Mace and Crown - October 20th, 2017 by Mace and Crown

OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY STUDENT MAGAZINE - EST. 1930 FALL 2017

BEAUTY IS PAIN

Women and Tattoos

CULTURAL CONVERSATIONS International Students at ODU

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HAPPENING ON MONARCH WAY? ODU Entrepreneur Profiles

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, I’m at a loss for words. I can’t believe it’s already October 20. So much has changed since we released our final issue of the newspaper on June 14 and I have already learned so much. The minute I walked into the Mace & Crown office to interview for this position, I’ve been a sponge. On April 6, when I was told that I would be the new Editor-in-Chief of Mace & Crown, my life changed. I cannot even begin to express how much I’ve learned about a position I already thought I knew so much about. I’d like to take a moment to recognize my exceptional editorial board. I have so much love for every member of this team and couldn’t have come out with a publication without them. It absolutely takes a village. With this being the first issue that we are no longer a newspaper, we are making history. I am absolutely humbled by the amount of hours of work it takes to make one 40-page creation. I’m still not quite sure how we tied all the loose ends, but it was definitely a learning experience to say the least. I don’t even know how to put into words how excited and enthusiastic I am for our publication’s future as a magazine. I know that not everyone is pleased about this change, but I hope that with time, acceptance will heal all.

Mace & Crown is a student-run magazine written and published for the students of ODU once a week throughout each semester and once in the summer. Originally founded in 1930 as The High Hat, the paper became The Mace and Crown in 1961. Mace & Crown is primarily a self-supporting magazine, maintaining journalistic independence from the university. All views expressed in this collegiate paper are those of the author, not of the university, Mace & Crown or the editors.

Julianna Wagner Editor-in-Chief editorinchief@ maceandcrown.com

Audra Reigle Technology Editor technology@ maceandcrown.com

Alex Scruggs News Editor news@maceandcrown.com

Brittany Reigelsperger Sports Editor sports@ maceandcrown.com

Tayla Mallory Photography Editor photo@ maceandcrown.com Guillermo Rivera-Hernandez Distribution Manager grive006@odu.edu

Brandon Harrell Graphic Designer bharr003@odu.edu Emily Rogers Social Media Director social@maceandcrown.com Michael Abney Digital Editor webmaster@ maceandcrown.com

Advertising & Business Manager advertising@ maceandcrown.com

The idea of this drastic change was to modernize a publication loved by many. I have total faith that even if you weren’t the biggest fan of this change, you’ll learn to embrace it. Thank you for 87 years of history, love and total dedication. Sincerely, Julianna Wagner

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BLOW ME!

CONTROVERSY IN NORFOLK

BEAUTY IS PAIN

The glassblowers of Norfolk

A spotlight on Confederate remnants may spark change Women and Tattoos

EDITORIAL BOARD

Lindsey Lanham Arts & Entertainment Editor artsandentertainment@ maceandcrown.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

twitter.com/ linkedin.com/in/ maceandcrown maceandcrown

MONARCH MUSIC MINUTE

MONARCH MOVIE MINUTE

WHAT’S ON MONARCH WAY?

CULTURAL CONVERSATIONS

A NATIONWIDE BROTHERHOOD

ODU Entrepreneur Profiles

International Students at ODU The NFL Unites Against Social Injustice

CREATIVE ENCLAVE JUST BECAUSE I’M DIFFERENT ENLIGHTENMENT OVERSHADOWED SONDER MONUMENTS WOMEN WRITER’S EPISTLE TO SAPPHO DOUBLE NEGATIVE MY VOICE IS YOURS MISSING PAGE

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GAME REVIEWS DESTINY 2

FALLOUT 4 MADDEN

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SAE CARS

TRANSATLANTIC CABLE

FALL 2017

Photo by Antonia Tempesta

BLOW ME!

THE GLASSBLOWERS OF NORFOLK Photo by Antonia Tempesta

JAMES FINNEY

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Everyone in the crowd is nervous. They can’t see the flames, only feel it. An intense hot sun, glowing from the singular opening in the furnace. Its warmth radiates out from the center of the glass studio, reaching out to the edges of space, where concrete walls, open space and AC bare down upon the heat. Beads of sweat are forming on the foreheads of the onlookers, only mere yards away from the blazing sun. They’re squirming in their seats, but everyone has a smile on their face. The resident glassblowers are keeping the crowd going. Kimber Mckinnis and Leana Quade aren’t intimidated. They’re even joyous in the embrace of 4

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flames. They stand only inches away from the furnace, telling jokes and preparing tools for the demonstration. Mckinnis would later comment, “People ask us all the time if we burn ourselves and we say, ‘yeah sometimes, in the kitchen.’” Quade dawns a flameretardant sleeve on her arm and the duo gets to work. Their task today is to show the crowd how colored glass is made. Quade grabs the blowing rod, a javelin-shaped pipe, and sticks one end of it into the furnace. She slowly twists the pipe, gathering glass into a bulb at the end. As she takes the pipe out, she continues to turn it, lest the glass start dripping to the floor. Year-long, molten glass stays heated at an intense 1000 F inside of the furnace. Literal

pounds of molten glass flow like rivers of lava. Quade lifts the blowpipe up to her lips, and air starts to push the cooling glass out into a bright orange light bulb. This new lamp post, made of pipe and glass, gets passed down to Mckinnis, who quickly and quietly moves the glass to a nearby bench with metal tweezers, tongs and a wooden ladle soaked in water. It’s common for glassblowers to look like they’re in a chance during these performances. The contrast between the casual jokes and the laser-like focus leaves the impression that not everyone can be a glassblower. For Mckinnis, a lot of things came together to make her fall in love with the craft “Glass was fascinating and hypnotizing for me. It’s

a performance. It’s a physical challenge combined with unlimited creativity. The story for most glassblowers was that they started glassblowing for a class one day and they couldn’t stop,” she said. It’s a taxing artform. Glassblowing is more physical than most forms of art. It requires a lot of dexterity, precision and teamwork. So much so that the two working together on the platform look more like dancing partners than workshop buddies. As the staff at the Chrysler studio puts it, “Glassblowing is team sport, a song and dance.” Mckinnis moves quickly. She uses the ladle to cool and roll the glass into shape, and the tweezers and tongs are used to manipulate that shape before the glass hardens.

“It’s sort of like taffy isn’t it?” Leana smiles at the crowd as Kimberly moves, bends and twists the cooling glass into shape. Quade blows another bubble of hot glass and works it into more ‘taffy’ that she smashes together with the glass that Mckinnis has been working steadily on. “‘Smashing’, it’s a technical term. You know?” Quade winks to Mckinnis. They both laugh together with the audience. Everyone is relaxed, slowly seeing things come together. Tools and hands whirl as Mckinnis and Quade begin repeating the process, different colors of glass getting added to the mix. Mckinnis dashes between the cold studio floor and the blazing furnace, reheating their creation in a

process called ‘flashing.’ It keeps the glass from getting too stiff while also making sure it doesn’t get heated up into a gooey mess. Making glass is all dexterity and focus. A million things could go wrong if your mind and body aren’t in the game. Glass could become too hot and fall apart. It could become too cold and shatter before your feet. Despite this, Quade and Mckinnis take to their work with a warm smile and a cold focused stair. “My first time doing this at the Chrysler, I was kind of put on the spot. I wasn’t really acclimated to the studio yet. So I went to gather at the furnace and when I got too much I ended up spilling all this hot glass on the floor,” Mckinnis laughs.

Photo by Antonia Tempesta

FALL 2017

“Glassblowing is a difficult form of expression to master. Learning to fail and get back up is a constant part of the process. It’s about those tiny landmarks, it’s about making a cup, and then it’s a bowl, and then it was curating my own show,” Mckinnis adds. As soon as Mckinnis needs something, Quade is there with more hot glass. She’s prepared the tools or she’s shaped more color around Mckinnis’ work. Tongs are stuck into the glass, and suddenly what looked like a giant bulb is now a massive bowl. Quade casually adds, “I bet you could fit a lot of cereal into this,” as the crowd just stares in awe. As they flash ‘bowl’ one more time, Mckinnis spins the glass into a pure disc and something magical happens. As the glass cools for its last time, suddenly colors are visible. Blues, greens, reds, oranges and yellows all radiate out from the center of the blowing pipe.

The crowd is stunned, not entirely sure what just happened. Mckinnis and Quade smile at each other and then at the crowd. Without laying a hand on the glass itself, these artists have turned a glowing mass of liquid glass, into a ray of color and spectacle that has entranced the room. For Mckinnis, this process is what makes glass one of the most powerful forms of expression, “You can never actually glass touch the glass as you’re making it. When you compare that to working with ceramics or other art forms, it’s a completely different visceral experience. You take this hot molten glob of glass and you’re able to breathe your own human breath into it. The materiality of the glass is magical.” For glassblowers, it’s the doing that counts. They fire, cool, shape and breath life into work that can be shattered in seconds. For them, it’s not the eternity that matters.

