Spooky Shows For Halloween 2017

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This Halloween is on a Tuesday. So unless you planned to go to a party this weekend, it is just going to be another boring weekend in October. In order to stay in the Halloween spirit, here are some suggestions of some newer spooky shows to watch this weekend.

Netflix:

Stranger Things, Season 2 — if you haven’t watched the popular Netflix show Stranger Things yet, it’s never too late to start. Season 2 is just in time for Halloween, so grab the popcorn and binge watch season 1. Season 1 starts out when a young boy vanishes and a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces, and one strange little girl.

Gerald’s Game – A woman whose husband dies of a heart while she’s handcuffed to the bed is stuck in a remote lake house with no hope of rescue. She begins to hear voices and seeing strange visions.

1922 — A farmer pens a confession admitting to his wife’s murder, but her death is just the beginning of a horrifying tale. Based on Stephen King’s novella.

Movies:

Jigsaw — Part of the popular, gory Saw series. Jigsaw is back. Bodies are turning up, each having met a unique demise. As the investigation proceeds, evidence points to one suspect: John Kramer, who has been dead for ten years.

Happy Death Day –– This movie is more fun than it is scary. So if you are light-hearted and not a fan of horror movies, this will be the Halloween movie for you. A college girl relives the day of her murder over and over. It is like the movie Groundhogs Day only with a terrifying twist.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) – SATURDAY ONLY at 9:30 PM. The classic horror movie The Texas Chainsaw Massacre will be on the big screen again for the 40th anniversary of the film.

Go to https://www.cinemark.com/north-texas/cinemark-texarkana-14 to get tickets or https://www.netflix.com/ to start watching!

Terrifying Social Media Game – or Hoax?

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Parents around the globe are filled with anxiety, as police warn of the possibility of a new game on social media, called the 48 Hour Facebook Challenge.

A mother in Northern Ireland claimed her daughter was missing due to the game.  Though no one knows for sure if the game is real, the threat is alarming for parents, especially in the Texarkana area. Snopes.com says the game is a hoax.

The rules of the game have kids trying to earn points by having their names mentioned in Facebook posts or by receiving likes and shares for posts featuring them after their staged disappearance.  Participants in the challenge have 48 hours to get the highest score, before coming forward and letting everyone know they are safe.

In the past two weeks, three teens have gone missing in Texarkana; 15-year-old Austin Ariniello, 14-year-old Justyn Coe, and 17-year-old Spencer Martin.  Austin Ariniello has been located and is safe.  Spencer Martin, had only a BOLO (Be on the Look Out) issued for him.  There have been no follow-up stories on the whereabouts of the other two teens.  There is no evidence to suggest these teens had anything to do with the 48 Hour Challenge.  And furthermore, there are no confirmed reports of anyone participating in the game.  Still, parents are fearful.

Facebook is currently investigating this sick game.  Keep up with this story in Eagle Eye.

Counseling Available for All Students

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Imagine you’re in a store.  You see a man up ahead.  He looks familiar.  But rather than brushing it off and moving on, something strange happens.  Your heart races, you begin to sweat, your throat closes up and you can’t breathe.  You begin to cry.  You don’t know what is happening, but you know you have to get out of there immediately.

A few short years ago, that was my life.  The mundane details of my life caused debilitating panic attacks.  I had escaped abuse, moved on with my life, and was finally happy.  Why was this happening to me now?  I didn’t understand it, but I knew I needed help.  That is when I met Brianna Taylor and Barbara Wilson.  Those two women saved my life.  If it weren’t for them, I have no doubt I would not be in school right now.  Back then, I could have never balanced a family and being a successful college student.  Thankfully, now I have the tools I need to work through issues and to be successful.

When I first met Brianna and Barbara, they were counselors for Community Healthcore.  Brianna was my primary counselor and Barbara worked on my PTSD.  These two caring individuals are highly trained LPCs (Licensed Professional Counselors).  And now, Texas A&M – Texarkana, is lucky to have them as part of their staff.

Counseling services through Brianna and Barbara are available to any TAMUT student, free of charge.  The number of sessions for students are determined on a case by case basis.  Brianna said, “We help students with anything from test anxiety, all the way up to something more significant, such as trauma or PTSD.”

