The Mercury 03 07 22

Bike Thieves on campus kick inTo high gear

Bike thefts are especially prevalent near the residence halls. Jack Sierputowski, a sophomore literature major, was fortunate enough to have his stolen bike found by UTDPD, who caught the thief attempting to sell his bike to a pawn shop using a fake ID. However, most UTD bike thefts often result in the owner permanently losing their bike, even with UTDPD trying to hunt down the stolen property. While it is impossible to completely stop everyone who wants to steal students’ bikes, UTDPD has given several suggestions as to what bike owners can do to protect their bikes and make them more difficult to steal.

20 bikes were reported stolen just last semester, 19 of which were taken during the first two months, so there is a noticeable correlation between an increase in bike thefts and warm weather. This semester, five bikes have been stolen from campus, and as the seasons change from winter to spring, UTDPD expects a greater uptick in these property thefts.

“We believe that most of our thefts come from off-campus,” UTD PD’s investigative specialist, Melanie Cleveland, said. “It is not fellow students who are taking our bikes; they are people who are coming off of Waterview, they are homeless or they are people who are out to take [the bikes] to a pawn shop and get a few dollars for it.”

UTDPD often finds students’ missing bikes abandoned in apartment complexes or in pawn shops. In the past, the thief could be tracked and located, and the bikes could then be returned to students. However, the number of bikes that UTDPD can recover is decreasing, as most bike thieves are starting to sell the bikes online anonymously rather than inperson in pawnshops or thrift stores. In the past two years, only three stolen bikes were recovered.

To protect your bike, the UTD Police advise the following:

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“One of the biggest challenges that we run into with the students that are victims is that they don’t know [their bike’s] serial number,” UTDPD Lieutenant Adam Perry said. “One of the things that we would want students to do when they first get their bike is to find the make, model and true serial number.”

This serial number is an alphanumeric number often stamped under the bottom bracket where two pedal cranks meet. Keeping a note of the bike’s model, make and serial number helps UTDPD locate stolen bikes at a much faster rate, as they can put the bike’s serial number in a national database and be alerted if the bike is found anywhere in the country. In Sierputowski’s case, he reported the make, model and serial number to UTDPD, who were then able to find and return his bike a month later.

“We can do a lot to secure bikes and make it harder for criminals to steal stuff, but [students] just get lax with stuff, just like at home where we get lax with the stuff that we are comfortable with. It’s a good thing, we want students to feel comfortable and safe, but sometimes people forget the safety measures needed [to protect their property],” Perry said.

Bike protection heavily relies on the type of lock that students get. Cable locks are the most common locks used for bikes on campus, but approximately 80% of UTD’s bike thefts occurred because the bike was either unsecured or locked with a cable lock. As a result, UTDPD recommends that students invest in a U-Lock and lock both the front wheel and a piece of the bike’s frame into the bike rack. Securing bikes in such a manner makes them more difficult and noisier to steal.

“When I realized my bike was stolen, I felt angry obviously, and a little bit stupid because I knew I should have had a U-Lock but, I don’t know, I just didn’t think this would happen to me,” Sierputowski said.

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What options do students have to address sexual assault?

Do you know how to report a sexual assault? If you don’t, you’re not alone. UTD has an array of resources for preventing and addressing sexual violence in students, staff and faculty, but they often slip under the radar.

As campus reopens, UTD has many avenues available for addressing and preventing sexual assault. Someone who has been assaulted can disclose to UTD Police, which will follow up with a criminal investigation.

A victim can also disclose to the Title IX office, which handles a broader range of sexual misconduct. Immediately after an assault, the victim can go to the Student Health Center for a checkup. All options allow the choice of whether or not to disclose to law enforcement.

UTD has several programs focused on

the prevention of sexual assault. Somer Fernandez teaches the Rape Aggression Defense course on campus, which has separate sections for men and women. Over the course of multiple days, participants in the women’s class learn situational awareness and how to fight back in a variety of scenarios, culminating in a test against a simulated aggressor.

“We don’t have it scheduled ‘cause of COVID,” Fernandez said, “but it is for students, it’s for faculty, it’s for staff, it’s even for civilians outside. So they don’t have to go to school here…It’s on the website; anyone can register to do it.”

Also key to preventing sexual assault is education about consent, which UTD provides through EVERFI, the online modules taken during freshman year. Despite stylistic changes to the course in 2020, its content has remained the same. Kacey Sebeneicher—the

CURIOUS COMETS

Presence discontinued for student orgs.

Effective March 31, the SOC contract with Presence will expire and student organizations will no longer be able to access any files stored in the platform.

Phase 3 water shutoff and maintenance

Residential Student Affairs senator Anni Chen spoke with RHA at the end of February to get clarity on Phase 3’s ongoing water outages and mildew maintenance practices. Housing said the water shutoffs are due to a valve replacement project happening in

Phases 1, 2 and 3 that’ll likely continue into the summer. Going forward, Housing plans on giving residents a 48-hour notice before shutting off their unit’s water so they can better prepare, as well as spreading out projects so residents won’t experience back-to-back outages. If students are experiencing intense water outage dilemmas, they can submit a work order for Housing to relocate them to a unit with proper amenities.

Has something felt odd about Student Union Green

these

couple

“Pianos are not meant to be outside, especially in Dallas,” Goodwin said. “As anybody has recently seen, we can have ice one day and then one-hundred-degree weather the next. All of that is not conducive to a sustainable, well-tuned piano.”

The piano

The piano’s damage doesn’t mean it’s doomed, however. It hasn’t been thrown out – instead, the SU is fixing the keys and tun-

director of the Student Wellness Center— said she hoped to continue updating the Wellness Center’s services to keep up with the times.

“We kind of have to relearn how to talk to each other,” Sebeneicher said. “And so we're hoping to take advantage of that and really harp in on consent and respect… we're trying to freshen that up a little bit, make it more exciting.”

UTD’s assault disclosure rate has historically been lower than average. Mark Perry, commander of UTD’s Criminal Investigative Division, said this could be due to the large population of international students who may fear consequences for reporting. However, the law has protections in place to prevent this. Upon request, the victim can fill

8

ing, as well as making other structural repairs, similar to the first time they took the piano offline at the start of the pandemic. The difference this time, though, is the SU doesn’t plan to put the piano back outside SU Green once it is in working order again.

“There are talks of a possible location inside the SU,” Goodwin said. “We have the long view in mind, and we’re trying to iden-

→ SEE PIANO, PAGE 8

Editor-in-Chief Tyler Burkhardt editor@utdmercury.com (972) 883-2294

Managing Editor Ben Nguyen managingeditor @utdmercury.com (972) 883-2287

Graphics Editor Alesandra Bell graphics@utdmercury.com

Photo Editor Anna Phengsakmueang photo@utdmercury.com

utdmercury.com or calling (972) 8832287 and a correction will be published in this space in a future issue.

