Ace of Spades: A Book Review

Ace of Spades: A Book Review 

By: Mallory Johnson

Ace of Spades is a young adult thriller mystery book by Faridah Abika-Iyimide (it is her debut book!), and it came out on June 1st, 2021. The book is described as “Get Out meets Gossip Girl” and that is the best way to describe the story. It follows Chiamaka and Devon, the only Black students at the prestigious Niveus Private Academy. But...when the anonymous “Aces'” starts exposing secrets, they realize that they're the only people being targeted. Before I go any further, SPOILER ALERT. Also, trigger warnings for racism, homophobia, outing, murder, a car accident, blood, death, racial slurs, gun violence, fire, bullying, stalking, gaslighting, toxic friendships, suicide, drug abuse, sexual assault/harassment, incarceration, and sexual content. 

Ace of Spades is a thrilling mystery that is very fast paced as you try to figure out who Aces is. I recommend watching the movie Get Out first and having a basic understanding of the show Gossip Girl. The story is hard to read at times, as it deals with racism and homophobia. There are twists and turns that I didn't see coming. The secrets that were exposed shocked me and I was in for a fun ride with this book. A quote from Ace of Spades that I love is “At the end of the day, I had to learn to protect my heart above everything, at all costs. If I didn’t protect it, no one else would.” On the very first page of the book are these two quotes: “they say life is full of surprises. That our dreams really can come true. Then again, so can our nightmares.” from Gossip Girl, and “All I know is sometimes, if there’s too many white folks...I get nervous.” from Get Out. It is not just readers on social media making connections to Gossip Girl and Get Out while reading, this book is literally Get Out meets Gossip Girl. I recommend this book to white people who want to learn more about the horrors of racism but who still want to read fiction books. I am glad that I watched the movie Get Out before reading because I got the full impact of the story. There is a huge plot twist at the end of the book that I didn't see coming at all, which I love. 

Overall, I loved reading this book, and I highly recommend reading it! I love reading books with good, diverse representation and this book definitely did that. I give Ace of Spades a very strong 10/10 and cannot wait for more books from Faridah Abika-Iyimide!

You Signed Up for This by Maisie Peters - A Review

You Signed Up for This by Maisie Peters - A Review  

By: Mallory Johnson 

Maisie Peters released her debut album on August 27th, and I have been listening to it on repeat ever since. It is a pop breakup album, and I am obsessed with it. Maisie is on Ed Sheeran’s new record label, Gingerbread Man Records, which is super cool. The album weaves lyrics about heartbreak, growing up, driving, family, friendship, love, and mental health together in a beautiful way. The songs are very catchy and fun while also being sad if you dig deep into the lyrics. The smart yet heartbreaking lyrics pull you in for a journey. The first song and title track “You Signed Up for This” is very relatable to me, especially the opening lyrics “I am 20 and probably upset right now/I still haven’t got my driver’s license.” The second song called “I’m Trying (Not Friends)” discusses heartbreak after a breakup and trying to move on while trying to be the bigger person. The lyrics “Well I might be bitter and twisted and broken and petty and lying/But at least I'm trying” show the diverse range of emotions that are caused by breakups. The third song on the album, called “John Hughes Movie”, is one of my favorites. It references 80s romantic comedies made by John Hughes (think The Breakfast Club). It discusses a love that is not meant to be. I love the lyric “Cause if you don’t want me/then you're not the one.” The fourth song called “Outdoor Pool” goes back to high school young love and breaks your heart. Maisie sings, “We went swimming in an outdoor pool/and you wouldn't tell a soul at school/I’m just fifteen, I just want you, so that’s cool.” The fifth song is called “Love Him I Don’t” and is all about finally moving on from a bad breakup and toxic relationship. My favorite lyrics in this song are, “Now it’s coming up roses/Kicking up snow/What a long winter/What a bad joke.” and “Everyone else can have him but I won’t.” “Psycho” is the sixth song and another one of my favorites. Maisie calls out a toxic ex who cheated on her. My favorite lyrics in this song are “All kinds of ghosts down in your basement/You made me feel so useful, then so used.” I also love the bridge. My third favorite song on the album is the seventh song called “Boy,” where Maisie iconically calls out a toxic, serial-cheating ex. It is hard to pick a favorite set of lyrics from this song, so here are a few: “In love is something that you’ll never be/And you should take this personally.” and “When I told you you were funny I lied.” and “If I was the last girl on earth/You’d still be weighing up your options.” and finally, “I could be a grown-up/But baby you know what?/Maybe I’ll release this song instead.” Ed Sheeran co-wrote this song with Maisie which I think is fun! The mood shifts completely in the next song called Hollow, which is a heartbreaking song. My favorite lyric is “The casualty of love is the price of being free.” Maisie talks about how heartbroken and hollow she feels after a relationship ends. The ninth song, “Villain,” is equally as heartbreaking as Maisie talks once again about heartbreak. She says that she feels like the villain in the story, and says, “If she’s the girl of your dreams/The best thing you’ve ever seen/Well, what does that make me then? /I’m your villain.” Maisie switches gears for the tenth song called “Brooklyn,” which is about her lovely relationship with her sister Ellen (who she mentions in the first song). My favorite lyric from this song is “If you want to take her out, you're gonna have to ask me first/Come on, have you seen those eyes? /It’s nothing but the best for her.” This song makes me think of my own sister. In the eleventh song, “Elvis Song,” she talks about good memories from a relationship. She says, “In my mind, I hear it and I know nothing’s changed/In my mind, we share earphones on the midnight train.” Maisie sings about feeling bad about not committing to the relationship and how she was the one responsible for ending it. Another one of my favorite songs is the acoustic “Talking to Strangers.” In the song, Maisie sings about how she keeps talking to strangers about her lover. She sings, “Oh, I can’t stop, I can’t just not/Tell the whole wide world and this room/No, I can’t stop, even if I wanted to talking to strangers about you.” The second last song called “Volcano” once again talks about a toxic relationship and is very sad. My favorite line is, “I’ll throw you in a volcano, hope death is sudden.” The last song, called “Tough Act,” is a heartbreaking breakup song that reminds me of the song Fine Line by Harry Styles. She says, “Saying goodbye to a best friend/Is the bad part of the right thing to do.” and “Everybody knows that a breakup/Is better when there’s someone to hate but/You were my favorite way to stay up, and I’d say that still.” 

Overall, I am obsessed with this album and believe that it is a very solid debut. My favorite songs are Psycho, Boy, Talking to Strangers, and John Hughes Movie. I give this album a strong 10/10 and highly recommend checking it out! This was the perfect album for the end of the summer. 