There are multiple ways to make an appointment for counseling services.  Students can drop by or call the Counseling Center at 903-223-3186, or they can send an email to counseling.services@ace.tamut.edu.  Professors can also make referrals for students in need.  The Counseling Center is located on the fourth floor in the main campus building.

Don’t be afraid to take care of your mental health needs.  There is no reason to be ashamed or afraid.  Barbara said, “We’re people too.”

As with any other mental health professional, the TAMUT counselors are bound by privacy laws.  All sessions are completely confidential.  Don’t neglect your mental health.  Make an appointment today.

 

Field to Fashion

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live the life of a model? To walk down a runway with all eyes on you? Wearing amazing clothes, and your hair and makeup styled to perfection by a professional artist?

Sophomore Julianna Summerlin, a Mass Communication Major from our campus, gives us the inside scoop. However, her story is much bigger than just posing for the camera. She juggles school, modeling, and plays for our women’s soccer team. Activities that certainly take some time management. Both her soccer and modeling stories began long before she graduated from North Hills Preparatory in Dallas, TX.

Julianna began playing soccer at age four. Not surprising, considering her four siblings also played. The first four years were purely recreational, but second grade started to get competitive leading her to college ball. She emphasized the transition by saying “I was playing with girls and coaches I didn’t know, doing drills I had never seen before, making me the most exhausted I had ever been in my young life.”

She began her modeling career in the sixth grade. She has always been on the taller side, and decided to pursue her interest after being persuaded by a friend. She was signed to The Campbell Agency at the age of twelve years old. With a strict 5’8”-5’10” height requirement, and limiting sizes 0-4, this narrows down the number of women that can even begin their process with the agency.

She describes her first impression of modeling as being very intense, but having a sense of “extreme amazement.” She said, “At twelve I was an awkward, gangly, stinky, five foot seven tomboy… and barely spoke.” She used the first few years as opportunity to shed her shy personality, and work towards building up to the confidence level she possesses. Modeling has given her the opportunity to network with “models who grace the covers of “People Magazine” and the Victoria Secret Runway, to makeup artists who create highly successful charity organizations in their free time.” People most young women only dream of interacting with.

Both modeling and soccer require her to maintain a healthy lifestyle, physically and mentally. The overwhelming stereotype that models don’t eat is false. “My agency loves me, they care about me, they want me to be healthy. No one has ever encouraged me to stop eating or hurt my health in any way during my eight years as a model.” The agency is big on girls reaching their body goals in a healthy fashion. She aims for a diet filled with protein and veggies, and an exercise program based off of intense circuits to keep her in shape year round.

However, the older she gets, the more competitive it is with both activities. “Modeling consistently causes you to compare yourself to others; what your measurements are, how many pictures are in your portfolio, how many agencies you are signed to, how big your social media following is.” With soccer it is a lot of comparing times and how much better someone else is at winning the ball. Even though it can be hard to not take these criticisms personally, she said “There are days I may feel a little defeated after a hard practice and an email saying I didn’t get that runway show I interviewed for, but I just have to remember it’s not the end of the world.”

To sum it all up, Julianna stressed how blessed she is for both. With soccer being part of her life for as long as she can remember, it is impossible for her to imagine life without it. As far as modeling goes, she says “I am sure I would have maintained my shy and awkward ways if it were not for modeling– it really pushed me out of my shell.” Juggling school, modeling, and soccer, she has without a doubt become a much stronger person.

Kids Will Be Kids?

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A group of teenagers were charged with second-degree murder after a 6-pound rock was thrown off an overpass and killed a man on October 18. Kenneth White, 32, was a passenger in a van driving south on I-75 in Vienna Township Michigan when a rock smashed through the windshield and struck his head and face. The teenagers, aged 15-17, are each charged with one count of second degree murder. They are also charged with conspiracy to commit murder, six counts each of malicious destruction of property, and two lesser charges.

The group reportedly threw about 20 rocks and a tire off two overpasses that night before eating at McDonald’s. The heaviest rock thrown was 20 pounds and four other cars pulled over after receiving damage. What may have started as an inconsiderate prank has turned into tragedy for a family and an inconvenience for the people who now must get their cars repaired.

