Accent November 2015

November 2015

Gigi Bryant and her advice for students on how to persevere p. 6

Police body cameras in Austin p. 5 Student opinions on issues of campus safety p. 6

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Contents Black Lives Matter...................... 4 Police Body Cameras................ 5 Trustee Gigi Bryant.................... 6 SGA Reboot................................... 7 Movie Reviews............................. 11

Editor in Chief

Contributors

Business Clerk

• Anthony DeVera

• Noor Alahmadi • Tara Belles-Elsea • Avery Callaway • Shaina Kambo • Christian Santiago • Gaius Straka

• Ryan Fontenette-Mitchell

Graphic Designer • Nohra Johnston

Photo Editor • Joseph Lee

To Submit a Story Idea, Comment or Correction:

Adviser • Era Sundar

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• editor@austincc.edu Contact us: Accent Austin Community College 4400 College Park Drive, Room 2107 Round Rock, Texas 78665 Phone: 512-223.-0122

To

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On the Cover: Accent graphic designer Nohra Johnston illustrates perseverance as students strive to meet their educational goals.

Campus Viewpoint: What Does Perseverance Mean to You? Anthony DeVera

Emily Marazzo •

It means sticking through with what you started to the end, even if you don’t like it. It’s important to me personally. I guess it’s the completionist trait that I have as a person. I try my best not to quit when I start something. If I don’t get something, I’ll always ask for help to get through it, even if I don’t want to.

Jordan Elcock •

It’s the will to keep going, like getting through school when times are hard and all that. School, work, and balancing whatever else you do, so I guess that’s that.

Jasmin Dale •

I’m the first generation in my family to actually go to college. My mom struggled a lot as a teen mom. She gave me the drive to go to school. I want for my little brother to be able to look up to me and say, ‘if my sister can do this, I can do this.’ I want to be a good influence for him.

To view more student opinions visit theaccent.org November 2015 | 3

Allies or Assets

New Group Supports Local Black Lives Matter movement in Unique Relationship Ryan Fontenette-Mitchell Black Lives Matter has a new ally, a resource of an organization called Allies for Black Lives.

“We are not part of the Black Lives Matter Austin general meetings,” Sacha Jacobson, coordinator for ABL, said. She said the separation was requested by BLM. “We respect that the members of BLM want their own space. We are not black,” Jacobson said in reference to the separate meeting rooms.

“ABL has a lot of work to do in order to catch up with current events about local issues regarding policing in the black community. ABL does not know what it is like to be black, and are lacking a strong grasp of understanding the history of racism in our country,” Jacobson said.

Anthony DeVera ABL supports BLM by providPUBLIC AWARENESS — Margaret Haule, founder of the Austin Chapter of Black Lives Mating financial support for public ters addressed the Associated Collegiate Press conference in downtown Austin in November. awareness projects, by informing Austinites BLM’s work to address racism and the importance of having conversations about racial injustice in our society.

“ABL provides education to ourselves and other non-black people in the Austin community and surrounding areas,” Jacobson said.

The relationship between BLM and ABL started in June.

Jacobson contacted Margaret Haule, founder of the Austin chapter of BLM, to see if they would be interested in a crowd funded yard sign project. The project would produce signs reading “Black Lives Ryan Fontenette-Mitchell Matter.”

DEMANDING JUSTICE — Members of the Austin chapter of Black Lives Matters rally outside the U.S. District court. The demonstrators protested

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BLM approved of the project and in 3 months, the project raised $3,625.

After the project, Jacobson kept in contact with Haule, who kept sending requests to Jacobson. The position to coordinate ABL, was given to Jacobson, after BLM expressed an interest in forming a separate support group.

BLM laid out guidelines for the new ally group to follow.

Public criticism has caused BLM Austin to be media shy. Whenever the media is present, BLM checks with its members to see if they would be comfortable with the media in attendance.

