A&E

Kunda Kids books make African culture more accessible

By Emma Coppolo

A&E editor

The books we read as children have profound, long-term effects on us.

Whether it be blatant or more subliminal, many of these books are teaching us lessons that prepare us for the rest of our lives and mold our mindsets.

Additionally, children’s books allow the opportunity to learn important concepts in a more palatable form.

Books like these educate children in memorable ways without boring them. For this reason, they can be an amenable method of teaching children culture and history.

This is the goal of a publishing group called Kunda Kids.

Kunda Kids is based in London, but their contributors are located both in the UK and Africa in countries such as Uganda and Ghana.

The goal of Kunda Kids is to teach history, culture and self-love through a series of children’s books.

With books such as the Africa’s Little Kings & Queens series, Kunda Kids has been praised and received multiple awards in their short time publishing.

Through their beautiful artwork and wide array of topics, Kunda Kids is working to create a more inclusive learning environment for children of all backgrounds.

One of Kunda Kids books is called “Sarai’s Culture Day.”

In this book, children of different cultures are encouraged to embrace their backgrounds and proudly share them with others.

The representation of cultures in this book are not stereotypical; the publishers work to produce a diverse depiction of what different people within cultures may be like regardless of general assumptions.

Not everyone looks the same or celebrates their culture in the same way, and it is important to acknowledge differences to create an inclusive environment.

In their line of historical books are stories such as “Queen Amina and the Zazzau Games,” “King Alboury Cooks the Best Jollof” and “Keke and the Cake Thief.”

These picture books teach African history in a fun and memorable way.

They highlight important historical figures that are often ignored by Eurocentric school systems.

The care and attention given to each of these stories are unprecedented and so important for a globalized education.

In addition to books, Kunda Kids also produces affirmation cards.

These cards have sayings on them intended for children to repeat and “boost esteem and encourage self-affirming thoughts and behavior.”

This kind of behavior has been seen more and more recently, especially on social media platforms.

Parents encouraging their children to invoke self-praising mantras create healthier mindsets about the self.

Kunda Kids recognizes this, and their cards are intended to help in this endeavor.

This company is creating an inclusive, unique learning environment that people should be talking about.

Their new app allows for even easier access if people are unable to obtain their books.

Kunda Kids has an important mission, and their products will help an immeasurable number of people.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hannukah or anything else, Kunda Kids’ products make for a beautiful, meaningful gift for any children in your life.

Kunda Kids publishes an array of picture books representing African tradition

Contributed photo

Hurst Hot Take: Netflix’s “Troll”

Contributed photo

Netflix’s Norwegian film ‘Troll’ was released in 2022

By Vydalia Weatherly

Staff writer

Friday evening, I decided to have one last relaxing evening before I had to face the fact that finals are one week away.

So, instead of starting one of the many projects I have due before the end of the semester, I found myself lying in bed scrolling through Netflix looking for something to watch.

Looking at what was trending “#1 in Movies Today”, I stumbled upon “Troll.”

I had never heard of the movie, but I was in the mood for an action and adventure movie, so I decided to take the risk.

It did not take me long to figure out why I had never heard of the movie.

In addition to “Troll” being released this year, it is originally a Norwegian film.

I was able to quickly figure out that it was a foreign movie when I noticed a few seconds in that the translations did not match up with the actors’ lips.

This made it difficult to focus on the film initially as I hyper-fixated on the bad editing.

Thankfully, after a few minutes, the translations and actors’ lip movement become more in sync making it easier to focus on the movie itself.

“Troll” encompassed everything an action-adventure movie should.

A man deemed crazy by all around him turned out to be right.

Human greed led to a mountain side being blown up, causing a thousand-plus-year-old troll to be awoken and wreaking havoc on the countryside.

Of course, government officials who think they know better decide not to listen to the scientist.

In addition to all that, the movie focused on the strained relationship between a father and daughter who have not seen each other in years and are brought together by the chaos.

I honestly do not know how I feel about this movie.

It was a good movie, but it was not great.

It is definitely one of those movies that now that I have watched it and know what happens, I probably will never watch it again.

There were a lot gaps in the plot and missing information they never explained.

There were a few exciting action scenes, but they were short and did not hold momentum throughout the entire film.

I also thought the entire movie was predictable as if I have seen the movie before.

I will say without giving away any spoilers that I was a fan of how the movie ended.

It left on a bit of a cliffhanger that allows for the possibility of a sequel to make sense.

However, I believe “Troll” would be a good stand-alone film.

Knowing that it was produced by Netflix, there will most likely be a sequel or five.

I encourage you to all find the time after finals during break to watch the movie and let me know what you think.

For now, I will unfortunately be spending most of my time for these next two weeks in the library or the 24-hour lounge in the Center for Academic Engagement rather than in my bed enjoying the luxury of my TV.

Good luck with finals everyone!

Shopping local this holiday season

By Hailey Steidle Staff writer

Shopping is at an all-time high during the holiday season as people are purchasing gifts and traveling to see friends and family.

Among the sea of big corporations, reports of unethical practices and unreliable companies, there has been a shift to purchasing from small and locally owned businesses.

These businesses have always been an option for holiday buying; however, as large businesses offer bulk discounts and twoday shipping, small businesses were swept under the rug.

In recent years, more and more attention has been brought back to these ethical and sustainable companies.

