November 5th, 2015
Volume LXXXV No. 10
A WHOLE NEW SONG: CONCORD LOOKING TO ADD MUSIC DEGREE James Hoyle
the details of what this major There are four different applied Staff Writer would entail. Completion of areas to choose from; they are this new Bachelor’s in music instrument, voice, keyboard, Concord University will very will require the completion of and composition. Dr. Mainland soon have a Bachelor of Arts in 120 semester hours, including pointed out that while there is Music for the first time since six hours in one foreign lan- a lot of applied music in this the 1970s. According to Dr. Timothy Mainland, Professor of Music, the Department has been trying to get this done for years. “It’s gone back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. There’s been some question about costs to the institution. This matters these days because of the problems with budget and state funding. It became an issue, and it has been difficult over the years to convince administrators that it won’t cost us [the University] anything. And Musically inclined Concord students will soon have the opit won’t. I think it will bring in tion to pursue a B.A. in Music rather than just an Interdisstudents, and we’ve had quite ciplinary or Music Education degree. a few music students that have Photo Courtesy of concord.edu wanted this program for a very, very long time.” guage, the core music program, major, it is not a conservatory In one of the earlier drafts an applied area, and a program degree. For those that do not of the proposal presented to of electives selected in consul- know, a conservatory is a school get this program, it lays out tation with a music advisor. that is designed specifically to
Nov. 5-11
SEE MUSIC, P. 2
This Week’s Local Forecast
Weather Trivia How far is the sun from the Earth?
Thursday
Partly Cloudy 70/55
Friday
Few Showers 73/52
Saturday
Few Showers 59/40
Precip Chance: 10% Precip Chance: 30% Precip Chance: 50%
Sunday
Monday
Precip Chance: 5%
Precip Chance: 0%
Mostly Sunny 50/38
Sunny 51/35
Tuesday
Wednesday
Precip Chance: 5%
Precip Chance: 0%
Mostly Sunny 60/42
Sunny 67/45
News: • A Whole New Song: Concord Looking to Add Music Degree • Frightening Success: 2nd Annual Spooktacular • Snuffing Out Smoking? Concord Talking About Going Smoke Free
Student Life
• Let’s Talk About Sex • Bonner Goes Sole Searching One Shoe at a Time • What Has SGA Done for You?
Arts, Entertainment, & Community • Undertale: A Game Review
? Sports
Answer: 93 million miles.
Athens 7-Day Forecast
teach music. This will be the first time since roughly 1974 that Concord University has had a Bachelor’s Program in Music. According to Dr. Mainland, the program was retired due to the political situation in West Virginia in the 1970s. Concord University, being a state university, receives state funding. At the time, the state government wanted an allocation of function between the bigger universities and the smaller universities. What this essentially meant was that by having a degree in Music at that time was causing unwanted competition between Concord University and larger schools like West Virginia University and Marshall University. Therefore, the program was cut. This allocation of function is also the reason why Bluefield State College is mostly a techni-
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• The Hot Corner
Nov. 5th 2015, Page 2 The Concordian
News
FRIGHTENING SUCCESS: 2 SPOOKTACULAR Haley McCord
Staff Writer Things got a little spooky on the Campus Beautiful last week! On Friday, October 30, the second annual Spooktacular was held in the Fine Arts Building from 7 PM to 9 PM. Tickets were sold in the Concord University Box Office and were priced at $5. That $5 gave patrons entrance to the concert, the Haunted Hall, and the Halloween costume contest. Several students, faculty, parents and their children gathered inside the main auditorium to watch the band and choir perform. The band performed the wellknown main theme of Jurassic Park and the choir performed two songs – one arranged by student and choir member Alli Whitener. Both band and choir members were dressed up for the Halloween occasion. The nature of the costumes varied from scary to funny to nostalgic, and included things like Cruella
De’ville from 101 Dalmatians, Twisty the clown from American Horror Story: Freakshow, Batman, Anger from Inside Out and Dr. Hudson dressed as a purple Crayola crayon. A costume contest followed the band performance and those who chose to participate were asked to come to the stage; everyone in attendance was welcome and could be entered in the contest. First, second, and third place were awarded to adults and children. The child that won first place was dressed as a hen and wore a fuzzy white suit, orange chicken hat and yellow triangle shaped feet. First place in the adult division was awarded to a girl dressed in an elaborate costume made up of a tunic woven with leaves and flowers. There were several other interesting costumes. For example, there was a couple dressed as a deer and a hunter. After the performances, attendees were encouraged to go through the haunted hall after
