Fake It Till You Make It: Episode Two Sure Wants to Say Something
by Breanna Beers
“You don’t have a rocket problem. You have a people problem.”
“The papers like these guys. And people read the papers.”
“People will want to know how this story ends. And people vote.”
And what’s gonna make all our problems go away? What do votes mean, Bob?”
“Money.”
The second episode of Disney+ and National Geographic’s “The Right Stuff” begins to deliver on the trailer’s promise of addressing celebrity, but stilted writing combines with ...
The Builders of the Modern Blockbuster
by Ben Hiett
The term “blockbuster” originally referred to WWII aerial bombs capable of taking out entire city blocks. However, by the 1980’s, the word had come to be associated with the larger-than-life adventure, explosive excitement and widespread popularity of movies like “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” and the like. In more recent years, we’ve seen this trend continue, with blockbusters becoming an established pillar of the film industry. I set out to determine which directors have ...
Reasonably Good Stuff: Disney+ Original Space Drama Launches Unremarkably
by Breanna Beers
National Geographic’s eight-episode Disney+ original series “The Right Stuff” launched exactly as a rocket should: successfully, but uneventfully.
The first episode outlines the selection of the ‘Mercury Seven,’ with a focus on three: John Glenn (Patrick J. Adams), Alan Shepard (Jake McDorman), and Gordon Cooper (Colin O'Donoghue). The early part of the episode focuses on the first two, foreshadowing a rivalry that we can expect to develop over the next seven ...
Voting By Mail
Over 75% of American voters will be eligible to vote by mail this November as states scramble to adapt to a pandemic in the middle of one of the most controversial elections in recent history.
by Breanna Beers
Is voting by mail a good idea?
The benefits of mail-in voting are obvious, especially during a pandemic: safety, accessibility and public health. But what about the drawbacks?
Myths around voting by mail abound, most notably the claim that mail-in ballots are a major source of ...
Mental Health and COVID-19
Why raising awareness is more important than ever
by Zach Krauss
Few phenomena have changed the world like the COVID-19 pandemic. At Cedarville, the educational experience has shifted from an almost exclusively in-person learning format to a context in which online learning is commonplace, especially for students who are feeling unwell.
Students are now more stressed than ever about not only their health, but also the health of those around them. There is an everpresent chance of the ...
Political Grace
How to be a Christian in an election season
by Breanna Beers
You can be a Republican and be a Christian.
You can be a Democrat and be a Christian.
Shocking, I know. It seems like every year it gets harder to accept that, especially given [insert whatever horrifying thing the other side did this week].
The latest outrage, however, is just a symptom of a deeper problem: the system itself is structured to incentivize and benefit from our polarized tribalism. The people in power want no ...
Village Stories: Bringing the Opera House back to life
Audio story by Sarah Bean
Photos by Lydia Wolterman
The Cedarville Opera house has a long and storied history. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic its stage is empty for now. And while it waits, the building is getting a new roof.
How Halloween is Celebrated Around the World
by Chris Karenbauer
We know Halloween by eating candy while dressed up in silly costumes. Halloween is a mostly American holiday, but other countries around the world have their own fall holidays.
Ireland
Halloween in Ireland is a time to remember the dead. The Irish celebration is similar to the American celebration with children dressing up in costumes and eating candy.
During the Middle Ages, Halloween was the eve of All Saints Day, which is the day to remember the saints.
There ...
G-MAC Releases Spring Sports Schedules
by Josh Decker
The Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) released the schedules for three fall sports originally slated to play this semester. Men’s soccer, women’s soccer, and volleyball were all pushed to the spring as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cedarville men’s soccer player Stephen Bailey noted the importance of the schedule release.
“I think having dates set for the start of the spring season gives us a more concrete target to aim for and extra motivation to ...
“Enola Holmes” Review: “Stranger Things” Star Shines as Sherlock’s Little Sister
by Hunter Johnson
Over the last century, nearly a hundred actors have portrayed Sherlock Holmes in film and television. Whether it be the classic Basil Rathbone films from the 40s or Vasily Livanov’s well-received series from the 80s, Sherlock has long been an international staple of mystery storytelling.
In recent years, the Sherlock mythos has entered a new phase that I like to call the “superhero phase.” He’s been played by Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Doctor Strange (Benedict ...
