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The Mount Observer

(Archive October 2016) Football is Back, But Pats Fans Await Brady’s Return

By editorialteam on October 10, 2016

By Andrew Hoenig | Observer Contributor

 New England –  It’s that time of year again! Football is back!!

Every September when fans of the game hear those three words, their hearts soar a little higher with a joyful glee.

But this year has a different feel to it in New England. And that may be because of the suspension that has loomed over New England all offseason and that will continue to loom till October.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had his suspension decision by Judge Richard Berman from last year overturned by a federal court which stated the primary reason for the 180 degree turn as being “Roger Goodell has the given power to impose the penalty based upon the agreed upon CBA by the NFL and NFLPA”. read more

(Archive October 2016) Lessons I Had to Learn on My Own Because of You

By editorialteam on October 10, 2016

By Rachel Vargeletis | Observer Contributor

Never in my life do I remember my chest physically hurting more than it did the moment I realized I meant nothing. I breathed, I was alive, but I wasn’t living. It, pathetically enough, seemed like my world was over. It felt as if he was ringing my heart dry in his clenched fists, drawing out every last bit of worth and feeling I could try to muster. There was a new crack developing in every one of my bones as each word bounced off his tongue, one by one in a calamitous nose dive. read more

(Archive October 2016) Political Opinions From Across The Pond

By editorialteam on October 10, 2016

By Courtney Wentz | Assistant Editor

Everyone knows what the United States thinks of the upcoming election, but other countries have opinions about the election too.

Giada Lancellotti, 21, from Ostigliano, Salerno, Italy, is worried about who the next president will be. She said, “I know that who we elect in Italy does not really affect other countries, but you are going to elect the president of one of the biggest world powers.”

Lancellotti has never been to the United States, but she understands the rights and how important it is to vote. She knows three languages: English, French, German, and some self-taught Spanish. She is starting University in Pescara, Italy to become a translator in London, England to translate books. read more

(Archive October 2016) Gateway Student Voice

By editorialteam on October 10, 2016

What It’s Like to Come Back to School After 4 ½ Years

By Eden Shaveet | Observer Contributor

During the spring of my 7th grade year, I decided that I did not want to go to school anymore.

A seemingly tactless and unrealistic decision, I know, but I hoped it would make me happy after years of struggling with what seemed to be an unexplainable, perpetual sadness that worsened with each year I ignored it. After nearly a decade of jumping from school to school and transforming myself to fit each new social environment I was placed into, I grew tired of my “new girl” status and wanted space from everyone and everything I had once so desperately tried to become. read more

(Archive October 2016) A Few Good Men (And a Woman)

By editorialteam on October 9, 2016

“Comics on a Mission” Coming October 29th

By Jason Greenough | Web/Social Media Editor

“Comics on a Mission”, a night of stand-up comedy to support veteran students at MWCC, will be hitting the stage on Saturday, October 29th, at The Theater At The Mount.

The event, with all proceeds going to supporting veterans on campus, will be hosted by Brockton native Comedian Will Smalley, and headlined by Boston Comedy vet and legend Tony V, who will be joined by a number of fellow Bay State comics including Andrew Mayer (son of MWCC Director of Veteran Services, Bob Mayer), Kate Procyshyn, and MWCC student Brian Dickens, who a lot of you may know, even if he is taking a semester off from classes here at the Mount. Dickens, a greenhorn when it comes to bringing his unique brand of stand-up to the stage, has always found himself comfortable in the spotlight, and for him, this opportunity, which was granted to him as an award at a stand-up contest in the spring, is no laughing matter. read more

(Archive October 2016) #Adulting

By editorialteam on October 9, 2016

By Jamie Parker | News Editor

“Adulting (v): to do grown up things and hold responsibilities such as, a 9-5 job, a mortgage/rent, a car payment, or anything else that makes one think of grown-ups.” This is how Urban Dictionary defines the phrase that has blown up among millennials, especially on social media. Saying things like, “I scheduled a doctor’s appointment AND paid my credit card bill today, I hate adulting,” is intended to be completely harmless, and even used as a funny anecdote to relate to other millennials. But let us get something straight; adulting is a terrible trend. It makes the entire generation look not only immature, but also unwilling to participate in the responsibilities that come with growing up. So how did this happen? Were we just born a bunch of lazy degenerates who expect the world on a silver platter? No. This is the result of not being pushed towards responsibilities at a younger age, and not being given the proper education to prepare us for adulthood.