signing a wavier; several groups awaited their fate inside the Fine Arts lobby. After approximately fifteen minutes, the groups began their trip through the hall. Tour guides, dressed in costume lead the groups through the haunted hall and told a story of a little girl that had supposedly died inside the halls as a result of a sleepy and negligent mother. Since then, she’d haunted the practice rooms in the music department, looking for unsuspecting students to play with her. The hall was well lit and acceptable for all ages. It had enough good quality scares and creep-factor to entertain older patrons, but wasn’t too over-the-top as to scar the littler patrons for life. Most of the people that went through the haunted hall thought that it was an overall good experience. Trash bags were hung on the walls to darken the atmosphere and students in makeup and costumes lurked in the corners waiting for the perfect
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ANNUAL
The choir members entertained guests with hard-practiced pieces and delightfully elaborate costumes. Photo By: Haley McCord
moment to either jump out and scare patrons or simply follow the tour group quietly and unnervingly. Sarah White, the coordinator of the haunted hall says, “It was a lot of work and it definitely paid off. I’m really proud of everyone’s dedication.” Overall, the event brought a lot of the community together and students enjoyed dressing up and sharing their music. The band’s performance was unique
and the choir performed mostly a-cappella which was definitely impressive. Families enjoyed the haunted hall and listening to both performances. It was a great way to kick off the Halloween weekend, and the event raised 380 dollars, which is more than was made last year. Hats off to the music department, who made this year’s event a scary success and raised a lot of money while doing it!
is a very hard degree. So we had to fight the perception that we don’t do anything.” He went on to say that he believes that there is a student interest and that prior to the interview, he had just advised a student that wondered whether or not they could they could apply for graduation after the degree is instituted if he finishes before it is. “I think that there are people that have left and there are people who would have come and people
who did graduate with an interdisciplinary degree who would have rather had a BA in Music.” Mainland said that it has recently passed committee and that President Boggess was a supporter. At the time of this writing, the proposal is at Charleston, waiting to be approved by the state. Anyone that has questions or comments about the new major may contact the Academic Dean’s office by email at vpad@concord.edu.
MUSIC FROM PAGE 1
cal and a two year school while Concord University is mostly a liberal arts school. It was to prevent having two schools in close proximity vying with each other for state funding. Dr. Mainland stated that in the 1980s, for every dollar spent on a student in college, 80 cents of it came from taxes. In the 2010s, that amount has shrunk to roughly 25 cents for every dollar spent on a student. It is clear from that, along with another round of statewide
budget cuts incoming, that the University is losing state funding. Therefore, the University does not want to waste the money it does get on programs that do not get a good student turnout. However, Dr. Mainland believes that this new degree will bring students in, and hopefully raise enrollment. “A music degree, we keep being told, is not viable for a career. That seems to be the conventional wisdom, that music isn’t a real field. But it actually is. I
know a lot of people making a living doing music. Lots of people. And when you think about it, music is a multi-billion dollar industry in this country. I mean, who doesn’t buy music? You listen to it on TV and movies, people buy recordings, people pay for concerts, it’s taught in schools, and people pay for lessons. It really is good business. The conventional wisdom is that music is a basket-weaving degree comes from people that have never tried it. It
Nov. 5th 2015, Page 3 The Concordian
News
SNUFFING OUT SMOKING? CONCORD TALKING ABOUT GOING SMOKE FREE Haley McCord Staff Writer It’s no secret that smoking causes serious damage to a smoker’s organs and can potentially lead to cancer, but scientific evidence and a multitude of studies suggest that secondhand smoke is more harmful to those around it than those inhaling smoke directly. Many smokers argue that they have the right to kill themselves at their own liege; however, those who walk past the smokers standing too close to entrances and absentmindedly inhale secondhand smoke, and cough, sneeze or must use inhalers to calm their own lungs are also put at risk. Concord has taken action by placing “Smoke-Free Entrance” signs outside each entrance on campus and providing smokers with designated areas approximately twenty-five feet away from doors to smoke. For example, smokers are encouraged to use the gazebo outside the Alexander Fine Arts building and the gazebo outside North and South Towers to shelter them from the elements while they take their smoke breaks. Unfortunately, smokers continue to smoke too closely to entrances and consistently huddle in groups outside the Student Center, Marsh Hall and all residence halls. Concord’s Faculty Chapter of AFT passed a proposal to support the transition to a tobacco-free campus in their meeting on Sept. 29. Students, both smokers and nonsmokers, are outraged and have
