Mount Hood

Old Man Logan makes cinematic debut

By: Kinsey Bushart
Freelancer

The third installment to the “Wolverine” franchise had its first trailer released Oct. 20, though the movie title, “Logan” was leaked by Hugh Jackman himself two weeks prior.

This “Wolverine” movie is said to be the final film where Jackman plays Logan, a character that Jackman has played since the 2000 movie, “X Men.”

In the “Logan” trailer, mutant populations have dwindled, and those who are born are taken by the government to be used for their abilities. The X-Men are a thing of the past and both Logan and Professor X are alone. Logan himself has become aged and scarred while the Professor lays in a hospital bed.

With the introduction of a new mutant child, it seems that the two ex X-Men may get another chance to continue their work in the protection of mutants. “Logan” is to be released to American theaters March 3, 2017.

Contact the author at kbushart16@wou.edu

Music at Western (On campus music performances)

By: Katherine Ljungqvist
Freelancer

Research has shown time and again that music can promote mental health, improve sleep quality and relieve stress and anxiety.

According to John Hopkins Medical research, exposure to new music has been linked with increased creativity; for a college student, these benefits can be paramount to a person’s success.

Fortunately for us, Western offers numerous musical performances throughout the year where one can reap the benefits of music.

The Western Oregon University music department is kicking off the 2016 fall term with a number of music events at Smith Hall and Rice Auditorium. Weekly performances are scheduled starting Nov. 5 through Dec. 4, which will include guitar and chamber ensembles, the Western Orchestra, a performance by the Tom Bergeron Brazil Band and a performance by the student run Brazil orchestra with special appearances by the Brazilian Bassist, Wagner Trinidade.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Western’s music department head, Dr. Tom Bergeron, to discuss some of this year’s events and also the major role that Latin American music plays in America’s music education. When asked how students can benefit from exposure to live music performances at Western, Dr. Bergeron responded that these performances offer students “edutainment.” “We’re playing music that we hope you’re going to enjoy, but we’re also trying to … put it into context,” said Bergeron.

Part of how this is accomplished is with the presence of guest musicians such as Wagner Trindade, who lend their knowledge and talents to performances.

Many college music departments feature symphony or jazz ensembles, but Latin American music is a staple in America’s music culture, and is subsequently growing in popularity in American music education.

While many Latin American countries are small enough to stay off the music industry’s radar, Brazil is the second largest country in the Americas as well as the “largest self-contained music industry in the Western Hemisphere.” The presence of Latin American influence in America’s music culture is prominent, which is why it is so beneficial for music students to receive exposure to this element of the industry.

Performances by the Tom Bergeron Brazil Band and other Western music events throughout the year are posted on the music department home page, wou.edu/music and are free to students with their student ID. So if you’re looking for affordable entertainment this year that has educational and mental health benefits, then you should check out the Western music department event schedule.

Contact the author at kljungqvist16@mail.wou.edu

Review: “Doctor Strange”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

“Doctor Strange” is the 14th film in the huge Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has included space, gods and psycho robots. “Doctor Strange” brings the brand new world of mysticism into the universe as well, and does it incredibly.

Not only one of the most visually stunning films Marvel has had to date, but “Doctor Strange” brings fans a completely new side of the cinematic universe with magic and other dimensions.

The film jumps head first into Marvel’s mystical side, while keeping things simple enough for casual viewers to understand how things fit into the universe as a whole. With 14 films, keeping them simple at the core is important, and “Doctor Strange” does this perfectly.

Stephen Strange’s defining characteristic is his arrogance. He’s a world famous neurosurgeon with a massive ego. The film starts with him as an unlikeable character, but Strange grows and is very much human.

What makes this movie so grounded is that all of these sorcerers are human. Some might be hundreds of years old, but they talk like humans and they have the same problems as humans. Everyone in this movie can be relatable, which is an important quality to have in any superhero movie.