Haule discussed suggestions on ways to get involved with BLM. She mentioned the best ways to get involved were to attend protest and rallies, but most importantly talk to the victims of police brutality.

Haule also kept reinforcing anyone interested to get more information from the BLM website. Not once did she mention attending a BLM meeting. As a keynote speaker at the National College Media convention in Austin in November, Haule answered questions but has declined face-to -face, phone and email interviews.

Jacobson wanted to make it clear that ABL is meant to “support as a resource and does not attempt to take lead.”

She also went on to say that, “ABL allies are resources rather than members.” Which begs the question is BLM about unity?

Cops, Camera, Action Noor Alahmadi

More police departments around the country have started implementing the use of body cameras.

When Eric Garner’s death was caught on camera, massive public outcry spread across the nation calling for the use of body cameras as a solution for police brutality incidents.

“We just received about $3,000,000 worth of funding that we will be able to start using,” Art Acevedo, Austin Police Department Chief, said. “We plan on rolling out 500 cameras this next fiscal year. Hopefully next year we will get the remainder of the funds so everybody will have a body camera.”

Linguistics major Zac Conard likes the idea of police body cameras.

“It’s fantastic that they are being held accountable for what they do,” Conard said. “The fact that we can monitor them and see what they’re doing I find reassuring.”

Another student, Emily Hoelscher, wasn’t as enthusiastic.

“I feel so so,” Hoelscher said.

“Honestly it depends on the people and how they use it. I feel iffy about it.”

Hoelscher says that body cameras can be easily manipulated in favor of the police, a view mirrored by Nelson Linder, president of Austin’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

“It’s not enough,” Linder said. “Police brutality is a symptom of a much larger problem in this country.”

According to Linder, the deep rooted racism in the U.S. must be addressed if any sort of change is to be made. “The viable lessons of social progress need to be learned and the citizens need to fight the battles locally,’ Linder said.

“You need to change things from within,” Linder said.

Black Lives Matter gathered at the Capitol September 19 to protest the multiple police brutality incidents against members of the black community.

Conversely, a rally consisting of police sup-

Campus Viewpoint:

porters, calling themselves Blue Lives Matter, had a rally that same day in support of the police officers who had lost their lives in the line of duty. Acevedo asked that any APD in attendance to not wear their uniform.

“Because I support Black Lives Matter doesn’t mean I don’t believe the vast majority of police officers are good people,” Acevedo said. “Join us in holding the bad apples accountable and help lift up the good ones. Don’t believe the false narrative that the community of color doesn’t support police. They not only support good policing, they demand and deserve it.”

Acevedo’s public support of both rallies has been viewed as controversial to some in the black community.

Margaret Haule, founder of the Austin chapter of Black Lives Matter, considered Blue Lives Matter to be counterproductive to the Black Lives Matter movement.

“The hijacking of the Black Lives Matter rally by the Blue Lives Matter rally wasn’t created to foster

dialogue,” Haule said. “[Acevedo] cannot support the efforts of both Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter, while also expecting any sort of positive change for the black community,” Linder said.

His main complaint about the Blue Lives Matter rally was that the organizer, Robert Chody, a former APD officer whose use of force in the form of a choke hold, caused a 15 year old African-American boy to go into a seizure.

“I told [Acevedo] not to do it,” said Linder. “Robert Chody worked for APD and choked a kid, yet he still organized [the rally] with Art’s approval.”

Acevedo has yet to respond to Linder’s accusations.

“I do think that people understand that the police are getting a lot of bad press and it’s deserved,” said Lee Aidman, who’s studying Game Development. “But they understand that the police are good in general.”

What Is Your Reaction to the Umpqua Community College shooting in Oregon?

Ryan Fontenette -Mitchell

Joseph Lee

Fasih Hashmi •

It’s surprising and terrible because sometimes you never know how people can become dangerous about using guns at school. They can just shoot at each other. It’s not very safe to have guns at schools.