From The Mercury Archives: March 7, 1994

Richardson, TX 75080-0688

Spring Break: Has the party gone too far?

Spring Break: what started as an annual week-long vacation from books, tests, papers and classrooms has become a tradition for the five million college students who flood sunbelt resorts including Daytona Beach, Florida, South Padre Island, Texas and Palm Springs, California. In the midst of the tanning, beach volleyball, and MTV telecasts, problems ranging from public intoxication and underage drinking, to rape and murder have begun to plague the early party. Various resorts responded to the problems in different ways, and the big beer producers, Miller and Anheuser-Busch, no longer sponsor Spring Break events.

The money from Spring Break tourism keeps many resorts encouraging and recruiting students to their towns for the vacation. According to an article in Adweek’s Marketing Weekly, Daytona Beach rakes in some $170 million during Spring Break, while South Padre Island takes in over $60 million. However, some resorts, tired of the violence, vandalism, drunkenness, and traffic problems have said enough is enough. Fort Lauderdale, Florida, once the number one spring break spot, cracked down on the all-night beach parties, alcohol, nudity, and general chaos, moving the vacationers up the coast to Daytona Beach. Palm Springs passed laws against nudity, public drinking, and cruising in cars to help control the flocks of college students that annually wreak havoc on the quiet resort town.

Daytona Beach should be the most popu-

lar Spring Break destination this year. Suzanne Heady of the Daytona Beach Chamber of Commerce said the city has planned a full schedule of activities for the month of March. Hheady said she does not expect many problems, except for violation of open container laws: the city does not permit open alcoholic beverages in public.

“Our goal is to keep the students busy,” said Heady.

Al Tolley, public information officer of the Daytona Beach Police Department, said, “What we have experienced since 1989 has been a [alcohol] consumption problem.”

He said violation of the open container law, public intoxication, underage drinking, and bumper-to-bumper traffic create most of the problems for the police.

Daytona Beach has a policy of “voluntary compliance,” which means that violators of alcoholic beverage laws have an opportunity to correct their behavior before police arrest the offender. According to Tolley, minor theft is also a problem, but Daytona has not experienced any violent person crimes such as armed robbery, rape, or assaults by students during Spring Break.

Closer to home, Galveston Island, Texas, followed Fort Lauderdale’s example and passed laws to help prevent problems; these include a ban against alcohol on the beach and boardwalk. There is good reason for these new laws, since two years ago, the small town turned deadly for two spring breakers; in March of 1992, two young men were shot during a minor riot on the beach. Such violence is unusual; Vic Maceo of the Galveston island Beach Patrol said that usually the

biggest problems of Spring Break were alcohol consumption by minors and fights. He said most of the problems were caused by high school kids, adding that Galveston receives more high school than college students. The town is not planning any major events,, preferring to tone down the spring break activity.

“For the city council, Spring Break is not a priority,” said Maceo. “We [the beach patrol] have run at full strength during Spring Break, but we’re just running a skeleton crew this year. We’re just not anticipating the crowds we’ve had in the past.”

The Dallas Morning News carried stories the last three years regarding problems of men sexually abusing women on South Padre Island. In 1991, five rapes were reported during the Spring Break period. Problems in 1992 and 1993 included accounts of drunken men forcibly surrounding, stripping, fondling, and videotaping women on the beach. The South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau said the resort expects 150,000 people over 30 days. To help cope with problems, South Padre will have a Drinking Awareness Program on the beach. Chief Sanders of the South Padre Police Department said that one of their biggest problems is public intoxication. According to Chief Ssanders, the police department will hire additional officers and call in reserve law enforcement to help patrol the beaches. The resort’s Spring Break events include live beach concerts, basketball and volleyball tournaments, and sponsored parties.

Port Aransas, Texas, one of the nearest beaches to UTD, expects 12,000 to 15,000 additional people every day, said

Carol Ann Anderson of the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce. The biggest percentage of these are college students, said Anderson, but the accommodations are being filled rapidly by families, as well. There are no planned activities, but the beaches will be open 24 hours a day. She expects their biggest problems to be long lines at restaurants and cleaning up afterwards. Robert Sherwood, Port Aransas Constable, said that over the last few years there has been a decrease in crime on the island during Spring Break. He attributes this to high visibility of police officers on the beach. Sherwood said the biggest problems are “alcohol consumption and public intoxication.”

Corpus Christi, just across the bay from Port Aransas and Mustang Island, also reports a decrease in public intoxication and public lewdness. The City meets with incoming students to explain local laws. In 1993, the seaside town attracted more than 200,000 students during Spring Break and this year expects even more. Chuck Bradley, communications specialist with the Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau, said, “We will not tolerate excessive bad behavior.” He said the city’s biggest problem is crowd control.

Overall, major problems at the resorts tend to be associated with alcohol consumption, with consumption by minors and public intoxication being the most common offenses. Tthe biggest concern seems to be public safety. The resorts welcome students, button at the expense of their residents’ peace of mind: if you can’t limit yourself to responsible, safe fun, they don’t want you causing problems. All in all, have a safe and happy Spring Break.

Damien D. “Doc” Freeze & Lori Bost Wise Contributors

Comet baseball off to historic start

Team opens the season with 10-game winning streak, sits at 12-1 heading into tough invitational

While the start of the MLB spring training remains in limbo due to the work stoppage, the 12-1 Comets Baseball squad is firing on all cylinders. Following ten straight wins to open the season, they’re focused on keeping their momentum through teamwork and a disciplined mindset.

The defending ASC champions and No. 16 ranked Comets capped off that win streak with an impressive sweep on the road against Hardin-Simmons ahead of a key weekend series victory against Concordia (which the Comets won, two games to one), as they set their eyes upon the upcoming Russmat Central Florida Invitational.

Despite coming off a conference championship and starting hot, the Comets aren’t getting complacent. Head Coach Shane Shewmake approaches each ballgame with a “target on our backs” and emphasizes to his team the importance of entering each game with a 0-0 mindset. During practice, Shewmake told his players to view each game as a new challenge and the successes of yesterday as having no bearing on the outcome of the present. This concept is what Shewmake has described as

UTD Rocket League team fighting for playoffs spot

Following their failure to directly qualify for league play in Collegiate Rocket League, the Comets are mounting a run through the College Carball Association Open tournaments to get a chance at making playoffs.

Coming in second place, narrowly missing top-eight, and finishing in fifth on March 6, the team has been consistently placing high in the CCA Opens so far. Following a roster change, there were noticeable struggles in the original league play qualifier, with UTD dropping 0-3 to the University of Utah after a difficult fivegame series against UTEP.