several concerns. Some wonder if vape pens, which have controversially been called cleaner alternatives to traditional cigarettes, would be allowed on campus and others question the possibility of Concord becoming a completely dry campus [alcohol free] as well. Preston Bennett, Concord student and smoker, says “Concord is lobbying to make people stop doing something they want to do, but don’t give them [smokers] a viable option for an alternative. The smokers here are like a clique unto themselves, so I feel like the sting of a smoking ban could be alleviated if they offered to fund a smoker’s lounge or something, where people could smoke and hang out and talk, but just straight up banning it is a bit overzealous I think.” After hearing about this potential change, the Concordian asked several Concord students and a few faculty members, smokers, non-smokers and vapers, what they thought about Concord proposing a smokefree campus. Dr. Adriana Falco, Assistant Professor of the Department of Psychology, has done research on the behavioral and neural effects of nicotine, believes that Concord should push for a smoke-free campus. She said, ““The positives of any public place going smoke-free are really hard to keep brief. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), over 480,000 Americans die every year due to tobacco related illnesses. That’s approximately
1 in every 5 deaths that is attributable to smoking related illness. So, why make Concord University smoke-free? Well, 41,000 of those 480,000 deaths each year are due to secondhand smoke, which some people may come into regular contact with when smoking is allowed in public places. In addition, quitting smoking before age 40 reduces the risk of dying from smoking related illnesses by 90%. So, it may not be that every Concord student quits as a result of making the campus smoke-free. But, for those for whom this policy makes the difference in choosing to smoke or not, the intervention may be occurring at a time when it is easier to quit and when quitting can make a huge difference in long-term health.” In detailing her research a bit further, Falco said, “I have used rats as a model for how humans behave to nicotine (which is believed to be the main psychoactive ingredient in tobacco). While I have studied numerous behaviors, most of my interest has been to understand how individuals who are anxious react to nicotine. There is growing evidence that individuals who are highly anxious may find nicotine more reinforcing or rewarding than those individuals who are not as anxious; a finding which my own research has supported. This relationship may be particularly strong during adolescence when nicotine already has an increased rewarding value.” The health benefits of quit-
ting smoking are obvious; however, some people cannot quit cold turkey or simply do not want to quit and feel they shouldn’t have to. Many students were either against the change or indifferent. While Haley Lewis, nonsmoker, says “I liked that Concord put up the signs, but I don’t really care about this problem because I don’t smoke,” Jessica Phillips, smoker, says “I am old enough to smoke cigarettes and I’m old enough to make my own decisions. I pay to go to school here and I expect to be treated like an adult.” Some are frustrated that there are not enough locations for smokers to use during the harsh weather. The lack of covered areas forces smokers in front of doors and within crowded areas making it hard for nonsmokers to escape the smoke. Anonymous individuals spoke about the issue on Yik Yak when the question, “What do you think about Concord becoming a smoke free campus?” was proposed: “There are signs up that most of the smokers don’t pay attention to. If they wouldn’t smoke in front of the doors and common places then it wouldn’t bother me. I’m just asking you all [smokers] to be polite about doing something that harms your heath and my health.” Another anonymous individual on Yik Yak says that Concord should not be “entirely smoke SEE SMOKING, P. 5
The Concordian Staff Brittany Strother Editor-in-Chief Sarah White Managing Editor Staff Writers: Linh Dinh Briana Gunter James Hoyle Tyler Jackson Haley McCord Patrice Mitchell WebMaster Jonathan Collins Business Manager James Blankenship Mrs. Lindsey Akers Advisor
Your Name Here Write for the Concordian!