Characters are brought to life by incredible performances all around, notably Tilda Swinton’s Ancient One and Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange.

The visuals in “Doctor Strange” were some of the best that Marvel has had. Scenes are always accompanied by patterns that are satisfying to look at. Buildings are moving, dimensions are crossing and all of it stays true to the comics and brings Steve Ditko’s incredible art to life.

The side characters don’t play a huge role in the film. The focus is very much on Strange and his origin, so important characters like Wong and Mordo were not given the attention they deserve. But I think it was important to have a large focus on Doctor Strange since he’s the hero being introduced into the Marvel Universe.

The villain, Kaecilius, continued Marvel’s trend of weak and underdeveloped villains. Mads Mikkelsen did a great job playing him, but he made such a little impact that I couldn’t even remember his name when I left the theater. Doctor Strange’s sentient cape has more of a personality than Kaecilius.

“Doctor Strange” expands Marvel’s cinematic universe and definitely has a place in it. The movie loosely mentions characters and events from previous movies, as well as showing off Avenger’s Tower a couple of times.

The most exciting quality about Marvel movies is that they are always setting up the stage for something bigger. There’s always a plan for the future and each movie is just a small part of something huge. “Doctor Strange” definitely feels as if it’s setting up for something great. There’s more to come for Strange and the stage is definitely set for that.

“Doctor Strange” is a great movie. It blends together humor and action, while entering a whole side of Marvel’s huge universe.
Although brought down slightly by unimportant side characters and a weak villain, “Doctor Strange” is one of the best Marvel movies to date.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

8/10
+ Stunning visuals
+ Incredible performances

– Weak, underdeveloped villain

Editor’s picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendation:
“Norwegian by Night” by Derek B. Miller is a novel about an elderly American man who moves to Norway with his granddaughter and her husband. In Norway he saves a little boy from death and begins a journey running from a killer, the law and his family.library-2-color
The book is a thriller but doesn’t feel that way because of how rich the characters are. I was instantly drawn into the lives the characters were living and every problem they had.
Also great is the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” novelization written by Alan Dean Foster. The book adds details that are left out of the movie. Some deleted scenes from the movie are included, as well as more dialogue between characters that were cut from the film.

Editor’s Disparagement:
It’s becoming more and more practical to shop for books on Amazon. You don’t have to leave your house and prices are generally really cheap. But there’s something about going to a bookstore that will always be better. While Amazon is great for buying books, buying books from bookstores helps small businesses and is great for finding books you would’ve never read if you were only shopping on Amazon. Blindly buying a book to read is difficult on Amazon since ratings are right in front of you at all times.

Expressionism on the stage

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

Western theater students took to the Rice Auditorium stage to rehearse for the 2016 fall show, “Machinal.” Despite the fact that the set remains unfinished, the students are eager to begin rehearsal to make this show as polished as possible.

As stated by the Internet Broadway Database,“Machinal,” written by American journalist and playwright, Sophie Treadwell, premiered on the broadway stage on Sept. 7, 1928. Written in the style of expressionism, “Machinal,” brings an interesting and eccentric form of storytelling to the stage.

According to the University of Delaware Library, expressionistic plays are known for their “unconventional” ways of showing the inner workings of the human psyche. Often employing the use of strange dialogue, unrealistic movements, distorted scenery and stylized acting.

“The simplest way I could describe it (expressionism) is the idea of the individual being crushed by the machine of society,” said Gabriel Elmore, a junior in the Bachelor of Fine Arts acting program and supporting castmate.

“It’s not so much about the dialogue, as it is about the feeling that the dialogue invokes, from the audience and the actors. My character is trying to be as real as possible, but she’s failing miserably at it, because, she has all of these societal pressures that are coming down on her.” said Meghan Doerfler, a sophomore in the Bachelor of Fine Arts acting program and lead in the play.

When asked if she faced any challenges while taking on the role of, “Young Woman,” Doerfler responded, “I really enjoy working on it so far, because it’s my first lead role here at Western, and that in itself has been a challenge for me.”