Key player and mechanical engineering junior Dalton “Dalton” Cardieu had to drop out due to league rules requiring players to play full time, negatively affected the team going into the spring season. Head coach and CS junior Kevin “Sporti” Vigil said that the team had some issues replacing Dalton’s balanced style with Frederick “R1val” Dehner’s more proactive play.

“Since we didn’t qualify for CRL this semester, there was a few roster changes, a few kinks we had to work out first,” Sporti said. “[Dalton] was a very integral player for our roster, very strong player… He did a lot to keep the team very balanced.”

R1val’s integration into the team meant rebuilding team chemistry for a roster that had previously played together for about two years, punching their way into playoffs as the underdogs each time. However, Sporti is confident that once R1val is comfortable in the team environment, the Comets will be a team to watch once again.

“We had to introduce [R1val], get him back into the team, get him into the team chemistry … it’s a lot of working on communication,” Sporti said. “Once we get that down- hey, we’ll be back.”

W.I.N. (What’s Important Now); instilling that mindset in every player has been a priority this season.

In the end, however, Shewmake has the confidence in his team to continue this run and drive closer to what he believes will be the biggest measure of success for this season: another ASC championship title.

The squad currently includes a large group of leaders who acknowledge the steps needed to retain their championship title and strive to consistently hold each other accountable. It is this team dynamic, Shewmake argues, that will help the Comets during their mid-March trip to Florida where they will play a number of ranked teams, many of whom made the NCAA regional last season.

The Comets’ offense has been one of the main drivers of this hot start. The bats have been flying, averaging roughly 12 hits and nine runs per game while leading the ASC in team batting average. This highly powered offense is what Coach believes will positively impact and influence the approach of the Comet bullpen.

“It’s huge, you know, especially for a pitcher when you go out there knowing your team is going to hit five, six, seven runs. It allows for you to relax a little bit and then to go pitch and

do the things you need to do on the defensive end,” Shewmake said.

The results speak for themselves: the Comets outscored their opponents 86-45 in their first ten games, and the pitching staff put up a total of 76 team strikeouts in that span.

Shortstop Keagan Vance has been the sparkplug for this Comets early on this season. In his second full season as a Comet, Vance has a batting average of .439 with three consecutive two-hit games and nine runs batted in through 12 games. On the defensive end, Vance has a fielding percentage of 93%, with limited errors. These stats have combined to help him win the ASC Hitter of the week on March 1.

Vance said the award meant “a lot,” acknowledging just how many great players are in the ASC. Moving forward, Vance hopes this award will enable him to remain positive and help the team maintain its momentum.

“He’s just been very consistent with his atbats and plays very good defense for us as our shortstop,” Shewmake said. “He’s not trying to do too much and stays within himself by just playing his game, and it’s showing.”

While playing shortstop is not for everybody, Vance accepts the challenge and continues to enjoy his role within the team.

“My favorite aspect of playing shortstop is that it is a demanding role and a spot you have to keep a clear focus on,” Vance said. “With this second year coming back, I’ve tried to do better on keeping that focus on a regular basis.”

Vance also attributed the team’s collective success as contributing to his at-bats and defensive performance, saying that his end goal is trying to help the team out in any way that he can.

“We’re really good at working as a group, picking each other up and having that next guy ready,” Vance said. “The goal we’ve set is to get back to that conference championship that we had last year, and then try to win that tournament at the end of the year with a regional win, maybe advance to the World Series.”

Both the Comet coaching staff and players didn’t put too much emphasis on the hot start or the impressive individual and collective statistics, instead highlighting the cohesive chemistry and continued development of all players.

“It only gets harder from here—it only gets harder to stay perfect. But that’s not really what our focus is set on. From the outside, it can get too big. People can say ‘oh let’s win 40 in a row,” Vance said. “But as long as we’re playing our game and making sure we do what we do, fighting as a team…we’ll be in a good place.”

OpTic hosts Optic Major 1 LAN for Call of Duty

After acquiring Esports Stadium Arlington, OpTic ramps up to providing unique in-person esports events

OpTic is the first esports team to run a LAN tournament out of their own stadium, so their home team winning CDL Optic Major 1 is a "W" in more ways than one.

Following their acquisition of Esports Stadium Arlington, OpTic Texas hosted the CDL Optic Major 1 with a sold-out arena as fans came to cheer on OpTic’s home team alongside the rest of the Call of Duty League.

When they acquired Esports Stadium Arlington, OpTic Texas became the first major esports team to own a venue for live events.

Previously, they had been renting the space from the city of Arlington, hosting the Battle for Texas for Dallas Fuel and the Kickoff Classic for the CDL in January; with the new acquisition, Optic Major 1 became the first event fully run and operated by the team. VP of Events and UTD alum Justin Rojas said that it was a necessity to pick up the stadium, a long-term investment for the organization in a world where esports teams are commonly unprofitable.

“Not only is it really satisfying the need to host our teams for our home matches, but [the acquisition] did create opportunities to work with different companies, with different publishers, with different events in

general to grow the knowledge base of our internal event staff,” Rojas said. “No one really has this. What we’re doing is brand-new for a lot of the industry. And so we’re using this space as a training ground for our team, as a developmental area for new types of esports events.”

The events team at OpTic has a large variety of experience, with Rojas himself coming from running events at Funimation, alongside other members such as director of ticketing Colby Carter, who has experience ticketing for the Dallas Stars and TCU, and ATEC sophomore Justin Tun, who provides another perspective on a team with more experience in traditional sports and events. This varied team brings all of its experience to bear when putting together esports LAN events like Major 1, tackling unique challenges not present in traditional sporting events.

“Whereas a lot of traditional sports, the physical aspect of the sport, anybody could play football. You don’t need the NFL to throw a ball in a field. For ‘Overwatch’ and ‘Call of Duty’, you do need Activision-Blizzard to let you play the game because that is their game. And so that is a challenge, but they’ve been great partners for us as well,” Rojas said.

One of those challenges comes from technical issues, which stretch beyond internet

connectivity. To borrow Rojas’ analogy, a football is not likely to glitch out of existence, nor a player to teleport ten yards down the field. In this Major alone, there have been multiple technical issues, from the game lobby closing and causing a round restart for LA Thieves vs. Toronto Ultra, to multiple technical time outs delaying the London Royal Ravens vs. Toronto Ultra match almost an hour. And the internet presents a different financial issue altogether.

“Esports requires a lot of internet. Seems like it’s not a huge deal, but when it comes to doing LAN events, the majority of traditional venues don’t have those similar capabilities that you would find in a residential home. Like, they don’t have fiber in every space, or if they do, they might have a certain company that controls it that’s going to charge you $100,000 for your one GB line for a weekend,” Rojas said. “That’s a huge challenge that literally makes events impossible for people. So what are you gonna do? You can’t play esports without some form of internet nowadays… very few games can even be played offline anymore.”

