Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, acknowledged as the one of the best games of the year, is now available for purchase. I have played through Black Ops Cold War and I am quite impressed with the multiplayer combat for this game so far. The combined arms 12 vs. 12 map called Cartel, set in a stronghold in Nicaragua. The map is filled with a jungle feel and various types of terrain that will keep you on the edge. You want to be careful of the tall grass in the middle of the map, because players  are lying and waiting to pick off opponents at anytime. The tower provides a 360 degree look of the map and helps you see players in the river, field, stations and the hangar. The riverbed is the most dangerous place on the map, because players can come from any direction  and   there is not much to take cover behind. The hangar is quiet most of the time and the transport truck is a great place for coverage and view of the field. I really love this map, because  it brings intensity and gives you a adrenaline rush everytime.

The gunplay is thrilling and I love the Milano 821 Submachine gun, because it is lightweight and is a very accurate weapon for the players who love to get close and personal like I do. In my first game of team deathmatch, I really enjoyed the graphics, atmosphere, sounds and was pumped, because I ended the match 40 kills to 8 deaths. I really enjoyed using the M16 rifle, because of its range, impeccable accuracy and strong damage.  When I played the Map Satellite, I used the M16, because you want to have a weapon with long range and with a fantastic fire rate on such a large-scale map. Satellite is deep in the sandy  desert of Central Africa and I feel is a map for close range weapons, because you will be face to face with your enemy very quickly and the tight desert trenches where you are your to meet enemy’s every time.

Deep in the Russian city of Moscow, this map is another classic  close range map,  because it has tons of cars and objects to hide behind and a gives you a insane adrenaline rush. Miami is not my favorite  map, but is exciting with a beach feel and plenty of bright neon lights. Crossroads gives you a cold snow covered feel and is loved by snipers, because of it’s open spaces areas, but enough structures throughout to have close-quarters combat. There are ten multiplayer maps so far and I am sure more to come. This Call of Duty is probably my favorite so far , because it feels like a mixture of  black ops 1-4 and gives you  new thrills and spills in Call of Duty Cold War. The game is set from the year 1968 and 1981, but when using weapons in the game, you do not always feel your using older weapons. The game is developed by Treyarch and Raven Software, but published by Activision. This will be the sixth installment of the Call of Duty Black ops Series.

I love the multiplayer and the new game mode, Fireteam, which can allow up to 40 players to participate. I love how smooth the gameplay experience is in the multiplayer mode with the shooting and aiming of the weapons, but can still use some tweaks and updates. I have noticed when playing , that the snipers had been nerfed and I was able to make a good 10-yard run without being picked off by so many campers willing and waiting patiently. On some of the maps I have noticed how vast they are for just a few players, so I am hoping for the addition of more players added in to these such vast maps, like Moscow or Miami.   The time-to-kill I really enjoy and I think it is right on point if you play core.  I have never been really a person who sits and camps, but I do like using the sniper rifle in this game, because the places you can hide and easily pick off people from a good distance. When gaming I like being close and personal with my opponents and I like to move fast paced, so I am really enjoying the mobility in this game and feel I move much faster compared to Modern Warfare.

In most of the Maps that I have played in so far, I think the sound is great due to extra sound layers. I really enjoy the extra added sound that helps you hear the enemy footsteps and gunfire. The map Cartel, is probably my favorite place to play so far, because of the jungle feel and reminds me of the map Jungle from Black ops 4.  I have talked a bit about the regular game-play of Black ops Cold War, but I love the new zombies mode. The new zombie’s mode is a continuation from Black Ops 4, but is set in the early 1980’s and there are new and much different content in this new zombie’s map.

This exciting and incredible zombies story is very mysterious and has unexpected twists and turns around every corner of the map. What I really like about this new Black Ops zombies, is the ability to be able to play as Operators from Multiplayer.  You can add attachments and equip them before heading into each zombies round. When gaming in zombies I found out that the rarer the weapon the more lethal and damage it will inflict upon zombies. I am really enjoying everything about Black Ops Cold War so far, from multiplayer to zombies, this Call of Duty game is for anyone who loves the Call of Duty franchise like I do and plus zombies, then I would totally recommend purchasing this game today.