“It’s such an expressionistic play, and that’s something that I don’t think any of the actors in the show have ever done before, so it’s getting used to a whole new style of acting while still trying to act it,” she added.

“Machinal” is performing in Rice Auditorium Nov. 10-12 and 16-19 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 13 at 2:00 p.m.

“Machinal is about your average Jane trying to survive in this society that she doesn’t know how to behave in.” Doerfler said, “She wants to find love, and everyone is telling her that is an impossible concept”

For purchasing tickets and additional information contact Rice Auditorium’s box office at 503-838-8462.
Box Office Hours: 12:30-4:30 p.m. weekdays, reopening at 6:00 p.m. night of performance.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@mail.wou.edu

Nintendo switches things up

By: Matthew Oldfield
Freelancer

For quite a while Nintendo has been secretive over their new gaming console, for a while calling it the “NX” system and keeping everything quiet. Slowly, news outlets rolled out information about what Nintendo’s been up to: stories of their patenting screen and controller designs. Now the secret is out and the Switch is here.

On Oct. 20, Nintendo held an event to showcase their new console and all it can do. Aside from the usual function of a gaming console, the Switch comes with a modular like controller that can slide out of its holder and attach to a portable screen that allows you to keep playing your game, similarly to the Wii U.

Along with their technical display, Nintendo has announced some games that would be available for the system, such as “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild,” a new unnamed “Mario” title, “Skyrim: Special Edition,” “Pokémon Sun and Moon,” as well as future titles from third party developers like Activision, Sega, and Capcom.

Not much else is known at this time about what the new system is fully capable of. Nintendo has met with criticisms from consumers from the limited information, but with a demo presentation slated for Jan. 12 and the console releasing March of next year, there’s not much longer to wait.

Contact the author at moldfield14@wou.edu

Review: “Skyrim: Special Edition”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” is a five year-old game that has remained very popular with a huge fan base behind it. Fans have been asking for years for “Skyrim” to come to modern consoles, Bethesda responded by releasing the “Skyrim: Special Edition”, which brings the original game to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with revamped graphics, mods and add-on content.

“Skyrim” is a massive role playing game where players take control of the Dragonborn, the only person who can truly kill a dragon. As Dragonborn, players venture off into the province of Skyrim, doing quests, fighting monsters, slaying dragons and collecting weapons and armor.

The world of “Skyrim” feels very much alive. Walking through villages, there are blacksmiths working at their forges, children playing, bards singing and so much more that just makes you feel like there’s a living world around you. It’s easy to get completely immersed.

Part of playing in a world as alive as “Skyrim” is that there are consequences for your actions. Strangers will have conversations about things your character has done. If you wrong someone, they might send mercenaries to teach you a lesson. No wrong deed in “Skyrim” goes unpunished.

In the special edition, the graphics are stunning. A lot of “Skyrim” is wilderness, so players spend the majority of their time in caves, forests and tundra’s. With the graphical revamp, these landscapes are brought to life more than they ever were before. As you wander through the picture perfect world, every still is worth a screenshot as you wander through a picture perfect world.

Mods in “Skyrim” have been around on the PC for a long time, but just got put onto consoles with the special edition. Mods are user-made and can range anywhere from improving effects to adding new characters and buildings. Mods can sometimes give players an unfair advantage, so trophies are disabled while using them. Since modders have been hard at work for years creating content, the mods added onto the PlayStation and Xbox versions of the game give players a lot of new things to try out.

The special edition includes add-on content that costs money in the original version. There are two add-ons that give new quests and content, “Dawnguard” and “Dragonborn” and one called “Hearthfire” that allows players to adopt children and build a house. Each of these packs adds hundreds of hours of new content, but requires players to be a higher level to start, so players just starting out won’t see it for a while.

