Winter 2019 VOLUME12 ISSUE 2
MAGAZINE
Bad Apple Review
Discover one of Reno's best vintage spots in Midtown
A Collection of Collectors A look at Reno's avid collectors
Valentine's and Galentine's Date Ideas A round up of the best places to spend your holiday
MAGAZINE
Staff (From left to right) Tanner Barrett: Copy Editor, Maggie Schmutz: Editor-in-Chief, Elizabeth Pearson: Art Director, Kellie Sasso: Photography Editor about the magazine You hold in your hands the latest iteration of Insight Magazine. We hope that you will enjoy it. Not only is this issue the result of a tremendous amount of hard work, but it is also a representation of a student publication over a decade in the works (with origins as the Artemisia, the former yearbook of UNR dating back to the 1800's). Thank you for supporting us. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do. If you're interested in getting involved with us, visit insightunr.com > Get Involved.
Contributors Crystal Pulido-Lugo Nikki Moylan Nicholas Acevedo Rylee Jackson Grey Bailey Meghan Frasier
corrections Insight Magazine works to correct any errors. If you find a mistake or misprint, please contact the editor at insighteditor@asun.unr.edu. Insight Magazine is proud to have placed tenth in the 2018 National Associated Collegiate Press Conference in the category of Feature Magazine.
from the editor
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ow that we’re one month into 2019, I’ve started to really put 2018 behind me and look forward. Looking at the year I have ahead of me is instantly overwhelming. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around all of the new experiences I’m sure to have. This idea of a full year of events, people, and new memories can overwhelm the best of us. One thing has helped me in my quest to take on this year. I’ve tried to slow down. The key word here is tried. It’s not always easy in the fast-paced society we live in. However, I think that when we really take the time to appreciate the moment we find ourselves in, life gets a little less scary. Each moment we experience is so new and unique. I know this might sound like a cheesy inspirational quote you’d expect to see on a greeting card. It’s easy to brush aside motivational quotes we see every other day scattered around the internet. Even with that being true, I think remembering to slow down and live in the moment would make the world a better place.
However, I think that when we really take the time to appreciate the moment we find ourselves in, life gets a little less scary. Whether you feel on top of the world right now or are at your lowest point, this part of your life won’t last forever. It’s humbling to think that if we’re doing amazing, all of that could change overnight. It’s also as equally uplifting to think that things could get better just as fast. Sometimes things don’t change overnight. Sometimes that change is gradual and grueling, but it’s also important. So as I sit here writing this all I can say is this: Look at the next year as an adventure. Plan, but try not to get too caught up in the little details ahead of time. Try to give yourself room to breathe, laugh, and cry if you need to, and just be in the moment. Find the balance between humble and proud, and try to live in that space as often as possible. This is a year of opportunity, and it will be over before you know it. My wish for you is that you embrace every challenging, exciting, and unique second of it.
Photo by Kellie Sasso
C Oreviews N Tfeatures E Nlifestyle T Sopinion
local news JACK SWING: 6 NEW THE HISTORY AND LEGACY BIKES AND SCOOTERS 8 LIME SQUEEZED OUT OF RENO
12 RUM SUGAR LIME 14 BAD APPLE VINTAGE BOOKS, MOVIES 16 AND MUSIC
ARTISTS: 20 DIY THE FUTURE OF MUSIC
ACTION 22 GENERATION AT NEVADA
COLLECTION OF 26 ACOLLECTORS 28 COZY COOKING FOR ONE AND 30 VALENTINE'S GALENTINE'S DATE IDEAS 32 COMING TO NETFLIX 2019
TOWNS VS. 36 SMALL THE BIG SCREEN
Photo by Kellie Sasso
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LOCAL NEWS 5 INSIGHT
New Jack Swing: The History and Legacy Words by Rylee Jackson Photos by Kellie Sasso
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n December, the legendary Apollo Theater in New York City celebrated the innovation of New Jack Swing, which was the sound that captured the spirit of popular music in the mid-eighties and early nineties. Headlined by Harlem born producer Teddy Riley, the event featured the artists that brought the genre to life including Guy, Keith Sweat, SWV, MC Lyte and many more. Events like these remind us just how impactful New Jack Swing has been in American music history. With the trend of nineties nostalgia being prevalent in our popular culture today, it is crucial to educate ourselves on movements like New Jack Swing and give credit where credit is due. In today’s music, it almost seems as though the fusion of hip-hop and R&B go hand-in-hand. However, that wasn’t always the case. Prior to New Jack Swing, R&B was popularized by the ballad stylings of artists such as Anita Baker and Teddy Pendergrass. Hip-hop was just starting to come into fruition with acts such as Run-DMC and LL Cool J. Back then, it seemed as though both genres were on completely different playing fields. However, in 1986, Minneapolis producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis joined forces with Janet Jackson to create “Control,” which is credited by most music historians as the foundation of the New Jack Swing sound. The merging of dance-pop, rap and R&B that songs like “Nasty” possessed was said to have majorly influenced Teddy Riley to elevate this sound to new heights. Merging hip hop “swing” beats created by a drum machine and hardware samplers with R&B vocals layered on top became the key characteristic of the sub-genre, which changed the state of music forever. The emergence of artists that first used the new sound such as Guy, Keith Sweat and Bobby Brown became too hard to ignore. The production stylings of Riley, Jam & Lewis along with Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds & L.A Reid blew up the Billboard charts and eventually became known as some of the most successful and legendary producers in music history. Before Timbaland, Pharrell, and Mark Ronson dominated, it was these guys who changed the status quo and created the art that truly defined a generation of timeless music. The artists and the producers bringing the New Jack
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Swing style to life inspired already established music powerhouses such as Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson to add their own twist to the unique sound. Babyface and L.A Reid were instrumental in expanding Houston’s repertoire of angelic ballads and taking on a harder edge. The 1990 track “I’m Your Baby Tonight” became a worldwide hit and is one of the most unique installments apart of the legendary vocalist’s discography. The soaring vocals on top of the funky beat makes this hit a classic New Jack Swing song. In 1991, Jackson’s album “Dangerous” showcased a fresh sound and with the aid of Riley, incorporated New Jack Swing while still never losing sight of the authenticity that the superstar was well-known for. Standout tracks such as “Remember the Time” and “In the Closet” intermixed Jackson’s recognizable vocals and beat-boxing along with hard-hitting beats. The album still remains the biggest selling New Jack Swing album with over 30 million copies sold worldwide.
