Winthrop University
Wednesday
Rock Hill, SC
September 18, 2019
Serving Winthrop and Rock Hill Since 1923
Artist Spotlight: Hailee Beltzhoover One Winthrop student proved that dreams are only a dandelion wish away
Not everyone gets to say something they created was performed in New York City. However, Hailee Beltzhoover can say it all she wishes. Beltzhoover, a theatre performance senior, had a musical she co-wrote performed at Feinstein’s/54 Below in August. The musical, titled “Dandelion,” played for one night and left a number of reviewers impressed. The musical is centered around a high school senior named Jane. Jane lives with her mentally ill mother who has an opiod addiction. It follows her as she struggles to decide between staying at home to take care of her mother or continue her education and follow her dreams. Beltzhoover started writing the play in August 2017 with her high school theatre teacher, Jessica Fichter and a high school theatre classmate, Sean Riehm. Fitcher’s sister, Colleen Francis wrote the music for the show. Fichter would go on to take the directorial role for the show and was responsible for the show making it to New York. When asked what inspired her to write the show, Beltzhoover said it was “a lot of personal experience” and she felt “it was a story that needed
to be told because it was not a glamorized version of mental illness or addiction.” The title itself came after the script had been written. According to Beltzhoover, “Dandelions are flowers, but also weeds that can grow in the most difficult of circumstances. They also spread far and wide and blow where the wind takes them. This represents Jane and her desire to fly away after growing through such a difficult situation with her family.” Beltzhoover did not plan to take the show to Feinstein’s/54 Below. Feinstein’s nourishes new musicals by
“Dandelion” was performed for one night in August.
Hailee Beltzhoover, co-writer of “Dandelion.” giving them a platform to perform a concert version of their show. Describing the experience, Beltzhoover started off by talking about the phone call she received from Fichter, who had emailed Feinstein’s and received a positive response. “It’s kind of surreal to be 21 and performing in a cabaret house in New York on Broadway.” Beltzhoover also said that it “felt like half of me was living in a dream world and the other half of me was a sponge, soaking it all in.” After spending time in a professional rehearsal room, Beltzhoover, an avid theatre performer at Winthrop, realized that it was just like
Mason Foster/ The Johnsonian
at the university except for the pace. Sentimentally, the experience changed Beltzhoover through the reaction of the crowd that night. “It made me feel like this could actually go somewhere and we have a story that is worth something.” Beltzhoover and her team are currently waiting to hear the reviews from the New York scene. Their main goal currently is to show off a fully realized version of the show in a smaller theatre, whether it be in New York or anywhere else. For more information, the show has a Facebook and Instagram @dandelionmusical and a Twitter, @wearegoingnorth.
Forbes’ most innovative blunder Forbes’ list of ‘100 innovative leaders’ raises eyebrows when only one woman makes the cut
Nearly 100 years after gaining the right to vote, women continue to struggle to stand out among their male counterparts. Earlier this month, Forbes posted its “America’s Most Innovative Leaders” list. The list quickly grew attention due to its lack of women. Out of 100 leaders present on the list, only one woman could be found among them. However, that is not the only insult done to women by this list. The one woman to appear, Ross Stores CEO Barbara Rentler, came in at spot 75 with no photo. To make matters worse, when the list was first published, Rentler’s stand-in photo was a male silhouette. Rentler got the bittersweet honor of being the only woman on Forbes’ list. Yet, she did not get a photo. This little detail is very peculiar because anyone can simply Google search Rentler and find dozens of pictures of the Ross Stores CEO. If the average person could do this, how come a website like Forbes failed to provide more than a plain male silhouette? The internet has been quick to criticize Forbes on details such as this, resulting in the website posting a response to its lack of women on the list and also changing Rentler’s silhouette to one that more resembles a woman. This does raise the question, though,
as to what exactly Forbes’ qualificapart of the process. The three man tions were for the list and why more team also looked at four factors they women, in their eyes, didn’t meet considered important for an innovathose qualifications. tive leader to have. These included According to Forbes’ contributors media reputation, social connections, behind the “America’s Most Innotrack record of market value creation vative Leaders” article, Jeff Dyer, at their company and investor exNathan Furr and Mike Hendron, the pectations of future innovation and approach used to determine these growth. rankings was rigorous. They narWith these qualifications in mind, rowed their broad topic of leaders to could any other female CEOs have only founders or CEOs of companies been on the list? Unfortunately, there in their Most Innovative Companies are not too many more to choose list. These companies had to have a from. 2019’s Fortune 500, an annual market value list of the greater than top 500 $10 billion, profitable be one of the companies 50 largest in the U.S., private firms had a reto go public cord-breakwithin the ing 33 last five years women-led or had been companies; in the top including 100 compaBarbara nies in their RentMost Innovaler’s Ross tive Growth Stores. Randall Lane Companies Ross Stores Editor, Forbes Magazine list. checked in They did at only 209 not rank CEOs of companies under of the 500. 16 other female-led comlarger companies, such as Susan panies had higher rankings. General Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube, which is Motors, led by Mary Barra, was the owned by Google, which is owned by highest at 13 on the list. Amazon.com, Alphabet Inc. Privately held compawhose CEO Jeff Bezos tied with nies were also not considered due to Tesla’s Elon Musk for 1st on stock market data being an essential Forbes’ list, was ranked at 5, only 8
Women, as we all know, are poorly represented at the top of the largest corporations (just 5% of the S&P 500) and fare even worse among growing public tech companies...women never had much of a chance here.
above General Motors. Tesla only came in at 144, ranked lower than 11 of the 33 women-led companies. These examples make it absurd that more women were not present in the list, not even one more. Randall Lane, the editor of Forbes Magazine, released an article addressing the upset. Lane admitted to the faults of the methodology used to create the list. “Women, as we all know, are poorly represented at the top of the largest corporations (just 5% of the S&P 500) and fare even worse among growing public tech companies...women never had much of a chance here,” Lane said in his response. Lane went on to note how lists in the past had caused cultural issues, such as their “Billionaires” list for a similar lack of women, and that the company would use it as a learning experienc. This comes as a situation of “too little, too late” for the company. Lane’s response may help soothe some tensions for now, but the expectation for their next list is even higher. With this being their second admitted shortcoming of including women on their lists, could a third be recovered from? Disclaimer: The views expressed in this story are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Johnsonian.
S&T
A&C
Opinion
•pg.5
•pg.8
•pg.11
The E-cig Epidemic
mytjnow.com
French Film Festival
If They Were Paid For What They Were Worth
Index: News 3 | Science & Tech 5 | Sports 6 | Arts & Culture 8 | Opinion 10
2
September 18, 2019
theJohnsonian
Study Abroad Fair
Where will WU take you? Winthrop offers an international and global studies minor.
Students are able to study abroad for multiple semesters in a variety of countries.