Another aspect that makes Major 1 unique is the integration of the events sponsors and marketing. Sponsors Mountain Dew, Aimlabs and Scuf are all integrated to some degree inside the venue so as to be easily acces-

sible when the ads roll in between games. A Mountain Dew “Spark Zone” provides front row seats on a first-come-first-serve basis, with free Mountain Dew to drink throughout the whole event (it is more easily accessible than water). Scuf controllers not only have a stand where attendees can chat with representatives, but are connected to every free play computer in the lobby, meaning that players can test out the Scuf controllers in “Call of Duty” to see how they like it.

Those details are a result of planning from the events team in the short time before the event began.

“We’re legitimately just making that up as we go along…we wish we had six months, we wish we had a year to plan like a lot of traditional events, but we don’t,” Rojas said. “You got to think quickly, you got to innovate and you’ve got to utilize the resources you have.”

Regardless of OpTic Texas’ actual performance in the Major, its parent company has found success with the event as a whole, selling out the stadium and providing DFW with a unique, in-person esports experience.

That achievement was made not just by the players, but the staff and planners behind the scenes, and Rojas made clear that the esports

Zaid Haq Mercury Staff

BEN NGUYEN Managing Editor

BEN NGUYEN Managing Editor JUSTIN ROJAS

ANNA PHENGSAKMUEANG | PHOTO EDITOR

Looking to defend their championship title, the Comets are the top offense in their conference, averaging 12 hits and nine runs a game through their first 10 games. A key part of that offense has been sophomore shortstop Keagan Vance (left, center), whose performance on field and at the dish earned him ASC Hitter of the Week accolades on March 1.

March 2

SG hosted an event in the Student Union to showcase art submitted for the Blank Space Project and announce the most popular submissions.

"So, the skater girl, I found a reference from Wang Dada, he’s a great concept artist and I saw this character who has so much depth to her. Like you had no idea what was going on with her – she had a sword in her belt, she has a teddy bear. I was really inspired by that and wanted to bring it to life."

- Megan Stewart '23

"I’ve always liked vintage cameras. It’s kind of like a forgotten medium. I used an old photo that I found on Google [for a reference.] So, I kind of just cut out pieces of the clay and used something that you use to make sure all the pieces connect together. You can actually move some of the pieces on this."

- Stephanie Hoang '22

Mudleaf Coffee

Enormous café with outstanding coffee, delicious lunch offerings makes for a great occasional study-session treat

BEN NGUYEN Managing Editor

Across the street from a post office in Plano, there’s Mudleaf Coffee, a spacious coffee shop that just might be the next place for you to get your fix.

Located on the intersection of Parker and Independence, Mudleaf stands out for how big it is on the inside. It feels like there’s enough space inside to fit two coffee shops…or one and a half UTD Starbucks. Every kind of seating is available, and like Communion Coffee, it’s another “coffee shop with a merch store” setup. While it has more expensive coffee across the board than your average shop, the space is almost enough to make up for it.

Mudleaf’s space has just about everything you might ask for.

There’s enough room to fit a work group of four or five people together in one spot, and with hassle-free, no-signup-required wifi with 200 Mbps down and 22 Mbps up, there’s no worries about the connection. Even if you somehow need more space to work in, there’s a dedicated space called the “Mudroom” that’s available for reservation with a 14 foot long table and room aplenty. Fairly loud background music and a filled shop means that it’s perfect for those that like the ambient noise of conversation; for those in search for some peace and quiet, a smaller shop may serve your purpose better.

The coffee is begrudgingly good. Mudleaf charges 50 to 75 cents more than your average shop across the board, but the coffee is arguably good enough to warrant it. They rotate just enough of a variety of

it’s worth the higher price is debatable for some, but if you’re willing to put in a few more cents for a clear increase in quality, then it might just be your cup of tea. Or coffee, rather—though they do have tea drinks as well!

The food is deceptively good, and the seven-dollar chip and sandwich combos are actually quite filling despite their size. The ham and cheese croissant sandwich with Dijon honey mustard was not too sweet and not too savory, with a good balance of flavors. More importantly, it filled my stomach despite seeming small at a first glance. However, at about $14, I personally wouldn’t go out of my way to get the whole package of an iced latte and a sandwich combo. Maybe just the coffee, or just a sandwich, but unless you’re working with a group for extended period of time here, I’d pick one of two.

Retrograde reads: P. Djèlí

Clark's novel 'Ring shout'

Lovecraft, cursed swords and white supremacy tell a chilling tale of post-war American South

With a captivating cast and thrilling action, P. Djèlí Clark’s “Ring Shout” — alternately titled “Hunting Ku Kluxes in the End Times” — imagines the post-war American South as a place less haunted by its violent history and more actively brought to life. White mobs celebrate 1922’s re-release of “Birth of a Nation,” bootleggers stow whiskey in thick cotton bales and Black women hunt monsters.

That’s right, monsters: “Ring Shout” hosts some of the most skin-crawling descriptions of body horror this reviewer has had the displeasure of imagining, as the release of the Ku Klux Klan’s infamous “Birth of a Nation” summoned up beings from another world to feast on human hatred. The story kicks off in the middle of a KKK march, with three snipers checking it over for monsters walking among men. This is where we first meet the novella’s main trio.

All of them come together to fight the supernatural, delivering witty banter alongside a scathing criticism of white supremacy. Perhaps Clark is drawing an intentional parallel to the way Black women have historically led the fight for civil rights, from Rosa Parks and Marsha P. Johnson to modern pioneers like Tarana Burke.

flavor options to keep people interested, and the “Wedding” syrup combination of almond and vanilla is a great standard flavor to keep people coming back. Whether

Mudleaf Coffee is a good, higherend option for coffee and sandwiches. Its highest points are the spacious location and quality wifi, but as a single student trying to hunker down and get work done, it can be a bit pricey for regular visits. All in all, the coffee is definitely good enough for me to come back to for my every-once-in-a-while fix.

Maryse Boudreaux, a folktale-inspired heroine wielding a cursed sword and a vendetta against the Ku Kluxes for killing her family, narrates the main story. That alone is a compelling lead for any tale, but every one of Clark’s characters breathes life into the story’s setting. Maryse meets Sadie and Cordelia in a community of Klux-hunters living in Macon, each of which could star in a spin-off series. Cordelia Lawrence, going by “Chef”, is freshly returned from World War I, having fought with the Harlem Hellraisers disguised as a man; Sadie is a staunch conspiracy theorist, a great source of comedic relief and humanity in a story this dark.

