Nov 8, 2017 - The Washington and Lee University Wind Ensemble performing Saturday, Nov. ..... commander-in-chief, âden
The
Clarion
Volume 83, Issue 11
clarion.brevard.edu
Web Edition EditionSERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935
BC talent show is n ext week!
November 8, 2017
BC theatre Washington and Lee preview: University Wind Ensemble ‘Boeing Boeing’ By Amber Blanton
By Amanda Heskett
Staff writer “Boeing Boeing” will be opening in the Black Box theater on Nov. 16, directed by Peter Savage. It’s a farce styled play, set in the sixties. Clara Reichhard, who plays Gretchen in the show, said that it’s “a first class experience for under 15 dollars!” The story is about a man, Bernard, who is engaged to three air hostesses; Gloria, Gabriella and Gretchen, and all of their flights get changed, so they end up in the same place at the same time. Bernard, his maid Berthe, and his friend Robert try to prevent them from meeting. Katelyn Didio, who plays Gloria said, “my experience working on this show has been very different than others I have been a part of.” This show is set apart greatly in the fact that there are several varied dialects in it. “The dialects and hugely diverse characters will bring a unique feel to this black box,” Katelyn said. When asked about her experience on the show, Lisa Arrona, playing Gabriella said, “It’s been so fun to be a part of this production. The cast and crew are working on the show at a constant basis, and cast members have actually been seen sweating while in character because they of their intense dedication. Katelyn hopes “the audience gets a taste of how interactions between men and women have changed since this time period” and that they “have an open mind while watching.” Lisa says that “there is no doubt that if you like to laugh you should come to see this show. It’s so over the top and absurd that it’s almost impossible to keep a straight face.” “You know how whenever someone tells you a joke and then around 3 days later you remember it and start laughing just as hard as you did the first time you heard it?” This is the kind of experience Lisa hopes the audience will have. Katelyn mentioned that she expects the play should “make you laugh all the way through while simultaneously getting an important message across for you to ponder.”
Staff Writer The resonant sounds of music filled the air in the Scott Concert Hall at Brevard College on Saturday, Nov. 4, when the Washington and Lee University Wind Ensemble gave its audience a breathtaking performance. The ensemble was composed of students and community members who sought to share the journey of a soldier leaving for war through their musical presentation “Shipping Out.” The concert began with the energetic “American Fanfare” symbolizing the soldier’s first thoughts of joining the war and fighting for his homeland. The next peace, “New York from a Distance,” described a typical day in the land the soldier loves. The first movement, Brooklyn, features several soloists and portrays a calm night on Brooklyn Bridge. The second movement is extremely busy and illustrates crowds of people wandering around Times Square. The final movement, Manhattan, has a heavy jazz influence that leaves the audience waiting for more. Next, the soldier could be found searching for guidance and strength when the wind ensemble played “Be Thou My Vision.” This piece involves a traditional Irish melody that captures the humility, faith and strength found in the hymn text.
The next piece was “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.” As the music was performed, listeners could feel the tension of the human struggle to endure and refusal to go down without a fight. The tension in the atmosphere was broken by the fanfare of trumpets in the first measures of “Muse.” This piece was written to depict the inspiration the composer received from those closest to him. Like the composer, the soldier received inspiration and guidance from the people around him as he tried to decide if he would enlist. The music once again became calm and reflective as the beauty of “Dusk” traveled around the auditorium like an evening breeze. This short, passionate piece represented the time for the soldier to make his decision. The decision was finally made in “First Suite in E Flat” as the music rose in intensity. The final movement ended in an adventurous march that symbolized the soldier going off to war. The Washington and Lee University Wind Ensemble’s ability to provide its audience with an evening of fun entertainment, while telling a story through music, is an example of its great talent. Overall, the evening was a huge success with good and powerful music heard by all.
Photo by Amber Blanton
The Washington and Lee University Wind Ensemble performing Saturday, Nov. 4 in the Scott Concert Hall.
