Howl’s Moving Castle, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, is an adaptation of the original fantasy novel by the same name. British author Diana Wynne Jones first published this novel in 1986 by Greenwillow Books of New York.
The story follows our protagonist Sophie, a young milliner (a person who makes hats), who is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. Sophie seeks the wizard, Howl, in hopes of lifting the curse. However, Sophie gets caught up in Howl’s avoidance of being recruited to aid the king in a war which Howl has a pacifist outlook on. Sophie and Howl also have an eventual romance that blossoms between them throughout the runtime of the film.
Fans of Miyazaki’s films will note that a lot of his films, although made for all audiences, have political or personal messages meant for a more mature perspective. Themes of anti-war messaging, as well as the protection of nature, are most common.
Miyazaki is an artist as well as a storyteller. Miyazaki illustrates his message not just through the story and characters, but also the beautiful and sometimes frightening imagery.
The world of Howl’s Moving Castle is a captivating one. The fictional, vaguely Germanic country of Ingary is colorful, bright, and lively at the beginning of the film.
Nearing the end of the film, the ongoing war reaches the town. Bombs fall from fantasy-like airships, destroying the beautiful town we have come to know and love. The colors used are purposeful, in depicting how horrible and evil war is. Once a brightly lit and colorful world now turned to fire and ash.
Howl’s Moving Castle, although based on a preexisting work, was influenced by Miyazaki’s opposition to the United States invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Similar themes are shown in other works such as My Neighbor Totoro, Porco Rosso, Pom Poko, and many others. However, I think Howl’s Moving Castle most effectively combined these themes of nature and man’s obsession with war and destruction
I think Howl’s Moving Castle is a beautiful movie, with an important message that can still be applied today. It’s often the case that animation is looked down upon due to its association with children’s content. This is why it’s important to remind ourselves that animation is a medium, rather than a genre. There are things you can show in animation that would never have the same effect in a live-action adaptation. I’m unsure if the message of the film would have the same impact if it was told without the stunning animation that Miyazaki provides.
If you are at all interested in viewing Howl’s Moving Castle on your own time, you’re in luck! The film is celebrating its 20th anniversary and will be back in theaters from Sept. 29 through Oct. 12.
Julia is a journalism major at Cal Poly Humboldt. She loves film and is a regular on Letterboxd, and is an ex-Regal subscriber (never subscribed)! To quote Robin Williams in her all-time favorite movie, Dead Poets Society, “The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”
Natalie Goldberg and her girlfriend face grief and illness
By Alexandra Berrocal
Ever since her Zen teacher Katagiri Roshi died, Natalie Goldberg has been slightly more sickly than other people. Colds that would leave most people fine after a few days took weeks for Goldberg to recover from. Despite this, Goldberg never started to ask serious questions about her health until she absolutely had to.
After going to the doctor for a routine check-up, she discovered that she had a rare form of blood cancer, with a high mortality rate. Later in the story, Yu-kwan, her beloved girlfriend of 4 years, is diagnosed with breast cancer. Let The Whole Thundering World Come Home explores what it is like to have cancer when your partner has cancer at the same time, which has to be an unusual situation.
Although Goldberg is a prolific writer who has written extensively on many other topics, this is her only memoir on what it is like to have cancer. At the beginning of Thundering World, she encourages us to read The Great Spring, another book of hers. She says that The Great Spring is really a long, extended afterward to this story.
She also says that she wasn’t initially sure if she wanted to write about cancer. Part of her wanted to leave the past in the past, which I must confess is an unusual stance to take for someone who wrote Old Friend From Far Away, a book that encourages us to explore the past as a means of self discovery and self understanding. Cancer must be terrifying if a talented memoirist like Goldberg is afraid to look at it.
This isn’t a story about how the cancer twins — as Goldberg called herself and Yu-kwan — supported each other through cancer. Throughout this book, there is an odd separation between the two. Sharing silence initially brings the pair together, but as the story goes on, it starts to tear them apart. This resolves at the end of the story, but both women struggle for a while as they go through their own journeys with cancer and are both too sick for one to act as a caregiver to the other.
Goldberg definitely admires Yu-kwan, and not just for her great physical beauty. She admires Yu-kwan for all she has accomplished in her life and all she has overcome. This prevents the descriptions of Yu-kwan from feeling like sexual objectification. For one thing, Goldberg’s admiration of Yu-kwan doesn’t feel terribly sexual. This is refreshing in a world where relationships between queer women are sexualized. Goldberg’s love for Yu-kwan definitely has a sexual element, but it’s not the entire reason why she loves and admires her partner.
Goldberg wrote this book having already written many books. Also, she didn’t write this story while she was actually experiencing cancer. She didn’t even write it right after she went into remission. She waited a while and then wrote her story. I think she wanted to put her past behind her.
If anything, this is a story of reconciliation. Cancer drives Yu-kwan and Goldberg apart as each deals with their illness in their own way. However, after Goldberg makes a delicious roast chicken for both of them in the end, the two start to reconcile. The story ends on a hopeful note for both of them. I, too, love a good roast chicken.
Alexandra Berrocal is a self-published author who has written fifteen books. She likes to crochet and draw, as well as read and write. She is from Orange County. They like dogs, and they sing alto in a choir. If you have an idea for a book she could review, email them at alexandraberrocal@gmail.com.
Lost in a robotic world, you journey through neon-lit streets as a cat trying to find your way back home. This week’s edition of Mar’s Gaming Garage will focus on Stray, an indie game recommended by a fellow journalism major.
Stray is set in a cyberpunk environment filled with bright neon signs and crumbling buildings. The lost city is completely walled off with a giant dome., keeping the residents secluded from the outside world.
I am typically not a huge fan of the cyberpunk aesthetic, but seeing this strange world from the perspective of a cat adds a fresh feel to an otherwise bleak setting. The environment is used creatively, with much of the gameplay only being possible because you’re a cat.
Stray excels at immersing the player into the role of a cat and does a fantastic job at incorporating cat behaviors. You can tear at carpet, knock things off shelves, scratch at wallpaper, and more. These actions are often used to chaotically progress through the story. Little details like these ground you in the feline perspective, adding life to the game.
The characters in Stray almost entirely consist of robots. Despite this, they all feel very human, they have bonds with each other, care for each other, and overall are very emotional beings.
The secondary protagonist of Stray, B-12, is my favorite character in the game. Throughout the story, you recover B-12’s past memories, which allow you to unlock a very touching and emotional experience that I did not expect coming into the game.
Stray has two sets of antagonists. The first are small, mutated bacteria called Zurks. Zurks resemble wrinkly potatoes and share the primary goal of eating you and anything else in sight. They chase and leap at you from every direction, making every interaction with them extremely thrilling.
The second and main antagonists of the game are the Sentinels. The Sentinels are small security drones that chase and shoot at you whenever you enter their view. While I enjoyed the Zurks, the Sentinels didn’t do it for me. Getting past them requires waiting and observing their patrol patterns, which wasn’t as fun as running for your life from a pack of potato monsters.
While I enjoyed playing Stray, there are a couple of things I thought could be improved. The first is the game’s lack of replay value. While this isn’t a necessity, if Stray had more side quests, it could help flesh out the world more. The other issue is the lack of other animal-like beings. The addition of robotic animals could have created some funny and interesting interactions.
Overall, Stray is a short and sweet experience that I had a blast playing. It took me a total of 4 hours and 36 minutes to complete. While I had some issues with it, Stray was such a fun and unique experience and I rate it a 4.2 out of 5. If you love cats or are interested in dystopian games, I would definitely recommend Stray to you.
If you have any games you would like me to review, you can email marsgaminggarage@gmail.com.
Mario Orozco is a writer and assistant social media editor for The Lumberjack. He transferred to Cal Poly Humboldt in 2022 and his favorite game of all time is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
For my first game review of the new semester, I took a recommendation from an anthropology major and played Until Dawn. With the game getting a remaster in the coming months, now is a perfect time to dive in and see if Until Dawn is worth your money.
