Movie:
Iron Man 3
“Iron Man 3” was wildly popular among students when it was released this spring. A sequel to “Iron Man” and “Iron Man 2,” and the seventh installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Iron Man 3” is the highest-grossing film of 2013 so far, earning a worldwide total of $949,046,699. It achieved the sixth largest worldwide opening weekend with $372.5 million.
The film follows Tony Stark as he battles the Mandarin, a front for the evil scientific organization, A.I.M. A.I.M.’s leader, Aldrich Killian, plans to upgrade the human mind, using a compound that allows humans to automatically heal themselves, but runs the risk of failing, turning the person into a living bomb. Still tormented from the prior events from the Avengers in New York, Stark is isolated, prone to anxiety attacks, and left to his own devices to find the Mandarin and end his terrorism against the United States.
Runner up: The Great Gatsby
Third Place: The Hobbit
Song:
Stay- Rihanna
Rihanna captures the emotional struggles of lost love in her hit single “Stay,” featuring Mikky Ekko. The song was released along with her seventh studio album “Unapologetic” on January 7th, 2013. “Stay” was a popular single among people all around the world, reaching number one in the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, and Israel, and it is Rihanna’s twenty-fourth song to reach the top ten on the “Billboard Hot 100,” charted at number three.
Runner up: Ho Hey- Lumineers
Third Place: Get Lucky- Daft Punk
Book:
Brave New World
“Brave New World” is one of the required books for twelfth-grade English classes. Many of the seniors enjoyed reading this book, even though it was assigned material. The novel was written in 1931 by Aldous Huxley and is set in a futuristic society based on pleasure without moral repercussions. The year is 632 AF — AF standing for After Ford, because of the mass production improvement Henry Ford made in society. Society has been stabilized through the creation of a caste system, and the English teachers added a fun twist to this reading assignment by having the students dress as each caste system on different days while they read the novel.
Runner up: 50 Shades of Gray
Third Place: Jane Eyre
Game:
Cultris
If any seniors had their laptops out when they maybe shouldn’t have, they were most likely playing Cultris, the most popular game at Southern Lehigh for the 2012-2013 school year. It’s similar to tetris, where you have to fit different block pieces together, but instead you play against other opponents. Many people even claimed that once you start playing, you can never stop. There were many different versions of Cultris to play throughout the year, and as one would get blocked, someone would find an even better one. The students enjoyed making up usernames and finding their friends’ usernames to play against them during class. Cultris may even go down in history as the most popular computer game at Southern Lehigh.
Runner up: Tetris
Third Place: Candy Crush
TV Show:
Duck Dynasty
“Duck Dynasty” is a reality television show on A&E that is currently in its third season. The show centers around the Robertsons, a family from the Louisiana Bayou who are living their dream as they run a thriving business. The Robertsons made their fortune with duck calls, and turned their little family business into a multi-million dollar empire, hence the name “Duck Dynasty.” Each episode shows their daily activities, and even though they are millionaires, the Robertsons still stay true to their home values and lifestyle. If you don’t watch the show and are still a little confused on what this is all about, think Beverly Hillbillies of the 21st century, if that were a reality TV show.
Breaking Bad
How I met Your Mother