Yearly Archives: 2022

School Life

Different types of college degrees

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By: Salman Said

College degrees, or undergraduate/graduate degrees, come in many different forms. You can obtain many different degrees from different institutions locally, and out of state. Each degree provides a special value and depending on what field you choose, a degree may be very important. 

When people hear the words “college degree” they think of an undergraduate degree, specifically a Bachelor’s Degree. A Bachelor’s Degree is a 4-year undergraduate degree that introduces you to your major and career. This is usually the entry-point degree for most fields, and many jobs require one.

A Bachelor’s Degree requires, roughly, 120 credits and consists of 40 classes. Most of these classes are general classes or liberal arts classes. These classes are prerequisites for the degree and designed to cultivate an “all-around” student. There are many different types of Bachelor’s Degrees, some of the most popular are: Bachelor of Art (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). These degrees are broad and include a wide variety of jobs and fields. 

Master’s Degrees are a little different. These degrees are much harder to obtain than a Bachelor’s and you generally need a Bachelor’s degree in order to obtain a Master’s. Master’s Degrees are more field-specific and have unique requirements in obtaining a Master’s. Master’s programs blend fieldwork, project, research, etc. Many go back to school for their Master’s in order to make more money, get better jobs, or are required to have one in their specific field. Master’s programs typically last 2 years but can be completed in 12 months. Popular Master’s Degrees are: Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Education (M.Ed.), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Master of Law (LL.M.), Master of Public Administration (MPA), and Master of Science (MS). 

Doctoral Degrees are the highest level of formal education available, and require the most extensive coursework, comprehensive exams, and in-depth research requirements. This degree is the postliminary to the Master’s and generally takes 2 to 10 years to complete. Some take longer than others due to the nature of the research and completion of the dissertation. Many institutions require a Ph.D. to teach at higher education institutions and Ph.D.’s generally make the most money out of all the degrees. Popular Doctorate Degrees are: Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS), Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Doctor of Medicine (MD), and Juris Doctor (JD) (doctor of law). 

There are many more degrees like an Associates Degree, Professional Degree, etc. These degrees vary prerequisites and time and each degree has specific values. Depending on the field you’re pursuing, learning and getting familiar with each degree and field requirement is important.

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘A Madea Homecoming’

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By: Samera Adam

‘A Madea Homecoming’ is a 2022 comedy film produced by Tyler Perry, who also plays the role of the main character.

The movie starts off with a barbecue that takes place in Atlanta Georgia. Mr. Brown is in charge on the grill where he is seen putting a lot of gasoline in. After being warned, he then accidentally sets himself on fire.

While the majority of the backyard was on fire, everybody else was too busy preparing for Tim’s graduation.

Madea, the main character, is done putting up with the family drama and nonsense and now speaks up. She will not let the family members ruin her great grandson’s grad party. 

Tim is on his way to Madea’s house where he and his friend Davi have a big announcement to make.

As the movie goes on more and more family members start showing up.

Laura and Silvia eventually come. Laura is Tim’s mother, while Silvia is the friend/lawyer of Laura’s divorce.

Tim wants his father to be at his graduation party. Laura then puts her feelings aside for her son even though Richard, Tim’s father, left her with no money. The whole family thinks that he should not be invited.

Later that night, Agnes tries to surprise her nephew, Davi, at Madea’s house. Agnes is the aunt who took Davi in after both of his parents had passed away.

When arriving at Madea’s house, Cara, Laura’s sister, is there to open the door. Agnes then does a “Wakanda forever” gesture and gets the door slammed in her face.

After Cara comes back to give her a second try, Agnes walks into the house uninvited. 

Agnes then makes a joke about Madea’s size. Madea then grabs her by her scarf, lifts her up and starts threatening her. When she notices everyone is silently staring at her, Agnes says “Why do you all look like you have your knickers in a bunch?”

Everybody is silently thinking “knickers” referred to the N-word with the hard “er” at the end, but later she explained it meant underwear.

