Issue 8 | Volume 103

MIAMI BROKE UP WITH SPRING BREAK... DID IT WORK?

The City of Miami Beach TV posted an ad on March 1 announcing that Miami Beach is officially breaking up with spring break. After years of Miami Beach being the ultimate spot for a spring break vacation, Miami has decided that they will no longer put up with managing the mass influx of tourists and cleaning up the mess that is left after tourists leave.

Last year, during spring break, two fatal shootings occurred just off the coast. There were numerous arrests and other crimes committed, not to mention the amount of tourists possessing items on beaches that are prohibited. Miami released the com-

plete list of the current spring break safety measures with hopes to avoid the events from the year prior. The rules include security checkpoints at beach-access areas, early curfews, road closures, DUI checkpoints and arrests for drug possession and violence.

“I think these new rules will absolutely make a difference, especially with all of the litter and trash that gets left on the beaches,” said Emily Overton, a senior sociology major. “My friend Ty and his partner went to Miami but only because it was a stop in a cruise they were on. They mentioned how awful the beaches looked and how bummed they were.”

Aside from the safety measures, Miami Beach is also not allowing large

tables, large tents, large coolers, loud music, glass containers or plasticware of any kind or styrofoam. The consumption of alcohol, possession or use of drugs and smoking of any kind will also be prohibited on beaches. In order to properly enforce these rules and safety measures, Miami Beach is fully equipped with drones, bag checks, high fines and lots of police officers.

“I have been to other beaches for spring break before and not encountered these issues,” said Reagan Higgins, a sophomore early childhood education major, “I think that it may have changed some people’s plans, but regardless of the rules, people will still continue to do what they want.”

2024 presidential election update

The presidential election is just seven months away.

In recent months, the United States has been running primary and caucus elections for the upcoming presidential election, which will take place this November. In the U.S., primary elections are used to select nominees for public office.

Primary elections are preliminary elections used to appoint delegates to a party conference or selected to represent the party in the presidential election. The first Republican caucus took place on Jan. 15 in Iowa, and the first Republican primary took place on Jan. 23 in New Hampshire.

These elections hold significant importance, as they set the tone for the following primaries leading up to November.

Since President Joe Biden is the incumbent, there were no viable Democratic challengers. The nominees who attempted to challenge Biden include Marianne Williamson, Jason Palmer and Dean Phillips.

The original number of Republican nominees was 11 candidates, including former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy and others.

The first candidate to drop out of the GOP

PAUL VS. TYSON

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul are set to fight on Saturday, July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The fight will be the main event of a card that will stream live on Netflix.

NEWS | PG. 3

Tyson, a legendary, former heavyweight boxing champion will enter the ring at the age of 58. Paul, an influencer and Youtuber turned boxer will only be 27 years old when the fight airs.

Due to Tyson’s heavy influence on pop culture for almost 40 years

FRANCE MAKES ABORTION A RIGHT

How will the country’s action affect reproductive rights in a post-Roe v. Wade world?

race was Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. A number of candidates followed. Trump, Haley, Ramaswamy and DeSantis were the top candidates in the first caucus. Following Iowa, two candidates, Ramaswamy and DeSantis, suspended their campaigns.

“Donald Trump is winning the primary with nearly all of the delegation,” said Derek Kim, a sophomore political science major. “With these winning numbers, it is almost like Trump

and Paul’s vast internet presence, all eyes will be on this matchup.

The teams surrounding both fighters recognize the buzz that the announcement of this fight is making and look to capitalize on that excitement and controversy in terms of ratings.

SPORTS | PG. 5

UNITED STATES WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM

The team’s new-look roster emerges victorious in the CONCACAF tournament.

is the incumbent president running for a second term. Instead, he is a former U.S. president running for a second, non-consecutive term. His status as a former president establishes his prestige over the other Republican Party presidential candidates.”

Recently on March 5, “Super Tuesday,” an election day where nearly a third of the Republican primaries and caucuses take place, races were held in six states: Alabama, Arkansas, Minnesota, Texas, Vermont and Virginia. Trump and Haley went head-to-head in each state. However, Trump won in a landslide in every state except for Vermont. After Super Tuesday, Haley suspended her campaign.

“Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is a once-in-alifetime dream matchup, and I anticipate it will be the most-watched boxing event in modern boxing history,” said Nakisa Bidarian, the co-founder of Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, or MVP.

GO VEGAN!

The average person probably does not consider the harmful connections between the environment and a cheeseburger. As Americans, we live in a country that thrives on the meat industry. With every twist and turn, there is either a McDonald’s or Chick-fil-A waiting for us to snatch a togo bag and enjoy some nuggets or a burger.

However, what if I told you that the common factor between saving the environment and the decrease of global warming was in that delicious cheeseburger Happy Meal we enjoy so much? Veganism, vegetarianism and plant-based diets, in general, do not only have obvious physical health benefits but also environmental benefits.

Many believe that the fight will not be competitive due to Tyson’s reputation as a fighter, with much of the sports world recognizing him as the greatest of all time, even though he is three decades older than Paul.

ARTS & LIFE | PG. 7

However, Paul, boasting a 9-1 record, has beaten former UFC stars such as Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley, and in the time since these fights,

“QUIET ON SET: THE DARK SIDE OF KIDS TV”

Following Drake Bell’s allegations of sexual assault by Brian Peck, the docuseries examines late-‘90s and early-2000s Nickelodeon.

has fought more seasoned boxers to gain experience and respect.

Paul actually got his start in boxing on the undercard of a Tyson match in 2020, where he fought and knocked out former NBA player Nate Robinson.

OPINION & MISC. | PG. 10

SUPERCOMPUTER UNVEILS GALAXIES

Scientists’ new supercomputer can simulate the creation of entire galaxies, offering a never-before-seen perspective on the universe.

Major Spotlight: Liberal Studies

GC is well known for their liberal arts approach to academics. Students take a mixture of different courses that go with any major. These courses can include math, science, art classes, language courses, philosophy and tons of others.

GC has also made a liberal studies major, which allows students to choose classes of their choice.

In this major, there are multiple concentrations, such as culture, religion and society, environmental justice, European studies, gender and sexuality studies, global studies, individualized studies and race and social justice.

This major appeals to students ranging from all different back-

ELECTION

Continued from page 1

“I do not know why she continued her campaign as long as she did,” Kim said. “She has said that a third option is what the American public deserves, but I would argue that her decision to drag on her campaign gives her immense publicity. Whether that publicity is good or bad

grounds and allows them to explore their individual interests.

Gael Humphries is a senior economics and liberal studies double major with a minor in women and gender studies.

“I grew up in a very rural area of the Deep South, and there wasn’t a whole lot of economic growth there,” Humphries said. “But you grow up around a bunch of churches and stuff like that, which kind of shaped my curiosity of why things are what they are. Econ gave me a framework for that, but as far as actually making an impact, I found that liberal studies was the best way to learn about people, learn how people work. This is just the best way to connect with all different types of people.”

She is also an active

shall be determined if she ever decides to run again for president.”

Although Georgia does not participate in Super Tuesday, the state’s primary election happened just a week later. This election happened just six days after Haley suspended her campaign. However, the ballots were already developed before she and DeSantis dropped out. Therefore,

member of the Wesley Foundation and an executive member of the gardening club at GC. Humphries, in addition, spends some of her days working for the Office of Sustainability.

Humphries did not enter her freshman year at GC knowing she wanted to be a liberal studies major. Her turning point was her religion professor, who suggested the major.