Until Dawn is an interactive horror game released in 2015 that follows a group of friends trying to survive on Blackwood Mountain. The game has a butterfly effect system that allows players to shape the narrative through their own decisions, making the experience a little bit different for each individual player.
My playthrough of this game would definitely be looked down upon by the perfectionists of the gaming world. By the time I made it to the end, only three of the eight protagonists had lived to tell the tale. Despite my lackluster performance, Until Dawn was an amazing experience that kept me hooked the entire time.
The first aspect of Until Dawn that I enjoyed was the cast of characters. Each one of the main cast has their own individual journey that develops their character as you progress through the story. The relationships the cast have with each other also changes depending on your choices. The beautiful part of character development within Until Dawn is that the decisions of the player can shape whether someone changes for better or for worse.
Until Dawn also excels at establishing its atmosphere. Most of the game takes place in a remote lodge in the middle of a snowstorm, adding feelings of isolation and vulnerability. The dark hallways, creaking floors, eerie music, and distant whispers give a constant uneasy feeling – as if something could jump out at you at any second. The game also incorporates moments of silence in a way that makes you feel like something is always just out of sight.
The final aspect I enjoy about this game is the branching narratives. I am a sucker for interactive storytelling, especially interactive storytelling that matters to the player. Until Dawn is a game where your decisions definitely matter and can lead to the survival or death of your favorite characters. Until Dawn’s butterfly narrative provides so much replayability, even the smallest change in the way you play can drastically change the fate of the characters and change the relationships they have with one another.
Despite all the good things about Until Dawn there is one main issue that I have with the game. Funnily enough, my favorite part of the game is also what I think could be improved. While the decisions of the player definitely matter, all they really do is determine who survives and who doesn’t. If certain decisions could also affect the ending of the game, it would add even more to the already high replay value. With the remaster coming Oct. 4, maybe this is something we’ll see in the near future.
Until Dawn took me a grand total of 9 hours and 13 minutes to complete. I genuinely enjoyed every minute of it and would rate it a 4 out of 5. If you’re into suspense filled horror, interactive games, or both, then I definitely recommend Until Dawn. Based on how good the original game was, I’m sure the remaster will be just as good – if not better.
If you have any games you would like me to review, you can email marsgaminggarage@gmail.com.
For the final game review of the semester, I took the recommendation of a fellow journalism major and played “Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz.” The “Super Monkey Ball” games have piqued my interest since childhood and Banana Blitz served as my overdue introduction to the series. Fortunately for me, it seems like I didn’t miss out on anything that special.
Unlike the past games that I have reviewed thus far, I didn’t particularly enjoy Banana Blitz, at least the main single-player portion of the game. The main game revolves around you controlling a monkey in a ball and traversing through different levels leading up to various boss fights.
While I didn’t love this game, there are some aspects that I thought were pretty fun. The first thing I liked about Banana Blitz were the boss fights themselves. The designs of the different animals that we must battle are all very fun and creative. The boss fights at the end of the worlds were also a breath of fresh air after struggling through the levels leading up to them.
My favorite part of Banana Blitz wasn’t a part of the main game at all. The party games section was the best part of this game by far in my opinion. It consists of 50 different mini games that can be played solo or with your friends. There is such a wide variety of different games to choose from and plenty of replay value, whether you’re competing against your friends or just trying to beat your own high scores. This was my saving grace for Banana Blitz and the reason why I will likely go back and give it some more playtime in the future.
Now to the negatives. The camera and the way it shakes and twists rapidly with every movement made me feel nauseous. I eventually got used to the movement, but the first couple hours of this playthrough were exceedingly difficult as a result. Getting used to the movement of the monkey’s is also challenging. It is very sensitive, making it easy to accidentally fall off the course and make frustrating mistakes. These two things combined made it both disorienting and frustrating at the same time.
The final thing I didn’t like about the game was how repetitive it got. There are 100 total levels that have a very similar structure to each other, which can dampen the experience over time. This might not be the case for most people, however. I played the game entirely in one sitting which I definitely don’t recommend.
Overall, “Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz” has its strengths and weaknesses, but is overall a decent game. It took me a total of 5 hours and 49 minutes to complete the main game. If I was rating the mini games alone, I would give Banana Blitz a 4 out of 5. However, with everything in consideration, I give “Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz” a 2.5 out of 5.
I do not recommend the game if you get motion sickness or are looking for a relaxing gaming experience. If you want a fun party game to play with your friends or a challenging game to speedrun, this might be the game for you.
If you have any games you would like me to review, you can email marsgaminggarage@gmail.com.
Independent developers have created many hidden gems in gaming, and this week’s game is one of them. “Buddy Simulator 1984” was recommended to me by a liberal studies elementary education major and was one the best indie-horror games I have ever played.
“Buddy Simulator 1984” is one of those games that kept me thinking even after I completed it. This game was a psychological adventure that I can’t say I have experienced from very many games. The first main aspect of this game that I really enjoyed was the progression of quality that the game undergoes as you progress. The game is played from the perspective of an old 1984 computer and it starts off as a simple text based role-play game (RPG) that has been created for us by our new AI buddy. As our buddy learns and evolves, so does the game, with the graphics becoming 2D and eventually 3D as the story continues. Despite the increase in quality over time, it still keeps that nostalgic pixelated design, continuing the feel of an older game.
The next aspect of “Buddy Simulator 1984” that elevates this game to a whole new level is the way your buddy becomes more mentally unstable as the game progresses. It obsesses over being your only friend and making you happy to the point that it becomes terrifying. Multiple creepy glitches occur throughout the game whenever something causes it to feel negative. These glitches ranged from uncomfortable text filling the screen to seemingly being inside your buddies mind viewing its overwhelming thoughts. Depending on the way you play the game, your buddy gets increasingly hostile towards you for disobeying its directions and “ruining the game” that it worked so hard to create for you. Witnessing the buddy’s codependency drive it to the point of insanity was spine-chilling, yet sad.
The underlying plot of this game is the final aspect that made it so great. There are multiple “glitches” that occur throughout the playthrough that give the impression that your buddy may not have full control. Characters appear where they shouldn’t and interacting with them causes the game to become distorted. A few times when interacting with characters, they can be seen calling you a different name that immediately glitches back to the correct name. This implies you aren’t the first person this has happened to, and gives insight into the insecurities that your buddy has about losing you.
There are only two minor complaints that I have with this game. The first is the length. The game is super short, and I wish there was more content, because it was genuinely such a unique experience. However, there are multiple endings to the game that can help extend the playthrough. The other complaint I have is the fact that the game only autosaves, so after completion, you have to play through the entirety of the game again to get a new ending instead of being able to access a specific save point.
Overall, “Buddy Simulator 1984” was one of my favorite indie-horror games that I have ever played. It took me a total of 6 hours and 12 minutes to complete and was a joy throughout. I rate this game 4.4 out of 5, it is definitely worth playing and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys glitch-horror.
If you have any games you would like me to review, you can email marsgaminggarage@gmail.com.
Superheroes and video games are two things widely beloved by many and this week’s game combines the two. “Spider-Man 2” was recommended to me by a forestry major and was a long but delightful gaming experience.
“Spider-Man 2” is one of, if not the best superhero video game I have ever played. I absolutely loved everything about this game. The first main aspect that I enjoyed was the gameplay. It took the combat and web swinging from the previous Spider-Man games and improved it with new combat and traversal mechanics for each of the playable Spider-Men. Also, the ability to switch between both Peter Parker and Miles Morales kept the game fresh, with each having their own unique style of gameplay.
The next aspect of “Spider-Man 2” that I enjoyed was the sheer amount of things that can be done. Both Spider-Men had their own individual sets of missions as well as cooperative missions. This combination made it feel like I was playing two games in one. The game did a great job taking these two individual paths and intertwining them into a cohesive and engaging story. Experiencing the two Spider-Men fight both as a team and as enemies helped take this game to a brand new level. There is even one small portion where you get to play as Venom and basically destroy everything and everyone in your path.