Students learn more about a program based in Italy.
IONS: Printable Sudoku Puzzles, Easy #4
Sudoku Puzzlessolution - Easy #4 Last week’s
Photos by Sam Ross/ The Johnsonian
Financial aid can help offset the cost of studying abroad.
© Memory-Improvement-Tips.com. Reprinted by Permission
About The Johnsonian The Johnsonian is the weekly student newspaper of Winthrop University.
CONTACT INFORMATION Our offices are located in suite 104 in the DiGiorgio Campus Center. Phone: emory-Improvement-Tips.com (803) 323-3419 Email: editors@mytjnow.com Online: mytjnow.com
LETTER POLICY Letters and feedback can be sent to editors@ mytjnow.com or by mail at The Johnsonian, 104 Campus Center, Rock Hill, S.C. 29733. Comments submitted online at www.mytjnow.com may be printed as letters and may be shortened for space and edited for clarity. Please include
your name, major and year if you are a student; your name and title if you are a professor, or your name and profession if you are a member of the community. Letters, cartoons and columns reflect the opinion of the authors and are not necessarily the opinions of The Johnsonian Staff.
Editor-in-Chief Anna Sharpe sharpea@mytjnow.com
Sports Editor Gabby Gardner
Managing Editor Assistant Sports Maggie Claytor La J’ai Reed claytorm@mytjnow.com A&C Editor Ad Manager Laura Munson Victoria Howard howardv@mytjnow.com News Editor Matt Thrift Assistant News KiKi Todman S&T Editor Savannah Scott
Assitant A&C Lauren Griffith Opinion Editor Victoria Howard
Layout Editor Katelyn Miller Graphic Designer Lizzy Talbert Copy Editors Casey Smith Haleigh Altman Jessica Shealy
3
September 18, 2019
Intro to Esports Why we are down a lab in Owens
The Winthrop Esports team practiced their gaming skills in the Owens lab. Tournaments will be held in the spring to put their skills to the test. Gweneshia Wadlington staff writer For those who have been to Owens lately and have noticed the red gaming chairs and multiple gaming screens: it not a prank. Winthrop University now has an Esports program, complete with a team. According to junior chemistry major Blaine Harvey, Esports is “competitive video games.” Esports is an increasingly popular activity that is quickly sweeping the nation. This year is Winthrop’s first year with an esports team, and the program’s coach is Josh Sides. The team practices in the computer lab in Owens, which is why it’s now off limits to students. When asked why someone would play video games competitively for a university, Harvey said there could be multiple reasons. “That depends per person. [For] some it’s like a comfort thing. Others like competing. Personally, I enjoy competing and being in the atmosphere of competition and always trying to better myself, but I mean, you still learn other things in video games--life skills,” Harvey said. “I
was already playing the game and pretty good. Then, colleges started getting esports. Now most colleges are already providing scholarships, which will peak and spark anyone’s interest. You can earn extra money while attending school to finish your degree but also if you’re at the top of the field and industry, it’s another way to get noticed kind of out in the sense, so you have a higher chance to [play professionally].” Of course making money playing video games all day while still getting your degree sounds like it could be up anyone’s alley. So, how many other colleges are actually providing esports teams? Harvey said, “There’s tons of colleges with esports. The school I transferred from St. Andrews University [located in Laurinburg, North Carolina], Trident University located in [Cypress, California], and now I’m here at Winthrop University, so it’s a recurring theme that’s becoming popular and recognized. It’s almost becoming [as] big [as] regular sports like football and basketball.” Winthrop’s Esports team plays
“Overwatch” and “League of Legends,” but there are other video games that are played competitively, including “Fortnite,” “Counter Strike” and “Rocket League.” Many multiplayer video games could be played in an Esports setting. Winthrop’s team includes students who were recruited by Sides. According to Harvey, “We were all outsourced. [The team] came from St. Andrews, because we like [Esports coach Josh Sides]. We kind of followed him because we like him because he’s a good coach. So everyone’s still getting their degrees but also able to focus on esports. Also pretty cool because with the rosters we have, we could get pretty far to win earnings for the tournaments and stuff. The second half of the semester is when your tournaments start, and it’s really important that we win. At the end if we win, we get an eight thousand dollar scholarship [for each player] from the earnings.” There is a limit of how many players we can have as a team. “The limit depends on the game. For our game, they are only five people that can play, but our roster has six people.
Tate Walden/ The Johnsonain
So for “Overwatch,” it’s six players. So [“Overwatch”] has no subs, whereas [“League of Legends”] has a sub. They could sub in if someone wasn’t playing that well. So for the extra player, we have in “League of Legends,” what happened was the coaching staff couldn’t decide who they wanted most, so they kept both. Both are on the team, but only one can start.” For students who are interested in trying out for the Esports team, “It’s a try out base if Winthrop students earn their spot, they could replace anyone [on the team]. At any time anyone can be replaced, so we have to stay on top of our game. It’s like a sport: if you’re not that good you’re gonna get benched by someone who is better. Anyone is allowed to [regardless of] race, gender, etc. As long as they are the best and can communicate and cooperate, they can take a spot,” Harvey said. And for those just trying to find a printer on campus, the computer labs located in Dalton hall, Phelps, Thurmond, the third floor of Digs, the West Center and in Dacus Library are still available.
A roundup of crime on campus Here is a rundown of calls WUPO has been recieving since the begining of this semester Matt Thrift thriftm@mytjnow.com On Aug. 19, a student entered the Winthrop University Police Department lobby to report a video that had been posted on Instagram. The informant told Winthrop police that a video had been shared on the university’s main page and that the video showed an unidentified man holding what appeared to be a black pistol. The video featured a map pin drop and the words “Winthrop University” on the screen. The reporting officer was unable to establish where the suspect might be or if the pistol was real or not. The case remains active, pending further review. On Aug. 21, a Winthrop University police officer pulled over a
vehicle that was driving the wrong way on Alumni Drive. The officer initiated a traffic stop in front of Tillman Hall and detected the odor of marijuana while talking to the suspect. The officer asked if there was anything illegal in the vehicle and the suspect told the officer that there was a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle. Upon searching the vehicle, the officer discovered a bag of marijuana as well as drug paraphernalia. The two grams of marijuana taken from the vehicle were placed into evidence and the paraphernalia was disposed of after being photographed. The suspect was booked and released with a citation for Possession of Marijuana 1st Offense. On Sept. 2, an assault involving two Winthrop students took place
Matt Thrift | News Editor thriftm@mytjnow.com
on Scholars Walk around 11:45 p.m. The victim was approached by the accused at the West Center and a “heated discussion” ensued, according to WUPD. The victim attempted to leave the presence of the accused, but the accused “would not let the victim walk away.” As the victim began walking down Scholars Walk, the accused began to “physically assault the victim,” according to the incident report. A co-worker of the accused intervened and got between the victim and the accused in an attempt to separate them. The victim declined to press charges. As a result of the incident, the accused was referred to the Dean of Students. On Sept. 9, a WUPD officer met with a Winthrop student about a reported assault that took place in the “gamer’s corner” of the DiGior-
gio Campus Center. According to the report, the victim said that the students were “bantering with each other as usual.” After the victim called out the name of the accused, he responded by threatening the victim. The victim said something else to the accused. The accused then picked up his backpack and struck the victim in the face, according to the report. The victim suffered “minor injuries” as a result of the reported assault and went to Health Services, who “instructed” the victim to contact WUPD. Officers reviewed surveillance footage at the time of the incident and the responding officer subsequently determined that there was “enough probable cause” to issue a warrant for the arrest of the accused.
