WEDNESDAY | 11.18.2015 | MACEANDCROWN.COM | Vol. 58, Issue 9
WHAT’S
INSIDE
MONARCHS WIN
UNPACKING
JOHN KERRY’S
SPEECH E3
LONG NIGHTS
FAST CARS D1
STUDENTS RALLY FOR SOLIDARITY A5
Fifth Victory of Season
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Staff Sean Davis Editor-in-Chief editorinchief@maceandcrown.com David Thornton Copy Editor Dthor013@odu.edu Josh Whitener News Editor news@maceandcrown.com Amy Poulter Arts & Entertainment Editor artsandentertainment@maceandcrown.com Josh Boone Photography Editor photo@maceandcrown.com Ross Reelachart Technology Editor technology@maceandcrown.com
Sabrina Brooks Senior Graphic Designer sbroo029@odu.edu Jason Kazi Advertising/ Social Media Manager advertising@maceandcrown.com Matt O’Brien Sports Editor sports@maceandcrown.com
Staff Writers: Adam Flores Amy DeLaura Connor Norton George Plank Jacob Hall Julius Ayo Larenz Johnson Oderus Urungus Stef Wasko
Staff Photographers: Brian Vliet Diana Macaraeg Donavan Chew Jamel Hunter-Blakey Jonathan Harding Joshua Caudell Naomi Luking Schyler Shafer Shamon Jones
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For even more campus crime information, visit Maceandcrown.com. CRIME LOG
LOCAL NEWS Norfolk Campuses to See ‘Campus Cohesion’ In the wake of several violent attacks near Norfolk college campuses, including ODU, both Norfolk and ODU police will respond in teams to parties between the hours of 10pm and 4am. This will occur every Friday and Saturday night in these designated hours. The plan also includes the city ensuring more streetlights around ODU.
NOVEMBER 9TH A hit and run was reported to have occurred on on November 9th at 10:19 p.m. at this approximate location. The case remains active. NOVEMBER 9TH An assault was reported on November 9th at 9:53 p.m. at this approximate location. The case remains active. NOVEMBER 11TH A hit and run was reported to have occurred on on November 11th between 7:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. at this approximate location. The case remains active.
ODU Welcomes Speaker on Campus Gender Violence On Monday, the university hosted Dr. Carrie Rentschler’s “ “Talking Back: Campus and Community Responses to Gender Violence” an informative speech on the nature of campus related violence against women. Dr. Rentschler works in feminist media responses to rape culture on college campuses. The event was hosted by the ODU Women’s Studies department and ODU’s Women’s Center.
Virginia Beach City Council to Vote on Arena Deal The Virginia Beach City Council is expected to vote on a proposed $200 million arena at the Oceanfront on Dec. 8. The city will invest between $50 and $70 million into the 18,000 seat arena, according to Mayor Sessoms.
Downtown Norfolk May See New Rooftop Eatery AltDaily reports that a new restaurant coming to Granby Street, Leone’s, will feature rooftop dining. The menu will feature Italian fare and make use of local products. The restaurant will also incorporate a small market next door. It is expected to open in Spring 2016.
Topgolf Opening Next Month in Virginia Beach Topgolf, an entertainment venue featuring a full food and beverage menu, music, games, climate-controlled hitting bays and hundreds of HDTVs, will be opening in Virginia Beach in December, according to the Daily Press. It is located on Greenwich Rd next to I-264.
NOVEMBER 10TH A robbery was reported to have occurred on November 10th in the late evening at this approximate location. Norfolk Police is investigating the incident.
NOVEMBER 8TH A motor vehicle theft was reported to have occurred on November 8th at 3:00 a.m. at this approximate location.
NOVEMBER 12TH An assault was reported on November 12th between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. at this approximate location. The case remains active.
NOVEMBER 15TH A firearm-related incident was reported on November 15th at 12:10 a.m. at this approximate location. The case remains under investigation by Norfolk Police.
NOVEMBER 9TH A burglary was reported to have occurred on November 9th at 12:45 p.m. at this approximate location.
Courtesy of Mace and Crown
Date/ Time Reported
Date/ Time Occurred
Location
Category
Incident Number
Disposition
11/09/2015
11/09/2015 1:56pm
4700 Blk Hampton Blvd
Larceny
2015-ODU-001279
Active 11/10/2015
11/09/2015
11/09/2015 7:01pm
1700 Blk W 48th Street
Narcotics Violation
2015-ODU-001282
Judicial referral 11/10/2015
11/09/2015
11/09/2015 9:53pm
4700 Blk Elkhorn Ave
Assault - Simple
2015-ODU-001284
Active 11/10/2015
11/09/2015
11/09/2015 10:19pm
4700 Blk Powhatan Ave
Hit and Run - Property Damage
2015-ODU-001285
Active 11/10/2015
11/10/2015
11/10/2015 11:25am
4400 Blk Hampton Blvd
Trespassing
2015-ODU-001287
Judicial referral 11/11/2015
11/10/2015
10/18/2015 10:17am - 11/09/2015 11:59pm
4700 Blk Elkhorn Ave
Larceny
2015-ODU-001248
Active 11/11/2015
11/10/2015
11/06/2015 8:00pm - 11/08/2015 11:00pm
1700 Blk W 48th Street
Larceny
2015-ODU-001290
Active 11/11/2015
11/10/2015
11/10/2015 2:26pm
4500 Blk Elkhorn Ave
Harassing Communication
2015-ODU-001291
Active 11/11/2015
11/10/2015
11/10/2015 4:37pm - 11/10/2015 4:59pm
800 Blk W 46th Street
Larceny
2015-ODU-001294
Active 11/11/2015
11/11/2015
11/10/2015 10:25pm
800 Blk W 45th Street
Robbery
2015-ODU-001298
Investigation by other Agency 11/12/2015
11/11/2015
11/10/2015 10:25pm
4800 Blk Killam Ave
Robbery
2015-ODU-001298
Investigation by other Agency 11/12/2015
11/11/2015
11/10/2015 9:30am -11:00am
1200 Blk W 43rd Street
Larceny
2015-ODU-001299
Active 11/12/2015
11/11/2015
11/11/2015 07:30am - 12:00pm
4400 Blk Powhatan Ave
Hit and Run - Property Damage
2015-ODU-001300
Active 11/12/2015
11/11/2015
11/10/2015 8:00pm - 11/11/2015 6:30pm
1700 Blk W 48th Street
Larceny
2015-ODU-001302
Active 11/12/2015
11/11/2015
11/11/2015 9:33pm
4800 Blk Killam Ave
Stalking
2015-ODU-001303
Active 11/12/2015
11/11/2015
11/11/2015 9:33pm
4800 Blk Killam Ave
Trespassing
2015-ODU-001303
Active 11/12/2015
11/12/2015
11/06/2015 1:00pm - 8:00pm
4200 Blk Powhatan Ave
Hit and Run - Property Damage
2015-ODU-001304
Active 11/13/2015
11/12/2015
11/06/2015 6:30am - 11/11/2015 12:00pm
4200 Blk Powhatan Ave
Vandalism
2015-ODU-001305
Active 11/13/2015
11/12/2015
11/12/2015 3:38pm
1300 Blk W 49th Street
Warrant Cleared by Arrest
2015-ODU-001307
Clear by Arrest 11/13/2015
11/12/2015
11/12/2015 3:38pm
1300 Blk W 49th Street
Larceny
2015-ODU-001307
Active 11/13/2015
11/12/2015
11/12/2015 8:00am - 8:30am
4300 Blk Killam Ave
Assault - Simple
2015-ODU-001308
Active 11/13/2015
11/12/2015
11/10/2015 5:00pm - 8:00pm
4700 Blk Powhatan Ave
Larceny
2015-ODU-001309
Active 11/13/2015
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NAACP Holds Diversity Discussion Sean Davis Editor-in-Chief The first step to fixing a problem is to acknowledge that there is one, or so they say. The ODU NAACP chapter attempted to do just that to solve shortcomings in campus inclusivity. Their open meeting on Nov. 10, “ODUnited: But Are We Really?” proved productive as well as cathartic for many students. The conversations were candid and respectful. The organizers fostered open dialogue that allowed space for many students of color to recount times they’d felt unwelcome or uncomfortable in predominantly white spaces. It also left room for honest questioning and problem discussion. Chapter Historian Taylor Crawford, who moderated, set the tone in her introduction. “This is an important discussion that needs to be held and this is the first step,” she said. “We’d like for this
to be a space where people can be… honest and people won’t attack them.” She played a short video, “Diversity at ODU” and presented the results of a student survey the group conducted to assess attitudes on diversity and inclusion. Panelists and audience members then discussed the findings. One survey question, about the existence of a divide on campus between whites and minorities garnered a 77 percent yes vote and allowed students to directly address specific instances such as the racial divide in Webb between House of Blue and the North Café during activity hour. “I definitely understand wanting to only be around your own kind, however, after college, it won’t just be people that look like you in the workplace. Being in college should get people ready for the real world,” Brianna Colston said in a follow-up email. The diversity, or lack thereof, in student organizations remained another primary topic. Participants talked
about the challenges of integrating their orgs and combatting the barriers that keep some students from joining. “I believe that orgs try to be [inclusive],” Colston said, acknowledging that overcoming its reputation as a black organization has proved an issue for the NAACP chapter. “You have to be willing to step into that room, get that awkward moment over with and continue to come back.” SGA Vice President Bret Folger suggested that the issue lies in the misconception that members of different groups can’t advocate for each other. “I think that hopefully we’re moving in the right direction just to understanding that you don’t have to be part of a group to care for their advancement and their well being,” he said. A number of students talked about the benefits of getting to know others after having been class partners, roommates or team members and how that might help increase accep-
tance and understanding. “Once you get to know someone you’ll never badmouth them, or someone that looks like them, again,” one audience member suggested. Despite the topics, which many might see as divisive, the prevailing feeling was one of building unity and overcoming the challenges that keep people divided. “Really when I think about it, it’s something more fundamental: it’s just realizing that we’re all a part of humanity,” Corey Seldon said. “Everyone is my brother. Everyone is my sister. No matter your background, where you come from, my background, where I come from, we’re all here together.” Perhaps the biggest challenge of talking about race with people of different ethnicities or backgrounds is that that situation, itself, is uncomfortable for some. “White people are the majority until you actually have conversations about race. You notice how
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many white people are here? Not that many,” panelist Blake Phillips said, acknowledging the elephant in the room. “I think that the biggest thing that minority groups can do for… white people, is to help us come to know our own ethnic identity, and help us to be racially aware of ourselves.” SGA President Chris Ndiritu and SEES Vice President Ellen Neufeldt attended the meeting and after it ended, Neufeldt praised the organizers, tweeting at the group “great discussion tonight! Thanks for your leadership.” Ndiritu took the opportunity to invite participants to join SGA’s recently created Diversity and Inclusivity Excellence Task Force. “I think they’re doing exactly what we’re doing, just in a different forum,” Folger said, adding that he thought the meeting had been meaningful and taken on important questions.
