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TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021 | 1

tuesday, june 1

have a nice life Duke alum’s directorial debut hits film festivals, page 4

good 4 her

Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album is a messy success, page 11

veggie tales Meet the creators of Cary’s own plant-based cooking show, page 6

recess

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How are you celebrating hot girl summer?

Tessa Delgo................................vaccine Skyler Graham......................new tattoo

Jonathan Pertile.......................sleeping Megan Liu............................beach week

Derek Deng..................skincare routine

Kerry Rork......................feminist theory

Stephen Atkinson.................gardening

Devinne Moses.........................iced tea

on the cover: Still from Olivia Rodrigo’s “good 4 u” music video Courtesy of Olivia Rodrigo’s Instagram account

staff note I love John Mulaney. This is obviously not a hot take or niche interest — he’s an Emmy-winning comedian who easily sells out Radio City Music Hall and has hosted SNL four times in the past three years. Comedians from Seth Meyers to Hasan Minhaj to Pete Davidson seem to hold a deep reverence for him. America loves John Mulaney.

I suppose he is the exact kind of comedian primed for success with an American audience: an unassuming white man from an upper-middle-class background with sharp, but inoffensive wit. He is the comedian equivalent of a successful pop song, taking mundane minutiae of his life and making it universal and vaguely interesting (and unavoidable, even if you don’t like it.) The pretentious contrarian in me typically turns her nose up at mainstream successes like John Mulaney, and yet, I love him. I can recite the majority of each of his three Netflix specials, and when my friends and I went to his Kid Gorgeous tour in 2018, it was the highlight of my year.

As for most of us, the pandemic has been rough on

Chamber Music:

Mulaney: the same day he returned to stand-up after a late 2020 cocaine and alcohol rehab stint with a series of shows at City Winery in New York City, news broke that he and his wife of seven years were in the process of divorce.

When reports came out last December that Mulaney was checking himself into rehab, he was met with a lot of love from friends and fans alike. Though the gangly man who religiously wore three-pieces suits to his full-time job of telling jokes may not have been the most obvious candidate for an intervention — at least not in the public eye — people seemed to understand that 2020 was ubiquitously awful and that addiction is a disease that spares no one.

That grace seems to have extended to his tumultuous comeback, including his City Winery shows that took place at the beginning of May. Entertainment writers who were among the audience seemed less invested in Mulaney’s comedy — which, by all accounts, seemed to be awkward and choppy, as one might expect — and more in him as a person. Showbiz 411 writer Roger Friedman describes Mulaney as a “troubled genius” and Vulture writer Jesse

Music 211-2

Duke has a vibrant Chamber Music program of more than a dozen groups from duets to sextets with strings, winds and piano. Groups are coached by the Ciompi Quartet and faculty in piano and winds, and perform on and off campus in masterclasses, workshops and concerts throughout the semester.

Improvisation Ensemble is also offered.

AUDITIONS for FALL 2021 Tuesday, Aug. 24, 5:30 - 8:30 pm Sign up to receive more information at http://bit.ly/Duke-chamber-music Questions: caroline.stinson@duke.edu

The Chronicle David Fox affirms a wholehearted belief that Mulaney is “working toward something great.”

It’s refreshing to see. In a media climate that is so often negative and fixated on picking out people’s flaws, such genuine care for and faith in a public figure going through a hard time feels like a glimmer of hope that, if nothing else, the pandemic has reminded us all to be a little kinder to one another.

For me, what Mulaney’s comeback also represents is the inherent awkwardness that comes with reacclimating to society after a long period of reclusion, especially when that reclusion has forced you to outgrow (or, sometimes, regress from) your former self. America loves John Mulaney — the one who told funny jokes about Bill Clinton and making letters too big on birthday cards. Is he still that person? Does it matter?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot as the United States starts to look a little bit more like it did pre-pandemic. I thought I was excited for a time that we no longer had to wear masks and could do things in-person again, but I’ve found myself increasingly uninterested in many of the things I thought I was yearning so badly to return to. I don’t think I’m the same person I was before all of this, but not being around people allowed me to evade answering for that. Am I a better person?

Honestly, probably not. Will the people I’ve kept in poor touch with who loved me before still love me when I start calling and texting them —and, just maybe, seeing them— again? Probably. Hopefully.

The world’s response to John Mulaney has proven to be an exercise in meeting people where they are. No one is claiming that the City Winery set is Mulaney’s best material, but no one’s booing him off the stage either. We still love John Mulaney — I know I do. I would like to think that bodes well for all of us as we start to reintroduce ourselves to each other.

-Tessa Delgo, Recess editor

The Chronicle

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TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021 | 3

campus arts

Duke Gardens reopening signals a return to pre-pandemic life

By Meredith Cohen Staff Writer

After a closure of more than a year, the Sarah P. Duke Gardens — arguably one of the most beautiful places on campus — partially reopened to Duke students and faculty April 1.

In a normal year, the Gardens are usually packed around springtime, as this is the time when the flowers are blooming in the Terrace Garden and the weather starts to warm up again. For the foreseeable future, however, the Gardens must maintain a strictly-limited capacity in accordance with COVID-19 public health guidelines, even as they open up to the public at the beginning of June.

According to the Gardens’ website, “Reducing capacity is a critical factor for safety during the pandemic. In a normal year, more than 600,000 visitors flock to the Gardens, and even the widest paths can be extremely crowded at peak times. Many of the Gardens’ paths are only 2 to 4 feet wide, so maintaining social distance is extremely challenging, if not impossible.”

Safety, of course, comes first, but having the chance to walk around with some friends, take pictures of the flowers, and see the fish in the koi pond for the last few weeks of the semester was seen by many as a major signal of hope for a better, COVID-free future.

I grew up in Durham, so each spring and summer I would be sure to walk around the Gardens with my family and friends. Though I was not able to bring my family with me this semester, I decided to book myself a ticket for some self-care time during the April 12 Wellness Day. At the entrance to the Gardens, I was greeted by Duke staff, who checked my ticket time and my symptom monitoring app. They also offered me a helpful map of the Gardens, and a few solo activities to do during my time there.

I brought some homework and found some chairs underneath a big tree, where I sat and worked for about an hour and a half. The weather was beautiful, and there were plenty of other students and staff going for walks, doing work and taking pictures. There was even a group kicking around a soccer ball — a further sign of a return to normal

campus life.

It was really enjoyable to be able to experience the Gardens again after such a long closure and a long-anticipated reopening. It was an especially exciting opportunity for students who started at Duke this year, many of whom had never had the chance to experience the Gardens before.

“I [was] excited to go to the Duke Gardens because I heard they’re incredibly beautiful in the spring and I think it’s something that’s so unique, to have such a large amount of space on our campus just dedicated to nature,” sophomore Campbell Lawson said in a message to The Chronicle. “I had wanted them to be open all year so I was really excited to just explore.”

Though the April 1 reopening only encompassed current Duke students and faculty, the Gardens will open back up to the general public June 1.

“We appreciate how patient and understanding the public and our members and Gardens supporters have been during our closure,” Executive Director Bill LeFevre

Courtesy of Duke Gardens After more than a year of closure, the Duke Gardens reopened to Duke students in April, just in time for Wellness Day.