Historic events play a large role in the narrative. Clark’s background as a historian and academic shines through his writing, which deftly weaves elements of African and American Southern folklore and events into a cohesive narrative. Inspiration for different facets of the story comes from a variety of sources. The Ku Kluxes are Lovecraftian, coming from a dark world parallel to this reality and feeding off of human hatred to grow more powerful. The matriarch of Macon’s KKK-hunting found family is a Gullah woman, using ring shouts — a spiritual dance form that blends Central and West African tradition with Christian prayers — to ward off the monsters.

I will admit: I was initially worried about this characterization of Klansmen as otherworldly monsters. “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” while a tremendous movie for fans of terrible movies, strikes the wrong note in scapegoating vampires for all-toohuman slaveholders’ crimes.

Clark makes it clear from the start, however, that these beings came as a result of human activity, and that the ultimate blame for racism, violence and the horrific acts of the Confederacy rests squarely on our shoulders.

Fans of “Lovecraft Country,” “American

TATWIK BODEPUDI | MERCURY STAFF

|

PHOTO EDITOR "The Bone Throne"

ADITI MUNGALE COURTESY

Congratulations to Stephanie Hoang and Megan Stewart, whose pieces won the 3D and both the Traditional and Digital categories, respectively. Mudleaf stands out for how big it is

there's enough room for a group of four or five people to fit in one spot, with additional group space in the "Mudroom."

While the coffee at Mudleaf is a bit more expensive than your average shop, the coffee warrants it. Their unique "Wedding" flavoring is particularly good.

ANNA PENGSAKMUEANG| PHOTO EDITOR

Clark's action-packed novel features a trio of monster-hunting Black women seeking to save humanity from the eldritch horror of the KKK in the post-war American South.

ANNA PENGSAKMUEANG| PHOTO EDITOR

'Don't Look Up,' Comets!

Satirical film with star-studded cast deconstructs political paradigm, human indifference to an impending apocalypse

National Women's History Month

predictions come true as he

With the Academy Awards coming up on March 27, one film in particular is worth revisiting: “Don’t Look Up,” which was nominated for four Oscars, including best picture.

When Virgil wrote the “Aeneid,” he did not establish a case-by-case argument for why the Romans were superior to the Greeks. Instead, he created an artful parallel narrative that led the reader to that conclusion themselves. The film “Don’t Look Up” uses narrative to convince viewers of its themes with a similar artifice.

It is well known that rational argument is rarely an effective way to convince someone, especially in a culture as polarized and shifty as modern-day America. Those presented with evidence contrary to their worldview may ignore it because of confir-

mation bias, or, paradoxically, their original view may become even stronger through what is known as the “Backfire Effect.” This is why a narrative like “Don’t Look Up” is such a powerful tool of persuasion: its characters are relatable enough for the audience to understand, but unique enough to give viewers a different perspective. As a result, the audience feels that they have accomplished something by the end of the story, even when they have really been hand-fed information. “Don’t Look Up” accomplishes this so well due to strong character arcs, an impending sense of mortal dread and the use of satirical perspective.

“Don’t Look Up” follows two astronomers: Professor Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his student and Ph.D. candidate Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence). Mindy and Dibiasky discover that an enormous comet is dead set on hitting earth—

and yet, no one seems to care.. Dibiasky relates to the world’s willing ignorance in the way any viewer would—she loses her temper. The public construes this as a sign of her being “crazy,” even though extreme emotion is a rational response to such an irrational situation.

We see a similar trend in the political polarization of today. A common trope pushed by people of many political persuasions is the idea of a liberal or millennial “snowflake”—a hypersensitive, perpetually angry person who is unwilling to actually fight for their beliefs. While a caricature of human behavior, there is a kernel of truth in Dibiasky’s and Mindy’s emotional outbursts. “Don’t Look Up” portrays the snowflake trope from the inside—all Dibiasky and Mindy’s efforts turn to vain as their understandably escalating panic goes unnoticed. Suddenly, the other side’s “overreaction” becomes less of an enigma.

difficult to sit through the entirety of “Don’t Look Up” precisely because of how effective its narrative is. The mounting tension and absurdity, even in a satirical light, genuinely shook me; I was disturbed by America’s dogged ignorance despite a clear existential threat to humanity. Throughout the nearly two and half hour run time and the rest of the night, my heart was pounding, and I felt a palpable sense of dread. We’ve seen this same science denial a million times. Measles is making a comeback for the first time in decades because parents refuse to inoculate their children against all evidence. Hundreds of thousands of people have died from COVID-19, many of whom likely could have survived save a distaste for a certain small strip of cloth. And, finally, though climate change is already having deadly impacts on the world, the American government is content to allow top polluting industries and inefficient urban planning to spew emissions into the air.

National Women’s History Month is a time for the people of the United States to recognize and honor women’s many accomplishments, at present and throughout history. So, The Mercury reached out to some of the dynamic leaders on campus to see what student organizations are doing to empower women.

The American Medical Women’s Association is one of the most prominent organizations for women at UTD, having become one of the largest and most active organizations on campus in just two years. President Afaf Nabeeha, a healthcare leadership & management senior, and her Vice President Ashwini Bhat, a neuroscience senior, used this annual observance to highlight women in a series of “Tuesday Takeover Talks” online, host a bake sale on March 23 and participate in volunteer events supporting Girl Inc., a nonprofit for Dallas women in need.

Dibiasky and Mindy contemplate the fate of humanity while driving. As disaster nears, the duo seem to be the only ones concerned for the wellbeing of Earth.

The narrative power of “Don’t Look Up” is aided by its strong, believable character arcs. As I mentioned earlier, these arcs are designed to play with the viewer’s emotions, and the contrast between the two protagonists ensures that their story appeals to a variety of personalities. While at the beginning Dibiasky comes across as quite confident and media competent, her temper quickly leads to instability. She continues to lash out in frustration, ending up shunned, helpless and hopeless. On the other hand, the audience’s first impression of Mindy, blubbering as he chokes down a Xanax for his crippling anxiety, is that he is socially awkward. However, with the excitement of fame and a new romantic affair, Mindy sells out and gains a great deal of confidence. This leads to his own breakdown as he loses his family and realizes just how vapid his new life is. If I’m being honest, I found it extremely

The rhetoric of “Don’t Look Up” is so incredibly effective because, once you realize its meaning, you are stunned by the magnitude of the issues facing our nation: it’s no wonder the film is so critically acclaimed. The clear message of “Don’t Look Up” is that that palpable dread is exactly how you should feel every second of the day, knowing it is our nature to ignorantly march our way toward destruction. And there is seemingly nothing we can do to stop it. Dibiasky puts this idea perfectly in one of her public outbursts, reminding us that, yes, we should be scared.

“Well, maybe the destruction of the entire planet isn’t supposed to be fun,” she says. “Maybe, it’s supposed to be terrifying and unsettling, and you should stay up all night every night crying when we’re all one hundred percent for sure gonna fucking die!”

Profiling Eating Disorder Awareness Week

Schultz: eating disorders are 'the second leading cause of death in the mental health field. Opioids are number one.'