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Photos By Josh Boone
NAACP take a stand at the steps of the Webb University Center on Thursday, November 12, 2015.
NAACP Stands with Mizzou at Kaufman Mall Meng McLendon Contributing Writer Josh Whitener News Editor Well over a hundred Old Dominion University students, organized by the university’s chapter of the NAACP, stood in front of Webb Center on Thursday dressed in black, fists raised. The purpose was to show their support following a divide at the University of Missouri over the handling
of several racial motivated incidents that have plagued the university throughout the fall semester. According to Samantha Conyers, president of ODU-NAACP, Thursday was part of a national college blackout where students from other campuses around the country showed support for Mizzou. Those ODU students who participated gave positive solutions for racial inclusions on college campuses. With messages of change and perseverance, students stood in both figurative and
physical union. “This is a chance for people to come together and be strengthened with hopes of moving forward,” Nevin Mapp, an ODU graduate student, said. The rally, called #ODU2Mizzou, was a convergence of students of different races onto the steps of the Webb Center steps. Some held signs with messages such as: “Pro Black Isn’t Anti White” and “Unapologetically Black.” Some students feel the racial barri-
ers are still prevalent at ODU. “This university is diverse but not unified,” Melissa Thompson, junior, said. One student held a sign that read: “2015 or 1965?” President John Broderick issued a statement in a letter stating that “many students select Old Dominion University because of the diversity of our student body. However, diversity does not equal inclusion. Inclusion happens when we come together for open dialogue and take action toward
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positive change.” University of Missouri president Tim Wolfe resigned from his position Monday amidst protests and demands calling for it. An interim, Michael Middleton, was installed Thursday. “People need to realize that Missouri isn’t the only school to experience racism on campus, they’re just the first to speak out and we want to show them that ODU is not afraid to speak out,” Conyers said.
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E N T ER T A I NM E N T
AT THE NORVA
BITS OF A&E Lamb of God Coming to the Ted Center Richmond-based Lamb of God and Anthrax will be peforming at the Ted Center on January 22, 2016. Tickets are $29.50 in advance and $35.00 day of show. Tickets are available online at YnotTix.com, by dialing 877-Ynot-Tix, or by visiting the box office.
GWAR ACHIEVES
Yellow Claw & Excision to Perform at the NorVa
WORLD DOMINATION
EDM acts Yellow Claw & Excision have been added to the Spring EDM lineup at the NorVa. Yellow Claw will perform on February 24, 2016. Tickets start at $22.00. Excision will perform on March 9, 2016 and perform with Figure and Bear Grillz. Tickets start at $30.00
AT THE NORVA Adam Flores Staff Writer
Cutting Edge Brand and Marketing Campaign for Fruits & Veggies to Come to ODU Estelle, DJ and entrepreneur MICK ,and social media sensations Paul Rabil and Indi and Sky Cowie will be coming to ODU this Friday to promote healthy eating. Tickets are being distributed on campus and on social media.
Winter Meltdown Moves to NorVa with Multiple Performances This year’s 96X Winter Meltdown concert series has moved to the NorVa. Performers include The Last Bison, The Hunts, BORNS, Phases, Twenty One Pilots, PVRIS, The Struts, X Ambassadors, Saint Motel, The Neighborhood, Robert Delong, Kaleo, Coheed and Cambria, Panic! At The Disco, New Politics, Leon Bridges. For more info, visit 96x.fm.
Exception Ale Opening This Weekend Exception Ale, a growler fill and gourmet food store offering artisinal cheeses and foods, is holding its grand opening this weekend. Stop by to choose from 40 taps and take home a free 64 oz. glass growler for the first 100 people.
O’Connor Brewery to Hold All-Day Festival O’Conner Brewery is holding their 4th Annual Black Saturday Block Party Bash on November 28.
GWAR at the NorVa. Photos by Adam Flores
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Intergalactic overlords GWAR brought their mythos of mayhem, world domination and metal mania to The NorVa on Nov. 11. The group, formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984, has embarked on the second leg of their 30-year Anniversary Tour. The band delivered its historic mix of thrash, heavy metal and shock rock with bits of comedy sketches and plenty of theatrics. The band began their set in total darkness to the anthem of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” The crowd echoed the infamous lyrics sung by The Prince of Darkness himself, Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne. This set the aura for GWAR to be released, controlling the stage and unleashing their fury upon a full house of anxious fans. The two-hour set proved a relentless assault by the band and no one was safe from their malicious metal mayhem. They started their epic, aural onslaught with the song, “Crush, Kill, Destroy.” GWAR’s leader and vocalist, Blöthar, chanted the phrase, “I crush you as I would a fly, I kill you and I watch you die” as the band accompanied wreaking havoc. GWAR continued through the late evening with songs such as “I, Bonesnapper,” “Let Us Slay” and “Bloodbath.” The audience consisted of many cult followers who expected every ounce of death and destruction the band is known for. It also represented new, younger fans of the band, fresh meat and new prey for the band to victimize. The show suggests a cross between early Alice Cooper and KISS. Cooper, a veteran of the shock rock genre he induced onstage in his early days, is the catalyst for GWAR to take the nightmare to a whole new level. GWAR’s presence comes full circle incorporating bigger than life alien
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battle costumes in a similar aspect KISS is famous for. Mix in the metal sounds of Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer and this makes for a lethal dose of mutant metal music. Thundering drums from Jizmak Da Gusha, razor slicing guitar work from Balsac The Jaws Of Death and Pustulus Maximus and chest pounding bass by Beefcake The Mighty made for a night of gripping fear with every note of marauding music they played. Amongst the stage theatrics and dialog, GWAR entertained and made the crowd laugh with their skits on SpewTube, FUX News and an appearance by Hillary Clinton. The band took no prisoners and even Clinton herself was a victim of the relentless assault by the group. The band was accompanied onstage by other characters known as The Slaves Of GWAR. These humans, according to the band’s history, were kidnapped and mutated by GWAR to serve the group’s endless and often confusing desires. One disturbing element of the show was the amount of faux blood and other faux bodily liquids that were sprayed into the crowd throughout the entire evening. Those in the crowd expected a showering of these elements and left the concert soaking wet, not to mention the cleanup that ensued in the concert hall at the end of GWAR’s performance by The NorVa staff. GWAR delivered a solid entertainment experience that in the past, has garnered them with two Grammy nominations. As they continue to be destined destroyers of the human race and of reality itself, GWAR continues the second leg of their tour taking no prisoners. These Scumdogs of the Universe have no intention of leaving Earth. And as for their fans, they are good with that.
