Double Truck

The debut of Tick Tick Boom

ISABEL O’GORMAN

Staff Writer

Is Tick Tick Boom one of Netflix’s best original movies? Based on reality, Tick Tick Boom details the compelling story of Jonathan Larson and his journey to create a successful musical while juggling financial struggles, conflict with loved ones, and the AIDS crisis of the early nineties. Before producing the celebrated musical Rent, Larson goes through the classic trials and setbacks of a New York writer with an the talented director Lin Manuel Miranda driving a film that perfectly captures the essence of a true Broadway production yet masterfully utilizes the availabilities of film to serve a greater storytelling purpose. Containing numerous actor features, Easter eggs, and references to the theatre world and previous musicals (even aside from the plot revolving around a prominent playwright), Tick Tick Boom is a movie musical for musical lovers. However, while those who can pick up on the subtle nods to theatre culture may

Netflix has released a Lin Manuel-directed musical starring Andrew Garfield. Photo courtesy of Polygon.

impossible dream, bouncing from total inspiration and burnout to the complete commitment it takes to succeed as a bigcity playwright. In a cloud of fulfilling his absolute, lifelong pursuit of writing and selling an original musical, Larson questions how to reach his dreams without severing ties with the people who support them. Many consider this Netflix original to be a breakthrough in movie musicals, with have a more involved viewing experience, this film appeals to the masses with the compelling trope of an American dreamer amidst a world in crisis. While movie musicals are not the genre for everyone and are certainly not my personal favorite, I believe that this film is worth the watch as it successfully captures the sentiment of uncertainty throughout the AIDS epidemic and the challenges of an artist with a dream.

with CONNOR SMITH and CHRIS LAHOTI

Welcome back to another edition of Plugged In! Winter break provided us with the time to try a plethora of new video games, and one in particular caught our eye. 343 Industry’s newest title, Halo Infinite, brings back nostalgia for a decadesold series by incorporating new mechanics and tricks into classic gameplay. One of the most strikingly new aspects of gameplay is the game’s new openworld format. 343 Industries has broken from previous developer Bungie’s longstanding linear design, opting for a roaming experience around the Zeta Halo ring. The general openness and unexpected encounters found within the environment resemble that of the series’ first game, Halo: Combat Evolved. Accompanying such a large environment is the Grappleshot, a movement mechanic arguably more revolutionary than sprinting. Besides the movement convenience, the Grappleshot provides players with the ability to tag enemies or pick up weapons. Despite the initial fascination with the new features, we noticed some aspects that could have been improved. While Infinite understandably attempts to patch up the disaster of a storyline from Halo 5: Guardians while wrapping up the events of Halo 4, the task seems to prove too difficult to pull off. Veteran players feel cheated by a lackluster, redundant plot while newer players seem to get lost within the convolutedness of the storyline. Several new characters are introduced, but past conflicts and questions are not completely resolved. Regardless, we thoroughly enjoyed playing through the campaign and multiplayer modes. Halo Infinite is available on both PC and Xbox. Players can either opt for the free multiplayer experience or pay for the campaign. Virgil Abloh was a visionary, entrepreneur, and creative legend all in one. On November 28, 2021, we lost Abloh to his ongoing battle with cancer. Abloh paved the way for so many future generations; as an African American male in the fashion world, Abloh left his imprint by always

expressing himself through his art with the intent to inspire young people. Most notably Abloh was the first African American menswear artistic director at Louis Vuitton while managing his selfmade brand “Off White.” While at Louis Vuitton, Abloh tried to transform the high fashion brand and make it more accessible as well as deferring from the traditional silhouette of the Louis Vuitton brand, which in itself brought a whole new audience to the forefront of fashion and how it’s interpreted, especially among younger people. Abloh left an impact on the fashion realm by “challenging every institutional definition of creativity” (Craig Robins, founder of Design Miami). In interviews with friends of Abloh’s, like Pharrell Williams, his best friend Kanye West, and Tyler Okonma, all conveyed the same

message - Abloh was a kindred spirit and embodied such a capacity for creativity unlike anything they had ever seen. Abloh’s brainchild Off White will continue its operations, featuring Abloh’s unconventional designs that drew in so many since its launch. Abloh inspired an entire generation with his willingness to take risks, defy the status quo, and not buy into fitting the algorithm. His legacy will be carried on, and I believe Abloh’s efforts have birthed so many creatives who will transform fashion and culture in years to come.

