Paranormal Take Over

by Abbey James

       
       From TV shows like Hollywood Teen Medium and the drama filled series Vampire Diaries to creepy movies like Paranormal Activity and 10 Cloverfield Lane, paranormal beings and urban legends have taken over society; whether it be a seducing vampire, sinister ghost, or power-hungry alien, we love to watch and hear about their unworldly actions.
       So why are we so addicted to watching these things? Is it because they are things that are unworldly and things that draw out our curiosity? In actuality, we are so consumed by the paranormal because, like any other outlet, we use it as a way to express ourselves and create our own world. This is much like in fan fiction where people attempt to live the lives of the characters. Simply put, we enjoy hearing about things we don't experience in our day to day life.

Edward Cullen from the Twilight Saga

       But even if it is because we are expressing ourselves, how did we turn an evil, blood sucking vampire into a character we fall in love with? Dr. Belisa Vranich from Huffington Post gives us some reasons in why we love vampires, that might cause an obsession with these monsters. Vampires are the archetype of bad boys, yet are sensitive loners, fearless, powerful, and over all attractive. So, sure, I guess vampire fascination can be justified, but why do we enjoy watching scary movies that keep us up at night and give us heart attacks at every jump scare?
       The science of why we like to be scared is based around the release of the chemical Dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is used to control the pleasure and reward center in the brain, thus our reactions to the movie cause a release which allows those horrifying scenes to become fun and addictive. So if watching scary movies can also be justified, can we justify whether or not these paranormal beings are real or fake.
        Many people have eyewitness accounts of UFOs and ghosts, odd personal stories about premonition dreams that come true, or  tellings of big foot stomping through the forest. Are these claims really trustworthy? If you have experienced any of these things for yourself, of course you would say "yes"! However, in reality it is easy for people perceive situations incorrectly, not only that, but most of the time  we also have inaccurate recollections of our accounts. In CSI's post eyewitness testimony and the paranormal, they talk of studies that prove how inaccurately people recall accounts of "paranormal experiences." A lot of these inaccuracies stemmed from the participants who believed in then paranormal.

famous  Bigfoot sighting

       What causes a person to believe or not believe. For most people seeing is believing; which is typically the case for any situation. But not everyone has a paranormal experiences in their life, so is the paranormal only real if you think it is real? I'd say yes, most experiences happen when the person is open minded to the possibility or has the slightest of curiosity about paranormal. But you can also decide whether you believe by looking at pictures or videos; there is a multitude of of these claiming to be real footage paranormal activity.

       The paranormal may be taking over the media, but can it take over the world?



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The 'Wussification' of Baseball