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E N T ER T A I NM E N T
MONARCH MUSIC MINUTE Hell YES!
I’ll Listen to it Twice, Even.
We’re Getting There...
Eh...
The Neighbourhood ‘Wiped Out’
Courtesy of Columbia Records
The Neighborhood’s “Wiped Out!” is the follow up to their successful 2013 debut, “I Love You.” The new album displays smooth transitions in varying sonic textures, keeping the songs moving forward and with an occasional subtle musical surprise for the listener. Lead vocalist Jesse Rutherford possesses a musical voice that defines him as a hypnotic, trance vocalist. Within each song, he lyrically yearns and embodies the message. The musical accompaniment is warm and is a fair balance between acoustic and electric
elements. The flow of the album, twisting and turning from track to track stays on the side of safe, not getting too loud or too musically adventurous. The first single, “R.I.P 2 My Youth,” is perhaps the most aggressive track, but still maintains an element of restraint even though Rutherford plays with the theme of imagining your own death. Many times throughout the record, the feel and style of “Wiped Out!” drifts in and out of a Maroon 5 vibe, but more melancholy, which sees them in this emotional dream state similar
Face Palm.
to Lana Del Rey. Ironically, it was Del Rey’s producer Emile Haynie who assisted the band on their first record, but was unable to contribute to the new album. With “Wiped Out!” currently debuting at number one on the Billboard Alternative Albums chart, the album tends to lean into a subtle mix of genres to include R&B and rock. Within the soulful chemistry “Wiped Out!” presents, the album offers a rich listening experience and defies the sophomore jinx many artists face in the recording industry.
Courtney Barnett ‘Live at Electric Lady Studios’
Courtesy of Mom+Pop Music
Following on the success of her March 2015 debut album, “Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit,” Courtney Barnett has quickly reemerged with “Live at Electric Lady Studios.” This EP features six tracks that sees her in a raw environment being witty and carefree in her delivery of each song in this intimate, live setting. Barnett has been hailed by both Rolling Stone and The New York Times as a standout performer. As a singer-songwriter and guitarist, the native Australian’s grunge influences
can be heard on “Scotty Says.” Her rambling lyrics and deadpan singing style remain a common denominator throughout the EP. Though her musical arrangements vary in character from grunge and psychedelic to her current classification as indie rock, her vocal delivery is reminiscent of Bob Dylan. She aims to deliver her message in a very mild manner with little attention to precision and strength. As she resides in this liminal space between strong and intolerable musical delivery, this is her greatest
strength in performing such as the first cut, “Lance Jr.” Here, the band just flows with a laidback attitude with no pressure to play to the listener’s expectations. However, Barnett’s delivery may be a little too backward in direction as her lyrical style sees her drifting from one idea to another. This album gives a fair representation of her musical abilities, yet it will be interesting to see if she will stylistically change through time.
Ellie Goulding ‘Delirium’
Courtesy of Polydor Records
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While starting work on her third album last November, Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me Like You Do” found its way onto the soundtrack for “Fifty Shades of Grey” in early 2015. With an accompanying music video, the song reached number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. ‘Delirium’ is a solid, sensual album that puts front and center, Goulding’s vocal style and sound. Backed by electronic beats and a warm, sincere music accompaniment, her message is a personal account of simple, yet raw emotions and wanting.
At times, the music can take you into another world that is safe and welcoming. Goulding’s first single, “On My Mind,” is a track that questions jealousy, love and the heart with an assurance that everything is okay. “Something In The Way You Move” borrows the arpeggiated synth bounce of Atlas Genius and adding her warmth and soul that is mature and fresh. “Keep on Dancin’” and “Don’t Need Nobody” explore dark and mysterious music textures with hypnotic trance beats. Goulding’s smooth
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vocal lead crafted around her own vocal harmonies and background effects truly make these tracks her own unique signature. The upbeat, energetic “Around U” challenges Taylor Swift’s catchy pop excitement. However, Goulding’s vocal timbre smoothes out what may be the rough edge’s of Swift’s sound. Overall, Goulding has created another landmark album that stands firm on the successes of her previous two records seeing the singer continuing to evolve and grow in her translucent career.
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E N T ER T A I NM E N T
HATE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO Courtesy of Universal Pictures
“Ted 2” (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 46/100) “Ted 2” turned out to be just the kind of turn-off-your-brain movie that alleged writer and accused director Seth MacFarlane is known best for producing. The primary audience for “Ted 2” were people in long-term comas or people looking to die in a theater while experiencing the cinematic version of Purgatory. The fact that “Ted 2” managed to get produced inspired 15 special needs patients to run for the Republican nomination. If MacFarlane was told to write an actual joke at gunpoint, his blood spray on the wall would spell “REMEMBER BACK TO THE FUTURE, GUYS?!”
Ross Reelachart Technology Editor The year of 2015 in movies turned out to be a strange one. The expected winners of the year made only hundreds of millions of dollars instead of billions, and audiences may have finally had enough of reboots and sequels after demanding more reboots and sequels. The one trend that could be counted on came through in spades: bad movies. Not just plain bad movies, either. Predictably bad movies. Here are five movies from 2015 that I personally predicted would be failures or crimes against humanity.
Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
“Jem and the Holograms” (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 20/100) The production budget for “Jem and the Holograms” was $5 million, and the movie’s runtime was just short of two hours. The movie has made, in total, just barely over $2 million and was pulled from theaters after only a two week run. Please note that theaters are contractually obligated to keep a film in rotation for two weeks after it has released or has been booked, according to Jeff Bock, a senior box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations. So “Jem” being pulled after two weeks means that not only did no one want to see it, but no one wanted to show it either.
“Pixels” (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 17/100) Everyone going into a theater to view the Adam Sandler vehicle “Pixels” was probably more or less aware of what they were about to experience. They were about to subject themselves to nearly two hours of Adam Sandler and company pretending to be funny with vague callbacks to video games that they might have liked at some point in their youth, assuming that they are currently a 10-year-old that was somehow born in 1980. What these poor, now-certainly-dead souls did not expect was a movie in which even Adam Sandler hated Adam Sandler. It was apparent on screen that even he could not hide himself from the wave of hate and animosity he had building up over the last few years. If “Pixels” was any more pathetic, it would be distasteful and offensive to make fun of it. Instead, it’s totally okay to say that “Pixels” was worse than a “Schindler’s List” home game.
“Fantastic Four” (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 10/100) All of the promotional and marketing materials for the “Fantastic Four” reboot hinted at a different kind of bad movie, a movie devoted to stripping everything unique and colorful about the First Family of Marvel. Now to be fair, there were still traces of that dark, brooding affair remaining after all the budget had been scraped out. But for the most part, what remained was just a cheap, poorly-made superhero movie. With 90 percent of the movie set in a generic military lab and two hallways, it was clear that any budget for actual super heroics had been used to pay for all of the actors’ dignity insurance.
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Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
“Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 5/100) When future historians catalogue the downfall of humanity in their laser books, they will cite the premiere of “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” as the tipping point from which there was no turning back. They will find that during its 15-week run, “Paul Blart” managed to kill enough brain cells in the movie-going public to make every turn down the spiral of history possible. It was the cinematic equivalent of Ebola.
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E N T ER T A I NM E N T
‘BEASTS OF NO NATION’ ROARS Julius Ayo Staff Writer “Beasts of No Nation” is a film adaptation of the novel written by Uzodinma Iweala in 2005 which premiered on Netflix and select theatres October 16. A decade later, the story of Agu, a child forced into becoming a soldier in an unnamed West African country, finds its cinematic lenses through its director, Carey Fukunaga. After witnessing his family members and neighbors die in their war-torn country, Agu, played by Abraham Attah, escapes into the forests where he is taken by the cult-like leader “Commandant,” played by Idris Elba, under his wing. The audiences are then taken into a brutal, harrowing, unflinching journey of child soldiers through the eyes of Agu. From the gorgeous opening scene,
this film made its intentions clear. It shows a vision of African children playing, laughing, holding hands through the frames of a broken television. It is a criticism of the Western perception of these children. The way it shows how Western society sees them through the eyes of the media is a backhanded slap of our prejudice carried by beautiful aesthetics. It could also be a hopeful promise of the how these children could be, should be. It is a painful reminder of their laughter and joy echoing into nothing but a broken television frame, possibly non-existent. As the narrative opens, it shows its deception through its charming and funny characters. In the first five minutes, Agu and his friends attempt to sell the “Imagination T.V.” Their playfulness shown through their
creativity and brightness, a sense of childhood innocence that will be tarnished later on. They marched in a line through their neighborhood singing hymns, a foreshadowing of a much more heartbreaking scene later in the film as Agu’s “Imagination T.V.” is replaced by a gun in his hands. Immediately, audiences are thrown into an all-out war zone. The bubble of childhood innocence that has kept Agu sheltered for all of his young life has burst. Attah makes his film debut in “Beasts of No Nation” and will surely have Hollywood producers and casting director’s eyes on him for a long time. His inexperienced take on Agu, with his emotive face and eyes, provide a much more personal and empathetic viewing for the audience. Elba plays “Commandant” very well as the leader of this child soldier
rebel group. His strong physique towering over the children and his voice, husky and confident, provide enough reasoning as to how these lost children could be attracted towards this father-like figure. Commandant is not an authoritarian which makes him likeable for these misguided misfits. Although he is very strong-willed and very cunning when it comes to getting what he wants. “Beasts of No Nation” is an exhausting, visceral viewing experience. Once it has settled into what it is, the audiences are pulled into a brutal, bloody journey that leaves nothing to the imagination. As the third act slows the momentum, it further reveals itself as a self-aware documentary-esque narrative. The film’s political undertones take control of the third act.