February is a promising month for the music industry as the new year of 2022 gets a kickstart. Houstonians can look forward to concerts all around downtown and new album releases throughout the month. Starting with Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, more casually known as the Latin Trap King, Bad Bunny, Ocasio is giving his fans a nationwide tour (Boston Leader). Born in Puerto Rico, Benito started as a SoundCloud rapper but managed to snag a deal with Hear this Music record company while working as a bag boy in a grocery store. In 2016 his biggest hit, Soy Peor, hit the streets, and anyone and everyone knew who Bad Bunny was. Bad Bunny takes the stage at 8:00 p.m. at the Toyota Center February 16 and February17. A young but not quiet Australian rap artist, Charlton Kenneth Jeffery Howard, also known as The Kid LAROI, became known to the public through his connections with many top artists in the music industry, but most well-known through Juice Wrld. Through his connections and rapping skill, he was able to sign with Columbia Records and did a collaboration with Juice Wrld on the song “Go.” The Kid LAROI is performing at the Revention Music Center on February 11 at 9. Last is rapper Adam Aminé Daniel, more commonly known as Aminé. He is the son of Ethiopian immigrants who intended on their son graduating college, but Aminé had different plans. From Portland, Oregon, Aminé gained his reputation in the music industry through his Billboard record song Caroline. He soon signed with Republic Records and in 2017 released his first studio album Good for You. The Best Tour Ever Tour is making its way to Houston at the Bayou Music Center on February 18 at 8:00 p.m.

Amine rolls into Houston, TX on The Best Tour Ever Tour. Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan.

F shion Sen¢e with Raigan Clay

World renown fashion icon and entrepreneur Virgil Abloh works on collaberations with Nike Jordan Sneakers. Photo courtesy of Complex.

Capitol riot 2021 at a Glance

Photo courtesy of ABC News.

Texas blackout

Photo courtesy of Runner’s World.

On January 6, a joint session of Congress gathered to count and certify the 2020 election. Leading up to and after the election, many Trump supporters incorrectly believed that Trump’s second term had been stolen from him by the Democratic party. They believed that Joe Biden was an illegitimate president, and that Vice President Mike Pence could veto the certification of the election. While violent protests had broken out prior to January 6, none of them led to any deaths or serious damage, and so Capitol security had lax security measures. As a mass of rioters formed around the gate, they began to try to gain entry. Among the protestors were armed members of right-wing militias such the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. Eventually, several protestors managed to break through the gate and proceeded to storm the building. The protestors occupied the building. During the unrest all congressmembers were evacuated from the chambers as rioters broke in. One protestor was shot while trying to enter the speaker’s lobby. By the end of the attack and its aftermath, four rioters had died.

Photo courtesy of Variety.

California wildfires

With investigations underway on the wildfires that destroyed over 1000 homes in suburban Denver earlier this month, it’s not hard to find comparisons to the beginning of last year. Exactly one year ago, California battled 297 fires in January alone. This record number of wildfires began a year of struggle for the western states, as historically low rainfall, an ongoing drought, and strong Santa Ana winds exasperated local firefighters. This environmental catastrophe strengthened the calls to combat climate change, with senators like Ron Wyden (D-OR) introducing legislation to guarantee $600 million each year for wildfires affecting federal, state, and private lands. As climate change continues to threaten millions of acres of land across the United States, it’s important to learn from our past and work to prevent events like this from happening again.

Photo courtesy of ABC News.

Friends reunion

On May 27, the Friends Reunion aired. “The One Where They Get Back Together” was an hour and forty minutes of reminiscence, laughter, and tears. The six main cast members -Matt LeBlanc, Mathew Perry, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, and David Schwimmer - were put in one room together for only the second time in 17 years. The group was not only appalled to see each other but also the sets they had once been a part of. They looked at Monica and Rachel’s apartment, the guys’ apartment, and Central Perk. After touring around their old acting haunts, they sat in front of the iconic fountain that is in the opening of the show. There they were interviewed by James Corden for “The Late Late Show.” At the very end, they recreated the quiz game from the episode “The One With the Embryos” when the guys and girls quizzed each other on the show. Hurricane Harvey was deemed “the costliest disaster to ever hit the Texas coast.” This was until the Winter Outbreak of 2021 occurred. On February 10, a cold front moved through Texas, bringing significantly lowered temperatures. The below-freezing temperatures combined with “lingering precipitation” caused sleet, and the first Winter Weather Advisory was released across many counties in Texas. At its peak, the freeze left more than 10 million people without electricity for several days. Not only did it leave much of Texas without power but also without consumable drinking water. Residents were told that boiling water before cooking, drinking, or brushing their teeth was a necessity. Homeowners experienced low water pressure, and Houston mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted the city, urging people to “turn off their water if pipes have burst.” Overall, the disaster cost Texas about $130 billion in repair. Throughout Texas, people were left with busted pipes, no water, and no heat.