The final aspect of “Spider-Man 2” that made the game so great was the story. The storytelling in this game was amazing and it had many emotional moments that hit so hard. The main story of this game was beautiful from both sides with Peter’s story being one filled with pain and heartbreak while Miles’s was more about fully coming into his role as Spider-Man. Another thing that needs mentioning is how the game took some of the old characters from the previous games’ side quests and gave them more depth through new side quests. The side quest about Howard and his pigeons was told so well. It wasn’t another instance of Spider-Man fighting villains, but a heartfelt story about a guy helping a friend. Getting insight into Howard’s life and helping fulfill his final wish before death made me cry upon completion. It says a lot about the quality of “Spider-Man 2” that even just a side quest could cause such a strong emotional response. The only negative thing I felt about this game was some of the side quests were slightly repetitive at times. Some of Miles’ side missions, specifically the ones involving his high school, were a little boring, with little to no combat portions. The rest of the repetitive missions often had some kind of fun multi-enemy combat portion, which made them much more enjoyable to play through.
“Spider-Man 2” took me a total of 23 hours and 18 minutes to complete all of the main and side missions. It was such a fun experience, and I rate the game a 4.6 out 5. “Spider-Man 2” is definitely worth playing, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who likes open world story games.
If you have any games you would like me to review, you can email marsgaminggarage@gmail.com.
Every good game has music. Usually a game’s music plays in the background and has no actual effect on the gameplay. This week’s game uses music differently, it’s not just in the background of your gameplay, but part of the mechanics of the game itself. Justin Crittenden, a software engineering major, recommended “HI-FI Rush” to me, a rhythm-based action game released in 2023. Before I played this game, I was under the false impression that it would be like other rhythm games, but “HI-FI Rush” isn’t like anything I have experienced before.
This game has a really simple story, but it was well executed and had my complete attention throughout the playthrough. It did a fantastic job taking a simple plot and making it feel entertaining and fresh. One aspect of the game that I enjoyed was the art style. The characters are cel-shaded, giving the game a comic book like appearance and the main bosses of the game each had beautifully detailed freeze frames that contributed to this design. Another aspect I enjoyed were the characters; each character had clear motives and reasoning behind their actions which is extremely important. The characters were also very entertaining, the main cast had fantastic chemistry with each other and it was fun to see them interact and grow together.
The main aspect of the game that makes it memorable is the gameplay – the combat is amazing. There is a constant beat playing throughout the game and combos performed exactly on this beat increase the effectiveness of your attacks, which is also used to parry enemy attacks. The beat is useful in ways outside of combat too. It is used to move faster and assists in traversing through the levels. The style of gameplay temporarily switches a few times in specific portions, it even becomes like “Guitar Hero” in a few battles with buttons needing to be pressed exactly on time to the song playing in the background.
Like always, there are a couple negatives that I would like to address. The first is the design of the levels. Most of them have a similar feel, following the same general outline. This is okay though, the main focus is the combat, which is fun enough for the repetitive nature to not really matter. The other issue is how difficult the timing can be. In the later stages of the game, there are just way too many enemies attacking you all at once to be able to focus on hitting your opponents with rhythm. Instead, it turned into me just dashing around chaotically, randomly swinging at everything close to me. If this is a problem, you can just turn the difficulty down and it’ll make staying on rhythm more manageable.
“HI-FI Rush” took me a grand total of nine hours and one minute to complete. It is evident through playing the game that the developers had a blast making it, and it feels like a passion project. I rate this game a 4 out of 5, and if you like fast paced, hack-and-slash gameplay, then I strongly recommend this game to you. “HI-FI Rush” is definitely worth the purchase.
If you have any games you would like me to review you can email marsgaminggarage@gmail.com.
In the death of Saint Patrick came a holiday of green beer, dancing, Irish pride, and this year, an excuse to get day drunk on a Sunday. However, I had one goal on my mind this St. Patrick’s Day: to try every corned beef dish I could get my hands on before my 6 p.m. shift. It started organically as my roommate and I were anticipating the Irish dancers at the Logger bar, but our agenda spontaneously unfolded into trying all the salt-cured meaty goodness our college student budgets didn’t have the room for on Paddy’s Day, but all in good fun.
I bring you almost all of the corned beef dishes I tried in Humboldt County to quench your FOMO. Not all are mentioned, but here’s an idea so you can start marking your calendars for next year. I’ll be ranking the dishes on taste, restaurant festivity, and price.
The first plate of corned beef I had that fateful Sunday was around noon at Six Rivers Brewery in Mckinleyville. The plate was $20 for two slabs of corned beef, two boiled potatoes, one chunky boiled carrot, cabbage, a hunk of soda bread, and a little dish of stock. This plate was probably the biggest and most authentic corned beef dish I bought that day. $20 seemed pricey at first. I almost opted for their corned beef Reuben, but that would’ve been cheating.
The corned beef itself was tough and chewy, but still able to get through with teeth and/or a steak knife. I think it lacked that mouth-puckering saltiness I usually attribute to the meat. Having the stock separate from the veggies and beef in a dipping dish was an interesting choice, but aided in adding that saltiness to the beef. It still just wasn’t salty enough for me and I wish the meat and veggies were sitting in the broth. There was a little chili kick when I indulged in my first bite, but every bite followed was very beef broth-y, which could easily be zested up with a squirt of yellow mustard. No horseradish was a bummer, but I also didn’t ask if they had any.
The veggies were perfectly tender and as simple as you can get flavor-wise, but the beef broth gave them that extra butter flavor that a plain old boiled veggie wouldn’t have. The ambience in the restaurant was fantastic and very loud. There were rainbow balloon arches, live music, and an anniversary banner with crossed out numbers in sharpie to signify the brewery’s 20th anniversary celebration alongside the St Patrick’s day festivities.
There were lots of cute families and strangers to chit chat with, including our table neighbor who questioned, “Where was I gonna put all that?” when I explained my corned beef agenda for the day. I told him he was underestimating me. Overall I give this plate a 6/10. I wish the beef was more tender and served in the stock, but the energy in the brewery and kind service really made the dish special for me. Also, a women-owned brewery, hell yea!
The next pit stop on my journey to the center of corned beef was South G kitchen, a food truck located in the Redwood Curtain Brewing Company in Arcata. They had been slinging their corned beef special for about a week before the holiday out of their tight-quarters food truck which is super impressive. Their dish was $17 and included corned beef, collard greens instead of cabbage, and crispy potatoes. It was a smaller portion than Six Rivers Brewery, but this dish was smokey and delectably dense. Their corned beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender with a crispy skin. You could have enjoyed it with a spoon if you wanted to. They also topped it off with some stone-ground mustard which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The greens were super tender and umami from the rich bowl of brown broth they were bathing in. There were pieces of thick cut bacon in the greens, which really brought me back to eating my highschool best friend’s grandma’s greens out of tinfoil serving dishes on Thanksgiving. The portions of this dish were definitely for a single serving, but they provided the perfect balance of salty, crunchy decadence that left you satiated. The collard greens absorbed most of the broth, making them saltier than the beef, but complemented the dish well. The outdoor seating at the brewery was a lot less festive and didn’t really encapsulate the holiday, but was still a chill environment. This corned beef plate was definitely not traditional, but the culinary spin on it really wowed me. It was cheaper than Six Rivers but a smaller portion with a creative take. I’d rate this dish a 9/10. My roommate and I were able to house it down after a previous plate of corned beef, so it was pretty damn good.
After a quick outfit change and brief state of comatose in the sun, I arrived at the Logger Bar in Blue Lake. They were having an all day St. Patrick’s Day bash, but weren’t serving corned beef until 5 p.m. so it was my second time there that day. The first time involved a lovely conversation with Tina Catalina, a Blue Lake resident who gave me a copy of her song on green paper and informed me that the entire meal was cooked by the Mad River Old Crows, which is the men’s service and drinking organization according to the Mad River Union.
The line for food was wrapped around the bar when we arrived. It was served buffet style with chafing pans and portable burners. This felt like a family reunion which made the experience that much sweeter. There was a jar at the start of the serving table that had a sliding scale of $5-$10 for donations, but they weren’t necessary to get a plate. I ended up donating $10 for a plate of corned beef, a few pieces of olive raisin soda bread, potatoes, cabbage, and a chocolate cupcake with green frosting. They actually had horseradish, unlike other locations, which I indulged a little too much of with teary eyes. There wasn’t much space to eat inside as the talented Irish Dance Academy students doing Irish dances in their tartan skirts took the floor during serving, but it was enjoyed outside in the sun.