Emerging into his solo career and his own identity as a solo artist, Bobby Brown’s “Don’t Be Cruel” developed massive hits from both Babyface & L.A Reid as well as Teddy Riley becoming one of the standout records of the movement. The Riley penned track “My Prerogative” catapulted Brown into superstardom and still remains a classic song many artists have covered. Going into its 30th anniversary this year, Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation 1814” remains a classic album that that incorporates Jam & Lewis’ fusion of the New Jack Swing and Minneapolis sound along with a socially conscious message that is still relevant as ever. Tracks such as “The Knowledge” and “State of the World” take the genre to a completely different stratosphere and remain some of her most influential work to date. Although music is the forefront, it represented much more than that. It was bound to be that the largerthan-life music innovation directly inspired the fashion of the time. The baggy clothes and neon colors of the
brand Cross Colours were shown everywhere in music videos, television and movies and accompanied the music effortlessly. Its influence has stretched years after its reign. Most notably, Bruno Mars and his widely successful album “24K Magic” was a conglomerate of the New Jack Swing music Mars himself loved growing up. In his speech for Album of the Year at the 2018 Grammy Awards, he dedicated his win to Teddy Riley, Babyface and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Along with Mars, there are plenty of today’s artists who have aspects of New Jack Swing that are ingrained in their music. With the genre’s short-lived reign and despite new trends forming in music afterwords, there is no denying that the New Jack Swing era was one of the most loved times in American popular culture. Along with bringing hip-hop and R&B to a wider audience, its legacy relishes in the timelessness and will forever be the type of music that could make anyone get up and dance.
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LIME BIKES AND SCOOTERS SQUEEZED OUT OF RENO Words by Nikki Moylan Photos by Kellie Sasso
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n May of 2018, a fleet of approximately 1,000 bright green and yellow bikes were released across the Biggest Little City in The World. Lime, a startup company in over 80 cities in the United States, aims to make transportation “smart and affordable.” The company also has fleets of electric scooters available to ride, with the closest location in South Lake Tahoe. How does the bike-sharing service work? To use the service, download the official app, and LimeBikes around you pop up on a map. Each bike has a GPS device in it, which allows the company to track how far and long you rode for. It costs $1 per 30 minutes, but your first half hour is free on your very first ride. The bikes are single speeds and are maintenanced by Lime’s team of mechanics, not the cities or counties that the bike sharing programs are in. According to Lime’s 2018 Year End Report, 26 million rides were taken, with 40 percent of riders reporting that they used the service to commute to work or school. In the Reno region, Lime has saved more than 106,734 pounds of CO2 and 3,302 gallons of gas, and an estimated 78,625 miles of driving has been avoided. William Nevin is a communications major at the University of Nevada, Reno, and has tried the bikes and e-scooters. “I like how the bikes help people in Reno get around easily,” Nevin said. “But I worry that, because there’s so many bikes, there will be a sea of unused ones like there are in other cities.” “I rode a scooter in South Lake [Tahoe],” Nevin said. “It was fun but kind of jerky.” He believes that Lime should focus on safety because of that issue. “It also sucked to spend money on something that I rode about a mile to.” The scooter costs $1 to unlock and 15 cents a minute, and has a top speed of 14.8 miles per hour. Recent reports state that Reno destroys more
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bikes than any other city, at almost twice the rate with an average destruction rate of nine per week. The company is also in hot water with the city of Sparks after launching scooters in the Reno and Sparks area without letting the city know beforehand. Local laws considered the scooters to be mopeds, and therefore must require helmets. A cease and desist letter was sent to Lime in September by the city of Reno, and all scooters were removed from the streets. The Sparks city council had questions for Lime after their presentation at a council meeting on September 24, 2018, such as if these scooters needed to be licensed with the Nevada DMV, if the speed could be reduced to less than 15 miles per hour, and if the products could be geo-fenced, or prevented from parking in certain areas. Sparks city codes prohibit motorized vehicles from operating on sidewalks, within parks like the Sparks Marina, the city trail system, and Truckee River path. “The city [of Sparks] found the dockless bicycle product to be very favorable and it provided an additional transportation mode for our community,” said Sparks city manager Steve Driscoll via email. “It was a quality of life enhancement. However, the electric product was troublesome due to a lack of information from Lime to the city.” Driscoll, through the city’s transportation manager, held
a meeting with his staff and Lime officials on December 4, 2018 and minimum progress was made since September. Lime did not contact DMV, but instead requested that Sparks receive a legal opinion from the state of Nevada for clarification about the vehicle type for the scooters and electric bikes. Lime also can create geofences, and they also have the technology to limit the maximum speed of the electric scooters and bikes. Driscoll said that until the city’s questions about the electric scooters are fully answered, the city will allow the contract with Lime to expire on January 31, 2019. The City of Reno has chosen to renew their contracts with Lime and will also be introducing electric bikes into the areas as well, in addition to developing parking for the bikes. The city believes the bike sharing program allows for reduction of climate pollution and greater spending at local retailers and restaurants. About one-quarter of Reno’s community wide emissions are from passenger vehicle use, and using bikes can alleviate this issue. Lime officials have said publicly that they have found that the electric scooters and bikes are often more appropriate for the area’s user market. Studies from Lime have shown that users in other areas prefer fleets of electric vehicles to standard pedal bikes, with almost double or triple the amount of rides.
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REVIEWS INSIGHT 10
Photo by Kellie Sasso
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Photo by Kellie Sasso
RUM SUGAR LIME T Words by Nikki Moylan Photos by Kellie Sasso he first time that I ever heard of Rum Sugar Lime was from an Instagram ad that I didn’t know I needed. Tropical citrus cocktails photographed in Instagram-worthy lighting were just the thing I was in desperate need of during the middle of winter. Rum Sugar Lime is a tropically inspired craft cocktail bar located in Midtown, and it opened in early spring of 2018, with a goal to bring paradise year round to Reno. I talked to owner Larry DiVencenzi before visiting Rum Sugar Lime in order to get a sense of the bar’s vibe. “We’re native Renoites, and wanted to open our business in our hometown,” DiVencenzi said. “We also believed we have the team and skills to bring something new and exciting to Reno’s craft cocktail culture.” DiVencenzi said that the most ordered cocktail is gin-based, The Saturn, closely followed by the house special- The Daiquiri. I arrived at the bar on an early Sunday night, and a few people were there. 90s hip-hop and lofi beats were blaring through the speakers, and I really liked the bar’s young and hip vibe. Plants grew on the wall, and giant copper pineapples were placed throughout the shelves of alcohol. The lighting was perfect for taking pictures of a girls night or date night, and had a lot of places to sit. After a few minutes of looking through the very visual menu, I ordered a hibisco
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daiquiri, based on what I usually order at other bars. I am a sucker for a good and strong, yet sweet drink, and this one definitely delivered. Whipped up by bartender Jason, the drink felt as if it was made with another hard alcohol, such as tequila, as opposed to rum. I loved it nonetheless! The glass that it was served in was somewhat smaller than most of the other options, so I would recommend the daiquiri as a drink to end the night on. My second drink was the Lo Tide, with Eldorado 5 Year rum and pineapple, curacao and lime juice. It was incredibly strong, delicious and even came with a delicate yellow flower floating at the top. The menu comes with a rating system based on how much booze is in the drink. More pineapples means more fun, and the Lo Tide is a two out of three and three out of three on sweetness and alcohol content, respectively. For a large group, Rum Sugar Lime also offers punch bowls that are fruity and perfect for a casual 21st birthday option. If you’re not into spirits, the bar offers wine and beer options. One thing that I wish Rum Sugar Lime would offer are appetizers, especially for lightweights like me. I would suggest this place as a great bar to begin pregaming at, and then go to a restaurant to eat at for food. In the end, I think that Rum Sugar Lime will enjoy success when it comes to fruity tropical drinks and friendly service. They also have a strong social media presence for a fairly new bar, and have recently been featuring live music and holiday events. I’m looking forward to my next visit, whether it’s celebrating an anniversary or partying during a girlfriend's’ 21st birthday.