by Matthew Goldstine

       Have you ever wondered how former athletes would play if they were born in a different generation? Take Ty Cobb for example: A first-ballot  Hall of Famer, surely he would have been as dominant as ever, right? Wrong. Though he had an all-time high .367 career batting average and well over 4,000 hits, his whole game relied on violence. Cobb was infamous for sharpening his cleats before games, and then spiking other players during the game to gain an advantage. He was constantly fighting players, and he even fought a fan for  bad-mouthing him during a game. If he played now, he would be fined repeatedly by Major League Baseball, and he would most likely be suspended for a timely length of games. Now lets turn the tables and see how today's stars would play in the MLB of the past. Mike Trout is commonly referred to as the best player in baseball right now, His uncommon mixture of power, speed, and defensive prowess classify him as a 5-tool player, one of only 8 in baseball right now. We, as fans, like to believe that Trout would dominate in any era, though that isn't necessarily true. He would definitely still be above average at any time with his skill set, but he would be a much different player in the past. Ty Cobb would've torn him up any day. Trout would've constantly faced adversities that we overlook now because they don't exist anymore. The roughness of the game creates competition, and that goes for all sports. Countless rules are made that are used to lessen the amount of injuries and coddle players. This can be seen across all sports. Don't get me wrong, rules are the foundation of order, but sometimes the just end up keeping players from playing.
       In the 2015-16 MLB season, the Los Angeles Dodgers were facing off against the New York Competition was at an all-time high for the season as the two teams battled to move on. Veteran second baseman Chase Utley was preparing to make a common play in baseball. He was trying to eliminate the chance of a double play by sliding hard into second base and keeping the shortstop (or second baseman) from being able to get a good throw to first. This play has been executed hundreds of thousands of times in the last 100+ years. As Utley slid into the bag, he slid late and kicked his leg up into Mets' shortstop Ruben Tejada, shattering his ankle and landing postseason him a spot on the Disabled List for the rest of the 2015 and into this young 2016 season. This play ended up causing a new rule to be passed, dubbed the 'Chase Utley' rule. If a player goes into any base late and causes interference with an opposing player, they'll be called out automatically. Boom. As simple as that; well over 100 years of a routine strategic play ended that easily. The rule has already come into play in the first week of this new season. The Blue Jays lost a game to the Rays after Jose Bautista was called out on a quite controversial interference call. If an umpire made that call 100, 50, or even 15 years ago he would've been booed for days by crowds across the country, and most likely suspended or fined.
Mets in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) to compete for a chance to go to the World Series.
       Another semi-recent rule was the home-plate collision rule established in 2014. The main reason this became a rule was due to a damaging collision between the Giants' franchise catcher Buster Posey and Scott Cousins of the Marlins in 2011. Click here to see the injury. Cousins blatantly collided with Posey on a play at the plate in hopes that he would drop the ball and give the Marlins a run. The play shattered Posey's leg and the Giants' season. Since the beginning of baseball, people have caused home-plate collisions. It's a strategic play that enables the offense to give themselves a chance to score. It's just like stealing a base; that's the game. While injuries are a serious topic, players know exactly what they are getting into. Major League catchers are definitely aware of the risk they have in playing a sport, since they play the most physical position on the field.  All other players are also aware of the risk they have to deal with on a daily basis. If we continue to create rules just because there was an injury, what are we going to end up with? Will we even have a sport in the future? Players won't be able to run; they could pull a hamstring or sprain an ankle. They wouldn't be able to throw either; someone could pull a muscle in their arm, or someone could get hit by the ball. Oh, wait! No bats then either! There's too much of an injury risk there. We're left with a group of grown men standing in the sun having a casual conversation about the weather. That isn't a sport. Dictionary.com defines 'sport' as "an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or a team competes against another or others for entertainment." An excess of rules treat athletes as if they are fragile, not truly representing the grit and toughness in them that helped them reach the level of a professional sport.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Mixed Reviews

by Cameron Niemeyer

       With a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 28%, and a Metacritic score of a measly 44 out of 100, you immediately think that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is an absolutely terrible movie. Blamed for having a thin story, underdeveloped characters, and forceful world building, this movie has been slammed by the critics.
       But, when you start to dig a bit deeper, you realize that there's more to this story. User and viewer reviews across the board are much more positive, with a Rotten Tomatoes user score of 69% and a Metacritic user score of 7.3/10.
       So why are the reviews so drastically different between critics and fans? There's only one true answer to this question: this is a comic book movie made for fans, not a movie trying to win an Oscar for Best Picture.

The Batman

       The movie was loosely based on Frank Miller's epic comic book miniseries The Dark Knight Returns. The similarities between the movie and the comic are undeniable. They got the look of the Batman right, all the way down to the studs on his boots (see Garrett Rowcliffe's article Batfleck: Why He's Good and Why it Matters). They also created a live-action Batman that mirrored exactly what a Batman from the comics would do: find a threat, use his skills to discover the perpetrator, and neutralize said threat. So, to any of the critics saying that this movie's Batman was the worst incarnation in history, you forgot about George Clooney.