Nov. 5th 2015, Page 4 The Concordian
Student Life
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LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX Office of Student Affairs
Graduate Assistant For decades, “No Means No” was the slogan for sexual assault prevention efforts, meaning that if one partner said, “No” and sexual activity occurred, it was assault or rape. In recent years, “Yes Means Yes” has become the model. “Yes Means Yes,” or affirmative consent, requires a mutual agreement for sexual activity. Without a verbal or non-verbal “Yes!” a partner should not engage in sexual activity. It is the responsibility of both persons to consent to sexual activity. Lacking that consent, a partner can be accused of sexual assault or rape. This change is reflected in new laws and standards, which also affects the judicial process of sexual assault claims/allegations. For example, last year, the governor of California signed
legislation requiring colleges and universities to adopt policies where the burden of proof switched from the accuser to the accused. Legislatively, New York quickly followed California’s lead. Previously, evidence of resistance was necessary in a sexual assault claim, sometimes implying that sexual activity is ok until the victim says ‘no.’ “Yes Means Yes” changes consent to a positive action that can be used by students to ensure clear permission. Some people believe talking before intercourse is not sexy; we have had this ingrained into our minds by media and contemporary culture. However, having a discussion about consent, expectations, limits, and consequences is the sexiest thing you can do to ensure you and your partner are on the same page. Consent is your responsibility and can be sexy, fun, and hot while also being
clear and obvious. The “It’s On Us” campaign, found at itsonus.org, provides tips for affirmative consent. These tips include: • Consent is voluntary and mutual, and can be withdrawn at any time • Past consent does not mean current or future consent. • There is no consent when there is force, intimidation, or coercion. • One cannot always consent if under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. • Understand that if someone does not or cannot consent to sex, it’s rape. Additionally, the campaign provides tips for active bystander intervention, such as: • Don’t be a bystander- if you see something, intervene in any way you can. • Trust your gut. If something looks like it might be a bad situation, it probably is.
• Be direct. Ask someone who looks like they may need help if they’re ok. • Get someone to help you if you see something – enlist a friend, RA, bartender, or host to help step in. • Keep an eye on someone who has had too much to drink and help them leave safely. Make sure to visit itsonus.org to pledge to help keep women and men safe from sexual assault and to not be a bystander, but to be a part of the solution. The web site also has wonderful videos and resources if you are interested in promoting your own “It’s On Us” campaign. If you are a victim or survivor, or helping someone in that situation, there are many campus resources available to you. You can contact the Chair of the Sexual Assault Response Team, Rick Dillon, at 304-384-5231, or 304-920-4373; the Title IX
The First Amendment
Coordinator, Dr. Marjie Flanigan, at titleix@concord.edu or 304-384-6035; the CU Counseling Center at 304-384-5290; or the Office of Public Safety at 304-384-5357. For confidential assistance, the Women’s Resource Center in Beckley has a counselor assigned to Concord University. The WRC can be reached by calling the 24-hour hotline: 304-255-2559 or toll free via 888-825-7836 or visiting their website at http://www.wrcwv. org/. You can find additional resources and information at Notalone.gov and/or you can call the National sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances
Nov. 5th 2015, Page 5 The Concordian
Student Life
SMOKING FROM PAGE 3
free, but I think there should be designated areas for smoke. I personally have severe allergies to the stuff and since coming here, [I] have stayed sick from having to be around so much of it. Designated areas for smoking is the way to go.” Others mentioned that
Concord may lose students if they choose to implement a smoke-free campus. Jake Trump, a student who quit smoking last week and now uses a vaper, says, “Making Concord a smoke-free campus would upset a lot of students. Some will smoke no-matter
what the school tries to do. A lot of faculty members smoke and will continue to smoke as well and enrollment could go down. We already lost the pool – now this?” While Concord seems to have the best intentions for the school, the majority of the
student body is against a smokefree campus. After talking with students, the main issue nonsmokers have with smokers seems to be that they smoke too close to entrances. I think most smokers would agree that if alternative areas, covered and with walls, were designated
specifically for smoking, they would refrain from smoking in front of doors and there would be no need for Concord to implement a smoke-free campus.