Campus News
Page 2
The Clarion
|
November 8, 2017
Brevard Student Profile: College Peter Trench Security Report By Carmen Boone Staff Writer
The most recent security reports for Brevard College have been released as of Tuesday, Nov. 7, according to the Brevard College Campus Security. There was an attempted break in at the bike room in Boshamer Gymnasium. No indication of entrance or equipment being stolen was noticed. Students are reminded to stay vigilant. A car was broken into and burglarized. The perpetrator illegally entered the car and stole a purse and other items were removed from the vehicle as well. Please be sure that you lock your car and close all windows so you do not become a victim. If you observe any suspicious activity in the parking lots, call security immediately so they can respond as quickly as possible. The was a break in in Green Hall. The perpetrator entered the room through a ground floor window and an amount of money was reported missing. Students are reminded that when leaving their rooms (especially those on the ground floor) to make sure that their windows are closed and locked and the valuables are not in plain view. A student was observed entering the gate to the old water treatment plant behind Gil Coan Baseball Field. Be advised that entering that location is trespassing and anyone will be subject to police arrest. The property is dangerous and can lead to injury. It has been observed that there have been several instances of dogs without leashes on campus. If you have an animal on campus please make sure that it is leashed and under control at all times. Also, please be sure to pick up any litter created by your animals. Everyone is requested to contact Campus Security at (828)-577-9590 if wrongful or suspicious activity is observed on campus. — Zach Dickerson
Lights! Camera! Action! Peter Trench is a work study student, developing a potential future as a cinematographer. He films, edits and produces short video clips for activities happening on the Brevard campus and in the community. Trench is a junior at BC, studying Physics with a concentration in Astronomy. His fascination with photography started his sophomore year of high school and his interest in space started his freshman year in college. He was born in N.J., then moved to Tenn., and now lives in Alpharetta, Ga. with his parents, sister, dog and three cats. He is Italian on his mom’s side and Irish and Scottish on his dad’s side. His younger sister is a freshman in college. Hiking, camping and skateboarding are all interests of Trench. He has been playing guitar for eight years. He enjoys listening to music anywhere from the 60’s to the 80’s, including rock n’ roll, jazz and several other genres. Trench fuels his work study with his love for technology and photography. He uses is a
$7,000 Canon camera provided by the school to film and photograph events. Trench has been to Black Balsam to take pictures, he went to the Harvest Festival, a jazz concert, the fall choral concert, soccer games and club events with his work study job. His favorite part about his job is editing the videos and putting all of it together. He says of his Black Balsam experience, “I got to head out into the wilderness with a camera and film the Blue Ridge Mountains.” Trench was drawn to Brevard because of the professors, surroundings and atmosphere in general. He said he enjoys the professors’ knowledge about the subjects they teach and that their passion inspires students. He said of Brevard, “I like how embedded it is in the national forest.” Trench’s plans for the future include a hopeful position at an internship this summer with PARI, the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute. There he will do a field study of space as well as make lesson plans for campers staying there. He is “stoked” for the opportunity.
Photo by Carmen Boone
Peter Trench hard at work capturing club events.
November 8, 2017 | The Clarion
Opinion
Terrorist Whitewashing
Page 3
The racist mentality of our media and government By Jordon Morgan
Editor in Chief On Tuesday, Oct. 31 Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov drove a truck into bikers and pedestrians on Manhattan’s west side, killing eight and wounding another 11 people. Saipov legally immigrated to the United States from Uzbekistan in 2010. According to Business Insider, investigators are treating this incident as an act of terror. Between the fact that allegedly witnesses heard Saipov shout “Allahu akbar” (Arabic for “God is greater”) and that he reportedly had a note in his car pledging allegiance to the terrorist group ISIS, all the evidence points to something that can be consistently labeled as a terrorist attack. Ok, that’s fair enough but let me ask a simple question. When was the last time a mass shooting or killing of any kind that was perpetrated by an American caucasian male was labelled as a “terrorist attack?” The most obvious example in recent news is the Las Vegas shooting, which left 58 dead and 500 injured. However, Business Insider in that same article makes a reasonable argument that that doesn’t count because, “authorities have yet to name a motive for the Las Vegas attack,” and no clues have yet been published that can accurately label it as such. At the same time, what about incidents such as the Charleston shooting in 2015, where Dylan Roof went into a predominately African American church and opened fire, killing nine people, that at no point was labelled as a “terrorist attack?” When Anders Behring Breivik in Norway killed eight people by detonating a van bomb amid Regjeringskvartalet in Oslo, then shot dead 69 participants of a Workers’ Youth League (AUF) summer camp on the island of Utøya, according to a citation of a New York Times article, did any major media outlet in America label him as a terrorist? Both Roof and Breivik were motivated by extreme right-wing politics as the basis for committing their attacks. Again, The New York Times in their original coverage of the Charleston shooting mentioned Roof’s Facebook page, saying that it presented, “a glowering Mr. Roof [as he] wears symbols of two former white supremacist governments — the flags of apartheid-era South Africa, and of Rhodesia, the nation that became Zimbabwe.” Meanwhile, Breivik, according to a report by The Telegraph, said that he killed the, “67 members of the youth wing of the Norwegian Labour party, most of them teenagers, out of justified retribution.” According to him they were “not innocent,” but “young people who were actively working to uphold multiculturalism.” In addition, Reuters reported in 2014 that Breivik was seeking to start a “fascist party.” The point is, despite credible and clear evidence that the actions committed by these heinous individuals qualify as “terrorism” in every possible sense of the definition, very few major media outlets, let alone any of our elected officials, labeled them as terrorists. Saipov however, is treated far differently. Hell, a headline by NBC news immediately paints Saipov as a terrorist, as it reads, “New York Terrorist Attack: Truck Driver Kills Eight in Lower Manhattan.” Looking at the case by itself, whether or not Saipov deserves that label isn’t the point of this article, as there appears to be enough evidence for that label to be accurate. The point is this: if the person committing such an atrocity happens to be of Muslim or Arabic descent (or even vaguely resembles one) it’s highly likely that the subject of terrorism will be broached, but if he’s a white guy, not so much.