Unpregnant - A Review

Unpregnant - A Review 

By: Mallory Johnson

Unpregnant is a movie based on a book of the same name that came out in 2020. The movie is funny and very enjoyable. It is available to watch on Crave and HBO Max. I love how it was written and directed by a woman. The movie follows a seventeen-year-old Veronica who accidentally gets pregnant, and then must travel across the country to get an abortion with her childhood friend, Bailey. It stars Haley Lu Richardson (Five Feet Apart, The Edge of Seventeen) and Barbie Ferreira (Euphoria, Divorce). The movie discusses abortions, the right to choose, and issues with abortion access. I am pro-choice, and I really enjoyed how this movie was also pro-choice. Before I go any further, I want to put in place a spoiler alert. I also want to put in place trigger warnings for: abortion, sexual assault, stalking, flashing lights, and a toxic relationship. 

The acting, directing, and cinematography were excellent and made for a fun watch. I loved the soundtrack, the road trip adventure aspect, and the friendship in the movie. I found it very awkward when Veronica’s boyfriend proposed to her when he found out she was pregnant. I loved how organized and planned Veronica was about the whole trip. One of my favorite parts of the movie was the LGBTQ2+ representation in it, and how it was not a big deal in the movie; it did not change much of the plot. I loved that Bailey was so supportive and called to book the abortion appointment for Veronica. I loved when they were at the carnival on a ride, when they were screaming their secrets; specifically the line “We’re gay and pregnant!” I did not trust the family that gave the girls a ride from the carnival, and I was correct. 

This movie reminded me of the movie Booksmart, where two teenage girls must go on a big adventure to get to a party. But instead of a party, the teens are going across the country to get an abortion. I liked how Bailey reunited with her dad, and that Veronica supported her when he was rude to her. I found it hilarious that they pulled up to the abortion clinic in a limousine, and that the driver, Bob, walked them into the clinic and said that they are great friends. I really appreciate how they showed the abortion process and explained it in a good, healthy, honest, and unbiased way. I was glad that Veronica thanked Bailey when they got home from their big trip. 

I found it very powerful and important that Veronica said that she did not feel bad about the abortion, and the whole conversation that she had with her mom was powerful. I loved how Veronica told her other friends about the pregnancy test being hers, and then went to sit with Bailey. I enjoyed that there was a post credit scene. 

The movie took a difficult subject and handled it in a brilliant way. Abortions and abortion access is something that is very important to talk about. Overall, I loved this movie and give it a strong rating of 10/10. I definitely recommend checking it out!

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) Review and Master’s Issue Update

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) Review and Master’s Issue Update

By: Mallory Johnson 

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) came out on April 9th. The album is a whopping 26 songs (1 hour and 46 minutes) long and features all the songs from her original Fearless album (that came out in 2008). It also includes the song Today Was a Fairytale, which was on the soundtrack for the movie Valentine’s Day (which she starred in). Additionally, the album includes six previously unreleased songs from “the vault.” These songs were written in approximately 2008 and were not originally on the album. They are: You All Over Me (featuring Maren Morris), Bye Bye Baby, Mr. Perfectly Fine, That’s When (featuring Keith Urban), We Were Happy, and Don’t You. Keith Urban also sings background vocals on We Were Happy. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is the first of the re-recorded albums to be released. It is theorized that 1989 may be next, as Fearless and 1989 are both critically acclaimed. 

In November 2019, I wrote an article covering the reason why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums. In summary, she was formerly with the record label Big Machine Label Group. In 2019, she posted on her social media accounts that the rights (“masters”) to her first six albums were sold to Scooter Braun. Scott Borchetta was the man that signed her (he is the owner of Big Machine). He is the one that sold the rights and did it without Taylor’s permission. She begged to own her work but was not allowed to. She was legally allowed to begin re-recording her first five albums last November, these albums include: Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, and 1989. She cannot re-record her sixth album Reputation until next November, as it needs to be five years old. Taylor chose to add the (Taylor’s Version) at the end of all the album and track titles to prove that she owns them and to prevent possible mix-ups with the original versions.  

I listened to Fearless (Taylor’s Version) as soon as it came out, and I am obsessed with it. Somehow, Taylor sounds both young and mature at the same time. The nostalgia that I have surrounding all the songs made this even more special. It is rare that you get to listen to an album for the first time again, and this re-recording process allows for that. 

There are a few lines/songs that feel different listening to them now versus way back in 2008. For example, the song White Horse has a line that says, “I’m gonna find someone someday who might actually treat me well.” Taylor has been in a loving relationship with British actor Joe Alwyn for around four years now, and he treats her very well. Also, the line in the song Change that says, “It was the night things changed,” is special because April 9th was truly the night things changed for Taylor. 

I saw a social media post that pointed out that Taylor now owns 4/9 of her albums and now the release date of April 9th (4/9) makes a lot of sense. Her vocals on the album sound incredible, and you can tell that she put a lot of effort in to make it sound as close to the originals as possible. She also brought back some of the band members that she was working with at the time the songs were made, which I love. In the vault song Mr. Perfectly Fine, I love the line “Hello Mr. Casually Cruel,” as it is a lyrical parallel to the emotional Red song All Too Well where she says, “So casually cruel in the name of being honest.” My favorite songs on the album are Fearless, The Way I Loved You, and Mr. Perfectly Fine. Overall, I give the album a strong 10/10 and highly recommend checking it out, and I am so excited for the rest of the re-recorded albums to come out!

How to make the perfect Easter Bunny Cake

How to make the perfect Easter Bunny Cake

By: Maria Garcia Manzano

Photo credits: Food Network

Have some extra time on your hands? Bake a cake! This Bunny cake is perfect for the Easter Holidays. Below you will find the recipe that I obtained from Food network. There are many more recipes at: https://www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/photos/easter-sweets but this seemed as one of the most festive and fun to make!

Total prep time for this cake is 1 hour.

Ingredients: 

Frosting:

• 6 cups confectioners' sugar

• 3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• Pinch fine salt

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Bunny:

• 2 baked 9-inch round cake layers (your favorite recipe or an 18.25-ounce boxed cake mix)

• 1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut

• 2 store-bought biscotti

• 1 tube pink decorating icing

• 2 black jelly beans

• 2 marshmallows

• 1 white jelly bean, halved lengthwise

• 1 pink jelly bean

• 1 black licorice wheel, such as Haribo

Directions:

1. For the frosting: Combine the sugar, butter and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a hand-held electric mixer). Mix on low speed until mostly incorporated. Add the vanilla, increase the speed to medium high and mix until smooth. Adjust the consistency with milk until the frosting is easy to spread.

2. For the bunny: Spread a thin layer of frosting (about 2/3 cup) on the flat side of one cake layer and top with the flat side of the second cake layer. Measure 5 inches across the top of the cake and cut down through the layers, creating 2 layered pieces that are slightly different sizes.

3. Place the larger piece of cake cut-side down on a large platter or cake board. If using a rectangular cake board, place the larger piece so that the long edges are parallel with the long edges of the board. This is the body of the bunny. Cut the smaller piece of cake in half crosswise, so you have 2 layered wedges. Place one wedge in front of the body, with one flat side on the board and the other flat side against the body. The curved side will be on top. Take a serrated knife and round off the sharp edges on top of the head. Cut the tip off (the nose) at a 45-degree angle. Reserve all scraps in a bowl.