Ensembles & Performance Opportunities

The Duke Jazz Ensemble, directed by John Brown, has a rich history of excellence. The ensemble performs at least two concerts each semester with guest artists noted for their high level of artistic achievement. Previous guests have included Ernie Watts, Fred Wesley, and Ulysses Owens, Jr. Small group Jazz Combos provide additional opportunities.

Chamber Music, coordinated by Caroline Stinson, is a class of 12-18 ensembles that explores the repertoire of duets to sextets with strings, winds and piano. Groups are coached by the Ciompi Quartet and faculty in piano and winds, and perform on and off campus in masterclasses, workshops and concerts throughout the semester. Improvisation ensemble is also offered.

The Chinese Music Ensemble, directed by Jennifer Chang, is designed for students who would like to further their skill and understanding of traditional Chinese instrumental performance. Students at all levels, including those with no prior experience in Chinese music, but with some background in performance, are encouraged to participate.

The Duke Chorale, directed by Rodney Wynkoop, is a concert and touring choir of 50 singers. This year’s schedule includes all of the Chorale’s annual concerts, either in-person or virtual, depending on health considerations: the Family Weekend concert, holiday concert in Duke Chapel, spring concert with the Choral Society of Durham and orchestra, and others. The itinerary of the spring break tour, assuming travel is deemed to be safe, will be decided in the fall. Rehearsals are 7:30-9:30 pm Tuesday & Thursday; the 20-voice Chamber Choir rehearses 9:30-10:30 pm Tuesday.

The Duke Djembe Ensemble, directed by Bradley Simmons, offers students the opportunity to develop skill in the art of West African drumming. The Djembe Ensemble memorizes each rhythm, just as the Mandinque people have for hundreds of years. The Afro-Cuban Class introduces students to the many exciting rhythms of the Cuban diaspora.

said in a press statement. “We know it has been frustrating to be unable to experience the changing seasons in person. But we look forward to sharing late spring and summer’s many attributes, as well as some lovely new features added in the past year.”

In my opinion, the Gardens opening back up to the public will be a great way for Duke students to connect with the local Durham community in ways that we have not been able to do for the last two and a half semesters.

Getting out of the Duke bubble and getting to know the local community is an integral aspect of any student’s undergraduate experience.

Whether you bring your study materials or are in desperate need of a study break, the Gardens can provide wonderful respite from the hustle and bustle of Duke (or daily life in general) and a healthy dose of sunshine, and it is wonderful to think that we are starting to get that back.

After a long year of isolation and distancing, everything is starting to come up roses.

The Duke New Music Ensemble [dnme] explores the music of the current moment. Each member of the group is encouraged to contribute and collaborate, speaking with their own creative musical voice. The ensemble performs regularly in the Duke community, often alongside renowned guest artists. No previous experience with contemporary music is required.

Open to all Duke students.

Auditions are required for ensembles (0.5 credit) and applied music lessons (o.25 or 0.5 credit).

music.duke.edu

The Duke Opera Theater, directed by David Heid, presents operas, opera scenes, and musical theater revues. Last year, amidst the Covid pandemic, Opera Theater presented two virtual events: A concert of Italian Opera arias and Flute & Figaro al Fresco, featuring scenes filmed outdoors from The Magic Flute and The Marriage of Figaro. (Both videos at https://music.duke.edu/ensembles/opera-theater) The Duke Symphony Orchestra is directed by Harry Davidson. The 2019/20 season included major symphonies by Dvorák, Brahms, Hindemith and Shostakovich. An annual Labor Day weekend POPS concert begins the year in the fall and a benefit concert in Beaufort, SC takes place each spring.

Applied Music lessons for instruments & voice Students may take one-hour weekly lessons (1/2 course) or half-hour lessons (1/4 course) More info at music.duke.edu/lessons

The Duke Wind Symphony, directed by Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant, performs a wide variety of high level wind ensemble music. Highlights of the 2021-22 season will include concerts in our beautiful Baldwin Auditorium and the annual Viennese Ball. You will have the opportunity to work with guest conductors, composers, and performers on diverse repertoire. Join us!

4 | TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021

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The Chronicle

Q&A: Prashanth Kamalakanthan discusses directorial debut

By Tessa Delgo Recess Editor

After graduating from Duke, Prashanth Kamalakanthan, Trinity ‘14, went on to pursue a career as a journalist and filmmaker.

Over the past few years, he has been working on his first feature film “Have a Nice Life,” of which he is writer, director and editor.

The film, mostly shot in Durham — Kamalakanthan’s hometown — is a fresh take on the archetypes of the stoner comedy and the road film, bringing together the odd couple of Sophie, an unemployed artist played by Lucy Kaminsky and Jyothi, an Indian housewife played by Kamalakanthan’s mother, Jagathi Kamalakanthan. It will premiere for North American audiences at the 2021 Maryland Film Festival on May 23 at 4 p.m. EST. The Chronicle corresponded with Kamalakanthan over email to discuss the origins of the film, filmmaking during a pandemic and working with your family.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Chronicle: How did the idea for “Have a Nice Life” come to be?

Prashanth Kamalakanthan: I’ve always loved road movies, because for me the open road is such a powerful symbol of the American experience. America is a land of highways; Americans spend more time driving than any other people in the world.

But speaking personally, too, my family immigrated from India, and we moved around a lot when I was younger. So I spent a lot of time in the back of our ’97 Honda Accord, watching this new country whiz by in flashes.

More than anything, what I love most about a great road movie, especially ones set

in America, is how they lay bare the true journey of their characters’ lives. In the end, it’s never about the literal mileage traveled — the real journey is inside, spiritual and metaphysical.

So these were elements I naturally gravitated toward when I started developing this film as my first feature. I knew — given the time and resources we had as graduate students at NYU — that we’d have to keep the production relatively small in scope, and at that level what distinguishes a film most for me is its directness, honesty, and specificity of perspective.

As an Indian-American mining my own dualistic, paradoxical experience, of being first-generation in the American South; of making art and creatively resisting the hostile economic conditions all young Americans live under; the road movie form seemed like a perfect vehicle, if you’ll forgive the pun. We built the story around two characters from opposite poles of this experience. One, Jyothi, is an Indian housewife trapped in the suburbs in search of escape, while another, Sophie, is a stoner musician drifting although without any support or structure. I understand the tension between these perspectives, because I’ve tried to resolve them my whole life.

I knew intuitively that there would be potent and sometimes explosive reactions if they were stuck on a road trip together.

From there, we took it as far as we could go, pushing and challenging the old road movie and buddy-comedy forms we love. Above all, we tried to dial in on the metaphysical dimension of their journey, pushing their interior experience out to the forefront.

We hope not to just show these underseen and underrepresented characters, but to actually see and hear as audience members

weekly

through their particular perspectives on life. So that we’re not making our audience passive consumers, but rather creative participants, there on the road trip, too: not just watching, but behind the wheel, driving.

(Metaphysically speaking, of course.)

TC: Was [the film] something you were planning prior to the pandemic? Were any aspects of it born from the pandemic or the circumstances of the past year?