Later on, Laura and Agnes are washing dishes. Agnes reveals that Davi is retiring to Ireland to take over the family’s farm. 

Madea’s family thinks that that’s a waste of his talent. He just finished law school and is in debt but instead he wants to fly across the world and not use his degree. 

Though this movie was supposed to be a comedy, it wasn’t that funny. I would give it a solid 3 out of 5. You can watch it on Netflix.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Advice/How To

How to survive a bear attack

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By: Abdirahman Ege

Although bear attacks are rare, a man should always be on the lookout for one. You never know when something like this will come in handy.

Whether you’re dealing with a grizzly or a black bear, the way you respond to an attack differs.

Knowing what kind of bear you’re dealing with is the first step in surviving a bear encounter.

What to do If a Grizzly Bear attacks you

1. Always keep bear spray on hand. Experts advise hikers in bear country to carry bear pepper spray. This stuff is usually enough to put a stop to a bear.

2. Do not try to run away, the bear will automatically think you are his prey and chase after you. You will not be able to outrun a bear.

A Black bear is different on how it acts. This is what you should do if a Black Bear tries to attack you.

1. Don’t climb a tree, Black Bears are great at climbing trees, so you should avoid trees at all costs.

2. Fight back, when a Black Bear tries to attack you, aim for his face and nose.

if you ever encounter a bear, make sure to know what type of bear it is and use the appropriate tactics to save yourself!

Football

Top two 2023 NFL draft prospects

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By: Toby Martin-Kohls

With the 2022 NFL Draft in the rearview, I’ll be taking a way-too-early look at the top two draft prospects for the 2023 draft.

This year’s draft was considered a poor class for quarterbacks by many experts and analysts. Only 1 QB was taken in the first round, which is rare in today’s pro game. QB is considered the most valuable position, so many are picked early.

In next year’s prospective draft class, two quarterbacks are expected to be the first two picks of the NFL draft. 

C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

Stroud is a sophomore QB for Ohio State, a football powerhouse that plays in the Big 10 conference. He is expected to go pro after this upcoming season. 

He was a 4-star prospect coming out of Rancho Cucamonga, CA in the class of 2020. He had a mesmerizing senior season throwing for 3,878 yards and 47 touchdowns in just 13 games under Coach Mark Verti. He was the 42nd best prospect in the class and had other offers from other major programs such as: Michigan, Georgia, Oregon, and USC. 

Stroud possesses all the intangibles NFL evaluators are looking for in a pro QB. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has praised his work ethic and professionalism. He is capable of making throws all over the field but struggled a small bit with accuracy his freshman year. 

Another thing to watch for is his injury history. Stroud suffered a separated joint in his throwing shoulder during the first week of the 2021 season. While this might be a small concern, QB is so valuable to NFL scouts that his talent should overrule his injury history in this case.

Stroud set an Ohio State and Rose Bowl single-game record with 573 passing yards in a come from behind victory over Utah and finished the season with 4,435 passing yards, along with 44 touchdowns and just six interceptions. 

Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

Young is a sophomore QB for Alabama, which is currently the best dynasty in college football. Like Stroud, he is expected to go pro after this upcoming season.

According to the 24/7 Sports Composite rankings, Young was a 5-star prospect and No. 2 nationally, coming out of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, CA. He chose Alabama over offers from a variety of other big programs such as: USC, Auburn, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon, and Texas. 

Young won the Heisman Trophy for best QB in college football in 2021 and also won the Maxwell Award, given to the all-around most outstanding player. He earned the starting job after sitting behind, now pro QB, Mac Jones (New England Patriots). 

He set the Alabama single-season marks for passing yards with 4,872 and 47 touchdowns. Evaluators say he is a smart, athletic passer that has a great arm and has the intangibles. He served as team captain for Alabama last season. He has a natural feel for the pocket, has scrambling ability, and doesn’t make many mistakes. His leadership combined with his football knowledge is a great combination to get picked early, especially at a premium position.