“I took the core class, like Intro to World Religions, and the professor mentioned that he thought it would be cool if I picked up liberal studies,” Humphries said. “And then he sent me an email from the department head. “She just gave us, like, a whole schedule with all these different classes you could take and just really

both of their names appeared on the ballot.

Even though Haley and DeSantis are no longer running, both received a percentage of votes. NBC News reported Haley receiving 13.23% and DeSantis receiving 1.27%.

Now, since all candidates have dropped out on the Republican side, Trump has secured his spot as the official Re-

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individualized the whole program to a student.”

The liberal studies major allows students the opportunity to pursue their academic passions through many different pathways. Some of those pathways are global studies, European studies and gender and sexuality studies. Students are able to design their own major based on academic interests and career goals.

“I love that it really is so individualized and that the department is really kind and cares a lot,” Humphries said. “It really is about you and your interests and what your goals are and how we can get you there. You’re able to combine things, normally, you wouldn’t be able to combine and kind of, like, fully craft your own career path.”

Liberal studies pro-

publican nominee for president. On the flip side, Biden’s challengers have not made any strong efforts to beat him, so it can be concluded that he will be the Democratic nominee.

GC students who are following the primaries gave their input on the November elections. Political science major Celica Schmetterer gives her opinion about

grams allow internship opportunities and prepare students for a variety of careers. The ranging style in classes helps students find their true callings.

“I’m interested in tax and public policy making because I really love public economics and public health,” Humphries said. “I see working on public policy and how people’s taxes are used and just the best way to

the upcoming election.

“It’s just embarrassing across the board,” Schmetterer said. “It’s embarrassing for the DNC to not have pushed any other candidate and to stick it out with someone as uninspiring as Biden. It’s embarrassing for the RNC to be unable to push back against the guy that lost them the last election. It’s embarrassing knowing the ballot

help as many people as possible in the most efficient way as they can.”

A liberal studies degree leads to multiple career options and has exposure to important experiences, such as internships, that help prepare students for future careers. Having a humanities major can help students become more well-rounded and grow as a person.

will be the same two unimpressive geezers as last time. It’s hard to be optimistic when the options are to repeat the last four years or have a repeat from eight years ago.”

There will be more to come as the primary season ends and summer conventions confirm the potential nominees.

Metropolis Cafe is moving

Metropolis Cafe is moving to a new location in downtown Milledgeville.

With Garbutt Construction breaking ground last summer on the new location, there is still much to be done, such as installing sinks for the kitchen, fixing lighting and electricity to ensure everyone will be safe as well as getting booths and tables installed.

The restaurant is currently located between Aurabliss and Eclectic at 138 N. Wayne St. and is open seven days a week. Its doors open at 11 a.m. every day.

Metropolis Cafe in downtown Milledgeville

has been around for 15 years and was opened by Deepak Kumar. He spent his life working in a similar restaurant in India before moving to America in hopes of spreading his food from home.

Kumar and his staff have spent years serving locals and college students gyros with chicken and lettuce, hummus, pita wraps and so much more. They also offer vegan options, such as Spanakopita and vegetable kabobs for customers. Their prices range from $5 dollars to $30 dollars.

When customers walk in, they are met with a bar area for seating. As you go further into the restaurant, you have a back seating area with booths for bigger groups and an outside seating

area for those who want to get some sunshine as they enjoy their meals.

“We’ve just outgrown this location,” said Sammy Roberts, a shift leader at Metropolis. “We’re ready for something bigger, something newer, that we can renovate and

Even with this amount of seating, Metro can not handle the influx of customers on busy days, so they have decided to move across the street to 111 N. Wayne St., which is right next to Ace Hardware in downtown Milledgeville.

completely call ours.”

This new location provides more room for customers and is close to the old location, and customers will not have to travel far to get their favorite Greek-Mediterranean dishes.

“I think because that location is close in proximity to this location,” Roberts said. “And I think it just makes the most sense. It’s close to Hancock Street and closer towards most of the downtown business.”

Some locals are excited about the new location and its extra room.

“On the busy nights when a lot of people are in town, it’s normally a wait here to get into the place,” said Amy Pickett, a senior nursing major. “It’ll be nice

that there is a little bit more room over there.”

They also have to work on the new outside seating area next to the Deep Roots stage, which management hopes will be completed a month after they move into the new location. When clearing the area for the new outside seating, they discovered different designs, which turned out to be flour murals advertising the flour, on the side of the wall of the building. The owner was so impressed by the designs he decided to have them sealed and preserved.

Management is hopeful everything will be completed by the end of March or early April for the grand opening of their new and improved Metropolis Cafe.

Abortion now constitutionally protected in France

After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many people around the world were left with the question of whether abortion access should be a constitutional right, a question that the French Parliament answered with an emphatic yes.

In a vote, where out of 925 members of Parliament, 780 voted in support of the amendment and only 72 voted against it, the amendment was passed to great celebration. Even the Eiffel Tower was marked for the occasion, being lit up to say, “My body, my choice.”

Alongside the French Parliament, French citizens are also celebrating this monumental moment.

“It’s a big step in the evolution of women’s rights, and the fact that France chose to enforce it in the constitution is also very inspiring since France is a representative of Europe,

as it’s also the founding country of the European Union,” said Andrea Hen, a French citizen.

ident] saw the measure as a way to curry favor with the public after the yellow vest protest move-

a constitutional right was primarily to cool off steam and calm down the tensions around oth-

a say in what women do in terms of making healthcare decisions,” said Justine Savizon,

Since France is such a large country and plays such an important role, many believe the amendment may be able to counteract the effects of Roe v. Wade’s overturning. Although this amendment is something commendable, some believe there are ulterior motives for this ruling.

“I suspect that Macron [the French pres-

ment and the highly controversial reform to the retirement system.”

This belief is mirrored by a few French citizens who, while still excited about the new ruling, refuse to allow it to outshine the more controversial decisions their government has made over the past few years.

“The way I see it, the choice to make abortion

er decisions that were enforced lately,” Hen said.

When looking at the new amendment from this lens, it offers a look that is not as rosy as simply advocating for women’s rights, but that then brings up the question of if the government should be involved in women’s reproductive rights at all.

“No, government bodies should not have

a senior public health major. “If there are any laws to be made, they definitely should consult healthcare professionals.”

For Newsome, the topic was a bit more nuanced, as he looked through it from a more historical context.

“In the aftermath of World War 1, when so many people had been killed, Parliament out-

lawed not only abortion but also the distribution of birth control information in an effort to force families to have more children,” Newsome said. “Not until 1975 was abortion legalized.”

For the French Parliament to go from completely outlawing abortion to fully enshrining it within their constitution shows just how far the country has come as a whole in pushing forth what could be considered a golden standard for women’s rights.

“Despite the mix of motives behind the proposal of the new constitutional amendment, its adoption does enshrine women’s reproductive rights as a key element of liberté, égalité, fraternité — the national motto of the Republic,” Newsome said.

The enshrining of abortion rights into the French constitution has provided French women with protection now and in the foreseeable future.

Sweden officially joins NATO

Despite many obstacles and obstructions, Sweden recently became the 32nd member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. Sweden’s admission comes as a result of numerous foreign conflicts, particularly due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Geopolitically, the Russian invasion of Ukraine was the catalyst for the increasing need for European safety. Joining NATO was one of the largest insurers of this safety, and so it became the top priority for a number

international conflict.

“What is most remarkable and surprising about Sweden’s wish to join NATO is that it ends Sweden’s centuries-old neutrality,” said Dr. Steven Elliot-Gower, an associate professor of political science at GC. “This speaks to the enormity of the threat that Russia poses to Swedish and Finnish national security.”