PK: We got lucky — we managed to get the whole movie in the can in 12 hot, action-packed days, the summer before the pandemic hit. But that left us to finish the film during the pandemic, which was definitely weird.

Our first test screening in New York actually got canceled as part of the first wave of COVID closures last March. We

were eventually able to move that online, like we did with most of the sound and color, which was an interesting learning curve. Mainly, it just slowed everything down, which was frustrating at times, but also gave us the luxury of really polishing and reworking the edit. We ended up discovering a number of amazing moments and devices through our long quarantine post-production period, so in the end it all kind of worked out.

TC: What was your favorite part of creating “Have a Nice Life”?

PK: This was my first feature as a writerdirector, and I couldn’t be happier that we made it the way we did: back home, based out of the house I grew up in, shooting See DIRECTOR on Page 5

Courtesy of Prashanth Kamalakanthan Jagathi Kamalakanthan, the director’s mother, and Lucy Kaminsky play the lead duo.

The Chronicle

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DIRECTOR FROM PAGE 4

with family and friends I’ve known since grade school, in the shops and alleys I used to haunt.

There are too many surprising, bizarre and absolutely hilarious moments during the production to really rank, but day-to-day, my favorite part of the job was just coming home with the team and eating dinner at my parents’ table. Usually with a cold beer on the side, we’d relax, joke, gorge ourselves and review the day’s shoot, forming plans for the next day.

It’s such a beautiful and special feeling, having your people around you like that while you’re working so intensively. And I think you can feel this spirit in the film when you’re watching. You can sense all those different handprints in the clay.

TC: What was it like working with your family on this? What do they think of the final product?

PK: To answer your second question first — we’ll see at the premiere! They still haven’t seen anything or even read the whole script, because this was a big part of my method for working with first-timers on this project.

My mom only ever received her scenes — and only her scenes — the morning of each day’s shoot. This was mainly to keep her from “acting” as a nonprofessional. I just wanted her to be herself, the way she acts and responds naturally, which I know from experience is incredibly interesting to watch.

In fact, that’s why I modeled the character so closely after her — I knew someone like my mom would make an extremely compelling, funny lead for a film, but I actually never believed that she could do it when I was still writing. The screenplay had so much emotional range and some clearly demanding scenes, so I’d initially intended to cast a

But when it came time to make our fundraising video, I needed to cast someone quickly in North Carolina, and my mom was the only person available. All of a sudden, people started asking me when I’d shoot the movie starring my mom, complimenting the heck out of her performance and so on.

This got me thinking, for the first time, that it could seriously work. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it, too, despite the obvious difficulties. I’d never seen someone that looked like her play a substantive role in a film, anywhere — apart from, say, trying to coerce our hero into an arranged marriage — let alone as the lead.

So we ended up casting my mom alongside a great actor from New York, Lucy Kaminsky. And as with every first-time actor, you just have to develop a working method that’s very specific to who that person is. I withheld the script as much as I could, so she’d stay in the moment and not anticipate her story arc. Beyond that, we worked together to find a kind of private language (references, moments, similes), to ground every action in her real life, so she could simply be and react.

Apart from the occasional heat exhaustion … it was an extremely pleasant collaboration. My mom sincerely seems to enjoy the actor’s process. She has an incredible memory and intense focus, which become important when you’re on set, trying to tune out 20 strangers with boom mics and lighting equipment all staring at you.

TC: What do you hope audiences take away from the film?

PK: See, if you get the right angle on it, life doesn’t have to be a drag, and it’s certainly never a dead end. What our heroines discover, and kind of what we proved making this film, is that life is literally created by you ; it is a creative act structured around all sorts of invisible models.

TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021 | 5

In our case, it was a literal script, but in real life sometimes there’s God, for others political conviction, sometimes simple revenge or all three. Regardless of your conditions — which are often undeniably cruel and subhuman in today’s world — there is a freedom that’s available if you embrace this essentially creative aspect of existence. But that’s only the first step. Both Sophie and Jyothi understand this when

identification as well as a kind of giving, through sacrifice and self-negation.

This is what all the old religions taught, what they meant by “self-realization,” which is really an expansion of the self to include others, your community, the world. Today, however, in the age of the individual, with the decline of institutions and collectivities of all kinds, this is a much more chaotic and personal problem.

Courtesy of Prashanth Kamalakanthan “Have a Nice Life” contains a full-blown original Bollywood-style dance sequence.

they take off and go. What it takes longer to realize is that this creative impulse, to seize your life and rewrite it — is meaningless without submission to some ideal that’s bigger than just you. To get there, you need love, which is at the same time a self-

This film, in a way, is really us working all this out. Our collective response is what you see up there on the screen.

For more information about the film and updates on screenings, check out its website: hanlmovie.com

CAPS: Counseling and Psychological Services

COME SING!

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is committed to diversity as a core value of our organization. CAPS provides services within a context that values the uniqueness of each human being and remains sensitive to cultural and individual diversity in the immediate and extended community. This includes our respect for how race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, gender expression, sexual identity, age, size, socio-economic status, first gen status, ability status, and veteran status might impact a person’s experience in the Duke community and the world in which we live.

Duke Chorale The Chorale is a community of students committed to singing a wide range of repertoire with beauty, passion, and understanding.

Although 2021-2022 plans are somewhat indefinite due to the pandemic, the Chorale year will include:

Spring Break tour short 16-21c works major work with orchestra Visit music.duke.edu/ensembles/chorale for more information.

Audition information will be available later this summer.

Access to Services To get started with services, drop in between 10am-3pm M-F

Individual & Couples For individuals and those working on a relationship

Group Counseling Including Understanding Self and Others and skills-based groups

Workshops Including Koru mindfulness, anxiety busters, and managing emotions

Community Engagement Liaison relationships and presentations to faculty, staff, students, and parents

Consultation For faculty, staff, students, families, and alumni who are concerned about a student

Health Coaching Focus on values, holistic health, and life purpose

Psychiatric Services Medication evaluation and treatment

Referral Services Treatment referrals to community providers

Hours of Operation 8am-5pm M-F

305 Towerview Road, Third Floor | Durham, NC 27708-0955 (919) 660-1000 | http://studentaffairs.duke.edu/caps

6 | TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021

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local arts

Growing a plant-based food media empire from a Cary kitchen

By Mia Meier

Contributing Writer

Imagine white sauce lasagna, except instead of noodles with beef, butter, and cheese, picture a luscious casserole made from zucchini and mushrooms with a crusty oat and cashew topping. Now picture meatloaf coated with a date-sweetened tomato sauce. Instead of ground beef, it’s crafted with hardy buckwheat, quinoa, mushrooms, and beans.

Welcome to plant-based cooking. Jill and Jeffrey Dalton of “The Whole Food Plant Based Cooking Show” are happy to be your guide. They are on a mission to help people eat their favorite comforts foods re-envisioned without meat, dairy, eggs, oil, sugar, salt, and excessively processed ingredients.

Jeffery swears their carrot hots —literally a marinated baked carrot nestled in a bun— are so good they are a “gateway drug.”

The Daltons have achieved a level of success few content creators manage: an income from the burgeoning digital economy. In an ecosystem saturated with “fitspo” influencer monetizing their popularity by promoting laxative teas, the Daltons defy the norm. They rely mostly on a community of paying members and carefully vetted sponsorship deals to support them and their free content on YouTube channel and their website.

