Northwestern College, Iowa NWCommons The Beacon, 2018-2019 The Beacon student newspaper 11-16-2018 The Beacon, November 16, 2018 Beacon Staff Follow this and additional works at: https://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/beacon2018 This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The Beacon student newspaper at NWCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Beacon, 2018-2019 by an authorized administrator of NWCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. BEACONNORTHWESTERN COLLEGE November 16, 2018 Volume 92 - Issue 7 OC natives reflect on life at NW STUDENTS SHARE PERSPECTIVE ON ATTENDING SCHOOL CLOSE TO HOME RACHEL SMART ENGLISH TEACHING In a college town, it is common for high school stu- dents to avoid their local university or college like the plague, and Orange City is no different. Some Orange City natives never imagined attending college in their hometown, yet, to their surprise, found themselves called to stay. For each Orange City resident who finds themselves at NW, it’s a different experience. For some local students, NW played a huge role in their childhood, while for others it played little to none. Sophomore Vanessa Stokes recounts attending countless theater productions, trick or treating in the dorms and playing “Guitar Hero” at the AV Christmas parties. “My whole life has kind of been centered around Northwestern,” Stokes said. In contrast, because of her family’s extensive history with Dordt College, junior Lexi Van Surksum said NW was barely a part of her life until high school when her mom started working here. No matter how much of an impact NW had on their childhood, many students from Orange City did not plan on coming to NW. “I always said that after high school I would leave Northwest Iowa and not look back,” Van Surksum said. PHOTO BY: CHERISH SHUKA “There’s something about Northwestern that changed Lauren Weber enjoys the perks that come with attending school just miles from her childhood home. my mind. The students and my professors play a big part of that.” of Fern-Smith Hall and fellow Orange City resident and in a “familiar place with familiar faces” during a time in Stokes adored NW’s amazing faculty, the dorm life junior Lauren Weber loved the idea of going to a school her life of so much change. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 Campus considers adding E-sports ATHLETIC DEPT WEIGHS million U.S. viewers for the 2018 PROS AND CONS Super Bowl, according to statis- ta.com. With the growing popu- MATT SCOTT larity of professional E-sports, it ACTUARIAL SCIENCE is no surprise colleges have been adding it as a varsity sport. Northwestern has recently The games NW is consid- considered adding a number of ering as possible options are sports to the current lineup, in- “League of Legends,” “Hearth- cluding men’s volleyball, bowling stone,” “Smite,” “Paladins” and and lacrosse. What most students “Overwatch.” According to Earl may not realize is that NW has Woudstra, NW’s athletic di- also been considering adding rector, “League of Legends” E-sports. and “Hearthstone” would have For those who have been stay- spring seasons while the rest of ing up-to-date with the E-sports the games would be fall sports. scene, this is to be expected. Pro- “League of Legends” is the most fessional video game leagues have popular professional and colle- been gaining popularity throuh- giate E-sport. gout the last couple of years. According to ESPN.com, “Rocket League,” a game best there were 36 NAIA schools of- described as 3-on-3 soccer played fering E-sports as a varsity sport in March of this year, and that PHOTO BY: CHERISH SHUKA by rocket-powered cars, held its E-sports and professional video game leagues continue to rise in popularity. world championships last week- number has only grown. Despite the adoption of E-sports by other end with a $1 million prize pot. nature of some video games, ob- stone” is the only one that could While a card game may schools, NW does have some seri- Meanwhile, League of Legends’ jectification of women and poten- be considered non-violent. seem harmless, some cards de- ous concerns. recent world championship had tial for addictive behavior.” “Hearthstone” is essentially pict violent images and a few When asked about the unique a $2.25 million prize pot and, Unfortunately, the majority an online card game where the cards contain images that objec- obstacles created by E-sports, according to esc.watch, averaged of video games do seem to con- user can customize his or her tify female characters. Woudstra commented, “The most 46.7 million worldwide viewers. tain violence and the objectifica- deck and then battle other play- common questions that have been To put this statistic into tion of women. Of the five games ers, similar to an online version raised have related to the violent perspective, there were 103.4 NW is considering, “Hearth- of the card game “Yu-Gi-Oh.