Copy Editor

UTD’s Student Wellness Center partnered with on-campus and national organizations to host National Eating Disorder Awareness Week at the end of February, reminding Comets that their wellbeing is not dictated by their weight. The Wellness Center kicked off their in-person events with “Mirrors on the Mall”, which—although moved inside by the weather—saw students writing body-positive messages on their reflections. “Body Positive Yoga” continued the cheer on Wednesday, looking to provide a judgement-free zone for students to relax and meditate at the SSA Gaming Wall.

Thursday brought in the SWC’s national collaborators via a Teams panel where experts from the Eating Recovery Center spoke on body image, how to spot signs of disordered eating and how to encourage struggling loved ones to seek out help and go through recovery.

At Friday’s closing party, students were invited to Rec Center West to play games, make s’mores and cathartically smash a piñata that guests had filled with negative thoughts about their own self-image.

Psychology sophomore Anisha Holla and biomedical engineering senior Ananya Kumaresh were present at many of the week’s events as SWC Peer Health Educators, responsible for reaching out

to fellow students and boosting health awareness through programs like NEDA Week.

“From the time that I’ve been here, it’s been really fun getting to hold these events and…combine fun things like s’mores with awareness for eating disorders, and stuff like that,” Holla said.

Both of them spoke highly of the resources available to students through organizations like the Wellness Center. Additionally, campus partners like the Student Counseling Center and the Center for Students in Recovery provide crucial support to Comets throughout the year.

“The Center for Students in Recovery—which is also one of the partners for this event—they have ‘Nourish,’ an eating disorder support group,” said Kumaresh. “[They’re] facilitating that peer-to-peer interaction, you know, helping peers feel supported… as they work through and they’re going through recovery.”

With college an especially risky time for developing disordered eating—20% to 67% of U.S. students in the U.S. experience subthreshold ED symptoms—supportive programming is key. Student Wellness Center dietician

Daniel Schultz works directly with students, as well as on campus-wide programming like NEDA Week, to promote healthy habits and provide

support.

“People find it hard to discuss these type of things going around in the world, and this happens to everyone and anyone,” Schultz said. “The goal of the Student Wellness Center is just to bring light to that… to share knowledge without a judgmental focus, without spreading false information.”

Schultz pointed out some myths that needed busting in the public conversation around eating disorders. They don’t just affect women, for example: research shows they’re an increasing problem for college-age men, as well. Furthermore, EDs can come in all shapes and sizes—it’s not “one size fits all” in the disorder field.

“A lot of the students I see…are what

They hope to have all of these events funnel into a banquet on April 11 meant to highlight the success of women, which will be open to all UTD students and organizations. This invitation could mark the first official gathering for all on-campus women organizations, which Bhat said would be a monumental step in campus history that perfectly encapsulates the spirit of National Women’s History Month.

“[We want to create] a space where you will not be ignored, you will not be alone, we will always have interactive opportunities and events to make friends and build this community,” Nabeeha said.

Another organization, Women in Technology & Business, aims to prepare women of all colors and identities for success in the maledominated industries of technology and business. Their Vice President Bianca Chandwani, an ITS major, described the organization as an encouraging community. Now, WITB plans to expand on this relationship by hosting an open panel highlighting the success of women in internships and other opportunities on March 9.

“Different board members in different industries [will be] talking about their experiences, what made them successful and what they prepared for to be successful or what they struggled with,” Chandwani said.

you’d say are ‘type A’ perfectionists,” he said. “I really try to tell them, ‘hey, we're all human’. Go easy. Take your time. Not everything is going to be peaches and cream all the time. Just take breaths, I think that's the biggest thing, take breaths.”

The SWC, housed in SSA 14.270, may refer students to the SWC for specific information and assistance on disordered eating, among other resources.

“We have all sorts of resources—we're very welcoming! We have a big open space, and we love when students come in and just can chill and hang out. We have puzzles, we have a big TV for them

These two major organizations are leading women’s empowerment across campus, but they are far from the only ones. There are dozens of other unique and exceptional clubs, sororities and other organizations striving to empower and provide support to women, and they can easily be found online. Additionally, UTD regularly provides programs and talks across campus with the help of the Galerstein Gender Center, Institutional Diversity Initiatives and other organizations, both online and in-person. In the past, our campus has provided watch parties, training and safe zones – returning this month – to welcome women and give a sense of community.

As we celebrate the history of women this month, it shouldn’t take away from the women making history today and working for a stronger tomorrow in our campus body. Every day, women are advancing in their field and changing the world—and a lot of those women will start right here at UTD. Chandwani expressed this sentiment best.

“If you’re feeling disempowered with anything going on, there will always be women to support you,” she said.

NETFLIX | COURTESY

Mindy's

witnesses the comet heading closer to civilization. DiCaprio plays one of the scientists attempting to warn others about Earth's demise.

NETFLIX | COURTESY

JACK SIERPUTOWSKI Mercury Staff

Student organizations, UTD programs plan to host events, Q&As to celebrate and empower next generation of leaders

MARGARET MOORE

DANIELLE BELL | MERCURY STAFF

Lights, Camera, Play!

ANDRE AVERION

Mercury Staff

With Netflix announcing plans for a “Bioshock” feature film, I decided to revisit the legendary game series to remind myself of its industry-changing influence. And let me tell you — it’s worth getting into before the film releases.

Netflix is promising to reimagine “Bioshock” as a feature film exploring the iconic seafloor city of Rapture, capturing its story of political upheaval and addiction to superpower-giving drugs which turn neighbor against neighbor within claustrophobic metal corridors. I could not be more excited. Anyone who played the first two games – from which the film will be taking inspiration–can remember their immersive and unique environments, ever-quotable dialogue and impeccable plot that few other games can surpass to this day. The first “Bioshock” set the bar for every game after it, and now Netflix, a streaming giant with experience in video game adaptations, can use the title to shake the streaming world. Two of the biggest points that will immediately interest players, and hopefully be reflected in the film, are the engaging environment and the lasting narrative.

Robby Patty best Batty

'The Batman' provides a refreshing take on Wayne, more accurate to the comic hero

One of the elements I’m most excited to see reimagined in live-action is the city of Rapture. “There Are No Gods or Kings, Only Man” in this physical reflection of a scientific revolution corrupted to ruin by greed and self-serving agendas, a setting as relevant now as ever. The game’s artwork and design of the city and its inhabitants so well encapsulated the still-popular 1960s idea of American exceptionalism that it was acknowledged by the Smithsonian Institution, where the game art was put on exhibit in 2011. To this day, I can still remember when I was first introduced to the jaw-dropping scope of its exterior, and I’m still entranced by the memorable layout and details. I know I’m not the only one, either: that trademark “Bioshock” design and music are still replicated in fan-made merchandise to this day, despite the game having been released 15 years ago. However, it wasn’t just the setting that sold 2.2 million copies within its first year. Just as important was its universally-acclaimed plot.