“We firmly believe going plant-based is the single most effective thing anyone can do for their own health and to directly tackle climate change,” Jill Dalton said.

Both hailing from the American heartlands- rural Nebraska and upstate New York, respectively- neither grew up prioritizing their health. Drug and alcohol abuse even left Jeffrey Dalton temporarily homeless as a young adult.

In their early twenties, they both worked construction jobs, and after the birth of their first daughter, transitioned to less physically demanding jobs at the local Blockbuster store and movie theater respectively. Ragu sauce with pasta, and Dollar Tree saltine crackers made up many of their meals. The 2008 housing crisis cost them their house and brought them to a crossroad.

When they no longer had anything, including their huge mortgage, they moved to Hawaii. Their rented house at the end of a road on the Hamakua Coast- a region where taro paddies break up undisturbed ferns and grasses, all atop steep cliffs jetting into the Pacific’s turquoise water- was just 800-squarefeet.

Now in paradise, the Daltons had a free-

dom of their own design: Jeffrey Dalton ran his own business as a web developer while Jill homeschooled their two young daughters. Still restless and seeking opportunities for their daughters, they moved to Maui and then, 2 ½ years after first settling in Hawaii, to New Zealand for another flavor of island living.

There on a 10-acre farm, the Daltons embraced the “back to the land” movement raising chickens and ducks for eggs and running their neighbors’ cattle in exchange for organic beef. Despite fueling themselves in a way they then thought was best- including drinking lots of raw milk- the Daltons saw their health deteriorating.

In 2014, Jill began suffering from heart palpitations and migraines. Jeffrey was in the

Courtesy of Jill Dalton Jill Dalton’s plant-based turtle cake - indulgent, but free of dairy, refined sugar and oil.

ballpark of 270 pounds and prediabetic. The Daltons feared they would lose their business visas if they feel below New Zealand’s “acceptable standard of health” and qualified as a “burden on public health services.”

Having already run the diet gamut from Atkins to South Beach, the Daltons were becoming desperate when a friend of Jeffrey Dalton’s recommended Joel Fuhrman’s 2003 book “Eat to Live.”

Soon the couple became zealots of Fuhrman’s Nutritarian diet. The six-week plan he lays out in “Eat to Live” promises a 20-pound weight loss by eating the following daily: unlimited quantities of vegetables excluding potatoes, at least four fresh fruits, around a cup of beans and legumes, one cup or less of high-starch grains and vegetables like brown rice or potatoes, one ounce or less of raw nuts and seeds, and a tablespoon of ground flaxseed.

“It was just amazing. The changes were happening so quickly,” said Jill in her “transformation” video, now the most viewed video on their YouTube channel, currently hovering under 650,000 views.

In “Eat to Live,” Fuhrman permits reintroducing limited amounts of fat-free dairy, meat, fish, refined carbs, and olive oil into your diet after the first six weeks. After their initial success, the Dalton’s incorporated dairy and seafood back into their diets, along with more added salt, sugar, and oil. Their weight began to creep back up.

For the Daltons, this confirmed for themselves that whole foods plant-based eating isparamount for good health. Once back on track, Jill Dalton ultimately lost some 25 pounds. Jeffrey Dalton lost 70 pounds.

See DALTONS on Page 7

The Chronicle

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DALTONS FROM PAGE 6

Inspired by their own triumphs but discouraged by the deficit of delicious, whole food plant-based recipes, the Daltons embarked on sharing the recipes they developed and this lifestyle with others. They started by hosting dinners and potlucks from their New Zealand home via Meetup.com, a website where individuals organize groups and arrange events.

Welcoming strangers into their home seemed to invite too much mayhem. Once a man showed up at their door with a plate of raw fish, misunderstanding what the “raw” in “raw vegan” in the Meetup listing meant.

The couple pivoted to teaching classes at the public library. Still, to them, those classes lacked the breadth of impact they sought. With Jeffrey’s background in web design, starting a YouTube channel seemed within reach. So, they bought $1,000 worth of equipment off New Zealand’s version of Craigslist and began shooting episodes.

Their cooking show, originally called the Nutritarian Cooking Show (and later changed because Furman holds the trademark to the term “Nutarian”), was born in early 2015. In its first few years, the show was truly a service project. Each of their three to four monthly shows took about 10 hours to produce and only raked in $0.60 most days and $3.00 on a good day, in YouTube ad revenue for the bulk of 2016.

That year the Daltons also relocated stateside to North Carolina’s Research Triangle to pursue a different culture than New Zealand had offered them, good weather, and beach access.

In July 2017, they found favor with the “mysterious YouTube algorithm gods” in Jill Dalton’s words, and their channel saw an influx of subscribers and viewers. They hit their first big milestone: 10,000 subscribers. Encouraged, they dipped into their savings again to launch a

website to house more accessible and printable versions of their recipes.

In the summer of 2018, their growth stalled.

They fielded complaints from their subscribers that YouTube was not notifying them of new uploads and spent hours sending emails and on the phone when their videos were demonetized over a mistaken case of music copyright violation.

Still, in October of 2018, they took another “leap of faith” and invested their ad revenue and more of their savings into new gear to make high-quality videos. Now filming from multiple camera angles and managing another platform, the shows began taking them both 14 to 30 hours to produce.

Even though the Daltons loved what they were doing, they needed to find a way to support themselves and protection from YouTube’s fickleness. So, they launched their “Plant Based Made Easy Membership,” a compromise that allows them to put food on their table while still making the content available for everyone who needs it.

Placing all their content behind a paywall simply did not align with their mission, explained Jill Dalton to their followers in a 2020 video about the membership platform. “We want to give our content away free because I feel like people have a human right to understand how to eat,” Jeffrey Dalton said.

Willing fans pay a subscription fee of $5 or $15 a month in exchange for access to an exclusive community page, where they can participate in monthly giveaways, vote on which recipes are posted next, and view even more content. The decision brought a lot of hate, but also a greater sense of security for the Daltons, allowing them to both work full time on the show from their home in the Triangle.

Despite their passion, the Daltons are clear that they do not give any medical advice, nor do they try to preach to people.

“We don’t claim any medical knowledge.

We just tell them who we listen to,” said Jeffery

Why study the Classics?

By exploring the world of ancient Greece and Rome you will •

Experience moving literature, eye-opening history, inspiring philosophy, breathtaking material remains

•

Enjoy small classes, tight community, and get to know your professors really well

•

Have life-changing experiences studying in Greece or Rome or going on a summer dig

•

Satisfy the Language Requirement and enrich your command of English at the same time

•

Learn alongside interesting people, who decipher ancient texts, investigate ancient science and philosophy, explore ancient archaeological sites, use cutting edge technology to understand the past, and take the long view in thinking about our place in the world

TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021 | 7

Dalton. Among those people are Fuhrman, T. Colin Campbell, a nutritional biochemist at Cornell University, Dr. Michael Greger, a general practitioner specializing in clinical nutrition and a founding member and fellow at the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and Dr. Michael Klaper, an acute care physician and founder of the Institute of Nutrition Education and Research.