Photo by Shamon Jones

CONTROVERSY IN NORFOLK A spotlight on Confederate remnants may spark change

JOSH CASTRO

CONTRIBUTING WRITER Virginia is home to more Confederate monuments and relics than any other state, with well over 200 public remnants of the Confederacy still standing around the old dominion. We have several parks, roads, towns and public institutions which bear the names of Confederate soldiers and leaders, permeating the daily lives of residents and becoming thrust once again into the forefront of public discussion. Closer to home, more visible monuments have come under fire, stirring passions and eliciting outrage from both sides of the debate. The Mace & Crown took the time to reach out to experts and activists to find out where Norfolk stands on this hot topic issue. Guy Gane is the owner of Old Timey Casting, a staffing agency that relies on Gane’s historical prowess and a keen eye for accuracy. He can be found (more often than not) pouring over obscure museum textbooks or coordinating historical uniforms for the next big television show or movie. Having fallen in love with the Civil War at a young age, he now finds his obsession with relics of the past in danger of being misconstrued in our modern age of political correctness. When it comes down to the brass tacks, Gane believes it has a lot to do with the lack of education on the civil war in public schools. “Education curriculums aren’t set up to give a comprehensive education to the student. There is much to cover in a short amount of time, and without field trips to places like Gettysburg or Shiloh, the sense of

understanding is lost on minds that are focused on a million other things,” said Gane. Like with many others, Gane follows the general consensus that the monuments belong on private property or historically connected public property, such as battlefields and museums. While there are parts of history that can certainly bear negative connotations, he says, there are also places where it belongs, with the ability to inform and educate future generations. Raymond Brothers is a blue collar worker turned activist in the midst of political tensions following the recent presidential elections. In early August, he led a rally to promote peace and end racism around the Confederate statue in downtown Norfolk. “A lot of people didn’t even know what that statue was in the middle of City Hall Avenue in Norfolk. All they knew was it was a round-about with a stone road. Then others who know what this statue is feels pain in their hearts that I will never feel. It’s not unseeable the misery in their face when I was at the Richmond March. Even at the Equality March in Norfolk, we put on I saw the misery and discomfort about that statue. The Confederate statue to me and others is a symbol of hate,” Brothers said. Like Gane, Brothers sees the rightful place of statues in a place where they can educate future generations about both rights and wrongs. “My honest opinion on the statues is that they should be removed and put into museums,” he said. “That way we don’t infringe on other beliefs because people should be able

to know what happened. Everyone should be able to walk down the street and not worry about a symbol or someone trying to stand up for it and not even know what they’re saying.” Brothers continued, “A museum would be sufficient enough for a monument. A lot of city leaders want to move them to cemeteries but other statues don’t even have dead civil war leaders on them. Norfolk voted they will remove it so at least Norfolk is going in the right track.” The monument in downtown Norfolk prominently features a 9-foot tall Confederate soldier atop a massive 50-foot Granite pedestal and was unveiled in May of 1907 to commemorate the last reunion of the surviving Confederate soldiers who served in or around Norfolk during the war. Constructed by local artist William Couper, the statue has seen its fair share of criticism. In 1924, less than two decades after it was erected, the changing tides of social progress began to call for its removal, although at the time the cries went unheard by local government officials. Again in 1954 residents called for it to be moved, and it was finally dismantled for a period of time in the mid-1960’s, only to be erected once again a few short years later. Public outcry to remove the statue in downtown Norfolk has not fallen on deaf

ears, with Mayor Kenny Alexander vowing in an Aug. 16 interview with The VirginianPilot to have the monument moved to a new location, with one possibility being a privately owned cemetery. While areas like Norfolk and Portsmouth are having better luck in their ventures to purge the city of Confederate memorials, other places like Virginia Beach are facing drawbacks from ancient state laws that prohibit the removal of war-related memorials. Virginia code 15.2-1812 is a law that states that localities cannot remove monuments that are dedicated to the memorial of a war or conflict once they have been erected. The law covers all armed conflicts, ranging from the Algonquin Native American wars of 1622, to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Although different localities have contested its meaning, there has not been much luck on changing the rulings statewide. After it is all said and done, perhaps 2017 will be the final nail in the coffin for the infamous Confederate monument, one that has seen years of anger and anguish at its mere existence. Of course, only time will tell if this will be its last hoorah, but the record speaks for itself, and the residents of downtown Norfolk have made their intentions for it quite clear.

Photo by Shamon Jones

Photo by Antonia Tempesta

MACEANDCROWN.COM

FALL 2017

Beauty is Pain

WOMEN AND TATTOOS

Photo by Lindsey Lanham

LINDSEY LANHAM A&E EDITOR

In the back of the well-lit tattoo parlor, over the incessant buzzing of the guns and the smell of disinfectant, newly turned 20-year-old Lyncia Berry mutters “beauty is pain” repeatedly under her breath. Berry winces as the needle hits her skin and relaxes as the tattooer lifts the needle, wiping away the excess ink and blood. Shannon Stoner has been tattooing for 10 years. Her office is in the back of Ocean Mystique, located at 2100 Monticello Ave. in Norfolk. Her walls are covered in drawings and designs, including a “Twin Peaks” picture board and doodles of Boston Terriers. Stoner’s hair, a light pink dye fading away to blonde, is tied up in a messy bun. The rubber 8

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gloves snap as she puts them on before she starts the gun up. “I wanted to be a tattoo artist when I was young,” Stoner says. “But in the process of finding an apprenticeship, there was definitely a time when I thought I wasn’t going to be a tattooer. When I started, there weren’t very many females.” Stoner continues to explain that being female has hindered her chances of becoming a tattooer. “I think now it’s become more accepting, but it definitely was a man’s industry.” “I’ll start you out with a small line so you can get used to it first,” Stoner tells Berry, turning on the gun and making sure it’s running correctly. Berry takes one last look at her shoulder, where a simple rose tattoo outline sits. Berry takes a

deep breath, and Stoner presses the needle into her skin. “Let me know if you need a break,” Stoner says. Berry smiles and responds “I’m a trooper, it’s just been a while.” Though Stoner has said that getting her start as a tattooer was a struggle because of her sex, she has a solid business and client base in Norfolk. She’s the only female artist at Ocean Mystique. Even with tattooing becoming a more mainstream idea, women still face a certain stigma that men don’t when it comes to tattoos. Stoner’s experience becoming a tattoo artist is not an isolated experience. Women are generally considered to be less credible with tattoos than men. Poorna Bell, an executive editor for the Huffington Post UK even said, “With guys, it’s

a hipster thing - you’re seen as cool and edgy. With women, a lot of people assume you must be compensating for something or you’re somehow looser with your morals.” Clearly, Stoner isn’t all too ashamed of her art. Bright colors and designs decorate her chest and go all the way down to her feet. Her patchwork of tattoos is something she shows off proudly but has admitted that she has a few regrets and has had some covered up. Stoner started getting tattoos when she was young. “I got it [first tattoo] for my 18th birthday,” Stoner says. “I have no idea how many I have now,” she laughs. “The last time my two step-daughters checked they counted like 65 or something.” “This is my 10th,” Berry says. “I got my first one for my 18th birthday too, and now I have gotten one every year for my birthday, as well as some others here and there.” Berry’s tattoos litter her arms and frame her ankles. Little outlines and favorite quotes make up the bulk of her tattoos, but her favorite is the first one she got. A simple

Photo by Lindsey Lanham

design of mountains with the lyrics “The sun will rise and we will try again” is inked on her inner arm. According to The Harris Poll, 47% of millennials have tattoos. 3 in 10 adults in the U.S. have tattoos, they also report, which is a rise from the 2 in 10 adults that were reported to have them in 2012. Ashley Mason is another millennial who has already committed to many tattoos. She has two sting rays inked on her side. “They’re my favorite

Photo by Lindsey Lanham

animal,” she explains. Mason got the tattoo when she was 19 and says she has no regrets and plans on getting more. She has never felt discriminated against for being a woman with tattoos but believes in a stigma. “I feel like it’s been more of a thing men did, but now everyone does it,” Mason says. Back in the tattoo shop, Berry stands and looks at her newly tattooed shoulder in the mirror. She takes a few minutes before turning back to Stoner, “I think I would like some shading,” she eventually says. Stoner nods her head and starts setting up the fresh ink. Berry turns to me, “you think it’ll look okay with shading?” she asks. wIt’s a risky move, adding something permanent to your body without knowing exactly how it’s going to turn out. Berry doesn’t look worried, though, as she sits back down in the seat. Berry is an art FALL 2017

major, currently attending Tidewater Community College. She doesn’t hesitate much when it comes to putting new ink on her body. Before Stoner can begin the shading, another artist walks into her office. He holds out a sketch to Stoner and asks her what she thinks. She thinks for a moment before saying “I would make the font a little bigger, but other than that it’s good.” At another local tattoo shop, The Independence Tattoo, located on 952 West 21st St., Norfolk, tattooer Jeff Malota finishes up a tattoo. It’s a simple floral design, framing someone’s chest. He carefully wraps the tattoo in plastic wrap before taping it down. “I think that tattoos are for women or men. I don’t think that a woman’s tattoo is any different than a man’s tattoo but discrimination does naturally occur. I think it’s getting better, though. There are more women tattoo artists than there used to be and there are more women with tattoos.

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It’s cool,” says Malota when asked about discrimination against women with tattoos. Though the tattoo industry is male-dominated, with only one in six artists being female, that doesn’t mean it’s not changing. Even the show “Ink Master,” which has run for eight seasons, just announced its first female winner. Stoner may have faced discrimination when starting out, but she has a strong client base and a good following. She mentions one client who she sees often. “He always gets weird shit,” she laughs. “He got an astronaut, but he’s only wearing a spacesuit from here [waist] up, and then he’s wearing short shorts and flipflops. I love it, he’s one of my favorite customers.” Stoner turns her attention to Berry, pressing the needle back into her arm. Berry doesn’t flinch this time, though. “I don’t even feel it now. People always freak out about shading, but it doesn’t really bother me,” she says.

Berry admits that she hasn’t faced any discrimination when it comes to her tattoos, but she recognizes the stigma surrounding women with tattoos and female tattoo artists. “I feel like men with tattoos are praised way more than women. Women are made out to be conservative and ‘pure.’ It’s totally bullshit because what gives a man the right to do that and not be labeled like us? It’s an individual choice.” “We get our tattoos to feel better about ourselves, to love ourselves and to empower ourselves. It’s bullshit how society doesn’t see that,” Berry says. Stoner takes one last look at the tattoo, wiping it down. She puts the gun down and tells Berry to take a look in the mirror, as Stoner starts to take off her rubber gloves. Berry gets up from the chair one more time and looks at her new tattoo in the mirror. “I’m glad I got the shading,” she says, admiring the roses. “Look how beautiful it is.”