theJohnsonian September 18, 2019
4
Winthrop welcomes 31 new faculty members for fall 2019 New faculty members express why and how they decided to become Winthrop Eagles Kiera Savage Special to The Johnsonian Winthrop University welcomed 31 new faculty members to its diverse community for the fall 2019 semester, with each bringing fresh ideas and a unique set of experiences. There are new hires in all four colleges at Winthrop, including 13 new faculty in arts and sciences, three in business administration, nine in education and six in visual and performing arts. “This is definitely an environment that I can see myself prospering professionally. I am so excited and impressed to work with Winthrop students,” said Lashardai Brown, a new assistant professor of biology. Brown comes to Winthrop after she was initially invited by the chair of the biology department to speak during the department’s seminar series. She said she was excited to learn. Just a year later, Winthrop had an opening in her field, and she jumped at the opportunity to apply. Brown, who will be teaching for the first time, said she plans to get students involved in the lab and classroom. “I think there is great wealth in hands-on learning. That is definitely my style, especially in the classroom, and as I set up my lab, which we
could call experiential learning,” Brown said. For Kathleen West, a Rock Hill native and new assistant professor of psychology, the wait to secure a full-time position at Winthrop was much longer. West, who previously taught fulltime at UNC Charlotte, had worked as an adjunct off-and-on at Winthrop for the past 11 years. She said she jumped at the opportunity to apply when her position opened up. “I just love that it feels like a community, I just really like that feel about Winthrop. It feels like home, it doesn’t feel stressful to come to work. It’s where I’ve wanted to be for quite a while,” West said. West, who will teach classes in general psychology and developmental psychology, said she enjoys the small class sizes at Winthrop. “I love that I actually get to know my students, I can actually interact with everyone, learn their names [and] I can learn their stories,” West said. West has a background in neuroscience, including work studying alcohol and drug addiction, which she hopes will benefit her students. “We used animal models to try to understand drug addiction. I had alcohol that I was giving to mice. What we were looking at were some of the things we could do during the withdrawal period to ease it and make it less severe. So when they were
Courtsey of Kiera Savage
Lashardai Brown visited Winthrop as a guest speaker prior to becoming a new assistant professor of biology. She now spends everyday in the lab. given a choice later on, they wouldn’t choose the alcohol,” West said. She said she hopes students will be entertained and learn in her classes, but also understand, even at the highest level, it’s okay to not know an answer, as long as they’re asking questions. Dennis Dotterer, a new assistant professor of educational leadership in the counseling, leadership and educational studies department, said he was drawn to Winthrop because of its strong reputation. “It was pretty well understood that Winthrop was one of the top universities--if not the top university--in the state when it came to education,” said Dotterer, who has previously worked for the S.C. Department of Education. However, he said he initially had plans to work in business administration before deciding to pursue a career in education. “I decided that I wanted to make a difference in the world and not just run the rat race. I was immediately told that ‘those who can’t do, teach,’ and that has been the fire in my belly since I started,” Dotterer said. Dotterer will teach graduate level courses and work with students who aspire to work in administrative positions. Meg Webber, vice provost for academic affairs, said Winthrop has worked to recruit a diverse faculty. “One initiative Winthrop has im-
plemented to increase the diversity of faculty is requiring each academic college to form a diversity committee within their respective colleges. All faculty searches require at least one member of the diversity committee to serve as the diversity advocate on the search committee,” Webber said. Those diversity advocates encourage search committees to utilize best practices in recruiting and evaluating applicants, Webber said. For example, search committees are required to provide a recruitment plan for attractive diverse candidates, advertise vacancies at historically black colleges and universities with doctoral programs and send job announcements to professional organizations that serve women and minorities. Webber said Winthrop ranks as one of the top four year higher education institutions in South Carolina for recruiting and promoting minorities and women. “This was a great accomplishment for our campus and clear indication that we are moving in the right direction with our efforts to recruit and retain qualified and diverse faculty, staff and administrators,” Webber said. This story originally appeared at The Palmetto Report which can be found at palmettoreport.wordpress. com
Flight plan Students receive professional advice from Carolina Panthers guest relations and security manager Ryan Petrus
Anna Sharpe/ The Johnsonian
Ryan Petrus, Carolina Panthers guest relations and security manager, gave insight to students about professionalism. Anna Sharpe sharpea@mytjnow.com The path to where you want to be is not going to be a straight line. College students have a difficult road ahead of them. This road can be made easier through professional communication skills, students learned on Wednesday. Ryan Petrus, guest relations and security manager for the Carolina Panthers and Winthrop alum, shared tips for polishing those skills as part of Flight Plan. Petrus began by talking about how frequent cell phone use has af-
fected young professionals in the workplace. “I see it a lot with the younger demographic that work for me. They’re always on their phones. That’s something you have to be aware of at work,” Petrus said. When the topic of cellphone use in college students comes up, it is often in the context of overuse or dependence. Frequently, college students’ cell phone use is brought up in the context of their supposed overuse of or dependence on the devices. “Don’t let anyone tell you that [texting] is a bad thing because it’s your generation. It’s technology, and
Kiki Todman | Assistant News Editor todmank@mytjnow.com
technology is a great thing. The problem is we can’t rely on this,” He recommends face-to-face communication above all else. While there is a time for written communication, emails or texts, the best way to build a foundation with your coworkers and employers is by talking to them in person. “I don’t think there’s a better way to communicate than face-to-face,” Petrus said. “The only way we do it is by talking. As young professionals in your careers, that’s going to be really important. It’s not butt-kissing. It’s not brown-nosing. It’s none of that. It’s about personal development,” Petrus said. Another way to create a connection with potential employers is to follow-up with the interviewer with a handwritten thank you note rather than an email. This makes you stand out from other candidates, and it shows that you are willing to put effort into your career. “You bought a thank you card. You sat down. You thought it out. You wrote it. You mailed it. That’s important,” Petrus said. The idea of sending a thank you note was new to a lot of students in the audience. Only a few audience members raised their hands when Petrus asked if anyone had done so before. “I’ve had interviews, and I’ve
called to follow up, but I’ve never sent a thank you letter, and I never thought about writing it, especially,” Austin Grier, a senior digital information design, said. Networking was another topic Petrus touched on. It is a vital skill that college students should learn and use whenever they are able. Even when a connection seems insignificant, “the smallest little thing can result in a big thing,” Petrus said. It’s not about how many people you know. Petrus keeps his LinkedIn account to only about 50 people. It’s about how well you know the people that you do. “Large networks don’t equal success,” Petrus said. Evan Hailes, a senior international business major, said that he is going to start reaching out sooner rather than later. “When [Petrus] was talking about networking and making sure that you keep with those relationships by writing letters. Making sure you go ahead and reach out to them … now before we leave college so we have something to fall back on,” Hailes said. Petrus concluded with a quote that he lives by: “You have to make the call you’re afraid to make.”