These health professionals have come to the consensus that eating unprocessed plant foods will generally lead to a longer and healthier life.

Although these professionals’ works have faced criticisms such as promoting a diet with mi-

as long as they can, it will continue to evolve to keep it interesting for themselves and their viewers, they said.

They have already launched a “Creative Projects” series with episodes including one where Jill Dalton demonstrates how she crocheted a poncho cardigan, and another in which Jeffrey Dalton explains how he created 10-foot chalk murals or Jimi Hendrix and the Buddha. The Daltons also intend to share more of their subscribers’ “transformations” on a whole-food plant-based diet to demonstrate the diet’s potential.

With the legalization of industrial hemp, the

Courtesy of Jill Dalton

Jill and Jeffrey Dalton claim to have thrived on whole plant foods diet for six years now. cronutrient gaps or cherry-picking evidence, Jill and Jeffrey Dalton claim to have thrived on whole plant foods diet for six years now. Further, it is the style of recipes that their followers want.

While Jeffrey and Jill Dalton plan to continue The Whole Food Plant Based Cooking Show

Daltons want to build from “plant-based eating made easy” to “plant-based housing made easy.”

They hope to construct their own eco-friendly house of food-grade and fireproof hemp as an exploration of another avenue of greener living.

They will, of course, document the project on their channel.

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Furthermore, according to Harvard Magazine, Classics majors (and math majors) have the highest success rates of any majors in law school. Believe it or not political science, economics, and pre-law majors lag fairly far behind. Even furthermore, Classics majors consistently have some of the highest scores on GREs of all undergraduates."

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Critter Swamp seeks to model inclusivity for the tattoo industry

By Tessa Delgo Recess Editor

Amid the mass closures and shutdowns that characterized the past year, a tiny tattoo shop in downtown Hillsborough opened its doors, hoping to make the local tattoo community more capacious than ever before.

Local artists Ayden Love, Terin J.D. and J. Avery co-own and collectively operate Critter Swamp Tattoo, a Black, trans and queer owned studio with the intention of making the owners’ communities feel welcome and safe in an industry that is predominantly white male dominated.

“I feel really drawn to create mirrors for people that haven’t always had them,” Love wrote in an email. “Representation is really important and queering the art I make feels like a natural way for me to work with that value.

In a lot of my personal work on canvas, rather than skin, I combine elements of queer bodies and nature because I want to see a world where queer bodies feel held, valued, like they belong.”

All three artists recalled feeling disquieted —unsafe, even— in what J. Avery called “cishet white dude shops.”

Love, a self-taught tattooer who found themselves turned off by said “cishet white dude” tattoo shops as a client, had never seen a space for themself as a tattoo artist until they encountered the world of “alternative” tattoo culture filled with queer people, POC, women and other self-taught artists. This community showed them that there was a possibility —and a need— for change in the industry.

“I would guess maybe 30 to 40 percent of my clients disclose stories of some kind of inappropriate behavior from tattooers they’ve worked with, and I’m certain lots of additional people never disclose that. It’s a whole thing, everyone in the industry knows it, not many work hard to change it,” Love wrote. “Getting a

“The goal has always been for Critter tattoo should be a process where the client is in too space, and their steadfast belief that such a charge and is giving enthusiastic consent every space was a need for the community, pushed Swamp to be able to do big benefits for causes step of the way because it’s their body. People them to take what Love referred to as their “leap we care about. It feels awesome to have a redon’t spend enough time thinking about the of faith.” It worked out for them — ever since ally concrete resource to utilize in fundraising,” inherent power dynamic involved in getting a its inception, the shop has remained “wildly Love wrote. “And so far, the benefit days have been really successful.” tattoo, the inherent vulnerability of the client. busy,” according to J. Avery.

In the future, the artists hope that Critter “I am honestly floored by the response.

I wanted a tattoo shop that I felt not only safe in, but welcomed and understood in, and as far Everyone has been so supportive, and all of Swamp continues to be a benefit to the comas the Triangle (and let’s be honest, most of the us have been very steadily booking out,” Love munity and a safe space for marginalized folks to feel comfortable getting tattoos and expressSouth) goes it just felt like we had to make it to wrote.

The artists all share a love for their clients ing themselves. They also hope that their shop have it.”

Terin has owned a tattoo shop in his native and community that has already developed serves as a model for artists with similar backBloomington, Ind. for the past three years that out of Critter Swamp, and they hope to use the grounds to follow and continue expanding the was intentionally created as a Black space in “a shop to benefit the community even beyond industry.

“I want the conversation to become global,” town where the nearest culture is an hour drive,” the scope of providing their art. Almost every which showed him the power and importance flash tattoo event the shop has hosted has ben- Terin wrote. “[I want] white people to stop efitted a cause or organization that the artists claiming tattooing as their invention. I want to of having an inclusive, safe tattoo shop.

“It’s important to me to create unity and care about, such as their Valentine’s Day “Love hear people’s voices that don’t reflect the echoes community while also having my tattoos be Fest” event. During the three-day event, a por- of the redundant past of tattooing. The narempowering to those choosing to get tattooed tion of all proceeds went to The LGBTQ Center rative in the industry is already shifting and I want to see that continue.” by me. When I created my own lane, I felt like of Durham. tattooing was good to me. I don’t really think about tattoo culture when I make decisions; I’m really just thinking about Black culture,” Terin wrote in an email. “Tattooers should post tattoos on Black and Brown skin. When they don’t, there’s no way for us to see their skill set on our bodies. I hope in the future artists realize the importance of educating themselves and working on their craft in a way that is inclusive to all bodies.”

When the three decided to open the shop, the circumstances did not seem conventionally favorable — they had not all known each other very well beforehand, and the August grand opening happened to come right in the middle of a global pandemic.

“None of us knew what to expect when we were planning this,” Terin wrote. “We were all coming from a place of hope that our health would maintain to even see the opening of Courtesy of Critter Swamp Critter Swamp.”

But their shared vision of an inclusive tat- Despite opening in the middle of a pandemic, Critter Swamp has found great support.

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TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021 | 9

playground

‘Mortal Kombat’ is a surprisingly decent video game film

By Devinne Moses

The arcade fighting game known as “Mortal Kombat” has had a few movie adaptations over the years, ranging from acceptable to downright dreadful film fodder. 2021’s “Mortal Kombat” takes the franchise to new, middling heights by ditching a meaningful plot in favor of comical characters and senseless gore.

Over the past 30 years, video game movies have largely been catastrophic failures.

From “Super Mario Bros.” to “Assassin’s Creed,” video games franchises are usually confusing and horribly misrepresented once they make their way onto the big screen. Too many bad adaptations later and video game fans had every reason to groan and sigh when a new adaptation is announced. In recent years, however, successful movies like “Sonic the Hedgehog” and “Detective Pikachu” have reinvigorated the dying genre, and slowly but surely, audiences are once again willing to believe that video game movies can be more than mediocre.

