Sex, Lies, Video Games

             American culture is dominated by the idea that women should be treated differently than men. There are numerous arguments about whether their treatment is better or worse than that of men, but there is no debating how women are treated when it comes to sexual assault. Since most women are smaller in stature and have a less intimidating mannerisms than men, they easily become the target of assault. With these facts in mind, it is easy to understand why sexual assault laws favor the defense of a woman. Furthermore, these laws are useful to protect a woman’s safety and peace of mind. When the gaze is turned to non-violent sexual assault cases, however, policies and statutes begin to become less balanced. Consent is the main mechanism by which these cases are judged. Unfortunately for the criminal justice system, consent is rarely expressed in an  way. Happy marriages and healthy relationships are just two examples of situations where ve...

"Wake up citizen ,  it's time for your state mandated placement test" boomed the speaker in the corner of my government regulated living quarters. It was a quaint little room, or at least that's how the Government described it in their propaganda. In all reality, my room was more of a storage closet with a cot than anything else. I rose from my government provided rectangle and made for the door. One of the perks of a totalitarian government is not having to worry about picking out an outfit for the day. Instead, all citizens were given a red jumper to wear. "The color of freedom," they had claimed. More like the color of blood if you ask me… Photo: Icanvas.com Oppressive, borderline totalitarian governments, degraded quality of life, and one resistant soul to save the world; these are the staples of any good dystopian novel. When the reader cracks open a dystopian novel for the first time, they can expect to be grabbed and immediately pulled in. T...

In a movie industry that is plagued by constant reboots and remakes of old classics, Stephen King’s It tells a surprisingly fresh story. The original It aired as a television series in 1990, so 27 years is ample time to wait for a reboot. Coincidentally enough, Pennywise the clown comes back to terrorize the children of Derry ever 27 years. Creepy coincidence or planned marketing ploy; we will never know. Instead, I’d like to focus on successes and failures that the reboot had. It [Credit: New Line Cinema] One of the most disappointing parts of the movie is the horror aspect. When I first saw the trailer, the film looked like it was going to be terrifying. The music used in the trailer sent chills up my spine, and any sight of Pennywise the Clown made me break into a cold sweat. For the first half of the film, glimpses of Pennywise here and there were enough to cause me to freeze to my seat. However, as the movie went on this dread quickly subsided. As the kids learned more a...

I've always been   a "go with the flow" type of guy. Put me on a river and I'll float as far as it will take me. After I completed high school I was left with no river to float down, though. People were no longer telling me exactly what to do and where to go. (Photo a co-worker took on my last day at GameStop) So, with little direction to guide me, I took a year off after high school and entered the work force. A family friend named James hired me on at GameStop, a retail gaming store. I was content working around one of my favorite things; video games. It took only a year and a half for the monotony to start creeping in, though. I no longer wanted to work a 9-5.  Luckily my best friend Collin went to Armstrong State University. He was eager to host me for a weekend. When I visited, I immediately found the new river I wanted to float down. I returned home, applied to Armstrong, and when I got the acceptance letter, I quit my job. I started in the spring of...