The Action

       For starters, the movie was absolutely gorgeous. It's best seen at an IMAX theater, and most likely the biggest piece of eye-candy you'll see this year. Now that that's taken care of...
       The fact that BvS is so visually stunning makes the actions sequences within it even more amazing. The action was fast paced, beautifully animated/choreographed, and left viewers on the edge of their seat, not knowing what to expect next. Comic book readers and fans all love superhero action, especially when so much time and care was put into creating these fight scenes. Not to mention that the Batman v Superman fight felt like it was ripped straight out of Frank Miller's comics.

The Characters

       Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice introduced a whole host of new characters for comic book fans to enjoy. The big new guys on the block were Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor. Lex Luthor was depicted in a whole new way from the comics, but his evil antics and scheming nature offered a lighter tone to the much darker movie. He was very enjoyable to watch and created a new version of the iconic villain. Wonder Woman, was, in short, epic. Her ultimate introduction near the end of the movie in the fight with Doomsday showed just how hardcore her character is. The theme music given to Lex and Wonder Woman were perfect, and fans can be pleased that they created themes that so seamlessly matched the characters' personalities and reputations.
       BvS also acted as the prequel to the highly-anticipated Justice League movie coming out next year. In order to do this, Warner Bros had to introduce heroes into the movie, but they couldn't be a distraction to the major plot. And they did just that. The introduction of the Flash through Bruce Wayne's nightmare sequence was ingenious and subtlety hinted at the arrival of the main villain of the Justice League movie. The other two inductees, Aquaman and Cyborg, were introduced through little clips that Lex had collected throughout the years. This allowed the producers to include the beginning of the League without actually taking too much attention away from the main storyline.
       Fans are always excited to see their favorite comic books characters on screen together, and BvS managed to do that without creating too much of a fuss.  

Aquaman

The Box Office

       Even though Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice didn't have a good turnout after the first weekend, it has still reigned in a lot of cash in a relatively short amount of time. As of April 14, the film has had a return of over $800 million worldwide. This a lot of money, but many critics are very disappointed in this turnout. This is an unfair opinion, as they are automatically comparing this movie with the success of The Avengers. The Marvel Cinematic Universe started way earlier than the DCEU did, and this gave them a huge advantage. They were able to roll out smaller movies over time, growing their fan base and testing their audience. When The Avengers released, their universe buildup was complete, and they raked in a lot of cash. With BvS however, they were only given one movie to start out their universe, and were automatically expected to perform just as well as Marvel did with The Avengers.Here's an article that explains it in more detail.

The Story

       Most critics claimed that the film's story had no depth and was forced. However, the producers of BvS crafted a story that perfectly appealed to the fans. The main idea explored throughout the movie was the idea that Superman, a god, lived among man. What destruction would occur if Superman changed his mind about us? Who would stop him? That was the question asked by many of the world's citizens, and especially by the Batman. The pure drive and determination that Batman possessed to kill Superman was a great representation of his characteristics in the comics. But, his story was pretty straightforward: outsmart Superman, and do not allow him to continue as long as he still posed as a threat.
       The depth of the main story comes into play with Superman. Because of all the public outcry over Superman's actions, this also created internal conflict within him, as he was struggling to discover his identity, and whether or not what he had done was right. He also had to figure out whether or not our world deserved him. BvS explorers his inner struggle, and this creates a much deeper story .
       Overall, the story created by the producers of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justicesatisfied comic book fans with its in-depth look into the character of Superman.

      Conclusion

       In conclusion, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, was a perfect movie for newcomers and long time fans of the characters. It was not a movie meant to please critics (who all they care about is how it stacks up to previous Oscar nominated pictures), it was a superheromovie. A movie meant to amaze their fans. And, through a combination of story and character elements, action, and box office revenue, anyone can tell that this movie is much better than what any critic believes.

Want to read the review from one of the movie critics? Just click here.