Photo by Lindsey Lanham

TATTOOS OF THE MACE

Photo by Lindsey Lanham

Julianna Wagner, Editorin-Chief What: A cat Where: Between her shoulder blades When: For her 20th birthday “When I was younger my dream was to be a news anchor, and that’s still something I want to do, so I haven’t gotten a sleeve yet because there’s still that stigma of tattoos in the workplace,” Wagner says. “I just feel that when men have tattoos it’s manly and badass, but when women have tattoos it’s unprofessional and unfeminine and not badass.”

Photo by Lindsey Lanham

Michael Abney, Digital Editor

Brooke Nicholson, Assistant A&E Editor What: A “Diablo III” quote Where: Her forearm When: For her 19th birthday

What: A reference to “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde Where: His chest When: 18-years-old

“It’s artwork on your body. It’s supposed to be beautiful,” Nicholson said. “It’s definitely more of a stigma for girls to get tattoos.” When asked if she thinks this stigma is changing, she said: “I really hope so.”

“Yeah, I think there’s a stigma for women is more detrimental, but the stigma against tattoos, in general, is just ridiculous and trivial,” Abney says. “It’s not right, but it’s there.”

JUST BECAUSE I’M DIFFERENT GABRIELA MARTINEZ

Just because I’m different Don’t be negative towards me Just because I’m different It doesn’t mean I’m an outsider Just because I’m different You can still get to know me Just because I’m different I don’t like being considered “normal” Just because I’m different I like to stand out Just because I’m different I’m just being myself Just because I’m different Simply...just because

FALL 2017

MONARCH MUSIC MINUTE ADAM FLORES Oct. 20

Courtesy UMG Recordings, Inc.

Oct. 27

Courtesy Weezer

DARIUS RUCKER

WEEZER

Charleston, South Carolinanative and former Hootie & the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker is set to release his fifth country album, “When Was the Last Time.” The singersongwriter began work in January 2016 and released the lead single “If I Told You” to country radio back in July 2016 which reached No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart and No. 4 on the Hot Country chart. He recently released the second single, “For the First Time.”

According to frontman and guitarist Rivers Cuomo, Weezer’s 2016 “The White Album” was to be followed by its companion, “The Black Album.” This wasn’t the case as Cuomo and producer Butch Walker wrote material for “Pacific Daydream” that saw itself more modern-sounding than its antecedent. The band’s eleventh studio compilation sees itself as a conflation of Beach Boys meets The Clash as heard on current single releases “Feels Like Summer,” “Mexican Fender” and Beach Boys.”

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME

Nov. 10

PACIFIC DAYDREAM

Courtesy Independently Popular

Courtesy Year 0001

Nov. 3

Oct. 20

Oct. 27

Courtesy Black River Ent., LLC

UNAPOLOGETICALLY

THE SNOWMAN

JIGSAW

SUBURBICON

THOR: RAGNAROK

Following his debut studio project, 2015’s “Free TC,” and September 2016’s “Campaign” mixtape, Ty Dolla $ign is staying busy announcing his sophomore studio effort, “Beach House 3.” The hiphop/R&B rapper and singersongwriter released pics and videos via social media back in April working with Future and Pharrell, presumably on new material. “Love U Better (feat. Lil Wayne and TheDream)” and “So Am I (feat. Damian Marley and Skrillex)” are current glimpses of the 20-track collection.

Kelsea Ballerini is a newcomer to Nashville’s contemporary country music machine. After scoring big with her debut album, which contained the No. 1 country hit, “Peter Pan,” the 24-year-old was offered numerous hit-worthy material for her second effort, “Unapologetically.” She called dibs, however, on co-writing each new track. She’s already released the lead single “Legends,” the title track and other promotional singles “High School” and “I Hate Love Songs,” already being heard on country radio.

Based on the Jo Nesbo novel, “The Snowman” is described as a Nordic noir mystery that centers on a serial killer who appears every snowfall. In the killer’s path, they leave the bodies of dead women and snowmen to mark his arrival. Detective Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender) begins to track the notorious figure when police find a snowman wearing the scarf of a missing woman. However, Harry’s quest to find the killer quickly turns into an obsession as the killer begins to toy with him. Harry and his partner (Rebecca Ferguson) are in a race against time to find the killer’s identity before the snow melts.

This Halloween, audiences will be reacquainted with the infamous Jigsaw killer and his elaborate games in the latest installment of the “Saw” series. In the aptly titled “Jigsaw,” a team of detectives investigate a series of murders that appear eerily similar to the Jigsaw murders. Only one problem though, John Kramer, the original Jigsaw killer, has been seemingly dead for ten years. Are these detectives after a copycat killer, or is there more to this case than meets the eye? As the detectives try to unearth the truth, another group of people must fight to survive the new killer’s twisted games. This Halloween, there will be blood.

Megastar George Clooney returns to the director chair with “Suburbicon,” a crime comedy starring frequent costar Matt Damon. The film is centered on a family whose tranquil suburban life is disturbed during a home invasion. When the ordeal ends with his wife getting killed, Gardner (Damon) must try to keep himself held together for his son. Things take a turn though when it turns out that the men who broke into their home are really mobsters that Gardner owes money to. Things only descend into madness when Gardner takes matters into his own hands to protect his son in this satirical view on 1950’s suburbia.

Star Chris Hemsworth is back as the godly Avenger in the awaited third installment of the hit Thor series. In “Ragnarok,” Thor finds himself on a quest to save his homeland from Hela (Cate Blanchett), the Asgardian goddess of death. Before he can do that though, Thor must fight for his survival in a gladiatorial game where he is kept prisoner. It’s in this game that Thor cross paths with his Avenger ally, Bruce “The Incredible Hulk” Banner (Mark Ruffalo). Pairing up with Bruce and his mischievous brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor must escape his imprisonment and stop Hela before it’s too late.

BEACH HOUSE 3

Courtesy BMG Rights Mgmt. (UK), Ltd

Nov. 24

Courtesy Universal Pictures

Nov. 10

Courtesy Sour Mash

Courtesy 20th Century Fox

Courtesy Lionsgate Films

Nov. 10

Courtesy Fox Searchlight Pictures

YUNG LEAN

MORRISSEY

NOEL GALLAGHER

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

Taylor Swift’s sixth studio album is perhaps the biggest current secret in popular music. After wiping her Instagram account clean in August, she revealed what we know will be “Reputation.” Her drama-driven diatribal lead single, “Look What You Made Me Do,” serves as her forced entry back into the pop-diva spotlight. After receiving a plethora of mixed reviews and revelations on the accompanying music video’s notions, pop music won’t be able to shake it off.

Swedish hip-hop rapper and singer Yung Lean continues the “sad boy saga” with “Stranger.” With recentlyreleased singles “Red Bottom Sky” and “Hunting My Own Skin,” it appears he is heading in a poppier, brighter direction than his darker material within his first two albums. Approaching American rap as an outsider, the Yung Stockholm rapper looks to recapitalize on his music prowess overcoming drug addiction and death of manager-mentor, Barron Machat.

In her eighth decade as a vocalist, Mavis Staples new 11-track collection, “If All I Was Was Black,” teams up with longtime friend, Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy. Both take on the current state of ongoing racial conflicts in America Staples knows alltoo-well touring the gospel circuit in her younger years with The Staple Singers. “We didn’t make the songs point to a specific person. If you follow the lyrics it’s about yesterday and today,” Staples said.

English rock band Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will release their third studio album, “Who Built the Moon?” Though drummer Jeremy Stacey and guitarist Tim Smith have departed, former Oasis members Chris Sharrock and Gem Archer have filled the void, respectively, with Archer joining in the recording process. With “If Love Is the Law” and “Holy Mountain” in the setlist, Gallagher said, “It’s all about beautiful women, getting high, everything the f---in’ terrorists hate.”

A train ride through a snowy terrain suddenly shifts into a crime scene when a passenger is mysteriously murdered. The film, based on a 1934 novel, follows detective/train passenger Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) as he investigates the crime. As the truth unravels, tension begins to flare between the train’s other passengers who are all potential suspects. The film boasts a star-studded cast including Daisy Ridley, Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz and Willem Dafoe. While acclaimed actor Branagh takes the starring role in the film, he also serves as the mystery film’s director.

Social issues such as people vs. the police are explored in this film starring Frances McDormand as a grieving mother. Angry at the fact that police have yet to catch her daughter’s killer, Mildred Hayes decides to challenge her small town’s law enforcement with three billboards criticizing them. Initially, the town’s deputy (Woody Harrelson) tries to reason with Mildred to get her to take down the signs. After denying their pleas, Mildred finds herself at odds with not only the town’s police, but also with other citizens of the town.

STRANGER

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Nov. 3

KELSEA BALLERINI

TAYLOR SWIFT REPUTATION

Oct. 27

TY DOLLA $IGN

Nov. 17

Nov. 10

Courtesy Big Machine Label Group

Oct. 27

MONARCH MOVIE MINUTE TYLER PASSARGE

LOW IN HIGH SCHOOL

WHO BUILT THE MOON?

Courtesy Paramount Pictures

Nov. 17

Courtesy DC Films

JUSTICE LEAGUE Doom and chaos loom over the world as a malevolent and powerful force sets their sights on earth. In the absence of Superman, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) gears up for the impending attack. With the help of Diana (Gal Gadot), Bruce sets across the world to find powerful allies to aide him in his battle. These allies include the aquatic Arthur Curry (Jason Mamoa), speedster Barry Allen (Erza Miller) and football star turned cyborg Victor Stone (Ray Fisher). Together, these five extraordinary individuals must become the world’s finest team to bring hope back to the world and themselves.