Delta variant

COVID-19 has affected everyone in some way. It just seems to never end with new variants discovered every time the world seems to finally be back to normal. One variant which has recently been discovered and has been affecting people, including the vaccinated, is the delta variant. It is a mutation of the virus which was first discovered in India in 2020. It spread quickly to different areas of the world, including Britain and the United States. It is known to be twice as contagious as the first form of the virus. Vaccination has helped the effects of the variant, but the unvaccinated face risk. It is so far the most contagious of variants, and it grows exponentially, presenting a serious threat to unvaccinated people. After the vaccine was available to ages 5-17, the amount of vaccinated people has increased and has reduced the risk. There may be another pandemic, but it would be much shorter due to the number of vaccinated people, reducing the effects of the virus globally. If the health care system becomes overwhelmed and leads to a problem with hospitalization like we have seen before in the global pandemic, there could be some serious problems.

Photo courtesy of Texas Monthly.

Olympics

After much anticipation and many roadblocks, the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in 2021 set new precedents for athletic skill and determination in an unparalleled year. In Tokyo, Japan, the 32nd Olympic Games did not host spectators in an unprecedented Covid protocol. While there were no fans able to cheer on their countries, the athletes of the 2020 Olympics put on a show for millions of online spectators by smashing both Olympic and world records and setting many Olympic firsts from the track, pool, beach, and gym. Many American athletes, such as Allyson Felix, Carl Lewis, Katy Ledecky, Lydia Jacoby, and Caleb Dressel cemented their positions as world-class athletes by setting records or performing with notable success within their sports. With a fantastic display of dedication, resilience, and allaround athleticism, the American athletes continued the United States’ dominance of the Summer Olympic Games by taking home many firsts, setting records, and earning medals.

Space launch

Have you ever wanted to go to space but not felt like going through real training to become an astronaut? Well, if you, like billionaire extraordinaire Jeff Bezos, have a cool $5.5 billion lying around, last year’s “billionaire space race” may have opened a window for you. On Apollo 11’s 52nd anniversary (July 16), Bezos lifted off aboard his Blue Origin New Shepard rocket, spending a mere 10 minutes in an experience he called part of the “best day ever.” Besides apparently being super fun, Bezos’ $550-million-per-minute excursion raised eyebrows about ego and excessive wealth as well as the privatization of space travel. Similarly, British billionaire Richard Branson controversially rode aboard his rocket plane known as Unity or SpaceShipTwo on July 22. Branson and Bezos are offering seats for their next space flights starting at $450,000 for Unity and $2.8 million for Blue Origin.

Photo courtesy of CBS News.

Climate change summit

Methane. Coal. Fossil fuels. These topics were some of the main talking points at the United Nations Climate summit in Scotland, spanning twelve days. One of, if not the most, discussed topics during the conference was coal. The conference successfully brought 28 new members to the Powering Past Coal Alliance, gaining promising momentum in the end to coal-based energy for the future. President Biden spoke about his proposal for addressing climate change within the United States. In addition, he spoke on his administration's commitment to halving domestic emissions and reaching net-zero by 2050. Overall, the conference brought many conversations and issues to light about the future of our planet. However, according to the New York Times, "Mr. Biden told reporters the meeting had re-established the United States as a leader on what he has called an existential threat to humanity."

Photo courtesy of Bloomberg. Photo courtesy of dkoding.in.

Shang Chi

Shang Chi is the first movie in the MCU with an Asian-identifying origin story. The critically acclaimed film has accumulated roughly $432 million in box office sales and did exceptionally well among fans of the MCU. Simu Liu plays Shang Chi and is the first Asian actor cast to play the protagonist in a Marvel film. This is a breakthrough for Asian Americans in the cinematic realm as it conveyed Asian culture and the beauty of it while introducing the story of Shang Chi. Marvel is starting to expand its means of representation in its films with the creation of movies like Coco, Encanto, Soul, Luca, and now Shang Chi.

Omicron variant

According to the CDC, the Omicron variant, the second of the two COVID-19 ‘Variants of Concern,’ was first discovered on November 24, 2021, in South Africa, but the first case wasn’t detected in the US until December 1. Compared to the original COVID-19 virus, the variant is known for being more transmissible, and even with the help of vaccines, which are designed to prevent severe illness, it is still possible to contract the Omicron variant while fully vaccinated. To help combat the spread of this new variant, the CDC recommends citizens wear a mask as well as get vaccinated in order to prevent severe symptoms and to make sure there are less hospitalizations. Yet, there is still so much unknown about the Omicron variant since it very recently traveled to the US in early December, especially in comparison to the amount of data scientists have collected surrounding the Delta variant. Scientists are working diligently to research the effects of the new variant and hope to release more information about it and its spread in the near future.

Photo courtesy of The New York Times.