According to a report by The Pew Research Center, 32% of people ages 18 to 34 still live at home. To put that into perspective, during the 1960s that number was at 20%. Now to add to this most millennials who still live at home do not really have to help contribute to household expenses such as groceries, bills, etc. This does not teach us how to take care of our own finances, homes, or what we need in a home. Like most baby boomers say, we are a coddled generation, but not in the way they assume. We are coddled in the sense that we have gone so far in life without knowing what it is like to have a mortgage, or how to do our taxes, or how to even cook basic meals for dinner. How could this have been prevented?  Well our parents had something that our generation is lacking. The proper education.

Back when most of our parents were in high school, there were many elective classes that revolved around life after school. Classes like Financial Literacy, and Home Economics classes were immensely popular. These classes are what taught the next generation how to do things that the current generation lacks knowledge on. Since then schools have shifted to be much more focused on college preparation rather than life preparation. While it is important to prepare teenagers for their academic future, there are some essential skills that we are missing out on. Baby boomers always like to comment on our “lack of basic knowledge,” but do not understand where it comes from. Well I say we need a serious education reform. Bring back “Life Prep” classes. Let people decide if they want to take on that extra AP class, or if they want to take Weekly Meal Prep 101. Maybe then we can find a balance between academic knowledge, and how “adult.” Adulting can finally become a thing of the past, and we can finally stop saying things like, “Ate something for dinner that wasn’t Nutella today! #adulting.”

(Archive October 2016) The Land of the Morning Calm

By editorialteam on October 9, 2016

By Jamie Parker | News Editor

korea-2
South Korea’s nickname, “the Land of the Morning Calm,” comes from the Ming Dynasty when the emperor of China commented on the countries beautiful mountains, clear waters, and its amazing tranquility. But that all changed on June 25th of 1950 when the North crossed the 38th parallel and attacked the South to begin the Korean War. Over the next three years, the country would be torn apart by war. After the war it was said that it would take over one hundred years for the Republic of Korea to rebuild from the ashes of war. Earle Stone, a veteran of the Korean War describes the capital city of Seoul as a post-apocalyptic wasteland that he could only relate to Berlin at the end of World War II.
korea-3 read more

(Archive October 2016) Pentagon Loses 6.5 Trillion Taxpayer Dollars

By editorialteam on October 9, 2016

By Rebekah Chiasson | Assistant Editor

The Defense Department had to present their audit this June and could not account for $6.5 trillion. Investigators, including Reuters who first released the report, believe the missing money is due to “unreliable” data and “fudged” numbers.

The Defense Department’s annual budget is roughly $600 billion, but according to their audit report, “The Defense Finance and Accounting Service Indianapolis (DFAS Indianapolis) did not adequately support $2.8 trillion in third quarter adjustments and $6.5 trillion in yearend adjustments.” The DFAS managed to double their already enormous loss in the last quarter of the fiscal year. In addition to the trillions lost, more than 16,000 files “vanished” from the DFAS’s computer system because of “a flaw in the computing software,” according to the report.

The Defense Department, located in the Pentagon, is responsible for wars, healthcare, personnel, housing, equipment, and procurements appointed to them by Congress. “Though there are a high number of adjustments, we believe the financial statement information is more accurate than implied in this report,” said Dov Schwartz, an Army spokesman. Schwartz added that Army is still reviewing the report.

The Pentagon, who apparently has a reputation for bad accounting practices, has never completed an audit before June of this year. In 1996, all federal agencies were ordered by the court of law to perform routine financial audits. However, the Pentagon has failed to complete an audit within the last 20 years. Scott Paltrow’s 2013 Reuters investigation revealed the Department of Defense commonly “fudges” or misrepresents their financial accounting numbers.

The Department of Defense’s errors are almost 1000 times higher than last year’s $7 billion in financial errors. If the Defense Department stuck to their budget, the “missing” 6.5 trillion taxpayer dollars could have paid for over one-fourth of the national debt, or pay off the student loan debt roughly five times over.

Capitol Hill Lawmakers are trying to keep the Pentagon accountable by imposing penalties if the Pentagon cannot complete a legally mandated full audit scheduled to happen September 30, 2017.

(Archive October 2016) Pumpkins, Pop-Punk, and Prog-Rock: October Music Releases!

By editorialteam on October 9, 2016

By Jason D. Greenough | Web/Social Media Editor

Break out the sweaters, ghost stories, and your best pair of speakers, because this fall is going to be ushered in by some of the most highly anticipated albums of 2016!

While the summertime was graced with a one-two pop-punk assault, seeing the returns of two of the genre’s most adored giants, with Good Charlotte’s Youth Authority and Blink-182’s California, and a triumphant attempt at Rock redemption for the Red Hot Chili Peppers with The Getaway, October will welcome a more diverse herd of music, allowing fans of almost every mainstream genre to submerge themselves into rock n’ roll bliss.