Some may not like the game’s immersion, requiring lots of walking and reading dialogue. It’s definitely not a “pick up and jump into action” game, so it’s for more of a role-playing experience and less of a casual one. For players looking to get lost in a game though, “Skyrim: Special Edition” is one of the best games out right now to do that. I’ve had hours of fun and I’ve barely scratched the surface.

“Skyrim: Special Edition” is a fantastic game. One of the most beloved and immersive games in the last five years, “Skyrim” is back as one of the richest and most beautiful games out on modern consoles.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Editor’s picks

community-colornbc-com

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendations:
“Community” is a show about a study group at a community college who go through all kinds of trials and tribulations. It’s absolutely hilarious. Anyone associated with a college campus relate to a lot that goes on in the show. The characters deal with difficult classes, love, friendship and the occasional school-wide paintball battle. “Community” was created by Dan Harmon, who also created “Rick and Morty.” There are six seasons now streaming on Hulu and for years fans have been petitioning for a movie to be made.

Editor’s Disparagement:
Movie trailers that give away major plot details infuriate me to no end. There are some things in movies that should be kept a surprise. The best example of this is in the trailers for “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice”. Doomsday’s reveal would’ve been so cool if they hadn’t tacked it onto the end of the trailer. The trailer for “Suicide Squad” does the same thing by showing almost every major Joker appearance. If I had better self control, I’d boycott watching the trailers altogether. The best movie trailers are the short ones that simply give a feel for the movie, rather than giving all the details of it away.

Bob Dylan awarded Nobel Prize in literature

By: Kinsey Bushart
Freelancer

This year Bob Dylan became the first American to win a Nobel Prize since novelist Toni Morrison back in 1993. Dylan is also the first ever songwriter to be awarded the Nobel Prizebob-dylan-2-bwcnn in literature in the 112 years since the award was created, and the newest person awarded with the honor of being the top most inspirational and developed literary creators.

Bob Dylan began his singing, songwriting, writing and art career in 1959 at the age of 18. In the 75-year-old’s long career, he has gathered the admiration of millions of people around the world with his poetic and inspirational lyrics. In his time as a revered icon, Dylan gathered quite the following, especially in the 1960s when some of his most influential as well as controversial songs were released. At that time he was considered an unofficial spokesman on the issues in America and he also addressed said issues in his lyrics and movements.

Dylan was touring while the broadcast of his Nobel Prize was announced but since the Nobel Committee decided to award the Nobel Prize in literature to Bob Dylan, they have not been able to contact the artist except through his manager. Since they have yet to receive a confirmation of acceptance from Dylan, the committee has given up attempting to award the icon this prestigious honor. The ceremony will go on as planned, even if Dylan is not there to accept it.

Contact the author at kbushart16@wou.edu

It’s morphin’ time

power-rangers-colorimdb

By: Alyssa James
Freelancer

The throwback of all throwbacks is coming your way. A new Power Rangers movie is coming out within the next year. The original “Power Rangers” premiered in 1993 and has been around ever since then. It will be a whole new ball game when it comes to the new movie, directed by Dean Israelite. This new adaptation of “Power Rangers” will be starring Naomi Scott, Becky G., Elizabeth Banks, Bryan Cranston and more. The movie will follow a group of high school students who each have unique superpowers. When an alien threat comes into their lives they realize that they are the only ones who can help. They have to learn to control their powers in order to save the world. It is set to premiere in theaters on March 24, 2017. If you grew up watching “Power Rangers” this is definitely a movie you won’t want to miss.

Not only is there a new movie coming out but there is the possibility of a new Power Rangers TV show focusing on the Green Ranger. Since the Green Ranger appears to be absent from the movie it seems more like there is an actual possibility of this series than not. In an interview with comicbook.com, the actor of the original Green Ranger, Jason David Frank, says that there is a good chance that this spin-off will happen and that there has already been talks with creator Haim Saban about it. While the Green Ranger show is not confirmed, there’s still plenty of Power Rangers content on its way next year.