The Second Borat film also called Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bride to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is a story by Sacha Braon Cohen who actually plays the character Borat Sagdiyev. Following the events of the first documentary/mockumentary, Borat 2 finds its hero in jail for treason for bringing dishonor to his homeland.  In order to secure his release, he is tasked with bringing a monkey to President Donald Trump.  When Borat discovers that the monkey cannot be delivered, he decides to give his daughter Tutar (Maria Bakalova) to Vice President Pence instead.

Now what’s interesting about this film is the amount of times he’s managed to infiltrate real-life Republican and Right Wing gatherings. When I first saw the film, I truly wasn’t for sure if he had actually attended some of these rallies until I looked online and indeed it was true. 

Sacha Baron Cohen actually went to the Conservative Political Action Conference that Mike Pence was at as his character Borat Sagdiyev dressed as Trump. In an interview he said how difficult it was for him to get in but as we see in the film he was successful. The second notable instance were he attended a real-life event was at a Far Right Wing rally full of militias such as “the Proud Boys” and racist groups like “Nazis”. Sacha even sang at the event but was quickly discovered and because of this fled in his van as people banged on the door.

But the final and perhaps the most controversial part of the film was when Borat 15 year-old daughter Tutar who was interviewing Rudy Giuliani and possibly almost had sexual intercourse. That said, we don’t know if Giuliani knew she was 15 years old and the real actress age is 24 but the situation as a whole is very strange. Giuliani thought Tutar was a journalist but Sacha as Borat stepped in telling Giuliani “STOP SHE’S 15!” as Giuliani took his hands out of his pants. In an interview Sacha Cohen said that situation was a bit scary because he didn’t want to get Maria hurt in any way. 

Overall these three instances are memorable in the film and somewhat effected the real world. With that said, the over-all film was interesting as it was slightly political but had a comedic effect to it. Personally I think the film was kinda funny but defiantly not a family film. 

Many curses words, sexual references and antisemitism, therefore the movie is rated R. But over-all the film is what I expected from a Sacha Baron Cohen story so if you like his previous work then you’ll like this movie.

If you’re bored during lockdown, fret not because the latest action flick is here. If you’re 

tired of superhero, spy ‘or’ war films than you should check out “Love and Monsters” directed 

by Michael Matthews. The story begins with narration by the protagonist Joel Dawson played 

by Dylan O’Brien. He explains how the earth was almost destroyed by an asteroid, but all 

nations around the world sent nuclear bombs to destroy it. Surprisingly it worked however 

when the radiation rained back down it mutated small animals such as craps and frogs and 

insects such as ants and centipedes. All these creatures and more turned into monsters and 

began devouring humanity and thus came the end of civilization and mankind being on the top 

of the food chain. 

The plot starts with Joel seven years later in an underground bunker (like most of 

humanity) in fear of what lies above the surface. Everyone in his colony has a lover but him, 

prior to the end of the world Joel had a girlfriend named Aimee but they were split up at the 

beginning of the apocalypse. However, he managed to find her colony via radio and they 

actually communicate quite often until one day giant ant breaks into his colony and even kills a 

few of their members. Because of this tragic event Joel decides to leave his colony and find 

Aimee fueled by a sense of purpose to protect her and believing that by reaching her, life would 

return back to normal and of course there is the fear of not wanting to die alone. Therefore, he 

sets of on his journey to find Aimee. Along his journey he finds a dog, meets a man named 

Clyde Dutton played by Micheal Rooker and learns how to survive in the wild even meets a 

robot. 

The film follows all the beats of “The Hero’s Journey,” a young character who can’t quite 

do for self but meets others who helps them and trains them along the way ending with the 

protagonist a changed a new person. We’ve seen it all before right? Yes, however although you 

may consider this a B+ film it surprisingly had some emotional moments and very good 

character development. On top of this the visuals were beautiful, especially at a scene in the 

film were you see glowing, flying jelly fish. Something about that scene with, Ben E. King’s 

“Stand By Me” playing in the background is very satisfying and reminds me of James Cameron 

Avatar film.

Now you maybe wondering if the film has a lot of death and mayhem although we do 

have monsters and they do eat people you never directly see it. The film isn’t gore when it 

comes to human death scenes and for a film with monsters set in the end of the world you may 

assume it could be very sad. Although there are emotional moments, the film isn’t depressing, 

at times its actually funny. Most of the humor coming from three human characters and even a 

dog. So, if you fear that this movie could depress you fret not because it may uplift you.