And why is that? Why does it honestly seem as though American based right-wing terrorism is hardly ever labeled as such? Is it a misconception of what “terrorism” really means? Is it simply willful denial? Or perhaps (and this the far more likelier option) it is based on a jingoistic, subconscious, or conscious in some cases, racism against a certain group of people. Take for instance our own president’s response to the N.Y. attack. Consider the fact that this man is a member of the Republican Party, a party that more often than not, considers themselves on the hard line of strictly enforced rules and respecting our system of government. And yet, according to a Nov. 1 New York Times article, our sitting commander-in-chief, “denounced the American criminal justice system as ‘a joke’ and ‘a laughingstock,’ adding that he was open to sending ‘this animal’ instead to the American military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.” To remind our readers, Guantanamo Bay is a military prison in Cuba where inmates are detained indefinitely without any form of trial and where several of those said inmates have been tortured at one point or another. In addition, President Trump said in a tweet on that same day, Nov. 1, that, “NYC terrorist was happy as he asked to hang ISIS flag in his hospital room. He killed 8 people, badly injured 12. SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!” So to put it bluntly, our president, who in his inauguration swore to uphold the Constitution to the best of his ability, not only slammed our country’s justice system, but has no actual belief in our system of government, nor does he believe in the Bill of Rights. Also, in a case of staggering, absolutely blithering stupidity, declared a man who has not yet gone to trial guilty and says he should be killed. This is also a man who, in the wake of the Charlottesville riots, said “both sides,” including the one which wasn’t filled with White Nationalists and Neo-Nazis, were to blame for the violence. Granted, there’s no denying that our justice system has many, many issues. Between its systemic racism and clear favoritism toward wealthy individuals, America has a lot to fix when it comes to that. But there is a clear distinction between saying that our justice system has major issues that need fixing and calling it a “joke” or a “laughing stock” as Trump did. Going back to the issue of his tweet, yes, there is plenty of evidence that Saipov is guilty, and if Trump was able to shut his damn trap for more than a day, he likely would’ve been tried and found guilty. However, because our President is a narcissistic, violent, petty, viciously racist moron, Saipov’s lawyers can easily argue that he will not get a fair trial which, at best, will delay actual justice for a man who by all accounts committed murder on a significant scale and potentially, at worst, could provide a loophole for him to be free. Does anyone honestly think that if Saipov was replaced by some white guy from Alabama, Mississippi or any other southern state (or any state in the U.S. for that matter to be fair), who declared that he was doing it to end “multiculturalism” as Breivik did or was doing it because his god told him to, that we’d be in the same situation? Would the media label it as a “terrorist attack” and would our President be calling for his violation of civil rights and for him to die if he was white? I find it hard to believe that anyone can answer “yes” to that question with a straight face. This is something that has to stop and it has to start with our sometimes idiotic mainstream press. That doesn’t include online media outlets or even every single press See ‘Terrorist whitewashing,’ page 8
Page 4
Arts & Life
The Clarion
|
November 8, 2017
BC Faculty Richland Balsam Trail Recital
Trail Review: By Jeni Welch Copy Editor
Richland Balsam trail is a moderately challenging loop that is located just before the highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 431. The trail begins at an elevation of 6,053 feet and winds up hill to a 6,410 feet within less than a mile hike. The 1.3-mile trail begins with a slight uphill slant before breaking apart into the loop. Arrows and number markers give both directions and confirmation you are going to correct way. The trail leads up to the right and is littered with fallen trees covered in multi shades of green moss and lichen. The fallen trees are scattered across the terrain and create a different environmental atmosphere from the rest of the parkway. The path is narrow and seems to not be highly traveled. The quick elevation gain is not only felt in the temperature but also in the flora. The balsam fir trees are congested on the mountain side and create a barrier blocking both the wind and view on the first part of the loop.