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Another commendable factor of this film is that it strays from the generic Hollywood summer movie viewers might expect, and always remains true to its realism. There are moments where the film sets up set pieces letting the audience think it knows where the action is going, and then it blindsides them and goes into the opposite direction. “Beasts of No Nation” takes viewers into the eyes of a child forced to face the darkness of humanity. This film, although fiction, serves as a lens to seeing other, more detailed perspectives and not to rely on the audience’s broken television frames. It is a reminder that one should never take advantage of their “Imagination T.V.” because it could turn into reality at any moment.
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E N T ER T A I NM E N T
Bold Mariner Delivers Bold Brews to ODU Community
Bold Mariner bartender pours a draft at Bold Mariner onNovember 14, 2015. David Thornton Copy Editor On an autumn day as crisp and cool as golden ale, Mike Stacks and Jared Tuxill introduced Bold Mariner Brewery to an appreciative public. Situated in the back corner of Lambert’s Point on Bowden’s Ferry Road, they hope to help build the growing tradition of Norfolk craft breweries, and become welcomed members of the ODU community. “I’d love to see students in here, I’m a huge ODU fan,” Stacks said. Stacks and Tuxill have even named one of their beers in tribute to Old Dominion University. Bold Dominion is their golden ale; crisp, hoppy and eminently drinkable. “We’re trying to honor ODU without stealing a trademark,” Tuxill said. “We want to be Old Dominion’s biggest fans.” The grand opening, on Nov. 14, already seems to have caught the attention of the ODU community. Shortly after the football game ended, the brewery suddenly became crowded, filling up with ODU t-shirts, hoodies and scarves. Two aerospace engineering graduate students, Ken Toro and Ryan Callahan, took the day off from their work at NASA to sample Bold Mariner’s beverages. Both commented that the location was prime for ODU students. ”What’s the next big thing to campus, the Edge?” Toro said. “This is what this area needs.” Both students remarked favorably on the three beers available at the opening: Bold Dominion Ale, Red Maiden Irish red, and Shellback Coconut stout. “I want to try their IPA,” Callahan said, which is listed on Bold Mariner’s chalkboard as “com-
ing soon.” Bold Mariner will also be producing seasonal brews, and will eventually offer flights. The Lambert’s Point community is also appreciative of the new brewery. Thomas Harris, president of the community civic league, was on hand for the opening. “I was very supportive of [Bold Mariner],” he said, adding that the Lambert’s Point Civic League thinks “it’s going to be good for business. We think they did a great job, and it’s going to be an asset to the neighborhood.” When Stacks and Tuxill were looking for a location for their brewery, they initially narrowed their choices to Norfolk or Virginia Beach. They settled on Lambert’s Point due to its proximity to ODU, Ghent, and O’Connor’s and Smartmouth Breweries. “We want to be part of that community,” Stacks said. “Norfolk is so rich, warm with history, why not be a part of it?” Tuxill said. “We’re trying to bring more value to a place that already has so much going for it.” Stacks has been home-brewing beer for most of his life, which offered him a solid foundation in brewing. “It’s a good crash course,” he said. But the difference, he explained, lies in the technical aspects, especially the availability of professional equipment. To help make the transition, he took some courses with the Brewer’s Association. Along the way, he enlisted Tuxill’s help. Although Stacks refers to Tuxill as his partner, Tuxill is more humble. “Mike is the brains, the brewer,” he said. “I just help out with everything I can. Mike is the captain of the ship.” They launched a Kickstarter campaign in the summer of 2014 in or-
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Photo by Brian Vliet der to help secure the funding they needed. They received that and more; their goal was $20 thousand, and they wound up with more than $35 thousand. They offered a range of incentives, including a $50 and up “Plank Owner” package that nods to Bold Mariner’s naval tradition. The Bold Mariner Kickstarter page describes the concept of plank owners. “The term dates to the days of wooden ships, when a sailor who helped build the ship would stake a claim to the planking that he, himself, nailed in place. When the ship decommissioned, that original crew member, with proper documentation, could ask for his “plank” as a memento.” Bold Mariner plank owners will get their names engraved on a board that will be hung on display in the brewery. Bear Garvin, one of the plank owners, was on hand for the opening. He contributed $100 to the campaign. As a retired Navy veteran, Garvin was attracted to the sense of camaraderie among the naval community. Stacks is also a Navy veteran. “With the amount of money they raised, the outcome is amazing,” Garvin said. “It’s a great first impression.” He recommended the Shellback coconut stout, which was a collaboration between Bold Mariner and the Young Veterans in Virginia Beach. Bold Mariner had a soft opening for industry members the week prior, and caught the attention of Hoffman Beverages, an alcohol distribution company based in Virginia Beach. This means that Bold Mariner will likely be featured in local area restaurants soon. “Just keep an eye out for us,” Stacks said.
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Jo-Ann Estes photographed by Clare Benedetto
Jo-Ann Estes Gets Ready
For Winter Temps Clare Benedetto Contributing Writer
Jo-Ann Estes, a Monarch senior pursuing a degree in International Studies, was spotted outside of MGB looking fashionable inspired by dropping temperatures. When asked what inspires her style, Estes laughed. “Am I allowed to say Pinterest?” she said. To a college student like Estes, working with what she already has in her closet is what is most important. Rather than spend money on new clothes, she prefers to look for ways to switch up how she wears her outfits, and consulting the Internet bolsters her ideas. However, she admitted that if she were given $1,000 to spend on any one item of clothing, she would race to buy a Burberry trench coat. Estes describes her style as dependent on what type of mood she is in when getting dressed. There is one
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way she consistently branches out with fashion, though: shoes. “I love funky shoes. I don’t do jewelry. I’m not a purse person. But I love shoes,” she said. Having just returned from studying abroad in Morocco and Jordan, Estes understands the need to dress comfortably and with regard to the outside temperature. Harem pants are a favorite of hers, and now that the winter season is coming closer, infinity scarves have been added to that list. She admires the wardrobe of Emma Watson, but the trend she would like to see emerge isn’t necessarily one related to posh English actresses. “I love to see people ‘dress up’ – whatever that means to them,” Estes said. Estes can usually be found with her black bag, a treasured souvenir she bought in Istanbul, slung over one shoulder.
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Sports
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Men’s Basketball continue their winning streak against Niagara 67-50.
Photo by Joshua Boone.
MEN’S BASKETBALL GETS 17 POINT VICTORY IN SEASON OPENER Michael High Staff Writer Trey Freeman poured in a gamehigh 20 points as Old Dominion extended its home winning streak to 25 games with a 67-50 victory over Niagara on Friday night at the Ted Constant Center. Freeman also finished with four rebounds, two assists and one steal, while senior guard Aaron Bacote, playing in his 100th game, added 18 points, three assists, two rebounds and one steal. ODU held Niagara scoreless for nearly five-minutes during a 14-0 run to grab an 18-7 lead, with 10:30 left in the first-half.
The Monarchs took a 36-24 halftime lead into the locker room, with Freeman and Bacote combining for 23 points. They shot 51.7-percent from the field (15-of-29), while limiting the Eagles to 38.5-percent (10of-26). “I think they’re very good,” Niagara coach Chris Casey said. “They’re very well-coached. Their perimeter guys are terrific.” Despite the 12 point lead, the crowd of 8,150 became frustrated and nervous early in the second-half. Niagara silenced a raucous and boisterous crowd as they outhustled and out-rebounded the Monarchs to cut the lead to five, with 12:59 left in
the game. They tallied 14 offensive rebounds in the second half, which led to 14 second chance points in the half, after only one in the first half. The Eagles came out aggressive on the boards and outrebounded the Monarchs 24-18, as well as putting Old Dominion in foul trouble and was in the bonus for the final 15:20. “They got some momentum, were hitting the glass,” Bacote said. “They weren’t really running any plays – just being aggressive. We just didn’t respond.” “Defense!” and “Rebound!” could be heard from frustrated fans. “Quite honestly, there were times tonight when we were challenged
that, if we were grading on a pass/ fail, we would have failed,” coach Jeff Jones said. “In particular in the second-half, Niagara just flat outhustled us. We were a step slow to the ball, too often didn’t secure it when we had the chance.” However, the Eagles were unable to get any closer, when Nik Biberaj was fouled on a lay-up. He would make the free-throw to complete the threepoint play to put ODU up by eight, with just over 10 minutes left in the game. Freeman, who was named to the Lute Olsen pre-season All-American team, sank two free-throws and a jumper to extend the lead to 12, at the next media time-out.