When does a prank become serious? When should kids and teens who commit illegal acts be held responsible? When I was in high school, I went to the movies with a group of friends. When we walked out, I saw my car covered in flour. I had no idea why my car was the only one covered and could not think of a person who would do that. A classmate I was not close friends with had seen my school parking pass and decided to prank me. She claimed not to know it was my car, but I was livid. I drove home angry and told my mother, who suggested I call the police. Instead, I told her it was just a prank. Had we called the police, the girl responsible could have been fined and face up to 30 days in jail.

The pranks we pulled on friends in school were not meant to hurt anyone’s feelings or damage property. If things went a little too far, we always took responsibility for our actions and tried to make the situation better.

In April 2015, 100 students at Sequoyah High School in Madisonville, Tennessee, were banned from graduation for a senior prank that took a very ugly turn. The first wave of students entered the building with balloons and glitter. Later that night, a second group arrived that did the most damage. The students let crickets and chickens loose in the building, urinated on walls, and left a dead animal in the hallway amongst other damage. This prank was absolutely disgusting and extremely disrespectful. Not only did they vandalize property, but they left a mess they expected someone else to clean up. A janitor may have to clean up some awful messes, but cleaning up dead animals and wiping urine off the wall is a very big difference. There were marbles placed under hay in the doorways that could have caused serious injury. There were goldfish left in toilets and trash thrown on the floors.

The seniors were barred from participating in the graduation ceremony, but was that enough? Should they have been charged with vandalism? As a teenager, I didn’t think too much about pranks and tried to stay away from them as often as I could. While I was raised to be respectful of others, I still shrugged some pranks off as just silly games. It was not until I got older that I began to see them in a new light. What begins as a small and harmless prank can cause serious damage to another person. When you are in the moment, it is not always easy to see what could possibly go wrong in a situation. If kids and teens are held fully accountable at a young age, it can help prevent them from taking a human life for a few moments of fun.

Review – Annabelle: Creation

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October is known as the month of ghosts, goblins, and other paranormal phenomenon.  What better way to celebrate, than watching a scary movie, such as Annabelle: Creation.

Though the remake of Steven King’s classic, It, has gotten a lot of attention, the creepy clown has nothing on Annabelle.  In Annabelle: Creation, written by Gary Dauberman, a former doll maker and his wife had lost their 7-year-old daughter, Annabelle, in a horrible accident.  A demon, posing as Annabelle, preyed on the couples vulnerable state.  Desperate to see or speak to their daughter again, the couple unknowingly gave the demon permission to inhabit their daughter’s doll.  Years later, thinking the demon had gone, the couple allows a young nun and six orphaned girls, to stay with them in their farmhouse.  The horrors that awaited the girls were unimaginable.

Annabelle: Creation was released in theatres on August 11, and grossed over $301 million worldwide.  The film had relatively positive feedback from critics.  The average critic rating was 6.1/10 stars.

I completely agree with the critics.  Annabelle: Creation did not disappoint.  The film produced multiple, jump-out-of-your-seat, scream out loud moments.  Between the victims being young children, rather than teens or adults, and the top-notch special effects, this movie was a horror buff’s nightmare come true.  As for this horror-buff, I would take the creepy clown, Pennywise, over the terrifying doll, any day.  I give this film two thumbs up.

Origins of Halloween

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It’s that time of the year again.  It’s time for pumpkin carving, trick or treating, costumes, and family fun.  But, why do we celebrate Halloween?  Where did this tradition start?

The holiday’s roots began around 2,000 years ago with the Celtic festival called Samhain.  The Celts celebrated their new year on November 1.  They believed that the day before the new year, on October 31, the veil between the living and the dead weakened and ghosts could cross over to walk the earth.  This day became known as All Hallows Eve.

On All Hallows Eve, the Celts would leave food and wine on their doorsteps to keep the spirits at bay.  If they left the house, they would wear masks.  They felt the masks helped them to blend in with the dead.  The Celts also believed that the presence of ghosts made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future.  With the long, dark, and cold winter ahead, this was important for the Celts.

To celebrate All Hallows Eve, Druids would build bonfires, dress in costumes, and attempt to tell each other’s future.  Following the bonfire, they would light their fireplace, using embers from the bonfire, to protect them through the long, hard winter.

