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(03/14/19 9:52pm)
Inspired by the comic series of the same name, Netflix’s “Umbrella Academy” centers around a dysfunctional superhero family trying to save the world while dealing with their own myriad of personal issues.
The ensemble cast consists of the Hagreeves children and members of the titular Umbrella Academy. The series begins by telling the story of the odd circumstances behind the children’s birth, Sir Reginald Hargreeves’ adoption of them and their return home upon his death.
On Oct. 1, 1989, 43 women miraculously give birth, despite not being pregnant when the day began. Sir Reginald Hargreeves, an eccentric billionaire, adopts seven of them and turns them into a superhero team. The children are originally only named by numbers, before being given names by their robot mother figure.
Gifted with unique superpowers, the Hargreeves spend their childhood fighting crime for an apathetic father, whose emotional neglect drives away all of his children, besides Luther, or Number One. Even outside of the famed Academy, most of the children have difficulty with coping with their childhoods, each turning to different methods.
Diego continues his work as Number Two, now working solo, while Vanya writes a tell-all book on her life as Number Seven, the only member of the Umbrella Academy without powers. Number Four Klaus struggles with his addiction and his powers to see the dead, often talking to Ben, who died in his duties as Number Six. Even Alison, seemingly the most well-adjusted Hagreeve, ultimately fails to escape her past as Number Three.
The siblings, now adults, return to the Umbrella Academy upon Sir Reginald Hargreeves’ death. Once there, some of them become suspicious about how he died and begin to investigate it. At the same time, Number Five, who has been missing for over a decade, reappears in the present to stop the apocalypse. Alongside these story arcs, the show follows two time-traveling assassins as they try to stop Number Five from changing the timeline, under orders from an agency that works to keep the time-space continuum intact.
The show is overflowing with interesting and intriguing plotlines, between the overall main story arcs and the character arcs for each individual character. The only issue is that the show tries to fit too many arcs into 10 episodes, which leaves little time for the audience to catch their breath from each new twist and turn. While the biggest arcs are wrapped up, there are still just a few too many threads still hanging for viewers, leaving a desperate need for a second season to adequately answer everything.
All of the characters are unique and three-dimensional, with individual arcs and relationship dynamics. All of the Hargreeves carry psychological damage from their childhoods and the way it manifests fits each sibling’s personality and issues perfectly.
While some of their choices can be frustrating, the audience almost always understands why they made them. Despite their differing personalities, the siblings are all sympathetic and try their best. Other main and recurring characters are just as fleshed out, undergoing their own development and arcs.
The dynamics between characters tend to be hit or miss, especially romantic relationships. Dynamics implied earlier in the show, such as Vanya and Five’s relationship, are ignored in favor of completely different dynamics later in the season.
The show’s handling of most of the romantic relationships are clumsy, with only a few of them being handled well and two of them ending in tragedy. However, as the show goes on, more platonic dynamics are created and play a larger part in the last half of the show.
Overall, “The Umbrella Academy” is a fascinating show with a great plot and interesting characters, even with its poorly-handled relationships and convoluted story arcs. While a second season is unconfirmed, the series is definitely worth a view.
Final Score: 4/5
(02/28/19 7:33pm)
Based off of the edutainment franchise of the same name, Netflix’s newly released “Carmen Sandiego” revamps the eponymous character from a gentlewoman-thief to a classy version of Robin Hood. Voiced by Gina Rodriguez of “Jane the Virgin” fame, the series starts with a two-partner flashback to Car- men’s childhood on the Isle of VILE and the events that led to her defection from VILE and decision to take them down.
Carmen Sandiego or “Black Sheep,” as she’s originally known, was found on the side of the road as a baby in Argentina and brought to the Isle of VILE, where she was raised in a school for thieves. In the flashback of the first episode, Black Sheep finally gets the chance to officially attend the Academy to become a thief for VILE.
However, her failure in her final pickpocketing exam means she is unable to graduate and become an official VILE operative. Her attempts to join a heist end up reveal- ing to her the true nature of VILE and how ruthless they actually are. Unwilling to harm innocent people, Black Sheep escapes from VILE and decides to become the one who will take them down: Carmen Sandiego.
The rest of the season follows Carmen foiling VILE’s schemes with the help of Player, a mysterious “white-hat hacker,” and Zack and Ivy, a brother-sister duo who helps Carmen’s
numerous capers. Law enforcement agents Chase Devineaux and Julia Argent star in their
own storyline in their attempts to catch Carmen. The show also gives an updated look on VILE as they send out multiple operatives to deal with Carmen.