The summit has a small bench and a national forest sign to reward the hiker. There is not a grand view from the summit as one would expect, however the rest of the loop offers scattered peeks at the sights on a downhill slope. The hike around the other side of the mountain has two different view spots and is decorated with more ferns and grassy areas compared to the loop’s first side. There are random benches scattered along the entire length of the trail and small grassy areas closer to the loop’s end to enjoy the fresh air and breathtaking views. To get to Richland Balsam follow highway 276 in Pisgah National Forest all the way to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Once at the Parkway, turn left and head south for about 19 miles. Richland Balsam is milepost 431 on the right side of the road at the Haywood-Jackson overlook. The overlook has a small picnic table to the left side and the trailhead can be found to the left of the parking lot.
On Sunday, Nov. 5, students and community members came out to support BC’s piano instructor, Koeun Grace Lee, Ph.D. This faculty recital resulted in an afternoon filled with musical entertainment for all in attendance. Lee played several pieces including “Sonata in F minor” and “Sonata in A major” by Domenico Scarlatti, “Go-Hyang” by David Burge, “Variations, Op. 41” by Nikolai Kapustin and “Waltz, from Faust” by Franz Liszt. Lee’s appreciation for the music was evident in every movement she made. She kept the audience engaged as she played from one movement to the next, displaying expertise and passion with every note. Those in attendance of the recital thought Lee gave a spectacular performance, which was another great example of the talent that can be found in the BC Music Department. — Amber Blanton
the Clarion Senior Staff Editor in Chief . . . . Jordon Morgan Managing Editor . . . Calum McAndrew Copy Editor . . . . . . Jeni Welch Campus News . . . . Zach Dickerson Opinion . . . . . . . . Florian Peyssonneaux Arts & Life . . . . . . Jessica Wiegandt Sports . . . . . . . . Calum McAndrew Layout & Design . . . Jeni Welch Faculty Advisor . . . . John B. Padgett
Other Staff Amber Blanton Carmen Boone Amanda Heskett
Lauren Fowler Cody Manning Taffon Alexander
The Clarion is a student-run college newspaper produced by student journalists enrolled at Brevard College. Unsigned editorials represent the collective opinion of the staff of The Clarion. Other opinions expressed in this newspaper are those of respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the faculty, staff or administration of Brevard College.
All correspondence should be mailed to: The Clarion, Brevard College, One Brevard College Drive, Brevard, NC 28712, or send E-mail to
[email protected] clarion.brevard.edu
Letters Policy: The Clarion welcomes Photo by Jeni Welch
The hike up to Richland Balsam summit is steep and enclosed with trees to block the wind at 6,410 feet in elevation.
letters to the editor. We reserve the right to edit letters for length or content. We do not publish anonymous letters or those whose authorship cannot be verified.
November 8, 2017 | The Clarion
Arts & Life
Alumni spotlight
Page 5
Paddling with a purpose: An alumni trip abroad By Jessica Wiegandt
Arts and Life Editor “Earlier this year, Ian [White Maher] approached us about going to India and paddling the Ganges River for environmental awareness,” the two recent BC graduates smiled, “So that’s just what we did.” Austin Donnell and Mason Pritchett, both graduates of the class of 2017, returned from India in Oct. after completing a preliminary expedition for a paddling trip down the Ganges. The full trip, set to take place in 2018, will encompass students from India and around the world and will incorporate an environmental and spiritual aspect. The Ganges River, also known as the Ganga, is the world’s most polluted river but also is the most sacred river for the Hindu religion. “It’s a weird dichotomy where a river can be so worshipped but at the same time be so, quite literally, shitty,” Pritchett said. The two hope to complete a trip that will bring awareness to the pollution of the river while also paying respect to it. “The actual paddling portion of the day will most likely be a silent paddle,” Pritchett said, “And it will focus on how we, as humans, essentially are the river or earth and when we pollute the river and earth, we are polluting ourselves as well.” The two met White Maher in January, shortly after he had moved to Brevard. White Maher came to Brevard in 2016 as the interim minister at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Transylvania County and had experience traveling in India, working with a university that had interest in raising awareness for the polluted river. White Maher approached several BC students for help and Pritchett and Donnell committed. “This whole plan started to come together,” Donnell said, “Ian had led a silent pilgrimage in New York, so Ian’s purpose was to take this on a global scale.” White Maher’s purpose in New York was to pray for the river. “He [White Maher] is a spiritual man,” Donnell said, “He’s part of a very new-age church and that opened up the opportunity to do take his spiritual paddling trip and make it global.” The idea for the pilgrimage down the Ganga is to have a routine schedule every day. Each morning, the group will wake up and begin by praying for the river. “We’ll have however many people in our group, 10, 15, 20 people, congregate in the same place together each morning for eight days on the River Ganga,” Donnell said. “Our mission this time was to go over and see what this was all about and see what we could do to make this trip possible.” The preliminary trip allowed enough information to be gathered that White Maher, Donnell and Pritchett hope to have a trip in Sept. 2018
Photo Courtesy of Austin Donnell
(From left) Ian White Maher, Mason Pritchett, Austin Donnell and Sah-dev Rena after a day on the Ganga.