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BAD APPLE VINTAGE
Words by Nicholas Acevedo Photos by Kellie Sasso ave you ever struggled to find cute, vintage clothing at a reasonable price? Bad Apple VNTG, located in Midtown, provides both vintage and original apparel while aiming to be affordable enough for college students. From handmade goods, to pins and patches, to original clothing, Bad Apple has everything for you to stay trendy. “The aesthetic of the store is 80’s and 90’s, pretty much reflecting the current trends now. I also have a ton of handmade goods, as well as patches — anything to reflect anyone’s creativity on their outerwear. This place is just a fun, cartoony way of expressing yourself,” says owner, Francesca Martinez. Bad Apple sells clothing for both men and women as well as home decor, accessories and jewelry. The shop also allows local and international artists from countries like the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada to sell products through them, adding even more diversity to their selection of goods. Another cool thing that I admire about the shop is that it makes an effort to support the local music scene of Reno by advertising for local musicians that play at venues like The Holland Project. You can even purchase tickets to local shows through Bad Apple. If you’re looking for some trendier clothing at a great price-point, head to Bad Apple VNTG, located at 1001 S Virginia St, Reno, NV. If you are more of an online shopper, visit http://www.badapplevntg.com to view their selection and have their products shipped directly to you!
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Books, Movies and Music Gmorning, Gnight Book by Lin Manuel Miranda, Review by Maggie Schmutz Lin-Manuel Miranda continues to inspire with Gmorning, Gnight. Those who follow Miranda on Twitter are already well aware of his famous good morning and goodnight messages. They have been motivating and putting his followers to rest every day for years. Now, these messages are compiled into one book with illustrations by Jonny Sun. The combination of the uplifting messages and cute and quirky illustrations makes this a winner. Sun’s illustrations perfectly accompany Miranda’s words to create an almost whimsical atmosphere as you read. This book is perfect for anyone who may need a pep talk or a reminder that everything is going to be okay.
RBG Review by Elizabeth Pearson Have you ever wondered how Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg became the Notorious RBG? RBG, a documentary streaming on Hulu, explores the early legal career and personal life of the rock-star of a Supreme Court Justice who has helped change the way the legal system looks at gender equality. The 86-yearold women cannot help but inspire as she shares her daily workout routine and her persistence to give her all on the Supreme Court through sickness and in health. In an age where society seems to be losing faith in the legal system, this documentary shows how one woman can keep the hope alive.
Just to Be Ironic Album by Tommy Newport, Review by Nicholas Avecedo What happens when you combine the influences of Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys / The Arcs), Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys / The Last Shadow Puppets), The Killers and a splash of R&B? You get “Just To Be Ironic” — Tommy Newport’s debut album. At just 18 years old, Oliver Milmine (AKA Tommy Newport) is making heads nod and toes tap across the nation with music that feels both nostalgic and new. Each of the 13 songs on the album are accessible enough for any type of musical palate without having to resort to cheesy pop conventions. The album kicks off with “Gold”, a track I consider to be within the top three songs on the entire album. A catchy chorus anchored by sultry verses like — “Woman, you’re sitting awfully close to me. And all your words, they’re ecstasy. It makes it awfully hard to breathe.” — make for a great first impression of what to expect from Mr. Newport. “A lot of the songs on the album talk about things I wouldn’t normally talk to people about and so I find it ironic that I’m putting it out to everyone in the world,” says Newport during our conversation on Wolf Pack Radio’s own Tempo Radio. INSIGHT 16
The first five tracks of the album have an upbeat, falling-in-love kind of feel — including the singles, “Mr. Angel” and “Bad Choice My Boy”. However, once you get to the interlude, “Black Wedding”, you notice a dramatic turn in Newport’s attitude toward love. The title track, “Just to Be Ironic”, sets the tone for the rest of the album as the remaining tracks act as metaphors for the feeling of falling out of love. “It was only morning, you’re already trying to take it all out on me. Rain is always pouring, nothing seems important when it’s a quarter past three.” You’ll catch subtle nods toward artists like The Black Keys and Arctic Monkeys throughout, in both the bluesy guitar and train-of-thought-style lyrical delivery. Rounding out the back half of the album, we get three more singles — “La Riviera”, “My Woman” and “I Forgive You”. The album is very single-heavy and you will have a hard time finding the need to skip any of the songs presented to you. Tommy Newport’s “Just to Be Ironic” has the uncanny ability of having a diverse, yet distinguished sound and style. My personal three favorite tracks are “My Woman”, “Just to Be Ironic” and “Gold”. I expect Tommy Newport to become a giant in the alternative genre — up there with the likes of the bands he idolized like The Black Keys, Arctic Monkeys and The Killers.