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 beacon.nwciowa.edu 2|MID90s Movie 4|Professor Kao 7|Cross Country Northwestern College - Beacon INSIDE 3|Turkey Trot 5|Election Results 8|Jim Martin @NWC_Beacon ARTS & CULTURE 2 “Mid90s” produces nostalgia MOVIE REVIEW SUCCESS FROM during a finite time. diences will find plenty of has an enormous potential AUTHENTICITY The story of “Mid90s” experiences to relate to. to connect with audiences follows a young boy played The film masterfully cap- in a variety of ways. While BRANT VERMEER by Sunny Suljic. Suljic’s per- tures distinct feelings from it is obvious that the film POLITICAL SCIENCE formance is outstanding, childhood. Hill’s characters succeeds in creating a world especially for an actor of struggle with relational and teleporting its audience Film has an enormous his age. The cast is bolstered conflicts between siblings, there, the film could have potential to connect with its with the appearance of Lu- desiring to be like the older, done more to present a audience in a vast array of cas Hedges as the main cooler kids and longing to grander thematic idea to its ways. When done correct- character’s abusive older fit in with a group. audience. This lack of driv- ly, film can inspire empa- brother. The plot follows a These themes are con- ing idea does not detract thy, transport audiences to young boy as he seeks an veyed throughout the larg- from the overall experience, places they’ve never been escape from his unstable er plot of the story but are but it is a missed opportu- and present complex ideas life at home. He then finds a also emphasized in small- nity that could have caused and situations for audiences group of skateboarders that er scenes in between. The the film to be even greater. to ponder. In “Mid90s,” di- accept him. film succeeds in portray- In Hill’s directorial de- rector Jonah Hill succeeds The actors cast as ing the larger coming of but, it is clear that he has a in bringing audiences into these skaters feel authen- age narrative but also tells deep passion for the subject the world of the 1990s. tic because they are skat- smaller stories that many matter he seeks to portray. Immediately striking ers first and actors second, audience members will re- This shines through in his is the attention to detail which does not detract late to throughout. attention to detail, cast- brought by Hill in creating from their performances The film succeeds in ing choices and even the this film. Every precaution but helps them to be espe- telling a specific story that language used through- was taken to ensure that cially realistic. very well could have hap- out the film. These factors nothing on screen would Overall, the film’s pened in the ‘90s, but it culminate in a movie that betray the atmosphere cul- greatest strength is its also tells a story with ele- succeeds in authentically tivated. Everything, includ- commitment to authen- ments that have likely hap- portraying a specific mo- ing the clothes, logos and ticity. From the obsessive pened to each one of us. Its ment in history, while at the even the garbage on screen attention to detail to the success is that it conveys same time giving audiences is period-appropriate for casting of real skateboard- something that is at once something that they will be the film. This is crucial, ers, “Mid90s” is commit- specific and universal. able to relate to. because one of the greatest ted to building a world for For all its successes, the PHOTO COURTSEY OF GOOGLE successes of the film is that its audience to enjoy. film is not perfect. At the it portrays a distinct culture Within this world, au- beginning of this piece, film Jon Bellion releases his fifth album MUSIC REVIEW LYRICS RELATABLE, in multiple songs), but he his songs sound the same, SOUND FRESH hates the fame that comes Bellion’s unique sound with it. He doesn’t want to from his past albums are LIZZY JOHNSTON be pressured by fame to still found on Glory Sound PUBLIC RELATIONS change his sound or what Prep. he wants to say through Not only are all the Jon Bellion has final- his music. And in re- lyrics profound, but the ly released his fifth album sponse, Bellion communi- sound in each track is this past week, making the cates all these factors with amazing. The tracks start world a little better. The some fine tracks. with a couple of instru- album Glory Sound Prep Not only does Bellion ments, then suddenly half- has come two years after sing about fame, but he way through drop a few his previous album The also brings up themes of more instruments into the Human Condition.