Courtesy Marvel Studios

Nov. 22

Courtesy Pixar Animation Studios

COCO For their follow up to this year’s “Cars 3,” Pixar is releasing their first original story since 2015’s “The Good Dinosaur.” This film follows the story of a young boy named Miguel who dreams of becoming a musician like his great grandfather, Ernesto de la Cruz. However, his family’s mysterious century long band keeps Miguel from achieving his dream. Going against his family’s wishes, Miguel tracks down his Grandfather’s old guitar and tries to play it. Playing the guitar though transfers the young boy to the colorful and vibrant Land of the Dead. Miguel must now embark on a journey to return to his world and find the answer to his family’s mystery.

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Genenieve Conwell, Founder, Designs by Genenieve

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON MONARCH WAY?

Photo by Maggie Giordano

Email: designsbygenny39@ gmail.com Phone: (757) 553-1757

Glenn Bazemore, Founder, Deep Space Divine Finds

ODU ENTREPRENEUR PROFILES

Photo by Maggie Giordano

the university. They wanted it ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR to be possible for students that Student and Alumni have companies and products entrepreneurs are making to begin selling in a retail merchandise available to environment with little risk. shoppers in the Norfolk area. Students or alumni The Monarch Way store had must submit an application a soft opening on August 21 for a six-month membership and features products from to a board of directors who companies that range from then review the applications fashion to food and everything to decide which companies in between. The store is would work best for the store conveniently located in the during that time. After they University Village at 4306 are accepted, they can apply Monarch Way; which is a short for an additional six months. walk from the campus. They are This biannual system is to open various hours throughout ensure that different companies the week, which are Monday have the same opportunities and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to as each other to sell products 2 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday in the store. It also allows for from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday the store to have diversity in from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and merchandise every so often. Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The retail store is an The idea for the store “ENACTUS” project. ENACTUS came from staff members of (Entrepreneurial Action for the Strome Entrepreneurial Others Creates a Better World Center who wanted to broaden for Us All), is a non-profit the entrepreneurial culture at social entrepreneurship student 14 MACEANDCROWN.COM 9 MAGGIE GIORDANO

organization that reaches colleges and universities all across the United States and in 36 countries. In order to meet the criteria of an ENACTUS program, a project has to have a transfer of knowledge and have sustainable positive change. The young entrepreneurs are meeting both of these criteria in multiple ways from transforming waste plastic into fashionable bags and clothing to using hip hop culture to teach people about plant based foods and healthy living. These diverse products appeal to everyone, not only students. The official grand opening of the store will take place on Nov. 2 at 12 p.m. Food and beverages will be provided and possible promotions, as well as an appearance by the university president, John Broderick.

Deep Space Divine Finds was created in March 2017 by Bazemore, a junior studying Mechanical Engineering. He saw the uproar of fidget spinners and decided that he could make a better one himself. He then created the Vectorz Sprocket Spinner. The ADHD-focus tools are made from recycled bike chains and can be used to focus during studying, test taking

Photo by Maggie Giordano

Facebook: Shwim Clothing, LLC Twitter: @ShwimClothing

The Norfolk native began her clothing business in August 2017 after struggling with the idea for 10 years. The company designs fashionable tutus for age groups ranging from infants to adults. These colorful items are the perfect staple for birthday parties, sorority events and more. Conwell strives to encourage

and boredom. He even does 3-D printing, he prints and sells figurines of characters from games and movies. Each product is of high quality and are built with the customers in mind seeing as there is an option of customization with each order. Bazemore is a Star Wars fan and has aspirations to become an astronaut himself; therefore, he wanted the name, Deep Space Divine Finds, to reflect his passions. For more information, visit the store or contact marcusb6@verizon.net. Maurice Brooks, Founder and CEO, Schwim Shwim, Showing How We Integrate Minds, began in 2016. It was founded by Brooks who graduated in 2017 with a degree in Public Health. He took his passion for clothing and began a company that caters to everyone no matter different cultures or beliefs. The Shwim mission statement states that it was created, “to promote and develop cultural integration and diversity

young girls to follow their dreams and accomplish their goals, much like she did when she decided to finally start her company. You can contact Conwell directly for custom orders and designs by phone or email.

Photo by Maggie Giordano

Instagram: deep_space_ divine_finds Etsy: Deep Space Divine Finds eBay: marcusbaze

within the community through fashion.” The products are available for both men and women and include shirts, dresses, pants, the unique “3m jacket” and more. Purchases can be made in the Monarch Way store and online at shwimclothing.com. Pinterest: ShwimClothing Instagram: ShwimClothing FALL 2017

Christina Zhu, Founder, GradWYSE The academic regalia business began in 2015 when Zhu went home to China for a visit. Her husband had recently graduated from a Ph.D. program and found the cap and gown to be very expensive. They searched online but were unable to find cheaper options. Zhu found a manufacturer in China who produced academic regalia at a low cost and she decided to begin GradWYSE. Gowns can be purchased or rented to give students cheaper options for their special day.The gowns can be picked up in the store after purchase. Zhu also offers souvenirs and gifts in the store. For more information, visit gradwyse.com.

Photo by Shawn Zhang

Facebook: Gradwyse Twitter: @GradWYSE Instagram: @gradwyse

Mike Beyrodt, Founder, Pull Start Fire Pull Start Fire has been in business for about a year. The pull-string fire-starter requires no matches or lighters. It is windproof up to 22 mph, rain proof and lights wet wood with no kindling needed. Beyrodt came across the idea when he was on a negative18-degree snowboarding trip in West Virginia when a friend asked why they couldn’t just push a button to start Photo by Maggie Giordano a fire. He went home and combined his love for fire and mechanical engineering, and created the one-of-akind product. The alumnus graduated Instagram: pullstartfire in 2015 and is now making the fire Youtube: Pull Start starters with his wife, Alyssa Beyrodt Fire who graduated ODU in 2017. Fire starters can be purchased as singles or in pack of 3 at the store and online at www.pullstartfire.com. Sophia O’Neal, Founder, 2 Pink Peas & Atilla Fashion O’Neal, a junior studying international business, began sewing at a young age. She started the company with her sister in elementary school, but did not take it far until she restarted it by herself in May 2016. The designer discovered that purses were one of the main products in the fashion industry that caused pollution. She then decided her purpose was to create a Photo by Maggie Giordano recycled, fashionable product. With each purse sold, they are saving fabric from going into a landfill. She offers various colors and patterns which can be seen in store and more online at 2pinkpeas.com. Allita Fashion will also be available soon from O’Neal. This separate enterprise will offer tote bags made of vegan faux leather material from Taiwan and thread made from recycled water bottles from Haiti. These bags are being made at a fairtrade factory in Rwanda. Pre-ordering will launch on October 15. Visit allitafashion.com. Facebook: 2 Pink Peas

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Twitter: @2pinkpeasva

Instagram: @2pinkpeasva

Photo by Maggie Giordano

Photo by Zahyria Temple

Aydin Oksoy, Founder, Starfish Textiles

Zahyria Temple, Founder, Monkey Cakez Cupcakery

Starfish Textiles officially launched on Jan. 1, 2016. The New York native offers This tasty business has been traditional Turkish towels active for about a year. In the called Peshtemal, which was store, they offer flavors such the original towel before the as French toast, peanut butter terry cloth towel. The cotton and jelly, oreo and more. based product dries faster and The ODU senior, majoring in can absorb more water than business management, is open a terry cloth towel. They are to suggestions from customers also more compact. The towels and will offer free tastings as come in different combinations. well. She offers large orders of cupcake, cakes and puppy cakes They vary in size, thickness, color and patterns and can for your furry friends. The be used as a shawl or a couch mission statement states that throw as well. The senior they, “deliver mouth watering Ph.D. student in the College cupcakes, with an underlying of Business offers different purpose of promoting equality options in the store. and inclusivity to people living Peshtemals can also with learning disabilities.” The be purchased online at Norfolk native hopes to start starfishtextiles.com. a non-profit organization in the future to help those with disabilities work in any part of Facebook: Starfish Textiles her business. Twitter: @StarfishTextile For more information and other flavor options, you can Instagram: @starfishtextiles visit monkeycakescupcakery.com.

Sweat N Swag Fitness has is on a mission to teach the world about health and plant-based foods through hip-hop culture. Brown, a former active-duty Marine, began her business three years ago as a fitness company that offered personal training and nutrition coaching. She then evolved as a chef and began to focus on the food aspect. The company offers kale chips, sandwiches, soups, meal preparation, juices and more without animal products. The 2013 dance and theatre graduate says that people do not normally realize that health and wellness is the tenth element of hip-hop culture. You can stop by the shop for more information on Brown’s mission and products.

Facebook: MonkeyCakez Cupcakery

Facebook: SWEAT N SWAG FITNESS, LLC

Twitter: @MC_Cupcakery

Twitter: @SweatNSwagFit

Instagram: @ monkeycakescupcakery

Instagram: @ sweat_n_swag 17 FALL 2017

Photo by Maggie Giordano

Kaylenne Brown, Founder, Sweat N Swag Fitness

Janay Brown, Founder, Full Belly Delights

Hamilton Perkins, Founder, Hamilton Perkins Collection Each designer travel bag from Hamilton Perkins Collection is made up of 17.5 recycled plastic bottles. The E-commerce retailer graduated from ODU with a degree in business administration in 2008 and then earned his M.B.A. from William and Mary. The company, which began in 2016, offers the “Earth Bag”, Photo by Maggie Giordano the “Earth V-Neck T-shirt” and the “Earth Crew T-Shirt” for both men and women. The shirts are 50% plastic and 50% cotton. The collection has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, The Washington Post and Money Magazine. You can view the collection either in store or at hamiltonperkins.com. Facebook: Hamilton Perkins Collection Twitter: @HamiltonPerkins

Instagram: @hamiltonperkins

Brown’s delicious company started as a high school project in 2015. Full Belly Delights is an online gourmet retailer that specializes in handcrafted bacon products. Brown offers three products which include truffles, bacon pops and gourmet flavored bacon strips that come in seven flavors. Brown is a junior studying marketing and is originally from Northern Virginia. She offers both pork and turkey bacon for her customers and ships to all East Coast states. You can check out Brown’s quick selling product in the store or online at fullbellydelights.com.