“Bioshock” was the first game that made me question my morals, and subsequently was the first one to also drop my jaw more than once at each new narrative development. The plot of the initial “Bioshock” sent shockwaves across the gaming industry, as it was the very first video game to break into mainstream

SEE BIOSHOCK, PAGE 8

MIA NGUYEN Life and Arts Editor

While some Batman fans were left unsatisfied after viewing an angsty Robert Pattinson clad in a trenchcoat and greasy bangs, I left the theatre with the soundtrack, clang of armor and roar of Gotham nightlife echoing in my ears. Despite some peoples’ distaste for Pattinson, I believe he gave one of the best performances in the long history of the caped crusader.

There have been many renditions of Gotham’s masked vigilante, but very few left me satisfied with the comic-to-screen adaptation. It is hard to take older versions seriously, and Ben Affleck was unlikable and pushed the “rich douchebag” troupe too far. Christian Bale, on the other hand, was the perfect combination of billionaire playboy and angsty orphan. Entering with a strong adoration for Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies and a lasting hatred for Affleck, I’ll admit I was initially unsure that Matt Reeves’ new adaptation would live up to my expectations.

Right from the get-go, it is clear that this film is a lot darker than the others. It takes strong aesthetic cues from film noir with its gloomy lighting, impeccable narration from Pattinson and rampant, realistic crimes. While this Batman lacks the charming, seductive persona that Bale had (and that Affleck attempted), his performance matches the film’s intense, dangerous atmosphere. Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne was awkward and a bit of a prick, and it was fantastic because it was so different from what we have seen from Batman before. Best of all, this rendition focuses on the mystery and deep web of crime in Gotham, finally letting Batman be the “world’s greatest detective” that the original comics intended. We see an intellectual side of the hero, unlike many action films that simply revolve around brute force.

So, while Bale played an immaculate Bruce Wayne, Pattinson is a better Batman. He was so expressive in everything he did, from scanning a crime scene for clues to his hand-to-hand combat with Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz). Some viewers saw that emotion as a weakness, but I thought Pattinson brought a new level of sensitivity and anger to Batman, at points making the viewer question if he was a hero or just a broken man with

'Nimona' illustrates villanous morals in heartwarming color

“Nimona” by ND Stevenson is a quirky comic book whose main characters are the villains, set inside a futuristic medieval world where magic and science coexist. Interestingly enough, Stevenson started “Nimona” as a webcomic, and it later became their senior thesis.

“Nimona" centers around a devious shapeshifter named Nimona and surprisingly moral villain Lord Ballister Blackheart. This odd

pair sets off on a series of mischievous missions where, alongside Nimona and Blackheart, the reader begins to slowly unravel two things: one, that the real villains may be the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics overseeing their kingdom and manufacturing war weapons; two, that Nimona's backstory is as dubious as her powers.

Yet, while this is an adventure comic in many ways, the thing that makes it stands out in its genre is the slow trust and love the two main characters develop for each other. Through this relationship, Stevenson conveys the core message of the book: there is power in having someone that cares for you, despite one's past struggles and emotional hangups.

Now, this comic isn't just sentimentality and high-stakes missions. It is also extremely funny and filled with situational humor. For instance, at the very beginning of the series, Nimona breaks into Blackheart's lab and introduces herself by saying that the agency sent her as his new sidekick in order to help his image and appeal to “today's youth”. However, after further questioning, she quickly admits she just broke in. Another example comes towards the middle of the series, where we get a rare slow scene of Nimona and Blackheart playing a medieval version of Monopoly. Upon losing, Nimona burns the board by morphing her head into that of a dragon; in the next panel she deadpans how

a questionable moral compass. This duality was refreshing: it made me see an iconic character in a completely different light, showing that our heroes should not be 100% idolized.

I already knew Robert Pattinson’s acting range went beyond “sparkling vampire”, but watching him act like a vengeful god, every action laced with bitterness, was goosebumpinducing. His glare was far different than his Edward Cullen smolder, showing the viewers he is straying far from the “heartthrob” roles that I feared he would be typecast in. Instead, getting to watch him portray Batman deftly solving a series of intricate clues was anxietyinducing in the best way possible.

Pattinson and Paul Dano’s Riddler also had the best interactions between a hero and villain that I’ve seen in a long time. Better still, while Dano was completely unhinged and amazingly frightening to watch as the Riddler, the film also introduces our new Joker briefly and

vaguely, which had me almost leaping out of my seat because the actor choice (spoiler alert) is amazing. I cannot fathom waiting a couple of years to see Pattinson’s Batman square off against the next Joker.

I urge you to watch this film to see where Pattinson falls in your Batman tier list. Before doing so, push away all previous notions of the actor if you only know him as a hot vampire. He brings a unique performance while sharing chemistry with a cast full of equally amazing stars. This is just the beginning for our new Caped Crusader, as Pattinson plays a Batman just beginning to test his wings in his second year of vigilante work, leaving plenty of room for his journey across the next few installments. This is one of the few superhero films that show clear character development, and I cannot wait to see more of Pattinson and how he develops not just the character of Batman, but of Bruce Wayne himself.

“that was fun.”

Another element that adds to this comic’s whimsical nature is its art style. Instead of it being hyperrealistic and proportional, its line work is thin, sketchy and loose. This makes for some very fun and dramatic poses for when there is a fight scene and adds humor to otherwise-static scenes. Lastly, its color palette

does a good job of being light and faint-looking when it needs to be in order to convey an easygoing scene or dark and impactful when it needs to convey an action or seriousness.

A joy to read, “Nimona” is a story that combines a fun art style with narrative ele-

SIHANYA

CASEY RUBIO| MERCURY STAFF

WARNER BROS. PICTURES | COURTESY

'Bioshock' film will leave both dedicated fans and new audiences en-Rapture-d

Batman and Catwoman discuss the issues with Gotham City. Pattinson and Kravitz perfectly display the complicated relationship between those connected by trauma.

CHARLIE CHANG MERCURY STAFF

out a pseudonym form, removing their name from all public records.

In the case of family or dating violence, the police can file charges on the victim’s behalf. Waiting to disclose can jeopardize physical evidence, which is important for pressing charges. Perry encouraged anyone who knows of an assault to speak up.

“I’ll use the FBI’s motto,” Perry said. “If they see something, say something, or if they hear something, say something.”