filled with 20 people paddling the Ganga. “We hope to get some Indian university students involved with us, hopefully about five or six of them, along with Westerners, down the River Ganga,” Donnell said. The Ganga is a multi-purpose river in India. Not only is it the most sacred river but it also yields over 25 percent of India’s total water resources. Frequently, water is pulled from the river to use for agriculture and other hydro-reliant undertakings. “This is a river that is two, three, four miles wide but less than a foot deep,” Donnell said, “And that’s a result of the water outtake [of] these populated areas, which kind of rape the river in that sense.” With every process of the plan for the river, the sacredness is kept at the forefront as the purpose and mission of the trip. “These people literally call the river ‘Ma Ganga,’ which means ‘the river mother.’ This river is their goddess,” Donnell said. The group has no intention to travel to India and begin to blame the government. There is no plan to protest. There is only a plan to peacefully and respectfully lead a group down the river to pray and hopefully raise awareness. “We just want to open peoples’ eyes that would not ordinarily have the opportunity for this experience,” Pritchett said, “It’s less about the Ganges and more about every river around the world. This just happens See ‘Alumni paddling trip,’ page 6
Photo Courtesy of Austin Donnell
A common view while paddling along the River Ganga
Page 6
Netflix Review:
Arts & Life
The Clarion
|
November 8, 2017
‘Luke Cage’: Never backward, always forward
By Jordon Morgan
Editor in Chief “Luke Cage,” both the character and the show is strong, committed, humble and also somewhat flawed. Continuing the continuity of the Netflix Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), “Luke Cage” follows the titular character as he tries his best to lead a somewhat normal life in the wake of his extraordinary powers, that being his completely unbreakable skin and super strength. Those plans don’t come to fruition however, and local gang boss Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes along with his cousin Mariah Dillard and a mysterious crime overlord named Diamondback, threaten Cage’s friends, family, and city that he holds so dear. One pleasant, constant strength that the Netflix MCU shows possess is an impeccable sense of pacing. At 13 hour-long episodes, it can be easy to for a show to drag on or be filled with a lot of padding and filler (as the “The Walking Dead” so often does) but thankfully “Luke Cage” avoids that with ease. Subsequently, this pacing allows ample time for the characters to grow and change. Cage in particular goes from a man who simply wants to avoid trouble, to rising up and living true to the core ideals that are spoken to him by those who are closest to him. Cage is also a humble, strong (mentally, not just physically) and caring individual who abides by a strong, unwavering moral code. Mike Colter does a fantastic job of portraying such a complex individual. Supporting characters from other Netflix MCU shows also make welcome appearances and don’t at any point feel forced or pointless. Claire Temple and Turk, who first appeared in “Daredevil,” are the two biggest examples, with the former becoming a key team player in helping Luke Cage fight his enemies. Said enemies, Cottonmouth and Diamondback, along with Mariah Dillard, cousin of Cottonmouth and corrupt elected official, are incredibly compelling. Although Cottonmouth, at times, resembles Wilson Fisk from “Daredevil” a bit too much. Cottonmouth is a man who seeks to be Harlem’s most successful crime lord but also does his best to be honorable to those whom he shares a past with. His counterpart, Diamondback, is one of the most compelling villains in a television show in recent memories. Ruthless, a skilled fighter and possessing a personal connection to Cage, he is everything that makes a great comic book villain. Diamondback also has a somewhat tragic back-
story that successfully makes viewers empathize with him, though not enough to erase any of the horrible things he says or does. “Luke Cage” also does an excellent job commenting on the controversial subject that still is pervasive in today’s society: police brutality, corruption and whether or not vigilantism is morally defendable. It presents the subjects in such a way that the issues feel believable within the context of the story and can very easily speak about these larger meanings in a substantial way. The action scenes are also well done, perfectly showcasing the incredible power Luke Cage has with excellently choreographed showdowns that
are always easy to follow and exciting. The only real flaw with the show is the fact that some of the story beats do seem a bit too familiar. Perhaps that’s just the nature of comic book based media but given the smash hit surprise that was “Daredevil” it’s hard not to hold the rest of the MCU shows to the same standards, and “Luke Cage” falls just ever so slightly below that benchmark. That doesn’t mean that this show isn’t worth viewing. It’s timely commentary on sensitive political topics, great villains, strong lead character and excellent pacing make it worthwhile.