Furthermore, Sweden’s decision goes beyond national influences. By increasing the size and prowess of NATO, Ukraine gains a competitive advantage against Russian aggression. This is because NATO

“Like Finland, Sweden shares our values and principles, and they share our unwavering commitment to international security in the face of Russia’s threats and their barbaric war in Ukraine.”

of nations neighboring Russia. This necessity eventually overwhelmed Sweden’s famous track record for staying out of

has been historically pro-democratic, opting to protect democratic governments — such as Ukraine — in the face

of the growing number of authoritarian nations.

“Ukraine has always supported Sweden in its pursuit of NATO membership, and I thank Sweden for its support of our country, said Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine. “There will be a day when Sweden will be able to congratulate Ukraine on joining the alliance as well. Together, we are always stronger.”

This effect becomes amplified through the admission of Finland, a nation with a similarly isolationist foreign policy as Sweden, into NATO in 2023. Likewise, Finland joined due to the Russian-Ukraine conflict, as it posed a threat to regional democracy.

With the two nations admitted, NATO’s European security strengthens alongside cooperation and economic stability efforts.

“Like Finland, Sweden shares our values and principles, and they share our unwavering commitment to international security in the face of Russia’s threats and their barbaric war in Ukraine,” said Rishi Sunak the prime minister of the United King-

dom. “Sweden and Finland’s membership will make NATO stronger and the whole Euro-Atlantic more secure.”

However, even as the admissions of Finland and Sweden reinforce NATO’s European presence, some are skeptical that it will have a practical effect on their national interests.

Landon White, a sophomore physics major, shares similar beliefs: that while NATO has been notably strengthened, it is doubtful that Russia will expand past Ukrainian borders.

“Sweden’s admission is a pretty big deterrent to Russia if they were to

try to attack Sweden and other NATO nations,” White said. “However, I would not say that I am fearful of Russia’s aggression because it seems like they are just centered and contained on Ukraine.”

Nevertheless, the reasoning behind Sweden’s admission into NATO is multifaceted and encompasses more than the Russian-Ukrainian invasion alone; the Israel-Hamas conflict is another influential example of recent international conflict.

Although militarily concentrated, the Israel-Hamas conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties with millions of Gazans dis-

placed and in need of basic necessities. As a result, the desire for international security becomes bolstered alongside the existing needs, a process that Sweden’s decision straightforwardly exemplifies. Intrinsically, these instances in which nations grow their need for international safety represent Sweden’s decision to disregard traditional isolation. As the world changes, so does Sweden’s holistic approach to foreign policy: that the fight to keep democracy and the need to preserve democracy are growing proportionally.

Abortion pill now available at CVS and Walgreens

The overturning of Roe V. Wade created a huge stir in political media and caused the topic of abortion to become a large part of President Joe Biden’s campaign. The Biden administration announced on March 1 that the pill mifepristone, also known as the abortion pill, will be available at the two biggest pharmacy chains in the nation. CVS and Walgreens will be able to sell the abortion pill at select locations with a prescription.

Mifepristone is one of the few ways to carry out an abortion and the only way to do so at home. Due to laws being unclear in some states regarding abortion, the companies are only able to provide the drug in about half of the states but are looking to expand in the coming years.

“I encourage all pharmacies that want to pursue this option to seek certification,” Biden said.

The abortion pill has been deemed as a safe way to terminate a pregnancy

since 2000 by the Food and Drug Administration. Due to its safety, the American Medical Association has allowed those prescribed to be able to take the pill at home.

Currently, CVS and Walgreens are doing phased rollouts of the pill, beginning in New York,

they have stricter laws on abortion but are also facing a lot of political backlash on the restrictions.

Developments in the abortion process have been made as well to make it easier to receive the prescription of the pill. In many states, only a telehealth visit is re-

scription can be written.

A lot of doctors have previously stocked mifepristone themselves, but allowing it to be filled at pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens will allow the prescription process to be completed easily.

The decision to receive the abortion pill

munication major. “I believe the pill being easily accessible is extremely dangerous.”

The ease of access to the abortion pill is one of the disagreeable topics, as some believe it should be more difficult to get the pill, while others believe the ease of ac-

Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and California, with more states to follow in the coming months.

Other states, such as Wyoming, Montana and Kansas, will be monitored regarding the legality of the pill since

quired to get the prescription, without the woman having an ultrasound first. As long as the woman already has a relationship with her doctor, all she has to say is she wants to terminate the pregnancy, and a pre-

at retail pharmacies has become a hot topic in the media and among young women nationwide.

“If the pill were to be sold, I believe it should be priced very highly,” said Olivia Gentry, a sophomore mass com-

cess is part of the appeal.

“I think a woman has a choice with our bodies, and if an abortion pill is sold and is accessible, it should be an option,” said a female mass communication student who wishes to remain anonymous.

Many women, especially those who are victims of sexual abuse, are worried about the possible consequences of easy access to the pill as well. Since the only thing needed is a prescription of the pill to pick it up, it would be very easy for victims of abuse to be forced to take the pill even if they do not want to.

“The consequences of abusing women are completely removed when you can force a woman to kill your child without any criminality,” said an anonymous GC student. “All you would have to do is do an e-visit and see a pharmacy.”

Mifepristone is one of two drugs that can be used for medical abortions and will now be made easier to receive via CVS and Walgreens pharmacies dispensing it. In order to keep their pharmacists out of risk, states with a political gray area will not be dispensing the drug, but others, where it is legal, will be able to do so very soon.

GC baseball improves from last season

OPINION

GC baseball is more than halfway through their season. The Bobcats are now ranked first in the Peach Belt Conference after this weekend’s sweep versus Flagler College. With only a little more than one month left, the team is looking unstoppable in the PBC so far.

This season had a lot of people wondering how this team was going to perform. Last season, while they were ranked fifth, was a little disappointing after the amazing season they had the year prior.

Coming into this season, the team lost 21 players from their 44man roster, almost half of the team. From those lost, eight were starting field players, and seven were starting pitchers for the team. It was looking like head coach Nolan Belcher was going to

have to start from scratch with the team this season, but with the addition of many transfers, the team is looking better than they did last year.

infielder from Andrew College, and Matthew Mebane, transfer infielder from South Georgia State College, have been key players for the team so far this season.

Not only has GC noticed how well this team has been performing, but

Lex Kenny won his second PBC Pitcher of the Week award, the first being on Feb. 5. The week of March 11, Poole and John Raines both won awards, Poole for PBC Player of the Week and Raines for PBC Pitcher of the Week. Braeden

rent ranking. The team currently has an overall record of 18-11 and a conference record of 9-3. With how well the team has been performing, it has led them to be ranked No. 10 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Associations

three games against both.

These new additions have given GC the experience they needed after losing many of their former star players. New players, such as Mason Poole, transfer infielder from South Georgia State College, Cam McNearney, transfer outfielder from Birmingham Southern College, Mitch Cowan, transfer

so has the whole PBC.

GC has been recognized by the PBC the past three weeks due to outstanding performances from the players. Mebane won his first PBC Player of the Week on March 25. The week of March 18

Smith also stood out on the team, as he won PBC Freshman of the Week for the week of March 4. With this new roster, the team has been able to work together to get some big wins, which has led them to their cur-

NCAA DII rankings for the Southeast region for the week of March 18.

Other ranked PBC teams are the University of North Georgia and Georgia Southwestern State University; the Bobcats won two out of their

While the team has been outstanding against higher-ranked teams, the team still has many conference games to close out the season that are crucial to win. The series against Lander University, Columbus State University and UNG are going to be the games to watch as the season ends, as they are all good teams.

