Posts published in “Arts & Entertainment”

(Archive December 2019) The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek

By editorialteam on April 16, 2025

Review of YouTube Duo’s First YA Novel

By Nicholas Papini | Observer Contributor

*The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek*
Image from Amazon

While the characters and overarching plot of The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek are solid, where the novel truly shines is in its minor characters and moments of world building.

Youtubers Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal of the channel Good Mythical Morning’s first foray into fiction novels follows the story of two teens in the fictional South Carolina town of Bleak Creek. The small town has a rather famous local business which claims to reform troubled children and has an impressive resume with very few failures. However, as teens Rex McClendon and Leif Nelson learn, not all is as it seems with the Whitewood School. read more

(Archive September 2019) Brie Larson Shines Bright in Captain Marvel

By editorialteam on April 15, 2025

By Eliana Mello | Observer Contributor

Image from flickr; Property of Disney and Marvel Studios
Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel introduces a powerful female lead that many will love.

Brie Larson plays a realistic and relatable female character compared to another female superhero movie, Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman was strong and sure of herself, making few mistakes and lacking character development.

When Captain Marvel gains access to her full powers, she is sloppy as she learns how to harness her new strength. In comparison, when Wonder Woman accessed her Godly strength, she fully understood and perfectly executed her abilities. Wonder Woman seemed too out of reach for people to fully relate to her. This makes Wonder Women seem idealized where Captain Marvel, though she has superhuman abilities, has imperfections, something that makes her human. read more

(Archive May 2019) Join the Family – Review: The Sopranos

By editorialteam on April 15, 2025

By Conner Garrity | Observer Contributor

*The Sopranos* copyright HBO
Image from mezclaconfusa on flickr

It’s been over twenty years since The Sopranos debuted. There is one lingering question: Does the show still hold up today?

The Sopranos premiered back in January 1999. The mob show was a hit and is considered one of the best television series ever. The show centers around a New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano as he deals with drama surrounding his family and his “work.” On top of that, Tony suffers from panic attacks and mental health issues which stem from his upbringing. read more

(Archive May 2019) Connecting Through Social Gaming

By editorialteam on April 15, 2025

Students Get Together to Play Video Games in the Student Center

By Daniela Perez | Observer Contributor

Students making use of the “game center” in the Student Center
Photo by Daniela Perez

Playing video games at the student center is one of the ways students from different departments can come together to pass time.

Dominic Cannavino, Business major, plays Dark Souls 3 with his friend Bryce Harper, Law major, while they wait to attend their next class. “Life is too serious and video games help me relax,” said Cannavino.

Jacob Hull, Biotech major, also spends time at the student center playing video games. His favorite games to play are Mortal Kombat X and Jump Force. Despite his enjoyment of video games, Hull doesn’t hesitate to put down his controller and enjoy some time away from the screen when his friends want to hang out. read more

(Archive May 2019) A Sketchy Profession

By editorialteam on April 15, 2025

Art Student Gives Advice to Her Fellow Artists

By Casey Merritt | Observer Contributor

Lane working on her frog sculpture for class.
Photos by Casey Meritt

Jackie Lane, Art major, shared advice to help other artists find their medium.

Lane’s goal is for students to see her as an inspiration to continue doing what they love and to not give up on their dreams. “The reason that I’m majoring in art is because I want to do what I love and I think that if it’s something you’re interested in, go for it. You’ll get more practice through it and practice is what makes you a better artist,” said Lane.

One tip Lane offered for fellow artists is for them to publish their work in the literary magazine, A Certain Slant. By publishing in the magazine, art students are getting their names out. read more

(Archive April 2019) A Fruitful Fundraiser

By editorialteam on April 15, 2025

Fundraiser to Acquire Bronze Sculpture Makes Progress

By Rachel Williams | Observer Contributor

“Small Bather” by Gene Cauthen
Photos courtesy of MWCC Art Department

Joyce Miller, Art Professor and Director of the East Wing Gallery, said the fundraising campaign to purchase a bronze sculpture by Gene Cauthen has been successful and still ongoing.

Miller explained that the fundraising for the bronze piece started in the fall of 2018 and has been off to a good start. Although Miller does not know exactly how much has been raised, she said that the best form of fundraising has been through email lists, the art department Facebook page, printed announcements on campus and in the community, and word of mouth. The MWCC Foundation and the Marketing Department have assisted in getting a link set up for accepting donations specifically for the Gene Cauthen sculpture fundraiser, which Miller explained was a big help. read more

(Archive April 2019) Are You the Next Spider-Man?

By editorialteam on April 15, 2025

Review – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse (Spoilers!)

By Ashley Spring | Observer Contributor

Image from Amazon, *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse* owned by Sony Pictures Animation

Winning an Oscar and exciting Marvel fans, Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse pays attention to detail and puts a twist on the hero’s story, reminding movie viewers that “you could wear the mask.”

Before the movie begins, the logos help set the mood of the film by showing them in the same art style as the movie itself. The film’s art direction resembles a comic book, and this is further solidified by the comic code logo that you would see on the front page of a comic book. After a quick introduction from Spider-Man himself, we are introduced to the main character of the movie, Miles Morales. Morales is set up to be an average teenager in New York and follows previous Spider-Man movies, showing that anyone can be a hero. read more

(Archive April 2019) Revisiting a Classic: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips

By editorialteam on April 15, 2025

By Natalia Maltais | Observer Contributor

Image from Amazon, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots owned by The Flaming Lips and Warner Bros.

With catchy sci-fi themes and vivid imagery, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots by the Flaming Lips is a diamond in the rough.

The album starts with “Fight Test”, a bubbly, yet heavy pop song that’s a call to action. It begins with a passive fighter, “I thought it better not to fight, I thought there was a virtue in always being cool.” As Coyne sings over warped, humming keyboards and a thick bass he begins to realize he’s ready to fight, but still fights his own skepticism. “Cause I’m a man not a boy and there are things you can’t avoid. You have to face them when you’re not prepared to face them.” read more

(Archive December 2018) The…The…The Grinch!

By editorialteam on April 1, 2025

By Cassie Roy | Assistant Editor

*The Grinch*
Poster from Wikimedia, via Universal/Illumination

The Grinch came out in theaters on November 9th. This is now the third version of Dr. Seuss’ book to be made into a movie. This version is most like the original one that came out in 1966 where the movie is depicted in a cartoon style with the Grinch being slightly more family friendly.

The Grinch has a modern twist as Pharrell Williams, a rap artist, narrates the story and Tyler, the Creator produced the soundtrack. Instead of the songs being sung like the older versions, Tyler raps all of the songs in the movie. By doing this the producers, Janet Healy and Chris Meledandri, can connect to and keep the attention of a larger audience. read more

(Archive November 2018) Review – Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

By editorialteam on April 1, 2025

By Corey Sanderson | Observer Contributor

Promotional cover art for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Image from PlayStation.com

After playing through roughly 35 hours of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, I can say that it is one of the best games I’ve seen from the franchise in years.

Black Ops 4 was developed by Treyarch Studios with the help of Raven Software. The Battle Royale mode, Blackout, was developed by Beenox Studios.

This is the first Call of Duty game to not feature a single player campaign. While I have enjoyed playing through Call of Duty’s campaigns in the past, I believe that choosing to not spend resources on a campaign has benefited the game as a whole. read more