Snapchat: hamiltonperkins

Photo by Maggie Giordano

Twitter: @NOISIA Instagram: @noisia

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT ODU

JAMES FINNEY

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Anika Williams, Founder, NOISIA NOISIA was founded in August 2016 by Williams, now a senior studying communications. She always had visions of becoming an entrepreneur, and decided to stop listening to doubts and started her company. The company offers “dad hats” that rock the logo of an eye with beams representing how far a vision can go. Using the word “VISION” backwards and upside down as NOISIA, she encourages people to make their visions become a reality. There are many different colors available. For more information, visit noisia.bigcartel.com.

CULTURAL CON V ERS AT I O N S

Photo by Maggie Giordano

Facebook: Full Belly Delights, LLC Twitter: @FB_Delights Instagram: @fullbellydelights Snapchat: FB_Delights

It’s an everyday occurrence at ODU. As you walk to the Webb for lunch, head to BAL for your next class or sit down and relax by Starbucks, you do so in the company of students from over 97 different countries. They’re just like you. Pulling all nighters for their next biology exam, or sweating over making new friends their first day on campus. The only real thing that sets them apart, is their background. The colorful histories of the approximately 25,000 enrolled students, including our near 1,000 international students, paints a bright picture that inspires

conversation and growth everyday. The International students are a crucial section of that picture and according to College Factual, they’re a key part of what lands ODU in the top 20 percent for diverse colleges in the US. Our university distinguishes itself with a more worldly and cultural atmosphere than many others. Not one student’s life is more esteemed than another, but all students lead exemplary lives in their own way. A cultural conversation with international students can provide a window in to some of these exemplary lives.

Two international students and I were coming back from class together when we sat down in the Webb Center to escape the summer heat and talk. As we’re sitting down at a table, some of the students passing by notice us. Other international students stop and say hi. When you’re thrust into a new environment, you learn to make friends quickly. “Can you imagine, we were talking earlier today about how different everything is in the states? The main thing is small talk. Everybody here is asking ‘how are you?’ or ‘how was your day?’ I can’t tell if it’s sincere,” Irina Pukhovskaya told me at the table. “Everyone FALL 2017

is saying ‘hi’ in the street. We actually don’t do that unless you know the person.” I’ve made friends with a lot of international students since I’ve come to ODU. They come from many different walks of life and yet in many ways they are just like any American you meet on the street. Everyone wants to smile and laugh. Everyone wants to live life to the best of their abilities. Everyone wants to connect. Two of these students, Irina Pukhovskaya and Velimir Lukhovitsy, from Russia and Montenegro, respectively, were caught off guard by how approachable and kind Americans can be. “Sometimes people just help you out on the street,” Irina says. “I was in the airport in Chicago and my flight arrived late. I had fifteen minutes until the boarding, and one woman from my flight said, ‘Just run!’ She took my things and just ran with me to the gate. I was really surprised. In Russia that kindness is usually reserved for family and close

at ODU by the UGRAD program. UGRAD is a student exchange program financed by the U.S. State Department and administered through World Learning. UGRAD has worked with over 2,000 international students since 2008. All expenses are financed by UGRAD and students are provided with a stipend meant for traveling across the state during their one semester abroad. Velimir goes into more detail about how he obtained his semester long stay at ODU, “The application process for me was very spontaneous. I didn’t really plan on doing the exchange program. I just sort of stumbled upon the form in November. I actually submitted the application and then I completely forgot about it for a few months.”

Irina’s eyes light up. She tilts her head up and laughs at Velimir, slamming her hands down on the table in front of us. If you ever have the pleasure of meeting Irina, she’ll have you believing you’re a comedian in seconds. Velimir and Irina haven’t known each other for long, but they joke and rib each other like they’re already best friends. She quickly chimes in, “I was actually on time! He forgot to mention that there are many documents that need to be sent and essays that need to be written in English.” Velimir and Irina weren’t strangers to English before they applied to the UGRAD program. In Russia, Montenegro and many other countries, learning English is a part of the curriculum from a young age. That doesn’t mean that they were fully prepared

“Can you imagine, we were talking earlier today about how different everything is in the states? The main thing is small talk. Everybody here is asking ‘how are you?’ or ‘how was your day?’ I can’t tell if it’s sincere,” Irina Pukhovskaya

friends.” The surprise was somewhat lessened for the two though, as they were prepared for their semester-long stay 20

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Left: Irina Pukhovskaya Right: Velimir Lukhovitsy.

Photo by James Finney

for all of their English testes however, Irina tells me, “In Russia we learn to read and write English from a very young, we learn to listen too. However we do not get much practice speaking language.

Courtesy CIA World Factbook

I had to learn so speak through a friend that lives in America.” “The same is true in Montenegro,” said Velimir. “We are not taught to speak English for the most part, however our grammar and spelling is very good. Most of what I learned about speaking and listening I got from American movies, games, and TV.” It’s commonplace in many countries in Europe to have American media available to them in English, with the native language in subtitles for the film. Montenegro is one such country, however in Russia, most American films are dubbed into Russian. Once the application and essay work is sent, applicants must wait for word back from the US embassy. Velimir goes into what happens once when they hear

back about their application, “At the beginning of February, I received the email that I passed through the first round of selection and that I was invited to do an interview at the embassy. Then once I got past that it was a matter of sending them more documents to get my visa.” For many of the near 1,000 international students attending ODU, the embassy interview is the first taste of what American culture is like for them. “You could immediately experience how different people behave. Even the building looked different from the rest of the country,” Velamir explains the differences between the US embassy, and the rest of Montenegro. He smiles and continues, “It was like the cultural preparation tour before the cultural preparation tour.” Candidates are invited a second time to the embassy after the interview. The purpose of this meeting is to show students how different life in America is compared to inside their own country. A formal

orientation is prepared where the embassy demonstrates how Americans tend to conduct themselves and how different our customs are compared to the candidate’s homeland. Irina beams as she listens to Velimir talk about how the embassy prepares you for a stay in the United States. There’s clearly more to it than just those few things. She perks up and explains to me some of the little things about the states that she notices, “Everything in America is different, down to the little things. In Russia, when you walk into a grocery store you take your jacket off, it’s fairly warm. In America I take my sweater with me to grocery stores. It’s so cold!” Irina holds herself like she’s cold, smiles and goes on, “But the most important thing to me is the smiling. I love to smile, and when I smile here people smile back.” I ask Velimir to follow up and he says, “I would say, we had a lot of stereotypes about Americans, especially because of the history between

Courtesy CIA World Factbook

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opportunities are better here than in India. Things are more structured here. The roads are good, there are big malls, and grocery stores. The competition is not too much. The population is not too much.”

Courtesy CIA World Factbook

our countries.” My friend Velimir comments on the history between the U.S. and Montenegro, “They (Americans) are a lot more like us than we were lead to believe. I really feel like I’m home, even though I’ve only been here for a short time.” Several days after my conversations with Velimir and Irina, I met with another international student, Monika Arora from India. Intelligent and articulate, Monika came to the United States to do research. She is currently working on her PHD and has been living here for four years now. She has deep ties to Norfolk in the form of friends and families that she is very close to. She’s seen how the many different opinions and walks of life coexist together. In her words, it’s not too different from home. 22

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“In India you are also free to share your own views. You’re free. I didn’t have many cultural shocks. There are gay people here and in India. There are Hindus and Muslims living together. Each state has its own culture. The basics of life are different but the culture wasn’t surprising.” With India being the largest democracy in the world, it shares a special relationship with the United States. India is America’s second largest trading partner, and America is India’s largest investment partner. The two nations have worked hard to forge a strong connection and a majority of Americans and Indians view each other favorably. “In India, everyone wants to go somewhere in America and there are lots of American companies in India. The work culture and

Photo by Tayla Mallory

“I realized that people here have the same problems that everyone does.” Monika Arora

I asked Monika what she had heard about the US and what she thought of Americans before she came here. “Good and bad things both actually. The good is that I thought everyone was educated and happy. When I came here though, I realized that people here have the same problems that everyone does. I also didn’t

expect didn’t them to be so welcoming and worldly.” “Welcoming and worldly?” I asked. “I’ve stayed with families where they understand my culture,” said Monika. “You can talk about the food with them. I could learn more about the politics with them. In the media it looks like everyone is at their throats but the reality is completely different.” It’s a belief in many nations that Americans don’t pay attention to what’s happening in the rest of the world. For the most part however, Monika hasn’t encountered that stereotype of the ‘ignorant American.’ “People have asked me ignorant questions for sure,”

she said. “‘Do you have to go to a well to get water,’ or, ‘do you ride elephants or camels.’ I’ve read online of people asking if there is an airport in Mumbai. There are people who live in their shells, but that’s everywhere I think. I didn’t know about poverty in America. I thought everyone would be educated but that was ignorance on my part. Pretty much everybody has been welcoming and accepting.” Monika’s experiences and answers on stereotypes reveal an interesting truth. We all hold expectations about how the world will be different, but we rarely stop to think about how similar we all be. And despite the differences that we do actually have, a lot of the

time, we find ways to connect with each other every day. “I have been to Europe and I have been to the U.S.,” Monika says, summarizing her point. “I have friends that have traveled to Europe and I have a general idea of the world. In a broader sense we are all very similar. What is good to you and what is bad to you varies but things are similar. India and America have different issues with quality of life, water, versus college.” “There are problems in all countries,” said Monika, “it’s a matter of relativity.”