The corned beef packed that salty flavor I was looking for and wasn’t sitting in any broth, though it was dripping juices after each bite. The potatoes weren’t too special, but I will always appreciate a boiled carbohydrate. The cabbage really was the prize winner for me. It was extremely moist and flavorful. There was even a whole onion in the scoop we got. You could see all the spices they used within the cabbage as well, which gave it a much more meaty and spicy flavor than just the broth as marinade compared to other places. Overall I rate this dish an 8/10. A home cooked meal makes all the difference, no matter the taste (this one was delish), and the community was so heartwarming and supportive at that little bar. Who wouldn’t love that Old Crow corned beef?
The fateful and final stop of this voyage was Murphy’s hot bar in Blue Lake. I was on my way to The Pub in Arcata, but had to stop by after getting wind of their corned beef. It was 5 p.m. at this point and an hour before I had to be at work. The potatoes were combined with the shredded corned beef in one charing pan and the cabbage was dry and crispy in another pan to the left. At this point of the day, I was scraping the bottom of the pans to get something of a portion. After checkout, my plate came out to about $4 – may I add it was majority cabbage. The corned beef was extremely fatty, but also fried to a crisp under the heat lamp,which created an interesting texture. The cabbage was basically raw with a slightly buttery flavor if you got into the inner layer. The bigger pieces of corned beef weren’t too bad if gnawed around the fat. The beef was pretty bland, but had the essence of peppered beef jerky taste at the end so I can’t complain too much. The potatoes carried the dish, but again I don’t believe a person can mess up vegetables that bad. The employees at all Murphy’s locations are always wonderful and I can’t bash on a late stop to the hot bar too much. It was my fault. I rate this dish a 4/10 all together.
This Sunday service of corned beef was something I was grateful to take part in. In less than six hours, I was able to cover four stops of beefy, salty, and starchy goodness. The Pub was unfortunately sold out and my lovely friends who offered to bring it in for me during my work shift tried to get their redemption by calling Gallagher’s Irish Pub in Eureka for any corned beef briefs. They were left with the dial tone.
At this point, I was barely moving and had a dry mouth from my salt intake, so I decided to call it a day. I had found peace, love, and happiness while exploring some, but not all, of the corned beef dishes of Humboldt county. Next year, I’ll make sure to start my excursion at 9 a.m. so I can really savor all the salt beef I want.
Welcome back to Mar’s Gaming Garage. This week’s game is “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” and was requested by a rangeland resource science major. “Tears of the Kingdom” (TOTK) is the newest entry in a long line of Zelda games and picks up sometime after the events of “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.”
Going into the game, my expectations were through the roof. Its predecessor was awarded game of the year in 2017, so I expected TOTK to live up to this legacy. Thankfully for me and my wallet, this game exceeded my high expectations.
TOTK’s story is amazing, from the main quests to the side quests. The game does a great job expanding on the stories of previous characters and creating compelling stories for the new faces. The game stands out as a sequel when compared to others because of the brand new mechanics. Most sequels I have played take similar gameplay and insert them into a new world. TOTK does the opposite, taking a different style of gameplay and putting it into an expanded version of the “Breath of the Wild” world. These mechanics assist in making the game feel completely different than the original, despite sharing many similarities. The expansion to the world is massive; it allows for players to enter the depths of the original map and go underground in what is essentially a second full world. The sequel also introduced islands in the sky that can be explored.
While “Tears of the Kingdom” improves on the overall gameplay and provides more for the player to do, there are a couple things that fall short when compared to the precursor. The first of these shortcomings is the storytelling. While I enjoyed the story of TOTK more than “Breath of the Wild,” it was told in such strange ways at times. Multiple different questlines can be completed out of order, which can cause a lot of confusion. For instance, if you find the Master Sword before completing its dedicated questline, it completely ruins what I believe to be the most impactful cutscene in the entire franchise by showing it with none of the required buildup. The other issue is the graphics. The quality is a slight downgrade from “Breath of the Wild” despite being released six years later. This isn’t really a problem for me, as the reasons for the downgrade are the expanded world combined with the limits of the Nintendo Switch. While slightly disappointing, graphics were sacrificed for extra content and extra content is never a bad thing.
“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” took a total of 63 hours and 42 minutes to complete and is arguably just as good as, if not better than, “Breath of the Wild.” I rate this game a 4.8/5. If you can afford to invest a considerable amount of time into a game, then I wholeheartedly recommend this one to you. “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” is worth the purchase.
If you have any games you would like me to review, you can email marsgaminggarage@gmail.com.
Adjacent to the Arcata plaza sits The Basement at 780 7th Street. They’re open Thursday – Saturday from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. if you’re looking to have an exciting night.
As far as drinks go, Christina being a Vodka girl, she had the Passion Drop made with jewell citron vodka lined with a sugar rim. The drink was pretty strong in itself and on the pricey side at $14, but good enough to get a nice buzz going.
The Raspberry Lemon Drop was also strong but delicious, a great price at $7. Tequila shots were large. The bartender was sweet and kind despite the rush, and she helped me pick out drinks amongst the chaos. All in all, 7 shots of tequila cost about $43.
The Basement offers some drunk food favorites like soft pretzels or a charcuterie board. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, your options are limited to the flourless chocolate torte.
The downside to the bar is the small space up on that platform waiting to order a drink. If there’s a surplus of people on a particularly busy night, getting up to the bar can be a bit complicated and overwhelming.
We appreciated that there were multiple zones depending on how you spent your time there. If you wanted to sit, there were plenty of tables. If you wanted to chill at the bar, it was crowded but it was there, and, of course, dancing if you wanted to dance. Also every zone didn’t feel isolated from each other, making it easy to enjoy whatever aspect of nightlife you chose, without having to expel yourself from the other aspects.
As for seating, The Basement is probably the largest in terms of space. The layout of the club is reminiscent of the speakeasies of the Prohibition Era. Plenty of tables are on a slightly higher elevation than the main floor. An ornate railing surrounds the main floor. Half of the main floor is designated for tables, while the other half is for patrons to let loose on the dance floor. A stage allows for a band to play tunes for the crowd underneath a neon sign reading, “The Basement.”
Be careful bar hopping though! Arcata is such a small town, you may just run into your drunk boss.
With a $5 cover charge to get into the venue, decent music and good drinks, The Basement gets a 4 out of 5 stars on our rating.
MK Butterfield takes a selfie as Celeste Iliana Sadler Gonzalez Pachano reapplies their lipstick at The Basement.
The Local Cider Bar is a chill sit-down spot that would be perfect for a mellow first date vibe or an end to a great date. Imagine having a piece of pie and a cider to bond over, or end your night.
However, our only drawback is that food does close at 8 p.m.
The music was okay, more on the chill indie side.
They do offer free water which is a bonus.
The Cider Bar did have clean selfie-worthy bathrooms.
The Cider Bar was well-lit and had a relaxing atmosphere with soft indie music playing over the speakers. The environment there felt safe.
Seating Options and Decor
The large windows, giving patrons a view of the patio and street, gave the somewhat smaller interior a more spacious atmosphere. If you are someone who loves nautical themes, the big barrels used for seating and tables are a huge plus. The Cider Bar itself has a large wooden bar for patrons to sit alongside a host of tables. The interior design, with its mix of wood and industrial vibe, would allow the Cider Bar to fit into cities like Berkeley.
The outdoor seating is also a great option for those who want some fresh air, rain or shine. Canopies with space heaters and strung-up light bulbs give your senses a warm and dry feel to the outdoor area of the Cider Bar. However, no smoking is allowed.
Alcohol
Flights for $15.
Swipe right – was sweet and fruity with a hint of cherry .
Black current – good, but a deeper wine flavor.
Chile Guava – not spicy enough and a dry cider.