As for sexual content there are only a few kissing scenes and a couple in bed but you 

only see the legs and no actual sex. The film is rated PG-13 thus only so much can be shown, so 

if you want to watch this with the family on Thanksgiving go right ahead. As for language it’s 

mild and there aren’t any F-Bombs but it does have a few more curse words than a typical live-

action Disney film. Over-all this is a great film to watch if you have nothing else to watch and I 

would say still watch it even if you have something to watch. When you get a chance check out 

“Love and Monsters,” shown on Video on Demand or AppleTV.

Around 500,000 people are beginning writing projects this November as part of National Novel Writing Month. So far, participants are two weeks into Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) and about 20,000+ words deep into a messy manuscript or other writing projects. So far, the nonprofit organization has raised $1,065,768 from over 16,965 donors. These donations help to fund the organization and contribute to the wonderful writing community that Nanowrimo has helped to establish. 

The famous challenge during Nanowrimo is to write 50,000 words in 30 days. With the full support and encouragement from other determined writers around the world. 

Since 1999, Nanowrimo has served as a platform for writers of all ages to come together to write and create. You may be wondering why 50k? Well, according to the organization, “We’ve found that 50,000 words is a challenging but achievable goal for many people, even folks with full-time jobs and children. And, though on the shorter side, it’s definitely long enough to be considered a novel: 50,000 words is about the length of The Great Gatsby.”

Not to mention, the list goes on for writing projects that can be started during Nanowrimo. Like a film script, graphic novel, essays, etc. will do for Nanowrimo. The word count goal doesn’t necessarily have to be the intimidating 50k either. Basically, writers set their own goals and Nanowrimo helps to keep them on track with that goal with the help of around 900 volunteers to help aspiring writers.

According to their website, “NaNoWriMo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides tools, structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds — on and off the page.” Additionally, since 2006 “NaNoWriMo is a nonprofit organization that supports writing fluency and education. But it’s also a social network for writers…” It is this social networking and writing community that really makes Nanowrimo what it is. The organization also aims at “… creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community of writers.”

This makes Nanowrimo an excellent experience for young writers as well. “Each year, over 100,000 young writers under 18 enjoy our youth-friendly writing space, progress tracking tools, and Young Novelist Workbooks.” Around 80,000 of those being students and educators who share their stories in the classroom through the Young Writers Program.

It is important to mention that Nanowrimo isn’t limited to the month of November. The nonprofit organization also holds a similar event called, Camp Nanowrimo every April and July for all ages. 

Additionally, Nanowrimo might have also served as the foreground for one of your favorite novels. According to Jill Grunenwald of OverDrive.com, Erin Morgenstern’s, The Night Circus and Marissa Meyer’s, three novels Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress all began as Nanowrimo drafts to name a few. Just think, you could be the next bestseller!

For more on Nanowrimo check out these links: 

There are many games that have taken the path of action footsteps, like Call of Duty Modern Warfare, but there are few that have the universal excitement like Marvel’s Avengers. The game starts right off into the campaign where you have to reassemble all of the other hero’s and make it almost to the end of the campaign to unlock all six of the current characters you can play with. The current heroes are Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, Ant Man, Abomination, Black Panther, Hawkeye, MODOK, Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop, Spiderman, Iron Man and Taskmaster. In the Single player campaign, you usually play as a specific character, but you will be able to choose which character to play as. I love how you get to take on waves of robots and smash your way through with heavy attacks as the Hulk or lead your way through as Captain America with a mix of light attacks and maneuverable dodges. One of my favorite Marvel Characters in the game is Thor and I like one of Thor’s signature moves like throwing his Hammer and being able to call upon the Bifrost, which is totally awesome. 

Marvel’s Avengers is an exciting action-packed game that brings the characters to life in a third-person view. The game takes you on the cinematic story line from singe player and co-operative gameplay with up to 4 players.  What I really enjoy about this game is that it can be played either offline or online option, but you will need internet to update the game itself. If you love action role-playing brawler games, then this game is for you. The character’s powers and abilities are just insanely awesome and once mastered they will be a blast of excitement and fun. I love how you can play as each Marvel hero, but being able to customize each character’s abilities and costumes are just downright astounding.