The third adaptation of “Mortal Kombat” comes at a time when big-budget projects are dropping on HBO Max due to the ongoing pandemic. While movies like “Wonder Woman 1984” and “Godzilla vs Kong have suffered from low box-office numbers and excessively critical reviews, “Mortal Kombat” is likely to benefit from this situation. In the traditional sense, it is not a good movie, but its thrilling moments are well worth watching from the comfort of your home. This movie largely follows the basic premise of most of its video games, where superhuman and other worldly champions face off against each other to determine the fate of the world.

In the first few minutes of the movie, we are

briefly introduced to the franchises’ most popular characters Sub-Zero and Scorpion.

Their ongoing rivalry spans generations, and from their first fight, the film gives us a clear sense of its willingness to get ugly with crushed skulls, hacked-off arms and merciless murder. The inventive violence is what makes “Mortal Kombat” so appealing in the video games, and the movie smartly clings onto that idea throughout. But whenever the

fighting stops, even if it’s only for a few minutes, we notice the movie’s rushed plot and shallow, we notice the movie’s rushed plot and shallow, confusing exposition. The hourlong training session is rough to get through because it is composed of mostly forgettable character interactions and incessant attempts to be amusing. In any other movie, this would be damning, but not in “Mortal Kombat.”

Paying too much attention to why a strug-

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

The “Mortal Kombat” film sets up engaging matchups through breaks in logic.

gling MMA fighter is chosen as one of the Earth’s greatest defenders, why the Outworld villain Sub-Zero wants to cheat his way into an already-guaranteed victory or why the trade dealer Kano mindlessly switches to the villain’s team will only leave you with more questions than humanly possible to answer.

“Mortal Kombat” sets up engaging matchups through these breaks in logic, and it would have been a mistake to spend time to explain why.

The movie embraces this nonsensical style by intentionally keeping its story and character development at a minimum. The video game has always been known for its complicated storylines that span over different titles but focusing on those aspects would’ve bogged down the movie and added to its nearly 2-hour runtime. Instead, the movie tried to cater to preexisting fans by focusing on its most important features, like inconceivable gore. The plot and characters don’t matter when a person’s spine is ripped out of their body, so it’s best to turn your brain off and enjoy the fight sequences and unapologetic fatalities.

For newcomers to the franchise, “Mortal Kombat” might seem like an unnecessarily gruesome action film with a depthless story.

While that’s accurate, fans of “Mortal Kombat” will leave this movie satisfied by the numerous references to the video games and its iconic characters. The bone-crunching fights and severed heads don’t make it a good movie, especially not one worth going to the theater for, but its violence is enough to keep most action lovers entertained. Though the bar is extremely low, it stands out as a decent video game movie, and with a sequel already in the works, it’s safe to say that video game adaptations will live to fight another day.

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A love letter to the Beatles, who built my love for music in retrospect

By Kerry Rork

When I was little, I watched the “Yellow Submarine” animated film on VCR until it practically fell apart. No, seriously – the VCR player would completely reject the movie.

This is not to say that it is a good movie, certainly not by any stretch of the imagination.

It is a drug-induced, hippy dream/nightmare lasting for a seemingly plotless ninety minutes. Regardless, it was foundational for my childhood. After every viewing, I would run around singing “Hey, Bulldog” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” for hours. I devoured every song in that movie like it was the last time I would ever hear it.

When I got older, “Yellow Submarine” was traded in for “Help” and “A Hard Day’s Night.” Again, the cycle of watching and rewatching continued. At one point in my childhood, my dad could play five seconds of any Beatles song on his guitar and I would proudly identify it with ease. While my abilities have since subsided in that department, my passion has remained.

Moments in my life are earmarked with my favorite Beatles songs. When I was in elementary school, I loved their pop, happygo-lucky sound captured most in classics like “Twist and Shout.” I can recall a favorite memory from my childhood by the Beatles song that was playing in the background.

In high school, after going through a rough break-up, I turned to a moodier side, skipping through playlists until I reached “Yesterday” or “Eleanor Rigby.” To celebrate an academic victory, I blasted “Getting Better” and “Good Day Sunshine” out my car windows.

And, stressed for midterms in college, I found myself absorbed in “Revolver.”

No playlist I ever make is complete with-

out – at the very least – one Beatles song.

Right now, the pièce de résistance in my sum-

mer playlist is “Oh! Darling,” perhaps my current favorite Beatles song, though, to be

fair, the title is passed along nearly daily.

The passion does not stop just with relistening to albums. My dad and I often obsessively watch and re-watch concert recordings, discuss fan theories, dig through vinyl record stores for outtakes and, more recently, the mono remastered editions of classic albums and seek out concerts with either Ringo or Paul (both of whom I now can proudly say I have seen live). It is rather an all-encompassing love.

Because of this near-religious devotion, I use the Beatles as the point of comparison between all other albums and songs. I will note the creativity of a modern recording as influenced by the Beatles’s later years and their multitracking practices. Or I will remark that a current music video is obviously inspired by “A Hard Day’s Night,” long before MTV and “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Director Richard Lester was even granted the title of the father of MTV. I wish I could make my passion for the Beatles at least sound less annoying and ever-present, but unfortunately, that would be a lie.

I often tell myself I am not the “fangirl” type. For anything else, my interests remain at a healthy, fairly neutral level. You know, I recognize the names of bands, know many of their albums – the normal kind of attentiveness, but the Beatles seem to take it to a whole different level. I see myself in the girls that fainted during the Beatles concerts, overwhelmed in an almost religious sense. It is a distressing but rather apt fact.

I always knew this article would come.

How could I authentically write for a culture section for nearly three years without even mentioning my growing infatuation with the Beatles? Anyways, this is my love letter, my Courtesy of Brittanica magnum opus if you will, for the band who created my love for music.

The Ed Sullivan Show hosted the Beatles first televised performance in the United States.

Get into the

groove!

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TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021 | 11

On ‘Sour,’ Olivia Rodrigo crafts a delightful messy debut

By Jonathan Pertile

“I want it to be, like, messy.”

That’s the opening line of Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album “Sour.” It’s almost inaudible, hidden behind the production, but the little offhand comment pretty much sums up the entire album. In “Sour,” Rodrigo has poured every single ounce of her breakup blues and anger into an album that is as beautiful as it is chaotic. Leave it to a teenager to create a case study in teenage heartbreak that feels like the real thing, all the melodrama, bitterness — and yes, messiness — included.

That lyric above? You can find it in “Brutal,” the album’s opener. Rodrigo is talking about the song’s thrashing guitar rift, lifted straight from the 90s, that rockets Rodrigo along as she bestows us with line after line of pure, unironic generational woes. What other artist in the music industry is going to Courtesy of Billboard throw “Who am I if not exploited” and “And Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album “Sour” is an exemplary case study in teenage heartbreak.

I’m not cool, and I’m not smart / And I can’t even parallel park” in the same song? The took Swift four tries for one of her albums to if “Sour” isn’t cohesive and doesn’t even try song is incredibly messy, but that’s the point showcase the same versatility Rodrigo shows to balance itself emotionally, then it has to be Rodrigo’s laser-focused songwriting that ef– the messy sound and messy lyrics make for in her first eleven songs.

Take “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U,” ficiently obliterates the album’s antagonist, a slick introduction to a purposely messy alRodrigo’s two number-one Billboard Hot some dude not worth naming, for all the pain bum about a messy breakup.