5
S&T The E-cigarette epidemic: the new theJohnsonian September 18, 2019
cigarettes
Six people have died from lung disease correlated to the use of e-cigarettes Jacob Plisco
staff writer
A patient in Kansas was the sixth person to die from lung disease directly linked to e-cigarette use, on Sept. 10. There are as many as 450 cases related to this incident in younger and older adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some patients have developed symptoms in a few days, and others over the course of weeks. The CDC has an ongoing investigation about the recent deaths and their correlation to the use of e-cigarettes. Due to the new discovery of this, the CDC is now advising people to refrain from using any form of vaping devices, until the known cause. “People can do whatever they want, it’s their choice to make,” Hunter Fallet, a freshman psychology major, said, when asked about his opinion on the use of e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes are newer in America as an alternative to traditional cigarettes. They work by heating liquid, that often contains nicotine, flavoring and other chemicals, into an aerosol that can be inhaled and exhaled. The CDC has identified several different harmful ingredients in vape juice. The liquid used in the devices contains chemicals such as diacetyl, a chemical that has been discovered to be linked to respiratory issues. It also contains heavy metals such as lead and
TateWalden/TheJohnsonian
Juul is one of the many companies that are involved in this investigation. nickel. Although several of these ingredients could be linked to health issues, they have not been identified as the specific cause of these six recent deaths. “I personally think that e-cigarettes are bad for your body. There has been so many cases where people have died … and people still continue to use these products,” Jordan Linnen, a junior international business major, said. “Plus they still have nicotine in them so they are not healthier than cigarettes … I guess people follow trends and go with what is
cigarettes, but it has been three years since using vaping devices and he still vapes. He also added that a single tank often has the same amount of nicotine as an entire pack of traditional cigarettes. “It's almost worse than smoking. It doesn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth, and it doesn’t smell bad, so you end up hitting it more,” Miller said. E-cigarettes and vaping juice are just as dangerous as cigarettes. For more information about the harmful effects of vaping, visit The Truth campaign online.
popular.” These devices were originally introduced as a quit aid for cigarette smokers to prevent lung disease. According to the Food and Drug Administration, they have proven ineffective in this role, and are currently not approved by the FDA as a smoke quit aid. People that have tried it such as Sean Miller, a sophomore computer science major, explain that they are just as addictive as traditional cigarettes. Miller originally started vaping to help himself stop smoking
Want to get physically active on campus but don’t know where to start? Look on Winthrop’s website for group fitness. There is a set schedule with various instructors and activities throughout the semester. From yoga to interval training, there are all kinds of activities to suit your needs.
Blast from the Past Sony rereleases a Walkman for its 40th birthday
Gweneshia Wadlington staff writer Do you know what the first portable music device was? No, it wasn’t a phone, or the iPod, or even the MP3 player. The first original device was Sony’s Walkman. The original Walkman was thought up by Akio Morita, one of the founders of Sony. He came up with the idea of the Walkman when wanting to listen to music while sitting on a plane during flight. Morita teamed up with an engineering team to create something that would revolutionize the way music in which music could be enjoyed. The original Walkman got its design from a device called the Sony Pressman. The Pressman was a recording device that Sony created and already had the features needed to make a portable audio device. When the prototype was shown to Morita, he said, “This is good! This will sell well! If we promote this around the world, we’ll reach 3 million in sales before we know it,” according to Toshio Asai, a former Sony engineer, when interviewed by Sony Electronics Asia Pacific. In 1984, after the Walkman was
released in 1979, it outsold vinyl records for the first time since its release. It became such a popular product that in 1986, the Walkman was added into the Oxford English Dictionary, according to Cassettes are used in walkmans to play music. ABCNews. Now in the nostalgic feeling.” celebration of the Walkman’s 40th The new Sony Walkman is called anniversary, Sony is bringing back a nostalgic interface despite its a revamped version of this retro lack of playing cassettes and it all portable music player. being digital. However, due to the “I can see someone has a use introduction of smartphones, for it because they do not want some believe there is no use in the hassle of notifications on their buying the new Walkman. phone and wants to [just] listen “I have no use for it because to music,” Niya James, a senior I have a phone, but I’m sure biology major, said. someone will be able to use it,” The device is powered by Jason Pressely, a senior mass Android software. It has high communication major, said. “It resolution audio compatibility, sounds kinda dope though ... I S-Master HX digital amplifier for guess retrotech is cool because of pure sound quality, easy Bluetooth
Savannah Scott | Science & Technology Editor scotts@mytjnow.com
Tate Walden/ The Johnsonian connectivity with NFC one-touch, DSEE HX upscaling restores quality and noise-cancelling headphones. The new Walkman has a 26hour battery life and holds 16GB of storage. It comes with a microSD slot for extra music storage and is able to connect to Wi-Fi. It also supports both downloaded music and streaming music. The new Walkman comes in a few different colors including red, orange, ash green, blue and black. The Walkman will cost $599 and is set to release in December.