With how the season has gone so far, I think it is safe to say that Coach Belcher was well-prepared to rebuild the team this year. With how the team is performing, you would never know that only two of the starting players this season were actually on the team last year. While this season is nowhere near over yet, with how they are performing individually and as a team, this team has shocked many with their successes and accomplishments so far.

USWNT plays last major tournament before Olympics

The United States Women’s National Soccer Team, or USWNT, defeated Brazil in the championship of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football Champions Cup, or CONCACAF tournament, on March 10. This tournament was the first of the year for the team and the only one before the Paris Olympics this summer.

The team was able to make it to the championship after an incredible performance by their goalie, Alyssa Nerher, in penalty kicks against Canada. Nerher was able to save three out of four shot attempts and also scored a goal for the team. In the championship, captain Lindsey Horan scored the lone goal off a header.

The CONCACAF tournament serves as a crucial platform for teams to showcase their talent and dedication. During the tournament, the team demonstrated their superiority on the field and showcased

much for their hard work they put into the season.

The team is undergoing new coaching by Emma Hayes. Under this new coaching staff, many of the former star players have been replaced for this big tournament. Alex Morgan, a very notable player, did not make the roster. Morgan, however, was brought up due to another player suffering from an injury. The majority of these players are being replaced by younger players. Although this might benefit the team, a lot of fans are concerned about the veteran players not making the roster.

“The USWNT has always been a team with lots of veteran players, but as the veterans retire, young players need to have the opportunity to play and gain experience,” said Bridget Johnson, a sophomore defender for GC. “Players that I do wish were on the roster would be Carson Pickett, Jaelin Howell and Ashley Sanchez.”

Other notable veterans that were left off the roster include Becky Sauerbrunn, Sofia Huerta, Aubrey Kingsbury, Kristie Mewis, Ashley

Sanchez and Andi Sullivan. All of these players played in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

“As a defender, I always have had many of the USWNT players be my role models, so I am very happy with their defender choices,” said Zelia Griffith, a senior defender for GC. “Emily Fox, Crystal Dunn and Casey Krueger are amazing returners along with Naomi Girma, Becky Sauerbrunn and Tierna Davidson are spectacular additions.”

Hayes is one of the new coaches that is helping make these roster changes. While she is not physically with the team until June, she still makes critical decisions and has new coaching techniques for the team. She is currently coaching Chelsea Women, so switching teams can be difficult.

“Emma Hayes has a very impressive record in Europe,” Griffith said. “I think it will be beneficial and a learning curve to come over and coach in America. As a coach taking over a team, you don’t have the advantage of knowing the background of everything, and I

think she is doing a great job. There will always be adjustments with a new coach, and it’s both the players and the coaches seeing eye to eye.”

The USWNT has now won every CONCACAF tournament they have participated in, which guides them with a total of 15 titles from the region. The team will play their first game with their new coach on June 1 against South Korea.

“I think the U.S. needs to change its mentality by understanding that they are not the only team at the top any-

more,” Johnson said. “The USWNT has been used to being at the top of women’s soccer for some time now, but other countries are becoming just as good — or even better than — them.”

While the team is entering friendly play coming off this big tournament win, the team needs to take advantage of these final games to help prepare them since the Olympics are only a few months away.

“I don’t think that the USWNT needs to change anything,” said Kenda Williams, a se-

nior soccer player for the GC women’s club soccer team. “The new coaching staff and the new players give a new face to the team. I think that they are fully on the right track to be a contender for the finals in both the Olympics and the future Women’s World Cup.”

Though the team won the CONCACAF tournament, there are greater challenges ahead. They must put in the extra work to excel in future games. Fans are excited to see how the team looks with the new coaching and new roster.

BOXING

Continued from page 1

“It’s a full-circle moment that will be beyond thrilling to watch, as I started him on his boxing journey on the undercard of my fight with Roy Jones, and now I plan to finish him,” Tyson said.

This will not be the first time a Paul has fought a legendary boxer. In May of 2021, his brother, Logan Paul, fought Floyd Mayweather, who went into the fight with a record of 500, with 27 of those wins coming by knockout. Paul would go the dis-

tance with Mayweather in their exhibition match.

As many people are expecting for Tyson in his fight, many expected Mayweather to wipe the floor with Paul, but the indecisive result at the end led to several claims that the fight was rigged for money and ratings. Some are carrying this same mentality into the Tyson v. Paul fight.

“Jake Paul will win in a unanimous decision fighting against an old Mike Tyson,” said Owen Faulk, a junior accounting major. “It’s paid off for Jake to win.”

Netflix likely hopes

that Paul will last a long time in the ring with Tyson, as this card will be the streaming service’s first time airing combat sports, and only its third time airing any live sporting event.

Landing an event with two names as big as Tyson and Paul is huge for the company as it looks to make a bigger push into live sports.

In the months approaching the matchup, tension and excitement will only increase which should lead to a very entertaining fight for fans and plenty of viewers for Netflix.

UFL SET TO KICK OFF INAUGURAL SEASON

Ty Karraker Staff Writer

On March 30, the United Football League, or UFL, will officially kick off its inaugural season.

The UFL is the newest semi-professional football league to be introduced, and it is a mixture of the XFL and the USFL.

The league will contain eight teams, four from each league.

The UFL will feature a surplus of athletes looking to keep football careers alive and possibly gain a pathway back to the NFL.

Some of the most notable players that will be competing in this new league include former University of Alabama quarterback A. J. McCarron, an influencer and YouTuber known as “Deestroying” and old NFL vets looking to get back into professional football after years of lackluster play.

The first game of the

season will be a battle of the two reigning champions for the leagues involved in the merger: the XFL’s Arlington Renegades and the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions. The matchup includes many star-studded players, including QB Matt Corral and ex-NFL Pro-Bowler Vic Beasley.

Along with the two champions, the six other teams competing in the league are the D.C. Defenders, Houston Roughnecks, Memphis Showboats, Michigan Panthers, San Antonio Brahmas and the St. Louis Battle Hawks.

The UFL is yet another attempt to bring football to the spring, but the two leagues that have attempted this earlier on have fallen victim to extremely low viewership and little to no revenue.

The XFL was originally created in 2001 by Vince McMahon, but due to McMahon’s style

of not letting players train the necessary time needed, the league was a total flop, only lasted one season and lost close to $70 million. Then, it made a surprise return 20 years later.

After many failed attempts to create a great semi-pro league, the surviving leagues that had achieved a following merged together to form the UFL. This time, they have been taking precautions to ensure players are well-prepared for the season.

“The right thing for spring football is to have one focused league,” said Russ Brandon, CEO of the UFL. “And I think we are all very confident that this league will be here well beyond our years.”

Only time can truly tell if this league will be able to maintain viewership and popularity in the sports world, but fans of football at GC are not sure if the UFL will

stick or if it will flop like all the leagues before it.

“UFL and any variation of spring football will never truly be successful to me because they will constantly be battling with baseball and basketball,” said Nick Kirka, a sophomore biology major. “The NFL is so popular because it’s the best players, and it is being played in a time with not a lot happening in the sports world.”

Competition for viewership during the spring is a key reason as to why both the XFL and the USFL failed in the past, and therefore, the league has made changes to normal rules pres-

ent in the NFL to cause intrigue among fans.

One major change the UFL is bringing to football in hopes of gaining a large audience is that there will be one-point, two-point and three-point conversions after touchdowns, differing from distance to obtain each.