Dragon Fruit – had a sweet aftertaste, like an adult Capri Sun.
Blurberry – stronger aftertaste, dark, strong, packaged as wine and wasn’t cidery enough.
Strawberry – sweet, juicy, good solid cider. Can’t go wrong with strawberries.
Mango daydream – not enough flavor, Le Croix lookalike. A hint of piss if you’re into golden showers.
Gingergrass – very ginger acidic. If you’re a ginger lover then its right up your alley
Food Review
Had a wide selection of pies with vegetarian options included.
Sweet pies:
Apple Crumble with Ice Cream – This was my favorite pie. The warm pie with the cold ice cream was an enjoyable temperature contrast.
Black Bottom Coconut Pie – It was rich and thick, with chocolate mousse and whipped cream.
Savory pies:
Veggie Pie – Made my soul feel warmed, which was great considering the cold weather outside.
Chicken Pot Pie – Crust was flaky, and the pie overall was moist and gooey in a delicious way. There was a very nice hint of sage present with the taste. The pie was warm, homey, yummy and definitely made with love.
It is our mission to find the slayest food spots in Arcata. Whether you’re going on a date, meeting up with friends or flying solo, we are determined to create a guide to which places are hot and poppin’ – and which places are not. Our first adventure was to the Aracta staple, Northtown Coffee, for a sunny Monday morning breakfast.
A few patrons were scattered at tables around the coffee shop. It didn’t feel empty, but it was quiet and easy to find a table not super close to other people. The music was good and not too loud. The employees took our order promptly when we walked up to the counter and double checked with the cook to make sure that they had what we wanted to order. There are a lot of seating options, both indoor and outdoor.
We both got the breakfast burrito. Jack also ordered the light roast coffee and I ordered an iced snickerdoodle latte, one of the specialty espresso drinks. We were a little disappointed with the size of the burritos. They were pretty small and we both left still hungry. The salsa on the burritos was amazing, we just wish there was more of it, or at least additional hot sauce options. The light roast coffee was smooth and crisp. The snickerdoodle latte was delicious, especially if you like sweet espresso drinks.
I’ve found a new appreciation for the act of dissociating, giving the once unhealthy coping mechanism of mine a whole new beautiful meaning. When getting lost in your own head with intention, you may feel as if you’re disconnecting from the world around you, but really, you find that you’re actually connecting deeper within yourself. Maybe, dare I say, you find a deeper connection with the life you think you’re hiding away from.
Clearly, I tend to romanticize these deep, existential thoughts and feelings, which is why I love music that matches my energy.
“Music to help you feel like you’re floating through space,” as I like to say. “Instant astral projection.”
It’s why I’ve been listening to a lot of shoegaze, indie dream-pop and folk artists such as Alvvays, Teen Suicide, The Sundays and, of course, Boygenius – one of my faves, as of late.
Within the first few seconds of Boygenius’ newest EP, “the rest,” I was instantly brought into my own head and launched into deep space. What else could I have expected from a song titled “Black Hole?” That’s when I knew: this new Boygenius is going to hit.
The 12 minute EP only consists of four songs, but carries all the best parts of Boygenius, from Phoebe Bridgers’ dreaminess to Julien Baker’s rawness and Lucy Dacus’ lyricism. Each member is already such a successful star on their own; together, they burn so much brighter.
It’s a beautiful thing to enjoy the art of queer women supporting one another, and getting to experience the product of their complementary talents. “the rest” was officially released on Oct. 13, just six months after the trio released their full-length album, “the record,” which features the group’s most popular tracks such as “Cool About It,” as well as mine and everyone’s favorite, “Not Strong Enough.” Don’t ask me how many times I’ve had the lyrics “Always an angel / Never a God” ringing in my head these past few months.
One thing that really stuck out to me is Boygenius’ mutual respect and admiration for outer space, and how the group uses these themes in their music. It’s worth noting that the song “Not Strong Enough” starts off with the lyrics “Black hole opened in the kitchen” while their new EP literally starts with a song called “Black Hole.” These themes are continued in “Voyager” and “Powers” with lyrics like “Walkin’ alone in the city / Makes me feel like a man on the moon,” and “A hostile alien ambassador? / Or am I simply another of the universe’s failed experiments?”
I feel those last lyrics, heavily.
There is another theme within this short EP that I strongly relate to: someone you love urging you to take a fatal risk, and while you might not have been too excited about living life, you realize you don’t want to go just yet.
“I don’t wanna live forever / But I don’t wanna die tonight.” Lucy Dacus, I see you.
And I know Boygenius somehow sees me too, because I don’t know how they knew I’ve literally been writing about the connection between getting lost in one’s head and floating through outer space, but I’m glad they did.
This one is for all the other sad girls finding comfort and healing in the space inside their own minds.
If I had a nickel for every new movie in 2023 that was an eccentric, campy satire about feminism and gender roles, mocking the blatantly evil patriarchy and boasting a giant choreographed fight scene, I would have two nickels – which, to quote Dr. Doofenshmirtz, isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.
Bottoms is the sophomore feature from writer-director Emma Seligman, reuniting with star (and writer) Rachel Sennott (“Bodies Bodies Bodies”) from their previous collaboration, the stressful and hilarious Shiva Baby. Opposite Sennott is Ayo Edibiri, perhaps best known for her voicework in Big Mouth and her performance as Sydney in the hit Hulu show The Bear (watch it if you haven’t).
Sennott and Edibiri star as PJ and Josie respectively, two teens at the bottom of their high school’s social ladder. Not only are they losers and gay, but they attend a high school that literally worships its straight himbo star-athlete (there is a giant mural depicting him as the biblical Adam in the cafeteria). Even the principal calls them the “ugly, untalented gays” over the intercom. Through a series of plot contrivances, the two unpopular teens start an all-female fight club in order to have sex before they graduate.
If the above doesn’t alert you to the surrealness of the world of Bottoms, allow me to inform you that Jeff (the aforementioned himbo) and his teammates are depicted sitting in the cafeteria like Jesus and his apostles in Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. It’s a comical sight to say the least. Oh, and murder is just shrugged off as a normal occurrence.
The teen sex comedy isn’t exactly a new genre, but to have a brief resurgence put a queer spin on the genre keeps it fresh and subversive. It brings the tone of movies like Wet Hot American Summer and Superbad to the Gen Z crowd, borrowing the campy tone of “But I’m a Cheerleader,” a queer cult classic in its own right (it even paid homage in a scene at a diner named “But I’m A Diner”). Bottoms is unapologetically and explicitly gay at nearly all times. We’ve come a long way from the woeful and tokenistic “gay best friend” trope in comedies.
I was particularly delighted at the film’s parallels and references to Fight Club, a film famous for its satirical portrayal of toxic masculinity. It’s unfortunate that many men read the film’s message completely wrong, idolizing the dangerous men at the center of the narrative. How refreshing that this movie completely upends and pokes fun at those notions. The football players here are utterly moronic, and actors Nicholas Galitzine and Miles Fowler channel their Ken-ergy into their diva performances.
Despite a plot that can be convoluted and predictable at times, the cast and writing carry this movie to victory. Sennott and Edebiri’s palpable chemistry provides the groundwork for some truly impressive improv sequences, interwoven so well with the hilarious script that it’s hard to tell what is improv and what is written. Marshawn Lynch nearly steals the film as the divorced teacher who sponsors their club, misguided in his attempts to embrace feminism (fair weather allies are the worst). In fact, the entire ensemble here puts in the work, and I found my chest hurting from all the funny bits, as there’s hardly a minute that goes by without one. To address the Margot Robbie-sized elephant in the room: yes, there are a lot of similarities to Barbie, the hit blockbuster of the year. I liked Barbie a lot, but my biggest issue was just how commercial it was, and how I wished every minute of its runtime was as campy as Barbieland; Bottoms scratched that itch for me. It’s acerbic and surreal the entire time, but it’s also surprisingly dark and bloody. Bottoms never compromises its weirdness for even a second to please anyone. It’s brash and unapologetic, and also the funniest movie I’ve seen all year.