BONNER GOES SOLE SEARCHING ONE SHOE AT A TIME Linh Dinh
to be the project coordinator. realized something as simple as 3-point shootout, is a basketStaff Writer She shared of her passion to shoes could fix so many health ball shooting competition. The help Ugandans in need: “I chose problems for many Ugandans, I prize for the top two basketLeave it to the hardworking to not only join Sole Hope but knew it was a cause worth sup- ball winners is a $25 VISA Gift and dedicated Bonner Scholars card that you can use to do good deeds and inspire almost anywhere or the student body on campus. $25 flex dollars that Bonner is bringing Sole Hope you can use to purback to Concord University as chase food on campus a result of the successful fundat either the cafeteria, raiser last semester that funded Subway, Starbucks or more than 20 pairs of shoes. The Wingspan. There is mission of Sole Hope is to serve also a raffle and that the millions of African chilwinner will receive dren who go every day without $15 flex dollars. “Share proper shoes and run the risk the Love” hearts made of acquiring jiggers, which from denim are also can cause sores, infection, and being sold and the prosometimes amputation. These ceeds will go directly to foot-related diseases affect the fundraiser. many people in this third world The rules to the country of Uganda and they can game are fairly easy: to be prevented just by wearing compete, participants closed-toe shoes. “That’s where A hand-crafted billboard by Willa Handy, Jessica Chavez and Mawill need to make shots we come in! We use denim jeans ria Chavez encourages participants to contribute to the cause. from the 3-point line. to make the shoes,” said Willa Photo By: Linh Dinh Making the 3-pointer Handy, the project coordinator sends you to the next of Sole Hope for Fall 2015. round and the com Sole Hope continues to be to be the project coordinator porting. We all outgrow jeans petition is over when there are an environmental awareness because shoes are no longer and it’s amazing that our old 2 people left: one misses (2nd project of the Bonner Scholars only a basic need to many, in- jeans can be made into shoes place winner), and one makes it and this year, Handy, who is a cluding myself. Now, they’re and used to create healthier (1st place winner). Each ticket is senior chemistry major with a very much a “want.” We all want lives.” $1 and you can either enter the minor in biology, volunteered the “freshest kicks” but when I This specific fundraiser, the competition to shoot the bas-
ketball or enter the raffle. The sign-up table will be in the Jean & Jerry L. Beasley Student center from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. until Thursday, October 29. After that, if anyone is still interested, you can sign up until Monday, November 2 by contacting Handy at handyw21@ mycu.concord.edu. The event will take place Wednesday, November 4th at 7:30 p.m. in the Carter Center gym. There are currently 14 people signed up for the shoot out event. Bonner’s goal for Sole Hope this semester is to send out the needed denim materials for 25 pairs of shoes, and hopefully even more next semester. Each pair of shoes costs $10, and that money goes to local workers who sew and complete the shoes. Currently, Sole Hope has about 20 Bonner Scholars who are interested, and 11 are very active members. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to sign up for the basketball competition and donate their old jeans/denim to Handy. Donations can be taken up until the main event on Wednesday, November 4.
Nov. 5th 2015, Page 6 The Concordian
Student Life
WHAT HAS SGA DONE FOR YOU? Briana Gunter
Staff Writer Budget cuts nowadays are inevitable, making the money and how you use it crucial. The Student Government Association, otherwise known as SGA, was no exception when it came to budget cuts. Losing nearly $15,000 or more from last year, the SGA started out this year with roughly $70,000, according to the SGA meeting minutes from the meeting of August 26. Those same minutes break that number down. $6,653.83 of that is required to be spent on in-house expenses, the Beckley campus is budgeted $1,500, Homecoming/Spring Fling account for $18,000, officer pay is $17,357.04, and that leaves $25,971.16 in the discretionary fund. While Spring Fling hasn’t occurred yet, there were several homecoming events that took place. There was a week-long scavenger hunt, a trackless train that gave students rides to class, the all-time favorite game of bingo, blacklight put-put golf, bubble soccer, and other various activities. While Homecoming was all fun and good, it raises the question of what else is being done by the SGA for the students. One good thing that the funds are used for are funds for student organizations. Any organization with voting rights can receive funds for conferences, internal expenses, and various other reasons. So far this semester the Film Society and Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity have received funds for various expenses. The game room also received funds. Every organization can request $1,500 over the course of a year. However, that leaves quite a bit of funds to spend on other events for stu-
dents and organizations. Regardless of how their budget is spent, SGA is made up of several committees including; Housing and Dining, Safety/ADA, Beckley, Commuter, CUSAC, Higher Education, Publicity, and Technology. According to the SGA bylaws article III, section III, subsections C and D respectively, the Vice President is to be the coordinator of all standing committees and commissions of the SGA. In addition to overseeing Homecoming and Spring Fling, they are also supposed to serve as an ex-officio member of all committees and commissions of the Student Senate. Basically, the Vice President is supposed to coordinate committees and make sure that they stay on task with their projects. Committees meet weekly to address problems that are facing students on campus. However, committees this semester don’t seem like they’ve been up to a whole lot. Reflecting back on the SGA minutes, the Beckley campus this semester has sponsored a movie night and tie-dye night, a bonfire, a Star Wars night, brought Pottery Place to the Beckley campus and started Yoga Mondays. Meanwhile, on the Athens campus, the main noteworthy things that have been done in the committees have been sponsoring a Blessings in a Backpack program, renaming the student section to “the UpRoar”, approving next year’s academic calendar, and the technology committee has been talking about updating the organization page on Concord’s website. Even though the Beckley campus only has $1,500 allotted to them, it seems like they’ve already done more than the Athens campus for students, besides Homecoming events. Speaking of Homecom-
ing, the longest meeting that has been held so far this semester was one where Homecoming rules were discussed. Over half an hour was spent discussing whether or not to change the Lip Sync rules from having the music be between 5.5 minutes and 7.5 minutes to 5.5. to 9 minutes. That was eventually shut down, then it was brought up that it should change to 6 to 8 minutes. Not to worry, after 32 minutes of arguing, it was agreed upon to change the time to 6 to 8 minutes. Executive members of SGA also have their own projects that they work on throughout the semester. The President reported in a meeting on September 23 that her on-going projects included: setting up tours in the President’s house; spring move-in day; Night on the Town; a respect campaign; sexual assault awareness; working on the old handbook; and bringing summer camps to campus. The Parliamentarian’s projects, which were discussed in that same meeting, included; updating the school and SGA website, getting access to lockers for commuters, and hosting another Color the Campus run. However, over a month later, the SGA website still only has minutes from JanMarch of last semester. The Ombudsman is supposed to deal with student complaints that they receive throughout the semester. In a meeting on Sept 9 it was requested that the cafeteria offer egg whites as a healthier alternative. While the Ombudsman reported several times that they were going to speak with Aramark, nothing has come from that so far, although Aramark has stated to the Ombudsman that they are willing to work with students on this matter and others like it.
