album is about how everyone struggles in life and it is okay to not meet high expectations. This is something that everyone can relate to, including myself. As he is singing it, people are dancing and rocking out, often completely ignoring the overall message. I can relate to this, because I feel cheated by people misinterpreting me in more than one way. I know I am not alone in this feeling, So, remember that it is okay to talk about it by singing about your own grief and pain. This is the overall message that Dan Reynolds is conveying in his album Loom.

The Rush of A Concert

Juliet Buckley, Staff Writer and Social Media Contributor

As an eighteen-year-old girl when I look back and reflect on my life, I find music in every single area and memory. I believe that  I have adored music since I came out of the womb. There have been so many times where I cannot recall a memory until I hear a song that I liked around the time of the memory. Because of this, I have made it my mission to attend as many concerts as possible. 

There are different aspects of my concert connoisseuring. I typically think about things like who is the artist, when did I start listening to them, and who am I going to see them with. However, I have never thought too hard about it from the perspective of where I am going to sit. Maybe when I first started going to concerts I did, but very quickly I found that my favorite thing about attending is the actual music. The blaring, chest rattling, loudness of it all. I hit my peak at a concert when I can literally feel my chest vibrate from the giant speakers. It is such a rush that I can only get from a concert. It doesn’t matter how much I actually like the artist; I can feel the emotion in the bass, and it is almost enough to bring me to tears. For me, a concert is a reminder that I am alive, and that life will always go on.

Everyone I see in concert I tend to really like and have a very strong connection to their music. Earlier when I said I think about factors like “when did I start listening to them”, I mean how much does their music matter to me. As I have described, concerts are a very emotional thing for me, and I have found attending them is a healing experience. 

When I was a little girl, I adored Taylor Swift. I used to pretend I was her and recreate her music videos. However, as I got older, I didn’t necessarily listen to her as much, I was no longer intrigued by her. I had still listened to her new albums here and there but when she announced her expansive high demand tour, I knew I needed to go see her. I grew up listening to her, so many of her songs I was able to place on a moment in my life. Her music was a reminder of all the good memories I had from being little. So, I fought my way through the army of other individuals who also shared a similar connection and I bought my tickets. That concert was truly magical. It healed a piece of my inner child and was an experience that I will never forget.

Now, one of my favorite things about going to a concert are the moments leading up to the actual performance. The excitement and adrenaline run rampant throughout my body as the stage is set and it is exhilarating when the artist does finally come out. This moment of absolute perfection is giddy, even though it may later lead to “post-concert depression”, the experience after the concert high has worn off.

On September 26th, 2024, I saw Malcom Todd, Ravyn Lenae, Kevin Abstract, and Omar Apollo. These artists performed at Red Rocks Amphitheater and though I have been to a lot of different venues, it was my first time at this one. I was so  excited because I absolutely adore Omar Apollo, and have grown such a love for the opener's music as well. This concert had been in the making for quite some time. I had gone to school that day, proceeded with my routine as usual, and rushed home to get ready. I listened to Epps' music as I did my hair. 

It was finally time to head to Red Rocks. My boyfriend and I piled into the car with anticipation and expressed our excitement. The drive up to Red Rocks is breathtaking.  I adore the way the mountains look picture perfect. It is like looking at a painting and it is soul soothing. I could not have felt more grateful to be alive than I did at that moment. It is crazy to me the way I sometimes feel so defeated and exhausted with life and everything going on. But then I have moments where I feel so exhilarated and at peace. I typically find myself in these moments when I am attending a concert. 

Being in row five at Red Rocks for this concert was so surreal. Omar Epps' performance was amazing. His choreography was performed well, and you could clearly hear how strong his voice was. The visuals were ethereal and the way the concert just transformed so beautifully over two hours was so exciting to see. The scenery and the weather were absolutely perfect that night. It was warm, but not too hot. The breeze was blowing, but it wasn’t cold. It could not have been more perfect for the music and the visuals of the concert. I felt like I was on a different planet.