Barbie is everything –everyone and their mother was excited for the movie’s July 21st release, myself included. I was not disappointed. I laughed, I cried and I got “Push” by Matchbox Twenty stuck in my head for weeks.
In Barbieland, women can not only be anything; they are everything. The Kens however are simply there; they exist because Barbie exists, only living to get her attention. Ken (Ryan Gosling) himself says that his job is “just beach.” The Barbies believe their existence has solved issues for women, that their ability to be anything and everything in Barbieland extends to women in the real world.
Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie), discovers the truth. She is exposed to the reality that women face each day, discovering that even the company that created her is not run by women. Meanwhile, Ken discovers the reality of being a man in the real world. He feels respected and empowered and someone even asks him what time it is.
Ken brings his new knowledge of the patriarchy to Barbieland. The Kens take over, turn all of the Barbie Dream Houses into Mojo Dojo Casa Houses, and brainwash all of the Barbies to serve them. To complete the patriarchy picture, the Kens are negatively impacted too. They sacrifice aspects of themselves in an effort to seem masculine and embody the “ideal man.” When Barbie returns, she breaks, feeling defeated after her experience in the real world and having her home taken away. Even worse, she has to suffer through a man playing the guitar and singing on a date.
Barbie feels that she isn’t pretty enough, smart enough or accomplished enough. Barbie is supposed to be perfect; always beautiful, always happy and always accomplished. This same standard is applied to women in the real world. We are expected to be beautiful but approachable, talented but humble, well dressed but modest. We’re told we’re too fat, too skinny, too emotional, too cold, too slutty, too uptight, too intimidating, too easy, too loud, too quiet – there is no way to win.
Despite this, my favorite moment in the movie is not one showing female rage, but female joy. Barbie is sitting on a bus bench, taking in the real world. She notices an old woman sitting on the other end of the bench. Barbie tells the woman that she’s beautiful. The woman responds, “I know it,” and Barbie laughs. This moment feels so special and beautiful to me. It made me ugly cry in the theater. I also liked that it called back to the Barbies all unapologetically owning their accomplishments and praising their own hard work.
In addition to the hard hitting themes, Barbie had an iconic wardrobe and soundtrack. “I’m Just Ken,” was obviously a standout, just one of Ken’s incredibly memorable moments. The dynamics of Barbieland were genius; of course the Barbies would float out of their houses, no one walks their Barbies down the stairs. I loved Weird Barbie. Alan was so endearing. It was cathartic to see America Ferrara, an actress who is often typecast, vent her frustrations at a society designed to work against her.
I loved Barbie. The movie showed that Barbie is not just a toy, she is a feminist icon and a source of inspiration. I felt seen, like my experiences and the experiences of other women were being validated. The joys and sadnesses of being a woman were perfectly shown in Barbie. I am Kenough and so are you.
Through the endless cloud of hairspray, denim and the occasional crop dusting lies a paradise for local skaters, punks and music lovers alike. For the rest of us, it’s something adjacent to a welcome fever dream.
This fabled haven is none other than Rampart Skate Park. A place where the restless can indulge in both kickflips and mosh pits. Though I wouldn’t say it’s a relaxing experience having to dodge flying skateboards while you’re trying to bop around to some music, I will say it’s quite fitting for the genres common at the venue.
The show in all its hardcore glory was organized in support of a new LP release, Skate Sessions VOL 1, a compilation including tracks by local bands WarMoth, The Bored Again, Imperial Destructo, RACKET, FOIL, Biomass and Dead Drift. In conjunction with these local legends are songs from Scythe, of Mendocino, and War of Knives, from Oakland.
From what I could tell based on the numerous conversations I was able to eavesdrop on, most people were there to see FOIL and War Moth; for good reason, too. If you haven’t had the opportunity to listen to these guys or make it out to one of their shows, I highly encourage you to dip your toe into their Bandcamp discography.
At the show, there were songs about drug addiction, songs about the pigs, songs about hating your job, etc. These are aspects of mainstream culture that fuels the punk scene and bring so many to it, but it isn’t often you get to see a spectacle such as this LP release.
Photo by Camille Delany
I guess I couldn’t say if it was the beer or just the nature of the music itself, but after a while, these great ballads of an anti-capitalist alternative started to blend together and became an incredibly distorted roar of noise that lit the revolutionary fire lying dormant within my gut. Most of what these bands were dishing out is exactly what one would expect and hope to hear at a punk show.
As the show went on and the crowd grew bigger, I began to notice a diverse mix of people both young and old. The show was of course all ages but I was quite taken aback when kids no older than twelve were thrashing around in the mosh pit.
I was just noticing the young average age of the crowd when a thought dawned on me. Punk rock as a genre, and the punk scene in general, haven’t really undergone any massive changes in twenty or so years. I suppose whether or not that’s true is relative, but my sentiments were confirmed by Travis Bille, guitarist and singer of the band Dead Drift, whom I was lucky enough to have a very lengthy conversation with.
“It’s for blowing off steam and having fun,” Bille said. “It’s stripped down, and there’s no fucking bullshit. That’s what I love. There’s so much bullshit everywhere and for me it’s raw.”
Photo by Camille Delany
Change in one form or another is usually a component of survival for any existing medium, yet punk somehow seems to transcend that need to change due to the nature of what it is and what it’s always stood for. There is something about its raw flavor and aggressive behavior that takes you away from the bullshit. When those heavy riffs blow out your ears and those throaty vocals vibrate your insides, you kind of melt away into the crowd and become part of a larger community of people who all want the same thing – to express their humanity in the rawest way possible.
Get out your wallets, folks, this is not your average Asian eatery.
Curry Leaf: Asian Fusion and Sake Bar opened earlier this month in Eureka, making its place as the only restaurant in Humboldt county to serve Malaysian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai food, and more, all under one roof.
Opened by Chef Joe Tan, who designed the sushi bar at Bayfront Restaurant in Eureka, as well as partnering to open Nori in Arcata, Curry Leaf is Tan’s third Humboldt restaurant and it’s gearing up to be a major success.
Walking into Curry Leaf, you are greeted by a pair of Chinese guardian lions. The restaurant space feels refreshed and has undergone renovations since its days as the restaurant Gonsea.
My partner and I were greeted warmly and seated quickly at a purple leather booth near the back of the bustling restaurant. I was beyond thrilled when I looked at the menu and saw the range of options available to me.
Photo by Oden Taylor | Beef Chow Fun
Curry Leaf is a cultural explosion for the city of Eureka, bringing many new foods to the diners of Humboldt county. The menu includes ingredients like screwpine leaves, dried chili coated anchovies and fried taro nests, to name a few.
To start off the meal, I ordered the fried street wontons with special szechuan red chili sauce. The wontons come either steamed or fried and contain ground pork, shrimp, yellow onion, and black mushrooms.
They were so crunchy and flavorful. The red chili sauce is made with a savory spicy bright red chili oil that really compliments the wontons.
Even the side salad we ordered was beautifully plated and had crisp, fresh ingredients with a delicious tangy sweet miso dressing.
Make sure to order appetizers because though the waitstaff is friendly and professional, it can be a bit of wait due to the popularity of the restaurant.
For our entrees my partner and I shared the beef chow fun and the honey glazed prawns.
The beef chow fun is a large portion of velvety beef, rice noodles, bean sprouts, soy sauce and green onions. This dish is hearty and perfect for sharing.
The honey glazed prawns were the star of the evening. The prawns are lightly fried and coated in a succulent honey lemon glaze. The portion is huge and is served with perfectly cooked broccoli and aromatic steamed rice.
For lovers of classic honey walnut shrimp, the honey glazed prawns at Curry Leaf elevate this dish to the next level.
As our meal came to a close we shared the almond pudding—a Chinese soft-style jelly made of apricot kernel milk, topped with whipped cream, honey and bright goji berries.
This dish is served cold and has a similar texture to flan, but tastes like an almond vanilla ice cream. It’s sweet and rich, making it the perfect ending to a very well crafted meal.