Contact the author at ajames16@wou.edu

Editor’s picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendations
“Westworld” is currently halfway through its first season on HBO and it’s fantastic. The premise is that there’s a park populated by android hosts, where guests can pay to do whatever they want, such as hunt for treasure and go on adventures, but the androids start acting up and everything gets crazy from there. The park is wild-west themed so the show has an awesome balance between western and science fiction action.

Also, in the western genre, “Red Dead Redemption 2” was just announced for a fall 2017 release. The first “Red Dead”, made by Rockstar Games, holds up as one of the most immersive western games of all time. I recommend checking it out.

Editor’s Disparagement
PlayStation Now is an amazing concept. PlayStation Now has a massive library of streamable games that you can pick and play on the PlayStation 4 without any download at all. Sounds great, but in reality PlayStation Now makes playing those games extremely not enjoyable. Unless you have the world’s best Internet connection, the stream is constantly interrupted and slow. The monthly subscription is also way too high; $20 a month might be good if the service worked. Overall, PlayStation Now is an awesome concept that is terribly executed.

“Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration Edition”

By: Blayde Biacan
Freelancer

The original tomb raider turned 20 years old last week, and since then has gained a huge fan following. With the 20th anniversary, “Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration” was released on Oct.11. The new edition includes many new features, such as virtual reality and multiplayer.

The game also has a new downloadable expansion called “Blood Ties”. This addition to the story explains Lara Croft’s family bonds and doesn’t add many new details to the story, but rather, enforces some content that was lightly mentioned throughout the plot of the game. The playthrough of this is more story-based so there isn’t much action, but there is a lot of time to connect the dots. This is also playable for anyone with a virtual reality device through free hand control or a move-click system as a form of movement. However, it looks smooth enough without the system and can cause motion sickness.

Another feature of the game which is unlockable after completing the Blood Ties story is a similar playthrough except with the addition of zombies and a more eerie environment to play in. When playing, it’s difficult to really know the direction from where a zombie might appear. The dark environment is no help to this, as it has a small field of view with mixed audio signals in a cramped space with multiple pathways for zombies to approach.

I like the new multiplayer mode, although it’s not competitive. It has a survival component with another player and both players need to rely on each other for food and supplies as well as exploring booby trapped maps that are randomly generated each playthrough.

I would recommend this game to anyone that has played the previous “Rise of the Tomb Raider” and who wants to experience something new with an additional challenge and highly recommend it for people that have not. This is a game that has lasted 20 years in an ever-changing gaming community. Truly a game that deserves the title “old but gold”.

Contact the author at bbiacan16@wou.edu

“Miss Peregrine’s”: from paper to picture

By: Kinsey Bushart
Freelancer

First I must confess that I only recently read “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” and I had only read it because I am a firm believer in reading the book before seeing the movie. Ransom Riggs’ book is whimsical, funny and more than a little bit creepy.

One character, a boy named Enoch, is so “peculiar” he has the ability to bring inanimate objects to life with the heart of something already dead. If child necromancers, bird-women and evil monsters who resemble Slender Man are something you’re interested in, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” is the book for you. Plus, the plethora of sarcastic one-liners and humorous characterization makes it so any fan of fantasy can connect with characters as well as enjoy the suspenseful or light-hearted situations those characters find themselves in.

The movie adaptation itself has trouble keeping to the already written guidelines from the published original. Most movie adaptations from books have a way of wandering off from the original storyline to either simplify the story and thus shorten it, or attempt to make it more interesting. This can be off-putting to some, including myself.

“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” is the same in that regard; with major character changes concerning special abilities and even physical appearances, plus the deletion of entire characters depending on their overall importance to the storyline. These changes effect the movie enough to bother some stickler book fans about ruining the entire thing.