4. Separate the layers of the remaining wedge of cake. These will be the back legs. Round the sharp edges of the cake wedges with your knife and add to the scrap bowl. Place one piece on each side of the bunny, with one flat side down and the other flat side facing forward (the round side towards the back of the bunny), about 1 inch from the end of the bunny's body.

5. Mix the cake scraps in the bowl with a fork until mashed and then pack into a ball with your hands. Place the ball behind the bunny's body and adhere with a dab of frosting. This is the bunny's tail.

6. Frost the entire bunny, tail and all, using 2 to 3 cups of the frosting, keeping some definition with the bunny parts and frosting more generously around any sharp edges to give a rounded look to the bunny parts. Sprinkle the bunny with the coconut to fully cover. Gently pat to adhere.

7. Insert the biscotti between the head and body, pressing into the cake to secure them. These are the ears. Place the base of the ears close together at the center of the head and angle them out. Frost the front of each biscotti with some frosting. Then, using the pink decorating icing, frost a smaller strip in the center of each biscotti, going down to where the ears meet the head but not going all the way to the top.

8. To make the face, press a black jelly bean into each side of the head for the eyes. Cut one of the marshmallows into 3 circles, discard the middle piece and press the 2 end circles, cut-sides in, into the front of the face for the bunny cheeks. Push the white jelly bean halves into the face below the cheeks, round-sides out, for the teeth. Place the pink jelly bean above for the nose.

9. Unroll the licorice wheel and cut 2 pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches long. For each piece, peel the strips apart halfway down and then cut each separated strip in half lengthwise so you end up with a piece looking a bit like a broom. Repeat with the second piece of licorice. Tuck each piece, with a dab of frosting, behind a marshmallow cheek, with the cut ends facing out for the whiskers.

10. Cut the second marshmallow in half lengthwise. Make 3 slits in each half, going about halfway through (these are the toes), and place in front of the legs for the bunny's feet. Adhere the bottom of the feet with frosting if necessary.

Easter Baking Recipe

Easter Baking Recipe

By: Maria Garcia Manzano

Photo Credits: The Food Network

Easter will be different this year. No indoor household gatherings greater than your designated visitors will be permitted. As a result, the extended family gatherings we have gotten used to from years before the pandemic will not be possible this year. Last year during this time, we were slowly settling into the new “COVID normal.” Restrictions on gatherings were lighter than what they are now. Some people were able to enjoy their last typical Easter gathering. 

           This year in an attempt to brighten your Easter holiday, I have found the most fun baking recipes that I believe will lift your spirits. While you may not be able to showcase your baked goods over Easter lunch/supper, you will nonetheless be able to show them off to your extended family through social media or by dropping some off at their door. I picked out my favorite recipes from the Food Network, where sixty-five recipes are available.  

In case you do not want to bake any of the options I suggest, you can find more options here: https://www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/photos/easter-sweets 

Bunny Oreo Balls: A no-bake dessert! They are a fun easter themed dessert that will have your family saying “Wow, they’re so cute!” The total time for making these is 2 hours.

Ingredients: 

• One 14.3-ounce package chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreo (about 36 cookies)

• 6 ounces cream cheese

• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

• 3/4 teaspoon meringue powder (available in the baking aisle)

• Pink gel food coloring

• Black gel food coloring

• 2 cups white candy melting wafers (about 13 ounces)

• 1 teaspoon refined coconut oil

• White sanding sugar, for decorating

• Pink sanding sugar, for decorating

• 45 mini marshmallows

Directions: 

1. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Pulse the cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs. Add the cream cheese and pulse together until the mixture begins to ball up. Transfer to a large bowl and knead together a few times until completely combined.

3. Roll about 1/3 of the mixture into 18 truffles (about 1 level tablespoon each) and place on one of the prepared baking sheets. Roll the remaining mixture into 18 larger truffles, (about 1 heaping tablespoon each), and place on the second prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm and chilled through, about 1 hour.

4. While the truffles chill, prepare the decorations.

5. For the royal icing, combine the confectioner's sugar and meringue powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on low speed just to combine. Add 2 1/2 teaspoons water and increase the speed to medium. Beat the mixture until the icing is stiff enough to hold a peak but soft enough to pipe, about 2 minutes. If the icing gets too stiff, add up to 1/2 teaspoon more water.

6. Divide the icing evenly between 2 bowls. Tint one bowl of icing bright pink using the pink food coloring. Tint the remaining bowl of icing with the black food coloring. Transfer the pink and black icings to separate piping bags (with no cut openings) or to resealable plastic bags and set aside.

7. For the white coating, combine the candy melting wafers and coconut oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the mixture in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until the wafers are melted and the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute 20 seconds. Set aside.

8. Put some white sanding sugar and pink sanding sugar in separate bowls.

9. For the bunny tails: Cut 9 of the marshmallows crosswise to create 18 halves. Carefully dip one flat side of each marshmallow piece in the white candy coating, let the excess drip off and then dip in the white sanding sugar. Place each marshmallow piece sugar-side up on a plate to set. These will be the bunny tails.

10. For the bunny ears: Cut 18 of the marshmallows in half on the diagonal to create 18 pairs of bunny ears. Dip the cut side of each marshmallow piece in the pink sanding sugar. Place sugar-side up on the plate with the tails to set.

11. For the bunny feet: Cut the remaining 18 marshmallows in half lengthwise to create 18 pairs of feet. Set aside on the plate with the tails and ears.

12. Put a truffle in the white coating and use 2 forks to evenly coat. Lift out the truffle, letting any excess drip off, then return to the baking sheet. Continue with the remaining truffles (both sizes) until all are all coated. If the coating cools to room temperature during the dipping process, microwave it in 20-second intervals to reheat. Reserve the leftover white coating to use as glue for the tails, ears and feet.

13. For the heads: Dip the bottoms of 2 bunny ears in the leftover white coating, place on top of a small truffle and hold in place until the coating sets, about 15 seconds. Snip a very small tip off the corner of each bag of icing. Pipe a small pink heart for a nose on the front (face) of the truffle. Pipe a pair of eyes and mouth using the black royal icing. Repeat with the remaining small truffles.

14. For the bottoms: Dip the cut side of a marshmallow tail in the leftover white coating. Place the tail on top of one of the large truffles and hold in place until the coating sets, about 15 seconds. Dip the cut sides of two marshmallow feet in the leftover white coating. Position them on the truffle below the tail and hold until set in place. Use the pink royal icing to pipe a large oval on the top each foot and 3 small circles underneath for toes. Repeat with the remaining large truffles.

15. Return all the truffles to the refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. Serve chilled.

My Thoughts on the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards

My Thoughts on the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards 

By: Mallory Johnson 

The 63rd annual Grammy Awards were on Sunday, March 15th. The award show recognizes music and musical talent and is known as “Music’s biggest night.” 

I LOVED Harry Styles’ performance and was obsessed with all three of his outfits and different feather boas. Trevor Noah was the host of the show, and he was a funny host. I enjoyed Billie Eilish’s performance, and I liked that she was singing on top of a car. I love that Meghan Thee Stallion won the Best New Artist award, she was super shocked in her acceptance speech. 