After the Celtics were conquered by the Romans, in 43 A.D., two Roman festivals were combined with the Celtic celebration of Samhain.  The celebration of Feralia, which was a festival to celebrate the passing of the dead; and the day to honor Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees, were both added to the Celtic celebration of Samhain. It is believed that today’s tradition of bobbing for apples came from the Roman day to honor Pomona.

In 1000 A.D., after the spread of Christianity to Celtic lands, the church would declare November 2, as All Souls Day, a day to honor the dead.  All Souls Day was celebrated similarly to Samhain.  The church would host big bonfires, have parades, and dress up in costumes of angels, saints, and devils.  The night before this celebration was still called All Hallows Eve, and then eventually, Halloween.

Once in America, the colonists’ beliefs mixed with that of different European ethnic groups, as well as the American Indians.  This resulted in an American version of Halloween; which included, parties, events to celebrate the harvest, stories of the dead, fortune-telling, dancing, and singing.

In the late nineteenth century, when America began to fill with immigrants from all over the world, the celebration of Halloween became popular nationwide.  Americans wore costumes and went door to door asking for food and money.  A tradition that later evolved in to today’s trick or treating.

After the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both adults and children, with food, games, and festive costumes, became the primary way to celebrate the holiday.  Today’s Halloween festivities are a mixture of Celtic, Roman, and early American All Hallows Eve traditions that have evolved into a booming business, bringing in an estimated $6 billion a year.  Halloween is the country’s second largest commercial holiday, after Christmas.

Are Movie Trailers Showing Too Much?

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In the past few years the unpredictability and mystery has been taken away from movies because of the amount of information given in the trailer. Movie trailers are supposed to be a preview, or a glimpse, of the movie- not a summary. For example, Batman V Superman visually shows the whole movie by showing Batman saving Superman’s mother, Wonder Woman’s appearance, and the final show down with Abomination. It would have been nice to keep some things unknown seeing as these are the major plot points of the movie.

The most recent example of a movie showing too much is Thor: Ragnarok. When I first watched it I couldn’t help but think how amazing it would have been to see Hulk as a surprise character in this movie. Also, Thor saying “He’s a friend from work!” will not be as funny as since I saw it in the trailer.

Movies showing or telling too much is not a new thing, they have done this throughout time. In the 1973 sci-fi flick Soylent Green, the trailer asks “What is the secret of soylent green?” Not only does the trailer end up showing you what “soylent green” actually is, it breaks down major plot points and shows the entire movie! When I watched the movie for the first time, it was a huge surprise because I never saw the trailer.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi released a trailer recently, and the director Rian Johnson warned fans not to watch it because it shows too much. It does show a lot visually, yet unlike the other trailers it leaves a lot of questions. For example, who is Rey and is she a Skywalker? Or will she join the Dark Side? Does a main character die? How and why did Luke get to the island? There is still so much to be seen.

Rian Johnsons philosophy of not seeing a trailer before you go see a movie is a good one. Only how are you supposed to avoid it when you will most likely see The Last Jedi trailer during the 15 minutes of trailers before the movies you see until then? It would be difficult to not see trailers if you are an avid movie goer.

The reason for movie trailers to show as much as they do could be because people are unfamiliar with the content. As a solution to this, the trailer gives away a lot to help motivate people to go see the movie. The thing that does not make sense about trailers showing too much is why studios like Marvel and DC do. With characters like Thor, Batman, and Superman people are going to see the movie since their characters are already established icons.

The only positive side to seeing too much is that it helps you determine if you want to see a movie or not. There are just some movies that by their trailer you can tell are going to be good or bad. In other words, it helps you save time and money. No matter the pros and cons, producers need to try to find a perfect balance in marketing the movie. As the cliché goes: sometimes less is more.

 

Why Journalism?

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In life, the billion-dollar question asked the most is, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” When the response is, “I don’t know” the look given isn’t always a pleasant one. The truth is for some it takes changing your major a few times before figuring it out. Then there are those that have known since birth what their life would one day be. Fortunately, I am not that person. I say fortunately because, it’s okay that you don’t know exactly what it is that you want to do. It’s okay that you may not have your entire life figured out. For the ones that do have their entire life planned out isn’t always the happiest, those people probably have never really experienced life and the things that the world has to offer.