The knock on Young will most likely be his size. He is not the size of a prototypical QB. He stands at 6’ 0” and 194lbs. However, NFL execs and scouts say his athleticism and competitiveness outshine this physical attribute. This size and combo have worked in the NFL before at a high level, with the likes of 9-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson and 2020 NFL Rookie of the Year Kyler Murray.

It will be interesting to see how mock drafts change over the course of this next season, and which teams will pick these two talented signal-callers. 

News

How companies “Woke-Wash” their brands

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By: Ella Tabor

Recently, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, there has been an uproar of sustainability and a level of awareness that brands are portraying. This is mainly due to the increased desire for political change from the public and the media. Businesses simply can’t risk facing any form of scrutiny. 

These brands aim to appeal to their consumers by releasing more levels of sizing, a deeper range of shades for make-up, an image of sustainability, and messages of empowerment or in support of equality movements; anything that makes the brand look politically correct. 

But, these brands, most often, do not actually support or employ the messages they say they do. 

The term “Woke-Washing” is used to describe business practices that are made to appear conscious, yet do not provide much substance. 

The art of performing a progressive move only for the public eye is nothing new. Take for instance the term “Glass Cliff”. Originally coined by women, the “Glass Cliff” refers to when a company promotes someone (most often minority and women) to an executive position under circumstances that make success improbable. Often, companies will do this to their leaders of color; they get all the praise for the progressive action and none of the criticism when they let them go.

For an example of this shady technique, let’s look at the brand Lululemon. Lululemon is a brand that focuses on athletic wear, athleisure, and healthy living. Lululemon portrays an image of inclusivity and equity yet, in 2019 the brand was mocked for promoting an event on “decolonising gender” and “resisting capitalism”. 

The brand was quickly shamed by the media and Twitter users for its ironic stance on capitalism, given the price vs. quality of their clothing. One Twitter user, Randi Max, says, “…Lululemon’s yoga pants cost $150 and you are telling me to resist capitalism?” 

Also, in 2019, the brand faced allegations that workers at a factory in Bangladesh, who make the brand’s clothing, had been beaten and abused according to The Guardian. Attempting to sweep this under the rug, Lululemon gave no proper response to these allegations. 

As we can see, Woke-Washing is truly just another form of performative activism; it forces false narratives of progressive actions without any of the action. 

Lululemon is only one example; however, there are many. Next time you shop at a store, it is worth looking into the brand’s ethics.

Events, Fashion/Make-Up

Met Gala 2022

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The 2022 Met Gala is held every year, on the first Monday of May, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The theme this year was “The Gilded Glamour”. Celebrities were encouraged to wear something from the late 19th century with a modern spin on it. 

Kim Kardashian wore a Marilyn Monroe dress, the dress she wore in 1962 when she sang “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy. Kim wore the dress with a white fur coat and walked the carpet with her new boyfriend, Pete Davidson, wearing a Dior suit. Even though this was an iconic dress it wasn’t on theme.

Jodie Turner-Smith wore a Gucci gown and Stuart Weitzman heels. She went full 1920s; she was dressed in a fringed leotard with a full skirt. Her makeup was on point, and it embraced the era, but her outfit wasn’t on theme. 

Gigi Hadid wore a Versace suit and Chopard jewelry. She wore a burgundy latex catsuit and paired it with a  huge, floor-length puffer coat. Her outfit was all about volumes which went with the theme of Gilded Glamour.

Khloe Kardashian made her first appearance ever at the Met Gala, she wore a Moschino floor-length glittering gold gown. She completed the look with gold sunglasses and a long-sleeve black coat with black gloves. Her look was okay. The gloves matched up with the theme, but the outfit and gloves didn’t pair well together. 