6
SPORTS theJohnsonian September 11, 2019
Reaching goals
Jordan Walshaw; Big South Men’s Soccer Attacking Player of the Week La J’ai Reed
assistant sports editor Big South soccer fields are heating up, and Winthrop men’s soccer is led this year by an experienced group of seniors. One of those leaders, redshirt-senior Jordan Walshaw, was named the Big South Men’s Soccer Attacking Player of the Week for the opening week of play. “I was happy with the news and it was nice to be rewarded for a positive start to the season,” Walshaw said. To begin the 2019 season, Winthrop men’s soccer went 1–1 against Virginia Military Institute and Mount St. Mary’s. According to Big South Sports, Walshaw contributed a goal, three assists, and aided four of five of the Eagles’ season opening goals. His use of skill and technique helped him peg the honor, which he received on Sept. 3. “Attacking is ultimately trying your best to score goals and assist goals for your team,” Walshaw said. “Techniques involve being good on the ball, being able to dribble, have an eye for a pass, being composed in front of the goal to score, and also having good movement and speed.” Walshaw hails from England,
and began playing soccer when he was five years old. During his teen years, he suited up for the Sheffield Wednesday and the Chesterfield FC—both of England. After 13 years, Walshaw made the transition to American fields. Walshaw faced a few setbacks resulting from injuries in his
Photo Provided by the Winthrop Athletics
first couple seasons at Winthrop, but hopes to keep up good health for the remainder of this season. Part of his health regimen is found in his pre-game routine. “I have certain foods I like to eat before a game at certain times to get properly prepared for the game,”
Photo Provided by the Winthrop Athletics
Walshaw said. Walshaw notes that playing the sport is not only about physical ability, but about mental readiness as well. “I am quite quiet on game days, and I like to keep to myself to prepare,” Walshaw said. “The night before, I will start thinking about the game and how I want to affect it.” Walshaw acknowledged that being honored by the Big South after rebounding from early career injuries makes it even more special. “To get back somewhere close to how I played before was huge encouragement for myself and the hard work I have put in over a sticky couple of seasons,” Walshaw said. With his health stable and this honor to his name, Walshaw is anticipating a productive 2019 season. “I am hoping to contribute as much as I can to the team with goals, assists and good performances that will help give our team the best chance of winning football matches,” Walshaw said. This is the first conference weekly award for Walshaw, and he hopes to continue to build on his early success. “Hopefully this season can be a successful one both as a team and individually,” Walshaw said.
Burns is ready to soar like an eagle DJ Burns is now eligible to play for the Eagles in the upcoming season
Beneshia Wadlington
staff writer
DJ Burns, sophomore mass communication major, has recently been declared eligible for the 2019–2020 season. Burns is originally from Rock Hill and graduated a year early from York Preparatory Academy. He ended his high school career with more than 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds and was considered the third best prospect in the state of South Carolina. The two prospects ranked ahead of Burns were Zion Williamson (#1 pick in 2019 NBA Draft) and Ja Morant (#2 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft). The 6-foot-9, 250 pound forward then became a member of the Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball team for the 2018–19 season. He redshirted his freshman season at the University of Tennessee and has now transferred to Winthrop
University. “I chose Winthrop because I wanted to be around a great group of guys committed to winning,” Burns said. “After going into the portal, I quickly realized that Winthrop had an upcoming culture full of guys committed to get-
Gabby Gardner | Sports Editor gardnerg@mytjnow.com
ting better on and off the court. It wasn’t a hard choice at all.” “I can bring an inside presence with a variety of moves and countermoves, communication on defense, and honestly whatever is needed of me to win,” Burns said. ”My expectations are to win games, simple as that. Everyone wants to go
to the tournament, but we want to advance in the tournament.” The sophomore power forward shared his pre-game routine that helps him get ready to play. “I have a game day playlist that I’ve had since 8th grade. I add a few lit songs every now and then to get me going but I never delete songs off of the playlist,” Burns said. ”Also I pray before we come together as a team before going to war.” Burns also shared advice for students and fans getting ready for the upcoming season. “This year we hope to bring an energy to the games that we haven’t seen in a while here,” Burns said. “With that being said we can’t do it without you guys. Come out and support us while we go to work for our school and our city. Season tickets [are] out now.”
Courtesy of University of Tenessee
theJohnsonian
7
September 11, 2019
Namaste with DSU DSU presented Sunset Yoga
Gweneshia Wadlington
staff writer
It’s around a month into the fall semester and by now some of us are taking our first exams, some of us are still finding our way and others of us are already counting down the days until Fall Break. One great way to relax and take a step down off the stress train we call college, is participating in different exercises such as yoga. On Monday, Sept. 9, DSU held Sunset Yoga on the Campus Green. DSU’s Daytime/LateNight and Novelties Chairwoman Joy King, a senior mass communication major, helped to organize this cultural event. “I would most definitely recommend yoga to anyone that’s stressed or in a depressed state of mind because yoga does have healthy benefits: relieving stress, relieving the mind and things of that nature, so I would 100% recommend yoga,” King said. The sundown session was taught by Cherilyn Heintz, a senior marketing major and certified yoga instructor. Heintz began by saying soothing words while giving instructions in a calming manner, ensuring that each participant was remembering to breathe and silence their inner noise. “Usually we just think of yoga as stretching but one of the most important parts is breath,” Heintz said. Students came out and covered Campus Green in yoga mats and blankets for the DSU Sunset Yoga event. “I would sum up my experience by saying it was very relaxing and it was a good way to be around friends. Yoga to me is a way to relax. I would definitely take this
Sunset Yoga takes place on campus green
Kevin Seabrook/ The Johnsonian
as a PESH course. It was not my first time but I would recommend it because it is a good way to relax. I enjoy yoga because it is calming,” said Michaela Bartkowski, freshman business marketing major. Sophomore theatre performance major, Ally Baumgartner, said that this wasn’t her first rodeo either. “I love yoga. Yoga is a beautiful way to feel connected to your body and mind. It was super relaxing to stretch and relax all while being under the sun setting and hearing the sounds of nature. I use yoga for both exercise and relaxation, it’s a great end to my day. I would definitely recommend taking yoga for PESH,” Baumgartner said. Freshman psychology major, Courtney Franklin, also strongly recommends doing yoga. “I enjoy yoga very much. Yoga to me is a full body and mind relaxation technique to increase flexibility and strengthen your respiratory system. It exercises my soul and my body and gives me time to just be in the present moment. Usually on Fridays I start my day with yoga in the fitness group. Personally I use it for both relaxing and exercising,” Franklin said. If you are in any way interested in using yoga to relieve stress or get in your weekly exercise, consider checking out the PESH courses PESH 105 (yoga) and PESH 110 (power yoga). You can also check out the group fitness yoga class which meets for 45 minutes, Fridays at 10 a.m. in the West Center.
New Eagle Soars
Morgan Bossler; Big South Volleyball Player of the Week Lily Fremed
staff writer
“FREE!” The crowd’s cheers echo through the Coliseum as the opposing team scurries around the court, only to send the volleyball floating simply over the net. With an excellent pass and set, there is the perfect opportunity for the middle hitter to kill it. With a slide hit, Morgan Bossler, first year Eagle, crushes the ball—and her opponents—winning the point. As a latecomer to the sport at the age of 11, Bossler never guessed that her dedication and commitment would earn her the honor of being named Big South Player of the Week. “I was surprised,” Bossler said. “I wasn’t expecting it, but it was a pleasant surprise.” Having transferred to Winthrop this year, after completing two years at Iowa Western Community College, Bossler credits much of her success to her fellow teammates. “I couldn’t do any of this without them,” Bossler said. “It’s a sign that the whole team is off to a good start.” Being one of the two tallest girls in the program at 6-foot-3, Bosslers height definitely comes in handy for those tough plays. This season she leads the team in block assists with 23 and has the second most kills with 54. Her impressive skills make her the second highest scorer on the team, earning a total of 72.5 points at the team’s first six games. When asked what helped
Gabby Gardner/ The Johnsonian
Morgan Bossler plays volleyball her achieve this honor in the tournament, Bossler described how her teammates’ high percentage of passing and digging the ball “make it easier to run the middle,” thus giving her more chances for kills. Before the aggressive determination on the court, the team prepares with a meeting, a favorite activity for Bossler. “We go over what we have learned about the other team. I like it because it refreshes my brain. I know what to look for when playing,” Bossler said. Being named Assistant
Coach in May 2018, Becca Acevedo is also a fairly new addition to Winthrop who witnesses Morgan’s energy and encouragement every day. “Morgan Bossler has been an excellent addition to our team. We knew she would add depth to the middle position, but she has been more than that. She challenges her teammates in practice and is an intelligent player who knows when and how to score. We are excited to see her continue to develop and compete in conference play,” Acevedo said.