Despite the immediate creation of interesting story arcs, the show ignores them in favor of a generic “mystery of the week” style, with two-thirds of the episodes focusing on an ultimately pointless heist and largely ignoring the stronger story arcs going on in the background. The edutainment aspect of the show seems forced, with Carmen and Player heavy-handedly discussing trivia facts about the location the team ends up this week.
However, each location is beautifully animated, along with the rest of the show. Each location is distinctly different from the others, with the animators bringing each new setting to life. Character designs are unique and striking, with each character boasting an individualized design. The designs give the characters plenty of characterization without them ever saying a word.
Character depths vary among the cast, with multiple members of the main cast feeling less defined than others. Characters like Paper Star and Pilar Marquez, who only appear in one episode each, are given more of a personality and characterization than main characters Ivy and Zack. While Carmen herself is characterized well enough, her motivations and reasons for her behavior are often hazy and seem forced.
The show finally finds its footing when it begins to tie previous episodes together and ramps up the tension. The last three episodes of the season shake up the formula by presenting Carmen with a real threat and allowing VILE to get a step ahead of her. They bring back a character from the first part of the series, allowing the dynamic they’d originally wanted to shine through far more naturally than it had.
The season’s finale ramps up the tension and shows exactly why VILE is such a big threat and brings back the question of Carmen’s past, ending the season on a strong note.
Overall, Carmen Sandiego has a clumsy beginning but seems to get a better grasp of the type of story it wants to tell towards the end of the season. With a second season officially confirmed, it remains to be seen if “Carmen Sandiego” will play to the potential it has displayed thus far.
Final Score: 3/5
(02/12/19 10:37pm)
Some student organizations at Mercer University have recently been promoting environmental sustainability on campus. The groups most involved in the shift have been the Green Committee and the Green Coalition.
The Green Committee is a branch of the Student Government Association (SGA), led by Sophomore Class President Jadon Murad. They’ve been a part of Mercer’s work with new initiatives to create change on campus: supporting the Wolf Creek Landfill through a new partnership with UCapture.
“Wolf Creek is a 2,800 kilowatt landfill gas-to-energy project that provides an environmental benefit equal to removing 22,700 passenger vehicles from the road,” Murad said. “Additionally, the project provides enough electricity to power 1,650 homes.”
The landfill, located in neighboring Twiggs County, “removes potentially harmful greenhouse gases from the atmosphere while, at the same time producing useful electric power for Georgia residents,” according to Green Power EMC, one of the renewable energy companies that purchases power output from the landfill.
Mercer students support the landfill by downloading UCapture, a Google Chrome extension that helps fund environmental programs when users shop online.
The partnership between Mercer and UCapture was announced during a January SGA meeting when representative Rebecca Romp said that online retailers partnering with UCapture agree to donate some of the money spent by extension users to environmental advocacy projects across the globe.
“This app is a really good way to get students involved, it’s a great way to get the administration involved,” Romp said.
Murad said UCapture has been successful on Mercer’s campus so far.
“I believe that with the planned efforts to expand its presence on campus, UCapture will allow Mercer to be even more sustainable,” he said.
The Green Coalition, another student organization, also works to make Mercer and the surrounding Macon area “greener.” It’s made up of the Green Committee, Greener Mercer, student service programming board MerServe and the Residence Hall Association (RHA).
They’ve hosted the first Green Week on campus held in April 2018, during which they hosted several events focused on sustainability, including a lecture, a K-Cup drive and a fundraiser for Polar Bears International.
“Students and faculty loved [the K-Cup drive] and asked if we would make it a yearly thing,” said Tianna Ross, president of Greener Mercer. “We will definitely be doing it for Earth Day again this year.”
She said the Green Coalition plans to put on a series of workshops this semester to teach students how to reuse items in creative ways.
The group also established more access to recycling by setting up recycling bins in front of Mercer Hall and Dowell Hall throughout the week. Additionally, they held a plastic bag drive in January in the Connell Student Center.
“Because of how successful it was, we plan to continue this program in the future,” said Murad, who is involved in both groups.
The Green Coalition held a movie screening of the film “Bag It,” a documentary on how to reduce plastic use, in January.
“Unfortunately, there was a low attendance,” Murad said. “We plan to host similar movie showings, but to be more conscious about what movie to show, different marketing strategies and other factors that may affect its success.”
(11/03/18 4:11pm)
Mercer University students and graduates have more opportunities to work and volunteer abroad than ever before as the school focuses on growing its international presence. Some previously existing programs have expanded to accommodate more students, while others are opening applications for the first time this fall.
These new offerings come as the school works to become “a global university,” as explained in Imperative 3 of Mercer’s ten-year strategic plan.