All of the food was cooked perfectly and plated professionally. Even the drink menu is fantastic with desert alcohols like chocolate nigiri and pineapple sake, as well as more traditional beer, wine and sake. The restaurant also offers free refills on non-alcoholic specialty drinks like Roy Rogers and Shirley Temples.
If you are looking for a delicious meal and a good night out, Curry Leaf is the place for you. Curry Leaf is located at 2335 US-101 in Eureka and can be reached for take-out at (707) 798-2049. It is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Monday.
The 68th edition of Toyon, Cal Poly Humboldt’s multilingual literary magazine, was released on Tuesday, March 29. It is the culmination of a year of work by the staff, through forced distancing caused by COVID-19, across vast distances, and from a multitude of perspectives.
Contributions to this year’s Toyon came from countries around the globe. The submission base’s broad scope means that works in many languages are featured. Some of the works originally submitted in a language other than English are presented in both languages, and some of the translation work is only available online on Toyon’s website.
Maurizio Castè’s ‘Germogli verdi,’ or ‘Sprouts of green,’ published in both the original Italian and translated into English by Toti O’Brien, is a gently insistent witness to the beauty of spring, and to nature’s resilience in the face of climate change. This is a theme that surfaces at other points in Toyon 68, in Dobby Morse’s “The Fate of the Earth,” “Climate Change” by Larissa A. Hul-Galasek, and Meghan E. Kelley’s “What’s Left for the World to Say?”
In these works, there is a deep veneration of both nature’s delicacy and of her strength. There is also an anger that seems to well up from deep within the Earth; anger for the future of humanity in the face of a climate apocalypse and for the fate of the natural world in our aftermath.
There are many other standout poetic works in Toyon 68. The magazine’s opening work “Each Time I Held a Dying Bird” by Grace E. Daverson pulls the reader into delicately described and emotional pocket memories. As Daverson methodically describes each bird she has known, the wild joy of holding a bird in one’s hand and the childlike wonder of shining a flashlight into developing eggs organically melt into the glass-sharp grief of not being able to protect the ones you love.
Toyon also publishes short stories, academic literature, and visual art.
“Dismantling Structural Systems of Oppression Through a Revolutionized Pedagogy” by Ambar A. Quintanilla systematically explores the institutional barriers to education which Latinx and Black students face, multiplied by conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Quintanilla’s emotional connection to the subject matter as someone who has experienced these barriers (and who has seen the people she cares about be affected by them) is as important to the piece as her efficient and insightful analysis of the complex contributing socioeconomic factors.
Among the magazine’s small selection of visual art, “Thinking” by Ernie Iñiguez and Mario Loprete’s “Concrete Sculptures” stand out. “Thinking” is a polished and pastel digital illustration of a meditating robot, while “Concrete Sculptures” is photos of the artist’s graceful and haunting sculptures of folded clothes.
The theme of Toyon 68 is “hope and healing,” which is self-evident from the works within. The contributors’ love for this world and for the always painful process of healing is strung throughout the magazine, as taut and musical a guitar string. Healing takes time, passion, work, and love, and Toyon 68 has all of those. On the back cover of the volume, their sendoff is this:
“WARNING: This product contains love, anxiety, dysphoria, tenderness, birds, affection, grief, orange juice, trauma, anger, and maternal bonds. Side effects may include self-reflection and a sense of inner peace.”
The Cal Poly Humboldt School of Theater’s production of Something Rotten! was entertaining, energetic, and full of innuendo. On opening night last Friday, March 25, patrons filled the Van Duzer Theater to see the comedy, set in the 16th century.
From the opening song, ‘Welcome to the Renaissance,’ the cast dazzled in beautiful costumes on a stunning set. All of the actors are extremely talented singers and performers. It was clear that they all put in a lot of work and are proud of what they have accomplished. Jeremy Stolp, an English Education major who played one of the lead roles, Nick Bottom, feels that being in theater is a rewarding experience.
Photo by Michael Thomas | Jeremy Stolp (left) and Miah Carter (right) star as power couple Nick and Bea Bottom.
“Theater is such a privilege and so much fun to do,” Stolp said. “If you ever have the opportunity, I suggest you try it.”
The musical was incredibly entertaining. Some of my favorite scenes included Shakespeare’s John Cena-esque entrances, Bea’s hope for a gender-equal future, and the show’s lampooning of religion. One of the best songs was “Will Power,” featuring a leather pants-clad William Shakespeare (Jaese Lecuyer) and his crowd of adoring fans. I also enjoyed “A Musical,” a comic number during which fortune-telling Nostradamus (Sammi Pietanza) tells Nick Bottom that the next big thing in the theater will be musicals, all while wearing a hat that I am convinced was a paid actor. Many of the jokes are meant to be ironic, making fun of musicals and the theater. The way that this is incorporated into the story is very clever.
The cast was rightfully proud of what they accomplished and are looking forward to adding to each performance in future shows.
“I don’t think that they (the cast) expected the reaction that they got so when they did it was just this moment of awe,” said Katie Lem, a member of the ensemble. “Everybody standing up at the end was such a beautiful moment for everybody.”
Photo by Michael Thomas | Zoë Saylor performs an upbeat musical number about the bubonic plague.
One of the most compelling performances was Miah Carter as Bea, Nick’s wife. Throughout the play, Bea disguises herself as a man to maintain several different jobs and help her husband financially and push for gender equality. Carter’s performance showcased her talents as an actor and singer, particularly in her solo “Right Hand Man.”
“This is my first ever lead, so this was a good step up for me,” Carter said.
Carter says that theater is a great community to be a part of and that they are all incredibly supportive of one another.
“All of us were so proud of what we pulled through,” Carter said. “I love everyone in this cast.”
The cast and crew are looking forward to continuing to develop this musical as they perform it more.
“I’m excited for the depth and complexity that we kind of add into it every single show,” Lem said. “Not every night is the same.”
The musical is running this weekend on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m and on Sunday at 2 p.m. The musical will have you loving to hate William Shakespeare right along with the Bottom brothers.
Photo by Michael Thomas | From left to right: Zoë Saylor, Sophia Escudero, Jeremy Stolp, Jaese Lecuyer, Jake Hyslop, Michael Jaye, and Miah Carter pose on set of Something Rotten!
“With Judas and the Black Messiah,” director Shaka King produces the thrilling true story about the radical Illinois Black Panther chairman Fred Hampton and FBI informant William O’Neal. From beautifully shot scenes to the stunning performances of Daniel Kaluuya (Hampton), LaKeith Stanfield (O’Neal), Dominique Fishback as Hampton’s supporting partner, Deborah Johnson, and many more; this exhilarating motion picture left me paralyzed for half an hour trying to process it all. This film carries you along an emotional rollercoaster of hope, love, anger, and utter disappointment with O’Neal’s betrayal that ultimately led to the late Hampton’s tragic end.
Watching the trailer I knew this was going to be an intense film, but I was not prepared to be as angry and upset as watching the entire film made me. I was familiar with the story of Fred Hampton; a promising leader succeeding in creating a “Rainbow Coalition,” facing a common enemy of brutal police presence in their communities as well as the systemic oppression brought upon by America’s government.
It crushed my soul knowing what was going to happen as the film approached its climax after witnessing how caring, wholesome, and powerful of a person he was. Someone so inspiring and generating a genuine difference was met with an unjust death due to racism and overall inhumane acts of the FBI. I even shed a few tears in the end.
The cause of Hampton’s death is no secret, in fact the FBI admitted to his inhumane murder that took place in 1969 — gunned down in a police raid, sleeping in his own home. Even though we know the tragic story of Hampton, the story this film presents will inspire you to believe there must have been a better outcome for the charismatic and sensational leader.
Something that stuck to me was the overall conflicting feelings that the young FBI informant O’Neal had when he became a part of the organization. You can honestly see a young man fighting with himself on whether he is making the right decision or not. After being welcomed into this party by Hampton, you can truly see that O’Neal is believing that he too is helping with the revolution that Hampton is so determined to make happen; that he believes in the cause that the Black Panthers stand behind.