I like how they did the show, but at points it seemed more like a big concert instead of an awards show. I enjoyed Dua Lipa’s performance and liked the 70’s vibe of Bruno Mars’s performance. I loved that all the nominees for Best Country Album were women! 

Taylor Swift’s performance was amazing and without a doubt my favorite of the night. I love that she did a mashup of Cardigan, August, and Willow, and was surprised that she brought an Evermore song into the mix. Her set was gorgeous and fits the vibes of the album SO WELL. I also loved the dress that she performed in. I also loved her non-performance look and her matching mask. 

I loved that Harry Styles won for Best Pop Solo Performance, it was his first EVER Grammy win, as One Direction never won a Grammy. The tribute segment felt even more special this year. I enjoyed Mickey Guyton’s powerful performance. I enjoyed Maren Morris’s performance, but did not like that John Mayer performed with her. I loved Meghan Thee Stallion’s performance and all the dancing (and tap dancing!) 

I liked the WAP performance, it was funny with all the censoring. The set was super cool! I like how they honored small theatres throughout the show. Lil Baby’s performance was powerful and relevant (it was about police brutality, protest, demanding for justice, and racism). 

Beyonce made Grammy history, and is now the most awarded artist at the Grammys, with a whopping 28 awards! 

I LOVED that Taylor Swift won Album of the Year for Folklore! She is the first woman to win Album of the Year three times! Her first win was for Fearless (country), second was for 1989 (pop), and now Folklore (alternative). Her three wins were also in three different decades - Fearless was released in 2008, 1989 in 2014, and folklore in 2020. This is the first time she won Album of the Year for an album she owns! 

It was interesting to me that the Recording Academy denounced all forms of bigotry and hate. I love how Billie Eilish won Record of the Year, because she is only eighteen years old and extremely successful.

10 Doctor Who Quotes To Inspire

10 Doctor Who Quotes To Inspire

By Ronnie Kayla Neiman

Doctor Who is the longest-running science fiction show (though not continuously) for over fifty years. The modern run of the show started in 2005 with the ninth Doctor. 

The Doctor has regenerated 13 times (Technically more if you count the Timeless Child storyline and the War Doctor). Each time they change, we are introduced to a Doctor who is trying to rediscover who they, but they know that they always help. 

The Doctor has adventured through space and time, met many people, traveled with numerous companions, loved and lost. Doctor Who has so many moments that sit with fans forever and even some make it to those who have never see the show. Doctor Who has a far reach for so many reasons. It's about love and hate. Loss and gain. Truth and lies. It's about exploring the universe and exploring ourselves. It's about adventure and helping others. It's about the infinite possibilities and realizing what is finite. It's about choices and why we made them. And it will forever be about running away with a Mad (Wo)Man in a Box.

These quotes are all from the modern run of Doctor Who. You don’t even need to know the show to take inspiration from the words of The Doctor. 

1. “Never be cruel. Never be cowardly. Remember, hate is always foolish, and love is always wise. Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind.” – 12th Doctor.

2. “We all change, when you think about it. We’re all different people all through our lives. And that’s OK, that’s good, you gotta keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be.” – The Eleventh Doctor.

3. “Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It’s not the time that matters. It’s the person.” – The Tenth Doctor.

4. “We’re all capable of the most incredible change. We can evolve while still staying true to who we are. We can honour who we’ve been and choose who we want to be next. Now’s your chance! How about it?” – The Thirteenth Doctor.

5. “You were fantastic. And you know what? So was I” -The Ninth Doctor.

6. “The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. Hey. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice-versa, the bad things don’t necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant.” – The Eleventh Doctor.

7. “I carry them [Family] with me. What they would have thought and said and done. Make them a part of who I am. So even though they’re gone from the world, they’re never gone from me.” -The Thirteenth Doctor

8. “You want weapons? We’re in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world!” – The Tenth Doctor.

9. “Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind.” – The Twelfth Doctor.

10. “Love, in all its form, is the most powerful weapon we have. Because love is a form and like hope, love abides in the face of everything.” – The Thirteenth Doctor

#FreeBritney: A Summary

#FreeBritney: A Summary  

By: Mallory Johnson 

Britney Spears has gone through a lot in her long career, including mental health issues, paparazzi not leaving her alone, public relationships (and very public breakups), invasive interviews and tabloids, or her toxic conservatorship with her dad. She is a well-known pop singer, her most popular songs are Toxic, Baby One More Time, and Oops I Did it Again. In the New York Times documentary “Framing Britney Spears,” all of this is discussed. 

Conservatorship is defined as a guardian or a protector is appointed by a judge to manage the financial and/or daily life of another due to physical or mental limitations, or old age. In 2008, Britney Spears was first placed under this conservatorship, and she had no control over her money or assets. This conservatorship is still in place thirteen years later, despite Britney’s wishes. Britney’s fans started a movement with #FreeBritney, in hopes of helping her get freed. They make social media posts and protests about it (as you can see in the documentary). Fans also believe that Britney is sending cryptic messages on her Instagram account. Some fans believe that she does not have full control of her social media accounts. 

You can learn more about this in the documentary “Framing Britney Spears” on Crave, but it is hard to watch, as it details the mistreatment, conservatorship, and mental health issues that Britney went through over her whole career. 

Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers - A Review

Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers - A Review 

By: Mallory Johnson 

Phoebe Bridgers released her second solo album in 2020, and I recently listened to it for the first time. It is a beautiful album that reminds me of Folklore and Evermore by Taylor Swift. My favorite songs are Kyoto, Garden Song, Moon Song, and Graceland Too.

 The song Kyoto seems like a happy song on the surface, but when you look at the lyrics it is the opposite. It is about Phoebe’s strained relationship with her dad, and how she always wants to be somewhere she is not. One of my lyrics in the whole album is “The doctor put her hands over my liver, she told me my resentment’s getting smaller,” from Garden Song. The song DVD Menu is interesting because it is instrumental, sets the mood for the album, and sounds the same as the end of I Know the End...so you know the end the whole time (and so the album loops beautifully). Phoebe recently performed Kyoto and I Know the End on Saturday Night Live. The song I Know the End is an eerie apocalyptic song, featuring Phoebe and her band screaming at the end. The song Punisher is a beautiful, heartbreaking song about the late Elliot Smith, fame, and fans. A lot of the songs on Punisher require a deep look at the lyrics to truly understand how heartbreaking they are. 

Punisher discusses familial relationships, romantic relationships, murder, religion (or lack thereof) and mental health. Overall, I give Punisher a solid 10/10 and highly recommend listening to it!

Book Recommendations for the Pandemic Life

Book Recommendations for the Pandemic Life

           It is no question that many people are bored from being stuck at home and are taking up new hobbies that they would never have expected. From hearing other people, I know, people who do not ordinarily read have decided to start reading because of how bored they have gotten. I suspect people have been deviating from reading because most of their jobs or classes have moved online using some video software. The last thing they want to do after a long day of looking at a screen is looking at another screen and watch television. So, here are my book recommendations for people in the pandemic. Without any spoilers!

Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima 

Written by a samurai and writer from the end of the 20th century, "Spring Snow" is a romantic novel that, in my opinion, makes Romeo and Juliet look amateurish. Mishima's excellent poetic writing style alongside personal experiences living simultaneously paints vivid and emotional images that can make the reader feel as if they were there. This is one of my favourite fiction books.  

Over the Edge of the World by Laurence Bergreen

This one is for those who miss traveling or have the desire for adventure within them. This book is all about Magellan's legendary journey. He circumnavigated the globe and found the elusive "Dragon's Tail," which is more commonly known as the "Strait of Magellan." One of the aspects that makes this book good is that it draws upon the journal entries of sailors on the ship with Magellan at the time. In my opinion, this journey's reality and events are beyond something that someone could have imagined writing for a story. I would describe this one as "intense." It puts in perspective how dangerous exploration is.  

The Art of War by Sun Tzu 

This book is for those who are looking for a good non-fiction book to fill their minds. It is called the art of war or the art of life, depending on its translation. The Art of War is a book that is about 2000 years old and describes all kinds of war principles and tactics. Many warlords and generals have famously used this book throughout history. While mostly on war, a lot of the philosophy in this book can teach many important life lessons that can significantly improve one's quality of life. Although it may be obvious given that I am a physics student, my favourite chapter in this book is "potential energy." My favourite quote from this book is, "There are, but five notes, and yet their permutations are more than can ever be heard." Sun Tzu's Art of War is one of those books I find myself coming back to time and time again. 

Regardless of whether one chooses to read these books, I think now is an excellent time to start into the habit of reading. You never know what you might find. A mentor of mine once said that "books contain the answer to every question. It is up to you to find the answers."

N. Monk, Futurist and Philosopher  

Halsey’s “I Would Leave Me If I Could” - A Review

Halsey’s “I Would Leave Me If I Could” - A Review

By: Mallory Johnson 

Last October, the singer Halsey released her very first poetry book titled “I Would Leave Me If I Could,” and I finally read it recently. The book is full of beautifully written poems and references to some of Halsey’s music, which I really liked as I am a huge fan of her music. I loved that she included her poem “A Story Like Mine” in the book, because she performed it at the 2018 Women’s March in New York City, and it was VERY powerful (you can watch a video of her performing it on YouTube). The poem discusses her and her friend’s experiences with sexual assault, so please be careful when you read it. 

The book is full of beautifully honest poems that give you a personal inside glimpse of her life, even more than her music gives you. The cover art of the book is also beautiful and was made by Halsey herself! Most of the poems are not too long, but “A Story Like Mine” is approximately four pages long. A few poems reference Halsey and her reproductive journey. She is pregnant right now, but she had a miscarriage in the past (and performed a concert the same night!) A few poems reference her bisexuality, which I love. Halsey talks about her childhood, family life, relationships, trauma, and more. Overall, I give this book a whopping 10/10, and highly recommend picking it up! You can find it at most bookstores! 

The Best Notebook I Have Ever Come Across

The Best Notebook I Have Ever Come Across

If there is anything a student probably does not like about taking notes, one of those things is having lots of notebooks filled with notes. In the times of the pandemic there is another new annoyance that students face when writing their notes. More specifically students and professors often must scan their notes and assignment work and convert it into a pdf file. A lot of students do not exactly have great scanners to scan their pages, so their pdf file of their work is not the greatest quality or worse fighting with the lighting on the document on your paper is a nuisance. Of course, one can try to type all their notes, but of course anyone in any mathematics or logic-based courses knows, typing your notes in such a class is about as possible as growing wings and flying. Even with all the keyboard shortcuts memorised I cannot possibly type any of the formulas I need to in class fast enough. One could get a tablet and a stylus to take notes during class, but tablets alone are kind of expensive and not every student can afford to get one, and on top of that one must worry about keeping the tablet charged. I personally do not like writing on a tablet because it still does not quite feel like writing with a real pen.  This is where the Rocket Book notebook comes in.

About a year and a half ago, when I was talking with someone over the phone, they told me about some notebook they had seen, and were telling me about how one could write on this notebook scan it send it to wherever and then just erase the pages and keep reusing the notebook. At the time I thought that sounded cool and was a little too good to be true. So, I sort of just kept it in the back of my mind. During Christmas I was given one of the Rocket Book notebooks as a gift, more specifically the Rocket Book Fusion the second generation of the original notebook. Ever since I have hardly ever wanted to use anything else. The notebook has many nice qualities. The first and obvious pro is that it the pages are completely reusable. Once one is done with a page, they can just erase it. With the Fusion in particular, one just erases the pages with a damp cloth with water. The pages themselves are water-proof, and tear-resistant! The pages and cover of the notebook itself are quite nice neither of which are flimsy or weak materials.  In the Fusion, it comes with a wide variety of different types of pages in it. It has planners, calendars, dot grid, lined, to do list, and bullet/idea journal pages. I personally use the dot grid pages the most because I do a lot of maths related work so drawing graphs is quite easy to do. Its convenience does not end there. The Rocket Book notebook pages are designed to be scanned and sent in many ways. So, when one scans the pages with the app, one can completely ignore shadows because even if a shadow covers half the page it will not show up in the document. At the bottom of every page there are some symbols, each of which can be pre-set as a specific destination so that when you scan a page and cross one of the symbols it will automatically send it to the pre-set destinations. The pre-set destination which you can custom choose are highly compatible with things like, Google Drive, Slack, iMessage, email, Evernote, Dropbox, OneNote and even OneDrive. One of my pre-set destinations is set to my university OneDrive and it works exactly how one would want it to. 

The only real con to the Rocket Book Notebooks, is that one must use a special kind of pen, but the pens are essentially the same price as regular pens. I hardly consider this a problem because the pens are good, and one must buy pens anyways for writing on regular paper. So, if anyone is considering whether they should get one of the Rocket Book notebooks, the short answer is: definitely. There are many kinds of Rocket Books with different size and types of pages, with different smart capabilities. I personally plan to get a second one known as the Rocket Book Matrix which is more for people who draw many graphs or write a lot of maths related content. I rate this notebook 6/6. It really is the best notebook I have ever seen. 

N. Monk, Futurist and Philosopher

Playing Older Video Games

Playing Older Video Games 

By Ronnie Kayla Neiman

With a lot of free time to spare, I have found myself playing older games. Usually, I play games that are intensely optimized for graphics and have enormous open worlds. Yet in recent weeks I have started playing other kinds of games.

One such game is Sims 3. It is not too old of a game as it only stopped releasing expansion packs in 2013. The Sims 3 has a lot more features that I enjoy over the newest Sims games. Sims 3 had a large open world for your sims to be a part of and to explore hidden rabbit holes. It had a lot more choices for employment and hobbies. It's also a smaller game GB wise to install if you need to install it digitally. 