Paul McCartney Concert Words by Crystal Lugo and illustration by Maggie Schmutz
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ir Paul McCartney returned to London, England on his Freshen Up tour on December 16th, 2018, the way a true legend does - to rock with heart. The 76 year-old Beatle performed at the London O2 Arena in North Greenwich, London to a crowd of about 15,000 attendees. In the audience was Rami Malek, Sir Ringo Starr, Ronnie Wood, Harry Styles, and McCartney’s children including fashion designer Stella McCartney. The star-studded audience only added to the magical and electric night full of wows and surprises from McCartney. I had seen him four years ago, but this time it was different. With new songs and new renditions, McCartney rocked London. I entered the arena to find an eclectic crowd of people attempting to find their seats. Many dressed in their favorite McCartney or Beatles shirts came together with friends and family to watch the Beatle perform his roster of legendary songs. All waited impatiently. The arena quickly filled up as McCartney’s music blared through the speakers; the people around me sang along. After some wait, the arena lights went off and the stage lights turned on. People cheered when McCartney ran up stage in his youthful gait. Though the Beatles mop top no longer sits on his head, he still looks as adorable sporting grey. Brian Ray on backing vocals and guitar, Rusty Anderson on backing vocals and guitar, Abe Laboriel Jr. on backing vocals and drums, and Paul Wickens on backing vocals and keyboard ran up with him too, joining McCartney for his last show of the year. “Good evening, London! Okay, I’m getting the feeling we’re going to have a bit of a party in this place tonight,” The crowd cheered after McCartney’s every word. Smiles beamed across the arena. “We’ve got some old songs for you, some new songs, and some in between ones. And uh, this next one is definitely not a new one!” Women screamed. “Brings me back” McCartney giggled. A nod to his Beatlemania days. McCartney began the night with “A Hard Day’s Night” and “All My
Loving” - both Beatles songs recorded during their earlier years. Included in his early work was “I’ve Just Seen A Face”, “Black Bird”, “Get Back”, “Something”, and “Hey Jude”. One of the most heartwarming parts on the night was when McCartney brought out a ukulele the late George Harrison had gifted him. “I was around at his place once and he had a big collection of ukuleles. He actually gave me this one. He was sitting around and I said ‘I learned one of your songs on the ukulele.’ So we played it together then and we’re going to play it for you now.” “Something in the way she moves, attracts me like no other lover. Something in the way she moves me. I don’t want to leave her now. You know I believe in how…” The light ukulele made it possible to hear the audience sing along to Harrison’s song. The song transitioned back into its original rock sound and footage of Harrison played behind McCartney. “Hey Jude” was another spectacular number and crowd pleaser. I always mention this part of the concert to people that ask me about my McCartney concert experience. Nothing compares to the joy and energy in the arena as everyone puts their worries aside and joins him with “Na na na’s”. The in between songs included his work with Wings, the band he started a few years after his breakup with The Beatles with his late wife, Linda McCartney. The groovy Wings tunes included “Let Me Roll It”, “Nineteen Hundred Eighty-Five”, and “Live And Let Die”. I had seen footage of him singing on his 1976 Wings American Tour, and though he has physically changed and his voice has matured, he still holds the same vibrance and charisma. Though McCartney enjoys singing his older music, he also sang songs from his newest album, Egypt Station, and from the preceded album, New. Even the newer songs are fan favorites. Proving the living legend has never and will never disappoint. The night was full of happiness, but it was also filled with melancholy. McCartney spoke of the late John Lennon. “Here Today” details the conversation McCartney wishes he
had with Lennon before his passing in 1980. The crowd went silent. “It’s hard to get through this one at times,” he admitted. The sadness lingered through the room for awhile. One of the biggest surprises of the night - which even shocked the heck out of me - was when he brought Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood and Sir Ringo Starr onstage. For those who don’t know, Ringo Starr was ¼ of The Beatles. I have seen Starr and McCartney in concert before, but never in the same room, so naturally I, along with the rest, lost it. The three, with the help of McCartney’s band sang The Beatles’ “Get Back.” From intimate shows at the Cavern Club in the early 60s to sold out arenas today, McCartney has delivered each performance with grand spirit and appreciation. Sir Paul McCartney doesn’t know mediocrity. If you ever get the chance to see McCartney in concert, please do. You will regret missing out on this spectacular celebration of life. McCartney will be returning to the stage in 2019. Until then, book your tickets for his North American tour and listen to his newest album, Egypt Station. Streaming now!
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Photo by Kellie Sasso
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FEATURES 19 INSIGHT
DIY Artists: the Future of Music G Words by Nicholas Avecedo Photo by Kellie Sasso one are the days of needing to assemble a full band to make an album. Now you can simply record your music on your laptop with software like Logic Pro, Ableton, FruityLoops and GarageBand. Artists of all genres are embracing a do-it-yourself type of attitude when it comes to producing their music, which typically saves money and makes for a more cohesive sound. In the indie rock scene, Kevin Parker — the mastermind behind Tame Impala, most notably made this style of production more popular as he writes, records, produces and performs the music himself. The combination of Parker’s DIY style and the growing availability of at home recording software helped to create a boom of DIY musicians. 18 year old Oliver Milmine, better known as Tommy Newport, is part of this growing trend of do-it-yourselfers. He has two projects — Milmine and Tommy Newport, both of which are produced by him. “I compose everything. I do what’s called multi-tracking — it’s pretty popular in this day and age because you can just use a laptop and you can record each track one after the other, you don’t have to record a whole live band,” says Milmine, during our conversation on Tempo Radio.
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“I do the drums on a MIDI keyboard with my hands, so they’re pre-recorded sounds. So like on the keyboard if you press one of the keys it’ll make a kick [drum], if you press the other key it’ll make a snare. So I basically record all of my drum-breaks with my hands on a keyboard.” When asked about his thoughts about the genre leaning toward a more DIY future, Mimine had this to say: “So like the biggest artists in indie rock; Kevin Parker, Mac Demarco, Homeshake — they multi-track. It’s easier, it’s all there. When you’re an artist, it’s a lot easier to just have to rely on yourself and when you have a way to do that you’re going to choose that every time. You could spend thousands of dollars recording in a studio with your whole band for a month or you can buy a laptop and an interface and that’s it.” Griffin Washburn, better known as Goth Babe, is another DIY producer. Washburn spends his time traveling the country in his camper, chasing rocks to climb, waves to surf and wilderness to conquer. Between all of the outdoor activities, Washburn records material for his Goth Babe project using the same multi-track process. When asked if he believes that the alternative scene is becoming more DIY, Washburn answered, “100%. You can go to Guitar Center or Best Buy and end up spending like 200 bucks and record an amazing record rather than going and spending 200 bucks in a studio and it would
get you an hour or something. I think the most spent on me with a manager, with a huge discount, was like a few grand for a day.” “After that recording session I ended up getting Ableton and I’m just more happy with the stuff that I’ve made over the few thousand spent on a day of recording. Rather than telling someone else how I want things to specifically sound, it’s nice to just like do it myself.” “I think that the major market will still be in the studio, but I think all this new stuff like trap music will continue to be made in bedrooms and that’s what’s getting number ones right now,” says Washburn. “You can make a $30,000 track on Ableton. That track can make you that much money quickly and who knows how much money these trap artists are making? It’s absurd. They’re making it with Ableton and FruityLoops and probably a microphone they got at Guitar Center for like 100 bucks and it sounds like it’s supposed to sound.” The spirit of DIY self-production is alive and well in the city of Reno, with artist Blackstallion. Nathan Lachner, also known as Blackstallion, is a graduate student here at UNR and also one of the best DIY musicians I have ever heard. Inspired by poetry and experimental music, Blackstallion provides a refreshing take on alternative music, all while producing it all himself on his laptop. “With Paradise [his first release], I was using FruityLoops and I was basically
just composing instrumentals through FruityLoops and using a lot of digital instruments. So I would use synths and program the drums, and basically it would be all digital with instrumentals and I would just lay a guitar and vocals on top of it.” Through these recording methods, Blackstallion achieves what he calls a “colder” sound. Blackstallion’s lyrical content covers topics ranging from day to day life in Reno to transcendental meditation and poetry by Pablo Naruda. DIY production is the future of all musical genres and will only become more popular amongst musicians. It’s easier, cheaper and produces typically more cohesive product. Though it may not always offer the type of warm sound that you may get from tape recording, you can still achieve top-notch audio quality - proven by all of the aforementioned artists. Not only is the practice of DIY production observed in the alternative music scene, but also in the hiphop community with “Soundcloud rappers,” as well as the metal community with projects like Shadow of Intent and Mire Lore. With the DIY method of production reaching nearly every genre imaginable today, I foresee it becoming more and more popular among rising musicians as recording software becomes cheaper and even more accessible.