In the late 60s, The Black Panthers were deemed as “The greatest threat to the internal security of the country,” according to the FBI director at the time, J. Edgar Hoover who was portrayed in the film by Martin Sheen. The BPP has always been criticized as a terrorist, militant group. Though they promoted open carry, they used this to spread awareness to Black citizens that are constantly threatened with police brutality, have the right to act in self defense. The BPP was a political organization that also provided free after school meals for children, medical funds and education for their neighborhoods, and advocated for class struggle no matter the race.
Hampton wanted to advocate for all those who were affected due to government corruption and injustice. Hampton’s radical Socialist views on how we can create a better future encouraged many to stand alongside him. When he died, Hampton was in the midst of building a revolution against a racist and classist government, helping people understand that no matter what walk of life you come from, you have the power to come together and make an earth shattering change.
This film represented the true African American experience in the 1960s. “Judas and the Black Messiah,” showed what could have been and what could still be, as long as there are people willing to fight for change. Throughout this film, Hampton reiterates that “Where there are people, there is power,” much like the voices that have been echoing the words “Black lives matter,” for years. We all must remember that we have power in our voices, we are able to make change happen, and in the words of Chairman Hampton and supporting organizations of a once promising coalition… “I am a revolutionary!”
The Bachelor this season was full of drama and controversy but not a proposal in sight.
The Bachelor is a reality TV show that revolves around one man who is looking for love among 30 romantic interests who ultimately wants to get engaged by the end.
This season’s bachelor was Matt James, 29, a person of color who even though has never been on the show was past contestant Tyler Cameron’s best friend.
Choosing James was the first time ever choosing a bachelor of color. They have had one person as The Bachelorette, Rachel Lindsey in 2017 who was the first African-American chosen for that role.
This season was history making by showcasing a biracial bachelor. The results however, did not exactly end in a happily ever after. Every season, the host, Chris Harrison, says it’s “the most dramatic season ever.” But this season was filled with more drama than anyone could ever have imagined.
After leaving the show with Georgia native, Rachael Kirkconnell, who received James’ final rose, James called it off and broke up with her after some controversial photos of her resurfaced.
Aliyah Khan is an HSU alumna who graduated in 2020. Being a person of color watching The Bachelor, she had strong opinions against this season specifically.
“I think it’s great to have people of color on The Bachelor because the past has been quite, white,” Khan said.
The photos of Kirkconnell showed her at a party in college with friends wearing a dress that represented the period of time before slaves were freed. It was also discovered that she liked racist photos on Instagram including one showing two Caucasian women posing in front of a Confederate flag.
“I think Rachael Kirkconnel was old enough to know what she was doing was wrong at the time,” Khan said. “Considering it was only just in 2018 and Matt still had to explain why it was so horrible.”
Khan believes growth is possible in everyone. Even though she did not agree with Kirkconnell’s actions, she is hoping she learns from this.
“I sure hope Rachael educates herself,” Khan said. “It’s the best way to acknowledge the past and move forward correctly and continuously learn and think about others when you make decisions.”
Chelan Rooney is an HSU alumna who graduated in 2019. She was never a big fan of Kirkconnell and was really rooting for Michelle, the runner up.
“I personally did not like Rachael,” Rooney said. “I felt like she was fake and was just on the show to gain attention and for the fame. It looked like there was no connection between her and Matt, but apparently it was just one that wasn’t obvious.”
Rooney was not surprised there was controversy with racial tensions on the first ever Bachelor with a person of color and was not surprised it involved Kirkconnell.
“I think the after the final rose episode was held perfectly and I’m happy they all addressed the controversy,” Rooney said. “Whether Rachael was being genuine or not, I don’t know, but I think it was awesome how they addressed her.”
After watching an entire season of James and Kirkconnell falling in love with each other, Rooney believes Matt did the right thing.
“I think Matt made the right decision breaking up with her,” Rooney said. “If he stayed with her, there would be no lesson to learn and he would forever struggle with doubts.”
Jasmine Masterson is an elementary education major in her last year at HSU. She has been watching the series for years.
“I feel like looking back on the situation, what she did looked bad, but at that time in the South, it was a pretty normal event,” Masterson said. “So I don’t think that Rachael did those things with bad intentions. I just don’t think that she knew any better. I’m sure now that she knows and understands she will hopefully not make those same choices again.”
Along with Kirkconnell’s controversy, Harrison was interviewed to discuss the issues. He was seen defending her actions which led The Bachelor franchise to fire him from hosting next season.
“I’m not sure how I feel about the whole Chris Harrison deal,” Rooney said. “I think it’s heartbreaking that he’s not going to be on the show since he was the face of it since the beginning, but I also think weeding out celebrities from the industry that are ignorant is very important in order to make a change. Allowing something like this to happen with no repercussions is a slippery slope.”
There are some movies that are so bad they’re good. There are some movies that are so in-your-face offensive it’s funny. Regrettably, Sia’s directorial debut “Music” was neither.
For those who haven’t been keeping up on the drama relating to this film, Sia became a subject of controversy after she cast a non-autistic actress as an autistic character, worked with known anti-autistic group Autism Speaks, then doubled down on insulting those who suggested she listen to the concerns of actual autistic people. She went so far as to compare autistic people to inanimate objects before telling would-be critics to watch her film before passing judgment. As an autistic critic, I did so, and judge I shall.
“Music” is ostensibly a film about the titular Music, a nonverbal autistic girl played by the non-autistic Maddie Ziegler in a painful caricature of disability. However, for all the time dedicated to pretentious musical sequences, she could easily be replaced with an animal or an expensive lamp for all the film cares. Music, true to Sia’s belief, is little more than a plot device or piece of set dressing. Instead, “Music” focuses on her older sister, the callously selfish drug dealer Zu (Kate Hudson, inexplicably nominated for a Golden Globe), and her struggles dealing with Music’s needs.
I cannot stress enough what a disaster this film was from start to finish. “Music” manages to be profoundly insensitive to the point of being nauseating to watch. Music herself is essentially a non-character whose needs and level of ability vary depending on what the film demands. She exists exclusively to inspire neurotypical people with her “inner strength” and act as a conduit for Sia’s self-indulgent and hideously oversaturated song and dance sequences. I shouldn’t have to tell you how disgusting and patronizing this is. Her acting is little more than choreography, her stims and tics set to the beat as she moves in a grotesque pantomime of what I and people like me experience every day. Yet, she seems to live a charmed life, unaffected by grief following the death of her grandmother and offered free fruit and smiles by strangers on the street. Frankly, the most realistic depiction of the autistic experience in this film is Zu’s total disregard for her autistic relative and ignorance of the condition.
The privilege continues to show in the depiction of Leslie Odom Jr’s Ebo, a black man and magical autism whisperer who evidently lives to serve this white family and dispense down-to-earth wisdom. In a strangely cheerful tone, he explains that his own brother was autistic and died. What was his name? How did he die? It does not matter, as Ebo goes on to directly endorse a dangerous method of physical restraint that has led to the deaths of dozens of autistic people. He’s the most blatant example I’ve seen in years of the Magical Negro, the enlightened yet folksy black man who helps the white hero on their journey while lacking any personhood of his own.
Even if one can ignore the blatant racism and ableism, “Music” fails to deliver a coherent narrative, developed characters, or even pleasing aesthetics. I found myself checking the time constantly, as this proved to be the longest hour and a half of my life. At one point in the film, a minor character is murdered on screen and it doesn’t affect the plot whatsoever. It’s never mentioned and we never see anyone react. At another point Sia makes a guest appearance as herself. I’ll let you take a wild stab in the dark at how much influence this has on the events of the film. The closest thing to a character arc we see in the entire run time is (spoiler alert if one cares about this paper-thin narrative) Zu changing her mind about giving Music away to a facility that probably is better equipped to care for her than an alcoholic drug dealer.
Music is bad art marred by bad representation and bad intent behind the scenes. If this review leaves you morbidly curious, all I can tell you is that it’s not even worth a hate watch. Frankly, I’m less offended as an autistic person than I am as a film aficionado. Watching this movie was one of the most draining experiences of my life. Sia’s directorial debut should stay her directorial finale, and I feel worse off for having witnessed it.
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