![After Massachusetts voted to remove the MCAS graduation requirement, policy makers are reshaping graduation standards. "The top-line understanding is that we’ve moved away from a system that we’ve known for about 24 years, which is one where every school district in Massachusetts had wide latitude to decide what their graduation requirements were in terms of coursework or other experiences, but every single student, in order to earn a diploma, needed to pass the MCAS in one English, one math and one science assessment," Massachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler said. "We’ve moved away from that now, by virtue of the outcome of [the MCAS] ballot question in November, to a place where communities can still decide what their graduation requirements are, but there’s no requirement for students to pass the MCAS.”](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/img_3067_720.png)
![Troy Hoyt finishes the Boston Marathon, running for the Hoyt Foundation. T. Hoyt is the son of Hoyt Foundation CEO Russ Hoyt.
“[Running a marathon] might seem like a big thing, when it’s presented to you at first, but if you break it up and just keep telling yourself, “Yes, you can,” you can start chipping away at it. And before you know it, you’ll be running the whole 26 miles, and you won’t even think twice about it.” T. Hoyt said.](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/C36E8761-1CBB-452E-9DF2-543EF7B1095E_1_105_c.jpeg)
![From left to right, junior Ben Pyhtila, sophomores Aadith Charry and Owen Chislett play their cello instruments. Junior Jubin Kim also plays the cello and has been playing the instrument since third grade. "I think that [the cello] is a good balance between a high instrument versus a low instrument, and I just really like the rich sound that it makes," Kim said.](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_6540-1200x800.jpg)
Editor’s note: Please be advised that some of the music listed may contain explicit and/or inappropriate content.
One make or break quality I have for musicians is if the they can perform well live, it adds something to their work. This rule doesn’t apply well to some genres like Dubstep or House music, but Submotion Orchestra breaks this trend. They describe themselves as a “Progressive live Dubstep sound,” and this may seem a bit contradictory, but you’ll realize what they mean when you hear them.
All Yours – Submotion Orchestra
They are a 7 person outfit from England, and their line up is similar to traditional jazz combos: drums, percussion, electric bass, piano, fx & production, trumpet and vocals. Their sound is unique; I’d say it’s a mix of jazz, ambient, dubstep, and downtempo is clean and atmospheric. I’m happy to see the band is gaining popularity because they are bringing a whole new sound to the music scene and challenging the norm.
Finest Hour – Submotion Orchestra
Baauer is a electronic producer at the forefront of the EDM trap movement. While he has only released a couple original songs and a handful of remixes, he is critically acclaimed and has a strong fan base. His focus on quality and his distinctive sound makes him a force to be reckoned with. His remix of the new Nero singe, Won’t You Be There, preserves the mood of the original while completely changing the style, mood and tone. The production is top notch; it’s filled with clean, full bass and piercing leads. My favorite part of the song is the second drop; it snuck up on me and knocked me off my feet the first time I heard it.
Here’s a more laid-back but captivating Baauer remix. The song he remixes is more folksy-indie, and he manages to keep the emotion of the original while putting his signature spin on it.
Winter Is All Around You (Baauer Remix) – First Aid Kit “
And speaking of Nero, the English dubstep giants, they recently teamed up with Skrillex to remix a song of the new Monsta EP, which was released on Skirllex’s Label, OWSLA. The Song is called Holdin’ On and is remixed as a drum ‘n bass tune. The interesting thing about the Original Artist, Monsta, is that the group consists of two producers and a dedicated vocalist, instead some producers just sampling or featuring singers. The vocalist has a uncommon voice for the EDM scene, as he has a bluesy, soulful tone.