Many of the Character upgrades and costumes can be upgraded using the skills section or you can just simply buy the DLC pack upgrades.  In the multiplayer gameplay, you will be able to explore and be in different types of combat arenas.  Each player will be able to equip themselves with different load-outs and go off to explore for loot for their specific character.  For the players who like to play together with your friends or with other players, then you can dive right into Warzone missions and I found out while playing you can easily just be accepted from a thing called the War table and you can also choose a certain level you feel comfortable proceeding with. Before playing specific missions, you can adjust how difficult each mission is and keep up with the mission’s chains.

 “While the repetitive loot system can be annoyingly repetitive at times, everyone who loves playing as a third-person super hero with loads of excitement, combat will enjoy Marvel’s Avengers.” I love everything about this game, from being able to play as Marvel’s Avenger’s hero’s, customization of characters, loads of action and adrenaline rush excitement. Overall, I think Marvel’s Avengers is an insanely amazing game and honestly, I cannot wait to see what Crystal Dynamics has in store in the near future of this game.

Each fall students gather on campus to participate in many TAMUT traditions, but there was no Convocation for freshman or senior Torch Light and bonfire due to COVID-19. The pandemic is evolving the way we socialize on campus and in Texarkana. 

Texarkana offers a number of unique experiences that comply with social distance mandates, here are four picks to explore around town.

Texarkana Wall Mural

Grab some friends for a social distanced photoshoot with a hint of Texarkana for your Instagram feed. Located on Broad St. across from the Bi-State Justice Building, these murals are a trendy spot for pictures. The seven murals are within walking distance from several local restaurants and bakeries. 

Outdoor Brunch

The best way to spend a Saturday afternoon is brunch on a patio with good friends. Texarkana has three prime locations, Hopkin’s Icehouse, Redbone Magic Brewing Co. and Verona. Each restaurant has their own specialty and is sure to add some joy to your weekend.

Cafes

Texarkana has two local spots that will make your day. Brewsters on the Boulevard and Urban Tea Town offer unique drinks and seasonal specials. Be sure to say hi to Dr. Leighton when you stop by Urban Tea Town.

Bringle Lake Art

If you are looking to stay close to campus but want to get out, try the spillway art trail.  Accessible from a trail via Bringle Lake East hiking path or a quick drive down Richmond Road, this is an opportunity to see local artists make the community a little brighter.https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1SuEvRh_SuKRf-mkR9BI9EYyW6EWCRqH0&usp=sharing

It is that time of the semester, finals! Stress levels are at an all time high on our campus. This is the hardest point during the semester for most students. At this point in the semester student’s stress levels are at an all time high, however there are many resources on our campus to help student’s out during this time and help them to succeed. Some resources listed at the end of the article are the success center, TRIO, and our school’s library. These are all very important and can help a student with any subject. Student success is one of the most important things to our university, our professors want to see everyone succeed. 

One of our campus’s most popular resources is the success center, which houses our tutors and study table sessions. Trane Dixon has given some insight into her experience with the success center during her time here at TAMUT. “The success center has helped me so much! I have a learning disability, and it is pretty hard to teach and understand a certain subject if I am struggling. The tutoring center helped me in both college algebra and statistics,” Dixon stated. Getting set up with a tutor is a very easy process, the link to the success center is down below. “The process was easy for me to set up. I went to the help desk, they scheduled me with a tutor and I got started the next day,” Dixon stated. Our campus has many different resources to ensure success in courses whether it be tutoring or one on one time with a professor.

During times like we are in right now students are depending on the school’s resources more than ever. Due to COVID-19 things are a little different and may be done through zoom but these resources are still there. It is important to know how to access these resources during this time, all information is on our school’s website, www.tamut.edu. Aside from the school’s tutoring service there are also websites such as www.khanacademy.com. 

Below are links to resources on our campus:

https://tamut.edu/Library-Services/index.html

https://www.tamut.edu/academics/Student-Support/TRIO/TRiO%20SSS%20Tutoring%20Services.html

The COVID-19 outbreak has not been an easy issue to deal with, especially as a full-time college student. TAMUT made the decision in March 2020 to move all classes to an online format for the remainder of the spring semester. The decision was then made to hold both online and face to face courses during fall 2020. This adjustment was not an easy one for many students, including Murray. “At the time I was a pre-nursing major and it was not easy. At that point is when I began to think about changing my major.” Murray stated. During the time of the pandemic it has opened many students’ eyes and made them realize that things can change in a blink of an eye.