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“I am looking forward to getting back to practice tomorrow,” Freeman said. “I am not satisfied with this.” Matt Scott recorded 19 points for the Eagles, while Justin Stachell added 12, including eight in the second-half. The Monarchs were shorthanded and will be for an unknown amount of time, with Ambrose Mosley, Zaron Talley and Payton Pervier suspended for violating unspecified team rules. “There’s certain standards of behavior and those guys didn’t live up to that,” Jones said. “Unfortunately, we’ll have to deal with that and these guys will shoulder a greater burden with them out.
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ODU Football Takes Down UTEP, 31-21 Matt O’Brien Sports Editor ODU football is one game closer to being bowl eligible as they secured their fifth win of the season 31-21 over the UTEP Miners. The victory came on the heels of a very strong performance defensively and record breaking day from wide receiver Zach Pascal. “A great overall performance today from this team. I thought all three phases were solid in this game. UTEP wanted to win just as bad as we did, our guys just really stepped up,” said head coach Bobby Wilder. The 10 point win is one of the biggest margins of victory in conference play. The last few home games have been unimpressive for the Monarchs and Wilder was very quick to give credit to the fans and the boost they provided for his team. “I can’t speak enough about the fans and their impact on this game, how much energy we got from them. Our last few home games have not been our best. You need that momentum from the crowd at this point of the season. It’s week 15, the guys are tired and sore,” he said. The Miners got off to a quick start, driving down the field and convert-
ing on a seven yard touchdown pass on their opening drive. However the extra point was not successful. “The first drive they came out doing some things we weren’t prepared for. It was a different style running game we weren’t seeing on film,” safety Felonte Misher said. Misher played a big part in the defensive success getting two interceptions in the win. The Monarchs were able to answer rather quickly on their next drive. ODU drove 86 yards down the field on 14 plays. Quarterback David Washington went 5-7 for 66 yards but a defensive stop in the red zone forced the Monarchs to settle for a field goal. Washington was critical of his performance early on in this matchup. “We have some work to do offensively. We took sacks because of decisions I made. But from the o-line to receivers and my running backs, the protection was great. They played well and fought really hard,” Washington said. Washington’s day was far from over. After a 61 yard kickoff return, the ODU defense stalled the Miners and held them to a field goal. At the start of the second quarter the Monarch offense proved how efficient they can be, needing just seven plays to drive 74 yards on a scoring drive. Washington dished out
a block downfield that helped spring running back Ray Lawry free on a 42 yard touchdown run. “You don’t see quarterbacks blocking like that every day. David is just an incredible athlete,” receiver Zach Pascal said. The connection between Pascal and Washington caused a lot of problems for the Miner defense. After neither offense could get much going for most of the second quarter, UTEP took a 15-10 lead late in the first half after a failed two point conversion. With just over a minute remaining in the half the Monarch offense once again put together a very efficient drive. They drove 78 yards downfield in just 58 seconds. Washington dropped a beautiful 26 yard ball right into the hands of Pascal and the Monarchs took a 17-15 lead. The drive was kept alive by a big third down reception from freshman running back Jeremy Cox. Cox played an instrumental role in the win by racking up 154 all-purpose yards and taking the pressure off Ray Lawry who was bothered by a foot injury. The story of the second half was the play of the defense. In the third quarter the defense only allowed a mere 28 yards.
“Their power run was getting to us. The key defensively for us became the blitz. We had to add more pressure up front and get guys like Felonte closer to the action,” Wilder said. With the right adjustments being made at half and a blitz heavy game plan, ODU caused a lot of pressure in the pocket taking the Miner offense out of rhythm. The UTEP offensive line has only allowed eight sacks in 10 games this year and the Monarchs were able to get to the quarterback three times. “We always come prepared as a defense. Fewer mistakes were made today and we made a lot of big plays. That is the most three and outs I’ve seen our defense get in a game I’ve been a part of,” Misher said. With such solid defensive play, the offense was able to hold on to the ball and dominate time of possession in the second half. Washington added another touchdown pass to receiver Jonathan Duhart to give the Monarchs a 24-15 lead entering the fourth. After a Misher interception halfway through the fourth, the Monarchs were able to capitalize on the very next play giving them a 31-15 lead. UTEP however was able to cut it down to a two possession game with an eight play,
74 yard scoring drive to cut the deficit to 10. The defensive proved to be too much for the Miners, as Misher recorded his second interception on UTEP’s final drive to secure the win. “It was a fundamentally sound day for the defense. There’s a lot of momentum gained from multiple stops in a row. It means a lot to hear the fans get that excited the end,” senior linebacker Martez Simpson said. Simpson recorded six tackles and two for a loss. Washington ended his day 26-42, 291 yards two touchdowns, and no turnovers. His No. 1 receiver Zach Pascal tied Nick Mayers for most receptions in one game by an ODU receiver, getting 12 catches for 145 yards and a touchdown. “Since David’s emergence at quarterback the play of Zach Pascal is about as good as I’ve ever seen a receiver play at Old Dominion and we’ve had some fantastic receivers,” Wilder said. In the hopes of keeping their bowl eligibility alive, The Monarchs will take on Southern Miss next week. “We have to take it week by week. Next game is our most important of the season. We really need to attack practice this week with a sense of urgency,” Wa sh i ng ton said.
Photo by Joshua Caudell
Ray Lawry Becomes Monarchs’ First Ever 1000 Yard Rusher Charles Sims Contributing Writer Having posted 1128 total rushing yards while averaging just under 6 yards per carry and 11 total touchdowns this season, there is no question that Old Dominion University’s Ray Lawry is the clear cut workhorse for the Monarch football offense. To put this into perspective, he trails top caliber opponents such as LSU’s Leonard Fournette and Alabama’s Derrick Henry by roughly 300 yards a piece, while still averaging only a yard less per rush. He is now ODU’s first 1000 yard rusher, which is no small feat. When asked how he was able to accomplish such a feat, Lawry stated “Because of practice during the week, as well as watching film, and
my receivers do a good job blocking for me too.” Lawry surely must be able to swiftly and efficiently communicate with his teammates in order for him to produce these results. From the beginning of the season, he knew he had his work cut out for him though, with Assistant Coach Brian Scott saying that the Monarch offense will be centered on Lawry. Lawry has certainly improved his run game since last year, and attributes it to experience, and being able to pick up and read blocks better, as well as the fact that he feels stronger and thus more confident and efficient at breaking tackles. The sophomore tailback, who was just 60 yards away from the 1000 yard mark last season, knows there is always an area of his game he can work on.
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“I can still improve on pass blocking, that’s a big thing, as well as being more flexible on my hips.” He said. With the vastly increased workload he has taken on pass blocking is definitely something he will have to become more accustomed to if he begins seeing less touches, but for now its full steam ahead. ODU could very well have a bowl game coming their way in the near future, should they keep this current two win streak alive. A big win against the UTEP Miners Saturday afternoon put this dream right on their doorstep, as they are now one win away from a highly sought after Division 1 bowl game. Lawry knows what he has to do, and fully expects to make this possibility a reality for
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himself and his teammates. “I just have to get through these last games, and get to a bowl game, play somewhere hot, and win it in December.” Lawry said. Outside of his teammates, Lawry claims “Coach Dee helped me a lot in the film-room and on the field by constantly motivating me, and teaching me new things, so he played a big role. As a sophomore, he is surely making a name for himself as the cornerstone of ODU’s football program, and will hopefully continue to proudly lead the Monarchs to victory in time. ODU faces a tough matchup against Southern Mississippi on the road next week, where Lawry anticipates adding to his already season high statistics.
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A BRIEF
MOMENT IN TECH NEWS Self-Driving Google Car Pulled Over A Google self-driving car was pulled over in Mountain View, California for going 24 mph in a 35 mph zone. The police officer attempted to cite an “impeding traffic” code to the operators, but the operators cited a second traffic code that allowed the car to operate legally. No ticket was given.
Facebook and Google Offer Help to Parisians After Attacks. Following the Friday attacks in Paris, the two tech giants opened up features to aid individuals. Google made international calls to France free through Google Hangouts. Facebook activated the “Safety Check” feature to mark users as “Safe” for friends and family.