Large corporations, often referred to as box stores, have a history of being problematic when it comes to the treatment of their workers, the sustainability of products they sell and the ethics of their businesses.

Companies like Walmart, Amazon, Shein and a plethora

of others are all considered to be dangerous corporations that face backlash almost every day for the ethics of their practices.

Issues like notoriously low wages, lack of health insurance, pensions, benefits and hours available for work are regarded as normal among their workers.

For this reason, many people are turning to small or locally-owned businesses, which do good things for people and the planet.

Small businesses employ roughly 46% of all U.S. employees with 33.2 million small businesses in the U.S. alone.

The effects of shopping from small businesses are often extremely positive.

Most reviews of these businesses claim to have amazing customer service as the owners are striving to grow their businesses.

It allows them to provide more personable and hands-on experiences, allowing you to personalize the specific purchases and getting advice from the creator of the products themselves.

Shopping local also helps build communities by supporting your friends, family and neighbors.

The businesses additionally hire within the community, creating more jobs and helping grow the economy of your town and surrounding areas.

Many also claim they feel better after shopping locally because they are supporting a real person rather than supporting a major corporation.

They know where their money is going, and they can feel good about splurging on products knowing the revenue is going somewhere good.

Investing in local infrastructure is the best way to use your money while also receiving amazing products and services.

Over the past few years, options for small businesses have been more readily available to the average consumer.

If you are looking for a handmade option, good places to look could include Etsy or Amazon Handmade, both of which promote individually made products or products that can be customized.

If you are looking for options that are vintage, you might want to look at websites like Depop or Poshmark, which allow individual sellers to market things that they may have upcycled or thrifted.

Instagram may not seem like a small business; however, the platform is a great place for small or locally owned businesses to advertise their products.

Checking hashtags on platforms like Facebook, Instagram or TikTok can allow you to look at hashtags of your area for any events that may be happening like a market or craft fair.

TikTok has opened up an entirely new way to find small businesses. Artists use the platform to promote their work.

Whether you are looking for jewelry, pottery, candles, custom art or virtually anything else, there are countless creators just a few clicks away.

People also use the app to promote physical stores in their areas that deserve attention.

No matter where you shop this holiday season, if you have the option, take a look at the many locally owned shops near you or even take the search online and look for small-owned businesses.

The results may just surprise you.

The effects of shopping from a small business are often extremely positive.”

SNL meets Gen Z where they are

Contributed photo

“SNL’s” four new additions to the show’s 48th season

Emma Coppolo A&E editor

In recent years, “Saturday Night Live” has been trending downward.

The shift in cultural appreciation of the show can be attributed to many factors, especially the heavy emphasis being placed on political sketches.

The last few seasons have been deemed somewhat unbearable by the general public.

This left many wondering how long the show would continue.

Now in its 48th season, a resurgence seems to be occurring.

Possibly the biggest issue with “SNL’s” content in recent years is the inability to balance styles of comedy.

The era of Eddie Murphy and Gilbert Gottfried versus Jimmy Fallon and Amy Poehler demanded an evolution of comedy to ensure the newer approach appeased audiences of each.

In the transition of the latter to the era of Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong, though, many found a disconnect.

Younger audiences immensely enjoyed the sense of humor being conveyed, but traditional viewers found it to be too juvenile or simply did not understand why it was meant to be funny.

In an attempt to remedy this, “SNL” essentially began creating different categories of sketches: those meant for older viewers and those meant for younger viewers.

The result was a disconnected show with fractured components that ultimately created a product that was unenjoyable to all parties.

The attempt to appeal to younger audiences entirely backfired. Sketches such as “Gen Z Hospital” took the worst parts of the generation and created one of the cringiest displays the show has produced in a long time.

Genuinely no one enjoyed this.

What “SNL” is learning is that Gen Z’s sense of humor is unpredictable and honestly somewhat stupid.

The sketch of Timothee Chalamet and Pete Davidson as rappers spewing nonsense was an absolute sensation, and adult viewers had absolutely no idea why.

The success of “SNL’s” future lies in sketches like these that are not desperately trying to appeal to younger generations but just do.

In a way, the sketch was intended to be funny for entirely different reasons.

The writers just need to accept the win and move forward with the information they gained from it.

One of the best decisions that “SNL” made in remedying this issue was altering their formula for hosts and musical guests.

In recent years, more trendy and emerging artists have been featured, drawing in audiences that are not even necessarily interested in the comedy portion.

Performances have become much more of a full production than an addition just tacked onto the end of the show.

This season’s performers are the most attuned to Gen Z’s sense of humor than they have been in a long time.

While several long-term players have left the crew, four new comedians have joined “SNL’s” cast.

One breakout star is Michael Longfellow.

Longfellow is somewhat Pete Davidson’s replacement, appearing on the Weekend Update segments with Michael Che and Colin Jost.

Longfellow’s blunt, dry sense of humor is delivered perfectly, and he is exactly what Gen Z likes the most about comedians like Davidson.

Younger players like Longfellow are seriously helping “SNL” move into a new era of comedy that is majorly appealing to audiences.

Hosts are becoming more catered for Gen Z, and just last week Keke Palmer announced her pregnancy while hosting the show.

“SNL” has started to feel like it has finally caught up with the rest of the comedy world.

Only time will tell if this resurgence lasts.

Tune in on Saturday, Dec. 17, to see “Elvis” star Austin Butler host with musical guest the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.