Hearing Omar perform songs that I have listened to the last couple of years as I have transitioned into different areas of my life is so fulfilling. I can look back at that time of my life and whether it was a good time or a bad time, I can see the music. I can feel the music. I can reminisce on how much I have grown and sit with who I am now. I know it might sound crazy how close I hold music to me and my life. But in the darkest times music speaks for me. It is a healthy way for me to decompress and track my progress in life. Going to concerts gives me a sense of hope and a reality check. It shows that life might really not be that bad. For how could it be, when such beauty is right in front of us? 

This feeling isn’t even about the artist, it is about feeling the music. It is seeing a crowd that is entirely diverse and different from one another, come together to hear music and dance and express themselves. It is about the scenery; Red Rocks could not have been more beautiful. It is about the vibration that rattles your chest. All of this is a reminder that you are alive.

You Lose Your Mind

Rose Cordova, Staff Writer and Social Media Contributor 

It’s winter again, your happiest seasons have passed. The snow piles up on your window and everything has frozen over. You lose your mind and sit there scrolling. Reeling in who you think you should be, but you don’t know. Hell, you don’t think you ever will. Are you capable of looking outside yourself, outside of the battle in your skull? 

Usually, the answer is no, but sometimes it’s a yes. You examine yourself almost like a statue at a museum, except you don’t see yourself in such awe. You see the pokes and prods from past pain, everything that is imperfect is what you see. The stretch marks, acne, the weird hair on one of your legs. That’s what you see. 

You try to ignore it, you examine your personality instead. You see the anger you got from your father, the silent cries from your mother. But, you don’t want to give up just yet, so you look some more, you see your tired eyes and your burning passion to be something more, anything more. You want so badly to be something, it’s no longer a desire, it has morphed into pure spite. You have to be something, to be more than everything that has happened.

You think no one notices you, notices that you feel like you’re sinking sometimes, or that you play with your piercings when you’re anxious, but sometimes people do notice. But why would you want help? You should sit there and know what you want and how to help yourself. So you choose to play it off and say “I’m all good” or “College is just super exhausting”. Yet, we know it isn’t just college. 

It’s that you’re so anxious that you want to crawl out of your body, that most nights you look for an escape “ just one breath of fresh air”, or that you have no clue what you’re doing in your life. But once again you ignore it, you push yourself, out of spite, and go do things to try and find yourself: go to the movies, throw yourself into hobbies, hang out with people, drive at night but you don’t think it’s enough or that it ever will be but then again you’re just losing your mind and sitting there scrolling as the snow falls.

A Lesson of Prioritizing

By: Vivian Pham, Staff Writer

It was a week prior to my dorm move-in. I was sitting on the floor, surrounded by moving boxes and my possessions scattered across the room. The process of sorting the things to bring for college and the things to donate was probably one of the most painful processes I’ve been through. Everything mattered, at least in my defense. I had no intention in giving away anything, even the decor I’ve been trying to hold onto since middle school. To me, each object linked to a memory or experience that I didn’t have the heart to throw away. So with that in mind, I threw everything that I wouldn’t bring with me to college into several boxes and stacked them up in my closet, ignoring my mom’s complaint and threats that she’d get rid of them sooner or later.

Last summer, I visited home for the first time since moving into my college dorm. As I opened the closet, a few boxes fell off the stack, instantly bringing me back to the previous fall. I quickly unpacked the boxes and thought to myself, “What on earth am I trying to hold onto?” All the little decors, the exam papers from high school, the notebooks, the friendship bracelet from someone I hadn’t seen for ages, etc. All the things that I once claimed as my prized possessions, suddenly turned into a junk of useless garbage. Maybe it was because I no longer feel connected to these objects, maybe because I’ve been constantly moving from place to place that I now only possess fewer and more useful things that I actually use daily, or maybe because of both reasons. I’m not sure.

If there’s only one thing that I learn from all of this, it would surely be the lesson of priority. When I moved into the dorm, my whole life was packed up in two 50lb-checked-bags, a carry-on suitcase, and a backpack. No more, no less. Life is just like these moving processes. There are so many things, so many events happen in the course of 24 hours, but there are only a few that will go with you for the rest of your life. I slowly learned, through these moving processes, what I need to do in a day that’s worth my effort and attention, who I should be caring for, and most importantly, which stuff I should keep or throw away.