Nintendo Direct Announcements A November Nintendo Direct announced “Final Fantasy’s” Cloud Strife for “Smash Bros.” Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow are re-releasing on the 3DS. “Twilight Princess” confirms an HD release for the Wii U. There was a final tease for a “Smash Bros.”-centric Nintendo Direct coming in December.
Fallout 4 Releases Fallout 4 released on November 13, shipping 12 million copies representing sales over $750 million. For comparison, Skyrim shipped 7 million copies and Fallout 3 shipped 4.7 million.The digital release on Steam broke records too, with Fallout surpassing the previous record for concurrent players with 470,000 Fallout players.
Cable Companies Cutting Back on Ads Major cable companies like Time Warner, Fox and Viacom have lost so many viewers that they are putting less ads into commercial breaks, in an attempt to win back audiences. This trend is a direct response to the rise of new media companies like Netflix and Hulu, which offer fewer ads already alongside on-demand services.
A view of the engineering sports lab in the Engineering Systems Building
Photos by Naomi Luking
Long Nights, Fast Cars with the SAE Ross Reelachart Technology Editor Any students that have an interest in working with their hands, building something complicated from scratch and driving the result at high speeds should look into joining the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Part of ODU Motorsports, which is under the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the Frank Batten College of Engineering, the SAE is comprised of designers and mechanical engineers that build automobiles for learning and competition. I sat down with mechanical engineering junior Tyler Singleton, lead of the Formula team and SAE vice president, to learn more about SAE and the wheeled wonders they create. Originally based in a 3-bay garage just off campus, the SAE now resides in the Motorsports Lab in the new Engineering Systems Building across from the library. This new garage, while smaller, puts the SAE in a central location on campus where they can show off their current car builds by just rolling them out the door and into the sun. The SAE is comprised of three “branches” that specialize in different kinds of builds. Two of these branches work in the same lab in the ESB. Singleton is the lead of the Formula team, which specialize in building fast, lightweight and nimble cars
with open wheels for road courses. The Baja team constructs off-road vehicles, and the Aero team builds remote controlled scale model planes. But all three branches operate similarly: design, build and test vehicles from scratch. While the goal of the SAE is to give a space for students to apply their design and engineering skills in a practical environment, they are not above building for competition. As a new team, they entered the International Collegiate Design Competition earlier in 2015, held at Michigan International Speedway. There they put their number 41 blue formula car through the wringer of physical tests like endurance racing, autocross and drag racing. But the car was not the only one being tested. The team was tasked with presenting the 41 car to a battery of industry experts. Not only did the team have to sell the 70 horsepower formula car like any real car, but they had to present a viable business plan that included manufacturing costs and future plans. The experience was not unlike a “Shark tank” for cars, Singleton said. The SAE might not have come back as winners, but they certainly celebrated like winners. The excitement of putting their car into competition, and learning valuable lessons along the way, was a little more than their car was capable of withstanding. With fond smiles, they recalled “blowing
the engine” after celebrating in the WHRO parking lot, their usual testing area. After sitting down to learn about the history and background of the SAE, a tour was given of their facilities in the ESB. The Motorsports Lab was obviously their home base, filled with welding machines, computers with 3D modeling software, the chassis of their current projects and a microwave and mini fridge for crunch time. “It’s our Red Bull storage area,” Singleton said. As with any impassioned team and project, long nights are not unheard of in the SAE. When it came time to finalize the 41 car for the competition, a 72 hour work marathon ensued. When asked if they simply slept in the Lab during that time, Justin an SAE member clarified. “I don’t think we slept at all during that time,” he said. The number 41 car was impressive, albeit missing an engine to the best of my limited automotive knowledge. More than just a run-of-the-mill go kart, the 41 car has seen extensive design work and expert engineering. A part that was shown in a 3D modeling program had been designed and custom machined specifically for the car, and all from on campus. Next to the 41 car was a much larger vehicle with much larger tires. This was the current project of the Baja team: an off-road four wheeler with a bigger roll cage and suspen-
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sion. While still in development, the Baja team says that it could get up 60 miles per hour for when they compete in Tennessee. Sitting between the 41 car and the Baja car was the skeleton of the SAE’s newest project. Using what they learned from building the 41 car and competing in Michigan, they hope to build an even better and faster formula car by the end of the semester, or at least have something rolling by then. Everything about the SAE alludes to hard work and time in the garage. But for Singleton, it was exactly what he was looking for in an engineering organization. “Love it. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I’ve met lots of cool people and it’s one of the best things to have on a resume,” Singleton said. What the SAE offers is practical experience and a place to apply engineering skills in a way that’s in line with industry standards. So for students looking to get their hands a little dirty in building something real and real fast, the SAE is always open to new members. The SAE can be found on ODU OrgSync, Facebook and the Motorsports Lab is open for curious students at room 1135 in the Engineering Systems Building.
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FAST CARS FROM THE GROUND UP!
Engineering Motorsports Lab. Photos by Naomi Luking
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IS SATELLITES, BALLOONS Audra Reigle Contributing Writer
Courtesy of Bethesda Game Studios.
Fallout 4 Review: Same Wasteland, New Tricks
David Thornton Copy Editor
The long-awaited return to the post-nuclear wasteland of the Fallout series with Fallout 4, strikes an admirable balance between delivering an experience familiar enough to please hardcore fans, and new features that distinguish it from previous titles. Almost 25 hours into the game, learning the mechanics of settlement-building, the revamped lootvalue hierarchy, modifying weapons and armor, and the new perk chart have been almost as satisfying as exploring the wasteland itself. Fallout 4 takes place in the Boston region, known as “The Commonwealth.” The Commonwealth is home to the mysterious Institute, the post-apocalyptic version of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who seem to be lined up as the shadowy major players in the storyline, much like the Enclave or Mr. House in Fallout 3 and New Vegas. The Institute is where they create synths, artificial humanoids ranging from obviously mechanical, I-Robot-style humanoid machines to Cylon-esque, indistinguishablefrom-human androids infiltrating everyday life with an unknown agenda. Remember the Synthetic Man side quest in Fallout 3’s Rivet City? Yeah, those assholes. The geography of The Commonwealth draws on the Fallout 3 binary of vast, untamed wilderness juxtaposed with blasted urban landscapes. But the next-gen gaming technology is clearly evident in the detail of the environment. The main difference is the level of color. While Fallout 4 doesn’t ap-
proach the gorgeous presentation of The Last of Us, it’s a huge improvement over the muted gray scale of Fallout 3. In the wilderness, multicolored shrubbery and harvestable plants, water effects that include rippling reflections, and changing weather patterns all add to the immersion. In urban areas, a widely varied palette of earth tones is a welcome addition to all the cinderblock grey. You can almost feel the texture on the rust. Traveling through the wasteland is largely the same. Every area is fraught with both random and scripted encounters, and wanderers and scavengers rarely know where the next big score is coming from. However, one of the many small but meaningful changes occurs when traveling at night. It’s now possible to see in the distance the lights of small settlements, raider encampments and other points of interest. The sight of a small, glowing shack glimpsed through the trees incites a cautious excitement, as wasteland wanderers never know whether it harbors valuable loot, psychopaths or both. It’s a moment that really captures a sense of isolation. Some of those settlements turn out to be small inhabited areas with settlers looking to ally themselves with a greater power against the chaos of the wasteland. After completing a usually short but significant mission for them, like clearing a certain area of raiders or ghouls, players can gain their allegiance. Then it’s time to help them build up their settlements. Any settlement allied with the player can be improved upon and customized with the right resources, and doing so provides numerous
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benefits like owned beds, permanent storage, companion housing and customizable merchants. Strangely, this mechanic isn’t introduced through the use of a tutorial; a random character just points you in the direction of a workbench, and essentially says “Hey, it’d be nice to have a place to sleep tonight.” Players are left to figure out this system, which is fairly easy though sometimes unwieldy, on their own. So far, the hardest part has been figuring out how to make lights work with their switches. A top-down grid style system might work better; it can be difficult to maneuver objects into the right place, especially in tight places inside buildings. That being said, it’s fun, addictive, and a safe and easy way to gain experience and level up, especially at lower levels. Loot plays a large role in settlement building as well. The new loot system allows for various junk items like hot plates and toy cars, which no player bothered with after the first few levels in previous installments of the series, to be scrapped into their component parts like steel, copper, screws and circuitry. These components are integral to all crafting systems now, giving them a new importance to players and forcing them to adjust their priorities when scavenging. These components can also be used to modify and upgrade weapons and armor. Customization allows for lower level items to maintain their relevance in the player’s armory much longer into the game.