Majoring in exercise science, Bossler may decide to use her knowledge and experience with team sports to become a college coach herself, staying “in the world of volleyball.” Overall this season, Bossler is looking forward to building on her Big South Player of the Week achievement by “starting strong in conference.” She and her teammates will use what they learned from past tournaments to help them be tough and ready to go with new strategies in their future games.
Gabby Gardner | Sports Editor gardnerg@mytjnow.com
8
September 18, 2019
A look at the French Film Festival Hosted by the department of world culture and music One wouldn’t expect that most modern-day elements of cinema were not from classic Hollywood films. They came from a French movement of ambiguous endings and visual transitions that challenged the norms of cinema. The Winthrop fine arts and world culture and languages departments in partnership with the Art History Student Association is currently hosting a film festival with a focus on French films. The film festival is hosted on every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in Rutledge 119 from Sept. 3 to Oct. 8. With the festival already showing the films “Marius” and “The 400 Blows,” there are still more opportunities for students to attend. Art history professor Alice Burmeister and French professor Anna Igou explained that the festival was a great way for students to get cultural credit, all while watching movies. “[The goal of this film festival is] to screen a selection of classic French films, at once providing enriching opportunities to students for global cultural event credit and exposing members of the Winthrop community to great works they might not otherwise encounter, and particularly not on the big screen,” said Burmeister. Burmeister and Igou cotaught a course in Spring 2019 called Women of the French New Wave. They decided to collaborate on the festival by meeting to select the films and recruiting stu-
dents and faculty from their respective departments to present the films and facilitate discussion on them. “These films touch on a wide range of universal themes – love and desire, coming of age, and the complexities of finding meaningful human connection in the modern world, for example. Each of the films is relatable to our everyday lives in some way,” said Burmeister. The films selected range from the French New Wave movement of the late 1950s to the late 1960s, to modern movies like the 2001 film “Amelie” and the 2017 film “Faces Places.” “Our first film ‘Marius,’ shown on Sept. 3, is a beautiful 1931 film starring the iconic French actor, Raimu. Many students have never watched a film made so long ago, and may believe that a work so seemingly distant in time might be irrelevant to them. But the warmth and intimacy of that film, the strong sense of place it establishes – it is set in Marseille, a great southern French city – and the story it tells of love and sacrifice is poignant and utterly timeless,” said Burmeister. The 1958 film “The 400 Blows” or “Les 400 Coups” is regarded as one of the best films of the French New Wave movement. It centers around a troublesome youth named Antoine Doinel growing up in Paris with his school life and desires for freedom. Chair of the department of world languages
and French professor Scott Shinabarger introduced the film to students, noting how the movie was influential in modern day filming. “This ground-breaking film established the authority of the director in overseeing all areas of film production. It also helped to bring film-making out of the studio and into the street and countryside, not unlike what the French Impressionists did for painting, nearly a century earlier, and utilized non-professional actors” said Shinabarger. “The 400 Blows” was notable for using unknown child actors like Jean-Pierre Léaud, who gave very emotional performances. Some of the characteristics of the new wave included the use of on-location shots, relatable characters and use of experimental camera shots. “It also highlighted one of the most ambitious tracking shots in film history up to that point; the camera follows the central character as he runs under bridges, along roads, and out onto the beach,” said Shinabarger. The common theme of these films is that they chal-
lenged the traditional movies that America produced during the 1950s or the “Golden Age of Cinema.” “Many of these films are different in style from typical Hollywood blockbusters, and they may inspire a deeper level of thought and reflection. We hope that students will enjoy being challenged to think of filmmaking in new ways,” said Burmeister. “Like great works of literature, great films can provide us with a means of venturing outside of ourselves, beyond our everyday lives. They serve as a sort of portal, a window into other places, other people, and other ways of living. They can inspire us, fuel our imaginations, pique our curiosity, and teach us things we could never have learned otherwise,” said Burmeister. The next movie that will be shown is the 1960 film “Breathless” or “A Bout de Souffle” on Sept. 17, and the 1958 film “My Uncle” or “Mon Oncle” on Sept. 24 in Rutledge Auditorium.
A limited amount of current Winthrop students will have the opportunity to see a nationally recognized television chef speak on campus, free of charge. On November 7th, the annual Dacus Friends of the Library meeting will host Vivian Howard, star of the
PBS show, “A Chef’s Life” in Richardson Ballroom at 6:30 p.m. Sponsors of the event have made it possible for 35 students to receive free tickets to the event, which is a $50 value. The event will include a meal as well as Howard’s discussion about her new cookbook and the stories behind it. It is also an approved cultural event. “This is a once-ina-lifetime event to hear a nationally known speaker talk about farmto-table fare with a Southern charm,” says Dean of Library Services Mark Herring. “Vivian
Howard is a Peabody Award winner for ‘A Chef’s Life,’ is in production for her new show ‘South by Somewhere,’ and will be talking about her New York Times best-selling cookbook, ‘Deep Run Roots’. If you’re a foodie, want to be inspired by someone whose plan for her own life was derailed by an even better one, or just want an evening out, you don’t want to miss this event.” Howard is a North Carolina native who grew up around tobacco and hog farmers, instilling in her a love of seasonal food and southern cuisine. After a start in advertising, Howard eventually discovered that she could make a career in food. “A Chef’s Life” explores
southern cuisine and seasonal, farm-to-table recipes by following Howard in the kitchen as well as in cornfields, hog farms and other destinations for ingredients. Howard and her husband also run a restaurant in the small town of Kingston, North Carolina. The event will serve as a undraiser for Dacus Library, and tickets are $50. Students can claim the free tickets by emailing Mark Herring at herringm@ winthrop.edu. For more information on this event or about Friends of Dacus Library, visit the Dacus Library website at http:// libguides.library.winthrop. edu/dacus.