The Arkham Trilogy

by Harrison McCroskey

Batman: Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, and Arkham Knight are three of the greatest video games based on comic book characters. Though most games of their kind are awful, Rocksteady, the company that made these games, got it right. Arkham Asylum set itself apart with basic stealth mechanics, fluent combat, and good storytelling. Then, the other games built off of it with new abilities, better graphics and more. However, Arkham Knight has lost some qualities from the first and second games.
       For one, the extensive amount of technology in Arkham Knight has made it almost science fictional. Do not misunderstand, the new Batmobile and Batsuit are awesome additions; however, it almost gives the impression that this game is set in the far future. Batman has always used technology to give himself the edge over criminals, but never to this extent. The Batmobile in particular makes batman more capable of dealing with an entire army, yet makes it impossible for him to have dealt with the Arkham Knight without it. The new voice synthesizer and other gadgets are not too advanced, but the massive amount of drones and some of the weaponry on them seem a bit much. Rocksteady definitely set out to make Arkham Knight this way, but all of this technology seems excessive. As one of the militia said in the game, “More money has been spent on this op than some countries spend in a year.”
       The way that Rocksteady involved the Batmobile is fun and makes the player feel powerful driving into almost everything on the road without taking any damage and blowing up drones. Though, operating a tank seems like one of the last things Batman would do. Not to mention that he actually uses a 60mm cannon while in it. Batman uses a gun, which goes against one of his biggest rules. He has not used a gun in any of the other games, nor has he ever used it so often in any movie or comic book. Rocksteady including this new form of combat feels fresh and fun to Arkham players. The game is more fun because of it, but Batman is not a soldier.

 The story of Arkham Knight is no doubt a good one that portrays Batman and his enemies well. Kevin Conroy (Batman), Mark Hamill (the Joker), and the other voice actors do a great job representing these DC characters; however, there is less emphasis on the story and more emphasis on gameplay and graphics. Rocksteady has created a superb story for the conclusion of its trilogy, but some aspects of it could have been better. Take for example the fact that the Red Hood, or Jason Todd, freed Batman at the end of the story, then just left. Not only is this a wasted opportunity for Batman and him to make amends, but it leaves out the ending for the Arkham Knight. The game was named after him, and he should have gotten a better ending. One of the greatest aspects of this story is that the Joker is in Batman’s head for most of the game. It is both interesting and ironic to hear his input on the things happening in the game. However, I expected a few more laughs out of him than I got while playing the game. At the beginning of Arkham Asylum, Joker says, “That reminds me, I really need to get me some new shoes.” Saying this after Killer Croc threatened to eat Batman made this a hilarious joke that made the Joker a more likable character. He is still somewhat goofy in Arkham Knight, but hardly ever makes the player laugh out loud. The story is as good as the other games in its own way, but could have risen above them with a few added details.
       Rocksteady has changed their main priorities with this last installment. The game feels fresh and epic with many things that carried on from the previous games. Some things, however, would have made it even better.

Want another article about Batman: Arkham Knight? Click here to read IGN's review.

Only Skeleton Bones Remain

by Carissa Culpepper

       Music had always been a part of culture and an important part of people's lives. The kind of music people grow up listening to has an effect on them and says with them through out their whole lives. There are many genres of music, each with it's unique parts and identifiable sounds. Some people listen to one kind of music while others may listen to a variety of different types. No matter who you are or what kind of music you listen to, everyone had that one band, artist, album, or song. That stays with them and has a resonating meaning that's special to them.
       There is a band that had recently rose to fame and that many people, teens and adults alike, hold dear to their heart: Twenty One Pilots. Their hit song, Stressed Out, has recently earned them much fame and praise in the pop industry even though their genre is alternative. Twenty One Pilots consists of two members, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun. Joseph is the singer of the band and also plays the piano, the ukulele, and the bass. Dun is the drummer.

Josh Dun (left) and Tyler Joseph (right) 

       How the two met is still unclear because in interviews they make up a different story each time. The band was formed in 2009 and released a self-titled album that is only available on digital download. In 2011 they released the album Regional At Best only on cd and for a limited time. 2013 brought the album Vessel, which is considered the band's first album because it was the first released with their current record label, Fueled By Ramen. Their newest album, Blurryface, was released in 2015. Fans love all the albums and each brings it's own sound. Twenty One Pilots is also known for having deep songs and lyrics which are evident is songs such as Guns For Hands, which is about how suicide isn't the answer, Truce, which is about staying alive and staying strong, and Migraine, which is about facing the demons in your head.