The league’s other most notable difference is that the clock does not stop to keep the game constantly moving.

“These new rule changes are going to help the UFL establish themselves as a minor league of football in a way, and in this situation, they can stay

around for so many years if they accept being a minor league of the NFL,” said Anna Marie Meer, a senior nursing major.

As the UFL starts its inaugural season, there are a plethora of questions concerning it, but with these new changes, teams and players alike will hope that they will prove to the sports world that they can be a strong league for years to come.

Even if the league fails, football fans all over the globe will be able to watch football all year long and see some players that are looking to revive their careers — and possible players that were never given a true chance.

ARTS & LIFE

MIAMI

Continued from page 1

The parking fines and new regulations regarding Airbnb and Vrbo rentals have also been posted. The parking flat fee is $30 for all lots and garages in the Arts & Entertainment District. This parking rate will not be applied to Miami Beach residents, access card holders, permit holders or employees with proper identification. In addition to the parking fee, the towing fee for nonresidents will be double the current amount, which adds up to a little under $550. Mi-

ami has made all shortterm rentals less than six months and one day illegal. This includes Airbnb and Vrbo. The fines regarding this violation range from $1,000-5,000.

“Miami is a popular destination, but it is not the only one available, so if people have the option to go someplace else where they can do what they want, I’m sure they will change their plans,” said Mackenzie Masoudpour, a sophomore chemistry major. “This being said, I know a few people who planned to go to Miami for a break, and as far as I know, that is still their intention.”

As of March 17, Mi-

ami officials claimed that arrests were down 8% in comparison to March of 2023. This has been seen as a direct result of this “break up” campaign and efforts to restrict the desirability of the city as a spring break.

“Our law enforcement officers have shown remarkable dedication in protecting both residents & visitors throughout Spring Break,” said Steven Mainer, mayor of Miami Beach on X, formerly known as Twitter, on March 18.

However, local businesses that rely on tourism and these college students’ business boom in March have report-

Child actors and abuse

For many decades, child actors have been coming forward about the mistreatment and abuse they faced in their shows and movies. Their stories have been about what they were coerced or forced into doing on set and what was done to them by producers and members of the production teams.

One of the most prominent child actor abuse cases was about Dan-

iel Schneider, a former Nickelodeon producer. During his time on set, he produced a total of 11 shows, including “Victorious,” “Drake & Josh’’ and “iCarly.” It was these Nickelodeon shows that launched the careers of many famous stars today, such as Ariana Grande and Victoria Justice. It was not until 2018 that Nickelodeon cut ties with Schneider due to the many allegations made against him in regard to his conduct toward the child actors. According

to Entertainment Weekly, “Zoey 101” star, Alexa Nikolas, made a claim against Schneider in 2022 that he would sit in on her costume fittings.

According to Buzzfeed, Nikolas stated that Schneider was the root cause of her childhood trauma because he would yell at her and make her cry.

“I did not feel safe around Dan Schneider while working at Nickelodeon,” Nikolas said. “Actually, every time he came on set, my body

ed financial drawbacks to Miami’s new rules.

According to one article in USA Today, one Miami nightclub reported that the midnight curfew cost them an estimated half a million dollars.

“In 2021, Miami Beach made more than 1,000 arrests amongst spring breakers, leading them to issue an emergency curfew,” the article said. “In 2022, two shootings injured five people, leading to another curfew. Last year, the Miami Beach Police Department said it conducted 488 arrests, impounded 105 firearms and issued 7,190 traffic citations between Feb. 27 and March 27.”

got extremely tense.”

Another famous Nickelodeon actor abuse case is about Brian Peck. Peck has recently been accused of sexual abuse by former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell.

His new documentary, “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” premiered on March 17 and 18. In it, he talks about some of the abuse he faced at the hands of Peck.

“I’m curious as to why he’s just now making these claims after all this time, and I’m also curious to see if anyone else speaks out against Peck to say that they are a victim as well,” said Greer Harper, a sophomore mass communication major.

Allegations of child abuse and misconduct are nothing new and have actually been going on since 1960. The aftermath of these situations can sometimes cause much harm to the actors later in life.

“For some of them, it leads to suicide or drug addictions, but some of them go through it and come out fine, like

“THE IDEA OF YOU” AND THE FUTURE OF FAN FIC MOVIES Olivia

In the age of remakes and sequels, moviegoers are searching for fresh, new stories in cinema. With this call for different storylines, producers and actors are turning to books being made into movies and TV shows, including Anne Hathaway, who is starring and producing a new movie titled “The Idea of You,” which is based on Harry Styles and his former band, One Direction.

Fan fictions, or “fan fics,” are popular among fandoms of books, TV shows and movies and musicians. There are various fan fictions about “Harry Potter,” “Star Wars” and the most popular topic, Styles and One Direction. Some fans even go as far as

printing their own hard copies of fan fictions.

“I haven’t really ever read any type of fan fiction, but I have watched a lot of things that afterwards, I found out were fan fics, like the ‘After’ movies,” said Sara Thomas, a freshman nursing major. “I had no clue those were supposed to be fan fics at all.”

Many fan fics are posted anonymously on the app Wattpad, a web novel site where anyone can upload self-published novels. Some recent movies and shows have been based on works that were originally posted on the site, including “Perfect Addiction,” starring Ross Butler, which received over 81 million reads on Wattpad, and the Netflix hit movie “The Kissing Booth’’ was also originally post-

ed as a Wattpad novel.

While neither of those stories were based on any preexisting intellectual work or person, a great deal of popular movies and shows have their original roots in fan fiction.

The “After” movie series were originally posted on Wattpad as a Styles and One Direction fan fiction. “Fifty Shades of Grey” and “Gabriel’s Inferno” were based on Stephanie Meyer’s “Twilight” characters. Cassandra Clare’s popular fantasy series “The Mortal Instruments” was originally based on her “Harry Potter” fan fiction that she had posted years prior to the release of the series.

Anne Hathaway’s new film, starring herself as well as actor Nicholas Galitzine, known for

When the midnight curfew was instated, three Miami nightclubs fought back: M2, Mynt Lounge and Exchange. They filed a complaint Friday, March 15, saying the curfew “unduly punishes and penalizes the plaintiffs’ lawful business operations and was done without reasonable or appropriate advance warning and in the absence of good cause.”

The next day, Judge David Miller denied this challenge.

“There are shared sacrifices we make as a community to protect the life and property from criminals that we see year after year,” said Alex

Drew Barrymore,” said Michael Crews, an assistant mass communication professor at GC.

According to the Daily Mail, Barrymore was coerced into drinking and doing drugs at an early age before getting sent to rehab and a psychiatric institution. Despite her rough childhood, she still grew up to be an award-winning actress and film producer.

Other child actors, like Judy Garland, do not always turn out so successful. According to the Washington Post, while filming on the set of “The Wizard of Oz,” Garland was both threatened and harassed by the male actors and executives of the production. Garland had multiple suicide attempts throughout her life, but she eventually died of an unknown illness at the age of 47.

Jeanette McCurdy is another famous child actor who has come out about her abuse and maltreatment while filming Nickelodeon shows. Her abuse came at the hands of her own

Fernandez, Miami Beach City Commissioner. “How do you put a price on an innocent life — the life of a spring breaker?” Although this year’s preventative measures have seen greater safety among residents and visitors alike, there are evident drawbacks in the eyes of local businesses who cater to the chaotic college crowd. Nevertheless, Miami buckled down, and with March coming to a close, the city has seen a decrease in arrests. Although Miami “broke up” with spring break this year, what happens in the coming years remains to be seen.

mother, hence the title of her new book “I’m Glad My Mom Died.”