The best dress of the night was Blake Lively, she knows how to make an entrance. She went with one of her go-to brands for the red carpet Atelier Versace, in a design inspired by New York City. The star arrived in a shimmering, rose gold, gown with a bow attached to the side. This idea was based on Manhattan’s intricate architecture and the Empire State Building. Her second look was revealed halfway up the red carpet stairs when the bow on the skirt was untied to reveal a cascading blue train, which was designed to inspire the decor of Grand Central station. The crown she wore symbolized the Statue of Liberty, which has seven rays. When ask about her look she said that “Instead of looking to fashion to influence the dress, I looked to New York City architecture and the classic buildings.”

Baseball

A 1 month look into the Minnesota Twins season

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By: Abby Altman

In 2021, the Minnesota Twins defined “disappointing”. They went from being back to back division champs, the league leader in home runs, and one of the best teams in baseball, to taking last place in the AL Central in 2021. The 2021 Twins were plagued with injuries, pitching problems, and an offense that seemed to have lost its power. 

In preseason power rankings for 2022, the Twins were consistently found in the lower 20’s. That has quickly changed.

Just 1 month since the lockout ended, and the season began, the Twins now find themselves at #10 in the MLB Power Rankings. 

The Twins started off the first few games in rough shape, but quickly turned it around. 

Beginning the season in a 4 game series against the Mariners, the Twins started 0-2, but came back to split the series 2-2. The 2 game series against the Dodgers was a well expected sweep by the Dodgers, potentially the best team in baseball. 

There were 2 more series before the Twins took their first series win. Minnesota split the series with the Red Sox, and then lost the 3 game series to the Royals 1-2. 

It was the mid April homestand when the Twins got hot. The Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers traveled to Minnesota, where the Twins won 6 games in a row, sweeping 2 division rivals back to back. 

The Twins then traveled to Tampa Bay, where they won the series 2-1 against the Rays, landing a 7 game winning streak. 

In the most recent games, the Twins split a 4 game series with the Orioles and swept the Athletics. The Houston Astros swept the Twins in a 3 game series in Minnesota last week. The Guardians came to Minnesota to end the Twins longest home stand of the year, and the Twins took a 2-1 series victory. 

The Twins are now traveling to Oakland to take on the Athletics for the 2nd time this season. In game 1, the Twins took a 3-1 victory with Chris Archer pitching 4 innings, allowing only 1 run, and the bullpen shutting the A’s down the remainder of the game. 

The Twins .583 record has not come without any injuries or difficulties. Many Twins players have found themselves benched due to injury or COVID, or placed on the IL. 

Players like Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, Miguel Sanó, Luis Arraez, and many others have missed significant amounts of time due to injury and illness. Because of this, the Twins lineup is often full of young players. 

MLB veterans like Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco, Gio Urshela, and Gary Sanchez are essential parts of the Twins nearly every game, with the amount of young players in the lineup.

Alex Kirriloff, Royce Lewis, Gilberto Celestino, and Jose Miranda are just a few names who are found in the starting lineup more often than you would expect. 

Alex Kirrilof played in 59 games last season, before undergoing a season ending wrist surgery. Before the surgery, Kirilloff was batting .251 with 8 home runs. This season, he is batting just .172 in only 10 games. 

Royce Lewis and Jose Miranda are 2 players the Twins recently called up from AAA. Both infielders, Lewis has been playing shortstop while Correa heals his hand on the 10-day IL. Miranda has been making appearances at 1st base and 3rd base, with Miguel Sano on the IL as well. 

The Twins bats have been slower this year than in previous years, so a large part of the Twins success is provided by the pitching. The Twins have the 5th lowest overall ERA in the MLB, 10th in starting pitchers, and 6th in relief pitchers. 

The Twins have a fairly new pitching staff, acquiring Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, Chris Archer, Chris Paddack, and Dylan Bundy, all just before the 2022 season. For the majority of the time, these pitchers make up the Twins starting rotation, who have held opponents to 4 or less runs in 70% of this season’s games. 

The AL Central is perhaps one of the worst divisions in the MLB. Because of this, the Twins find themselves in 1st place in the division, 3 games ahead of the White Sox. The Twins have the 5th best record in the AL, and the 9th best record in the MLB. 