Image by Dacus Library
Laura Munson | A&C Editor munsonl@mytjnow.com
Poster for “The 400 Blows,” the second film in the French Film Festival
9
Check out what
Laura is listening to this week! Generations: Miles Morales and his “Great Responsibility” “With great power, comes great responsibility”
Teenager Miles Morales is one of the most popular Spider-People in the Marvel Multiverse but in his journey through the Vanishing Point, he learns how personal his stake in the Spider-Man legacy really is. Much like Kamala Khan’s own journey with the original Ms. Marvel, Miles Morales is sent to the Vanishing Point in this tale by Brian Michael Bendis. The one shot is considered part of the Generations maxi-series, which all feature stories that send some of the legacy characters in the Marvel Universe through time and space to learn valuable and important lessons that will shape them as they go into the future. Miles Morales, the breakout star of Sony’s “Into the Spider-Verse” was a middle schooler when he was bitten by a genetically altered spider that gave him powers much like Peter Parker’s (along with camouflage abilities and a bioelectric “Venom Blast”) and just like in “Into the Spider-Verse,” he resides in an alternate dimension known as Earth-1610. In his universe, Peter Parker was killed in
action so Miles decided to use his powers to become Spider-Man. Very few people know about his two lives: including his father, his best friend Ganke, the 1610 versions of Gwen Stacy and MJ Watson. Eventually, thanks to multiversal madness, he ends up on Earth-616 (the Prime Marvel Universe where all the comics take place) where Peter Parker is alive. Peter gave Miles permission to be Spider-Man, and he’s been fighting to prove it every single day since. However, even though he already loves being Spider-Man, Miles has been struggling. The teenager has a lot on his plate: school work, relationships, his family, his grades, and the fact that he’s Spider-Man. And now he’s questioning if he has the right to be Spider-Man. So, during the Secret Empire event, he is sent into the Vanishing Point just like Kamala Khan. He ends up early into Spider-Man’s career, where Peter Parker was a college student just like him. At first, Miles sees
Peter (and his friends) in a new perspective. After running into Peter, and almost revealing to him that he knows Peter is Spidey, Miles sets off to where and when he is in time and space. After seeing a heartwarming moment between a younger Miles and his best friend, he decides he needs to know where exactly he is. So, he decides to go see the only other person who might be able to give him some kind of clue on his location: the younger Peter Parker. He finds his way to his house in Queens, and hears Peter say (in a monologue) that his Aunt May was on her deathbed and that he feels responsible for this and his Uncle Ben’s death. He also says that this has only brought tragedy and he feels like he doesn’t deserve their love. Miles enters the scene and Peter confronts him, which makes Miles reveal the fact that he’s Spider-Man as well and the fact that his costume is considered a living tribute. Miles tells Peter to talk about what’s going on with him, and asks about his monologue when he first arrived. Peter tells Miles the entire story of what’s going on with him: his Aunt May was diagnosed with a rare blood disease and the only person who had the cure was Otto Octavious (aka Doctor Octopus). When he visited Ock, he dropped a building
Lauren Griffith | Assistant A&C Editor griffithl@mytjnow.com
on him. Luckily, he escaped with the medicine. However, he also realizes that he almost died. Miles asks if Peter is okay, and he says he is, but right now he’s just worried more about Aunt May than anything. When he gets the call that Aunt May is okay, he breathes a sigh of relief and smiles with Miles before passing out from the stress. Miles takes a look back at what he saw, from his encounter with Peter’s friends and seeing his younger self, and realizes what he learned. Spider-Man isn’t a job, it’s a legacy. Peter went through hardships, fought back, and came out a better man. Miles learned this, and saw that that legacy is his and that he’s amazing. He tells the asleep Peter this: “You’re amazing to let me prove myself by your high standard, but even that is just about how amazing you are. Not how much I deserve it. I guess I really never understood how personal it was.” Miles returns home to his family, but leaves learning a valuable lesson: Spider-Man is a personal and powerful legacy, and he’s lucky to be a part of it. With more Spider-Verse films in the future, and plenty of comics coming out soon, Miles is taking a swing forward into the next phase of the Marvel Universe.
10
OPINION
theJohnsonian
September 18, 2019
Social media: the new public forum
Social media is the way we now communicate thoughts, ideas and opinions, but are we being told what to think? Sean Miller
staff writer
Freedom of speech is supposed to be a guaranteed right we all have, however as it currently stands in our society, your right to speak will not always be guaranteed. In an increasingly interconnected world, social media has become the medium by which people freely express themselves. Through it, they vocalize their political opinions and religious beliefs. Cable television and newspapers have steadily been on the decline and are being replaced by social media as the outlet from which we consume news and information about the world around us. According to statistical analysis by the Pew Research Center, “One-in-five U.S. adults say they often get news via social media, slightly higher than the share who often do so from print newspapers (16%) for the first time.” Another statistic by the Pew Research Center showed that “43% of adults get news often from news websites or social media, compared with 49% for television.” This clearly shows what we already know to be true—social media is the new public forum where we debate ideas and communicate our opinions. In recent history, President Trump has chosen to communicate directly with his supporters via Twitter. Despite
criticisms of time we his choice to censor a do so, it is person, inarguable we not that through only deny social media, their right our public to speak, officials and but we thought also deny leaders have ourselves become more the right accessible to listen. than ever. Every Despite time a their overall social message of media site being inclusensors sive, social a person, media conthey are glomerates not only have been censorcriticized for ing the their recent person attempts but that to censor person’s dissenting ElizabethTalbert/TheJohnsonian ideas. contrarians. LogicalElizabethTalbert/TheJohnsonian ly then, Recent suspensions and we are outright bans have included Alex trusting these social media sites Jones, Tommy Robinson, Milo to be moral arbiters for society Yiannopoulos and Steven Crowder. who determine whether or not Regardless of whether our ideas should be permissible. or not you agree with the politiThis is too much responsibility cal views of these people, it is of placed in the hands of a few men the utmost importance that as a and women who control massive society we collectively agree on a media conglomerates who share guiding principle for free speech: I similar political and world views. may disagree with everything you The more we become dependent have to say, but I will defend to the on their services, the more powerdeath your right to say it. Every ful they become by controlling the
flow of information. A common argument made by the social media conglomerates is that they are protecting their users by banning what they consider to be hate speech. This idea of banning “hate speech” on the grounds of it being too dangerous for society harkens back to an era in the United States when criticism of the political establishment and the government was illegal. In the extreme case of Alex Jones, whom is well known for his absurdity and often inflammatory claims, he was found guilty of thoughtcrime and was quickly banned from almost all major social media sites. This includes but is not limited to Twitter, Facebook, Spotify and YouTube. Despite a distaste by many for his reprehensible behavior in the past, Alex Jones should absolutely be free to say anything he wants at the risk of offending you. Every time you or I speak we risk offending each other, but it is a necessary risk to take so that we may learn from each other and consider each other’s perspectives. Even if all of society was united in a singular belief and only one heretic dared to challenge this idea, their right to speak must be given the utmost protection because what they have to say may contain a grain of truth and may force us to evaluate what we believe to be objectively true.