ENLIGHTENMENT OVERSHADOWED MATTHEW GARDNER

Enlightenment overshadowed! Overshadowed by Prejudice’s veil Mankind, assuming itself wise, intelligent, and learned, learns merely ignorance Enlightenment lies shadowed by the senses still Humility alone grants deliverance Believing themselves enlightened by their sight, Men see nothing To be enslaved by Prejudice’s dominion is a dreadful plight Through arrogance, knowledge they are defying Rebuking counsel, men hide in Prejudice’s pernicious cloak Thus they abandon true reason Clinging to vanity, remedy they forsook The consequence is chaos, and the doom: destruction Enlightenment may be yet attained If only men would burn Prejudice’s veil by the torch of Humility Then all that is marred would be mended Truth and peace would forever reign if men acknowledged their inadequacy FALL 2017

Courtesy NFL

A NATIONWIDE BROTHERHOOD THE NFL UNITES AGAINST SOCIAL INJUSTICE

JAZZMYN BRADLEY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

It has been over a year since The Kaepernick Effect has taken the nation by storm. Colin Kaepernick, a former San Francisco 49er quarterback, began protesting the national anthem in August of 2016. His initial silent protests went unnoticed by many until late August, when his refusal to stand for the national anthem began to gain traction on social media. When finally addressed about his reasons on refusing to stand for the anthem, Kaepernick’s response ignited a national debate on racial equality within the United States. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for 24

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a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” In this statement Kaepernick was referring to the racial injustice plaguing African American communities. This bold use of his personal platform gave birth to the Kaepernick Effect as NFL players, celebrities and everyday citizens began to follow suit. Currently, Kaepernick has been a free agent since March 2017 and is reportedly being blacklisted by NFL coaches, officials and franchise owners. However, a year later public opinion and support have continued to grow around this intrepid movement. Players have followed in his footsteps sporadically, but after seeing his career come to

a screeching halt, some players are fear-stricken. Should his fellow players risk their career and livelihood by mixing sports and politics and showcase their beliefs, or go about their usual routine? Well, it depends on their organization. Numerous team owners were silent in regards to his protest, while others encourage their players to showcase their beliefs as they see fit. However, many owners, executives and coaches have called his actions distracting and not good for “locker room culture,” as justifications on why Kaepernick would not be a member of their team. Next stop, Capitol Hill. Some NFL players elected for a more direct to bring about social injustice reform for

their communities. In April of 2017, the now-retired Anquan Boldin and Donte Stallworth, and current players Malcolm Jenkins and Johnson Bademosi embarked on a three-day tour of Washington D.C to speak with legislators and lobbyist groups about their concerns. However, these men were fighting for social injustice long before The Kaepernick Effect, but his boldness reassured them that the fight was far from over. Bademosi explained that, “The league and the fans need to see us as men, with our own opinions and the freedom to express them.” These individuals hope to use their broad platforms to promote change within the community. Stallworth is a firm believer in athletes using their platform to unify the community, especially when it comes to inspiring social change. Jenkins is heavily involved in police-community relations reform in Philadelphia and aims to break the barrier between athletes and politics. Additionally, Boldin is a behind the scenes protester in the NFL who advocated before Congress on numerous issues. Boldin’s cousin was gunned down by a plain-clothed officer making his personal connection to the issue even stronger. Legislators have recommended that they become liaisons between the police and communities to find common ground. Uniting the police and community is a start but, the players want legislation

passed to protect minorities from the widespread injustice. Current and former players are now looking for the league’s support, and have drafted a letter to the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, calling for his active support for their campaign for racial equality and criminal/social injustice reform. The memo is endorsed by Malcolm Jenkins, Torrey Smith, Michael Bennett and Anquan Boldin. The group is also requesting that the league make November a month of unity for individual teams to engage in outreach and service event to impact their perspective communities. The injustice hit home for the NFL when Michael Bennett of the Seattle Seahawks released a statement detailing his unfair run-in with the police following the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight in Las Vegas. Bennett was singled out of a large crowd after reports of gunfire had be called into the police. In his accounts Bennett claimed an officer pointed a gun at his head and restrained him. Subsequently, Bennet believes he was racially profiled and treated like a wild animal or terrorist, rather than an American citizen. Bennett now protests the anthem and other teammates have rallied around him in support. The overall uniting factor in this movement occurred on Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, when President Donald Trump stated “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL

owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired,” while at a rally in Alabama. His comments offended players, owners, executives and fans. Roger Goodell called Trump’s commentary divisive and supported the unity being displayed by clubs across the league. Owners such as Robert Kraft, who supported and donated to Trump’s campaign, expressed disappointment in his attempt to use the NFL to divide the nation. The offensive comments resulted in Sunday, Sept. 24 becoming a day of unity. Teams such as the Jaguars and Ravens either kneeled or locked arms during the national anthem. While others took a different approach, the Steelers, Seahawks and Titans were not present on the field during the national anthem. It was not only minorities protesting, but players of all races and backgrounds united as one to send a message to the leader of the free world. That message being, he will not use his political power to divide them. They are one team, one league and one brotherhood. The NFL is using this instance as a chance to bring about social change. The movement is already spilling over into other sports and has for some time now. Players across various leagues are no longer afraid to speak out or demonstrate for what they strongly believe in. NBA and FALL 2017

Courtesy NFL

WNBA players have worn social justice warm-up shirts and shirts in support of Kaepernick. Additionally, Bruce Maxwell was the first MLB player to take a knee during the anthem. More recently the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, spoke out to reiterate that there is indeed a rule standing in the NBA that calls for all players to stand and line up in a dignified

posture along the sidelines during the national anthem. Silver also mentions that NBA players and coaches have the same freedoms of expression rights as other Americans. In other words, he cannot physically prevent the protests. He stated the rule and his duty ends there; it is up to the players if they wish to use their platform to showcase their societal views. The NBA kicked off its preseason on Saturday, Sept. 30, some teams decided to show unity by locking arms during the anthem. Those teams included the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets. The WNBA has continued there demonstrations as well, the Minnesota Lynx locked arms during the anthem in Game 1,

while their opponents the Los Angeles Sparks have remained in the locker room during the anthem for all four games. The Kaepernick Effect has been a catalyst in opening the nation’s eyes against the once unacknowledged social injustice issues hiding within the shadows. It has given players a platform to act and the community the comfort to speak and ignite a modern day social revolution.

F U N FAC T : For a brief time in 2005, the South Mall of the Webb Center turned into a nightclub that served alcohol.

SONDER

RICHARD GABRINTINA I wonder about strangers that sit alone on empty park benches. Those characters dissolve in the background like A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. As lonely as cookie crumbs buried in the sofa, they watch the earth spin on its axis from their own celestial seat and watch others orbit through life. I wonder about strangers that cling to the vacant walls and desolate rooms. Their lips seem stitched together by solitude. When was the last time they felt brave enough to speak their heart? I wonder what ideas roam their minds, how their brains construct the concept of love, and if they’re just waiting for someone to come by and gently remove the seams. Would it be intrusive for me to ask if I could unravel the infinite thread they wrap themselves in? I wonder what kind of lives they live and if they even feel alive at all. What were their childhoods like? Did their mothers kiss them everyday and tell them they were perfection? Did their fathers wield beer bottles and beat them because their fathers did the same? Did they even have the presence of both parents growing up? I wonder what their hearts look like. If they were Christmas trees, who would decorate them with ornaments and place presents underneath? I wonder if they notice me wondering, and whether or not they wish I’d come over. Or maybe they’re wondering the same things about me.

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FALL 2017

I have stood on your steps, Lincoln, my soul has been reflected by the murky mirror of your pond, petitioning my heart for answers to questions I fear may go unresolved. Oh mighty Washington! My nervous eyes are open wide against your tower of integrity, coercing me into the assertive belief that a monument must assume history has once been worthy of remembrance. Why is it then, when I pass through Church and Brambleton, I am perpetually saddened to remember that Dr. King, one of history’s proudest figures of abundant love, has found his bright Dream stifled into a hidden, outlying, humbled, dark black steeple as the Mecca of the hood and the ghetto; while the Confederate soldier, on his city soapbox, imposes himself in bone-white granite on Main Street, amongst the gentrified buildings and businesses that furnish the old cobblestone pavements of tradition, bleeding with pride? Show me how we become “GREAT AGAIN!” Is it when we erect stone and marble for men that have snuffed out the light and voice of other people, yet continue to ignore the cries of freedom belted out by those still yearning for change? I know that greatness is only achieved when our monuments of oppression are demolished, when every walk of life is celebrated, when all people join hands as children, when judgment is scarce and love abounds, when hate is hardly memory. These monument’s construction may be delayed, but never discontinued, so long as we persevere in the face of adversity, injustice, and persecution. MONUMENTS 28

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MONUMENTS

MATTHEW MEIER

WOMEN WRITER’S EPISTLE TO SAPPHO CAITLIN HELVESTON

Dear Sappho, It is a tragedy that your works were burned and only fragments remain. You are the great creator of Sapphic meter that was left of your name. Women then and women now struggle just to live their lives peacefully and under their own control. It is a tragedy to be left to the will of a man. Women are meant to be free and not caged birds. We will fly as we please and live as we please. How must you feel now knowing that your works were destroyed? Your art was only left to be questioned. How do you plan to plea the individuals who committed such an act? Do you wish you could wreak revenge upon those who have wronged you? I dare not say that women’s place in this world is equal to that of man. Who really is the stronger sex? That I cannot say. Do you feel that you were wronged? I do. I think your poetry was robbed of its beauty because of the pile of scraps that remain. Men think they have control over women, but that is far from the truth. We are stronger than they cease to believe. I am not a man hater, but I do fight for what I am allowed to do with my body, my work, myself. It’s 2017 Damnit, let us live as we please. God does not have control over my choices, no one has control over my choices. I accept suggestions, but I make my own path. I am who I am and no one can change that. You were who you were and you should justify that for yourself. Women are stronger, outspoken, and aren’t artistically intimidated by that of man anymore. We are allowed to speak freely now. We are not punished for speaking out for what is right. I found the treatment of women, in the 19th century to be a tragedy and should be brought to men’s attention. Most of them are aware but there are some that still chose to belief that a woman is meant to be submissive and under his control. The Orange Man who is in control of our country believes that to be so. Women have held marches and protests against him. We are not weak helpless beings that are meant to be controlled. We deserve our rights. Our artistry deserves the same respect as that of a man. We are not meant to be silenced; we will not be silenced. We will slit the vocabulary of those that disrespect our bodies and abilities. For God sakes, we create that of life. That is the one pure thing that leads us to slight superiority. We are equals. That is all. Women may not have penises but we have brains. We were shunned for voicing our opinions and tortured at the amount of too many words. Shushed and considered annoying. Buried by the appearance of men. Hidden beneath a set of guidelines that attempted to control the free beings that we are. Nothing can stop us now. Just as a man leaves the home, we will and can do the same justice. We will be in the highchair of justice. Our mother’s gave us life and we will do the same for our own; if the choice so be ours. The year is 2017. We will not hide behind a man. We speak for ourselves. We will earn that seat in the Whitehouse. Women are not defined by the man we marry whom we chose to marry because of love not lust or arrangements. Our work is praised and given the courtesy it deserves. So as your work should have been. Your work would not have been destroyed. Angry as I may be, I hold my place in life because I am me. You were luckily presented as a muse of Plato. Quotations of your works still live within other written and published pieces. Do you think that justifies your worth? Do you think you deserve more? I do. Artistry and truth is not a thing to be burdened upon a person, it is to be celebrated. Nothing can change that. The legend that you strayed behind will always be praised. Your stamp on the world is permeant. Mine will be too. All the best, Caitlin

