Opinion

Buying Christmas Presents on a Budget

Buying Christmas Presents on a Budget

BY: Allison Stewart As “Jingle Bells” begins playing on the radio, Christmas shopping begins. The list of people you need to buy presents for usually grows quicker than expected. You may think your wallet will slowly lose it’s jingle — it does not have to, though.  No matter how long your list may be, there are ways to ensure you get the perfect presents without breaking the bank. It all begins with comparing your options.  It also helps to group people who are associated with you in similar ways. You can organize it by how much you are willing to…
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Student Spotlight: AUM University Honors Program with Hadassah Gaddis + Brennan DePace

Student Spotlight: AUM University Honors Program with Hadassah Gaddis + Brennan DePace

BY: Allison Stewart Excellence is the standard for academics and community service in the AUM University Honors Program. Inspired by global citizenship and a “blowing up the box” mentality, UHP strives to create quality students. Hadassah Gaddis and Brennan DePace are no exception to UHP’s mission. As Warhawks in UHP, Hadassah and Brennan are required to complete honors seminars and colloquiums. These courses force students to think critically and welcome a diverse way of thinking. Taught by professors from various academic backgrounds, students are exposed to a variety of teaching styles, too.  Hadassah is proud to be a part of…
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More Money, More Problems: Unethical Monetization in Video Games

More Money, More Problems: Unethical Monetization in Video Games

BY: Cory Donde Most Millennials remember a time when new games came out for $40, and we became outraged when the price was raised to $60. Now, we wish that the $60 dollar price tag was all we had to pay for a full game. Due to game developers and publishers becoming increasingly greedy, more monetization methods are being implemented into games, and most people who play games now eat up the opportunity to gain more content, even if it eats into their wallets. Whenever we log in to our favorite recent releases, we're introduced to storefronts full of premium…
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The Phoenix of Video Game Development: Hideo Kojima

The Phoenix of Video Game Development: Hideo Kojima

BY: Cory Donde One of the most well-known names in the video game industry, Hideo Kojima, made his mark through both innovation and ground-breaking storylines. Best known for the Metal Gear franchise, Kojima first made his mark with the first game in the series, Metal Gear  for the MSX 2, which was released on July 17, 1987. The game originally was set to be an action-adventure game, but due to the technological restraints of the console, only two to three enemies could appear on the screen at the same time, which slowed down the pacing that Konami wanted. To combat…
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Coffee Shop Spots for Finals

Coffee Shop Spots for Finals

BY: Allison Stewart As the semester approaches the end, finals are slowly emerging. May the coffee start brewing. The end of the semester presents mixed emotions. There is excitement for the semester to be over, but there’s also anxiety for remaining assignments.  If you are anything like me, even thinking about my to-do list is sure to raise my blood pressure. However, preparation is key to having a successful end to the semester. Choosing the right environment to do your work in is also important.  Coffee shops are common places to find people working on homework. With their relaxing music,…
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Is the Café Good? Survey Says…

BY: Anonymous There are a few things that can make or break a college student’s campus life. Having a social group, events to go to and meet new people, and places to hang out at are all important. However, one of the most critical things in our lives at this point is simply food. It’s where most of our money goes and what we’re getting between classes. Hell, the main reason we go to campus events is to simply eat and leave (you’re not the only one, we all do it). It only makes sense that the cafeteria plays a…
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Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Review

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Review

BY: Caitlin Gallagher Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, like its predecessor, gives us a side to the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty that we didn’t know before. The film starts with a focus on the newly engaged couple, Aurora and Prince Phillip. With a deep desire to unify their two kingdoms—The Moors and Ulstead—soon betrayal and deceit looms like a dark cloud over their plans and rips through each of their families. Once more, Angelina Jolie delivers a cunning performance as Maleficent. Riddled with sly and witty one-liners, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil delves deeper into her ancestry and we begin to…
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Tips for Going to Any Christmas Market

Tips for Going to Any Christmas Market

BY: Molly Gray I am obsessed with going to Christmas markets in the area. There is just something so fun and magical about shopping in a Christmas Wonderland. I go to two markets every single year. Therefore, I have learned a lot, so I want to share my tips for going to any Christmas market. Look at the schedule for the market. This may seem like a simple thing, but it is very important. Most markets span over the weekend and offer a preview night. Preview nights are nice, but they cost extra. Therefore, you need to know what will…
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Movie Review: The Addams Family

Movie Review: The Addams Family

BY: Molly Gray The Addams Family is something that most of us grew up watching. Therefore, we have a good idea of what we envision the Addams family looks like and acts like. I was excited to see this new version to see how they would change the story or how the family acted or looked. Here are my thoughts on this new movie. I really liked how you could easily tell which animated character went with the live version that many of us have seen. Morticia was tall and slender. Gomez had the iconic black hair and mustache. Wednesday…
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Disney +

Disney +

BY: Morgan Thayer It’s almost too magical to believe, but it’s true! Disney has a new streaming service coming out on November 12 called Disney+. This streaming service is sure to be one that is well worth your money. Starting at $6.99 a month, Disney + will offer content from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and National Geographic. The service will feature classics, modern-day content, and even some new original shows and movies, such as the first ever live action Star-Wars series, remakes of popular Disney shows, and new movies with big name stars. Disney + will be supported by…
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Borderlands 3 Review: New Touches to a Familiar Formula