Abby Castner •

I think it’s a systemic sign of a larger problem within our society and how we deal with a lot of things from mental illness all the way down to isolation.

Joshua Valdez •

The name of the shooter should be kept private. They shouldn’t get the publicity for what they’ve done.

We know what happened in the shootings, but putting their name out there is unnecessary.

To view more student opinions visit theaccent.org November 2015 | 5

On the Record

Shaina Kambo

Gigi Edwards Bryant ACC District Trustee and businesswoman Gigi Edwards Bryant, who grew up in the Texas foster care system, began her post-secondary education at ACC in 1977. Bryant recently discussed her journey to success with Accent.

ACCENT: What was your childhood like?

BRYANT: My childhood before I was six was very good, but when I was six, I entered the foster care system.

There was abuse and mistreatment.

It was an old system, and the checks and balances that they have today were not there for children. I aged out at age eighteen with my daughter.

My experiences taught me to be more caring about people, that it’s the little things that make a difference, and that one individual can change the world.

ACCENT: Who encouraged you on your journey to achievement?

BRYANT: My Big Mama (great-grandmother) told me that I could do anything and that God would protect me.

ACCENT: Has your definition of success changed throughout your life?

BRYANT: Success has to be defined by the individual, and everyone has to realize their own potential.

Some days in my life, success was just getting out of bed. Some days, success was helping somebody to do the things that they wanted to do. Some days, success was knowing that I had done a good job and that I could take a nap.

ACCENT: What was it like being a student at ACC in 1977?

Bryant: It was fabulous: small classrooms, professors and individuals who looked for you when you weren’t there.

When I was going to ACC there were so many [moments when] I thought I was going to drop out. I just didn’t think that I could do it all: take care of my kids, pay my bills, go to work. It started out tough, but I stuck to it until it improved; I didn’t want to opt out.

ACCENT: How did your ACC education help you to achieve your goals?

BRYANT: It gave me an opportunity to realize that I could achieve an education at a pace that was successful to me.

ACCENT: What improvements at ACC would help students reach their full potential?

BRYANT: I want to see our graduation rate go up. I want to see our involvement in high schools be more concerted. I want us to put ACC in the minds of those students and [help them to realize] that we are a very good option.

On the other side, I want to hear our students talk about the experiences they’ve had at ACC — the positives and the negatives — and then come back and help us do a better job.

Accent Enter the exciting world of student media production

n i e c n e i r e p x gain e

m s i l a n r u Jo Photo by Shaina Kambo

ACCENT: What are some of the goals that you have for the future?

BRYANT: I want to leave a legacy behind about education and I want it to be empowering for the next generation. I want to make sure that I do something every day that leads the next generation to know that they can do it.

ACCENT: Is there any advice that you can give regarding perseverance?

BRYANT: Perseverance is a step-by-step journey.

[Within] anybody that you encounter, there is a story. I want to encourage people to tell their own story. Tell [it] the way it happened to you.

If it’s validation that you need, you may not get it, but keep telling your story because that’s where your strength is going to come from.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been condensed and edited.

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6 | ACCENT

SGA Shakily Stands Up

more on listening to each other, and not waiting to speak next.

“They need to understand a bit Anthony DeVera better the Robert’s Rules of Order,” Young said. “The smartest thing they can do is listen to each other.”

In an effort to develop the skills needed to operate efficiently, SGA has hired Walter Wright J.D., a professor who teaches mediation in the Department of Political Science’s Legal Studies program at Texas State University.

Wright gave a series of training sessions, which was open to all memPhoto by Anthony DeVera bers of the ACC student body, based IN FAVOR — SGA members raise hands for a vote during a general assembly on a program of negotiation develmeeting. oped at Harvard Law School.

“We needed this yesterday,” Shant The Student Government major who serves as Vice President, Soghomonian, the Constituent Association has had to start from the said.