While releases from hair-metal mainstays Bon Jovi and Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider make their way to shelves later in the month, and a truckload of historic re-issues from rock titans like David Lee Roth, Phil Collins, and Carlos Santana land in stores, there are two albums I am especially excited to see released. The first of which is Alter Bridge’s The Last Hero, the fifth addition to their 12-year catalog, dropping on October 7th.

Why am I excited for this album? Two reasons. The first being that I was not a huge fan of Fortress, the band’s previous album. Personally, I feel Fortress lacked that signature Alter Bridge determination and drive, accompanied by the recycled Alter Bridge sound. It was too cookie-cutter for me, if you will. The second reason is because it is politically fueled, and in a time where we might need more awareness brought to the forefront by alternative means like music, poetry and other art forms, this is a perfect them to write a record around. The first single off the album “Show Me a Leader” is, while not directly pointing fingers at specific government officials, showcasing the band’s frustrations with the circus on Capitol Hill. The singles off the record, which also includes the anthemic “My Champion”, shows growth in Alter Bridge’s musical arsenal, while also incorporating what worked best on their previous four efforts. I would suggest Alter Bridge to anyone who asked, but I can’t stress this enough…if you are a fan of prog-rock, and you somehow haven’t heard of Alter Bridge, or have heard them and wasn’t a fan, I urge you to take a gander at this album is on shelves.

Also dropping on October 7th was the record I have been waiting for since my senior year of high school, and definitely the album I was anticipating the most this fall. Green Day’s Revolution Radio is, by many regards, a comeback for the East Bay kings of pop-punk. It was no hidden reaction that the Uno!, Dos!, Tre! Trilogy was a letdown in many ways after its release in 2012, with the goofy lyrics, bubble-gum riffs, and all-around feeling of the production being rushed watering down its overly-anticipated release. But the announcement of Revolution Radio came as a refreshing drink of ice-cold pop-punk Gatorade by serving up the record’s first single, “Bang, Bang!”, which I can only describe as the product of Dookie and American Idiot making a baby, with its Gilman Street-rooted inner-rage and political outrage busting through the seams from the very beginning. The second single, the title track, is a bit more reminiscent of the 21st Century Breakdown sound, but still packs a punch when it comes to being enraged at the current state of political vanity. To say I was excited for this album is a gross understatement, and picking it up the day it came out was like Christmas for me.

October is sure to bring back many lifelong fans for many different bands, but these releases will surely also bring a new wave of fans, continuing the legacy of each group for even longer than some of us expected. And get this…November is already shaping up to be just as good for music lovers!

(Archive October 2016) Consider Staying at Oscar’s Hotel!

By editorialteam on October 9, 2016

By Courtney Wentz | Assistant Editor

Oscar’s Hotel for Fantastical Creatures, created by YouTube’s KickThePj, is a short film turned web series buried under cat videos and make up tutorials.

Oscar’s Hotel is about a hotel for unusual and mystical creatures, temporally being run by the owner’s nephew and the only human, Oliver, played by YouTuber Chris Kendall. Kendall has been in two other short films by KickThePj. The series follows Oliver taking care of the odd guests and trying to handle the strange events going on within the hotel, like venturing into another dimension and dying in the middle of the series.

The web series was originally a short, ten minute film on YouTube funded by New Form Digital, but the power of the fans came into play and Vimeo became interested in creating a six episode web series. The series was written by Pj Liguori, Sophie Newton, and Louis Grant, and directed by Pj Liguori, the creator of the series. The Jim Henson Creature Shop made the costumes and puppets seen in episode two “Hunger Pains,” where food from the freezer comes to life and hold Oliver hostage.

Besides Oliver, the only other character from the original short film is Mo Nay, who is like Oliver’s best friend and is a painting. He gives Oliver positive advice with his whimsical voice and takes Oliver to Artlandia, where Mo Nay isn’t just a section of a painting. He has a buff human-like form.

Many YouTubers were involved in the making of Oscar’s Hotel, along with two special guests in the last episode. The entire cast couldn’t be in Los Angeles filming the series, so they lended their voices, but those who could be on set, were put into eccentric and dazzling costumes, like the Hermit, played by Grace Helbig, who is quite forgetful and the Queen Bee, Hannah Hart, who makes bee puns every time she speaks. Patrick Stewart and Alfred Molina play two fish characters obsessed with funny hats.

The original short film can be watched for free on YouTube and also on Vimeo, along with the first episode “Party Nightmare.” To see the other episodes, they can be purchased on Vimeo for $9.99 and be downloaded to your favorite device.