According to Teen Vogue, her mother emotionally and physically abused her whilst forcing her into acting in projects that would leave her unhappy and ashamed.

Ashton Koch, a mass communication lecturer at GC, thinks that the parents or guardians of the child actors are sometimes just as much to blame for the abuse they face.

“In a lot of these, it’s not just the industry; it’s the parents that enable it or push it,” Koch said. “They are putting their kids to work. Essentially, it’s forced labor in some of these times.”

As more and more actors speak out against the abuse they have faced in this industry, the more these cases come to light. Child-actor abuse continues to be a prevalent issue in the movie and TV industry today, so there is no telling how many more actors will speak out and tell their stories.

“Red, White & Royal Blue,” another fan ficto-film adaptation. “The Idea of You” author Robinne Lee claims that she based her romance novel off of Styles after watching a YouTube video of him performing. Lee claims after she discovered Styles had a penchant for dating older women, the novel unfolded in her mind.

“Fan fics are very entertaining, and it is crazy to me how some people can just imagine these stories in their heads and how you can feel like you can be in a person’s brain,” said Meredith Brown, a freshman exercise science major. “I question how some people come up with some of them, but I love them.”

With all these movies and shows taking ideas and plot lines from fan

fictions, many wonder where the entertainment industry’s creativity has gone. The pipeline from Styles fan fics to movies seems like the most popular storyline adaptation, but some question if it could be an invasion of privacy. With stories like “After,” a particularly steamy series, and “The Idea of You” following suit, fan fictions could potentially cause discomfort for the celebrities they are based on.

THE OSCARS: ALL THE WINS AND MOST NOTABLE MOMENTS

The finale of the 2024 awards season premiered on March 10. This year, the Oscars included a naked John Cena presenting the Oscar for Best Costume Design and ending the night with 62 dancing Kens and Slash. Watchers were never quite sure what to expect while streaming the awards show.

There were a variety of showstopping hosts and reunions at the Oscars. One notable duo was the stars of “Twins,” Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito. The stars discussed how they were brought together on stage for one apparent reason, which, according to Schwarzenegger, was that “We both tried to kill Batman.” They then taunted Michael Keaton, who portrayed the famous crimefighter in the 1980s. It was later praised on social media as one of the best moments in the awards ceremony.

Another presenting duo was Ryan Gosling from “Barbie” and Emily Blunt from “Oppenheimer,” who were nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress for their respective films. During their presentation, they fought against each other over “Barbenheimer,” arguing over which movie was the most successful of the rivalry. Then, in a beautiful gesture to the people who put their lives on the line to make the films audiences love, they gave a special pre-

sentation thanking the stunt teams of the film industry while also promoting their upcoming movie, “The Fall Guy.”

By far, the most talked-about presentation of the night was Cena’s presentation of the Best Costume Design award. Host Jimmy Kimmel came out onstage to discuss one of the most memorable moments in Oscars history: when a streaker appeared onstage during the 1974 ceremony during the presentation of Best Picture. At this moment, he queued Cena, who hid behind a piece of platform, appearing naked. He came on stage to present the Best Costume Design award while stating, “Costumes are very important.”

“Oppenheimer” was the night’s biggest winner, with seven wins out of 13 nominations. These wins included Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr., Best Director for Christopher Nolan, Best Actor for Cillian Murphy and Best Picture. Both Downey Jr. and Nolan were first-time winners at the Academy Awards.

Junior exercise science major Preston Adkins Is a longtime fan of the awards ceremony and an avid movie-watcher.

“This year’s Best Picture category had one of the best lineups I can remember in a long time,” Adkins said. “This year’s Supporting Actor/Actress awards were a runaway for both nominees, Da’vine Joy Randolph and Robert Downey Jr., all season. They have

not missed a single major award they were nominated for, making them the most obvious winners of the night.”

While many of the night’s wins were more predictable than others, one of the night’s most significant awards was still up for grabs between actresses Lily Gladstone and Emma Stone. Gladstone made history by being the first Native American nom-

coveted Best Leading Actress,” Adkins said. “This is the most debated moment of the night, with many saying Gladstone deserves the award. While I agree that Stone performed better, I was rooting for Gladstone to pick up the award, making history as the first Native American actress to win the award.”

For the presentation of Best Actress, five prominent past winners of the

inated for the Best Actress award. The two had been on each other’s tails all awards season, both winning a Golden Globe for their respective roles, while Stone won the British American Film and Television Award, or BAFTA, and Gladstone won the Screen Actors Guild, or SAG, Award.

“The actresses Emma Stone and Lily Gladstone had a much tighter race, with Stone receiving the

award came onstage to talk about each nominee, including last year’s winner, Michelle Yeoh, and Jennifer Lawrence, who won Best Actress in 2012. When it was announced that Stone had won the award, Stone was visibly shocked as she went on stage to accept it. It is a tradition at the Academy Awards that the previous award-winner presents it to the new winner. Still, Yeoh handed the award

to Lawrence, who got to give it to her longtime friend Stone, and they both were in tears, excited about this win.

After being asked about this decision, Yeoh posted on Instagram that she was excited about Stone’s win and wanted to give Lawrence and Stone their special moment.

“I wanted to share that glorious moment of handing over Oscar to you together with your best friend Jennifer!!” Yeoh said via Instagram. “She reminded me of my Bae Jamie Lee Curtis… always there for each other!!”

While Gladstone did not take the award for Best Actress, one record was still broken that night, as singing-songwriting brother-sister duo Billie Eilish and FINNEAS walked away with another Best Original Song award for “What Was I Made For?” in “Barbie”. This makes Eilish the youngest two-time Oscar winner, at just the age of 22.

The night concluded with the long-awaited performance of “I’m Just Ken” by Gosling, which became one of the most iconic performances in Oscars history. This performance included a nod to Marilyn Monroe’s “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” performance, blown-up Barbie heads, an appearance by the movie’s other Kens, a singalong, a “La La Land” reunion and a surprise appearance from Slash. This performance had been months in the making. Choreographer

“Poor Things” (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)

The 96th Academy Awards are over. And while Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” won in many of the major categories, including Best Supporting Actor, Best Actor, Best Director and, of course, Best Picture, Yorgos Lanthimos’s “Poor Things” did not go home empty-handed.

Three of the movie’s four Oscars — Best Production Design, Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling — were in technical categories, but Emma Stone landed her second Best Actress award.

Mandy Moore came on the team to help create the choreography for the showstopping number, and Gosling was involved in every second of planning. Gosling planned for the number to evolve as the song continued, adding more Kens running in from every part of the theater. Gerwig recommended turning the performance into a sing-along. Gosling insisted on sharing the moment with Gerwig and costars Margot Robbie and America Ferrera.

He even planned on going up to his “La La Land” costar, Stone, and having her sing with him, which Stone later mentioned resulted in her ripping her Louis Vuitton dress before going on stage to accept her Oscar win that night.

Gosling worked with a voice teacher in the months before the performance. Everyone involved in the act only had two in-person rehearsals at the Oscars stage before the actual ceremony itself, which ended with prominent Hollywood stars, directors, producers and executives on their feet, singing along to the iconic “Barbie” song.

The end of this year’s Oscars proved to be “Kenough” with its humor, heart and many showstopping moments throughout the night. The number of viewers rose to 19.5 million people across the globe to celebrate films and all the people who go into creating the movies of our generation.