Borderlands 3 Review: New Touches to a Familiar Formula

BY: Cory Donde With the same grind for loot, familiar faces from previous entries, and several returning enemy types, it would be easy to mistake Borderlands 3 as an over-glorified DLC for Borderlands 2. However, with enough new mechanics, new weapons manufacturers with interesting gun quirks, and a pair of new antagonists, Borderlands 3 makes its mark in the ten-year-old franchise from 2K and Gearbox. The new story follows a new set of vault hunters on their journey to foil the plans of the Calypso twins, Tyreen and Troy, and their quest to become gods. Along with the main quest,…
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Student Spotlight: Air Force ROTC with Savannah Cowart & Derek Paul

Student Spotlight: Air Force ROTC with Savannah Cowart & Derek Paul

BY: Allison Stewart With Veteran’s Day just around the corner, it is important to reflect on our nation’s military.  Dedicating their lives to ensure our safety and freedom, our veterans protect the livelihoods that Americans tend to take for granted. This upcoming Veteran’s Day, make it a priority to reach out to those who have served our country and say, “Thank you!” Simple gratitude holds great power.   As we thank our military, it is also important to reach out to those who are currently serving or are preparing to do so. At AUM, there are two ROTC programs: Army Reserve…
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Festive Fall Specials

Festive Fall Specials

BY: Allison Stewart Fall knocks at our door when the leaves change, sweaters emerge, and football is on every television.  Oh, and do not forget the fuzzy socks. Fall does not only change the weather and our clothes, though. Many restaurants get into the spirit by offering fall specials. This is the only time of the year they are offered, so you need to try as many of these items before they are gone. Starbucks surely increases their sales during this season as pumpkin flavors take over the menu. This season’s offers include: Caramel Apple Spice, Pumpkin Spice Latte, Pumpkin…
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A Different Texture

A Different Texture

BY: Kaleria Jackson Hair is a discussion, but to be more specific, black hair is a discussion. It’s an argument, and it’s a lifestyle. It is the story that is never ending and changes over time. Hair in the black community can connect the most unlikely of people together. Our hair binds us together, whether we know it or not. It’s almost like a fingerprint--we all have one, but one person’s hair is not the same as the next person’s hair.  Black hair varies from curls to zig zags. Every curl pattern is different, but there is a chart that…
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AUM Clubs and Organizations on Campus

AUM Clubs and Organizations on Campus

BY: Brandon Barker There are many campuses around the country that have clubs and organizations. These clubs are a part of the campus lifestyle or college experience. They give you an outlet to express yourself like you were not able to in high school, and you are more likely to meet  individuals like yourself. If you want to join in on the fun, AUM has loads of campus clubs and organizations that you can join today.  There are many clubs on campus to attract everyone on campus. Some of them even align with the majors that AUM offers. For example,…
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Real Life Scary Movies

Real Life Scary Movies

BY: Morgan Thayer With Halloween right around the corner, who doesn't love a good list of horror movies? What about horror movies based on real-life events? These horror movies that are based on real-life are sure to make your spine tingle with fear, considering they could’ve very well happened to you.  Open Water, which was released in 2003, is a movie about a couple who goes scuba diving in open water. Then, their boat leaves them behind in the shark-infested waters. The movie is based on the real-life story of American tourists Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who were diving off…
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Brain Food

Brain Food

BY: Caitlin Gallagher There are only two months left in the semester. That means two months to buckle down and get those big projects done and exams studied for. I know as well as anybody that it can be taxing to sit down and study or do homework. There’s always something else that we’d rather be doing, or we might get distracted by the T.V. or our phones.  Did you know that there are certain foods that we can consume to help boost our brain functions? Our brains are made up mostly of fats, so it makes sense to consume…
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Gaining Experience with AUM Athletics as a Student Worker

Gaining Experience with AUM Athletics as a Student Worker

BY: Randy Dunn AUM gives its students opportunities to gain experience in their field and put money in their pockets as student workers. I am the announcer for AUM volleyball and soon to be basketball, and it’s giving me early experience in the analyst and announcer field of my job, which I intend to pursue once I graduate from AUM.     On top of giving me experience and money, this position brings me closer to the fans and AUM. Now when I walk around campus, I get random people asking me, “Hey are you the volleyball announcer?” and with a small…
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The Company You Keep

The Company You Keep

BY: Kaleria Jackson As we navigate our way through life, we come across plenty of people. Some of the people we meet are not meant to stay in our lives forever. Time will show the course of how some people are seasonal. The company that you keep is very important because he people you allow into your life can be detrimental to your health.  When forming new friendships, or even relationships, begin watch for red flags that can show up. These red flags show the possible signs that a person may not be fit to be in your life.  The…
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Binge Watching and You

Binge Watching and You

BY: Caitlin Gallagher Netflix, naps and snacks—this used to be a perfect Sunday. I would start a new series as quickly as I finished the first. I could not watch an episode fast enough. If you are like me, binge-watching can quickly become  an everyday occurrence. What if I told you that binge-watching negatively affects your health? Your mental and physical health could be suffering. Northwestern Medicine compiled a list of negative effects of binge-watching that include: a “drug-like high”, isolation, insomnia, anxiety and depression, back pain, weight gain and risk of heart disease. Some of these may seem really…
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