Skeleton Clique Symbol

       The Twenty One Pilots fanbase is called the Skeleton Clique. The name comes from a short poem Tyler once tweeted: "Under clothes, Under skin, underneath we're all the same. For when you remove the tricky tricks, only skeleton bones remain." The name Skeleton Clique is a reminder that no one is better than anyone because we're all the same.
       Over the years Twenty One Pilots had gained a large fanbase and it continues to grow. Some are casual fans who only know a few songs and some fans live and breathe Twenty One Pilots. But that doesn't mean one fan is better than another. The band does hold a different meaning to different people. Some like them for the music and for others the band is the sole reason they are alive. No matter what the band means to someone the message they send is a strong one. A big part of the band is encouraging people to create. The Twenty One Pilots logo is a big reminder to create and be confident in your creations. The actual meaning of the logo is unknown. When asked about what the logo meant, Joseph's response was:
"It means Twenty One Pilots, the logo does. Why it means Twenty One Pilots, is it really goes along with one of our songs called 'Kitchen Sink'. The whole concept of that song is that I feel that humans are always struggling all the time when it comes to purpose, trying to figure out their purpose is, what purpose even is, what's the point, justifying your own experience. A lot of kids and people my age struggle with 'what's the point' and with the logo, what it really means is it's an encouragement. When someone asks me what the logo means to me, the logo means something to me because I made it mean something to me. That's the point. The point is that I created something that only I understand and whether or not I decide to disclose the meaning of it, that's the beginning of purpose for me. The meaning of purpose for me, is by creating something, if it be writing lyrics, painting a picture, by expressing yourself through art if it's photography or music or theater, or whatever it is. It doesn't have o be artistic, but if you create something and only you know the meaning of it, that's the beginning of purpose for you. When you're in the room by yourself trying to decide whether to stay alive, you can tell yourself, 'I should probably stay alive because I'm the only one who knows the meaning of that thing.' So the logo is an encouragement for people to create. That's what it means."

The Twenty One Pilots logo

 The song "Kitchen Sink" embodies the meaning of the logo. The song talks about how 'a kitchen sink to you is not a kitchen sink to me.' This means something doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. For some people, Twenty One Pilots is their kitchen sink, it's their reason to stay alive. The band means something to everyone, but people relate to things differently and therefore the band hols a different meaning to different people. But none the less the band inspires all its fans to create. The Clique has made amazing fanart and fanfiction all inspired by two guys who make music. The community made by Twenty One Pilots is astonishing. People have made friends at concerts and even through the internet. The online community tries to help everyone and furthers the band's message to stay alive by helping other fans through tough times and giving them words of encouragement. The band Twenty One Pilots had brought so many people together and tries their best to make sure everyone feels included. At the end of every concert Tyler ends it with "We're Twenty One Pilots and so are you." Joseph doesn't see the band as just him and Josh. He sees the fans as the band too which is something that isn't seen a lot in the music industry anymore. Twenty One Pilots means something to a lot of people. Next time you hear 'Stressed Out' on the radio and think of it as a catchy song. Think of all the fans who feel deeply about a band called Twenty One Pilots.

"We're Twenty One Pilots and so are you" 

For more articles like this click here and here.