Ombudsman Christian Bell , who says that he has been dealing with the issues brought to his attention, stated, “It depends on the nature of the complaint itself. Dealing with them can be done in any way from contacting faculty members to address it or even going to try and fix it myself.” While it isn’t the end of the semester yet, it doesn’t seem like the SGA has accomplished much this semester. While there seems to be lots of planning for projects next semester, it’s important to keep students involved in some sort of way all throughout the semester. SGA’s missions states that they “do hereby promise to maintain an organization to represent student interests, opinions, and actions at Concord University.” During the beginning of the pool controversy, Dr. Boggess stated in an interview with the Bluefield Daily Telegraph on Oct 9 that they’ve “asked the SGA (student government organization) and some representatives of organizations here and they seemed to not be concerned.” This exchange was not mentioned anywhere in the minutes. In addition to the fact that it wasn’t mentioned in the minutes, SGA failed to reach out to all the students on campus to get an accurate idea of how students actually felt about the pool closing. Just with this instance SGA didn’t fulfill their mission to represent the student’s interests or opinions. While SGA may be doing some things for the students of Concord University, there’s much more that they could and arguably should be doing for the students, not only with the funds they have, but the resources and skills that the members themselves have. SGA meetings are held in the Stateroom in the
Student Center on Wednesdays at 4:00 PM. Non-members can attend meetings if they wish, or officers have their hours posted outside the door of the SGA office on the third floor of the Student Center. If students have any complaints about anything on campus, they can file a complaint to the Ombudsman by dropping off a complaint in the box outside the Business Office on the second floor of Marsh Hall. It is important to realize that without student input, SGA has little to work with in regards to fulfilling students needs and interests, and they need students just as much as students need them. So, it is crucial to speak up and work cooperatively with your SGA executives to see the change you want on the Campus Beautiful. Editor’s note: At the time of this publication, SGA President Ronni Wood said, “The SGA executives have a lot of projects planned for this school year. We’re working on a lot of fun things like contests, activities, and events.” Wood then added, “If anyone is interested to learn more, they are welcome to come and talk to one of the SGA executives.”
Don’t forget Concord Color Fridays! Show your Mountain Lion pride with your favorite maroon and gray gear!