If a person who lived in a first world country was asked what the Internet was, odds are they would be able to answer that question. Yet there are poorer and more rural countries that don’t have access to the extensive world of the Internet. Thankfully, some people are working to bring the Internet to those that aren’t as fortunate. The United Nations set a goal of reducing the current rate of individuals who are offline from 57 to 50 percent, according to CNN. It’s a goal that they’ve admitted they won’t be able to achieve. Cost is one issue. In the world’s poorest countries, basic broadband service is too expensive to be practical. There are also nations that have huge wilderness areas that don’t have the necessary infrastructure, such as towers or landlines. The skies are clear, however, for low-orbiting satellites, high-flying drones and balloons to beam the Internet down to these poor and rural countries. One of the companies working towards creating low-orbiting satellites is called OneWeb. The founder, Greg Wyler, also owns another company called O3b that owns eight satellites that provide Internet to over 180 countries. Their plan is to build 648 low-orbit satellites to disperse Internet around the world, according to a Nanalyze article. Small terminals will be used to talk to the satellites and emit LTE, 3G and wi-fi. Making these satellites a reality has an estimated cost of $2 to $3 million. The plan is to release OneWeb by 2019. SpaceX is another company working towards releasing Internet satellites into orbit. However, their plan to release 4,000 satellites is speculative, according to a Business Insider article. These satellites would orbit 750 miles above Earth’s surface. “There’s
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not a lot of effort going into that plan,” Gwynne Shotwell, the president of SpaceX, said in an interview with Motherboard. Despite the hesitancy, they are moving forward with plans to launch a satellite into orbit for testing in 2016. Google’s Project Loon has planned an alternative to satellites, instead using balloons to beam Internet down to countries without it. They have announced that the balloons will start flying over Indonesia, according to an article on The Star. However, while these balloons will be flown over Indonesia, there is no date on when Internet will be sold to nearby households and businesses. Testing has already occurred in New Zealand, Australia and remote areas of California and Brazil. In order for the balloons to work effectively, it would have to be set up so that if one balloon floats out of range, another one floats in to replace it. Facebook plans to release planes into the skies to beam Internet down to customers. The planes are called Aquila, and the tests will begin soon, according to a Business Insider article. They have a full size version of the plane constructed already. Broadband signals from the nearest city with service will be beamed up to the plane and then transmitted to other planes within the network. The plan is to deliver tens of gigabytes, which is better than their competitors. With all of the competition to bring internet to areas without it, there is a race to see who can do it effectively first. It’s possible that customers will eventually be able to choose which of these providers gets their money for Internet service. However, the release of this technology is still years away, so those in poorer or rural areas must wait a few more years for Internet at home to become a reality.
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Opinion Unpacking Kerry’s Climate Speech To submit your opinions about issues on campus, e-mail sdavi116@odu.edu.
John Kerry’s speech at the Ted last week was historic, especially for Hampton Roads. Just days after President Obama announced that the Keystone XL Pipeline would be rejected, signaling at least symbolically that his administration intends to take climate change seriously, Kerry delivered what was arguably an equally significant message here. Military planners, climate scientists and geopolitical analysts have been saying for years that climate change cannot be ignored if we are to maintain our national security and military readiness. For Kerry to travel to Norfolk to deliver that same message is akin to him traveling to Syria to declare war on the Islamic State. This is the frontline. Sean C. Davis Editor-in-Chief Just days after President Obama announced that the Keystone XL Pipeline would be rejected, signaling at least symbolically that his administration intends to take climate change seriously, Kerry delivered what was arguably an equally significant message here. Military planners, climate scientists and geopolitical analysts have been saying for years that climate change cannot be ignored if we are to maintain our national security and military readiness. For Kerry to travel to Norfolk to deliver that same message is akin to him traveling to Syria to declare war on the Islamic State. This is the frontline. As it pertains to the region, the Secretary of State’s 45-minute message can be condensed to a couple key points: first, because Hampton Roads and the military forces here are so vulnerable to rising seas, learning how to engineer and implement adaptation measures is imperative. Second, the federal government cannot implement these measures alone; there has to be coordination between agencies and different levels of government. Now, you might be wondering why the head of the State Department delivered a speech on what could understandably be seen as an environmental issue instead of, say, the head of the EPA. The answer is that climate change is such a massive global issue that it requires world governments to work together (the main focus is not on recycling and polar bears, but ensuring sustainable development and the unprecedented global transition away from the burning of fossil fuels). The COP 21 climate negotiations in Paris next month, for instance, could produce some of the most important UN
legislation in history. While Kerry began by professing to having been a lifelong environmentalist, his message was really all about maintaining American military power and upholding our “national interests” around the world. Climate change presents a security challenge on two fronts. It threatens to hinder our own capacity to make war, but it will also increase conflict around the world, which as Kerry argues, increases the need for American leadership and therefore increased military action. “Climate change is a ‘threat multiplier,’ making worse the problems that already exist,” Kerry said, citing Former Virginia Senator John Warner’s 2009 testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He explained: “The bottom line is that the impacts of climate change can exacerbate resource competition, threaten livelihoods and increase the risk of instability and conflict especially in places already undergoing economic, political and social unrest. And because the world is so extraordinarily interconnected, economically, technologically, militarily, in every way imaginable – instability anywhere can be a threat to stability everywhere.” And that instability and conflict isn’t just something we have to plan for in the future; it’s an issue we’re dealing with today. Kerry cited the Syrian civil war and the rise of the terrorist group Boko Haram, and the extreme droughts that immediately preceded them, as examples. He was clear to maintain, however, that climate change was not the sole cause but a catalyzing force. He also touched on how climate change will affect mass migration: “The horrific situation that we are viewing today may deteriorate exponentially in light
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of more intense droughts, rising seas, and other impacts of climate change.” One of the most important facts about climate change is that it’s going to displace millions of people. The cruel irony is that it will be the Secretary of State John F. Kerry speaks on climate change at the Ted Cen poorest, most vulnerable people on the planet – the ones who have contributed the least to, and benefited the least from, the burning of fossil fuels – who will become the climate refugees. Bangladesh, for example, could see as many as 18 million displaced people by the middle of the century. So, especially in light of the European migrant crisis, it’s easy to see how this could contribute to conflict and strain resources around the globe. The other front the military has to fight is here at home. Hampton Roads is home to not only the largest Navy base in the world, but the highest concentration of military installations in the world as well. That the sea level in the area has risen a foot and a half in the last 100 years, and is rising at twice the global average, presents a pretty dire problem. The direct impact of increased flooding on regional military facilities is well documented. Flooding from Hurricane Isabel alone caused over $170 million in damage to Langley Air Force Base in 2003. Those bases have spent millions adapting facilities and raising critical infrastructure, but as George McLeod, assistant director of ODU’s Center for Geospatial and Visualization Computing, explained, even if the military adapts, their readiness is still affected if the region as a whole doesn’t. In the event of a flood event or storm, personnel could become stranded in the surrounding
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To submit your opinions about issues on campus, e-mail sdavi116@odu.edu.
Hurricane Joaquin combined with two seperate storm systems causes tidal flooding in Norfolk. community. “All of a sudden your crew can’t get to your ship, or your critical personnel can’t deploy. That’s a massive national security problem,” he said. “I’m sure the military could envision a case where Photo by Jason Kazi an enemy might take some action to be timed with a storm in the Hampton roads area, which they knew would prevent our readiness.” One of the most important points of Kerry’s speech was that effective adaptation planning hinges on coordination and communication between all related parties. While there are many agencies and resources being devoted to tackling the problem, getting everyone on the same page can be a challenge. That’s where the Pilot Project comes in. The Hampton Roads Sea Level Rise Preparedness and Resilience Intergovernmental Planning Pilot Project (you can see why everyone just refers to it as the “pilot project”), based here at ODU, aims to be the grand coordinator. The White House tasked the Project with organizing all the moving pieces in different levels of government in order to develop plans which will eventually allow for the allocation of federal funding. Kerry praised the pioneering work the project has accomplished in its short history, calling it “a perfect example of the type of coordinated effort that we need to deploy from sea to shining sea.” According to Ray Toll, who heads the project, establishing a model for other affected communities to draw on was actually one of the original goals. “If we do [implement effective adaptation measures], we’re going to see a more resilient
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society. We can take care of areas when they’re deserts and we can get rid of the water [in floodprone areas],” he said. “That’s what resiliency, for me, is all about; to show that we as a country, with technology, can deal with climate change because we have the expertise and the wherewithal to do it.“ Kerry’s visit was welcomed as a sign of the project’s success for the former Naval captain. “It was gratifying for me having been working on this experiment for the better part of the last two years,” he said, adding that it was encouraging for the hundreds of committed volunteers as well. “It really did substantiate what all of these ideas we had back in 2009, at the beginning of the pilot, [were]: that we’re doing this because we can eventually make a difference.” Considering that just a few years ago, the state government wouldn’t even allocate money to study sea level rise (the wording had to be altered to “recurrent flooding” to remove climate change from the equation), it’s encouraging that some of the most important adaptation research is now being done in Norfolk. Factor in the recent rejection of Keystone XL (which was widely seen as sure to pass when it was announced in 2008), the implementation of the EPA’s (potentially embattled) Clean Power Plan, and as Kerry noted, that the renewable energy industry now employs four times as many Americans as the fossil fuel industry, and you might have a recipe for some optimism. There’s no real debate that the U.S. needs to drastically cut emissions and transition to a clean energy economy, ASAP. Even if we do, Kerry argued, “We can only deal with this with a global solution, but… I say to you clearly and without equivocation – American leadership is critical to global success.” While it’s only briefly been mentioned in both
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Photo by Sean Davis
the Democratic and Republican presidential debates, the implications of future climate change policy are obviously of paramount importance. That’s absolutely terrifying if you consider the possibility of a Republican presidency. “There are some running around this country campaigning even now – who refuse to acknowledge the human cause and effect on climate change because they say they themselves are ‘not scientists…’ [yet] They ignore the conclusions of 97 percent of the peer-reviewed scientific studies – several thousand studies – that have addressed this issue,” Kerry said. The threat of climate change, as it is made clear by science and the military presents a very interesting challenge to Republicans: how do you address a real (and significant) national security concern without acknowledging the force behind it, which also happens to undermine your ideology? “The science tells us unequivocally: Those who continue to make climate change a political fight put us all at risk,” Kerry said to a loud applause. “We are not going to beat climate change; we are going to have to adapt to climate change,” McLeod said when I asked him about what a successful strategy would look like. “It will get addressed because the problem’s not going anywhere,” he explained. “So I don’t worry about the minority of people that just say that this isn’t a problem because it’s going to be a problem in five and 10 and 15 years and it’s a self evident problem.” This story is part of the Mace & Crown’s climate series, “Rising Seas, Sinking Cities.”