The Mercury conducted an anonymous survey to poll students, faculty, and staff on their knowledge

tify the best place for students to enjoy the piano without us having to take it offline for extended periods of time. So, somewhere indoors def-

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field is open to anyone that can ap-

RINGSHOUT

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Gods” or that one “Supernatural” episode about tulpas may find this familiar territory—it is human hatred that gives the Ku Kluxes power. Clark does not shy away from questioning the Black main characters’ responsibility in fighting them,

AWARENESS

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to play games or watch movies on...we have coloring books,”

Schultz said. “We'll have a very open space and non-judgmental space. We hand out condoms for students because sexual education

BIOSHOCK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

media on the strength of the medium as narrative art, rather than because of controversy (e.g. “Doom” and “Mortal Kombat”) or sheer sales numbers (e.g. “Tetris” and “Mario”).

NIMONA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

of sexual assault resources. While many respondents knew how to access support resources, others were unfamiliar. Out of 46 respondents, many said they were uncomfortable at the thought of reporting an assault and dissatisfied with the current system. While 15% of respondents were aware of available support resources, almost 35% were “barely” or not at all aware of resources. Only 6% of respondents reported being very comfortable at the thought of reporting an assault. Respondents also voiced their dissatisfaction with the current system through text responses.

“Appeals to academic policy… shouldn’t require survivors to recount their experience to multiple individu-

initely seems like the route to go.”

Ideally, an indoor location for the piano would be one where heavy student traffic and the sound system in the lower level of the SU don’t compete with students playing mu-

ply their skills to the space.

“I think it’s a really good point to iterate that esports and working in

either. After all, as a character poignantly asks, “What we owe this world that so despises and brutalizes us? Why lift a hand to save it when it ain’t never done a damn thing to save us?”

Still, lift a hand they do, in one of the novella’s highlights: epic fight scenes. The adrenaline and power

is a huge thing for us to promote here on campus as well.”

Despite the high attendance at NEDA Week’s Friday event, however, asking students in attendance about their thoughts on the subject resulted in more than a few blank stares and questions. Many Comets, while

The illusion of individual control and its RPG aspect were crafted so exceptionally well that several games have tried replicating since. After “Bioshock”, a plethora of games began implementing the combined shooter-RPG model;

als who have no background in trauma-informed advising or care,” one respondent said. “There needs to be required training for all staff and faculty on these issues from real experts.”

During office hours, the Student Health Center provides examinations free of charge to any student, faculty, or staff member who has been sexually assaulted, with the choice of whether to report to law enforcement.

Lea Aubrey, director of the Student Health Center, explained how UTD provides this service in coordination with an organization known as Turning Point. During office hours, Turning Point will send a sexual assault nurse examiner to examine anyone who makes an appointment or walks

sic. Goodwin said spots that might work could be the Comet Café seating area on the second floor of the SU or the Galaxy Hallway, a more removed space also on the second floor even further away from the

esports is not necessarily just being a player. In fact, it’s probably more not being a player than anything,”

throughout them are clear, keeping you on the edge of your seat and onto the next page well into the night. I actually ended up powering through this in one sitting, temporarily transported away from mid-semester stress and enthralled by Maryse’s determination to protect her newfound family and avenge her old one. This would

excited about the chance to socialize and receive free food, said they were unaware of either the event’s purpose or the Center’s involvement.

“Before I started working for the Student Wellness Center, I will say I didn’t know about a lot of these resources,” Holla said.

“Fallout” (which didn’t become an AAA shooter until after the success of “Bioshock”), “Borderlands” and “Destiny” all are a few examples of games that took cues from what “Bioshock” did right. And while there’s no promise that the “Bio-

in. At the Health Center, the victim is then free to tell their story in a familiar environment—Aubrey said she wanted to avoid survivors “having to tell their stories multiple times.” Outside of office hours, Turning Point’s hotline is available. At every visit, an advocate is present to walk the victim through the examination.

“We promote it,” Aubrey said, “definitely not to scare or frighten anybody away but just to let them know—this is a resource that is not readily available on all college campuses, and so, we are happy that we’re able to provide a service that will be helpful not only to our students, but also to our faculty and staff should they be a victim of assault.”

lower-level sound system. Ultimately, Goodwin said the SU will likely employ some trial and error, rotating the piano when it’s back in working condition through a select few locations – which students can

Rojas said. “Even our CFO [didn’t] go to school for esports. He went to school for finance and investment.

make an amazing movie, if not a longer-running series, with its striking visuals and electrifying fight scenes that could give Marvel a run for its money.

Despite those pulse points of action, however, the novella does drag a little in its exposition. Time spent on exploring this world’s magic system, the history that backs the rise of the Ku

“I feel like there does need to be some more outreach from these departments…as a student, I didn’t know that before.”

Even so, the Center remains committed to helping as many students as possible. “If we can help one student

shock” film will follow the game’s plot, Netflix will surely find a way to excite audiences with a new and expertly-crafted plot as it did with “Arcane” and “Castlevania.”

All in all, Netflix has the rights to a highly influential game, known

action or seriousness. A joy to read, “Nimona” is a story that combines a fun art style with narrative elements of action and learning to care about and trust other people again. So, if you're looking

pitch to Goodwin – before solidifying a spot.

“In the meantime, there’s a piano in The Pub that students can play,” Goodwin said. “We’re experiencing

And now he’s our CFO and controls all of our dollars…that’s how you get into esports. When people say, how

Kluxes and fleshing out details of the setting but aren’t quite revisited take up precious space in a story this abbreviated; the length of a novella doesn’t allow for much explaining. Even with those longer moments, however, it stays exciting, returning to the action well before you’re lost in the lecture.

Hence my excitement at seeing

maybe reach out to me, or reach out to another health professional, to seek help with disordered eating or a body image issue, I think that I think that would be the main goal,” Schultz said. “I hope that that's what this week provides with all the programming we're

for its environment and plot that fans have been craving for a decade.

“Bioshock”- whether it remains just as the planned feature film, or if it gets “The Witcher” treatment of an expanded universe- will be impactful and excite audiences from all

for a story that is both fun and sentimental with a medieval backdrop

some delays and we don’t have an estimate as to when this piano will be back, but one of our top priorities is providing an outlet for the arts – so, rest assured, it will be back.”

do I get into it? It's like, well, do a good job doing something, and then bring it in.”

Netflix announce it for series development (starring Kiki Lane of “The Old Guard”): perhaps that will give more space for the exposition to relax and Clark’s brilliant characters, insightful history and thrilling action to shine.

An e-book edition of “Ring Shout” is available for loan through the Eugene McDermott Library.

doing…even if it can help one person, I think that's fabulous.” March is National Nutrition Month. Upcoming SWC events can be found on the Comet Calendar or their website, where students can also schedule one-onone dietician consultations.

corners of the world. Maybe we’ll see the currently-in-development fourth installment of the game release alongside the anticipated feature film but until then, I’ll be kindly reliving the past titles’ excitement until the film’s release.

and fantastical aesthetic, this is the graphic novel for you.