Another game I have been playing a lot of is SimCity Societies, which is a literal combination of the Sims games and SimCity games. In this games, a focus on build style is important as well as what point types the buildings give. It is meant to focus more on the 'fun' side of creating a city. I only recently got the game to reinstall to my modern PC after last getting it to work five years ago. 

Another game I have been playing a lot of recently that isn't a Sim style game is State of Decay (the first one). It was a game originally intended to be a multiplayer online game, but the developers decided it would make a better single player game and the storyteller in me agrees. It was also designed for the original Xbox but works just fine on the PC. There is an amazing story taking place during this zombie apocalypse survival game. 

There are so many older games, even ones more than a decade old that can be quite fun to revisit or even to play for the first time.

Promising Young Woman: A Review

Promising Young Woman: A Review

By: Mallory Johnson 

I recently saw the movie Promising Young Woman in theatres, and I really enjoyed it. It stars Carey Mulligan (The Great Gatsby), Bo Burnham (The Big Sick), and Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black). The movie follows Cassie, a young woman who is traumatized by an event that occurred to her best friend years ago, and the revenge she is seeking because of this event. It is a dark feminist revenge comedy and is rated R. MAJOR SPOILER ALERT is in place because I will be discussing how the movie ends. Trigger warnings are in place for: sexual violence (it is MAJOR: it is shown and discussed. Please be careful), violence, murder, sexism, victim blaming, death, loss/grief, drug use/drugging, threats, implied suicide, manipulation, and choking. 

This movie is very twisty, and I was shocked at how it ended. I was also shocked (and disappointed) that Bo Burnham’s character ended up being a bad guy. I really liked how the movie destroyed the “But I’m a nice guy” trope/excuse that is all too common. I compared the movie to the movies Hustlers and Birds of Prey, because Cassie reminded me of Harley Quinn. I loved how the movie was written and directed by a woman, who is Emerald Fennell. The comedy and romance in the movie make the dark subject matter of the movie easier to digest, which I really liked. The poppy soundtrack is very fitting for the vibe of the movie. I know that sexual violence is a very tough topic to cover, but the movie did a great job at it. Cassie was very calculated and knew what to do when she was scamming men. The movie came out on Christmas day 2020, but it was supposed to come out in April (the opening date was moved because of COVID-19). I read online that the title “Promising Young Woman” is a reference to real life rapist Brock Turner being called a “promising young man”

I was shocked that Cassie was murdered at the end of the movie and wished that she were just pretending to be dead in order to fully get her revenge. However, when it was revealed that Al Monroe got arrested for Cassie’s murder and that she was aware of the dangers, I was more satisfied with the ending. I read online that the ending of the movie is supposed to be uncomfortable and shocking, because people who have survived sexual violence have to live with that level of discomfort and trauma their entire lives. My rating for this movie is a solid 9.5/10, and I highly recommend it!

Misinformation and its Host: A Review of Bong Joon-Ho’s Monstrous Political Satire

Misinformation and its Host: A Review of Bong Joon-Ho’s Monstrous Political Satire

Aidan Trembath

Having plenty of time to indulge in movie-watching over the winter break, I decided upon a relatively recent monster film called The Host, a Korean gem directed by the esteemed cinematic wizard of Parasite¸ Bong Joon-Ho. The film had sat on my shelf for most of the fall semester and far exceeded my long-heightened anticipation to watch it. As with Bong Joon-Ho’s other films, The Host delivers sharp, poignant, and darkly comedic satire of South Korea’s political obstacles. The film and its themes of misinformation and bureaucratic ineptitude felt especially pertinent given the uneven responses of governments around the world to COVID-19.  

The film begins with American scientists dumping hazardous materials down drains that connect to the Han River, a major waterway that runs through Seoul. The villainy of unregulated dumping, portrayed rather cartoonishly with a nigh-diabolically unsympathetic American scientist, is followed by the introduction of the central family living in a mobile home and food truck along the Han River. After presenting the lead character and single father to a daughter, Park Gang-du, as bumbling and unaspiring, a fish-like monster makes landfall, gorging itself on the beachside onlookers and abducting Park’s daughter to consume later. What follows is a mixture of family drama, kaiju horror, and rescue plot, interwoven with the South Korean and American governments’ respective attempts to control the spread of information by quarantining victims on false premises of a disease spread by the creature. The film ends with an overt criticism of the United States’ dumping of formaldehyde near South Korea in the early 2000s, followed by the South Korean government’s use of an extremely toxic gas, dubbed “Agent Yellow” (a thinly disguised reference to the American “Agent Orange” gas used in chemical warfare), to destroy the creature. Park Gang-du and his family manage to kill the creature at the end but at the expense of his daughter’s life. 

The film feels particularly relevant in a time of COVID-19 and deliberate restrictions of public information by state governments. The pride and recklessness of irresponsible governments around the world have had direct repercussions on the lives of civilians, both in democracies and non-democracies. In China, Zhang Zhan, a citizen journalist, was recently arrested for her coverage of the early days of the pandemic; in the United States, President Trump knew about the severity of the virus in time to prepare for its arrival but chose to downplay its virulence; in Brazil, President Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied the virus’s gravity, resulting in Brazil becoming a hotspot for the virus. In The Host and in our present reality, the information that governmental bodies choose to share with, or withhold from, the public is amongst the foremost factors that mitigate or exacerbate the deadliness of an emergency. 

For anyone looking for a monster film with a multilayered bite, The Host offers an exceptional insight into South Korean and American relations and the societal repercussions of undisclosed environmental dangers.

Possible Spider-Man 3 Teaser Hints at Ground Breaking Storyline

Possible Spider-Man 3 Teaser Hints at Ground  Breaking Storyline

By Zach Roozendaal

Ever since the rights of Spider-Man’s MCU future hung in the balance, I have been doing coverage of this incredible franchise and the two studios who had helped make it the success it has been. Tom Holland’s Peter Parker may not be everyone’s favourite, but he’s certainly a great Spider-Man, and for those who may have been fans of other iterations of the character, such as Tobey Maguire’s and Andrew Garfield’s, well then I have good news for you, because it seems we may be getting the best of 3 worlds after all.

        Not long ago at the time of this publication, Sony Pictures uploaded a strange video to their Latin America YouTube channel, discussing how all the Spider-Man actors are great, and that in the Marvel Universe, anything is possible. This was mysteriously deleted after only being out for a few hours. Fans have been speculating since the announcement of Benedict Cumberbatch’s casting as Dr. Strange, a reality bending sorcerer with access to seemingly limitless magic, was announced. Cumberbatch’s own MCU film, Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness, deals heavily with the multiverse.

The newest Dr. Strange film is set to be directed by Sam Raimi, who also directed the Tobey Maguire era Spider-Man films. This has led many fans to speculate that with the multiverse elements of the 2nd Doctor Strange, Raimi’s involvement in the film, and Cumberbatch’s appearance in the yet to be titled Spider-Man 3, the two previous versions of Spidey may show up in the 3rd film. Disney and Sony made it quite clear that they wanted to avoid recycling elements of past iterations if possible. This is why, by the time he was shown in Captain America: Civil War, uncle Ben had passed away and Peter had already been bitten by the radioactive spider that granted him his powers.