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Opinion
To submit your opinions about issues on campus, e-mail sdavi116@odu.edu.
Paris is a Weapon; Here’s How to Use It Connor Norton Staff Writer The fact is none of us, from around the world, can understand the pain, suffering and confusion that Paris is going through right now. Paris, France: 215; Beirut, Lebanon: 40; Syria: 160,000. The first two are death counts for the terror attacks we have just seen in the past two days. The last is the death toll of a three year conflict in Syria; you will find two of these numbers easily. You will not find the third because search engines that read “Syria” will all also read “passports linked to Syrian terrorists.” These facts are connected. The fact is none of us, from around the world, can understand the pain, suffering and confusion that Paris is going through right now. No, not even Americans in the wake of 9/11 can pretend to understand because this isn’t 9/11. None of us can change our Facebook photo and think it makes a difference to the families of the 219 killed. As I’m writing this the death toll continues to climb. But what is also climbing, and what will continue to
get worse because we as countries think this is the answer to such destructive action, is the death toll in Syria. It will climb exponentially. Articles focus on the ‘Syrian’ terrorists, affiliated with Isis and confirmed behind the Paris attacks, but they ignore the twin suicide bombers who destroyed 40 more lives in Beirut. We mourn the 200 dead, while we expect the 160,000 souls lost in a land plagued by civil unrest and chaos like Syria. We… we did this. And we are inviting more. But there is something else that has been revealed here, aside from the misguided media focus and the truth behind the world’s islamophobia. The fact is there is a weapon here, a weapon hidden behind the pain, heartache, and sorrow of the world. That weapon is humanity, the human condition, the fact that an act like this caused the entire world to unite so quickly. Now wait, hold your guns, hold your war cries, and stop for a second in thinking about those responsible. Think. If this power, the power to so quickly unify and grieve over such an atrocity, could be used to protect and
show the world greater compassion than hatred, couldn’t hope be more a beneficial outcome? There are hundreds of thousands of Muslim men and women in Europe, America, all over who are afraid to step outside because of the misdirected hate they now feel. So much media is emphasizing, even more than their ties to ISIS, the countries the perpetrators are from. If we allow this stigma, this fear and hate to consume us, we will ultimately do more damage to ourselves than ISIS ever could. We may have forgotten the meaning of the word “terrorist” over time, or what the definition of an act of Terrorism is. An act of terrorism is “an act of violence or intimidation with the goal of political gain.” The taking of lives is unforgivable, and the pain the city is now suffering is unimaginable, but the damage that this fear and terror could do to us is permanent. We as humans, from all corners of the globe, have shown our solidarity in response to these vicious acts, but we need to take the next step. We need to concentrate this power towards the correct targets: ourselves. We have the power, this act has shown us, to
provide safety, support, and love to those who need it. When the attacked occurred, thousands of people tweeted and posted sharing their homes to all people, ALL people, who were in need of shelter during the attacks. We opened our homes, put aside our prejudices, and showed the world that we have the ability to do this. Let us remember that, and let us use this power in more times than in times of strife. Let us use it to help the people who are even more afraid than we are: the ones who can’t erase their race or religion from their skin so they don’t feel hated. They are the ones that need our love, help, and assistance more than ever. War will never change. The fighting and work that our military does to protect us, and the fights that will ensure the destruction ISIS are none of our concern. The government powers will do all they can to fight back, and we will support them as long as they are fighting to prevent any more attacks like this. But we as civilians; humans with a power, connection, and understanding of the human condition have a bigger responsibility. Anyone who knows me knows
that I am an advocate for equity, diversity and inclusivity, and I expect that to be a value of my friends and the people I surround myself with. Today, I ask those friends and the people of my community to keep the values of inclusivity in mind as they post about, discuss, and address the attacks in Paris. Remember that humans of all religions, races, genders and sexualities feel and suffer from the same things, and will turn to the same things we do for comfort. Be an advocate and ally and speak up when you see anger and rage dominating a person’s opinions. I’m not calling for Pacifism, I’m calling for Activism. I am making you aware of the power activists like Black Lives Matter have. It is a power we cannot ignore because it is the same power that united the world on Saturday, November 14: profound compassion for humanity. Please use this power wisely, and if you leave with nothing else, then remember this: the ISIS terrorists were Syrian, Syria has been suffering from war and discord for three years. These two facts have nothing to do with each other.
QUEER COLUMN It’s My Future Too: Memoirs of a Young, Entitled Faggot Connor Norton Staff Writer Very recently, I had the misfortune of being reminded that my age invalidates a lot of my voice and opinion in the LGBTQ Community. I responded to an article I disagreed with, and found my opinion quickly voted down, invalidated, attacked, and reported due to, among other things, my apparent age and ignorance to the LGBTQ movement. This struck a nerve with me, and made me a little more mad than usual, until I realized it is a very evident truth that needs to be countered: the realization that our voice and opinions as youth matter. Within the Gay, white-dominated
segment of the LGBTQ community, there is an emphasis placed on economic, racial, and gendered privilege. If you make a lot of money, are a gay man, and, bonus points for being attractive, your placement and rank in the LGBTQ community soars. However, if you deviate from any of these – some more than others – your opinions and anger are suddenly and easily dismissed and invalidated. The simple fact is that we are not still fighting for “a future.” The future for Queer people is here, and it’s not what the Queer youth of today want anymore. When Stonewall started this fight in 1969, the fight was for equal marriage and recognition of gay people; that fight has been long and
is finally coming to an end. But with that end, those who started this fight are content and ready to say we’re done. But not the Queer youth who will have to live with this world for another 50 to 60 years, a world where trans people are still eight times more likely to commit suicide, a world where equity and unity for queer people and queer people of color is still a “back-burner subject,” a world where trans women are murdered at an alarming rate with no desire for any majority group to stand up and say “this is not okay.” I’m afraid for my future, because no one seems to be doing much fighting anymore. When Queer youth see something that upsets them, they get
written off by the senior majority. “Oh they just argue to be able to argue,” “those darn millennial kids, so entitled,” or “you have no idea what a fight is you ageist faggot.” Well you’re right on several accounts, I am entitled. I am entitled to tell the people in power that I don’t like what they’re doing with it; I do argue because that’s my right as an American. And as for ageism, I don’t think it’s ageist for us to say that you don’t understand our fight, because different generations will never be able to fully understand what others went through. That’s just a simple fact and for any of us to ignore it is rude and detrimental to the other. For the older Queer generation in
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positions of power, remember how it felt to feel less than human, invalidated at every turn, and like you could never fight or yell hard enough to be heard. That’s what you’re doing every time you tell a queer youth “you’ll be a great leader one day” or invalidate any one of their opinions. They are a leader NOW. They are a leader TODAY. And they are asking for your help. Help us. So we don’t have to go through the years of struggles and fights you did. Just because you don’t understand it, doesn’t mean it’s not valid. After all, isn’t that how equal marriage finally came around?
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