Senator for International Students President Alison Judice, who said. ground up this school year.

“We started off trying to find our intends to major in Political After a few training sessions, sea legs,” William (Peck) Young, Science, is concerned with the school Faculty Sponsor and Director of community’s awareness of the SGA. ACC ’s Center for Public Policy and “A lot of people don’t know about Political Studies said. [us]. A lot of people are still learning In the absence of an advisor that we exist,” Judice said. “That is who resigned without any notice quite an issue. The student body has in the beginning of July this year, to know we’re here if we are going to Young believes the organization has be their voice.” handled the situation well.

Attempting to maintain SGA Along with Keisha Gray, representation on all campuses, Coordinator for the CPPPS, Young members held a discussion which provides administrative support seemingly moved nowhere for more for the efforts of the student-run than an hour about the selection organization. process for senators.

“The executive board is filled with “We are arguing semantics,” some of the best young talent I have Highland Campus Senator Garrett worked with in my entire life,” Young Grimmett said. said.

Throughout the discussion, The students have taken firm senators provided opposing views in control of the direction of the what can be described as back-andorganization, namely by forth nonsense. reconstructing it from the ground “There is a process in which we up. speak.”

Ian Slingsby, Riverside “We decided to create our own Campus Senator, said in an attempt constitution just to have our voices to police the conversation, referring in it and how we want to structure to Robert’s Rules of Order. it,” Carrie Woodruff, an economics Young advises the students to work

the students started to utilize their newly developed negotiation skills.

Ongoing discussions on topics such as the senatorial selection process, now only take up to twelve minutes of the 3-hour long bi-weekly general assembly meetings.

In addition to preparing themselves for a career in politics, SGA’s efforts for the local community are currently focused on ACC’s “I CAN READ!” children’s book drive.

SGA Secretary Amy Calhoun recalled a conversation she had with a local police officer who expressed gratitude for the book drive’s efforts. “[The officer] said there were some Christmases where [the officer’s family] couldn’t afford to get their kids gifts,” Calhoun said. “The drive allowed them to at least get something.”

November 2015 | 7

Minimum Wage:

No Money — Mo’ Problems Gaius Straka Abraham Benski has found a solution to the minimum wage issue, or so he proposes.

A former ACC student, Benski developed a proposal to raise the national minimum wage primarily affecting middle class U.S. citizens. However, his proposal has not yet been submitted for review to any member of a legislative body.

“If a person’s working full-time, regardless of the job they are working, they should be able to live a decent life,” Benski said.

Benski believes that Bernie Sanders’ proposal of raising the current minimum wage to $15 an hour is plausible. To achieve this, Benski proposes reallocating 1 percent of the military budget.

“Simply and clearly, the military budget is the largest portion where the federal funds are being allocated,” Benski said.

His proposal would eventually eliminate governmental programs such as food stamps and federal housing. The funds would be redirected towards raising the minimum wage through what he called an “incentivised buffer program” where states would apply

for funding based on local inflation.

Benski emphasized taking gradual action in redirecting the funds.

Win Win Po, a current ACC student, sees things differently. In reaction to Benski’s proposal, Po answered inconclusively saying that the plan is effective overall, but does not approve of ending social programs as a means of funding.

Businesses with more than 100 employees would not receive a buffer program. Instead the government would expect large businesses to tighten wage disparities between upper and lower level employees.

Use of a business’s tax information would certify that employers filing for assistance had a legitimate business with U.S. citizens as employees.

Taryn Bias, an ACC recreational therapy major agrees. “I like the idea because it discourages illegal aliens.”

However, Bias also said that raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour is too much.

Benski put forward the proposal because raising “the national minimum wage would be empowering,” he said. Benski hopes his proposal will be enacted by being noticed.

Funding Treasured Texts

Tara Belles-Elsea College Board research shows that students should expect to pay an average of $1,300 during the 201516 school year on textbooks and supplies alone.