Coming into the film, I was definitely interested in Lanthimos as a filmmaker, but I could not consider myself a fan of his, as at the time, I had only seen two of his movies: “The Lobster” and “The Killing of a Sacred Deer.” But I thoroughly enjoyed both. So, when “Poor Things” was announced, I was excited. And when a trailer came out, I could not wait.

Now, I am a season-ticket holder. His next film, “Kinds of Kindness,” is an anthology with an all-star cast: Stone, Jesse Plemons, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Joe Alwyn, Mar-

As I sat, nearly brought to tears by Stone’s speech, I thought I would take this opportunity to talk about “Poor Things” at large, which was my favorite movie of last year.

garet Qualley, Hunter Schafer and Mamoudou Athie. It is at the top of the list of my most anticipated movies.

The film is undated. The movie of the moment, “Poor Things,” follows Stone as Bella Baxter, a woman who has the body of an adult but the brain of a child. Her “father,” Godwin Baxter, is a Frankenstein-esque figure and the epitome of why the film won Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Ramy Youssef, Mark Ruffalo and Christopher Abbot play three of Baxter’s suitors.

On a surface level, the movie is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. Every single shot, every single scene, is immaculate. To me,

it is crystal clear why it won Best Production Design, Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling; the proof is in the pudding.

The real reason to watch the film, however, is the performances. The entire cast is terrific, but Stone is near-perfect. Her performance as Baxter was — by far — my favorite performance of last year and one of my favorite performances of the decade so far; the only one I think is definitively better is Cate Blanchett’s performance in “TÁR.” She has to do so, so, so much. Within one role, she is tasked with playing an infant, a child, a teenage girl and an adult woman. At first, her portrayal of Baxter is almost

entirely comedic. As her on-screen age — here, mental, rather than physical, age — increases, so does the maturity and earnestness of her performance. Her work is the definition of dynamic.

I have been a fan of Stone’s for a long time, and seeing her make choices as “weird” and “out there” as “Poor

Things” is exciting. The movie is not “Superbad”; it definitely is not for everyone. Each and every shot, scene, is dreamlike, and it goes for it.

If you thought Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn” was a lot, wait. Just wait.

At the time of writing, “Poor Things” is streaming on Hulu.

Last-chance tourism

The effects climate change is having on tourist hotspots

Contributing Writer

“Last-chance tourists” is a new phrase used to describe tourists touring a destination for the last time. Travelers are rushing to experience places that could soon be gone forever.

“A lot of climate discussion revolves around time,” said Desiree Ibekwe, a writer at The New York Times. “Lines rise across charts predicting the next century. Scientists set deadlines for the coming decades. Each month seems to bring news of a new heat record. The sense that time is running out can be heady.”

There is even a list of places that people call

the “last-chance tourism list.” These places are the most at risk of not existing in future years.

“As the Earth warms, natural wonders — coral reefs, glaciers, archipelagos — are at risk of damage and disappearance,” Ibekwe said. “This has motivated some travelers to engage in ‘last-chance tourism,’ visiting places threatened by climate change before it’s too late.”

Some of the places on the “last-chance tour-

ism list” are the Maldives, Antarctica and the Galápagos Islands.

“The impacts of climate change can be drastic,” said Laci Rawlins, a sophomore biology major, “Places that people enjoy and live in could be completely gone by the year 2100. This is heartbreaking because these places are special to people and have long-standing histories, so to be losing them to something such as climate

OLIVIA RODRIGO: GUTS TOUR

OPINION

I attended Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS Tour in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 9. Rodrigo is seriously a rock star. Her outfits, her energy and the dramatics in her performance, I am only able to compare it to what I imagine it was like watching Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock in 1969. Maybe I am being dramatic, but seriously, Rodrigo is single-handedly taking me back to my punk rock, angry-chick music phase.

This concert was so amazing and cinematic, it comes second only to Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. Rodrigo’s energy through her entire set was palpable, even in the seats that I would consider the itch you get before a nosebleed. We were able to see her perfectly, and the choreography that her dancers performed for each song made it an even more enriching experience. She also floated around the arena on a purple crescent moon for two songs. She waved at us, sang beautifully and, most importantly, it was something I had never seen before. It was ethereal.

Online, I have seen some parents, specifically TikTok moms, talk about how they took their kid to the GUTS Tour and they were shocked by how sexy it was. Hello, did you listen to the album? Rodrigo knows her age, and she is acting like it. She dances over a camera under the stage and is very Joan Jett “Bad Reputation” core. This fits with her rock-chick brand, and she absolutely killed. This concert was not

meant for you to bring your 8-year-old to. I am sorry you forgot to vet your kid’s music. Try the Wiggles next time (I took my 15 year old sister).

Rodrigo’s costumes were fun, sparkly and the embodiment of modern rocker chick. She was beautiful. Her set was ever-changing with the moon, of course, and the platform in the middle of the stage. While singing her song “making the bed,” it rose high as she laid on it, and then for her song “Lacy,” it was lower, and her dancers came out

change is so upsetting.”

Scientists are hoping that the controversy of “last-chance tourism” will bring more awareness to the issue at hand and that people will address and attempt to reverse the problems.

“In order to fix the damages, climate change continues to take on the environment, people have to work together to make changes and even sacrifices; things as simple as recycling, energy saving in many ways, changing the way of traveling and even just cleaning up the environment in general,” Rawlins said.

Last-chance tourism seems to make people want to see the places more, so people flock to those locations, but that also means more pol-

tivated during that. Maybe it was an audience plant. Anyway, when Rodrigo asked about the couples, the two people who were shown had just gotten engaged, I think at the concert, but I could be wrong. It was so fun, and Rodrigo was so excited for them and then used their happiness as a segway into “jealousy, jealousy.”

During “jealousy, jealousy,” Rodrigo performed her heart out for like the 600th time that night, and as one of her more upbeat, rock

from under it. It reminded me of the Nutcracker Ballet, when all of the children come out of the giant lady’s dress. Both experiences were beautiful in their own way.

Something I truly loved about Rodrigo’s performance was how much she spoke to the audience. She even had a segment where she asked if people were here with their friends, their dads or their partners. When she asked for the different attendees, the screen on the stage would show a couple of people having a wonderful time — except during the dad segment, when there was a dad talking to his daughter with a very stern face. I am sure lots of daddy issues were ac-

songs, she was truly embodying that image of herself and giving the crowd the opportunity to live it out as well. Her opener was Chappell Roan, who I have recently become obsessed with. Her 2023 album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” is a new favorite of mine. It is campy, indie, rock, pop and everything else. It is a beautifully constructed album, and I was so excited to see her perform. She was the perfect compliment to Rodrigo’s brand, as she performed in her sparkly one-piece with a cowgirl hat on.

Nashville, Tennessee, is obviously the country music hotspot and has been forever, and Rodrigo, knowing this, brought

lution and disturbance.

“As someone who is helplessly witnessing the impact of climate change on beloved destinations like Venice and the Mer de Glace, I find these changes to be extremely disheartening and find myself disappointed in our humanitarian efforts,” said Caleb Rodgers, a sophomore biology and Spanish major. “It’s heartbreaking to see such an amazingly beautiful place as Venice slowly succumb to rising sea levels, threatening its unique charm and cultural heritage.”

The aim is to preserve something beautiful so that future generations can see it and witness it before it disappears.

“To combat climate change, I believe in tak-

ing personal responsibility by adopting sustainable travel practices, reducing my carbon footprint and supporting local conservation efforts,” Rogers said. “Additionally, on the corporate level, corporations need to step up by prioritizing eco-friendly initiatives, investing in renewable energy and advocating for climate change policies. It’s also heartening to see projects like the Glaciorium emerge, educating the public and inspiring action towards preserving these precious destinations.”