The Eagle Family is what attracts many students to our campus.  “I am from Idabel, OK and everyone back home went to the same five colleges, and I didn’t want to go to one of the five everyone else went to. So I chose TAMUT.” Murray stated. Most students choose TAMUT because they love the atmosphere and all the opportunities presented to them. 

Murray is involved in greek life on campus, she is a member of Omega Delta Chi, a sorority on campus. “This semester has been very different from the past. We can only have one event a month and two meetings. We are used to having a meeting once a week and getting everything done then.” Murray stated.

Many students question whether or not face to face classes are the best choice. Students feel their health is more at risk being around others that come from the higher risk areas. “It should be mandatory to wipe down your desk and sanitize your hands when you enter a classroom or public space.” Murray stated. There are many things on campus that are mandatory to do, but wiping down your desk spaces is only encouraged. 

As far as the future of our campus it is still unknown what will happen. In an ideal world everything will go back to normal once the pandemic is over, but we all know that will not be the case. “Classes next semester should be online only to help decrease the amount of classes that have to be quarantined.”Murray stated. Since the beginning of the academic year at least five classes have had to quarantine for 14 days, some people are having to quarantine multiple times. “Our campus has handled the situation as best as they can with all the sanitizer stations around campus, the signs, masks being required, and limiting the number of people that can be in the elevator.” TAMUT is taking all precautions recommended by the CDC.

If you are a student or faculty/staff at TAMUT and think you may have the coronavirus or have been exposed, go to the COVID-19 tab on our website and get more information on your next steps. Remember to always wash your hands and masks, only go places when you absolutely need to, and most importantly do not leave your house if you have symptoms or are starting to feel sick. Students are encouraged to help stop the spread.

Tiffany Whorton, candidate for City Council Alderman of Linden, TX, is a small-town girl with a big vision. Whorton and her family decided to call Linden their forever home five years ago, leaving the Metroplex behind, and never looked back! She is a no-nonsense conservative with Christian values, seeking to be given a chance to bring a much needed change to Linden City Council. Among several other ladies running, Whorton spoke at a local town hall meeting recently, asking her campaign slogan, “Are you tired yet?” She is referring to the community in how city government is and has been run. Seeing a separation of its citizens, Whorton wants to promote town pride, enforce city ordinances, and improve accountability for Linden. Inside these efforts, also bringing the citizens of Linden closer together as a community. Bringing businesses to Linden and growing the town are at the forefront, Whorton stated, “Give the business a reason to want to grow with Linden.” The more businesses, the more jobs for locals. With locals in mind, TIffany has taken a personal vestment in Linden, preparing a GED prep class, free of charge. Whorton stated, “ I want to reach those to help them believe in themselves, by giving them the tools to further not only their education, but their lives.” Tiffany Whorton is making improvements in Linden, in more ways than one. A loud voice of reason and change, dedicated to have the peoples voices heard. A vote for change, for one and all.

The University Center is unusually quiet this September. The grey tile is missing the echo of young adult voices as organizations attempt to recruit for the semester. The tables normally decorated with bright table cloths, glittering awards and photos from the past are now surrounded with PVC and clear plastic curtains with a single representative behind the table. This is part of the “new normal” caused by COVID-19 that student leaders, like Omega Delta Chi President, Taylor Atkins have to accept.

“I go into the cafeteria now and there’s not tons of people talking and having a good time. It’s sad to see,” Atkins said. “TAMU-T’s main appeal was always the campus involvement you got.”

While the lack of involvement on campus is discomforting to returning students, the University staff noticed too, and asked Atkins and other leaders to join the student panel of the COVID-19 Task Force. This allows the students to meet with staff and faculty to gain different insights to the “Student Life” means in the era of COVID-19.

“I’m hopeful,” Atkins said. “I know all student leaders are working their butts off to try to build something we had last year and the year before that.”

Organizations on campus have turned to using Zoom, Google Forms, GroupMe and Doodle Polls to make up for lost events and meetings. Greek recruitment was held through a series of Zoom meetings in 30 minute intervals.

“It was always awkward, there was always a wall up, but the more that we had them the more comfortable the girls got talking to us,” said Atkins. “I feel like it was really successful because the girls that really wanted it stuck through it.”

For more information about campus life with COVID-19 guidelines click here.