This also meant that they wouldn’t be using villains already featured in past films, like Lizard, Dr. Octopus, or Green Goblin. Instead, we were introduced to Michael Keaton’s Vulture in Homecoming and Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio in Far From Home.

Far From Home did end up recycling a character though, as well as the actor who played that character in previous films. I’m of course talking about JK Simmons’s appearance in the post credits scene as J. Jonah Jameson, the chief editor of the Daily Bugle Newspaper in the comics, and the Raimi trilogy; the same trilogy where Simmons played the ill-tempered cigar smoking journalist in what many would call the most accurate portrayal of any comic book character in live action. This, partnered with Mysterio’s teases of the multiverse, certainly convinced many fans that there could be some interdimensional issues to be coming soon to the MCU and other cinematic universes.

Additionally, Michael Keaton can be seen in the trailer for Sony’s Morbius, the Living Vampire film starring Jared Leto. Though Keaton’s character has not been revealed, he is wearing a white prison jumpsuit identical to the one we saw him in at the end of Homecoming. In the trailer, he asks Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) if he got sick of doing the “whole good guy thing” before quoting Bugs Bunny by saying, “What’s up, Doc?”. This has led to further speculation on the multiverse, as vulture is specifically involved with the MCU and the Sony Universe was supposed to remain independent, to an extent, of the MCU. 2018’s Venom made no references to Spider-Man and shared few, if anything, with any other Marvel film, aside from the Stan Lee cameo.

Kraven the Hunter was initially set up to be the villain in the Spider-Man 3 film, with Spidey now being framed for terrorism by Jameson and Mysterio following the final showdown at London’s Tower Bridge in Far From Home. Kraven could still be in the cards though; however, Jamie Foxx had mention in a since deleted Instagram post that he would be returning to in an upcoming Spider-Man movie as Max Dillon, AKA Electro. One of the filming locations is supposed to be in Iceland, and if you’re not familiar with Kraven or Electro, I’ll fill you in on them.

In the comics Sergei Kravenoff is a big game hunter from Russia known across the globe as Kraven the Hunter, and he’s achieved fame by catching the strongest and fiercest animals out there with his brute strength, cunning resourcefulness, strategic methods and sheer determination. He sets his sights on Spider-Man, believing the webslinger to be his ultimate trophy, and pursues him armed with various weapons, tricks and traps. While not always portrayed as an out and out villain so to speak, he’s clashed with the friendly neighbourhood hero on many occasions and is an antagonist more often than not. Obviously, Iceland could be portrayed as Russia in the movie.

As for Electro, he was once a normal guy named Max Dillon who was involved in a freak electrical accident that granted him shocking (pardon the pun) superhuman abilities and, similarly to an electric eel, he can generate electricity to stun or hurt others, and can grow stronger feeding off of electrical energy. Foxx played the character in Amazing Spider-Man 2, where he faced off against Andrew Garfield’s iteration of Spidey. In that movie, Electro could also travel through wires and materialize from electrical outlets or wires.

Recently though, when asked about his involvement, Foxx made it sound as though his casting wasn’t 100% finalized and that he may be still in negotiations or not even appearing at all. This is to be expected though, as Marvel and Disney are often very tight lipped on what information they want shared to the public. So if he is involved, they more than likely didn’t want him sharing that info until a trailer was ready for release.

Filming is currently underway in Atlanta and Jon Watts is set to direct the 3rd Spidey film, as he did the first 2 as well, and Marisa Tomei is back as Aunt May, Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, Parker’s best friend in the new films. Jacob has also slimmed down for the role, meaning he could be taking on the role of the Hobgoblin, who Leeds becomes in the comics after being exposed to some of the chemicals that transformed billionaire Norman Osbourne into the Green Goblin. Zendaya is also set to return as MJ, and Tony Revolori as Parker’s bully and huge Spider-Man fan Flash Thompson. Michael Giacchino is also set to return as the soundtrack composer.

Until that trailer hits, all we can do is speculate, unless Marvel Studios or Sony decides to release new info WITHOUT redacting it soon after. 

And now, as always, it’s time for my final thought: Power is always neutral, as is those who wield it, it’s the intentions of which that power is used for that can be the bad or evil or dangerous that we sometimes see people as.

Thanks for reading, until next time, I’m Zach Roozendaal. Love to all and stay safe out there. Wear a mask when in public, wash and sanitize your hands often, social distance, take care of each other and don’t meet in groups.

This is Zach Roozendaal signing off. Goodbye for now.

Existence of Intelligent Alien Life Seemingly Confirmed by Ex-Israeli Government Official

Existence of Intelligent Alien Life Seemingly  Confirmed by Ex-Israeli Government Official

By Zach Roozendaal

2020 has been a weird year. From the Coronavirus pandemic and BLM protests, to Borat’s new sequel, and murder hornets, things have been all kinds of crazy. But as if things couldn’t get nuttier, there’s the confirmation of aliens by the FBI and Israel’s government. But what does this mean for mankind? Are these beings hostile? Do they want to harvest us and use mankind as livestock or obliterate our planet? Do they wish to aid us in our advancement of civilization and technology, or do they wish to use our resources with sinister intentions and balance half of all life with 6 magic rocks and a gold glove?

        What is certain is that if they wanted us dead, they probably would’ve killed us off ages ago. They are definitely far more advanced than us, as mankind has only been to the moon and has yet to visit any other physical locations in space. We are not alone and,  as the opening credits sequence for the X-Files will tell you, the truth is out there.

        For those wondering, the group that these aliens have formed with Israel’s government and the United States’ is called the Galactic Federation, which couldn’t sound any more sci-fi. But hold onto your seats because they aren’t here to ‘beam us up, Scottie’. The information was leaked by Israel’s former top space chief, Haim Eshed. Whether or not he’s telling the truth or just looking for attention is unknown, but given his credibility working with the Israeli government, we may see aliens making themselves known, finally. Eshed worked with Israeli government for almost 30 years, from 1981 to 2010 so I’d say it’s in the realm of possibility that we exist alongside other beings from different planets. He says that the aliens have an agreement with the US government, where they are allowed to conduct experiments and assist in the quest to understand the fabric of our universe. Donald Trump allegedly also planned to break news of there being alien life and that aliens have made contact with Earth in recent years; he was told to keep quiet as mankind isn’t likely going to react that well and still needs time to adjust to the idea of there being civilizations and races far more advanced than ours. According to Eshed, the extraterrestrials want to help mankind make progress with advancing society and technology, and they’ve wanted to keep a relatively low profile on Earth, not wanting to cause panic. They apparently assure us they are here for peaceful reasons. So, provided people don’t flip out and go all Lex Luthor by assuming aliens must all be bad because various works of fiction portrayed them as such, we should be able to coexist peacefully.