“Crazy Rich Asians”, if they were paid for what they were worth Adele Lim leaves “Crazy Rich Asians” team due to pay dispute.
Abi Perito
staff writer Adele Lim, a screenwriter for “Crazy Rich Asians” has decided to not return to write for the movie’s sequel. This was due to her feeling she was not being paid enough for her work. And she was right. The Hollywood Reporter announced that her co-writer Peter Chiarelli, a white male, was being offered upwards of $1 million for his return to the sequel, while Lim was offered somewhere over $110,000. This could have been understandable, given that “Crazy Rich Asians” was the first film that Lim wrote for. But she proved herself worthy of creating a monumental, humor-filled movie and should be compensated as such for the sequel, especially considering her career as a successful television writer as well. Lim does not blame Chiarelli though. She told the Hollywood Reporter that he “has been nothing but incredibly gracious.” In response to Chiarelli offering to split his pay with her if she came back she said, “What I make shouldn’t be dependent on the generosity of the white-guy writer.” But Lim is correct. It should not be the job of her white male counterpart to put his own pay in jeopardy, but the job of Warner Brothers to pay their employees for what they produce for the company, not based on their gender, race or ethnicity. It is also the job of the general public to hold them accountable for doing this and raising concern and publicity for problems such as the one Lim is facing now.
Lim quitting raises another concern with how these big corporations operate their studios. In lieu of her leaving, Warner Brothers tried everything in their power to hire another writer of Asian descent. This raises the question of if she was really there for her writing ability or if she was there to appease the public of having an Asian female writer on a Asian-oriented romantic comedy. Lim states her own concerns of minority representation in the media, telling the Hollywood Reporter that it feels as though they are only hired to “sprinkle culturally specific details on a screenplay, rather than credited with the substantive work of crafting the story.” Representation is always good, but why is it only being done in TV shows and films that relate to that writer’s ethnicity. Why can we not simply have minority writers for each and every film or have minority actors be normalized in everyday media? Others involved in “Crazy Rich Asians” are standing behind Lim. Acclaimed actress, Gemma Chan, and the director, Jon M. Chu, went to Twitter to show their support to their fellow Asian American. They not only showed their support to Lim, but let their voices be heard for every minority in Hollywood to ask for and not settle to be paid for something less than they are worth.
Victoria Howard | Opinion Editor howardv@mytjnow.com
Courtesy of Vanity Fair
theJohnsonian
11
September 18, 2019
Penguin Highway movie review
A review on a debut anime film that revisits the joys of childhood and imagination with a sci-fi perspective on everyday life. Joseph Calamia
staff writer
On a bright morning, in a small Japanese town in the suburbs, a group of school kids walking to school stop to find a peculiar sight: a group of penguins have appeared in the town and no one knows why. The child inside all of us would want to strive to let their imagination run free as we make promises of finding out the world ourselves and think about what we’ll achieve when we grow up. If you’re looking for a romp depicting the ideals of childhood and curiosity, then look no further than the new Japanese animated film “Penguin Highway.” Based off the award winning 2010 novel by Tomihiko Morimi, this film was the debut for first time director Hiroyasu Ishida. It was initially released in Japan in 2018 and given a release in the United States by Eleven Arts in 2019 with an English dub. Formerly a YouTube animator and moving on to anime shorts, Ishida delivers an interesting first film that The Telegraph’s Robbie Collins calls a “heart-warming, imagination-tickling joy.” The film was praised by critics and audiences around the world for its charming characters, peppy animation and heart-warming narrative on the themes of growing up and how it applies to how we see the world. “Penguin Highway” follows a precocious fourth grader named Aoyama, who takes joy in research-
ing the world around him and has even calculated the remaining days until he becomes an adult. When penguins start appearing out of nowhere in his town, he eagerly prepares himself to investigate where they came from. With multiple theories of aliens and runaways from the zoo, his investigation leads to a nameless Lady that works at the dentist that can turn any object into a penguin and a mysterious floating ball of water called ‘The Ocean.’ Together with his classmates and the Lady, Aoyama resolves to learn about both phenomena and see if they’re connected to each other. Their innocuous research project leads them away from a carefree summer adventure to a riveting and delightful exploration of how wonder evolves as we grow up. One of the interesting features of “Penguin Highway” is its characters and how they are distinct and memorable to the viewers. Aoyama on the surface seems like a one-note character, but he instead comes off as an endearing child character who shares his boundless curiosity and learns to enjoy moments with his friends instead of thinking about the future. He has moments where he creatively scares a bully for picking on his friends and shares humorous moments trying coffee for the first time. Other highlights include Aoyama’s classmate Hamamoto, a girl he claims to be his intellectual equal, is very playful and passionate about her work and the Lady, whose aloof personality seems interesting as
she playfully encourages Aoyama to solve the mystery of how she creates penguins out of nothing. The film also provides great moments of animation through the
CourtesyofStudioColorido interesting background with the characters to the vibrant moments of the film. The backgrounds are wonderfully illustrated with very detailed environments and the character design makes characters feel alive and memorable. In specific moments of the film, the animation is seamless when moments like the Lady throwing soda cans that turn into penguins help leave an impression on viewers of how creative the animation can be in transporting us to another world, especially in the climax.
The film’s main theme is how childhood wonder can dissolve as you grow up and what you know changes overtime. For example, Aoyama develops an interest in the Lady and he applies it to find out why seeing her makes him feel happy and how it develops. This also applies to his personal belief of reasoning, seeing him try to put logical sense to things of his imagination and surroundings. By the time he gets to school at the beginning of the film, he initially has six hypotheses on why the penguins arrive in town and how confident he is of his future. The best thing about animated movies from outside the United States is how they explore themes of puberty and adolescents without shying away from the aspects of reality and present it in a smart way. Overall, “Penguin Highway” is a wonderful slice of life story that is sure to have you recall memories of childhood adventures. From its endearing characters, vibrant animation and its remarkable subject matter, this film is able to bring you on a colorful adventure with twists and turns, as well as help you take a stroll down memory lane on growing up as a child. It’s a joyful ride in which following along to find out where the penguins come from will have you shouting, “Eureka!” “Penguin Highway” is available to purchase on DVD and Blu-ray, as well as on sites such as Amazon and iTunes. The film is not rated, but has moments of mild suggestive themes, crude humor and peril.
12
theJohnsonian
September 18, 2019
THE JOHNSONIAN
WANTS YOU! HAVE YOUR VOICE HEARD. The Johnsonian is looking for staff writers. Contact editors@mytjnow.com for more information.