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Dr. Strange 2’ movie review

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By: Carla Tizcareno

Image taken from: https://www.marvel.com/movies/doctor-strange-in-the-multiverse-of-madness

The new Doctor Strange movie was underwhelming to say the least. I am a major Marvel fan and I was extremely disappointed. It was long and the plot didn’t seem to have any sort of direction. If you’re really looking for a Doctor Strange movie, this one doesn’t give it justice. If anything, it was more about Wanda and the multiverse.

To start off, the techniques they used to film seemed pretty dated. It reminded me of a lame horror movie from the 90’s. Which makes sense because when you look at the director, Sam Raimi’s, list of movies he directed, they are mostly boring horror movies from (guess when) the 90’s.

I personally find it weird that the 1st Spider Man movies were actually good because Raimi’s list of movies is not impressive. Movies like the 1985 film ‘Crimewave’, and 1992 ‘Army of Darkness’, are some of the examples of the movies that he directed. You can tell that it was him from the unnecessary perspective flips, quick camera changes during fight scenes, editing skills, and the lack of attention to detail.

Marvel movies are known for their production and well thought out scenes. There is one scene at the beginning of the movie where you see the same man run away from a monster 4 times, all from different angles. During the fight scenes there is so much movement and the camera cuts in and out so many times that I got dizzy just looking at it.

Comparing fight scenes from this movie to any other Marvel movie is so depressing. The editing quality totally ruins the potential in every scene. The quality of the edits can easily be ranked on the same level as the 2003 ‘Hulk’ film. The jokes are weak and not timed well. There isn’t enough build up to the moment to make it a good joke that adds a decent amount of comedic relief whilst also going back to the original situation naturally.

If I’m being totally honest, the acting was weak and boring. Xochitl Gomez, the girl who played America Chavez, in my opinion, was not the right actress for the role. She went from playing Dawn, from the Netflix original television series, ‘The Babysitters Club’, to a Marvel movie. Her acting in ‘The Babysitters Club’ wasn’t even good, so it didn’t surprise me when I realized her acting in this movie was the same way. Her Spanish was botched and her general acting skills were like watching a middle school play. Her character was supposed to be Puerto Rican but apparently the Marvel movies directors don’t seem to care about the accuracy from the comics.

After watching the movie my first thought was “They’re pranking us. This has to be a joke,” and I still believe that. 4/10. You can see this movie in theaters.

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Cruella’ review

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By: Eva Olson

‘Cruella’ aired May 18th, 2021 in theaters. It stars Emma Stone as Estella and Cruella de Vil. Estella is very smart and ambitious while Cruella is wicked and revenge-bent. Throughout the movie she switches between Cruella and Estella making the movie all the more fascinating.

This movie’s storyline and plot were very different from ‘101 Dalmations’ which made the film super entertaining to watch. It was fun to try and find the differences between the Cruella in the animated ‘101 Dalmatians’ from 1969, and the Cruella in this movie. Also, seeing how Dalmatians tied into this storyline was amusing.

All of the main characters had a lot of layers to their characters. Emma Stone did an amazing job as Cruella.

Emma Thompson also did an amazing job in making me dislike her character the Baroness.

This movie shows you a lot about Cruella’s backstory and what her story is. You get to see a lot of Cruella as a child. You also get to learn more about her friends Jasper and Horace which was very interesting.

The setting was mostly in London in the 1970s, which was very cool and made the movie very visually appealing. Hellman Hall, where the Baroness lived, was very eerie and creepy. Throughout the whole movie the weather was kind of dreary and gray which really matched the movie and set the tone.

The costumes in this movie were eye catching. Mostly because one of the main themes in this movie is fashion, and Cruella is an aspiring fashion designer. I especially loved Cruella’s dress that she lit on fire. All of the characters’ outfits were so captivating, especially Cruella’s, and really showed their individual personalities.

Overall, I liked this movie more than I thought I would. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to just about anyone. I would give this movie a 5/5 star rating. You can watch ‘Cruella’ on Disney+.