Nov. 5th 2015, Page 7 The Concordian
Arts, Entertainment, & Community UNDERTALE: A GAME REVIEW James Hoyle Staff Writer Before I begin this review, let me preface it by saying that this game gets an unmitigated recommendation. It is 10 dollars on Steam right now, and it will likely be many gaming publications’ Game of the Year. It is also a game best experienced without any sort of background or prior knowledge. Therefore, I urge you to go download it and enjoy the journey and then come back to this review. So go. Go buy it. Like right now. Away with you. Be free. Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you. Are you back? Was I not right in my recommendation? Then again, telling someone to go buy something because “it’s good” is hardly a fair critique. But don’t say I didn’t warn you about spoilers. Undertale is perfect example of how graphics alone do not make a worthy title. Life is Strange, for all its technical wizardry, does not have the depth of writing this game has. Undertale, made by one Toby Fox, starts out simply enough. You are a young boy Frisk. A long time ago, monsters and humans lived together in harmony until a war broke out between the two races. Humanity, in possession of mightier souls than the monsters, drove them deep into the depths of Mt. Ebott, sealing them away with a magical barrier. Monsters that pass through it can never return to the surface. Frisk, exploring Mt. Ebott, falls through the barrier. Thankfully, a bed of golden flowers break his fall. When he comes to, he encounters a smiling sentient flower, a monster named Flowey. Flowey lulls him into a false sense of security and tries to kill him, but
is stopped by another monster named Toriel. Toriel, seeing that you are new to this world, takes you under her wing and treats you as her child while you recuperate from your injuries. She then tells you that as a human, your soul is strong enough to traverse the barrier and return to the surface. From here, your ultimate goal is to somehow make it to the monster capital of New Home and pass through the barrier located in the castle
anything. Frisk, being in possession of a strong human soul, can easily overpower almost any monster underground. But if the player goes around slaughtering every monster, then they will stop appearing, as the player has murdered every last resident of the underground. By the end of the game, the player has the option of restarting and undoing all the evil that they did. Even doing this though and making things
of Asgore Dreemurr, the King of All Monsters. How you get to New Home and what you do while getting there is entirely up to you, but you should know that choices have consequences. Every encounter in this game can be won through non-lethal means, and the game will attempt to make you feel guilty if you kill
right, the game will constantly remind you in this second playthrough that you carelessly and thoughtlessly murdered over 100 rational, thinking beings just to get ahead. However, if the player spares the monsters, then there’s a chance they can become friends. By becoming friends with the locals, the player learns that the monsters
have a culture, an economy, and they every single one of them has hopes and dreams. No one is one note, and all of them have backstories and are carrying emotional baggage. By subverting the well-established gaming trope of slaughtering everything in sight, Undertale not only makes a statement on how willing humanity is to demonize something they do not understand at first, it also makes a gamer rethink every game they have ever played. For instance, think about all the enemies a typical Mario game has and then think about how many are killed. Did they really deserve to die? What kind of lessons are we learning from video games really if killing is okay as long as it helps us achieve what we want? Why are we so quick to label something as monstrous if the only difference they have is in opinion? Last week, I said that games need to mature as a medium to be taken seriously. Undertale, with its subtle humanist message of tolerance and love and the consequences of acting without thought, does what many games can only dream of: elicit emotion from me. By the time I finished the game, I was in tears. That is not to say that I was not in tears during the game, though. I was. But they were tears of laughter. For all the somber undertones that the story has, the script never takes
itself too seriously. The cast of characters is some of the funniest I have seen in any game. From the skeleton brothers that deliver bad puns (aptly named Papyrus and Sans) to the nerdy lizard scientist who loves anime and has a secret crush, each character has many layers and are very fun to interact with. It is Dad jokes and bad puns, and it is glorious. The dialogue fits the appropriately old style graphics well. Coupled with a soundtrack that fits the mood perfectly, and you have a game that is more than meets the eye. This same humor detail is seen in the combat system. Each action involves a little two dimensional shooter minigame. Through this feature, whole battles can go by without even taking a single hit. As said earlier, no monster has to die, though since they are naturally still bitter about the human/ monster war that trapped them underground, the monsters have to be understood before they can be spared. This makes battles engaging without the need to grind for levels. Indeed, this game can be completed at level one. I have been a gamer since I was eight years old. My first console was an original Playstation my family won at a school lottery. I keep a running tally of games I finish on Facebook (the tally currently sits at 205), so I can safely say that Undertale is quite simply unlike any game I’ve ever played. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone and everyone. A game like this comes around maybe once every ten years. Download it. Play it. Savor it.