‘Alumni paddling trip’ Continued from page 5
to be taking place on a river that really matters to a lot of people.” The education factor of the trip is meant to transcend past just the Ganga. Donnell, Pritchett and White Maher hope to have participants of the trip take what they learn in India and bring it back and apply their knowledge to issues of homeland pollution. The expedition will most likely last 10 days in India. Obstacles are rampant as the three attempt to organize the trip. “I think there’s maybe 14 kayaks in all of India, and all of them are for whitewater, which are really slow on this section of flat water river,” Pritchett said. “Also, every rainy season the roads and everything get washed out by the river, so we’d have to do a preliminary trip prior to every actual expedition that would occur, just to know where we could camp and how we could access civilization.” The heat and humidity would also be a challenge. Pritchett said the heat was like nothing he had ever experienced. However, the crew has to keep in mind balancing having enough water and paddling in blistering heat. According to Donnell, the physical trash in the river was low. There is a lot of chemical and human waste dumps that go straight into the water. “It looks a lot like the French Broad, a few bottles floating down, but most of what’s in the water is what you can’t see,” Donnell said, “The chemicals are the scary things.” The crew was also surprised at how long it took to travel to different locations. “Hospital
trips would be really difficult,” Donnell said, “We drove 60 miles one day in transit and it took us six hours. Six hours for 60 miles.” During this preliminary trip, Pritchett and Donnell spent 12 days with White Maher scouting the 2018 trip and then spent an additional nine days paddling whitewater in the headwaters of the Ganga, where it isn’t polluted. The lower and upper Ganga seem to be completely different rivers when compared with one another. The lower is flat and polluted and the upper is filled with whitewater and is clean. While on the lower, Pritchett and Donnell only completed about half of the planned expedition in 2018. They will continue to plan the route as the trip approaches. “This isn’t a luxury trip to India,” Donnell said, “We’re going to be dirty, it’s going to be work and it’s going to be hard. But it will be a spiritual pilgrimage and it will make a difference that means something.” Pritchett created a video summarizing the trip, which can be viewed at https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=70WnmhLeqtQ&autoplay=1. “If an opportunity comes up and you’re not sure about it, just keep pursuing it and clicking off the criteria until you get there,” Donnell said, “You’re never going to go somewhere until you go there and that’s what we figured with India. Buy a plane ticket; get your shots and go. It’s just not that difficult to travel. It’s worth the traveling.”