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N O I T C A N O I T A R E GEN at Nevada Words by Grey Bailey Photos provided by Generation Action
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met with the Generation Action at Nevada president, Dennise Mena, to ask her about the club and her involvement in it. Generation Action is an activism-based club on campus that partners with Planned Parenthood to provide resources and information about reproductive rights and reproductive justice to students at the university and the surrounding community.
Insight: What is your mission statement? Dennise Mena: Our mission on campus is to bring reproductive justice and reproductive rights to the university campus. We work to educate students about sex positivity, safe sex, consent, and a variety of other things that go along with that, including the history of reproductive justice. We teach students about what it means to obtain reproductive justice on campus, and we also are an activist group. We both maintain reproductive justice and work to ensure that the university’s policies are up to date and that they’re providing the best resources. We also work with a variety of departments to bring about new resources and we work with the local Planned Parenthood to make sure that all of the resources are available to students. I: Does your club offer any resources to students on campus or to club members? Mena: What we offer is a direct connection to the local Planned Parenthood. We are not health professionals so we cannot provide anything other than condoms and pamphlets with information that a professional put together. What we do provide within our meetings is a safe space for people. We have people who have been survivors of sexual violence and domestic violence and we like to make sure that it is a safe space for them where they get to come and be themselves and be their most authentic selves. I: Why did you join Generation Action? Mena: I’ve been an activist now for two years and through the UNR activist network I found that I really wanted to work with women for women. Not saying that the things that we provide and the Planned Parenthood connections that we provide are specifically for women, but it tends to be mostly women-focused. The majority of the people that come to us are women. I wanted to work for reproductive justice and I found that reproductive justice was INSIGHT 22
my activism niche; it’s what I’m most passionate about and I want to work towards obtaining women’s rights. I’ve worked with Planned Parenthood both as an intern and then during this last electoral season for the Nevada 2018 midterm elections I was an electoral organizer working to make sure that we would get the most progressive leaders elected in the next elections. So my goal is to really just make sure that we get the best possible resources and elected officials who are going to protect and expand reproductive rights and reproductive justice. I: What lead you to becoming president of the club? Mena: I think the reason that they chose me to become club president after only being with the club for a year was they know that I’m passionate about this, they know that this is going to be a priority for me and that I’m going to be able to both maintain the culture that we’ve had but also push
the boundaries of the club that we’ve had in the past. I think in the past we’ve been more education-based, so we’ve really been working to educate students about consent and about reproductive justice and the history of women’s rights and lack of rights. This year I really wanted us to move towards being more activist driven. I think they chose me to be president because they know I’m the person who is really passionate about these type of things. I: What are the best experiences you’ve had so far? Mena: One of my favorite experiences was this consent workshop we did in November for Sex Week. Sex Week is a series of events we put on every November, and we did a consent workshop called “Consent and Pizza.” What we did was we educated students about consent. We had some really great conversations. Some things they were confused about, and there were also members of the community who were there, and I could tell it was the first time they had ever heard some of these things about consent and it was their first time having conversations about consent. I know a lot of students and members of the community got to leave with new information about what consent is and how to have healthy relationships. I: What was it like being so involved with the election on campus? Mena: I was very involved with the elections. As a club, we did work quite a bit on the elections. It was hard work, it was a lot of conversations with people. What we did is we worked with the Nevada Advocates with Planned Parenthood Affiliates, NAPPA, to reach as many people as possible in the Reno community to go out and vote. Our goal was to hit 10,000 people, and we ended up reaching 13,000 people. The goal was to get the most progressive leaders elected. We were also working and educating people on the Pink Tax, which was going to take away tax on feminine hygiene products, and also working to make sure we could get more female representatives in office, which we did. I: Is there anything else that you wanted to touch on or highlight about the club?
Mena: For anybody who is a survivor or needs a safe space, we love to provide that for them. If there’s anybody out there who is looking for an organization to help them or is tired of seeing this culture of sexual violence on campus and wants to do something about it, we are the group to come to. We will be focusing the next semester on that, and we’ll be working with other faculty and organizations to demand that there is change, demand that fraternities have a cultural shift. We are open to anybody and everybody. We are an e-board of mostly queer people, so we are very open and when we say that we want everyone to feel safe and come in as their most authentic self, we mean that. Generation Action will be meeting in the Spring 2019 semester on Tuesdays starting on January 29 from 6 to 7:30 pm. Their first meeting will be in room 324 of the Joe Crowley Student Union, and every other meeting for the semester will be in room 323. Their next big event coming up is Take Back The Night, which is a night for survivors of sexual abuse to tell their stories and march around campus. Take Back The Night will be held April 19 from 5 to 8 pm.
FOR ANYBODY WHO IS A SURVIVOR OR NEEDS A SAFE SPACE, WE LOVE TO PROVIDE THAT FOR THEM.
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LIFESTYLE INSIGHT 24
Photo by Kellie Sasso
25 INSIGHT
a collection of
COLLECTORS
Words by Crystal Lugo Illustrations by Maggie Schmutz
B
ehind a collection, there is a collector. Someone that has grown an affinity for the particular piece. So much so that collecting it has become their hobby. Because of this, you can truly understand a person by what they collect. I remember my first collection. When I started collecting stickers, I carried my sticker binder with me everywhere. I traded stickers with friends, bought them whenever I had the chance, and would always ask for them as gifts. Though I no longer collect them, I still collect things that hold an equal value in my life. I believe having a collection as adults is just our child self trying to peek through. Three people have welcomed us into their homes to discuss their collections and the meanings behind them.