FALL 2017

Double negatives Triple positives Tattoo artist But hey, at least he still pray Bible so strong sometimes it stings me Like people stung by mosquitoes that capture only the most beautiful Mosquito bites Stingers Hungry for blood Sinners ain’t hungry for nothin’ but love Dear God Oh God Almighty Please teach me the reasons for which gays sit in bleachers While sacrilegious straight people become preachers Preachin’ nothin’ but old religion to self-righteous heaven seekers Day after day Month after month The “perils” of gay Like it’s something they can change But this ain’t no resurrection of the devil These are the children of God we’re talking about I am here to tell you That boy ain’t evil He just wants to be accepted but doesn’t expect he’ll ever get it So instead he accepts that liking boys is wrong It’s so ludicrous to me how Certain straight people act like their marriage is at stake Eating steak off their plates At the empty table of their passionless partnership But this isn’t about religion or personal preference 30

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MY VOICE IS YOURS

DOUBLE NEGATIVE JULIANNA WAGNER

RICHARD GABRINTINA

“He reads: While all bodies share The same fate, all voices do not.” Li-Young Lee I offer my voice to the wind like seeds when they ride its currents, hoping it will grow. Hoping it will provide refuge for those seeking solace, for those searching to connect and allow their vines to intertwine with minds from the same plant.

This is a separation of church and HATE The only reason there is any suffering at all is because of people like you Heard one girl say it doesn’t biologically make sense Like it was her business anyway My friends My kin My “I wish he was my friend” but he sits at a table alone because of people like you They tell me how REAL gay is Tell me about all the years you spent in the closet When you weren’t pushing people back in it It’s none of your business Gay is real So many years spent behind partitions Closed curtains Closeted hallways

Shunned because they’re not like us But gay shouldn’t be a death sentence It’s not a sickness or disease so Why are we treating it like one Gay is not a choice or something that is just decided one day “Hmmm, I’m bored so let me be judged by straight people!” Judging something you can’t feel is wrong So how can you judge those who are in love for all the right reasons While right-wingers wing it and act like religion is the REAL reason Do not judge those who could never find it in their hearts to judge you Love is love So leave it alone

There are two types of people: those who will silence my voice like a frustrated gardener beheading a weed, and those who might nestle their fingers in the soil, inviting the earth between their nails, and gently wrap my roots around their soul. I can only wonder if other voices will blossom from the descent of my humble whisper, a flickering flame falling to form a forest fire, or if my voice will go extinct. If you find it, I only hope it can provide you with shade or warmth, whatever you need at the time.

FALL 2017

Courtesy Bungie

‘DESTINY 2’: THE GANG’S ALL HERE JAMES FINNEY

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Sept. 6, 2017, Bungie invited gamers all around the world to a second serving of their latest IP, “Destiny 2.” Bungie enticed the “Destiny” community to return with the promise of a new helping of loot, a much improved player versus player experience and new worlds to explore through the lens of a fresh story. A story designed to wash out the taste of confusion and disappointment that “Destiny 1’s” story left in every gamer’s mouth. “Destiny 2’s” story breathes fresh air into a world that felt convoluted, 32

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watered down and down right confusing. Many players were put off at the lack of an antagonist in “Destiny 1.” The game took you to a host of different planets, but it was never entirely clear why you were there or what you were doing. Combine all of that with dull and undeveloped characters, and “Destiny 1’s” narrative quickly became one of the most hated trudges in video game history. Rather than trying to fix the pervasive list of issues in the original game’s story, the sequel takes things in a completely different direction from the get-go.

“Destiny 2’s” antagonist, Ghaul, is made real and dangerous from the beginning of the story. Ghaul comes to your home, the last city on Earth, to strip you of all your powers and any other former priorities you had before he arrives at your doorstep. Ghaul promptly kicks you out of your old home, and from there you are set down the path to recovering your powers and uniting a new cast of characters to take back the city. “Destiny 2’s” story instantly improves on almost every aspect of the “Destiny 1” story. The characters that you will meet on your journey

are filled with backstory and interesting insight on the world you inhabit. The antagonist is presented to you immediately, and your reason for setting yourself against him is made clear. Once you’re finished with “Destiny 2’s” story, the rest of the game’s experiences open themselves up to play. The worlds visited in the story are now available to be explored. A new host of smaller story quests and battles await you in every inch of the game’s open playspace. The general consensus is that “Destiny 2‘s” systems are a leap forward. The recipe hasn’t changed much, but just enough new spice has been thrown in to ensure that “Destiny’s” tight shooter gameplay and loot earning experience can keep gamers on the hook for far longer than vanilla “Destiny” ever could. In the original “Destiny,” loot and progression in the game was a grind. Earning legendary grade gear, the best equipment in the game, could cost you hours in any of “Destiny 1’s” many different player versus environment activities. If you were to try your luck in the Crucible, “Destiny’s” player versus player option, your odds could end up even worse. There was no clear way to earn rewards in the Crucible. Rousing victories and

crushing defeats yielded equally low chances of earning good rewards. Even worse for the Crucible players, Bungie was constantly changing the weapon balance, determining what guns were strongest or weakest at any given time. This meant that more casual players of the game struggled when they dipped in and out of the “Destiny.” They suffered at the hands of more consistent fans, not because they were better at the game but because they knew which weapons were the most effective. All of these issues have been addressed in “Destiny 2.” Even some of the smallest activities in PVE can now yield legendary rewards. Crucible games now have challenges set every week that grant you access to better gear, and now all weapons are viable in the Crucible. Players now have the option to play how they want, when they want, without worrying about falling behind the rest of the community. Bungie even spices up the incentive to play with special events each week that give you a chance at even more rewards. The most impressive addition to “Destiny 2” are the new tools Bungie constructed to connect an international audience of gamers to each other in new and interesting ways.

The inclusion of a new “Clan” system gives players the ability to open up clubs that like minded players can join to connect with each other. Clans have access to a roster, where they can see all of the members of the group and who’s online. As a part of clan, gamers have access to more loot each week, have more challenges to participate in and always have someone to play with. “Destiny 2” is at its best when being played with friends, and the new clan system can facilitate that experience. The hardest challenge in the game, the raid, can only be completed with the help of five other players that you have to connect with. Clans make finding teammates for a raid easy, and if you don’t have a clan, Bungie has created a new “Guided games” system that can hook up solo players with clans for raiding. This is the key strength of “Destiny 2” and the point where Bungie excels the most. “Destiny 2” is a game designed for the community. It’s the meeting point where players get together, take on new challenges and grow together. At its core, that hasn’t changed, but the robust improvements made to each section of the game guarantees that this time around, the “Destiny” community here to stay.

FALL 2017

‘MADDEN’ BRINGS NEW FEATURES TO A CLASSIC TITLE

BETHESDA BRINGS YOU MORE ‘FALLOUT’ WITH GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION AND VR

KEVIN WASHINGTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

BROOKE NICHOLSON ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR

The highly anticipated sequel to “Fallout: New Vegas” had fans crowded in GameStops at midnight on Nov. 10, 2015. “Fallout 4” brought back the apocalypse that fans of the successful series knew and loved better than ever. Now, two years later, fans of the familiar apocalyptic Wasteland known as Boston, Massachusetts, can travel back and experience the game all over again with “Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition.” Along with the original game, “Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition” will also include all six DLCs that were originally released separately not long after “Fallout 4’s” release: “Automatron” (March 2016), “Wasteland Workshop” (April 2016), “Far Harbor” (May 2016), “Contraptions Workshop” (June 2016), “Vault-Tec Workshop” (July 2016) and “Nuka-World” (August 2016). Even with all of this content, Bethesda also throws in all of the patches and updates that have launched between the original game and 34