“Last-chance tourism” can prove to be an opportunity for people to pay attention to the effects of climate change in a more obvious way.

out a very special guest to perform with her: Sheryl Crow! I think I blacked out for a second when I saw Crow walk out of the wings, and then I stayed in a daze as they sang “If It Makes You Happy.” The artist, the song choice and their voices together, all of it was absolutely perfect, just yet another instance of Rodrigo bringing back angry-rock-chick music. I have been calling it “angry-rock-chick” music because I do not think Rodrigo can be described in any other way. Even in her more beautiful lyrical songs, you can hear the instrumental styling of someone who truly lives for rock. I also may have been inspired by a TikTok that Rodrigo

posted, where she called herself a rock chick.

I think that rock musicians are so rarely women — not that Rodrigo is the first, but I think that with her level of popularity, she kind of is. Rodrigo is breaking records and winning awards for her music, and she is almost introducing rock and roll to a new generation.

I spoke with one of my close friends about this, and something that came up was that all of the rock music we like is jokingly called “dad rock.” I know that I have a playlist that is called “a dad in 2005” that houses all of my Nirvana, Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. I love that music, and by no means did I start listening to rock because of

Rodrigo, but I think that will be the case for some of these young girls. This rock music is finally ours instead of our parents’.

The night was coming to a close, and Rodrigo performed “all-american b***h.” If you have heard this song, you know that there is a part where she screams her lungs out. Rodrigo paused right before this part in her song and asked everyone in the audience to think of someone who makes them really angry and then scream with her. When the music started again, she sang, “I scream at night to deal with it like … ,” and then the lights went out, and the arena was filled with loud screams of the angryrock-chick persuasion.

OPINION

VEGAN

Continued from page 1

“Converting land to livestock production, which causes deforestation, and the agricultural practices of animal farms, are both ways that the meat industry directly worsens climate change,” said Hemi Kim, a writer for Sentiment Media.

“When it comes to containing global warming, the greenhouse gases that are of greatest concern are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases.”

Grazing animals require a lot of land, which often leads to deforestation, like Kim said. Plant-based foods, like tofu, beans or nuts have a very low carbon footprint, which makes them more environmentally friendly choices when compared to meat.

I myself am not a full vegetarian, but I have

developed a routine of eating vegetarian for one week, then the next week, I will go back to eating meat and have continued switching back and forth. My hope is to slowly work toward not needing meat. I want to learn more about the natural foods that can supplement my need for the proteins and things found in meat that I know my body needs. Then, I can work my way to being fully vegetarian in hopes of one day being completely vegan.

I have already started by completely cutting out red meat and have not had any for about nine years. I began this journey because I had a lot of health issues as a kid and realized that the food we eat has a much bigger impact on our health than we often think. I watched this documentary on Netflix called “What the Health,” which talked a

lot about the problems with the meat industry and our health and how being vegan is actually much better for us than people realize. It has physical health benefits but also major positive environmental effects.

“The more meat we eat, the more grain is required to feed the animals that provide that meat—in addition to the extra water and land (often deforested) used to grow that grain, extra energy to harvest it and run the slaughterhouses, and extra chemicals to fertilize it and deter pests,” said Tracy Fernandez Rysavy, a writer for Green America magazine. “We save all of those resources and their related emissions by eating that grain directly.”

The amount of grain needed to feed an animal is well over how much meat is produced from that animal. It is

just not worth the trouble. We could be using all that grain to feed ourselves instead of worrying about making feed to produce meat and destroying the environment while doing it.

However, a thought I had before considering veganism was, is it not hard to be vegan? It seems so boring, just eating vegetables all the time, right? I might as well go outside, bend down and just start eating the grass because that is what it is going to be like as a vegan. However, this is all very untrue, and all silliness of grass-eating aside, being vegan or vegetarian is actually very satisfying and enjoyable.

“It is not very difficult for me because I no longer crave meat, and it doesn’t have to be expensive,” said Dr. James Winchester, a philosophy professor at GC and

Astronomy news: supercomputers give new insights on galaxy formation

does it matter to me?

vegetarian. “It actually opened up a whole new world of eating for me.”

Winchester has been a vegetarian for about 40 years. That is a lot of dedication, and if he can do it, I think I can definitely manage, and so can others. Whether a person is vegan, vegetarian or eats a plant-based diet, it does not have to mean their lifestyle of eating is boring or more expensive. There is an abundance of recipes and meals that can be

made that are fun, delicious and inexpensive.

The benefits of going vegan or vegetarian outweigh any benefits of meat that there may be. It is not that everyone should be vegan right this second, but it should be taken into consideration how eating a plant-based diet has a lot of positive outcomes and may be something more people should consider implementing into their own diets.

In recent news in the world of astronomy, scientists have developed a new tool for understanding how galaxies formed in the beginning. At the beginning of March, astronomers revealed that they have developed a supercomputer that can simulate the formation of galaxies, starting all the way from the beginning of our solar system to the present day. These new high-resolution simulations can help astronomers in realistically visualizing what happened as galaxies formed.

Now, the closest thing I know to the science behind anything about the universe is the theme song to “The Big Bang Theory.” However, with the advancement of technology, more people, not just scientists, will be able to better understand how the universe was created from a scientific perspective.

“The simulation is based on the same astrophysical assumptions about the ultraviolet background radiation

produced by the first stars in the Universe, the gas cooling and heating, and the process of star formation,” said a recent article in ScienceDaily. “The new results allow the researchers to conclude

resolution, but that is the thing about scientific discoveries: It is a process of trial and error. Science is the study of the world through observations, experiments and testing. It is

The thing is that these supercomputers are important for studying the universe, which in turn allows us to gain knowledge of the world around us. We can gain a new

astronomy professor at GC. “We can predict things like the economy and stock markets, so countries are pushing supercomputer power because it is something more than astronomy;

that disc galaxies like the Milky Way formed very early in the history of the Universe, in line with observations from the James Webb Telescope.”

For the past decade, astronomers have been in the works to create this supercomputer to show a realistic formation of a galaxy. However, there are still a few errors in the simulation’s

not prior known knowledge; it is the discovery of undiscovered things, and astronomers are just beginning to scratch the surface of what we know about our universe.

Why even bother with the advancements in technology? I mean, the creation of the universe happened so long ago, and I had nothing to do with it, right? So, why

perspective by studying Earth and the solar system. We advance new technologies that improve our daily lives, and we inspire a new generation of artists, thinkers, engineers and scientists.

“Supercomputers are important for both science and non-science because they are helpful in predictions,” said Dr. Shahram Talei, an

it’s a national interest.”

This new advancement can help us in many areas other than just making it easier to visualize the creation of galaxies. It can help with our day-to-day activities and navigating the world around us.

These cosmological simulations are crucial to our understanding of where galaxies,

stars and planets come from. With that understanding, we can learn things about the universe that do not just have to do with astronomy but all areas of science.

“It can help people working in fundamental physics, which is dark matter,” Talei said.

“If we understand how galaxies formed, it will answer a lot of questions for us because dark matter makes up 20-25% of our universe, and we still do not have any good idea about it.”

Only about 5% of our universe is made up of things we can see, and only that 5% we actually understand. The remaining 95% of our universe is unknown to us. With how much of our universe is made up of dark matter and how little we know about it, that means we do not know a good percentage of our universe. Studying and investigating these things can help people in all areas of science, which allows us to understand more than just the basics.