Collector: Nick Eng Age: 22 Collection: Guitars, bass guitars and amps
How many do you have? Too many! I think I’m up to 12, including bass guitars. Then I’ve got five amps as companions. Lots of guitar straps too. How long have you been collecting? I’ve been a guitar collector ever since I started learning how to play. Many moons ago. I’ve been playing for about 14 years. I started out on cheap learner guitars, but as I got older and more proficient, I was able to upgrade to the big boy toys. I started saving up my money during those early years since quality instruments don’t come cheap. Why do you collect guitars, bass guitars, and amps? I love the variety. Some musicians are completely content with one go-to instrument, but I’m not like that. Every make, style, and model has a different feel, sound, and vibe, and it’s great to have those choices literally at fingertips. I’m a working musician and singer-songwriter by profession, both as a performance art and a recording one, so it’s really nice to have that variety to make the grind easier and more enjoyable. Do you have any significant memories attached to your collection? My mom and her family had a house up in Zephyr Cove at Lake Tahoe for many years. I was lucky enough to spend summers up there as a kid. But time passed, and we eventually had to sell the property, which was a real drag as it INSIGHT 26
meant a lot to me and my mom. But it had a silver lining because I was gifted my first quality guitar as a result of the sale. So that was probably the start of the collection. That was right before I started middle school. What’s your favorite piece from your collection? I love different things about all of them, but there are a few standouts. I’ve got a Rickenbacker 325, same as John Lennon’s. That was the one I got from the Tahoe sale. I record lots of rhythm guitar parts for my songs on that one. It has a real chunky drive to it, perfect for punchy pop and rock stuff. My Gibson J-160E acoustic is my partner in crime. I’ve written so much on it, and I regularly record and gig with it. Super bright and clear as a bell. Then I’ve got a Daphne Blue Fender Stratocaster and that’s my electric workhorse for all live gigs. I run my gear through Vox and Fender amps. When collecting, what do you particularly look for? Growing up, I was really into the models and brands that my idols used, especially Beatle guitars. I think every guitar player does that because we all want to be like our heroes in some capacity. But as I’ve grown up and become my own person, my tastes in guitars have changed. Nowadays, I look for ones that match my style and sound. If I like it, I like it. What are you looking for next? I’m not sure. I’d like to maybe upgrade my gigging amp for one with more oomph. I’m playing more and more live shows with my band and freelancing with others, and sometimes my Vox can get drowned out. I’m always on the Internet looking for good deals on used gear, so maybe I’ll snag something new sometime soon. Who knows!
Collector: Christopher Coake Age: 47 Collection: Manual Typewriters How many do you have? Around 25 at the moment. About half of them functional. How long have you been collecting? Almost six years now. Why do you collect manual typewriters? I’m just old enough to have learned to type on a manual typewriter when I was a teenager. (I learned on an Underwood 319, which my mother bought at a garage sale for five dollars.) I drafted three very bad fantasy novels on that typewriter before I graduated high school. In college I got my first word processor, and then began writing in
computer labs, and lost sight of that typewriter. I grew up to become a novelist and professor, so I still write a lot of words every day. Several years ago I found a Royal typewriter from the late 1950s in a thrift store in town, and bought it on a whim, and when I began to write with it I realized how much I’d missed using that particular tool. I fell immediately back in love with typing: the feel of it, the sound of it—and, most importantly, the way it helped me focus. Rediscovering that process was a revelation to me, and helped me become much more productive and accountable. Do you have any significant memories attached to certain items in your collection? Using any of the machines I’ve acquired makes me feel a little surge of nostalgia. Writing—serious writing—isn’t always fun for me anymore, but using a typewriter reminds me a lot of being in high school, when I was still figuring things out. I would type while listening to records on my parents’ stereo; I’d feel like a badass every time I added a new page to the stack. I’ve recreated that set up in my house—I type in my basement while listening to records. What’s your favorite piece from your collection? Last year someone in Boise who owns a storage facility ended up with an abandoned unit full of nearly-new Hermes typewriters from the 1960s, and put them on sale on the internet. I bought a Hermes Ambassador: a giant, non-portable, turquoise-blue monster of a typewriter. Hermes was a Swiss company, and this machine has a Swiss keyboard. And the best part is that I don’t think anyone used this machine before I did. Very, very few manual typewriters are produced anymore—the good ones are all old, and the vast majority are used and dirty and need cleaning. My Ambassador is basically a brand-new machine. It’s wonderful. It feels like driving a big Cadillac. When collecting, what do you particularly look for? I look for machines I don’t have, and for fun typefaces. I look for working machines—I know how to make a few minor repairs, but I’d rather spend my time looking for machines I don’t have to repair. I do buy typewriters in order to put them into use. I especially look for typewriters that still have a soft platen—the rubber roller that the sheet of paper rests against during typing. I also look for cheap machines. People have wildly varying ideas about what a typewriter is worth. I almost never pay over 100 dollars for one—if I do, it has to be relatively rare and in great shape. Now that I have a lot of machines, I’m much pickier about what comes home with me. What are you looking for next? The one typewriter everyone wants is an early 1960s Hermes 3000, which is curvy and blue and beautiful. I’ve never tried one—all the collectors want them, which means they’re overpriced on eBay. There’s also a machine out there called the Olivetti Graphika, which is avocado green, incredibly fussy, and very, very rare. That’s my dream machine, but I may never see one come up for sale in my lifetime (and if I do, it’ll cost me). And I want to find an Underwood 319 in good shape—I haven’t seen one in person since I got rid of mine in college. I’d like to know what it’s like to use that particular machine again, after 30 years apart.
Collector: Marina Leigh Age: 21 Collection: Houseplants How many do you have? 53 How long have you been collecting houseplants? Since I moved into my current apartment, so about two years. Do you have any significant memories attached to certain items in your collection? When I first moved in, I just wanted to liven the place up a little. I love the aesthetic, they’re relatively cheap, and I like seeing the physical growth and life that I helped nurture. Do you have any significant memories attached to certain items in your collection? One significant memory is when I woke up in the middle of the night to a loud crash, and found that the hooks attaching one of my bigger plants to the ceiling had torn out. The plant fell, there was dirt everywhere. I salvaged what I could of the plant (it lived), tried to vacuum at one-thirty in the morning, threw some laundry detergent on it, and went back to bed. What’s your favorite piece from your collection? I don’t like playing favorites, but I would probably say Lincoln (named after the character from T he 100). It’s got light green leaves, and it grew down the entire length of my bookshelf before I had to trim it. It’s the plant that has grown the most since it began as a three-leaved, half-dead, on-clearance, planting. When collecting, what do you particularly look for? I like greenery; I’m not big on flowers. The first ones I got were starts cut off of plants at my grandma’s house. The rest were bought from either Home Depot or from the two-dollar pots in the Walmart Garden Center. I had to stop going to Walmart because the single window in my studio apartment does n othave room for one more, no matter what I like to tell myself. I look for the healthier looking plants. I don’t buy cacti, I don’t buy plants with spikes or ones with spots, because to be honest, they kind of just give me the heebie jeebies. I don’t pay over ten dollars for a plant. Other than that, my standards aren’t high. My heart almost always says yes, even when my wallet and lack of space says no. What are you looking for next? I need more plants that don’t require a lot of light! I spoke to other collectors including someone who collects vintage Beatles memorabilia and another who has an impressive ticket stub collection. I even spoke to somebody who collects letters and cards. What do you collect and what does it say about you? Are just a child at heart who enjoys collecting things out of pure amazement and wonder? Do you collect to connect to others? Whatever you may collect, it is sure to grant some cool insight about you to others.