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Courtesy Bethesda Game Studios

the DLCs. A high-resolution texture pack built into PC versions of “Fallout 4” will also be included in the Game of the Year Edition. The total price for the game and all of its content come out to around $60. In November 2015, fans of the infamous apocalypse raced to order their edition of the game that came with their very own real life replica of the Pip-Boy, a simplistic computer that rests on the wrist of the main protagonist of the game. The prop came with a slot to hold your smartphone, and after downloading the Pip-Boy app, your smartphone turns the replica into an actual, functioning Pip-Boy. After selling out of the Pip-Boy Edition multiple times and unable to keep up with popular demand, Bethesda has brought back the replica of the Pip-Boy to give fans a chance they never had before to snag one of their own. If you want to spend a little more money, Bethesda is offering this edition that comes with the original

game, all six DLCs and your very own Pip-Boy, totaling to the price of $100. Bethesda has announced that there is a limited quantity of the PipBoy editions available with the Game of the Year, so fans will have to scramble again this year if they want to get their hand on one. That’s not all that’s new with “Fallout 4.” Bethesda is also planning on releasing the game for virtual reality. Bethesda is new to VR and has started releasing some of their more popular titles, such as “DOOM 4” to headsets, so naturally, “Fallout” would follow shortly after. Fans and audiences can wander the Wasteland using VR headsets and handheld accessories to gather supplies, build settlements and fight off Deathclaws. The VR version of “Fallout 4” is set to drop on Dec. 12. “Fallout 4: Game of the Year” is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Coming around with the same frequency as your birthday, this year’s iteration of “Madden” is finally out. This year’s iteration finally rebranded itself with a brand new “Frostbite” engine. The game is significantly better and all around runs smoother with little but noticeable touches on the graphics. The biggest change comes to the game play with more realistic animations, improved tackling and better juke moves. Everything has been upgraded, except the crowd and the 12 people you see holding the same defense sign. Don’t get me wrong, this game is better than years past, but it’s not perfect. Body types have always been a big problem in “Madden.” At times, you would have players like Marshawn Lynch looking slightly bigger than a

normal cornerback. Body types have greatly improved with player models looking closer to their real life counter parts. However, there still is the stiff, lost feeling when players are in-between plays or waiting to huddle back up. At times, players will “clip” in to each other. These problems have no effect on the game play. From a game play stand point, EA has finally addressed something that has been an issue in the past: realizing everyone who plays “Madden” doesn’t play at a competitive level. This year is the first year that “Madden” has three different ways to play: arcade, simulation and competitive game modes. Arcade mode comes across as the easiest version of the game. It’s supposed to deliver a fast paced, frantic style of play. The game is on your side if you want

to throw the ball 50 yards every play or only target your favorite receiver. Penalties are rare, and it’s the perfect game mode to fool around and throw an insane number of touchdowns. Simulation is, by “Madden” terms, the most “authentic NFL experience.” This game style plays by all the rules and injuries. The plays you run are important because the computer will read that you ran your favorite play eight times. The roster is important because mismatches in any position can be costly for your team. Team overalls matter and the differences between players can be staggering. This is also the default mode for everyone who plays connected franchise. Competitive Madden is the default for any tournament and Ultimate team this year. This is where your stick skills will

Courtesy EA Sports

FALL 2017

dictate the outcome of the game. Penalties are limited. There are no injuries and random shenanigans are rare. Making reads and setting up blitzes are the only way to come out on top of this game mode. Ranked games will also be in this mode this year. Ultimate team is a mode that similar to any real life card game: collect cards which are players and build a team. Ultimate team has stepped up this year with improved card art, smoother interface and more ways to make coins. EA took notes, having over 20 different sets and two big sets at release of the game. The two big sets take about a week to complete, but the rewards are worth it. The way you receive cards is better this year, making the game mode more wellrounded. The key standout this year is the Longshot game mode where you take over a young Texas quarterback Devin Wade. You shape the story of this young man in real time, making dialogue choices as he interacts with his friends and legends. You dictate the future of Wade, taking him from high school through college to possibly the NFL. The game mode is about four hours long but is well worth it. EA put in a great deal of time to shape a unique world for the player to interact in. Some big name stars lended their voice talents, such as Mahershala Ali, NFL Hall-of-Famer Dan Marino and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. Long story short, “Madden” is the same game just improved from years past. This feels like most consistent “Madden” in the last few years. With all the improvements, this is not a year to skip everyone’s favorite football game.

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24 OCTOBER

COMING OUT

All that’s left on the empty page is the faded outline of us.

MISSING PAGE RICHARD GABRINTINA

Our smile, smeared by friction that rubbed us the wrong way.

What would it look like if we inked the lines and filled it with color?

We’ve drawn new lines on separate sheets, new silhouettes and new scenes, and even if we’ve torn out the old page, it’s still there somewhere crumpled up and vaguely remembering what it used to be.

10 13 NOVEMBER

17 THIS FALL

Bits and pieces of you randomly find their way back to me like stubborn eraser shavings that carry etched marks of our past.

I only hope that the drawings you and I have made for our own selves are filled with the colors of sunrises and sunsets, of love and happiness, of progress and power, and maybe one day our pages can greet each other with admiration.

1 5

DECEMBER

8 12

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Courtesy Josef Hicks

SAE BUILDS CARS, HOPES TO SHARE THE EXPERIENCE WITH OTHERS AUDRA REIGLE

TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

The Engineering Systems Building on campus is home to the Motorsports Lab. This is the home to members of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). In this room, students are able to build cars to take to competitions and gain class credit. There are three teams within the SAE. The Formula SAE team designs cars for on-road use. The Baja SAE team designs cars for off-road use. The Aero SAE team designs scale 38

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model electric or gas planes. All teams take their projects to competitions. Teams consist of about 15 to 20 members. The Baja SAE team recently returned from a competition in Louisville, Kentucky. Midnight Mayhem was a one day competition that concluded in a three hour endurance race. ODU’s Baja SAE team came in fifth place in the endurance race and third place overall out of 100 cars. The Baja SAE team will participate in their next competition in mid-April in

Mechanicsville, Maryland. This competition will be more in depth than Midnight Mayhem in that they will also be trying to sell their car. The Formula SAE team last participated in a competition in May 2016. They’re currently preparing for their next competition in May 2018. These competitions allow students to meet with industry professionals. It also gives them the opportunity to gain internships. Students do not have to be engineering majors

to participate in SAE. Two members of the Baja team are Biology and Criminal Justice majors, according to Connor Butler, senior and Baja team co-lead. “We actually would love to have much more outside perspective than us engineers,” Aleric Sanders, senior and SAE president, said. Sanders is also one of the leaders of the Formula SAE team. There is a promotional side to what the SAE does that engineers can do, but there are other students on campus that can do it better. “What we’d love to see happen more is a lot more inter-college connectivity on this particular project,” Ladson Webb, senior and Formula SAE team co-lead, said. “We’d like to see schools give credit for senior projects for other schools within the college, so they too can come here with not only a learning opportunity but also a school credit opportunity, like we have, and be able to merge us all together in one big melting pot of experience and benefit.” Students are also able to earn credit through their work with SAE. A two semester long capstone project allows students to work on the Formula or Baja SAE teams. Interested students can attend meetings on Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in ESB 1135.

Courtesy Josef Hicks

FALL 2017

Courtesy Daija Marrow

TRANSATLANTIC CABLES COME TO VIRGINIA BEACH DAIJA MARROW

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The neighboring city of Virginia Beach is now known by the tech community as a digital sea port. This means that it is a starting point for the 4,000mile wire. This cable is called a transatlantic cable, a wire that runs through the Atlantic Ocean and connects different countries. Virginia Beach is home to three: two to Brazil and the most recently laid cable to Spain called Marea. The Hampton Roads area is the only region with transatlantic cables on the United States east coast between Maryland and Georgia. Marea is also the highest capacity fiber optic subsea cable ever laid in the Atlantic Ocean and is the first cable to link Virginia to Spain. Only 19 digital ports spot the east

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coast - 80 percent of them being in Florida and New York. These ports are landing points for the cables. The specific landing point for Marea is believed to be the Camp Pendella Military Base. From there the cable goes out into sea. A submarine sea transatlantic cable takes approximately three years to lay in a long, expensive process. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on third party companies that provide the equipment, manpower and intelligence to skillfully lay the 100 million pound fiber optic mass. The cord is carefully buried across the ocean floor, crossing over other cables and connects one country to the other. This first subsea cable was suggested in the 1850â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s with

various failed attempts. When the first success was finally made, the longest amount of time a message took to get from England to America was 19 hours opposed to the routine 19 days. To this day, physical connections are the most efficient way to transfer data from one place to another. Being the quickest laid cable, Marea is a popular advancement in the world of technology settled in Virginia Beach. Being chosen as the destination for this connection to Spain will be a benefit for the area. Facebook, Microsoft and Telxius have partnered together to fund Marea. With it, they will each benefit. Facebook can strengthen its handling of extreme traffic within its Messenger, Instagram and Snapchat apps while Microsoft expands the extent of

its software programs such as the cloud, Xbox Live and Office 365. Although the cable will not be activated until 2018, it has already brought attention to Virginia Beach. As a result of the project, Sanjo, a primary metal producer from Spain, has built its first American headquarters in Virginia Beach. The CEO explained that the cable will make communication to the United States more smooth and gives them a better incentive to expand. Amazon is also looking to build another headquarters somewhere in the country and Virginia Beach hopes that this progression will sway the e-commerce giant to the city. The high expense involved with treating and laying a cable makes them uncommon. One reason Virginia Beach was chosen is because of the damage done in communication with England following Hurricane Sandyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impact on the east coast. For at least an hour, cell, internet and data services with England were lost. Subsea cables greatly reduce that possibility. The most likely chance of the cord being destroyed is if it is split by the pressure of the water or if another country cuts it from fear of spying. Both of these possibilities are nearly impossible in this day and age. Virginia Beach is also a popular port in close proximity of Northern Virginia. NoVa is one of the main internet hubs in the country because of the Pentagon and White House. They are strategically placed where they are most useful, hence the high volume of cables in New York and Florida. Virginia is now proudly on that list as well.

FALL 2017

THE MACE WANTS YOU! The Mace & Crown wants your help! Are you interested in getting to know the campus better? Gaining experience in writing to help with classes and future employment? Being published? Working with a great team? Opportunities are available for writers and photographers starting right now. Anyone is welcome to contribute with NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY, just the willingness to learn, report and have fun. You can write and take pictures for the following sections: News, Arts & Entertainment, Technology and Sports. To further discuss opportunities, please contact Julianna Wagner at editorinchief@maceandcrown.com