Culture

with CONNOR SMITH and CHRIS LAHOTI

Welcome back to your monthly issue of Plugged In, the only column for discussing the latest in videogame entertainment and media. Instead of focusing on one videogame this month, we have decided to talk about videogame movies as a whole. With the hit movie Free Guy, starring Ryan Reynolds, being the latest video game-inspired movie, we want to look back and discuss why videogame movies have been hated by fans and have performed poorly in box offices across the world. For video games in general there is always one game that sets the trend for innovation. In the early days of gaming, it was Mario. The success Mario brought carried sales for the NES and pushed other companies to make better videogames. When Mario went 3D in Super Mario 64, it started the next level of quality for games. The same is true for movies, except in this case Mario set the lowest of bars. With a whopping 28% on Rotten Tomatoes, critics designated the movie as an entertainment and financial failure, with The Walt Disney Company losing around $6 million overall. It didn’t go up from there. For some reason, directors could never create movie narratives that fully incorporated video games into them. Whether it be the Resident Evil movie franchise or the Sonic movie that was released last year, it seemed videogame movies were stuck in an endless cycle of mediocrity. However, there is hope for the future. The movie Mortal Kombat which was released in April of this year received great ratings from fans and average moviegoers alike. And with Free Guy being a huge success in the box office, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, maybe the cycle is broken. While we will continue to be skeptical of new, video game-inspired movies, there’s hope that movies like Uncharted and Borderlands, which will be released next year, will be fun to watch, and maybe even become a cult classic.

While video game movies have been underperforming in the box office for the last 20 years, Free Guy unexpectedly finds success Photo courtesy of Hollywood Minds

The Lily Pad

with Lily O’Gorman

If you’re like me, you’ve probably turned on the news to find yourself listening to a guy in a suit in front of one too many confusing (but definitely not good) graphs and charts about the “state of the planet” and felt nothing but the compounding and inescapably soul crushing weight of the imminent end of the Earth as we know it. But, hey! Don’t give up yet! Congratulations! Now you have me, Lily, someone also just as confused about current environmental issues, here to answer some important questions including (but not limited to): What even is the Green New Deal and why do my parents keep talking about it? Why is California on fire (again)? Where does our recycling really go? Is it possible to live sustainably in our society? What is the Biden Administration doing about climate change? And some other equally pressing questions such as: Does it actually make a difference if I get paper or plastic at the grocery store? Why did Starbucks just give me a sippy cup instead of a straw? Does Greta Thunberg still live on that boat? Why did Lizzo just post on Instagram at a climate change march? Follow up: Is really Lizzo vegan? Follow up to the follow up: Does being vegan do anything at all? Welcome to The Lily Pad, where all of these questions and more will be answered monthly to (hopefully) help ease your fears about our planet’s environmental state, suggest ways you can make a difference, and maybe even give you some clever responses for the dinner table that will tell your parents- Hey! I am also an informed member of society who definitely knows what the Green New Deal is! See you next month with some real news. For now, stay curious.

ESTEFANIA LOPEZ-SALAS

Social Media Coordinator

Your Spanish Corner

Muchos países hispanohablantes compitieron en las Olimpiadas que se pospusieron del verano de 2020 al verano de 2021 debido al Covid-19. Y muchos de los atletas se ganaron medallas de oro, de plata, y de bronce. Por ejemplo, la venezolana, Yulimar Rojas, no solo ganó una medalla de bronce sino que también rompió un récord mundial en pista y campo. Cuba también tuvo mucho éxito con los atletas de la lucha libre. Roniel Iglesias, Arlen Lopez, y Julio La Cruz se ganaron medallas de oro. A pesar de que Ecuador es un país mucho más pequeño comparado con otros en América Latina, el ciclista, Richard Carapaz, no decepcionó. Carapaz se fue de Tokyo con una medalla de oro en la final de la carrera de carretera. Otros países hispanohablantes también se ganaron muchísimas medallas. Cuba se ganó un total de 13 medallas, Colombia se ganó 5, Venezuela se ganó 4, La Republica Dominicana se ganó 4, México se ganó 4, Ecuador se ganó 3, Argentina se ganó 2, Puerto Rico se ganó 1, y España se ganó 17. En general, América Latina y España ganaron muchas medallas y los atletas todavía siguen celebrando su éxito.

Rojas, Peleteiro, y Mamona se felecitan después de la final del evento de triple salto. Photo courtesy of Just Women’s Sports.

F shion Sen¢e with Raigan Clay

Are you looking to change your style? Streetwear is taking the reins of the fashion Industry right now. It’s not a seasonal style and it can be very inexpensive if you know the ins and outs of the style. The Streetwear style lives up to its name, the style embodies making every piece your own and picking up different vibes, aesthetics and silhouettes from what’s around you. In a nutshell Streetwear today is heavily influenced by the look of a 90’s off-duty model. Oversized everything is in, trendy and neutral color shoes are in, and JEWELERY JEWLERY! Brands like Off White, Yeezy, and Cactus Jack are making real headway in the streetwear industry. These visionaries Virgil Abloh, Kanye West, and Travis Scott are making Streetwear reputable and evolving it into something anyone can pull off. A highlight of the style is that it seems streetwear is gradually moving away from materialism and encouraging thrifting and using what’s in your closet to create a seamless aesthetically pleasing look for yourself. If you have no clue where to start your streetwear journey, I suggest curating a Pinterest board for yourself and subscribing to Youtubers that can guide you on your streetwear journey. The idea of Streetwear is to not break the bank but to instead fake it until you make it! Most people starting out in the style think they need the newest Jordan Ones or the new Yeezys, but that is simply not the case. If you have a neutral pair of Chuck Taylor’s, that can be overshadowed by your great graphic tee or your Jewelry and vice versa. Streetwear is fun and left up for your interpretation that’s what makes it amazing!