Now this movie does better than other book adaptations, especially compared to films like the Percy Jackson series or “Eragon”, so it’s not really something to be too upset about, unless you’re easily bothered by such things. While not a terrible movie overall (I enjoyed it immensely) the movie adaptation of “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” doesn’t do the greatest job matching perfectly with its book, not that it was really expected to.

Contact the author at kbushart16@wou.edu

The Rolling Stones roll back to their roots

By: Kevan Maloney
Freelancer

The golden oldies are returning to the modern era. To some this means relatively little, but to others this means the world. This return is being heralded by The Rolling Stones, who plan on releasing their new album on Dec. 2. The album, entitled “Blue and Lonesome”, is set to be an homage to their beginnings in the music industry, back when they were a blues band in the late ‘60s and Printearly ‘70s.

The release of this is simply amazing considering the fact that most mainstream news of The Rolling Stones is nearly non-existent, with their last album being released in 2005. It’s also surprising that they are actually still quite active, going on tour every few years. Along with the release of the album, The Rolling Stones are planning a European tour.

“Blue and Lonesome” is going to feature 12 tracks which are written by other artists, reimagined by The Rolling Stones. Many of these songs will be ones that they started off playing when they were still up and coming.

This has the potential to bring millennials back to the classic era of rock. There are so many artists that haven’t been followed in decades who are easily as fantastic as artists today. An important result that could come of this is the album’s ability to potentially bridge a generational gap. From personal experience, I know that the music I prefer to listen to, and what my parents listen to, are vastly different.

“Blue and Lonesome” will be the latest edition to The Rolling Stones musical archive that has been around since 1962, over half a century of musical creations.

Contact the author at kmaloney15@wou.edu

Get in the spirit

By: Alyssa James
Freelancer

We’re in the midst of October and Halloween is right around the corner! Nothing is more exciting than participating in Halloween rocky-horror-colorimdb-comevents to celebrate the season. Whether it’s just stopping at a pumpkin patch to get doughnuts and cider, or going through a haunted house, there is an event for every type of person! This year there are a few events that are definitely worthy of checking out.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is being shown at the Majestic Theater in Corvallis on Oct. 21 and 22. If you’re into a fun interactive experience, this is the event for you. There are two showings per day: one at 6 p.m. and another at 11 p.m. Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased online at www.majestic.org.

Another event on Oct. 22 is the annual Zombie Walk that is taking place in Salem. It begins at 6 p.m. on the State Capitol Building steps and ends at 9 p.m. at Taproot. This is a free event. People dress up like zombies and go creeping around the town with their fellow zombies.

The Grand Theater in Salem is putting on a movie night Oct. 30. They will be showing “Hocus Pocus,” a movie in which two kids explore an abandoned house and accidently release three witches, the Sanderson sisters. This is a classic Halloween movie starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy and Bette Midler. It is being shown at 2 p.m. and costs $5 for admission. This event is all ages and sales are at the door only.

If you’re up for it, Halloweentown in St. Helens has many events going on. On Oct. 22 they are having a Bonfire and Bones Goth Extravaganza with DJs Owen and Aurora. This dance has other activities you can participate in such as a costume contest, haunted house and door prizes. It is $10 and all ages. Tickets are available online. Going to St. Helens to see the town all decorated for Halloween with the giant pumpkin is a sight to see. Check online to see what other events are happening there this year.

With midterms right around the corner, these are all great ways to go out, give your mind a break and relax a little. Happy Halloween!

Contact the author at ajames16@mail.wou.edu

Editor’s Picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s recommendations:
“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” will be five years old in November and it still holds up as one of the best video games I’ve ever played. Few games make you feel like there is a living world around you but “Skyrim” does it perfectly. The storytelling is so rich that little actions make big impacts, making players feel like their playing matters to the world around them. A remastered version of “Skyrim” releases on Oct. 28 on Playstation 4 and Xbox One, I highly recommend it.