27 INSIGHT
cozy cooking for one Words by Maggie Schmutz Photos by Kellie Sasso Winter in Reno is wonderful. I love that we get just enough snow for some fun, but not enough that it’s overwhelming or often becomes a burden on those trying to get place to place. We’re also close enough to the slopes that you can take a day trip to participate in all of your favorite winter sports. Even though I like winter in Reno, it always leaves me missing the comforts of home. On those snowy days, all I can think about is how I would love to come home from class and have chicken pot pie for dinner, and a slice of my mom’s amazing pumpkin pie for dessert. These are the little things that used to brighten even the darkest of winter days. Now I don’t know about you, but my ability to recreate my mom’s chicken pot pie and pumpkin pie is limited. I’m not a great cook, and my current living situation doesn’t really allow me the use of a full sized kitchen. This led me to think about ways college students in all kinds of living situations could get around the roadblock -- whether it be lack of cooking expertise, lack of kitchen, or both -- and make these recipes on a winter day. I’ve found two recipes that will help you do just that. These recipes are easy to make, and all you need is a mug and a microwave to make them. Hopefully, these small but mighty mug meals will help brighten your winter days the way they brighten mine.
Instructions
Chicken Pot Pie in a Mug Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • •
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1 tablespoon of butter 1 tablespoon of flour 1 chopped mushroom ¼ cup half-and-half ¼ cup chicken broth 2-3 tablespoons of frozen peas 2-3 tablespoons of frozen carrots A pinch of fresh thyme A pinch of salt and pepper 1/3 cup of cooked diced chicken 1 small biscuit from a tube
• Put the butter in a mug and microwave it until it is melted. • Add the flour to the mug and stir. • Add the mushroom to the mug. • Microwave until the mushroom shrinks and gets softer. This should take about one minute. • Add a splash of the half-and half and stir until completely mixed. Then add the rest of the half-and-half. • Add the chicken broth and stir. • Add the peas, carrots, and thyme. • Add a pinch of salt and pepper. • Microwave and take out every 30 seconds to stir until the mixture is thick and bubbling. This should take 1 ½ minutes. • Add the chicken and stir. • Take a biscuit and flatten it out. • Cover the top of the mug using the biscuit. Make sure to press the biscuit down around the edges. • Cut a small vent into the top of the biscuit. • Brush the top of the biscuit with half-and-half • Microwave for 30 seconds at a time until the biscuit is bubbling and cooked through. This should take 1 ½ minutes. • Let cool and enjoy!
Microwave Pumpkin Pie Ingredients • • • • • • • • •
2 tablespoons of graham cracker crumbs 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree 1 egg 1 tablespoon of milk 2 tablespoons of brown sugar 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice 1 large pinch of salt 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla Whipped cream to taste
Instructions
• Whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg, milk, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a small bowl until there are no lumps. • Add your graham cracker crumbs to the bottom of your mug. • Pour you pumpkin pie mix on top of the crumbs. • Microwave in 30 second intervals for around 1 ½ - 2 minutes or until cooked through. The top may still look damp, but it will set as it cools. • Let cool. • Add whipped cream and enjoy!
29 INSIGHT
& Words by Maggie Schmutz Photos and Illustrations by Kellie Sasso alentine’s Day and Galentine's Day are both great opportunities to spend time with the people you love. Whether it’s your significant other or your squad, these holidays provide the chance for some awesome outings.
V Nevada Museum of Art A trip to this Reno gem would certainly make a great Valentine’s date. The Nevada Museum of Art has a wide range of exhibitions that will spark joy in any art lover. The museum offers guided tours for those who want a more formal and informative experience. You won’t even have to leave the museum to have a great meal! The museum is home to a French-inspired restaurant perfect for lunch after a tour. The restaurant encourages reservations, so make sure to get your table ahead of time. INSIGHT 30
Steamboat Hot Springs El Rancho Drive-In Want to take your significant other on the most classic date of all? Take them to the El Rancho Drive-In. This drivein movie theater offers showings of all the latest movies. Whether you want to go for a double feature or to see one of their many live music shows this, is a perfect date night spot. Don’t forget to stop by concessions for soda and popcorn before the movie starts!
Want to relax and unwind with your S.O.? Take them to Steamboat Hot Springs Healing Center and Spa. This spa is actually a historical site that people have been traveling to for hundreds of years. The spa became famous for the healing properties of the water. Today it's a hotspot for healing and relaxation. If you and your partner are over the glitz and glam of big Reno spas but still want a relaxing romantic evening, check out their couples mineral soak. Make sure to take in a little piece of Reno history while you’re at it.
e t Da
s a Ide
Break Through Reno Want to get in on the latest trend with the gals that matter most? Take them to Break Through Reno! Break Through is home to several different escape rooms with varying levels of difficulty. Break Through Reno would be a great way to become even closer with your friends for Galentine’s day, and really build those teamwork skills that every squad needs. You can view trailers for all of their escape rooms on their website and pick the one that’s best for you and the girls.
Wasting Arrows Reno For the more adventurous group of friends, try Wasting Arrows Reno. This indoor archery range allows you to rent a bow and even offers lessons. Take a group intro course or even just a lesson on “how to shoot” to get started. The range is open seven days a week and is sure to be a fun new experience for you and your friends.
Board and Brush This place is DIY heaven. At Board and Brush, you make your own wood signs, perfect for any room in your home. They offer a wide selection of signs based on holidays and a number of other categories. Board and Brush also sells wine and beer during classes. You can book private events for your group or go to a larger class and meet new people on your night out. The signs they offer are also up on their website so you can get an idea of what you want to make before you go. Get in some laughs and make something while you’re at it! Board and Brush will surely be a hit among your friend group.
31 INSIGHT
COMING SOON TO Words by Rylee Jackson Illustrations by Elizabeth Pearson
N
etflix’s influence on lifestyle and popular culture cannot be ignored. The prominent platform has become revolutionary in the way that it deviates from the traditional media mindset that reigned before the era of streaming. With shows, movies, and the ever-growing abundance of Netflix originals, the anticipation for new installments is greater than ever. 2019 is expected to be momentous with a plethora of new originals in addition to all of the new updates to our favorite shows. Here is a guide to the most exciting new releases coming to a screen near you. Fans of the Tina Fey and Robert Carlock creation “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” will feel bittersweet about the release of the second part of the final season on January 25. Coming off of the release of the first six episodes of the season in May 2018, the show will further chronicle the life of Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) as she adjusts to life in New York City after being rescued from a cult. Fans love the interactions between Kemper’s character and her roommate played by Tituss Burgess and her landlady played by Carol Kane. The fourth and final season will definitely be a memorable one and a fantastic send-off to a successful show.