Part of the plan includes “furthering internationaliz(ing) our campuses” by upping international student population to at least 7 percent and expanding service programs abroad over the next decade.
“Over the past year, eight students have received appointments to the Peace Corps, which has now selected the University as a Peace Corps Prep center. A number of other students spend a year abroad following graduation in programs such as Service First, which places our graduates into international teaching opportunities,” according to the strategic plan.
Service First is a nine-month volunteer teaching program through Mercer’s Institute of Life Purpose. A new placement site in the Dominican Republic opened to applicants this year, bringing the total number of international partners to 10.
“The Dominican Republic team will be teaching English as a Second Language in elementary schools, middle-schools and high schools,” Scott Walker, Mercer professor and Service First director, said in an email to students Oct. 26.
The first 2018 recruitment event, a meeting and keynote speech from the director of Teach Thailand, took place Oct. 29.
Interested students may email walker_rs@mercer.edu.
A completely new opportunity to Mercer’s campus, the Peace Corps Prep Program, kicked off Oct. 18 with a similar launch event in the President’s Dining Room.
Students enrolled in the program are not required to go abroad as part of it but may have an upper hand when they apply for placement as a Peace Corps volunteer, according to the program description on Mercer’s website.
Volunteers spend two years serving international communities by helping with a variety of global challenges from health and economics to youth development and English-language education.
Students may contact program director Ashley Buchanan in the Office of International Programs at buchanan_al@mercer.edu.
Other opportunities to teach English as a second language are now open as well.
Director of Scholarships and Fellowships David Davis sent an email to students Oct. 15 about applications to teach English in China through the China Educational Association of International Exchange (CEAIE) and the Institute of International Education (IIE).
The second round of applications will be accepted until Nov. 7.
“Teach in China is looking for recent graduates with an interest in teaching, education and/or China,” the email said.
The program begins in either February or August and lasts for 12 months. Participants will teach at a school in China, which can range from an elementary to university level. Benefits of the program include roundtrip airfare, local transportation, a monthly salary comparable to Chinese teachers’ salaries, insurance and housing.
Preferred applicants will have traveled overseas in the past, hold degrees in either English or education and have either significant teaching experience or English as a Second Language teaching certification.
Interested applicants can email teachinchina@iie.org.
Applications are also open for Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) until midnight Nov. 17.
Similarly to the CEAIE program, JET participants will work full-time in a Japanese school for at least one year. Salaries are determined by the number of years of participation in the program, according to the JET website. Transportation, appropriate work visas, insurance and more are provided.
Emily Hatchett is a recent Mercer graduate currently enrolled in the JET program.
“If you’ve ever had an interest in Japan and/or teaching abroad, I’d highly recommend applying,” she said. “These last few months have been full of exciting new experiences and learning opportunities.”
(09/12/18 2:18am)
Mercer students major in changing the world. While it’s a popular catchphrase on many of the signs across campus, here’s the real question: how do you change the world? That answer can be found in one of Mercer’s new certificate programs: applied social justice.
Proposed by Natalie Bourdon to the Mercer University’s Women’s and Gender Studies executive committee, the program has been approved for the second semester in the spring of 2019.
Bourdon explained that the program is being added now largely because of the opportunity to engage in social justice in the current political climate and to allow students to give back to the community.
“We are in a pretty special time in American history right now,” Bourdon said. “It’s comparable to the Civil Rights movement, in this time we’re facing now, in terms of the amount of activist and advocacy initiatives we see around the country.
The certificate program has three mandatory components. The first is a required course called Engaging in Social Justice, which will be offered for the first time next semester.
Bourdon said the course is rather unique in design, with an added bonus of hearing many guest lecturers on a wide variety of topics in how they work in social justice. Students will be able to learn how, no matter their major, they can also apply social justice.
Along with the required course, students will choose three other courses from a list of already existing courses that, in some way, deal with social justice. The courses come from a variety of disciplines, including history, chemistry and more.
Finally, there is an experiential component. Students will have to design or participate in an already active activist initiative for 50 hours.
“I think that the certificate is one really good way for students to become engaged in and involved in community activism and organizing and really making a positive impact. There’s a lot of issues that need to be addressed right now,” Bourdon said.
The program’s length varies from student to student, but may take up to a year and a half, according to Bourdon. During this time, and before starting the program, students must be in good academic standing, enrolled in Mercer University, and maintain at least a 2.5 GPA.
Outside of that, the certificate is open to students of all majors, minors and concentrations.
“The certificate will, I think, maybe give students more of that optimistic outlook that, ‘y’know what, we can change people’s ideas and behavior and practices one individual, one group of people, at a time,’” Bourdon said.