November 8, 2017 | The Clarion
Video Game Review:
Arts & Life
Page 7
Telltale’s ‘Game of Thrones:’ a worthy companion to the legendary HBO series By Jordon Morgan Editor in Chief
For those looking to satiate their appetite for “Game of Thrones” until the eighth and final season premieres, Telltale’s episodic take on the TV show is a sometimes gorgeous looking, gripping drama that will most certainly satisfy already diehard fans, but isn’t very accessible to newcomers of the world of Westeros. “Game of Thrones” follows several members of the Forrester family, loyal bannermen to House Stark, after their house suffers greatly in the wake of the infamous Red Wedding. Now nearly crushed under the thumb of the Boltons, the new leading family of the North, and caught up in an escalating war with the Whitehills, their ancient enemies, the family members must all do their part in trying to keep their ancestral home and family afloat, which is far easier said than done. Like all games from Telltale, “Game of Thrones” follows an episodic format, this time totaling six in number, that all clock in around two to three hours each. As such, totaling between 12 and 18 hours between all the episodes, the total price tag of around $20 for all episodes certainly gives you your money’s worth. Of course, all the content in the world for $20 wouldn’t make a difference if the story and characters, critical components of a story driven adventure game, weren’t up to snuff. Thankfully,
Telltale does a great job of crafting said stories and characters into ones that feel like they’d fit perfectly in with the world HBO created. It also is helped tremendously by the fact that many cast members from the TV show reprise their roles that, while they amount to essentially glorified cameos, feel right at home and add some much needed gravitas to the overall experience. Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton), Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), Kit Harington (Jon Snow) and Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister) are just as committed to their videogame voiceover roles as they are to their TV roles, and it feels like a collaborative effort between all involved for an intellectual property that they truly love. Given that the majority of the game is dialogue and making story decisions, the actual gameplay is fairly light, amounting to not much more than quick time events. Fortunately, Telltale rarely, if ever, oversaturate their games with these kinds of moments, making it so that when they do happen, you continue to stay sucked into the moment and want to succeed to see how the rest of the story plays out. There are also several moments in all of the episodes that force you to make a major choice, which sometimes dictate which major characters will live or die into the next episode. This is another aspect that Telltale absolutely nails, and rightly so. Some of the choices are absolutely agonizing to make, and that is meant in a good way.
It’s very likely that when you reach that critical point, you’ll have to pause to give yourself more time to think, as the game itself only rarely if ever gives you more than a few seconds to make your choice, a design decision that also extends to choosing your dialogue options in the midst of a conversation. The decision making moments are done so well that it very much encourages multiple playthroughs just to see all the possibilities that can come about. Sometimes however, the story bears too much of a resemblance to HBO’s show, as the Forrester’s plight seem all too similar to the Starks, with their once high and mighty status being taken from them, and having to endure incredible hardship and bad luck in order to get it back. Another issue with the game is its technical performance issues. While most of the time it can look downright gorgeous with its hand painted sort of style and pre drawn backgrounds, during the moment to moment gameplay it has a nasty habit of having a stuttering framerate. This is especially problematic during the scenes in which large scale battles or even small skirmishes happen, as in the middle of trying to succeed in a quick time event, the game will completely freeze for a few seconds at a time. It also tends to happen far too frequently for it to be ignored. Finally, although it can be somewhat forgiven, there is the fact that if you haven’t seen the HBO show before or for that matter read the Song of Ice and Fire novels that all of these titles are based off of, you’ll have an incredibly hard time following all the complicated lore, and many of the characters from the show, well voice acted and all, may not effectively give off their importances to newcomers of George R.R. Martin’s world. However, as mentioned before, it can be somewhat forgiven as the game is clearly constructed for those who are already familiar with its companion TV series. It’s just that if you haven’t seen the show or read the books, getting lost is very likely to happen. All in all, “Game of Thrones” is an absorbing, excellently done adventure game that is well worth your time, despite its technical shortcomings and narrative faults for those unbaptized in the world.
Page 8
Sports
The Clarion
|
November 8, 2017
BC linebacker Jhon sets national record in final football game
By Jon Cole