“Textbook costs are one of the most overlooked barriers to college affordability,” U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D IL) said. “Access [to education] continues to get more expensive.”

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Senate Bill 2176, The Textbook Affordability Act, introduced to the Senate by Sen. Durban, with Senators Al Franken (D MN) and Angus King (I ME). They said the grant program would save students over $1 billion.

The Government Accountability Office states there had been an 82 percent increase in textbook prices from 2002-2012, which re-

Secured Schooling Christian Santiago Jeanne Clery did not know anyone else was in her dorm room.

She was killed by a fellow student on April 5, 1986 at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

Her parents learned that the university had not informed the students of the 38 crimes committed on campus the previous years. In light of losing their daughter, the Clerys worked towards having a crime reporting law enacted. With the adoption of the Clery act, all universities and colleges across the nation are required to release a complete, annual report of all crimes committed by students, faculty, and staff.

ACC released their report for 2014, outlining the jurisdiction and methods ACC uses to protect its students and employees such as around the clock use of ACC police on all ACC properties under its control.

The report mentions the use of background checks on all students, faculty, and staff member during their individual application process.

ACC holds strict policy guidelines involving those convicted

sulted in 65 percent of students not purchasing textbooks due to affordability. For comparison, the same report finds that overall consumer prices have risen by 28 percent.

The Textbook Affordability Act was designed to supply grant money to create flexible programs for students and professors by giving open access to more content and more flexible teaching programs.

A date and budget have yet to

of sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. A list of all registered sexual offenders is available on the ACC Police Department’s website.

ACC holds annual security awareness and crime prevention events, encouraging all individuals to report crimes to ACC police.

Retaliation against any person reporting a crime is prohibited.

ACC complies with guidelines established by federal, state, and local laws in regard to the illegal use of drugs and alcohol. Drug and alcohol counseling is available to students and staff. Drug and alcohol awareness week, also known as Red Ribbon Week, takes place on October 23- 31.

Crimes reported on ACC properties in 2014: 5 reports of domestic violence, 1 report of dating violence, 3 reports of aggravated assaults 2 reports of robbery 13 reports of burglary 4 reports of arson 1 report of motor vehicle theft 1 weapons offense 5 liquor offenses 48 drug offenses

be set for this program, but it is patterned after the University of Illinois’s program which used $150,000 in federal grant money and created an open, online textbook named, “Sustainability: A Comprehensive Foundation”, which benefits over 60,000 students.

This can allow students and teachers portable access to textbooks, and could also be used to create customized teaching tools.

Campus Viewpoint: Is Voting Important to You? Anthony DeVera

Jasmine Scott •

I didn’t vote. I wanted to, but I have a lot on my plate and I didn’t have the time to get around to it. Voting just in general is important. I mean, if you want to be heard, if you want things to change, you have to vote. If you don’t, you don’t have a say so, you can’t complain about what’s going on in the world.

Daniel Woo •

I didn’t vote. I’m just not informed enough about the candidates. I’m too inexperienced, too naive right now to really vote. I might vote someday.

Maybe when I have actually read up on the candidates and what I affiliate myself with.

To view more student opinions visit theaccent.org

Maleha Baset •

I voted. My brother reminded me since he’s more informed and can inform me of what I need to know. I also have a pretty good government teacher who gets my class really well informed on how local voting affects us more. It’s important to vote because it affects you and your lifestyle.

Campus Viewpoint: How do you feel about finding water on Mars?

Noor Alahmadi

Eri Watanabe •

That’s totally astonishing! There’s a possibility we can find life there. It’s new. We haven’t found water there before. We might find other things other than water. I wouldn’t want to live there, but I would go sightseeing.

In Texas, the water supply is a problem. We could use that water.

Widyan Younes •

It’s important because they might discover there’s life there, or something lives there. I would want to live there.