Nov. 5th 2015, Page 8 The Concordian
Sports
THE HOT CORNER COLUMN Tyler Jackson
Staff Writer For the first time in my four years here at Concord, the Mountain Lion football team is below .500. I can say I’m surprised and I’m shocked, but I’m not disappointed. Often we forget the student in student athletes, we forget that those aren’t just football players out there on the field, but our peers. We see them on a day-to-day basis but how often would you see Brian Novak or Andy Ellington around campus and be able to distinguish them as football players? Not that they don’t look like they can play football, but they’re human beings just as you and I are. So here’s to our team, to our seniors, one last game this year in Callaghan stadium to close it out and you can bet we’ll be right there behind you to cheer you guys on! For those that regularly read my column you know I’ve talked about how bad WVU’s October could be, well it lived up to the challenge as the Mountaineers have dropped four straight games in conference and overall against teams that were all ranked. Some were in heartbreaking fashion such as the Oklahoma State game, and some were blowouts like the 30 point loss to TCU last Thursday. Many are calling for Skylar Howard’s head, but who is going to replace him? Crest? No thanks. I’ll take Skylar this
year and next year. I believe he will be much better next year, just as he has been this year as opposed to last year. Last year I was calling for Skylar’s head after the bowl game, but his improvement has impressed me to the point that I’m eager to watch him next season. Many people forget that during this losing streak Howard has been pitted against two of the top five teams in the nation and programs that send multiple players to the NFL year in and year out. Give me more Skylar Howard! Was I ever wrong about my MLB postseason picks? I congratulate the Kansas City Royals on an excellent postseason run! I didn’t think they could make that run without a stout staff, but their offense was stacked. I don’t think you could look at their lineup and find an easy out. From top to bottom they were stacked with a core of players that were grown in their minor league system. They didn’t do it with high priced free agents, but their guys, so let’s give a hand to the Kansas City front office and scouts for their hours of work that brought us one of baseball’s finest shows. I know that I can’t wait to watch this team contend for years to come. On the other side of the World Series are the Mets, a team that brought in a fearsome pitching staff that they raised in their system. Personally I have never been fond of the Mets because they are a division rival for my
Phillies, but they have assembled a staff that has four legitimate pitchers that can carry a team when need be. As long as they can manage those arms for years to come then they should compete year in and year out on the strength of pitching alone. Aside from allowing a few big innings the Mets played extremely well for a team that hasn’t seen the playoffs in eight years, look for them to be in the fold to compete for the next five years as long as they can keep that staff rested and healthy. Ah! The NBA season has tipped off and a couple of things I’ve noticed from the first week: Karl Anthony-Towns is definitely a star, hands down. In only his second game he had 28 points and 14 rebounds! Those are insane numbers from a rookie, but not to be outdone, 76ers rookie Jahlil Okafor posted 26 points in his debut. I know it’s early but these guys are bright spots that fans of each franchise will enjoy for years to come! A couple of stars that fans had their eyes on were Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant, both of whom had their seasons cut short last year due to injury. Durant is a different situation because he is in the prime of his career while Bryant is in the twilight of his. Durant had the better week, but he is younger while Kobe, after dropping 27 points on opening night, has been relatively quiet since. We all came into this year expecting this to be the Kobe
Bryant farewell tour and it is a long season, but through three games it looks like it is in his best interest to hang it up in April after the Lakers ultimately miss the playoffs. Two weeks ago I had the privilege of watching my first NFL game in person. The game I am talking about is the primetime matchup between the Panthers and Eagles in Charlotte. Typically when you go to events like that, you suspect that there are good and bad seats, well I don’t believe there is a bad seat in Bank of America Stadium. It felt as though no matter where you were you could see the field and players perfectly! I encourage anybody that has the opportunity to go to a professional football game to do so! You get to see much more of what happens downfield and how plays develop much more clearly, essentially you see what the cameras can’t show you immediately, it was quite the experience despite the Eagles’ loss. Charlotte is definitely a city I plan on visiting on a regular basis. Sticking to the tune of NFL football, it seems as though if it’s not one thing for the Steelers, it’s another. Big Ben returns to the field and Le’veon Bell is out for the year with a torn MCL. If I own Bell in any fantasy leagues I’m dropping him for Deangelo Williams who enjoyed two good games while Bell was serving a suspension earlier this season. Sticking with the Steelers, they
were the victim of the talented Bengals team that remains unbeaten. There’s no shame in losing to a talented squad like that, but with Bell out for the year they took two losses on the day. Speaking of unbeaten teams, there is one less in the NFL after today and it is surprisingly the Green Bay Packers as they fell to the Denver Broncos 29-10. I honestly picked Green Bay to win this one, but Peyton Manning looked rejuvenated after a much needed bye week. He threw for 340 yards on 21-29 passing with one interception. Another encouraging aspect of this game for the Broncos was their ability to run the ball with ease. Maybe it’s been Peyton adjusting to a new offense under head coach Gary Kubiak, but wow! If the Broncos can sustain this blueprint, then why can’t they beat the Patriots? Defense wins championships because it gives you the opportunity to stay in the game. I know it was just one night, but if the Broncos defense can stifle QBs as they did with Aaron Rodgers, arguably the games best, then they have just as much of a chance to be competing for a Super Bowl in February in Peyton’s final season as anybody else in the league.
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