Jamie Kim news editor
With an annual average of 70,000 spectators cheering wildly in the stands and 111.9 million viewers intensely watching the television screen, the Super Bowl has always stood as a testament to American culture.
Since the very first kickoff in 1967, the Super Bowl, this year being Super Bowl LI, is a celebrated tradition, including those of the student body and the high school community.
“I think that the Super Bowl is a huge part of American culture because it’s like a holiday. It unites so many people, and everyone deserves that Sunday to watch the game,” junior Solomon Margo said.
Some students are celebrating the game in the most common way–by attending a Super Bowl viewing party. From a survey with 100 responses, 55 percent of the student body will be attending a party, while 19 percent are planning their own parties.
“To celebrate, I am going to a friend’s house and having a barbecue. It should be a really fun, American way to celebrate the big game,” junior Camilla Wolff said.
For some students, the game is not the most exciting thing about Super Bowl get-togethers.
“I am going to a party and watching the game there. The best part about Super Bowl parties is the food by far,” freshman Spencer Deutsch said.
Super Bowl parties allow the viewers to enjoy quality time with their friends while rooting for their teams.
“I’m looking forward to the Super Bowl this year because I’m throwing a party for it. The game should be lots of fun but it’s also a great excuse to invite friends over for a good time,” junior Evan Karmes-Wainer said.
Some students are even going to a sports bar to enjoy the game.
“I’m celebrating the Super Bowl by going to a sports bar. The sports bars are really fun during the Super Bowl because they’re packed with fans of both teams,” junior Carina Massana said.
No matter how members of the Beverly Hills community are celebrating the highly anticipated game, they are all looking for a good time to cherish the long-standing tradition.
“I think that the Super Bowl serves as a way for all Americans to come together and celebrate with their family, friends and neighbors for the love of football,” senior Spencer Edelman said.
How to throw a Super Bowl LI party on a budget
Priscilla Hopper staff writer
Super Bowl halftime show has lost its greatness
AJ Wolken staff writer
The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sport events in America, not only for the game but also for the commercials and the halftime show. But in recent years, the Super Bowl halftime show has become a joke of a performance, and more of an opportunity to grab a snack or go to the bathroom without missing the game than an enticing spectacle.
The halftime show was once a compilation of marching bands and irrelevant artists, but ever since Michael Jackson headlined the show in 1993 the show has become an opportunity for popular artists to perform for millions all over the world. The early 2000s made the most of halftime performances, featuring musicians like The Rolling Stones, Prince and U2 in their respective years. But recently, the NFL has been making poor choices when it comes to performers, many times throwing in as many big names as possible to make the show appealing. Last year was a clear example of this as Beyoncé, Coldplay and Bruno Mars collectively butchered the show. The performance was weak to say the least, and angered many viewers. But this year is a new year with new opportunity, right? Wrong.The NFL decided to assign Lady Gaga the tall task of rectifying last year’s show and bringing the Super Bowl’s halftime back to its greatness.
Obviously, it’s difficult to choose a performer who would satisfy everyone, but telling a crowd of over 100 million that one of the biggest sports games will be complemented with Lady Gaga is an injustice to football fans everywhere. A sport full of brute strength and violence needs to be accompanied with rock or rap or something just as physical as the sport, and Lady Gaga is not capable of fulfilling this. More than 50,000 fans are calling for Gaga to be replaced, which probably won’t happen, but it shows that the NFL needs to start focusing more on catering to its audience. The Change.org petition is calling for Migos to headline the show, which might not have been a bad idea. Hip-Hop has been growing exponentially in recent years, so an artist who has had a blockbuster year such as Migos might be a good idea to headline the show going forward. It’s only a matter of time before hip-hop makes its way into the Super Bowl, and that might be just the change the show needs to draw back the crowds it once had. Whether Gaga brings a surprisingly good performance or not, the halftime show is dying and the NFL needs to do something to salvage the show that was once great.