“Life is an adventure, not a packaged tour.” –Eckhart Tolle

As hard as it may be to live life the way you want, it is also the most rewarding. Living for other people and their opinions is the quickest way to failure. Trust me when I say not everyone is going to understand your career choice, that’s okay. It’s your life. Follow your passion and ignore the naysayers. There’s so many things I thought about pursuing before finally deciding that being a mass communication major was the best fit for me. I’m that person that can sit around old people and listen to what life was like when they were young. I’m not shy, but naturally I have always been one to listen more than I talked. I stayed curious about everything and was that person that enjoyed being in other people’s business and was called nosey. Now, my nosiness will one day pay off.

“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dream.” –Oprah Winfrey

If you’re reading this because you’re uncertain of what you want to do with your life, I’m here to tell you how I came across what I feel I was meant to do. As I’ve stated before, I’m not that person that have always known that this is what I would one day do. As I like to say, “I didn’t choose journalism, journalism chose me.” Ever since I was a young girl I thought I would one day grow up to be a dentist, why, I have no idea it just seems like an exciting job. That dream stuck with me until I was a freshman in high school in 2008. That same year Former President Barack Obama was elected as President of the United States of America, for so many it was a time of celebration and most importantly history was made. The first black president, how many people thought that would one day happen? I remember being so inspired that I just knew I would one-day go to college to study political science. So, from the time Mr. Obama was elected until about sophomore year of college I was a political science major. Clearly, that changed for me simply because politics were tougher than I thought. Although I didn’t choose politics for a career choice Obama inspired me in so many other ways.

“The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain, I’m going to press on.” –Barack Obama

Then there was a period of time when I had no clue what to do with my life. I revisited the idea of becoming a dentist, I thought about being a nurse because that is what my mother wanted me to do. I thought about being an interior designer, a teacher, even some type of surgeon. Nothing was really jumping out at me, of what could really be my future career. Every now and again I remember watching these exclusive television specials on everyday people. Those stories would cover kids with a parent that was incarcerated, people living pay check to pay check, or young people abusing drugs. Things that are going on everyday but us as a society may not care too much about, because most can’t personally relate.

All the journalists that I admire all tell stories that means something. Journalist gives a voice to the voiceless and bring light to subjects that are meant to be swept under the rug. I once reached out to Lisa Ling, (journalist) on Instagram, not expecting her to respond. I asked her, “what advice would you give to future journalists,” she responded, “travel and keep writing.” I think traveling exposes a person to new cultures and the social norms in other places. To be able to write about it is telling a story that means something. My inspiration is people, because I’m constantly learning from them whether it’s my peers or strangers. It’s amazing how much you can learn about a person if you take the time out to have a simple conversation. With that being said, if any of you are unsure about what you want to do, don’t panic! It’ll come to you when you least expect it!

“There’s so much grey to every story-nothing is so black and white.” –Lisa Ling

Colonizing Mars

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Before humans can touch the ground on Mars, NASA has a three threshold plan using robotics and starting with the Earth Reliant, an “orbiting microgravity laboratory serving as a world-class test bed for technologies and communications systems needed for human missions.”  The earth reliant is helping develop deep space systems like human health and life support while astronauts are now “learning about what it takes to live and work in space for long periods of time, increasing our understand of how the body changes in space and how to protect astronaut health.”

The second threshold has a series of missions near the moon. This robotic phase called the Proving Ground will test and decide what we will need to work and live on Mars. The Proving Ground phase will take effect in 2018 until 2030.  Astronauts are now hours away from earth yet days away from the proving ground area, and sometime in 2020, NASA will send several astronauts for a year-long mission into this area to test our readiness for Mars. Another part of this phase is the Asteroid Redirect Mission which will capture asteroid boulders and move it into a safe orbit around the moon. Being able to successfully do this will prove crucial when we send cargo as part of human missions to Mars.

In the last phase, Earth Independent, beginning in 2030, NASA will test the entry, descent, and landing techniques into low-level Mars. From there, NASA what is needed to thrive and survive off the land. NASA is already studying exploration zones, and the next land rover is due on Mars in 2020. “There are challenges to pioneering Mars, but we know they are solvable. We are well on our way to getting there, landing there, and living there.”