Why PC Needs to Chill

by Cameron Jeske

       Political correctness, a word that has had quite an up and coming in recent years. But what is political correctness? The definition is the avoidance, often considered as taken to extremes, of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against, however today the word refers to much more. Political correctness has taken the form of avoiding anything that might offend someone.
       Now don't get me wrong, I think being a jerk is as bad as anyone, but the fact that there is not a need for an increase in political correctness is evident. Saying words like the "n-word" and other racial slurs are obviously hurtful and should not be uttered, but other words such as "black" draw crowds of people yelling, "that's racist!" Racist is defined as a person who believes that a particular race is superior to another. Black has become a politically incorrect term, and there is no reason for that. The word "black" is not bringing the race down, just as the word "white" doesn't have racist intentions towards white individuals.
      Now racism is still an issue in the world today, that is quite evident. In the world of black individuals, the Ku Klux Klan is still a very large issue. Just as with radical Islam extremists, that one group represents a whole, and whites are represented as racist people who think that they're the best. That just comes with people's perception of things, and the increase of the media.

        Speaking of the media, a main factor in the increase of political correctness is this society. The media has many methods of manipulating viewpoints, thus causing strife among many. This picture to the left is a prime example as to how the media can show different perspectives to influence the common opinion. Every day on the news, you hear tragic stories about deaths, "20 die in plane crash," or "3 dead in theater shooting," however this is shadowed out by other minor issues involving a controversial issue, such as gay marriage or racial violence. A prime example is the George Zimmerman-Trayvon Martin incident in which George Zimmerman, a white-Hispanic male was out on a neighborhood patrol. He noticed Trayvon Martin, a 17-year old African American male, and called the police, reporting him for "suspicious activity." Their was then an altercation between the two individuals, which led to Zimmerman fatally shooting Martin in the chest. Zimmerman originally was not charged with anything, due to his claims of self-defense. The story is not necessarily the main point, but the fact that after the shooting, riots and protests blew up nationwide due to the fact that a white male killed a black teenager. You don't hear of riots if a crime is white on white, black on white, or any other mix of races. White on black crime is labeled as "hate crime," while murder is just plain murder. I don't care what race you are, if you commit murder then you get put away or given the death penalty. On the other hand, self defense is a justified act. Even if the victim is a black teenager, if self defense was actually put into play, it had a justified reason. The issue here isn't race, it's the fact that people make it an issue of race.

        All in all, people need to stop being offended so much. Basic things turn out as huge issues because a small group of people get offended. Cloyd Rivers, if you're reading this, I appreciate you checking out my blog. Oh, and by the way, Merica.

For more information on the issue of political correctness, visit here.

A New Era for Marvel

by Blake Bart

        DareDevil is a TV show based on the Marvel superhero, Matthew Murdock, who lives in Hell's Kitchen, New York. As a kid he was involved in a car accident and got chemicals in his eyes, causing him to lose his eyesight. He lives with his dad, and when he is around 9 years old, his father did something he wasn't supposed to do, and now Matthew is in a foster home where he meets a man who is also blind, and teaches him that losing his eyesight only made him stronger and taught him how to use his other 4 senses to see better than he ever could. Murdock uses the love he has for Hell's Kitchen to drive himself to get into the mask and fight crime. But throughout the show he has to choose between his friends, career as a lawyer, and continuing being the daredevil. The style of the show is very unique compared to a normal Marvel show. Daytime street chases are replaced with dark ally muggings. And instead of superhero quips, they focus more on the sounds of bones crushing and blood splattering. Marvel has adventured into a completely different way they portray their superhero's and they did a fantastic job with it. Another similar thing that marvel did compared to DC is the flashbacks that happen throughout the show. Matthew Murdock will often have flashbacks about times when he was a kid living with his dad, and when he was in the foster home training to use his loss of eyesight to see better. The idea of using flashbacks is something Marvel has just started to do, and its a good way to elaborate more on the show and provide more information about the character. As someone who is more of a fan of DC Comics, this show constantly had me on the edge of my seat, and having to stop watching for the day was actually hard to do. Overall Marvel did a really good job with the show and have now discovered a new style of superheros that they can now dominate. If anyone asked, I would easily recommend the show for anyone interested in superhero shows, or just seeking an action show.
   
For another opinion over the show click here. It talks more about season 2, and if there ever is a season 3, what could happen.