To view more student opinions visit theaccent.org

Victor Morrow • I’m not surprised. I thought, there’s something we didn’t know that we just found out, so there must be more that we don’t know that we will find out. If you find water, there’s a good chance that we’ll find life.

November 2015 | 9

Honoring Hard Work: NSCS Gaius Straka

The National Society of Collegiate Scholars held its first induction ceremony at ACC. Ranging from high school aged to senior citizens, 91 ACC students received NSCS membership pins during the October 28 ceremony at the Eastview Campus.

The inductees took the oath of membership, officially recognizing them as part of the collegiate honors society.

Invitations to join the organization are only offered to first and second year college students who carry a 3.4 GPA or higher.

Breanna Miller, a high school student enrolled at ACC who plans to major in Psychology, advised anyone interested to not take the organization lightly. “This is a great accomplishment,” she stated.

Another inductee, Lambert Maddy, a second year student and petroleum engineering major, urged students desiring an invitation to “keep up your grades and work hard in school.”

NSCS offers $1 million in scholarships

each year, more than any other honors society.

“NSCS is not solely academic,” Dr. Anne-Marie Thomas, ACC english professor and faculty advisor for the organization, said. “It’s social as well.”

“When members enter a four-year college” Sankaya Hall, Associate Director for NSCS said, “they can have a family to belong to.”

NSCS is integrated into local communities through various service programs such as book drives to support local schools, and 5k races benefiting breast cancer research.

Riverbat Cafe: You Get Served Ryan Fontenette-Mitchell

A quick bite to eat and then off to classes is how many ACC students operate on a daily basis. The Eastview Campus has an option for hungry students —The Riverbat Cafe, located in the campus courtyard.

The cafe offers two different menus, the regular menu which changes each week and the chef ’s special that changes every day.

Both menus offer tasty food combinations that appeal to a variety of palates. If you are uncertain what to order, a friendly server will give you their opinion.

10 | ACCENT

Student’s can try the chef ’s special menu featuring items such as Albondigas En Salsa Chipotle, an appetizer of meatballs drenched in chipotle sauce. Entrées like the Chile-Seared Salmon with a sweet pear based sauce. To finish everything off — a delicious, spicy, chocolate chile cake with raspberry sauce. The food can come out within 10 minutes with the appeal of a fine dining restaurant. The flavors are so rich and unique that patrons will go back again and again.

During the day the cafe is open from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for dine-in customers and until 1:00 p.m. for to-go orders. The wait for both seating and service is about 10 minutes, while the wait time for togo orders is about 15 to 20 minutes. Many customers get their orders to go due to a busy lunch rush.

The Riverbat Cafe is a working classroom, that i n c o r p o r a t e s International Cuisine and a Dining Room Service class that meets Thursdays and

Wednesdays. The cooks and wait staff are students of ACC’s Culinary Arts Department. While the department is located on the Eastview Campus, a state of the art culinary classroom is scheduled to be built at the Highland campus.

Go to the Riverbat Cafe for lunch as the cafe offers some of the best service and food that Austin has to offer.

A Surreal Steve-O Christian Santiago

In lieu of recording his Showtime comedy special at the Paramount Theater on November 21, Steve-O of Jackass fame took some time to speak with Accent to answer a few questions.

A: What inspires you?

What’s the inspiration for the things that you do?

S: “My main inspiration is the fact that I am an attention whore. I’m also a sensitive guy, it’s important to me to be impressive.”

A: As a stand up comic, are there any other comedians that you look up to?

S: “Dane Cook was a big deal for me. He put the wind in my sails early on.

Beyond that I generally don’t model myself after anybody.

My experience in life as a drug addict, alcoholic, sex addict, and as a maniac is

where I draw my material from.”

A: Your fans have grown to love you by watching you go through some sort of pain or get sick by your own stunts. What is it like to have so many fans that love to watch you go through that?