The month of February brings to life about a brand new series that may sound familiar to avid comic book readers. With the help of Steve Blackman, “The Umbrella Academy” uses the inspiration from the comic book of the same name originally created by Gerard Way. The story involves seven children born on the same day who were adopted by Sir Reginald Hargreeves, a billionaire industrialist. He goes on to develop The Umbrella Academy in order to prepare the children to save the world. Years later, Hargreeves’ passing sparks a reunion among the members of the academy and a motivation to solve the mystery involving their father’s death. With the star studded cast of Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, and Mary J. Blige, the series is guaranteed to be a hit. Anime is included in the wide variety of genres Netflix originals carry. A new adaptation of the comic “Cannon Busters” is now developed into a 13 episode series. LeSean Thomas, most known for his work on “The Boondocks,” launched a campaign in 2014 in order to continue the story, which only had two issues released. Now, the story of the royal droid named S.A.M and her journey to search for her best friend and heir to the throne will be brought to life many years later. Anime lovers everywhere can now rejoice and see what Netflix has to offer in terms of this new territory on March 1.
Watch Next Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
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Stranger Things
Our Planet
The Umbrella Academy
Cannon Busters
NETFLIX IN 2019 For those who want to explore the beauty and the promise that our planet has to offer, “Our Planet” is the new series to look out for. Covering areas in over 50 countries across the world, this eight part installment will showcase the diversity of habitats and the breathtaking sights of the natural world. In collaboration with Silverback Films and the World Wildlife Fund, the series is aimed to do much more than show off the wonders of our planet. It will inform viewers by highlighting what we need to do now to ensure that planet Earth will thrive is the goal. Get ready to look at our glorious planet and feel inspired to create change on April 5. Two of the most groundbreaking and well-known series on the platform, “Stranger Things” and “Orange is the New Black,” are returning for new episodes for us to binge-watch. This will be the third season of “Stranger Things” and the final season of “Orange is the New Black.” As of now, release dates haven’t been revealed, but that just heightens the excitement level even more. All we can do is try our best to stay calm and keep ourselves occupied with all of the other fantastic new installments to the platform. “Orange is the New Black” is based on a memoir by Piper Kerman entitled “Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison.” The comedy-drama stars Taylor Schilling and chronicles Kerman’s
Orange is the New Black
You
experiences behind bars. Over the years, it has become Netflix’s most-watched original series and has garnered plenty of accolades including four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award. Being apart of the first crop of Netflix originals, it is bittersweet amongst many fans to see the final chapter conclude. Set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, during the early 1980s, “Stranger Things” involves the supernatural experiments performed by the Hawkins National Laboratory for the United States Department of Energy. Creating a portal to an alternate dimension called “the Upside Down,” the inner workings of the laboratory begin to affect the locals of Hawkins in catastrophic ways. The critically acclaimed science fiction series consistently works fans into a frenzy of pure exhilaration. Who knows what this new season will bring to all of the diehard supporters. This doesn’t even break the surface of all that Netflix has to offer in 2019. The wonderful thing about Netflix is that there is something for everyone to enjoy. Let’s start off this new year right and explore all of the new binge-watching opportunities in store for us all.
Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj
Chef's Table
Black Mirror
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Photo by Kellie Sasso
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OPINION 35 INSIGHT
Photo by Andrea Heerdt
SMALL TOWNS VS. THE BIG SCREEN
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Words by Meghan Frasier Photo by Kellie Sasso
T
he small town life. It’s cute, predictable, and everything anyone could want. Now, let’s leave the movie theatre and hear what it’s really like living in a small town. Before I moved to Reno, I lived in Discovery Bay, Calif. Discovery Bay is located in the East Bay Area and has a population of around 13,352 residents, according to the demographics from 2017-2018. We have two public elementary schools, a private elementary school, and a middle school. After middle school, us natives would have to go to the neighboring town, Brentwood, for high school. Growing up, I would watch movies that took place in small towns and scoff at the romanticization that would fool anyone who didn’t know what it was really like. There are so many cliches that directors and writers put into these films that make small town citizens laugh.
Cliche #1: Everyone is friends In so many TV and movie scenes, the actors and actresses seem to be friends with everyone in the town. While I’d love to say everyone in my town was friends or even friendly, the atmosphere consists of a lot of tension. Since everyone knows everyone, drama flies around faster than a the speed of sound should even allow. It’s not just within the adolescence either. In fact, usually it’s the adults who are the perpetrators of turmoil. Childhood friends are sometimes forced to split apart because of petty arguments between mothers, and vice-versa. Everyone seems to be tangled in other’s business, like some real-life soap opera. All-in-all, friendship is hard to come across in small towns and even harder to maintain after you get out.
Cliche #2: Everyone talks To follow up the “everyone is friends” cliche, it seems as if everyone will drop everything to talk to one of their neighbors at the supermarket or the butcher shop. In my experiences, if you see someone you know, you avoid them like the plague. That’s because, in my personal experience, every time you go out you look like you just rolled out of bed. The thing is, you can’t avoid seeing people you know. Whether it be your first grade teacher, your classmate, or one of your coworkers, you always have to be prepared to run into anyone and everyone. Whether you talk to them depends on your relationship and usually your mood that day.
Cliche #3: Small town life is charming Do you realize how completely and utterly BORING it is to live in a town where there’s nothing to do except go swimming or get ice cream? Our town was built on the delta, and while that means fun during the summer, once the cold starts creeping around the corner you’re house-bound. Thankfully I was close to Berkeley and San Francisco, where there is almost always something to do year-round. Sadly though, this is not the case for a majority of small towns. For almost all of them, if you want to go out for a fun night with your friends, you have to pile into a car and drive miles to the nearest city.
Cliche #4: You know your mailman and garbage man I have no idea where this stereotype turned up. Maybe I didn’t live in a small enough town? Either way, I personally couldn’t tell you what either of these people even looked like. It’s possible I’ve struck up conversation with them a couple times, but movies make it seems like your best friends with your mailman.
Cliche #5: You’ll find your true love Now look, I’m not here to diss everyone’s dreams of meeting The One living in a small town. I’m also not saying it’s not impossible; it has definitely happened before. Being from a small town though and growing up with your possible suitors is just different. You’ve known everyone you went to school with since you were all in diapers and you’d be lying if you didn’t know at least one thing about all of them that will disgust you until the day you die. Some people can look past this. Who knows, maybe I’m a pessimist, a realist, maybe even just a shrew. I just could never imagine being stuck in the same place for the rest of my life just for someone I’ve known for the entirety of my consciousness. There was so much to look forward to when I left and I’ve learned so much while I’ve been away. I’m sorry if I’ve popped anyone’s perfect, ideal picture of small towns, but I figured I’d rather let people know the truth before someone blindly decided they’d move to a small town because of the Hollywood portrayals they’ve seen. It’s not a movie, and if it was, it would be a lame short film. Small town life just really isn’t like the big screen.
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