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” holds up as one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. Starring and directed by Ben Stiller, it’s just the most feel-good movie of adventure that I’ve ever seen. “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” makes me feel a sense of adventure that movies rarely make me feel. Plus, the soundtrack is fantastic. If you’re looking for a movie to watch, you won’t be disappointed.

Editor’s Disparagement:
I’ve always really liked Bon Iver’s music, but I just can’t get into their new album “22, a million”. There are a few good songs on there such as “29 #Strafford APTS” and “715 – CRΣΣKS”, but for the most part, the album is filled with a lot of strange noises and unnecessary electronic music that makes it difficult to listen to. Listen to Bon Iver, just not their newest album.

Becoming a YouTube Hero

youtube-logo-coloryoutube-com

By: Blayde Biacan
Freelancer

Do you want to become a hero? A YouTube hero, that is. The YouTube hero program is something YouTube has come up with to encourage users to make it a better place and to make the entertainment process unhindered. When I say encourage, I mean there will even be rewards to encourage users to be a part of the YouTube hero program.

The actions that help users earn points towards rewards for these incentives also help to improve YouTube overall. At times when you click the “closed captioning” button, it doesn’t align with what is said in the video. You are now able to edit the subtitles in videos and doing so will earn you a point towards rewards. If you’re watching a video and hear excess swearing, which takes away from a video, giving it a flag warns YouTube that the video may violating YouTube’s new guidelines which were recently set on Sept. 1. If you wish to reap the most points, answering questions on the YouTube help forum will not only help you, but help others with their inquires as well. However, answering inquiries will only get you points if you have the best answer.

These everyday actions can help get you into the YouTube hero community, get closer to the YouTube staff, allow you to to get special sneak previews and even test new products that come out before release.

If you’re interested in becoming a YouTube hero, all you need to do is search “YouTube heroes” on Google and click on the top link to sign up. All you need to provide is an email to sign up and you’re on your way to being a hero. Like any hero, “with great power, comes great responsibility.” YouTube asks for these actions to be used appropriately in order to make it a better place.

Contact the author at bbiacan16@wou.edu

“Luke Cage”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Marvel’s Netflix shows have proven one thing in the past: they know exactly what they’re doing. “Daredevil” and “Jessica Jones” both had incredible performances, compelling stories and plenty of details straight from the comics. Marvel’s “Luke Cage” is the next show in the ever-growing lineup, and it follows the footsteps of its predecessors.

Luke Cage made his debut in “Jessica Jones”: the bulletproof man with a mysterious past. The new show picks up right where the first left off. Cage moves to Harlem and tries his best to live a normal life by working multiple jobs and trying his best to lay low. Obviously, things don’t go as planned.

“Luke Cage” makes it clear that everyone is human. Although Luke has bulletproof skin, he reacts to things and feels the same emotions that any human would. On the other side, the villains Cornell ‘Cottonmouth’ Stokes, a Harlem crime lord, and his cousin, Mariah Dillard, are equally human. The hardships and tragedy these characters endure make them feel both real and relatable. This is done by fabulous performances all around.

The side characters don’t get as much focus as the main characters in “Luke Cage”. While Misty Knight plays a prominent role, her presence almost never seems necessary. Claire Temple plays a larger role. She is the only character to have appeared in “Daredevil”, “Jessica Jones” and “Luke Cage”. She is what holds these heroes together so her presence in “Luke Cage” is only logical. Her character arch has been building over years in television and I imagine that “Luke Cage” is just a small step in a long journey for her.

One of the biggest differences between “Luke Cage” and previous Netflix shows is the soundtrack. Main events and action sequences are almost always accompanied by music. Scenes at Cottonmouth’s club repeatedly show live music; sometimes the musicians are featured just as much as the actors. The soundtrack is absolutely fantastic and is used to convey common themes and emotions.

While the story is very strong, the writing feels a little off at times. There are cheesy lines so predictable they made my eyes roll. Luke Cage, specifically, is super corny. It’s partly his character, getting called out on it by other characters, but it felt a bit distracting.