Using diverse, incohesive tracklists for 100 hits. The former is aesthetic, ethereal and and anguish he caused her. Either she’s dragbreakup albums is not a new idea — Rodri- magnetic, a monument to Lorde and her con- ging him for moving on in only two weeks go’s idol and biggest influence, Taylor Swift, tinued stranglehold on pop music. The latter (“Traitor”), being an impossibly unoriginal did it on her own breakup album in 2012 is explosive and furious, providing proof that boyfriend (“Deja Vu”) or treating her cruelly with “Red.” There, Swift used pop, country, the 20-year cycle is making punk mainstream and unpredictably (“1 Step Forward, 3 Steps electronic and rock to encompass the full again. The pair couldn’t be more different in Back”). Even when he isn’t the focus of the spectrum of emotions following a heart- their sounds or their emotions, yet here they song, like in bookends “Brutal” and “Hope Ur break. On “Sour,” Rodrigo instead emulates are, one artist’s two biggest hits, separated on Ok,” he’s always lurking in the background, the bedroom pop of the 2010s, early-to-mid- the tracklist by two songs on a single album. an ever-present threat to Rodrigo’s potential If “Sour” is all over the place, then that happiness. aughts pop punk, and 1990s alt-rock to efRodrigo’s songwriting and sound on fectively do the same thing. While she didn’t begs the question: what keeps the album invent the concept, what makes “Sour” so im- from spiralling out of control in the hands “Sour” is impressive in and of itself. She has pressive is that it’s Rodrigo’s debut album – it of a teenager making her first album? Well, nearly mastered the heartbreak song at the

ripe age of 18, and yet her biggest potential lies in her eye (and ear!) for detail, both inside and out of her songwriting. Rodrigo goes above and beyond to fill the album with small, little moments that give the album a real sense of personality. For example, look at the titles for “Good 4 U” and “Enough For You,” right next to each other on the tracklist.

Rodrigo gives the 2000s-inspired song the abbreviation treatment, as if pointing a neon arrow towards its Y2K inspiration. In contrast, using the “proper” spelling in the title of acoustic ballad “Enough For You” feels like a statement on the song’s emotional gravitas.

It is impossibly easy to smack the same stylistic choices on every title, but a track-by-track analysis demonstrates the intelligence and meticulous thoughtfulness with which Rodrigo curated the project.

Those little details also provide glimmers of humor in the midst of an otherwise very bitter album – buried in the production of “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back” is an interpolation of “New Year’s Day,” one of Taylor Swift’s most romantic songs from one of her most romantic albums. It isn’t an accident that Rodrigo combined the sweet and the sour – she could probably recite Swift’s entire discography from memory, and there are plenty of other choices that could’ve worked. It’s funny, just a little ironic and it allows Rodrigo’s biggest fans to feel like they’re included in an inside joke with her.

If there’s one thing that “Sour” proves, it’s that Olivia Rodrigo is here to stay. So many one-hit-wonders fail trying to copy their initial success, and while I would gladly stream an entire album of just the bridge from “Drivers License,” there is nothing more satisfying than an artist taking risks that pay off. As long as she isn’t parallel parking, there probably isn’t anything that Rodrigo can do wrong.

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I didn’t watch this year’s Oscars, and you didn’t either

By Jonathan Pertile

I haven’t watched a lot of movies this year.

Actually, there are only three I can remember: “Miss Americana” (a documentary), “Godmothered” (a random Christmas movie) and “Up” (an animated movie from 2009). Should this make me unqualified to write a review of the Oscars, the biggest award show of the year for cinema? Well, yes. It doesn’t help that I didn’t even watch the award show myself, but that’s beside the point. Why? Because nobody watched the Oscars this year.

To be fair, that’s not entirely true. The Oscars did manage to pull in an average of 8.8 million viewers during their three-hourlong show, but that was a massive 58% decrease from the previous year. The Oscars aren’t alone in seeing record low viewership numbers – this past year, the Grammys and Golden Globes saw 53% and 63% declines, respectively. Never before have award shows held such little cultural relevance.

The Oscars have especially struggled with connecting to the public in recent years. Unlike the Grammys, which (barring their disdain for rap music) have been able to reward music representative of each year by striking a balance between celebrating commercial success and critical acclaim, the Oscars have leaned hard into the critically-acclaimed-butcommercially-invisible niche for their awards.

The last time a movie with a box office gross of more than $100 million won Best Picture was in 2013, when “Argo” walked away with the prize. The result of this voting is, yes, “deserving” winners, but at the same time, a general public where each person has seen maybe one or two of the Best Picture nominees. It has been an especially challenging year for cinema, with the COVID-19 pan-

demic putting the future of movie theaters in serious jeopardy. With box office numbers at record lows, there are even fewer movies for the Oscars to reward that many people saw.

This year, Best Picture winner “Nomadland” pulled in a meager $2 million, $15 million less than the previous low set in 2010 by “The Hurt Locker.” The pandemic is forcing the Oscars to address its future right now – how can the awards show survive if it continues down this path?

The Oscars have already begun to show signs of improvement here and there. They made a great decision nominating “Black Panther” in 2019, showing that they weren’t completely detached from the mainstream.

But maybe it would have been better to outright give the award to the movie – “Black Panther” was an undeniable cultural moment, critically and commercially successful and accurately reflected the spirit of the late 2010s.

In other words, it’s the kind of nominee the Grammys eat up but the Oscars are reluctant to reward. Instead, they handed the Best Picture award to “Green Book,” a questionable commentary on race that approaches white saviorism. If the Oscars aren’t going to give awards to box office hits, maybe they’ll finally decide to reward movies from streaming sites more frequently. The last time a Netflix movie had a credible shot at winning Best Picture, “Roma” was beaten, also by “Green Book” in 2019. With the pandemic putting most movie theaters out of service for the time being, many releases have been dependent on streaming, and the Oscars somewhat reflected that this year. Netflix managed to pull in seven wins, almost equaling the eight it had collected up to that point. However, the big award the streaming site was hoping to win — Best Actor for the late Chadwick Boseman — did not come to fruition, despite him being the

Courtesy of Sky News The Oscars pulled in an average of 8.8 million viewers, a 58% decrease from last year.

heavy favorite.

If the Oscars want to survive, they need to evolve alongside the music industry. It’s clear that they’re trying, but by then, will it be too little, too late? Probably. When the pandemic ends, whether or not people return to watching award shows is up in the

air. Maybe they’ll follow movie theaters to the graveyard, and in 50 years when you try to explain movie theaters to your grandchildren, you might throw in an Oscars mention.

Probably not. Well, at least I won’t do that – if I don’t care about the Oscars now, why would 50 years change that?

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TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021 | 13

Eight games to help make the most of your free time

By Devinne Moses Design Editor

As much as we would love to spend every day outside and enjoy the summer sun, there will be days where the heat packs too hard of a punch and staying indoors is the more appealing option. This list includes a variety of genres and platforms from free app store picks to full-priced console games, all geared toward making your free time engaging and worth the investment.

“The Sims 4” “The Sims 4” is the ultimate life simulation game, where you can live vicariously through your customizable avatars, design dream homes or cause humorous mayhem. Manage your Sims’ needs – or don’t – and watch as they stride or stumble toward their dreams.