Sports Information Director Linebacker Jinsly Jhon, competing in a Tornado uniform for the final time, established the program’s NCAA record for most single-game tackles (24) on Senior Day against Averett. However, it was the Cougars that emerged with the 41-17 victory in Brevard’s season finale at Brevard Memorial Stadium. Jhon, who made 3.5 tackles for loss and 12 solo stops against the Cougars (5-4), topped the program’s previous NCAA single-game mark (21 tackles) set by Stanley Jones against LenoirRhyne on Sept. 27, 2008. Jhon was one of four Brevard defenders to top the double-digit tackle mark along with Wesley Ross (13), Tanner Pettit (10) and classmate Jason Nieradka (10). Joining Jhon among major contributors in the contest was Malik Silva, who finished the game with two blocked punts for the Brevard special teams unit. Silva’s first block of the afternoon came in first quarter, which eventually led to a Joseph Calhoun field goal and a 10-0 advantage. His second came in the early stages of the fourth quarter when he scooped up the ball for a 34yard return for touchdown. Wide receiver Rikiya Bain led the way for the Tornado offense, finishing with 73 yards receiving, while Bubba Craven made the most receptions (three) for a total of 40 yards in his final collegiate contest. Quarterback Ryan Jordan, making his second start of the season in place of an injured O’Shay Carter, finished with 148 yards and one touchdown after going 9-of-21 in the contest. With a 17-point edge and the opening kickoff of the second half, Averett began the first drive of the third quarter at its own 35-yard line. The Cougars would take advantage 52 penalty yards against Brevard as they moved the ball 65 yards before taking a 34-10 lead on a three-yard touchdown run by Sean Bowman. The leg of Cole Westberry again put Brevard deep in its own territory as the offense began its first drive of the second half from the 25yard line. Despite an 11-yard run by Nazayah Brown, the longest run from scrimmage of the day for Brevard, the Averett defense forced a punt which resulted in a 20-yard return to the Tornado 44. The Cougars turned to reserve running back Chris Francis at that point, who gained 23 yards on the first three plays of the drive as Averett moved to the 25. Two plays later, quarterback Christian Miles hit Brandon Dry for a 24-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 41-10. Silva’s 34-yard block punt return capped off
scoring for the two teams at the 11:10 mark of the fourth quarter. Averett distanced itself on the scoreboard at the midpoint of the second quarter when it used a 12-yard run by Bowman to take a 17-10 lead. Bowman was responsible for 32 of the 64 yards in the drive, highlighting the seven-play possession with a 20-yard scamper that moved the Cougars into red zone territory at the 19yard line. Two possessions later, with the Cougars offense taking over at the Brevard 25-yard line, the Tornados defense made three consecutive stops before allowing a 43-yard field goal by Westberry. The Tornados were forced to start their fourth drive of the second quarter from the 15-yard line after a holding penalty negated a 41-yard return by Xavier Brown. Facing third-and-18, Jordan was popped by Averett’s Victor Miller, who gobbled up the ball in the endzone, to stretch the Cougars’ lead to 27-10 heading into
the intermission. The Tornados took advantage of receiving the opening kickoff of the contest in their opening drive when Jordan placed a pass perfectly into the hands of an open Bain, on the second play from scrimmage, who streaked 73 yards to provide Brevard with a 7-0 lead. A three-and-out by the Brevard defense the Cougars were forced to punt from their own 39, which was blocked by Silva and returned by Evan Francois to the 10-yard line. Unable to make forward progress in their second possession, kicker Joseph Calhoun drove home a 28-yard field goal to provide the Tornados with a 10-0 advantage. Averett put its first points on the board just over midway through the opening quarter, capping off a six-play, 43-yard drive with a sevenyard scamper into the end zone by Bowman. The Cougars knotted the game at 10-all on their ensuing possession when Westberry converted a 48-yard field goal.
‘Terrorist whitewashing’ Continued from page 3
outlet on network television but it does include ones such as CNN or NBC, which have a nasty habit of immediately jumping on the “terrorist” narrative if any hint of Islam is involved, but seem to be silent on the issue if it isn’t. Truth be told, I doubt these networks are doing it on purpose at this point though. Ever since 9/11, our country has been gripped by a never ending perpetuation of Islamophobia, thanks in part to the Bush Administration’s disastrous handling of the situation, not to mention the entirety of the Iraq War, which had a significant hand in creating ISIS (sorry Trump, once again, it wasn’t Obama’s fault on that one). Of course, that isn’t an excuse and reporters should do their job in calling it what it is, regardless of the skin color or religious affiliation of the accused perpetrator. That’s where it needs to start, but the American public isn’t free from being not complicit either. We as a nation overreact so much to perceived threats, national tragedies, and seem willing to jump on any scapegoat for these tragedies, as long as they don’t give us a glimpse into a painful truth: that we are so ignorant as to blame anyone or anything but our own misguided sense of “patriotism” and our own horrible race problem. This isn’t an indictment on all American citi-
zens, as I’m sure many possibly feel the same way I do, or at least certainly aren’t in favor of such brain dead actions as the one our President commits. Maybe the spotlight on the racists and bigots in our country is unfortunately just far bigger than the ones on the rational, intelligent people. Our executive branch is sadly filled with the former, starting at the top, and unless we fight back and don’t let the ignorance continue to spread, then we’ve lost. Think about what people like ISIS want more? A major Western power that ostracizes and discriminates against people of Arabic origins, thus making them feel like outsiders and giving them more potential recruits? Or a country that actually favors rational, intelligent thinking, that looks at each case one by one and treats Arab American citizens as just that: American citizens until otherwise proven guilty? One thing is for sure, it isn’t going to happen under Trump. To stand by what I said, our president is a disgusting individual, someone who doesn’t even believe in the core of what our country is supposed to represent: freedom, justice and the American way. And if that belief isn’t instilled in someone, then please tell me, why in the hell were they chosen to lead us?