The show is also a bit more adult than “Daredevil” and “Jessica Jones”. While those were very mature in their own right, “Luke Cage” has some pretty strong language and graphic violence. It’s mostly the characters in the show staying true to comics, just as The Punisher in “Daredevil” is more foul mouthed than anyone else on the show.

“Luke Cage” fits well in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are plenty of callbacks to other Marvel films. At one point Luke is referred to as “Harlem’s Captain America”. I’ve wished that there were more ties to the Marvel Universe since Daredevil season one, and I felt that Luke Cage did a very good job. There are huge ties to “Iron Man 2”, and for the first time, Avengers Tower was even in the background of the promotional art.

Overall, I’d recommend “Luke Cage” to anyone. It doesn’t require an extensive knowledge of superheroes, it’s culturally relevant, there’s action and drama and the performances are top of the line. It’s well rounded, wildly entertaining and easily the best Netflix Marvel show yet.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Editor’s Picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendations:
No music truly captures autumn like folk. There’s something about listening to folk music on a rainy fall afternoon that really can’t be matched. The mellow bon-iver-colorguitar, soft vocals and poetic lyrics just seem fitting in the fall season. Even if you’ve never listened to folk music, I’d highly recommend giving it a try this fall. Some of my favorites are Bon Iver’s album “For Emma, Forever Ago”, Fossil Collective’s “Tell Where I Lie” and anything by Lighthouse and the Whaler.

I highly recommend checking out the movie “What We Do in the Shadows,” directed by Taika Waititi. The film is a mockumentary following a group of vampires who are living in a New Zealand flat in modern day, and it has to be one of the funniest movies I’ve seen all year.

Editor’s Disparagement:
“No Man’s Sky” was made to seem like a video game that had an infinite universe filled with planet sized planets and an unlimited number of procedurally generated plants and creatures. I watched the trailer hundreds of times, I was there at release to pick up the game, and I’ve never been more disappointed in my life. The game’s “infinite planets” are the same thing just colored differently. The discoverable creatures aren’t giant dinosaurs like the trailer suggests, but instead similar-looking small animals that don’t really differ much from planet to planet. The game is repetitive and bland. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Bored? Fall TV has got you covered!

By: Alyssa James
Freelancer

It just became fall and we all know what that means! New TV shows are starting up, old TV shows have been renewed for another season and it’s all done for our personal enjoyment. There is an extensive list of shows that have already premiered that are set to hit the TV scene within the upcoming months. Titles such as “Scream Queens” and “Pitch”, which premiered on Fox, “Luke Cage”, currently streaming on Netflix, and “Westworld” on HBO, are just a few to be named.

One show that recently premiered was “This Is Us”. Created by the writers and directors of “Crazy, Stupid, Love” comes a drama/comedy show following an ensemble of unique people who share the same birthday. Starring Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Sterling K. Brown, and more, this is a show you won’t want to miss. You can catch “This Is Us” at 10 p.m. on NBC.

Another show that recently premiered was “Designated Survivor” on ABC. When an attack on the capitol takes place, Tom Kirkman, played by Kiefer Sutherland, is sworn into presidency due to being the designated survivor during the State of the Union. Still in shock from all that has happened, Tom must dive into politics head-on and lead the country, take care of his family, and figure out who led the attack on American soil. “Designated Survivor” is on every Wednesday at 10 p.m.!

Other new shows that are set to premiere include “Timeless”, which recently premiered on NBC, “Divorce”, premiering on HBO on Oct. 9, and “American Housewife”, premiering on ABC Oct. 11. Returning shows are also something to look forward to. Some of these are “Arrow”, played on The CW starting on Oct. 5, “The Big Bang Theory”, played on CBS starting on Oct. 27, and “Vikings”, played on History starting on Nov. 30. Make sure to check out these shows premiering this fall during your study breaks!

Contact the author at ajames16@wou.edu.

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