S: “I don’t feel like my fans are sadistic, I just feel like there is an inherent compulsion for people to stare at accidents and be comforted by the misfortune of others. I think Jackass was about manufacturing accidents for this reason.

To see the rest of SteveO’s interview, and to get a promo code for discount tickets to his show, go to the accent.org.

At the Movies: A Review of Recent Box Office Films Bridge of Spies Sicario Steven Spielberg’s latest film, “Bridge of Spies,” is pleasant, but not very memorable. There are no standout moments that can really push it over the edge from being good to great. Even with the Coen brothers writing and Tom Hanks’ star power elevating the film, it never tries to go any farther than it has to with it’s story and characters.

The story focuses on James Donovan (Hanks), an insurance lawyer who has been given the difficult task of representing a captured Soviet spy in 1950s America. His ethics as an attorney are tested when his own country seems to turn against him.

Goosebumps

“Goosebumps” gains some points immediately for being one of the more inspired young adult novel adaptations to come out recently.

Instead of just adapting one of the novels, “Goosebumps” tells an original story by throwing many of the series’ monsters into the same setting. That, and some sharp performances early on earn the film some merit. However, “Goosebumps” quickly loses it due to a lack of consequences and a bad script.

The plot is a mess. There are so many unnecessary characters and subplots that nothing is ever accomplished scene-by-scene. Every time the audience might feel some prog-

There are no glaring issues to be seen within “Bridge of Spies.” It achieves everything it wants to accomplish with gusto. Tom Hanks is Tom Hanks, he never gives a performance that isn’t superb. The plot can switch seamlessly from tense to lighthearted on a dime and not be jarring in the slightest. Unfortunately, it never tries to go farther than it has to, and that holds “Bridge of Spies” back.

Accent Rating B+ Avery Callaway

ress has been made, the film finds a way to waste time, usually with some awful computer generated effect.

Even at a runtime of just over 100 minutes, it still seems like it’s an half hour too long.

It’s a shame, because sometimes a glimmer of creativity can be seen in this mess of a film. However, these moments are not frequent. The greatest sin “Goosebumps” commits is that it decided to be a feature-length film.

Accent Rating D Avery Callaway

“Sicario” is a great example of mechanical film-making at it’s finest. Every scene and music beat work toward creating a feeling of dread and tension that immediately engrosses the audience in the events that play out.

The cinematographer, Roger Deakens, deserves recognition for his work because every frame is purposeful and precise.

The story is focused on Kate Macer (Emily Blunt), an idealistic FBI officer who is recruited onto a task force, headed by Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and the mysterious Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro), de-

The Martian

“The Martian,” is an exciting action/adventure film about a man surviving in a vast unforgiving world millions of miles from home.

Mark Watney, brilliantly acted

by Matt Damon, is an astronaut stationed on Mars and presumed dead after an intense storm strikes his base during a rushed departure off the planet.

Watney shows how much of an elite specialist he is by surviving for years on the desolate Red Planet with few resources. He even manages to make his own garden.

The movie brings out the good of humanity in many ways including the portrayal of how far the astro-

signed to bring a major cartel located in Juarez to justice. However, the longer Kate works with her new team, the more her ideals conflict with the shady actions of her higher ups.

If there were a complaint about “Sicario,” it would be that some of the dialogue in the film was stilted at times. Some of the dialogue was too light-hearted for events taking place. However, this should not keep you from seeing the film.

Accent Rating: AAvery Callaway

nauts are willing to go to bring one of their own back home.

Despite the dire situation, Matt Damon’s character doesn’t fall into a gloomy depressed frame of mind.

Rather, he turns to making fun of himself through his failures while remaining confident and driven to survive, and eventually, leave Mars.

Director Ridley Scott has even more to offer in “The Martian” than he did in “Exodus.” The cinematography and special effects are stunning, creating gripping scenes and a feeling of realism.

Accent Rating: AGaius Straka November 2015 | 11

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