        It’s been rumored that there could even be aliens among us, so maybe there’s an impostor in your home. Although, before you hit the big red button for an emergency meeting, don’t worry, they probably aren’t here for anything bad. Like I said before, if they wanted to kill us, they would have done so a while ago. After all, if they have the technology to traverse entire galaxies, then they would probably have the tech to wipe out civilizations, and if they absolutely were after something, they likely would’ve had no problems getting it.

        Now I know many people might be afraid because of the way Hollywood has shown aliens through films and stories like War of the Worlds, Predator, A Quiet Place, Signs, and Alien, but there’s also stories where an alien is the good guy. After all, Superman came from the Planet of Krypton, and when faced with the option of wiping out mankind with Kryptonian war criminal General Zod, Superman defended Earth and was willing to do so against many other alien threats, like Doomsday, whom he died fighting against to save mankind. Thor, from the Marvel Comics is another; he came to earth to reclaim his hammer and save mankind from his brother Loki and eventually joined the Avengers to stop threats like Ultron and Thanos. E.T. told the story of an alien who befriends some young children and uses his abilities to help the kids before returning to his home world.

Most notably from animation is The Iron Giant, the heartfelt tale of an amnesic alien robot who becomes friends with a young boy and is willing to sacrifice his life by stopping a nuclear missile to save the planet after some trigger-happy coward decides that killing off a few million humans is worth it to end a non-hostile alien who he deems a threat. Not only was the Iron Giant kind and friendly, but he was also a fan of Superman, and the last thing he says before blowing the nuke up above earth’s orbit is the name of his hero, Superman. If you haven’t seen it, it has Jennifer Anniston and Vin Diesel and is one of the saddest but most inspiring animated films you’ll ever see.

One can hope that the aliens on Earth, according to Eshed, will also continue to help us, and if more hostile ones show up, they’ll work with us to protect mankind. They may be different, but different doesn’t mean bad. Rather than trying to kill them, we should get to know and understand them. As to how they could possibly communicate with humans, it’s possible that they have some understanding of human languages and have been observing us for millions of years. Perhaps they even aided in creating some languages.

 Now it’s time for me to leave you all with my final thought and a quote from the Iron Giant:

 “Guns kill. And you don’t have to be a Gun. You are what you choose to be. You choose.”

 What we don’t know can be terrifying but understanding how to coexist with it is better than eradicating it. Until next time, wear a mask, practice social distancing, wash and sanitize your hands often, take care of each other, stay home and get tested if you feel sick.

This is Zach Roozendaal, signing off. Goodbye for now.

Harry Styles in Vogue: The Debate of the “Manly Man”

Harry Styles in Vogue: The Debate of the “Manly Man”  

By: Mallory Johnson

For the December 2020 issue of Vogue former One Direction member Harry Styles confidently rocked a gorgeous blue, floor length dress. Without knowing, the once innocent picture sparked a debate about gender. Many of his fans (including me) think that he looks amazing in the dress, but some others disagree.

The most prominent person to disagree is Republican, Candace Owens. She is a woman of color and is an author, commentator, and political activist. She has previously criticized the Black Lives Matter movement and the Democratic Party. In response to the magazine cover, she tweeted, “There is no society that can survive without strong men. The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminization of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence. It is an outright attack. Bring back manly men.” 

Just because one man wears a dress, does not mean that society has completely lost all “manly men”, nor does it mean that that man is not masculine. Masculinity does not exclusively refer to men, and femininity does not exclusively refer to women. 

After Candace Owens voiced her opinions on Harry’s outfit, fans and celebrities came to the artist’s defense. These celebrities include: Jameela Jamil, Olivia Wilde, Zach Braff, Elijah Wood, Kathy Griffin, Lucy Hale, Sara Bareilles, Harry Shum Jr, and more. Additionally, a lot of Styles’ fans noticed that there were pictures of Candace Owens wearing a suit, which undermines her criticism against Harry wearing clothing not typically for his gender. 

In my Diverse Masculinities course, I brought this issue to my professor's attention. In this class we study all the different aspects of masculinity, and how not just men are masculine. We also talk about dated gender stereotypes. I have also taken a class called Making Sense of Gender, where we discussed all aspects of gender. These courses may be interesting to anyone intrigued by the Harry Styles-Candace Owens ‘drama’ or gender norms in general.

In conclusion, let everyone wear what they want to wear. Let people express their gender (or lack of) however they want. 

TV During a Pandemic

TV During a Pandemic 

By: Mallory Johnson

Recently, the TV shows that I love have been returning from their longer-than-normal hiatuses. These shows include “This Is Us”, “The Good Doctor”, “Station 19”, and “Grey’s Anatomy”, and I want to put a SPOILER ALERT in place here. Also, this article will be discussing the COVID-19 pandemic, deaths, and police brutality, so here is a trigger warning. The shows above are taking on a huge responsibility and tackling the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement. It is a little weird turning on one of these shows and hearing them talk about something that is still going on in real life. Because of this, TV is not escapism anymore, it is reality. This makes it a bit hard to watch at times, especially when Randall, a black man, in “This Is Us” got a news notification on his phone about what happened with George Floyd, and seeing him watching the news with his family. 

“The Good Doctor” premiere was very hard to watch, because it is a medical show that takes place in a hospital. It shows all the most difficult parts of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic: patients on ventilators, 18 hour shifts with masks, not being able to spend time with loved ones, grief, and death. I like how “The Good Doctor” is handling it; they are making sure we see how scary and uncomfortable having COVID-19 is, and how it for sure is not easy to be a healthcare worker right now. In “This Is Us”, at the start of the premiere episode, one of the characters mentioned Tom Hanks getting sick with COVID-19 and I had a flashback to the week of March 13th when I was first sent home from Brandon University, because I remembered that I was in my dorm when I heard that news. 

The “Grey’s Anatomy” premiere was a crossover with “Station 19” (because “Station 19” is a “Grey’s Anatomy” spin off). “Station 19” is tackling the pandemic with mask wearing, sanitation, fire truck drives, applauding healthcare workers, and more. In the premiere, they made sure they showed how angry they were when they learned a group of teenagers were partying. In the two-hour “Grey’s Anatomy” premiere, they showed once again all the ins and outs of the pandemic, as the show is based in the medical field. They are showing that the doctors do not have enough personal protective equipment (which includes masks, gloves, and more). They are discussing how many of their patients they lose and reveal how taxing and exhausting being a healthcare worker is right now. The only part of the “Grey’s” episode that I did not like was how there were some clips with the doctors not wearing masks inside the hospital. I am pretty sure these scenes were filmed before COVID-19 struck, but they still could have reshot those scenes to make them less confusing and alarming for viewers. 

On a happier note, there are plenty of good shows to watch on streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ that are irrelevant to the current political climate and pandemic. These include “New Girl”, “The Haunting of Bly Manor”, “Dead to Me”, “Emily in Paris”, and many others. These shows are great to binge if you need an escape from the harsh reality that the world is currently facing. I also highly recommend watching Disney movies, because they are light and enjoyable.