Although it came out in 2014, “The Sims 4” is still constantly updated with bug fixes and new content packs to keep the game fresh and exciting for its fanbase.

“Stardew Valley” If you’re wanting something a bit more laid-back, “Stardew Valley” is one of the best games out there. After experiencing burnout from your office job, you get the chance to restart your life and take up your grandfather’s old farm. It’s the perfect world to escape to when the real world is too stressful with calming scenery and music. While farming is a big portion of the game, the unique, pixelated townsfolk are a bigger reason to invest many summer hours into a cozy, virtual valley.

to finish. “Resident Evil Village” is no exception and has become one of the most popular survival horror games of all-time, let alone this year. Claustrophobic environments, realistic graphics and memorable villains make this game a horror masterpiece worthy of those brave enough to play it.

“Little Nightmares” If shooting your way through hordes of monsters is not your thing, then “Little Nightmares”might be your preferred chilling experience to dive into. Playing hide-and-seek has never been scarier, and for the heroine named Six, life or death is in your hands. Offering a unique combination of puzzles and narrative, Little Nightmares is a short yet fearful experience that is a quick and cheaper pick up for players craving some summer fright.

“Rocket League” Free summer fun is the best kind of summer fun, and “Rocket League” developer’s Psyonix was well aware of this when they made their vehicular soccer game free to play last September. Play as an RC car and com-

pete with or against anyone in a chaotic sports match. Don’t let the fact that it’s now free fool you; “Rocket League” is one of the most critically acclaimed video games of all time and is undoubtedly worth playing this summer.

“Game Builder Garage” Summer is seen as a time to brush up on some hobbies and skills that were left on the backburner during the semester. For programming enthusiasts, “Game Builder Garage” will turn game development into fun, engaging mini lessons designed by some of the best at Nintendo. Once you are accustomed to the creature-based visual programming language, you are free to design a variety of game levels and fulfill any dreams of becoming a game creator this summer.

“Idle Theme Park Tycoon” If free time is hard to come by this summer, idle games on the app store are great because it doesn’t require a lot of attention but can still be a needed break from a busy schedule. “Idle Theme Park Tycoon - Recreation Game” is one of the best available be-

cause nothing screams summer more than a theme park filled with exhilarating roller coasters, relaxing water parks and long bathroom lines. A few minutes of upgrading and unlocking rides feel rewarding after accumulating virtual money throughout the day, and a few goals and tasks keep you motivated to return to your tiny virtual park.

Summer life is quite different from the usual semester roller coaster, which means that for those who don’t usually play video games, this season can be the perfect time to.

Whether you’re hard at work this summer and looking for ways to relax or have more downtime since the semester ended, video games can bring the fun and relaxation needed to your home. Gaming with your friends, with strangers or on your own offers exciting and memorable experiences unlike any other type of media. While things are still virtual and travel is not yet back to normal, take a seat in a cozy place with your favorite snack or drink and spend some time exploring a relaxing, haunting or even productive game world.

“New Pokémon Snap” For those looking to brush up on their photography and research skills over the summer, Nintendo’s “New Pokémon Snap” is a wonderful option. Traveling to different islands and environments is just what summer is all about, and taking cute, sharable photos of Pokémon has never been better. Whether you were a fan of the 1999 Nintendo 64 version or have little experience with Pokémon in general, this would be an essential addition to your Nintendo Switch catalogue.

“Resident Evil Village” When days are hot, horror games turn into summer chillers that grip us from start

Photo by Devinne Moses Gaming with friends, with strangers or on your own offers exciting, interactive and memorable experiences unlike any other type of media.

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Finding neurodiversity acceptance in ‘Finding Nemo’ in retrospect

By Skyler Graham

Most fans of online quizzes are familiar with the Pooh Pathology Test: each character of the classic Disney franchise embodies a different psychiatric diagnosis, and users can answer a series of questions to see which character they relate to the most. I was never a huge fan of the Hundred Acre crew, but I was still fascinated by the use of children’s cartoon characters to describe mental health conditions. Recently, I realized that this trend was not exclusive to Pooh and his friends — it could also be attributed to the characters in my favorite Pixar movie: “Finding Nemo.”

Being one of the only movies my brother and I could agree on, our family’s “Finding Nemo” DVD became scratched beyond use over the course of my childhood. I loved the variety of high-strung and laid-back marine characters, their action-packed adventure, the Rat Pack soundtrack and of course, the bold colors and textures characteristic of Pixar. It wasn’t until I was in college, however, that I truly appreciated the film’s portrayal of disability.

Nemo and Gill both have physical disabilities, with Nemo’s “lucky fin” and Gill’s torn one, but the film especially seems to emphasize — and even celebrate — the mental differences of its characters.

After Marlin’s wife and kids were killed by a barracuda, he displays the constant worry and distrust associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). His lone surviving son, Nemo, also displays some symptoms of anxiety. Side characters Jacques and Gurgle display the obsession with cleanliness often linked with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD); the vibrant royal blue Deb has mul-

tiple personalities; and Bruce and the sharks battle their fish-eating addiction at AA-style meetings.

And then there’s Dory, the iconic blue tang that made her way into our homes and hearts with short-term memory loss and a hopeful mantra to “just keep swimming.”

She most explicitly suffers from her amnesia but also displays the often-unspoken positive side of neurodiverse brains. Although Dory has trouble remembering recent conversations, she remembers Nemo’s “P. Sherman” location and is the only fish that can read — similar to how many individuals with autism are incredibly skilled in a specific area, or people with ADD can hyperfocus on something they’re interested in.

One of the biggest controversies surrounding neurodivergence is the idea of “curing” it. Some have posited that the alternative way of thinking associated with ADHD, for example, can actually provide benefits to creativity and problem-solving skills. Yet, when school and work demand time management skills often inhibited by this disorder, people diagnosed with it may want nothing more than to feel neurotypical — to feel “cured.”

But in this 2003 children’s film, no one tries to stop or change or “fix” the characters or their behaviors. They work with them —and each other — and they succeed.

Dory’s memory loss is frustrating to Marlin, but they stick by each other regardless.

Likewise, Marlin’s past trauma exacerbates his anger, but Dory consistently provides comfort and companionship. Ultimately, their mission is to, well, find Nemo, and their inner differences are just side challenges inevitably faced along their journey that allow them to grow closer. As cliche as it sounds to praise a Pixar movie for highlighting the

Courtesy of Disney Relationships between the characters of “Finding Nemo” provide a model of acceptance.

strength in our differences, it teaches kids that many of these characteristics are just that — not illnesses to be cured, but differences to be understood and naturally accepted. As a kid, they were just funny characters. And that could be all they are. Maybe these anthropomorphized fish aren’t explicitly facing anything that could be found in the DSM5, but they still teach us about appreciating each other with our differences, not in spite

of them. Unlike Winnie the Pooh, there is no test to see which “Nemo” character you are.

There is only a heartwarming tale of complex characters that navigate the depths of the ocean and even deeper expanse of the mind.

Even if we can’t find a diagnosis for ourselves, we could always use a gentle reminder support one another on all of our own adventures.

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